Gattaca (1997)

A genetically inferior man (Ethan Hawke) assumes the indentity of a genetically superior man (Jude Law) in order to pursue his dream of space travel.

This is a Sci-fi drama set in the future where one's life is determined by genetic engineering. Rich people can choose the makeup of their offspring and people are designed to fit into whatever role is decided for them before their birth. But what happens when someone wants a life different from the one chosen for him?

Nasa says that 'Gattaca' is the most plausible sci-fi movie ever and therefore watching this film brings a chilling thought of what could happen if technology is left unchecked. Gattaca is an intelligent thriller that is visually stunning and morally complex and well worth digging up from the archives for another view.

4 elephants

Source Code

When soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man he discovers he is part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. As part of a government experiment called Source Code he is able to cross over into another man's indentity during the mans last eight minutes of life on the train.

Keen to see this new Duncan Jones movie after the brilliant 'Moon' we experienced a thriller that was both gripping and intelligent. An entertaining puzzle that kept us guessing but wasn't without emotion and a little humour. Some call it Groundhog Day meets Inception. All we know is Duncan Jones didn't disappoint. This movie is brilliant!

5 elephants

Seven

David Mills (Brad Pitt) and William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) are two detectives who become embroiled in a case involving several sadistic murders.

Deeply disturbing to watch, yet compelling. The kind of movie that stays with you for days. You try to shake it off but it won't go. You may even dream about it.

An absolutely brilliant film that'll you hate to watch but love at the same time.

5 elephants

Inception

Imagine a world where technology exists that allows you to enter a human mind through dream invasion.

This film was awesome. I mean like really awesome. Like really, really awesome. Like totally awesomely, awesome! And we're not telling you anymore because we don't want to spoil it (not that anyone reads this blog) So if you haven't seen this movie, go and see it now. I mean NOW. RIGHT NOW!

we're not going to put how many elephants in case this is a dream but it is a high number, possibly a herd.

Zodiac

A San Francisco cartoonist, Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) turns amateur detective when he becomes obsessed with a serial killer known as the Zodiac.

A crime story that draws you into its web and leaves you with a satisfying feeling. At two and half hours long it hardly has a dull moment and when it reaches its inevitable conclusion you actually don't want it to end. The murder scenes are uncompromising and not for those with a weak disposition, after all the director of Zodiac (David Fincher) did do Fight Club.

4 elephants

From Paris With Love

In Paris, James Reese (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) a young employee of the U.S. Embassy is sent to look after the insane and erratic American spy Charlie Wax (John Travolta) whose mission is to stop a terrorist attack.

Produced by Luc Besson this movie is packed with the most excessive and ludicrous gun fighting and violence that it is actually quite brilliant and one of the best action films we've seen in quite awhile. Totally love it and we hope there is a sequel, if only John Travolta can be bothered.

4 elephants

Best lines:
James Reece: I'm not your driver. I'm your partner.
Charlie Wax: Yeah, you're the chess player. I read your file.
James Reece: You play?
Charlie Wax: Do I look like I play board games?

The International

Interpol agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) and Manhattan D.A Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) investigate one of the world's most powerful banks. Uncovering illegal activities that include money laundering and arms dealing, their investigation takes them across the world as they try to bring to justice a bank that will stop at nothing to continue to finance terror.

You must watch this film if only for the gun battle in the Guggenheim museum in New York - awesome! We watched this film a couple of months back and it was so impressive (not) we can't remember anything about it apart from that massive shoot out. So hardly a memorable film, then?

2 elephants

Inside Man

From a cell, Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) tells us he carried out the perfect bank robbery and invites the audience to watch how he did it. But while he was committing the crime he had to outsmart Detective Frazier (Denzel Washington) and just to throw a little something else into the mix, the bank's president had something in the safe deposit box he was eager to protect. Enter Madeleine White (Jodie Foster) a high-powered fixer or as we like to think of her role ' the token bitch.'

Not your run of the mill cops and robbers film. The plot was fast paced, smart and very clever. The only spoiler - Jodie Foster's role in it. It could have been played by any actor. As good as Jodie Foster is, somehow she didn't bring anything to this film. Nevertheless, we loved this movie for it's originality and are pleased to hear they are making a sequel.

