OSCAR post: My Reviews for the 10 Best Picture-nominated Movies at Oscars 2011

This year's Oscars are just around the corner, and I'll lie if I say I'm not excited. Therefore, I decided to link my reviews for all 10 Best Picture-nominated films, instead of making unnecessary predictions. These reviews will speak for themselves. Check them out if you still haven't, and let me know what you think. Do you agree with me... or not? Which film you're rooting for? Excluding these 10, which other movies deserved to be nominated? Are you thrilled about the Oscars or you don't give a damn? Do you think the Academy will get it right? Just share anything you want regarding the Oscars 2011!

MY REVIEWS FOR
THE 10 MOVIES NOMINATED FOR
BEST MOTION PICTURE OF 2010
AT THIS YEAR'S OSCARS

• [9.25/10] 127 Hours
• [9.50/10] Black Swan
• [9.00/10] The Fighter
• [9.50/10] Inception
• [7.75/10] The Kids Are All Right
• [8.00/10] The King's Speech
• [9.75/10] The Social Network
• [9.25/10] Toy Story 3
• [7.25/10] True Grit
• [6.50/10] Winter's Bone

[6.00/10] I Am Number Four (2011)

I Am Number Four (2011)

Brief review: D.J. Caruso, brings this sci-fi thriller about an extraordinary teen with superpowers, John Smith, who is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Far from great, yet hardly boring, "I Am Number Four" is an enjoyable no-brainer, that succeeds in certain areas but fails in others. Immediately after its taut and spectacularly-shot opening sequence, the movie loses its brisk tempo and starts dragging almost towards its breathtakingly entertaining finale. Sadly, its middle part is basically a corny teen romance, that is neither touching, nor exciting, nor very believable. Alex Pettyfer does a fair job as No.4, and though he comes across as a bit stiff at times, he certainly possess the likability factor. Olyphant stands out as the Protector, the gorgeous Dianna Agron pleases the eye, and Teresa Palmer gives a bold and downright cocky performance as No.6. Although Caruso's direction lacks focus here and there, he manages to provide us with plenty of stupendous action set-pieces, high speed stunts, and some striking imagery, that make the movie worth seeing on the big screen. Speaking of visuals, the design of the creatures is truly impressive, and the CGI work itself is on par by today's standards.

Overall summary: Light on plot and substance, but heavy on action and cool special effects, "I Am Number Four" is a decently-crafted sci-fi action flick, that requires you to switch off your brain, sit back, and enjoy the fair amount of mindless entertainment it provides.

CM presents: Nebular's 1st Annual Movie Awards 2011 (WINNERS ONLY!)

NEBULAR's

1st ANNUAL MOVIE AWARDS 2011

( No, I'm not taking myself seriously:) )

100% Subjective! Winners only!

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BEST PICTURE

• "The Social Network"

BEST DIRECTOR

• David Fincher, "The Social Network"
  

BEST ACTOR

• James Franco, "127 Hours"

BEST ACTRESS

• Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Christian Bale, "The Fighter"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

• "The Fighter"

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

• "Tangled"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• "The Social Network"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• "The King's Speech"

BEST ART DIRECTION

• "Alice in Wonderland"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

• "Let Me In"

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

• "Alice in Wonderland"

BEST FILM EDITING

• "The Social Network"

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

A) ASIAN

• "Jianyu" a.k.a. "Reign of Assassins"

B) NON-ASIAN

• "Trolljegeren" a.k.a. "The Troll Hunter"

BEST STRAIGHT-TO-DVD / MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE

• "Temple Grandin"

BEST REMAKE / REBOOT / SEQUEL / PREQUEL

• "Let Me in"

BEST MAKEUP

• "The Wolfman"

BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE

• "The Social Network"

BEST SONG

• "If I Rise" ("127 Hours")

BEST SOUND EDITING

• "Inception"

BEST SOUND MIXING

• "Inception"

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

• "Inception"

*********************************************

New spectacularly action-packed trailer for "Sucker Punch"

The third Sucker Pinch trailer will...
blow you away!

Warner Bros has finally released the new (third) trailer for Zack Snyder’s eye candy galore "Sucker Punch". This time, it's all about the action and the visuals... and it's nothing short of spectacular! Check it out below. You'll be unprepared!

