Change Your Image
marvalyz
Reviews
Fight Club (1999)
What you can accomplish if you lose your morals
Let me get this out & clear that I LOVE "Reservoir Dogs" and am NOT against violence in movies OR in for "Stories with Morals". BUT I am also the average "Joe" portrayed by Ed Norton, and I will NOT set my Condo on fire to "get out" of the rut that is my life as I am sure any average Joe wouldn't do. We, after all, don't get the title to wreck it, right?
The movie is not bad in that it's terribly impossible to miss. Now if the plot flies three feet above your head is something different but hold judgment as there definitely is a very specific plot.First , the movie comes out at a time of relative peace and financial stability , then it talks about war , terrorism , corporations and yes buildings being bombed. Yes , that happens too , all before it happens in real life. Average Joes are lured into fights , then oppression, then vandalism and we the audience are told that "Fights" are a way to fight, forgive me , Cancer? Brad Pitt looks as good as the devil himself. He also, encompasses the part of our mind that is "trapped" behind morals.The same part that we are taught to "keep in check". He tells us we need to "lose control". Before he takes in Ed Norton , he asks him to "Hit me" and there they go. Watching the movie unfold is like watching McDonald's sell their latest "Spicy" burger against the tight resolves of someone trying to cut weight.
Overall my insides cringe at the aftermath of "Fight Club". The violence, gore, subliminal messages, the timing and some tight and neat slaps on the face of faith make this movie the best advertisement of a very well thought agenda. For setting the stage for a perpetual violence that has engulfed our world in the last 11 years or so since it's release and for selling violence and hate dressed as the irresistible Mr.Pitt, and for admitting sexuality is ingrained in the minds of children through subliminal messages, I also term it as the A-rated porn produced by Hollywood, which would force you to strip off your common sense and good judgment, rather than your clothes. And that has already happened! Let's not forget that a big majority of audiences DO NOT remember that good defeated evil in a movie.They only remember how powerful or slick or funny or smart the evil was. Or they would only remember the character that had those traits in the movie. And in a movie like "Fight Club" even the good guy doesn't remember if he is the good guy or if he is the bad guy. All he remembers , over and over again is "Tyler Durden" this name is repeated more than Ed's own name and as I write this , I have also forgotten what was the name of Ed Nortorn's character? So what are the odds people would remember the good from bad,the terrorists from Cancer patients, the average Joe from Tyler Durden?
If you don't wanna go in that direction, the "MOVIE" as a product is awesome. The performances are powerful to say the least and as beautiful as Brad Pitt is, the whole thing belongs to Edward Norton, such a fine, fine actor that he is.
Though I still cringe at the blatancy of it all.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Setting the stage
I waited forever for The Hobbit and was one of the first few to catch it on December 13 as soon as it opened here.
First things first, the 48 frames / second really undid the excitement in the first 40 minutes or so adding to the mix those virtually unending scenes & dialogs in thick dwarfish accents & I found myself a bit taken aback. One long , long scene rolled into yet another.Mr. Jackson was indeed extremely generous with the time given to each and every aspect of presentation & I got the impression that somehow he forgot the viewers while brooding over the next fine detail.
Having said all the above, the movie remains a master-piece of an experience with it's stunning cinematography, art-direction & definitely one above in terms of CGI for this subject AND for this age. There were so many scenes which I fell in love with: the trolls rolling, the mountains fighting,the goblins giggling, the Orks gurgling & Gollum with his riddles. But let's not forget that all of this makes up about 40% of the film. The rest 60% is setting the stage for the next two installments which in my humble opinion would present quite a challenge to Mr. Jackson after the shortfalls in the first movie. The main reason I believe is that three movies are being made out of a relatively thin volume of a book. Quite interestingly.
As an average movie-goer I was perplexed by the highs & lows of the movie.But as an ardent LOTR fan & with immense,immense respect for Mr. Peter Jackson, for his passion & dedication to the subject, I have quit evaluating the movie based on the experience which is "Fellowship of the Ring" (& it remains an experience each time I watch FOTR). I think my own expectations were over the roof for this one so taking them out & evaluating the movie on it's own merits I can say I look forward to the next two installments as I think they might just turn out to be much better in terms of story telling and audience engagement.
