Finding Atlantis (2011)

Network: Discovery

Synopsis: Finding Atlantis follows a team of Spanish, American and Canadian scientists as they employ satellite space photography, ground penetrating radar, underwater archaeology, and historical sleuthing in an effort to find the lost civilization of Atlantis.

In the news recently:

A private foundation is working to send a pair of non-NASA astronauts, possibly a married couple, on a slingshot journey to Mars, with blastoff slated for January 2018.

The nonprofit Inspiration Mars Foundation is starting work on life-support systems and other technologies that will be needed to keep two people alive and healthy for the 501-day mission. The flight path would put the spacecraft to within 150 miles of the Martian surface before automatically returning it on a direct approach to Earth.

-  An excerpt from Discovery News

Wow! Would you volunteer for this particular road trip to Mars? My first reaction was, "Hell yeah!". Then when I read on, I realised that the spacecraft that would be carrying me into space and back would be really cramped. While I can deal with being cooped up in a room with nothing but my Mac, Blu Rays, music, books, and basic necessities, I don't think I can deal with the size of it and the fact that it'll be for more than a year!  

That being said, I would love to one day live in a spaceship (I'm thinking of Star Trek Voyager right now) and I'm definitely going to put it in my bucket list. But, there is something I want more than going into space - I want to visit the ruins of Atlantis!

The island of Atlantis has always fascinated me. I don't remember how old I was when I first heard about the island or how I learned of it. But I remember watching an episode of seaQuest DSV called Lostland in 1995, and in that episode, the crew stumbles across the remains of a warrior from the island of Atlantis. I also watched a film titled Sing (1989) which is about a dying neighbourhood in the US that results in the only school left in the neighbourhood to be shut down. The students annually perform in a Sing! production and in the film, the seniors put up an item based on the last days of the people of Atlantis. I also watched the Disney animation, Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). 

In fact, my fascination with Atlantis is the reason why I watched this documentary. Although we are no closer to knowing for sure the exact location of the island of Atlantis, visiting the ruins of the city of Atlantis is high on my bucket list. Yes. This sounds a bit far fletched isn't it. But if Mandy Moore's Jamie Sullivan (from the film A Walk To Remember) can put "Be in 2 places at once" on her bucket list, then I believe that me putting "visit the ruins of Atlantis" in my list is not a ridiculous notion at all. 

There are many theories and speculation as to the location of Atlantis, but they will all remain just that until there is concrete evidence that tells us otherwise. In fact, until we find proof of its existence, we will never know if Atlantis is even real or just a work of fiction in Plato's writing. And of course, finding Atlantis will be the ultimate proof.

In Finding Atlantis, there is a generous use of 3D animation to help the viewers understand the scientists' theories as to why they believe the location they are at is where Atlantis can be found. The documentary also makes it easy for the audience to digest the information proving and disproving their theories through the use of a checklist. A checklist made by the careful reading and understanding of Plato's description of Atlantis. 

In fact, I enjoyed Finding Atlantis so much, that I have gone on a hunt of my own, for other documentaries about Atlantis that is. And to all the scientists out there who are searching for Atlantis, please keep going even when the going gets tough. Then maybe in the near future, I will be able to strike off number 2 on my list - "Visit the ruins of Atlantis".


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Water For Elephants (2011)

Director: Francis Lawrence (1)

Cast: Reese Witherspoon (2), Robert Pattinson (3), and Christoph Waltz (4)

(Watch the trailer)

My favourite quote - "You're a beautiful woman, you deserve a beautiful life, nothing less."

Did you know? - The film was based on the novel of the same name written by Sara Gruen. She wrote the book as part of the National Novel Writing Month also known as NaNoWriMo.

Halfway through the film I found myself asking a friend of mine who’s already watched it ‘How long more does this take?’ Is the story bad? Nah. Is the pacing slow? It is at some points. What about the acting? All three leads are fantastic actors and whenever they are not playing off each other on screen they are fantastic. However, if they have any chemistry off screen, it didn’t really come off on screen. Also, I can’t help but think of Twilight’s Edward Cullen everytime Robert Pattinson appears. Christoph Waltz was fantastic in the film though. He was able to make me hate him for being so cruel, but also to have a sudden empathy for him for that brief moment when he was vulnerable.

I am fascinated by circus acts. I have a wish, a goal if you will, to travel the world and watch all the Cirque Du Soleil shows available at the time I can afford to do so. I call it my ‘Travel the world according to Cirque Du Soleil’ plan. Cirque Du Soleil's Saltimbanco recently came into town (Singapore) and needless to say I went to watch it. I find it amazing how they are able to do some of the fantastic stunts that they do. And for a living too! I think they are very special individuals. And that’s what I really take away from this film. That everyone, no matter how weird or different (physically or otherwise), is special and has something to offer to the world. 

