Rebecca Hall – WilfridWong.com

The Town – Glorified Bank Robbers

Time passes by so quickly! One week has passed. We watched “The Town” last weekend. And tomorrow is Friday. The beginning of yet another weekend. This week is a happy week. The haze has been lifted. However, in the mist of finally getting a breath of fresh air, let’s not forget that our neighbor has gone through some terrible natural disasters this very week. So, my prayers are with them.

I hate to agree with Cynthia. But she is right. Ben Affleck cannot act. Having said that, I still think that he is one cool dude. I don’t mind to look like him, as tall as him. Ben Affleck is the director for “The Town” and he has co-written the script. He has done a good job in both departments. I enjoy watching the Ben Afflect – Rebecca Hall pair. More so when Ben pairs up with “The Hurt Locker” star Jeremy Lee Renner. I ought to catch up on “The Hurt Locker”. Jeremy Renner is on fire. That rage, that emotion on screen! I believe he is also one of the reasons why “The Town” is a success.

In this movie, Ben Affleck plays the role of a robbery architect. And he has a team of robbers to work with him, including Jeremy Renner. Rebecca Hall plays the role of a bank manager who first meets Ben Affleck as a masked robber. And then meeting him as an acquaintance. Because of that, Ben Affleck – I think – requires to speak in two different accents. I must say some of what he says can be really hard to catch, if English is not your first language. But that adds authenticity to the story, which is good.

The plot, I must say, is pretty smart. The action sequence is thrilling to watch. I enjoy the fluidity of the plot. If there is one thing to take home with, it is this thought that although one may have changed to be better, he or she still needs to bear the consequences of the past. Initially I wondered: Do we need another bank robbery film? I suppose another good one doesn’t harm.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona – And Beyond the Eye Candies …

I must be one strange dude. I got lost between the two girls kissing each other inside a dark room and the three taking turn to kiss each other at the kitchen stove. Now, just how probable that scenario can be even if I was born an American or an European?

Largely shot in portrait mode with the bokeh background blurring out everything but the characters, visually the film put much emphasis on the actors and actresses with the scripts in such fluidity to match. I like some parts when the camera stays with the main character even when it is the supporting actor’s turn to speak. It is beautiful. It is beautiful if you can look beyond the lack of conclusiveness throughout the development of the story. Light, indeed. Perhaps that’s how the writer-director Woody Allen envisages it to be. Like the beautiful strokes of stories intertwined in the summer of Barcelona, there is love of eccentricity, committing and reliable love, carefree kind of love, and unfulfilled love. There is a certain degree of lightheartedness and a certain degree of sadness. While the story is left unresolved, the incomplete love between the two artists played by Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz is simply intense. Penélope is simply striking, in this movie. She deserves an Oscar nomination, I agree.

Scarlett Johansson’s acting as Cristina is charming and I do enjoy watching Rebecca Hall playing the role of Vicky. Cynthia and I both agree that Javier Bardem is not necessary the most handsome Spanish guy on Earth (to be able to charm both Scarlett and Rebecca with Penélope as the ex-wife … hmmm). However Javier does come with an incredible credential in his acting career and he acts well in this film.

The Spanish actor and actress Penélope and Javier are the real gems of the film. Since Cynthia and I are currently learning Spanish, we are happy to be able to pick up a few words within the Spanish dialogues.

Lovely scripts, lovely eye candies. The question is, can you look beyond this plot of art with the unresolved, rather unrealistic storyline?