i am woman, hear me rawr!

Being the hopeless romantic that I am, I would like to automatically answer ‘yes!’ However, can love indeed survive the distance? In the romantic comedy Going The Distance, Erin (Drew Barrymore) and Emmett (Justin Long) try to show that it can, indeed be done after they are swept up in a whirlwind romance they knew could not last, given that they lived in opposite ends of the country. Despite their decision to “keep it light and disease free”, they find themselves face to face with the fact that it was more than just a summer romance.

The film is a funny, yet realistic, take on the whole construct of long distance relationships, and relationships in general. While it plays up on the humor of the situation, the quintessential question of any love relationship rears its head in the film: how much do you give up of yourself to be with the one with you love?

I loved how the characters were so real and personable, which made the film even more endearing to me. However, it gave me sort of a grown-up American Pie feel to it. Not that that’s not a good thing If you’re looking to have a good laugh and to just  chill after a long week, then this is definitely one that you should catch.

Being a big Drew Barrymore fan, I had my heart set on catching the movie and I’m glad I did

The movie also stars Christina Applegate, Charlie Day, and  Jason Sudeikis.

A New Line Cinema production, Going the Distance opens September 3, 2010 and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Bookmark It

From the makers of Date Movie and Epic Movie comes a hilarious spoof on Stephanie Mayer’s  widely popular Twilight Saga. Meet Becca, an angst- filled, anxious teenager who moves to a small town where she has to learn to live with a father who treats her like the baby he remembered while caught between two handsome and intriguing guys who both have eyes for her.

Sound familiar? Haha. To sum it up, the movie takes us from Twilight to New Moon to Eclipse and a bit of the future as well.

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the film as much as I did, especially since I am not a big fan of satires and these kinds of comedy, but I found myself laughing my head off throughout the film. I loved how the actors really resembled the original characters from Twilight. They were also able to show the nuances of the characters, such as the way Bella (Kristen Stewart) would nervously push her hair back, nod and chew on her lip. Even the Sullen clan (yes, the Cullens ) was just like the real ones from the Twilight Saga.

Vampires Suck is definitely a great laugh trip to take, especially after a long week’s work!

Vampires Suck is released by 20th Century Fox and is set to hit theaters on August 25, 2010.

Bookmark It

I almost got it, but I missed it by a hair!

The mystery that is Last week, I got to preview Columbia Pictures’ latest offering, The Ghostwriter, which is being shown exclusively at the Ayala Cinemas.

Ewan McGregor is the Ghostwriter, an unassuming fellow commissioned to write the memoirs of the former British Prime Minister, Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) after the latter’s former ghostwriter was found dead. As soon as he takes on the task, he finds himself embroiled in controversy after controversy as Lang is accused of being a war criminal.

Set in a secluded oceanfront home in on the island off the US Eastern seaboard, The Ghost finds out that there is more to his predecessors death than meets the eye. With a head full of questions and blank walls surrounding him, The Ghost sets out to find the answers….and more than he bargained for.

I liked how the movie kept me guessing till the end, although the cold and dreary tone of the movie (mainly because of the setting) sort of gave a draggy feel to the movie, especially since it had such a British feel to it (not that there’s anything wrong with that! It’s just not my cup of tea, usually) but I loved how it was interspersed with bits of humor at just the right times. It was also nice to see Kim Catrall, who plays Lang’s personal assistant, Amelia, in a role vastly different from her Sex and the City character, Samantha Jones.

Catch The Ghostwriter at Greenbelt 3 or Glorietta 4.

Bookmark It

Angelina Jolie delivers another explosive performance as CIA Operative, Evelyn Salt in the Columbia Pictures release, Salt. Accused of betraying her country, she is called out by a Russian defector as an undercover Russian agent infiltrating one of America’s most valued agencies. Is she a sleeper agent or a falsely accused hero? These are the questions to be answered throughout the adrenaline-driven flick. From the opening scene all the way to the end, the film is so intense and captivating that I found myself holding my breath.

I truly enjoyed the movie mainly because I love action thrillers like these. I loved the twists and turns in the story and as always, Angelina wowed me with her action prowess. Her high powered stunts reminded my of her role in Mr and Mrs Smith, although without the comic relief that film had.  Her role in Salt also reminded my of Sydney Bristow in Alias and I loved that series a lot!!!

Salt is one of the films I’ve been waiting for, as I said in my previous post about the movie, and I’m so glad I finally got to watch it. The movie is relatively short, running only for about 100 minutes (according to Wikipedia!) but it’s so action-packed and intense, extending it may not have been to the films best interest.

Do watch out for Salt’s secret weapon (harhar!)…and more so, watch out for her escape scenes right after that!!!

Salt also stars Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Olbrychski, and Andre Braugher and is directed by Phillip Noyce. Salt opens on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 in Philippine theaters.

Special thanks to Columbia Pictures for the invitation to the advanced screening of Salt this evening at SM Megamall’s Cinema 2

Photos courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

Bookmark It

By now I’m sure many of you have already seen the Christopher Nolan flick, Inception which stars Leo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard and Ellen Page. It was definitely one of the most visually stimulating, mind-blowing and jaw-dropping films I’ve seen this year (and I’ve seen a lot! 28 to be exact!!!). It reminded me a lot of activities we did in a Hypnotherapy class I took years ago, where we did a lot of guided imagery exercises. Initially, I was a bit skeptical about the whole concept of altered states of consciousness, hypnotic suggestibility and the like, but after learning more about it, and even trying it out for myself both in class and in therapy sessions, I began to realize the power of hypnosis.

