Kate & Leopold

If you find a dangerous way to pass through time and space to a mysterous ancient place, will you take the risk or not?

Stuart, Kate's ex-boyfriend is the man who finds a space near the Brooklyn Bridge where there is a gap in time. He goes back to the 19th Century, taking pictures of everything fancy to him. But he doesn't notice that he is eyed by Leopold, the man who later invented the elevator (which I don't know if it's really true). He follows Stuart to the bridge and falls down to the 21 century together with him by accident. That's how this gentleman bursts into Kate's life and gradually falls in love with her during the week Stuart staying in hospital. His language and behaviors are so incompatible with this modern time but so perfect and charming for Kate to enjoy. Though Kate still doesn't believe Leopold is the man from the past, somehow he had to go back due to the routine of the unmodifiable history, marrying a girl with a good deal of money to save his family. While Kate participating her promotion party, her brother and Stuart rush there pointing at a picture taken when Stuart was at Leopold's family party one hundred years ago. Kate is there too! She is doomed to belong to the past and together with Leopold. They run to the Brooklyn Bridge and Kate, with the help from these two men, successfully catch up with Leopold's pronounce of his future wife. So another happy ending~~


Meg Ryan plays Kate in this film. I don't know whether it's her hair style or her unexpressive face or her not young age which blind my eyes, her performace is out of spirit from my point of view. But I do like the acting and voice of Hugh Jackman, the one who acts Leopold. It seems like the English language and the customs has been simplified a lot within one century time. It's good for people to live faster and more comfortable detaching from the etiquettes, but some, as intangible heritages which I think should be retained as time goes by.

Final review: one thumb up

"Hachi"

Does anybody get a puppy, kitty or bunny at home? How do you treat them and how do they react to you? The movie which I’ll share with you this week is really one of the apples of my eye. “Hachi”, as the name both for the film and the dog, is a Japanese word means good luck and
longevity.
The movie is an adapted version based on a real story that has happened in Japan in 1930s. Hachi was adopted by a Japanese professor for one year. Within this year, Hachi saw his owner off to the work and picked him up after work at the train station day by day. This incredible and persistent job made by Hachi deeply touches all the neighbors near the station. Unfortunately, the professor died of a cerebrovascular disease in the college which fairly disappointed his family and students especially his lucky boy Hachi. In order to make him live better in the future,
the professor’s wife gave Hachi to another family instead. However, although people all knew clearly the fact that the professor would never show up in the station again, Hachi still be that loyal to his owner. Every day he would sit in front of the gate waiting for his “beloved father” with patience and hope. Anyway, we all know that his dream will never be realized anymore.
This movie makes me cry almost for the rest half of it starts from the professor’s death. I really cannot imagine how Hachi can be that purely loyal to his owner within its entire life. Hachi’s story may lead us to think more like what loyalty means for everyone. It is the common
sense that husband and wife should be loyal to their marriage, servant should be loyal to his master, and citizens should be loyal to their home country. I want to ask all of you, do you really think you have done a good job?
All in all, thumb up for twice.

Three Musketeers

This film introduces in 17th century French cathoics fight with other new religions for background. The main character Artagnan with other three musketeers to solve between Franch and English problems.

I think this movie is not too much attractive scenes for me, just a lot of fights, and special effects. Therefore, I  just enjoyed their how to fight. If you want to see action moive and special effects, just watch it.

"Titanic"

