Reviews by Lexi

''Nice shooting, son. What's your name?''

''Murphy.''

In a dystopic & crime ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg with submerged memories haunting him.

Peter Weller: Officer Alex J. Murphy / RoboCop

''Come quietly or there will be... trouble.''

Director Paul Verhoven, the director of Total Recall and Black Book unleashes a truly original concept in the form of a normal Policeman cruelly butchered by criminals only to be revived as a super-cop cyborg. Initially his memory is lost but as the film goes on he gradually gets it back, and begins to remember the people who hurt him and memories of his lost family resurface.

Next time when you watch Robocop, try to shift your focus from the cyborg, loud explosions and over the top gore towards the actual writing. From the main theme of criticizing the modern money driven societies of Western Cultures, (a topic still relevant, and will be in the future as well) all the way to the smallest segments of dialogue, the writing is nothing short of perfection. RoboCop is simply the most intelligent "action" film to come out of Hollywood in the 80s. Unfortunately, the cleverness is hidden between the lines of comic book action. No wonder so many people fail to see this film for what it really is.

Amazing cinematography, solid performances (especially from Kurtwood Smith and Miguel Ferrer), memorable musical score, etc...
The list is limitless. Granted, the stop motion effects of ED-209 look quite old today but the concept and visuals of this metallic beast is astounding for the late 80s. RoboCop has its faults, like the rather extreme toxic waste drenching scene or unrealistic nature cue OTT violence there, but who cares when it's so much fun in a gory graphic way. All I know is I never tire of watching Robocop.

For me, one of the best scenes of RoboCop comes at the very end. An old man asks the robot, "What's your name, son?" The robot cop turns his head, sports a wan smile, and says, ''Murphy." Then as he turns to start to walk away the camera cuts to black and the theme song roars in as we read the bold print on-screen that says, ROBOCOP.

The final word being RoboCop is the ultimate in cyborg films.
It's an extraordinary journey of a man trying to find himself when all is taken from him unfairly, also an action film that starts and never loses momentum.
In a time when every single action film out there presents us with overblown budgets, mediocre acting, sloppy writing, amateurish directing, horrible sub characters, and nothing but special effects. RoboCop is a solid undying reminder that at one time, big comic book flicks were not always just of the Action genre but also ones of depth and hidden meanings rolled into the mix, Robocop is one of the finest examples out there.

''I am the Dragon. And you call me insane. You are privy to a great becoming, but you recognize nothing. To me, you are a slug in the sun. You are an ant in the afterbirth. It is your nature to do one thing correctly. Before me, you rightly tremble. But, fear is not what you owe me. You owe me awe.''

A retired FBI agent with psychological gifts is assigned to help track down "The Tooth Fairy", a mysterious serial killer; aiding him is imprisoned criminal genius Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter.

Anthony Hopkins: Dr. Hannibal Lecter

Edward Norton: Will Graham

Ralph Fiennes: Francis Dolarhyde

Excellent installment to the Hannibal series. Red Dragon A very clever prequel.

Ralph Fiennes, Edward Norton, Anthony Hopkins and some of the best and loved Actors of mine in this to make this Masterful Prequel. Beautiful performances especially from Ralph & Anthony. Two players who know how to dance with villainy.

The start of the movie had me glued to the start and I watched this after a very difficult time in my life, the day my heart got broken. Thankfully Red Dragon succeeded in taking my mind of things, and I find that it deserves a decent Review and to go in my Favourites considering my fondness for the film.

The only thing that annoyed me about Red Dragon is that Anthony Hopkins looks alot Older and Lambs, it was hard not to compare and think of how young he looked in that. Considering Dragon is a prequel to make Hopkins look younger somehow is now possible even the mediocre X-men 3 has made use of CG smoothing for actors faces/facials.

It's got some nice twists, music, pace and alot of charm. Darkly immersed and satisfying Brett Ratner shows he can do the Dark Side, not just comedy or Action Set Piece movies.

''I just don't know what I'm supposed to be.''

''You'll figure that out. The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you. ''

A movie star with a sense of emptiness, and a neglected newlywed meet up as strangers in Tokyo, Japan and form an unlikely bond.

