Source Code (2011)

When it's over, I'm leaning more towards the "liking" of this film rather than dismissing it altogether, and it has a lot to do with Jake Gyllenhaal's performance as Colter Stevens, a US army helicopter pilot, who finds himself reliving, many times over, the last eights minutes of a commuter train prior to it being bombed.  I think Gyllenhaal does a great job carrying this mind-bender of a film, and without his believability, I wouldn’t have stayed on for the ride.  The film's got a smart script and consisted of some intriguing twists and surprises which in the hands of a less capable actor and director would have become boring and redundant.  Director Duncan Jones (Moon - 2009) manages to keep the story moving and interesting by feeding the audience information each time Stevens goes back into the source code.  The science behind Source Code fascinates me, however I don't feel the science is really explained.  My big question is if the source code is a worm hole which travels through parallel universes, how is it possible for Stevens to be in one universe and still be able to contact another if parallel universes never meet?  Any astrophysicists out there?

My rating: 3 out of 5

Jane Eyre (2011)

When it’s over, this updated version of Jane Eyre doesn’t live up to its predecessors, especially the 1997 version starring Samantha Morton and Ciaran Hinds, which captures best Charlotte Bronte’s haunting tale about a governess who falls in love with the brooding master of Thornfield Hall, who harbours a secret that may threaten their happiness together.  This time, Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender headline the cast.  Going into the film, I had expected  Director Cary Fukunaga to take the film in a new direction as most remakes do tend to aim to be unique while trying to stay true to the classic.  He started the film from the middle of the story, worked its way backward, then forward.  As much as I liked Fukunaga’s fresh approach to hook the viewer, I felt, overall, the film lacked the eeriness I’ve come to expect from “the secret” that lurked in the dark hallways of Thornfield Hall.  I didn’t get the gothic feel or mystery or horror that have become synonymous to the story of Jane Eyre.  Also, Mr. Rochester was too soft in nature.  I didn’t sense the man’s bitterness nor his pride or conceit, which were essential traits that made his character so likable and detestable at the same time.   Mrs. Fairfax, played by Judi Dench, was written into the script as more sympathetic than she should have been, thereby reducing her character’s importance in the film.  Lastly, as hard as Wasikowska tried, she just couldn’t capture the essence of Jane - the sadness, the tragedy, the strength of will and soul.

My rating: 2 out of 5

Ip Man (China - 2008)

When it’s over, there’s nothing like a well-made kung fu film to help me re-appreciate the beauty and the beast of Chinese martial arts – the karma of the art form and the use of the form as a weapon.  This semi-biographical film stars Donnie Yen as Ip Man (also spelled as Yip Man), a martial arts master who taught the art of Wing Chung.  The film focuses on Ip’s life during the 1930s to 1940s during the Second Sino-Japanese War, when the Japanese occupied Ip’s hometown of Foshang, Guangdong.  I didn’t expect much going into the film, except to see Donnie Yen in action.  Surprisingly, the story was engaging, the action was believable, the martial arts were well choreographed, and there were no cheesy one-liners to make my eyes roll.  This film reminded me a lot of Jet Li’s Fist of Legend, which remains to be one of my favourites in style, story, and choreography.  Plus, what I really found refreshing was not having to sit through a whole bunch of CGI effects or characters flying through the air.  Don’t get me wrong, I love CGI and flying acrobatics and some great martial arts films have been made using these techniques such as House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.  Ip Man offered a welcomed change of pace, and it had a good story to tell, even if the story’s been embellished for dramatic effect on the big screen.  Just a bit of trivia: Ip Man was Bruce Lee's mentor and teacher.

My rating: 4 out of 5  

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

When it's over, I like Matthew McConaughey best as a lawyer.  He looks and talks the part, and it seems effortless for him.  He was great in the 1996's A Time to Kill and he continues to be convincing as Mick Haller, a sleazy defense lawyer who grows a conscience when he signs on to represent a wealthy client, Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), who may have something to do with one of his old cases.  The script's not solid, nor is it falling apart at the seams.  The story's clear, just not enough twists and turns to make the film stand out from other noteworthy courtroom dramas such as Primal Fear and Philadelphia.  The film was better than I had anticipated, and McConaughey certainly adds to the film's appeal along with actors Marisa Tomei and William Macy.  I liked the idea that Haller was more on the sleazy side, and I liked watching him wheel and deal his clients, because it just makes him more interesting as a character. However, it would have helped if the story included more backstory on Haller, such as why he worked out of his car, an old Lincoln, and why he lived in such a small hole of a house with all the cash changing hands between him and his clients.  I'm always fascinated with details like that.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

Green Hornet (2011)

When it's over, the only good thing about this film was the car.  Everything else was a bunch of fluff.  Such a wasted shame.  Seth Rogan's in the title role as newspaper heir, Britt Reid, who band together with his late father's assistant, Kato (Jay Chou), to fight crime on the streets of Los Angeles.  Britt strikes me as a juvenile delinquent with too much time on his hands and a boy trapped in a man's body.  I suppose Rogan's just the right actor to play such a role.  Too bad the producers went this route, because Rogan was annoying, uninteresting, and at times, if I could, I would've liked to photoshop him out of the picture completely.  I think it would've been more interesting to watch Kato and Reid's office assistant (Cameron Diaz) fight crime. 

My rating: 2 out of 5