Spanglish **1/2

If Spanglish attempted to address the issue of cultural shock and reconcile differences in any regard in a heartfelt way, I think this movie did not make it.

Adam Sandler might have delivered one of his best performances in his career, and the whole cast was doing a decent job as well. Unfortunately, it didn't fly. Flor, the gorgeuous Mexican mother, tried so hard to keep her daughter from being a model minority ... the whole thing seemed a little bit absurd in real world. The confession of Deborah's extra-marital affair seemed a little bit emotionally unreal. What was even worse was the scene of flirtation between the upset husband and the strong-minded maid, which only made the story cheesier.

The only part I really enjoyed was the performance of two supporting characters: Evelyn, the ex-jazz-singer grandma (Cloris Leachman) and Bernice, the sensitive daughter (Sarah Steele). Leachman gave her seasoned comedic touch with a deep sense of humanity for this movie. Young actress Steele's acting was still far from being mature, but her warmth was so convincing that you had to root for her. I think they really earned their credits.

Blood Diamond ***1/2

The purpose of making "Blood Diamond" is apparently to deliver a clear message: The diamond you buy may be paid at the price of the blood in Africa. But, as many critics and the filmmakers wonder, "will moviegoers listen?"

My guess is, people will read this message, and agree with the filmmakers' point. But, when they go home, they still do their routines, and make their decisions based on what they already believe. The same situation happens to poverty, epidemics, and other ugly issues in the so-called third world. When riches such as Bono and Bill Gates are helping Africa, some cynicals even call these philanthropists hypocrites.

Overall, "Blood Diamond" is more like a documentary film dubbed with Hollywood-style drama in a constructive way. The cast was good but not awesome. Djimon Hounsou's character started with a strikingly tradegic hero but ended up with a relatively flat tone. Leonardo DiCaprio's accent was not as real as his fake retardedness in "Who's Eating Gilbert's Grapes (1993)." Fortunately, his fake accent is not the point. DiCaprio's heroic role, except for the one in "Titanic (1997)," is usally a complicated hero (e.g., The Beach, Romeo & Juliet, Departed, etc.), which is always a delight to see in movies. Honestly, the budding love between DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly was not quite convincing. Once again, we are happy to see that this weak link of affection has little impact on the whole story.

So, please take this movie a bit more seriously, my friends.

Mongolian Ping Pong: beauty of simplicity

Looking at these kids playing with the "magic pearl," you would probably wonder how their ancestors once conquered one third of the world and established the greatest empire in history.

This movie struck you with a component that is rarely appreciated in Hollywood films: simplicity. These Chinese filmmakers effortlessly prove that drama is not a required factor in a movie to touch the soft spot of your heart.

Above all, it does not romanticize the childhood. A child is not a tiny version of an adult, and hence adults can never quite capture the essense of childhood unless they let children lead the way in a story like this.

Piano Teacher: Against all Rules

Make sure that you are ready to witness the weirdest sex scene in the fim history. "Piano Teacher (La Pianista)" is a journey worth any risk for any bold moviegoer.

This is no doubt a love story, because love is the only theme for this movie. However, you may be shocked to see it if you are expecting romantic and joyful components in the name of love.

The protagonist (played by Isabella Huppert) is a seasoned musician who has had twisted conceptulization about love. She thought the only way to avoid pain and hurt is to take full control of a relationship. She refused to be seduced in order to be in charge of her new relationship with a young man, but eventually she still failed miserably.

You could decipher the story with gender issues, or you could simply look at this story with an angle of darkness and violence inherent of love. Isabella Huppert has done a tremendous job to portrait this archanely tragedic character. Ripping off the beautiful outfits of love, what else is left for us? For those suffering for love, you may find different messages and inspirations after seeing this movie.

Lord of the War

I watched "Lord of the War" twice before my vacation. It was definitely not because I was crazy about this movie. The story was both disturbing and appealing in that the story was not preaching about what is right and wrong. I guess the message conveyed from this movie is about "truth."

It is sometimes painful to see, hear, and even embrace the truth. Who can say out loud that legal weapons are less evil than illegal weapons? The lord of the war may not be limited to the tyrants Western media try to portrait. The evidence shows that the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (who are all nuclear powers) have joint the gang of warlords that export weapons to the third world for a long time.

In the end of "Lord of the War," the arm dealer (played by Nicholas Cage) was set free. I guess this pretty much depicts what is happening in the world. We can do nothing about it but to pray that we can live in our safe and naive place for the rest of our lives.