My festival includes travel films, period pieces, sci-fi epics, and movies that pay respect to the golden age of cinema. Without further ado, here it is.

1. Donnie Darko: I love this film because of its 80′s homage, great soundtrack, and engaging characters. Jake Gyllenhaal is amazing as the lead character Donnie, a troubled teen who is haunted by apocalyptic premonitions and visions of a creepy bunny.

2. Children of Men: An utterly bleak film, yet also a stunning example of cinematography. Clive Owen stars as Theo, a man trying to make it in a dystopian world where no one is able to bear children anymore. When he discovers a teenage
girl with a shocking secret, he suddenly becomes the guardian of hope for the entire human race. With its grim yet insightful meditations on the future of the human race, this film is very relevant to our times.

3. Metropolis: The original sci-fi epic, this movie paved the way for other great films such as Star Wars and Blade Runner.

4. The Beat that My Heart Skipped: A fast-paced French film with an amazing soundtrack and exquisite cinematography. This film explores two intriguing themes: music appreciation; and the conflict between family duty and loyalty to oneself. Romain Duris stars as a young man torn between his desire to become a concert pianist, and his obligation to help out his gangster father.

5. The Darjeeling Limited: This movie explores several themes that are dear to my heart: travel as a means of self-discovery, dysfunctional families, and the dichotomy between first and third world countries. It’s also my favorite Wes Anderson film.

6. Lost in Translation: If The Darjeeling Limited is a film about the hope and sense of connection that travel can bring, then Lost in Translation can be seen as the direct opposite. This film directed by Sofia Coppola centers on the story of Charlotte (Scarlett Johanssen), a young woman who travels to Japan to accompany her husband on a photo shoot. She discovers upon her arrival that while travel is exciting and breathtaking, it can also be incredibly lonely and isolating. The soundtrack (partially composed by Kevin Shields), and the pristine shots of Tokyo help emphasize the sense of distance and isolation that permeates the film. Bill Murray rounds out the film as Bob Harris, an aging actor whose path intersects with Charlotte’s during his time in Japan.

7. Almost Famous: For me, this film encapsulates a time period as well a biographical story. William Miller (played wonderfully by Patrick Fugit) is a precocious writer who goes on tour with Stillwater (a fictional version of the rock group Led Zeppelin). As William goes on a journey from innocence to experience–led down this path by frenzied groupies–we get to see the world as it was back in the early 70′s. This film also has an incredible soundtrack, and includes stunning supporting performances from actors such as Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Frances McDormand, and Billy Crudup.

8. Cinema Paradiso: For me, this film describes what it feels like to truly care about movies and the lost art of moviegoing. We live in an age where technology has transformed moviegoing into a very individualistic experience. In other words, it’s quite easy to experience any film from the comfort of your own home, and never have to interact with another human being in the process. Cinema Paradiso takes us back to a time when going to the theater was a community event, in which the local theater became a social gathering place, and the premiere of the newest film was heralded as a monumentous occurrence. In an era before television and the Internet, the movie theater was the community’s gateway to the outside world.

The film chronicles the life of Salvatore, a boy growing up in a Sicilian village in the 50′s. Throughout the film, we see how the local movie theater and its employees directly impact Salvatore and his life choices.

9. A Very Long Engagement: This period film stars Audrey Tautou in one of her lesser known roles, as a French woman during World War 2 who is waiting for her boyfriend to come home from the war. I would argue that the cinematography in this film is equal to–if not better than–the cinematography in Amelie. This film has everything: suspense, romance, violence, despair, and hope. Also, there’s a brief cameo by Marion Cotillard, who would later go on to win an Oscar for her performance in La Vie en Rose.

10.All About Eve: This movie about bickering actresses during the golden age of cinema is a stinging indictment on the duplicity and transparency of Hollywood. Several decades before tabloids, paparazzi, and the Internet, actresses still managed to accomplish plenty of backstabbing as they clawed their way to the top of the Hollywood food chain. Bette Davis and Anne Baxter are amazing in their respective roles as the established actress and the doe-eyed ingenue.

11.The Great Debaters: For me, this film is an example of African American cinema at its best. The story centers around four black students during the 1930′s who are attending Wiley College–at the time one of the few colleges in the South for African American students. When the four students are recruited by Professor Tolson (Denzel Washington) to be part of a debate team, they find that they are up for a challenge that will not only test their ability to spout rhetoric, but will also challenge their beliefs about love, truth, and justice.

12. The Science of Sleep: This artsy movie might be difficult for some people to comprehend, but for me it is an amazing treatise on the surreality of the dreamworld. Gael Garcia Bernal stars as Stephane, a young man who has trouble distinguishing between reality and the dreamworld. When he falls in love with a woman named Stephanie, he must fight through the uncertainty in his head in order to make his relationship with Stephanie work.

