CORALINE

Director: Henry Selick
Stars: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Keith David, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Ian McShane, Robert Bailey Jr.
Year: 2009
Rating: PG

Dark, creepy, funny, and truly entertaining, Coraline is a real treat for adults and older kids alike (for younger kids, parents may want to give it a viewing first; some of the subject matter and themes could be fairly creepy for younger children). Based on a novel by Neil Gaiman and directed by Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas), the film is colorful and eerie, and has as its lead a young girl named Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) who is pretty much neglected by her busy parents ... until she gets a shot at a second pair.

The Jones family - Coraline, her mother Mel (Teri Hatcher), and father Charlie (John Hodgman) - have just moved into a new home ... a big pink mansion that's been divided into apartments. Both Mr. and Mrs. Jones are writers, currently working on big assignments that have left them so busy they haven't even made a dent in the unpacking yet - and seem to have even less time for their daughter. Coraline, in fending for her herself, gets to know her rather eccentric neighbors a bit - plus finds both ally and foe in the grandson of the woman who owns the building the Jones family lives in (though he and his granny don't live there themselves), named Wyborne (Robert Bailey Jr.); a boy Coraline's age, but truly annoying to her.

Then one afternoon Coraline stumbles across a small, hidden, child-sized door in the front room; one papered over with wallpaper and locked tight. Annoying her mom until she finds her the key to it, once opened the door's potential for adventure dies when Coraline finds the entrance bricked up.

Later that night, however, some peculiar mice lead Coraline to the closed door again - and this time, when she opens it, the girl is shocked to discover a dark, narrow tunnel leading to another door at the other end ... and when Coraline grows through it, shock turns to wonder when she discovers her home and parents again on the other side - now a perfect home, and perfect parents (with big black buttons for eyes) in which Coraline is the star. Her every wish is important and granted, complete with a new, "other mother" who can't do enough to make her daughter feel happy and loved. Coraline visits for awhile, eats dinner, and in general soaks up the attention before her "other parents" put her to bed ...

Before waking up the next morning in her real-life room.

No one she talks to about what happened will believe her, convinced she was dreaming, but a couple of other visits to this alternate world show Coraline that in this new land she has the same neighbors, friends, parents - only all of them dote on her, are exactly as she'd like them to be in her ideal world, and in particular she has a mother who simply does not want her to leave.

Ever.

But as always happens, when things seem too perfect there is just something horribly, horribly wrong behind it all - and Coraline finds out that her other mother wants to keep her in this new world forever, things go from weird to weirder. A sarcastic black cat who seems to be the same in both worlds (no button eyes) - and can speak in the alternative world - is Coraline's best shot at both finding out what's really going on, and escaping back to her real home and parents for good.

The stop-animation and overall look of the film is beautiful; it made me wish I'd gotten off my duff to see the film in a 3-D theater originally. The voice performances are all top-notch, and even Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French add plenty of creepy weirdness and humor to the film as Coraline's basement-dwelling neighbors, Miss Spink and Miss Forcible.

Imaginative and original, Coraline is a real treat that should appeal to anyone who has read Roald Dahl, or enjoyed Tim Burton films. It's an inventive and funny, really cautionary tale about watching what you wish for - as man, can things get jacked up when your wish comes true. **** - Reel Awesome

THE ORPHANAGE

Director: Juan Antonio Bayona
Stars: Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Princep, Mabel Rivera, Montserrat Carulla, Geraldine Chaplin
Year: 2007
Rating: R
(in Spanish w/English subtitles)

Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona's debut is a suspenseful, touching and fairly spooky little masterpiece that is reminiscent of Alejandro Amenabar's The Others while being an entirely original story unto itself. El Orfanato (The Orphange) opens with sepia-toned memories of a group of orphan children, all close friends, playing a version of hide-and-seek, with little Laura being "it." Laura, we soon learn, is being adopted out that day to new parents - and when the film flashes forward to modern day, some thirty years later, we find the adult Laura (Belen Rueda, in a poignant, very honest performance) now has her own family (a husband and young son) ... and in fact, she and her husband have just bought the old orphanage Laura grew up in (long since shut down), in the hopes of fixing up the place to turn it into a home for special-needs children. The home is huge, near the edge of the sea, and fairly remote but a beautiful and ideal setting for the couple's plans - as well as a good place to raise their son Simon (Roger Princep), whom we find out is ill, himself.

