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Review: Polisse

I've said it before, but there are distinct differences between foreign films and the overwhelming majority of Hollywood releases these days. One of those differences is the fact that the foreign folks will tackle subjects that are largely ignored over here in the States as far as movies go. The French film Polisse shows that to be true once again. It puts a clear and unwavering eye on cases involving child protection issues.

Polisse is a police drama based on real life cases involving things such as child molestation, rape and abuse. It follows a team of Parisian police officers within the Child Protection Unit (CPU) as they try their best to make the lives of the people around them better by protecting the children of Paris from adults whose actions against them may be illegal.

Right off the bat, some of the subject matter can be a little disturbing. I haven't really seen too many movies that included child abuse and child molestation as primary topics, so naturally, I wasn't used to it. A good portion of what is being spoken about in Polisse is verbally explained in graphic detail and is something that I had a difficult time listening to at times. I can't say that I didn't expect some of this to be illustrated here, but I didn't realize they'd be so candid and blunt with the delivery.

In saying that, I don't think there was any other way of handling it. I'm sure they took the naturalized and realistic approach, because the cases are based on real-life events. This makes things more disturbing and powerful by using this style. Creating the movie this way, allows them to emphasize the importance of what's at stake and adds the element of authenticity that's present throughout the duration of the film.

When not looking at cases that are trying to save kids from adults, the audience is given a glimpse into the personal lives of the officers who handle the cases in this particular unit. Just about each of the characters has enough time to show their wide array of personalities while we're witnessing the trials and tribulations that they're dealing with in their personal lives. During this time, the audience see them as not only human, but being very flawed themselves. The actors do a fine job in showing the personal trouble that these guys have, while still coping with the stresses of a strenuous job.

I originally thought that Polisse would be about the cases and only the cases. Then while I was watching it, I saw that they were going to use the lives of the people in the unit as a significant part of the film. I had an issue with it at first, because I thought that it would only be used as filler and it wouldn't add anything to the movie. It turns out that I was wrong and that this portion of the movie became vital to the potential success of the entire story. Adding all of this makes Polisse complete and turns it into a full-fledged drama that hits from multiple angles.

Polisse is a film that features a large amount of emotion. From joy, sadness, anxiety and anger, if you can name it, that emotion is in here somewhere. Much of that had to do with seeing kids in almost every negative situation imaginable and the attempts of the Child Protection Unit that wants to help them, but it also comes from the imperfect and dysfunctional lives of everyone else involved. Actress/director/co-writer Maïwenn handles this well and is great at managing all of it while telling the story and having the ability to blend all of the drama that's included.

Polisse is a hard-hitting movie that touches on some delicate subjects and it never tries to pull any punches while doing so. As I said earlier, that's the only way it should have been handled. It shows a level of realism that would seem to be truthful when looking at the members of the team and how their lives might be altered by the profession that they chose and the choices that they make on their own time.

When it comes to the cases that are being handled by this unit, the same can be said for the most part. However, some of this stuff is simply outrageous. If this movie was complete fiction and wasn't about real cases, I would have a hard time believing that some of this stuff ever actually happened. They say that "truth is stranger than fiction" and judging by this film, that saying might actually be right.

Score: 4/5

Rating: NR

Director: Maïwenn

Cast:
Karin Viard
JoeyStarr
Marina Foïs
Nicolas Duvauchelle
Maïwenn
Karole Rocher
Emmanuelle Bercot
Frédéric Pierrot
Arnaud Henriet
Louis Do De Lencquesaing

Film Length: 127 minutes

Release Date: May 18, 2012 (Limited)

Distributor: IFC Films

Country: France



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FullMovies Legal Online Movie Downloading - Is It Worth It?

FullMovies Review

As an avid movie watcher myself I am always looking for the newest and best ways to get quality movies online. I admit I've gone to those illegal P2P sites and taken movies from them, but I stopped after I got several viruses that seriously messed up my computer.

So I asked myself 'how do I watch movies online but still save money?' I had gotten fed up with the expensive movie rental prices and the terrible late fees that came with them. All of the legitimate online programs however, charged an arm and a leg to rent movies, or didn't have a wide enough selection. So my search continued. That's when I found FullMovies, an online database that seemed to be the answer to my movie watching woes.

First thing I asked myself when I saw it; is FullMovies a scam? It seemed too good to be true, and as a college student who was tight on money, I was always extremely cautious when spending my cash online. After reading other reviews however, I felt that it looked pretty legitimate and I decided to give it a try despite the risks. After paying the one time entrance fee for a one-year subscription, I signed up on the site and began browsing their selection.

I was amazed. The site was so easy to navigate and incredibly user friendly. I just couldn't believe it. Just a few clicks and I was already downloading a newly released movie! While that was downloading I checked out what else it had to offer. It had every movie I could think of, plus THOUSANDS more! This site had everything and the database was constantly being added to with new releases! On top of that it was so easy to find a movie. The movies could be organized by title, actors/actresses, and release date!

As a person who reviews often, I have to say that this movie site is one of the best I've seen by far. It has everything you could want, is incredibly safe, user friendly, and has constant updates with new movies! On top of that it is so cheap compared to the amount of money you would spend actually renting all of these movies that you save hundreds! I strongly recommend FullMovies to anyone who wants to save some cash and get unlimited access to thousands of movies!

If you are interested in some good movie ideas then check out some fantasy movies that were inspired by fantasy novels here!

Here is a little about me:
My name is Sarah Carroll and I am a 20 year old university studying psychiatric nursing. I hope to be a professional writer one day and have my own book put out, that is my dream. I enjoy sports, playing with my pets(1 cat, 2 dogs) and writing!

Hi, thank you for reading my article. If you wish to read some of my other ones just go to my Ezine profile and check them out!



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The Simpsons Movie (2007)

The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 animated comedy distributed by 20th Century Fox. It stars Dan Castellaneta as Homer, Julie Kavner as Marge, Nancy Cartwright as Bart, and Yeardley Smith as Lisa. Characters are based on The Simpsons TV show created by Matt Groening. The director is David Silverman.

The story takes place primarily in a city named Springfield (no state is given as a running gag on the show). Homer Simpson decides to adopt a pig to save it from slaughter at Krusty Burger. He begins to show more love towards the pig than his son Bart. Bart begins seeing neighbor Ned Flanders as more of a father-figure. Homer plans to dispose of the pig's feces properly but, after getting a call from a friend about free donuts, he just dumps it into the nearest lake. The EPA reacts by placing a giant glass dome over the entire city, separating it from the rest of the world.

As we know with any film based on a TV show, one should have already seen the show in order to truly appreciate the kind of humor displayed in the movie. While the regular TV characters offer their usual brand of comedy, new ones bring in a more satirical form. For instance, the president is portrayed as basically a clueless celebrity who doesn't really know what's going on. Also, the evil head of the EPA, Russ Cargill, is to resemble a rich man trying to use his money to influence the president into giving him more power.

Aside from the satire and very entertaining plot, this film features numerous subplots, the most notable of them being the relationship between Homer and Bart. As stated before, Homer adopts a pig and begins to show more affection towards it than Bart. As Homer continues to make mistakes, Bart continues to lose respect for him, eventually seeing their neighbor Ned Flanders as his father because he was giving Bart the attention and affection he wasn't getting from Homer.

To wrap, The Simpsons Movie is a great film and, I believe, well worth donating some of your valuable time to see!

Kevin T. Dillehay has written more than 100 movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.



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A Simple, Funny, Engaging and Touching Experience

Subtleness is less expected from Bollywood, so it was pleasantly surprising to watch the understated subordination of Sridevi's character Shashi by her own husband and daughter. Even more subtle is the family's treatment of the grandmother - in one scene, Shashi's husband Satish casually tells his mother that she wasn't going with them to America because she had no passport to travel. The subordination of Indian homemakers and more broadly, Indian women in society and within their own homes, and the neglect of aging women within families is honestly conveyed in English Vinglish, the debut film by first-time director Gauri Shinde.

The opening scene is fresh and well-thought-out. Shashi is the first to wake up and ready the breakfast for her family. She prepares coffee in the same way she does every morning. She does not know how to pronounce the name of the brand Nescafe correctly, but that is not what concerns her. Her foremost duty is to take care of her dear ones - her working husband, her teenage daughter, her young son and her sweet mother-in-law. The moment they occupy the dining room, she begins serving toast and tea, sitting down only after each member in her family gets food. The first reaction she gets is 'Oh the toast is burnt. Why am I getting burnt charcoal toast?!' and similar jests and jabs for all the effort she has taken in making their morning. Shashi is then teased by her husband and daughter for butchering the word 'jazz', beginning the core plot of the film. The next few scenes surround Shashi's everyday life, which includes preparing motichoor ladoos for neighbors, poojas and ceremonies, a hobby that supplements the household income but isn't taken seriously by her workaholic husband. Shashi's teenage daughter is very critical about her mother's English speaking skills and is uncomfortable in taking her mother to the parent-teachers' meeting while her son is too young to be finicky about her mother's English and only wants her to mimic Michael Jackson steps.