Although ‘Inception’ was not really about hypnosis but more on dreams, the whole premise rang similar bells for me. I loved how the film portrayed the world of dreams and how it does give the world of the dreamer a more “real” feeling. As I wrote in my review of Shutter Island, I am not really a big Leo fan but after seeing him twice this year, I think I am beginning to change my mind. I loved Ellen Page in this film though And it was nice to see a grown up Joseph Gordon-Levitt, whom I loved in ’10 Things I Hate About You’ and from ‘Third Rock from the Sun’ from years before.

Inception is definitely one of those must-see movies, and no, a DVD copy is not good enough! Do see it in the big screen, IMAX if you can. Although it is not featured in 3D, the wider screen and the IMAX technology does make the dream so much larger than life.

Bookmark It

The latest installment of the Twilight saga, Eclipse, is set to open in under an hour!!! As I write this, droves of Twi-hards are lining up in various malls around the metro to be among the first to catch the first public screening of the long-awaited sequel.

Lucky for me, I was one of those who received an advanced screening pass by Ayala cinemas to the movie earlier this evening. I will be the first to admit that I’m not a big Twilight fan, particularly the book since I haven’t had time to read it, but the movies were always something I looked forward to. Compared to it’s prequels, I must say that Eclipse was truly the most engaging and exciting one for me. Whereas New Moon was a little boring for me, this was highly entertaining. I found myself laughing out loud a lot. And yes, Jacob, you are hotter than Edward Oh, and I think bot Rob Pattinson and Kristin Stewart, as well as Taylor Lautner, did much better jobs with their roles in this film!

Much as I enjoyed the film, I was still a little bitin, however, with Dakota Fanning’s role in Eclipse. The ending, as always, left me wanting more so I guess all I can end with is I can’t wait for Breaking Dawn.

Given that tomorrow is a holiday, I’m sure a lot of you would love to go catch the movie. I’m sure cinemas all over Manila will be packed!!! At least, after the 12 noon President Aquino inauguration I strongly suggest you pre-purchase tickets via www.sureseats.com so you don’t end up disappointed when you see the fully sold-out signs in the cinema windows.

Bookmark It

I came within a hair’s breath of not showing up at the premiere of the animated film Toy Story 3. For one, it was going to be shown at the IMAX Theater or SM North Edsa, the farthest mall possible from my place. Secondly, I was coding today. Also, I had a research meeting at 4 pm at DLSU and it was the first day of preschool classes. I wasn’t really feeling very well either, in fact, I had to be absent in my first college class because my morning class wore me out. Add to this the fact that I was missing someone I know better than to miss (wa-paw!)

In short: I was overwhelmed and stumped with all the things going on around me.

However, after some convincing, I decided to go (thanks Flow ) and by golly, I’m sure glad I did. I needed a good cry this morning and a good cry I got

It was great to see the old friends we grew up with, Buzz and Woody. It’s been about ten years (give or take) since we last saw Andy playing with his toys and since then, he has grown up and is now at the throes of his new adventure: college life. Given that he is off to this new world, his toys have been relegated to the toy chest, left alone gathering dust. As a last ditch attempt, Woody and the gang try to get Andy to notice them but to no avail. The question  now is what happens to them when Andy’s gone?

I’ll leave that question unanswered for now, but suffice it to say I more than enjoyed the movie, I loved it. It now ranks among my all-time favorite movies, alongside it’s prequels. It was a good blend of laughter and charm blended with heart-warming nostalgia that is bound to leave you on a trip down to memory lane. Just like the second installment of the series, Toy Story 3 left me in tears and with that familiar ache in my heart, but in a good way

Although some old faces were missing, such as Bo Peep, there were a whole bunch of toys which made the movie so much more fun. My favorite one is this one because it reminded me of a toy I actually once had

Toy Story 3 is definitely a fun-filled adventure that you shouldn’t miss! I enjoyed seeing it in 3D and I couldn’t help but think about how far technology has come since the first Toy Story movie. I love how the pictures are so much more clear and crisp and the effects definitely add more to the viewing experience. It was also the first time I got to try out SM North’s IMAX theater and as I understand, it’s the biggest 3D screen in the Philippines.

As for me, whether 3D or not Toy Story 3 made me very happy today It sure was worth the effort I made to commute to and from and to and from SM North (yes, to and from, to and from talaga!)

Toy Story 3 opens tomorrow, June 17.

Photo Credits: Walt Disney Studios

Bookmark It

I was so excited to see Sex and the City 2 last week but when I walked out of the theater after the press screening, I turned to my friend Flow and said, “bakit di ako happy?”. I was a bit discontent and to some degree disappointed about the film I waited so long to see. So much so that when I first drafted my SATC2 review, I entitled it “Looking for a happy ending”.

Don’t get me wrong, however: I LOVED THE MOVIE! I loved it so much that I would go out and see it again in a heartbeat. The only thing I didn’t like about the movie is that it seemed “cut” too much and the cuts weren’t as smooth as could be, so there were some small gaps between scenes. On the other hand, I liked how it was a tamer Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte I got to see. While I was not really technically disappointed with the movie, I was disappointed that I didn’t walk away with the giddy, kilig feeling I got when I watched the first flick. To some degree, the movie seemed to “real” for me.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark It