It had one of best music scores. I think screenplay was amazing. Editing was top notch. Camera was rolled at all beautiful angles. Story was engrossing. Acting was captivating. Direction was enthralling. Tone was just and apt. Hardly a movie rates high on all so many levels. This individual and technical superiority of all departments was blended into somewhat messy but mostly scintillating piece of cinema. With minor faults here and there but overall a joyous expierience of almost perfect cinema.
Reviews
5 Reviews
Killing Them Softly
(2012)
Forced plot but entertaining
17 November 2019
The narration seems forced. Political undertone is overdone and doesn't connect with plot in a subtle way. Yet the movie is entertaining overall. Action sequences are very well done with good amount of realism and built tension. Plot works but again few dialogues are long and tedious and forced. Acting is fine with no stand out performance. Overall movie leaves you with mixed feelings.
The Seventh Horse of the Sun
(1992)
Gem of a Find
23 October 2017
I was strolling through amazon prime archives for movies in Hindi language. After crap load of 8 page search, i came across an oddly titled movie i had never heard of. It immediately kept my attention as i excitingly saw the director, Shaam Benegal. I had heard of middle cinema but had never witnessed one. And for the next 2 hr and some 20 minutes, movie had my utmost attention. It was gem of a find and it kept me engrossed with its masterful direction, crafty storytelling and surrealistic layers of symbolism scattered all throughout.
Movie is about 3 different stories entangled together at later stage. It amazingly captures same sequences through eyes of different subjects thus peeling of perspectives for same situation and scenes. It dwells into characters and suddenly comments through larger societal lens. And keeps on doing that for much of first half. For sure you would not have seen brutal realism of love stories as portrayed here. Narrative has no particular end, no moments of realization or take away but it flows on like life in general. Story itself is captivating enough. Our main protagonist is connected deeply with stories much later when we further learn how dicey human morals are, how we are mere product of our environment and act to maximize social gains from that environment. There is above all a surrealistic undertone, a detachment of sorts through out the movie. Characters are closely intertwined yet largely detached. And our protagonist is at forefront of this. Until of course the climax of movie hits us hard. And it tells us well that when the music is over, turn off the lights.
Movie is about 3 different stories entangled together at later stage. It amazingly captures same sequences through eyes of different subjects thus peeling of perspectives for same situation and scenes. It dwells into characters and suddenly comments through larger societal lens. And keeps on doing that for much of first half. For sure you would not have seen brutal realism of love stories as portrayed here. Narrative has no particular end, no moments of realization or take away but it flows on like life in general. Story itself is captivating enough. Our main protagonist is connected deeply with stories much later when we further learn how dicey human morals are, how we are mere product of our environment and act to maximize social gains from that environment. There is above all a surrealistic undertone, a detachment of sorts through out the movie. Characters are closely intertwined yet largely detached. And our protagonist is at forefront of this. Until of course the climax of movie hits us hard. And it tells us well that when the music is over, turn off the lights.
Lost in Translation
(2003)
Shoegazing : Skywatching
27 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Lost in Translation is a beautiful and well made cinema.
Single thought : If there was one thing movie was trying to say is that we all are just vaguely living our half lives, unsure of our hazy present. But we can at any time grab what life is offering, accepting its incomprehensible course (lost). Overall: 8/10
Story and screenplay : Well written. It is more sketching of characters and dwelling into them. Extremely grounded, there is not much else happening which is fine since one can dive deep into extremely relatable characters and common life issues being faced by them. Most of movie is about our two main characters trying to make sense out of world around. Be it language barrier scene for Bob, various enigmatic views of Tokyo, or alone trip to Kyoto. Again, So much is lost in making sense of every thing going around. But then again, why don't accept what is gained and be reactive to it. Overall: 8/10
Cinematography: Its purposeful cinematography mostly. But experimentation is vast in other parts. Bridge scene of Tokyo being one such stand out. We are mostly kept in wide range to take characters along with their environment and not independent of them, at all times. Overall : 7/10
Editing: Very edgy and thought provoking. Every time a scene cuts, one is left wondering and interpreting. While sudden cuts work well in most cases, it did seem rather shoved in for sake of it. Overall: 6/10
Acting : oh how amazing Bill Murray is. Perfectly projecting crisis he is into. But Scarlett wins the show hands down. You have to watch movie to know how perfectly both roles have been projected. Support cast had minimum work to do but were did fine job too. Overall: 9/10
Direction and tone: Sofia Coppola does fine job of going the hard way and believing in purpose of movie. Movie is grounded, close to reality and tone melds in very well. It stays true to exploration of personalities and answering common life questions. At no point characters are made to look silly due to emotions. Quirky humor here and there fits perfectly. Surely pace could have been improved. Editing could have been more meaningful. Story could have few more elements but overall a great job. Overall: 8/10
Music, locations, and costumes : Use of alternate music genres with likes of My bloody Valentine and Air well used. Music is so important in the film that there is a whole 5 minutes scene with nothing but drunk people on karaoke. Music here reflects lost, edgy, yet melodious qualities that the movie is trying hard to project. Locations are spellbinding. Tokyo is mostly seen from above the horizon with city and locations itself an integral part of story. We see so many shots of Tokyo both from inside and out in the sky(if it ever is visible in Tokyo) that we bow down to its dominating powerful and chaotic presence. Overall : 9/10
Final thought: go watch with patience, absorb characters, relate, start living them as movie progresses, and come out as a better person and have great experience watching good cinema.