Things go well until one day when Laura takes Simon out for a walk near the lighthouse, and in some nearby caves Simon discovers a new imaginary friend, named Tomas, whom he brings home to live in the old orphanage. Even though Simon has had imaginary friends in the past, there's something different with this one; soon Simon almost seems obsessed with Tomas, and begins making up new games that seem way beyond his age and ability. He also becomes more petulant and talks back to Laura. Worse still, a further wedge seems to be driven between the boy and his parents when he tells them that they aren't his real parents after all - that Tomas told him he's adopted. Which, viewers know by this point, is true (making things that much creepier). Even an old lady named Benigna (Montserrat Carulla) shows up, first asking questions about Simon - but then Laura even finds the old lady sneaking about on the grounds one night, though she gets away before Laura can talk to her.

Then, on a gray afternoon when Laura and her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) are hosting an outdoor party for some of the special-needs kids and their families, to show off the house, Laura has a huge argument with her son. Little Simon disappears soon afterward, without a trace, and during her search for him in the house Laura comes face to face with a small child - a child in tattered clothing, whose head is covered with a crudely-stitched-together burlap sack made to look like a face. When she's attacked by the child - who then quickly gets away - Laura becomes convinced that the kid was Tomas ... and that not only is he responsible for Simon's disappearance, but that there is also something quite supernatural (and very unsettling) going on in her home.

From here things escalate; as the months go on with no sign of Simon, Laura hears and sees things that come close to driving her mad when they bear no clues to her missing boy. Simon's disappearance has pretty much killed the business plan, too - after all, who would put their child in the hands of people who lost their own son in the same home? - and in fact, after close to a year with no word on their son, Carlos wants to call it quits and move far away.

But Laura's not having it. She knows, now, that there are forces in her home that have taken her child; are keeping him from her. And she won't leave until she gets Simon back.

The Orphanage is incredibly atmospheric, chilling, suspenseful, and creepy; more than a couple of times you will either jump in your seat, or feel the gooseflesh crawl up your arms. And if you're expecting the gore and/or high body count you often find in many American horror films, then yeah you'll be greatly disappointed (if not bored).

But The Orphanage is also poignant, touching, and ultimately real affirmation of a mother's love and devotion. Rueda, as Laura, is an accomplished actress who carries the film well on her strong shoulders, and anyone without at least a tear in his (or her) eye by the time the credits roll is a cold fish, indeed. This is a movie that may well get under your skin, all right - but somewhere, along the way, it also manages to sneak its way into your heart. ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

THE HAUNTING OF MOLLY HARTLEY

Director: Mickey Liddell
Stars: Haley Bennett, Jake Weber, Chace Crawford, Shannon Woodward, Shanna Collins, Nina Siemaszko, Josh Stewart
Year: 2008
Rating: R

The sadness of watching The Haunting of Molly Hartley comes from realizing just what the movie could have been. What started out as probably an interesting (if not terribly original) idea, what ended up on film was a story lacking in depth on all levels - characterization, story, and emotional impact. At just 82 minutes in length, the film suffers from its brevity; through the entire thing, motives and back story and even plot points are either underdeveloped, left unexplained, or glossed over entirely. So while the film has its suspenseful moments, for sure - plus an attractive and talented cast doing what they can with the material - ultimately it's a letdown because it never full lets you know what exactly is going on. Even the ending, where everything is supposed to be explained, is ... well, lacking fully in explanation.

Haley Bennett stars as high school senior Molly Hartley, who has just relocated to a new town with her father (Jake Weber of "Medium") after a traumatic experience. We soon learned what that experience was, however: Molly was stabbed with a pair of scissors by her own mother, who attempted to kill her in order to "save her" from damnation, babbling about the "evil" she would soon become. Her mother now confined to a mental institution, Molly fears she will get out and come after her again; she wants no contact at all with the woman, and in fact resents the fact that her father still goes to visit her mom in the mental hospital.

The new start comes with a new, private school, and on the first day 17-year-old Molly is hooked up with honor student (and devout Christian) Alexis White (Shanna Collins, in probably the best performance in the film), who is more than eager to escort Molly to her classes and show her around. Molly even meets the class jock/stud, Joseph Young (Chace Crawford), who is interested in her ... even if he does already have a girlfriend.

But things are not entirely well; Molly suffers from headaches and strange visions - most of which involve her mother's attack, or even the woman's returning to kill her. She's also hearing voices, creepy whispers that sometimes speak her name, and a great deal of the film involves Molly getting creeped out or spooked by her visions when alone - instances that do, in fact, provide the film with some of its best suspense, as well as a couple of moments that may make you jump in your seat.

