Noah 2014

 Released Year: 2014

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Casted by:

Russell Crowe as Noah

Jennifer Connelly as Naameh

Ray Winstone as Tubal-cain

Douglas Booth as Shem

Emma Watson as Ila

Logan Lerman as Ham

Anthony Hopkins as Methuselah

 Story: 

As a young boy, Noah witnesses his father, Lamech, killed by Tubal-cain. Many years later, Noah is living with his wife Naameh and their sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, but after seeing a flower grow instantly from the ground and haunted by vivid dreams of a great flood, Noah takes them to visit his grandfather, Methuselah.

On the way, they come upon a group of people recently killed, and adopt the lone survivor, a girl named Ila. Noah and his family are chased by Tubal-Cain's men, but seek refuge with the fallen angels known as the 'Watchers', confined on Earth as stone golems (nephilim) for helping humans banished from the Garden of Eden. Methuselah gives Noah a seed derived from Eden and tells Noah that he was chosen for a reason. Returning to his tent that night, Noah plants the seed into the ground. The Watchers arrive the next morning and angrily discuss how they shouldn't help Noah until they see water spouting up from spot that Noah planted the seed. An entire forest grows quickly and the Watchers state that they will help Noah do the Creator's bidding. These trees are cut by the Watchers to build Noah's Ark with the help of Noah's family.

After the arrival of birds to the Ark, Tubal-Cain arrives with his followers and confronts Noah about his purpose for building the Ark. Noah defies Tubal-Cain and remarks that there is no escape for the line of Cain. Tubal-Cain retreats and decides to build weapons to defeat the Watchers when the rain starts and the Ark must be taken. As the Ark nears completion, animals of various species enter the ark and are put to sleep by incense.

With Ila having become enamored of Shem, Noah goes to a nearby settlement to find wives for Ham and Japheth, but upon witnessing cannibalism by a starving mob, he abandons his effort. Thereafter Methuselah cures Ila of sterility. Ham, searching for a wife on his own behalf, acquires the refugee Na'el (Madison Davenport).

The rain starts falling and Tubal-Cain becomes angry that he wasn't chosen to be rescued. The followers of Tubal-Cain make a run for the Ark. In the meantime, Noah finds Ham in the forest and forces Ham to save himself and leave Na'el to die when she is caught in a metal trap set for an animal. All of Noah's family enter the Ark except Methuselah, who remains behind purposely in the forest awaiting the flood to deliver him from the Earth. As the deluge begins, the Watchers hold off Tubal-Cain and his followers as long as possible but in the end, sacrifice themselves to protect the Ark from the mob. Upon doing so, they ascend to Heaven after leaving their mortal stone form. As the flood drowns the remaining humans, an injured Tubal-Cain climbs onto the Ark and solicits Ham, playing on anger toward Noah for allowing Na'el to die. Ila becomes pregnant as rains stop, but Noah, against his wife's dissuasions, resolves that if the child is a girl, he will kill her to satisfy the Creator's wish to destroy humanity.

Months pass, and Ila and Shem build a small raft to escape Noah's resolve, but Noah burns it after discovering it. Afterwards, Ila gives birth to twin girls. Meanwhile, Tubal-Cain convinces Ham to help kill Noah, who is therefore attacked by Tubal-Cain, Ham, and Shem. As they fight, the Ark hits a mountain, and Ham kills Tubal-Cain. Noah seizes Ila's twins, but he spares them upon perceiving innocence. Upon exiting the ark, Noah goes into isolation in a nearby cave and starts to drink wine. Afterwards he is discovered by his sons, nude and drunk. Having reconciled, at the behest of Ila, with all but Ham (who departs alone), Noah blesses the family as the beginning of a new human race, and witness an immense rainbow.

 L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

Noah's Ark is one of my favorite epic biblical genre kind of movie, its a bit long of this movie which involve the after of the whole incident which the ark has finally landed somewhere. Well, overall the story is ok for me, but i'm not sure about the part where Tubal-Cain went into the ark, anybody?

The Next Three Days

 Released Year: 2010

Directed by Paul Haggis

Casted by:

Russell Crowe as John Brennan
Elizabeth Banks as Lara Brennan
Brian Dennehy as George Brennan
Lennie James as Lieutenant Nabulsi

 Story:

 Lara Brennan is convicted of murdering her boss after an altercation at work and after a trial is sentenced to life in prison. Following the failure of her appeal, Lara's husband John Brennan, a professor at a community college, becomes obsessed with the idea of breaking her out of jail, while their son Luke ceases to acknowledge her during their prison visits.

John consults Damon Pennington, a former convict who successfully escaped from prison seven times. Damon advises John to study the prison where his wife is, saying "every prison has a key". Damon also warns him that the initial escape from the prison will be easy compared with avoiding capture after the escape. To that end, John must obtain false passports, new social security numbers, and a "truckload of cash" to have a chance of success. Damon also suggests going to an unpopular foreign country for Americans so that authorities will be unlikely to look for them there. John learns Pittsburgh's time to lock-down the city's exits after a call is made to do so: 15 minutes for the city center and 35 minutes for all interstates, secondary roads, and stations or airports. Damon Pennington tells John to ask himself if he can really "be that guy" who knocks over an old lady or shoots a guard if it's the difference between escape or getting caught.