I love this film because it takes risks. Michel Gondry is unafraid to mix standard shots of Paris life with surreal dreamscapes made of cardboard and yarn. He also mixes languages, with characters that randomly jump between French, English, and Spanish during mid-conversation. At times the plot meanders or seems unclear, but in reality this only plays into the theme of the film: that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between dreams and reality, truth and fantasy. The soundtrack is also a plus, a mix of dreamy French tunes and more familiar songs from groups such as The
White Stripes.

Stories like this make me understand why Shia LaBeouf has a tendency to run away at the mere sight of a paparazzi’s telephoto lens:

Police: Paparazzi, guards, fight at Jolie chateau – Yahoo! News

I mean, it’s one thing if you’re waiting outside a movie set to snap photos of an actor leaving the set. It’s another thing entirely if you’re trespassing on private property, invading someone’s home and essentially disturbing the sanctity of their privacy. I guess it’s just another symptom of the media’s rampant frenzy for the latest bit of news information and photos.

I cannot help but be surprised by this revelation. I never imagined him as the type of person that would be abusive to women. He always seems very mild-mannered and classy, both on and off-camera. He is a talented actor, and let’s hope that this predicament is merely an exaggeration, and really not as serious as the press is making it out to be.

Update: According to anIMDB article, Bale’s attorneys released the following statement:

“Christian Bale attended a London police station today, on a voluntary basis, in order to assist with an allegation that had been made against him to the police by his mother and sister. Mr. Bale who denies the allegation, co-operated throughout, gave his account in full of the events in question, and has left the station without any charge being made against him by the police. At this time, there will be no further comment by Mr. Bale.”

Photo courtesy of ChristianBale.net.

Check it out here. After you’re done reading, take a moment to thank God that such a script never came into existence.

Don’t get me wrong, Michael Bay knows how to make a mindless yet satisfying summer blockbuster. But I don’t even want to imagine what he’d do to a revered comic book movie franchise such as Batman.

Iron Man: Let’s face it, this movie plain rocks. Even if you aren’t a big fan of comics, I’m sure you can find something to like about this movie, whether it’s the awesome special effects, fast-paced plot, or Robert Downey Jr.’s witty repartee as the dashing millionaire playboy Tony Stark.

The Fall: I was very much impressed by Tarsem Singh’s latest film, in which a paralyzed actor befriends a young girl at a hospital, spinning a fictional tale in order to manipulate her into procuring pain medication for him. It’s hard to aptly describe such a film in a short paragraph, but believe me, The Fall is a visual journey that is well worth taking.

Wanted: This movie isn’t exactly Oscar material, but what it lacks in cinematic sophistication, it more than makes up for in heavy doses of action, violence, and incredibly fun mayhem. Granted, this movie isn’t for everyone. If you don’t like Fight Club or The Matrix, then don’t watch this film. But if you’re the kind of person who’s willing to sit back for two hours and be wowed by awe-inspiring special effects and gritty fight scenes, then this is the movie for you. Also, it doesn’t hurt if you happen to be a fan of James McAvoy and/or Angelina Jolie, as both actors spend ample amounts of time onscreen.

Here are two films that I haven’t seen yet, but based on the hype I think they’ll be pretty awesome:

The Dark Knight: What can I say? This is probably the most anticipated film of the summer. Batman Begins was a superb film, and I expect no less from this latest entry in the Batman franchise. With an all-star cast consisting of Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal, the late Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman, this film can only be the stuff of comic book legend.

Wall-E: Most people I’ve talked to have had only good things to say about this film. Some are even calling it “the film of the summer.” Personally, I’ve been eager to see it since I first saw a few preview clips at NYC Comic Con.

So, what are your favorite films of the summer? Which ones would you recommend to friends, and which ones are you looking forward to seeing in July and August? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

This news makes me happy, considering that Kidman had two miscarriages–one early on in her marriage to Tom Cruise, and another after she and Cruise divorced. I’m glad that Nicole can finally move on and start another family with her new husband.

Kidman gives birth Monday to girl named Sunday – Yahoo! News

Heath Ledger’s hometown to name theater after him (Yahoo! News)

Today was the final day of shooting with most of McCosh Courtyard blocked off. We’ve got a pretty skilled photographer on our hands — here’s a shot of Megan Fox on a motorcycle kissing Shia LaBeouf while Director Michael Bay watches. They both play lead roles in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” and their romance (obviously) plays out in the film.

Presumably there will be a brief hiatus before filming moves to the West Coast.

In the meantime, here are a few tidbits from the Princeton shoot:

io9 has a brief article with video, in which a Decepticon is seen attacking a car in which Sam (Shia LaBeouf) is seated, apparently screaming his head off.

An obligatory shot of Megan Fox.
A wide-angle shot of Shia filming a scene.

Lastly, I saw this kid on Penn’s campus when he was getting his Bumblebee car signed by Shia LaBeouf and Michael Bay. He’s a lucky kid, but also a very patient one. I heard his mom chatting with a friend at Penn, and apparently in some cases they waited more than four hours to get autographs!

Photo courtesy of Just Jared.