Tuesday, August 22, 2006
16 blocks
verdict: skip it!
mosdef stole the show in this 'bad cop has a heart' story. bruce willis needs to start acting or stop showing up in movies. because he's just taking up 'reel estate'. atleast that's how you'll feel when you watch '16 blocks'.
the story doesnt have shades and neither do the characters (except mosdef playing eddie bunker). david morse has done a splendid job as usual. bruce willis is old and bored (and incidentally portrays an old and bored guy!).
you would expect a fast paced thriller given the storyline. you would expect the chase scenes to be gripping. you would expect the hostage situation on the bus to be exciting. you would expect all this. but you wont get it. thats '16 blocks' for you.
mosdef stole the show in this 'bad cop has a heart' story. bruce willis needs to start acting or stop showing up in movies. because he's just taking up 'reel estate'. atleast that's how you'll feel when you watch '16 blocks'.
the story doesnt have shades and neither do the characters (except mosdef playing eddie bunker). david morse has done a splendid job as usual. bruce willis is old and bored (and incidentally portrays an old and bored guy!).
you would expect a fast paced thriller given the storyline. you would expect the chase scenes to be gripping. you would expect the hostage situation on the bus to be exciting. you would expect all this. but you wont get it. thats '16 blocks' for you.
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Monday, August 21, 2006
yet to comment
here are the movies i've seen (and probably remember about), but never got around to comment on them. please feel free to add your comments about any one or all of them. note: the movies are listed in no specific order.
* superman returns
* miami vice
* the fast and the furious: tokyo drift
* hotel rwanda
* syriana
* transporter 2
* superman returns
* miami vice
* the fast and the furious: tokyo drift
* hotel rwanda
* syriana
* transporter 2
the inside man
verdict: watch it if you have nothing better to do
bank robber? hostage negotiator? not another one of those, you say. well this one's a little different (in a spike lee kinda way). there's the common thread in mostly all his movies and its there in this one too. you'll know what i mean when you watch it.
clive owen's done a good job. his composure is key to his character, and he pulls it off with conviction. its the oscar winners that will leave you unsatisfied. denzel washington is not at his best. heck, he's not even at his average. and jodie foster gives you the impression that she just showed up for the shoot and read her lines. no depth in their characters. maybe their roles weren't scripted well or something. i dont know. i sure wouldnt watch this one again.
the screenplay was just ok. some of the scenes were well played out. the interrogation scenes with each of the hostages was edited nicely (the lighting in those scenes was good). the best part of all: the soundtrack. a.r.rehman's kick ass number from the hindi movie 'dil se'. dont miss it!
the story line was good, but a lot more could have been done with it. this one just didnt pack a punch.
bank robber? hostage negotiator? not another one of those, you say. well this one's a little different (in a spike lee kinda way). there's the common thread in mostly all his movies and its there in this one too. you'll know what i mean when you watch it.
clive owen's done a good job. his composure is key to his character, and he pulls it off with conviction. its the oscar winners that will leave you unsatisfied. denzel washington is not at his best. heck, he's not even at his average. and jodie foster gives you the impression that she just showed up for the shoot and read her lines. no depth in their characters. maybe their roles weren't scripted well or something. i dont know. i sure wouldnt watch this one again.
the screenplay was just ok. some of the scenes were well played out. the interrogation scenes with each of the hostages was edited nicely (the lighting in those scenes was good). the best part of all: the soundtrack. a.r.rehman's kick ass number from the hindi movie 'dil se'. dont miss it!
the story line was good, but a lot more could have been done with it. this one just didnt pack a punch.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
tim burton's corpse bride
verdict: a must see
fantastic animation and superb sound define this movie. tim burton's direction is world class. the trailers probably dont do as much justice to this movie as they should. burton's depiction of human eccentricities, flaws and emotions is amazing. clay stop animation being the medium of expression, gives the director a lot more flexibility in bringing to life the creativity in a moviemaker's mind - and tim burton does just that!
johnny depp as the main character victor is splendid as usual. and so are his parents and victoria's parents and the horsemen and town folk. but helena bonham carter outshone the rest with her sterling dialogue delivery and expression of feelings. her character, the corpse bride, does a good job of evoking empathy from the audience, at the same time not stealing the show from the other characters.
