Leap Year (2010)

Riyan told me to check out the trailer for the American film Leap Year, sometime ago. It's set to be released in 2010 - I'm presuming sometime in February. (Ok duh, leap year).

Once I told him I was done watching it, he exclaimed, "It's so bad, isn't it? It feels like I'd just finished watching the entire film."

Go watch the trailer and you'll get the point. :D

2012

'Hollywood bullshit has won over Bollywood bullshit in the form of 2012' - A status I saw on my Facebook live feed a couple of days ago. A bit harsh, I thought. I've since understood what he meant.

I don't even need to include spoilers to prove his point. Watch the film's trailer and you'll get a gist of how overtly dramatic and preposterous the entire film was. Evading the town in a cramped car in spite of the earthquakes, and escaping two collapsing buildings on a small jet - You have to be some sort of a modern day Moses to be able to escape that extent of wrath Mother Nature has showed. There were too much fancy schmancy going on in the film that they forgot to instill realism in what was happening. Or maybe that was the style that director Roland Emmerich was going for. Perhaps it was his subtle way of conveying his amusement at the silly concept of 2012. Who'd know.

What I do know is that director Roland Emmerich was the man behind Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998), The Day After Tomorrow (2006) and 10,000 B.C. (2008). What they all had in common were the over-dramatised effects, and a world destruction plot. So perhaps, Emmerich was getting a tad too comfortable with his overused recipe for world destruction on film.

Obviously the movie title doesn't even deserve to be named '2012', seeing that the Mayan belief of 2012 was merely briefly mentioned and the entire film afterward was nothing more than a major visceral thrill of effects which incurred about US$200million or more in costs.

So sit back, and enjoy the film merely as a visual rollercoaster but don't expect too much on the concept of 2012 itself. For the latter, you're much better off watching a documentary.

If anyone were to think I'd be able to believe any of the occurrences in the film, I might as well go as far as to believe that due to the extreme tectonic plate shifts during the entire course of world annihilation, Republic of Ireland ended up being next to Singapore.

The Clearing

Do you love me?
Yes.
Then I have everything I need.

That was the only bit I caught from the movie as I switched on the television set. And that was enough to make me feel sappy. And I searched about it online and discovered it was loosely based on Gerrit Jan Heijn. Which sounded like a pretty sad story to begin with. But I didn't read too much into it so... I don't really know what that old case really revolved around.

The movie though included an extra marital affair to it which kind of made the situation suckier. I mean, imagine the day your husband or wife got kidnapped, you found out he/she continued to cheat on you. That must suck knowing your partner is going to be less keen to pay for the ransom for your release. What's even suckier is when you're dead before she could even pay the ransom so the last living thought you had was regret. Sheer regret. Now, that has to suck bad.

Michael Jackson - This Is It

It was fantastic, and I believe so, even for people who aren't fans. I guess the emotional aspect only came near the end when you realise "Okay, you'll never get to see something like this again". Don't expect a story or a plot behind it. Just watch it like you're watching a brilliantly pieced together concert from different days.

Which only means one thing. There won't be 'plot spoilers' in any reviews, you can read them all you want. What I really loved about the movie was how brilliantly executed the choreography and the visual effects were. AND I loved the parts when the 3D remakes of Thriller, Earth Song and Smooth Criminal blended in perfectly with the live performances.

I also appreciated how I could finally see what really goes on in the production of a Michael Jackson concert (though, of course, a slightly under 2hours film isn't going to show you much, and only the bare minimum. But it's better than nothing.) I liked how MJ's passion for his live performances came through and his perfectionism showed. He was extremely detailed and specific in the entire choreography, the dance routines, the way each sequence fuses into the next, and using the exact right tempo and style in music to create the most appropriate dramatic effect for the performances. He was a creative genius and I don't think people realise how heavily involved and how much creative control he actually had in the performances he has put out there.

The film "imbues the King of Pop with a humanity that all the photos ever taken of him could never hope to replicate" - http://bit.ly/4dJBeQ

His apparent child-like demeanour is quite moving, to say the least. Physically though, he looked frail and far too thin. One of the saddest things from this movie was the realisation that for these very talented dancers and musicians who have trained their hardest and looked forward to a chance at achieving their dreams by using the concerts as a stepping stone to their future, would have had their dreams dashed alongside their grief for a new friend made.