Shashi's language skills become especially worrisome when she is invited by her sister to NY for her niece's wedding. Her husband does not send the kids along with her, saying that she herself would find it hard to adjust and communicate in NY and taking the kids along would just complicate the matter. So Shashi, a common housewife (according to her family) lands in New York, getting acquainted with a magnanimous gentleman on her flight (cameo by Amitabh Bachchan). She does not face much trouble when her sister or niece is present but after a humiliating experience alone at a café, she tries contacting an English Speaking 4 week course, seeing the advertisement on the bus. Shashi starts taking the class, along with a Latina, a Pakistani, a South Indian, a Frenchman, an African and a Chinese and run by a gay teacher. She learns valuable lessons at the class, learning that she is an entrepreneur and finding comfort among people like her, not in nationality but in their inability to communicate in English. Her secret life as a student turns problematic when the Frenchman falls in love with Shashi (easily the most interesting element in the film) and when her family arrives in New York. Will she be able to learn English and more importantly change her family's perception about her?

I found many aspects of the relationship between Shashi and her family to be parallel to my own family's; my mother left her job after sixteen years of service and is now a freelancer and part-time German teacher, earning her Masters in German after leaving her job. I know my mother isn't a person who loves cooking, though she makes good food; like Shashi, she makes us bread and tea for breakfast a lot many times and we (my father and I) love to tease her cooking skills. My father, who brings much of the family income, sometimes disregards my mother's freelancing as an actual job, only regarding a 9 to 5 job as 'actual' work. This made some scenes involving Shashi and her husband very engaging for me; also, the incident at school involving Shashi and her mother reminded me of the time I felt embarrassed in going to the theatre with my grandmother once. The relationship between Shashi and her son reminds me of the unconditional love shown by my 4 year old cousin to my grandmother.

I was very pleased at how much I could connect with certain aspects in the movie and I applaud Gauri Shinde for taking care in making the interactions between Shashi and her family as realistic as possible. The characterization of Daadi is also wonderfully subtle - in my own family I have felt this relegating role of my grandmother and her sad acceptance of the same. But (I'm going to be hated for saying this) the cameo by Bachchan could've been deleted - it was that OMG Sridevi and Bachchan moment for those who've seen their previous films together, but apart from that it served very less purpose. This time could've been used instead for more personal interactions between Sridevi and her fellow students. As mentioned above, the silent chemistry between Shashi and Laurent is the most touching element in English Vinglish. The film works best in the latter half when it's less about English and more about themes like love, loyalty, responsibility, understanding, celebration, independence and realization.

Even though she wasn't exactly Marathi, Sridevi is lovely and lovable as Shashi, excelling especially in the second half and shouldering the weight of the movie. This can be said about the other characters as well, and all this happens because the writing sparkles with honesty, care and thoughtfulness. English Vinglish is a simple, funny, and engaging and touching film that succeeds with the help of Sridevi and the casts' performances and Gauri Shinde's strong understanding of the characters she created.

Verdict: 6.2 out of 10



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Review: Serpico

There are a good number of people who grew up wanting to be police officers. Most of them probably had idealistic views on what the job was about and they wanted to do the right things by helping others and saving lives. Frank Serpico became a cop and was probably one of those kids who had that same outlook when it came to the virtues of law enforcement officers and what they did while protecting their fellow civilians. That might have been what he thought, but based on the film about his life, that doesn't appear to be how it all unfolded.

When Frank Serpico (Al Pacino) joins the New York Police Department back in the 1959, he had the desire to work hard, stop crime and be an upstanding police officer. Though admirable in the eyes of many others in life, that mentality causes issues with some of the other boys in blue and they take umbrage to his style of police work and what he's trying to do. Frank decides to fight through the negativity and stand up to the corruption that surrounds him on a daily basis. By doing so, not only is he risking being alienated within the force, but he's also risking his life.

Serpico is not only about Frank's experiences with the force, in the early going it also offers insight to his personal life and how some people belonging to the crowd that he ran with took to him. Based on his occupation, some of the people that he ran into trusted him while others did not. That's a natural reaction to expect for cops in some instances, but I'd imagine that it would be even more common with the crowd that he ran with during his off duty hours.

After the viewer get acquainted with him and his friends, the film shifts more and more towards his work as a plain clothed policeman. This segment of the movie contains the meat of the story and is the most important part of the movie. It's here that we see his interactions with some of his fellow police officers who don't like the fact that he appears to be clean and refuses to change in order to accommodate them. Because of the reputation that he's developed, Serpico finds himself stuck in a dangerous game where his values are being tested and his loyalty is continuously questioned.

The director and the actors asked to portray this story on-screen handle themselves accordingly and that's especially true for Al Pacino as gives a passionate performance. However, the primary reason for the success of Serpico as a film is due to the actual story behind it all that's on display. With this being true, the film gets better as it continues to dive deeper into all that is taking place and everything becomes more dramatic and dangerous in the life of Serpico once it all begins to escalate until it ultimately reaches it climax.

If I'm going to point out any negatives in the movie, I'll look at the fact that they didn't illustrate the growth of Serpico as much as I would have liked. It's not a big deal overall, but I would have wanted them to show more about how he became the hippie type of guy that he eventually became. By my estimation, the film would have been more well-rounded and it simply would have made it better. Other than that, there isn't much to complain about.

I knew of Frank Serpico and his story before I saw this movie, so there wasn't that much that I didn't know about beforehand. Although that's true, I still wanted to see the film and it was as good as I hoped it would be. The level of stress for a cop must be tough, but I'd imagine it would be even worse when you might feel that you're on your own while you're in a corrupt system. Serpico and anyone else who stands up during trying times like that should be commended and remembered for their bravery and heart.

Score: 4/5

Rating: R

Director: Sidney Lumet

Cast:
Al Pacino
John Randolph
Jack Kehoe
Biff McGuire
Barbara Eda-Young
Cornelia Sharpe
Bernard Barrow
M. Emmet Walsh
Tony Roberts
John Medici
Charles White

Film Length: 130 minutes

Release Date: December 5, 1973

Distributor: Paramount Pictures



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Review: End Of Watch

When I was a very young child, I had dreams of becoming a cop. I felt that way until Miami Vice went off the air and until I started going outside to play like most kids used to do back then. I won't ever get to know what it feels like to be a member of Law Enforcement, but due to the movie End of Watch, I can get somewhat of a first person look at this physically and emotionally taxing job that many kids have thought about doing at one point and time.

In this film, Officer Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Officer Zavala (Michael Peña) patrol some of Los Angeles' toughest streets as they go face to face with dangerous gangs who are heavily involved in drugs, money and guns. They're two young and charismatic guys who work well together and put their all into their profession every time out. As they face these tough streets one day at a time, they also have to balance their family lives. Of course, this is all in a day's work for your average office, but it gets more difficult for these two once they run into some trouble with a Mexican drug cartel.

End of Watch starts off with a high speed chase through the streets and back alleys of the infamous South Central of Los Angeles, California. All of this is shown through the same first person camera that we routinely find in those "Found Footage" horror films. Seeing as how its in a police car, showing through this style is not odd. You can say that they're only filming it from the dashboard camera in a police car, but then you'd have to look the rest of the film.

Soon after the car chase comes to a close, the audience is introduced to the two officers that are the stars of the film. This is also shown in a first person view, because Officer Taylor (Gyllenhaal) decides that he wants to film what his daily life is like. These two guys are cops of course, but they're partners on the force and also very good friends.

Through a large portion of the film, we ride around town with these two as they go on patrol doing their jobs. Around their neck of the woods, they run into a numerous amount of criminals. Some of them have earned their respect, some haven't, some don't want it and others will never get it. During this time, we not only get a chance to see their attempts to stop or prevent crimes, but we get to learn about them from a personal level. Many of their scenes are surprisingly funny as they're just clowning around in between the serious stuff that cops might actually witness in real life every once in a while.

To an extent, this film reminds me of another 2012 cop film. That film comes from France and it goes by the name of Polisse. The overall subject matter is different. One (Polisse) is about a Child Protection Unit in France (It's also based on true cases), and the other (End of Watch) is essentially about the typical police work that officers might run into. These two films are similar based on there styles. They both include the work that goes on, but they also feature a lot of scenes about the personal lives that I was just speaking of.

The way that's done in both of these movies allows them to create a better and more diverse picture of these officers and the everyday happenings that they experience. End of Watch is more on the funny side of things than Polisse, but they both benefit from this style of police film. If I had to choose, I would still probably go with Polisse as the better movie, but I believe End of Watch is pretty good in its own right.

Gyllenhaal and Peña carry End of Watch and are great on-screen together. These two appear to have legitimate chemistry and get plenty of opportunities to show off their skills. I think that both of them put on great performances that are easily engaging and entertaining. Those two alone help make End of Watch what it is, because there is no structured storyline through a decent chunk of it. They handle all of their scenes very well as they fight crime, deal with fellow police officers, mingle with family and find time for love.

If I had to criticize End of Watch for anything, I'd criticize it for it's use of that handheld "Found footage" stuff. They really didn't need it and they should have just went with the conventional camera work. You have these two cops using their own cameras to film their days, but you also have the gang members running around filming their days as well. That's flat out stupid. How many people committing illegal activities actually film their law-breaking practices? I'm sure some idiot might be out there doing it, but not when you're doing some of the stuff that these guys are doing.

Not only that, I noticed that even when no one is supposed to be holding a camera, the camera is still moving around in this "Blair Witch" style. They did this in Chronicle, but that made sense. The main character had superpowers and he could move it where ever he wanted just by using his mind. Well, they don't have superpowers in End of Watch, so I don't know how they thought this made sense. They could have at least used normal camera work in those scenes.