But even as Molly gets closer and closer to finding what's going on, unfortunately the film does not build the same level of trepidation and suspense. None of the other characters are ever truly in danger (well, not until toward the end), and whatever is after Molly is pretty much confined to the "ghost jumping out of the closet" kind of scare that gets a little old after awhile. The ending, complete with what is meant to be a big plot twist, was fairly easy to guess - and even the last few moments of the film, showing the "after-effects" of what happens in the final scene, are very much no big deal instead of the eerie/creepy finale they should have been.

In short, while the movie's not a complete waste of time, it's definitely something you want to catch on cable (or even Netflix) for free. Kind of sad, too, as it has its moments - but would have hugely benefited by a better script and more plot (and character) development. ** - Reel Mediocre

DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK

Director: Roy Ward Baker
Stars: Richard Widmark, Marilyn Monroe, Anne Bancroft, Elisha Cook Jr.
Year: 1952
Rating: N/R

Always running hot and cold on Marilyn Monroe as an actress, over the years I've seen her more as a tragic Hollywood story; a naive, talented and smart woman marketed as the ultimate blond bombshell, ultimately used up (and done in) by the industry - little more.

Don't Bother to Knock both changed and confirmed my impressions of one of Hollywood's most famous icons. Confirmed because, having finally seen this 1952 suspense story, I was more than ever reminded (especially in regards to the film's plotline) that Monroe was a vulnerable "babe in the woods" in the business; who couldn't handle her fame or the pressures of being such a huge star emotionally. Changed, however, because one thing becomes very damned clear from watching this film: Marilyn Monroe was a talented - even gifted - dramatic actress. God knows, had she not been shoved into the witless, well-endowed glamazon persona by filmmakers of her time, where her career could have gone. But this film gives you a clue, because she's absolutely riveting in it. Richard Widmark may have been given top billing, but within ten minutes of watching it becomes quite clear that this is Monroe's film.

Without her, the whole thing would almost play more like a short TV-movie; the film is well-paced and certainly suspenseful, if not a bit over-the-top dramatically. But Monroe holds it all together, and turns the story of mentally unstable babysitter Nell Forbes into a tense, Hitchockian-like tale in which you never quite know what her character will do next.

The plot is simple: Nell Forbes (Monroe) is a young woman who's just moved to New York City. She lives with her Uncle Eddie (Elisha Cook Jr.), who is an elevator operator in a fairly upscale Manhattan hotel - and on this night, Eddie has gotten Nell a job babysitting for a ten-year-old girl named Bunny, while the child's parents attend a function downstairs in the ballroom. From the beginning, Nell seems a shy, withdrawn - even slightly strange, her voice quiet and eyes like a deer caught in someone's headlights. And, in fact, soon as Eddie and Bunny's parents are gone - the little girl safely tucked into her room next door for the night - Nell indeed starts exhibiting some odd behavior, like trying on the jewelry and clothing of Bunny's mother, making herself that much at home.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the lounge, pilot Jed Towers (Widmark), who lives at the hotel, is confronting singer Lyn Lesley (Anne Bancroft, both wonderful and truly stunning here) because she's just broken off their relationship with a "Dear John"-type letter. Lyn's reasons, when pushed to give one, is simple: Jed is nice and fun and all, but there is a coldness about him; an inability to really care about other people, deep down. Bitter and disgusted by her dismissal of him, Jed hurries back upstairs to drink himself to sleep - when, through the open blinds of his hotel room, he spots Nell in the room she's in across the way.

Flirtation brings the two together - but not before Eddie has come back and confronted Nell with her indiscretions regarding Bunny's mom's jewelry and clothes. Nell apologies, and here for the first time we get clued in to the fact that she's not well mentally; that her move to NYC was for a new start in breaking away from a very troubled past.

Eddie's gone by the time Jed shows up, Nell telling him all kinds of lies about who she is and why she's at the hotel. And as it becomes more and more clear that Nell's sanity is deteriorating before our eyes, out comes little Bunny, shattering all of the baby sitter's stories ... and, suddenly, proving herself a threat to the psychotic Nell. A threat that must be dealt with.

Monroe's beauty is always arresting to the camera - but here, it's her rock-solid, very understated and beautifully done performance that will blow you away. She's absolutely childlike with vulnerability in some scenes ... while in others, unnerving and creepy and tense; again, you sometimes literally never know what she's going to do - of know she's capable of doing anything. It's a sensational job of real acting, which again will make you wonder just how well-respected an actress she might have been in dramatic roles, had she been given more of a chance beyond the few she was able to play.

