Random Places

First Impression: Well here’s a random review. I’m indifferent towards Zac Efron (didn’t watch High School Musical) and do find him cute but too pretty for his own good. Wait, so why did I watch this? I was reading the Television Without Pity review and they said the B-plot (about Zac’s nerd best friend Ned) was pretty sweet.

Afterthoughts: The main plot was just as I’d imagined, lots of incest jokes and many gratuitous “sexy” Zac Efron scenes, but I expected all of that anyway so let’s just focus on why I really watched the movie…Ned’s seduction of Zac’s principal Jane. I will never be as huge a nerd as Ned, so his quirkiness is hard to relate and somewhat over-the-top, but what a comedic gem it was when Ned finally had his dinner date with Jane, oh man it was so worth suffering the rest of the film. I do have a bone to pick though, and that was using Cat Power’s song “The Greatest” in that cheesy divorce courtroom scene. I learned of the song through a BSG vid with Starbuck and Kat, so I will never be able to associate that song with any romantic notion whatsoever.

First Impression: The only reason why I went to this particular First Weekend Club screening is because there would be a cast Q&A afterward. I decided to drag Abha into this as well because there was nothing good in the Norm theatre.

Afterthoughts: This was a fairly pointless story that felt more like a showcase for the cast’s talent. The dialogue was riddled with cliches and the plot highly predictable and contrived. I do agree with the 24hrs/Metro reviews that the cast did a great job despite the material they were given. The soundtrack was really good as well, and along with the last Canadian film I saw (Walk All Over Me), it seems Canadian film makers knows their music. We (well not me) got to ask Karen LeBlanc (lead actress) some questions at the end, and she mentioned this is her first feature film, which was a pleasant surprise. She’ll go far in her acting career, if she knows how to choose her films correctly…

First Impression: I wanted to watch it when it came out, but as usual, I was too lazy to go. Went along with Abha to watch at UBC Norm. I just hoped it was nothing like Ocean Eleven, all “witty” banter with no heist action.

Afterthoughts: The first thing that came to mind while watching the movie, was how much fun the whole cast had in making this movie. Brad Pitt obviously enjoyed his role as the clueless airhead personal trainer. There were quite a few laughs in the movie, especially in midst of violence and gore. I’ve only seen another Coen brothers’ movie, No Country for Old Men, but I could definitely recognize the same twisted humour in both films. (tiny spoiler coming) There was this particular um device that Clooney’s character made, and I must have a really dirty mind because I knew exactly what it was before he moved the chair. Overall a pretty original comedy with great acting. Really loved Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton.

First Impression: I was just browsing the Festival Cinema website one day to see what indie movies are worth watching and came upon a special Vancouver Sun hosted Sunday Morning screening for this movie. Free breakfast was a nice incentive too.

Afterthoughts: I think this is the first movie I’ve ever seen where most of the people in theatre ended up in tears and sniffles. The story of the boy, son of a Nazi officer, and his new friend, a Jewish boy living in concentration camp was certainly both endearing and tragic. I’m no expert in history so I don’t know how accurate the movie was (it was based on a fictional novel). I was fairly surprised at how lively and carefree (and ignorant) life was for the non-Jews in Germany, at least how it was portrayed in the beginning of the movie before the boy’s family had to move right smack next to a Jewish camp. I loved how the minor characters in the movie were well fleshed out, like the violent but probably secretly Jewish Nazi Jr. officer and the doctor-turned-potato peeling servant, which made the situation ever more conflicting. There were some reviews that said the movie proposed such an impossible premise that they couldn’t enjoy the film at all. However, I’m glad I was able to hear otherwise from other audiences who actually knew of people that lived through the dark period. The exact scenario was certainly a little far-fetched, but it was a great supposition with heartbreaking performance from the ensemble cast.

First Impression: Well this is going to be long. You may want to skip right to the Afterthoughts for the review.

I read about this movie in The Province one day, but didn’t really notice what it’s about. Abha then emailed me about the screening at Granville, which is the very latest 10pm screening of the entire VIFF 08. My parents were fairly worried about me riding the skytrain after midnight, but I assured them it would be fine.
Before the movie, we went for dinner at Milestones, which was OK considering the price. We got to the theatre around 8-ish to ask the staff what time people usually line up for rush tickets (as oppose to advanced tickets bought before) and was told at 9pm. The staff then mentioned the movie would start late because the previous screening was late. Well that’s great, 1hr30min of lineup, awesome. We walked back to the theatre at 9 and noticed people already lining up. There were 2 lines, one for advanced ticket and then other for rush; there were approx. 10 ppl in front of us in the rush line. With increasing boredom, watching people’s cars get towed away became mildly amusing.
As time went on, more people came, and when they heard about the late start, some decided to hawk their tickets to the rush line. At first, we didn’t pay attention because the price was $6 above the ticket price, but after awhile Abha and I started doubting ourselves, especially when some people peddled AT the ticket price. We learned that the advanced line up has gone around the block, and the rush line up had slowly dwindled to about 5 people, with us behind two. Everybody who bought the hawker tickets had to go to the other huge line up. Would we have to go to the other lineup too after buying off the counter? At that point I thought “There’s no point in buying hawk tickets then since we wouldn’t get a good spot anyway.”
At 22:20 or so, an Asian girl came up to us and ask to see if we wanted her 2 tickets. I was about to refuse, but she kept shoving them into my hand. Then I noticed the word “Complimentary”. “Free?” I asked the girl, and she confirmed. The staff also confirmed the tickets were usable for this movie. Well crappy seats or not, at least the movie would be free. Finally, it was time to head in. We handed the complimentary tickets to the counter and was ushered into the theatre immediately. I was SO glad we didn’t buy tickets off other people. When we both came back from the bathroom, the advanced ticket holders still haven’t finish filing in. We couldn’t believe our luck, free movie AND great seats.

Afterthoughts: I had no expectation whatsoever, and I also vowed to never watch more than 2 VIFF movies each year what with the long lineups, but this movie made me question my resolve. It was chaotic, fast, and felt completely real. The movie is about a high school class in France with students of diversed ethnic background. I’ve read that France is one of the most xenophobic countries out of Europe, so I was immediately attracted to the premise. Throughout the film, we follow the struggle of one particular French teacher and how he makes enemy and friends of students in this class. I really loved the “behind-the-scene” look at the teacher’s lounge and their meetings. The students dialogue were exceptionally well written as well. The students were smart-ass but not to the point of annoyance (the teacher would disagree on this). I think I would have had lots of fun in high school if everyone argued this much. The way they dealt with the trouble-causing teen made me think back to my own middle school class. I remember this kid got expelled because he was hitting other students and swore at/flipped off the teacher. Did he deserve another chance? I don’t really know. The movie is highly recommended.

On a side note, my mom kept calling me when the movie was around 2/3 in. I of course had the phone on silent, but I didn’t want to turn it off because I knew she would have assumed the worst otherwise. All in all, I had like 10 missed calls until the end of the movie. Suffice to say, my mom was pissed I didn’t call at 12, which is when I originally thought the movie would’ve ended. When we went onto the skytrain station at Granville, there were these Skytrain police cleaning up this red blood like stain on the ground, but the skytrain itself was fucking packed so the ride to Lougheed was pretty safe. That was my first time being on the very last skytrain of the day.