Movie Review: The Book Thief

I watched this movie on the plane in an adventurous flight that was like a movie in itself, and after watching a very cruel movie that I hate to even remember, (12 Years a Slave). But when I started watching this movie, I forgot all about that cruelty and the state of our flight! The movie started with a traveling train that drew me deep into the story for the whole two hours.

The story takes place in Germany during the Second World War. A communist mother has to give up her two children to an adoptive family in order to save their life. Liesel (Sophie Nélisse) loses her brother during the journey, and is left alone with her new family; Rosa (Emily Watson) the thunderstorm like mother, and Hans (Geoffrey Rush) the kind hearted father. Liesel who knows not to read nor write gets help from her new father, who teaches her through her first book “The Grave Digger's Handbook”; the first book she stole after the burial of her brother.

During the extermination of the Jews, the family hides Max (Ben Schnetzer) in their basement, which left them in constant fear of being discovered. Liesel gets attached to her new friend Max, and lets him have a glimpse of the outside world through her eyes, and her words. While delivering the laundry to the mayor’s house, Liesel discovers wonderland in a room: in the study room there are the books she was forced to burn! And so starts her story of stealing books.

I liked so many things about this movie as it had many inspiring scenes. For example, when Max asks Liesel to report the weather he said: “If your eyes could speak”, so that he can visualize the outside world through her words. And when he gives her a diary and asks her to write, as if to find someone in words. It will probably lead you to think, do I have anyone whom I would find in words? I liked Max’s personality, and I liked Liesel so much; she is a brave devoted girl. Also, the lightness of the movie, the story and set, the family, and the idea of Liesel’s dictionary, where she creates her own dictionary on the walls of the basement made me like this movie even more.

This is a very light and beautiful movie. During the winter of December, the houses in Heaven Street give the Bavarian test of Germany. The soundtrack by John Williams is so light and beautiful, the kind of music that would lift up your soul and draw a smile on your face! Yet, you are in constant fear of what would happen next, since that story is narrated by Death!

This is a good family movie; it shows how a child is devoted to his/her family, how valuable friendship is, and how to keep a secret! Even for grownups it is a nice movie, you will laugh at some parts and shed tears on others.

The Book Thief movie is based on the novel by Markus Zusak and directed by Brian Percival. It won three awards and was nominated for one Oscar.

It reminded me how much I miss school!

By:

Noura AlNaimi

Twitter & Instagram: @nouranaimi

Blog Twitter & Instagram: @KemzMovies

Movie Review: Godzilla

Ok, I don’t know what to start with, so let me get the story of the movie out of the way. Well to all who know Godzilla, we know the story, to those who don’t know, it’s the story of the huge dinosaur looking monster, which was awaken because of human use of nuclear energy.

Godzilla has a very long history and people across the globe know who he is, so when I went to see the movie I had high expectation. Sadly, I was highly disappointed. I’m not an expert on Godzilla. I only watched an old version from 1998, but still I was feeling bleh!

Even though the cinematography, the special effects and the production as a whole were really good. I mean there was scenes were it was just so beautiful (the photo here), but that wasn’t enough. I felt the whole production trying too hard to make me feel scared and it went a bit too melodramatic. Especially the acting! The movie was seriously harmed, for me, because of the cast! Don’t take me wrong, I loved Bryan Cranston performance and Ken Watanabe was brilliant. The others were just waaay waaay too lame! I actually wished some of the characters to just drop dead. It looked too fake! It was too much!

I was happy though that Godzilla was perfect and the scenes with him were just amazing. In the movie as well what was wrong was the fact that they focused too much on the people rather than the monsters. There are monsters fighting scenes, which was wicked, but was also ruined by the lamest soundtrack ever.

I was so bored, I have to extend my apology to the person sitting next to me, because I was complaining to my sister throughout the movie hehehe. I really don’t do that normally ><

So, if you’re a Godzilla fan I think you should see it, because it’s the newest version of it. If you’re not, I advice against it.

