Latest Bellwether Films: 20 June 2010
Takako Matsu in 'Confessions'
Confessions (告白) - Japanese school drama suspense
On the final day of class, amidst the texting and talking of the after-lunch bell, a 7th grade teacher (Takako Matsu - 松たか子) calmly announces to her class that she has called off her marriage and will not be returning next year because her 3-year-old daughter was found drowned in the school pool. Without mentioning specific names, she knows her daughter was murdered by two boys in the class. But she does not wish to turn them in to the police because they are too young to be convicted. Instead, she wants justice from their peers to help ruin the rest of their lives beginning with the HIV virus she put in the milk they just consumed. She then walks out to ratchet up the pressure on her perilous plan. Upshot: A dark yet compelling interpretation of Kanae Minato’s 2008 bestselling novel. Satisfaction rating: ABOVE AVERAGE - 78
Garfield’s Pet Force - Indiewood alternate world comedy animation
When an alien invasion puts his friends Odie and Nermal at risk, lazy lasagna-loving cat Garfield dons a cape, transforming himself into a superhero, to save the world. Satisfaction rating: BELOW AVERAGE - 24
Jonah Hex - Hollywood western fantasy action
On a secret assignment from President Grant (Aidan Quinn), a disfigured bounty hunter (Josh Brolin) with an extrasensory ability to talk to corpses tracks down his former Civil War commander (John Malkovich), not only to stop a plot to destroy the nation’s capital on the nation’s hundredth birthday but also to avenge his family’s murder. His only real friend, a beautiful prostitute (Megan Fox), assists him on this perilous mission. Upshot: Charismatic stars Josh Brolin and Megan Fox are largely wasted in this visually interesting but somehow unsatisfying story. The ghostly themes and the hero’s grotesque face do not fit with the otherwise straightforward action line. Satisfaction rating: BELOW AVERAGE - 34
tête en friche, La (Head in the Wasteland) - French relationships drama comedy
Owing to a chance meeting in the park, a marginally literate 45-year-old man (Gerard Depardieu) strikes up a life-changing friendship with a retired agronomy researcher (Gisele Casadesus). She inspires him by reading passages from novels and eventually teaches him to read fluently, thereby improving his confidence. Greater confidence translates into a better life and better relationships, particularly with his girlfriend (Sophie Guillemin). As time passes, the elderly researcher loses her sight and now he reads aloud to her. Satisfaction rating: GOOD - 59
Toy Story 3 - Hollywood anthropomorphic adventure animation
As their owner Andy prepares for college, Woody, Buzz and the other toys (who come to life whenever humans look away) are mistakenly donated to the local Daycare Center. A plush strawberry-scented Teddy bear runs the facility like a prison, putting the new toys with the abusive incorrigible children by day, and locking them into wire bins by night. Woody must bust out his friends and lead them back home where goodhearted Andy can choose their fates. Upshot: Sympathetic characters loyal to a fault and an unexpected plot line create a rare second sequel that holds up as well as the first, featuring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton and John Ratzenberger. Satisfaction rating: EXCELLENT - 94
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World's Favorite Films 2010
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World's Favorite Foreign Language Films 2010
Aftershock (Chinese)
L'arnacoeur (French)
The Borrower Arietty (Japanese)
Ip Man 2 (Chinese)
Pokemon: Phanton Ruler Zoroark (Japanese)
Confessions (Japanese)
My Name Is Khan (Bollywood)
Nodame Cantabile 2 (Japanese)
Blood Brothers: Secret Reunion (Korean)
Doraemon: Mermaid Adventure (Japanese)
Raajneeti (Bollywood)
Little Big Soldier (Chinese)
La Rafle (French)
Les Aventures Extraordinaire d'Adele Blanc-Sec (French)
Io, loro e Lara (Italian)
Liar Game (Japanese)
Our Rossiya (Russian)
Moss (Korean)
71 - Into the Gunfire (Korean)
Housefull (Bollywood)