Also, I think that people shouldn’t sell themselves short. If you don’t deserve the crap someone gives you, and you can do something about it, DO IT! Life is short, don’t waste time allowing yourself to be under the thumb of someone who doesn’t appreciate you or someone who doesn’t give a s**t how you feel. 

I also loved Rosie! The elephant featured in the film. My heart went out for the animals portrayed in the film. When I said I was fascinated by circus, my concept of the circus is the modern ones like Cirque Du Soleil not the ones featuring animals or “strange people” like those featured in the film The Vampire’s Assistant. So the parts where the animals were being ill-treated made me cringe so bad. Even if one were not an animal person, how can one be so cruel to an innocent being who in no way has harmed them? Do unto others what you want others to do unto you. I think people should remember this when treating other human beings (eg, nannies, domestic helpers, customer service staff) and even animals. How would you feel if someone took a stab at you with a poker just cos you didn’t want to do what they wanted you to do?

The film though a little slow moving, had a good story to share with the audience, and I loved all that it was trying to say and connected with the film on so many different levels. For once, the main thing I took away from the film wasn’t through the love story. Which I think was because I did not connect with the on screen couple Jacob and Marlena played by Robert Pattinson and Resse Witherspoon. Though, I love the set design, costumes, cinematography and theme of the film. So I really can overlook that little hiccup in the chemistry department.

(1) Francis Lawrence has directed films like Constantine (2005) and I Am Legend (2007). He has also directed countless MTVs some of them include Cry Me A River by Justin Timberlake ft Timbaland, Buttons by The Pussycat Dolls ft Snoop Dogg, Circus by Britney Spears, Bad Romance by Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé’s Run The World (Girls).

(2) Resse Witherspoon has acted in films like Cruel Intentions (1999), Legally Blonde (2001), Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003), Vanity Fair (2004), Walk the Line (2005), Just Like Heaven (2005), Penelope (2006), and This Means War (2012)

(3) Robert Pattinson has acted in films like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Twilight (2008), Little Ashes (2009), The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), Remember Me (2010), The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012), and Bel Ami (2012)

(4) Christoph Waltz has acted in films like Inglourious Basterds (2009), The Green Hornet (2011), and The Three Musketeers (2011)

The Eclectic Reviewer thinks… Water For Elephants will remind you to fight for what you believe in and that both humans and animals deserve to be treated with respect.  (2.6 of 5)

* Movie Poster from Wikipedia

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Hysteria (2011)

Director: Tanya Wexler


Cast: Hugh Dancy (1), Maggie Gyllenhaal (2), Felicity Jones (3), Rupert Everett (4)

(Watch the trailer)

My favourite quote - 
"I know by the time I'm gone, women will have the vote, they'll have equal education, and rights over their own bodies. And I'd like to play some small part in making that happen." 

Hysteria first caught my attention when I found out that one of my favourite actors, Hugh Dancy, was one of the cast members. Then when I found out Maggie Gyllenhaal and Felicity Jones were in it too, I decided that I just had to watch the film. Now this film is still not shown in theaters in Singapore, but it was shown at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Anyhow, I only discovered what the film was about when I started watching it. And I was surprised, and wasn't quite sure if it were fact or fiction. 

Hysteria is a film about how the vibrator was first invented. But don't be fooled by its flashy topic. This film is also about women's place in society during the Victorian era. The inventor of the vibrator is indeed Mortimer Granville, but the facts I believe have been sensationalized or modified to make the film interesting. 

I love watching the Miss Universe pageants. And I remember Australia's Jennifer Hawkins being asked this question: "If you could choose what time period and what sex to be, what would you choose and why?". Her answer was: "I'd have to say this time period because we have as much freedom as we want. And I choose the sex of female, because females have a lot to say in today's society. So I'd say this century, today." And when I ask myself this same question that was posed to her, my answer too is today. I think women today are very lucky. We don't HAVE to stay at home and cook and clean. We are permitted to have a good education and carve a successful career of our own. We are not subjected to as much discrimination as women in the past suffered. Compared to the women in the Victorian era, we are much luckier. 

"You must admit, you men really did get the better side of the bargain. For us, its mindless housework and doting on some halfwit. Its simply not enough for me, or for most women." - Charlotte Dalrymple 

Consider all the period films like Pride and Prejudice, Becoming Jane, Beatrix Potter just to name a few, all the women during those times were subjected to so many restrictions and were thought so little of. I'm grateful to all the women in the past who stood up for women's rights and equality. It is because of their bravery and courage that women today have a say about how to live their lives, who to marry, and what kind of work they do. 