Till again!

Kemz ^-^

Twitter & Instagram: @KemzMovies 

Movie Review: While You Were Sleeping

For me the 90s is the best time for Romance movies! It is the time of Sandra Bullock, Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts and their amazing classic Romantic stories. I grew up watching their movies, so I have a special bond to them and I also believe that the 90s was the prime of movie Romance. Today we rarely see any GOOD romantic movies (other than the romantic comedies with Katherine Heigl). It’s so rare that I don’t even bother going to a romance movie in theaters these days.

So, this movie! I love! I adore! It’s so cute and so so special to me! It’s actually why I started collecting snow globes (when you watch the movie, you’ll understand :p) So, the story is this: Lucy (Sandra), a simple girl works at the ticket collecting booth at the metro station and fantasies everyday about a man (Peter Gallagher) who passes by her booth. One day, as she worked the Christmas holiday, two thieves mug that man and throw him into the railway. Wanting to save his life, Lucy jumps after him and saves him. In the hospital, they take him into the ICU and don’t allow her to enter. As she stare at the door, the nurse hear her says “But I was going to marry him” and that starts one amazing romantic story!

As I said, I love this era. It’s when the simplicity of the plot and setting made the movie richer! The moment the DVD played and I heard the opening soundtrack and the not so clear cinematography, I felt like home! This movie has a special air and its so freaking romantic!

Sandra was brilliant in it! She really played Lucy’s shy cute personality. The way she delivers the character’s emotions is so beautiful. As we see her now winning Oscars and making us laugh in blockbuster Comedies, it’s nice to see how brilliant and genuine she was back then and how much she grew ever since.

This is such an enchanting story! It is a complete classic. I need to watch more of those movies! 90s was when love was pure and just simply cute!

For more info, click here. 

Till Saturday!

Kemz

Twitter & Instagram: @KemzMovies

نقد فيلم: مبارة الانتقام

فيلم بحكي قصة ملاكمين بينهم ثأر، ممكن نحكي عنه زي هيك او ممكن نحكي انه الفيلم عبارة عن فيلم مبني على فلمين Raging bullمن بطولة روبرت دي نيرو  و rocky  من بطولة سلفستر ستالون. فا انه المتفرج لو ما كان بتابع افلام كويس الفيلم مش راح يعني اله كتير لأنه اصلا الفيلم مبني على أداء روبرت دي نيرو و سلفتسر ستالون في الافلام الماضية الي لعبو فيها دور ملاكمين. والي بضحك في الموضوع انه الي كتب الفيلم حاول ما يخلي الفيلم عن هاد الموضوع لأنه ركز على القصة نفسها اكتر من المبارة. يعني و انت بتحضر الفيلم بتكون تستنى تعرف الماضي الي بينهم اكتر من المبارة نفسها عشان هيك الفيلم طلع مقبول حتى الحوار الي فيه مافي لحظات بتشدك غير مقطع واحد بس لما   روبرت دي نيرو يروح على بيت سليفتر ستالون عشان يقنعه انه يلعب المبارة الفاصله، بس يعني هاد المقطع الوحيد الي شدني.

الفيلم كوميدي بشكل بسيط يعني النكت الي فيه مش لا هناك و شفناها كتير قبل هيك.

الفيلم من بطولة روبرت دي نيرو و سلفستر ستالون و كيفين هارت و كيم باسنجر. أداء الفنانين كان رائع خصوصا كفين هارت بما هو اكتر واحد بضحك في الفيلم و هو الوحيد الي بشدك اله. يعني كيفين بتحسه بمسك المشهد بشكل مش طبيعي و سنة 2014 راح تكون سنته ( بنصح انك تشوف افلامه).

حبكة الفيلم غريبة شوي و مش مفهومه، يعني لما حضره راح تعرف انه في اشياء ما انذكرت او ما انشرحت في الفيلم. يعني كان عندهم فرصة لا اكتر من مشهد درامي بس ضيعوه على حالهم بالتجاهل يعني زي كأنهم بحكو للمتفرج انت غبي و مش راح تلاحظ الفراغات الكبيرة في الفيلم.

