The Informant! (2009)

'!' included.

The Informant! stars Matt Damon as Mark Whitacre, a toupee wearing employee of agriculture company, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). Vice president of ADM by elect, whisteblower by choice, this movie tells the tale of illegal of price fixing and (many) other dirty little secrets.

Ok, what can be so interesting with such a straightforward story of commercial fraud? Well, if you include a campy soundtrack, interesting character development (Well done Matt Damon, from Bourne to bumble with ease), an excellent supporting cast (never knew the FBI can be funny), great cinematography (Kudos to Steven Soderbergh) and tight pacing, The Informant! is indeed an engaging and humourous film. And not to mention the nitty gritty details like the bubblegum inspired typeface and Whitacre's monologue that , while being inane, adds a critical facet to his character and an extra dimension to this movie.

That's it for the review.But there's something else you should know.

I seldom give 4 stars to a movie.

Paranormal Activity (2009)

What happens when you sleep?

It’s a rare occurrence that I find it hard to open my eyes in the theatre. I’m a self-proclaimed movie buff. It should be in my ability to embrace all movies right? I’m afraid not this time.

You should know what I’m talking about. No, it’s not Darah (that made my eyes roll though). Yes, it’s Paranormal Activity-the most anticipated horror flick of 2009. This Blair Witch inspired movie brings us closer to the protagonists, Micah and Katie, who unfortunately had a brush with some evil entity. Convinced that she was being harassed by a demon, Micah, her loving but sometimes insensitive (aren’t we all?) boyfriend, bought a video camera to record what happened while they were sleeping. Results aren’t satisfying, to say the least.

The tension plays an integral part in this highly profitable movie. Once night falls, all hell breaks loose and the suspense is unbearable; is the door going to slam? What the hell is that? Throughout the show, you will feel that you are right there in the room, beside Katie, experiencing the terror. After 86 minutes, I’m thinking which will be worse; the ability to see ‘it’ or just getting freaked out by the invisible. All I can say is that the power of our imagination is not to be trifled with.

What happens when you sleep? You wouldn’t want to know.

Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Two scenes did it for me.

Opening scene and the strudel scene.

Watch it now, you basterds.

The Ugly Truth (2009)

THIS IS THE UGLY TRUTH:

That I hate women raving about Mr. He Man (Gerard Butler, the guy with the ripped body).

The truth is, I'm not jealous and neither do I envy his torso.

The one truth I really want to say is: he can act. And he ain't that bad as Mike Chadway, an obnoxious or hilarious (this depends on your gender) guy who preaches that there is no true love in this world, only the ugly truth. His frank and curt comments on TV raised a few eyebrows and ruffled some feathers. Among those affected is Abby Richter, played by Katherine Heigl. Well, I guess you guys out there will roughly know what happens next. C'mon it's a romcom!

Okay, I will make the truth simple and less painful. To put it in football's terms, this is a movie of 2 halfs; an interesting and entertaining first half and a boring and predictable second half. Yeah, there are plenty of laugh out loud moments but somehow I don't seem to recall them now. Entertaining but doesn't connect enough (at least for me). Or perhaps the ladies will feel more connected? To Mr. He Man perhaps?

Now for the final truth: sorry ladies, you won't see any washboard abs from Gerard Butler. But there is always another washboard to connect your eyes to.

3/5

The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

It is said that the greatest love transcends age, race, religion and even gender. As much as I respect the breaking of those social and numerical boundaries, I beg to differ. The greatest love of all time transcends time itself; beating the second by a millisecond, being able to see past the person's history and look forward to the person's future.

That being said, you have to admire the strength and resilience of the protagonist, Clare Abshire played by Rachel McAdams. Not many ladies, in fact none, are able to tolerate a constantly away man as their husband. A vagrant he is certainly not and his abnormality, of constantly traveling back and forth through time is not his choice but his fate.

