Change Your Image
AkelaLoneWolf
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Did not deliver all that it promised to
We are so used to Marvel churning out a blockbluster in each of the many universes under its realm on a yearly basis that somehow we flock to watch them even when previous films in the series were not exactly inspiring. Such was the case with this movie. As visual entertainment went, it was mediocre among its genre. Marvel fans, however, would be disappointed as the crux that led to the divergence of the Avengers – the Superhuman Registration Act – did not even appear in the entire movie. The building-up of the tension was flimsy; Captain America's tie and loyalty to Bucky was unexplained, the reasons for recruits joining Cap's team were unclear (why would Hawkeye give up his domestic bliss to fight as an outlaw? How did they get Ant-man to join their cause?) and it appeared as if the whole point was to have two resultant teams with balanced numbers. Vision seemed somewhat weak – yes fans would know his attraction to the Scarlet Witch later – but wasn't it a little early to have him reduced to total putty whenever Wanda was involved? Black Widow did not appear to be the kind who would submit to supervision, and instead of outlining her inner struggle which ended up in her letting Cap and Bucky board the plane, now it was as Iron Man described – she acted like a "double spy" with no reason whatsoever. Some of the comic reliefs we liked – Cap flexing his biceps and using the helicopter as his personal gym trainer, Bucky and the Falcon gawking like a couple of schoolboys as Cap kissed his old flame's niece (anyone besides me feeling creepy here?), the verbal diarrohea of the teenage Spider-Man, etc. And after all that ado, we ended up with Avengers team A and team B – one to conduct UN-sanctioned missions and the other to have a free rein while keeping contact with each other? Would anyone remind me why we went through all that two and a half hours for?
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (2016)
Why so serious? A gem for the new year - sparkling (is it paste)?
Being an avid fan, watching this "pre-season 4" movie became the one drive I had for the past fortnight. Frankly I was slightly disappointed right after the movie, with a faint aftertaste of cobwebs and dust mixed with an unappeased appetite. The first impression was that the writers had too much fun with the script and it was a mumbo jumbo of ghoul brides and murderous feminists which turned out to be a kaleidoscope of the protagonist's "mind palace" fueled by his drug habits. Then it struck me that the characters did drop hints about all the 19th century scenes being played out in Holmes' mind only - note the impossibly modern manner of speech everyone was using and the jarring phrases like "in a nutshell" and "virus on your disk". Much as I liked the Victorian era setting and the brave new world the "fairer sex" were fighting for, some parts were overdone (rather badly) for a couple of ingenious chefs like Gatiss and Moffat. Molly Hooper with her shabby moustache, Mycroft with his obese meatsuit, the suffragettes and the fighters of women's rights being mixed up with a cult of "femmes fatales" who only wanted to get rid of their husbands and pin the deeds on the "ghost bride", etc. All in all, this turned out to be a rather long and over-complicated intermission before the official season 4 - so take this in a spirit of fun and goodwill, don't scowl because this isn't the Blue Carbuncle but a coloured paste replica. Viewers are reminded to stay after the credits with the BBC cast interviewed about their feelings for the series and the movie.
Everest (2015)
Worth watching - in spite of the heavy heart.
I wasn't too keen for disaster movies but went on insistence by my dining companion. Whether one chose 3D viewing or not depended on one's tolerance of wearing the uncomfortable glasses for hours looking at images of glaciers, cliffs and precipices; we chose to brave it. Here we have a movie depicting the helplessness and the futility of mankind against the raw savagery of nature at its harshest - a most sobering and humbling experience. This was not an exact documentary of the events that occurred over that fateful period in May 1996, but it did faithfully describe the interactions, the emotions and the blunders of the major teams on Mount Everest at the time (except for the Taiwanese team, as one of their climbers was actually doing a Lazarus together with the Texan - as I learnt later). The portrayal was intense but not over-dramatic, as this would have degraded this movie into sob stuff. The inevitability of the chief protagonist's demise was handled with dignity and one could not but admire and honour the memories of him and other climbers (especially the postman - his reasons for climbing made that night's gathering the single most touching scene). Some would have pointed out that the tragedy resulted from multiple mistakes and oversights (the feud between teams and Sherpas, the mysteriously empty oxygen bottles, the refusal to accept one's physical condition, the competing and discordant summit attempts, the lack of preparation work, the under- or over-estimation, etc.), which was certainly true in hindsight. The good things that came out of this were the review of teams' summiting attempts and the fact that this tragedy did not extinguish the passion of humans to pursue their dreams. Therefore it was not a surprise to also find a full description of the events on the current website of the Adventuring Consultants. A meaningful movie and worth the time in spite of the heavy heart.
