6ix Passions

Film Review > The Cove

What if every year, I told you that more than 23,000 dolphins were killed in Taiji, Japan. You would probably tell me: but why, nobody eat dolphins? Nobody, no. Without knowing (thinking it is whale meat), yes! Mostly everyone in Japan don’t know about this other then the ones in the city of Taiji and their well guarded secret.

While the dolphins are on their migratory passage in the month of September, the fishermen capture the dolphins and keep them captive in a cove with fishnets. In the morning, some dolphin trainers come to identified the best ones to be sold all over the world to oceanic museums and water parks. The rest of the dolphins, including young ones, are killed for their meat by local fishermen in a secret cove. When I say killed, you should read slaughtered.

The thing about the dolphin meat is that it is very dangerous for the human health because of its high dose of mercury. It contains 2000 ppm, while the safe ratio by the Japanese standard is 0.4 ppm. So it is considered very dangerous to eat dolphin meat. Note: all this is also because of us - by burning fuel, our industrial world has released all that mercury in the air and ocean, than by consequence, in all the food chain.

So there is no reason for this dolphins slaughter to continue.

And you can help:

• First by watching the documentary. It is sad that the only model today to finance a film and propagate its message is by theater projection, DVD rental and purchase. I would suggest that every documentaries of value should be available free to be seen on the Internet where people can give what they want in donation after seeing it and then buy the DVD.
• By signing the petition on Facebook
• By educating yourself even more about the issue
• And by talking to everyone you know about this documentary, inviting them to see it.

You have no reason to stay blindfold. And please remember: all social changes come from the passion and involvement of individuals, not government.

This documentary is a must see.

Rating: 4.5/5

Official site of The Cove (including trailer)
Information about the movie The Cove
The Cove on Wikipedia
The Cove Review on YouToube

Film Review > Alien - The Best Sci-Fi Thriller Ever Done

Roger Ebert

“One of the great strengths of “Alien” is its pacing. It takes its time. It waits. It allows silences…”

I’ve seen Alien for the first time at the TV without any commercial pauses. I was probably around 13-14 years old at the time. To this date, it is still the best sci-fi thriller movie I ever seen. I remember of being so scared by moment that I surprised myself being curl on my bed, biting my blanket.

These days that kind of film doesn’t exist anymore. The more experience actors are replaced by teenagers hunting down zombies with their shotgun. The wait, the silence are replaced with none stop action scenes. The intelligent dialogues by stupid lines once and then.

Do yourself a favor and watch, for a second time, probably the best film Ridley Scott has ever done (apart from Blade Runner).

Film Review > District 9

It’s been a long time since my last film reviews. It is not because I don’t see any, I’m counting at least 45 movies. It is mostly because I put pressure on myself to write something about each of them other than simply add a still frame and my rating. OK, enough drama, here’s my review of District 9:

After having watched District 9 last Saturday, I told myself: “This is one of the best Sci-Fi movie I’ve seen in a very very long time”. Actually this is the third best science fiction movie I’ve seen since Alien and Blade Runner. The scenario is truly original and the direction by Neill Blomkamp, where part of the movie is presented in a mockumentary style incorporating presenting fictional interviews, news footage, and video from surveillance cameras, is amazing. District 9 who is presented by Peter Jackson, scores 8.5 on 10 at IMDB with near 75 000 individual votes.

It is interesting to know that the story is inspired from real historical event and from a short film called Alive in Joburg that Neill did in 2005.

From Wikipedia:

The story, adapted from Alive in Joburg, a 2005 short film directed by Blomkamp and produced by Copley, deals with the issues of xenophobia and social segregation. The title and premise of District 9 were inspired by historical events that took place in South Africa during the apartheid in a residential area of Cape Town named District Six. The film was produced for $30 million and shot on location in Chiawelo, Soweto.

My Rating: 4.5/5 (a must see for any sci-fi fan)

District 9 Promo site
District 9 Official site
District 9 Trailer on YouTube
Alive in Joburg Short Movie on YouTube

Film Review > Star Trek 2009

J. J. Abrams is producing (and directing) hit (Alias, Lost, Star Trek) or miss (Fringe, Mission Impossible 3) series and movies. His latest production, the new refreshed Star Trek is certainly a hit. The cast is outstanding in their individual roles, specially Zachary Quinto (Heroes) in Spoke, and Karl Urban in Dr. McCoy. The scenario is good and every action scenes are great without being to exaggerated (except for maybe one when Kirk was around 10 years old). Everything look to be in place for the next two sequels.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Star Trek 2009 Movie Official Site
Star Trek 2009 Movie Trailer, Trailer 2, Trailer 3 on YouTube

Film Review > A Complete History of My Sexual Failures

I saw allot of films, some documentaries and few TV series in the past month, or two, or even four considering my last film review dates of September 4th. I’m so back schedule on all the reviews I should do that I find the task to be too big to begin with. Worse is, and I know, more I wait, bigger the task is. In fact, as I keep track of the films I see by taking a snapshot of one of scene that I think best represents the movie, I can even say that I am 25 movies and six TV series behind.

Maybe because this documentary has been recommended by a friend of mine, Johann, who has decided to move to Sweden and write a blog to stay in touch with his old pals of the Canadian north (thanks for it as his posts are always interesting) that I decided to brake the silence on my none-reviews.