“Winning that ticket, Rose, was the best thing that ever
happened to me. It brought me to you...”---Jack Dawson
For this week, I’m going to bring you to the parallel “Gone
with the wind” in 20th. This fabulous movie is called “Titanic”,
which is the ship of dream. Thumb up twice first.
In 1912, April.10th, Titanic started her maiden
voyage with more than 2000 passengers on the ship from Southampton to New York.
Running at the whole speed, Titanic embraced the most beautiful scenery around
the Arctic Ocean. All the passengers and sailors on it would never think it
would sink on the second day evening. It was about more than half of the people
died in this miserable accident called as the most biggest sailing accident in
the records of sailing history.
The movie “Titanic” is produced by a famous movie producer
and director James Cameron based on the real story to be a romantic and
catastrophic love story between a noble lady and a poor American guy---Rose and
Jack. I dare to day so many classical movie shots have been made from it, for
example, when Jack and Rose flying on the deck and Jack make picture of Rose
with only “The heart of Ocean”
I love this movie so much for bunch of reasons. Firstly, the
theme music “My heart will go on” sang by my one of my favorite popular singers
Celine Dion really attracts me a lot. Honestly speaking, this beautiful song
has made me fall in love with the American popular music. Secondly, with the
wonderful performance of Leonardo Dicaprio inside, “Titanic” becomes the apple
of my eye at the moment I saw how handsome Leonardo has been in the movie. The love
he holds for Rose is that real and pure. Last but not least, what I want to
offer as the third reason is that “Titanic” is the first movie I saw in the
cinema which hasn’t made me sleep.
As we all know, 2012 is the 100th year after
Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean. In order to celebrate the 100th
anniversary for this ship of dream, the director James has made this perfect
movie into 3D version which will be released on April 4th in the
USA. As the fan of Leo, I make the decision to watch the movie with my best American
friend in the cinema without any hesitation. Boys and girls, come and join
us!!!!

The Legend of 1900

Forgive me, my friend. But I'm not getting off --Nineteen Hundred

When I check The Legend of 1900 on IMDb, it surprised me that the movie didn't gain the popularity it deserves(much less than there should be)!The movie is directed by the Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore, you may not recognize him at once,but I'm sure the Cinema Paradiso directed by Tornatore left great impressions on you.With Tim Roth (Also in TV series Lie to Me) in it,I'm telling you this movie is as GOOD as Cinema Paradiso if not better.

When you look at the title of the movie,you may take 1900 as a year,but actually it's a man's name!The movie is about a man who is born and abandoned on the first day of 1900 on a ship traveling between US and Europe and he gets quit a long name: Danny Boodmann T.D. Lemon Nineteen Hundred (Tim Roth).1900 grows up on that ship and he really gets a gift on playing the piano ,even by just seeing the people he met,he could play fitted songs for them.The story of 1900 is unfolded by the narrations and flashbacks of the trumpet player,Max Tooney (Pruitt Taylor Vince),a real friend who in 1900's words is a minority that truly knows 1900. The strange thing about 1900 is that although he plays piano beautifully ,the rest of the world has never heard him playing because 1900 has NEVER set his feet on the land! One day,1900 decides to get off the ship...

The music in the movie is just fantastic, the piano songs are so beautiful that they makes me regretting why my parents didn't make me learn piano!The cinematography and the cast are just great,too!As they reviewed on the IMDb,this a simply beautiful movie, a lovely movie that has a heart.If you ask me to say something, I'll say that you may have never heard it before,but you'll live to regret if you don't see it!Thumbs up!

P.S. The end of the movie is powerful!

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

This move talked about World War II but in different way. The story seen through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-son of the commandant at a concentration camp, whose forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has starting and unexpected consequences. In this movie, the friendship with Bruno and Jewish boy is the most important point. If this not happened in World War II , I believe they can be good friends , but everything became different just because war. everyone had a unexpected consequences. This movie is really sad and little actor Asa Butterfield's perform is really touch me. When he face the violent military officer, he perform very scary. And when he know his father 's lie about concentration camp, he is very innocent and believe it. What's more, Bruno's mom is another lightspot. She is very kindhearted. When she said thank you to the old Jewish man who helped his son is really moved me.

All in all , this movie is special, it shows the cruelty of world war II by different way and is easy to make people reflect that the brutality of war.

