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Reviews
Bride & Prejudice (2004)
Great Fun!
A really fun and entertaining movie which doesn't take itself too seriously, and neither should you. Possible SPOILERS ahead for those who haven't read the classic novel or watched the BBC Mini-series.
P&P is my all time favourite book and I am a huge fan of the BBC series - Colin Firth was a perfect Darcy and Jennifer Ehle an equally perfect Elizabeth. My main gripes were the costumes (could have been better) and the fact that Darcy begins to fall for Elizabeth (in spite of himself) much earlier in the book than the BBC portrayed.
Bride & P does a much better job of these points. The outfits are great as is the fact that Wil (Darcy) fancies Lalitha almost from the beginning. The downside of this version is that it was a little rushed. They could have added on 15/20 mins to fill out the storyline and dialogue, and Darcy is not nearly as proud.
The upside is that Bingley is not annoyingly cheerful, he is on the same level as Darcy and a bit of a dish actually. Similarly, Mr. Kholi (or Collins) is a bit sad and irritating rather than nasty. He is the star of this film who absolutely steals EVERY scene he is in.
I do think there was chemistry between Ash and Martin and enjoyed their scenes in LA. A longer script would have given Mr. Bakshi more lines of wit, as would have more depth to the character of Darcy, Lalitha, Jaya and Balraj. Also, Wickham's dealings with Darcy's sister could have been a bit more believable with more than just one line.
Henderson is not Firth but he was great as Darcy and has those eyes... Ash was beautiful as always - she wasn't Miss World for nothing and her acting will get better with more experience.
Despite what seem like many criticisms, this film had a warm, fun feel-good factor that it was supposed to have. Bollywood song and dance routines aside, the lyrics were a bit cheesy but then so are most Rodgers and Hammerstein classics that I grew up watching - but that doesn't make the songs any less fun or catchy. Songs in musicals are rarely meant to change your life - think Grease, the Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, but we still sing along happily to 'raindrops and roses and brown paper bags ...' which if transplanted to a modern movie would be cheesy and corny, but they have the benefit of being called classics from a different era. Well this is a different genre and it works splendidly for me. 'My lips are waiting my hips are shaking, take me to love...' 'No life without wife, oh yeah yeah yeah...'
The BBC version was great but filled with 5 hours of solid dialogue, as an Austen fan, I welcome this new perspective on the novel. There is no better way to enjoy such a classic work than to share different takes on it, it makes you appreciate the book even more - I'm off to read it again.
A Dry White Season (1989)
A different, but great take on the apartheid story
Donald Sutherland (one of Hollywood's most undervalued actors) is simply brilliant in this quiet and thought-provoking films. Many black people do not like to see white heroes in films about apartheid or racism. But the truth is, there are many white people who have contributed to the fight for justice, not for black people, but for humanity.
Marlon Brando is also fantastic. Unfortunately, Susan Sarandon's role is quite minimal.
The film is about a white teacher in a posh boys school (whites only) whose gardener asks for his help when his son is arrested and beaten up. The son later dies and the father seeks justice. Sutherland's character is faced with the reality that being a good person and minding one's own business may not be enough, especially when he realises that more is going on in his country than he knows about. As another reviewer has said, Marlon Brando's lawyer character perfectly showcases a brilliant man who has given himself to hopeless causes. he expertly shows in court the injustice that is going on. We see how the legal system worked for the oppressors; knowing this, Brando's character does it anyway. It is the principle that counts. Much like (in a totally different kind of film) King Theoden's words in the Lord of the Rings:The Return of the King, when it is noted that in no way will his army defeat the enemy, replies, 'yes, but we will meet them in battle all the same.' It was people like this who gave of themselves for the sake of others, maybe in future generations to which many of us owe our freedom.
Pride and Prejudice (1995)
The BBC Have Made Jane Austen Proud!!!
