Boses - 2008

Category: Movie

Genre: Drama / Indie

Director: Ellen Ongkenko- Marfil

Writer: Rody Vera, Froilan Medina

 Cast: Coke Bolipata, Julian Duque, Ricky Davao, Meryll Soriano, Cherry Pie Picache and more


I saw a trailer of this indie film over TV some 2 weeks ago, and it got me curious. I never wouldve imagined that I would be meeting the Director and 2 actors of the said movie right here in Davao City.

I got an invitation for a film showing over at Cinematheque, and since two offices invited me, Tuburan Institute and Happy Team(Councilor Avila of Davao), I grabbed the chance. But, I didn't realize the title was "Boses". All I saw at the invite was: "The Heart Speaks", cocktails and live violin by The Cast.

And I was pleasantly surprised to realize it was a film showing of Boses.

This film is about a child who is being abused by his Dad...

I find this movie simple yet very moving and it sure is worthy of your time. It has multi-dimensional aspects of the film from child abuse, to child welfare, how to run a shelter, isolation rooms, bullying, suicide, dreams, family, father & son, depression, music, therapy and so on and so on. There are so many points of discussion. It's educational. More films like these should be made. :)

Guess Who - 2005

Category: Movie

Genre: Comedy / Romance

Director: Kevin Rodney Sullivan

Writer: William Rose, David Ronn

Producer: Columbia Pictures Corporation, Regency Enterprises, 3 Art Entertainment

Cast:  Ashton Kutcher, Bernie Mac, Zoe Saldana, Judith Scott, Hal Williams, Kellee Stewart and more

Tagline: His daughter's Mr. Right just turned out to be... Mr. White.

Theresa(Zoe Saldana) brings home her boyfriend Simon (Ashton Kutcher), to meet her parents who will be renewing their vows for their anniversary. And both Theresa and Simon planned to announce their engagement over the weekend. There's one thing, the Jones' family is black and Theresa neglects to tell them Simon is White. Percy, Theresa's father has a general mistrust of any boyfriend for Theresa and let alone... Simon being white.


It is a very funny, light and family oriented film.  My Beloved Boo made me watch this and I always admire how he chooses his films. It's always light and fun. And very family oriented. You are the best sweetheart! It's a simple film about "meeting the parents" of your wife-to-be and how to get along with the "parents".

Best take from the movie, was this line.....

"Pride aint nothing when it comes to the matters of the heart".

White House Down - 2013

Category: Movies

Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller

Writer: James Vanderbilt

Director: Roland Emmerich

Producer: Columbia Pictures, Mythology Entertainment

Cast; Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gylenhaal, Jason Clarke, Richard Jenkins, Joey King, James Woods, Nicolas Wright, Jimmi Simpson, Michael Murphy and more

Tagline: It Will Start Like Any Other Day

A Capitol Policeman, John Cale (Channing Tatum) was on tour while on the White House with his young daughter while at the same time applying for his dream job to be part of the Secret Service in protecting the current President, James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx). But, then on that same day the White House was overtaken by a heavily armed group, now John Cale springs into action as he tries to protect his daughter and the President.


It's the fourth of july! and what better way, than to watch the first screening of White House Down.

I'm not a fan of Channing Tatum but it was a good one though. I had loads of fun watching the film. It was a great action film, loads of bullets, missiles, helicopters, and all those shizznit and with a good enough humor.

After Earth - 2013

Category: Movie

Genre: Action / Sci-Fi / Drama

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Writer: Gary Whitta, M. Night Shyamalan

Producer: Columbia Pictures, Overbrook Entertainment, Blinding Edge Pictures

Cast: Jaden Smith, Will Smith, David Denman, Sophie Okonedo, Zoe Kravitz, Glenn Morshower, Kristofer Hivju, Sacha Dawan, and more

Tagline: Danger is real. Fear is a choice.


I didn't realise this was an M.Night Shymalan ... until I saw the credits... on the first opening scene! Wooot.

One thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity's escape from Earth, Nova Prime has become mankind's new home.  Cypher Raige returns from an extended duty to his family and ready to father his son, Kitai, but then a crash landing leaves Kitai Raige and Cypher stranded on Earth, a millennium after events forced humanity's escape. With Cypher injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help.

