Reviews

What makes John Woo's action films different from the rest of the pack is his insistence on human emotions as causes for action. There is a constant tension between thought and action and how thought manifests into action constitutes the plot. In plot, John Woo is a master, as this film wonderfully shows. The plot follows the realization of the male characters that their life revolves round the female lead and all their actions influenced by her. The ending is characteristic-- the villain gives up his life in order not to kill the woman he is obsessed with. As a well-crafted action film, it is no surprise Hollywood goes gaga over this HongKong director.

Irene Jacob carries her emotional burden lightly in a nuanced turn as the protagonist Veronique/Veronika. The sepia-toned fantasy film explores the idea of the soul of one trapped in another body. One life is influenced by the other as they look for fulfillment of their twin destinies, in music and love. Irene's face has that searching innocence which is used to good effect here. Kieslowski's direction utilizes those 'exalted silences' which are a hallmark of European cinema. Irene's Best Actress Award at Cannes is well deserved.

Maruschka is taking her kit off in almost every scene, one almost doubts Godard's intentions. The film starts off on a self deprecatory note with Godard playing himself as a film director hospitalized with an unstable mind. A seemingly ordinary storyline takes on strange hues with its disjointed narrative and its treatment of certain scenes. The bank holdup is seen with a cynical eye which lends the whole scene farcical.An oddity in world cinema, best appreciated by film historians and buffs.

It is about hopes and dreams of youth in small-town America. Where the film comes out as unique is in the way it approaches its subject. The plot is subsumed in the characters as they ponder over their future and their views of life during a night of 'just hanging out'. The narrative presents a 'situation' more than a proper plot. It progresses as each character grapples with personal, psychological problems of growing up.All characters are given equal importance and scenes gently merge into each other. The approach is reminiscent of Robert Altman's multi-character, multi-narrative films. The performances are casual and convincing. Director Linklater has developed sophisticated and personal style first seen in 'Dazed and Confused'. However, the immigrant experience portrayed in the film borders on parody. In contrast to the other characters the department store owner and his wife are shallow and stereotyped. Being an Indian myself, I see that the few Hindi dialogues are extremely contrived and are amateurishly delivered. Otherwise a very refreshing film.

The three hour film is almost a metaphysical meditation on the nature of war and evil in particular and humanity in general. What is good about this war movie is that it avoids moralising and instead concentrates on existential problems confronted by these soldiers in the face of death. The director has used documentary realism to good effect here. This is counterpointed by interspersing 'personal thoughts' of the characters.These breaks in the narrative bring in a more complex mental landscape. The battle scene on the grass covered hill slopes is among the best ever filmed. I would recommend the film to all serious moviegoers.