Topic: Summer Olympics

*I have been watching a lot of the Olympics recently especially gymnastics and tomorrow track and field starts. What are you guys watching?

(M) A Bout De Souffle (Breathless). (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960)Grade: B-

Thoughts: Michel Poiccard (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is a petty thief who steals cars. During a job Michel is pulled over by a motorcycle policeman, who he shoots dead. Now hiding in Paris, Michel gets some money from an old girlfriend and meets up with American girl friend Patricia Franchini (Jean Seberg). Michel and Patricia have plans to go away together until she discovers the police are searching for Michel and has to make a decision that changes their lives. This is a classic film which began the French Nouvelle Vague but honestly I am not a film studies major so I think I missed the point of the whole thing.

(M) Zaak Alzheimer, De (Memory of a Killer). (Erik Van Looy, 2003)Grade: B+

Thoughts: Vincke (Koen De Bouw) and Verstuyft (Werner De Smedt) are the best detectives in the Antwerp police department. Angelo Ledda (Jan Decleir) is an almost retired assassin who is suffering from Alzheimer’s and is Vincke and Verstuyft’s number one suspect in the disappearance of a top official. Unknown to them, Ledda is not behind the disappearance and is trying to clear his name. This is a gripping cop thriller that has you guessing until the end with great acting from everyone especially Jan Decleir.

(M) Stargate. (Roland Emmerich, 1994)Grade: C

Thoughts: Egyptologist Dr. Daniel Jackson (James Spader) is brought to an underground military base to decode Egyptian stones that are symbols to opening the Stargate, a device used to travel to other worlds. Led by Colonel Jonathan “Jack” O’Neil (Kurt Russell), a group of US troops and Jackson walk through the gate and into a world of adventure. The movie was a bit on the cheesy side but I guess some science fiction usually is. It eventually led to the Stargate SG-1 series and the spin off Stargate Atlantis, which I watch all the time.

(M) Fan Yi Cho (Lavender). (Riley Yip Kam-Hung, 2000)Grade: C

Thoughts: Athena (Kelly Chan) is an aroma therapist, who is depressed ever since her boyfriend Andrew died. However that changes when wayward angel “Angel” (Takeshi Kanehiro) comes crashing through her skylight and proceeds to change her life. Often slow and a bit random, Lavender does a weak job of entertaining the audience. Nevertheless, by the end of the movie and with nice acting from Kelly and Takeshi, it ended up not being too bad.

Movie Count: 74