This is a documentary about steroids in America. There is a very personal story about the filmmaker Christopher Bell, not only his own story but that of his brothers and his parents. They all talk to the camera very candidly, often saying things that they wouldn’t want anybody to know (yeah, it’s contradictory).

However Bell also made his research and talk to many experts about the use of steroids from a medical point of view. Some say it’s not harmful, others say it is.

But what’s the most interesting to me is the way the American government and media demonize steroids to an extreme, as if it were the worst drug in the world. On the other hand the use of steroids was really accepted by everyone before the media made a big deal out of it.

At one point Bell even interviews a father who blames steroids for his son’s suicide, which I thought was a bit too simplistic.

Bell does try to interview people from different point of views, and I think there is enough information here to at least interest everyone. But it is clear what’s his opinion, he doesn’t hide it at all.

This is definitely a subject I was ignorant about, so I am glad that I got to learn more about it from this documentary. The personal story was interesting in the context of this subject, but I wasn’t too touched by it.

Rating: 3 Stars

This film was shot like a documentary, so it looks very authentic and not like a fictional story at all. We follow Alejandro, a penniless young boy working/living in a chop shop. He might be poor, but he has more enthusiasm than many rich kids.

His sister Isamar is also struggling to make ends meet, but being older she’s not as naive as Ale. I liked their relationship, it just felt very natural and real. They obviously love each other, but she’s not over protective of Ale just because they’re alone. She has her own life, and sometimes she just doesn’t treat him that well.

Ale on the other hand is so enthusiastic about life, he has plans and dreams for his future, and he seems to be a good worker. He’s very likable and a bit naive. Which is why when he’s taken advantage of (which we see a mile away) we really feel bad for him.

As this is a very realistic film, this is literally a slice of life story, we just get to hang out with Ale for some time, and then we just go away. There is no resolution to any problem, the hero doesn’t triumph over evil or anything like that. Life just goes on as usual.

This is a very unusual story that I think is worth watching. It just gives us a different view of the world, from the eyes of a poor young boy.

Rating: 3 Stars

This is a very special movie. Director Heneke wants to make a point about the movie industry and the role violence plays in the audience’s mind. The way he makes his point is by giving us what we want in terms of violence, but subverting conventions and showing us that maybe we have been brainwashed by all those violent movies.

In order to discuss this film I will SPOIL it, that’s inevitable because I really want to get into it in detail.

The plot is simple: two gentle young men dressed in white invade a summer house and proceed to torture the owners, a couple with a boy. All the violence is off camera, but the screams and sounds are more than enough to scare us.

The villains are very unconventional, because they are very well spoken and good looking men who are playing games to pass their time. When Ann goes out and sees a car I thought it must be them, so go hide!! Which exactly what she does, except it wasn’t them and she lost an opportunity to find help. Then the second car comes, and the same dilemma presents. We only see them getting back home with Ann, but we know what happened.

The biggest surprise is when Ann shoots one of them we get a big relief, it’s the moment we’ve been waiting all along. However the other villain finds the remote control and rewinds themselves!! So now we are negated that relief!

Throughout the movie the bad guys look at the camera and directly address the audience talking about being entertained, as if they were there to entertain us. Which is the truth. However they also talk about reversal of expectations, thus not giving us what we want. They kill all members of the family one by one, negating us any type of satisfaction.

It’s an interesting commentary, making us think why we like certain movies. However this movie can also be enjoyed as one of those movies, I was totally tense throughout the film, and Heneke had my complete attention. But I also enjoyed this exactly for reversing all my expectations and making this a very different movie.

This is an excruciating movie to watch, even though there is absolutely no violence on camera. I enjoyed it for the tension, for the surprises, and for the commentary. But I do not recommend it to everyone.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

This is probably what you’d call an arthouse film. There isn’t much of a plot, though there is a little mystery that’s revealed half-way through. But apart from that nothing really happens in this movie.

But the point of the movie is all in the style it is presented and the state of mind of the main character. It is meant for the audience to feel what this teenager is experiencing, through the help of filmmaking.