[7.25/10] Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)

Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)

Brief review: The fantastically-crafted animated feature, "Gnomeo & Juliet", knowingly follows the quintessential star-crossed lovers tragedy "Romeo and Juliet", with the unexpected twist of making the characters garden gnomes that can move when human beings aren't watching. "Shrek 2" director Kelly Asbury does the impossible - he takes on the overly well-known Shakespearean classic, and turns it into something completely original, utterly creative and absolutely hilarious, which certainly isn't an easy thing to do, so he deserves a credit for that. "Gnomeo & Juliet" moves along at brisk pace, without a single dull moment, with each scene being more engaging than the previous one. It entertains thoroughly through its amusing script, full of witty dialogues and clever jokes, and dazzles the eye with its gorgeous visuals. The animation, though not the slickest ever made, is wildly-vivid, rich in color and detail, and full of vibrant imagery. Each character is gorgeously-designed, and has its own distinctive look and (often quirky) personality. Wonderfully-voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt, both Gnomeo and Juliet are incredibly likable, but it's Nanette, the garden frog, and Featherstone, the lonely pink flamingo, that steal the show.

Overall summary: Cute, witty and hugely enjoyable, "Gnomeo & Juliet" is a unique and totally refreshing take on a familiar story, that captivates with its creativity, delightful characters and dazzling visuals.

[4.50/10] Le Poil de la Bete a.k.a. The Hair of the Beast (2010)

Le Poil de la Bete

a.k.a.

The Hair of the Beast (2010)

Brief review: This Canadian period-piece werewolf flick takes place in 1665 in New France. Our protagonist, Joseph Cote, escapes from prison to avoid death by hanging. As colonial soldiers chase him, Joseph takes on the identity of a Jesuit and hides in Beaufort, where he soon discovers werewolves are terrorizing the village. "Le Poil de la Bete"'s biggest problem is not the lack of originality, but the lack of actual thrills and chills - there's not a single truly intense or scary scene in the entire movie.. and not even a funny one. It's doesn't even fall into the 'so bad it's good' category. In fact, this completely plot-less Canadian werewolf flick is so sterile and unsubstantial, it makes "The Wolfman" seem like a masterpiece. The visuals are the only area where the film really succeeds. The production design is excellent, and represents the era accurately and quite beautifully, and the fantastically gloomy cinematography fits the tone of the movie really well. Having said that, the practical effects are cheesy at best, as the the werewolves themselves look quite unpolished, and more ridiculous rather than scary. The acting is sub-par from everyone involved, without any particular standout performances, or at least a decent one.

Overall summary: Nicely-shot and visually-atmospheric, yet completely pointless and overstuffed with werewolf clichés, "The Hair of the Beast" is a classic example of 'style over substance'.

[6.25/10] Fritt Vilt III a.k.a. Cold Prey 3 (2010)

Fritt Vilt III

a.k.a.

Cold Prey 3 (2010)

Brief review: With such cinematic winners as "Dead Snow" and the more recent "The Troll Hunter", Norwegian filmmakers have proven themselves to be quite capable of doing good horror films, and this prequel-type-of-sequel to the popular slasher franchise, "Cold Prey", is yet another example. Yes, "Fritt Vilt 3" is basically 'more of the same' and utterly predictable, but its absolutely spot-on execution compensates for the lack of originality and fresh ideas. The cast of largely unknown young actors also deliver. Though inexperienced, they all do a great job in portraying believable characters, who react naturally under a variety of circumstances and situations. Ida Marie Bakkerud in particular, delivers a fierce performance as the lead character, Hedda. Although "Cold Prey 3" is hardly groundbreaking story-wise, it boasts technical excellence! The Norwegian mountain scenery is nothing short of stunning, and beautifully captured by Mikkel Sandemose's camera. He provide us with many spectacular panoramic landscape shots, some wonderful sunrise and sunset shots, and plenty of intensely-filmed and sinister night scenes. And all this is accompanied by Ari Willey's atmospheric cinematography, and Rønseth's sharp editing.

Overall summary: As stylishly-shot and well-acted as its predecessors, if slightly less chilling and effective, "Cold Prey 3" is a worthy prequel, that still manages to stand out on its own, despite its unoriginality.

[5.50/10] La Casa Muda a.k.a. The Silent House (2010)

La Casa Muda

a.k.a.