Talaash (2012)
A Bold Move As Always...
... only this time it is a bit farther away from the expectations of a movie-goer looking for some fun over samosas.
That however does nothing to bring down the brilliance that is Talaash. It is a venture into a territory where many a popular names wouldn't dare step foot into. It provokes thoughts and entices emotions and all the while it stays utterly true to life.Just because it's a movie shouldn't always mean it can sell us false hopes and I think Aamir Khan is the only actor who finds solutions to life's problems in each of his movies and Talaash is no different.
In all fairness I think it must have been quite a challenge to bring down the level of sub-text to digestible degrees and to fit the moods of mainstream audiences. But what a masterpiece it could have been! Nonetheless the final product is every bit a gem in itself. The music entwines with the night life and the night life is the movie. Rani stands and delivers her character like it is her. Kareena got me here ! She shines like herself in the movie. The sleaze mixed with cheap dresses and make-up give her the character that would define her forever: Never has she made another character her own the way she does with Rosie or Simran? Then there's Aamir. He looks disconnected in the beginning like he is grappling with Surjan Singh but if you wait it out & follow the undertones you'll know why. He can never do any wrong now, can he? I will be watching it again. & like my most favorite actor I don't care if the movie brings in the crores or not.This is cinematic brilliance and above all it hits home. Lastly, respect for Farhan Akhtar & Anurag Kashyap for sharp dialogues that bring the storyline into focus and ring well during the flash-backs. Much respect for Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar for bringing to life such a brave subject. Kudos to everyone for the entertainment!
Stolen Lives (2009)
7 or 8, no less
I was flipping through channels late last night when I found Stolen. I must admit I was frozen and watched the whole movie without touching the remote control. I know Josh Lucas from another movie or show that I don't remember, I know Jessica Chastain and a few more from the cast but not a fan enough to watch their movie for the name alone. I don't know the director so the movie held the whole of my attention in the wee hours of the night is a feat I must say.
I didn't find Stolen worthy of an Oscar in all reality. The movie doesn't look too ambitious to be an Oscar hopeful. Instead it speaks the language of complex human emotions and very subliminally narrates entwined tragedies of misfortune, of personal behavior and of choices. There's also the presence of thumping, pulsating Love which continues in the face of all tragedies and human errors and it continues in the presence of sheer evil which alters, breaks or destroys each life it touches. The pure joy in my opinion is the fact that we don't get all of this message in the form of a melodramatic speech from one of the characters in the movie rather the movie leaves a narrative from which we decipher it's meaning.Beautiful.
I give it 7/10 for thought provoking entertainment and raise it to 8/10 for staying true to it's subject without stretching itself in hope of winning any accolades.
ParaNorman (2012)
Very Entertaining...
...though it ends too soon.
On a typical Wednesday afternoon I found myself roaming around in an almost empty mall. Searching for a decent cup of coffee and a book shop I passed the cinema and it's café.Now both the book shop and coffee were on the other level and the café tempted with it's quiet and comfy atmosphere so I dug in, ordered coffee and lunch and started scanning the movies on display. None of them were really that eye-catching but I watched the trailers as they were played on the wall opposite my table.Two movies enticed me finally , one was Hotel Transylvania and the other Paranorman. HT was in the "Upcoming" list so by the time lunch was over I had decided to watch Paranorman (Power of advertising).
I watched the movie with only one other member of the audience, rest of them shall we say, had decided to quit in favor of their usual workday. But no worries as I and the other guy were paid back in full for our decision to choose Paranorman on a Wednesday afternoon.
The movie began and bang we were in the world of Norman and his ghosts. They took us across Blithe Hollow and into the cursed world of the town's witch. Along the way we learned a thing or two about outcasts, fears of grownups, bravery of children, about equality for all and in the space of maybe 5 seconds, we also learned how the world we have created for ourselves today is far worse and far more horrible than any of the horrors that could be imagined about three hundred years ago.