"Its very easy isn't it? To make fun of women's lives. I would like to see you walk for one mile in our shoes. I imagine that your mirth would turn first to sympathy and then to despair."  - Charlotte Dalrymple 

Men vs Women is also a theme much covered in Hysteria. Doing housework and taking care of the family is something women still do today. But the difference is that isn't the only thing they are allowed to do these days. There has been many debates over this topic since a long time ago. And today, women are still expected to be able to take care of the family, as well as to cook and clean. Having a successful career is only if you can manage to juggle everything at home first. Well, that isn't the case for every single woman, and some women have very wonderful supportive husbands. And many households now employ domestic helpers to manage the household chores and take care of the children. 

Like Crazy (2011)

Director: Drake Doremus


Cast: Anton Yelchin (1), Felicity Jones (2), Jennifer Lawrence (3)

(Watch the trailer)

My favourite quote - 
"I don't feel like I'm a part of your life. I feel like I'm on vacation."

Did you know? - The film won the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize in 2011 and the film was shot using the Canon EOS 7D. The film's dialogue was also fully improvised. 

Long distance relationships. Some people can survive the distance, some can't. Like Crazy is a very slow moving film. It takes patience, and interest in the subject matter, or in film, to be able to sit through the film from start to finish. However, I have a nagging suspicion that the slow pace of the film was done on purpose. So that the viewer can experience for themselves the frustration the characters in the film felt. All that waiting to see each other again. All that trying to make things work.

I connect with the film because it reminds me of the last relationship I had. And I can empathize with whatever the leads Jacob and Anna, beautifully played by Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones, are feeling and going through. It isn't easy. It takes a huge toll on the relationship and it is very tough the two people trying to make a long distance relationship work. Trust, communication, understanding, a lot of compromise is needed to sustain a long distance relationship. Something I think Like Crazy very aptly portrays. 

I actually picked up this film more because of its cast rather than the subject matter. I was pretty impressed with Anton Yelchin in Star Trek, Terminator Salvation, as well as in New York, I Love You, so I took a leap of faith and started to get the films he acted in. And I wasn't disappointed. Although I found it jarring to watch him as an adult going through the heartaches of a long distance relationship, I still could connect with his character because of his realistic and heartbreaking performance in the film. Where did the fresh faced 17 year old Chekov from Star Trek go? 

The other lead Felicity Jones I only noticed recently after watching the film Chalet Girl. I am still curious about her and haven't seen her in many films. This is just the second. However, so far, I like her performances. In this film, I am able to see more depth in her performance as Anna. I think being cast alongside such a fantastic actor as Anton Yelchin, she doesn't shine as bright. But still, she's one I would look out for in the future. 

I didn't know X-Men: First Class' Jennifer Lawrence was in this film until I saw her in it. And although it was a small part, I enjoyed watching her in the film. I'd have to get my hands on The Hunger Games and Winter's Bone soon. 

At the start of Like Crazy, I really didn't know what to expect. And now, having watched it. I have no regrets. It is like watching a part of my life being acted by others on the big screen. To those who have never been in a long distance relationship, be an observer to this quiet but meaningful film. Relationships are hard work, whether two people are on the same continent or not. But ultimately, if you really love one another, you'll find a way to make it work. You might make mistakes, meet other people, but at the end of the day, you'll find your way back to each other. 

The film leaves the viewer a little unsure about the future of Jacob and Anna, but that's just it isn't it? Even if the film gave us a happily ever after, if this was real life, after the credits have finished rolling, something bad might happen and they might end up breaking up anyway. All that Jacob and Anna has gone through, if the film did not portray them the way they did, then it would be unrealistic and the typical Hollywood film that gives in to the demand of the happily-ever-after-ending. 

(1) Anton Yelchin has acted in films like Along Came A Spider (2001), Hearts In Atlantis (2001), Charlie Bartlett (2007), New York, I Love You (2009), Star Trek (2009), Terminator Salvation (2009), Memoirs Of A Teenage Amnesiac (2010), Like Crazy (2011), and Fright Night (2011). He also voiced Clumsy Smurf in the film The Smurfs (2011). 

(2) Felicity Jones has acted in films like Brideshead Revisited (2008), Chalet Girl (2011), and Hysteria (2011). 

(3) Jennifer Lawrence has acted in films like Winter's Bone (2010), X-Men: First Class (2011), and The Hunger Games (2012).

The Eclectic Reviewer thinks… Like Crazy makes me remember the times when I was in a long distance relationship. While the ending of my story is different, I connected with the film nonetheless. It makes me sad, it makes me nostalgic, but its okay. Because I know this feeling will pass eventually. (3 of 5)

* Movie Poster from Wikipedia

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In Time (2011)

Written and Directed by Andrew Niccol (1)

Cast: Justin Timberlake (2), Amanda Seyfried (3), Cillian Murphy (4), Alex Pettyfer (5), Johnny Galecki (6)

(Watch the trailer)

My favourite quote - "We're not meant to live like this. We're not meant to live forever. Although I do wonder Father, if you've ever lived a day in your life."