Outside of that, I really didn't find much to complain about. I originally thought this movie would blow, because of the way they chose to use these cameras, but I was wrong. End of Watch is actually an entertaining movie all the way around and it has very few glaring flaws to go with it. The only major flaw was the camera work at times. Other than that, it's certainly fun and it gives the audience a lot to like. I highly recommend it.

Score: 3.5/5

Rating: R

Director: David Ayer

Cast:
Jake Gyllenhaal
Michael Peña
America Ferrera
Anna Kendrick
Frank Grillo
Natalie Martinez
Cody Horn
David Harbour

Film Length: 109 minutes

Release date: September 21, 2012

Distributor: Open Road Films



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Review: Cosmopolis

Having a combination of money, power and fame can have its privileges in this world. You can be in position to get loads of perks and you can even be a person with a certain level of authority in various areas of life. With all of that being said, there can also be a number of bad things that go with money, power and fame. If you or someone associated with you does something negative, it can make or the person look bad, embarrass you publicly or even turn you into a target. That's exactly what Robert Pattinson has to deal with now... in his movie Cosmopolis. What else would I be talking about?

In Cosmopolis, Pattinson plays a 28 year-old financial power broker named Eric Parker. He's known by everyone and is disliked by many of them in the turbulent financial times where he reigns supreme. He travels in a limousine that's heavily protected at all times against potential threats from frustrated protesters and other rivals who may pose possible danger. Throughout the day, Parker usually handles his business dealings in his limo, but today is different. Not only is he doing business and trying to remain protected there, but he's also looking over his marriage and his life to determine what he wants and where he's headed.

When Cosmopolis first opens up, the audience is tossed immediately into the film with no explanation of what's about to happen and really no build up. We meet Eric Parker (Pattinson) and his bodyguard Torval (Kevin Durand) standing on the sidewalk while engaging in a small but important conversation. After this brief scene, Eric moves to his limousine to start a day that will see him journey through Manhattan in search of a haircut at a specific barbershop.

Once we get into the limo, we almost never get out of it. This is just an estimation, but I'd say about that about 75 to 80% of the movie actually takes place inside the limousine. This is where most of his conversations take place and where most of the film's plot is laid out. This closed off setting allows almost nothing to happen on-screen and it's where the movie can shine or fall apart depending on how you feel about this approach.

Due to how Cosmopolis is structured, it relies on two things more than anything else and it's not even close. Those two things are the actors and the dialog that they share with one another. The actors here are asked to carry this film completely and nearly everything they do is verbal. There are no "bells and whistles" or rarely is there anything dynamic happening visually or physically. It's all suppressed and slow moving, so the film's reliance on the actors is paramount. That couldn't be anymore true in the case of Robert Pattinson.

Not only is Pattinson important, because he's in the lead role, he's important because he's in every scene. His character and his immediate surroundings set the tone for the style of the film and just about everything we see and hear about. We learn about who he is as a person and what his life is like on this very significant day. Parker is a very blunt and straight to the point guy who's also a bit on the pompous side.

It's a weird time for him and many of the people that we get a glimpse of throughout the duration of the film. That's because his world is falling apart around him and that can have an impact on countless people. He doesn't care as much as you might think though. He cares more about getting to the barber and getting some "lady love" before the day is out.

As I said earlier, dialog is also relied on in this movie. Saying that this film is dialog heavy would be a major understatement. Almost everything in this film is directly tied to the dialog and there's virtually no time for the film to stop and catch its breath before they go right back to talking. They even manage to use a hefty amount of dialog during one of the sex scenes. I don't mean dirty talk now, I'm talking about actual conversation. So much of Cosmopolis is talking and explaining every detail through conversation that you can close your eyes while you're watching it and get almost everything you need out of the film just on the words alone.

This is a flick that I would consider to be potentially more of a critic's movie than a fan's movie. As a critic, you may see the art and skill behind this Cronenberg film more than a fan who might just want to be entertained. I'm sure there are fans who might enjoy it and see it the same way, but I'd imagine that there will be a healthy amount of fans that would stand on the opposite side of the fence and see it as boring and uneventful. Cosmopolis is one of those films that's legitimately divisive and I can understand and see how people would view it from either side.

I found it to be decent at best and that's mainly because of its artistic style. The dialog, the way the characters behaved and even the dry and hollow feel that it all has makes it artistic from my point of view. It's certainly an awkward film that will make some people say "what the (insert the word of your choice hear)?" by the time it's over, but I appreciate what it is and how it's made. In describing it, I'd say that Cosmopolis is art without artistry, it's stylish without having any style, it's smart while being a little dumb and it's deep while purposely being extremely shallow. As a viewer, the entertainment value that you get will depend on what you look for in a movie. Whether you like it or not depends strictly on your taste, and I don't think there's a wrong answer either way.

Score: 3/5

Rating: R

Director: David Cronenberg

Cast:
Robert Pattinson
Samantha Morton
Juliette Binoche
Sarah Gadon
Paul Giamatti
Kevin Durand
K'Naan
Matheiu Amalric
Jay Baruchel

Film Length: 108 minutes

Release Date: August 17, 2012

Distributor: Entertainment One



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Review: Sleepwalk With Me

Comedians are known for using their personal lives as a go to source for their comedy routines. It's actually a good idea if your life is interesting enough and you're not ashamed to talk about those experiences. Mike Birbiglia is a comedian who has both of those things working for him, but he's done more than put it to use on stage. He decided to take a significant time in his life and turn it into a movie called Sleepwalk with Me.

Based on the one-man show of the same name, this film's story obviously centers around the life of comedian Mike Birbiglia. Essentially, it's somewhat of a fictionalized autobiography that's told by Birbiglia himself from the comfort of the driver's seat of a car. He stars as Matt Pandamiglio and tells us a story that takes place during a pivotal and potentially life changing time in his life that puts a heavy emphasis on family, love, sleepwalking and life goals.

Early on in the film, we're introduced to his family and others that play an important part in his life. They're a seemingly normal bunch with some quirky personalities thrown in between. Most of the focus on his family falls on his parents and the relationship that he has with them. His father is a knowledgeable, but intrusive patriarch who keeps his nose in his son's business and wants to help him as much as he can. His mother on the other hand, also cares about him, but she seems a little "out there" at times.

At a certain point, the story in Sleepwalk with Me focuses on the struggles of being a comedian and what they have to go through in order to even have a chance to succeed at their chosen profession. Seeing what they get paid at the start of their careers, how much they have to travel and the various other things that they experience is shown here to give viewers a glimpse of this particular lifestyle.

He finds himself attempting to master his craft while answering questions about his love life with his long-time girlfriend Abby (Lauren Ambrose). She's introduced from the start as well and is a valuable part of Sleepwalk with Me. Abby is a caring, sweet, and supportive person who seems to have Mike's best interest in mind much of the time. She's viewed by the people around them as an amazing person who's near perfect in some ways. Nobody would say it, but she might even be out of Mike's league to an extent.

I'm not going to go into too many specifics, since I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but the relationship between Matt and Abby is handled in a very realistic way. It's rare to find a movie or television show that looks at relationships the way this film does. What occurs between the two is shown from an unbiased perspective that doesn't look to vilify or victimize either one of them. This is by design, because it wants the audience to look at things from that perspective in order to gain a full understanding of what's going on.

These two have some normal relationship issues at play that a lot of people can probably both relate to and understand. You may have had some of this happen to you, or you may know someone who has been in this type of common predicament. Either way, it's done well and it flows with the rest of the movie smoothly.

This relationship and the dynamic that is shared between these two helped change the life of Mike Birbiglia and it's probably the most important part of the entire film. When I look at their relationship and who they are as people, I don't see a love story or anything like that. I see this as being a part of a life story that people can look at and maybe even learn from.

You're able to get a genuine sense of who each character is and when it all unfolds, you can feel and make sense all the choices that are made throughout the film by them. I can't say enough about the characters and how everything is handled by the actors and first time director Mike Birbiglia. Because of them, this breezy and easy going film is definitely worth watching.

Of course there is the sleepwalking issue that Matt (and Mike) has to deal with in the movie that I have to speak on. In reality, this aspect of Sleepwalk with Me means very little to the actual story. It's simply a part of his life and it's illustrated as that and nothing more. Some of these scenes that included the sleepwalking are funny, but they could have taken it out of the entire film and it wouldn't have had any real impact.

Overall, Sleepwalk with Me is a laid-back and low-key film that comes close to being a little on the somber side of things. It never completely reaches that somber feeling in my opinion and I'm glad it didn't. It would have made this semi-autobiography less authentic since it's coming from a comedian, and it would have sensationalized it a bit more. That would have eliminated a significant portion of its charm. And we wouldn't want that to happen.

Score: 3.5/5

Rating: R

Director: Mike Birbiglia

Cast:
Mike Birbiglia
Lauren Ambrose
Carol Kane
James Rebhorn
Cristin Milioti

Film Length: 90 minutes

Release Date: August 31, 2012

Distributor: IFC Films



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Review: Beasts of the Southern Wild

I prefer not to watch movie trailers in some situations. I avoid them in some instances, because I love watching movies when I know next to nothing about them going in. It gives me the chance to be caught off guard by what might happen and I'm able to learn about the film and its characters as everything moves along. This is was the case for the movie called Beasts of the Southern Wild. I knew almost nothing about it and I approached it with a completely open mind.

