Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Movies Spotlight – Underrated and Under Seen in 2010 – February 2011

Film: Let Me In
Director: Matt Reeves
Plot Summary: It is a horror/romance film about a young boy who is bullied at school and has no friends. One day he meets a girl in the playground of his apartment complex, but she has a dark secret. She is a vampire. They develop a deep and twisted friendship that is threatened when a police detective hunts for her after a series of murders.
Why You Need to See It: The film had a lot of initial bad buzz because it is a remake of the revered Swedish film Let the Right One In. However upon its release, critics and fans soon realized that the film is just as good, if not better than the original and has something different to offer. It has fantastic performances from its young cast (including one of my favorite leading performances of the year) and a wonderful score from Michael Giacchino (also one of my favorites of the year). If you are a horror or vampire fan, you need to see this film because it was the best of its genre hands down. Check out the trailer.
Available On: Blu-ray, DVD and to Rent

Director: Mark Romanek
Plot Summary: The drama is about three children who grow up at a boarding school in England. They are restricted to the grounds. Once they become teens, they move out into the world and find love. However, their purpose in the world is to be harvested for their organs. Now, they are faced with their duty, ingrained in them since birth, impeding their lives and love for one and other.
Why You Need to See It: The film is the most aesthetically brilliant of the year with outstanding directing, cinematography and a haunting but hopeful score from Rachel Portman. Of all the new films I saw in 2010 (something around 150), Never Let Me Go affected me the most emotionally and left me in thought for days. It is both a beautiful and hopefully story yet utterly tragic and heartbreaking. It is too bad that the film, which is far more nuanced than most of the acclaimed films of the year, was overlooked completely, aside from the few who actually saw it. Check out the trailer.
Available On: Blu-ray, DVD and to Rent

Director: Edgar Wright
Plot Summary: The action adventure comedy follows the journey of Scott Pilgrim, a shy bass player who must battle the seven evil exes to be with the girl he believes to be the love of his life.
Why You Need to See It: If you are a video game fan or grew up with them (you have probably already seen this), this is a film made just for you. It is hysterically funny with great running gags, has awesome music from composer Nigel Godrich and Beck and features amazing editing from Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss. Plus, the cast is very good, especially Ellen Wong and Kieran Culkin. Yes it is based on a comic book, but it is not a super hero film. It plays a bit like High Fidelity (for a younger generation) mixed with a Kung-Fu movie. If you liked Wright’s other films (Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz), you are going to like this one too. Check out the trailer.
Available On: Blu-ray, DVD and to Rent

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