Scarlett Johansson: Charlotte

Bill Murray: Bob Harris

Lost In Translation examines and explores the intricate web of love, life and loneliness, the restricted nature, the incessant insomnia and the weird out of place feeling of being in an alien place, where you feel like you are the only one of you're kind. The loneliness that evolves from being in essence solitary. The enigmatic possibility of a dream that meeting someone will awaken lost emotions and unlock memories. This is what life is about and Lost In Translation shows us like a flower blooming, coating us with it's sensual pollen and messages.



The characters here are believable. Their dialogue is deep. The setting is dreamy and breath taking. It's all tirelessly fascinating because we can all relate to the spaces on offer and it involves us in ways that most films don't.
We the audience find ourselves drawn to every moment these two kindred spirits experience, together and apart. We are mesmerized, hypnotized even, by the glances, nuances and words they share.

Sofia Coppola successfully juggles Bob and Charlotte in their separate lives at first, but when they do meet, it's something out of this world. They begin to adventure out into the chaos and endless possibilty of Tokyo, and Lost In Translation almost takes on a perspective altogether altered from it's previous state. We saw Bob Harris and Charlotte at their most private and vulnerable, their inward lonely selfs. While out on the town, the film seems to sit back and just let them have fun. Thank God, for Bill Murray's rousing rendition of Elvis Costello's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" is a riot. During this period, it seems that Bob and Charlotte have forgotten their insomnia and loneliness, but as they say nothing lasts forever. Even during their night on the town, we see moments where they sit silently, motionless and still some what confused. Lost In Translation is a comedy in some sense, but it escalates into a pervading tragic feel of seperation. At one point, Charlotte says to Bob: "Let's never come back here again, because it will never be as much fun."

The movie takes a while to truly glean out the deep-seated motivations of both of its characters, but they become fully-realized in a marvelous scene where Bob and Charlotte lay fully-clothed in bed together. Here, they handle the bigger questions in life's game, and not "Where did you go to uni?" or "What did you want to be when you were small?" but "What is my purpose?" and "Does marraige get easier?". I was intrigued at the sheer honesty of the character's answers. Bob relates to Charlotte the experience of having children and the ongoing struggles of being married, but a tinge of fear and apprehension runs through his speech. Charlotte hasn't really figured things out for herself at present, she says she's tried just about everything but hasn't found that doorway to venture through.

Coppola's screenplay takes these two separate beings, far apart in age and experiences, and makes a profound statement, both are in the same exact emotional limbo, and unending cycle. Charlotte is confused and worried, but Bob is regretful and washed-up. In a way, these two as said earlier are kindred spirits, two flames destined to meet. That is the heart and pumping blood of Sofia Coppola's vision.

I couldn't finish my review without saying or putting something about another star behind the scenes of Lost In Translation, that is nearly as effective to the film as Director/Screenwriter Sophia Coppola. That is cinematographer Lance Acord. He has worked on Coppola's husband's (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich director Spike Jonze) films before, but this is his finest, most beautiful work yet. He captures Japan, and the film's characters, with such a soft albeit colourfully sensual and abstract flare that it's nearly inexplicable to describe. I often wondered why, beyond the fact that they have so much to think about, Bob and Charlotte, are seen staring out windows so much. If they see Tokyo with the same resolute clarity that Lost In Translation perceives, they have no better reason to.

It has great comedic flair with Murray's wonderful work, but it's also perhaps one of the saddest and most moving films I've seen Murray ever do also.
It's a form of a romance but it's not in the form of when they'll kiss or when they'll make love (one kiss on the cheek becomes unbearably mind blowing in ways that transcend to love proportions). It also has that Affair to Remember vibe too, where the journey of two souls that find comfort will eventually have to come to an end. Its finish though, defies categorization, as does the rest of Lost In Translation. Many times during the film's quaint, quietly moving finale, I expected lush music to start playing to underscore the escalating sadness of the film. Fortunately it doesn't do this to us. Coppola simply lets her two amazing leads do all the necessary work. When the film does arrive at its final, ambiguous moment, it all just seems perfect.
The catchy Japan pop soundtrack that runs brilliantly throughout the film begins to play, and I find myself with a huge regret, that being that I won't be able to savour the subtle chemistry of Bob and Charlotte anymore, but content with the taste of a masterpiece still residing in my mind.

