Vanishing on 7th Street (2010; Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller) Rating: 2.5 / 5 "Spooky "

Directed by Brad Anderson


Produced by Norton Herrick
                      Tove Christensen


Written by   Anthony Jaswinski


Starring  Hayden Christensen
                Thandie Newton
                John Leguizamo


Studio  Herrick Entertainment


Distributed by Magnolia Pictures


Release date 12 September 2010


Running time 90 Minutes

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Quick Synopsis

Several humans stuck in the middle of the darkness that is about to consume them. The way and the only solution is to stay near the lights. With the dark soul waiting in the darkness, they need to find a way to get out from the city.

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Review

Hayden Christensen (Luke) has gone through the pain of fighting the darkness in "Star Wars" and then come back just to find himself stuck with his own past darkness in "Jumper". Now, he is back again to be consumed by the darkness in "Vanishing on 7th Street". Performing along John Leguizamo (Paul) and Thandie Newton (Rosemary), this movie is great in character execution. You can exactly feel the fear depicted by the characters. The setting is fabulous with a little magic touch of the movie director, the audiences are surely being brought into movie especially with the strong scene of plane crashing in the middle of the city. The way it executes the beginning surely enhances the curiosity of the audiences. With the spooky setting surely everyone going to think that this is going to be hell out of a movie.

Well, unfortunately the lack of originality and half full story telling result in it as an average movie. Even with the good directing, the movie fail to lift itself to the next level. The lack of character building just left the audiences with never ending guessing. The lack of explanation just left the audiences with emptiness in the story. However, Vanishing on 7th Street is still acceptable movie to be enjoy by horror fans. For those who love horror mystery movie without some sort of creatures that jump out and haunt you in the mind for the rest of the night, this movie is worth a try. Overall, seeing "Vanishing on 7th street" is interesting, seeing it second time makes me angry for wasting time.

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Trailer

Monsters (2010; Genre: Sci-fi, Mystery, Adventure) Rating : 2 / 5 "Flat"

Studio                       Vertigo Films

Distributed by          Vertigo Films

Directed by               Gareth Edwards

Release date             12 November 2010

Running time             94 Minutes

Starring                      Whitney Able

                                    Scoot McNairy

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Quick Synopsis

After a shuttle ship crashed in the middle of forest between US and Mexico, alien form started to spread across the forest. Few years later, a journalist "Andrew" (McNairy) is being told to get the employer's daughter "Samantha" (Able) back safely to US. Unfortunately, Samantha passport being stolen and left them with no choice beside to go through the forest which is inhabited by the alien.

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Review

This is new way in telling alien story. Unlike any other "alien genre" movie such as 'War of the World (Spielberg)", "District 9 (Jackson)", Monsters delivered it in elegant way. As a result, it is a slow phase movie which will eventually bring you to sleep without even you knowing it. Well, to be honest, there is barely a scene fighting the alien. The movie is absolutely a waste of time for action fans but for those who admire the cinematography and the art of story telling, this movie might pull it through.

Frankly, I do not like this film. Its flat and doesn't enhance my interest towards the film. Its just like watching a documentary film describing what it looks like inside the danger zone inhabited by the alien. Not much information can be derived beside a beautiful scenery and an alien with tentacle.  Overall, this movie is loved by critics but a disappointment for movie goers.

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Trailer

Salt (2010; Genre: Action, Mystery, Thriller) Rating: 3.5 / 5 "Need Mr. Pepper"

Studio Relativity Media

Distributed by Columbia Pictures

Directed by Philip Noyce

Release date 23 July 2010

Running time 98 minutes

Language English

Starring Angelina Jolie

Liev Schreiber

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Augus Diehl

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Brief Synopsis

CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Jolie) is interrogating Russian defector which then she recovers an assassination plot against Russian president on his visit to US that will bring destruction to the United States. Later, it reveals that Evelyn Salt is Russian spymaster mole planted on CIA to execute the most outrageous and well planned plot to bring US down to their knees. Peabody who is a CIA agent that is pursuing Salt then reveals that she is not what she is.

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Review

Salt is a spot on movie for your weekend entertainment. The movie has developed real good action element that will make you jump out of your seat excited. Surely, the action is spot on and it will pump up your adrenaline. Unbelievably, Angelina Jolie executed the character very well that you won't realize that she is the humble woman from the "Changeling (2008)".

