Michael Lye is an Atlanta Film Festival 365 member and volunteer.

SHERLOCK HOLMES

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle's world-famous sleuth was given a modern face-lift which resulted in Sherlock Holmes taking on the mantle of action-hero in this 128-min movie that was aptly directed by Guy Ritchie (Snatch, RocknRolla, Long Stock and Two Smoking Barrels).

I enjoyed the skillful cinematography by Philippe Rousselot and the gorgeously designed costumes by Jenny Beaman. Strong compelling performances by Mark Strong and the lovely yet talented Rachel McAdams' trumped both Robert Downey Jr.'s and Jude Law's performances. The chemistry between RDJ and Jude Law seemed strained and deliberate - and not at all 'natural'.

The special effects, CGI, set design, and production quality are all excellent.

However, this movie incarnation of Sherlock Holmes was screen-written by the team of Michael Robert Johnson, Simon Kinberg and Anthony Peckham - and was based on a story by Lionel Wigram and Michael Robert Johnson. The end result was a bloated plot and a total perversion of the classic Sherlock Holmes character. If I did not know better, I would have thought that Sherlock Holmes was possessed.

The sprinkling of humor in the movie seemed forced and contrived - and, the uneven editing by James Herbert seemingly impaired the flow of the movie.

Lastly, the ending felt overdue and rushed - and sets up nicely for a sequel (which I fervently hope will be better than its predecessor).

VERDICT:
A valiant effort - but, not great.
Grade: C-plus

Michael Lye is an ATL365 Member and Volunteer

AVATAR was directed by James Cameron, and stars Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, etc.

According to TheWrap.com, a FOX spokesperson confirmed that AVATAR has a production budget of $237 million - plus $150 million in marketing/promotion cost - thereby granting AVATAR the distinction of being the most expensive movie ever made to date.

The production quality is FIRST-RATE! I was in awe with the spectacularly computer-generated world(moon) of Pandora. The realistic-looking world-scapes transfixed me - and that combined with the EXCELLENT cinematography by Mauro Fiore plus the 3D that possessed tremendous depth, the world of Pandora truly came ALIVE! I was mesmerized by Pandora's bio-luminescent night-time flora and fauna - a veritable fairy-land of soft glow and breath-taking lights. I was so in awe that I think I hurt my jaw as it dropped and hit the floor.

I really enjoyed watching the Banshee/Ikran flights, which I found to be immensely exhilarating! Most of the featured Pandora's wildlife/creatures are basically analogues of Earth's horses (Direhorses/Pa'li), wolves (Viperwolves/Nantang), pterodactyl (Banshee/Ikran), rhinoceros (Hammerhead/Titanothere), and the Thanator/Palulukan which reminded me of a combination of tiger, cougar, and puma. The action-scenes were well-choreographed/well-presented, and the action sequences were clear and well-defined. The computer generated Na'vi people and Pandora's flora and wildlife were remarkably realistic-looking. And above all, I cannot help but be amazed by the combination and juxtapositioning of live-action and computer generated images which blended seamlessly.

Themes explored included leadership, greed, colonialism, love/friendship, environmentalism, spiritualism, harmony and communion.

However, in spite of all the above positives, AVATAR's average plot begged for improvement - plus, the characters are basically one-dimensional and could be better developed - and these, were the only drawbacks.

Overall, James Cameron delivered a truly spectacular gorgeous action-packed spectacle worth checking-out.

VERDICT:
A Must See for fans of fantasy/sci-fi and action genres.
If possible, see it in IMAX 3D - you will be glad you did.
At approximately 2hr and 40mins, I was left hungry for more!
Eywa rules! (Mother-nature has the last word!)
Grade: A

 Michael Lye is a Atlanta Film Festival 365 Member and Volunteer

INVICTUS.

Invictus is latin for 'unconquered' - and is also a 1875 short poem by English poet William Ernest Henley.
The last two lines of the poem are...
"I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul."

Filmed entirely in South Africa, Invictus is a 135-minute movie based on the non-fiction book by John Carlin - Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation, and chronicled Nelson Mandela's life from 1994-1995 - focusing mainly on his inspiring and successful attempts to racially and politically depolarize plus unify the South African nation with the help of South Africa's underdog rugby team, Springboks. The movie also touched briefly on his release from 27 years of imprisonment (for opposing apartheid) plus his subsequent election as the first black President of South Africa.