Either way, if you're like me, Don't Bother to Knock will give you a new respect for the blond bombshell - who, under that hair and face and body, was so immeasurably much more. The film's a damned good suspense thriller, too, because of her. **** - Reel Awesome

Trailer: THE BACK-UP PLAN

Trailer: DESPICABLE ME

Trailer: GREEN ZONE

STAR TREK

Director: J.J. Abrams
Stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Simon Pegg, Leonard Nimoy, Bruce Greenwood, Ben Cross, Winona Ryder
Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13

In short and cutting to the chase for this review: this film kicks ass.

Never a "Trekker" growing up, the initial Star Trek films back in the 1980s peaked my interest a bit more ... and then, being a J.J. Abrams fan especially, I was really curious as to the cojones he had in updating/remaking the characters and a story for modern audiences. That took guts - many Trek fans are prime examples of why the word "fan" is short for "fanatic" - and had the film been anything less than loyal to them and the characters, the ensuing uproar could have been quite ugly.

This film blew me the hell away from its opening, when a Romulan attack on a ship being piloted by the father of the soon-to-be-born James T. Kirk starts the film off with a heck of an action sequence - the battle ending pretty much with Jim's birth. Flash Forward some years later, and viewers are given a further glimpse into the daring rebel the Jim was as a boy - and would, later, remain as a young man, before finally being convinced to join the Starfleet like his father. The James T. Kirk here, played enthusiastically by Chris Pine, is a scoundrel and womanizer with a big chip on his shoulder - yet somehow, thanks to Pine, you respect and care for the guy hugely. On his first day flying out to join the Academy, Kirk meets his first friend - a newly-divorced doctor by the name of McCoy (Karl Urban), and it's easy to see the two will become friends right off, even though both are combative, argumentative, and stubborn men.

Flash-forward a few years, when Kirk is caught cheating on a field test at the Academy (by Academy staff member Spock - played by Zachary Quinto - no less), and his cockiness gets him suspended ... just in time for the planet Vulcan to issue a distress signal, calling for the Starfleet's help as they are under attack. But as the Academy hurriedly prepares for action, to go and help, Kirk recognizes - in the distress signal - that a trap has been set by the Romulans similar to the one that had caught his father off-guard years and years ago. Trying hurriedly to warn the captain of the newly-christened U.S.S. Enterprise, Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood) - the man responsible for getting Kirk to join the Academy in the first place - Pike ends up believing Kirk's story, ushering him aboard the ship and preparing a more stealthful approach to Vulcan.

Things don't work out as planned, of course, but in the meantime viewers are introduced to the crew of the Enterprise during its maiden voyage: Sulu (John Cho), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Chekov (Anton Yelchin, whose Russian accent is thicker than bleu cheese dressing) - and even Spock is aboard, trying to help in preventing the destruction of his own planet. Spock and Kirk, still nursing a fair dislike for each other, are forced to work together, however, when Pike is captured and puts Spock in charge of the ship as acting captain ...

And that's pretty much what can be said, without giving away anything more.

But we know this is Kirk's story - and Kirk's ship - and the ride getting there is brilliant. Involving time travel and bitter revenge and a substance that can destroy entire planets with one drop, the film never lets up in pace, and is nothing short of an absolute thrill to watch. Each cast member seems perfectly suited to his or her role - even Simon Pegg, as Scotty, is hilarious when finally brought aboard - and some of the tell-tale lines of dialogue or bits of sarcastic humor that crop up in the film from time to time will feel like revisiting an old friend if you've seen the series (or the original films). Even Leonard Nimoy pops up for more than a cameo appearance, in a fully-realized role that is also an integral part of the story (as well as a nice side dish of humor, from time to time).

J.J. Abrams, along with writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman, have succeeded in revitalizing the franchise with an update that's both fresh and yet true to the original show. Some absolute purists of the series would disagree, citing the over-use of action sequences and lack of much scientific jargon (among other things) as disrespectful to the original series - or Roddenberry's vision.