That’s a cryptic way of saying that this is not your typical movie. The star of the story is Alex, a teenager skateboarder who is involved in a murder. The story is not told linearly, instead we jump back and forth, often repeating certain scenes with different sound. The first time we don’t hear the dialog, instead Alex might be narrating or a song is playing. The second time we know more about the context of the scene, and we hear the dialog, and learn what the scene was about.

There are also many scenes of skateboarders with a soundtrack playing, and they have nothing to do with the plot at all, but they’re meant to be what Alex is thinking about or is seeing. I must admit I thought there were too many of those scenes, I really wanted to get back to Alex.

Another stylistic choice made by director Gus Van Sant is that almost all adults are blurred or far from the camera, or their face is not in the frame. That’s a specific choice to make us feel like we are viewing this from Alex’s point of view. So in his world adults don’t play such a big role. The only exception was the cop, Alex obviously paid much attention to him.

I think this film completely achieves its goal of immersing ourselves into Alex’s mind. I did enjoy this movie a lot, but I admit I prefer a story with a bit more plot to it. At the end I just felt there was something missing. This is not a movie for everybody, but it’s definitely a different experience.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

This is not an easy film to watch, the subject matter is something everybody tries to avoid talking about. That’s caring for old people.

Jon and Wendy are very close with their father, but now that he’s sick they have to take care of him. They go through the long process of first flying to see him, then findig a place for him and finally taking him there.

I really liked the way the father is portrayed. He’s not the typical senile who cannot keep a conversation. He is lucid enough to berate his children for asking him what to do with him after he’s dead (”What are you, a bunch of idiots!? You bury me!”).

But the focus of this story is the siblings. Their relationship felt very real to me. They are not very close, so they don’t talk to each other about their personal life, but they do care about each other as siblings. Their relationship comes out stronger at the end of this story, but it’s not like they’re suddenly best friends either.

The plot felt a little bit too neat, in one season everything seems to be resolved and they come out changed for the better. This is not a happy movie, it might even be drepressing at times. But I think it’s worth watching.

Rating: 3 Stars

This is an action movie based on a comic book by Mark Millar and JG Jones. I have read that comic years ago, but I can’t remember much about it. This movie though is very different from it. It simplifies the plot and it makes the characters more likable.

I think they did a good job with the plot, it is very focused on Wesley and the history of the Fraternity. There’s not too much explanation about that history, just enough for the plot to work and not too much to bore us with details. Much of it is left for our imagination or a possible sequel.

The action scenes are obviously a big part of this movie. The first scene with the Killer reminded me a little bit about the Matrix, not just the visuals, but that feeling of excitement about these super-powered characters. But the way the Killer is assassinated seems silly or too simple. But that’s from the comic.

Other scenes are also cool, the big chase scene with Fox, Wesley’s training etc… I thought the scene on the train was very exciting, not only for the sequence but also for the tension between Fox and Wesley. That’s also the scene where the big twist is revealed. This is quite a different twist than the comic, but I thought it worked.

The resolution and big fight at the end was another good surprise. The way Fox reacts to the truth was unexpected, especially since it diverges so much from the comic. I really liked that part. Unfortunately I can’t say the same for the actual ending, Morgan Freeman going in the field to try and kill Wesley really didn’t work for me, it’s just totally different from what we’ve seen of his character in the entire movie. And the decoy scene is used again, which I still had a problem with.

One cool thing about this movie was the curve ball. Everybody’s seen it in the trailer, but it looked great in every scene, paving the way for the final scene.

James McAvoy actually looked good as an action star, but the first few scenes were definitely more suited for him. Angelina Jolie looked hot as ever, but that just comes natural to her. I guess there’s not much character development, not even for Wesley. But that’s not the focus of this movie.

I had a good time with this movie, very entertaining. Not very deep and a little too positive, especially compared to the comic. But a good fun movie.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

This movie was nominated for best screenplay at last year’s Oscars. I finally caught up with it and I can see why.

The premise of the story is that Lars has difficulty relating to people, so he gets a doll and thinks she is a real girl. He is delusional, but everyone around him treats Bianca (the doll) as a real person.

