The Butterfly Effect Movie Review …

Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher) suffered black outs as a child, but as he reaches college and re-reads some of the old journals he used to keep he finds himself transported back to the past memories that he thought that he blacked out from. Like many people, Evan has been subconsciously deleting memories from his own mind in order to forget times that were emotionally scarring for him, and when he relives these experiences he comes to realize that he doesn’t have to sit idly by and watch these terrible things happen. However, any avid movie goer knows that you should never change the past and Evan is forced to suffer the consequences of changing his future as well.

The Butterfly Effect deals with alternate universes, which is a complicated concept to begin with, let alone to thrust on your audience. However, the film deals surprisingly well with this, without becoming too clever or overcomplicating the storyline. Every choice that Evan makes seems to change his future for the worse, suggesting that his own misfortune works in mysterious ways to make the lives of other people better. The butterfly effect is when a small change affects the world around you in ways that you can’t imagine, and the film combines this theory with some psychology to make an interesting storyline that really makes you think.

I was actually surprised at how much I liked The Butterfly Effect, for which I probably had low expectations because of Ashton Kutcher’s history of playing goofball characters in unsubtle comedies and hearing few good things about it. Admittedly, Ashton Kutcher’s performance in this doesn’t quite rival Robert De Niro’s in Taxi Driver, but this is one of his few serious film roles and he carries it off well. Amy Smart is his on-off girlfriend Kayleigh who plays a number of alternate variations of her character with intensity and emotion. The Butterfly Effect is underrated and often criticized, but it’s one of few films that explore the human psyche and what ‘could have been’ without the director getting carried away with their own musings.

The Butterfly Effect is one of those annoying films that have alternate endings; four in fact. So if you’re inevitably on YouTube as soon as the movie credits begin, you get to see how the movie could have played out. I find this slightly irritating, because I don’t have the self control not to look them up, but I would prefer it if the film makers would just pick an ending and stick to it. You don’t find novelists writing a story and then selling five separate pamphlets with the book so that you can choose how it ends.

It seems as if they haven’t committed themselves to any ending, like they’re worrying too much about what the audience will think instead of putting faith in the strength of their film. Ironically, whether or not you like this film will probably depend on which ending you see, because while one completes a perfect story, several of the others just delve into uninspired cliché.

I would recommend The Butterfly Effect to almost anyone, despite the poor reviews it’s had in the past, often because people were sitting down to watch it expecting something else from Ashton Kutcher. It’s actually an example of a story and a concept that could have been much more than it was, but something about the combination of ingredients for this film robbed it of being truly intellectual. However, The Butterfly Effect is thought provoking and surprisingly well acted.

Apparently Ashton Kutcher not only did a lot of background reading on psychology for his part, but also finally got The Butterfly Effect green lit for production by signing on to play Evan after the script was knocking around in the corridors of Hollywood for years. It’s not one of the best movies of all time, but it’s certainly not the worst, and definitely better than anything else Ashton Kutcher has put his name to before or since. So settle down in front of the TV, reach for the popcorn, and make sure you have a PC nearby to watch the alternate endings if you’re not satisfied by the end.

The Butterfly Effect Movie Trailer

Shaun of the Dead Movie Review …

Shaun isn’t having the best week. His girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) decides that since their relationship is going nowhere she might as well look elsewhere, at work he’s losing control of the knuckle dragging teenagers he’s supposed to manage, his mother is getting cozy with a man who Shaun thinks is as boring as sin and his uptight housemate (Peter Serafinowicz) is fed up of cleaning up after Shaun’s monolithic best mate Ed (Nick Frost). Really, a zombie apocalypse is just the icing on the cake.

In fact, once Shaun (Simon Pegg) finally lifts his head long enough to realize that for once the local teens are trying to chew on his ears rather than kicking soccer balls at his head, impending doom seems like a really great excuse to reunite himself with his lost love Liz. Shaun of the Dead plays on the dreariest parts of British life as the sudden turn to cannibalism appears to make so little difference to the normal way of life that Shaun doesn’t even notice. When teenagers are dragging their feet, people are coughing up bodily fluids on the bus, tramps are pawing at people and people are swaying and falling down ‘drunk’ in the street, it’s just another Monday morning and Shaun has his own problems to think of.

The film frequently suggests that there are probably much more exciting epic battles with the undead going on around England, but with a wry grin announces: tough, you’re watching this one. At one point our group of survivors passes an equally matched but arguably much more impressive cast of British actors heading in the other direction, but Shaun’s gang break into a pub and hole up there, drawn by thoughts of familiarity, beer and plenty of salty snacks. Shaun of the Dead is a film about a group of people who live in a rut, enjoy that rut, and seek it out in times of crisis, which is what makes it so charming.

Unfortunately trying to barricade yourself into a pub with only one antique shotgun for defense and nothing to stop any particularly creative zombie breaking in through the huge windows isn’t a typical strategy for avoiding getting eaten for a reason. Obviously named after George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, Shaun of the Dead makes frequent nods to that and most other zombie films as the hoards encroach on Shaun, his best friend Ed, his mother, girlfriend Liz and her two tag along flat mates fight the zombies in their own… unique way.

