The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Is it just me or does Sweden make some of the best films ever? Like Let the Right One In, and now The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009). This film, surprisingly, had a twelve week run at the local cinemas--which is almost for as long as Avatar ran for. It's easy to see why the people were flocking to see it.
The Vanger clan were shocked by the disappearance of Harriet Vanger in the 1960's, and her uncle has wanted to know what happened to her and why her body was never found. He enlists the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) to investigate the murder. Mikael finds out about a young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) and asks her to help him with this case. What they find is more shocking and violent than they bargained for.
This film is a masterpiece of the crime genre, a fine one, may I add. It is engaging, boosted by a masterful performance by Noomi Rapace. Who ever said a movie derived from a book can't be that great? Well, I haven't read the books, but I am certainly looking forward to the sequels to this film to be released--if they ever are. European film is morphing into the better side of American culture, so America, watch out, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is after you.
8/10

Bandslam

You always go with your gut feeling, right? Bandslam (2009) is one of those movies which I saw and didn't really have an opinion on, but then I saw that it was rated 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. That's like, just about as much as Avatar. Which made me feel sorta guilty, because I only rated it 60%, but while reading the critics consensus, I couldn't help but feel what they were saying was true...
Fed up with being bullied, Will Burton (Gaelan Connell) moves with his mother (Lisa Kudrow) to another town, and has no trouble fitting into his new school, thanks to super popular Charlotte (Aly Michalka). Charlotte notices that Will has an astounding knowledge of music, and decides to enlist his help to recreate her school band so they can go to 'Bandslam' and beat her ex-boyfriend. But Will has to decide between hanging out with Charlotte or msterious rebel Sa5m (Vanessa Hudgens).
Now, this film is really just an average teen watch. But surprisingly it does avoid all of the cliches, and adds something totally unique--a teenage life from a normal teenagers perspective. Also, the performances aren't so weak, with Vanessa Hudgens in top form, leaving behind High School Musical. Okay, so it won't go down in history as the greatest teen flick ever made, but it is one with substance-there I said it, it has substance-and alarming truths. Probably helped by a cameo from David Bowie.
6/10

Life is Beautiful

I thought the title-Life is Beautiful (1998)-sounded a bit cheesy, and this would be one of those soppy romantic films depicting perfect lives and thing like that. But surrprisingly, Life is Beautiful lives up to it's name, but should have been called 'This Film is Beautiful'.
Guido (Roberto Benigni) is a Jewish family man living in Italy, chasing his wildest dreams and married to a beautiful woman with a wonderful child. He and his family live in peace and harmony, that is, until the war starts. He is shipped off with his family to a concentration camp, but Guido takes this horribleness as a game, in order to make his son feel better and promise him a better life.
Okay, I know my synopsis may sound a little cheesy, but this is one of those movies you just have to see to know what I am talking about. This movie is amazingly beautiful, it just clicks where it is supposed to and handles the war story with heart and humour--something we rarely see these days. Honestly, if you want to watch a really good European/Italian movie, then do not go past this one, because it is one of the best. Life is Beautiful, well, yes it is, but this film even more so.
8/10

Date Night

Oh my goodness, I cannot believe it. Four months in and this is my first movie of 2010?! If all the 2010 movies are as great as Date Night (2010), then I am sure this will be a happy year. Surely, Date Night is the funniest movie to be released since The Hangover.
Phil and Claire Foster (Steve Carrell and Tina Fey) are a married couple who have their 'date night' once a year. This year they decide to go all out and go to a trendy restaurant. However, they are too late to make the reservation, so they steal someone else's. A decision which they regret, because the identity they have stolen are a wanted couple who have some important files. Phil and Claire are now on the run from two hit men type people, this is one date night they never bargained for.
Of course, Date Night was going to be funny because it has Steve Carrell and Tina Fey in it. But it was beyond funny. It has the one thing that makes a comedy good: quotable dialogue. And throw in cameos and support from such stars as Mark Wahlberg, Taraji P. Henson, William Fichtner, Leighton Meester, Kristen Wiig, Mark Ruffalo, James Franco and Mila Kunis, well this movie has got it covered. It succeeds in entertaining, combining action with comedy for a fun filled ride. A must see for 2010.
8/10