Instead, what Abrams has created here is a thrilling roller coaster ride; one that should bring a whole new fan base to the characters and Star Trek brand. The film is enthralling, fun and inventive, perfectly balanced in both dramatic/emotional pull and humor, and visually stunning to boot. Not only did it leave me breathless and excited and cheering in the end - it also left me remembering why, as a young boy long ago, I fell in love with movies in the first place. And that is magic. ***** Reel Must-See

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS

Directors: Phil Lord & Chris Miller
Stars: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Mr. T, Bruce Campbell, Andy Samberg, Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris
Year: 2009
Rating: PG

Based on the hit children's book by Judi Barrett and Ron Barrett, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a fun, lighthearted and very visually stunning animated film about a young inventor named Flint Lockwood (voiced by Bill Hader) who - ever since he was a boy - has wanted to invent something that will make him both famous and a beloved by millions. Unfortunately, past examples of Flint's experiments and inventions have, instead, usually proven to be a disaster - causing endless taunting and ridicule from classmates when he was a kid, and endless embarrassment for his father. But through it all Flint had his mom, who remained faithful and encouraging, and told Flint to her dying day that he would always be great someday.

Now an adult, Flint is more than ever determined to live up to his mom's memory by proving her right - and believes he can finally do so when he discovers a way to turn water into food. Flint's hometown, you see, is poverty-stricken and badly in need of food; once an island (found in the Atlantic Ocean, just below the "A" for Atlantic on any map) known for producing the best sardines in the world, since the sardine market dropped out and people stopped eating them, Flint's hometown has not only gone virtually broke - its inhabitants have also pretty much had to turn to relying on sardines, day and night, for food.

So when Flint invents a way to turn water into any sort of food he wants, he decides to shoot a rocket into space that will contain a machine that can use the water in the clouds ... transform that water into food ... and then literally rain the food down on the townspeople.

The initial rocket launch causes a disaster in town, further enhancing the anger and frustration of everyone toward Flint - but when cheeseburgers suddenly begin raining on the city, everyone (including out-of-town weather girl Sam Sparks, voiced by Anna Faris) is bowled over by Flint's genius ... and hungry for more.

Soon everything from steaks to corn on the cob to hot dogs and more are dropping from the sky - and the town is back on the map again as a tourist attraction. Virtually overnight, Flint Lockwood has gone from pariah to hero, taking food orders from residents and programming them into his computer on earth, which then sends the signal to the computer station hovering above the clouds, dictating what food to make. Flint, along with his monkey Steve (a scene-stealing character voiced hilariously by Neil Patrick Harris), are both famous and adored at last ... Flint so wrapped up in his celebrity and the adoration he'd been seeking, he fails to see that his machine has its limits - as the food that falls from the sky starts to get bigger ... and bigger ... and BIGGER ...

Before the weather goes berserk and spaghetti tornadoes, along with candy corn and nacho chips (among other things) the size of automobiles, drop from the sky, which has turned dark and continues to make more food - now a dangerous, out-of-control menace that threatens to not only destroy the town, but the entire world.

I imagine this film was killer in 3-D, in theaters - and seriously regret not seeing it that way. The story is straightforward, often funny, and you the computer animation is done with bright colors and very cartoon-ish-looking characters that was actually the perfect choice for this film. Mr. T is very funny as an overexcited police officer, as is Bruce Campbell as the greedy (both for money and food) mayor - and in fact the film really benefits from both the supporting characters and those actors who voiced them. This is a big, bold, colorful film with enough action to satisfy both older and younger viewers, and no disturbing themes or scenes for almost even the youngest of children ... though, admittedly, this may probably come off as more a kid's film than one for adults, even though some of the messages in the film do cater toward the "older crowd."

A really good film worth catching, with pristine animation; just expect to be very, very hungry afterward! ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

BOLT

Directors: Byron Howard & Chris Williams
Stars: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Malcolm McDowell, Greg Germann
Year: 2008
Rating: PG

Combine state-of-the-art computer animation with a level of writing that hearkens back to the great Disney animated films of years back ... and you have Bolt, an energetic, action-packed, funny and damned awesome movie about a five-year-old canine with delusions of grandeur who will do anything to protect his young owner.

The delusions aren't the dog's fault, though, as from puppy-hood Bolt (voiced beautifully by John Travolta) has been geared by a Hollywood studio to believe he is the super-dog he believes himself to be. See, Bolt and his owner - a young girl named Penny (Miley Cyrus) - are TV stars of an action-adventure show in which Bolt stars as a doggie James Bond who constantly gets his owner (and her brilliant scientist father) out of one deadly situation after another ... most of them at the hands of the evil Dr. Calico (Malcolm McDowell). Bolt is fiercely loyal, and uses his various super-fast speed, powerful jaws, or sonic bark to always save Penny at the end of the day.

But Bolt believes it's all real - and the studio head wants to keep it that way so the dog will be that more believable on TV, therefore remaining a hit with audiences. So every night, Penny (much to her unhappiness) leaves Bolt behind at the studio when she goes home, in his own trailer, and comes back for the dog when they resume shooting the next day, all along threatening to tell Bolt the truth (that it's all make-believe), even if that kills the show.

