Movie Review: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

I heard that this movie is a contender for the Best in Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical award in the upcoming Golden Globes Awards 2013. And since I'm in the mood for a romcom flick, I decided to watch this one.

Based on the title, it doesn't sound like a comedy and a romantic one to boot. It seemed to me like an indie film or a documentary about salmon fishing. Good thing, there's the movie poster with Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt sitting next to each other looking like they're engrossed in a serious, romantic conversation. Seeing the poster, you'd know that this movie is not your typical, make-believe and predictable Hollywood flicks which are mostly about sex and lame "love" stories.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is calm, light and warm. A delightful story between two irresistible characters - Dr. Andrew Jones, portrayed marvelously by McGregor, and Harriet Chetwode-Talbot played by Blunt.

A very ambitious and a visionary sheik, played by Amr Waked, brought the two together embarking on a theoretically possible project, in the same way that it is theoretically possible to send a man to Mars, of bringing salmon fishing in the Yemen. The fishing part is definitely an interesting ingredient for the movie. It brought something else to the story that picked my attention. Yes, it's about a love story but the movie also zeroed on faith as a special element of love. It was an excellent combination to showcase a special love that tugs at the heart.

The story is mostly unpredictable which is a pleasant surprise. Sure, there were some cliche moments but the story got hold of the audience's interest throughout the rest of the movie. The cast is generally adorable especially McGregor who was charming and cute with his accent. It was not over-the-top chemistry between the two actors but ironically very effective. I like that it was subtle, tender and very romantic.

The movie wasn't even too dramatic or intense. It was simply a unique story about love that was told very creatively which made the movie entertaining and worth watching.  

Movie Review: Praybeyt Benjamin Starring Vice Ganda

The movie, Praybet Benjamin, starring the sensational comedian Vica Ganda has earned rave reviews and an unkabogable gross earnings of $7,406,760 (around Php 311 Million) on it's third week according to boxofficemojo which is a record-breaking feat in the Philippines.

The movie is another collaboration from Star Cinema and Viva Films starring Vice Ganda as Benjie Santos and Derek Ramsay as Brandon Estolas and a slew of supporting character the most notable of which are Nikki Valdez, Vandolph, Kean Cipriano, Jimmy Santos and more under the direction of Wenn V. Deramas. 

As you would expect with a Vice Ganda movie, it's main objective is to get the audience to laugh like crazy. Sure enough, it was what the movie was all about. It makes you feel good because of the increased dopamine and endorphin levels in your body when you laugh thus reducing stress. And if you intend to only laugh, relax and enjoy then the movie is for you. You earned your money's worth. 

They say that entertainment is supposed to be that especially if it's a comedy you'd rather not expect more than to laugh. After all, a comedy film is designed mainly to be humorous and elicit laughter from the audience. In this respect, the movie lived up to that. 

But when it comes to the story line, it was average and basically a rip off of Disney's Mulan. It was as predictable as the sunset happening at the end of the day. There was nothing new. It is a typical Filipino comedy. Predictable, cheesy and corny, a little too much with the exaggeration and shallow.  

I'm not always a fan of Vice Ganda's comedic style where he makes jokes at the expense of another person. Sometimes, it can be witty and genuinely funny but there are instances too that his jokes are just downright degrading. The movie was of course loaded with Vice Ganda's punchlines. I have to admit, I did laugh. But not during the entire film as some of the viewers have claimed. 

I was looking for some depth. I believe that a comedy movie could be both hilarious and meaningful. Yes, there were some moral lessons like acceptance, family values and good camaraderie but other movies have done the same thing too. 

Nonetheless, it is undeniable that the movie was a huge success when it comes to blockbuster earnings. Not all comedy could pull off such numbers in a span of three weeks. The movie was effective in drawing the mainstream audience. But for me, it was good but not good enough. I was expecting more from the story and from the highly sensationalized caliber of Vice Ganda's comedic timing. Or may be I'm just to serious or maybe I'm just being too critical or maybe the movie was just over hyped. I give it a 6 out 10. 

Every Child is Special (Taare Zameen Par) Movie Review

Every Child is Special Movie Poster

Taare Zameen Par "Every Child is Special" or also known as Like Stars on Earth is a Hindi film and a directorial movie debut for Aamir Khan released 2007. The film generated rave reviews and was well received both in India and globally. It garnered various recognition such as the Filmfare Best Film Award, National Film Award and Best Film on Family Welfare for the year 2008 in India. It is also an entry for the 2009 Academy Awards Best Foreign Film.  

The movie revolves around the story of an 8-year old boy Ishaan Awasthi played by Darsheel Safary who's stuck in Grade 3 for the second year around, tanks all his exams, barely knows how to read and write, sees the numbers and letters dancing and prancing, thought of as lazy and a troublemaker. 

He gets into trouble day after day until his parents can't handle it anymore and was eventually sent to a boarding school which probably did more harm than good for little Ishaan. He used to love to paint but he was so depressed that he stopped painting altogether until a substitute art teacher Ram Shankar Nikumbh played by Aamir Khan (also the director of the movie) saw what the real problem was. Nikumbh was patient and he helped Ishaan get through the hurdles of being a kid who is dyslexic the same way he did when he was younger. 

Slowly, Ishaan realized that he was not "dumb, a duffer and an idiot." He was just different and there are people who were as different as he is and they include famous and well celebrated personalities such as Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Pablo Picasso, Walt Disney, Neil Diamond and Agatha Christie.  