500days of summer

(spoiler alert)


                 
           This is one of my favorite movies. It tells a story between a man  named Tom, and a lovely woman called Summer. Tom is a innocent boy who fall in love with Summer at the first sight while Summer is a very  emotionally independent woman who don't  love at all. One word from her is that "There is no such thing as love, that is fantasy."However, Summer ends the relationship with Tom when Tom think they are getting close. At the end of the movie, Summer found her true love and got married. After 500 days acquaintance with her, Tom realized he must move on and pick up his beloved career.One lessen  he learned from is that there's no thing called destiny, you gotta do what you like and catch chance.

                 As it happens, Summer is my favorite season in a year.All the music shown in the movie fit the spot and I really like the acting. The whole story was told in a unusual way ,too. In a word, I recommend this movie.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Life can only be understood backward but but it must be lived forward.--Søren Kierkegaard

What would it be like if you grew younger as you age?Don't know exactly about that ,but there must be much vicissitude in it! As we're wondering,The Curious Case of Benjamin Button sheds some lights on this question.The film is directed by David Fincher (known as his dark movie,e.g. Fight Club,Se7en) and the screenplay is written by Eric Roth(the screenwriter of Forrest Gump,some people criticized the two films are quite similar to some extent).The film stars Brad Pitt ,the leading actor,as Benjamin Button and Cate Blanchett as Daisy Fuller,the life-long lover of Benjamin.With such a superb cast and a huge budget(150 millions dollars),no wonder the film won 3 Oscars and numerous nominations.

The film is about a man named Benjamin Button (Based on the 1922 short play of the same name by F.Scott Fitzrrald)who ages in reverse as time goes by.He is born an old ,ugly baby with all kinds of senile diseases,and thus abandoned at the porch of a senior home by his biological father.He is took in by the kind black caregivers,Queenie,and thus lives in the nursing home.As an old man in appearance,he has no difference from others in the nursing home except for his young age.As many people grows older and died,he becomes younger each day.One day,he met a teenage girl,Daisy,who come to nursing home to visit his grandma.He falls in love with her the first sight he sees her.He and she develops a relationship soon,though he's becoming younger day after day...

Though it's a film lasts nearly for three hours,I just felt it's too short to display such a magic and reversing life.The story is told by the diary of Benjamin and the flashback of Daisy on her deathbed,mostly narrated by Benjamin(quit like Forrest Gump).One of the brilliant part is that David Fincher connected the present and the flashback seamlessly:you just feel natural when the scene is changing within the two part.Another spot light is the fantastic use of make-up and modern technology,Pitt played the role at almost every edge ,but you just can't find a flaw of the make-up--as if the film was shot in real time span!

With a good director plus a great screen writer and the joining of Brad Pitt,this film surely is a must-see in our generation.Thumbs up!

Twilight: Breaking Dawn

I have watched The Breaking Down of Twilight series movie today. I think most of people have ever wacthed thses series of movie, and this part is connecting previous series. The movie tolds about Edward who is a vampire fall in love with a girl Bella who is a common person. This part is introduce Bella with Edward got marry and they have got a baby in the honeymoon. At the beginning, they do not know how serious about the baby because this baby is vampire combine human being. When the baby in the Bella's body, it continually absorbs Bella's energy that makes her very weakness. And then, Edward and his family know the baby will makes Bella die, but Bella insists to born the baby and nobody can persuade her. This message was convey to werewolfs, and they want to destroy the baby. Finally, they trigger a vampires and werewolfs' war....

I think these series of Twilight are very good movies, and they create many incredible things, such as vampire with human being's romantic love,vampires with werewolfs, triangle of vampire, werewolf, and human being's love. If you do not watch yet, you are out of fashion mainstream! If you want to watch them right now, that not too late for you! Just do it!

Thumb Up!!

Hugo

Today I watched an Oscar awarded movie called Hugo with my friends. We thought it was about Victor Hugo before we started to watch the movie, which turns out that it has nothing to do with the novelist but an adventure about a boy named Hugo.