The Invention of Lying

I wasn't too keen to watch The Invention of Lying (2009), and I'm still not too keen on my decision now. Yeah, it was alright, but the 5 out of 5 rating in the TV Guide? Totally un-called for.
The Invention of Lying takes a look at a world where everyone tells the truth...all the time. That means every single little thing is the cold hard truth, even advertisers have to say the truth about their product. But one day, a loser named Mark (Ricky Gervais) discovers something...the lie. He lies his way into fame and fortune, and everybody believes what he is saying. That's because they think he is telling the truth...which he is clearly not.
This film started off well, it was quite funny. But once the first twenty minutes were over, it got quite boring and flat, losing most of it's original charm. However, it was probably used as propoganda to show people what would happen if everyone told the truth. It would be a tough world to live in, now wouldn't it? I wouldn't say The Invention of Lying worked as a funny comedy, it was underwhelming and contrived, falling flat of the expectations set by it's top notch comedy cast. Unfortunate, because this could have been a cracker of a comedy.
4/10

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

You have been warned: if somehow you have smacked your head on the pavement and like The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), please do not read on. I hope you are well off this review right now. Anyway, well, New Moon. You know, I used to like Twilight, but then I got sick of it, and New Moon has definitely put me in the Twi-haters group!
Bella (Kristen Stewart) is still going out with the handsome vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), but is finding it hard to come to grips with the fact that she is aging while he remains youthful. This youthfulness causes more trouble, so the Cullen's decide to leave Forks to reside somewhere else. While Bella is left alone and unhappy, she realises that adrenaline allows her to see Edward again. She enlists the help of werewolf friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), inevitably becoming closer and closer to him.
Okay, so I thought my bias for hating Twilight would make me hate this film. But it did that all on it's own. I honestly don't know how girls my age could get a kick out of it. It was slow, boring, muddled, badly-acted, I couldn't help but laugh (it succeeded as being the funniest movie of 2009). I thought Kristen Stewart would have been a lot better, but it was like she was in deflated auto-pilot, as were the rest of her cast members. The only one who was any good was Anna Kendrick, and that's because she is an Oscar nominated actress. You hear that? This girl has a future. New Moon is one of the worst, if not the worst, offering of 2009.
2/10

Women in Trouble

Okay, it wasn't really my original intention to watch Women in Trouble (2009). But then I heard that Joseph Gordon-Levitt was in it. So I waited, and waited, then realised that the credits were rolling and I had not seen a glimpse of Joseph. I wallowed in my disappoiontment, but then saw him at the end of the credits. I was happy again, but then the preview cut off his scene. However, even though Joseph was barely in it enough to get the starring role credit on the poster, Women in Trouble was a surprisingly enjoyable film.
As the title suggests, this film follows the lives of some women, in, well, trouble. The most prominent of which is porn star Elektra Luxx (Carla Gugino), who discovers she is pregnant. Her whole world is falling down around her, but she is not the only woman that day experiencing trouble in life.
Women in Trouble is a quirky chick flick...taking out the stupid formulaic feeling and being totally unique. While it's not exactly great, it just takes a look at ten different women, in trouble. Which makes for seemingly great viewing by the way. I wouldn't say this is one for a girl's night in, but I would say this is a film to watch by yourself with a block of chocolates. It won't fail to suck you in.
6/10

Babel

Hmmmmm, Babel (2006) was a film which was on television last year but I kind of forgot about it. Then my sister got it on DVD so I stole it. Really, another film with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in it? They are like the odd star coupling in Hollywood.
Babel is a multi-plot story, following several different people of different races, bound by one event: an American tourist (Cate Blanchett) being shot in Morocco. This event tears apart these different worlds in tragic, confusing and often strange ways.
Brad Pitt and even Blanchett feel like a minor part compared to the foreign stars of this film. Most notably Rinko Kikuchi, who plays Chieko, a deaf mute Japanese teenager desperate to be loved. She handles the role with such intensity but treats it with the right amount of fragility, making her the stand out of the film. The other stand out performance was from older actress Adriana Barraza who plays Amelia, the nanny for Susan and Richard's (Blanchett and Pitt) children. She crosses the line (literally), and every time Adriana appears on screen you can tell she is over-ridden with guilt. It takes quite a bit to oout perform Pitt and Blanchett, but these two fine actresses did.
Babel is quite a powerful film, and you can tell that it takes a definite look at something that Hollywood rarely looks at: immigration, terrorism and criminality. All in the same film. An interesting, yet flawed film.
7/10

