After more than four years, The Random Films is moving to a new home. The rebranded, restructured and refashioned blog will have new features such as First Peeks (trailers of upcoming movies) and TV Series (reviews of favorite television shows). Hope you support the new blog just the same. Please visit:MOVIEcracy
REC or [·REC]2 is a 2009 sequel to the internationally-acclaimed 2007 Spanish horror film REC (see Random Film: REC). Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza still co-wrote and co-directed this second installment. It follows the events immediately after the events of REC, and hence, it still has that shaky camera and claustrophobic effect.
Plot. Dr. Owen, an official from the Ministry of Health, and a special group called GEO team are sent to the quarantined building to control the situation. Inside the building, they encounter the infected victims but Owen uses his rosary and religious mantra to drive them away. It turns out that Owen is actually a priest sent by the Vatican to acquire a blood sample from the Medeiros girl (the carrier of the virus which spread the demonic possession). They eventually reach the penthouse (owned by another priest in charge of her) and found the sample. However, it is set on fire while when they test it to confirm. The only option is to get a sample from the Medeiros girl herself.
Meanwhile, several other characters also surface. Jennifer’s father has come back after buying medicine for his child (the infected girl from REC who was thought to have tonsillitis only) and insists on entering the building. He convinces a firefighter and both go inside. Likewise, three teenagers – Tito, Mire, and Ori – manage to get inside the building via the sewage system. However, the police later seal the exit. Click here to read full review of "REC 2".
Law Abiding Citizen is a 2009 thriller, starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler. Directed by F. Gary Gray, the movie was distributed by Overture Films.
Plot. Set in Philadelphia, the movie is the story of one man’s vengeance to the killer who murdered his family, and to the criminal justice system which freed the killer.
The movie begins with the tragedy in the home of an engineer named Clyde Shelton. Several persons invaded his home and raped and killed his wife and daughter before his eyes. During the trial, prosecutor Nick Rice informs Clyde that his case against the suspect, Clarence Darby, is weak due to botched forensic evidence and that Clyde’s testimony alone is insufficient to prove either suspect’s guilt. Due to the uncertainty of the case and with his desire to maintain his conviction rates, Nick strikes a deal with the suspect: Darby gives a testimony that will send his accomplice Rupert Ames to death row, and in exchange, Nick allows Darby to plead guilty to third-degree murder, for which he will only serve three years imprisonment. The plan is pushed through, leaving Clyde feeling betrayed by both Nick and the justice system.
Ten years later, Rupert suffers a slow death and agonizing death due to tampering in his lethal injection. Also, DVD of Clarence Darby being tortured to death and dismembered spread. Clyde is arrested for the murder who confesses to both crimes. All the those years, Clyde has studied the justice system and now in prison, he plays with them. He holds so much information and in exchange for them, he trades for some luxuries like soft mattress in prison, a grand meal, and his iPod. Failure to comply with his demands means death for many people involved, like the judge, a cellmate, and many members of the legal staff. It is Clyde’s ultimate revenge against the rotten justice system.
In the end, Nick discovers all his secrets – that he has dug a tunnel through his prison cell. Nick has outwitted Clyde who dies from his own plot. However, Clyde accomplishes his true mission – to teach Nick never to deal with murderers anymore.
Commentary. Law Abiding Citizen is a well-thought movie. It is one of those movies we cannot easily forget due to the simplicity of its plot and the complexity of the details that built the plot. Basically, it is the story of vengeance out of helplessness. But it is a well-calculated revenge, a series of tragedy planned for years. The victim has now become the hunter, and the prize is a painful and overwhelming lesson for the hunter and his victims.
Ironically, I cheered for the hunter, awed and wowed by him. I find it hard to condemn the man whose rage sprang out of sever grief and disappointment. Still, the end does not justify the means and in the last part, he once again becomes the victim, the sacrificial lamb to get the messages across.
Actor. Gerard Butler as Clyde Shelton is beyond excellence. He truly portrayed the grieving and avenging man. All throughout the film, he exuded an air of mystery and hunger. Jamie Foxx as Nick Rice also deserves high praises. His performance earned him a nomination for Outstanding Actor by the NAACP Image Awards.
Unforgettable scene. The simultaneous bombing of the cars of the legal staff would be the most unforgettable for me. I find that part overwhelmingly heart-breaking.
Reception. The movie premiered second on its opening weekend, behind Where the Wild Things Are. However, the movie received mostly negative reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 25% of critics gave it a positive review, with an average score of 4.4/10. Meanwhile, Metacritic gave it a rating of 34%.
