Brüno (2009)

In 2006 Sacha Baron Cohen introduced the world to Borat, a reporter from Kazakhstan who shocked the USA when traveling around and looking for Pamela to make her his wife. The "semi-documentary" style movie gained Cohen an Oscar-nomination for Adapted Screenplay and many considered Borat the best comedy of the year.

This year Cohen brings his third character, a gay Austrian fashionista named Brüno, to the big screen. This time however it is not as easy to make the movie as documentary in style because Cohen's face is so well known all over that it's hard to fool people.


In Austria Brüno runs his own tv-show called Funkyzeit, but when he creates a disaster in the Milan fashion week, he gets fired and even his boyfriend dumps him. Deeply hurt Brüno decides to move to L.A. and become a celebrity there. His assistant Lutz (Gustaf Hammarsten) is the only one who has faith in him, and comes along.

In L.A. Brüno finds out it is not easy to become a celebrity, especially with his style - stereotypic gay guy who is not afraid to show a talking penis in his tv-show. Lessons are learned though, and as people become famous for their charity work, Brüno decides to bring peace to Middle-East. When even that does not work, he adopts a baby from Africa. And when even *that* does not work, he decides that to become a celebrity, one must turn heterosexual, like "Tom Cruise did".

Brüno is one of the funniest comedies this year. It is one of those that really make you laugh out loud. But it is not a movie to everyone as it's goal is clearly to shock conservative people. The story flows in a similar manner as does the story of Borat - Brüno travels around, meets real people and makes his moves to shock, irritate and question people, their openness and morals. This includes meeting a preacher who turns homosexuals to heterosexuals, a couple of PR-blondes, a bunch of hunters and a talk show audience.

Some parts are clearly staged but most of the movie is still hilarious, and especially the final scene in the wrestling ring made me cry out of laughter. And it is not just Cohen who makes the audience laugh, it is also the counter shame that one feels for the people who meet Brüno, who has totally no limits.

But despite its controversial theme, is Brüno himself homophobic? The stereotypic gay and the extreme sex scenes may be translated as homophobic as well.


Final verdict: Extremely funny and controversial comedy of a gay Austrian fashionista by Sacha Baron Cohen. Brings up the prejudices many people have against gay people and shocks with the open sexuality.

Directed by Larry Charles

Written by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines
Cast Sacha Baron Cohen, Gustaf Hammarsten

IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0889583/


by Paivi

Bolt 3D (2008)

Animations made in 3D seem to be getting more and more common, and no wonder because the technology allows the makers do so many wonderful things these days. However, the fancy technology is not the only thing that makes a good movie. It is also the old-fashioned story that needs to be good to engage audiences with full force. No matter how shiny the picture is, if the viewers don't feel satisfied with the characters and the story, the makers have lost the magic touch of movie making.

Bolt is one proof that the magic still exists. It is a story of a super dog Bolt (English voice by John Travolta) who battles against the bad green eyed villain Dr. Calisco (voice by Malcolm McDowell) with his human girl Penny (voice by Miley Cyrus) - in TV. Bolt does not know he is just an actor and that his super powers are not real.

When an evil cat comes laughing at the ignorant dog, he suddenly makes a mistake escape from the movie studio, and ends up accidentally in the other side of the continent in New York. In New York he meets Mittens the cat (voice by Susie Essman) and gets tied up with her in his plans on returning to Hollywood to save Penny from Dr. Calisco. However, why his super powers don't work, he can not understand.


Bolt and Mittens start their long journey accross the country and in one trailer park bump into Rhino the hamster (voice by Mark Walton) who is Bolt's number one fan and likes living inside a transparent ball. Rhino wants to join Bolt and Mittens, and the journey continues all the way to Hollywood.


As a dog loving person I knew that I would like this at least in some level, but was pleasantly surprised with the quality of both the story and the technology. The animation just looks plain awesome in 3D - all those animals hairs look so real and the 3D really works beautifully by making the movie an enjoyment to watch.