In itself the movie played out quite a lot of messages both subliminal and blatantly obvious and though the 3D effects were hugely entertaining I wouldn't recommend this for kids below 13 they wouldn't understand the more enjoyable side of Paranorman which is the whole movie actually.
I did however leave the cinema with a feeling that there was a bit more room for story development.Though played out well overall, the end looked like it was rolled in a rush: In a couple of scenes during the climax some characters were kept out and given the context the whole thing looked out of place.
Overall though I loved Paranorman so much so I can risk watching it one more time in an empty theater.No jokes.
Heroine (2012)
Q:How to lose hard built reputation in under 30 minutes?
Ans: Be Madhur Bhandarkar and show people your Heroine! I went in with GREAT expectations. Frankly, I was prepared for both Masala and sleaze which justifies itself in the context and boy was I in for a MAJOR disappointment.
I am a big fan of the emotions which are so freely expressed in Bollywood movies but more than anything Im vowed by actors who encompass poise and calm even when they are super charged and hyper. Perfect example Sridevi in Chaalbaaz.Sadly though,poise and grace were the last thoughts on the mind of our leading lady in Heroine, who looked desperate to fulfill herself with Mahi Arora rather than the other way around. It was plain pathetic. 10 minutes in the movie and I was impatient, restless, and ready to jump out.Only the money spent on VIP tickets kept me seated! Overall the movie was a huge let down since Ms.Kapoor couldn't portray what was required. Now please, crying is not acting.Chain smoking is NOT acting. Doing Halkat Jawani is not acting.And going all "natural" without any make-up on is definitely not acting. Rather it is called "lowering the bar to suit your skills which couldn't be lifted in about 12 years of working as a sleaze bomb very effectively". Heroine was a crime! for Madhur Bhandarkar resume and definitely ripped other very capable actors of any true chance to show their genuine skills. Ranvir Shorey was outstanding, the real treat in the movie. I thought he was my reward for buying the tickets , but his role was mercilessly cut short. Helen was the grace and poise Madhur and Kareena could learn from! Randeep Hooda has a very strong presence on screen and he doesn't falter.Again we were deprived of any entertainment he promised to bring. As for Arjun Rampal , he is one of the finest actors today. That poise , grace and devilish good looks combined with smooth emotional ranges that he can portray were wasted as he like all of us in theater, had to cope with the shrieks from Ms.Kapoor. Her presence in the movie ensured other far, far superior actors were misused throughout the movie.
So what was lost in those ear-piercing shrieks? Let me try and explain from the perspective of a viewer looking for pure entertainment WITH intelligence (believe me I don't take easy if a movie makes fun of IQ and reasoning powers of it's viewers and Heroine manages to do both INTENTIONALLY). First, who were the characters and just who was Mahi Arora? How did she reach such heights of popularity being an outsider in the industry (which is what we are told through a brief voice over at the beginning). Second, our protagonist tapes her intimate moments to bring the extra kinky out right and this is the same woman who refuses to sleep with the producer of her movie during the most desperate of times and hence deals final blows to her declining career ONLY to leak sex tapes later to boost publicity of a much smaller film.But the sex tapes have no sex in them or did I miss out the best part of our Heroine's acting skills?. Third, she cannot portray a prostitute in a Bangali film, but wait isn't she a Superstar or are we being told that Bollywood actresses can become Superstars without being able to act? Didn't that hurt Kareena? Fourth, she is Bipolar and this is where Kareena has convinced and deceived people, she gets away with the shallowest of performances and gathers praises as well BECAUSE she is bipolar and this is a state of mind she has portrayed in ALL her movies so far save for Refugee and Jab we met. Fifth, why couldn't the movie focus on some other characters AT ALL? or are we being told that success mantra is different in movie business and that A-List stars (which we are told our Protagonist is) don't have any emotional support systems like people who support their professional lives? The whole idea contradicts itself. In fact by taking focus away from ALL characters and meekly putting it on the protagonist , the director takes a leap of faith and commits artistic suicide! Only the B-grade industry wannabes resort to tactics that our director shows a superstar applying to her life and career. Sixth, when the water goes way above her wise head, Mahi decides to run to Europe and live an anonymous life. So how does she ditch her bipolar self? or was she using it to shriek good senses out of her man? what again? Sorry.Seventh, Okay she is a headstrong and stupid person (which is finally something believable) headstrong okay but none of the real-life leading ladies are stupid. Kareena herself has tactically topped all rankings with very flat acting skills or did everyone forget that the movie was supposed to be about a washed out One-hit-wonder? Eighth and I'll end with this, Kareena reportedly would get a cut from movie profits. Now did she influence the production to show-case herself ONLY because let's face it movie business is way too suave, mature and professional (or how can you explain the multimillion dollar worth of business it garners every year?) than what this movie tells us and Mr.Bhandarkar is a smart man (with however many clichés , his previous movies have still been way better!). He wouldn't kill his film by giving Kareena 2.4 out of 2.5 hours of screen time now or would he?