Passengers is a 2008 thriller film starring Anne Hathaway and Patrick Wilson. It is directed by Rodrigo Garcia and released by TriStar Pictures.
Plot. The movie begins when psychotherapist Claire Summers (played by Anne Hathaway) is called upon to treat a group of five survivors of a recent plane crash. From them, Claire becomes more intrigued with Eric (played by Eric Wilson) for he shows symptoms that suggest he is disguising his true feelings about the crush by making major life changes. Eventually, Claire becomes attached with him. However, her other patients begin to mysteriously disappear. She forms a theory that the airline is targeting them to prevent fears about a mechanical failure from spreading. She then instigates a secret investigation about the crash.
Upon Eric’s suggestion, Claire visits her estranged sister’s house to make peace with her. But her sister is not around the house; instead, she is greeted by an official from the airline who has been advising her not to investigate the crash. He reveals to her that all of the passengers of the plane died in the crash. He leaves behind a suitcase that contains a ledger of passenger’s names. In the list, Claire discovers that she too was on the flight. In a huge wave of realization, she remembers everything that happened. Claire goes to the docks to meet Eric on his boat.
She realizes that everyone she came into contact with over the last few weeks was actually dead; "ghosts" of friends and family who were trying to help her come to terms that she, and the other passengers, have died. As the movie ends, Claire's sister, Emma, and her husband are let into her now-abandoned apartment by the landlord, where she discovers a note Claire was planning to send to make peace with her.
Commentary. The movie tells about the ghost who remains in the earth to settle her unfinished business. She is unaware of it and only with her association with the other ghosts that she realizes her own death.
Passengersis one of Anne Hathaway’s less popular movies. Its failure to be well-received may be due to its plainness and ordinariness. The movie has a simple story and the plot did not successfully build a heart-breaking or a thrilling climax. It is painfully dull all throughout, even at the reveal of the twist in the end.
Reception. The film generally received negative reviews. Metacritic gave it a score of 40 out of 100, while Rotten Tomatoes gave it a rating of 21%.
Rating. I will give the film one and a half stars out of five. The movie is overall uninteresting though it has a good twist at the end. There’s nothing unique in it. Each scene feels sleepy and events are forgettable. Only the end will make you appreciate it. Even Hathaway’s and Wilson’s acting prowess did not save it. So the movie is far from being brilliant at all.
Deception is a 2008 thriller film starring Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, and Michelle Williams. It is written by Mark Bomback and directed by Marcel Langenegger.
Plot. In separate chance encounters, accountant Jonathan McQuarry (Ewan McGregor) meets Wyatt Bose (Hugh Jackman) in a boardroom and a mysterious blond woman (Michelle Williams) in a subway. The next day, Jonathan contacts Wyatt and they play tennis after work. While having lunch, Wyatt switches their phone and only later that Jonathan realizes it. Jonathan tries to reach Wyatt but he is unsuccessful. Soon, a woman contacts him through Wyatt’s phone and arranges a meeting in a hotel that night. Jonathan agrees and the following day, he presumes that Wyatt must be on some kind of an exclusive sex club.
Wyatt calls Jonathan and encourages him to continue his participation with other list members. The club is secret, encounters are random, and there must be no exchange of names or conversation between partners. In the weeks that follow, Jonathan participates with several partners. Incidentally, one of the women he encounters is the blond woman he earlier meets in the subway.Based on her pendant, Jonathan names her “S”.
Later, Jonathan stumbles on “S” again but when they are already on the hotel, an event shakes Jonathan’s world. He is about to return to his room from getting an ice when he discovers that “S” is gone and that there is blood on the bedsheets. He goes home and found Wyatt waiting for him. For him to see “S” again, who is held captive, Wyatt must steal $20 million from an investment firm he will audit in a few days.
In the succeeding days, Jonathan discovers revelations about the secret club. More painfully, he founds out that “S” is also a conspirator in blackmailing him. However, Wyatt completes the wire transfer to a bank but secretly adds Wyatt’s name as co-signer. Now in Madrid, Jonathan agrees to help Wyatt withdraw the fund if he splits it with him. They are able to pull out the money, and after which, Jonathan offers his money if Wyatt tells him where “S” is. Wyatt agrees and brings Jonathan to a secluded place. He is about to draw his gun and shot Jonathan when “S” appears and shots him instead. Jonathan rushes over to “S” and begs him to talk with her. She calls it off and apologizes to him for she is unaware of Wyatt’s plan. She then takes a cab and leaves Jonathan.
In the final scene, Jonathan makes another chance encounter with “S” in Madrid, and both exchange smiles.
Commentary. Deception is an engaging drama thriller. It is fast-paced and exciting. As the title suggests, the film has many twists and surprises. It keeps viewers guessing and wondering. One of the deceptions is that Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor must switch faces and roles. It was the fun part since both very well copied each other.
However, the movie is overserious, uncharismatic, and predictable. Though it is drama, it entirely lacks humor which makes it less exciting. So much also have happened that the ending seems not worth it. I feel the movie is too long and unsatisfying.
Reception. The movie was met with negative reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 13% of critics gave a positive review. In Metacritic, the movie received an average score of 32 out of 100. It did fairly well in the box office, ranking #10 on its opening weekend.
Rating. Jackman and McGregor are really great in the movie. However, even their brilliance cannot make the movie more entertaining and indulging. It is really the movie’s fault. Well, I can give the movie only two stars out of five.
Cloverfield is a 2008 disaster film produced by J. J. Abrams and directed by Matt Reeves. It stars young Hollywood stars Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, T. J. Miller, Odette Yustman, Jessica Lucas, Lizzy Caplan, and Ben Feldman. The movie is distributed by Paramount Pictures.
Plot. The film begins with a disclaimer that the footage is from a case called “Cloverfield” and was found in the area “formerly known as Central Park.” Hence, what the audience will see is a video segment from a personal camera recovered by the United States Department of Defense. The video consists of the events taped on the night of May 22 and the morning of May 23. Occasionally, flashes from the older video dated April 27 is seen as those new segments are actually taped over the older one.
On the night of May 22, Rob’s brother Jason and his girlfriend Lily prepare a farewell party for Rob who will be moving to Japan. A friend named Hud uses the camera to film testimonials for Rob. There in the party, the main casts for the movie are introduced. After an argument, Rob’s girlfriend Beth leaves the party. Then suddenly, an apparent earthquake strikes and New York City suffers a brief power outage.
A devastating explosion ensues and the party-goers immediately evacuate the building. The head of the Statue of Liberty crashes in a nearby street. Amidst the dusts, Hud records what appears to be a giant hand of a creature several blocks away. Jason, Rob, Lily, Hud and Marlena attempt to escape the city on the Brooklyn Bridge. A huge tail then destroys the center of the bridge and many people are killed, including Jason. The rest are forced to flee back to Manhattan.
Rob finds out from a call that Beth is trapped in her apartment and unable to move. The four then sets out to rescue Beth. Along the way, they encounter several small spider-like creatures in a subway. Marlena is wounded and consequently dies as her body inflates and explodes. The three soon find Beth’s apartment and then free her from the rubbles that trap her. The four make their way to Grand Central Station where they meet the gigantic monster again. There are military forces around and Lily is raced into a departing helicopter. Rob, Beth and Hud then embark another helicopter and while in air, they witness U.S. Air Force bomb the monster. Suddenly, the monster attacks their helicopter and crashes into a grassy clearing in Central Park.
The three survives the crash and the film restarts in the morning of May 23. From the helicopter’s radio, it is announced that Hammerdown protocol will begin in 15 minutes and that anyone who hears the siren is within the blast zone. The three hurry up, but when Hud returns to recover the camera, he encounters the monster again and attacks and kills him. Rob and Beth grab the still-recording camera and take shelter under Greyshot Arch in Central Park as air raid sirens begin to blare and bombers to blast. Rob and Beth take turns in recording their last testimonials of that day as the bridge crumbles and debris covers the camera.
Review. Cloverfield is a very suspenseful disaster film. Unlike others, the film gives more personal feeling to the audience. It is like picking up a camcorder along the street and viewing somebody else’s footage on it. It is very crude, and though we do not know the persons inside the film, we feel their terror and helplessness. We breathe with them, flee with them, and even seem to “die” with them. With this accept, Cloverfield has achieved believability, originality, and creativity.
The movie also succeeds in its desire to create another memorable monster in the movies. Cloverfield monster is not like King Kong or Godzilla which many love. It is the exact opposite; we dread and fear this gigantic monster and wish to end its menace and evil.
Reception. Cloverfield is both commercial and critical success. It was the first film in 2008 to gross over $100 million. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 76% of its critics gave a positive review. In Metacritic, the film received a rating of 64 out of 100.
Rating. Overall, I find the movie to be very fresh and exciting. Though it lacks good moral lessons to teach, it succeeds in gaining deep emotional attachment to viewers as suspense and drama are built wonderfully throughout the film. For this, I will give the move four stars out of five.
The Sixth Sense is a drama film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan who later directed great films like Signs. It stars Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette and Olivia WIliiams. It was released and distributed by Spyglass Entertainment and Hollywood Pictures.
Plot. The film opens with the murder scene of child psychologist named Dr. Malcolm Crowe (played by Bruce Willis). He is returning home with his wife Anna (Olivia Williams) when a young man attacks them. Crowe recognizes the attacker as Vincent Grey, one of his former patients whom he treated as a child for hallucination. Crowe is shot in the lower abdomen, and later, Grey commits suicide.
The next fall, Crowe begins working with a new patient, nine-year-old Cole Sear who is also suffering from the conditions similar to Grey. Meanwhile, Crowe notices that her relationship with his wife is slowly falling apart.
Cole soon trusts Crowe and confides in him that he “sees dead people that walk around like regular people.” Crowe does not believe him at first but urges Cole to communicate with the ghosts to help them with their unfinished business on Earth. Cole eventually uses his gift and helps out some ghosts.
In the end, Crowe has a sudden realization when he comes home. As her wife sleeps, she releases his wedding ring. Only then Crowe observes that he is not wearing the ring and the stark truth dawns on him. Crowe was actually killed by Vincent Grey and unknowingly dead all the time he was working with Cole. With the kid’s help, Crowe finally fulfills the answers to his unfinished business.
Review. For me, The Sixth Sense, is one of the best horror films of all time. The movie had not only succeeded in giving audience a great chill but also a very heart-warming drama.
The movie is not a typical horror flick which scares audience with vicious monsters and gross scenes. It is somewhat subtle and the horror is more on silence. It relates to anybody’s feeling of being watched or not being alone. This is common to everyone and this aspect of believability is what sets the film from the rest. The slow appearances of ghosts and the sudden shocking apparitions can really raise the hairs of audience. The movie gives a good and not-over-the-top scare.
There is also drama in the film as the kid sets out to help the ghosts. In every story, there is a strong and sad force that made them stay on Earth. As Cole struggles to help them, he also learns lessons of love, loss and acceptance.
Unforgettable Scenes. The tent scene where Cole encounters a female ghost is really the scariest part. On the other hand, the end part where Crowe was hit with the realization that he was dead was the most heart-breaking.
Reception. The Sixth Sense is a very huge success. It gathered an 85% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 64 rating on Metacritic. It grossed more than $672 million with its budget of only $40 million. In 2007, it was named the 89th Best Film of all time by the American Film Institute.
Rating. Undoubtedly, The Sixth Sense is an unforgettable classic. For this, I would have to give it five stars out of five.
Awake is a 2007 science/crime/supernatural thriller written and directed by Joby Harold. It stars Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard and Lena Olin. The movie explores the idea of anesthesia awareness or that some people are mentally aware despite being in a state of complete sedation by general anesthesia.
Plot.Clayton Beresford Jr. (played by Hayden Christensen) is a wealthy man who needs a heart transplant. He is in love with his mother’s secretary named Sam (played by Jessica Alba) whom he marries on the eve of his surgery. His mother wants him to be operated by a prestigious doctor but instead, Clayton succeeds in having his surgeon friend, Jack, do the operation. However, Clayton finds he is still “awake” during the operation. Worse, he discovers a plot to kill him and get his money which fortunately involves Jack and Sam. With his awake mind, Clayton manages to convey what he feels to the people around him. His mother eventually sacrifices and gives her compatible heart to him.Sam and Jack, after attempting escape, are caught and justice is served for Clayton.
Review.Awake is a wonderful psychological thriller, very thrilling and engaging, very new and original. The storyline seems dull and unexciting, but the movie itself is a big wow. It is fast-paced and though started out as romantic, the minute details of the affair was leave out to give way for the much better anesthesia awareness part. This way, audience will also not invest emotional attachment to Alba’s character who turned out to be the villain in the end.
Awake is also full of surprises right from the beginning. The twists and turns are unbelievable, and the revelations pile one after another in a suspenseful momentum that audiences are left speechless. As great as the details of the medical elements, the movie also succeeds greatly in establishing tension without horror or gore.
Reception. The movie received generally negative reviews. Only 24% of 54 critics in Rotten Tomatoes gave positive reviews. However, it succeeded commercially as it opened #5 in November 2007. With its budget of $8.6 million, the movie earned at least $32.7 million.
Rating. I will give the movie four stars out of five. Awake is a refreshing and unforgettable film. However, it is not as remarkable as the core idea of the movie demands.
