The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a world so strange as strange could be

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus tells the story of the immortal Dr Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) and his magical Imaginarium, a travelling show in which a volunteer from the audience gets to experience their greatest need in vivid forms and then has to choose between two paths. Choose correctly and you will be enlightened, choose wrongly and things won’t be so good for you. Dr Parnassus however has a very dark secret; he once made a bet with Mr Nick the Devil (Tom Waits), in which he won immortality. Centuries later, he decided to trade his immortality with youth when he met his one true love, on the condition that his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole) belongs to Mr Nick when she reaches 16. The daughter is now reaching that consenting age, and Mr Nick comes to collect but Dr Parnassus is not about to let go. However, being the devil that he is, Mr Nick renewed the wager: Whoever entices the first 5 souls wins Valentina.

Enter Tony (the late Heath Ledger), a mysterious man found hanging under a bridge by the Imaginarium crews and was revived by Anton (Andrew Garfield) to join the show and eventually make it successful. However, there’s something about Tony that makes Parnassus’ loyal friend Percy (Verne Troyer) uneasy. Tony’s shady backgrounds and friendship with Valetina also make the jealous Percy more anxious. Dr Parnassus on the other hand is happy with Tony and he promises his daughter’s hand in marriage to whoever that helps him win the bet. A race against time and choices of morality ensues in the wonderland that is the Imaginarium.

Terry Gilliam directed this painting of a movie wonderfully with timing and pace coherently controlled. He gives us not just a great story but a whole world so outstandingly created with visual effect and cinematography that might leave you wondering where you are at the end of the movie and where you were during it. The Imaginarium, with its doorway made of simple foil sheets, is filled with random worlds produced by people’s mind which is so vivid and mysterious and weird. This whole film is weird. But in a good way.

What most might notice is the fact that the script and dialogues flow and form so smoothly and realistically that it is like watching real people in real situation. Heath Ledger did improvise some of his line and that fact alone proves how great an actor he is. Although you might find his acting a bit similar to last year’s most famous villain, The Joker in The Dark Knight (2008) which, of course, he himself played. His acting is believable, since he is an Australian playing British. Then there are Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell, each playing the different version of Tony when he enters the Imaginarium. The three actors played that one role so well that they disappeared into Heath Ledger’s character so effectively that you are seeing a man whose face had changed and not a change in the person himself.

But of course, this is not a story about Tony but Dr Parnassus (as in the title). Christopher Plummer did well playing a failing, sometimes drunken, side-show immortal and he provided enough mystical quality for the character. There are also several flashback scenes of a younger Parnassus also played by him. Tom Waits, played the Devil brilliantly with his growly voice and dark demeanour. Lily Cole proved that she can show real raw emotion in some scenes. Verne Troyer plays a lovable Percy, equipped with fast witty comments and wise words. And Andrew Garfield plays the distress young man, Anton.

The score is great. Nothing ground-breaking but the music disappears and becomes a part of the scene. A great touch is when whenever Mr Nick appears, the score changes to something jazzy or bluesy.

The storyline itself is something to be loved and the twist and turns of the plot is something to be admired. It’s one thing people might not expect from most CGI-laden movies. But the story will grip you and make you captivated so strangely that you will sit through the 120 minutes of runtime just to see how the story ends. The writers Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown deserve an applause for handling such complicated story so well.

It is basically a story about a father protecting his teenage daughter from everything else in the world. But what makes it unique is the fact that is it layered with metaphors and references about religion, the battle between good and evil, the choices people made, impressions people put up and have to put upto and the morality behind each of our action.

Not many people will like this movie simply because of its strange nature. The storyline itself is quiet confusing and its combination with the weird graphic of the Imaginarium world does not help at all. Some parts need a second viewing which I’m sure will be a rewarding watch. But if you understand it, I expect you will love The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Reasons I'll be watching New Moon (2009)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon tells the story after Bella recovers from the vampire attack that almost claimed her life, she looks to celebrate her birthday with Edward and his family. However, a minor accident during the festivities results in Bella's blood being shed, a sight that proves too intense for the Cullens, who decide to leave the town of Forks, Washington for Bella and Edward's sake. Initially heartbroken, Bella finds a form of comfort in reckless living, as well as an even-closer friendship with Jacob Black. Danger in different forms awaits.