Eric Bana, once the mean green monster is now a time traveler. Henry DeTamble began to suffer from this condition after a fatal car accident involving himself and his mother. Before being struck by an on coming vehicle, Henry had an epilepsy and experienced his maiden trip back in time. Since then, he has been traveling back and forth uncontrollably and subsequently sees his future lifestyle and, of course, Clare.

Besides the confusing chronologically altered storyline, the audiences will have to settle for, in my own words, a 'crossover'. This is when 2 Henrys (1 of them older) exist in parallel on the same timeline. Audiences will definitely need some time digesting all the time lags but at least this isn't one of those watch and forget movies. You will need to burn some brain cells.

Essentially, this is a simple love story with a sci-fi twist. Time traveling is always an interesting subject for novels and movie alike, think Rant and The Curious Case of Benjain Button. It certainly makes the love more tragic and even to the point of being perverse. Is it fate or a man-made coincidence? It is hard to fathom. Despite the several plot holes (I didn't read the book but I'm surely the movie didn't do the book justice), this story drives home the point that you might be able to turn back time but emotions, memories and love travels back with you. You just can't live and leave without them.

3/5

Moon (2009)

You talking to me?

Before you head to the theatre, you might want to indulge yourself in some IQ quizzes. Try these:

1. 4, 8, 16, X, 64, 128
Find X.

2. What comes first? Chicken or egg?

Well, question number two might come across as slightly tougher for some and a tad challenging for many. A valid question, no doubt about that, but why is that even relevant to the movie I'm reviewing? Beats me, my reflection in the mirror just posed me this question a second ago.

Moon, directed by Duncan Jones, is a simple story about an astronaut serving his time on the moon harvesting energy so that the inhabitants of Earth can benefit from it. The time has come for his departure from the moon and back to the home he spent 3 years away from. That is, until, he meets himself.

No no no. This is not a case of Schizophrenia. This is something more colorful, controversial in fact. I am talking about cloning. You do remember Dolly, do you? Now, let me introduce to Sam Bell.

Sam Rockwell stars convincingly as Sam Bell, Sam Bell and more Sam Bells. Yes you are right, the clones have been on the moon for god knows how long, until Sam Bell 1 met Sam Bell 2. So how did Sam Bell 1 become Sam Bell 1 (same question for Sam Bell 2)? Who is the chicken and who is the egg? It's not that difficult to decipher, all you need is to pay a little more attention.

A thoroughly interesting take on the Sci-Fi genre, Moon prompts you to look at the ethical issue of cloning and its consequences. For a mind stimulating ball of a time, there can only be one Moon.

4/5

American Gangster (2007)

Not God(father) like, but still worth a watch.

American Gangster stars 2 heavyweight actors, the charismatic Denzel Washington and the brooding Russell Crowe. Both are the recipients of the Best Actor Academy Award, Washington for the edgy Training Day and Crowe for the brutal tale of Gladiator. They are both character actors in their own right, and with the direction of Ridley Scott, expect lots of drama and electrifying intensity from both the leads.

Washington stars as Frank Lucas, one of the most notorious drug lord of the 70s. The story tracks the rags to riches story of Lucas and how it all ended with the unwavering determination of a single detective, Richie Roberts, played by Crowe. Interestingly enough, both leads share little screen time together. The two stars finally clash near the end of the film and boy, it sure makes the women go gaga.

This film is not all about the story but also the principles and morals of the decision makers. There is a fine line between black and white and the characters in this movie shows a dark and good side in them. For a moment, you might wonder who is the criminal and who is the police. It questions our conscience and what is morally grey. That is what makes the movie so human and such a struggle for the actors and the audience.

3.5/5
txq

It's not in my best interest to say this Frank, but quitting while you're ahead, is not the same as quitting.

Cloverfield (2008)

Oh my god, its a love story!!!