حبيت انهم عيبو على rocky 5  لما يكونو في محل اللحمه و يجي سلفتسر بده يضرب خروف ميت بروح مدربه بقله ( انت مجنون مش لازم تضرب كل اشي)

في رأي الي خرب الفيلم هو التالي: فليم مبني على اداء ممثلين في افلام سابقة و مع انهم حاولو ما يخلو الفيلم عن هاد الموضوع بطريقة انه التركيز كله على الماضي بين هدول الملاكمين بدل التركيز على المبارة بس ما نفعت هاي الحركة لانه الي متابع الفيلم و هو بعرف ماضي الممثلين كان مستني المبارة و الي متابع الفيلم و هو مش عارف ماضي الممثلين في افلام الملاكمة ما قدر يفهم شو يعني روبرت دي نيرو و سليفتسر ستالون في فليم ملاكمة مع بعض.

معلومات عن الفيلم. 

بقلم: نضال عطاونة

Nedal atawneh
توتر: @nedal_3750

Blog Twitter & Instagram: @KemzMovies 

Movie Review: Hotel Transylvania

Saturday is the day when I review something new out at the movies, but since nothing cool is out I reviewed something I saw last year. To be honest, I just left my job and starting a new one in two weeks, so my brain is totally scattered! That’s why I’ve been so quite in Twitter and Instagram. But I still wanted to keep up with the blog schedule, so when my sister suggested watching Hotel Transylvania, I was like, YES! It’s such a fun, light movie that make you feel good and that’s what I really needed today.

The movie is an animation about a Hotel especially built for monsters by Count Dracula (Adam Sandler), who wanted t create a Human Free zone to protect his daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez) and all other monsters. His plan worked well for a hundred years, but when it was time for Mavis’s 118th birthday, a young guy, Jonathan (Andy Samberg) stumbled into the hotel and created a whole new mess.

The movie is really really super fun! I mean they had all the major monsters in it and I love how the whole movie carried the monster theme so well with even the littlest details. It’s not a movie you would be bored of. Even thought this is my second time to watch, I enjoyed it again! Such a nice relaxing and entertaining movie that you can watch with friends and family.

Nothing more to say really about it. The animation is awesome and I loved the coloring theme, as it wasn’t depressing; dark, but yet fun! I loved, loooved Andy Samberg. He’s just hilarious. Even though his lines were written well, his style is super funny, so spontaneous and makes you believe in the character. Loved him in Brooklyn Nine-Nine!

Hey! I just discovered Hotel Transylvania 2 is coming out 2015! Awesome!

So, I know I promised Argo, but my brain can’t handle anything too serious today! I guess we all are like that in the weekend :p. But today is the last brain vacation day, so will be going crazy with the reviews and social media again ;)

Till the next one!

Kemz

Twitter & Instagram: @KemzMovies 

Movie Review: Rear Window (1954)

So, when the awesome Waad The Magazine offered to feature a review from KemzMovies in its instagram account (@Waad_TheMagazine) I thought that I needed a movie that is awesome of course and has some of the iconic fashion in Hollywood history. I was so happy to see that one of these movies is Rear Window; a suspense thriller by none other than the brilliant Alfred Hitchcock and stared by James Stewart and Queen of Monaco, Grace Kelly.  

The movie is the thrilling story of photojournalist L.B. 'Jeff' Jefferies (James Stewart) when he was forced to stay at home for 7 weeks due to a broken leg. As he contemplates on whether to marry his socialist girl friend Lisa (Grace Kelly), Jeff spends his days looking at his neighbors through his window.  Their daily routine was just the entertainment he needed in his boring days, until one day he suspects a neighbor of killing his wife.