I also noticed some bizarre behaviors while Heroine was being heavily promoted on all TV Channels which definitely made me watch the movie, case of sheer irony or Madhur Bhandarkar tried to pull a smart one on us?
*bad-taste-in-mouth-when-I-think-of-it kind of awful. I do swear that I'd stick to my earlier vows and would never ever watch a Kareena starrer again*
Barfi! (2012)
It calls out to your mind and heart. It captures your sight and you can't let go!
I have not, in recent memory, seen a more beautiful, intelligent and original piece of work in Hindi cinema, save for 3 Idiots in 2009. When you walk into a cinema, you are looking to be entertained and that's what Barfi does surprisingly though you can walk in with all your good senses in tact (for a Bollywood movie yes!) as Barfi invites you to explore life , learn it's lessons, feel the pain and then know how to move on. You are shown how to laugh or to express love or sorrow or hurt in the face of cold indifference. The performances are brilliant, the cinematography is masterful and the directing lies at the heart of it all.No character is bigger than the movie and that's where Anurag Basu shines through. His craft ensures that the audience grasps the sheer irony of life which is expressed through performances yes, but also through depiction of sheer poverty, helplessness, losses and survival. No where in the movie do you realize that the movie is tethering you towards it's own conclusions. You don't realize that it's speaking to your subconscious mind and bringing to you beauty lost with images,sights,sounds,speech,experiences, which you take for granted may be a million times in a day. As the story unfolds, you indulge in a lost world of expressions and fearlessness and start to appreciate the many joys you choose to ignore on an everyday basis.
I know I could find one tiny loose-end in one of the scenes but the movie is so hauntingly beautiful that it'd be a crime to even linger on "finding flaws". I do not think Barfi! could be outclassed in a few years to come. It stands chest-to-chest with some of the cinematic giants from the 80's and before, It is from the league of Aamir Khan and all those who'd be compared with Barfi! would deem it the highest privilege.
Please watch it.
Battleship (2012)
An insult to the movie-goers IQ ! If you like it, the entire movie crew is laughing at you!
Yes. We are supposed to appreciate the Aliens, the Navy, the Ocean, the Space,the Hero, the Hottie, the Singing-sensation, the Acting Giant (Neeson, only he betrays his fan. Yes by being in the film, but more for being there for less than 10 minutes). Yes, we are and were supposed to watch this because we are supposed to buy anything that costs higher than the average. We are that dumb and we made the producers of this movie believe we would appreciate their nonsense.
Seriously, did anyone actually think of making this crap in 2012 - when Titanic hit the theaters for a 3D showing - and Universal sponsored it? What were they thinking? I specifically registered on IMDb to write a review on this unbelievable piece of crap. Am I the only one thinking that this is the worst movie that I have ever watched. Worst because it betrays and fools through it's trailer. Worst because it cheats through it's plot. Worst because it laughs at the IQ of it's audience. Worst because it couldn't come close to the slick Transformers Franchise and Hasbro made us believe it would.
Forget the Transformers, Battleship on it's own is a disaster, where actually the aliens looked more convincing and acted better than the actors. Rihanna, well she brought her music to the movie. 'Nuff said.
I am an alien, if you are a hero, we will hold hands and you'd see my war wrecked past. Why? because you are a hero duh, act like one! understood? Now finish your popcorn and go home!