Not the top most grade film you will find around this awards season in Hollywood, but "Enchanted" works like a magical spell that lures you into its plot and events. A nice and not overdone touch to the commonly heard fairytales notion such as "Happy ever after" lifts this film up several notches.
A biopic and gigantic fantasy movie it is but somehow, the feeling isn't quite what i felt when watching similar movies such as lord of the rings or chronicles of narnia. The main problem lies in the plot. A seemingly heavy and twisted plot turns out to be a really simple one, of searching for the dust/truth. Many unexplained terms and events that appeared in the film adds to the dismay. Hope that the sequel does better. And teh comforting bit, Nicole Kidman steals the show here, with an impressive and intriguing performance not seen for quite some time.
This movie is great on the visuals and high on the entertainment factor. But, as compared to the previous one, this movie might be too fast paced for some pple (like me) to fully understand each stage of the clue-solving mystery. What that first started off as the assaination of Abraham Lincoln and clearing of the Gate's reputation soon became a gigantic treasure hunt for a city of gold. What's the link? It doesn't help that Cage's voice is muffled and i can't hear what he is saying when he interprets the clues. Other than that, highly recommended for those searching for an adrenaline rush.
Three cute chipmunks that have beautiful voices do sound like the real deal but this movie seriously lacks any substantial content/plot to carry it off. The storyline is all-too-familiar; good guys vs bad guys, talk of family, love, care etc. The witty and chic dialogues in the first few minutes of the show is rather promising, but falls into boredom as the movie progresses. Saving grace here: the songs are really cute and good.
What I really hated: Over forceful and overstreched Storyline
"Rendition" was in every sense a great piece of digital art. Masterfully shot, with alternating scenes of Africa and Washington to highlight the dramatic contrast between the situations of the countries of both. The atmosphere was right on the dot; insiduous, mysterious and intriguing at the same time. Acting wise, there really isn't any to complain about. With the likes of Streep, Witherspoon, Arkin (who are all Oscar winners), piting their acting skills against one another, it was a pleasure to watch. There is a good exploration on the themes of morality, terrorism and the extremes that Man would go to to accomplish something. My only displeasure is in the storyline, which is over stretched and draggy even at points. A more concise and compact script would have made this film even better. As it stands, "Rendition" seems to be in good lead for the Oscars, provided that it can stay ahead of other similar films such as "In the valley of Elah", "lions for lambs" and "the kingdom".
"Evening" was every bit a pleasant surprise. The acting was top notch and the visuals just simply breath-taking and beautiful. Told through the dreams of a dying aged woman, this film explores the stages in life we go through and questions at each stage of it, what choices and ultimately, what mistakes have we made. The particular poignant bit in this film is the confessions and resolutions that the characters come to at the end of the film: there is no such things as mistakes. Simplistic in delivery and yet complex in the overturning emotions, "Evening" was a great cinematic pleasure.