Spy (2015)
Funny - if you look through the spy movie tackiness and facade
This movie brought immense enjoyment; we missed it during its first round in theaters and the raving reviews piqued my interest. After watching it on board a flight, I believe this warranted an 8-plus on IMDb. This was an ode to the "uncool nobodies" who got belittled and bullied all their lives, as well as to the underdogs who did the donkey work while the lucky ones got all the credit and glory. Here the director painted a parody of the overrated and much-fantasized life in the world of secret agency and caricatured his "supposedly cool field agents" - the boastful, the crazy, the egoistic. And all these suave and graceful creatures fell prey either to the brute force or the charms exerted by our overweight motherly chief protagonist. Improbable as it may seem, she was more lethal than the whole "good looking" lot added together. There was incessant laughter throughout; even the antics by the British-Italian sidekick was amusing. The acidic and fiery yet sincere interaction between the two lady characters was quite successful in creating an intriguing bond, one would say almost a quasi-sisterhood. The soundtrack was sizzling hot, and seeing the once-just-as-hot Jude Law make a fool of himself was paradoxically still a turn- on. And the moral of the story in this secretive world was incredibly down-to-earth: believing in oneself is the key to success.
Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Neat movie despite its faults and clichés
My first impression after watching was that it was a neat little piece by the Wachowskis and that it failed to get its fair share of attention and acclaim from the critics or the media. Indeed it was seemingly a cliché story of how a mundane young caretaker was in fact the recurrence-reincarnation of the matriarch of a powerful dynasty, and how different powers tried to lure her, side with her or even kill her. But the visuals and the concepts introduced were crisp and bracing - the idea that life on Earth was seeded for later harvest echoed faintly to the Wachowski team's earlier works. The actions were breathtaking though the timing might be more creative; hard to swallow scenes of the chief protagonist nearly jeopardizing her life while her comrades fought to rescue her - repeatedly. Another point lacking originality was Jupiter's cross-class romance with a lycanite. One thing that touched me and made this a intergalactic sci-fi cult flick for (selected) female audience is perhaps Jupiter's undaunted spirit and fiery kindness - reminding us of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz - and the way she took fate into her own hands after being thrown into a whirlwind-like new world was admirable.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Still enticing as a sequel
I was worried that this Avengers sequel would be less exciting than the first, given to understand it would not feature the favourite villain Loki and by now the thrill of having so many superheroes gather together would have worn off. I needn't have been so concerned; Marvel has successfully developed the characters of this (unlikely) team and added new elements such that the audience bask in the familiarity yet still enjoy the fresh chemistry of interactions among them. The "creation" of Ultron was natural given the megalomanic nature of Tony Stark - this somehow bringing out the moral that good intentions lead to hell - and the divergence and reaction of the team in face of self-created disaster was powerful drama. Since Ultron was too strong an adversary, allies and additions to the Avengers were necessary and these turns in the story did not, fortunately, have an artificial "forced" feeling to them. An interesting point was the twins were in fact characters from other tales of the Marvel universe, and Thor's hammer and "worthiness" was a recurrent joke. The use of stunts (given that Scarlett Johansson was eight months pregnant in the later part of filming) was masterly, and the resolution of the endgame crisis was much more realistic than other Marvel movies - with casualties, wounded hearts and broken spirits. Very good entertainment and I look forward to the next one in the series - did the post-credit scene suggest a marriage between the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy I wonder? In that case, sweet anticipation.
