I was quick to dismiss Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day as a period chick-flick but after watching it, I thought it was a surprisingly good film. What I find also surprising is that the novel the movie was based on was written 70 years ago.

The story is set in 1930's London where Ms. Pettigrew is an out-of-work and homeless British governess who stumbles into Delysia, an American entertainer with big ambitions. We see the dynamics of the odd pair that happens in only one day: Ms. Pettigrew is thrust in Delysia's glossy world of cocktail parties, lingerie fashion shows, and affairs with men, and Delysia is in an internal tug-of-war between her career and personal life until Ms. Pettigrew gradually shows her the way.

The story may be as basic as a 1930's film, but the core of the film are Frances McDormand as Guinevere Pettigrew and Amy Adams as Delysia Lafosse and they are the reasons why this film is delightful. Amy Adams is just stunning and a delight to watch in the movie.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a feel-good film in the spirit of the classics-- good romances, easy to like characters, and, of course, a happy ending. Good to watch on a movie date. :)


Rating: 4/5


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Zac Efron's first release that's not part of the High School Musical franchise is proof that he has the talent and charm to carry a film, especially one that's targeted to young teeners.

17 Again follows the footsteps of Big and 13 going 30, where the protagonist a version of himself/herself but in a different age. In this case, 30-something Mike O'Donnell (Matthew Perry) mystically becomes the 17-year old Mike (Zac Efron) and he tries to figure out what he must do return to his normal self. As a teenager again, Mike encounters his two children and helps them cope with teen pressures and bullying, and he also gets another chance patch things up with his wife. (Doesn't that sound too familiar?)

For some, Zac Efron in a movie is enough. but for good measure, Zac is surrounded by great talents like Thomas Lennon, Leslie Mann, and Melora Hardin (of The Office fame) to keep things a more interesting. But despite how many times Zac Efron flashes his smile and the funny situations the film presents, the story is pretty predictable and lightweight. And oh yeah, there's the occasional dance number. (ack!)

17 Again is a harmless Zac Efron film that will melt the young girls hearts. Guys and boyfriends beware.


Rating: 3.5/5


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I think T2 (or Tenement 2), starring Maricel Soriano, is a pretty innovative film because it is breaking open an new genre: The Horror-Drama genre. For a horror film, it's too little on scares, but it has too much poignant and light drama scenes, especially during the long set-up in the beginning.

T2 is the story of Claire (Maricel Soriano), a social volunteer, who helps kids to be adopted and find long-lost relatives of children in foster homes. She's an emotional wreck because her husband (played by Derek Ramsey) is preparing to end their marriage. In a way to escape her troubles, she volunteers to escort a child to his adoptive parents.

In one of her trips, she encounters Angeli (Mika Dela Cruz), a despondent child who always seems to be surrounded by supernatural phenomena (can you say cliché?). Claire takes her from the province into her aunt's home in Tenement 2 (T2). By this time in the story, the story is half-way through and the scares director Chito Roño weren't working for me any more. (Perhaps I found it too implausible that Claire was not too spooked by the events surrounding her and Angeli).

If you plan on watching T2, please know that I think it is a sub-par horror film whose only saving grace is the cameos by John Lloyd Cruz and Carmen Soo.


Rating: 2/5


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I'm quite baffled that a film like Slumdog Millionaire gets to be shown here in Manila almost nine months after its initial release.

In case you haven't heard, Slumdog Millionaire was a slam sunk at this years Oscars-- it won Best Picture and Best Director for Dan Boyle.

Unlike Doubt or The Reader, the film is not buoyed by powerful performances by the lead actors. But rather, it's the story and the collective performance of the cast that sticks. The premise of the film is very interesting-- how can an uneducated tea maker from the slums of Mumbai get on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" and seemingly know the answers? The film takes a Forrest Gump-like journey where we see the experiences of Jamal (played by Dev Patel) build into his limited knowledge and count when it really matters.

The film scores another point on the use of Mumbai as a backdrop for the film. I don't think the movie will be as effective if another locale was used (say, London or *groan* New York). You empathize with Jamal and root for him till the end.

Slumdog Millionaire. It's a great film you should't miss. (Speaking of can't misses, stay until for the ending credits for the Bollywood-inspired production number for "Jai Ho.")


Rating: 5/5


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Score another point for movie piracy as X-Men Origins: Wolverine was leaked online almost one month before its intended release.

Reports have said that an "incomplete and early version" of the film starring Hugh Jackman found its way into P2P sites and that the FBI is trying to find the original source of the leak. Film producer Fox said that the version that was leaked was still very rough-- it still had special effects missing and had temporary sound.

I'm a big fan of the X-Men film franchise (well, except the last X-Men film) and this is a big blow to the film. Online reviews have appeared and they have slammed the upcoming Wolverine film. I just hope that Fox will be able to turn the movie around with re-shoots and better special effects.

My crazy theory: There is the possibility that the leak came from Fox and they want to generate enough buzz to promote the film... much like a viral video. The film, prior to the leak, had not been in the radar of many fanboys. Let's see how this will unfold.


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I was a big fan of 2001's The Fast & The Furious, but not the two sequels that followed. Now that Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are back to reprise their roles from the original, is it enough to hotwire the franchise?

Fast & Furious tries to bring back to the elements that made the street-racing genre-- adrenalin-pumping chase scenes, very fast cars, and big crashes. The required ingredients are there to make it a nice street-racing movie, but it lacks in almost every other aspect (story, acting, dialogue, etc.). It seems to me that the mandate of the producers to the creative team is "Make the car stunts the stars of the movie!" (BTW, Vin Diesel is a producer of the movie).

Director Justin Lin tries to inject the story with human emotion (anger, romance) but the cars overtake the humans. You'll find it hard to sympathize with both Vin Diesel and Paul Walker because either the film doesn't devote that much time for you invest emotionally and root on them or the actors are just not convincing. There's a token twist in the story, but it's hardly compelling.

Fast & Furious is an average action film that doesn't match the speed and intensity of the previous model.


Rating: 2/5


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There have been reports that Twilight stars Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart have been fired from "New Moon," the sequel to the successful teen-vampire drama.

Producers have cited the gross lack of professionalism of the pair. Said one anonymous source close to the production: "Robert Pattinson had been peen a pain in the a** since filming started. He actually thinks he's Edward Cullen-- he hired Michael Jackson's dermatologist to get that scary pale look 24/7 and ordered deer blood to replace his bottled water. He also commanded the production staff to burn all DVD's of Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire"

Said another producer: "We let Kristen Stewart go because she had major insecurity issues and it was getting in the way of filming. She had her agent force the special effects team to make her look like Paris Hilton, sound like Miley Cyrus and controversial like Rihanna. She actually welcomed our move because it gave her the chance to accept the role for High School Musical 5."

The producers said that they are replacing Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart with Rupert Grint (aka Ron Weasley) and Lindsay Lohan respectively.


April Fools!


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