Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) ***

I felt a little bit depressed after seeing Clint Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)." First, it did not live up to my expectations. Second, it's difficult for me to watch the "below-standard" work of the maestro.



Overall, the movie was scatteredly paced. The major roles were not fully developed in terms of their personalities and attitudes towards the war. The intention of the moviemakers was no doubt decent, but the good intention seemed to overshadow the story-telling scheme. It's easy to fall for the dichotomous enemy-friend complex in such a movie. Eastwood did not nail it, unfortunately.

However, it would be unfair to dismiss this movie out of hand. The story carries so much weight that it is not easy to choose a neutral tone when revisiting the history. Eastwood attempted to use "Flag of Fathers" and "Letters from Iwo Jima" to tell the two sides of a story. The war itself is a tragedy. After all, there is no real glory or hero when killings are not about survival or a greater cause.

Surf's Up (2007) ***1/2

Rarely have I seen the audience clapping their hands when an animation film ends in the theater. Surf's Up (2007) totally surprised me.

In the beginning, the pace of this film kind of annoyed me, because this was not what I expected. I guess I was expecting something closer to Finding Nemo or Madagascar in terms of storytelling style and visual effect. The filmmakers blended the documentary film and reality show in "Surf's Up," which might have risked forcing some impatient kids to leave the theater.

Fortunately, the movie was getting better and better as the story unfolded. Despite the attempts to get emotional, the filmmakers have tremendous patience to lead the audience to the glory and shame embedded in the story's theme step by step. I personally think this is the boldest story-telling method that has ever been implemented in the animation film history.

Don't be deceived by the cute and chubby penguins ... this movie was not made for kids who are looking for simple-minded fun in the theme park.

My Father, My Lord (2007) ****

One of the gems in the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, "My Father, My Lord" appears to be a very simple story. The characters and drama are not meant to get complicated in this story, but the power this movie has yielded, partly through its music, is simply amazing.

Simplicity is just a word that may underrrate this movie. Behind simplicity lies rigid ancient religious traditions that leave no room for people to make their own interpretations. "My Father, My Lord" is like a short novel that you would feel heavily struck after reading it. Despite bitter and sad emotions, you may find yourself speechless sitting in the darkness when the movie is over.

The Squid and The Whale (2005) ****

Breaking up is never easy, but "The Squid and The Whale" is talking about a post-breaking-up life, which may be even harder.

The filmmakers apparently are more interested in the impact on the two young brothers whoes parents are recently divorced. The script was cleverly written so that we can hardly notice any cliche. However, the most interesting role may be the father who hates "philistine."

No one should be demonized in a broken relationship. It takes two to tangle and probably also takes two to fall apart. The implication of the title "The Squid and the Whale" does not merely represent a distant happy childhood memory but also signify a destination we cannot escape from.

A movie like this can be too real to watch, especially if you have popcorns in one hand and coke in the other hand. It's your call, my friends.

The Queen (2006)***

Honestly, it's easy to be an anti-monarchy symphathist. There are so many modern things we take for granted. Surprisingly, I found myself wondering whether popularity-centered democracy is really the best system we should have after seeing "The Queen."

Anyway, "The Queen" is about the conflict between new and old generations. If the new generation can cut some slack for the old generation, and vice versa, some tragedies may have been avoided. Who knows?

Overall, "The Queen" is a quality work. It is good but not great. Helen Mirren's performance is no doubt classic. The strength of her performance actually lies in her belief about the strength of Queen Elizabeth. On the contrary, the character of Premier Tony Blair has become a little bit comedic. I wonder whether this is the intention of the filmmakers: mocking the irony of modernness and restoring the nostalgia for glories of the past.