In this movie, President Nelson Mandela(Morgan Freeman - one of the finest actors of the present era) uttered the above two lines of the poem to the captain of the Springboks, Francois Pienaar(a very blond Matt Damon) - with surprising profound effect so that Francois came to realize that the idea of winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup(against the seemingly unbeatable and formidable New Zealand's All Blacks) is not only a surmountable goal - but that his rugby team is also a effective vehicle to bring the entire nation together through sports. (And that, is surprising because back then in South Africa, the blacks reviled the Springboks which they viewed negatively as a symbol of white oppression.)

Clint Eastwood, a extraordinary gifted director, was charged with the difficult task of weaving politics and sports while presenting a portrait of a gentle, wise, and humanitarian leader. He succeeded in crafting a well-told story - with excellent production values - that is fresh, entertaining, educational, inspiring, and yet - not at all 'preachy'.

Morgan Freeman, who is personally acquainted with Mandela, embodied Nelson Mandela with perfection. He exuded strength, tolerance, and wisdom in this movie that is also pregnant with other important messages such as forgiveness, humanity, reconciliation, racial-equality, democracy, and national unity.
Matt Damon's terrific portrayal of Francois Pienaar made me forget that I was watching Matt Damon on-screen. His South African accent sounded natural to my ears.

All the above three thespians are indeed at the top of their game.
Also, kudos to the supporting cast for turning in a excellent performance. I especially enjoyed the humor and insight interjected by Clint Eastwood in the depiction of the supporting roles' interactions - which also conveyed the then average everyday person's reactions to their fellow South Africans of different race.

The engagingly chair-gripping knuckle-biting depictions of the rugby matches will likely turn you into a new covert for this rough sport.

Factoids:
Impressively well-integrated and seamless CGI helped populate the stadium crowd in all the scenes of Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg.
Nelson Mandela had personally mentioned to Morgan Freeman that one day he would like for the actor to play him in a movie.

A parting thought...
As uttered in the movie by Francois to his wife, "...how you spend 30 years in a tiny cell and come out ready to forgive the people who put you there." - the impact that this line makes will resonate deeply long after the movie is over.

VERDICT:
ROUSING, INSPIRATIONAL, POWERFUL, and EMOTIONAL.
Excellent: Grade A.    

Michael Lye is an ATL365 Member and Volunteer 

ARMORED. (thin shell)

This 1hr 28min heist/crime thriller stars Matt Dillon, Jean Reno, Laurence Fishburne, Amaury Nolasco, Milo Ventimiglia, Columbus Short, Skeet Ulrich, and Fred Ward.

Scripted by James V. Simpson and competently directed by Nimród Antal (award-winning director of 2004 CANNES Film Festival's' 'Kontroll'), ARMORED explored various themes - conflict, morality, crime, justice, and action-consequence/karma. But, the thin plot basically cramped the movie despite strong performances by the talented cast.

There were a few chair-gripping scenes plus some thrilling action sequences - but a feeling of disconnectedness persisted throughout the movie. Instead of drawing me in and holding me rapt - I was disappointed by the lack of character development and I was apathetic with regard toward the characters.

The anti-climactic ending did not improve the overall 'feel' of this 'heavy' movie.

VERDICT:
Recommended for fans of the cast.
Grade: C-average

Michael Lye is an ATL365 Member and Volunteer

The Princess and the Frog

Disney's The Princess and the Frog is a 95 minute modern-day re-imagining of a traditional fairy-tale.

Lovingly and painstakingly hand-drawn, this latest animated feature pays homage to Disney's classic animated tales with elements such as gorgeous PANTONE color-coordinated and matched scenes, a well-realized heroic gutsy female protagonist, and cute personality-driven creatures/characters while striking a good balance of engaging story-telling, humor, heart, and music.

Randy Newman, who scored the film's toe-tapping upbeat music and songs, once again proved that he is a composer to be reckoned with - following his huge successes with CARS, MONSTERS INC., TOY STORY 2 and A BUG'S LIFE.

The first half of the movie unfolded at a steady pace contrasting the latter half's frenetic let's-try-to-fit-as-much-as-we-can gumbo mix. The competent directing by Ron Clemens and John Musker kept the engaging story flowing along breezily like a steady boat-ride down the bayou.