I just copy/paste'd that from IMDb.

Here are the top three reasons why I'll be watching it.

First, the beautiful Ashley Greene. Don't judge me.

Second, being that the director is Chris Weitz. I was not happy with his adaptation of The Golden Compass (2007). Mainly because I've read the novel and he cuts out some of my favourite parts. But now, I'm more matured about movies, I think he did a great job and I have faith in him directing New Moon. And I love About a Boy (2002).

Third, I have seen Twilight (2008) and I feel attached to this. Whenever I start a series, I need to finish it. But I haven't read New Moon and most of the time, when I watch a movie based on a novel before reading that particular novel, he movie would be good. So I'm planning to catch this and then read the book.

I've seen the trailers (yes, plural), and they look good. Chris Weitz directing it -- I'd say this is a safe bet.

Here's the first trailer. To anyone who hasn't seen it yet, enjoy:

James Cameron's "Avatar" is our future

This December, the future of film-making arrives.

Deathly Hallows set pics are bloody wicked!!!

Okay, I found these a while back, but only decided to upload them here now. So enjoy. See if you can recognize any scenes from the book. IMHO, Deathly Hallows is going to look great after some serious Half-Blood Prince kind of editing.

Can't wait!

District 9 is a Powerful and Disturbing Movie with a Message

Every not-so-often comes a movie that is disturbing and holds such a powerful message that it will definitely leave an impression on you. Whether you enjoyed it or not, it will certainly cling onto you. District 9 is original, realistic, and powerful and it definitely delivers the message.



District 9 tells the story of what happened when a malnourished and weakened alien race is stranded on Earth. Our people give them a place to stay, yet, like any normal human, we fear and hate them. Thus ‘racism’ is the main subject even after two decades since the aliens landed.


As the story goes, Wikus, an MNU (Multi-National United)agent, is sent to evict these ‘prawns’ to a new place – or rather, a concentration camp – where they can no longer make human feel uneasy. But during the eviction notification process, conflicts arise and Wikus is accidently exposed to a biofuel that slowly turns him into the ‘prawns’. He then experiences what it feels like to be surrounded by people that hate him.

The movie is way more realistic that – in its own term.

It’s told in the form of a documentary, using snippets of ‘real and raw’ footage of when the alien first came, interviews with people, and also hand-held and even security camera all put together into one beautiful piece of work. The second half however is shown in a clean and edited movie picture. It is so well done that you won’t even notice the shift in the story-telling process.

The acting are top-notch, even Oscar-worthy I might add, and not to mention that the movie is made by a first-time big-budget movie director with a cast of unknowns.

But enough of that.

What I love the most about the movie is that the ‘prawns’ are depicted not as aliens but as a minority race living on Earth. People hate them. We run tests of them. Abuse and even kill them. Racism and intolerance is a bad thing. And through Wikus we will feel how it’s like to be hated. For example, in one powerful scene, Wikus is forced to kill a prawn. He hesitates and was electrocuted.

I won’t say any more. You just have to see it for yourself and really catch that message it’s trying to deliver.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra; Do NOT underestimate it!

After Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, most people weren’t getting their hopes high for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. It wasn’t even screened for critics fearing that they might and will bash it. But it is, however, something completely different. And will most probably exceed, if not meet, expectaions.

First, the storyline itself is ‘smart’ for this type of adrenaline-filled action movie. It has one long storyline that starts at the middle, then goes back to the beginning with the efficient uses of flashbacks, and it finishes off with all the questions answered at the end. This way, you’ll keep guessing throughout and the twist is also great – if you haven’t read the spoilers, that is. I also love the fact that most of the characters have their own backstories and some even intertwine.

Next, the action and visual effect is really fun to watch. The editing is neat and camera angles are superb. Some scenes might not be as realistic as others but that is okay because it makes the movie looks like a real live-action cartoon. There’s plenty of choreographed hand-to-hand and sword fights, shootouts and an awesome car chase scene where the Joes are trying to stop the Baroness from destroying the Eiffel Tower – and the Joes are not even in a car.