Elegy

Well...I've always been a bit iffy on Penelope Cruz's talents as an actress. Sure, she did win an Oscar for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, but I didn't think she was particularly fantastic in that. And she got an Oscar nomination for Nine, which she clearly didn't deserve. Julianne Moore should have been nominated for A Single Man, or better yet, Marion Cotillard should have been nominated for her role in Nine. She was clearly the better actress.
Elegy (2008) is told from the eyes of an English professor David Kapesh (Ben Kingsley), who meets his younger student, Consuela (Penelope Cruz), and falls in love with her. While they are deeply in love with each other, David is too afraid to meet her family, because of the distinct age gaap. She leaves him, and once again his life is empty, and is not helped with the strained relationship between David and his son, Kenny (Peter Sarsgaard).
Everyone is saying that Penelope Cruz was the best thing about this movie. I didn't think she was particularly special but she was the best thing in it. Then there was Patricia Clarkson, the fifty year old who has had numerous risque roles just like this one. Honestly, can she just play a mother on the verge of a breakdown? Or do we have to continue to see her doing thins she shouldn't really be doing. Elegy is beautiful, of course, but it has no real emotional depth to it, which is a shame, because that would have made it so much better. I do thank my lucky stars that Peter Sarsgaard was in it, though.
I feell bad for giving it four out of ten, but I feel I have to, I didn't like it very much at all.
4/10

The Weirdest Movie Posters. Ever.

A couple of my friends were a little freaked out by The Time Traveller's Wife poster. Well, these could scare them more...and then there's the great movie posters...

Doesn't look like an average inspirational film. No wonder it hasn't rented one single unit at the video store. What does it say? I'm actually not sure...that Matt Damon is extremely happy that this just ruined his movie career? Or, it really does say 'please avoid this movie'.


Love the movie, but this is one weird poster. It's like an optical illusion, but doesn't really say mich other than it is some complicated looking sci-fi movie. Don't let the poster put you off though, this is one truly great movie.


Hmmm, I don't know what to make of this poster, or the movie, for that matter. In some ways it has this documentary feel to it, but then it has this sort of 'portrait of our lives' feel to it. It doesn't generally say this movie will be funny, we leave that to the title. Which is misleading, by the way.


This doesn't say anything at all.


Yes, we know that Will Smith thinks he is a hero and all, but we don't really need to see a huge poster of his head. The movie is not so fantastic, and it is not all about Will Smith. Probably a poster better suited to I Am Legend.


The. Creepiest. Movie. Poster. Ever. Honestly, would you want this on your wall? No. But is sort of effective, and there is something wrong with Esther.


Maybe a poster with the alphabet written out on it would have done better? That's what you get when you go straight to DVD, a crappy poster made by someone with no creativity.


Ummmmm, either Catherine Zeta-Jones is insanely boring, the washing machine is hurting his butt or those undies don't taste good, because Justin Bartha looks like a blue eyed dog on the way out. He has no emotion what so ever. And Catherine looks like she's a cannibal.


Worst thing about this poster? Lindsay Lohan. Who would want to see this? We all know it's just paying for her regular visits to rehab.


Okay, definitely the weirdest of the lot. Just because you star twice in one film, doesn't mean you'll get away with a poster like this. Eddie Murphy, please stop making movies.

Adam

I only really heard of Adam (2009) when it was released on DVD two weeks ago. Then I heard that Hugh Dancy would be playing a man with Asperger's syndrome. Which would definitely strike a cord with me.
A lonely man in an apartment whose father has just died, Adam (Hugh Dancy), is finding it hard to live day to day life normally. He meets a new neighbour, Beth (Rose Byrne), who wants to help him along in life. But sometimes his Asperger's syndrome problem gets in the way of their relationship, and is arguably hard to stay together.
I've always liked films with mental illness as a major factor, and this was no exception. Asperger's is a truly sad syndrome, but then again, some of the greatest geniuses come out of it. Hugh Dancy does an admirable job as Adam, and it is quite hard to believe that he was Luke Brandon in Confessions of a Shopaholic. He is definitely an actor to watch, especially if he gets more roles along the same lines. Rose Byrne is quite good, and she is also one to watch, but will get more fame on television thanks to her role in Damages. Adam is a wonderful film, and it is beyond me why it was released straight to DVD, because more people deserve to see it.
You can't miss Adam, it is one of the most under-rated films of last year.
8/10