Some things do get Lost In Translation, but sometimes words aren't the only thing that require translating, sometimes your heart can be the hardest translation of all and finding yourself can be even harder.

''You killed him?''

''No, I shot him. Bullets and the fall killed him.''

A cab driver finds himself the hostage of an engaging contract killer as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in LA. He must find a way to save both himself and one last victim.

Tom Cruise: Vincent

Brilliant inventive film. Tom cruise and Jamie Foxx make an electrifying combination, slick camera work and LA looks amazing. Literally sets the mood hands down.
Michael Mann always does a great job of getting exceptional performances from multiple actors in his films and here is no different. Tom Cruise gives a nomination worthy performance. Mark Ruffalo gives the best performance of his less-than-stellar career. Javier Bardem has one scene and he hits it out of the park. Jamie Foxx is a muse of Mann's. He was amazing in this role, giving us every day cab driver. He has his shining scenes, but when he's on screen, Tom Cruise is on screen, Javier Bardem is on screen, and those two just hit their performances into orbit.

Cruise is excellent and surprisingly intense. Michael Mann seems to make films with great dialogue, but its the moments where he goes in close and uses extended shots of his actors eyes as they witness something powerful. Mann will set a scene in the quite or with growing background music, and let the actors emotions pour through their eyes and not a word will be said. The moment in Collateral, when two coyotes run across the street. Vincent (Cruise) just gets done telling Max (Foxx) how his father died and how he would be beat him after he got drunk. This scene symbolizes Vincent's apparent loneliness and the coyotes that travel in pairs hunt for other prey. Vincent is the coyote and he's looking for a partner to hunt with. Since he has no one, he uses cab drivers as a means. He attempts to connect with Max and profess his ideals on life, which ultimately changes Max's own outlook on his life.
Add into this cosmic mix of grandeur class support Actors as mentioned previously, like Mark Ruffalo (Music on the Scene where he finds the apartment of the first hit, is so energised, love it.), Javier Bardem, Jada Pinkett Smith & Barry Shabaka Henley and you have a firecracker of furious fast paced fun.

The location is also one of the main attraction of the film aside from the starry casting and legendary directing.
Action sequences are handled nicely also. Superb camera work and editing. They are loud, fast, swift and brutal. The best example of such a scene is the last chase of Collateral.
The direction is class. Michael Mann adds another classic movie to his belt. Here he adds into the mix, elements that made another masterpiece Heat a definitive classic. Overall, he really injects an infusion of life and credibility into the proceedings, giving gritty realism and flair throughout.

Cinematography beautiful. Mann shot the film in HD so that we would be able to see night-time Los Angeles in all its glory. Add a haunting score by James Newton Howard, and you have an atmosphere that is gritty, urban, and most of all, realistic.

''In this life you'll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it's their own stupidity that makes them act that way. That will keep you from responding to their meanness. There's nothing worse in this world than bitterness and revenge. Hold your head up and stay true to yourself.''

Poignant coming-of-age story of a precocious and outspoken young Iranian girl that begins during the Islamic Revolution.

Chiara Mastroianni: Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi, as a teenager and a woman (voice)

Gabrielle Lopes: Marjane as a child (voice)

Persepolis is not only just an animated film or indeed a comic but one that captures one girl growing up. In the same vein as Grave of the Fireflies, this film is not for children like it's cartoony looks would suggest.



Persepolis is a 2007 French animated film based on Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel of the same name. The film was written and directed by Satrapi with Vincent Paronnaud. The story follows a young girl as she comes of age against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution. The story ends with Marjane as a 24-year-old expatriate. The title is a reference to the historic city of Persepolis.
The film won the Jury Prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and was released in France and Belgium on 27 June. In her acceptance speech, Satrapi said "Although this film is universal, I wish to dedicate the prize to all Iranians."The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature; Which it should of won.