I saw this movie maybe a year or so ago and I couldn’t forget it! I loved it so much! Hitchcock movies for me are timeless. I knew that when I watched my first Hitchcock movie, Notorious.

This movie however is not in Black & White and has a more fun element to it. The story in itself is very interesting (based on short story by Cornell Woolrich). How we do sometimes look at windows and wonder who live there and what their stories. It was clear how through Jeff’s window we saw many variety of characters and stereotypes, like, the lonely woman, the young dancer adored by all, the newly weds and the old couple who fights everyday and through that window as well, we, the viewers, look inside Jeff and Lisa’s relationship. The whole story is revolved around that one Rear Window!

It’s quite remarkable how this now resembles how people peep into other people’s lives, not through binoculars, but through social media. One click and a window is opened to us to peak into someone else’s life. We should be careful to not end up obsessing like Jeff!

On another note, Grace Kelly is seriously amazing! She’s so graceful, elegant and smart. She portrayed a very powerful woman in this movie and played her really well. I loved how her character Lisa wasn’t just this stereotype of a woman who just loves fashion, no, she was a strong and accomplished woman who didn’t fear to face the danger threatening her. To comment on the fashion side of it, every time the apartment doors open, Grace Kelly enters wearing a beautiful elegant gown, a summer dress or a chic suit! The four iconic looks created in the movie is such a beautiful tribute to 1950s fashion! As timeless as the movie itself!

I’m looking forward to the movie about her life, Grace of Monaco, priemering at this year’s Cannes International Film Festival. Even though Nicole Kidman is playing Grace and lately she hasn’t been good in any of her movies! Ah, let’s wait and see!

I really enjoyed the movie even though this is the second time I watch it, but you know what? It’s fun and exciting and it’s just a nice true thriller that doesn’t have all that elaborated soundtracks and fake blood and weird stuff going on.

You know, you can never go wrong with a Classic!

Till Saturday! (I’m thinking, Argo?!)

Kemz

Twitter & Instagram: @KemzMovies 

نقد فيلم: حلل هذا (Analyze This)

ما بحب أكثر من روبرت دي نيرو في فليم بكون فيه زعيم عصابة مافيا. ما أتوقع أني لا حالي في الكون إلي بحب بشوف ممثل إمريكي من أصل إيطالي بلعب هاد الدور لمرحلة الكمال مافي حد بقدر ينكر روبرت دي نيرو كا ممثل بس لما يكون دور زعيم. عصابة. بلاتقيه بدخل في منطقة مافي حد غيره بقدر يدخلها أتوقع انه لو ما كان ممثل كان راح يكون زعيم مافيا. من الناحية التناية عنا بيلي كريستال في دور دكتور نفسي و زي روبروت بيلي لما يلعب دور الدكتور بلاقي منطقته و بقدر يجيب أبعاد للشخصية ما بنشوفها مع ممثل تاني. إذا في مقدمة من حلقة مسلسل فردينز قدر يمسك ألمشهد كله لحاله في مشهد مدته عشر دقايق و مين كان معاه؟ روبن ويلماز ملك الكوميديا.  

الفليم قصته عن زعيم مافيا بعاني من ضغط نفسي. فا بضطرر يروح يشوف دكتور نفسي عشان يساعده و الدكتور بلاقي حاله معلق بين الرفض و الموت أو الموافقة و الدخول في عالم العصابات. كلمة كوميديا بتحط حالها في النص بالغضب في هدا الفليم.

الحلو انه الفليم مش مبتذل و واقعي يعني تشكليهم لا عصابة مافيا واقعي من مساعدين لا عائلة و عائلة تانيه بتحاول تسطير على نيويورك و أداء روبرت دي نيرو في رجل عصابات أكثر من رائع من حركات الجسم لا أسلوب الكلام و بيلي كريستال أبدع لما لعب دور الدكتور النفسي آلي مطلق مرته و بحاول يتجوز مرة تانية و ابنه مبسوط أنه أبوه بعالج ( بول فيتي) عراب المافيا في نيويروك.