In Beasts of the Southern Wild, there's this small and forgotten community that's cut off from the rest of the world. In this community, there's a six-year-old girl named Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis) who must sort through her very difficult life with only her youthful optimism and wild imagination as two of her few allies during some very trying times. She faces several daunting tasks just to survive and she also has Wink (Dwight Henry), her alcoholic father to deal with.

Beasts of the Southern Wild opens up showing the audience the everyday lifestyles of the people who inhabit this small isolated area of the U.S. For the people who live here, there's no electricity, no cars and based on their physical appearances, no bathtubs either. That's actually kind of ironic, because they call the area that they live in "The Bathtub." But instead of worrying about getting clean, this friendly, yet defiant bunch decides that it's best for their home to be a place where they can hang out and have fun.

We also learn about Hushpuppy and her father Wink during this time and over the course of the film. The two of them have a very odd and emotional relationship. Hushpuppy is a very young child who's still trying to learn and understand the inner workings of life. Her father on the other hand, is an eccentric type and is way too far on the irresponsible side. He of course knows of those inner workings, but his non stop use of alcohol gets in the way of his judgement and is probably the cause for some (or most) of his erratic behavior. As the audience, we witness a tough and frustrating relationship that still has a feeling of love between a parent and child hidden somewhere under all of that negativity.

I went into this movie thinking that I was about to see some things that I've never personally experienced and things that I couldn't associate with. That did happen, but not as much as I had originally anticipated. What I saw in this movie are things that not only I could relate to, but things that people in general could relate to. In Beasts of the Southern Wild, the primary story isn't about the struggles of these people who are surrounded by water and live far away from the rest of society. The story is about life, how each of us fit into it as individuals and how we deal with whatever it throws in our way.

It's far deeper than I thought it would be and it's all shown through the innocent eyes of little girl who doesn't understand much of it, but uses her father's guidance and her own childish way of interpreting all of what she's learning. Many of the things in this film can and will happen to literally almost all of us regardless of our age or background. If you put this same story in just about any home around the world, you could see a lot of these things and experience some of the same lessons that are being learned here. Putting it in this environment however, makes for a more naturalistic set of circumstances that will still allow for a child's unadulterated fantasies and dreams to fit right into it.

Just based on the description (mine or anyone else's) of this movie, you should probably be able to figure out that this movie might be a bit of a tear-jerker for many people who are going to give this a look. There are several emotionally heavy scenes that might be hard to watch, but they will also be just as hard to turn away from. These scenes are plastered throughout the movie, but many of them are shown somewhat closer to the end and in my opinion, they are absolutely amazing. Of course, I can't tell you about them, but I will say that I love the level of heart and artistry that's included in these detailed portions of the film.

A large amount of the artistry that's in this excellent film comes from a great story and a wonderful cast. Led by the young Quvenzhane Wallis, these inexperienced actors manage to put on some stellar and memorable performances. They give the viewer the ability to understand the negative environment that they're in, while they're doing their best to remain positive, loyal, defiant and upbeat no matter what challenges they face. Because of this, there's an authentic touch of humanity that manifests itself onto the big screen and allows you to get lost in it all.

Beasts of the Southern Wild is also the debut film for director Benh Zeitlin, who also co-wrote it with writer Lucy Alibar. I would say that he's done a great service to himself and his career by knocking the ball out of the park on his very first try. If he keeps this up he'll only get better and we could be hearing from him for a long long time. His first film release is a true work of art and it's genuinely something that's beautiful to watch. Very rarely do I consider any movie a masterpiece, but this one might be deserving of that label.

Score: 4.5/5

Rating: PG-13

Director: Benh Zeitlin

Cast:
Quvenzhane Wallis
Dwight Henry
Lowell Landes
Levy Easterly
Pamela Harper
Gina Montana
Joseph Brown

Film Length: 91 minutes

Release Date: June 27, 2012 (Limited)

Distributor: Fox Searchlight



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My Review of Auteur Frederic Back's Classic 'The Man Who Planted Trees'

I excessively quote about Leo Tolstoy and his works nowadays in whatever I write since I'm on the verge of finishing his masterpiece 'War and Peace'. The reason for this is the universal truths that are constantly invoked in the book through the events in the lives of its characters. In one of the paragraphs, Tolstoy describes a real life character Dokhturov as 'a person who was considered inferior to others and quite neglected while quoting history but stood valiantly in the thickest of battles and the trickiest of situations without consideration for his own life. Such people were forgotten soon because people usually do not notice the most consistent and essential people but the ones who have stood because of some reasons. People such as Dokhturov are like the cog wheels in machines that quietly spin and run the entire system but most tyros who see the machines functioning oddly will foolishly assume a tiny visible chip to be the most significant part.'

Elzeard Bouffier is such a character; he is least perturbed by the World Wars and any other political situation happening around him. His only ethos is to serve Mother Nature that has provided him his fundamental needs - food, water, shelter, clothing and most importantly, life. He tends sheep, raises bees and plants trees everyday; he does not blow his own trumpets, he doesn't want fame, glory and recognition, all he wishes to do is to serve nature and humanity. Like the cog wheel he does his work brilliantly, but remains unnoticed, unrecognized and he wants it that way. And indeed we the audience do not hear Elzeard speaking but are introduced to him by a nameless narrator who dedicates the entire short to the former. How ironic is it that while Elzeard remains nameless in his world, we the audience know his name and not the narrator's!

The story begins with a hazy view of the sky and birds and then closes in on nebulous clumps of brown that represent hills and valleys. Our young narrator then begins reciting his journey - he wanders lonely in the hills with no water and not much hope to live. Shapes begin forming at a distance and we realize there is a small town ahead albeit a decrepit one who's church remains undamaged but deserted. He vainly searches for water in the town and leaves the place soon. His eyes are caught by the sight of a tall object in the distance which he assumes to be a tree stump but later realizes it's a shepherd with a stick in his hand. The kind shepherd offers him water and takes him along to his home; the narrator observes that though the man is extremely quiet, his eyes seem to show keen discernment and determination. At the shepherd's abode, the narrator is offered soup and later the two of them sit at the table where the shepherd, Elzeard Bouffier begins segregating seeds of acorns on the basis of their quality. The narrator offers help, but Bouffier doesn't need it as he knows only he has the eyes for such a task. He selects the best hundred acorns and puts him in his tiny bag. The inquisitive narrator is so intrigued by the man he makes an excuse not to leave the next day only to know more about Bouffier. He finds out that the man is on a mission to plant trees wherever the soil is favorable and has already planted a hundred thousand seeds in the last three years. The writer then meets him after the First World War to see that entire area is burgeoning with growing trees and young streams. His unique relationship with this altruist, environmentalist and visionary continues throughout their lives and we blessed viewers get to be a part of it.

Frederic Back's works give us a feeling as if we are in a dream, however, we aren't just in any dream but one that we shall remember for a long time. This style suits short stories that are generally transient in nature- people generally don't phase out short stories as they do while writing novels; shorts come spontaneously and produce the best result when they are still fresh in mind. This artistic form wouldn't suit full length Pixar films but they create a magical effect here. Notice the scene where we see the narrator holding a bowl in his hand in the right part of the frame, and a hand and vessel magically appear on the left side to serve the writer his soup. Or the transition where the wall in Bouffier's house transforms into his cloak in the next scene. Or the herd of sheep becoming warring soldiers in the subsequent scene. Or the distorted scene that depicts the plight of the villagers. Every single frame comes alive with the use of wax pencils on frosted cel - a translucent material that is superimposed on a basic frame in order to give depth to an image. Since much of the work is hand drawn, the director has a lot more freedom to dabble with his work and provide that storytelling feel. And how can we forget the terrific use of sound that enchants us right from the beginning as we hear the clear music in the background and the audible footsteps of our narrator to the later portion where nature and human sounds dominate the picture?

My university had organized an Environment Awareness event recently where I was in the management team. Almost the entire event was marked with amateur performances, skits and poems, and in the end, I was shocked that the most important part of planting seeds was subordinated to a feeble ten minutes where we actually had to scatter the seeds that were placed inside balls of mud! Is this true compassion towards nature? Of course not. True passion comes from those people who like tiny cog wheels that operate actively but invisibly.



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My Review of Pandora' Box, a 1929 German Film Starring Louise Brooks

Pandora's Box is a 1929 German silent film about the life of Lulu, a beautiful, lively, gregarious but opportunistic and manipulative woman who gets everything she wants with her seductive charms. Her life takes a positive turn at first when one of her lovers', a wealthy editor in chief Mr Schon agrees to marry her, and she is able to break into show biz. But after she kills Mr. Schon in retaliation, her life disintegrates till she is reduced to go back to her old profession as a street-walker.

A lot many viewers today regard Louise Brooks' uncanny performance as bold, uncompromising and naturalistic. However, in 1929 soon after the film's release, a reviewer from New York Times had said that her expressions were 'hard to decipher at times'. After watching the film twice in two days, I too had similar question about Brook's character Lulu: what is her ultimate aim? Sometimes we find her confident and heedless of her actions but at others she radiates warmth and sympathy which contradicts her former emotions.

