My Favorite Movies

One of the most heart-wrenching films I've ever seen. Very beautiful cinematography and superb actors. Just beautiful.

Forrest Gump. Clearly, he has a very low IQ and it would be very much appropriate to remark that he is a complete idiot. But, I think a kinder and still proper description of him in my point of view is that he is a man of innocence. He has gone through a lot in his life. He was bullied at school. He met the girl of his dreams and her only friend as a child. There are times when he had her, and often she's gone. He gained and lost things along the way. But, what he retained until the end is his innocence. This innocence made him a laughingstock of the world, but, this is also what made his life extremely extraordinary.

Wonderful direction from Robert Zemeckis who has made the adaptation of a story full of facts from history twisted to create Forrest Gump, producing a moving and interesting film until the very last scene. Good set of actors and of course, the outstanding Tom Hanks. The story was really unforgettable and filled with valuable life lessons.

This is a movie where you'll get the perfect amount of drama, comedy and romance. And I tell you, Forrest is not stupid as his mother believed so. The world is stupid. They struggle to do things, even ruining others, to achieve their ambitions and as presented in the film through some characters, they end up losing. And where's Forrest? He's there seeing the world with pure simplicity and innocence.

"Never forget. Never forgive."

It's time for paybacks. Behind this dark, morbid film, lies the beauty within. A tragic yet gripping story of a man who did nothing but to love. Very good portrayal of characters, good direction and the best ending. A film I'll surely remember for all of my life.

Surely, this is another film to celebrate from the master director Tim Burton. The actors were splendid, especially Johnny Depp. The music was also good. In addition, it also features jaw-dropping set, well-done costumes and gripping cinematography.

Revenge. Perhaps, that's the most evident matter of the film. But for me, there's something deeper and greater than this- love. The only reason why everything happened, why they did what's seemingly wrong, why they gave all that they can is because they love.

Right after seeing this, I thought it has no moral lesson after all the blood, deaths, revenge, anger, rage. However, I was wrong. It implies that it may seem that the whole world turned its back on you. That nobody cares. That they took everything dear to you. Despite all of these, never ever let revenge consume you. For if you do, you'll surely regret the time when the wrongs you've done asks for its cost.

One of the greatest war movies ever made. Director Steven Spielberg has done another WWII masterpiece and it was a stunning success. It surely is a heartbreak seeing this wonderful work be nominated the Best Picture, and remain a nomination in the Academy forever. The movie is filled with overflowing emotion, adversity and difficulty. It surely isn't a film to watch with family and eat popcorn.

A moving screenplay, effective acting, flawless direction, and the emotional and distressing intensity of the film itself brought me into a world not completely understood and grasped by most of us. Spielberg not only let the viewers see the film, he made them to feel like being in it.

It brings the story of a special unit of eight soldiers led by Capt. John Miller brilliantly portrayed by Hanks to rescue the only surviving soldier of the three Ryan brothers, Private James Francis Ryan (Damon). The eight, who eventually had a strong bond among themselves, were put into an extremely dangerous mission where they lose each other along the way. Miller is very admirable here. You see, he has this burden to appear strong and unmoved to his men who are losing the faith and wanted to abort the order while in his inmost self, he feels vulnerable.

This movie shows how precious life is and how duty, honor and service of country are very much glorified during such times. And that sometimes, these things valued could risk your life into something you may not fully believe in.

Viktor Navorski lives in an airport. Yes, after literally losing his country while on flight, he finds himself stuck in the JFK airport. Frank Dixon, the head, thought that if he leaves Navorski there, he would eventually escape to New York and become someone else's problem. But, he was wrong. Navorski is an honest man and will be waiting until he's free to leave.

It got good shots of comedy, drama and romance. The Hanks and Zeta-Jones team-up is good addition to the story, not misleading the film to its real purpose. It's a Spielberg work and it's a really funny and light movie, with the right doses of sentiments in some scenes. It may not be as big and celebrated as the other Hanks-Spielberg collaborations such as the funny and humorous Catch Me If You Can or as groundbreaking as Saving Private Ryan, but, it's still a movie that captivated me a lot.

Tom Hanks was really believable and fascinating. The colorful people around also alleviated the film. Many movies are vying to be groundbreaking, rare, notable and revolutionary. Those are the kind of movies we usually set our eyes on. Yet sometimes, we just want to lay back and feel good, so we go see The Terminal.

This musical is certainly a masterpiece. I wonder why many critics didn't like it much. The story and the music was great, as well as the cast. I fell in love with the film, the characters and with the music of the night.

I could never blame the people to fear the Phantom. He's really dark and mysterious, and he murders. But, it is a crime to loathe him. Actually, he's a very accomplished man with pure talent. But, all because of the disfigured face, nobody loved him. You can never blame him for all his evil deeds because it was the society that turned him into a monster. All his life he was disliked. It's quite wrong to ask him for compassion when he himself didn't feel any.

The Phantom's wasted heart all just for loving Christine broke my heart as well. I really admire him as the film reached its ending. If there's one thing that's certain, his love for Christine was pure, true and unconditional.