But a pair of co-stars, two taunting cats who play Dr. Calico's evil felines on the series and know it's all a TV show (and know that Bolt doesn't), occasionally tease Bolt with descriptions on how they and Calico will get Penny the next day - and on one such occasion, Bolt is able to get free of the trailer, where he promptly runs loose in the studio ...

And ends up getting knocked unconscious before falling into an open packing box full of Styrofoam peanuts, which is promptly then sealed up and put on a truck for shipping. And when Bolt breaks up, he's now in New York City (though he doesn't realize it) - over 3,000 miles from the master he's so desperate to save. Worse, the poor dog finds his super powers no longer work. But determined to find Penny and keep her from harm, Bolt enlists the aid of some smart-mouthed pigeons to find a cat he can bully into helping him find Penny - because, after all, cats are evil because they side with Dr. Calico. The pigeons lead him to Mittens (Susie Essman), an underfed alley cat with a cynical attitude who thinks Bolt is pretty much a lunatic. Soon Bolt forces her into helping him find his owner, however, and before too long they also meet up with a hyperactive hamster named Rhino (arguably the most hilarious character in the film, voiced by Mark Walton), who happens to be Bolt's biggest - and the three head off on a cross-country journey to rescue Penny.

I don't feel the above does the film justice, so let's just say that Bolt is one of the most satisfying, fun, and involving films I've seen in a long time, animated or not. I was hooked in the first five minutes, with an incredible action sequence/chase scene, and never grows tired or dull from there. There are more than a few genuine laugh-out-loud moments as well, thanks to a beautifully-written script and supporting characters that rival some of the best in Disney's history. The film is, at times, hilarious and touching, thrilling and suspenseful, and all without straining believability for one moment. Even the animation is top-caliber, and early on you'll forget you're watching animated characters and grow to care for them (especially Bolt) as if they were real, concerned for what happens to them.

A real testament to the golden days of Disney, Bolt is fun and joyous and one of the best treats of the last several years - surely deserving of its Oscar nomination, and a film full of life and fun that will touch the heart of adults and kids alike - especially dog lovers. A wonderful, engaging and very funny film. ***** - Reel Must-See

PULSE

Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Stars: Haruhiko Kato, Kumiko Aso, Koyuki, Kurume Arisaka, Masatoshi Matsuo
Year: 2001
Rating: R
(in Japanese w/English subtitles)

Having seen only parts of the American remake of this J(Japanese)-horror film, I was eager to see the original - and, undoubtedly, better done - version; truth be known, even with a decent cast the American version left a lot to be desired. Happily, it's easy to see now what the fuss was about with this well-shot, creepy, and atmospheric film that explores the idea of what happens when the realm that ghosts reside in becomes too full ... and they have no choice but seek other worlds to exist in (namely, ours)?

Like much Asian horror, even though the story of Pulse is told in a linear fashion there may still be some confusion, at times, as to what is going on (the film begs to be seen at least twice, and it worth doing so; you'll pick up much more you didn't notice the first time). Two storylines play out side by side in the film (something not made entirely clear at first, as the film shifts from tale to tale) - one the story of Kawashima (Haruhiko Kato), a computer-illiterate college student in Tokyo, who has just purchased his first computer ... and Michi (Kumiko Aso), a young woman who works in a rooftop greenhouse in Tokyo. The film starts with Michi and her co-worker Junko (Kurume Arisaka), who are both worrying about their friend and fellow employee, a man who has not shown up for work for a few days, and has all but dropped off the radar in general; he doesn't answer phone calls, nor phoned in. Their friend had been working on some project for work, at home, but Michi and Junko are still worried - it's been too long with no contact at all from him - so Michi heads over to the man's home to check on him, as well as retrieve his disk of the project he's been working on for their employer.

Arriving there, Michi finds a darkened, messed up place - and her quiet, introspective co-worker, who assures her he is okay. Pointing her in the general direction of where she can find the disk for work on his cluttered desk, Michi starts trying to hunt down the floppy ... and minutes later, when she goes to tell him she's found it, finds her co-worker and friend hanging from the ceiling's rafters, a suicide. Things go from weird to worse as strange behavior in her co-worker Yabe, as well as in Junko (and even her boss), soon have Michi convinced that something is trying to get them all, and using the internet/computers to do it.