I loved the film!

I first read about the film about an article saying this film's got something to do with Will Smith's dedication to Scientology. Well, it pretty much looks like it.

Scientology or not... it strikes a chord for us who just attended IkePono. This reminds me of the Pono battle. How to just connect with your pono, thus eliminating fear. Specially, the ending.

The kneeling part is one way of getting grounded, and being in touch with self and going back to Pono.

Also, it has elements of LES (Doc Andre's seminar), about staying in the present moment, becoming aware of everything around you. And a bit of a Peaceful Warrior. Elements of Workshop:Courage and Aletheia was also shown.

This is once again something about the future, yes, another apocalyptic view, about fathers and sons, childhood traumas, getting out of the box, relying on intuition, and well, pretty much the journey of the hero. :)

Photo source: HD Wallpapers

Despicable Me - 2010

Category: Animation

Genre: Comedy

Director: Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud

Writer:Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio

Producer: Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment

Cast: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Kate Fisher

Tagline: Some call him bad, "they" call him dad.

A trio of orphan girls are being used by a criminal mastermind Gru, as pawns for a grand scheme and can be the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. But then, an innocent and pure love from the three girls is profoundly changing Gru for the better. The world's greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little orphan girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes. 

This film was recommended to me by a friend who really enjoys Gru, and so I can relate to a bully-like Gru... I watched the film. :)

Its dark humor, villainy stuff was muffled down by the appearance of the  three little girls. Fun and heartwarming, oftentimes cute and fuzzy. I enjoyed watching the film, and how it shows a side of villains that is never often showed. Villains got heart too! :)And it's good that this also portrays the "single dad" role which is often rare in cartoons or in movies. :)

Photo Source: GreatFun4Kids

So Undercover - 2012

Category: Movie

Genre: Chick Flick / Action / Comedy

Director: Tom Vaughan

Writer: Allan Loeb, Steven Pearl

Producer:  

Cast: Miley Cyrus, Jeremy Piven, Mike O'Mailey, Joshua Bowman, Lauren McKnight, Kelly Osbourne, Eloise Mumford, Megan Park, Morgan Calhoun, Alexis Knapp, Matthew Settle, Autumn Reeser and more

Tagline:  COLLEGE... It's the most dangerous assignment of all

Molly(Miley Cyrus), was hired by an FBI agent to go undercover in a college sorority. She was qualified since she's a tough, street-smart gal whose dad was ex-cop turned into a private investigator. 

Uhmmm too chick flicky-ish. Haha. Predictable. Not exactly that good. Maybe when I was back in my teenage years I would have enjoyed it because anything "spy" would knock me over with delight! And it has similar scenes with Miss Congeniality.

All in all? I wouldn't watch it for the second time. 

Photo Source: Filmofilia

How To Train Your Dragon - 2010

Category: Movie / Animation

Genre: Fantasy / Adventure

Writer: William Davis and Dean Deblois

Director: Dean Deblois, Chris Sanders

Producer: DreamWorks Animation, Mad Hatter Entertainment, Mad Hatter Films

Cast: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Christopher Mintz Plasse, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wig, Robin Atkin Downes, and more.

Tagline:


A young Viking, named Hiccup on the Island of Berk, wants to join the fight and hunt dragons that continually raid their town. But, being clumsy and small, he was always discouraged by his father, Stoik the Vast who is a village leader. Despite his being clumsy and small, his attribute goes to his creativity/inventiveness. While out doing his best to prove that he is worthy to be a Viking,he was set to kill, but could not bring himself to do it. Out of curiosity, he befriends the dragon whom he calls Toothless. 

Oooh yeahhh!! Dragons! and Taming them? Well you are right!!! I had a fun time watching the film. It was exciting and heart warming too! :) I enjoyed the relationship of Hiccup and Toothless, they gave enough time for the characters to develop which actually gives depth to the movie.

Great animation, but what matters a lot is the story and the journey of Hiccup and Toothless. Both, young and old would enjoy this dragon and viking tale! :)

Funny Lines:

Hiccup: And when he does, it's always with this... disappointed scowl, like someone skimped on the meat in his sandwich.
[imitating]
Hiccup: "Excuse me, barmaid! I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring! I ordered an extra-large boy with beefy arms, extra guts and glory on the side. This here, this is a talking fish-bone!"

