Lincoln [2012]

Lincoln is a 2012 production, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day Lewis as the famous American president who changed history. Written by Tony Kushner, it is a story dedicated to the United States, heavy on heartfelt speeches, anecdotes and passionate verbal fights between Congressmen.

Lincoln is not a great film; it has its flaws and, as far as Spielberg movies goes, it's not one of his best. My main problem is the script. As many stated before me, it is long, extremely long, even for 2h and a half. I would give an Oscar to DDL just for the amount of lines, funny stories and speeches he had to memorize and say. I appreciate the discussions of such important topics as slavery and human rights, but it just went on and on, with few interesting scenes (my favorites came towards the end, with Stevens celebrating at home with his special guest and the very end, the fact that they didn't actually show a crucial point of history, but instead showed it from a different perspective). It was very well written, don't get wrong, but a bit boring and long.

When it comes to technical or filmmaking aspects, I have nothing bad or good to say. It looked good, the sets and costumes, especially Abraham's appearance, were realistically done, but I wasn't impressed or attracted by the direction, like in other films.

My highlights of Lincoln were definitely the performances. I realized half way through that this was, indeed, Daniel Day Lewis, not Lincoln. Absolutely fantastic performance, one of the best I have seen- It is a hard part and he nailed it; I respect him just for the number of lines and speeches he had to memorize and do, all completed by the right mannerisms and professionalism. Another standout was David Strathairn as the secretary of state, who was equally calm, honest and gracious, as he was passionate. I can't not mention Sally Fields (terrific in some scenes, like the fight with her husband over Robert and Willie or the reception meeting with Stevens), and Tommy Lee Jones, as the old grumpy man who eventually comes through. Are these last two worthy of Oscars? Not really, but I would be fine with it. Besides that, to top off the superb casting, the rest of the actors involved were top notch, and just by looking at the IMDb list, you know you can expect a well acted film.

In the end, is Lincoln a great film? not really. Does it have amazing performances? Most definitely. Is it worth seeing it just for them? Hmmm.....maybe, plus it is nominated for many awards, so I suggested you watch it for yourself and decides if it's worth the buzz.

Traffic [2000]

Traffic is probably one of the best dramas, or better said, best political/addiction dramas I have ever seen. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Stephen Gaghan (but based on a miniseries), it focus on drugs, more specifically on a conservative judge who is appointed by the President to spearhead America's escalating war against drugs, only to discover that his teenage daughter is an addict. Winner of multiple awards, including Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director at the Oscars, Traffic is unmissable.

The script, an intersection of stories and characters, is quite intricate and political, but it works perfectly by the end of it. When I noticed this, I thought it would be hard to follow, or it will make me loose the interest, but they connected things very well. My favorite storyline was the main one, that of the judge and the daughter, just because it had so much to provide and prove, and the ending of it was both touching and memorable, as the man who's job was to fight the war, had to quit it in order to survive that same war for and with his daughter.

Another strong point for Traffic is definitely the casting: not A listers, but good, talented actors, who are not in the front of the line, but still do their jobs to the T; people like Don Cheadle, Luis Guzman, Dennis Quaid and others. Benicio del Toro, as Javier Rodriguez Rodriguez, delivers one of the strongest performances of the cast- what I liked most was his way of showing so much emotion and care without overacting or letting on his feelings in a visible way. Other standout performances were those of Catherine Zeta Jones, a woman who I have never seen have a bad day acting, and Michael Douglas, of which I can say the same thing, but also Erika Christensen, who provided the surprise as a young addicted woman who takes the wrong turn in life.

From a filmmaking point of view, it was quite spectacular. Soderbergh's direction was spot on, giving the story a very realistic feel and showing us all the sides of the main topic, without being too subjective on one or another. Shocking and moving examples are most of the scenes with the young woman, like when the teenagers were taking drugs, or the moment in the dirty hotel room with the black guy, but also some of the scenes in Mexico. Similarly, I liked how the cinematography, colors and editing were different according with the set up and the cities (special elements for Mexico, or the blue motif for some of the scenes). All together, the technical elements worked beautifully with the performances of the actors to give us a film worth watching.

Overall, Traffic is a fantastic movie, not only because of the story, its delicate theme and how it was made, but also because it manages to provide a realistic and sometimes shocking view over the drug war. That's probably why I liked it so much- because it told the story of drugs from all points of view: those who buy it, the users; those who sell it and produce it, the cartels; and those who try to stop it, the force. Traffic is a drama you should definitely see, if you haven't already.

