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csabarish
Reviews
17 Again (2009)
Efron is star material
Zac Efron comes of age in 17 again and proves he is star material! But haven't we known that for a couple of years already? I caught the original High School Musical while channel surfing and found it amusing enough to pass an innocent Sunday morn. The boy, I remember thinking, was attractive. But this was before the franchise had become a worldwide phenomena and a was a few months from hitting Indian media.
In the following couple of years he has done more musicals (HSMs and Hairspray) but 17 Again is his first pure comedy, more like a romantic comedy, and also his first solo lead role. It was definitely not so much an acting challenge as a test of his ability to carry an entire movie alone. And boy did he pass? In virtually every frame of the ninety odd minutes of the film camera is either focused on Efron's blue eyes or capturing the shade of his tresses at different angles. The shirtless torso shot is done away with right at the beginning. While a few dialogs are interspersed among costume and hair style changes.
Story, yes there is some of it. There is a whole gravy about teen pregnancy, doing the right thing (giving up college to marry), mid-life crisis, losing promotion to bimbo, losing wife to divorce. Sigh...A weird old janitor, time travel, in high school with his own kids, getting their lives on track, wooing his own wife and (this is nauseating) his own daughter trying to make out with him. Phew... there I get that out of the way.
The whole coming to realize his life's (and wife's) worth is just filler, as is a silly comic element (ah you'll know which when you watch it) just to stretch the run time. You could just say this movie is an excuse to watch Zac Efron for almost one hour and half, which is in fact its redeeming trait. The actor does not have to stretch here, he just has to stay consistent, which he manages. Of course he has to look good too, even in a ridiculous hair style at the start; check. And there is enough going on in the periphery to not make the time especially trying; (with some reluctance) check.
All in all the movie achieves what it set out to and so does the teen heartthrob. He had to prove his star potential, ability to carry a movie and draw crowds, he did all that with only very little help from the movie itself. So now the big studios could provide him with better writers, directors and perhaps even trust him with some prestige projects. If Shia can get to be in blockbusters, Zac can definitely be there. I mean, Meagan Fox and robots pull in the guys, Zac Efron their girlfriends, both stars in skimpy clothes washing a car and we have the biggest blockbuster date movie ever.
Babel (2006)
most compelling
My mind is still reeling. I watched this movie last night and I have never been persuaded to question myself this brutally ever before. I am calling it brutal not because of the violence in the movie, it is definitely less than any Mel Gibson gore fest. But it made me question the cocoon that i have built around myself. All with good reason. Just to protect my own existence. Just doing my job as best as i can. Breaking the traffic signal once in a while is as far as i go to tease the law. But is that enough? Enough to call myself a human being? So much prejudice goes behind building this cocoon that all the rest of the people get clubbed into categories with associated percentages. Most deaf and dumb kids are mentally disturbed. Most of the Arab world is militant. We are scared of everyone and in turn scare everyone off. Pre-emptive measures, but to what end? The movie staying true to the source of its name shows us what happens when we do not communicate. Probably it goes even further and shows us that probably all that is wrong with this world is because we do not communicate. In the microcosm of the deaf and mute girl, the efficient sentry's realm of power, the charming rake's non-chalance and the macrocosm of international relations, it is (as the movie puts it) because we do not care to listen that so many things get screwed up. But more than that the movie-maker seems to have a hypothesis as to why we act as foolishly and dis compassionately as we do. It is the prejudice, the belief in percentages and the instinct, that we pick up in the name of growing up, of mistrusting every other human being before we have a reason to trust them. It is self preservance, but at what cost? One more question that the movie dares to ask is whether humanity is not to be held above law? It is sticky wicket and the maker of the movie is only hinting at his beliefs on that head as the topic cannot be won convincingly in the favor of either arguments.
For all it manges to do during its obviously flawed (also somewhat contrived) course to say that the movie is compelling will not be an overstatement by any standards. Acting is uniformly excellent. I found the Mexican nanny to be the most heartwrenching. She is so good and rational and just, the actor has played the part so brilliantly that my heart went out to her. Blanchett made me believe she was in pain. Pitt, Bernal and the boys were genuine enough for one to feel compassionate towards their flawed characters. A very worthy cast for what is is now one of my favorite movies. What the award season brings.. who cares?
Pavilion of Women (2001)
hollywoodized communist propaganda trash
Good god has no one read the book? It talks of a woman who wakes up on her fortieth birthday determined to break herself free from her duties to her family but without hurting anyone. This sets off a series of events she had not foreseen and does not know how to tackle. All this is set in a period when China was changing. It is a brilliant story of spiritual awakening. And what have they done to it?
The missionary and the lady never even touch each other before he dies. In fact she doesn't even know that she loves him until that point. The son does not settle down with his father's concubine. And the woman does not turn communist, but becomes free in the true meaning of the word.
It just beats me how any one could dare to call this movie by the name of the book. Blasphemous!
