Unknown
Watch the trailer for Unknown and more than likely, you’ll be tempted to watch the movie.
The best part is, the trailer doesn’t even show half of what this movie has to offer.
Sure, the premise of the movie is a little far-fetched; but it’s true movie-making genius when viewers can forget about the reality of the events, and just focus on the characters. The movie pulls you into a crime mystery and it becomes a non-stop guessing game of who’s good and who’s not.
The brilliance of this movie isn’t in the story, itself; it tells a crime story that has been recycled over and over again on the big screen. Instead, the brilliance lies in the presentation, namely, the angle it chooses to present. The writer and those involved in this movie were clearly on a mission to crush the spirits of self-proclaimed movie know-it-all’s. Just when you think you got it all figured out and have boldly stated your predictions, you’ll most likely end up getting “pwnd” by Unknown.
Bottom Line: A gem for the suspense genre! One of the most clever build-up in a crime story with a more than satisfying ending.
Top 10 Moments of Pure Happiness
1. 4:59pm on Fridays.
2. Eating. Period.
3. Fresh towels straight out of the dryer.
4. Finding parking in the city.
6. Pop music…don’t judge.
7. Getting paid.
8. Getting paid for putting in very little effort.
9. Getting paid for doing nothing.
10. Saying “I quit!” and marching out of the office to join a league of elite assassins.
…I think I got my little sidetracked. I suddenly have the need to watch Wanted again.
The Reader
I did it. I finally did it: I sat down today and finished a Kate Winslet movie. Not that I don’t like her; she’s undoubtedly a great actor. It’s just that when Kate Winslet comes to mind, I think “depression” and “drab” (no offense, Kate). But today, The Reader arrived in the mail and I was in need of something original.
And originality was exactly what I got. Surely, The Reader was no blockbuster hit, but if creativity and good screenwriting could easily translate into money, this movie would have raked it in. Kate clearly deserved the Oscar for her role as a lonely, middle-aged woman struggling with her obscurity and personal insecurities. She manages to make her involvement with a teenager a showcase of her vulnerability instead of her wrong, despite the almost pornographic nature of those intimate scenes.
Although Kate walked away with the Oscar, her costar, Danny Kross, gave her a good run for her money. In a very unconventional role opposite a respected actress, “the kid” held his own. Not many young actors these days can confess their love in a scene without breaking into a song and dance; Danny Kross can with just his eyes.
So, does Kate Winslet still bring up connotations of sinking ships and dying flowers? Yes. But the Reader was worth it, and a little rain every now and then never hurt anybody.
Bottom line: A captivating drama done well, but not for the weak at heart.