It's amazing how many times the sentence "oh my god" was repeated by the civillians during the course of the entire movie. It's almost like watching a hysteric version of Superbad, with Seth ditching his Fs for Him. Well, I can't blame the New Yorkers from screaming that. Because they really need all the divine intervention they can get.

I think I have the duty of reporting to you dear i know-my-hollywood-monster-rampaging-around-city movie fans. The entire movie is captured on a video cam. Thus, cue The Blair Witch Project's amateur, shaky and dizzy shots. Sure, people might feel dizzy but I haven't see another monster movie that builds up the suspense as splendidly as Cloverfield.

It is refreshing to see it from the point of view of the commoners. The helplessness they felt are real. The pain they felt is real. The fear they felt is real. Hell, I even thought I am with them running around Manhattan for my dear life.

Though only a mere 87 minutes, the intensity of this film is amazing. And by that, I mean you will be at the edge of your seat, hands clutched to popcorn, gasping and even swearing with the survivors.

I hope you guys are still interested in Cloverfield. I know, this review reveals nothing on the plot and character developments. Well, you don't need to know because, remember, you are just a commoner like them. And if you only see negative aspects of the movie (ie: the shaky camera, short running time), boy you are wrong. Those negative aspects are the factors contributing to the authentic feel of the film.

Since we are talking about point of views in this movie, I would like to give my own view on this film. Yes, this is a monster movie. But i believe that it is only secondary to the plot. Truth to be told, it is essentially a love story- an earth shattering one that is.

4/5
txq

P.S: Watch out for the easter eggs and stay till the end of the credits.

The Nanny Diaries (2007)

Save the nanny, save their world

The ever lovely (and of course, curvaceous) Scarlett Johansson stars in this light hearted comedy of a nanny taking care of a naughty little young boy. Pretty straight forward right? Well, in some ways yes. However, the nanny (Johansson) is not your typical lowly educated middle aged woman. So please throw your stereotypes away as we explore deeper into her diary.

Annie, the nanny (a wonderful name for a nanny), graduates not long ago from University. Armed with a degree and her mom's nagging, she sets off, albeit reluctantly, to a career in the field of finance. But, she backs out in the last minute due to an identity crisis.

Her dream as an anthropologist helps to dismiss the notion of working in the finance sector too. And as fate would have it, she starts to receive offers from many rich families to be their nanny after a chance episode with Mrs. X's (Laura Linney) son, Grayer. What a chance for her to use her anthropology skills on a high class society. She takes up the X family offer and starts on a roller coaster ride as the tyrant's nanny. After many trials and tribulations, the anthropologist in her discovers that being rich isn't the answer to everything.

The chemistry between Johansson and Linney helps keep the movie entertaining and watchable. It is also interesting to look at things at an anthropologist point of view. The experimental tone of this movie is certainly refreshing and at a personal note I wouldn't mind Johansson as my nanny at all.

3/5
txq

The Simpsons (2007)

They are finally here! D'oh!

Simpsons fans can now rest easy. After like an eternity of waiting, our favorite family from Springfield has finally arrived on the big screen. (Yes, with loads of laughter, wit and sarcasm in tow).

I hope I need not do any introduction on the family (if I must, then please click on the extreme right corner for PC users and the extreme left corner for Mac users). So let me go to the story straight.

Springfield is on the verge of an environment meltdown and just when things are starting to look up, Homer (of course its Homer, who else?) puts the future of Springfield on the line with his selfish act. Can he redeem himself and save Springfield? Or will he fry Springfield like a piece of donut?

Though not as tight as a regular episode, The Simpsons easily make the audiences laugh hysterically with their straight talking and no holds barred sense of humor.With a good mixture of crass and intelligent humor, this movie justifies the admission ticket.

Snacks to be consumed while watching: Donuts, what else?

4
txq (D'oh!)

Disturbia (2007)

There is a voyeur in all of us

You feel bored at home. You don't want to do your work. You are sick of watching the re runs on TV. You light up your cigarette and stare outside the window. Then, a moment of eureka. Who needs TV when you have so many families 'playing' out their daily lives for you? This is reality without the TV and this is happening around you.