The movie is about the boy who lives at the clock tower located at the train station in Paris after his dad passed away. He keeps the robot his father left and learns all the knowledge of how a clock and machinary stuff function to continue fixing the robot. He was disturbed by the man who owns a fixing store at the train station for stealing his tools and the police at the train station whose job is to catch homeless children that wander around the train station and stealing food or other things from the passengers. Fortunately, a girl from the reparation store helps him through many difficulties. On their way of fixing the robot, the liitle boy discovers a big secret on the old man from the reparation store which turns the whold movie into another direction (but I am not going to spoil alert please check it out by yourself). What I like about this movie is that it shows respect to movie pioneers (esp. "Trip to The Moon"). I have seen those very old movies before and it appears to be very boring compared to contemporary movie works. But Hugo brings me back to the old times and looking at those movies from different point of view, which makes me find the attraction of the "ancient" movies.

Thumbs up!

Step Up

Did you once experience that you want to join into a school because of a movie inspired you? I have to say I do. A strong impulse drove me intend to join into an art school by a very famous movie, even not only me have that emotion in the world I guess. 

It's called "step up". The whole plot was occurred around one architecture which called "Maryland school of arts", in fact, it is the MICA in Baltimore Maryland. This movie's plot was very clear to understand, totally have two clues and three tipping points construct the whole thing. The clues are the relationship between Tyler and Nora, the friendship between Tyler, Mac, and Mac's little brother skinny. Originally, Tyler, Mac and Skinny were almost bully in the society. A accidental opportunity brought them into the "Maryland school of arts", they treated the appliances in the school's theatre as toy and broke them into pieces. When a security guard appeared. Tyler was arrested by the guard because he helped Mac and Skinny escaped. Tyler was requested to do 200 hours community service in the school to pay for the appliances which they broke. So, the first tipping point is over there. Via this accident, Tyler met Nora in the school, and became to her dancing partner because of Nora's previous partner hurted his ankle. Later, Nora helped Tyler applied to join her dance as a part of his community service. Nora and Tyler were doing well after that until Nora's previous partner came back. Tyler went away angrily. The story demonstrated here appeared the second point. After Tyler leaved Nora, he went back to his former life, and mixed with Mac doing nothing all day long. Unfortunately, Nora's previous dancing partner hurted again. He leaved Nora alone to face the final dancing performance. At that time, there happened another tragedy. Mac's little brother skinny died because he stole a gang's car. Mac and Tyler realized to make some better choices for their future. Here is the third tipping point. Then, Tyler rushed to Nora's performance theatre, and tried to persuaded Nora to let him in. Finally, their performance impressed everyone.

I will give double thumb up for this movie because I like the specific way the directer showed to us. If you go to see this movie, you will easily find that the whole movie was accompanied by music and dance. The most impressive moment in my mind is that at the beginning of the movie, it use one passion soundtrack which displayed by both academic dance and hip-hop dance. It's obviously to show audience that the different between these two types of dance which paved the way for the later story that the combination of the classic and popular style. After I viewed the movie I even want to stand up and dance initially, and I even want to go to MICA in baltimore to see what the reality School like in the movie.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

"Two little mice fall in a bucket of cream,the first mouse quickly gave up and drowned.The second mouse wouldn't quit.He struggled so hard that he finally churned the cream into butter and crawled out.Gentleman,as of this moment,I am that second mouse."--Frank Abagnale Sr.

The film is directed by Steven Spielberg and features Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Abagnale Jr.,Tom Hanks as Carl Hanratty(Great cast ,isn't it?).The director Steven Spielberg is known for his adept use of hugely magnificent and epic pictures,but in this movie ,Spielberg showed his another side of directing--A lighthearted film with fascinating plot which makes you laugh,cry and wonder throughout the movie(IMDb,2005).

The film is inspired by the real story of Frank Abagnale Jr. ,who ran away from home at the age of 16 for the huge blow of his parents' divorce. In the film,Frank Abagnale Jr. really gets a talent of performing cons.He successfully gets by by forging checks and then poses as a Pan American World Airways co-pilot,a Georgia doctor and even an attorney in Louisiana even though he is just a high school boy.At the same time, FBI agent Carl Hanratty(Tom Hanks) begins to track down Frank.A prolonged game between cat and mouse thus begins.