It’s fair to say that the laughs come thick and fast with this zombie comedy, but some of the attempts to decapitate their brain hungry enemies are so originally hilarious that it had the whole cinema in tears of laughter. After realizing that their first encounter is with a zombie rather than a drunk fat girl, Ed and Shaun have to make quick fire decisions about which vinyl’s they want to throw at her head and which are worth keeping, and a couple of hours later they’re beating an old man to death with pool cues to the tune of Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now.

Obviously Shaun of the Dead isn’t the first comedy take on a horror genre, but it manages to keep its jokes and references funny without delving into mocking like Scary Movie. In fact, it actually manages to get in a few moments of genuine emotion, such as the relationship between Shaun, his mom and his stepfather (Bill Nighy) and the dramatic end of said relationship.

Nick Frost and Simon Pegg have been an inseparable comedy duo for years having started out on Spaced, a low budget comedy cult TV series with a huge following, but Shaun of the Dead was one of the first of their films and in my opinion the best. It has everything a good zombie movie should and it easily finds its way into my top five zombie films of all time.

Shaun of the Dead Movie Trailer

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Movie Review …

Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) believes that he’s falling in love with his new girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) despite their differences, but when his friends let a secret slip he realizes that there’s more to their relationship than meets the eye.

Lacuna Enterprises is run by a kindly but less than reassuring doctor played by Tom Wilkinson and offers clients who believe that they are scarred by their memories the chance to undergo a simple procedure to erase the worst part of their history from their minds. It’s a well-intentioned idea, but Lacuna Enterprises have seen the chance to make money from people burnt by the flame of love and are now offering the ability to remove former lovers from memory.

Most of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind takes place in the mind of Joel as he gets Clementine erased from his memory, fuelled by the knowledge that she erased him first on impulse after a fight. He realizes halfway through the procedure that he’s made a mistake, and his mental interpretation of Clementine drags him through his own memories, trying to hide from the erasers in places that they won’t be searched for.

The real brilliance of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is the fragile relationship between Clementine and Joel, two people who couldn’t be more different and yet find love together. Clementine is impulsive, kooky and unusual, and she drags Joel with her through real life as well as in his head. This is one of Jim Carrey’s more serious roles as the neurotic, nervous and severely introverted Joel Barish, and one of the few where he doesn’t bring in his huge array of facial expressions to spark up his performance.

Frankly his character doesn’t need embellishing, because the lovely thing about Joel and Clementine is that you see the best and worst of both of them through their relationship. The lead characters are far from perfect and neither is their story, but Joel cherishes each of their memories together and you begin to feel the wrench of each memory being taken away with him as the movie proceeds.

We work backwards through their time together as the eraser deletes each memory, and the color of Kate Winslet’s hair is used as a clever plot device to separate the first and second attempts at their relationship since the memory deletion. Interspersed through the story are glances at the lives of the Lacuna team and the relationship between Mary the Lacuna receptionist (Kirsten Dunst), the two technicians and the doctor who created the idea of memory erasing. Elijah Wood does a good performance as the technician Patrick, who combines the nerdy, uncertain side of the technician with a sinister disregard for Joel as he has his sights set on another prize.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a beautiful story of the triumphs and failings of a real relationship, and shows us the precious moments that you share with lover that are odd, charming or painful but ultimately too important to let go of. Joel Barish realizes this too late, but it’s enjoyable to experience all the little defining moments of their relationship as we watch him fight to get it back. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind isn’t exactly a laugh riot; it has its funny moments but the tragedy is often more powerful than the comedy.

Unfortunately it gets off to a bit of a confusing start, because you only really grasp what’s going on when you’re fairly far through the film and the plot device with the sudden color change of Clementine’s hair isn’t immediately obvious. While it keeps you thinking, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind probably didn’t need to preserve the mystery to bring an extra layer to what is already a very immersive story that is easy to relate to for anyone who’s ever felt strongly for another person.

The film has a good performance from everyone involved, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind will leave you thinking even after the credits begin rolling as you consider how easy it would be to completely remove something or someone from your life. The manner in which Joel and Clementine slip from one dream landscape to the next in Joel’s head perfectly reflects the dynamic world of dreams, making this film unlike anything you will have seen before. Poignant, emotional and thought-provoking, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of a kind and a joy to watch.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Movie Trailer

The red light district in Calcutta is known for its misery, drug dealing, alcohol, poverty and of course prostitution. In such a place, with no chance for any contraception, “work accidents” happen. These “accidents” have to live there, clean in the shacks (cannot call these homes), exit the room when their mothers are “working”, put up with abuse and absolutely zero chance for an education and a life out of there. The kids who are around the age of ten are heading for the same lives as their mothers and grandmothers. The girls are forced into prostitution the moment they hit puberty, we don’t find out about the boys, but they seem to share a similar destiny.

Among all these people, some of the kids are brilliant and would deserve another chance.