Jennifer's Body

The reason I watched Jeennifer's Body (2009) was because A: Diablo Cody, writer of the brilliant Juno penned this one, B: Amanda Seyfried is in it, and it should be interesting seeing her sharring the screen with Megan Fox and C: it's one of those supposed-to-be-stupid-movies-that-aren't-that-stupid. And it's a horror, which I love. Honestly, the harsh critics need to lighten up; this was a great movie.
A nerdy teenager Needy (Amanda Seyfried) is best friends with the beautiful Jennifer (Megan Fox). Though this is hard to believe, the two are inseperable. But Needy notices that Jennifer has changed a bit, she is a lot more...evil. When she finds out that Jennifer is a posessed girl out to eat boys, Needy has to save herself, and her boyfriend, from becoming the victim.
Megan Fox is terrible beyond words in this. She plays Jennifer like she is sleep walking through her role, but somehow, her performance just doesn't matter. The sccript shines through. It is true to Diablo Cody's Juno roots, with the hip dialogue coming out (lesbigay? love it). And then there is Amanda Seyfried, who holds her own (not that there's much to hold) opposite Megan Fox. Jennifer's Body is by no means the best horror movie ever, but it is enjoyable...not once did I think about how much longer it was going to take. This is a must see for die hard fans of the horror genre.
8/10

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Animated movies are so cute. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) is no exception. Judging by the title, this is bucketloads of fun...and it is.
Flint Lockwood (voiced by Bill Hader) is a young man who likes to invent stuff. He comes up with a genius idea to turn water into food. One day, he thinks his invention goes extremely wrong, but then all of a sudden...it starts raining hamburgers. Flint realizes that he can control what comes down from the sky...ice cream, meetballs, hot dogs, whatever everyone wants. But the portions of food are getting bigger, and causing some problems.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs has so much originality, and I am surprised it wasn't nominated in the Best Animated Feature category at the Oscars. While watching, I couldn't help but think this was a combination of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and 2012. The latter because it has a theme of 'the end of the world', so I like to think of this as the fun version of 2012. It is just so funny, so scrumptious and so entertaining. This will definitely keep the kids entertained for one and a half hours.
This is a movie that has joined the hall of fame of the great animated movies. Almost as good as Up and Wall-E, but has it's own place as one of the coolest films in 2009. One film that will keep you laughing from start to finish...you will love it.
8/10

The Time Traveller's Wife

Heaps of people were saying that The Time Traveller's Wife (2009) was bad. So I'm going to dispel those evil critics. This is what they said:
1. Eric Bana can't act. Ah, yes, he can. He was the funniest thing in Funny People (funnier than Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen compared). Bana was the perfect choice for Henry DeTamble, the time traveller who marries Claire Abshire (Rachel McAdams). But I must admit, with Rachel McAdams on screen, he struggled to hold his own.
2. The script was weak. Okay, so it was adapted from the best book I have ever read, so of course it couldn't compare. But it takes a decent stab at it anyway, as much as it can do. But it doesn't stray too far away from the book, which is a rare happening these days. Sure, it has it's weak spots, but it has the right amount of everything in it.
3. It has no point to it. Look, the story is that a time traveller marries a normal woman. What more 'point' do you need?! It has drama, it has a bit of comedy, but first and foremost it is a dazziling romance.
4. It is not a good movie. Well, not everyone will think it's a masterpiece. It is not a masterpiece, it has it's flaws, but what film doesn't? It's not as great as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button or the book, but it is a film to be treasured.
Fans of the romance genre will absolutely love this. I cried a few times throughout. Just ignore what the evil critics try to tell you...this is a good movie.
8/10

