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1922 (2017)
1922 - A haunting story of murder, guilt and trauma.
Written and Directed by the Australian film maker Zak Hilditch, 1922 is the story of a Nebraskan rancher whose year turns into a nightmare after he conspires and commits the murder of his wife to keep his land with the aid of their only son. Based on the novella of the same name from none other than Stephen King, the movie is a harrowing tale of murder, guilt and trauma seen through the eyes of Wilfred James (Thomas Jane), the conniving man who killed his wife (Molly Parker) taking the help of his son Henry 'Hank' James (Dylan Schmid). The murder itself happens in the first act and the aftermath of their actions leading to the trauma and guilt forms the rest of the story. Thomas Jane delivers a sublime performance as the brooding rancher, talking through his clenched teeth. I loved him in his previous Stephen King adaptation 'The Mist'- a horror movie with an unusual ending. I am surprised of how much of an underrated actor he is. The rest of the cast do their jobs just right, Molly Parker playing the free spirited woman, unusual in those times, who according to Wilf was made by god in that way and Dylan Schmid the kid whose troubles lead him into a life of crime and death. The movie is in no way an easy watch. There are scenes which are bound to make you feel nauseous. But it effectively conveys how people are driven to extreme measures when the life they have known and believe in for their lifetime comes crashing down. But it also emphasizes the fact that there is always another way.
Escape Room (2019)
Fairly Entertaining Cube-Saw Mashup.
I went into the movie without much expectations and it was fairly entertaining. The whole idea is based on the immersive escape room games getting popular nowadays.
The movie starts off introducing each of the pivotal characters who happens to be part of this game where they are all trapped in the same room. The idea is to uncover clues hidden in the room and find their escape in order to proceed with the game. The director takes time introducing each of the characters before they finally get on with the game. The game puts them in life or death situations as they move from room to room. The room designs were pretty good especially the first oven room and the upside down bar room. The performances were alright and there is nothing much memorable in that area. The acting of war veteran Amanda (Deborah Ann Woll - True Blood fame), grocery store guy Ben and the truck driver Mike stood out and it must be said that the protagonist character Zoey didn't have much to do. The audience were left hanging in the end and they just set up the premise for a sequel. The last scene felt so out of the place that it seemed more like the director (or studio?) were trying to force a sequel out of nowhere.
I would say, it was neither as sci-fi'sh as Cube, nor was it gritty like Saw. It was a much more toned down mashup of both of these movies with better production values. Nothing memorable to take away, but yeah, still fun, though you have seen the same thing a hundred times before.
Rabbit Hole (2010)
Will the pain ever go away?... No, it won't... but sure, it will become bearable.
Rabbit Hole is an intense portrayal of the grief and bereavement underwent by a suburban couple, Becca & Howie (Nicole Kidman & Aaron Eckhart), after the sudden and tragic demise of their only child. The film follows their straining relationship with each other and the people surrounding them in the wake of this tragedy, as they are trying to get themselves on track.
The film starts post-tragedy, and as the story builds up, the viewers get a better picture of what happened in the past. The movie is a bit depressing at times, but I found it to be highly observant, especially in its examination of people trying to move on after having to go through such tragic events and their relationship with the outside world. The feature is based on a Pulitzer winning play of the same name written by David Lindsay-Abaire and directed by John Cameron Mitchell.
The film is backed by incredible acting from Nicole Kidman who starred as Becca, Aaron Eckhart who played Howie and Dianne Wiest who played Nat, Becca's mother. Kidman and Eckhart, two very talented actors, their performances were intense and realistic. Nicole Kidman just transforms herself into the grief-stricken mother struggling to numb her pain and at the same time, put on a smiling face before others; this might be one among her finest works. Aaron Eckhart, a fairly underutilized actor, showcases his real talent in this feature. I have never seen him doing such a moving role after Thank You for Smoking (2005). Nicole Kidman also produced the movie under the banner of her production company Blossom Films, this being the debut venture.
This is a very insightful and honest movie, and this can be especially meaningful to those people who ever lost a loved one, be it their children, parents or anybody near. And it does end in a very hopeful undertone.
Bone Tomahawk (2015)
A rare, but effective blend of genre's.
My Rating: 7.5/10
A rock-solid western in the beginning, Bone Tomahawk transforms midway to become one of the most gruesome horror movies this year. It's not an unlikely combination. There have been a few titles in the past that falls under the western-horror category, but not many of them delivered so well.
Written and directed by S. Craig Zahler, the movie has a smart and tight screenplay. Zahler's story is unflinching and he never dilutes the intensity of what is shown on-screen. He succeeds in maintaining an air of unpredictability throughout the whole feature, and yes Zahler's name is definitely something to look out for in the future.