The Silent House (2010)

Brief review: Coming from Uruguay, "La Casa Muda" revolves around a father and daughter team, who settle down in a cottage in the middle of nowhere, in order to start repairs on the following morning... but their first night there turns into a nightmare. Thankfully, "The Silent House" avoids most of the cliches used in the currently popular POV horror genre, such as 'found footage' gimmicks and jerky camera movements, as instead it tries a new formula: no cuts & edits! Made for roughly $6,000, and shot in one long continuous 72-minute take using a Canon Mark II DSLR, "La Casa Muda" is arguably the first horror of it kind, shot in just one take, which allows the viewer to share each one of the experiences of the characters. However, the experiences themselves are rather uninvolving. Though the characters are barely introduced to the audience, Florencia Colucci manages to stand out as Laura, as she's portrays panic and fear in a very believable way. Gustavo Hernandez does a competent job behind the camera, and he handles the 'one take' challenge quite well, and the cottage itself is a truly creepy setting, but the film is not half as effective as it thinks it is, despite it contains a few good scares, and some suspenseful moments.

Overall summary: Although "The Silent House" intrigues with its unique execution and interesting premise, it barely lives up to its potential due to the lack of thrills, genuine scares and relevant conclusion.

Nebular's guest appearance @ Jaccstev's Movie Cafe

Check out my guest appearance at

Jaccstev's Movie Cafe!

Today, I'm absolutely thrilled and excited, because one of my best blog-buddies, Jaccstev, has invited me to be a guest writer on his fantastic blog, Movie Cafe, and of course, I excepted with great honor! The article is about my most anticipated movie of 2011, Zack Snyder's "Sucker Punch". I hope you guys enjoy it. Check it out here.

[6.75/10] The Mechanic (2011)

The Mechanic (2011)

Brief review: Simon West brings this nicely-executed action thriller, that follows an elite hit man, as he teaches his trade to an apprentice who has a connection to one of his previous victims. Though "The Mechanic" starts out a bit sloppy and somewhat moody, it picks up speed and energy very soon, to turn itself into a clever, gripping, uncompromising and spectacularly-violent action flick, that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end. "The Mechanic" may lack originality, but its cliche-ridden plot is compensated by a fantastic cast, some atmospheric visuals and West's creative direction and action staging. The action itself is one of this film's main strengths - the shooting scenes are high octane, the stunts are spectacular, and the fights are extremely well-choreographed and brutal as hell. Jason Statham is perfectly cast for his role as the harsh and cold-blooded professional assassin, Arthur. He's silent with his words, but very expressive with his eyes and body language. Ben Foster often steals the show with his tough, yet emotionally-powerful performance as the troubled Steve McKenna. His character is as enigmatic as he's engaging, and you can't help but being captivated by his screen presence and undeniable charisma.

Overall summary: Despite suffering from some pacing issues and an uneven editing in its first half, "The Mechanic" proves itself a thrilling and thoroughly entertaining kinetic action flick with brains, that delivers everything it promises.. and then some.

[4.50/10] Husk (2011)

Husk (2011)

Brief review: Brought by After Dark Films, "Husk" follows a group of friends stranded near a desolate cornfield find shelter in an old farmhouse, though they soon discover the dwelling is the center of a supernatural ritual. January horror releases are typically weak, and "Husk" is no exception. The film deals with rituals and scarecrows, but sadly neither of these subject matter are particularly interesting, or original, or even remotely scary. However, after a terribly formulaic first half, "Husk" manages to deliver some some suspenseful and jump-worthy moments that save it from being completely dull and boring. The cast of young unknown actors do their best with the given material, but none of them particularly stands out. Brett Simmons does a fairly good job behind the camera, offering some dynamic camera movements and shooting versatility, but his decent direction can't compensate for the lack of ideas and budget. Although the cornfield settings have been quite overused, especially in horror movies, those in "Husk" are truly atmospheric and often creepy, mostly during the night scenes. Unfortunately, a handful of creepy visuals can't make up for a lame story, poor script, and lack of genuine scares.

Overall summary: Despite it offers some creepy settings and a couple of very intense scenes, "Husk" ends up as just another built-on-cliches horror flick that fails to make any impression.

[4.25/10] Gantz (2011)

Gantz (2011)

Brief review: Based on the popular manga by Hiroya Oku, "Gantz" tells the story of two friends who die in a train accident and become part of a semi-posthumous "game" in which they are forced to hunt down aliens, armed with futuristic weaponry. Though it uses a rather solid source material, "Gantz" never lives up to its potential, as it's a painfully slow-moving and oddly boring action flick, crafted with zero imagination whatsoever. Add to this Shinsuke Sato's lazy direction, the off-beat pacing, the humorless script and the unexciting action sequences, and you'll get "Gantz". On a positive note, it offers some impressive CGIs, cool-looking futuristic gadgets and weapons, and enjoyably over-the-top gore effects, but that's certainly not enough to save this film from being a complete disaster. Acting-wise, both leads never manage to carry the movie on their shoulders. Though charismatic, popular actor and musician Ninomiya Kazunari, totally fails to engage the audience with his boring and underwritten character, Kei Kurono. Matsuyama Kenichi, best known to the audience for his role as L from the "Death Note" films, plays the other protagonist, Masaru Kato, and just like his screen fella Nino, he gives a complete lackluster performance.