From there, it was pretty much a happy ending. Ishaan started to paint again and his parents especially his father who demands his kids to excel in school finally gets him. This is all thanks to that "Pied Piper" art teacher who sees that every kid has their own talent, every kid needs to be understood and Every Child is Special. 

What I appreciate about the movie was the very engaging music and the colorfulness of Ishaan's world. The attention to details was truly amazing. It is memorable and when you look at it as a whole picture, it makes sense. The puddle, the kid on his dads' shoulder buying an ice candy, the puzzle Ishaan is trying to finish, the mixing of paint color and the notebooks with the red marks. Add to that the outstanding portrayal of Darsheel for the role of Ishaan. My favorite scenes are the ones when he was not talking verbally but simply communicating through his silent, big, innocent eyes sitting on his chair, staring at nothing. He's a marvel and a pleasure to watch. Of course, Aamir Khan was excellent and he had great chemistry with the kids. The story gets predictable near the end but in a good way. It leaves a pleasant feeling which means audience's were basically satisfied. Even my younger siblings loved the film. In fact, they've watched it several times already.

   

The movie was both funny and can be extremely sentimental to a point. It can even get a little corny and melodramatic too which I don't mind very much. It tugs at the heart and ultimately, the message of the story that Every Child is Special was communicated well to the audience. It is a simple message but it is one that most of us often forgets and this movie is a reminder.

What a shame that I have only discovered this film recently. My movie experiences usually only involve the Holywood types and Filipino movies. Who would have thought there are some gems in Bolywood and I'm sure looking forward to seeing films like this in the future. 

It is one of those films that was tastefully and artfully put together, the message was clear and positive. It is one that I would highly recommend. 

My Thoughts: No Other Woman vs. A Love Story

I was mainly curious what the fuss was about the movie so I decided to go ahead and see it for myself. No Other Woman is a movie collaboration by Star Cinema and Viva Films starred by the stunning Anne Curtis as Kara Zalderiaga, the hunk leading man Derek Ramsay as Ram Escaler and the ever so gorgeous Cristine Reyes as Charmaine Escaler under the direction of Ruel Santos Bayani.

With those hot stars top-billing the flick, it's a sure fire recipe to draw audiences young and old, male and female alike to the cinemas. Add to that the relatively controversial plot. I can understand why it is such a hit. But I was not expecting that it's going to hit that big.

What I like about the movie is mainly the acting. Each star shone at some point in the movie but it was Anne Curtis who stole the spotlight with her poise and sophistication in her portrayal as the other woman. The exchange of some of the most memorable lines were an added spice to the already  hot chemistry of the actors. Here are some of my favorites:

“You can call me whatever you want,SNAKE, BITCH or OTHER WOMAN, but I promise you,
I will never be a PATHETIC and BORING housewife.
- Kara Zalderiaga”

“Alam mo kasi ang marriage parang exclusive village.
Kailangan mong bantayan para hindi makapasok ang mga squatters.
- Charmaine Escaler”
  “Ang mundo ay isang malaking Quiapo, maraming snatcher, maagawan ka, lumaban ka!"                     - Carmi Martin

  “Panahon na para i-pack mo na yang Lucy Torres mo, ilabas mo na diyan si Gretchen Barretto, anak ako na ang bahala sa red stiletto mo!" - Carmi Martin  

“Pareparehong puta lang yun! Ang mayaman bumibili ng hermes sa mall, ang mahirap bumibili ng hermes sa greenhills." – Carmi Martin 

It was a good start for the movie but there were some dragging parts in between. I remember saying, "When will the slapping and the action start?"


Half-way through the plot, it gets a little too predictable and sadly, I was not satisfied with how the ending was conveyed. I was not convinced why Ram chose Charmaine over Kara. Of course, it is the only right ending the movie should head to but it was not justified strongly. At least, that's how it came across to me.

I cannot help but compare it with another Star Cinema movie released 2007. I'm sure you know what movie I was referring to because No Other Woman's plot was familiarly similar to it. It was of course, "A Love Story" starred by Angelica Panganiban, Aga Muhlach and Ms. Maricel Soriano directed by Maryo J. De Los Reyes.

I was not a die-hard fan of any of the actors but I watched "A Love Story" anyway because I was instantly drawn to the story. It was an interesting and an unlikely set of actors which made it more appealing. I only saw the movie once but I can still vividly remember the ending. The conflict was the same but the story climaxed with such depth and subtlety that as it neared the ending, it was a tug-of-war between Maricel Soriano's and Angelica Panganiban's characters. I wanted Muhlach's character to choose the other woman because she loved him more than the wife ever did. But he ended up doing the right thing and chose the wife instead. It was definitely the right ending. What I love about the movie was that it was able to create such conflicting emotions for the audience that even if you wanted a different thing and the movie headed to a different direction, you'd find yourself satisfied in the end. Even after the movie ended, it still lingers a while more. And for me, that sums up effective storytelling.

"No Other Woman (NOW)" fell short in this respect. If "A Love Story" ended with an unforgettable bang, "NOW" ended with little or no bang at all. It was too predictable. It sizzled cold right before the ending. "No Other Woman" was basically a rip-off of "A Love Story" and when it's supposed to be better, it was not.

Nonetheless, a CONGRATULATIONS is deserved. After all, in this age of rampant and aggressive piracy of movies, "NOW" was able to pull off such a feat.

As for me, I was just looking for more.




Soniador