The acting, honestly, is nowhere near Oscar-worthy. It’s cheesy and awkward most of the time. But it fits because it gives the movie a B-movie feel to it. Super-evil villains trying to take over the world, a great leader, a wise-crack, add in some philosophical lines, silly one-liners and scientific jargon nonsense and it will spell ‘FUN’!

However, the movie does contain a lot of flaws. I mean, sinking ice? What? But you have to remember that this movie is based on a toy franchise, and a cartoon and comic series whose sole purpose is to sell those toys. So it could easily be forgiven.

All in all, if you’re seeking a fun, action-spiked, filled with testosterone movie that you just want to watch, laugh, be awed by the visual and just to turn your brain off, relax and enjoy, then G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is just the thing.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; a Beautiful Epitome of a Perfect Summer Movie

Playfully mixing several genres such as comedy, horror, romance, action, adventure and even a bit of a detective story, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth Harry Potter film and the second from director David Yates, is a fun and thrilling summer movie dealing with fear and tremors --of teenage love -- and the battle between good and evil.


In this sixth instalment of the Harry Potter series, Harry begins his sixth year at Hogwarts knowing that the world is now in serious threat because the Dark Lord Voldemort and his fellow Death Eaters are on the loose, causing havoc, death and destruction to the wizarding and the muggle world. He then finds an old potion book mysteriously marked “This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince” and, with Dumbledore’s help, begins to uncover Lord Voldemort’s dark history.

First and foremost, this is undeniably the most gorgeous-looking movie this year. Thanks to the graceful directing of director David Yates and the genius of the director of photography, newcomer Bruno Delbonnel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince gives us an outstanding visual effect and cinematography. With much control of the CGI and special effect, David Yates shows us a whole exceptionally new atmospheric world using bigger set pieces that actually help the flow of the movie without really showing too much that it was edited by computers and thus making it a total eye-candy. And the choices of camera angles, extreme close-ups and the editing were very impressive. Furthermore, the score, consisting of orchestra and choir, really complements the movie and give each scene more emotion and a sense of nostalgia with the hint of the memorable sounds from The Order of the Phoenix.

Next, we can definitely see that the three main actors had grown up, not only physically but emotionally and also in the sense of acting skills. The story has to follow JK Rowling’s increasingly mature and darker books, and so have the actors. The sense of longing and raging hormones, plus the tense feeling towards danger and death makes this a more adult movie in the Harry Potter series thus far. But the PG rating seems fair. In The Goblet of Fire, Cedric Diggory’s death was shocking, but in The Half-Blood Prince, Voldemort is at full power, making us feel the constant presence of danger and evil and that anyone on screen could die at any moment (but do not fret, body count: 1).

But the thing is, this movie does not only deal with the three actors like the films before it. They are a few outstanding performances. One, by the amazing Tom Felton (who plays Draco Malfoy) who shows true emotion and sadness in what he was forced to do. And then there’s Jim Broadbent (who plays the new Prof. Slughorn) who could actually received an Oscar Buzz for ‘Best Supporting Actor’. He plays the old yet loved professor effortlessly and did the best with his time on screen without having to drown the other actors around him. A natural.

As for the action: yes, some action scenes were omitted from the movie, but those that were left behind are astoundingly thrilling. The most outstanding and chilling sequence is perhaps the cave scene. It is layered with horror, sadness and suspense and not to mention top notch special effect. The extra 7-month post production did the movie good!

Despite its long running time, over 2 hours and 30 minutes, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince seems adequate as David Yates pushes the movie to a running pace and some of us might even crave for more. But after entering the first two hours, you might already forget about the titular Half-Blood Prince. The mystery of the owner of the book is gone and drowned by some needless fillers (hint: too much romance is never good). The storyline itself missed some key points that made the book such a masterpiece.

If you see this movie as an adaptation, then, yeah, it’s not that good. But as a movie on its own, then Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a beautiful epitome of a true summer movie. Epic is definitely the word for it.