animation is a wonderful thing. the past decade has definitely seen some of the best animation classics in hollywood. be it shrek, monsters inc, antz, ice age, toy story or robots, the realism of human life, with all its ups, downs and in-betweens when applied to comical or unexpected situations like robots, kids toys, or monsters is fascinating to both kids and adults alike. corpse bride sits pretty along with the other classics, and beautifully shows us the world after in both delightful and emotional taste.
who's to say what happens after we die? what does the world after look like? are we going to suffer more after death or before it? burton's classic doesnt answer this for you. in his typical dark style he makes you wonder about the after life. life is, after all, a temporary phase.
fantastic animation and superb sound define this movie. tim burton's direction is world class. the trailers probably dont do as much justice to this movie as they should. burton's depiction of human eccentricities, flaws and emotions is amazing. clay stop animation being the medium of expression, gives the director a lot more flexibility in bringing to life the creativity in a moviemaker's mind - and tim burton does just that!
johnny depp as the main character victor is splendid as usual. and so are his parents and victoria's parents and the horsemen and town folk. but helena bonham carter outshone the rest with her sterling dialogue delivery and expression of feelings. her character, the corpse bride, does a good job of evoking empathy from the audience, at the same time not stealing the show from the other characters.
animation is a wonderful thing. the past decade has definitely seen some of the best animation classics in hollywood. be it shrek, monsters inc, antz, ice age, toy story or robots, the realism of human life, with all its ups, downs and in-betweens when applied to comical or unexpected situations like robots, kids toys, or monsters is fascinating to both kids and adults alike. corpse bride sits pretty along with the other classics, and beautifully shows us the world after in both delightful and emotional taste.
who's to say what happens after we die? what does the world after look like? are we going to suffer more after death or before it? burton's classic doesnt answer this for you. in his typical dark style he makes you wonder about the after life. life is, after all, a temporary phase.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
the exorcism of emily rose
verdict: well worth your time
based on a true story, this movie is more about 'do you believe what you cant see?' than anything else. the story of how a successful defense lawyer gets a convicted priest off the hook, when he was involved in a messy court trial that involved the state and church. the sotry of a mentally troubled girl, and what she saw that no one else did. the story of her family that supported her. the story of our understanding of epilepsy, hallucinations, and other mental disorders, and how it relates to our understanding of religion and belief system.
great direction, and fine acting by all. especially the actress playing emily rose. she does justice to the role, emoting as and when demanded by the script, and maintaining that look of pain and turmoil throughout. the pace of the movie is just right, and blends well with other technical aspects like lighting, editing and special effects.
the end is interesting and somewhat unexpected, which gives a unique touch to the story. could you tell the difference between someone who is hallucinating, and someone who actually sees spirits and ghosts? this movie will not answer that question for you, but will get you pondering on the subject!
based on a true story, this movie is more about 'do you believe what you cant see?' than anything else. the story of how a successful defense lawyer gets a convicted priest off the hook, when he was involved in a messy court trial that involved the state and church. the sotry of a mentally troubled girl, and what she saw that no one else did. the story of her family that supported her. the story of our understanding of epilepsy, hallucinations, and other mental disorders, and how it relates to our understanding of religion and belief system.
great direction, and fine acting by all. especially the actress playing emily rose. she does justice to the role, emoting as and when demanded by the script, and maintaining that look of pain and turmoil throughout. the pace of the movie is just right, and blends well with other technical aspects like lighting, editing and special effects.
the end is interesting and somewhat unexpected, which gives a unique touch to the story. could you tell the difference between someone who is hallucinating, and someone who actually sees spirits and ghosts? this movie will not answer that question for you, but will get you pondering on the subject!
serenity
verdict: skip it
over-hyped. thats the first word that comes to my mind. ok, granted the fight sequences are good. and sure some of the spaceship war scenes are good. but honestly i was expecting more. for one i thought the lead actor was so-so. not that he wasnt trying hard. i think he was trying too hard. didnt leave an impact at all. the rest of the actors were ok, each trying to find a niche for their character, but mostly failing to do so. the dude-with-no-name who represents the alliance, tries desperately to fit into laurence fishburne's shoes as the suave morpheus, but alas ... see the movie and you'll know what i mean!
this seemed like a long movie. or maybe it was slow. or both. either way, not worth a second viewing. and only if you have the time, and dont plan on doing anything better for 2 or so hours, you might want to see it the first time.