Kawashima, meanwhile, is dealing with internet issues of his own; having downloaded the internet to his new computer and signing on, the computer asks him "Do you want to meet a ghost?" - and without waiting for his answer, the computer switches to what appears to be a live-video feed of someone sitting in a very dark and dirty room, on a chair, a black plastic bag or something covering their face. The whole thing is too sinister and creepy for Kawashima, who shuts the internet and computer down ... only to start developing problems when the computer not only turns itself back on - but also takes him directly back to the same site, and same images. Thinking it might just be some glitch in the system - actually, Kawashima doesn't know what to think - the young student finds, on campus, a computer-knowledgeable fellow student named Harue (Koyuki), who agrees to look into it with him; a mistake both of them later regret.

Eventually the two storylines converge, and Michi and Kawashima meet and learn to rely on each other - but not before a whole lot of creepiness ensues, and the body count (often by suicide) grows. The great thing about the film, however, is the cerebral and visual way it gets under your skin; this is not your typical blood and guts gory splatterfest here, and those who like that kind of horror should look elsewhere. Asian horror is more about going for your mind and emotions over the more visceral senses, and here the foreboding sense of doom that grows and grows in the film, finally meeting in an apocalyptic Tokyo that is in deeper crap than it realizes, is both subtle and disturbing - this is a film that should stay with you, in your head, for awhile after you've seen it. Very well cast, and shot with just enough creepiness to give you a good chill, director Kurosawa also uses the film to convey one strong, very important and true message: that the internet, even technology in general - that which was created to bring human beings closer together - is actually driving human beings further apart than ever before.

The three leads - Kato, Aso, and Koyuki - do an excellent job in the film; all are totally believable in their growing sense of dread and terror, Kato in particular playing Kawashima as a likable hero determined to find out what's going on ... no matter what the cost. Michi's character, as played by Aso, has a great character arc in the story, as well, having to go from mousy little girl-type to a strong young woman determined to survive it all.

The ending, I should say, isn't the most upbeat - yet works, and is totally realistic in keeping with the plot. If you like the subtleties of J-horror, here with only minute sightings of gore or blood in favor of a more cerebral mind-squeeze, then Pulse might just be for you. *** - Reel Cool

BOY A

Director: John Crowley
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Peter Mullan, Katie Lyons, Alfie Owen, Taylor Doherty, Shaun Evans
Year: 2007
Rating: R

I wish I had seen this film a few days earlier; using the phrase "one of the best films I've seen this year" just doesn't resonate as well when it's only the second film you've seen for the year. But even had I seen it in 2009, the praise would have been the same: thanks largely to a terrific, understated, emotionally-involving (and Oscar-level) performance by lead Andrew Garfield, Boy A would still have been one of my favorite films of the year, in any year.

Garfield stars as Jack Burridge, a young British man in his early twenties who has just been released from prison for a terrible crime he committed as a child. Incarcerated for over a decade, Jack - whose real name is Eric Wilson - is finally being released back into the real world again, with the help and guidance of his mentor Terry (Peter Mullan), an older man who helps young people with their struggles of acclimating back into society. From the film's opening, it's obvious that Terry is Jack's only friend, the one person Jack trusts in the world ... in a world where Eric Wilson has had to become Jack Burridge in order to survive, as there are those out in the real world who can never forget the crime Eric Wilson committed - and would seek to cause him great harm, should Jack's real identity ever be revealed.

As the film opens, Terry (the only person who knows Jack's real name, or history) sets Jack up with a place to live (a room for rent in the home of a female friend), a job (loading and unloading trucks for a delivery service), and a back-story that admits Jack's having been in prison ... but for stealing a car and taking it on a joyride. From the beginning, Terry grimly reminds Jack that, no matter what, he can never tell anyone his real name or history; that to do so would put him in real jeopardy, and destroy all they've worked to do. Jack, a shy and very sensitive young man, agrees.

And for awhile, things go well for Jack; he makes friends with a couple of guys at work, the three of them often hanging out together, and even both wants and gets the attention of a pretty, very outgoing girl who works in the office, named Michelle (Katie Lyons). Even with the intrusive thoughts and memories (the film slowly reveals, via flashback, the events leading young Eric - played convincingly by Alfie Owen - to the tragic crime) of starting his new life when the old one still so permeates his existence, Jack slowly begins to gain confidence and strength ... particularly as he finds himself falling in love with Michelle, and feels the same vibe coming from her. Even an incident that involves Jack and his co-worker Chris (Shaun Evans) becoming heroes, when the two spot a car that's been in an accident and Jack saves the life of a little girl, only further proves to Jack that his old life is behind him; that he's a good guy worthy of a second chance.

