Saw II – 2005

Category: Movies

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Darren Lynn Bousman

Written by: Leigh Whannell and Darren Lynn Bousman

Tagline: We Dare You Again…

Detective Eric Matthew’s (Donnie Wahlberg) son Daniel Matthews (Erik Knudsen) was trapped by Jigsaw (the killer!) along with three other women and four men at a place virtually unknown by the police (unless they can track it down). At the same time the people who were trapped by Jigsaw inhaled a lethal nerve gas which would weaken and kill them slowly.

Jigsaw is a brilliant mastermind behind these series of live or die games he loves to play to test the human fiber.

I don’t pretty much like movies that have too much blood or movies that would make you feel sorry for the victims of a lunatic like Jigsaw. But, this one was pretty much O.K. It was gross on most of the parts and all that…. and somehow Jigsaw’s reasoning was out of the ordinary and would probably make sense.. but as to how he was testing the people was just purely inhumane… but that was the point of the whole movie. The movie is all about surviving and of course to test your will to live.

During the whole of the movie.. I kept muttering: “Oh you stupid dummy! Why do you have to go inside that.. it’s obvious it’s a trap!!” referring to the part when the police raided Jigsaw’s base. The movie makes you paranoid when a person opens a door and your mind would wonder over flying daggers or something.

What I like about it is the twist of the story and of course the end part would sure be a giveaway for a Saw III. 🙂

for me it would be 3 since I don’t like too much blood.. but for the sake of the story.. I’m giving it a four.

The Illusionist – 2006

Category: Movie

Genre: Mystery

Director: Neil Burger

Writers: Neil Burger (screenplay), Steven Millhauser (Eisenheim the Illusionist)

Tagline: Nothing is what it Seems.

Starring: Edwan Norton, Jessica Biel and Paul Giamatti

Awards: Nominated for Oscar. 4 Wins and 5 Nominations.

This is actually based on Steven Millhauser’s story called Eisenheim the Illusinonist.

This is a story about a man named Eisenheim in the 1900’s in Vienna. He was a son of a cabinetmaker. When he was still young he met an old man under the tree and there the man performed magic tricks right before his eyes and vanished before him.

Chief Inspector Uhl: As a boy, I’m told, he had a chance encounter with a travelling magician. One version of the story was that the man himself vanished… along with the tree. People began to think he had some sort of special power… or at least that he was a bit different. And then he met her.

He became obsessed with magic tricks and began practicing it and people thought of him as weird.

He also fell in love with Sophie (Jessica Biel), a duchess who was pretty much above his social standing. They were separated and he travelled the world to learn more magic tricks.

It was very captivating from beginning to end.

I really like the way he does his magic in the movie, specially the one about the Orange Tree which was about defying time. It was just sooo amazing. It was pretty unusual, but I believe it could be possible if one focuses their mind into it.

The story gets tricky in the middle of the movie (although I figured it all out before the movie ended and was not a challenge for me) but nevertheless I like it much.

In the movie they showed a necklace made by Eisenheim which was ingeniously made and I want one. Haha. I’ll look for it… muwahaaha. Well.. not exactly the one that turns into a locket because that one would be pretty impossible.. I just like the wooden style of the necklace… hayyy anyone who sells that kind of necklace?

Cinematography was good. Really really good. I like the transitions. [ I can’t get the wooden necklace out of my mind still ]. Hehe

Trivia from IMDB and Wikipedia:

• So that the crew would not have to use CGI to “fake” the magical illusions seen in the movie, Norton received intensive training in sleight of hand and other stage magic techniques from British magician James Freedman^[6] and American magician Ricky Jay
• The character of Eisenheim is closely based on the magician and supposed clairvoyant Erik Jan Hanussen, who was famous in Vienna in the early part of the 20th century and was murdered by Nazi soldiers in 1933.
• The trick of the Orange Tree was invented by a 19th Century French magician named Robert-Houdin.
• At the end of the movie, in the train station, electric wires can be seen above the train tracks. These electric wires did not exist in Austria until 1912.

Movie Lines I like:

• Josef: Life and death. Space and time. Fate and chance. Theses are the forces of the universe. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a man who has unlocked these mysteries. From the furthest corners of the world where the dark arts still hold sway he returns to us to demonstrate how nature’s laws may be bent. I give you Eisenheim.
• Eisenheim: From the moment we enter this life we are in the flow of it. We measure it and we mock it, but we cannot defy it. We cannot even speed it up or slow it down. Or can we? Have we not each experienced the sensation that a beautiful moment seemed to pass to quickly, and wished that we could make it linger? Or felt time slow on a dull day, and wished that we could speed things up a bit?
• Eisenheim: I thought we might end this evening with a discussion of the soul. All of the greatest religions speak of the soul’s endurance before the end of life. So what then does it mean to die?

Fine Things – Danielle Steel

Category: Books

Genre: Love

Author: Danielle Steel

It’s about a guy named Bernard Fine who was pretty much contented with working as a senior vice-president at Wolff’s Department Store in New York. He loves everything about New York, even the weather.

But, when Wolff’s decided to transfer him to open a store in California, he was not thrilled about leaving New York he have come to love. But, he has no choice…. he was so good at everything that the company would not want any other employee but him to start Wolff’s at California. In California… he is about to find the love of his life… named Liz who has a beautiful young daughter named Jane.

It’s a short, sweet story, although predictable and not unlike most of his works I’ve read… this was uhmm the least that I liked. But, it’s nice and heartwarming…. it was just predictable that’s all.

Munich 2005

Category: Movies

Genre: True Story

Director: STEVEN SPIELBERG

Rated: R – strong graphic violence, some sexual content, nudity and language.

Tagline: The world was watching in 1972 as 11 Israeli athletes were murdered at the Munich Olympics. This is the story of what happened next.

This is a story about what happened after the Black September *1972*. Israel’s Mossad retaliates by sending out five men (led by Avner) to kill those who murdered the 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics.

Some said the movie is biased. I think not, because it actually does not side with anybody. How the Palestinians killed the Israelites was gory and inhumane and you would begin to wonder how people can do such a thing like that. But, when the Israelites retaliated… you wouldn’t even want to side with them because you would see how helpless those Palestinians were as they were about to be killed.

I’m a BIG SPIELBERG fan.. and I have to say this was one of the best movies he had. Very thrilling, although confusing at the beginning *I have to watch it twice*. I like the five different character, their first kill shows how inexperienced they were and not cut out as assassins but eventually they later got the hang of it. All 5 believed they were bringing their country honor. The terrorists were different as well and were not steoreotyped to a bunch of screaming lunatics.

As they kill the terrorists in their list one by one their convictions changes. At one point Avner, said “Don’t think – Just do it”… but later on he wanted more evidences that the people they are killing are really part of the Black September. And the 5 began to doubt each other’s involvement.

This also shows how an assassin can be paranoid when they are left alone. All of them knew that the blood would come back to get them one day. Avner spent many sleepless nights getting paranoid about a lot of things because somehow he knew one day they will come and get him like he did to them.

Awards:

Nominated in 5 Oscar Awards: Best Achievement in Directing, Best Achievement in Editing, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay.

Nominated in 1 Eddie Award: Best Edited Feature Film – Dramatic

Nominated in 1 International Award *Australian Film Institute* – Best Actor

Nominated in 2 BFCA Award – Best Director and Best Picture

Won 1 COFCA Award – Best Ensemble

and moreeee……