Throughout the film,Leonardo DiCaprio is almost perfect for his interpretation of Frank.He is so charismatic and smooth even when he is telling a lie that common people would easily trust him. And when I was watching the movie ,I kept relating to the role of Jack in Titanic in which Leonardo DiCaprio posed as a poor drifter but still charming whatever he does!And as always Hanks is gooooood!

Thumbs up if you want a nice funny and fascinating film!

This Means War

This movie tells a love story (maybe two?) happen among Lauren, FDR and Tuck. Both of the male charaters are spies, which is why it says on the poster that it's spy against spy. To be frank, I knew this movie would be boring when I saw its poster. The content is too predictable, which is basically the worst judgement a movie can have.

As I thought, the plot was pretty much like what I imagined before the movie starts. The two spies are good friends and they met the woman subsequently from a blind date and a "so-called" accidental encounter. Both of the agents fall in love with the woman without knowing that they are falling in love with the same woman. And then here comes the least part I like in the movie---the woman loves them both! Of course this is how the woman's friend Trish (act by Chelsea Handler, the famous Talk Show hostess) coming into the story and suggesting strategies to Lauren---probably her showing up in the movie is the reason for most people to watch the movie. After the two male characters find out they actually love the same woman, they decide to compete justically and let the woman make the choice between them. The woman cannot make up her mind until the last minute in the movie when they are in a life threatening situation (it was not life threatening at all from the movie--too fake and exaggerated) and after that they are still good friends.

Anyway the movie was really boring, cheesy and lack imagination. Not worth watching.

Thumb down!

The Next

I would like to introduce this movie which name is <Next>. This movie tolds about a Las Vegas magician Cris Johnson(Nicolas Cage) who can know the futrue at few minutes. These amazing ability make FBI focus on him and want him use his ability to prevent a big disaster which terrorist set up a unclear weapon in the Los Angeles.


Even though this movie is not very good among I have saw all the movies, but I still very interesting the main character's ability- prediction. Sometimes as he said that is very torment for him in the moive, but I think this skill is very useful too. He could know any happened in two minutes future, and then he can aviod any thing and change result. That is how prowerful skill, and this is only one reason I would finished this movie.

Real Steel

Real Steel

This movie set in the near future.leading character was a boxing player but now robot boxing replaces

people boxing. So he devotes himself to robot boxing. He costs all his money to buy new robot. Then he

hands over his son's custody to earn money to buy a famous powerful robot but he need to take care of

his son for two months. Like father, like son. His son likes robot boxing too and he is good at this.

Unfortunately, his new robot was beated at first match. At this time his son found champion in a discarded

robot . Through their hard working their robot become champion in everyone's mind.

At first , leading character's insistence moved me . He pays all he has to do what he likes. Not

everyone can do this. Second his girlfriend and son's support is very important for him. And his son's

behavior give me deep impression. Before his robot fight he always dances with his robot. And when

his robot won the two heads robot. his performance was great.

This movie's special effects is great , robot have sense of powerful and

flexible. Fighting looks like true.

All in all ,this movie's story is old stuff but actor's performance and

special effect is great!