Overall summary: Cool visual and gore effects aside, "Gantz" is an unbelievably dull and uninspired manga-based action flick, that fails to deliver on almost every single level. Actually, the sad fact about this live-action adaptation is this: "Gantz" shoots blanks!

A Stunning First Look: Chow Yun Fat as the Jade Emperor in the upcoming 3D fantasy "The Monkey King"

A Stunning First Look:

Chow Yun Fat as Jade Emperor in

The Monkey King 3D

The team behind the upcoming 3D fantasy extravaganza, "The Monkey King" (July 7, 2012), has finally unveiled the long anticipated look of one of the key characters, the Jade Emperor, played by one of the most popular and talented Chinese actors in film history, Chow Yun Fat. And it's utterly fantastic!

The Jade Emperor, in Chinese folk culture, is the Taoist ruler of Heaven and all realms of existence below including that of Man and Hell, according to a version of Taoist mythology. He is one of the most important gods of the Chinese traditional religion pantheon.

The traditional Jade Emperor often sits in the Lingxiao Hall, dressed in a golden dragon robe like ancient emperors. Yet, Fat Gor's costume has the daring change from gold to silver with a dragon head scepter in emperor's hand. The costume is a mix of the East and the West and has the royalty of the three worlds. Luckily, Chow Yun Fat's Jade Emperor won't be all talk and no action. Fat Gor will lead the gods in battle, and the dragon head scepter in his hand would be the Jade Emperor's ultimate weapon. As for why the dragon head scepter, art director Daniel Fu Dung explained: "Mainly the dragon head scepter is more regal than weapons like swords and has more weight to it. It is even more able to embody the Jade Emperor's identity as the ruler of three worlds". (via HKSAR Film)

The "The Monkey King 3D" is based on selected chapters of Wu Cheng'en's novel, "Journey to the West", and will tell the story of how the Monkey King rebels against the Jade Emperor of Heaven. For the 3-D shoot, Filmko recruited Hollywood talents. The crew includes David Ebner ("Alice in Wonderland", "Spider-Man 3"), who will serve as visual effects supervisor for the film and Shaun Smith ("The Forbidden Kingdom", "300", "I Am Legend"), who will be the special make-up supervisor. Donnie Yen who will play the title role of The Monkey King, will also serves as the film's action director. Production began in Beijing on 18 October 2010 and will be filmed in IMAX 3D.

George Beremov's TOP 20 Favorite Movies of 2010 PART 2 [10 - 1]

CM's Best-Reviewed Movies of 2010
PART 2 [No. 10 - 1]
________________________________


1. The Social Network (9.75/10)

Overall summary: Marvellously-written, masterfully-directed, sharply-edited, and hugely engrossing, "The Social Network" is hands down the best movie of the year so far, a true masterpiece of modern cinema, and one of Fincher's finest achievements along with "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", "Fight Club" and "Se7en".

________________________________


2. Black Swan (9.50/10)

Overall summary: Remarkable in its terrifying brilliance and captivating in its ballet-like gracefulness, "Black Swan" is the most sophisticated and beautifully-schizophrenic horror film of the year, if not the decade.

________________________________


3. Tangled [3D] (9.50/10)

Overall summary: Filled with smart and witty dialogues, hilarious characters, eye-popping visuals and stunning 3D effects, "Tangled" is, arguably, the best non-Pixar Disney film, since their 1991 masterpiece, "Beauty and the Beast", and, hands down, the funniest animated flick I've seen in my life.

________________________________


4. Inception (9.50/10)

Overall summary: Christopher Nolan's "Inception" is a groundbreaking, intriguing, exhilarating, super-compelling, and visually mind-blowing sci-fi thriller, that's destined to become a timeless classic!

________________________________


5. Jianyu a.k.a.
Reign of Assassins (9.50/10)

Overall summary: Visually-fantastic, spectacularly-choreographed and captivatingly entertaining, "Reign of Assassins" is the best martial arts film since Zhang Yimou's 2006 visual feast, "Curse of the Golden Flower", and my favorite movie of 2010, along with Fincher's "The Social Network"!

