http://rainmailbot.multiply.com/ Oh, nothing. Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:50:19 -0000 Fri, 8 Aug 2008 07:23:09 -0000 http://images.rainmailbot.multiply.com/logo http://rainmailbot.multiply.com 100 100 Stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tim Allen, Alice Braga, Emily Mortimer, and written and directed by David Mamet. It is easily among the awe-inspiring items in my pirate collection, along with movies such as Eastern Promises, Fargo, Lost in Translation, Match Point, Se7en, The Departed, There Will be Blood. It is poised to impress ringside fans and plot nitpickers alike. In my opinion, the movie is very reminiscent of the darker, more current films of Woody Allen, especially as regards precision and simplicity of details relating to its story. The big difference lies in its moral-inspired conclusion, against grim, grey-to-dark endings for movies like Cassandra's Dream, Match Point, and half of Melinda and Melinda. I also love that it is not crowded with too many subplots, but not too bland in its dramatic buildup. Overall, it is a movie that I could not pause, even as I watched it for the second time. It's just that good. There is, however, one question that this movie raised in my mind. Wha... http://rainmailbot.multiply.com/reviews/item/4 Fri, 8 Aug 2008 07:23:09 -0000 Written and Directed by Woody Allen This is a movie that showcases Woody Allen as he delves deep into the dark corners of the human mind. Many critics compare this to his fine 2005 work with a similar setting and a similarly dark theme, Match Point, and most end up referring to Cassandra's Dream as inferior to it. For me, the enjoyment of watching a movie comes not entirely from the idea that the work was made by a legend. If you watch a current release by a great filmmaker of whom you are a fan, expecting the same storytelling style, chances are, you will play the images of his old reels over and over in your mind, keeping yourself from focusing on his current work and taking it at face value. But if you do in fact set aside the comparisons and just sit back and watch, you might actually get your two hours' worth. This movie is not like any of his old movies, not even like Match Point. This is a study of ordinary people and their attempts at taking on extraordinary things... http://rainmailbot.multiply.com/reviews/item/3 Wed, 14 May 2008 19:48:43 -0000 I saw this for the second time today, after so many years have passed since I last saw it, and I'm glad I did. <img src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_0COweAG1yFU/SBLl_2gO6II/AAAAAAAAAN4/2Mq2f_oKIUs/s320/GreenMile.jpg&#x22;"> Towards the ending, when John Coffey was asked what he wanted before he died, he asked to watch a romantic movie. I thought it was one of the most moving moments in cinema. I got up from my seat and cried hard as Coffey delighted himself watching Fred Astaire sing to Ginger Rogers in Top Hat. Heaven I'm in heaven And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak And I seem to find the happiness I seek When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek When the movie ended, I took a few moments to ponder the reasons why I cried. The movie that Coffey enjoyed was romantic, while the real movie that he witnessed was unenjoyably tragic. It was a powerful juxtaposition of two dramatic ironies of life that moved me to the edge of my seat. Some characters live their lives experiencing all bad things, and never really getting a break from it to experience good things. ... http://rainmailbot.multiply.com/reviews/item/2 Sat, 26 Apr 2008 09:16:29 -0000 I finally got the chance to watch Infernal Affairs, a Hong Kong-based crime thriller about two cops standing on opposite sides of the law. One is a dirty gangster posing as a mole in the police force. The other is an undercover cop posing as a Triad member. The story follows the intertwined lives of the two characters as one is determined to find and rat out the other in order to gain advantage and save himself. I have been a fan of Martin Scorcese's The Departed before I saw this film, and my coworker loaned me a copy of this DVD to test my preference among both films. The hard thing about trusting a Hollywood remake of films is in its lack of originality. What more does Hollywood want to do with a film that is already brilliantly made? This was probably one of the questions swimming in my friend's mind as he awaited my response on watching the original Chinese version of the film. I am a sucker for brilliant photography. Just give me a row of impressive images and I'm al... http://rainmailbot.multiply.com/reviews/item/1 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 17:18:53 -0000