Ryan Goslin’s performance as Lars is what makes this story work. He doesn’t portray Lars as a lunatic, he just looks like a normal person with some social problems. There are some scenes where Lars is talking to Bianca, and we obviously don’t hear her talk but we can guess what Lars is imagining her say.

At first people don’t quite know how to react to Bianca, including Lars’ brother. But in time everybody gets used to it and start playing along with Lars, and they really help integrate Bianca into their small community.

I love that the doll is not a sexual object for Lars at all. There is a reference to that by the others at first, including a funny scene looking up Bianca’s skirt. But otherwise Lars is just looking for a companion he can relate to.

I also liked how Lars got out of his delusion, and the reason for his fights with Bianca. It’s probably not likely from a medical/psychological point of view, but I think it works for this movie. It wraps up a little bit too neatly, again it works for me.

I love Lars line about fake flowers lasting forever, just like the doll. An indication of how Lars is affected by death. I must say at first I felt weird about the story, but by the end I was totally into it. A good original story.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

This movie had 3 people I like that were involved. Star and writer Jason Segel, co-star Kristen Bell, and producer Judd Apatow. The result was a very entertaining comedy, with the usual Apatow serious scenes that make the story meaningful.

The premise and plot are nothing original for a rom-com, but the execution was very good. Jason Segel was funny as always. I’d only seen him as part of the cast in How I Met Your Mother, but I was glad that he also worked as a lead in a movie. Kristen Bell did a nice job as Sara Marshall, though she doesn’t exactly shine. But she did have a great moment later in the movie.

But the surprise for me was Mila Kunis. She’s obviously pretty, but she felt so natural in this movie, at times I felt I was watching a home made film where people are just themselves, instead of acting. The way she encourages Peter to go up on the stage and sing his Dracula play (ridiculous but funny concept) felt completely natural and genuine.

Another big part of the comedy came from Russell Brand, who at first looked like a complete idiot, but as the movie goes on you start to like him and even think he’s cool.

That’s true for Sara too. She is supposed to be the bitch that we don’t like, and there are scenes where she’s portrayed as a bitch. But I didn’t hate her that much, especially after she finally talks to Peter and tells him why she left him. I thought that was the emotional peak of the movie. That scene really grounded this story in reality, making me understand her side too.

There are the usual Apatow regulars with small roles. Paul Rudd was ok here, not too funny. Jonah Hill was actually not too bad, I think he works better as a supporting role instead of the lead.

The ending is probably typical of a rom-com, but strangely I was already satisfied by the emotional peak between Sara and Peter. The final scene was just expected. Overall a very good comedy, probably my favorite this year.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

It’s been a long time since I watched a movie, due to my daughter’s birth and other reasons. But my wife and I finally managed to watch a movie, even though there were many interruptions.

What better movie than my wife’s favorite TV show of all time, Sex and The City. I watched all episodes of the series with my wife, so I must I do enjoy it. It’s not my favorite show, I don’t know if I would have watched it all without my wife, but I did find it interesting.

So obviously we were interested in the continuation of that story and got exactly what we expected. I am not sure this was a success as a movie, to me it felt more like a series of episodes of the show strung together by a common thread. That thread is more prominet in this movie than in a season of the show, but it really isn’t that different.

I can even imagine the episode breaks: ep 1 is the setup, up to before the wedding. Ep 2 is the big fight. Ep 3 is the mexican trip. Ep 4 is coming back at home and looking for an assistant. Ep 5 is Carrie back as her old self. Ep 6 is the “big” reconciliation. Is this a bad thing? Not for me and the millions of fans of the show, I don’t think.

In terms of production values, I really didn’t feel like this was a step up. Sure there were more expesinve clothes and shoes than you’ll ever see in any fashion event, but the show was like that too.

Now on to the characters and plot (SPOILERS!!)

The first 20 minutes of the movie are just a build up of happiness for all 4 friends. It might have been fun, but it was obvious that things would start to go very bad. The first drama was Steve’s affair. I usually get very annoyed by Miranda, but in this movie she was the victim, so obviously I was more sympathetic towards her. I was impressed that the actress was not afraid of showing her “normal” body. I liked Steve and Miranda’s story, it felt real and didn’t have the unnecessary overly dramatic parts of a break up (did not show Steve cheating, nor him begging more than once etc..), but that’s also due to not having enough screen time.