What Persepolis gives us is Marjana Satrapi's vision about a life consisting of struggle, control and women being hidden without certain social freedoms. It is so captivating in the way it depicts the 80s and 90s in Iran, this is a World where death, war, propaganda and ideology are fully fuelled fires. Marjane's way of life in Iran resembles the early 1920s to 1940s rather than its actual timeline.
Imagination and creativity are brought to life to rekindle hope, cleverly Persepolis uses black and white to convey the immense desperation, the depressed state of society in Iran from constant war, revolution and the tennis match between having too much freedom or none at all.
The film is presented in the black-and-white style of the original graphic novels. Marjane explained in a bonus feature on the DVD that this was so the place and the characters wouldn't look like foreigners in a foreign country but simply people in a country to show how easily a country can become like Iran. The present-day scenes are shown in colour, while sections of the historic narrative resemble a shadow theatre show. To help with the translation of the comic to animation, art director and executive producer Marc Jousset came up with the design. The animation is credited to the Perseprod studio and was created by two specialized studios: Je Suis Bien Content and Pumpkin 3D.

Animation has a certain advantage; Permitting a pace that allows plenty to be explained, divulged, a simple and honestly told story, particularly anyone can relate to the images of early childhood and adolescence. Very thought inducing in seeing how atrocities and cruelties are perceived through little children's eyes, particularly little kids growing up in an environment where these acts are a normal way of life.
As a teenager looking for punk music in the black market, Marjane walks through a throng of peddlers trying to sell her an assortment of trendy videos, including disguising Micheal Jackson as Jichael Mackson is genius.
Communism is crushed, propaganda cast away and bloody fighting and martyrs frequently being produced. Marjane's life growing up as Persepolis shows us is a hard one full of strife. Yet for all its seriousness there is humour there also.
Throughout the film a sense of humour that is at times very sarcastic, yet very amusing shrouds the narrative and storytelling, luring audiences in with creative tones.
Be it sequences where she talks to God in his cloud or as a girl pestering her Uncle about his ideals and Communist past and life. Be it her making the transition from girl to woman in a very amusing sequence that shows all the joys of getting older. Sarcasm of my own there; It is a very infectious cycle of events.

Persepolis ends with a beautiful rendition of her grandmother and her smelling of the luscious flowers put into her bra area. This for me really does show a simple truth regarding how great life can be whatever trouble there may be, morally good is always lurking somewhere, waiting to break free.
Whether it be Marjane's ill fated relationships or defiance of a teacher, or even men telling the women to cover up more and Marjane standing up for her convictions, there are so many sides to this story Persepolis has to offer. It addresses forms of oppression from her perspective, it flirts with Communism from the past, shows how the Shah of Iran was deceived by the West in geopolitical games, and then the religious state that replaces the past, to the extent the Country almost resembles a totalitarian state thanks to the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is a fascinating way of life and despite her reservations and rebellion against the state I'm certainly drawn to the discipline and strength which comes from such a totalitarian regime. A regime of faith, certainty and traditional values. Significant.
Thus becoming in my eyes a definite masterpiece of emotion, feeling and capturing the life and transition of a whole nation. Born from revolution, war and constant struggle. A country prevailing against outside interference from the west and neighbours, such as Iraq, for example. It gives me hope for other countries, even today, who face similar hardships and problems.

Simply breathtaking, Persepolis is nothing short of greatness and told in a medium bordering on simplicity yet emerging as genius.

''Which side do you think Allah's on?''

''We are about to find out! ''

A team of U.S. government agents is sent to investigate the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East.

Jamie Foxx: Ronald Fleury

Despite the fact of being nearly two hours in duration, The Kingdom speeds ahead with its tale, not halting for in depth character development or concentrating on the main situations ensuing. This is it's coin like duality quality of being stuck between it's purpose. On one hand, Kingdom keeps an excellent pace.