The animal characters are incredibly cute, but they still have their own personalities and some edge. The dialogue is witty and charming. The version I saw was dubbed in Finnish so I can not comment on the original voice actors. However the Finnish version worked incredibly well with all those nice dialects some of the supporting cast was using.

Bolt is highly recommended entertainment for the whole family - a story and characters that engage both children and adults served on such a beautiful plate.

Directed by Byron Howard, Chris Williams

Written by Dan Fogelman, Chris Williams

Cast (English voices) John Travolta (Bolt), Miley Cyrus (Penny), Susie Essman (Mittens), Mark Walton (Rhino), Malcolm McDowell (Dr. Calico)

IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397892/

Babel (2006)

A director's cut of Alejandro Gonzales Iñarritu's Babel was shown in the opening of Helsinki International Film Festival in autumn 2006. This cut was said to be slightly different from the award-winning version in Cannes spring 2006.

Babel is a story of three stories about communication difficulties, and how a person can be alone also in a huge city as well as inside a family, because people have not found means to communicate properly with each other. In the first chapter an American couple is visiting in Morocco when the wife (Cate Blanchett) gets shot in the middle of the desert and her husband (Brad Pitt) is desperately trying to get help in time. Second chapter is about a Mexican lady (Adriana Barrazza) who is taking care of two kids in California, and ends up taking the kids along with her to Mexico in order to be able to attend her son's wedding. Third chapter is about a Japanese deaf-mute girl (Rinko Kikuchi) who feels extremely alone after her mother's death and because of her problem. And as in Iñarritu's previous films, also Babel ties all these stories together in the end.


Babel is full of powerful emotions and drama. Pitt as the desperate husband in the Moroccoan desert does incredibly touching job when trying to help his wife. This must be one of Pitt's best roles ever. In Morocco Iñarritu is using mainly local amateur actors as the villagers and other people, and they bring beautiful authenticity to the film among the beautifully simple desert scenery.

Huge, crowded and noisy Tokyo is a total opposite to the Moroccoan desert. Being alone in a city like that feels unrealistic, but Kikuchi as deaf-mute Chieko makes that possible. Her role is extremely powerful as a girl who has just lost her mother, is not very close to her father and is unable to make physical connection to other people.

Babel is a beautifully made movie, even though it does not exactly equal the two previous films of Iñarritu -trilogy. Sometimes it feels as is the original idea of communication difficulties is somehow hidden under other kind of drama, and I kind of missed some of the details of the original idea. After Amores Perros and 21 Grams my expectations were probably a bit too high for Babel. However, despite its flaws, Babel is still a masterpiece.

Babel is one of those dramas that make you feel strong emotions and make you think. I recommend Babel to all people who enjoy films that speak to you and make you feel. But this is not a mainstream movie to everyone's liking.



Directed by Alejandro Gonzales Iñarritu
Written by Guillermo Arriaga
Cast Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Adriana Barrazza, Rinko Kikuchi, Gael Garcia Bernal
IMDb http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449467/

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

It is not the words that are said, it's the words that are left unsaid

Brokeback Mountain is said to be a "gay-cowboy"-movie. That is not completely true. It is true that the main characters in the movie are cowboys, and that they fall in love with each other, but that is not everything. This story could be of anyone. But it is of two men in love.

Ennis del Mar (Heath Ledger) is a shy young guy who gets a job herding sheep for a summer in Brokeback Mountain, with Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) as a partner. One cold night they end up drunk and in a same tent, and make love. This is where the love story begins. After the summer both men go separate directions, get married and get children, but they never forget each other. Then one day after four years they meet again and there is no turning back.

Brokeback Mountain is emotionally packed, powerful movie. It left me feeling blown up for a day at least. Only few movies do that to me, that they really get into my head and don't let go. Brokeback Mountain did that. It is not so much of the things that are said in the movie, that get you. It is the things that are left unsaid. And it is not only the things that are shown in the movie that get you. It is the things that are left unshown.