Most of that time is obviously given to Carrie and Big. I like that we finally know his real name, that’s just a little touch for fans of the show. Having seen all episodes of the show I am obviously a little bit attached to these characters, but I had no idea how much until the big scene in the streets. On one hand I understand that Big was freaked out, but he came back to his sense, although it was too late by then. On the other I also understand Carrie’s anger, each of her blows were heartfelt. But the most surprising moment for me was when Charlotte shouted “No! No!”. She was so angry, and at the same time it felt like she couldn’t say anything more, just like she often does. A very nice touch.

After that scene Big disappears from the movie, only to return at the end with a very disappointing reconciliation. All it took for Carrie was to read his letters, or the letters that he copied, and see him in person. That’s it!?!?! As I said, disappointed. The plot is very predictable, if there is a mention of something, it will happen (the letters, the City Hall wedding etc…)

Charlotte was always my favorite character, she is both funny and serious. Her funny scenes are always of her being embarassed, but I must admit her big funny scene in this movie didn’t work much for me. It worked for making Carrie laugh (again being telegraphed just a few minutes earlier), but I didn’t laugh much. The scene I did like (apart from the dramatic one I mentioned above) is when she bumps into Big and breaks her water. I was surprised that Charlotte did not have any drama at all, on the contrary everything worked out perfectly for her. It’s a nice contrast to the others, a breath of normal life (our life) among all that drama.

On the opposite end there’s nothing normal about Samantha. She tried to have a normal relationship, but her next door neighbour wouldn’t allow her to do that. I must say, her story has always been the lighter and funny one, but I never really connected to it. Yes she’s funny, but there doesn’t seem to be any depth to her. The scene of her break up really sums it up for me. He basically had no reaction, and she had no seriousness either. It’s as if they were never serious.

There were obviosuly some good scenes between the friends, but I feel that when they’re all 4 together it’s just them having fun. It’s during one to one scenes that their relationships shine. Carrie and Miranda share a lot of scenes, both endearing (New Year’s) and dramatic. Carrie and Charlotte have a nice moment. Carrie and Samantha have an interesting telephone conversation. I like that they also have fights, like real friends, not just big fights but even small ones (Miranda and Samantha in Mexico).

Jennifer Hudson’s role didn’t do it for me. She was simply a plot device, not a character. She helped put Carrie back on her feet, bringing back some of that innocence and youth into the story. She was the excuse to bring Big back into the picture, with that computer password (so predictable). When she left, I didn’t feel anything.

I was obviously glad to see all the supporting characters from the show, Harry and Steve, even Steve’s nanny. The two gay friends, though they really didn’t get enough screen time, especially Stan.

Overall I enoyed this movie even though the ending was a little bit weak. This really felt like a season of the show, in fact I didn’t feel this movie was too long (at 2h20m), because it was just a succession of episodes. Hopefully this will put me back into the rythm of movie watching.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Woody Allen is the most prolific director out there, he punctually makes a movie every 1-2 years. Unfortunately he’s fallen off the radar in the last few years, creating some ill-received movies.

Lately he’s been on a British mood, creating movies set in England that have a different tone than his usual stories. This movie in particular does not have a lot of humor in it, and it’s all about the characters.

I must say I was surprised by this movie in a few occasions. There were some parts where Allen makes decidedly non-Hollywood decisions. For example when the father found the missing money, I thought that Ian would continue the lie in order to cover himself, instead he comes clean and every thing’s forgotten.

There is another scene where Ian tells his father about meeting this new girl, and then the waitress comes in and I thought she’s be all jealous and they’d have a fight, instead the scene ends there and it’s clear they had an understanding about their relationship.

Everything felt believable, the way Ian and Terry make their big decision, how they do it and talk about it. I was tense through their ordeal, and felt really bad for them.

However I felt a little underwhelmed by the ending. It just felt anti-climactic, after all the previous build up. And how likely is it for just a simple fall to kill somebody?

Despite that ending, I still enjoyed this movie.

Rating: 3 Stars