The story is set in the American old west, maybe during the end of 1800's. Four men are on a mission to rescue a few kidnapped people from a tribe of inbred man-eating savages. The quartet includes The Sheriff of the town Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell), an injured Cowboy Arthur O' Dwyer (Patrick Wilson) whose wife Samantha O' Dwyer (Lili Simmons) is one among the captives, an armed gentleman John Brooder (Matthew Fox) and the Backup Deputy Chicory (Richard Jenkins).
The casting is okay but not great. The veteran actors Kurt Russell and Richard Jenkins give their best. Russell gives a fine performance as the Sheriff, making the whole premise believable. Jenkins' character Chicory might be the most likable of all and his role feels so natural and belonged in the whole plot. Patrick Wilson does a commendable effort, and so does Mathew Fox. The only character that appears to be misplaced is the town doctor Samantha O' Dwyer played by Lili Simmons. Her performance doesn't seem to blend in the 1800's period.
The cannibals were nightmarishly original. And their savagery is not just spoken of; rather it is shown in detail. The camera doesn't shift around much when it comes to the bloody violence. The eerie atmosphere together with the unpredictably quick turnarounds makes the feature quite effective. A major plus of this movie is that it sticks to being as realistic as possible. Be it the dialogues, the situations, the acting or even the gut-wrenching violence and gore, Bone Tomahawk is realism to the bone.
Recommended watch, if you can sit through a good old, slow paced, formal talked western in the former half and all the bloody gore in the later half, but ultimately the movie pays off.
Kohinoor (2015)
A Hit, and then a Miss.
Directed by Kili Poyi fame Vinay Govind, Kohinoor is a heist movie set in the late 80's. The movie is heavily stylized with references and situations from the 80's and it does succeed in invoking the 80's nostalgia and feel among the viewers.
The movie follows a bunch of people who plans a heist during the Christmas of 1988. Nothing much happens during the former half of the film as far as the heist is concerned. First half mainly functions to establish the characters, their motives, the heist proposal and planning, and subsequent preparations. The heist itself happens in the latter half of the movie, which is packed with lots of twists, turns & bumps as the story progresses. Too much of anything can spoil the party & the same happens in case of Kohinoor. The abundance of unnecessary plot twists screws the clever storyline. First few surprises were fine, but just as the viewers are digesting the first few twists, Kohinoor throws in a couple more surprises. In the end, I found myself trying to convince myself about the sensibilities of the frequent radical changes in the plot in the second half.
The casting was excellent. Indrajith, as usual gives a stellar performance. Asif Ali, sporting a new look, also does a great job in his role. Commendable effort from the supporting cast including Aju Varghese, Vinay Forrt and Chemban Vinod Jose. Aparna Vinod, who plays the role of the main character's love interest, has little to do. Without much dialogue, she manages the charm the audience with her occasional smiles and expressions.
The song's from the movie deserves much praise, and in fact, I would say 'Hemanthamen' song must be the best part of the whole movie. Sung by Vijay Yesudas, composed by Rahul Raj and penned by Harinarayanan B, the melody has a retro aspect to it that would bring in a lot of yesteryear memories for Malayalees. The other song that happens during the wedding is also good. The cinematography, editing and other technicalities are just fine.
It is indeed a well made movie but fails to hit the mark, owing to the untimely and unnecessary plot twists. The movie had a smart storyline and good casting, and with such potential, the movie could have been much more than what it really turned out to be.
Overall an enjoyable movie, worth a watch.
The Battery (2012)
Surprisingly Good Zombie Drama.
Made on a meagre indie budget, The Battery is a character study of two guys on the move following a zombie apocalypse. And it turns out to be a well-crafted horror-drama. The movie follows two baseball players, Ben played by Jeremy Gardner (who is also the Writer, Director & Co-Producer) and Mickey played by Adam Cronheim (who is also the Co-Produced). The movie is set in New England & the protagonists are on the run after a recent zombie apocalypse.
The movie deals with the personality clashes that the guys encounter as they travel through the woods of New England. Ben is a survivor, a bad-ass and as he calls himself, a realist. Whereas Mickey is a guy who has a lot of emotional inadequacies. Both the characters are likable and have a lot of aspects that the viewers can relate to. Both of them have done justice to their roles and the acting is okay, but not great. The storyline is simple and the characters provide the depth to the movie.
The movie is well directed for the simple storyline that it carries. Special mention has to be given to the DOP. A lot of filters seem to be used, but they have succeeded in capturing the lush greenery of the woods and certain frames are inexplicably beautiful. And of course, the soundtrack is awesome. I am not familiar with the songs used, but I may check them out later.
Unlike the usual Hollywood zombie flicks, the movie does not rely much on bloodbaths, gore, jump scares or CGI. The zombies are not depicted as smart-ass walking dead men who learns what the living are up to and then tries to outsmart the living. Rather they are depicted realistically as slow moving beings with minimal use of the CGI & makeup. So if you are a genre fan, don't expect the usual fun zombie ride, rather expect a slow character driven drama.
Definitely worth a watch.