Le dernier loup (2015)
Creatures of nobility versus hideous humanity
This movie was essentially on ecology, environmental protection and on the dignity of nature and all creation - here exemplified by the Mongolian wolf. The tradition and culture of Mongolian tribes unfolded before the eyes of the chief protagonist, a city boy from Beijing sent to these realms by waves of the Cultural Revolution. The audience followed his adventures and drank in the beauty of the awe-inspiring grasslands, learnt about the (sometimes cruel) facts of life and were drawn into the joys and woes of the Mongolian herding tribe. Fascinated by the wolves, the Han student rashly tried raising a wolf cub. His actions led to unimaginable consequences and irreparable damage as he found himself accomplice to ruining the Mongolian people and the grasslands he grew to love. In the end with a heavy heart we witnessed the darkening destiny of the "great life" of the grassland, ever intertwined with that of the "little lives" of all life forms dependent on it. The movie tried to portray that there was a faint speck of light and hope with the return of the captive wolf, though it was not really comforting. Fabulous acting on the part of the wolves; with discernible laudable effort and bonding between trainers and the animals. Worth watching despite the unflattering take on humanity and greed, if only for the noble creatures of its namesake.
Ernest et Célestine (2012)
Cozy little tale of unlikely friendship
A charming and heartwarming tale about the unlikely friendship between a bear and a mouse in a world divided by convention, tradition, assumptions and prejudice into two territories - the bears above ground and the mice underground. Painted in bright and cheerful watercolours, the audience followed the pair of "bandits" in their adventures and encountered the self-righteous, the hypocritical, the mercenary and the conforming members of both races on the way amidst laughter. The portrayal of Céléstine was most adorable as a dreamy coquettish schoolgirl and her attachment to Ernest the street musician was touching. The French are good at engineering happily-ever-after endings minus the dowdy feelings which were made possible by the kind nature of both protagonists and this movie is suitable even for children (unlike most modern remakes of fairy tales). One more note, it is amusing watching two equally biased and opinionated societies blackmouthing each other without realizing their similarities.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Creative take on the traditional spy movies
It's overall a very entertaining movie; especially the way it married traditional gentleman spy service to the rebellious young generation. It was fascinating to see how the young recruits were made up to scratch and the training was inspiring with the qualities it emphasized. I love the way the characters took their names after the Knights of the Round Table. What was both exciting and slightly intimidating was the Blade Girl - I am not averse to bloodshed but every time she made her appearance there was usually more than the usual amount of blood. The director must have been paying tribute to Tarantino with his almost cult-like killing and explosion shots. Except for the parts when he killed off one of my favorite characters and when he (in my opinion) slightly overdid the killing spree, I enjoyed every other moment of this movie. Recommended.
The Theory of Everything (2014)
Love story doomed by personality clashes
What one must be aware of before stumbling into the cinema was the genre of this film; with all the publicity surrounding the scientist Stephen Hawking and this movie based on the book written by his ex-wife Jane it should be pretty obvious that this was a love story, yet there were still grumbles from moviegoers expecting to see a motion picture version of "A Brief History of Time" and were thus disappointed. This was a moving tale of love and perseverance and was nevertheless saddening as the relationship was doomed from the start. Not from the disease crippling Stephen, but from the clash of personalities. It was crystal clear that these two were as different as "black and white" (pointedly stated by Stephen's sister at Jane's first visit). He came from a family with professional and scientific training and rationality and logic flow in their veins. She was a devout believer and flourished in the domain of the Arts - Tennyson, Blake and medieval Spanish poetry. They might have been attracted to each other as opposites at first, but this was likely going to have dwindled with further courtship - that did not occur as they were forced to gamble with Stephen's "numbered days". And there lay the real tragedy. With Jane's sense of responsibility, her commitment, her integrity, her docility and her love for Stephen, she had made this marriage work much longer than it would have if Stephen had been able-bodied. He, of course, being the domineering partner, had often used this to his advantage. Human nature being what it is, one could not blame Stephen. Even when with his intelligence and cynicism, he would have foreseen Jane's predicament when they accepted a stranger and his help into their family. Yet Stephen "did not object"; I tend to be kind and do not think Stephen tried to manipulate Jane with her "predictable affair", instead it was perhaps Stephen's way of finding someone to take care of the family with his decline and his impending demise. Accolade must be given to the actor playing Stephen, his accurate depiction of the disease progression and his stunningly realistic portrayal of the muscle twitches and the loss of voluntary control reflected hours of studying anatomy, kinetics and choreography with endless practice. This was performance worthy of an Oscar. I quite enjoyed the movie despite feeling wistful afterwards.