What if you witness something sinister?

Something dark, something dangerous. What if you see murder?

What if...

What if the killer is staring back at you?

What would you do?

Shia LaBeouf (Transformers) stars as Kale, a student under house arrest after punching the living daylights out of his Spanish teacher. With nothing to do at home and all of his favorite activities being restricted by the law and his mum (Carrie-Anne Moss, The Matrix), he resorts to voyeurism. After a few days of surveillance, he suspects one of his neighbor, Mr. Turner (David Morse, 16 Blocks), is a wanted serial killer. His suspicion heightened after a chain of events led Kale to believe that Mr. Turner is indeed the serial killer. Is it a case of paranoia or is it the truth?

Another teen slasher movie? Not quite. Disturbia cleverly mixes voyeurism and the sense of helplessness. A good plot and cast adds credibility to this movie. With suspense at every corner, you might just want to give up your hobby of looking at the opposite apartment already.

3.5
txq

Goal 2 (2007)

Clearly offside, no doubt about it.

Welcome back to the world of Santiago Munez. The creators promised that this 2^nd edition of the Goal! Franchise will return during World Cup 2006. Well, Goal 2 is one year late and the film is caught miles offside.

Don’t know what is offside? Let me explain. According to Wikipedia, Offside is a law in association football which effectively limits how far forward attacking players may be when involved in play. With a credible story in Goal!, there is a lot of room for improvements in Goal 2. However, the creators certainly limit how far this movie can excel.

The story picks up from Goal!. Munez (Kuno Becker) is a hit at Newcastle United and it is a matter of time before the biggest football club in the world, Real Madrid, enquires about him. Without a second thought, Munez agreed on the transfer (who needs a second thought anyway?).

Once he reached Spain, the story decelerates and becomes very predictable. While Munez is coming to terms with his new found fame, the lure of women and fame is too hard to subdue as he is being sucked into a downward spiral. Threatening his relationship with his fiancée Roz (Anna Friel) along the way. Oh, the trials and tribulations of a football star.

As you have guessed it, things suddenly are on the up and everything falls in place perfectly. Results are going Munez’s way and his future at Real Madrid looks brighter. To be fair to the creators, the movie has a smooth blend of fiction and fact (Munez playing alongside David Beckham and co.). However, the goals Munez scored are too good to be true. Well, I can only hope the director can save up on the CGI, and spend the time and energy on a better plot in Goal 3.

2/5

txq

28 Weeks Later (2007)

Counting down the days, now the weeks.

28 Weeks Later is the sequel to the 2002 sleeper hit, 28 Days Later. How can a normal zombie flick ever be a hit? Well, this isn't some normal zombie movie. While zombies are naturally portrayed as slow and erm well generally slow, the zombies in 28 Days Later are fast and very furious. 28 Days is a very graphic horror show with dark underlying meanings. Can 28 Weeks Later keep the franchise alive?

28 Weeks picks up with a small part of London being successfully vaccinated and the U.S Army is helping London to repopulate. As the title suggest, it is already 28 weeks after the first outbreak of the Rage Virus. Thus, the Infected are likely to have succumb to starvation.

Though the area has not totally recovered from the wrath of the Rage Virus, the English are already being transported back to rebuild their lives. However, they come back with memories of what the Rage Virus can do and what it did to their loved ones still firmly etched in their minds. Of course, they are skeptical about coming back. And hell yeah, it pays to be skeptical sometimes.

To understand about the latest outbreak, one must understand the story of Don (David Carlyle). Not to give anything away, I only can say that Don's actions are totally unacceptable and they make me ashamed to be a part of the male species. His eventual decision decides the outcome of the England or, perhaps, the entire world.

This movie, like its predecessor, has plenty of underlying meanings. The scariest part of the movie is not the ruthlessness of the zombies or the brutality of the movie. It is the darkness of the human heart. At least zombies are less complicated than us, humans.