________________________________

 
6. Trolljegeren a.k.a.
The Troll Hunter (9.25/10)

Overall summary: Due to its chillingly-original concept, pitch-perfect execution and mind-blowing visuals, "The Troll Hunter" ranks right up there with such mocku-masterpieces as "[REC]" and "The Blair Witch Project".

________________________________


7. How to Train Your Dragon [3D]
(9.25/10)

Overall summary: "How To Train Your Dragon" can surely be added to the list of fantastic animated films of the past 10 years - it's a touching, beautifully-crafted and visually-spectacular film about family, friendship, tolerance and something more!

________________________________



8. Toy Story 3 (9.25/10)

Overall summary: With its witty, moving script, engaging story and utterly likable characters, "Toy Story 3" is not just a great piece of animated storytelling, it's also an absolutely brilliant piece of film-making.

________________________________


9. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (9.25/10)

Overall summary: Totally refreshing, wildly imaginative, extremely funny, and spectacularly dazzling, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" is the most original and visually-unique movie since Stephen Chow's cartoonish martial arts extravaganza, "Kung Fu Hustle", and almost like nothing you have seen before.

________________________________


10. 127 Hours (9.00/10)

Overall summary: A visual and technical tour-de-force, accompanied by James Franco's irresistible performance, "127 Hours" is one of Danny Boyle's most remarkable achievements, and certainly one of 2010's best films.

________________________________

George Beremov's TOP 20 Favorite Movies of 2010 PART 1 [20 - 11]

CM's Best-Reviewed Movies of 2010
PART 1 [No. 20 - 11]
________________________________


11. The Fighter (9.00/10)

Overall summary: With its enormously gripping story, utterly compelling characters and top-notch direction by David O. Russell, "The Fighter" is undoubtedly one of this year's very best films, and also a serious Oscar contender.

________________________________

12. Under the Hawthorn Tree (9.00/10)

Overall summary: Remarkably genuine, profoundly moving and beautifully-filmed, "Under the Hawthorn Tree" is yet another gem in the crown of Zhang Yimou's amazingly impressive filmography.

________________________________

13. Legend of the Guardians:
The Owls of Ga'Hoole (9.00/10)

Overall summary: With its mindblowingly sumptuous graphics, enthralling and adventurous story, and extremely adorable characters, "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" ranks as one of the most imaginative animated features ever created, and it's certainly the most visually-stunning movie of 2010.

________________________________


14. The Loved Ones (9.00/10)

Overall summary: Dementedly-sick, extremely gory, brilliantly-creative and nightmarishly-funny, "The Loved Ones" is a true modern horror masterpiece, and one of 2010's best horror flicks!

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15. Aftershock (9.00/10)

Overall summary: Aside from the predictable melodramatic climax, "Aftershock" is a masterfully-crafted, visually-spectacular and emotionally-powerful disaster drama, that perfectly combines fiction with actual historical events. A triumph of style AND substance!

________________________________


16. Kick-Ass (8.75/10)

Overall summary: If you like your superhero movies smart, original, action-packed, enormously entertaining, and downright fun, then "Kick-Ass" should be your cup of tea. An absolute winner!

________________________________


17. Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows: Part 1 (8.75/10)

Overall summary: Darkly compelling, beautifully-executed and visually-striking, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" is by far the best of all three David Yates installments, and my third favorite "Harry Potter" film, ranking right behind the fantastic "Prisoner of Azkaban" and the action-packed "Goblet of Fire".

________________________________


18. Los ojos de Julia a.k.a.
Julia's Eyes (8.50/10)

Overall summary: Consistently tense, refreshingly unpredictable and utterly engrossing, "Julia's Eyes" certainly ranks as one of the most polished and skillfully-executed horror thrillers in recent history. One of 2010's most pleasant cinematic surprises!

________________________________

19. True Legend a.k.a.
Su Qi-Er (8.50/10)

Overall summary: Yuen Woo-Ping's "True Legend" is a highly entertaining 'wushu' extravaganza, with top-notch choreography, gripping story and stunning cinematography, and without a doubt a visual action feast for all martial arts geeks.

________________________________

20. Splice (8.50/10)

Overall summary:  With its excellent pacing, fascinating visuals and unique story, "Splice" is a bizarre, yet hauntingly beautiful and quite memorable film experience.