Fury (2014)
Macho movie - tanker team in WWII
Went in expecting to see a macho film on brotherhood in WWII and was not disappointed. Here the character of Brad Pitt as Wardaddy was portrayed as a war-hardened leader who was nevertheless soft in the core and tried to protect his team and his comrades in his own way. His closely knit team, though appearing like a band of misfits, outdid others in their solidarity and performance. The finale was heroic and dramatic with only the rookie surviving due to a German solider's mercy. All very grand with fraternity with a capital F. The movie was however marred by some parts. The slightly pathetic "playacting" with the two German women initiated by Wardaddy to foster an illusion of truce and short-lived peace amidst the plundering of the rest of the company was unreal - was that trying to convey that underneath Wardaddy was as innocent as the rookie? The ensuing dissonance (almost a mutiny) by the other tankers was also trying the audience as the presumed tension was not as poignant as the director would have it. There were several good side shots on the cruelty of war; the wounded, the corpses, the hanging of "child traitors", the blood bespattered family photos, etc. All in all, this serves as good entertainment even if it isn't top notch of its genre.
Big Eyes (2014)
Clash of the Disordered Personalities
Frankly I was not besotted with the big-eyed waifs at all, and what drew me into the theatre was that the movie was based on real-life events. An unexpectedly entertaining production faithfully portraying a dysfunctional woman with the gift of painting and the whirlpool of occurrences she threw herself into after Providence decide to favour (or curse, depending on one's views) her with more than our usual share of fifteen-minute fame. The reasons for her phenomenal success eluded me as I tended to agree with the "serious" critics that the plenitude of big-eyes were simply different designs of the same manufactured brand - and not art. Though the drama of the movie lay in the (consenting?) collaboration and collusion between two individuals with obvious personality disorders traits. The husband a natural charmer, a dramatic and narcissistic slick talker who would stick at nothing for money and glory in the art world, with streaks of impulsivity and ruthlessness. The suffering wife and apparent victim of plagiarism was in fact a knowing accomplice in this epic art fraud. I found the conflicting halves in her personality intriguing; on one hand a cowardly dependent woman who swallowed the theft of her art and enjoyed the income from her husband's "masterpieces", on the other a conscience-racked soul who could bravely escape the tyranny of her spouses when forced into a corner but couldn't speak up for her brainchildren (forgive the unintended pun). The rigmarole on the Honolulu court was hilarious, albeit also a pathetic denouement for Walter Keane - he should have stuck to realty. May I also add that Margaret tended to marry the wrong guys once and again, perhaps another proof of her dependent personality.
Into the Woods (2014)
Pointless tale with confusing perspectives
Disney has overdone it with adult adaptations of familiar fairy tales this time. This was neither fit for children nor adults; the former would have found the immoral and improper behavior of all their favorite main protagonists disconcerting and the latter were too old for morals, even less so when they were sung. Presentation in musical form was not this film's cardinal sin, rather the blurred morality and perspectives. I sat through the witch with mother issues and parenting control problems, the indecisive Cinderella with a severe inferiority complex (who would want to wear a blood-soaked golden slipper after her sisters mangled their feet for the fitting by the way?), the couple of kleptomanic kids, a baker with absent father issues, the narcissistic chest-baring duet by the princes was even a bit funny - all that and still I would have rated this movie higher if it had ended at the "happily ever after" spot. But no, the playwright had to ruin it by adding the philandering prince's encounter with the flighty baker's wife (what was that for anyway?!) and the unrealistic concerted efforts in killing a wronged giantess by the "survivors". Completely superfluous and dragged on the story way too long. If you ask me, apologies with forgiveness were overdue to the poor giants and that should have been the proper ending - now that's a proper moral for this confusing tale. Well the attempt at interweaving old stories was heroic, though the outcome was disastrous.