A beautiful masterpiece about the Second World War from a slightly different point of view. It presents a fable filled with imagination, courage, hope and love in the dark and harsh reality of the war.

The story was exceptional and so were the actors. Roberto Benigni was really convincing and even more superb thinking that he also directed the film. In less than two hours, it was able to show the terrors the Jews had to suffer at war, the radiant and tender Juliet-and-Romeo-like romance between a despised Jew and a well-heeled Italian, the enduring faith and hope of a mother, and the undying and unconditional love a father could ever give.

Actually, this film's a school project. So, I didn't intend to watch it. It was already late at night when I viewed it because it had to be passed the next day. I was really sleepy and I was sure that this film is boring. I found it somehow boring during the first few minutes, but the rest was marvel. It was really creative, moving and inspiring. I must say that it is a tear-jerking historical tale that will surely leave a mark on your heart.

Beyond the condemnation, beyond the war, beyond all the burdens, beyond death, comes the unconquerable power of faith, imagination, courage and love. This is no less than one of the finest films ever made.

This is so much better than the first two. Everything was undoubtedly great! This film is flawless. I loved everything about it. It's amazing. It has improved a lot. Every little thing from start to finish are far off better than the first two. The first two were brilliant, but this is much more. I never knew that I'd live to see this. I don't know what else to say. I'm deeply impressed by this film. Words will never be enough to express its brilliance. A great evolution of story. Better characters and storyline.

This is the best animated film I've seen for all of my life! I totally loved it. It got good shots of drama, comedy and adventure. It's a film every one would surely enjoy. The concept, the animation, the storyline, the characters. All were totally awesome. The story was really touching from every aspect and, at the same time, never losing its comedic side. The way Ellie and Carl loved each other deeply touched my heart. Although it's just an animation, the film can fully connect to the audience's emotions. From the moment they met to the last moment of the film, it is completely evident that Carl loved Ellie with all his heart and is very sentimental about the moments they shared. Ellie was also really sweet, especially after it was shown that what she put on her adventure book was all about her relationship with Carl. Russell, as a cute little boy, also has his own principles and dignity he's willing to fight for until the end. This film got colorful and wonderful characters, and was able to mix them right. I fully believe that this has a great chance for winning the best animated film this upcoming Oscars. When people ask me what my favorite animated film is, Up would surely be the answer.

"Anyone can cook!"

This is one of the best animated films ever done! I loved it from start to finish. Excellent screenplay, which unsurprisingly gained a nomination and the movie itself was so amazing that it gained a dashing Oscar win. Technically, everything is almost perfect.

This film surely could inspire its audience a lot. The motto, as explained in the film, means that anybody can cook, but only the fearless can be great. It says a lot. We all have our dreams, or the things we desire to do. Undoubtedly, everyone can do it. But in order to be great in the field we chose, we must have the guts. The world hated rats. They were disliked. They were treated as pests. The world was tough. The thing to do in order to survive is to steal food. But Remy made a difference. He stood firmly with what he believes in despite his disapproving father, the disgusted world and the many challenges he faced. Passion. Ambition. Courage. We must possess all of these to excel in what we do, just like Remy did.

"This is not a love story. This is a story about love."

One of the best romantic comedies I've seen. I actually fell in love with it. It is about Tom Hansen who believes in true love, destiny and happy endings who happens to meet Summer Finn, who believes the otherwise. It engages the viewers into a 500-day journey of this young man to find his way through love.

This is one of those films that withholds a beautiful story. It clearly states the fact that love can either make you or break you, or do both simultaneously. It also says that love can never work out if only one does the loving. It should be done by both parties.

"Most days of the year are unremarkable. They begin, and they end, with no lasting memories made in between. Most days have no impact on the course of a life. May 23rd was a Wednesday." And that was the day, perhaps the best, for a fresh new start for Tom. Love can be as sweet as heaven, and be bitter as hell. Tom experienced both. The ending was one of the best I've seen so far. I have this notion that sad endings hold a bigger impact, but that isn't true. A story that ends like this would surely be great.

When a story ends in an unexpected way, it doesn't necessarily mean that the person involved lost or something. There are times when the best thing isn't the one we hoped for.

The film definitely captured my heart. There may be this special someone whom we expect to be "the one". But things may change. There are times when we're just mistaken. Not with love, but with the person we chose to love. In that case, the best thing to do is to look again.

"Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn't." That ends the 500 days. And then comes the new start.

As I see it, it's about protecting yourself and those that complete you. There's this phrase that Frankie often says. "Always protect yourself." It's also protecting those dearest to you. But, what if the only way to protect that someone is just not the way you actually expected?

The story was not fancy or anything. The story was really plain. It's fighting for your dreams, and it's either ending up great or a trash. This shows that everything may seem perfect, but all these could be lost in a glimpse of an eye. It's not just about winning. Like Scrap said, people die everyday. And not everybody's given the chance. It's about grabbing that chance and doing the thing you loved the most, and having someone to help you through just like how Maggie and Frankie filled in the empty slots in each other's lives.