Take Lulu's relationship with Mr. Schon, for instance. At the stage show in Act 3, Ludwig Schon along with his fiancé oversee the backstage happenings. When Lulu finds her lover with his fiancé, she flips out. The camera pans on her face and she genuinely seems heartbroken in that frame. That act made me believe Lulu, despite her promiscuity and love for money, truly loved the rich editor in chief. But during act 4 and especially in Act 5 after the ruckus in the courtroom scene, I found myself confused about Lulu's character. I remember Natasha's character from War and Peace who took some reckless decisions driven by instinct but that character, despite being unpredictable, at least had consistency. Therefore we could anticipate to an extent what she might do and become more curious about the situation. I could not say the same about Lulu at points in the film, and this may be partly attributed to the fact that the movie is silent and therefore doesn't have rather advantage of dialogs.Had there been dialogs, I would've probably got a better insight into Lulu's personality. But I should credit Brooks for giving her best shot and making her character starkly different and almost contemporary for that time; her killer looks are something to die for, seriously.

I also didn't find some cohesiveness in the storytelling as well. Gustav Diessl's character, a brutal motif serving as a resolution to Lulu's life, should've got more screen time. In fact, I was under the impression she would ditch Alva, the son of Late Schon and Lulu's hapless lover, and make off with that waiter whom she was flirting for a moment at the 'hospitable and discreet' gambling den. I also felt the character of Schigolch could have had more development; it was ironical when Lulu ends up at a garret ( she had mentioned before that she wouldn't want to go back with Schigolch to his old garret), but the initial scene when Lulu danced as Schigolch played his mouth organ could've been brought back towards the end ( like showing Lulu putting on an entertaining act along with Schigolch on the streets trying to fetch some money or attracting some bawdy men perhaps). For some reason, the initial unimportant scenes, though entertaining enough, are unnecessarily stretched. For example, when Lulu refuses to perform the skit, the director could've showed her running straight into the property room instead of having Schon coming to her, pressing her arm in front of the crew and ordering her to perform ending with Lulu telling Rodrigo that they'd do the skit they had planned, before getting into the room with Schon.

The film's take on lesbianism is praiseworthy and Alice Roberts deserves credit for not shying away from the role. In fact, I heard she had pitched the idea of making the character of Countess Augusta a lesbian. She displays her affection so naturally, understanding the essence of her role. I remember an episode from the reality show Top Chef when one of the female contestants was highly appreciative of a fellow lady contender, and was extremely upset when the latter was eliminated. It was later told during the reunion episode that the two women had pursued a relationship after the show. And I saw the same behaviour from Roberts' character - two thumbs up for her performance.

Even though chiaroscuro is heavily used to the point that sometimes characters lose their facial features, I didn't think there was any purpose to the lighting whereas in movies like Citizen Kane, the lighting created depth, style and personality. The background music is flat and for most part inconsequential and the reason I could not find a connection with the film could be attributed to this element; it seemed to say 'watch the film like you watch any other film, and when the movie finishes, you leave'. For a movie that included controversial subjects, couldn't the background music be more radical and risky instead of a generic orchestra?

Pandora's Box seems to have gained critical acclaim over the years. But apart from Louise Brooks' risky performance and the fact that controversial subjects were tackled, I did not know what I was supposed to feel after the movie. Is Pandora's Box really worth the curious peek or is it just an empty box?



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Relation Between the Industry and Movie Reviews

The films that are being released every year indicates the changing trends in the movie industry, especially as these trends are related to what a movie review tells us.

Popular trends include sequels, movies that continue the story for ever. Films released recently do not generally make for good sequels. Sequels are even made of films that were released long ago. Website content writing for such movies becomes a lot more difficult as you have to go through a lot of history and details before you can actually start content writing for a movie.

There is an accepted trend in making movies out of popular cartoons, comics, history and literary works. Major film industries aren't letting go of the chance to cash in on the popularity of best selling graphic novels and turning them into successful films. In website content writing, movie critics will also have to flow with the trend. They will also have to go through the book or the novel before they see the movie. This will give them a better idea about how the movie was made in context of the book or the novel. Content writing for such movies is really a taxing affair.

Comics as well as graphic novels are a favorite amongst directors and producers every year. Comic-based movies are trending worldwide. Movie makers are also bringing back to life popular cartoon characters and cashing in on their ever-lasting popularity.

With the television industry adding new features almost every year like internet movie streaming, the manufacturers of televisions are facing a downward trend. Research has stated a decline in the worldwide sale of LCD TVs in the coming months. This will be the first ever decline that they have to face since the launch of LCD TV in 2000.

Many popular TVs can now be connected to the Internet, a drift which started almost a year ago with restricted functions, such as news and weather. Now, advanced systems and new partnerships will provide online streaming movies through the TV.

Features for top tier TV models also include advanced representation of fast-moving scenes and a low usage of power. Sony, LG, Toshiba Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. will introduce TVs that can display Flickr photos, YouTube videos and many more with just a broadband connection.

TV manufacturers have already upgraded the TVs to 240 frames per second without setting up more new frames. The first eco-friendly line of LCD TVs is the 00 Eco Bravia models that consume almost 40 percent less power, exceeding the usual requirements.

Last, most analysts agree 3-D viewing is the next big wave coming to the consumer electronics industry. Watching films on the Internet is becoming popular, and will only enhance the reviewer's ability to do a fast movie review.

All these changes in the industry will subsequently change the method and quality of article writing for movies. Article writing for movies will become more crisp and clear as the critics will be able to view better picture and sound quality. Even the slightest mistake will shine on the screen giving the critics a chance to include them in their article writing.

Bhavesh B is an avid writer and regularly writes movie reviews and articles. Get in touch with him for latest movie reviews and other  web content writing services now!



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Review of Oscar Nominated Charmer Descendants

Plot: Matt King is a land baron and lawyer of mixed race living in Hawaii with his entire family, which includes all his cousins who have settled themselves at different spots around the place. After a freak boating accident, Matt's wife Elizabeth goes into a coma that may be permanent. Matt has to decide when to unplug her machine, plus he also has to break this news to his family and friends. His two daughters Alexandra and Scottie are out-of-control girls who were brought up mostly by Elizabeth. This makes 'back-up' parent Matt's situation harder, with his elder daughter Alex experimenting with drugs and older boys, and younger one turning more rebellious and crass after the mishap. He also has to decide, along with his cousins, whether or not and who to sell their inherited land before it is taken up by the trust fund.

Review: Descendants will disappoint those expecting a fixed resolution to every theme it tackles, but does life ever bring a complete resolution to every deed committed by man? What solely matters is reconciling with the present and realizing a harmony with people whom we care for and who still co-exist with us. Most viewers, including me at first, were waiting for a big bang in the film where the protagonist Matt King confronts his weaknesses and mistakes and faces a nervous breakdown. Most wanted King to suffer for neglecting his wife, thus making her lonely and seeking for love outside marriage. But director Alexander Payne doesn't want to make this the focal point of the story because the affair is now an affair of the past and what is necessary now is to fix the present for a better future. And Matt's present has setbacks in the form of two unruly children who face adversity in coping with the present because of their past. Matt King isn't a terrible husband and father but is rather an irresponsible one; therefore Payne wants us to cheer for him as he attempts to accept his duties as a father. And I feel audiences have this reluctance in embracing this optimism, but they must keep in mind that Elizabeth King's accident and the revelation itself are the low points in Matt's life and Payne doesn't intend to crumble his life further.

The land baron, in a quest to reconcile with his children, also develops virtues such as forgiveness, empathy, righteousness, harmony, something that he had turned indifferent to because of his work and land dealings. His cousins conflict with one another on the matter of selling their sprawling land areas to developers which may reap them vast fortunes. In the beginning Matt describes himself as a stingy man whom the ultimate verdict depends upon but he seems indecisive in the whole matter. However, as begins understanding himself as a man, a father and a Hawaain citizen, his thinking becomes more resolute, much to the annoyance of his greedy and guileful cousin Hugh. Also, his confrontation with the Brian Speer doesn't end up in a messy showdown because Matt himself had realized that despite being faithful, he wasn't devoted to his wife. Plus Speer isn't the quintessential bad guy set out to ruin others' lives.

Clooney again shows why he is the most popular American actor; he may not be as versatile as some of his contemporaries but he can play his characters instinctively. He does manage to stoop slightly and walk like a man in his fifties, and also speaks with more restraint and laid-backness which reminded me of an uncle of mine, but most importantly, he hits you with his spontaneous gush of emotions. Like the scene where the doctor tells him about his wife's helpless condition. Or the times where he is helpless at his daughters' peevishness. He keeps us on the story's tracks and therefore we are able to decipher the writer's/director's message rather too carried away with the actor's performance. The latter happens with stalwart Meryl Streep who can make us forget the film (and its flaws) itself with her heavenly performances. Besides Clooney, the jolly ensemble includes Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller who play two volatile, vacuous teenagers with piercing accuracy, Matthew Lillard who doesn't overdo his nervous act and also manages to make us laugh, and a whole set of people who bring humanness to the film. Two thumbs up to Beau Bridges for his canny portrayal of glib and specious cousin Hugh. And Sid is the most spaced out guy I've seen since Crispin Glover's bizarre act in River's Edge.