Single thought : If there was one thing movie was trying to say is that we all are just vaguely living our half lives, unsure of our hazy present. But we can at any time grab what life is offering, accepting its incomprehensible course (lost). Overall: 8/10
Story and screenplay : Well written. It is more sketching of characters and dwelling into them. Extremely grounded, there is not much else happening which is fine since one can dive deep into extremely relatable characters and common life issues being faced by them. Most of movie is about our two main characters trying to make sense out of world around. Be it language barrier scene for Bob, various enigmatic views of Tokyo, or alone trip to Kyoto. Again, So much is lost in making sense of every thing going around. But then again, why don't accept what is gained and be reactive to it. Overall: 8/10
Cinematography: Its purposeful cinematography mostly. But experimentation is vast in other parts. Bridge scene of Tokyo being one such stand out. We are mostly kept in wide range to take characters along with their environment and not independent of them, at all times. Overall : 7/10
Editing: Very edgy and thought provoking. Every time a scene cuts, one is left wondering and interpreting. While sudden cuts work well in most cases, it did seem rather shoved in for sake of it. Overall: 6/10
Acting : oh how amazing Bill Murray is. Perfectly projecting crisis he is into. But Scarlett wins the show hands down. You have to watch movie to know how perfectly both roles have been projected. Support cast had minimum work to do but were did fine job too. Overall: 9/10
Direction and tone: Sofia Coppola does fine job of going the hard way and believing in purpose of movie. Movie is grounded, close to reality and tone melds in very well. It stays true to exploration of personalities and answering common life questions. At no point characters are made to look silly due to emotions. Quirky humor here and there fits perfectly. Surely pace could have been improved. Editing could have been more meaningful. Story could have few more elements but overall a great job. Overall: 8/10
Music, locations, and costumes : Use of alternate music genres with likes of My bloody Valentine and Air well used. Music is so important in the film that there is a whole 5 minutes scene with nothing but drunk people on karaoke. Music here reflects lost, edgy, yet melodious qualities that the movie is trying hard to project. Locations are spellbinding. Tokyo is mostly seen from above the horizon with city and locations itself an integral part of story. We see so many shots of Tokyo both from inside and out in the sky(if it ever is visible in Tokyo) that we bow down to its dominating powerful and chaotic presence. Overall : 9/10
Final thought: go watch with patience, absorb characters, relate, start living them as movie progresses, and come out as a better person and have great experience watching good cinema.
American History X
(1998)
Masterclass Melodrama
30 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
American History X is a mad frenzy wrapped in beautiful apparatus of direction, cinematography and screenplay. Although it showcases plethora of emotions, it does so in an unapologetic manner. Movie delivers a powerful and concise message and it all hits you well. Movie scores much less on symbolism and subtlety. But, it scores an 'A' in delivering what it wanted to, in a very direct fashion. It deals with morals, conditions, reasons and consequences of an ideology and gives precise conclusion. It scratches layers subject like racism and makes you dwell deep into all related aspects. Now to story telling and drama, movie does go overboard but keeping in mind the delivery of message, it was highly essential. Journey does get wonderfully erratic. A work on understanding psyche of community and its strong ties are well highlighted but scratch underneath, and you find dark hollowness. Protagonist found just that, as we take a journey with him and his family. Movie is well shot. Close angles captured emotions perfectly, to the point it makes us feel as if we ourselves are encountering situations and questions on subject. All actors do a fantastic job, nothing much on it. It could have been better written or perhaps meanings could have been hidden. Like portraying a step away from such ideology was shown in fully melodramatic manner of removing all posters from room. Overall, its a movie that engrosses you, takes you to uncomfortable zones, puts you into situation many a times, and delivers a particular message that hatred induces such actions and thoughts, and anything based on hatred at its core can bring no good to you.
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