The Family Stone (2005)
Flawed piece of movie-making with some inspired performances
Let me start by stating what according to me makes this film good. Brilliantly played characters. I am using the term characters because these are not a bunch of convenient stereotypical roles clubbed into a formula. Each character has its likable and unlikeable traits which makes them seem real. The uptight girlfriend is not mean, she is just what she is. The mother is doing what she thinks is right. Father is just trying to be right. All the actors play true to their characters and are worthy of praise. Kudos though must go to SJP and Diane Keaton. These actresses do need to prove anything to anyone about their acting prowess, but the fearlessness with which they tackle their roles is mesmerizing to watch. It was so easy to go over the top and miss it. But not these experts. And yet the film somehow does not seem right. It took me two days to realize why. At first i thought the awkwardness was because of what i had expected it to be. The promos suggested it to be a typical family comedy. Well the family part is correct but comedy... i am not so sure. I think the director did not want it to be a comedy but something warmer. Yet he did not want to turn it into a weepie. This may be the films undoing. But according to me it is the absence of a central character that is troubling. At first you think it is Meredith... but hey is it not Sybil? Or is it about how their relationship grows? If one of the characters had narrated the story it would have been better. But that is my opinion. And of course no one can deny the fact that the film is heartwarming and entertaining. To put it simply, well worth watching.
Before Sunset (2004)
To be Treasured
The two movies happened to me. I say happened to me because watching them was like going through an experience. Also because i chanced upon them each time. I had seen 'Before Sunrise' years ago when surfing through the channels i had stopped catching something interesting in the way Ethan Hawk was looking at July. It was the scene when they first meet on the train. I enjoyed the film and remembered it as one remembers distant but good memories. Years later in college a friend of mine saw Before Sunset and was raving about it. I said I had seen the film thinking that he was talking about Before Sunrise. It took me a while to realize that a sequel had been made of the film. And this time, it was a revelation.
Yes the film can stand alone as a story, but it would be a shame not to watch the prequel before watching this one. Brilliant acting and dialogs coupled with a most plausible situation that could be a day out of any body's life. Here I am talking about the start of the day. Unexpected meeting with a past. Something that had meant a lot. Which still probably means a lot. But would you acknowledge it immediately? Would you not want to find out if there was still any hope left? I would. And that is why I love this film. It gives you hope that chances missed due to bad luck, or pure bad judgment could still be had again. The idea is romantic and the presentation is probably the most mature presentation of it. This very fact saves the film from being sappy or overly romantic. The dialogs, the interplay, the advances are all so real and so well thought out that it must take a pair of extremely gifted actors to play well. Our actors do that and still manage to keep the proceedings interesting. It must require extraordinary skill and chemistry. Awards do not matter here i think as the film has been made out of pure creative urge. Just the fact that such a captivating yet subtle film exists must be a triumph for everyone involved. And a memorable experience for the viewer given he watches it at the right point in life.
An Unfinished Life (2005)
Brilliant cast
This is the third film from the director that I saw after Chocolat n Cider Ho...I would not call this one a great piece of storytelling but I speak entirely for myself when I say, the characters do not let you go, while you watch this movie. And that is something. Each character and player when he/she is on screen is telling you so many things at a time that you get completely engrossed in their story.
Jennifer Lopez plays a single mother running away from her abusive(typical) boy friend Damian Lewis and has no where to go but to her Father-in-law who hates her. Father-in-law is of course Robert Redford who is not looking forward to anything in life, and his only real purpose in living seems to be to take care of his wounded friend Morgan Freeman. There is Bear which wounded Freeman and is the terror element in the otherwise peaceful Wyoming (smashing locales) town and there is Josh Lucas the love interest/sheriff for Jenny's Cinderella. There is débutant Becca Gardner the even-tempered daughter of Jenny's. Camrein Maynheim (The Practice) has a supporting role. And there I finish the list of principal characters in the movie.
Now why I am taking pains to mention each one of them is because they are who make this movie watchable. Especially Freeman,Gardner and Redford (in that order). Not that others do a bad job. But these three provide all the entertainment. None of the characters are living in what we would call normal circumstances in any way. At the same time there is nothing new about the story they are telling. It is just the way they go about telling it. Unhurriedly, through gestures and expressions, breathing life into these stereotypes. There is redemption for everyone involved and that is expected. But the story manages to teach you something, and not in a very persuasive manner. That is the redeeming feature of the movie and may be that is the flaw. It will fail to influence too many, some might even find it boring. But I guess that is Okay because for the few viewers who like an optimistic story told with compassionate characters played by expert actors, this one is worth watching.
Chicago (2002)
How could they deny Renee the Oscar?
Well let us start with the one thing about the Movie that sets it apart. It is in your face. No one involved in making it seems to be doing the least to hold back anything. Not the camera, nor the art designer, nor the director; and definitely not the actors. It booms every instant with vitality and fills every frame with talent. And what an ensemble of talent! The direction and screenplay are top notch. Four lines worth of story sequestered into brilliant moments with ample opportunity to act and dance and sing. You never feel that the sequences are being forced or - why is she singing? It is pure entertainment. But the biggest achievement of this movie is that it manages to show the darker side of people, society, fame and success, humorously sometimes sadistically but never hiding the degradation that such opportunism and hypocrisy is.
And finally the cast. A brilliant cast. Career best performances from every player. Yes Rob Marshal wanted Hugh Jackman (who may have done well) but Richard Gere was excellent in his own style. Catherine won the Oscar, Latifah's fee increased after this movie but what did Renee get? The distinction of being one of those fine performers who did not win the Oscar they deserved. Then the Academy was always a year or two or shall we say a performance or two late at recognizing this brilliant actor who just transforms into being the bitchy, mean Roxie Hart. You hate her and yet root for her because she wants to succeed at all costs just as Renee pulls out all the stocks to give one of the most luminous performances of all times. How did they not give her the Oscar? But then who cares?