Lord of War (2005)

Lord of War (2005) by Andrew Nicool
This film is the documentary types of the film since there are many voice over of the main character Yuri Orlov from his early days in the early 1980s. The audience with his rise and his fall. His job is the selling military weapon to nations to nations. He has strong business partnership with the African Warloard. This film is has educational characteristic that how the military weapons sales to another countries. The UN nations which are the gathering group for keeping peace are the most high rank military weapon selling countries. Moreover, he got caught by the a police who chases him long times ago, but he got released anyway because the united state government got his back. In other words, it wasn’t him to sell and buy the weapons, but the nation itself because it gets a lot of the profit by selling them.
After watching this film, I cannot leave the seat. Just watching till the credit is ended.
A

The Truman Show(1998)

The Truman Show(1998) by Peter Weir

Truman is a normal business man with beautiful wife. At the young age, Truman has accident on the ocean. Hence, he cannot swim. However, all this life, 30 years, has been broadcasting as television program, “The Truman Show.” Everyone in the earth watches his birth, and all his life. His family and neighbors are all casted for the TV. And, they do commercials in front of Truman. He is only one who does not know the truth. Everywhere he goes, there are hidden cameras.

This one clearly shows the people’s scopphilia, which means the pleasure of the looking. According to Lucan and Frued, they claims that people objectify others in order to get the pleasure, and it called voyeurism. People’ want to see others by forbidden place and private place which the objects do not see them, this gives them as controlling sense like god. It gives the sense that they can control the situation. It gives the indifference to perceptual reality and their reality and they ends up to creating the illusion of the realty through watching others.
The relationship between the Television program and the spectators implies in this film. No one tries to let him know that he has been living the false life because she fill the pleasure through watching Truman.
Jim Carrey’s non-comic performing was marvelous, and story is solid. One of the best film in my life. A++

Lust Caution (2007)

Lust Caution (2007) by Ang Lee.

One of the mater piece of Chinese films.
In 1942 Shanghai, the film stars with Mrs. Mak who looks sophisticated women. During the Japanese occupation of the Chinese city in World War II. Wong Chia Chi, who is a college student, join to the performing art class. At the first time, she does not like it. However, she is getting pleasure of acting someone else.

The club reader, Kuang Yu Min contact to the China Government and approve that he can run the project to kill the betrayer, Mr. Yee.
The Play club write very big story and the main female character who seduce the Mr. Yee becomes Wong Chia Chi. Even though she loves the reader, she has to have sex with the Mr.Yee. And, Kuang Yu min cannot do anything even though he also loves her. He put the nation’s mission above to his love.

While she was acting, she falls in love with Mr. Yee. And in the end, she saves the betrayer, who becomes her lover.
Korea also has similar history, and I really enjoy the film. It won several famous and important film festivals. There will be the reason, and I want people to feel it. Unlike the Hollywood style Chinese film, this film relies more on the narrative. A+

District 9 (2009)

District 9 (2009) by Neill Blomkamp
People was crazy about talking inception that how great film was it. I have different view. In my last five years, my best film is District 9. Not only amazingly solid narrative which contains variety of the modern issues, racism, economically unequalization, and terrorism, but it also uses the documentary cinematography that gives more reality even though it is the scientific fiction genre.

The story,
In 1982, a massive star mother ship, which contained massive population of the aliens, called “Prawns,” appears in Johanesburg’s sky (South Africa). Twenty- eight years later, the initial welcome turns to the hatred toward Prawns. Refugge camp called District 9 is the place where all the aliens lives becomes the militarized ghetto. The government forces them to move to new refugee camp called district 10 having reason that providing better environment for Prawns.

But actually, they want to collect the alien weapons. The main character, Wikus, is the director of the moving project, and he drink the alien chemical liquid. Then he is becoming the alien itself. So, he contacts to the two aliens who plans to re-operate the mother ship for asking them to turn him back to human.
In the district 9, there is a gang who controls the area which government does not take action against them like the real problems of the today’s Africa nations have. The character development of Wikus who is very weak and powerless govern agent becoming develop as mature adult man.
Computer graphic is not overwhelming like Avatar, but it uses as very realistically. approach. A+++++

PUSH (2009)

PUSH (2009) Directed by Paul McGuian

This movie is about the super talented characters, and the people who try to catch them. Therefore, this film is very similar to the Jumper(2008), or X-men Series. In this film, there are nine different super talent people. First, “mover” has ability to make object move to another place. Later this simple ability can upgrade to make some projecting boundary. “Watcher” is the people who can predict the future which depend on the herself. “Shadower” has ability to hide something or changing the outlook. “Sniff” has the ability that can smell very well so that they can chase to someone they want. “Bleeder” has attacking ability by high volume sound. “Wiper” has ability to remove people’s memory. “Pusher” can control people’s mind and memory.

Very well-made film. However, this first film seems a set up episode for the next episode. Unlike Jumper, its variety of the ability is another pleasure to watch this film. And the twist plane for revenge to the “pusher” was very detail and solid.

Dakota Fannning performs very well as always. And Camila Belle looks gorgeous in this film. Exotic background was fresh. But as I mention earlier, the narrative is getting so simple in the end, since it refers to the next episode. But I want to see this series. B-

OLD BOY (2003)

OLD BOY (2003) by Chan Wook Park

Korean Steven Spielberg, Chan Wook Park’s master piece, Old Boy. It gets selected as the world widely top 100 film that people must watch before dying. The Min Sik Choi plays a role as Dae su Oh. He got kidnapped by someone and got lock up in a single room for fifteen years with no reason. One day, he got released, and he tries to revenge to the person who locks him up. This is the whole story.

The reason this film is very impressive and famous not only in Korea and Western nations is Chan Wook Park’s way of presenting mis-en-scene. Especially, the wall paper’s tone and color is very impressive. The most famous sequence is the long take. It is the scene where, De Su Oh fights against about fifty people by holding a hammer. Unlike Western culture which allow to using gun, the action scene is more dynamic with the long take.


No more description. Just watch! A+

Blood Diamond, 2006

Blood Diamond (2006) by Edward Zwick.

One of the best film I ever seen in 2006, Top performer, Leonardo Dicaprio acts Danny Archer roll. In 1999, in Sierra Leone, the fisherman Solomon Vandy dreams on the day that his young son will become a doctor. His dreams are crashed when the rebels invade his village and kidnap his family to work in the diamond mines. Solomon finds a huge pink diamond and while hiding it, the commandant of the rebels sees, but the rebels are attacked and Salomon is arrested by the government army. In jail, the wounded commandant tells the prisoners that Salomon found the stone, and the mercenary smuggler Danny Archer releases Salomon and proposes to exchange the diamond by his missing family. Using the idealistic American journalist Maddy Bowen, Danny locates the wife and daughters of Salomon in a refugee camp, but is informed that his son has been recruited by the rebels. Salomon looking for and finding his son, and Danny looking for the diamond and finding redemption.

Not only the narrative is very solid and tight, but it also the narrative contains the character development, and lesson for today’s real situation as the diamond mines, and children army in Africa. After watch this film, I feel that I learn something besides enjoying the film itself. It contains some of the documentary aspects, but it follows the traditional Hollywood style.

Leonardo Dicaprio perfectly fit with the character Danny Archer who is only working for getting money even though it is legal or not. With the South African accent English makes me to believe that he might burn in the country. And it was fun to watch the Danny’s development by building the friendship with Salomon.
The film that makes audience to stay on their seat even though they see the credit, The End. A+