Film: French Kiss (1995)
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Starring: Meg Ryan, Kevin Kline and Timothy Hutton.
Summary: A woman that is yet to be married, flies to Paris after her fiancé.

I remember the first time I saw this film almost 8 years ago. I remember exactly where I was sitting, and exactly how I felt. I’m a sucker when it comes to any 90s romcom. Especially if Meg Ryan is involved. The film is about a very dreamy couple that are engaged and drowned in love. He’s Canadian, and she’s an American seeking a Canadian citizenship. However, they both end up in Paris with different purposes. A fun ride starts from there. This is a very enjoyable film to watch. It lightens up the mood the moment it starts.

Rating: 6.5/10

Film: To Rome with Love (2012)
Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Woody Allen, Alec Baldwin and Alison Pill.
Summary: A romance comedy about the daily lives of some Rome’s residents and visitors.

Who doesn’t love a film based in a European country? I know I do. Rome, the city of romance, history, and art is portrayed in almost two hours. The film revolves around the life of four families. It starts off with an American tourist that lost her way in the city of Rome, and a resident helps her to find her way back eventually. The film takes off from there. A lot of things bugged me while watching this films; it has a lot of flaws script-wise for instance. It is not Woody Allen’s best, but it’s very pleasing to watch.

Rating: 6/10

Documentary: Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012)
Director: Alison Klayman
Starring: Ai Weiwei, Changwei Gu, Tehching Hsieh, and a lot of more artists.
Summary: This documentary shows Ai Weiwei’s social activism, his viewsand art, and how the latter influenced the Chinese people and government. It includes some glimpses of his most controversial documentaries, and the story behind each one.

This is an anticipated 2012 documentary of mine. Hands down, It is literally one of the bests that I’ve ever seen. I was full of emotions whilst watching it. The documentary starts with Ai Weiwei’s home studio and his views on the 2008 Bejing Olympics, and ends with his release in 2011. Ai Weiwei is one of the most influential and inspiring figures of our time without a doubt. This is a must watch for all.

Rating: 10/10

I totally forgot about this blog. I created it for a purpose; and that didn’t last for long. I have a problem with committing to something. That’s bad. I hate commitments. I don’t like that about me at all. I love films. I will always do. Yes, I’m gonna continue what I’ve begun. Reviewing films in a simple way, and share my love and words with you all.

Film: La Maison en Petits Cubes or Tsumiki no ie (2008)
Director: Kunio Katô

Summary: An old man lives in a town that has become submerged in water.

This animated short film won an Oscar in 2009. It reminded me a little of Pixar’s “Up”, but it’s way better and more original. Its animation style tends to be more European. It is very different from the traditional Japanese way that we’re used to. The animation is wrapped with earthy colors and the sound is so melodic and sweet. Definitely a masterpiece of short films.

Rating: 10/10

Film: Kawamu wo Suberu Kaze (2011)
Director: Hiroshi Kawamata

Summary: A 33-year old woman comes back to her small town with her son after living some quite time abroad.

This anime has a very lighthearted storyline. It’s a very simple one, yet it has some hidden messages. It’s one of the rarest that looks into a woman’s life in a very painful and beautiful way. The art and sound aren’t extraordinary, but they’re subtle and fitting. They created a calming atmosphere until the very end.

Rating: 8/10

Film: Rebecca (1940)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson.
Summary: A young lady falls in love with an aristocratic widower in Monte Carlo. Within weeks, they decide to get married.

This film is an adaptation of a book by the same title written by “Daphne du Maurier”. I’ve read the book long time ago, and I can tell you that this is one of the best adaptations that I have ever seen. The cinematography and acting are outstanding. I couldn’t have thought that this was made in 1940. “Rebecca” is an instant favorite classic.

Rating: 10/10

Film: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000)
Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Summary: A young lady is abducted by a noble vampire. Her father hires a top-notch hunter to find her before it’s too late.

The hunter “D” is a very interesting character. He’s half human half vampire, at war with himself and feared by all. The story is very intriguing, but I didn’t quite like some of the action scenes and the drawing style. It took me some time to get used to it. I really liked how the characters got developed, although there were no character development in the first 50 minutes.

Rating: 6.5/10

Film: La Dolce Vita (1960)
Director: Federico Fellini.
Starring: Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimée.
Summary: A number of stories that happened in a week of the life of a paparazzo journalist, Marcello, in Rome. He searches for both happiness and love that he may or may not find.

This film may be a little bit long (almost three hours), but the ride was phenomenal. The cast is superb and they delivered their emotions in an excellent way. I almost forgot that I’m watching a motion picture due to their amazing acting. The script is very smart and thought-provoking. This is my first Fellini film and I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of his works.

Rating: 9/10

Film: Memories
Year: 1995
Genre: Animation, Fantasy, Sci-Fi.
Director: Episode 1 (Koji Morimoto) Episode 2 (Tensai Okamura) Episode 3 (Katsuhiro Otomo)
Summary: Three episodes that are based on three different short stories by the works of Katsuhiro Otomo (the guy behind Akira). I liked all three, but the first one is definitely my favorite. The cinematography and the music is spectacular especially in the first one.

Rating: 7/10

[[EDIT]]

This film has been haunting me since the day I saw it. I had a feeling that I didn’t give it what it deserved. Hence, I watched it again. A lot of scenes became nostalgic and I knew that those scenes will be carried on with me for a long time. You have to keep in mind that the three episodes are not related to each other at all. The first one is one of the best animations that I have ever seen in my entire life! The cinematography kept me breathless. The story is very intriguing and unique. The second episode has a lot of dark humor. It’s the least appealing to me comparing to the other two when it comes to the story. The third one is very strange; in a good way though. It has a lot of symbolism and some references to Orwell’s 1984. Believe it or not, the last one is made with only one shot. Which was one of its kind.

Rating: 8.5/10