Movie Review: Aeon Flux

There's nothing quite so entertaining as a good science fiction movie and Aeon Flux fits the bill -- mostly. A virus has wiped out 85% of humans on earth and those surviving have built a city protected from the 'natural world' and where life is paradisical. But something is not quite right. People disappear suddenly and without trace. Some experience feelings that things are not quite right but can't quite put their finger on the problem. The government is increasingly oppressive under the guise of protecting its citizens. A small group of rebels plot to overthrow the government and liberate the people. Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron) is a member of this group, the Monicans, who is sent on a mission to kill the chairman to make way for a coup. But things get very complicated when Aeon discovers that all is not as it seems. I'm not going to reveal the theme of Aeon Flux except to say that it raises some questions and possibilities related to something that scientists are working on right now. The concepts underlying the story are the saving grace of the film -- without them it wouldn't be worth watching. Aeon Flux works on the level of entertainment and has an intriguing premise. The special effects are creative and the action fast-paced. Fortunately, the storyline manages to make up for some very two-dimensional acting and stilted dialogue, although, some friends I was with when I saw the movie suggested that this was to be expected as part of the nature of the characters. Mmmm.... not sure about that. At times, one could be forgiven for thinking that maybe the movie was merely an opportunity to show off the beautiful body of Chalize Theron (whose stint in this film is no where up to her brilliance in Monster or North Country) and the latest fashion. But it is an entertaining 93 minutes with some provocative suggestions about ... well... I'll let you find out. My Rating: ***1/2 (out of 5) Positive Review 'It's all so geekily gorgeous, it hardly matters that the narrative lapses in and out of incoherence and the dialogue is functional at best.' - Jason Anderson/The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Negative Review 'Aeon Flux is by far the year's worst movie, a most dubious achievement.' Lou Lumenick/New York Post Content Warning Sequences of violence and sexual content

Movie Review: Memoirs of a Geisha

Whatever else might be said about Memoirs of a Geisha it is a beautiful film. It collected 3 Oscars at this year's awards - Best Achievement in Art Direction; Best Achievement in Cinematography; Best Achievement in Costume Design. All are deserved. Memoirs didn't receive much praise from critics but I thought it was an excellent few hours of entertainment. Memoirs has been criticised for using Chinese actors as Japanese women in the film (apparently leading to a furor in Japan). But surely that is no worse than casting Eric Bana as an Israeli or using American actors to play Australians in so many movies. So forget it ... it's trivial. Nitta Sayuri (Ziyi Zhang) lives in a fishing village in Japan and is sold, as a child, to a local geisha house in Kyoto's Gihon district where she is mistreated by the head geisha, Hatsumomo (Li Gong). Sayuri is stunningly beautiful and evokes a deep jealousy and hatred towards her from Hatsumomo. Hatsumomo's rival, Mahema takes her as her mentor and, under her tutelage, Sayuri becomes the most celebrated geisha in all of Japan. As a result, she enters into the world of the rich and famous. But war comes and her life is changed forever. It's a great story superbly filmed with a beautiful cast. So ignore all those negative reviews. Go along to the cinema (a big screen is essential to appreciate the artistry), relax, and enjoy a delightfully old-fashioned story of treachery, courage, and love with delicious music and a visual feast. My Rating: **** (out of 5) Positive Review 'The story is so compelling and the movie is such a pleasure to the eyes and ears.' - William Arnold/Seattle Post-Intelligencer Negative Review 'To its credit, the film's costume design is stunning. But unless you have a kimono fetish, there's no reason to pay a good dollar (or a yen, for that matter) on this junk.' - Phil Hall/Film Threat Content Warning Mature subject matter and some sexual content Related Links

• Immortal Geisha - Information about Japanese Geisha and Lifestyle
• Geisha (Wikipedia)