4 elephants

The Shawshank Redemption

Based on the Stephen King novel the Shawshank Redemption tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) a young and successful banker who is given a double life sentence for the murder of his young wife and her lover. At Shawshank prison he gains the respect of Red (Morgan Freeman) the prison 'fixer' and together they embark on a life changing journey.

In essence the secret of a good movie is simple. It isn't the cinematography, it isn't the direction, the lighting, the music. It isn't even the cast. It is quite simply the story. A good story has you enthralled from beginning to end. It makes you care so much for the protagonist that you hope and pray that somehow everything will turn out all right. A good story makes you hate the corrupt and feel for the broken. The Shawshank Redemption is such a story. If there is a list of movies you want to see before you die. This movie should be on it...no, it must be on it.

5 elephants

The Sentinel

Peter Garrison (Michael Douglas) is a secret service agent and personal bodyguard to the First Lady of the United States, Sarah Ballentine (Kim Basinger) with whom he is having an affair. He finds himself embroiled in an investigation to an assassin plot against the President. Each agent is ordered to take a polygraph test and, because he has to hide his affair with the First Lady, he fails. Thus finding himself an unwitting suspect for providing information to the would-be assassins.

Rotten Tomatoes reviews this as a film as boring as watching ink dry on a U.N Treaty. Well stuff them. This actually wasn't that bad. Although it was slightly worrying that when looking at the DVD and seeing that the film starred Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland and Eva Longoria...but somehow we'd never heard of it. Nevertheless, it was a good story, kept our attention and watching an OAP (Michael Douglas) beat up half of the U.S Secret Service was entertaining if not a little amusing. Watch but don't expect a classic.

3 elephants

Flightplan

Kyle Pratt (Jodie Foster), an aviation engineer, is flying back to the USA from Berlin bringing with her a coffin containing her husband's body, and her six year old daughter. Three hours into the flight, Kyle wakes up to discover her daughter is missing. The crew tell her she did not board with a child and must be suffering from psychological trauma caused by the tragic death of her husband. But Kyle knows otherwise and on a double-decker plane that she helped to design she finds she has to take matters into her own hands to find her child.

Edge of the seat thriller that held our attention from start to finish. We spent most of movie second guessing only to discover we were wrong. Jodie was brilliant but we were particularly impressed by Peter Sarsgaard who played the understanding air marshall. A really good movie that we highly recommend.

4 elephants

The Happening

Suddenly and inexplicably people in Central Park, New York, stop what they are doing and start committing suicide. This strange phenomena spreads all along the north east of America and no one knows what is causing it? Is it terrorism? Is it the plants? The wind?

Disappointing movie from the master of "twist in the tale" endings M.Night. Shyamalan. Intended to be a B movie but ended up being a box office hit. Why?? Watching this movie is like sitting down to a gourmet meal. You get a delicious appetizer, a pretty good entree and you have left lots of room for a delicious desert, but oh, the restaurant has run out. You don't even get a coffee. It leaves you feeling totally unsatisfied. The story went no where. Desperately hoping for that oh so familiar "I wasn't expecting that" ending, the film finished with almost no explanation. In the end we discover that the reason all these things happened was actually explained in the first ten minutes of the movie, which basically was that the plants were giving off a chemical that affected people's brains causing them to kill themselves. But why the plants were doing that no one knows. This script has more holes than Swiss cheese. The only reason it was a hit was because Mr M has an amazing track record and surely he couldn't do a duff movie? Oh, yes he can.

1 elephant

Eagle Eye

Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBouef) is a loser with a super successful twin brother. When his twin dies, strange things start to happen to Jerry at a dizzying pace. Soon Jerry and a complete stranger, Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan) receive mysterious phone calls which throws them both together and pushes them both into ever increasing dangerous situations as they are chased across American by FBI Agent Thomas Morgan ( "musician" Billy Bob Thornton).

Eagle Eye was not on our list of must-see movies, but we are very glad we decided to watch it. This is an edge-of-your-seat thriller with an original script that holds your attention right to the end. The kind of movie that is so fast paced you are in danger of going into cardiac arrest. We loved it! A stampede of elephants could have raced across the room and we wouldn't have noticed.

We give it 4 elephants