Having a simple but ultimately beautiful story, together with its brilliant cast and magnificent director, this film can surely capture hearts. Even the simplest things can be the remarkable ones. This is a motion picture with so much to say.

This made me realize that there are just times when the only means to protect the ones we love is the most hurtful and unbearable thing we could ever do.

"If you need heroes, send in the Basterds."

Quentin Tarantino is indeed a genius! This one was a marvel. Brilliant from start to finish. He's the man who rewrote history in a way people would love and remember. The movie was very original and unorthodox. Really fearless and exceptional. It surely stands out among the World War II films ever created. The direction was flawless. The ensemble was perfect. The technical stuff, cinematography, sounds, etcetera, were excellent. The screenplay, staggering. Personally, I think Brad Pitt should have been nominated for Best Actor.

It's a film that surely is beautiful and outstanding in a remarkable way, and very enjoyable in every second from start to finish. Sometimes, the facts are so plain, simple and eventually becomes boring once we are fed with it for over a hundred times. So, it would really be nice if some genius lets his brilliant mind bring about a flight of the imagination that transforms those dreary pieces of information into something livelier and a lot more interesting.

I have been aware and familiar about the World War II. At the same time, thanks to Mr. Tarantino, I have witnessed the comic, sinister and better made-up chronicle of it. If I were to choose, I think I like the Tarantino version better.

Sexy. Seductive. Irresistible. Chicago is the best musical I've seen so far. It's full of burning passions flawlessly delivered by the magnificent cast. The screenplay was not something really sensible but it was very interesting and entertaining which, of course, was brought to life by Marshall's superb direction. Every song number was excellently made and each complemented the scenes quite well. All songs were great but Mr. Cellophane won my heart. The acting was undoubtedly effective. Catherine Zeta-Jones was so impressive and she's surely worthy for her Oscar. Renee Zellweger did pretty well, too. My favorite character for this would be Billy Flynn as portrayed by the exceptional and charming Richard Gere who was able to razzle dazzle his audience, including me. But of course, Reilly's out-of-the-ordinary performance projected the most admirable character for this movie who's no other than the ever-loyal Amos together with his unconditional yet stupid love for Roxie. This film is something to be treasured for a lifetime. I'm very happy to see such marvel. As I finished it, I saw myself quite pleased and smiling yet wanting for more.

Sometimes, there are stories that appear to be either too good or too bad to be true. On the 26th day of April 2003, a real story which is, in my opinion, too unpleasant to bear came to pass.

Revealing power in a film which constitutes motionlessness and a single cast would appear to be impossible. That was what I thought. And I humbly admit that I thought wrong. Danny Boyle made another breathtaking tour de force. He transformed this seemingly limited storyline into a motion picture that actually captures the audience's utmost being. With a mind so creative and with a lead actor so impressive, Danny Boyle once again created a glorious feat after the triumphant Slumdog Millionaire.

As for James Franco, whoever chose him for the role made the best decision. To say that he did great is an understatement. He became Aron Ralston and moved every bit of my soul. To own almost all of the running time is so much pressure for an actor but he did it flawlessly. His acting was exactly what the film demands. You'll never meet such an actor in decades.

127 Hours did not just became an additional favorite picture. It also gave me another favorite actor. I must say that this film has the right doses of everything. Music, cinematography, direction, screenplay, acting and editing were splendid. Every single thing about this impressed me a lot.

Amidst all of those accomplishments, the best about this is Aron Ralston himself. Honestly, I can never be as brave as this man. His heartfelt experience that put him between life and death reached out to me and placed my spirit into a panorama of Aron's ordeal.

127 Hours is a victory not just of Danny Boyle, not just of James Franco and not just of Aron Ralston. This is a triumph of life and humanity.

Little Manhattan is not your ordinary story about love and perhaps a very realistic tale about first romance. It's really cute and sweet. It is slightly reminiscent of (500) Days of Summer for me. Honestly, I already fell in love with it even before it reached its first minute. Like most of the films that captured my heart, Little Manhattan's beauty is beyond words, too. Sometimes, a motion picture can be very simple and still manage to be a true marvel. I now have a new addition to my favorites.

Little Miss Sunshine is a kind of jewel you rarely come across. Everything was flawless most especially the screenplay and the acting. I saw Paul Dano in There Will Be Blood and I must say that he's a really talented actor. Kudos to Abigail Breslin for such a brilliant performance at a very young age. The rest of the cast were all very good. What's amazing about this film is that all the ironies made me occasionally smile, and those did not simply bring about entertainment but also realizations. If you miss this film, you miss half of your life.

Flipped is another film that managed to tug at the heartstrings. Though it revolved mainly on young romance, it's also about family and growing up. Juli Baker is one of the best persons I've ever known. She is a sweet innocent soul who was able to think maturely ahead of her peers. She's someone whose wit you'll surely look up to, and whose personality you'll certainly fall for. Flipped is another motion picture that is very simple yet utterly beautiful.