It was interesting to notice how big erotic impact a movie like this can have. I have no desire to see real gay sex, but seeing these two strong men hugging each other, kissing each other after many years of separation, I was totally stunned.

Ledger and Gyllenhaal are amazing in this movie. They are brave men who take this kind of role that has the possibility of making them immortal and take them to the top actors' league, but also possibility of marking them with the "gay" stamp forever. Both were just fantastic. Of the minor roles, Michelle Williams as Ennis' wife Alma actually shines in her role. When Alma witnesses his husband kissing a guy, she is heart broken, but keeps everything for herself.
Ang Lee really knows how to make "pretty pictures" (for example Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). Every single frame of the movie was a work of art in itself. The stunning scenery, colours and the people, everything was just perfect.

Directed by Ang Lee
Written by Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana, based on a short story by Annie Proulx
Cast Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams
IMDb http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388795/

Babylon A.D. (2008) - review

Previously the French Mathieu Kassovitz has been seen more in front than behind the camera. After his mediocre directions Gothika and Grimson Rivers he took Maurice G. Dantec's dystopia novel Babylon A.D. under work. The result is a movie filled with violent action, but story wise it aims too high and then falls hard and heavy.

Vin Diesel is Toorop, a bounty hunter, that a Russian Gorsky (Gérard Depardieu) hires to deliver a young Aurora-girl (Mélanie Thierry) from a cloister in deep down in Asia to New York. There is something special and secret about the girl which makes the delivery very valuable, but Toorop takes the job without questions. With the girl comes her foster mother, sister Rebeka (Michelle Yeoh).

Toorop starts the journey in the hopes of getting a reward, without feelings or interest towards the girl's secret. Immediately he notices the journey is not going to be a pleasure trip, because after the girl are also dangerous men who are not afraid to use any means available. But Toorop is just like them. He ends up protecting the girl with his life and does not hesitate when it comes to slaughtering few people who get into their way.

Babylon A.D. reminded me closely of Luc Besson's Fifth element (1997), but is much more rough and serious compared to its colourful "cousin". After an interesting start the story loses its power and twists its complex story into a good looking mess. The over dose of cliches and the anti-climax in the end take the last of the edge out of the movie.

The environments are built with style and imagination which make the movie look visually good. Even though a lot has been borrowed from elsewhere, the movie has some ideas of its own, such as the submarine transporting refugees. Rock-like Diesel fits in this kind of roles as a glove in a hand and Thierry's fresh and innocent appearance is his total opposite.

Director Kassovitz has himself mentioned in the interviews that he is disappointed on the movies because the studio had cut it from original, resulting in "violent and stupid" version. It is to be seen if the director's cut on dvd is any better.

Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz
Written by Eric Besnard, Mathieu Kassovitz and Joseph Simas, based on a novel by Maurice G. Dantec
Cast Vin Diesel, Mélanie Thierry, Michelle Yeoh, Gérard Depardieu, Charlotte Rampling
IMDb http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364970/

The Bucket List (2007) - review

Life is short and very few of us does what they dream about, what they would really want to do with their lives. When the end draws near, it is the things undone that you regret. This dead serious subject is what the comedy called The Bucket List tells about.

After working his whole life as a car mechanic Carter (Morgan Freeman) hears he is suffering from incureable cancer and his life is ending sooner than later. In the hospital bed he has time to think about things and starts writing a "Bucket List", list of things he would like to experience before kicking the bucket. He gets a room mate with the same medical destiny, a self centered millionaire Edward (Jack Nicholson) and after a while these two very different men find many things in common. And finally they escaoe from the hospital to fulfill their dreams.

The director Rob Reiner (When Harry met Sally..., Princess Bride) draws a sympathetic story of a dead serious subject. What makes the story unrealistic is that as a millionaire it is financially so easy to make your dreams come true. There are some touching scenes, like the "kiss of the most beautiful girl in the world", but as a whole it is just warm hearted entertainment.

Directed by Rob Reiner
Written by Justin Zackham
Cast Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, Beverly Todd
IMDb http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0825232/