It is difficult to define the style of the film in set terms but I think the adjectives 'temperate', 'flowing', 'bittersweet', 'joyful', 'optimistic' can be attributed. The movie progresses like those calm waves with slight ruffles that end up cooling our feet as we stand close to the shore end. It is like the moving hips of a female Hula dancer, gentle and graceful but hypnotic nevertheless. The color tone of the film itself is so cool, earthy and verdant, you can imagine staying on such an island, sitting casually and care-freely under the shades of a beach-side restaurant or bar, legs stretched out and sipping on a juicy Mai Tai as a local band plays its traditional music in the background. At such places, even if you are in a volatile state, the ambiance around you itself cools down your volatility. This is also why Payne didn't go for scenes too intense and painful. The only minor problem I had was the closing scene: King here sits with his two daughters on the couch watching March of the Penguins. I rather wanter King to camp with his daughters and neighbors Kai and Mark at the spot where they had been earlier. I remember Scottie telling her dad how it had been years since they had camped and they share their memories; it would've been a fitting ending for the movie.

My Rating: 8.2/10



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Review of Amazing Spiderman A Reboot of Spiderman Franchise

Plot: A young boy Peter Parker realizes his life would never be the same after his parent's sudden departure; he is raised by his uncle and aunt who are fully supportive and caring but never mention about Parker's past. When Peter learns about his father's research, he seeks Dr. Curt Connors, his father's research partner who is now experimenting with genetics to find a cure to many fatal ailments. The inquisitive nature of Parker leads to his transformation as Spiderman, after being bitten by a rare spider. His newly acquired powers overwhelm him at first but he somehow brings it under control and gains a formidable reputation in college. After his uncle's death, Parker sets out to find the killer and in the process captures many wanted criminals well before the police does. This irks Police Chief Stacy who labels him a public menace and doesn't hold a good opinion about Peter Parker (who's now Chief Stacy's daughter Gwen's boyfriend) as well. On the other side, a disastrous self-experiment turns Dr Curt Connors into a monstrous reptile that unleashes terror in the city and only Spiderman can bring an end to this unwanted menace.

After some memorable moments and some not very appetizing ones, could we ride once again with Toby McGuire donning the red suit or would Spiderman have to call it off forever? Mark Webb has an answer for us, a reboot that has certain benefits but also raises many questions: Did this truer comic book interpretation of Spiderman really transcend to the silver screen? By giving Spidey and the other characters edgier but more caricatural personas, will the franchise really continue? Why does Peter Parker's hidden identity have to be so blatantly obvious? What's the difference between this Peter Parker who does astonishing feats at college and yet gets away, and Miley Stewart who dons a golden wig and no one recognizes her even though her father is Billy Ray Cyrus?

In Amazing Spiderman, a major difference in the cast is the absence of Mary Jane, who had become one of Spiderman's most recognizable faces. We instead have Gwen Stacy, the blonde whom we got a peek of in Spiderman 3, as Peter Parker's love interest. However, Gwen does not sit cozily in the background while Spidey is battling and neither does she sulk much unlike MJ. She throws in some punches and kicks, urges Spiderman to beat them all up and is more thoughtful. It can be hard to accept this spunky, courageous Gwen because we are so used to the lady in distress act. But she may grow on us just like the fearless Elena or Chloe from Uncharted series. Spiderman is played by Andrew Garfield, who isn't a typical geek that Toby managed to be; he is a cool geek, or just a normal college guy with great scientific knowledge but poor physique. Therefore he didn't really take time to win over us with his charisma as Spiderman even though I didn't root for him as much as I did for Toby when he halted the derailed train. Toby's shy and quiet Spidey had a charm of his own in a way we take his character's well-being seriously; Garfield's Spidey meanwhile entertains us more but we find it harder to sympathize with him though I must say Garfield did nail that scene where he confronted his uncle about his father. By the way, all those who have seen the Indian film Three Idiots may notice a similarity between Andrew Garfield and Indian actor Sharman Joshi's style of acting.

What also played a major role in deciding the previous Spiderman movies' success or failure was the potential of the nemesis; while Green goblin didn't wield much excitement because of the sketchy latter part of the first film, Doc Oc made us tremble at his stature as well as pity his tragic story in Spiderman 2, while Green Goblin's son, Sandman and Venom were potent enough in the third installment but the film itself was enfeebled by the dull love triangle. Rhys Ifans acts well, however his character isn't exactly memorable in any way; in Batman the most feared villains are Joker, Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Two Face but who really cares for Bane though his strength is equally formidable? Maybe Ifans couldn't play his character better, but what really made his character weak was the character itself. My mind went "A reptile as the main villain - are you kidding me?" and sadly it felt the same way throughout.

Spiderman feels like a filmed comic book, which is generally flipped through casually without getting involved with the emotional aspect of the story to a greater extent. If you look the movie this way, you'll say it's the best of the series. People buy dozens of Archie comics and read it in the same perfunctory manner. But many people who love movies find that the factor that etches a film in our minds for a long time is a moment of tension. This tension happens only when we are deeply involved in a film and for that to happen, the movie has to make the audience realize the protagonist's dilemma and want him/her to overcome it. And this cannot and does not happen in such a breezy, comic book-like adaptation.

Amazing Spiderman will surely get support from Beyblade-crazy children and teenagers who love saying the word 'awesome!' - It will be one of the top grossing films of 2012. But I personally think 230 million dollars are unnecessary for a movie that looks no different from the Spiderman and Beyblade cartoons that come on the television. The most suitable word that strikes me for the film after writing this review is 'filler'.

My Rating: The sole number that came in my mind after leaving the theater was 5.5 out of 10.



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Reviews: Pink Flamingos, Multiple Maniacs and Mondo Trasho

1) Pink Flamingos Review: John Waters' unique, individualistic style can attach an adjective like 'great' to a noun like 'trash' to form 'great trash'. Now that's an achievement.

Pink Flamingos - The Movie is a rare bird which not only makes trash enjoyable but also a good film. Just a single clip of trashy reality TV shows Jerry Springer or The Maury Show on YouTube and what we witness is nonstop display of vulgarity, sleaze and uncontrollable behavior. On the other hand, we have a plethora of terrible films like The Room, the entire Friday the Thirteenth series, Caligula etc that are unintentionally hilarious but all in all unwatchable. Pink Flamingos is a sure shot delight for the voyeurs of violence, sex, deviance, coarseness and trash, albeit one that is made with uncanny expertise. John Walters is the small-scale Quentin Tarantino who can conjure unique, quirky characters and make them cult figures; we are not perturbed by the characters' wrongdoings and we usually end up rooting for them to commit another misdeed.

The story here is narrated in an androgynous manner, probably by a flaming gay man or a transsexual, who takes us into the pink, tawdry and shabby trailer of Divine (who is living as Babs Johnson to evade police attention) and her family- her pretty, lusty blonde traveling companion Cotton who possesses the looks of a yesteryear's' star, her bucktoothed, long-maned chicken loving son Crackers and her egg obsessed cutie-pie mother Edie. Divine has long remained the undisputed 'filthiest person on the planet', unbeaten, unchallenged by anyone and is a small-time cult figure who makes it into shoddy newspapers. She is settled now, and does no harm to others other that warming beef between her legs to save on money. Her son seems more wayward at first, but only in sex (chickens are his favorite partners, it seems). Cotton exhibits only voyeuristic tendencies and likes to hang posters of beefy men next to her bed - but that seems acceptable. And sweet Edie only thinks and talks about eggs, their shape, size and color, Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme, what happens if all the chickens disappear?, when will the egg-man arrive etc. No one seems to transgress modesty to an unlawful extent except perhaps Crackers. But all this changes when the team is challenged by Raymond and Bonnie Marble, a husband-wife team who vie to steal Divine's esteemed (at least according to them) title. Raymond exposes himself to unsuspecting souls but that is just the tip of the iceberg- the couple discreetly orders their homosexual manservant Channing to impregnate kidnapped women, so that the new-born can be sold to happy lesbian couples. The pitiful kidnapped woman in tattered clothes and straggly hair castigates Channing whenever he enters the basement; she hasn't even seen the actual perpetrators of her misery. When this terrible couple takes on Divine and her flamingos, it is WAR!

I believe that the degree of crime committed by Connie and Raymond automatically makes them antagonists; while most of Divine's victims are simply killed without much introduction, we are constantly updated about Connie's victims' sufferings. Even the effect from the disturbing chicken scene with Crackers and the spy Cookie is palliated by the previous scene where we are told of Cookie's deception.. Divine and her gang shoot, chop and eat their victims in one scene but it is too hilariously over-the-top to be offensive. The sexuality on the other hand is something that is bound to gross out or p-ss off certain audiences, with the idea of incest itself can be unnerving for many, but again who really finds Divine to be role model or even a woman, with her androgynous appearance and her ludicrous make up (actual name: Harris Glenn; yes, a man!).

The entire setup seems like shots from a sleazy reality show, the budget of the film being so tight the entire product was the master copy. We see choppy editing, shadows creeping up often in the background, cameras shaking furiously while closing in on a person and passersby gawking at Divine's appearance as if completely unaware of the film. However, it is this low-quality which make the action look more authentic, as if Divine is an actual C-grade celeb who has made her name through malefaction. The songs, a mix of rock and roll and country make the scenes more lively and enjoyable, and also mitigate the actual violent acts that occur when the music is played.

Watch Pink Flamingos if you want to see a kick-ass trashy exploitation film. It is hilarious at moments (the 'trial' scene) and deliciously (in a slightly gross way), wickedly and divinely entertaining.

