Låt den rätte komma in (Let The Right One In)

As many know, or will come to learn, I am not a fan of reading. I, like many out there, prefer to wait for the movie to come out. So when I go to see a movie and I find that the entire movie is subtitled, I usually have a strong urge to get up and walk out. However, I am very happy that I did not even budge as Let the Right One In is one of those movies that deserved to be seen in all of it's greatness. From the amazing child acting to the dark story line of life and friendship this movie will leave you wondering, have you let the wrong one in?

The film follows young Oskar and Eli as they try to become friends despite the fact that young Eli, is not so young after all. Well, in appearance she seems like your average pale skinned 12 year old girl in Russia, but on the inside you find she is missing one thing, a soul. This is because Eli is actually a Vampire. Now stop, before you jump to the thought of Twilight and that the only reason I liked this is the vampire story line, I ask you to read my review of Twilight and you will see that that has nothing to do with me liking this movie.

Oskar just wants a friend as he is your basic loner child who gets made fun of and beaten up, but when this mysterious girl moves in next door all he can seem to think about is being her friend. What is great about this movie is that despite the fact the Eli is a vampire it is the fact the Oskar liked who she was as a "person" before and the fact of living, nor dead, she is still that "person" he likes. But, as most vampires have to do, Eli must eat. And when people start turning up dead in town she realizes that she must leave Oskar behind and start over again. But that is not the end of this story.

I honestly fell in love with this movie, even though it was subtitled. As the dialogue was very intriguing and insightful, I could not help but feel for the young children. It is rare to see a movie that is set in another time, another country, another language and yet you still feel a connection with the characters. On a watchablity scale I do give this movie a six out of ten as it is slow, subtitled and hard to follow at times, but it still does get my recommendation for being an amazing work of art. From a production and acting point of view I give this movie a stellar TEN OUT OF TEN! Amazing job well done to these young actors and to the director Thomas Alfredson.

Joshua

Have you ever thought about having a child, or are thinking that a child might be right for you? I was the same way, I was all for having a son and watching as he grew up to be a man. That was, until I saw Joshua. The story of jealousy and a child who truly has a dark place in his heart, or is it all a coincidence? That is for you to find out in this amazing tale of feeling replaced.

With supporting actor turned lead role, Sam Rockwell (The Green Mile, Choke) plays Brad Cairn, the father of 9 year old Joshua, Jacob Kogan (Star Trek; Young Spock). We start the movie off with the most amazing site on Earth, the miracle of birth. Brad and his wife, Abby (Vera Farmiga; The Orphan, Running Scared) have their daughter Hazel. After 9 years of being the only child, Joshua now fears that he is going to be replaced as the one that they loved most, as most children do.

But, when things start to go wrong in the Cairn household, you instantly begin to suspect young Joshua to be the culprit. However, I do ask that you not jump to the conclusion that the child is pure evil, or satanic, but an innocent child. There is a logical reason why everything does happen in this movie that makes it seem that Joshua being evil is just the easy explanation. When in all reality everything he does, does in-fact seem as something that any child would do. But, you be the judge of that....

As the movie does get closer to an end, things do begin to become more-clear that all Joshua wants is to be loved, and that this genius of a child may have been too smart for his age. With a beautiful and haunting piano recital there is little question as to the extents that people will go to be noticed and loved. I 100% recommend this movie as a one time watch. On a watchability scale I give this movie an eight of ten. There are several slow parts in the movie and something’s seem a little to unreal, but I dare you to see this movie and still say that you would want a child and that you could love him or her no matter what.

Twilight

Now before I make everyone mad at me, let me state that I HAVE NOT READ THE BOOKS. With that disclaimer out of the way let me attempt to begin to describe to you the pain that I went through to sit through the entire film. There is VERY little about this movie that makes it worth seeing. From geographic landmarks being ignored in locations where they clearly should have been to the lack of the ability to act on these character's parts.


The writing of this movie is pitiful and must disgrace the book series; otherwise I will never be able to understand why this series is even popular to anyone. Everything that is mythical about vampires is completely lost on in translation here. It is a sad attempt to re-write an Anne Rice novel. From the fact that they live in the Pacific Northwest cause it is never sunny is an asinine thought. And when a vampire is in the sun does he burst into flame? No, rather he glitters... yes, like Xanadu. A steak can still kill them though right? NO! They apparently need to be mauled to death and burned at the same time.


The worst part of the movie has to be the 20 minutes of pure crap where the vampires play baseball during a thunderstorm in an open field. They MUST play during a thunderstorm because the sound of their strength hitting a ball with a bat sounds like thunder!? You think I am kidding, I am not.


On a watch ability scale this movie would have to sadly get a 3 out of 5 from me however, but ONLY if you are a 12 year old girl, or a FLAMING homosexual. If you are a grown adult or have ANY testosterone in your body you will not be able to stand the hell that is this movie. On a professional scale this movie did not even get ranked it was so horrible. The ONLY thing that can possibly save this movie is that the director of Hard Candy and 30 Days of Night will be directing the third movie. But even then it may be a lost cause.

