In the Mood for Love | www.jaredmobarak.com

INTERVIEW: Richard Ayoade, cowriter/director of The Double

2014/05/022020/03/21 Jared Mobarak

I didn’t know who Richard Ayoade was until 2010 and boy was it the perfect time to find out. My introduction was courtesy of the brilliant British television show “The IT Crowd” and his fantastically drawn Maurice Moss. I had tried watching the show a couple years previously only to forget about it after the pilot. This time, however, I mainlined the first three series and eagerly awaited the fourth only to see co-star Chris O’Dowd journey to mainstream acclaim with Bridesmaids less than a year later. When would Ayoade’s…

DVDS: Criterion Collection

2010/07/172014/04/17 Jared Mobarak

My collection of DVDs from the venerable Criterion Collection, in order by spine number. (the package art is almost better than the films themselves) [fb-like-button]

REVIEW: My Blueberry Nights [2007]

2008/02/202011/08/24 Jared Mobarak

“I decided to take the longest way to cross the street” I really need to start watching more films by Wong Kar Wai. I adore In the Mood for Love, yet I still have not found the time to view its sequel 2046. Instead, I chose to take a gander at his English-language debut, My Blueberry Nights. This is a fantastic film; I don’t care what people say. It is a road trip journey through the landscape of the soul, overcoming that which did not work in life in order…

REVIEW: 色, 戒 [Lust, Caution] [2007]

2007/10/302012/07/17 Jared Mobarak

“I have a mission” I can’t stand American film distributors and how they handle foreign films. With their money-scheming minds, they give us movie trailers without any dialogue, trying their best to disguise the fact that the work is not in English. If they don’t let us hear a strange language or show a single subtitle, people may just think that it was a minimal piece meant to strike our senses. Unfortunately, for someone like me, I know before seeing the trailer that it is a foreign film—I’ve probably been…

REVIEW: The Lake House [2006]

2007/04/222011/08/24 Jared Mobarak

“You’re going to think I’m crazy” There are many romantic comedies that I enjoy due in most part to the laughs and fun scripts they bring. As for the romance/love genre, I would say there are very few which I would want to experience again. Without the humor, these types of films generally seem too contrived and trite, just a way of killing two hours with a result that you know is coming before you even begin watching. I shouldn’t generalize all movies of this ilk because really, it is…

Top 25 Films of 2000

2001/01/282020/03/31 Jared Mobarak

(short and sweet and to the point; culled from watching 67 releases. constantly updated as i catch up to those i missed. click poster for review if applicable) #25: The Emperor’sNew Groove directed by Mark Dindal #24: Pay It Forward directed by Mimi Leder. #23: Tully directed byHilary Birmingham #22: X-Men directed by Bryan Singer #21: Quills directed by Philip Kaufman #20: State and Main directed by David Mamet #19: Best in Show directed byChristopher Guest #18: Tigerland directed by Joel Schumacher. #17: Almost Famous directed by Cameron Crowe. #16:…