Begins quite suddenly with a informative history lesson, telling us what the middle east Kingdom is, which I liked I admit, then with a cataclysmic explosion, the unprovoked, unexpected attack on the American residential compound results in being brutal and relentless, not scared of showing images of US children and civilians being fired upon.
Audiences expecting a thoughtful and thorough look at international relations are likely to be pleased in some ways and displeased in others. Kingdom avoids its own questions raised and resorts either to the American investigation team being frustrated over the lack of cooperation they are receiving or switches back to brutal and bloody gunfights that are shot and edited with the speed and accuracy of a quality action flick. This is a movie where the heroes can stumble upon the right clues that lead them to the right answers within a day or two.
The last half hour of the film is an extended action sequence as the Fleury and his team find themselves trying to rescue an ally, and blowing away anything that gets in their sights. The movie's final scene tries to make up for this with a sequence that is supposed to be chilling and make us wonder if the heroes are any different from the villains, but it comes across as being too much in places and somewhat force fed to Audiences.
But there is no doubt some repetitive action sequence of non-stop shooting in the wake of Black Hawk Down does make it seem a little hazy with it's agendas, especially when you have masked up goons taking potshots from every conceivable street corner, that it becomes somewhat like a video game. Those who find no peace with the ''unsteadicam", will naturally hate the way the movie is created, with the constantly shaking camera that, coupled with the rapid fire pace of editing, will induce some nauseating feeling to those with low tolerance to bouncing cameras. But I thought that the narrative justified the use of this technique though, with the characters constantly peering over their shoulders, being in hostile territory, a now frequently adopted technique for filming realisitc action, whether you like it or not.

Jamie Foxx has carved a name with military or action roles before in movies like Stealth, Jarhead or Miami Vice, and in Kingdom, he revisits Saudi Arabia as FBI special agent Ronald Fluery, who has assembled his own renegade team of agents to investigate into the suicide bombing and killings of American citizens living within a safe protected zone. We have Chris Cooper's bomb expert Grant Sykes who's stuck deep in mud, Jason Bateman as IT specialist Adam Leavitt, and the token female around to present challenges to customs and tradition, Jennifer Garner's forensic specialist Janet Mayes. Naturally in the hunt for those responsible for the attacks, they go up against protocol and culture, in the form of their host Colonel Faris Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom). But the movie does cast some sympathetic light on Faris, and in a broad stroke, the Saudi Arabians as well, being caught in a situation that they would rather be kept out of.

The Kingdom is a mixed bag. It seems to want to be an important movie that has messages, but at its core, it's a revenge motivated story where guns never stop firing, and heroes can fly in and save the day in the blink of an eye. I loved Kingdom in certain parts for what it was. The violence is brutal without being over done or glorified, and Kingdom at least never talks down to us, probably because it doesn't have time to be given the chance. This is not a bad movie, just not quite the movie I was hoping for considering the theme of the film and the cast involved. The Kingdom is a mostly safe, sanitized package designed to appeal audiences and fans of the action genre. Certainly concludes in making us realize both sides on the conflict, end up wanting the same thing because of all the death and crimson filled hate induced fighting.
All I want and in my opinion after seeing Kingdom, that we need a world free of hate and that we should learn to accept each other and be at peace.

''He's not Spider-Pig anymore, he's Harry Plopper.''

After Homer accidentally pollutes the town's water supply, Springfield is encased in a gigantic dome by the EPA and the Simpsons family are declared fugitives.

Dan Castellaneta: Homer & more (Voice/s)

The Simpsons Movie is unusually slow paced at various points. At the same conjunction the storyline is not really stretched to cinematic levels. Epic as it may seem to us, the scenarios have already been dealt with, in the unending TV episodes.
It's been said countless times and it's more or less true, nothing here tries to push any new frontiers and except for the length of the whole escapade you would never realize that this is a Simpsons: MOVIE.

Other flaws include the fact that some inhabitants of Springfield have only very brief cameos, like Mr. Burns! (Excellent!) and that some ideas have been recycled and regurgitated. As entertaining as Simpsons still may be, it is also easily predictable. This kind of mainstream floundering may have its own agenda for box office means but in the end I would have hoped for this to be something special, something more. The movie is by no means a catastrophe, but by Simpsons standards it's just not good enough.