John contemplates several ideas that do not pan out and is defeated more than once, but he latches onto a solid plan and the necessary paperwork after some painful efforts. He robs a drug lord and sets his meth lab on fire before fleeing the scene. He then falsifies and plants blood work results indicating that his wife is in a state of hyperkalaemia, so she is transferred to the hospital. He follows the ambulance and helps her escape although she is doubtful and reluctant, motivated only by the idea of her son being without either parent.

With the police getting some lucky breaks, they are hot on John and Lara's trail through a series of chases. Throughout the film, John is shown assembling maps, photographs, notes, and other papers on a wall of his house. He tears them down and stuffs them into several garbage bags before leaving to rescue Lara, leaving one bag in the trash outside his home, and the rest in a dumpster some blocks away. As it turns out, he did this selectively to misguide the detectives regarding their final destination. They have an uncomfortable moment at passport control, as a Canadian officer examines their passports and glances at the page of photographs showing people to stop. He allows them to pass. The shift changes, and as they walk down the hall, their photos are added to the list. An international flight is delayed, but the police were after the wrong destination.

At the end of the film, the family ends up safe in Caracas, Venezuela. Back in the United States, a detective who had attempted to catch Brennan returns to the scene of the crime although it had been some years since the crime occurred. Using his forensic skills, he manages to put together what really happened. It turns out that the killer of Lara's boss was really just a mugger—as she claimed in open court—and a series of coincidences led to Lara's conviction. He remembers Lara saying a button popped off as she passed the mugger, and notices that it is raining just as it had been the night of the murder. He tosses a piece of paper in the current where the button would have fallen off, and it leads into a gutter. He searches the gutter but is unable to find the button to prove Lara's innocence. It turns out the button was there, buried under grime, and the detective just missed it. The last shot of this detective shows him turning back to think, implying that there is a possibility of him taking a second look and locating the button, which would've led to the exoneration of Lara. However, that is left open to audience speculation.

 L² Scored: 8/10

L² Comment:

Though the critics for this movie is not a "perfect" during that time, but for me, this is a good thriller movie. Love the part when Crowe started to take the first step to save his wife by placing his son in a party, there onwards, i get so tense. My heart beat so fast each time they escaped and each time they almost get caught. Things get so excited until they finally are safe in Venezuela. But the pace of the movie cause a lot of viewer feel bored...

Robin Hood

Released Year: 2010
Directed by Ridley Scott

Casted by:
Russell Crowe as Robin Longstride / Robin Hood
Cate Blanchett as Lady Marion Loxley
Mark Strong as Sir Godfrey
Oscar Issac as King John of England
Story:

During the 12th century of England, Richard the Lionheart was dead in a war with French. Richard passed his crown to Sir Robert Loxley and asked him to delivered it back to England for the next king. But Sir Robert Loxley was killed by Sir Godfrey during his journey. Sir Godfrey is an English Knight with French lineage and allegiance. While trying to get the crown away, Robin Longstride along with Alan, Will & Little John appeared and shoo them away.

Robin promise Sir Robert Loxley to return his father's sword back to Nottingham. Therefore, Robin and gang dress up as the knight and hoping to return to England safely and richer in pocket. Upon arrival, Robin brought the corwn back to Eleanor of Aquitaine, and she announced the death of king and crown the youngest son, John as the king of England.

Robin then went to Nottingham and return the swrod to Sir Walter and met up with Lady Marion. Sir Walter request Robin to stay and pretend to be his son since Robert Loxley has left for 10 years and nobody will recognise him. Robin stays because of the pretty Lady Marion but Lady Marion did not prefer the idea. In the meanwhile, the arrogant King John shows no sympathy to his kingdom and demand harsh taxes to be collected, he even send off Sir Godfrey off to North with the task of raising revenue.

Sir Godfrey uses this royal degree to stir up the civil war in England, but this was later found out by Eleanor and she request the new Queen Isabella to inform King John. All the barons are pissed and they went to meet King John and demand him to sign the charter of rights. Having realize Sire Godfrey's deception, King John agrees on it just to reunite his people in order to meet an imminent French invasion.

All the England armies went to Nottingham to fight against Sir Godfrey and Robin managed to save Lady Marion and both of them quickly falled in love with each other. The England armies tailed after Sir Godfrey's armies to the beach and found out that the French King has came with his armies from sea. A war began and finally Robin shoot Sir Godfrey to death by arrow and England won the war.

However, everyone was cheering for Robin and this pissed the King John. During the sign-day, King John refused to sign the charters and declares Robin to be an outlaw. After this Robin moves to Sherwood Forest with Lady Marion and his friends to form what will become the Merry Men of Sherwood Forrest. And this is how Robin Hood came from...

L² Scored: 7.5/10

L² Comment:

Love Robin Hood badly since i was a kid, a good old english chap who shot the bad guys with arrows, YENG!!! :) That's why i went for archery whenever i have chances.

About the movie, Ridley Scott has been working the fifth time with Russell Crowe, and both of them really given a good film for this. Cate Blanchett being the classic pretty is always found in this kind of film, no doubt her acting is good, but not really a blast like "Elizabeth".