And it is also quite sad, of course, to know that in reality, MJ might have loved performing so much because that's probably the only thing he was really good at...that aside from showbiz, he was probably one of the loneliest things in the world. People around him probably never could see him beyond all the fame and money (or lack thereof in the past several years). Except children, of course, which deeply endeared him to them. Now that might spark you guys off a totally different topic altogether. I'm choosing to keep as mum about my own opinions on them as the dead man himself.

Back to the movie, it definitely produced a different feel than anything I've watched at a theatre. Probably because it's one of the only movies where I realised I was surrounded by crying girls and GUYS at the end of the movie (Signs you're actually surrounded by fans or people who are very in touch with their emotions. -shrugs) and one of the first where almost everyone stayed in their seats patiently till the credits rolled to the end. I really can't say more. I don't know where the money's going to and whatever, but try watch it anyway. And just enjoy the last performance by the late King of Pop.

Oh right, on the topic of credits. You should wait till the end because, there are additional clips right at the end. Don't say the internet didn't tell you!

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Where The Wild Things Are

How can someone watch this and say they don't love it?



One of the must-see movies for me. It's coming out pretty late here though - Link. 14th January 2010!

I don't know about you, but just watching the various short clips online and the trailers managed to move me. I've heard that it's a pretty sad story for a child, but hey, I thought the Little Prince was pretty sad too. There's just a sort of deep melancholy about those children books. And somehow, they're the books that really stick by you. It seems like humans are prone to sadness even from a young tender age. I guess sadness is one of the strongest emotions one could feel, and that's why you hardly forget things that revolve around it. Being able to feel sad, makes you feel that you're alive.

Inglourious Basterds: Singapore

So I just saw on a television advert that one of my favourite films of 2009 so far - Inglorious Basterds is coming out in Singapore on Sept 17.

Here's a little post I wrote about it sometime back in Ireland:
http://gravity2103.blogspot.com/2009/08/inglourious-basterds.html

Go catch it if you can! It's really, really good. Critiques of the film, have been quite inconsistent but just watch it anyway to see what the huge deal is about, and see if it works for you. :)

Inglourious Basterds

I managed to catch the Irish advanced screening yesterday. It's a fictitious war film about the fall of the Nazis in the hands of the Basterds. I can safely say it's one movie that will stick by me for years to come. Firstly, the variety of cultures and languages in just one movie might be overbearing in any other movie but I felt it worked well in this one. The cast itself was filled with actors and actresses from various countries aside from "Hollywood." They were a mash of American, British, French, German, Irish, and certainly more. It was refreshing to see such a varied cast working so well together and interesting to watch the intermittent change of languages.

It's an unusual blend of gore, violence and humor that actually worked. The jokes were easily understood among the audience - hearing almost unanimous laughter at varied points throughout the film. To a certain extent, it probably took the impact of the gore away; focusing on the comedy of a Basterd religiously scalping the dead Nazi soldiers instead of the graphics. The film definitely tested one's ability to feel varied emotions at once. At one point, it felt pretty peculiar, feeling a slight sense of panic for broken cover of the Basterds at the scene of the Gala Premiere, while laughing at the mad Hans Landa, and the comical Basterds in failed disguise as Italians.

There were several notable parts in the film, which I'm sure everyone would notice throughout the film. The several twists in the plot keep the audiences glued to their seats, eager to know more right till the end. And the ending certainly proved to be everything worth waiting for.

Anti-Christ

I watched the movie Anti-Christ last week. It's written and directed by Lars von Trier (He's led quite an unorthodox life. Interesting enough for people like me to read about.)

So the film was very controversial. R's been watching the trailers and reading up on it. Yes, we expected the sex, the gore but I don't think either of us had an idea that it was going to be -that- mind-boggling. I realise it's difficult to even describe the film when you have no idea what the message in the film is trying to portray. Apparently, even Lars himself along with the entire filming crew admitted they had no idea what it's about. Though it might be fuelled by Lars' battle with depression in the past recent years.