الكوميديا في الفليم أكترها موجودة في الحوار بين دكتور بحكي لغة علمية و مابعرف إشي عن عالم المافيا و بين زعيم عصابة مش متعود يسمع كلمة لاء ( إلا لو بده بقتل حد) بطلع بنظرة احتقار للدكتور أكبر همه كيف يعالج إنسان و ما بعرف شو يعني قتل. بس بنفس الوقت ما بقدر ينكر انه مجتاجه و انه شاطر في شغله و قدر يحلل شخصيته.

مشهد الانتحار في العرس حلو كتير الأحلى منه ردة الفعل لا بيلي كريستال و روبرت دي نيرو لما يجاول يعلمه كيف ينفس عن غضبه بأسلوب حضاري ما بتضمن مسدسات زي ما أتعودنا. من أفلام المافيا و آخر مشهد في الفليم لما الدكتور يضطر يروح على اجتماع زعماء مافيا هو أصلا مش عارف شو بده يصير هناك و ببدا يألف و يستخدم قدرته على الكلام كا دكتور نفسي في التعامل مع ناس عايشين ع قانون الغابة.

الفليم عجبني كتير لدرجة أني شفته في السينما لما نزل و شرتيه دي في دي و لما ينعرض ع التلفزيون بفضي حالي عشان أحضره لأنه الفليم كامل مكمل من حبكة قصة لا أداء ممثلين و حوار بينهم أكثر من ممتع.

لو ما شفت الفليم قبل هيك أتفرج عليه. مش راح تندم و 100في ال 100 راح تضحك.

بقلم: نضال العطاونة
Nedal Atawneh

توتر: @nedal_3750

توتر الموقع: @KemzMovies 

Movie Review: The Amazing Spider Man 2

NOW YOU’RE TALKING!! 

Wow! I finally forgive them for making that boring first part, because you know what! It’s WORTH IT!! The Amazing Spider Man 2 is just freaking awesome! I was literary frozen in my seat! Seriously! Didn’t move! It was so intense and just AMAZING!!!  

In this part Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) graduate from high school and becomes the people’s protector in New York. The Villains in this part is Electro (Jamie Foxx) and the Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan). I don’t want to get into the story too much, because it’s your typical superhero story so I’ll focus on other things in this review.

First of all the cast is just freaking BRILLIANT! I mentioned in the previous review how much I love Emma Stone and she is one of the best actresses of this time! She flips from one role to the next and brings something new to each character. Andrew as well, I love! I think he makes a better Spider Man for me. I just like the sarcastic fun side of him. For me, an actor that can deliver the character’s emotion in such ease is a great actor. And OMG! Dane DeHaan, where did he come from?? My sister thought that the old Harry in the old trilogy is better, but for me I prefer Dane. The way he moves and just the way he looks makes a better Harry Osborn.  Also, choosing Jaime Foxx to play in this movie made me go YAY! The moment I saw a still from the movie with him in it, I was dancing!

To talk about other things, the story! I was told many times from some of you readers that this version is more true to the comics. I never read the comics, so I can’t be a judge of that, but I can sense that the movie was more comic style than for example Man of Steel or the Dark Night. I did prefer with Batman the tilt to reality more than comics, but I think for Spider Man, this time it works! The story has a lot of better details and the story like I said before is more refined and structures. I mean it makes more sense.  The script is smart, sharp and funny. It’s entertaining and emotional!

I’m still crazy about the sound track! I love all the songs in the movie. It was fun and light and serious and intense when needed. The special effects is great. I always said this is the time for sci-fi movies. I can never say that enough, because I’m super sci-fi fantasy fan nerd so I’m always cheering for it hahaha.

I highly RECOMMEND this film! It’s just awesome! It’s been a while since I felt alive after watching a movie.  Can’t wait for the third movie, coming out in 2016!

Check this song! For more info and the trailer, click here.

Go watch it!

Kemz

Twitter & Instagram: @Kemzmovies