The Simpsons have become a household name, a franchise. People know what to expect and therefore applaud even a relatively average movie like this one. The vultures, the fans, the kids who are all sucked in by the brand name.
To rely on that is a bit lazy like the annoying Homer who provides laughs to a certain extent but then proceeds to do the same lame jokes for the duration of the movie. I mean a dome, Arnold as president, and a pig who shits loads, have the makers run out of original ideas or am I like countless others, and numerous of my good Flixster friends, meant to embrace this movie too. Unfortunately no, I'm going to go against the grain and provide my honest opinion, and that is exactly what I've done. That being said I neither love nor hate The Simpsons Movie I'm stuck right in the middle.
I love the TV series so I'm sure my disappointment is poignantly captured here in my review.

''Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.''

Deckard, a blade runner, has to track down and terminate 4 Replicants who hijacked a ship in space and have returned to earth seeking their maker...

Harrison Ford: Rick Deckard

Rutger Hauer: Roy Batty

Bladerunner(1982) is definitely one of the most visionary films out there; it's right up there with the best dystopia visions of the future.
Loosely based upon on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, Blade Runner is the prodigal film-version son of Dick's visionary effort.
Ahead of its time artistically, visually and idealistically. As an end product The Final Cut, Director's Cut & Theatrical, all feel blooming with depth, messages, and significant poise ahead of it's 1982 release.
The final cut with it's 9 discs, is such a delight to come from Ridley Scott tantalizing questions and answers that will spark debate for many more years to come.



Blade Runner is not merely confined to being a story; it's not restricted to its characters or being over blown entertainment. It is about landscape, a vast metropolis, and the pinnacle of civilization.
Addressing topics such as correcting our present state, knowing what happened in the past and rectifying the future.
The future is used; cue the science-fiction mood and atmosphere resounding from the visual locations. Paradoxical the resulting may be, the future tense gives the viewer the necessary distance towards what he is supposed to see and what he does actually perceive.
The Dystopian themes explored in Blade Runner are an early example of cyberpunk concepts expanding into film. Eyes are a recurring motif, as are manipulated images, calling into question reality and our ability to accurately perceive and remember it.
Practically every sci-fi film that tries to predict an entirely new city is based on what is futuristic in terms of its realization, from visual powerhouse masterpieces such as Metropolis; to franchised versions of a future world such as Dark City or The Fifth Element.
Ridley Scott proposes a city that exists already, today, now. We get to the future through present, our present and that links us to it where the future tense gave us distance. Everything is deliberately thrown into a dystopia, chaotic much like a whirlwind, that shakes and twirls, not because it's dark and rainy, but because it's in a city that exists now; a future which could very well be the past.

So, everything is classical and timeless; Sean Young, a Replicant that doesn't know who she really is, has a unblemished beauty, the characterization, the way she moves, the way she talks. She plays the piano. She has a memory. She is human, except for the fact she is a Replicant, created by man where man is elevated to the category of God and creator, in the exact measure that he creates with the same perfection as a higher being. The camera is Deckard, the camera is the observer and this observer works from the top of the buildings, works above humanity, works on the last floor of Tyrell's Olympus like industrial complex. What is made in here is a change in time scale notion in order to get us, as viewers, down to earth. If God is eternity, and Man's life is a second in eternity; what we see here is Man's future uncertain and the Replicants' 4 years of existence a paradoxical knowledge of when they expect life to meet death. Whenever Replicants are seen in Blade Runner it is in fact a unique being shown. Ultimately, this may be about falling to earth with the notion that time is precious, and 4 years can be eternity, if perceived in a way condescending time. "All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain", says Rutger Hauer's perfect, relentless Aryan: Roy Batty. This is about keeping memory for eternity, physicality the illusion; our souls like the many rain drops falling from the heavens.

''I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die.''