The excellent voice-cast featured the talented Anika Noni Rose (Tiana - Disney's first African American princess), John Goodman, Bruno Campos, Oprah Winfrey, Jenifer Lewis, Jim Cummings, Michael-Leon Wooley, Terrence Howard, Keith David and Jennifer Cody.

VERDICT:
Highly Recommended. You don't have to be a kid to appreciate Disney's latest animated savory treat filled with positive messages. Go See It!!
Grade: A

Michael Lye is an ATL365 Member and Volunteer

PLANET 51. ROCKS!!!

Madrid-based Ilion Animation Studios's first effort, Planet 51 was originally titled Planet 1 but was changed - as a nod to Nevada's Area 51.

 

Scripted by Joe Stillman, and directed by a trio - Jorge Blanco, Javier Adad, and Marcos Martinez, Planet 51 featured the voice talents of Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Seann William Scott, Gary Oldman, and John Cleese.

This 1.5hr entertaining animated movie's action/plot moved along briskly as it explored themes of loyalty, courage, sacrifice, heroism, and fear of the unknown while being peppered by PLENTY of humorous pop-culture references. Planet 51 was populated by cute characters like a wily playful acid-peeing alien pet and Rover - the resourceful adorable Labrador Retriever-like space exploration robot. While there is room for improvement, the overall 'look' and quality of the animation was consistent in this good-quality production. I definitely look forward to Ilion's future projects.

VERDICT:
Recommended.
A cute fun movie for the kids that adults should appreciate as well.
Grade: B

Michael Lye is an ATL365 Member and Volunteer

UP IN THE AIR. Soars - defies gravity!

Up in the Air - adapted for the screen from Walter Kim's novel of the same name by director Jason Reitman(Thank You for Smoking, JUNO) who also screen-wrote the script with Sheldon Turner has a unique opening sequence of aerial views of the earth/ground that was also used sporadically in this profoundly entertaining movie as a continuity device - a good example of beautiful cinematography.

George Clooney and Vera Farmiga were supported by a talented cast that comprise Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Danny McBride, Amy Morton, Melanie Lynskey, etc.

George Clooney played the role of, Ryan Bigham, a career transition counselor or 'termination engineer' whose personal goal was to reach 10 million frequent-flyer miles in the course of his job traveling all over the country to fire corporate employees in this relevant/current climate of economic depression, job insecurities and job losses/corporate downsizing.
Ryan Bingham may have amassed a huge coffer of f-f miles but he possess zero personal life - until he met Alex (Vera Farmiga). He also presents seminars on the virtues of living a relationship-free life - to unburden oneself with personal materials and non-material baggages - thus, mirroring his own lack of personal commitments and sparse personal possessions. He is a man who would much rather spend time away in hotels than to be at home - in a disaffected personal limbo of self-imposed isolation - a man who is terminally, alone.

Alex was presented as his female road-warrior counterpart. Anna Farmiga exuded assurance and was rivetingly magnetic playing her complex character. She has wonderful on-screen chemistry with George Clooney - intelligent dialogues and breezy humor aplenty.

As Natalie Keener, Anna Kendrick's performance was a gem. She embodied naivety, the loss of young love, eagerness, determination, and fierce ambition. Her role seemed like a jab by Jason Reitman at some professionally-inexperienced corporate MBA-graduates that are hap-hazardly attempting to run major corporations - know-it-alls that are book(theory)-smart but have little clue about how actual business environments operate. In this regard, Anna successfully channeled Natalie's professional inexperience.

In the montage segments of Up in the Air, this technically excellent well-directed/well-edited 109-min movie also featured real-life people who have recently lost their jobs - displaying their individual pain and vulnerability - the grief and reactions that accompany the loss of a job (or pending unemployment) - and how a 'termination engineer' assists in helping to navigate and ameliorate such a life-changing traumatic event. Other themes presented in the movie were relationship/human connection, empathy, love/loss, importance of family, hope/new beginnings, etc.

Overall, Up in the Air is a well-made thought-provoking movie that will sweep you along on a eye-opening satisfying ride.
Highly recommended.
GRADE: A

Michael Lye is an ATL365 Member and Volunteer