Fishlegs: [to Tuffnut] Your mom let you get a tattoo?
Tuffnut: It's not a tattoo, it's a birth mark!
Ruffnut: Okay, I've been stuck with you since birth and that was never there before.
Tuffnut: Yes it was! You've just never seen me from the left side until now. 

Emo Lines:

Hiccup: Why couldn't I have killed that dragon when I found him in the woods? Would've been better, for everyone...
Astrid: Yep. The rest of us would have done it. So why didn't you?  Why didn't you?
H: I don't know... I couldn't.
A: That's not an answer.
H: "Why" is this so important to you all of a sudden?
A: Because I want to remember what you say, right now.
H: Oh, for the love of... I was a coward! I was weak! I wouldn't kill a dragon!
A: You said "wouldn't", that time.
H: Agh, whatever... I "wouldn't"! Three hundred years, and I'm the first Viking who wouldn't kill a dragon!
A: First to ride one, though. So...?
Hiccup: I wouldn't kill him, because he looked as frightened as *I* was. I looked at him... and I saw myself.

Photo Source: HowtoTrainYourDragon.Blogspot

Chalet Girl - 2011

Category: Movie

Genre: Chick Flick

Director: Phil Traill

Writer: Tom Williams

Producer: UK Film Council, Aegis Film Fund, Prescience

Cast: Felicity Jones, Ed Westwick, Bill Nighy, Brooke Shields, Tamsin Egerton, Bill Bailey,  Sophia Bush,

Kim Matthews (Felicity Jones) who is 19, used to be a champion skateboarder. She was traumatized by her mom's death causing her to stop her love for skateboarding. Now, she is stuck in a small time job trying to support her Dad. But, then opportunity came knocking on her door and swept her off to an exclusive chalet in the Alps. And there she would meet her handsome, rich, engaged boss, named Jonny (Ed Westwick).

It looks like a drab movie at the opening credits.... and I was thinking whether to push thru with the movie or not. However it has a tinge touch of humor thrown here and there specially by the lead female which actually made me stick. By the middle, I was getting in touch with the story.

I like Tamsin Egerton here she looks like one of my friends Czar. The way she moves and speaks.. haha. :) cute. Entertaining albeit predictable.

The Last Song - 2010

Category: Movie

Genre: Drama

Director: Julie Ann Robinson

Writer: Nicholas Sparks, Jeff Van Wie


Producer: Touchstone Pictures, Offspring Entertainment,

Cast: Miley Cyrus, Liam Hensworth, Greg Kinnear, Bobby Coleman, Hallock Beals, Kelly Preston, Nick Lashaway, Carly Chaikin, Kate Vernon and more

Tagline: Do you ever really forget your first heartbreak?



The parents of Ronnie (Miley Cyrus) and her younger brother, Jonah were divorced. Ronnie and Jonah(Bobby Coleman) lives with their mom ever since but until this summer they were sent to live with their father (Greg Kinnear) in a small town on the beach. Ronnie has become rebellious since then. But, things begin to change on that fateful summer as their mutual love for music reconnects Ronnie and her father.

Another Nicholas Sparks novel turned into movie, huh? :) At first I was thinking it was Disney but when i saw the credits it was a Nicholas Sparks movie. That's why it's quite loaded with drama involving heartaches and reconnection...

I actually did not get to read the book .... but I'm sure its not somewhere close to the book.. as always the case. One thing, I like about the film was the acting of Bobby Coleman playing Jonah and Greg Kinnear. There were predictable moments.... I did cry in some of the moments. :) But, according to most reviews the book is way better... but like a new saying goes: "Don't judge a book by it's movie."

But, it could have been given more depth... 


FUNNY LINES

Jonah Miller: Mom says its because she has PMS.
Steve Miller: Do you even know what PMS is, Jonah ?
Jonah Miller: Of course I do dad, I'm not a little kid anymore. It's the Pissed At Men Syndrome.

Taken - 2008

Category: Movie

Genre: Action / Drama / Thriller

Director: Pierce Morrel

Writer: Luke Breson, Robert Mark Kamen

Producer: Europa Corp., M6 Films, Grive Productions.