Cheaper By the Dozen

One child can bring happiness to a family; two children can bring surprise to a family. Do you ever imagine that having a dozen of children in a family? If you are the father or the mother, will you feel corrupted and crazy by all your sweeties in the “Castle of Children”?
At the very beginning, I want to give one thumb up for my following film because I cannot stop laughing even before I start to talk about it. It is a sort of family comedy with Tom Baker (Steve Martin) to be their big dad and Kate Baker (Bonnie Hunt) to be their big mom. Tom and Kate met each when they were both in the university, at that time, Tom was senior being the captain of the college’s baseball team while Kate was a freshman working as a journalist for Tom’s team. Not to our surprise, they fell in love with each other and soon got married. Before long, they had their first and second kid both brought them the hope and love for the family. But what beyond their imaginations is they were becoming to have the third, fourth, fifth … and the twelfth child. In order to make their lives much more easier to live, they moved into a small town in the Wisconsin and enjoyed their happy lives with all the twelve children. One day, Tom got the information from his old friend that he would be employed as a coach of a baseball team in Chicago and Kate excitedly knew her book was going to be published in New York. Both good news brought Tom and Kate the hope for their long-rested careers but which made them feel in a dilemma was leaving their lovely place to a strange metropolis. After a long combat with all the honeys, they changed their lives by leaving for Chicago. But life doesn’t go smoothly as what they as thought before. Everything seemed to be tough. Their jobs were not that excellent, their relationship with children was becoming distant because of the busy work. What was worse, the several days of Kate’s off really made the family in chaos to the greatest extent. You wonder more details for the film??? Lol, Go and watch it!!!
All the plots are shown in a humorous and entertained atmosphere, all the children have their own unique personality. For example, Mark is considered to be air in the family by all the members and Sarah is the most naughty girl who is an expert in making mischief on others. Happiness, loneliness, misunderstanding, tolerance, trust and harmony can be seen everywhere in this fantastic movie.
There is no wonderful achievement from the job can be compared with the happiness our family brings to us. There is no love can be regarded as equally important as the love our parents give us. There is no other choices to enjoy our lives except companying beside our parents to do something we both liked. My dear friends, what does family mean to you??
(PS. We still have the opportunity to watch “ Cheaper By the Dozen 2”.)

No Strings attached

How can a relationship keep going with no strings attached and work well? On the first day Adam and Emma came up with this deal, one man who walked the dog at midnight gave his word to the destiny: No possible!

Adam met Emma for the first time when they were 11. He was suffering his parents divorce and came to Emma for some comfort. Five years after that they met each other on a frat party and soon lost connections. One year later Adam got Emma's phone number but not texted her until he found out his ex-girlfriend was dating his father. He stayed at her dorm overnight and had sex the morning after. Emma on the other hand was a girl working eighty hours per week and eagering a relationship with no contraint and responsibility. Under the effect of hormone, both of they made the word of being sexual friends until one of them felt something special. Then they stopped. Would they really can handle this forever without feelings for each other?

Just like the heroines in 500 days of Summer and Love and other drugs, Emma in this film is a girl owns everything but refusing of all the coming love. She doesn't allow herself taking one step off her circle of principles--making love but no love, having pleasure but no feeling. Unlike other girl, body is much safer than her mind which she prefer to put on work instead of complicated affection. Life is all about good balance between like and love and everything need to be within the control. That's why she was so overacted when she saw the tender emtion in Adam's eyes. The only way to get rid of is escape.
Yes, feelings can annoying people, bother people, and hurt people. There are so much things waiting for discuss and argue with. But love can be simple as well as complex. When you can see your heart opening to someone, you need to ready to take the pleasure and the pain on both hands. That's life. Luckily she understood it at last. Or we could say it's the right person whom she loved so much and could not lose him again help her to see clearly what she wanted to have.

Final Review: One thumb up~~

The Basketball Diaries

I want to introduce this moive which name is <The Basketball Diaries>. This is truth thing heppened in the U.S. This movie is talking about four worst teenagers experience in the catholic high school in the NewYork. They like doing very worst things in wherever, such as school, street, and city. The main role's name is Jim who is good at basketball, and he got a high school basketball games championship with his parters. Baecasue of his personality and follow his bad friends, he begun to smoking, stealing, fighting, robbing, and using drugs that led him to enter non-extricated, and despaired road.

This is a encouragement movie for us. Everyone has their experience, and maybe some people have experienced that like "Jim". This movie gives me deeply feeling, it let me know what is person the worst despaired, and how to get out this the worst circumstance. although it has a lot of violence shooting, and bad words. Bad life alway make us despaired, and it also can encourage us. So, I think this movie can give us many memories, and thoughts which is very suitable for young people. Thumb up!


Present by: MingLun Song
Date: 3/3/2012