Meryl Streep and Viola Davis - shaking the grounds in DOUBT

This is the scene where Mrs. Miller (Viola Davis) pleads directly to Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) about his son. Sister Aloysius was so certain that Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) was sexually-molesting her child; however, the mother gravely appeals to the nun to let the issue go. Sister Aloysius was shocked by Mrs. Miller’s reaction who stated boldly that the issue should not be pursued further and let then father Flynn “have” her son. What matter to her most importantly is that her son only has to last until the end of the school year before he goes on to attend high school. See the clip to be awed by how adroit Viola Davis is in conveying the reasons of her character Mrs. Miller.

THIS ONE IS JAW-DROPPING. It lasts about 8 minutes and this is the only single scene where Viola Davis’ character appeared in the movie. But these are the moments that have become the emotional heart and soul of "Doubt," and if Viola Davis would've not nominated by the Academy, an injustice would have been done. Some of the critics said that she steals the scene with Streep (others think that she robbed the entire film with this single scene). However, that is not that case. If she had, this would have been an acting error. In this one, she actually plays the scene with Streep with defiant courage, head-to-head. She goes face to face mercilessly with the superlative film actress of our generation and it is a confrontation of two equals that trembles the ground with terrifying power. I love Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona but Viola Davis is no DOUBT the real winner.

AVATAR

HALLELUJAH! Let him have his crown back. James Cameron gloriously silenced all the noise of skepticism by simply taking his audience to a world way beyond everyone’s imagination. There is still at least one man in Hollywood who knows how to spend half a billion dollar intelligently. AVATAR runs for over 160 minutes; nonetheless, the film doesn’t tire you nor let you pulling away. It contains so many essentials; the humans, the Na’vi people, the fascinating world of Pandora and the moral dilemmas that tremble the plot. The highlight of the movie would be of course the battle between the humans and the Na’vi people; and it was ASTONISHING. It was really sad to lose Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) and Trudy Chacone (Michelle Rodriguez) in the battle’s process. (NOTE: If you have not yet experienced IMAX, this movie is the excellent opportunity for a remarkable one.)

TRANSSIBERIAN

will rip your heart out. It’s been quite awhile since I experience a truly unwavering tense and a dread that genuinely builds inside and ready to blow you up anytime. Transsiberian delivers this experience with a smart plot that is tantalizing as it absorbs you down the train rail. Transsiberian Express is in fact a train flight from Beijing to Moscow that takes place for 8 days, the longest train journey in the world. As the movie runs, the running train in the background serves as one of the effective elements in creating genuine suspense.


The story mainly develops during the long stretches of this skillfully done film and it centers the couple on board, Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jesse (Emily Mortimer), which looks innocent in their first trip. Inside the train, they meet their cabin mate, another couple named Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) and Abby (Kate Mara) who turned out to be an expert travelers themselves. The two couples easily socialize, as they appears to be the only very few foreigners in the train that stands out among the locals. Later on board, the main couple caught up with Russian narcotics detective Grinko (Ben Kingsley) that begins as friendly as he can be; then shadow them with terror as the train runs.


One has a shaky rude past match with the other one that harbors a deadly secret. The others are helpless yet determined to live; while the deadly ones won’t play with lies in a determination to get what they intend to. Already, a fear of being a stranger in a strange land has been developing as the movie introduces the characters in this claustrophobic train setting; match with deprived, callous and hostile Russians that one doesn’t want to mess with. But much further dread escapes in the atmosphere when the characters entangle in secrets and lies expertly maneuvered in a time frame, as rugged and rapid as the Transsiberian Express.


The movie offers several action sequences; but these were not solely delivered to entice the audience. They all develop from the plot, taking time to grow and bites like a knife the second these ruthless events happen. And like the whole plot, this is a superb suspense film that knows how to start calm and dreary then proficiently drive the elements with patience. And when everything has been established, it strikes like a lightning, so swift you have no idea how deeply it wounds you up.

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY

is a gem. The film conveys a powerful and poignant story about two people who found the assurance of a perfect personal happiness but melancholically understand and accept that the most important things in life are not always towards making one’s self happy. This one is surprisingly deep and moving and glows delicately inside your heart. Analyzing the plot and mechanisms of this movie could have made this one fallen into pits of unbearable melodramatic genre of mushy and weepy films. However, this one gently seeps under your skin and underneath it will make you understand the situation that is so simple yet so profound. And by that, tears will fall. The technical aspect of this movie could be easily analyzed as the entire scenes depicting Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood find the right notes and shadings; from their sparking interest of knowing each other, to their restrained feelings of growing love, up to the renouncing of their own happiness. But the difficult one is explaining the enigmatic force that entwine around the two central characters. Their affair could be easily corrupted to something vulgar and tactless and reduce to the elements of seduction and sex and adultery and betrayal. But Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood weaved a spellbinding performance as Francesca and Robert. Based on the idea specific to their own love affair, the two actors deliver their pieces not with a grand act, but with immeasurable subtle feats of joy and sorrows of their unfinished love affair. And with that, the story of this film becomes universal and beautiful; pure and unfathomable.