3.5
txq

The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007)

Have Eyes, No Plot

We know that the hills have eyes, but do you know that the hills have a mineshaft, and crates of dynamites? Sounds like the hills are pretty much equipped isn’t it? Well, like fishes need water to survive, movies are pretty much run by a plot. What the hills sorely lacked, in this case, is a storyline.

Of course, one cannot expect a Academy Award nominated script in movies of explicit and graphic violence, like in this case The Hills Have Eyes 2. But hey if you want to glorify gore, display severed limbs and pride yourself with the wonderful skill of decapitation, by all means show it to us. But you might do better if you add a little more story into your gore. I'm sure it will work wonders. Its predecessor, The Hills Have Eyes, has a good blend of gore and a credible plot.

Just like Murphy's law, whatever can go wrong in this movie, will go wrong. So much for the National Guard's weaponry and tactics., the mutants seem to be tactically more superior than the Guards. Well of course, the mutants are stronger and as this 'game' is based in their backyard, let us pray that the Guards die a quick death.

Turistas bombed and I'm afraid that The Hills are going down too. Let's just cross our fingers and hope Hostel 2 will have the cutting edge (pun fully intended).

2.5/5
txq

Turistas (2006)

Of booze, babes and body parts

First, there is The Hills Have Eyes. Then we have Hostel. What’s next for the hardcore sadistic moviegoers? Well they can wait for The Hills part 2, which is opening next week by the way, or they can satisfy their fetish of watching people get cut up in Turistas, touted as a better version of Hostel. Or so it seems.

Although there are a lot of eye candies, the first half of the show is a boring affair. It pretty much stretches the audiences’ patience to the max as we see how absurd (or coincidental, for you romantics) events unravel. A group of tourists arrived at a beautiful coast of Brazil via a roller coaster bus ride, which nearly ended in disaster. Overwhelmed by the openness and friendliness of their local hosts, they partied real hard and got wasted equally hard. Talking about hard, I find it hard to remind myself that this is a twisted horror movie (It is equally hard for me to shake off (no pun intended) those bouncing chests).

Back to the story. After they found out that they were being robbed, they began to wander about the local village, in search of a police station. A case of broken head, led to the villagers baying for their blood. Soon, a local they met at the beach managed to get them ‘out of trouble’ by leading them to a ridiculous 10-hour hike in the dense jungle! To cap it off, they were all bare footed! I know movies can ignite the imagination but I seem to misplace my spark plugs here. The arrival at a deserted mansion finally signaled the end of the holiday.

Cue Dr Robin Hood, the psychotic surgeon who carved up tourists for their organs to save the locals. Driven by the fact that foreigners kept invading their land and now their organs, he wanted eye for an eye (Or rather a kidney for a kidney). “ It is not personal,” he proclaimed. But it was every bit personal (Long live the Michael Corleone spirit!) as the tourists began their fight back.

Turistas isn’t a very gory and violent shows. It does have its own scary moments but it doesn’t have the impact of Hostel or Saw. Actually, it looks more like medical school training with all the analgesic and operating theatre. Perhaps, one can watch it as a prelude to a more violent show, just to prep the guts up.

Show us the saws not the scalpels!

2/5

txq

Freedom Writers (2007)

For peace

After a long lay off, Hilary Swank comes back strongly with, not one, but two offerings this month. First up is Freedom Writers and subsequently, The Reaping. Critics panned her choice of those movies and likened her to Halle Berry, who suffered the post-Oscars syndrome of picking movies worthy of winning the Razzies (remember Catwoman?).

But, I beg to differ.

All right, its true that Freedom Writer is nothing to be wowed at. You throw an idealistic teacher into an integrated school full of gangs that demand ‘respect’ and you… yeah you know the story. A simple diary writing activity uncovers the painful confessions of each student. Everybody has a heart-wrenching story to tell. Dreamer teacher turns the students’ lives around and things get chummy in the end. A simple movie but its never simple in its morality.