The action element is perfectly developed with story line backing it up, hence, you are surely going to enjoy it. Yet, when everything seems to be perfect, Salt actually need a pepper indeed to spice all the things up. Audiences will feel that something is missing along the storyline, let me tell you that the chef have forgotten to put pepper on your meal.Salt is lacking in the development of the dark character of Salt. You must be asking why would she turns against her groups besides losing her partner? Well, seems like if the movie dragged a bit longer to 120 minutes that might be sufficient to add some element and spice up the story line which I am sure that it is going to lift Salt from amazing to extra ordinary.

psst: The first cast is actually Tom Cruise which is "Edwin A. Salt" which then Angelina Jolie stepped in and there you are "Evelyn Salt". No wonder I find that in several scene, Salt acted like a male character cause it is re-written for Angelina.

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Trailer

The Ghost Writer (2010; Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller) Rating : 4.5 / 5 "Another Polanski masterpiece"

Studio France 2 Cinema

France Televisions

Canal+

Distributed by Summit Entertainment

Optimum Releasing

Pathe

Directed by Roman Polanski

Release date 16 April 2010 (UK)

Running time 128 minutes

Language English

Starring Ewan McGregor

Pierce Brosnan

Kim Cattrall

Olivia Williams

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Brief Synopsis

A ghost writer (Ewan McGregor) has been assigned to continue his predecessor work on British Prime Minister Adam Lang memoirs (Pierce Brosnan). A big pay and the ghost writer can't resist it. However, the ghost writer later finds out that the task has never been so easy which soon he finds out that his predecessor is murdered instead of suicide or accident.

Adam Lang who is currently being investigate for criminal wars cause the ghost writer to dig deeper inside it. As many said that the truth should have never been revealed, the ghost writer is bringing himself a danger when he starts revealing the truth. After all, he manages to finish the memoirs which later his curiosity bring him to the end of his journey.

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Review

You might have read the above brief synopsis that I specifically mentioned a ghost writer term over and over. Interestingly, the whole 200 minutes and I can't even find a single clue about the main character name on the movie. Well, no matter how silly it is that a main character without a name, you won't even notice it because the movie is excitingly intriguing and interesting that you won't even dare to get up from your seat. Polanski has really put very much effort bringing this novel story into a motion cinematic art of story telling. Thanks to him, politic movie has never been so interesting like ever before especially with the controversy element that he added to satisfy the audience hunger for more.

Ewan in the centre role of the movie executed the character brilliantly as well Pierce Brosnan supporting role really lift up the characters. Both acted really good, but I have to praise brilliant work of Pierce which I find he is really different from the usual James Bond.

Well, from all the good side, there must be something bad about it. Besides, a main character without a name, the movie has a really simple elegant but a bit disappointing ending. I wish that the ending could have been edited by getting rid of couple seconds of the movie exactly before ***SPOILER***** to feed the needs of audiences curiosity.

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Movie Trailer

Inception (2010; Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, Mystery, Sci-Fi) Rating: 5 / 5 "Stay on it, don't miss any scene and this movie will be amazing"

This latest Nolan works is incredibly exceptional from any other Sci-fi, Mystery movie that you have ever watched. This movie is not for casual movie lovers, it is for hardcore movie goers as it is amazingly complicated and interesting at once. If I may say, this is the best movie for this month and perhaps this year.

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio (Shutter Island) as Cobb and many other famous stars like Ellen Page (Juno). This movie is surely going to be good in term of character execution.

On the other side, Nolan is bringing audience into a higher level of story telling. This movie requires an extra focus, once a scene is missed, you surely going to regret it and even your spider sense will not help you understand this hardcore story. If you are casual movie goers, than be prepared for the surprise, the twist, the plot of various scene, or even more complicated story concept that you can't even believe that you are watching it right now.

I would like to write some part of the synopsis, but I guess it will be too complicated to read it rather than watch it. Well, all I can say is "good luck with it"

Casual movie goers might love to hate "Inception" while hardcore movie goers will love it and will never change their minds about it.

******SPOILER ALERT***********

Well, reaching the end of my review, I would like to explain the ending which I find very open ended. Beware for those who haven't watch it to ignore this part, otherwise, the movie won't be as good as it is.

Ending Scene Explanation

Cobb is still in the dream or in the "Limbo State". It was all Saito that make Cobb believe that he has come out from the dream.

What about the totem?

Remember that Saito did see what Cobb totem is? (The toilet scene, where Cobb dropped his totem and Saito was behind him?) Saito did an amazingly detailed dream for Cobb.

What about his son and daughter?

They are wearing the same clothes and they have grown older. Remember the phone that Cobb made where his daughter voice seems to be an adult voice?