if youre a die hard star wars fan and expect something remotely close, youre about to be disappointed. if you think youre going to be impressed with the reevers attacking the protagonist and his crew, youre in for a rude shock. personally, i know why it didnt blow my socks off. blame it on that master director, super-imaginative, genius of a director, peter jackson. his depiction of the orcs in the lotr series set a standard for those kind of scenes. kind of a hard act to follow, let alone beat :-)
the thing most irritating about the movie is the repetitive attempt at humor. both by the actors and the story. out of place, and very, very corny, i thought serenity would have appealed to me more, if it lacked that misplaced comedy.
over-hyped. thats the first word that comes to my mind. ok, granted the fight sequences are good. and sure some of the spaceship war scenes are good. but honestly i was expecting more. for one i thought the lead actor was so-so. not that he wasnt trying hard. i think he was trying too hard. didnt leave an impact at all. the rest of the actors were ok, each trying to find a niche for their character, but mostly failing to do so. the dude-with-no-name who represents the alliance, tries desperately to fit into laurence fishburne's shoes as the suave morpheus, but alas ... see the movie and you'll know what i mean!
this seemed like a long movie. or maybe it was slow. or both. either way, not worth a second viewing. and only if you have the time, and dont plan on doing anything better for 2 or so hours, you might want to see it the first time.
if youre a die hard star wars fan and expect something remotely close, youre about to be disappointed. if you think youre going to be impressed with the reevers attacking the protagonist and his crew, youre in for a rude shock. personally, i know why it didnt blow my socks off. blame it on that master director, super-imaginative, genius of a director, peter jackson. his depiction of the orcs in the lotr series set a standard for those kind of scenes. kind of a hard act to follow, let alone beat :-)
the thing most irritating about the movie is the repetitive attempt at humor. both by the actors and the story. out of place, and very, very corny, i thought serenity would have appealed to me more, if it lacked that misplaced comedy.
a history of violence
verdict: a must see
slow. serious. classy. top-notch story and direction. david cronenberg fans out there would appreciate his work. his movie captures a smooth mix of violence, love and emotion. viggo mortensen was good in the role, but certainly not the best choice for lead actor. the other actors (especially the kids) did a splendid job, and though they didnt speak much, added a whole lot of meaning to their characters.
excellent editing and screenplay, and some of the best killing scenes i've seen in a long time. im not talking 'kill bill' or 'sin city' kind of comic-graphic-blood-fountain kind of violence. this is the oh-my-God-i-cant-believe-i-saw-that kind of violence. i'd best describe it as 'superb follow through'. while other violent movies depict a punch to the face resulting in a follow-through that is either blurred or not focused on (the guy's face would move away so you cant see how it hurt him), cronenberg brings you the real deal --- every puch, kick and jab is followed-through with how it *hurts* the victim. real blood. real fractures. real pain.
the fight scenes arent the only graphic ones in the movie. the two sex scenes between the protagonist and wife are explicitly done, finely shot, and add that surreal carnal touch to the story (apparently the actors literally got bruises from the retakes!).
this isnt your lie-on-the-couch-relaxed movie, and needs an adult mind to appreciate. but definitely one that you wouldnt forget for a long time.
slow. serious. classy. top-notch story and direction. david cronenberg fans out there would appreciate his work. his movie captures a smooth mix of violence, love and emotion. viggo mortensen was good in the role, but certainly not the best choice for lead actor. the other actors (especially the kids) did a splendid job, and though they didnt speak much, added a whole lot of meaning to their characters.
excellent editing and screenplay, and some of the best killing scenes i've seen in a long time. im not talking 'kill bill' or 'sin city' kind of comic-graphic-blood-fountain kind of violence. this is the oh-my-God-i-cant-believe-i-saw-that kind of violence. i'd best describe it as 'superb follow through'. while other violent movies depict a punch to the face resulting in a follow-through that is either blurred or not focused on (the guy's face would move away so you cant see how it hurt him), cronenberg brings you the real deal --- every puch, kick and jab is followed-through with how it *hurts* the victim. real blood. real fractures. real pain.
the fight scenes arent the only graphic ones in the movie. the two sex scenes between the protagonist and wife are explicitly done, finely shot, and add that surreal carnal touch to the story (apparently the actors literally got bruises from the retakes!).
this isnt your lie-on-the-couch-relaxed movie, and needs an adult mind to appreciate. but definitely one that you wouldnt forget for a long time.