Friends with kids [2012]

Friends with kids is a 2012 film written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt, who just happens to be Jon Ham's better half, as well. It's about two best friends, a guy and a girl, who decide to have a child together when time runs out, their friends start having kids and they can't seem to find the right person to start a family with.

I am afraid this review might turn out to be very short because frankly, there is nothing outstanding about this film, although it is entertaining and mostly delivers in every aspect. The script is one of the strongest points, yet I must admit the end is too good to be true, but hey, it's fiction, it's a movie, so I'll just take it as it is and enjoy it.The dialogue is witty and occasionally funny, and the actors make it work very well- it does have a realistic feel to it. Considering it is set in the present day of New York, I can't really say anything about the sets, the costumes or the direction- everything felt....OK. Really, nothing bad or good stood out!

One thing I particularly liked was the casting. Yes, Kristen Wiig and Jon Hamm are one of the couples and they are surprisingly good in a non-comedic role, especially Wiig, who I was impressed by, but my favorites have to be Maya Rudolph and Chris O'Dowd. They are dynamite together and form a weird, but adorable and funny pair that light up the screen- O'Dowd, in particular, is on his way to stardom, just because of his charisma, English charm and talent, and I've loved Rudolph ever since the SNL day and I still think she is one hell of a woman. Adam Scott did a pretty good job portraying the sarcastic, often blind-to-the-obvious type of man who always goes for the easy route, whilst Jennifer Westfeldt offers a nice surprise, adding compassion, love and a touch of sweetness to the cast and the story. They form an odd couple, but I could see it happen in real life.

Overall, like I said, there was nothing very bad or very good to say about it. `Friends with kids` is a nice, normal, romantic comedy that you could probably watch anytime- put the DVD in, enjoy it for the almost 2 hours it runs, and then forget about it. I would recommend it just because it is a light movie that can be seen whenever you need something to cheer you up or take your mind off things.

New Year's Eve[2011] and a bad cinema experience

So, a couple of days ago I left cold London to go to an even colder home town somewhere in Eastern Europe. I missed my friends so we decided to go watch a movie. Since you can only find action, family or comedies ones in the cinema, my friend asked to go see New Year's Eve with her, and I, being the great girl that I am, said yes.

First of all, let me just say, actually, vent about a 2 horrendous people who I met there. Before going in, I waited 5 minutes outside, reading a magazine. Next to me was a couple- normal, right? Think again- they were laughing and talking aloud whilst looking around and probably gossiping(including me); they were being simply put- jerks. After my friend arrived, we went inside and guess next to whom my seat was? The douchebag and his girlfriend. And the laughter continued and I was starting to wonder if I had something on my face or did something wrong!Anyway, I ignored them....that was until the movie started and they were talking during it, not only to each other and for most of the time, but also on the phone- yes, you read it right, on the phone! And for the most important part of the movie, during the great, intentionally inspiring speech Hillary Swank gave, they were laughing yet again!Ahhh!I just wanted to punch them so badly!

Anyway, back to the movie! As you can imagine, it wasn't a masterpiece and there were so many bad things to it, so I am just going to write down some notes I mentally took during the screening:

- Wow, this poster just gave Photoshop a new definition! So unnatural!

- This script is horrible! So many cheesy lines and predictable stories!

- Michelle Pfeifer looks rather old- it's sad!IBut I still like her!

- Zac Efron is older....and fatter....and uglier! I knew I had a good reason not to like him since the beginning!

- Seriously, how many celebrities can you fit into one movie?

- Is it just me or is Jon Bon Jovi a pretty decent actor?

- Oh yes, Seth Meyers is on screen- that is where my money went to! Thank you! (did I ever tell you I love SNL?)

- If only I had a hot (well, ZE isn't, but you get my point) delivery guy who would be willing to make my dreams come true....

- Even Ryan Seacrest showed up; I like him, you got to admit the guy is charming- perfect TV host

- Oh my goodness, Sofia Vergara is so adorable and sexy...and pretty funny!

- Why is Lea Michele's character named Elise? she is obviously Rachel from Glee!

- Ok, can we skip the De Niro, Swank, Dushmel parts? 

- Oh yes, Seth Meyers, Jessica Biel and the magical vagina are back on screen- and are making me laugh! Thank you!

- This fast paced, storyline mixing situation is getting weird. It doesn't have consistency, I get confused sometimes, especially when they start connecting the characters, always trying to figure out who was with who! Let's just get it over with!

And then, after a great, extremely predictable ending scene with Raise your glass on the background, New Year's Eve was over!

The End!

Final thought- recommend or not?

The boys will probably hate it or think it's too cheesy for them!

The girls- hmm, well, it's funny in some parts+ you have a lot of celebrities! Give it a try on DVD!