Tagline: Time is running out.

Cast: Liam Nesson, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, John Gries, David Warshofsky, Holly Valance, Katie Cassidy, Xander Berkeley and more.

Kim managed to convince her father, Bryan Mills (Liam Nesson) to travel to Paris with her friend Amanda. What seemed to be an innocent Parisian travel turned out to be a traumatic disaster! As Bryan Mills, relies with his age old spy skills to save his daughter, who has been forced into the slave trade with an Albanian gang.

It's a great fast paced action-packed movie. Not a huge conspiracy thing but something involving something personal. International human trafficking is largely the issue in the movie. Great direction and great acting by Neeson! :)

Worth watching. :)

A Bronx Tale - 1993

Category: Movie

Genre: Crime, Drama, Family

Director: Robert De Niro

Writer: Chazz Palminteri

Producer: Price Entertainment, Penta Entertainment, Tribeca Productions

Tagline: One man lives in the neighborhood, another man owns it. A devoted father battles the local crime boss for the life of his son.

Cast: Robert De Niro, Chazz Palminteri, Lilo Brancato, Francis Capra, Taral Hicks, Kathrine Narducci, Clem Caserta, Alfred Sauchell Jr., Frank Pietrangolare, Joe Pesci, Robert D`Andrea, Fred Fishcer, Dave Salerno, and more.



Summary and Review of the movie A Bronx Tale.

Sonny the gangster is the big man in Calogero's Bronx neighborhood. Calogero always admired Sonny. One day, Calogero witnessed a shooting wherein he was asked to testify against Sonny but he did not implicate Sonny. It started a lasting bond between the gangster and Calogero which his father, a bus driver named Lorenzo disapproves.


It's quite a slow movie, but I like it. It's simple. No need for effects but the story gets to you. Each character gets to you. It's deeply moving. And I think this movie is one of the best underrated movies. About wasted talents, father and son, friendship, loyalty, and more.

Quotes I Like:

Lorenzo: The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.
Calogero: Sonny and my father always said that when I get older I would understand. Well, I finally did. I learned something from these two men. I learned to give love and get love unconditionally. You just have to accept people for what they are, and I learned the greatest gift of all. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever. But you can ask anybody from my neighborhood, and they'll just tell you this is just another Bronx tale.

A Cool, Dry Place - 1998

Category: Movie

Genre: Family / Drama

Producer: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 20th Century Fox (Far East), 20th Century Fox de Argentina, Gativideo.

Director: John N. Smith

Writer: Michael Grant Jaffe (novel), Matthew McDuffie.

Tagline: Love, Sex and Starting Over..

Cast: Vince Vaughn, Monica Potter, Joey Lauren Adams, Bobby Moat, Devon Sawa, Todd Louiso, Jenny Robertson, Siobhan Fallon and more.


Overview and Summary of the movie A Cool, Dry Place.

After Russell's(Vince Vaughn) wife abandoned him in Chicago, he moved in to rural Kansas and tries his best to balance his work as an attorney while caring for his five year old son Calvin(Kevin Moat) and his sideline as a high school basketball coach.

Just as he starts to develop a new relationship with a veterinarian's assistant, his ex-wife suddenly reappears and wants to re-assert herself in her husband and son's life. On top of the romantic conflict, he is also suddenly presented with the opportunity of a lifetime to join a major firm in Dallas.

This is a heartwarming Father and Son story. I loved Kevin Moat's acting! What a cute child he is. I find their bond in the movie cute. The movie might seem mellow but I think this is one of those movies which were underrated. It has a few funny parts too. This movie made me teary eyed too.

Dear John - Nicholas Sparks

Category: Books

Genre: Romance / Drama

Writer: Nicholas Sparks


Savannah Lynn Curtis and John Tyree met one summer at a beach. It was a scenario of the knight in shining armor and the damsel in distress. And ever since Savannah came into his life, he knew he will turn into a new leaf. But, they had to part ways and be in a long distance relationship since John was still enlisted to the Army.

I am sure people in the Army or people who got deeply affected with the September 11 bombings would relate well with this novel. This is a story of a different kind of love. A love that lets people go. This makes you honor the choices of others.