Man pauses to reflect upon his creation, his imperfections, but also his qualities, show up in what he creates. So, throughout the story, we come to change our view of the Replicants: from villainy and fear to empathy, from desire to eliminate aspiring to desire for enlightenment and consequent sadness for their demise. That's when Replicants become the higher being than the humans that created them. That is when we know he's not talking about robots, but essentially us. "Pity she won't live, but again, who will?"... This is the revelation; nothing lasts forever, creator or creation. Still, facing the inevitability of death doesn't stop Deckard from running from life or Replicants from trying to live.
These thematic elements provide an atmosphere of uncertainty for Blade Runner's central theme of examining humanity. In order to discover Replicants, an empathy test is used, with a number of its questions focused on the treatment of animals; It seems to be an essential indicator of someone's humanity. The Replicants are juxtaposed with human characters whom lack empathy, while the Replicants appear to show compassion and concern for one another, the mass of humanity upon the streets is cold, disjointed and impersonal. The film goes so far as to put in doubt whether Deckard is a human, and forces the audience to re-evaluate what it means to be human.
An ongoing controversy since the film's release, that elusive question:
Is Deckard a Replicant himself?
Both Michael Deeley and Harrison Ford wanted Deckard to be human while Hampton Fancher preferred ambiguity. Ridley Scott has confirmed that in his vision Deckard is a Replicant. Deckard's unicorn dream sequence inserted into the Director's Cut coinciding with Gaff's parting-gift of an origami unicorn shown to many as showing Deckard to be a Replicant, as presumably Gaff could have access to Deckard's implanted memories.
The interpretation that Deckard is a Replicant is challenged by others whom believe unicorn imagery shows that the characters, whether human or Replicant, share the same dreams and recognise their unique affinity, or that the absence of a decisive answer is crucial to the film's main theme.
The inherent ambiguity and uncertainty of the film, as well as its textual richness, have permitted viewers to see it from their own perspectives.

Another aspect is the soundscapes, as dystopic as the city, as dark as this future, as empty as no future without its grace.
This is given life by Vangelis whom match the visuals with haunting synthesized awareness and bring them to our perception via sound by merging these elements together. Those sounds are the story and hum of that city, are the emphasis of our past, captured in the present, where there is no distinctive memory, where memories are forgotten, or rather not personal, once more, a placement survival device. ''Memory is a pillow for emotions'', says Tyrell, because he is god, he knows emotions are needed in order to exist, but he also knows he can't perpetuate lies about it, he knows the question and answer driving mortality.
Linguistically, the theme of mortality is subtly reiterated in the chess game between Roy and Tyrell based upon the famous Immortal game of 1851, though Ridley Scott stated this was merely coincidence.
You will find practically every aspect of film-noir in Blade Runner. . Between 1979 with Alien and 1982 with this offering, Ridley Scott moved definitely forward in understanding what science fiction is, and how it should cross over into film making. Every artist has his limits regarding innovation and creation, apparently Scott's limit was defined here. His post-work never would be as influential or visionary as these two films.
I don't remember ever being this blown away by a film upon first viewing and made to dwell upon higher aspects relating to life in general.
Usually it takes multiple viewings for a film to gain love and affection but more viewings only show me visions I never comprehended before, you can see the journey from a completely new vantage point. As it stands; This IS Ridley's Scott's shot on answers, on questions regarding existence, time and our fear of mortality, morality and temporary manifestation in the known physical universe.

Roy saving Decard symbolises humanity being saved by it's creation, the white dove flying away as Roy passes on, a representation for his own soul.
Acceptance and ambiguity answer Deckard's Human/Replicant question; Once our existence is in question, love and freedom show the answer no longer matter. Human or divine, hunter becoming the hunted and the cliche regarding dreams and memories. In the end, it's about living life and not living in fear.
Blade Runner is greatness; Deep and hypnotic in all it's glory.

''Gaff had been there, and let her live. Four years, he figured. He was wrong. Tyrell had told me Rachael was special. No termination date. I didn't know how long we had together... Who does?''

''I decided to stop pitying myself. Other than my eye, two things aren't paralyzed, my imagination and my memory.''

The true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffers a stroke and has to live with an almost totally paralyzed body; only his left eye isn't paralyzed.

Mathieu Amalric: Jean-Dominique 'Jean-Do' Bauby

Emmanuelle Seigner: Céline Desmoulins

Diving Bell/Butterfly is a true Story and evidence that truth can be more astounding than any fiction can.
Tells the tale of Jean-Dominique Bauby who tragically becomes immobilized apart from his left eye.



