snl face-off: guru pitka vs. zohan

given the choice: mike meyers or adam sandler? i'd say mike meyers. i love the way he combines silly and witty, and austin powers being one of my all-time favorites, i have certain comic expectations of mike meyers.

unfortunately he drops the ball on this one relying on potty humor and giving in to a predictable plot that you're just waiting to play itself out. there's a few isolated moments of good jokes, but the movie quickly unfolds exactly as you know it will, and at the end you're still left with nothing. it's almost as if the movie itself knows how bad it is and rushes right through it so it can be over already. justin timberlake is possibly the one thing worth watching as a ridiculous "jacques the cock," though the gimmick can only carry itself so far.

zohan, though not great either, does garner some good laughs. more like an extended saturday night live skit than a movie, the zohan character is likable, funny, and well suited to adam sandler. the movie at least has some relevance or something to identify with, whether a silly dream of cutting hair, or giving a light heart to some very real tensions. not to mention i have a new girl crush on emmanuelle chriqui.

both have plenty of dick jokes to satisfy the 13-year old within and cameos to test your tmz iq.


no k.o. here, zohan by decision.

the station agent

i wanna hug this movie. this simple understated movie is feel good through and through. an honest look at loneliness with lovable quirky characters, each element of the film comes together to reach right in there and make you feel something true. added to my top faves.

Take your soul to the cleaners - watch Dirty Pretty Things

"We are the people you dont see.  We drive your cabs, clean your rooms, and suck your cocks."

It will feel like your soul has been taken to the laundromat, washed out and wrung dry of all the dirty, pretty things, by the time that line hits you.  

 

This is a story of simple, ordinary people with extraordinary problems.  A story of what happens when impossible situations force an ingeniuty that can only be derived from desperation.  Of exploited people, pushed to their limits, stripped of all reasonable options, and left with nothing except their morals and beliefs.   

Which is what it should be right?  That's why we watch movies like this.  To see the human condition triumph amidst unfavorable odds.  What really sets this movie apart from others is the story telling.

Director Stephen Frears doesnt rely on flash and special effects to try and make the movie pop.  Instead, subtly beautiful cinematography and precision character acting bring our protagonists, Okwe and Senay, to life.  Chiwetel Ejiofor (Talk To Me) and Audrey Tautou (Amelie) are brilliant in their starring roles.  and Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda) shines brightest among the cast of eccentric supporting characters, who, although at moments appear a little over the top, tip-toeing on caricatures, help paint a picture of the type of lives people in the London underground need to live just to survive.

There is also something quite beautiful about the language each character uses.  Every one of them seems to have a unique and distinct accent and manner of speaking, which meshes elegantly.  Personally, I could listen to an African accent all day long, there is something very calming and peaceful about it.  I'm not familiar with a Turkish accent, but if it all sounds like Senay's, I might be moving to Turkey.

The bottom line is, this movie is amazing.  I don't remember it being out in the US market, and dont think it got too much press over here.  If you have yet to come across it, go find it, it'll be worth it.  By the time the movie ends, your soul will feel clean, fresh and renewed.

burn before seeing

the most disappointing thing about "Burn After Reading" was the lack of appreciation from my fellow audience for what a hilariously fun movie this is. save for the man who cracked us up because he was cracking up.

the colorful characters, each in their own world in one way or another, collide in the Coen brothers classic snowball manner, in which a one track mind + a chance event spin wildly out of anyone's control. i love the way they play it out-like the astute observations of a standup comedian who gives insight and hilarity to the foibles of human and social nature. plus a few drinks and a handful of limes.

the combination of slapstick, satire, and that curious brand of coen dark humor is well carried out by the talented cast. forget the silly butchered foreign accents in "seven years in tibet," the questionably gay drama "a devil's own," and the foo-foo romance of "legends of the fall"(ok, i never saw that one), brad pitt is best when he's goofy. george clooney does a great run as a not-so suave, well meaning womanizer, his exaggerated expressions one of the standouts in "burn." frances mcdormand is wonderful as always, and this part must have been written for john malkovich who plays frustrated anger to comic perfection. even the supporting cast all add their own little color.

though not their best nor most memorable, it's nonetheless thoroughly enjoyable, and signature coen brothers. for those who go see this movie because they got hit by marketing, there's a chance they may not take to this brand of humor. for those of us who love and cherish the coen brothers, we are excited to have a movie to be excited about.