The Kingdom

One of the most powerful movies to have come out this decade. There is very little more to say when the credits begin to roll other than, "Wow". From beginning to end boundaries are pushed and some even crossed. For the first time we see the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and how the government has reacted in war situations and not taken 9/11 as anything other than a part of history.


Go inside Saudi lines and see the culture, not as a hostile government but a country in fear and panic. One that is fighting for what they believe in. With some of the most amazingly placed camera footage and distortions of the lenses you find yourself attaching yourself to not only the characters but the landscapes as well.


With an all star cast of Jennifer Garner, Jamie Fox, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman there is more than enough of an urge to see this piece of beautifully made art. Unfortunately I do not remember who said it first but you will forget to breathe for the last 20 minutes of this movie. Nothing has made me happier and upset at the same time in a long time. Brilliant. Masterful. Artistic. My kind of movie.


I 100% recommend this movie to anyone who likes damn near any style of movie. On a watch ability scale this movie never losses your interest. From beginning to end this movie grabs you and never let’s go.

The Crying Game

The Crying Game is a wonderful example of what people wanted to see in a film in the early to mid 90s. This movie is perfectly made for the time it came out. By today’s standards this movie would not be as noteworthy. I do however find this movie to be extremely well made and have even gone to the extent of wanting to get a tattoo in reference to the story told by Forrest Whitaker. One of the best parts about The Crying Game is that when watching you feel as though you really are watching two completely different movies.

The first half of the movie takes place, for the majority of the time, in a room with Forrest Whitaker and his kidnapper, Fergus (played by Stephen Rea). We watch as a friendship emerges between the captor and captive. One where stories are shared, and laughs are exchanged. But when things do not turn out good for Forrest we follow the story of Fergus as he finds Forrest’s girlfriend to pass along a message. When the two meet, Fergus falls head over heels for this fine woman. But as always, things are not what they appear to be.

Filled with great acting, amazing soundtrack, and a killer twist, The Crying Game makes for a must see movie. Be warned however that this movie is from another generation and the pace of the movie is very different from that of movies that come out today. The Crying Game starts of with a bang and does not focus on setting up the story nearly as much as they do now. There are a few plot holes that could be fixed but over all, it is what I would expect from a movie from this time. I give this movie an 8.5 out of 10.

Iron Man

Iron Man deserves two different reviews, one for watch ability and another for production. I was lucky enough to watch this movie on a lap top with poor quality for the first time. I was really happy with the movie and more than excited to run to Fred Meyer to purchase the movie. While watching it I wondered what exactly happened between the first time I watched it the second time.


Iron Man is a great movie to see and I have told many to watch it. High action and grade A humor perfect for Robert Downey Jr.. With the perfect amount of action and comedy with the PERFECT lack of a love story this is a completely different type of super hero movie. It is a breath of fresh air with great acting and what I believe to be a great adaptation of a classic comic. On a scale of One to Ten of watch ability I give Iron Man a nine.


Now for the reason I am unhappy with Iron Man solely off of a Production scale, I am just not nearly as satisfied. There are a few moments in the movie where Tony Stark is filming his research and attempts but this video looks WAY too high quality to be a home research video. Yes Stark Enterprises has the highest quality of equipment but they need to adapt to the viewers and what we know. The excuse of money in movies is over used. There are several moments in the movie where you can tell the CGI is being used. Just too fake to be seen as a possibility. The production seemed a little rushed to finish this movie to be out in time for the season highlight. On a production scale I give this movie a six unfortunately.

Boy A

Recently to DVD is a personal favorite of mine, Boy A is a stunning movie that goes beyond just a movie and deserves to be called art. Andrew Garfield’s (Lions for Lambs) first major role as Jack Burridge is stunning. Enough so that his performance earned him a BAFTA for Best Actor. Other than Best Actor Boy A has received other awards such as, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury in Berlin, as well as BAFTAs for Best Director, Best Editing and Best Photography and Lighting.

Boy A is a movie about life and an attempt at a second chance after a mistake is made. After being detained in a Juvenal facility for fourteen years Jack is released under the cloak of secrecy back into society. As we follow Jack as he gets a job, makes friends, finds a girlfriend, and yes even drink for the first time as a free man; we are reminded of the crime that he committed as we learn through the use of flash backs what it was that he lives with every day. Jack is one of the most relatable characters out there right now. We have all made mistakes and you will find yourself rooting for Jack every step of the way. As the ending approaches it is evident of what will happen and somewhat predictable but it is not the big moments that matter it is what Jack does afterward that counts and what makes the movie that much better.

I do not want to ruin how the movie ends and don’t want others to ruin it for you as well. For that very reason I ask you NOT to watch the trailer as you see the last 10 seconds in it. This movie is one of those movies that is more than ruined by its trailer. For a little more than the cost to rent the movie you can purchased on Amazon under the new and used price, I found it new for eleven dollars. It is more than worth it, I even called in sick at work to go see it when it was a part of SIFF, the Seattle International Film Festival.