My Rating: 7.4 out of 10

2) Multiple Maniacs Review: Misleading title should've Been Named 'We Don't Have Enough Money to Make Pink Flamingos, but We'll Give You This Sh-t Till Then!

The reason Pink Flamingos has been recognized as John Waters' signature film of the 'exploitation' genre is the uncomplicated script with the sole purpose to titillate with acts of depravity. It is a film that shocks, albeit making no particular reference to any event of the period in which these movies were made. Nearly everyone who watches Pink Flamingos would've heard of transsexualism, cannibalism, foot fetishism, voyeurism, zoophilia, coprophilia etc and therefore the film can be enjoyed by a person who wasn't born in the seventies. The script has been written with devilish acumen, incorporating over-the-top sequences and campy humor to tone down some of the objectionable content. The film was shot in color, and thus could highlight some of the outrageous palette John Waters used for the house and Divine's costumes. All these reasons give Pink Flamingos its noteworthy status in the world of trash, not just the singular coprophagous moment.

Multiple Maniacs released about two years before Pink Flamingos and made on a shoestring budget (even though the latter itself was a low-budget film) of about 5000$. Therefore, one actor assumes multiple roles and we are to believe a different hairdo implies a different character (by the way, read an intriguing explanation by a reviewer who elaborates on the religious connotation of the films. It sounds credible at first, but I rather stick to the general belief that Jesus and his followers didn't represent Divine and her vagabonds. Edith who plays both a bar owner and Virgin Mary wasn't a part of the Cavalcade, otherwise the reviewer's explanation would've held more credit) The film is shot entirely in black and white on 16mm and the camera shakes horribly at times and is sometimes so overexposed you can barely see the actors' bodies. The horrible white circle (indicating change of reel) flashes luminously like some extraterrestrial sign. Honestly, this film is dreadful and rather introductory to John Waters' Pink Flamingos, a vastly polished effort compared to this shoddy piece of junk.

When I read the plot line, my mind swirled with images of a colorful circus with Divine and her crew treating the audience with their acts only to slaughter them in the end. This does happen in the beginning of the film but it digresses into a completely different act that places massive focus on 'Divine', contradicting the title of the film itself. What happened to the puke-eating guy or the foot-fetish girl or the homosexuals remains unknown with the focus suddenly switching to Divine, her promiscuous daughter, her estranged boyfriend David, her brief lesbian flinger Mink and a nemesis Bonnie. In fact, while it was Divine and Mary Vivian Pierce (who plays Bonnie) taking on the duo of David Lochary and Mink Stole in Pink Flamingos, the characters are simply switched here. This makes the movie seem a rough-cut version of PF, instead of continuing with the circus act to raise the shock value.

The movie also makes references to Sharon Tate's mother and a Weatherman Underground organization, but they flew over my head since I wasn't born then (plus I'm not from US). At that time, such a facetious approach towards incidents like these would've caused a storm (I read about Ms. Tate's incident later and found the film's take on the event offensive), but now they seem irrelevant. The blasphemous religious sequence here would've made Lady Gaga blush (at least Gaga puts the rosary beads in her mouth). The final fifteen minutes are just codswallop and bullsh-t.

Had the movie developed on the lines of Freaks (a 1932 classic), but edgier, crasser, vulgar and campier, it may have worked. Instead, it succumbs like Rob Zombie's first attempt 'House of 1000 corpses', which was completely overshadowed by the wicked 'The Devil's Rejects'.

My Rating: 0.8 out of 10

3) Mondo Trasho Review: 95 Minutes and We Still Can't Understand Whether the Film Wants to Entertain or Shock. Very Pointless Watch

John Waters' first offering doesn't intend to have any purpose, unlike his third effort Pink Flamingos, which sublimated the effect of shock and disgust to laughter. Multiple Maniacs, his dismal second film only offended with its objectionable religious references, but at least it incited some response from the viewers. Mondo Trasho seems like an empty void that generates absolutely no definite response. How should we, as the audiences react? Should we laugh at the characters' situation or turn away our faces in disgust? How the hell should we feel?

The plot is obsessed with Mary Vivian Pierce's feet, and begins rather interestingly with her character Bombshell getting her feet licked by a foot fetishist. Not to forget the opening sequence that highlights John Waters' thrill for animal cruelty. As Bombshell begins moaning and panting, she visualizes herself as Cinderella being rescued by her Prince Charming (played by the foot fetishist). The explicit Cinderella sequence is a nice allusion and Waters' could've progresses with an erotic romance angle which revolved around Bombshell's search for the foot fetishist. Rather, John Waters brings in his trademark lady Divine, who surprisingly looks feminine unlike her androgynous appearance in the later films. The bad chick is ogling at a nude hitchhiker when her car hits a lost Bombshell who is gravely injured. Divine helps her by visiting a discount house, stealing a gown from there, and then by entering a laundry, where she changes Bombshell's bloody clothes. Bombshell miraculously is still unconscious like those Shakespearean characters in Midsummer Night's Dream who manage to fall asleep in a jiffy, and the blood on her face disappears. There are sporadic appearances by Mother Mary and her what-can-I-say 'apprentice' who purge Divine of her sins. Also, a rather bizarre visit to the asylum where we find that foot fetishist again, but this time he murders a fellow inmate, and to a sadistic hospital which operates on patients with knives and saws.

The only surprising aspect of the film is Divine's good-hearted nature, since we have never seen Divine help someone at the risk of her own life. But everything else is inexplicable, even the Wizard of Oz inspired resolution. The camera is less shaky than in Multiple Maniacs and the sex is less raunchy. The choice of music, an assortment of rock and roll and classical, managed to hold my attention to the otherwise pointless sequences. Had the film worked on having a plot, it would've gained a better reputation today.

My Rating: I won't be rating this work since it doesn't even know what kind of a response it aims at from its audiences.



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Review of Takashi Miike's Controversial The Audition/Odishon

Plot: Observing his father Aoyama's barren existence after his wife's death, Ryoko advices him to find a girl for himself. Aoyama's search for an ideal girl leads to an audition process where he and his friend interview girls to find a suitable match for him under the pretense of casting the selected girl in a movie. Aoyama falls for a mysterious girl with a gloomy past and an opaque present.

A film like Audition angers me because I don't get the satisfaction I usually do from movies. Therefore I find it hard to give my thoughts about the film. I do not believe the view that Audition represents the evolution of women in Japan. It rather has to do with Aoyama's mind playing tricks on him during his dream sequences. But the initial sequences with Ashimi in her apartment with a sack besides her baffle the audience all the more and one cannot distinguish between the real and the imaginary. I felt the film did have deeper messages which it deceptively concealed behind the hallucination sequences, but it hid them almost to an unfair extent.

Three sittings and I yet have not found that thread that would give the film a clear meaning to me. When I spend six hours on one movie, I need to be able to find the right key to the film. This key will impact me unconsciously at a moment during the film after which I am able to sit back and watch the rest without thinking of it as an abstract form but plainly a great movie. This happened in the case of La Dolce Vita, where after giving the movie a whole nine hours, I realized why the film meant something to me. Audition does not do this - it remains an abstract piece of work that would rather appeal to surreal artists. In short, it does not possess one of the most important feature of a 'movie'- that is to remain accessible. That is possibly why modern artworks don't excite me - they contain some selfishness and 'Love it or hate it' attitude of the artist.

Balsadragon, a generous contributor whose lucid interpretation of Audition can be read in the viewer's comment section, has pointed out to certain things that may shed light on certain aspects of the film but I would like to point out that some points mentioned in his analysis are wrong. For example, when Aoyama is reviewing her resume, he is not consuming alcohol but is drinking a warm cup of tea or coffee and therefore, he is in his senses when he reads her profile. Also I don't consider Aoyama's thoughts regarding women to be medieval; what is really wrong in being a traditional woman who serves her family? The analysis seems to condemn harshly Aoyama's perception about women which I find unnecessary. The 'guilt' is more about auditioning Ashimi, and when Ashimi accepts the proposal, Aoyama's feeling of guilt reduces and that's why he doesn't want her to be a vicious femme fatale anymore in his dream. Nevertheless, it is a write-up worth reading because it presents many valid arguments. Again I stress, I don't desire movies to be so cerebral for the viewers.

To those dumbfounded viewers who can't make head or tail of the film, think of it in such a way: a man falls love with a woman for the first time in seven years and is presented with vague facts about her, leading to a nightmare that transforms these ideas about the woman into something grotesque until he gets up in a state of shock. After he is comforted by reality, he falls asleep again to give a final resolution to his dream. Wish Audition had presented the idea in simpler terms.

My Rating: Difficult to grade the film in numbers. I think the scenes that were beautifully filmed have to be appreciated. Therefore, I go with 6.7 out of 10. Not meant for general audience.



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My Review of Genius Frederic Back's Oscar Winning 'Crac'

Moving images evoke emotions in a manner still frames don't, at least for me. Paintings have always eluded my sense of appreciation because I don't receive signals that would take me into their world. In moving images do I get solace because they visibly attempt at delivering their message. It is the lustrous moving images in Crac that made me cry and fall in love with the beautiful and enchanting world it depicts.

The story is about a craftsman who makes a rocking chair for his love, and after they get married keeps the rocking chair at home while the couple becomes a family with the arrival of children (and plenty of them). The chair is a mute witness to their lives, as it changes from growing green to ripening red and finally fading yellow.