Yes, it is a bland performance from Hilary Swank. She stars as the idealistic Ms. G. People might expect more from her acting caliber, considering she is the recipient of 2 Academy Awards for Best Actress. To be fair to her, it is a safe performance from her and she doesn’t deserve the criticisms for her participation in this movie.

Freedom Writers showcases the trials and tribulations of the students and the racial tension in the States. Gangs from different minorities fight for territory in the school, all in the name of respect. Maybe this is something we, Singaporeans, can never understand. We are lucky to be in a tolerant society. I don’t want to be judging here because I’ve never been through what these students went through. But we need to see beyond the color of our skin pigmentation, for I know that the color of our hearts is definitely not black or white.

We have the same beating heart and let us beat as one.

3.5
txq

Music and Lyrics (2007)

Writer's Block!

Will be up soon! Come back later!

Very sorry people for the super late entry. This blog is still going on strong despite the lack of funds. I just needed a break. You know like those song writers who encounter a block and wander off alone just to find inspiration? Yeah that is what I am going through. To my haters: Sorry, but I'm back!

I guess the person that I can relate to is Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore). In Music and Lyrics, Sophie plays a bubbly girl who has a penchant for talking to herself and unknowingly sprouting beautiful poetic sentences.

One day, when she is substituting her friend to water some plants for the has-been pop singer, Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant), she begins to blurt out sentences upon hearing the tune played by Alex. Although raw and unpolished, Alex immediately appoints her as his lyricist and both of them set out to write and compose a new hit single for Cora (Haley Bennett), the biggest singer on Planet Earth at that moment. Expect plenty of sparks and humour to come out of this one.

One thing that surprises me is that both Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore can sing and they actually sound quite good! As usual, Hugh Grant is at his charming best and few women can resist his drooping eyes . On the other side, Drew Barrymore looks stunningly delicate and sweet in this movie. No more Charlie's Angels tough chick persona, just plain old sweet girl-next-door look.

Jokes are in abundance here but beware of Hugh Grant's humour, sometimes it gets too English for my liking and I fell short trying to get some of his jokes. If you are looking for romance and laughter, I will recommend this movie to you. Besides, whats not to like when we, guys, can see Drew Barrymore in a sizzling red dress?

3.5
txq

PS: I seriously hope Zouk can include the song "Pop goes my heart" into their song list for their Mambo nights. That song is wicked!

300 (2007)

Slash. Block. Kill. Repeat.

Most of us probably don't know anything about the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) or who is Leonidas, Spartan King during that war torn era. Suddenly, 300 comes along. And holy s***, we don't know what hit us.

I write this review with a feeling of being just run over by those 300 fit (fit is seriously an understatement) men. But the after effect of being mowed down is not of pain. Instead I felt an overwhelming sense of determination after I left the cinema hall.

300 loosely tells the story of the Battle of Thermopylae and is the brainchild of Frank Miller, the creator of Sin City. So expect to be embraced by a very visual kind of cinematic experience. Prepare for stylish shots, elaborate acting, great fight choreography, superb one-liners and a heart pounding sound track.

The king of Persia, Xerxes is planning to conquer Greece, and later, Europe as part of his plan to be the 'king of kings'. Many small Greek cities bowed down to Xerxes but not Sparta, for the king of Sparta is one tough nut to crack.

Without the consent of his blind and corrupt cabinet, he leads a small army of 300 men towards Thermopylae. The 300 men show great courage and determination even though they are facing certain annihilation. This is masochism at its very best. 300 against the entire Persian army? You must be kidding.

