The knight of the story is Steven played by Ryan Gosling. He is a clever campaign manager who works tirelessly for Mike Morris (played by George Clooney) because he naively believes in the candidate and his message. Steve is soon discarded like pawn. He discovers that beliefs don't matter. Integrity doesn't matter. Loyalty does not matter. Winning matters. What you see is NOT what you get, for politics is nothing but a shell game. In the end, the game destroys his integrity, loyalty, and beliefs and he realizes that the only way to win is to play dirty like the "elephants." Politics is life and he plays to win.

Lacks suspense but still quite a disturbing "based on real events" movie. Kudos for Ryan Gosling on portraying a convincing American psycho.

This movie does not tell the whole story. Go watch Inside Job for a less biased prospective.

Like the title drink, Green Tea is quite simple and barely wets the palate. However, the superb performances by Wei Zhao and Wen Jiang, along Yuan Zhang's luscious cinematography and direction, more than compensates for the flimsy plot.

On a canvas of titillating colors and sounds, an unorthodox love story unfolds frame by frame between Wu Feng (played by Wei Zhao), a conservative and mysterious graduate student who displaces her loneliness with blind dates, and Cheng (played by Wen Jiang), a heart-broken man attempting erase the pain from his recently failed relationship. This art house film mostly revolves around their platonic meetings at local coffee shops. Wu Feng reveals more about her "friend's" troubled childhood with every meeting. Cheng is drawn to her but she doesn't know why. The two tango on the screen; with every encounter, Wu Feng retreats as Cheng persistently advances. Her retreats torment him and he eventually finds solace in Lang (played by Wei Zhao), a stunning and seductive piano player who remarkably resembles Wu Feng. Lang denies any association with Wu Feng but the similarities between the two characters and inexplicable coincidences make everyone, including Cheng and the audience, wonder whether or not Lang and Wu Feng are the same person. Split-personality disorder anyone? The tango ends with Yuan Zhang leaving all loose ends open for interpretation.

Watching Green Tea is like staring at a vivid abstract painting. Despite its alluring beauty, this painting may do nothing more than tickle your senses, leaving you to reflect on the artist's message and intentions.

A highly entertaining but preposterous, leave-your-brain at the door, film. The start of the movie is somewhat slow but the pace evens out as the movie progresses. In addition to the eye-candy, the film also has a few nice action sequences. What do you expect from another comic-book to movie production? It is what it is, but aside from the gratuitous violence, it was a lot of fun to watch.

It’s difficult to grasp the extent of change in China's cultural and economic environment until you see this documentary by Sue Williams. Once known as a country where individual aspirations were sacrificed for the populace, China is rapidly burgeoning into an international economic powerhouse with its youth leading the way. At the price of cultural and economic growing pains, the Chinese Gen X'ers and beyond now have opportunities for personal success and happiness that were once inconceivable to those from the previous generation. This documentary chronicles the lives of nine Gen X'ers from all different walks of life for a period of four years. They candidly discuss their lives and how they are managing the pains and benefits of living in a society in constant metamorphosis. Only when a society undergoes such a drastic transformation that we see that these people surprisingly are not unlike the youths from any other developed country, individuals aspiring for a balance of career, family, social responsibility, and purpose. Because the documentary profiles these lives so intimately in a short amount of time, the audience may forget that this opportunity for the pursuit of self actualization is a luxury that has only been available in China for a few decades. So where you live determines whether or not it’s conceivable or attainable. I suppose, if poverty and repression gives way to prosperity and freedom, people, regardless of ethnicity and social status, are on some level the same.

You can watch the entire documentary online for free at: [Link removed - login to see]

Do you ever wonder why the world is so screwed up or why some nations are so impoverished that its people barely have access to clean water? John Perkins reveals all in his pseudo-autobiography "Confessions of an Economic Hitman". His tale seems so incredulous that you almost forget that you're reading a nonfiction piece. He tries to rationalize his misguided life decisions, which helped crippled many international economies, with the events that occurred during his youth. As you read, you'll get a sense that he’s conflicted with guilt. He candidly admits that this book is his very long confession which he felt compelled to publish shortly after the tragic events on 9/11. However, his emotional pangs of guilt aside, your eyes will open to some of the most duplicitous tactics from our government for 20th century world domination.

Secret is the product of the Taiwanese music prodigy, Jay Chou. He directed, co-wrote, and starred in this typical Asian romance. Normally I wouldn't expect much from a singer, but his talent obviously encompasses more than music. The movie flowed like any other Asian romance. Boy and girl fall in love. I fall in love with the lead guy. j/k. A wrench, the third girl, is thrown in the relationship and the lead couple is temporarily torn apart. The plot is predictable and cheesy, but who doesn't mind a little cheese now and then? I ate it all up until the "Secret" is revealed. Who would've predicted such a sci-fi "Secret"? "Stupid" isn't the right word, but it's the first word that comes to mind. For me, the movie, though near the end, went downhill from there.

Before the story even begins, Chuck Palahniuk places a "caution, proceed at your own risk" warning. Already, curious readers can't help but turn to the next page to figure out why he begins with a warning. It turns out the caution is apt because after the first chapter, you enter the mind of Victor Mancini. The story is told through his eyes and who he is and what he has to say is not very pleasant. This troubled twenty-something sex addict is just trying to get through his life. He habits and behaviors are despicable, but his intentions are, for the most part, good. Palahniuk is a sarcastic and edgy humorist who doesn’t seem to mind getting a little dirty to remind us that humans want to be wanted and want to be needed.

One last warning: Not suitable for children or adults without a satirical sense of humor.