Some thoughts and Thoughtless movies
Without wasting much time of yours,I will straight away get down to the movies I watched in the past few days.I was itching to discuss these films with aWithout wasting much time of yours,I will straight away get down to the movies I watched in the past few days.I was itching to discuss these films with a larger audience.
Angels and Demons-Ron Howard
It has been discussed already by authors and readers at PFC.Apart from great camera work,the film has nothing more to offer(heck,my apologies for sounding like a sold out reviewer).I have not read the book but I was told that the climax was quite not the same as in the book.I was amused at the manner in which the last half an hour was managed.Those 30 minutes were truly hillarious.The movie was so contrived!!!The leading lady knew Anti-matter to vatican.What a range I tell you.
X Men Origins:Wolverine-Gavin Hood
How I wished that the film was half good as its opening sequence.Terrific opening sequence.Sadly,I slept through the second half of Wolverine.I think conking off during a movie is the ultimate disrespect a moviegoer can offer.It had a scene where a bullet is slit into two by a sword slash,which ends up obvioulsy killing two bad guys enroute diagonal trajectory.Even though these were ominous signs,I laughed it off superficially.As a by-product,my respect for Chandaal,Truck Driver Suraj and Loha increased ten folds.For me post interval,Wolverine seemed like Mulholland Drive everytime I took break from my soporifc sojourn.
Star Trek-J.J Abrams
Not a lover of Time,Space,Universe and Aliens theme unless its an anomaly called 2001: A Space Odyssey.However,Star Trek surprised me completely.Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Writers) made sure that Star Trek is not going to spoon feed the audience with its stuff.Need to mention that The Universe CGs reminds me of 2001:A Space Odyssey (It looked intentionally retrograde).Yes,I was told Stanley Kubrick inspires J.J. Abrams.
Volver-Pedro Almodovar
Volver..Pedro Almodovar..Cannes…World Cinema..heavily recommended(What a wannabe I am..so what..everyone is..Did’nt we want to fly planes when we were seven..”wannabe” aint a bad word..at least in this case).Now,”Recommendation” syndrome is bad.You start suffering from this syndrome ever since you have been recommended a film or for that matter everything else.How much ever I try to suppress my expectations,the higher it soars exponentially.These expectations can surely kill a gem of a movie and with such great expectations a few days back,I placed the DVD onto the tray.The movie starts..and 20:27 minutes into the movie I feel as if I am watching a spanish soap.Penelope Cruz speaks so fast that I could barely read the subtitles as it only flashes fo less than a second.As I get a sleep attack whilst watching at home,I could see bits and pieces of Mulholland Drive in Volver.I started dreaming with my eyes half open (or half closed for the cynics),wondering if Tyler Durden put in pieces of Mulholland Dr. into Volver.The time elaspsed since I started was 46:45 minutes.I stopped the film.This is the option you have when you are watching a DVD.Not a good thing considering that movies do have weak moments which you can sit through in cinema hall.And you never know it might turn out to be good like in the case of Atonement(Saw the movie with four breaks in the first hour and felt like a fool when the movie ended unexpectedly beautifully).I would like your inputs on this.Should I resume watching “Volver”?
Waltz With Bashir-Ari Folman (Minor Spoilers)
Highly Recommended.I did suffer from the “Recommendation” syndrome and I also got cured of it at the end of the film.At the end of the movie I knew who Bashir was and why the title “Waltz with Bashir”.Such superlative story telling.For some strange reason I straight away compared this to Persepolis.I would rate Waltz with Bashir higher than Persepolis.Reason being greater detailing and strong background music.The recurring dream sequence takes the cake away.Completely floored by that scene in particular.And yes,the opening sequence too.Killer opening sequence.
Choke-Clark Gregg
Choke is based on Chuck Palahniuk’s novel is an Indie affair unlike Fight Club (Chuck’s first to be adapted on celluloid form) which in no way was independent cinema.Well,Choke is a decent watch.But I was again told (too much second hand knowledge) that the novel is far better (which is the case most of the times).But the production value although being Indie was low..it looked cheap.It sadly did.
Dancer in the dark-Lars von Trier
Hmmm.Well,what do I say?Now,I would love to see “Antichrist” even more.Bjork,before this film was a singer to me.But she did act well..it took time to come to terms with the fact the Bjork could act and that too well.The film had moments were it broke into songs and dance sequences..but for a reason and as they say “situational”.Abusrd film which absolutely made sense. Harsh movie.
Memories of Murder-Joon Ho-Bong
“Oh No!!! Not again”.But I cannot stop raving about this movie.It so well depicts the chaotic rule under the millitary dictatorship as a backdrop.What contradiction.It is a satire if the main plot is kept aside.Unusual story amidst usual story.It is difficult for me to describe what the look on my face was when I completed watching the film.It has Kang Ho-Song (Park Do Man-Detective).He seems to love working with Park Chan-Wook.
Awaiting-Thirst,Antichrist,Short Kut
Yet to watch-T4 and Hangover
Tags: Memories of Murder, Park Chan Wook, Stanley Kubrick, X-Men
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Where did you watch Waltz with Bashir? DVD out?! :O
@Ram: I dont know if its available for rents or off the shelf in India.I borrowed it from a friend.DVDs are available online though.
Volver…couldnt digest that movie…sounds weird but i really coudnt relate to what is was @…the story was at one level and the emotions at another…over the top expressions al thru out…Al @ MM – chick flick…
With the majority going wow over his movies, may b i dont understand PA’s movies…..what am i msg…
I know about the ‘recommendation’ syndrome, but I whole-heartedly recommend the Hangover.
Too much brouhaha over Almodovar..if most consider Volver his best work
@Jibin: Yet to watch that..this week it should be.