Taken 3 (2014)
Better than expected
To confess I harboured no expectations when I entered the theatre; this being the third of a series and because Taken 2 was not impressive as a sequel. The almost-identical plot of Liam Neeson rescuing his family - his must be the most ill-stricken in recent movie history - by his daring, his cunning and his expert personal combat skills grew old at the third movie. Surprisingly this film yielded more than anticipated. There were new elements added to the recurring "abduction" theme, and there was actually a not-too-flimsy plot. Here the audience witnessed Bryan's struggle with staying out of his ex-wife's failing marriage and then finding his deeply loved ex-wife murdered with him, of course, being framed for the act. As entertaining and adrenaline-pumping the revenge and combat scenes were, it was heartening to find the a twist (albeit superficial) in the tale; and the stereotype Russian militia gangs were not the "final boss". Naturally, our hero managed to turn the tables and save the day, backed up by his silvered team. One final note: not too sure if the Porsche outdoing a jet was a produce placement, but it sure was a cool one that would stick.
White Bird in a Blizzard (2014)
Bit off more than it could chew
Grabbed a friend who was interested by this movie because it premiered at the Sundance film festival and the subject matter appeared intriguing. Turns out this was a "coming-of- age" movie attempting to explore grief, guilt and denial all at one go. The effort should be commended; though the outcome was perhaps less than satisfactory as the director seemed to have bitten more off than s/he could chew. Here the audience followed the chief protagonist as she embarked on a journey of self-discovery from adolescence to adulthood, the usual for any American teenager with a number of casual relationships on the way - except this one was marred by the inexplicable disappearance of her mother. The movie showed how she handled her sense of loss and delayed grief, and how she faced herself as "the ludicrous" materialized into "the reality". The shrink sessions appeared to be interludes for Kat to summarize and organize her thoughts and her life, and the audience accompanied her as she was guided through denial to the blaring truth. There were other issues this movie tried to touch upon (yes and that's why it was such a big chunk to try digest in 1.5 hours) - such as the pent-up energy and frustration of desperate housewives in that era - again there wasn't enough footage to delve into such issues and thus one gets a feeling of insatiety. Lastly, the role of the boyfriend, ironically the key to the whole business, was supposed to be the catalyst but his presence was wishy-washy throughout and did not carry the weight this role should have conveyed.
Life of Pi (2012)
Beautiful - symbolism notwithstanding
The movie introduced the audience to the amazingly introspective world of the Indian youth Pi by showing a picturesque colonial India and in a narrative interjected with the humour of that era. Spectators were drawn into the interesting and enchanting journey of the main protagonist as he went in search of faith, as he dealt with campus bullying and as he trod lightly on the path of love. All this but to set the scene for Pi's fight for survival as he embarked on the magical trip afloat on the treacherous seas after the tragic shipwreck. The sheer vastness and despair of this one youth combating the elements amidst endless waters was heartrending. Disregarding the intriguing symbolism of the tiger, Pi's efforts to turn foe to partner by following the survival guidebook were amusing. As always, one could expect astounding visual effects with Ang Lee's productions - his light plays, the flying fish "stampede", the whale's fluorescent dance, the Fantasia of night sea creatures, the carnivorous oasis, etc. - were filmed to impress, and impress they did. Some found the "real-life" version a disillusion and, like the writer, started interpreting all scenes anew (men the ultimate carnivores, the vegetarian's killing spree and cannibalism, learning to face one's inner demons, etc. ) - but that, to me, would be denuding this wonderful production of its enchanting quality. Enjoy the show, I say, and forget the metaphors.