A brilliant, fantastic rendition of this classic novel. For anyone who has read the book as many times as I have (over and over again) you cannot help but appreciate the wonderful job the BBC did in making this film. The entire United Kingdom came to a standstill one evening for 10 weeks when this series was first released. Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle are Darcy and Elizabeth through and through. It is rare that film-makers do not destroy great books when turning them into film. They did especially well bringing to life scenes such as 'The Proposals' (first and final) which Jane Austen in her limited experience of male-female romantic relationships at the time, glossed over in the book with minimum dialogue. The only thing which I was a little disappointed with was that viewers do not get to witness the extent of Mr. Darcy's regard and how he begins to fall for Elizabeth much earlier in the book (while still at Netherfield) making his first proposal not quite so abrupt as in the film. However, the Pemberley scenes are great, in that you get to see just how much Darcy is smitten by Elizabeth and the effect her 'reproofs' have had on this once very proud man. I introduced this film to my friends and have been highly gratified to see them all take Mr. Darcy into their hearts, and this five -hour thrilling journey into their top 10 of all time movie greats. This film doesn't have the budget of the 1996 version of Emma (Jane Austen's best written book) with Gwyneth Paltrow which obviously could spend more in the wardrobe and costume department. But then the Bennets in P&P were not as affluent as Emma's character either. Unfortunately, Bridget Jones's Diary portrays Darcy as a rather dull, bumbling idiot, the kind of roles Hugh Grant usually plays, very unlike Darcy's role in this film and in the book. Darcy is intelligent and perceptive, but appears proud and aloof to some people who do not know him all that well, or who would count themselves inferior.
All in all, Jane Austen would be proud that her fine work has been so well presented for the world at large.
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
I Can't Wait for the Third LotR Movie
The Matrix is in my top 5 of best ever films. I looked forward to Reloaded immensely. I knew that it was not possible to live up to the originality and blow-your-mind feeling of The Matrix, but I expected more.
As others have said, this film is all action and nothing else, which The Matrix was not.
While I cannot completely trash it, it tried too hard to be deep and philosophical. The whole God character and programming stuff messed up what would have been a great story - how did the machines take control; how did Zion come about etc.?
Instead, you get a boring story where Neo has like two lines, Morpheus loses the whole great mentor thing about him. You actually don't believe along with him, but get bored by his stubbornly sticking to his belief in the prophecy, and have no sympathy for him when others try to cast doubts on this.
There is absolutely no sense of why Zion exists, what they are fighting for and why we should care, which was there in the first film.
Trinity and Neo have sex, but you sure don't get any sense of any real love or bond that would for instance cause one to choose to die for the other if need were to arise. There is no emotion or depth to their relationship. The film does not give an opportunity for characters to develop i.e Niobe, Link, Merovingian, The Twins etc. There is no time to know who they are, why or how they got there. Even if we find out in Revolutions, how much justice can be done, considering that there are so many loose ends to tie up in the story.
This movie was very dare I say it, 'sexed up' which added nothing and took away much. The Matrix was simple plot-wise, but complicated too. Reloaded is over-complicated, rendering it silly and childish. I will watch Revolution if only to allow Reloaded the chance to redeem itself.
Those who have said the film has no ending, forget that it is part of a trilogy. However, unlike other great trilogies, this film cannot stand alone, which it should have.
I will not go out of my way to see Revolutions at the IMAX like I did this one, I'll just come here and read all the spoilers and be satisfied till the DVD.
Now all there is to look forward to is LotR:The Return of the King.
Billy Elliot (2000)
Simply Inspiring
Possible spoilers ahead:
Billy Elliot is one of those films which just makes you feel good inside. It is not a mind-bogglingly amazing film, it's just simple and natural. It's a story for anyone who was ever told 'you can't do that!'
It's the story of a boy who wanted to dance because of the fire in his body - that he felt for dancing.
The ending is not trite or predictable as some say. It shows us Billy having realised his dream, the support of his family, and their pride at his now being the best in the business.
Like British films only can, it is natural and real, showing normal people who are like anyone you may know. It is not fast-paced, but takes its time, developing the story and characters.
Of course you know what will happen, it's just one of those kinds of films. And it's great because of it.