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Editor's Note: Nebular's list of TOP 20 MOVIES of 2010 is coming TOMORROW!

The first part of my TOP 20 list of FAVORITE MOVIES of 2010 will be posted tomorrow. So check it out, and let me know what you guys think. And remember, I'm not claiming that these 20 movies in particular are the best movies of the year, those are just my personal favorites. It's a 100% subjective list! I'm so excited, are you? :)

OVERALL STATISTIC:

• 2010 Movies seen and reviewed : 232 (so far)

RATING STATISTIC:

• 10 stars out of 10: 2 (0.9 %)
• 9 stars out of 10: 17 (7.3 %)
• 8 stars out of 10: 18 (7.8 %)
• 7 stars out of 10: 50 (21.5%)
• 6 stars out of 10: 42 (18.1%)
• 5 stars out of 10: 40 (17.2%)
• 4 stars out of 10: 38 (16.4%)
• 3 stars out of 10: 18 (7.8%)
• 2 stars out of 10: 5 (2.1%)
• 1 star out of 10: 2 (0.9%)
• 0 stars out of 10: 0 (0%)

OVERALL MOVIE RATING FOR 2010:

• 5.76 stars out of 10

[9.25/10] Trolljegeren a.k.a. Trollhunter (2010)

Trolljegeren

a.k.a.

TrollHunter (2010)

Brief review: Written and directed by, André Øvredal, "The Troll Hunter" is a mockumentary that explores the real existence of trolls in a remote regions of Norway. Presented as a rough-cut footage, retrieved from a missing student camera crew and kept 'in secret' by the Norwegian government, "The Troll Hunter" is a breath of fresh air in the mock-doc horror genre, as it offers an incredibly original story, inspired by an old Scandinavian legend, presented in a somewhat believable way, and executed to perfection. Not only "Trolljegeren" is authentic, but also consistently tense, suspenseful and utterly terrifying in moments, plus, its script includes a medical explanation about the trolls and their physiology, which is probably the most curious and interesting part of the story. Visuals-wise, "Trolljegeren" never fails to impress. Thanks to the competent and absolutely flawless CGI work, every single troll is spectacularly-designed, and has its own unique look and feel - they all are formidably huge, ominous and downright mean. Not to speak of the stunningly beautiful forests and mountains of Western Norway, where all the action takes place in. The scenery is as sublimely-imposing as it's creepy, especially during the night sequences, and all this is captured entirely in glorious HD, in order to add even more depth and detail to the already striking visuals. The cast also deliver. Otto Jespersen is tough, yet likable as the Troll hunter himself. He's so composed, confident and fearless, you'll believe every ounce of his performance. Glenn Erland Tosterud delivers the second-best performance in the movie as the enthusiastic Thomas. Tomas Alf Larsen as the cameraman and Johanna Mørck as Johanna, both known to the audience for their roles in "Cold Prey" and its sequel, also give an extremely convincing performances.

Overall summary: Thanks to its uniqueness, chillingly-original concept, pitch-perfect execution and mind-blowing visuals, "The Troll Hunter" is a breath of fresh air into the genre and ranks right up there with such 'found footage' masterpieces as "[REC]" and "The Blair Witch Project".

[7.75/10] L'illusionniste a.k.a. The The Illusionist (2010)

L'illusionniste

a.k.a.

The Illusionist (2010)

Brief review: Sylvain Chomet, the creator of "The Triplets of Belleville", brings this gem of an animation, that revolves around an aging French illusionist, who finds himself out of work and travels to Scotland, where he meets a young woman. Their ensuing adventure changes both their lives forever. This animated feature certainly deserves its Oscar nomination, as it tells a unique and very unusual story, filled with unpredictability, many heartfelt moments and engaging characters. Plus, it's the perfect example of how a good story can be told with almost no words. Having said that, the film suffers from a downbeat narrative and sluggish pacing, but that's compensated by the many quirky, yet likable characters that appear throughout The relationship between the Illusionist and the little Alice, in particular, is so sincere and heart-warming, it may bring you to tears. Since "The Illusionist" is all about visual storytelling, it relies heavily on its imagery, and in this area, the film is a true work of art. The picturesque hand-drawn animation is nothing short of dazzling and extremely detailed, if quit similar to the director's previous work. The beautiful musical score written by Chomet himself suits the melancholic mood of the film quite perfectly.

Overall summary: With its deeply touching story, charming characters and absolutely breathtaking visuals, "The Illusionist" is, hands down, one of the best animated films of 2011.