Kis Uykusu (2014)
Good, but not that good
My first impression after watching this acclaimed movie was that it did not strike me as a Palm D'Or award winner, and that the story was too drawn out. 196 minutes would be considered long for a film by any standards, and personally I believe what makes a good movie includes the director's ability to tell a good story within the attention span of your audience. What added on to the feeling that this movie was way too long was the fact that some conversations were not as intriguing or revealing as the director or playwright thought they would be. The amount of bickering was in excess, and it was trying the audience's concentration and patience. This could have been handled better; the interpersonal affray could be sharper, the digging up of old feuds, the dirt dishing, the flinging of family skeletons all felt lukewarm. There is, of course, no lack of dramatic irony; this was well appreciated at times, even if it was an age-old cliché to have a husband pretending to leave town in the hope of catching his wife unawares. The screaming hypocrisy of the middle class and the bourgeois embodied by the chief protagonist was well played. He lived contentedly in his snug little comfort zone in self-deceit, oblivious to the world around him and the needs of others, fussing over trivial matters and oozing with self-importance over his petty articles, believing himself to be a pillar of spiritual and literary influence he hardly was (as pointed out by his sister). The ever widening rift between the social classes mocked the charity work by Nihal to the poor, for her it was a hobby, something to channel her energy and efforts into to dissipate her boredom to be married to a rich old man whom she did not love. Thus her utter dismay and disbelief to have her well-intended charity backlash with such fury (tossing stacked cash into the fireplace to spite must feel powerful), yet she had never envisaged that her kind gesture was an insult humiliating honest poor folks who were used to earning their keep. The film also dripped heavily with symbolism - I imagine the horse representing ideals, dreams and freedom, though what the rabbit meant was unclear to me. For those who love astounding visuals, this movie would not disappoint. The breaking in of the steed was a stunning scene though some might find it uncomfortable. The Turkish landscape is presented in a poetic and artistic portrayal with many breathtaking sights. One could not but be mesmerized by the snow-capped mountains and the mist veiling the ridges and the valleys. The picturesque quaint old buildings and the majestic ancient architecture made this movie almost an unofficial tourism bureau advertisement. In the end, the chief protagonist appeared to have found a new meaning in life - at least he did begin to write his book. His beautiful pretentious wife learnt a lesson (hopefully) and where do we find ourselves? Exactly where we began? An interesting end to a supposedly insightful introspective journey. It was worth mentioning that in Hong Kong, the movie was translated into "winter awakening", which might be a more apt title. Last but not least, good acting on the part of most actors and actresses who managed to carry the story across (in spite of the script and the dialogue at times) convincingly and realistically.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Slightly idealistic but visually pleasing
As the final chapter of the prequel to The Lord of the Rings, I find this movie satisfactory. It was fairly faithful to the original fiction, though of course Tauriel was added to appease the audience who longed to see friendship-love between the feuding Elves and Dwarfs. As expected there was lots of fighting which was realistic but the bloodshed wasn't overwhelming. I have reservations at the idealistic victorious outcome, which should have been impossible given the state of matters. The coming of the Eagles, so essential in turning the tide, should have been more stunning and powerful. Otherwise it could convince no one that the latter would win a battle between two swarming armies of fighter Orcs against an assorted alliance of dwindling armies consisting of untrained villagers, reluctant Elves under a selfish Elvish Lord and biased mercenary stubborn Dwarfs. The sudden change of mind of the King of Mirkwood felt staged; so true love between a subject he banished and disliked due to Legolas' infatuation would convert the cold and hardened Thranduil to a loving and feeling Elf like that? The awakening of Thorin Oakenshield was much more natural, perhaps because Tolkien wrote the transformation. The little twist in the tale when Bilbo returned home to find his belongings being auctioned off as he was missing presumed dead provided the comic relief one needed from the heavy hearted farewells from the battlefield. Fortunately, despite all the fabricated bits, there remains the main theme unaltered - true friendship and never-ending resistance against evil.
