009. Review - Pacific Rim

Warner Bros.

In today’s cinema landscape, Pacific Rim is nothing short of an endangered species, an original big-budget action film based on no existing properties.  There is no prequel or sequel, no comic book or video game or young adult novel to adapt from; just the imaginations of director Guillermo Del Toro, of Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth fame, and screenwriter Travis Beacham.  Drawing inspiration from giant monster movies and Japanese anime, the film introduces us to an Earth under assault by otherworldly beasts from the deep known as kaiju.  However, as the movie’s tagline says, “To fight monsters, we created monsters”, and so the Jaeger program was born, with nations constructing colossal human-piloted robots to combat the invading forces.  Such is the basic “giant monsters vs. giant robots” conceit as the marketing as delivered, and yet there is certainly more to the film than meets the eye.  With gorgeous visuals, thrilling set pieces, and a whole lot of heart, Pacific Rim smashes the year’s other blockbusters to become the most entertaining film of the summer.

008. Review - The Bling Ring

A24

The E! Network has always been known for its classy television, and one of the many jewels in its repertoire was 2010’s Pretty Wild, which followed Los Angeles socialite Alexis Neiers and her sisters Gabby and Tess.  The show was initially yet another attempt at replicating the popularity of Paris Hilton and yet it took a surprising turn when, halfway through the first episode, Alexis was arrested in connection with the so-called “Bling Ring”, a group of teenagers that were robbing celebrity homes in the Hollywood Hills.  While the program was soon cancelled, the Vanity Fair article that resulted from the teenage thievery, “The Suspects Wore Louboutins”, caught the attention of Sofia Coppola, daughter of Francis Ford and director of such films as Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette.  She acquired the rights, wrote a script, gathered a cast, and thus The Bling Ring was born, a stylish and tense and curious film.  Following this year’s surprise trend from Spring Breakers and Pain and Gain, it highlights the quiet depravity of our culture, albeit in a much more elegant manner.