For the duration of Diving Bell we mostly see what Jean-Do sees through his eye, from his perception and perspective of the world.
We the audience begin to realize and ascertain how trapped and confined he is as the Story continues. Imagery to convey this includes him in an Underwater restricted Suit that shows how his body has become ultimately his prison yet his imagination and memory his escape and freedom from a relentless nightmare.

Diving Bell made me think on a personal level, made me think that I've been guilty of taking life for granted and not realizing the greatness and vastness of things I have and possess. Seeing this man disabled and helpless in his hardship and his immoblilized state is incredible due to the fact he writes a whole book using his eye to convey it all through letters using blinks. Once for yes, Twice for no to confirm the letters said.

Flashbacks also shed light on Jean-Do's life prior to the accident/stroke. This was powerful stuff for me. A scene in Diving Bell between Jean-Do and his Father played by Max Von Sydow is truly tear inducingly heart wrenching. I had to hide my face in the Cinema due to the fact I don't like people to see me cry. Diving Bell on a personal level is like a dream and this book this man creates is his voice crying out from this living nightmare.

Alot to learn to from it's imaginative play on history and dreamy depths of Jean-Do's mind to it's realistic desperation of a man fighting to stay alive. A Sunday described as a desert due to it's lack of company is so clever or the ''We're all children, we all need approval.'' is a life's lesson in effect genius.

Le Scaphandre et le Papillon in a effect a Masterpiece, beautiful.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is one reason I love films and reading.
One man's struggle so wonderfully caught and shown.

''A poet once said, Only a fool laughs when nothing's funny.''

''There will be no order, only chaos.''

A paranoid mathematician searches for a key number that will unlock the universal patterns found in nature.
Faith in Chaos.

Sean Gullette: Maximillian Cohen

Max is a mathematician who tries to find the perfect number/equation to life, to everything. Upon finding it, people will do anything to get what he knows.
Beautiful sounds and music, fantastic camera work are a few aspects Pi has to offer. The whole flashes, views through keyholes, the ants, the black and white filming intensifies the ordeal that is Pi.



I liked the Jewish lettering and numbering system. Especially fascinating with some awe defining comparisons and links to certain symbolic aspects within the Torah.

Darren Aronofsky has crafted a superb, psychological, analytical movie that spirals out of control to dizzying heights. Paranoia and madness soaked.
Sean Gullette portrays Max in such a believable fashion. Incredible.

Very meaningful quotes for instance, the following examples:
''When i was a little boy my mother told me not to stare into the sun.
So once when i was six i did''.

''1. Mathematics is the language of nature.
2. Everything around us can be represented and understood through numbers.
3. If you graph these numbers, patterns emerge. Therefore: there are patterns everywhere in nature.''

Pi is perfected in it's capturing of numbers and the mixture of faith and religion. Even in religions and nature numbers are in everything, which begs the idea that God, the big everything, or whatever you believe, patterns are in everything, reflecting how numbers are everywhere.

Some interesting ambient music from some surreal groups too like Aphex Twin, orbital, Ront Size, Massive attack, David Holmes, Autechre and Clint Mansell.

The whole film is surreal,beautiful and shot so differently yet originally. Reminds me of the Silent Hill video games on parts the way it messes with your head and stretches your fear of the unknown. Also is similar to Taxi-driver how its main guy seems to plummet and be consumed by craziness and chaos. How you get to the stage where you snap and there's no going back.
What begins as an obsession to beat the stock market slowly transcends into something altogether higher and pivotal yet dangerous.

Watch immediately if you are into deep films because Pi certainly is near the top of the pile.
Darren Aronofsky, I see what he's trying to achieve here. In all his films. Has to be watched again and again to take into account all it's deeper messages and meanings.
Simply Amazing, spirals into perfection and infinity like it's chaotic numeric, faithful subject matter.

Faith is indeed in chaos, in order, and sometimes human error: A myriad of God, man and math. I will leave you with questions: When does genius become madness? When does a mathematician begin to become a numerologist? An obsession has good traits and bad, but how far would you go if you discovered the secret of the Universe? And if you did would you destroy that secret/discovery because this secret would be too dangerous for anyone to have?