My favourite dialogue - 

Henry Hamilton: How old are you? In real time?
Will Salas: 28
Henry Hamilton: I'm 105.
Will Salas: Good for you. You won't see 106 if you have too many nights like tonight.
Henry Hamilton: You are right. But the day comes when you've had enough. Your mind can be spent, even if your body's not. We want to die. We need to.
Will Salas: That's your problem? You've been alive too long? You ever known anyone who's died?
Henry Hamilton: For a few to be immortal, many must die.
Will Salas: What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Henry Hamilton: You really don't know do you? Everyone can't live forever. Where would we put them? Why do you think there are time zones? Why do you think taxes and prices go up the same day in the ghetto? The cost of living keeps rising to make sure people keep dying. How else could there be men with a million years while most live day to day? But the truth is... there's more than enough. No one has to die before their time. If you had as much time as I have on that clock, what would you do with it?
Will Salas: I'd stop watching it. I can tell you one thing, if I had all that time, I sure as hell wouldn't waste it. 

& 

Sylvia Weis: What have we got?
Will Salas: A day. You can do a lot in a day. 

Time. The only thing we cannot waste because every minute and every second matters. Yet, we don’t really and fully appreciate time because we don’t realise how quickly time passes. The film In Time gives everyone up till their 25th birthday to enjoy timelessness. After that, you have to earn every minute and every second of every day. A frightful thought. Yet, I think that if we lived in a world with such rules as featured in the film, we might appreciate what time we have on earth more. I remember a favourite quote of mine uttered in Troy by Brad Pitt’s Achilles - “The Gods envy us. They envy us because we’re mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we’re doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now, and we will never be here again.”

The film In Time talks about immortality, death, and time, among other things. Then comes another big question, would you prefer to know when you will die or to never worry about when you will die because it seems like a long way off. For those in the film who live in the ghetto, they die when they don’t have the ability to pay for more time. Isn’t this similar to the situation today? When a person is ill and cannot pay for the exorbitant medical bills to get better, you eventually run out of time because you don’t have a choice. 

Vampires and other fantasy characters who are immortal always face the unfortunate fact that they live forever, while their loved ones die and they can do nothing about it. Here that problem is non existent because the rich who are immortal can live forever with their loved ones. What about over population then? If everyone lived, wouldn’t there be the problem of overpopulation? I guess that is why the film mentions this phrase a couple of times: “For a few to remain immortal, many must die.” And in reply, Justin Timberlake’s Will Salas says: “No one should be immortal, if even one person has to die.”

I am on the side of Justin Timberlake’s Will Salas, pity the immortals who live so they may watch the people around them die. If one person needs to die, let no one be immortal. 

PS: It was very fascinating to watch Johnny Galecki play anything but deadpan funnyman Leonard Hofstadter, Alex Pettyfer play a gangster and all-around evil, as well as Justin Timberlake in a film with such a serious theme and so much action and emotion. Of course, Amanda Seyfried and Cillian Murphy both did excellent jobs in their roles. 

(1) Andrew Niccol has written films like Gattaca (1997) and The Truman Show (1998). He also directed the film Gattaca (1997)

(2) Justin Timberlake started out in the New Mickey Mouse Club then sang with the boyband N’Sync. He has since gone solo and has acted in films like The Social Network (2010), Bad Teacher (2011), and Friends With Benefits (2011). He has also done voice work for films like Shrek The Third (2007) and Yogi Bear (2010).

(3) Amanda Seyfried has acted in films like Mean Girls (2004), Alpha Dog (2006), Mamma Mia! (2008), Chloe (2009), Dear John (2010), Letters To Juliet (2010), Red Riding Hood (2011), Gone (2012), Les Misérables (2012), The Big Wedding (2013), and Lovelace (2013). She also played the role of Sarah Henrickson in the television series Big Love (2006-2011) and guest starred in television series like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Veronica Mars, House, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. 

(4) Cillian Murphy has acted in films like Girl With A Pearl Earring (2003), Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), The Edge of Love (2008), Inception (2010), Tron: Legacy (2010), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

(5) Alex Pettyfer has acted in films like Stormbreaker (2006), Wild Child (2008), I Am Number Four (2011), Beastly (2011), and Magic Mike (2012)

(6) Johnny Galecki currently plays Leonard Hofstadter in the television series The Big Bang Theory and has acted in films like Bounce (2000), and Vanilla Sky (2001)

The Eclectic Reviewer thinks… In Time has an interesting concept and enough action to keep the viewer’s attention but most importantly, it makes you think realise what is and should be important. Remember that time and tide wait for no man (or woman). So make use of each and every second you have on this earth. (3 of 5)

* Movie Poster from Wikipedia

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