Yang jia jiang (2013)
Only if you like to-the-death fighting
This movie will be receiving greatly divided reviews in IMDb; because of the exclusively Chinese topic its target audience (the Chinese populations all over the world) would regard this as an over-narrated story (with numerous TV and movie adaptations since the introduction of the movie and television industry). Therefore the impressions of Chinese viewers would likely differ drastically from spectators who had not had a chance of familiarizing themselves with the tales of the Yang warriors, the adventures of brave men and women (yes the widows) spanning sagas in Chinese fiction. First of all, despite the cast of handsome actors from the major Chinese-speaking regions, the plot was flimsy. The characters hardly got developed at all amidst the endless fighting; the audience could barely distinguish one brother from another. The movie's focus was on the to-the-death rescue by seven fighter sons of a father held in a trap by their foes. Well the sons fell unwittingly into the trap and all but one survived. Being so outnumbered, I wonder if the several fights detailing how the brothers were killed were necessary at all - they should all have succumbed when the catapults attacked the besieged fort. The final fistfight was unrealistic; there was no reason whatsoever for the sixth son to win, unless multiple tragedies also impose superhuman strength on one. The final scene appeared to hint at a sequel - with the widows all dressed in militia armour - if the standards are the same the sequel best remains unfilmed. A final point in case it is lost in translation; in Chinese "six" and "sixth" is represented by the same character, so the guru master played a word pun with the oracle.
Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait au bon Dieu? (2014)
Gentle fun on races and ethnicities
The background of this movie alone attracted us into the theatre, imagine the possibilities the director had of playing with such a multiethnic and multicultural family. Traditional French bourgeois Catholic Caucasian couple raising four daughters, three of whom married (in that order) a Moroccan Muslim, a Jew and a Chinese, with the fourth about to enter into matrimony with a Negro-African. And the movie did not disappoint. There was non-stop laughter throughout, the stream of irony and humour flowing from one scene to another, highlighting and poking fun at the impressions, the idée fixes, the stereotypes people harbour towards members of a different ethnicity or culture. And you realize that one can unwittingly become a racist without the slightest intention, and offend even when treading most cautiously. What I liked most about this movie is its positive air, the family values it fosters, the notion that we are all members of a nation regardless of ethnicity (re: La Marseillaise scene) and the efforts each and every member of the family puts in to attain harmony (re: Marie and her turkeys). Cliché as this might seem, it is heartwarming and makes this little gem a first choice in light entertainment for the evening in this festive season.
Sepideh (2013)
Inspiring tale of a stargazing Iranian girl
For those who have watched another movie called "A Separation", I must say this movie instilled similar feelings - that one is very fortunate to be born in a free society with such little (or no) restraints on women and their personal and career development. It is most moving to follow the footsteps of a girl who began as a stargazer to a serious amateur astronomer hoping to further her development in the profession. She was faced with numerous obstacles - very aptly presented in the documentary by the various characters (who are in fact important persons in Sepideh's life). As a young Iranian girl, she is subject to customs and cultural expectations which inadvertently clashed with her nocturnal observation activity. The conversation between the chief protagonist and her maternal uncle who obviously did have Sepideh's welfare in mind despite his views and disapproval was most moving. So was the poetry quoted by Sepideh when she related the pains of being the little understood. A very practical concern is the financial strain of her family which jeopardizes the chance of her attending university. The audience rejoiced with Sepideh when the apparent solution was in sight, and their hearts fell just as she did when her efforts did not come to fruition. It was a slightly tense moment when Sepideh's mentor Mr. Kabiri revealed his disappointment in her choices and that he had expected more of her (though it beats me why he would think the unfinished observatory would get a greater chance of completion should Sepideh follow his footsteps rather than her returning home as a professional in future to promote astronomy). All in all, an inspiring portrayal of a girl who battles suppression and repression to realize her dreams - and there is little excuse for those of us enjoying more freedom not to strive towards our goals.