If you look at the Storyline section in IMDb, it says Crac is about the industrialization of Montreal as seen from the view of a rocking chair. This description seems too literal and banal and would discourage youngsters from watching the short. To me, Crac is the celebration of human life in the wonderful, advancing world symbolized in the form of a swaying rocking chair. More than the event, it is the human experience that counts; if we disregard the human aspect that concomitantly progresses in order to adapt to changing circumstances, than we remain narrow-minded. Frederick Back, like the literary stalwart Leo Tolstoy, has enmeshed history and humanity with more poignancy but using hand drawn Impressionistic strokes instead of words, than most modern Pixar films can do with spectacular life-like animation.

Frederic Back's mind works like Walt Disney's as both visualize the world in a profoundly imaginative way. Watch a Walt Disney short and you may find a living train panting and tugging the rail tracks to reach the destination. Similarly, in Crac, the crib inside which a child is play acting turns into the car he imagines. Also, minimalistic paintings come alive and dance surreally in the art gallery. Only a childlike mind could show the images so beautifully without making the action seem corny or saccharine. There are delightful and ingenious moments in Crac, for example, the dance sequence during the marriage where at first, only the craftsman and his wife begin after which a third character magically appears from behind and then the entire space is filled with happy couples. Also wonderful is the dreamy sequence of sheep in the sky when the mother is putting her kids to sleep. And the spectacular moment at the art gallery after the curator leaves. Or even the tiny bit in the beginning where the craftsman proposes to the lady and she blushes, and her upper body looks like a heart. But the most striking part is Back's observation of children. In the art gallery, while the adults in their expensive clothes try to make sense out of abstract works, the children are lured by this simple rocking chair, and a ride on it puts a big smile on their faces. Also commendable is the use of music and sounds, which mainly consist of folk music, the echoing sound of a child's laughter, the switch, the bursting bubble gum etc.

I'm borrowing Robert Christgau's words to describe Crac in a nutshell: 'Frederic Back's Crac evinces a remarkable resemblance to care- that is to care, that is to caring in the best, broadest, most emotional sense.' Tell whoever you know to watch it.

My Rating: 5 out of 5



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Review of Bourne Supremacy, The Second Instalment in The Bourne Series

When I visit a movie store, my eyes fall first on Oscar-winning drama films, then under-appreciated World movies, funny flicks, Meryl Streep films... and lastly on action and espionage movies, political and courtroom dramas. This generally happens because (i) generic action films have nothing but macho men blowing stuff up and cops chasing them and (ii) I find it tiresome to focus on plots that have external factual details such as following some case proceedings or listening to characters talking about covert mission plans. My hands would pick Singin in The Rain instead of And Justice for All... , or Revolutionary Road instead of Die Hard, though I love a great narrative loaded with action and imaginative sequences such as Kill Bill. I've also watched Angelina Jolie's Salt quite a few times, even though it's plot was paper thin; the reason for that may be the sexy butt-kicking Jolie and pure fist-pumping action.

So it wasn't me who bought the Bourne trilogy but my father, though he hasn't watched a single part. I liked Bourne One because it had a good balance between plot and action plus a romantic angle that's oh-so-common in such films. I unwrapped Bourne Supremacy almost five years since I purchased the CDs (Bourne Ultimatum is still packed in plastic) knowing I'll get a decent product because of talented Matt Damon's presence. Plus I wanted to see the previous movies before watching Bourne Legacy that's just arrived in theaters. And the second installment did provide me good entertainment with competent performances but I was slightly disappointing by the storyline and the frenetic fast cuts that robbed the 'edge of the seat' moments.

Matt Damon reprised the role of Jason Bourne in 2004 in Bourne Supremacy along with Franka Potente who played Marie, his love interest from Bourne Identity. Bourne and Marie settle in Goa, India, miles away from his troubles, spending their days in Goan markets and beaches. Bourne has unanswered questions that he keeps recording in his diary. Troubles do find a way to him when an operation led by CIA Deputy Director Pamela Landy to buy evidence exposing a mole within the agency goes awry and Bourne's fingerprints are planted by Russian agent Kirill, thus implicating Bourne of murders and theft of $20 million. Kirill is then sent by Russian oil oligarch Gretkov to Goa to kill Bourne, thus ending the case there and then. Bourne escapes but loses his fiancé, and vows to find out what's going on and get his vengeance.

The writing is similar to any conventional thriller, where the traitor is an unexpected figure (although we do figure it out way before the person comes out), the situations are predictable and the dialogs are typical of most spy films. The characters seem to be doing everything right but they don't do enough. Bourne is a brand so we'll keep talking about him but who's going to speak about how Machiavellian the traitor was (not mentioning the name) or how bad-ass Kirill was. Gretkov receives shoddy treatment as he doesn't have much role in towards the end. And there could have been more telephonic interactions/negotiations between Bourne and Pamela Landy (remember Hannibal Lector and Clarice Starling's spine-chilling interactions in Silence of the Lambs). It seems Bourne Supremacy was written keeping in mind the success and straightforward approach of Bourne Identity, and so the writers didn't attempt at making the dialogs richer and juicier to avoid any risks. But it is taking these risks that lead to better results.

The cinematographer took some risks by fast cutting his action sequences and they did work but only at times, and that's because he went for overkill. The car chase sequence in Russia could've been so much impactful had the camera not jumped like every quarter a second. The result was that I had no idea who was ramming or shooting whom. Also in the starting sequence at the Berlin office where the camera moves constantly between so many characters it's difficult to get what's happening but more importantly you give up and just wait for the next segment to start normally. Even the car chase with Bourne and Marie was ruined by the jumpy camera. The scenes with Bourne and Irena Neski, daughter of late politician Neski, where the camera does not cut between frames that much, although the shaky camera is still present, and Bourne and Landy, where their faces are seen in profile on the left and right of the frame, are more memorable because we as the audience pay attention.

Bourne Supremacy ultimately works because it has all the basic formal elements to keep the viewers engaged. I don't know whether this was intended as a metaphor, but I found two places where Bourne notices blood on his hands, and he tries to wash it off in one scene. But, against his wish, blood shall always remain on his hands and he'll never get the peace that he wants. Hence come Bourne Ultimatum and Bourne Legacy (and more). I'm glad they forwent the idea of restricting much of the film to an Indian jail (they had planned this in an alternate script) since that would've been duller. But the scope of the film (the four locales - Russia, Germany, India and Italy) called for a stronger script with more well-rounded characters (in those terms, Mission Impossible 4 succeeded to a better extent).

I am a prolific author of Imdb. I love studying about films as I watch and review them. All my writings are on the following site: http://www.imdb.com/user/ur14156875/comments



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How to Write a Movie Review?

In website content writing, writing movie reviews can be fun. We all love to watch movies and sometimes we want to know what other's opinions are about a particular movie before deciding whether to watch the movie or not. Therefore article writing about a film you watched will help others to make a decision. Let's discuss some tips to write a good movie review.

All of us have diverse opinions about a film. Article writing a review gives you a way to express your opinion and also helps others to know about the same.

Before you start content writing about a movie, you need to watch it. You can either watch these movies online or rent a DVD or visit your nearest multiplex. There are many websites that allow streaming of movies online.

Once your movie is chosen, getting acquainted with the theme of the movie is very important. Go online and gather some information about the actors in the movie. Check out their previous and upcoming works, whether they have any awards to their name, do they expertise in a particular style of acting, etc. also in content writing, it is important to read about the movie that you have chosen. Read what the movie is all about, whether it is sequel or a remake, the rest of the cast and crew, etc. This information will help you to compare the performance of the cast and crew in the movie of your choice to their earlier work. This is important as it will provide more solidity to the article writing for your review.

You will automatically form an opinion about the movie once you have seen it completely. Try and frame one single sentence that will highlight your opinion about the movie. This sentence will help you give an overall rating to the movie and at the same time your readers will have an instant idea about your opinion. In content writing, such sentences form a solid platform for your review.

While content writing for a review one important aspect is to grab the attention of your reader instantly. This is applicable to any form of website content writing. Your readers must draw interest from what you have to say about anything. Regarding article writing for movie reviews, start your article with a quote from the movie itself. Then gradually explain to you reader how the quote is applicable to the rest of the movie.

Next step is to discuss about the movie in brief. While content writing a review, always give a vague outline about the movie and do not disclose the entire story. You will want to give a general idea to the readers about the movie and not write to make them refrain from watching the movie. If they need to know the entire story, they will have to watch it. Always keep this in mind while article writing for a movie.

You must back your opinion about the film with proofs. Explain exactly why according to you, the movie was a drag or a hit. Mention noteworthy scenes and at the same time those that you thought were unnecessary. While article writing about the movie, you must mention about the script of the movie giving your opinion whether it was a good or bad script.

You must make your review enjoyable. It does not matter whether you enjoyed the movie or not, your article writing for the movie must be engrossing. From the beginning to the end your review should be interesting and at the same time brief.

Lastly, be honest with your content writing. Your motive to write a review must be to let others know about your opinion and not to stop anyone from watching the movie.

So, write a good review! We will be helped a lot with honest and sincere opinions about movies.

Bhavesh B Bhatia is an avid writer and regularly writes movie reviews and articles. Get in touch with him for latest movie reviews  and other website content writing services.



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