Wikipedia describe the film as:

Filmmaker Chris Waitt sets out on a quest to find out why all of his romantic relationships have ended in complete failure. Tracking down every one of his former lovers, he finds a general resentment, stemming from his constant unreliability. He then sets out to test different approaches that will prepare him for true love, and a lasting relationship.

On my side I will probably resume the documentary like this:

A documentary about an independent filmmaker who is a total looser (and probably don’t exactly know/why he is one) who wish to understand why all the ladies he has been hooked up in the past have found him a total fuck-up lunatic looser.

The documentary is so bold of non-sense that you can’t even believe the guy is such a looser. At the same time is so stupid in his documentary that you believed some of it as being true.

All to say I had a good laugh from start to finish, even a bit of empathy at the end of the film and must admire the effort of doing a movie about his failures, but this is certainly not one of the best documentary I’ve seen or I will remember in the past year (sorry to disagree with Johann on this)

My Rating: 2.5/5

A Complete History of My Sexual Failures Official Website
A Complete History of My Sexual Failures on YouTube
Chris Waitt MySpace page as seen in the documentary (please notice that he still only has 24 friends after all this time!)

Film Review > In Bruges

This morning I begun watching the film In Bruges on my iPhone and just finished it tonight.

The verdict: Other than the screen is a bit small, I don’t ever wanna see Collin Farrell in an American movie anymore. He’s an incredible actor, but he needs to stay close to his roots: Irish.

The movie is so well written, and the dialogues between the actors so good that I watched almost all the dialogue scenes twice!

In Bruges is the story of two hitmen that after a difficult job are hold in Bruges (Belgium). In this most well-preserved medieval city, they begin to differ on their views of life and death as they become used to local customs.

I don’t want to say more as it may spoil the movie if you decide to see it. You just need to understand that it is not an action movie, but more a comedy-drama with some action scenes. You are certainly not watching it for the action, but for the actor plays, the dialogues and the scenario where everything it just tied up perfectly. This movie is a little gem.

My Rating: 4/5

In Bruges Official Site
In Bruges Trailer on YouTube

Film Review > Pineapple Express

According to Wikipedia, Pineapple Express is a meteorological phenomenon which is characterized by a strong and persistent flow of atmospheric moisture and heavy rainfall.

According to me, Pineapple Express is a Seth Rogen-James Franco duo phenomenon which is characterized by a strong and persistent flow of laughs and heavy abdominal cramps.

I went to see the movie yesterday with a good friend of mine. We had no real expectations and it’s probably why we had a good time. The film is written by Seth Rogen himself and Evan GoldBerg (Superbad).

In short, it’s the story of a stoner (Rogen) and his dealer (Franco) who are forced to go on the run from the police after the pothead witnesses a cop commit a murder.

Many have said that you have to be a stoner to appreciate this movie… We are both not and we appreciate every minute of the stone conversations they got. It’s certainly not a thinking movie, it’s an ordinary man action comedy. If you’re up for a good laugh and a fun romp, don’t miss it.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Pineapple Express Official site
Pineapple Express Trailer on YouTube

Film Review > The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner (from the novel of the same name by Khaled Hosseini) tells the story of Amir, a well-to-do boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who is tormented by the guilt of abandoning his friend Hassan, the son of his father’s Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the Taliban regime.

The film shows us a forgotten Afghanistan of 1970/80 before the Soviet invasion and the Taliban regime. It’s refreshing to see there was a life there before the repressive regime of the Taliban.

When the movie came out in Theater, the trailer didn’t give me the taste to see the movie. It was to much focusing on the film hero returning in Afghanistan to save the child of his beloved childhood friend. It didn’t look like a compeling story, but more a political revendication/denunciation. After I’ve read the critics on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB, I decided to give it a try.

It’s definitely a good and compeling story. I strongly recommend to see it.

Interesting facts from Wikipedia:

Filming wrapped up on December 21, 2006, and the movie was expected to be released on November 2, 2007. However, after concern for the safety of the young actors in the film, its release date was pushed back six weeks to December 14, 2007.

Though the child actors enjoyed making the film, they and their families have expressed worries about their situation now that the film is done.

Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada (Hassan as a child) said regarding one scene “I want to continue making films and be an actor but the rape scene upset me because my friends will watch it and I won’t be able to go outside any more.”

Zekeria Ebrahimi (Amir as a child) has said “We want to study in the United States. It’s a modern country and more safe than here in Kabul. If I became rich here I would be worried about security. It’s dangerous to have money because of the kidnapping.” After threats to his life, Zekeria lives indoors and is home-schooled by an uncle. He says he wishes he had never done the movie.

Zekeria Ebrahimi and Ahmad Mahmidzada were paid $17,500 each, and Ali Dinesh $13,700; some argue that they were underpaid.

Paramount relocated the three main boy actors playing Amir, Hassan, and Sohrab, and one with a minor role playing Omar, each accompanied by a relative, to the United Arab Emirates.^[7] Reportedly it accepts responsibility for the boys’ living expenses until they reach adulthood, a cost some estimated at up to 500,000 dollars.

My rating: 4/5

The Kite Runner Official Site
The Kite Runner Trailer on YouTube

Film Review > Cleaner

A former cop (Jackson) who now earns a wage as a crime scene cleaner unknowingly participates in a cover-up at his latest job.

Ya! This movie sound interesting as the synopsis. What a waste. You may think because it stars Samuel L. Jackson and Ed Harris that it will make a better movie, but not at all.

My Rating: 2/5

Cleaner Trailer on YouTube