Orange Recommends – Movies To Watch!

Been watching some great films recently and I feel the need of sharing it. These are some of the movies I enjoyed watching and personally recommends:

Here After – it stars Matt Damon and directed by Clint Eastwood. The reason why I watched it is because of the tsunami scene shown in the trailer. And it sure gives me the chill when that particular scene was shown. You wont be needing a 3D effect to be affected because it’s so realistic it’s actually heart breaking. The rest of the film is a little slow pacing, with scenes too long to bear. But overall, it’s still a good film.

Love & Other Drugs – Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway sure click as a couple. First seen them at Brokeback Mountain but at Love & Other Drugs, they bonded more. And when I say more, it means more skin! I think it’s the sexiest movie I’ve seen to think that it has cuts. But it’s not really just a sex movie because there are drama and humour injected in this film. And I must admit, I did shed a tear in some parts of the film. It’s full of love. And the drug part is not really about ‘drugs’. But it sure is addicting. And Jake portrays the best acting that local actors in the Philippines should imitate or at least be inspired when it comes to heavy drama acting. The movie is sensual and it proves that love shows no boundaries. You must see this with the one you love to enjoy it to the fullest. And for a single guy like me, it sure makes me want to fall in love after watching this movie.

The Rite – the movie which is said to be inspired by true events, tackles exorcism. I’ve seen a lot of film with this kind of theme and this is one of the finest aside from ‘Exorcist’, ‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’ and ‘Constantine’. It stars Anthony Hopkins as the priest/exorcist and a newcomer, Colin O’Donoghue who plays skeptical seminary student Michael Kovak. The movie questions your faith and asks if you also believe in the devil. The exorcism part look so real and Hopkin’s acting is powerful as always.

Unknown – I’ve 1st discovered Liam Neeson thru the movie ‘Taken’ which for me is one of the best action-(family) drama I’ve seen. Although the trailer for Unknown is not that appealing, I still watched it because it stars Leam. The movie is a bit boring but tolerable. There are questions raised in every scenes and you’ll get intrigued why it’s happening. Then the answer pops halfway thru the film and that’s where the action begins. It’s hard to review this movie without spieling important details about the character and the plot. But I did enjoy it because it is not predictable and it makes you think. Watch it from start to finish. And by the way, watch out for newcomer actress January Jones. She’s promising in this film!

Black Swan – I am never a fan of ballet or ballerinas. In fact, when I’m still working as an usher at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), I always fell asleep because it bores me to death. I’ve seen the Swan Lake play but never realized there was a Black Swan character there. After seeing the Black Swan, I learned to appreciate it in a different level. Although the movie is too dark and not your usual cutesy dancing movie (ala Barbie‘s version of Swan Lake), it tackles the danger of being a perfectionist. There will be questions raised in almost every scenes because Natalie Portman‘s character is a troubled or somewhat disturbed person and her life is full of hallucinations. It’s like a quest to fight the demon she created in her head. There’s the usual cat fights, girl-to-girl action, violence and lots of suspense. Bottomline is, will you risk everything just to be perfect? I felt bad for Winona Ryder because she’s no longer the girl I used to like in her older fims. But may I add that Mila Kunis is great here too. One hot villain! :-)

Burlesque – the movie features Christina Aguilera (her 1st movie) and music icon Cher. Although the story is shallow, music-wise it’s superb. And the musical part which is the performances is like watching a cabaret shows. Great production numbers. They’ve also used the right tracks for this movie and the costumes are far better than the ones you see from ASAP, Party Pilipinas or, uhm, PO5. I have a lot of favorite scenes here and most of it are the show. It fails with the acting, showing of skin and villain’s bitchiness but it’s forgivable because the song and dance numbers are what the movie is all about. And sorry, just because the title is burlesque, it doesn’t mean there are burlesque scenes. the only one who did some ‘exposures’ here is Christina’s love interest.

127 Hours – Among all the movies I’ve mentioned above, this gets a thumbs up for me simply because James Franco delivered his finest acting in this film. (I never liked him at Spiderman movies). Although I keep on arguing with my friend how the heck he managed to put his watch back in his wrist with just one hand (try if you can do it). But the bigger question is how you can stand watching him how he cuts his arm just to escape and survive. You will certainly feel the pain because this is based on a true story. I’ve seen horror films (gory as hell) but it’s nothing because it’s fictional. If there would be moral story for this film, 1.) Tell at least 1 person where you’re going so they will know if they have to file a report that you’re missing already, 2.) Never trust china made swiss knife, and 3.) Bring a mobile phone for Christ’s sake! Watching this movie is a must for adventurers and solo backpackers. And like what he always say in the film. Do not give up. And btw, I love the soundtrack especially the ‘Lovely Day’ track. :-)