Limitless - Review

If you're looking for something exciting to do this weekend. You can stop looking. Limitless is a fast actioned thriller that will have you glued to the big screen. Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro star in this paranoia infused race to the top.

The movie starts off with some (already) amazing film work. We race through the streets, stores and subways of New York City at a dizzing speed to catch up with Eddie Mora (Cooper). At first glance you're not sure of his character. Is he homeless? A musician? No, Eddie is a starving artist suffering from serious writer's block.

Eddie runs into an old drug dealing friend of his. Seeing Eddie in this state, his friend offers to help and introduces him to a new pharmaceutical drug called NZT. Curiousity gets the best of Eddie and he ingests this pill.

His life changes instantly. Eddie sees, thinks, hears, recalls everything clearer and in technicolour. His motivation skyrockets and the fun begins.

This pill has enabled him to tap into his full potential. Eddie cleans up his act, writes a top selling book in a matter of days, learns 5 new languages in minutes. The skies the limit with this new found energy.

He then goes on to become a wall street genius where he catches the attention of business tycoon, Carl Van Loon (De Niro).

You won't be able to take your eyes off the screen and will be so engaged with the story that you won't even see the end coming.

Get ready for an action filled ride of your life. This suspensful thriller has everything in it. Limitless definitely delivers!

The story will draw you in. The acting is fanastic and the cast is perfect.

I LOVED this movie and have a distinct feeling that it will be up for awards this year.

Go see it!

In theatres this Friday.

Click on this link for the preview.

http://www.alliancefilms.com/en/34/trailers/play_trailer/12578/default_high/L/0/

Mars Needs Moms - Review

Well, Disney did it again. The special effects in this movie are absolutely second to none. "Motion Capture" techniques in 3D. Wow! They were outstanding and you'd swear the animation is real.

Too bad the screenplay was not enough to support the fantastic computer generated imagery.

This movie is very loosely (one should hope) based on a book by Pultzer Prizing winning Berkley Breathed who has also been know to submit politically flavoured cartoons to the Washington Post.

I'm not sure what message Director Simon Wells (the great grandson of pioneering sci-fi author H.G. Wells) was trying to depict to the young children but I think it fell very flat.

The story starts out with mothers and children and shows how everyone is interacting. More specifically, how the mom's are disciplining the children. Then it pans over to Mars. It appears that an old female man hating martian is in search of a certain type of mother to bring to Mars. They end up kidnapping a mom who is a firm yet caring discplinary figure. Her son unexpectedly hitches a ride with the space ship while trying to save her. They arrive on Mars where they will soon find out that the entire planet is controlled by an army of women. That's because the men martians are thrown into the bowels of Mars (the garbage dump) because they are silly and want to dance all time. This happens at martian childhood so the men and women are seperated at birth.

The mom from earth has been transported to Mars so that the man hating head martian (the supervisor) can suck all the information out of her brain with this contraption. They will then insert the information into robot nannies to raise the girl martians so that the women martians can keep being the hardcore army martians they were raised to be. Once they get the information out of the human mom, they will leave her to die.

There was none of the usual "oooooh-ing or aaaaaaaah-ing" from the children. No chuckles. No cheering. In fact, there was not a peep from the children. Not a one.

As we left the theatre, the parents looked bewildered and the children looked as if someone had taken their candy.

I Am Number Four - Review

If you want to see a movie jam packed with action

and special effects,

"I Am Number Four" will not disappoint. What the movie lacked in originality it made up for in all of the above.

The story is about John Smith (Pettyfer) who is on the run from enemies sent to earth to destroy him and his alien siblings in numerical order. The story opens on a beach scene and you soon get the feeling that Pettyfer knows that something is amiss. Soon after, we discover that number three has been destroyed and know that he will be next. He is number four.

Glee star Dianna Argon's acting is sweet and quaint

while Alex Pettyfer and Teresa Palmer will be the ones bringing in the teens looking for some serious eye candy.

This sci-fi thriller had such potential but unfortunately fell flat for me. I found the acting mediocre and the storyline, predictable and at times, corny. Hopefully the sequel will be better.

Not a box office hit but the special effects were pretty cool... especially in IMAX.

Go for the action and special effects.

Now playing in an IMAX theatre near you!

