A Tale of Two Sisters (3.5)

(Trailer) 

By writer/director Jee-woon Kim, this 2003 horror/mystery tells the story of two sisters return home only to fall victim to their stepmother all over again...or so it seems.

This was on my to watch list for a very long time. I heard about this movie years ago but could never find it any where in Canada so I forgot about it.

This is a great example of what is missing from a lot of horror movies - a good story. This movie was all about the story building. They held true to the mystery angle of the plot and left a lot of room for character development which led to an amazing climax. I really didn't see the twist coming until moments before it happened. Jee-woon Kim did a great job of leading you into a maze of possibilities and confusing you to the point of wanting to give up and then BOOM. Reveal.

That was the big thing for me though. While the reveal was amazing, the build was better than the final result. It was scary but not over the top. There was some weird stuff going on for sure though. The characters were well structured and they gave you just enough to hold onto each one as you try to figure out what is really going on. There was some confusion regarding a few extra characters that are never really explained and some parts of the movie that were a bit slow but nothing too major.

Those Korean film makers - they know horror like no other! Watch it if you like any other Korean movies or like a good story to your blood stained films.

3.5/5 ADSENSE HERE

Lawless (3)

(Trailer) 

2012 action/drama based on a true story by director John Hillcoat.

Three brothers living in Virginia run a successful bootlegging operation until a deputy from Chicago arrives to stop them.

This movie looked really promising to me, especially because of the all-star cast. Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Guy Pearce...

Don't be misled by the trailers. This is not an action movie. It's more of a drama with some guns and good fist fights...and a good ending.

The acting was good, don't get me wrong. The only issue was that Shia Labeouf (Transformers) was the only character they spent a decent amount of time showing. Well, that and Guy Pearce (Lockout), who's character was really strange and never really explained. Tom Hardy (This Means War, Warrior</em>)  says about 5 sentences and Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) has maybe 5 minutes of total screen time. Lame.

It was actually pretty boring to be honest. The script was well done but when you're prepared for a shoot 'em up action movie about bootlegging you don't picture people sitting on a porch or talking amongst themselves as to what to do blah blah. You also don't expect a random love interest that really has nothing to do with anything...actually, there were two of those.

I was disappointed. It's not a bad movie though and I understand why people liked it but I was just hoping for more. The ending was good but it was too little too late for me.

3/5


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