This is what Zana Briski (the creator, also a photographer) thinks too. She’s been there for a while, trying to take pictures of the people who live in that miserable area. Of course, being “white” and carrying a camera, doesn’t help with her blending in. Anyway, while doing her job, she is drawn to the kids. The brothels in Calcutta are filled with children. They are naughty, and smart and smile, even if their lives don’t quite qualify for the “funniest lives award”.

She gives them cameras and guides them to photograph. The new materials help her in the job, while the kids start learning about photography. They learn to comment on a photo, understand what makes one beautiful and all kinds of technical details.

You can imagine how fascinated the little ones are and how they “work” to get the best pictures they can. Some of them says something that just breaks your heart “we like to take photos more than we like to work”. They have to clean, wash dishes, carry water and put up with cursing and beatings. This is their escape from their sinister lives. Imagine it or not, these little photographers develop nicely and some get absolutely amazing pictures. They can see the beauty in the misery surrounding them and their pictures are (some) absolutely remarkable.

One of them, Avijit (a boy), shows so much talent he wins an Amsterdam trip. Getting him the papers and then a passport is an extreme experience, because of the huge bureaucracy and the fact he is a prostitute’s child. Briski starts preparation to get papers and health documents for all “her” kids, in her desperate attempt to get them to boarding schools so that they can get an education.

Some of these kids are not allowed to leave home, some are taken back by the parents, some leave the boarding school to return home. One runs from home to the school and few are still there, trying to learn and change their destiny.

The documentary speaks of a world that gives no chance to these kids. Most of them might be dead now or with years of being “on the line”, and few might have gone through some years in school. Only very few can become something else than “meat” in the red lights district.

It’s a sad and yet remarkable documentary about humanity and second chances. And misery taken to an extreme. It will leave you with tears in your eyes, but it’s definitely worth watching and recommending.

I’ve really enjoyed this show for quite a long time already. Even if my skinny/fit self doesn’t need to watch this, the show has been a delight.

The beginning is always similar: you’ve got some very “big” people who can’t quite guess how they got there, but surely realize they need help. Almost all admit their diet was far from being correct and, after seeing what people eat here in the USA, I am totally shocked. I mean a simple ‘burger&fries’ menu has more calories than I should be eating IN A DAY. Most of them tripled or quadrupled their normal intake, not working out (we do have some busy schedule, let’s face it) and have taken morbid proportions.

This is their wake up call.

The show grinds them and works them out, forces a diet and a lot of lifestyle changes. The 2 trainers are more than mean sometimes, but in the end, you cannot have progress without a lot of work.

One thing I absolutely love is THE TRANSFORMATION. Some contestants don’t have the will and strength to go all the way, so few remain similarly “big” as they used to be. The sad thing is some don’t learn anything from their experience. We’ve also got some who, even if not having exceptional results, are still improving their lives tremendously and I do believe their constant work will make it worth it. And there’s the occasional winner who sheds pounds like getting undressed and stays the same. These are the true winners (even if few of them don’t actually come in first), since their lives have changed forever.

It’s amazing to see how these people change their lives. The start as the “eat way too much couch potato” and end up being athletes. Come on, they even run the marathon, something I couldn’t do myself, though I am pretty fit and slender.

The show is ridden with commercials. You can ignore them (in the end Subway to have a lot of heavy-calorie stuff and I could live without Brita) and focus on the main thing. You can also leave aside all the drama and sometimes idiotic talks, what’s left is a pretty decent show that allows us to see how some people choose to solve their problem and how much work and dedication goes into this.

What gets it close to Big Brother and other “inferior” shows it’s all the drama in the kitchen. People with huge egos, who are battling in the end each and every one to remain the winners. What makes it great are all the challenges they have to face, all the cooking contests and the many good recipes in the end.

Even if I am not good in the kitchen (this is the understatement of the year, I am a menace), I have to say this kept me interested through all the seasons. I have re-watched the previous series and loved each episode.

So, if you’re interested in cooking, or just want to see some amazingly talented aspiring chefs try to win such a big contest, you can consider it in your “to watch” list.

Dr. Gregory House is an amazing diagnostician, but lacking any bedside manners. He’s always in a bad mood, caused by his never ceasing pain he’s treating with Vicodin. He’s able to see through his patients’ lies and actually doesn’t put too much trust in their words anyway. Believing all patients are liars, he’s relying on his team of experts and his own abilities to come up with solutions in the most desperate cases.

His team face constant bickering and verbal abuse, still convinced he does have a lot to offer as a specialist. There’s a lot of verbal “ping-pong” between him and the team: neurologist Eric Foreman (Omar Epps), immunologist Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) and oncologist James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard).

Add Dr. Lisa Cuddy, the hospital administrator, in the mix and you’ll have it all: witty dialogue, funny and ironic replies and a plot that goes from predictable to totally unexpected.

As the seasons progress so do their relationships: some go sour, others grow. An excellent TV Drama, I’d be amazed if you haven’t already watched at least some of it. Anyway, I totally recommend it.