Where the Wild Things Are

Like many people, I thought that Spike Jonze attempting to adapt a picture book into a feature-length film would be an interesting move. Well, it just shows that any book is possible to be adapted into a movie.
You know the story- a young boy, Max (played brilliantly by Max Records) has run away from home, and escapes to this new and unknown land. There he meets some wild creatures that are beyong even the wildest imagination. These creatures welcome him into their world, and he becomes the King. But this proves too much for the young boy at times, and he realizes how much he wants to be home.
Sounds a bit like The Wizard of Oz, I know, and I think that this movie could take it's place as one of the better childrens movie...with a dark tone. This movie is cute, but only from the lovable creatures in it, but then it feels like younger children will be scared by it, will cry a lot and will find it like an adventure that is no fun at all. Because there is not a lot of fun in this, as it deals with problems beyond it's demographic. I couldn't help but feeling that this movie never really started, that it could have been a bit longer. Which is a bit weird to say because the book is so short. However, this movie is so different and so appealing. I honestly can't say that I didn't love it. Because I did, I'm just not sure what demographic it is aiming for.
7/10

The Bucket List

The Bucket List (2007) was another one of those movies I should have watched ages ago, but then it came on TV for the Easter break and I didn't need to bother to get it out on DVD. I mean, it's not like I was really excited to see Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman sharing the screen (cough cough).
Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) is a wealthy man who has just been diagnosedd with terminal cancer. He shares a hospital room with Carter (Morgan Freeman), who has never really experienced life to the limit as Edward has. Carter hass been writing a 'bucket list' for a while now, which has all the things he wants to do before he dies. Edward decides to help him complete this list, becoming good friends in the process.
Look at it this way: if Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman weren't in this it probably would have been as flat as a pancake. They carry this film with all the charm and charisma they have, but they aren't playing in extremely different characters. Jack is still a womanizer and Morgan is still an old man full of wisdom from his years. The Bucket List is nothign special. It does have some delightful humour and some truly heart warming bits to it, but you do know how it will end, and it's a little weak. However, the older generation will like it a lot, because it has the kind of stuff in it that they can understand a whole lot better than us youngins.
6/10

The Aviator

I watched The Aviator (2004) for the first time around two years ago, when I had my infatuation with everything Golden Age of Hollywood. Then I watched it again last year andd fell in love with it, mainly because of the brilliant performance by Leonardo DiCaprio. Everytime I watch this it's like watching a new movie...it's like something has changed, but it hasn't really changed at all. I guess the more mature I get, the more I understand this movie.
The Aviator follows the life of aviator, film director/producer and millionaire Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) between the 1920's and 40's. He was a man obsessed with perfection, liked evrything to be clean and was a tad wee deaf. He also knew how to spend his money. Through this period of his life he had turbulent love affairs with Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett) and Ava Gardner (Kate Beckinsale), which ended without marriage. And theen there was the court case of his over spending...
Well, this movie is a masterpiece. I mean, it is directed by Martin Scorsese, so what would you expect? Everything about this movie is perfect, it's like Howard Hughes himself might have made it. The performances by Leo and Cate Blanchett are the real shiners here. They both take their roles and transform them into something of their own, while being true to the people they are playing. This is what you call cinema: mental problems, film-making, flying, everything.
10/10

Mary and Max

I wasn't entirely planning on watching Mary and Max (2009), but it was just there so I decided I would give it a go. Yes, the poster does look a bit grim, but it's a cartoon, yes? For kids? No.
Unhappy with her friend-less life, an eight year old Mary (later voiced by Toni Colette), who lives in Australia, decides to adopt a pen friend from America. She picks at random Max (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a lonely man living in a dingy apartment in New York. They write to each other often, and become good friends, but as Mary grows older she aspires to treat Max's condition-Asperger's syndrome-which causes some trouble for their friendship.
Now I just want to get one thing clear...by NO MEANS show this to a kid under the age of 12 years old (or a kid who hasn't had 'the talk' yet). This is one of those animated features for the older crowd, so for the young ones opt for a movie like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. I can't say this was perfect, but it was actually quite thought provoking. And heart breaking. I honestly don't know what else to say about this film, but only that it is a must see for fans of the animated-for-adults genre. It's witty and unique, something we rarely see these days. And that's all I have to say about that.
8/10

The Informant!