Click here for more information and to get a taste of the special effects.

http://www.findnumberfour.com/

Montreal's cold winter brings some pretty hot events!

Even in the middle of winter Montreal is still HOT. She boasts everything from outdoor concerts to FREE indoor films. Montreal proves to be no slacker in all kinds of weather. Check out the Festivals and fun stuff to do on the right hand side of this blog and click on their links for more information.

Montreal is certainly not a fair weather friend. Gotta love her!

Have fun and stay HOT!

Local Jo

FUNKYTOWN - REVIEW

Won't you take me to... "Funkytown" ...that was exactly where I wasn't headed for today. I was actually on my way to review another film and fortunately for moi, as fate would have it, I ended up being invited to FUNKYTOWN. What a pleasant surprise! I had no idea what to expect of this movie, I only knew that the music would probably be really good. I LOVE 70's disco! Filmed in Montreal, I was in heaven already. Set in the 70's - BONUS!

Based on true stories, this movie takes you back 4 decades to a Montreal that most of us would recognize in a "New York" or should I say, in a "Montreal" second. The discos, the dancing, punk rockers, beautiful people at "Hotel de la Montagne's" pool, fast girls, fast cars, Quebec politics, the sexual revolution, closet busting, and the complete decadence of it all.

A time when the "Limelight Disco" (renamed the "Starlight" in the movie) ruled, was the place to be and you had to line up for hours to get in - unless you knew someone... This club attracted stars such as Elton John, Gloria Gaynor and more. A place that was so "Avant Garde" that it had three floors of different dance action including an entire floor dedicated our gay disco dancing population. The "Limelight" was the forefather of it's time and the beginning of great things to come. It was here, in Montreal, 4 years before New York's "Studio 54" opened, that Montreal made it's mark.

What made "Funkytown" so fascinating is that there were so many stories intertwined and all of them, engaging and laden with character. There was not one dull moment, not one.

Patrick Huard plays Bastien, a disco dance show host who collapses from being consumed with the debauchery of the era. He carries the movie with tremoundous strength.

Justin Chatwin plays the part of Tino, a young restaurant owner and disco dancing Italian, confused (as we Montrealers say) in his own skin.

All of the acting is superb and all the characters rich. This movie is in "Franglais" so if you are a true Montrealer, you will understand. It is totally a Montreal, Quebec movie.

Opens this Friday, 28th January, 2011 - In a theatre near you.

Click on the link below to see the trailer.
http://remstarfilms.com/en/catalog/funkytown/videos/74/en/

Season of the Witch - Review

Set in the 14th Century, with the majestic backdrops of Austria and Hungary, a suspenseful tale tries to emerge.

In a time where witches are a common belief, a young peasant girl falls victim to the accusations of villages far and beyond.



Behmen (Nicholas Cage) and Felson (Ron Perlman), two weathered battle crusaders (with a refreshing modern twist) are sent on a mission to deliver her to an abbey to where she is supposed to get a "fair trail" and punishment to be decided.

There were a few moments when this movie had me on the edge of my seat, however, I found the ending quite pedestrian and it fell short of my expectations.
.

Definitely a "Two for Tuesday" movie or just wait for the video to come out.

Opening this Friday, 7th January, 2011 in a theatre near you!

Denis Gagnon - "Haute Couture" comes to The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

I was recently invited to the launching of Denis Gagnon's exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

It is the first time in history that a Canadian fashion designer has had the privilege of presenting an exhibition entirely dedicated to his art.

Who better to be the forefather than Denis Gagnon.

This artist of Haute Couture "wowed!" everyone with his collection of elegant designs. His presentation was highlighted within' installations designed by celebrated architect Gilles Saucier. The exhibition also display some recent fashion show footages where the models proudly strutted his wears. Adorned in lace, leather and zippers, Gagnon delivers the promised goods.

His talent reaches beyond the scope of "designer". This man is a true artist in all forms.

Gagnon's collections appeal to a very wide audience and are available in select stores anywhere from Holt Renfrew and other specialty retailers to Bedo. True elegance can be found by all.

Denis Gagnon's exhibition will be presented free of charge from October 19, 2010, to February 13, 2011, in the contemporary Art Square at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

For more information please click on the link below.

http://www.mbam.qc.ca/en/expositions/exposition_158.html