Though not historically accurate, the main gist of the story is still intact. The figures are real, the characters are real and most importantly the fighting spirit of the 300 Spartans is real. The fantastical part of the movie will be the strange creatures fighting for the Persian Army. But hold your horses, this movie is after all an adaptation of a comic book. When is Spider man and the X-Men real? They are merely the result of human imagination. Yes, we pay to be the fool, but I would rather be a fool for 2 hours and enjoy the picture than be a genius that keeps whining over every single mistake.

Pick up your shield (money) and join the fight (watch the movie) because: This is Sparta.

4
txq

Rocky Balboa (2006)

The last hurrah

I knew it. I know there is still some life in those old and rugged boxing gloves. Mind you, those gloves are not your normal Everlast boxing gloves. They belong to the boxing champion of the world, or to put it bluntly, the ex boxing champion of the world, Rocky Balboa. Old and slow, but he is definitely not out.

It is amazing to see Sylvester Stallone back as Rocky for the 5th, i mean 6th time. Man, it has been a wild ride. To think that I wasn't even born when the first installment of Rocky was flashed across the screen on 1976! Exactly 31 years later, Rocky is back. And he isn't taking old as an excuse to do what he does best.

After a computer generated 'fight' between the 'has been Rocky Balboa' and the current world champion Mason 'The Line' Dixon ends with a convincing win for the former, the public is curious whether the old warrior really has what it takes to beat the current unbeaten champion. Meanwhile, Rocky still grieving over the loss of Adrian, decides to give it one more shot. One last shot to prove to the world he is not history and that there is still something left in the basement.
Will it be glory or ridicule for Rocky?

The answer is so obvious. Unless, you are totally oblivious to the world of Rocky; Rocky never quits and it is as simple as that. Damn, Stallone's body still looks fabulous (that's professional for you). That being done, what else makes a Rocky movie? Is it the famous soundtrack? Check. Is it the under dog spirit? Check. Is it the running scene that ends up with Rocky scaling that flight of steps? Check. Looks like everything is in place. All Rocky needs is you to be there for his swan song fight.

Though the dialogue could be better, it is still a heart warming film of the under dog for the under dogs. What a way to end the Rocky franchise. For now, i guess it is really over.

3.5
txq

Little Children (2006)

Adults with child like naivety.

After the Oscars were presented on Monday morning, I was pretty disappointed. Firstly, I was puzzled how The Departed won the Best Picture award. It is good, no doubt, but it is definitely not Scorsese's best work. I thought Little Miss Sunshine deserved the award. It is a simple movie that simply makes you cry, laugh and cry again all in two hours.

Secondly, which relates more to this review, is Jackie Earle Harley losing his Best Supporting Actor award to Alan Arkin. Harley's role as a sex offender is nothing short of amazing. His performance is one of the reasons why this movie is named Little Children.

The story Little Children tells the tale about a group of adults living in a small neighborhood. Though they are adults, they still have the cravings and desires like a nine year old craves for sweets; only the objects of attraction here are not sweets but something darker and more sinister. Sarah (Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) is a lonely and unattractive housewife who takes a liking for the charming house husband, Brad (Patrick Wilson, Hard Candy). Meanwhile, Ronnie (Jackie Earle Harley) a former sex offender moves back to the neighborhood and causes much hoo hah among the community. Larry (Noah Emmerich) an ex police officer with a troubled past is stalking Ronnie, thinking that he is still capable of committing those heinous crimes against kids. Everyone here has an object of fantasy going on in their minds. The problem is, will those fantasies turn sour and destroy the serenity of the neighborhood?

Based on a novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta, Little Children explores the darker side of humans. Adults are fully capable of behaving like little kids; yearning for something so much that they pursue it without thinking much about the consequences, even though the consequences can be destructive not only to them but also the ones around them. Its as though the kids have exchanged identities and roles with the adults. With a witty running narration, it seems like the narrator is explaining the story to the audience, as though it is too difficult and profound for them to comprehend. Overall it is a good simple story but the running time can be shorter (130 mins).

What is your ultimate fantasy? Dream all you want but remember this: reality bites.

3.5
txq