Take a look at The Informant!'s (2009) movie poster. Would you take this movie seriously? Or as a joke? Now check out the trailer. Would you take this movie seriously? Or as a joke? I didn't know how to take the movie. But I think either way it would be a serious joke of a movie.
The Informant! is about a man, Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) who comes across a price fixing problem, and becomes an informant for the government. But then there's a lttle problem, Mark is impartial to telling a few lies...some really big, creative lies.
The reason I couldn't write much about the plot was the fact that I didn't understand...or pay much attention to...this movie. It was insanely boring, and the only thing holding it up was a fat Matt Damon. Who looked like he was living in the 70s instead of the 90s. Honestly, Steven Soderbergh has had more disasters than masterpieces, isn't it time he made something great.
So the critics love it. But I saw at least 10 people today picking up the case, thinking 'hey this looks funny', but then reading further and putting it back. Now I'm wondering whether anyone will ever pay $9 to watch it. It's not all bad, thanks to Damon, but it's definitely not good either.
4/10

Whatever Works

I was afraid that Whatever Works (2009) wouldn't, well, work. Okay, so it didn't run smoothly but it was average. Compared to Woody Allen's last film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, this is a bloody masterpiece.
In the streets of New York there is an old man, named Boris (Larry David), who has a temper problem. He likes everything to be his way or no way, which certainly does not help his career as a Chess player/instructor. One night he stumbles upon a homeless Melody (Evan Rachel Wood), a Southern beauty pageant contestant who has just moved to New York. She is pretty ditzy, and overstays her welcome at Boris's house, but ends up marrying him. Yes, marrying an old guy.
This is what is called 'classic Woody Allen'. It does ring the resembelance to Vicky Cristina Barcelona, but it is a whole lot better. Evan Rachel Wood is the real star of this (Larry David just gets plain annoying), as she embodies the role of a ditzy blonde well. It was quite scary because towards the end she started looking exactly like Diane Kruger. Which was extremely traumatizing for me. However, this just one of those movies that is a bit out there (urm, a three way relationship?) but will never be great. It'll just always be there. Whether you want to watch it or not.
6/10

Is Anybody There?

A Michael Caine movie about being old and what comes after that. Is Anybody There?(2009) sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Yes, it is, but at the same time, it wasn't.
Edward (Bill Milner) is a little boy living with his parents who are running a rest home for the old people. They come and they go, and Edward isn't too happy with his life there. But he is interested in one thing: what happens to people after they die. His question may be answered by Clarence (Michael Caine), and old man who used to be a magician. Clarence introduces Edward to the world of magic, where anything can happen, while teaching him some valuable life lessons on the way. But is Clarence a good or bad influence on Edward?
It was a little depressing, a little boring, but then again it compensated by adding some touchingly funny moments between Edward and Clarence. The critics are all saying that this was Caine's best performance, but I beg to differ. While it was great, it was hardly award-worthy, and I think that if Caine wasn't being cast in all of Chrisopher Nolan's movies he would be stuck in similar roles. However, this is a what you would call a small, under-watched movie. Thanks to it's little release, hardly anyone will be able to see it. Which is a shame because, it isn'tt a great movie, but it's worthy of a watch.
6/10

The Vintner's Luck

I wouldn't have watched The Vintner's Luck (2009) if Vera Farmiga wasn't in it. I wouldn't have finished watching it if Vera Farmiga wasn't in it. It's basically a romping period spectacle with little to offer.
Sobran (Jeremie Renier) is a peasant winemaker who is married to Celeste (Keisha Castle-Hughes), and is finding it hard to makes ends meet. One night he meets Xas (Gaspard Ulliel), an beautiful angel who guides him through life (yes, like a guardian angel). Sobran decides to make the perfect wine, and gets financial help from the illustrious Aurora de Valday (Vera Farmiga). But Sobran reaches a crisis in which he can't decide who he loves more: Celeste, Xas or Aurora de Valday.
This movie wasn't perfect. At times it was quite boring, and wass only just held up by the performances. Keisha Castle-Hughes, though, was extremely bad at maintaining whatever accent she was using, and had nothing much else to do but make love to Sobran. Jeremie Reiner was okay, but he had a confusing portrayal of Sobran. Gaspard Ulliel was pretty terrifying as Xas, but managed to angelic throughout the whole thing. But Vera Farmiga. She is what you call an actress. Someone has to give her an Oscar soon! Overall, this film was great because it was good in the period aspect, but then again it was quite boring. Niki Caro did an average job on what should have been great.
6/10