Interstellar (2014)
Movie of the Year
Nolan is undoubtedly one of the greatest directors of our times; his masterpieces have sparked a number of similar (though all inferior) works and he has inspired (and will continue to inspire) generations of talents. The worshippers of cult flicks will remember him for "Memento", the mind psyche group will revere "Inception", while I believe he will establish his place in the cinematographic hall of fame with his Batman series and this movie - Interstellar. The world described here is a bleak barren land going through a global scale of desertification. Mankind has been reduced to pathetic beings facing famine and starvation as a constant threat. Dreams and aspirations are luxuries and the dreary daily battle with dust and sandstorms as well as dwindling agricultural produce make this a drawn-out version of living hell. Our chief protagonist is an explorer and adventurer who, like a fish out of water in his present existence, jumped at the one chance of saving the world by doing what he does best. As expected, this turns out to be an introspective and revealing odyssey putting humanity to the test. Thanks to the almost-too-smooth twist of the plot, the ending was brighter than what we thought it would be. Do not miss TARS the robot - providing the necessary mirth to dissipate the doom and gloom that might otherwise haunt the movie. The concepts of relativity, black holes, wormholes, 5-dimensional existence, etc. are quite well explained thus digging up physics textbooks are superfluous. This is quite definitely the 2014 film of the year (with only two remaining months to go). Highly recommended.
Dracula Untold (2014)
Disappointing Dracula
To confess, I was not as enthusiastic as my friend in anticipation of this film though we both have a penchant for vampires. It appeared that the story was already clearly outlined in the trailer. Nevertheless, I hoped it would be good entertainment. Unfortunately, the viewing only proved my initial suspicion true. The plot was paper-thin, the character development non-existent and the ending ambiguous and weak. Numerous unexplained points were left hanging in the air (the excuse of these being the basis of a sequel doesn't work unless people really want to watch another movie like this), and this left the audience perplexed and unsatisfied.
The director should have delved into the human-monster struggle and make that the focus of the film. Now the pain and suffering of Vlad was only lightly touched upon and the description of his resistance was superficial. Lacking dramatic force and tension, the subsequent narrative of this supposedly tragic hero became strained and stretched. It was not within even shouting distance of its epic counterparts.
Come to speak of it, the circumstances that drove the main protagonist to seek help from supernatural powers were weak in the first place. And for the sake of argument, why would the master vampire even bother to impart the secret of the undead to Vlad at all? If he were that eager to break his curse he should be turning every intruder instead of devouring them.
To conclude, this barely qualifies as no-brain entertainment if one is besotted and mesmerized by Luke Evans. Otherwise, forget it.
Chef (2014)
The usual loser-turns-around tale
What happens when life gets nasty and trips you up? The chief protagonist was (literally) shaken and waken up from a creative culinary rut by the venomous review of a renowned critic who was formerly a fan. After unknowingly and unwittingly starting a virtual war with the critic (to sidetrack, hard as it might be to believe any individual living in the current era not knowing how to Tweet or use Facebook, nevertheless there ARE such primeval beings around and our chef portrayed such a "living fossil" quite well) and losing everything after a major collision, Carl ate humble pie, went back to basics and started a food truck. Which then was a phenomenal success. Somewhat cliché as it might seem, this movie emphasized the importance of supportive family and friends when one is in a rough patch plus reiterated the vitals in cooking - great food and real heart (re: scene when it was proposed that a burnt sandwich could pass at a giveaway). Simplistically and idealistically, everything turned out the best for Carl and all's well that ends well. Some of the scenes were too noisy and left dialogues hanging in the air, though the storyline remained intact and the storytelling smooth. But the script could have expounded on the self-discovery culinary journey more: it would take more than a Cuban sandwich to convince the audience our chef is back in full gear. All in all, this is a heartwarming and enjoyable movie that would leave viewers comforted and content - but skeptical viewers might call it a modern fairytale of the loser-turn-around genre.
Begin Again (2013)
Viva the Music!
This movie caught my attention first because of its catchy quote "you are only as strong as your next move", and then because many acquaintances raved about it and posted "highly recommended" posts all over their social networks. Went with a friend who also needed boosting and a pat on the shoulder for recent hurdles. After seeing the movie, I could see why the critic reviews were so favourable. This film was laudable - the lyrics are more poetry than prose, the melodies sweetly haunting, the interaction between the characters not banal or disappointing, the soundtrack is a must- get and it left viewers with a general air of hope and rekindled the belief of victory over fate. Kudos to the team for not ruining the story with tacky romantic pairings and for keeping music, the love for music, the music lovers as the triad theme.