The plot revolves around the place in the woods they lovingly named Eden. It all started when this one couple who lost their only child one night - the son falling out the window in the snow, while they were engrossed in their passionate lovemaking. The cinematography was pretty unique and beautiful. So much so, it sort of distorts the fact that it's a very dark sinister movie. Somewhat mashing the idea of "beautiful Eden" you know about in the Bible with the sinister place in the woods. The movie was like a painting that moves. Beautiful but very disturbing. The movie itself was broken down into several chapters, building up to the final chapter of The Three Beggars represented by the the deer that was earlier seen limping off with its dead baby dangling out of its body, a crow that just refuses to die, a fox that was earlier found eating it's innards. "When the three beggars arrive, someone must die."

A film of this kind that is so ambiguous about grief, sex, gynocide, sadism is always very open for interpretation.

Bottom line is - you either hate it or love it.

Back from Scotland!

Photos are up on Facebook. Friends only though, for now.
Direct link here.

The Scots definitely managed to impress me in terms of service and hospitality. Aside from all that, the culture and landscape did remind me a lot of Ireland. I don't know how they did it but, even though they have one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe, you hardly see any homeless people nor junkies on the streets. I didn't even manage to catch uncouth, badly-dressed teenagers with terrible hairstyles. Everyone seemed pleasant enough.

Those people sure do have a way of avoiding the financial district.

The citycentre's structural planning is pretty good as well. You'll be greeted by very scenic views of the castle on one side and tall towering statues of local historical figures on the other. It's very easy to get around in the citycentre, seeing they have very distinctive landmarks. I managed to get around without feeling lost while I was there for the 4 days.

The town itself looks amazing. Everything seemed to be in sync. The buildings remain consistent in style, structure and shades of copper, brown and black. The designs never seemed to clash. The modern area is in one place, the historical buildings are in another. Even if there was a mix of modern and olden styled architecture, they seem to blend in well and not look all over the place.

We managed to catch the Edinburgh Film Festival while we were there. It was really enjoyable being able to watch the first public screenings of some films, and meeting the directors and casts of these great movies. My particular favourite was Moon (trailer below). They had a very low budget and they managed to complete pre-prod, prod, and post-prod in 1 year. Media students, you should know how amazing that is for a sci-fi indie film this good. Furthermore, it wasn't just a sci-fi film but tackled more on the emotional aspects of humans ourselves. As complicated as the film may sound, the plot is simple. No man should and could survive all alone. It's a very moving picture, nothing too showy at all.

There were also a couple of big gigs happening which we didn't really get into. And there's the Annual Fringe Comedy festival happening soon. There's always something to be excited about in calm Edinburgh, somehow. Calm, because throughout the 4 days there, even over the weekend, the city was surprisingly not busy. So you can just have a cuppa, enjoying the comfortable weather outdoors at the quaint little cafes.

As you can tell, I really enjoyed it. Of course, there were the downsides. My hairdryer was not working. The toilet door to my supposed 4-star hotel (got it on a deal via aerlingus) seemed to be broken, the shower doors got stuck. But even that didn't put me off too much - The jovial service of the staffs and warm hospitality of the locals transcend the little discomforts.

I'd definitely like to go back for more festivals if I have the chance to. :)

Here's a little panorama before I go:

Fermat's Room

I watched La habitación de Fermat (Fermat's Room) yesterday at the IFI and it was definitely a very engrossing film. I often found myself getting too comfortable in the seat, as though it was home, stretching my legs out and so on, and quickly trying to gain composure - Nobody seemed to notice though, probably just as engrossed in the film as I was ;)

Something like the movie "Cube", but with a more wholesome, logical ending.

-
I've grown to realise that it's not things here that affect (well, maybe a little). For the most part, it's events at home that trigger all these emotions. I worry about home, little snippets I get from home have the ability to make me smile or make me frown.

And it's amazing to see people start meeting up again, how everyone's planning the biggest of plans - all only after I've left, when I used to face so much difficulty trying to meet everyone. It makes me smile knowing everyone's coping well, at the same time, a tinge of... what do you call that? Sadness? Helplessness? It's like a silent voice that's constantly hush-ed up.

On a random note, it'd be nice to see Hanna again. & I can't wait for Ron to come down. A familiar face could make a great deal of difference. :)