It is, in fact, his relationship with Michelle that starts some trouble; having fallen in love, Jack wants desperately to tell her the truth about his past. Terry, who has his own issues (thanks to the estranged son who has shown up on his doorstep, homeless and broke), forbids and then begs Jack to say nothing - telling him that no matter how okay he thinks it might be, he cannot tell anyone about his past - and Jack oh-so-reluctantly agrees ... but soon a series of innocent incidences bring the past back home to Jack anyway, his very survival threatened by a society that may simply not be able to forgive, let alone forget.

The emotional core of this film rests on Andrew Garfield, and his creation of a character in Jack that is so likable, so real, and so seemingly deserving of forgiveness and this new life he's made for himself, the film will have viewers themselves questioning their own reactions; how could you not like and root for Jack Burridge ... and yet, could you ever really forgive the horrible crime he committed as Eric Wilson, just a dozen years or so before? The film is thought-provoking and emotionally involving on that issue alone, beautifully shot with cinematography and scene set-ups that perfectly set the mood and tone ...

But in the end, it's the performances of the cast - and, in particular, the brilliance of Andrew Garfield's touching rendition of Jack - that make this film a favorite. Named "Boy A" during his trial, with his real name of Eric Wilson finally released as he's let out of prison (complete with computer-enhanced renderings of what the young boy would look like as a man, now, filling the local tabloids), from the beginning you know a new life for Jack Burridge is not going to be easy ...

But damned if you'll be rooting for him all the way. ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

Trailer: FURRY VENGEANCE

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Director: Tomas Alfredson
Stars: Kare Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl, Karin Bergquist, Ika Nord
Year: 2008
Rating: R
(in Swedish w/English subtitles)

I had been very anxious to see this "vampire film" for some time, as last year it had appeared on many critics and viewers' lists of "best of 2008" - whether that best was for overall film ... or one of the "best vampire films ever made," as some have dubbed it. From Sweden, Let the Right One In tells the story of Oskar (Kare Hedebrant), a slight, quiet, and very vulnerable boy of twelve who has - for some time - been the target of some very abusive boys at school. Though he succumbs to the torment without comment or resistance, inside Oskar you can see a rage building; anger that may, one day, exhibit itself via the recently-acquired hunting knife the boy carries in his backpack.

But one early winter evening, Oskar sits alone at the play area outside of his apartment building, fantasizing of his brutal revenge on the school bullies and stabbing his knife repeatedly into a tree to vent his hostility ... when he meets Eli (Lina Leandersson), the pale, doe-eyed girl who's just moved in next door. And though each of the children is a loner at heart, it's obvious the two are interested in each other - and as a brutal serial killer (who kills only young boys, draining the blood from them before destroying their bodies to try and hide the mode of death) terrorizes the area of town outside Stockholm in which Oskar lives, the two children eventually become friends. And Oskar learns the reason Eli has "been twelve for a long time," and how she's able to face the cold winter air without a cold ... or access his room late at night through a second-story window.

I don't want to give away much more, but after seeing this film I admitted to - initially - a huge sense of disappointment. Almost ... of being cheated. But having had some time to think, I realize now that the problem stemmed from my approaching this as a "vampire film" - when, in reality, Let the Right One In is just so, so much more.

Gory? Yes - but not overly so, thanks to director Tomas Alfredson's shrewd decision to not dwell on the gore. Chilling - at times even scary? Yes; I definitely had one "holy CRAP!" moment in the film that made me jump a little in my seat.

But at heart, this film is about the relationship between a little boy being put-upon by the world - and the girl who teaches him to fight for himself. A little girl who just happens to be a vampire ... and, when she has to be, one hell of a vicious killer. The performances, particularly from the two young leads, are brilliant - and it's really their story, their relationship, that you want to focus on in order to enjoy this well-directed, visually engrossing (and moody) film the way it was intended (special note: I saw this on Netflix's "instant watch" function, and from what I understand this is the ONLY way you should see it; supposedly the subtitles were completely botched for the DVD release, angering fans who are waiting for a re-issue with the theatrical subtitles - which are what you will find on Netflix, IF you watch it online).

Vampire film fans won't be disappointed - unless you're solely used to the ultra-bloodshed of American-made vamp movies, or with vampirism being the entire focus of the story. Here, it takes a backseat to Oskar and Eli, and the odd little friendship formed that is both melancholy and intense ... and real. In that context, all the praise and accolades given to this film are more than deserved. **** - Reel Awesome

Trailer: THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS