A fairy tale, but not for the faint of heart

'Pan's Labyrinth'
(El Laberinto del Fauno)

Rating: R
Directed by: Guillermo Del Toro
Running Time: 1 hour 54 minutes

Fantasies and old folk tales don't normally involve faces being repeatedly battered by the butt of a glass wine bottle so the skin rips past the hair line, exposing fleshy red blotches, and caving the skull inwards towards where the nose used to be. But then again, this isn't like most fantasies or folk tales.

Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto Del Fauno), filmed in Spanish, follows the journey of a young girl, Ofelia, on her quest to become a princess of the underworld. Saying her life is difficult is being optomistic; her mother is sick during the final stages of her pregnancy and has remarried the Captain, a man who's interests lie only in his legacies, his unborn child and himself. She and her mother are brought to a military camp in the woods to be with the Captain for the birth.

At the camp, the Captain exerts brutal determination, not to merely defend, but to destroy the Spanish rebels, often exuberating torture. He is a cold and arrogant man. When he meets Ofelia for the first time, she holds out her left hand to shake his, but he soon snatches it and scolds her using the wrong hand. His ego is the only thing bigger than him. On one occasion, the doctor of the camp asks the Captain why he is so sure that his unborn child is a boy. The Captain quickly snaps back with, "Don't fuck with me."

Deeply sadened by her new father and worrying for her mother's life, Ofelia wanders into the woods during the night. A shapeshifting fairy leads her to a labyrinth only to discover a faun who tells her that she is the prophesized soul of a princess who left the underworld many years before. The faun also tells her she must complete three tasks before the full moon, otherwise her fate is to die a mortal.

The film's merits lie in its creativity. When the creatures are on screen, you don't want them to leave because their presence is so powerful. The Pale Man is something to see; he will chill your bones without even lifting an eye. At times, it's hard not to feel like a little kid again hearing bed time stories and just losing yourself, something that is far underrated.

Don't make any mistake about it, this is one gruesome movie - a person is shot in point blank range, a cheek is sliced with a kitchen knife, and a person stiches himself with a fishhook and twine. Leave the kids at home. But it's not on screen just to make people hide behind their hands and squel in the ear of the unfortunate person sitting next to them. These scenes portray the opposing values of beatuy and uglyness in fantasy and reality.

The film can be interpreted in so many different ways that it works on so many different levels. It is an exceptionaly exhilirating, adventurous, and depressing film. Prepare yourself for something you have never seen before. When it comes down to it, Pan's Labyrinth is a touching story that is told with unique mastery.

2007 Oscar Nominations: Complete List

The Associated Press

Complete list of the 79th Annual Academy Award nominations announced Jan. 23 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif.:

1. Best Picture: "Babel," "The Departed," "Letters From Iwo Jima," "Little Miss Sunshine," "The Queen."

2. Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, "Blood Diamond"; Ryan Gosling, "Half Nelson"; Peter O'Toole, "Venus"; Will Smith, "The Pursuit of Happyness"; Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of Scotland."
3. Actress: Penelope Cruz, "Volver"; Judi Dench, "Notes on a Scandal"; Helen Mirren, "The Queen"; Meryl Streep, "The Devil Wears Prada"; Kate Winslet, "Little Children."

4. Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, "Little Miss Sunshine"; Jackie Earle Haley, "Little Children"; Djimon Hounsou, "Blood Diamond"; Eddie Murphy, "Dreamgirls"; Mark Wahlberg, "The Departed."

5. Supporting Actress: Adriana Barraza, "Babel"; Cate Blanchett, "Notes on a Scandal"; Abigail Breslin, "Little Miss Sunshine"; Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls"; Rinko Kikuchi, "Babel."

6. Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, "Babel"; Martin Scorsese, "The Departed"; Clint Eastwood, "Letters From Iwo Jima"; Stephen Frears, "The Queen"; Paul Greengrass, "United 93."

7. Foreign Language Film: "After the Wedding," Denmark; "Days of Glory (Indigenes)," Algeria; "The Lives of Others," Germany; "Pan's Labyrinth," Mexico; "Water," Canada.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Peter Baynham, Dan Mazer and Todd Phillips, "Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"; Alfonso Cuaron, Timothy J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, "Children of Men"; William Monahan, "The Departed"; Todd Field and Tom Perrotta, "Little Children"; Patrick Marber, "Notes on a Scandal."

9. Original Screenplay: Guillermo Arriaga, "Babel"; Iris Yamashita and Paul Haggis, "Letters From Iwo Jima"; Michael Arndt, "Little Miss Sunshine"; Guillermo del Toro, "Pan's Labyrinth"; Peter Morgan, "The Queen."

10. Animated Feature Film: "Cars," "Happy Feet," "Monster House."

11. Art Direction: "Dreamgirls," "The Good Shepherd," "Pan's Labyrinth," "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," "The Prestige."

12. Cinematography: "The Black Dahlia," "Children of Men," "The Illusionist," "Pan's Labyrinth," "The Prestige."

13. Sound Mixing: "Apocalypto," "Blood Diamond," "Dreamgirls," "Flags of Our Fathers," "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."

14. Sound Editing: "Apocalypto," "Blood Diamond," "Flags of Our Fathers," "Letters From Iwo Jima," "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."

15. Original Score: "Babel," Gustavo Santaolalla; "The Good German," Thomas Newman; "Notes on a Scandal," Philip Glass; "Pan's Labyrinth," Javier Navarrete; "The Queen," Alexandre Desplat.

16. Original Song: "I Need to Wake Up" from "An Inconvenient Truth," Melissa Etheridge; "Listen" from "Dreamgirls," Henry Krieger, Scott Cutler and Anne Preven; "Love You I Do" from "Dreamgirls," Henry Krieger and Siedah Garrett; "Our Town" from "Cars," Randy Newman; "Patience" from "Dreamgirls," Henry Krieger and Willie Reale.

17. Costume: "Curse of the Golden Flower," "The Devil Wears Prada," "Dreamgirls," "Marie Antoinette," "The Queen."

18. Documentary Feature: "Deliver Us From Evil," "An Inconvenient Truth," "Iraq in Fragments," "Jesus Camp," "My Country, My Country."

19. Documentary (short subject): "The Blood of Yingzhou District," "Recycled Life," "Rehearsing a Dream," "Two Hands."

20. Film Editing: "Babel," "Blood Diamond," "Children of Men," "The Departed," "United 93."

21. Makeup: "Apocalypto," "Click," "Pan's Labyrinth."

22. Animated Short Film: "The Danish Poet," "Lifted," "The Little Matchgirl," "Maestro," "No Time for Nuts."

23. Live Action Short Film: "Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)," "Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)," "Helmer & Son," "The Saviour," "West Bank Story."

24. Visual Effects: "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," "Poseidon," "Superman Returns."

The Departed Trailer

You'll never look at cranberry juice the same way again.

Best movie of 2006.

'Babel' and 'Dreamgirls?' Seriously?

January 15, 2007, A night for the underdogs.

The 64th Golden Globes started well enough; Jennifer Hudson grabbed a golden globe for her supporting role in Dreamgirls as Effie and Meryl Streep nabbed her sixth golden globe for playing the "boss from hell" in The Devil Wears Prada.

However, as the night went on, it became aparent the Holywood Foreign Press no longer holds actors/actresses, shows, and films to the same standards of quality.

Dreamgirls walked away with Best Picture in Musical or Comedy, a category it shouldn't have even been nominated for. It's just a Chicago wannabe.

Johnny Depp was once again looked over. Little Miss Sunshine was snubbed. The Departed was ignored. But to top it all off, Desperate Housewives and The Office were beat by Ugly Betty. At least it gives me something to rant about.

Amidst the disappointments, ther were moments of redemption. The two highlights, for me anyways, were that Martin Scorcese won a globe for his direction in The Departed, based on the Hong Kong cinema film Internal Affairs, and the win for Grey's Anatomy.

I hope this isn't an indication as to how the Oscars will go. I don't want this year to be another Crash.

The Kee to Survival

'Children of Men'

Rating: R
Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
Running Time: 1 hour 49 minutes

Alfonso Cuarón is a genius. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.

Based on the book by P.D. James, Children of Men is set in London, 2027. It is a dystopic society where women are infertile. People live in chaos and garbage piles line the streets. The whole world has collapsed, but "Britain soldiers on."

The film opens with the news that the world's youngest person, 'Baby' Diego Ricardo, at the age of 18 years, 4 months, 20 days, 16 hours, and 8 minutes, is stabbed to death. The entire population of England seems to be deeply affected by this news, everyone that is except for Theodore Faron (Clive Owen).

As somewhat of a cynic, Theo believes the world is past salvaging. Any efforts to save the human population is hopeless, for it is too late. But that's not to say he isn't out for his own skin. He accepts an offer from his ex-wife Julia (Juliann Moore), the leader of an underground organization called The Fishes, to gather transit papers in exchange for money.

Theo soon finds out Julia's plans are to bring Kee, who is miraculously pregnant in this world where people can no longer procreate, to the Human Project, a place where she can find solitude and safety for her child. Though, no one can have direct contact with the Human Project and people doubt its existence. Even so, Theo assumes the role of helping Kee get to the Project, risking his life in the process. His character goes through a transformation throughout the journey. He starts to have hope in his life once again, after being robbed of it when his child, Dylan, died as an infant.

The acting is overall very good, but Clive Owen is really the one who shines. He has been in roles before and has even been nominated for his role in Closer, but it seems like this was a part he was born to play. He is developing as an actor, and allowing himself be more subtle in how he plays a part. He is the quiet hero.

The greatest feat of the film is its tone. Cuarón doesn't sacrifice anything for it. Everything seen on screen is real. You believe it is real. One scene involves a getaway chase, but it is played in an erie silence, with the only sounds coming from the tires spinning, the doors opening and the characters' vents of frustration to start a rolling car as it travels down a muddy hill. It had me on the edge of my seat.

The best way to describe it is gritty. No punches are held back; parts of the film remind me of the Holocaust and its portrayal in Schindler's List. To top everything off, the shaky camera takes you right in the scenes, with hails of gunfire whizzing past your head.

Everything about the cinematography is truly remarkable. It sets a standard for motion pictures of what should be expected. In one instance, there is a ten minute uncut shot of raw footage following Theo trying to get to a boat with Kee. Kee is taken away and Theo has to run through the streets with tanks and soldiers fighting the rebellion, with the camera following him all the way. I can't even imagine the amount of prepartion and coordination for a shot like that, with explosions, guns, actors, and blood splatters.

Looking back on the film, it is obvious that it has many underlying religous themes. Children of Men is actually a reference to the Bible and specifically refers to the surviving members of the human race. Theo, in Greek, means God. Also, there is an emphasis on Theo's feet, whether he is wearing sandals or taking a foot bath. These point as a reference towards Jesus. And I don't think that Kee's pregnancy is a coincidence.

These themes actually help portray a quite inspiring human quality throughout the film, the quality of human sacrifice. Many characters constantly risk their lives for the sake of Kee and her child. It is in these moments that there the worst human qualites are portrayed like brutality, but contribute to the depressing tone of the film.

Children of Men is definitely one of the best films over the past year. It's just as good as Little Miss Sunshine and The Departed. It really surprised me, considering I did not heard much of the film before it was realeased. Too bad not many people will go see it.

"Captain f***ing Magic."

'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang'

Rating: R
Directed by: Shane Black
Running Time: 1 hours 43 minutes

No really, Harry Lockhart was a magician. That's why he's got those fast reflexes and good motor skills.

Harry (Robert Downey Jr.) is a thief and he excels in being a con man. He stumbles on an audition and ends up being flown across the country to Los Angeles for consideration for a movie. Things quickly take a turn when he participates in a video surveillance job with private detective Gay Perry (Val Kilmer) to prepare for his role only to witness the disposal of a corpse.

The plot unfolds through Harry's quirky and undecisive narration, constantly leaping back and forth, mimicing pulp novels, to keep the audience in the dark and on its toes in its L.A. Confidential style mystery. It works well, and the light tone of narration starkly contrasts the tongue-in-cheek violence.

It's one of the most original and actually humorous takes on crime dramas/film noirs of recent years. In one instance, Harry calls up Gay Perry from underneath a corner shelf in his hotel room's bathroom shaking while looking at a body in his shower. All the while, he is trying to explain why he peed on the corpse.

Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer are comfortable in their roles, which is a good because most of the story is carried out through their banter. There is a chemistry between Gay Perry and Harry, but not the romantic kind. It's funny and entertaining. Perry asks Harry what he would find if he looked the word idiot up in the dictionary. Harry answers, "A picture of me?" Perry quickly follows with, "No, you moron. The definition of idiot, idiot."

With all the humor and intesnity, the director attempted to instill a message throughout the film. This is perhaps the biggest fault of the movie. It should have taken a lesson from the Dude. Most of the coincidences throughout the film hinted at alluding to something bigger. Its obviousness almost makes it feel washed out and corny.

But besides its faults, this film stands out among all the other mundane predictable films. It makes a name for itself and could be considered one of the most hysterical crime dramas.

Shrek 3 Trailer

...and this won't even be the last one.

'Dreamgirls,' not so much a dream

Rating: PG-13
Directed by: Bill Condon
Running Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

If you plan on going to see Dreamgirls, you're walking right into an accident. Run away, run far away.

As a parallel on the Supremes, the film is set in 1960s Detroit and is about three women trying to break into the music industry. It is adapted from a Broadway musical and exposes what goes on behind the stage.

The film is a mix between Rent and Ray, but a bad mix at that. It quickly loses it's potential, going in about ten different directions. About thirty minutes into the movie, it all of a sudden turns into a musical. What the hell? Someone grab Simon Cowell.

Musicals are fine, but bad musicals are like a sledgehammer to the head. The film Chicago is an amazing musical; it doesn't make the same mistake of having characters sing flat dialogue as Dreamgirls does. And just about everything in this movie is flat.

The characters are underdeveloped. I really can't tell you that much about each character. They all have wooden dialogue. Someone fire the screenwriters. And don't even get me started on Jamie Foxx.

The screenplay is where most of the problems are, proving that adaptations are not as easy as they seem. The script moves along at an uneven pace and has too many assumptions. One second the girls are nobodies and the next they are famous. The characters also fall in and out of love between takes.

The one positive aspect of this film is that it is led by a powerful performance by Jennifer Hudson. She can convey emotion when she sings, much more so than Beyonce. But she can't hold the entire movie together the way Johnny Depp does for Pirates of the Caribbean.

If you still want to go see this film, start lowering your expectations. This one is off pitch.