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cb_backupSome movie reviews. Don't read if you mind spoilers!
Lust, Caution
From Ang Lee, director of Brokeback Mountain, and starring Tony Leung and Tang Wei (who was incredible). It's set in 1942 during the Japanese occupation of China, and is about a female resistance fighter sent to seduce a high-ranking Japanese collaborator. I was hesitant to see this despite good reviews, because Brokeback had received good reviews too and I hadn't liked it. And, I'm still not sure if I like it or not, and like is too simple a word to be associated with it anyway. The acting was amazing, as were the sets, as was the cinematography, etcetc. I want to say that it was too real, but that's not it, either, because what's depicted here is more joyless and brutal than any reality I've ever experienced (and I am so glad for that). When I finished watching I got some of the same feeling I get when waking from a bad dream. There were parts that were enraging - how much the female protag, Wang Chia Chi, was asked to give up of herself and how it was taken almost for granted that she would, how she was used, how the only time anyone had ever looked out for her was at the end when her target said she didn't need to worry, he'd protect her (and how that turned out to be a lie too). There were also parts that felt claustrophobically uncomfortable, though not the sexual intimacy (of which there was a lot. first time I've seen so many graphic sexual positions outside the kama sutra) as much as the emotional one. It would've been so much easier if the only thing she'd felt, if she'd felt anything at all, was hatred. And, the thing is, I would write it off as a sexist movie about a girl falling in love/finding pleasure in the arms of her captor/oppressor and paying for it in the end... except for the fact that the girl in question was the most sympathetic character in the movie, the only one brave enough and principled enough to retain her humanity.
Ang Lee said in an interview: "It was hard for me to live in Eileen Chang's world. There are days I hated her for it. It's so sad, so tragic. But you realize there's a shortage of love in her life: romantic love, family love. This is the story of what killed love for her." The ultimate take-away message (for me): Never become a spy, even if the guy you're secretly crushing on asks you and it comes with a fabulous wardrobe. You might have to seduce a sadist that you ultimately end up falling for (hello Stockholm Syndrome) and who orders you and your fellow spies executed when he finds out your real identity.
If you've seen this movie, let me know what you think. I'm somewhat at a loss to analyze my own reactions.
Juno
THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THE MOVIE ABOVE. I don't think there's anyone who hasn't heard about it. I liked it, found it very entertaining and fun, but am confused about why people seem to consider it so life-changing. Maybe I'm just the wrong demographic? It is a good movie. It has a surprising plot, awesome characterization, and the whole thing is very endearing. The ultimate take-away message (for me): Teenage pregnancy can be as cute as a furry panda yay.
Descent
A British horror movie about six women who go on a caving expedition that goes wrong. There are two versions - one for the US and one for the rest of the world, and I found the second one more compelling. If you haven't watched this, even if you don't mind spoilers, stop reading now! The less you know about the film going in the more enjoyable it is, I think.
So, yes. Caving expedition! One of the tunnels collapses and they're stuck, have to try and find another way out! Run into another species that chases them around and tries to kill and eat them! (And, just a note: this new species is the funniest looking thing EVER. I am the biggest wimp when it comes to horror movies, and even I was kinda amused at some of the scenes.) Halfway through I was afraid that it was just going to end up being another repetitive hacker movie, but ohman, the ending turns out to be so much more, not just physical but psychological horror, a descent into madness and darkness. The last scene (in the longer version, not the US version) was so haunting and unexpected.
The ultimate take-away message (for me): If I ever get married and have a kid and then while coming back from a rafting trip my husband and kid are killed in a road accident and years later when I'm still kind of messed up my friend asks me to go on an adventure with her like I used to before the traffic accident? I should say no!
Jodhaa Akbar
A Bollywood movie, apparently based on a true story about the romance between Akbar, a Mughal king, played by Hritik Roshan, and his Rajput wife Jodhaa, played by Aishwariya Rai. The history it's based on is extremely interesting. The Rajputs were awesome, ruthless and unrelenting as warriors, and Akbar was a brilliant king, the way he was able to bring his court together and rule for as long as he did, cementing the Mughal empire and ensuring it would survive after he died, and quite an enlightened one, too (if we forget about the whole I AM A GOD WORSHIP ME >:E phase he went through, an insanity that seems distressingly prevalent in kings, but the important thing is, the phase passed! can't begrudge kings a few midlife crises, even if they do take them to extremes). Anyway, considering the history and the director, I went in with high expectations, and yeah. The movie turned out to be one of the most boring useless things I've sat through. Half of it consisted of just about everyone and their pet elephant singing and dancing praises to Akbar (you think I'm kidding but I'm really not), and I say just about everyone because of course the bad guys would do their very ineffective and cowardly and evil best to kill him. The other half of the movie consisted of Aishwariya Rai, completely miscast as Jodhaa, wailing about how awful her life was. And, just in case this wasn't enough and you wanted more, there were Jodhaa & Akbar fight scenes stolen straight from Chinese martial arts films, with Aishwariya Rai starring as the most unbelievable swordswoman ever. I know nothing about swordfighting and even I could tell that her stances were wrong, that she was leaning too far forward during the thrusts and leaving herself too open. If a complete neophyte can spot flaws in a martial arts technique, then either its time to fire the coach or fire the actress, and I'm thinking it should be the latter, because for all the flaws in this movie when Hritik Roshan was fighting or practicing he looked awesome.
This movie did succeed in cementing my dislike of Aishwariya Rai. There was a time when I thought her beautiful. But she has the kind of regular average features that get really boring to look at after a while, with nothing particularly arresting. And considering the fact that she can't act or dance all that well, seems to have the force of personality of a flighty teenager, and takes on the same type of roles all the freaking time - the embodiment of beauty and suffering and fidelity and love and if I had to take a shot every time I saw her red-eyed and crying I'd be drunk almost before the opening credits - there's nothing redeeming left, really, no reason to keep watching.
Ultimate take-away message (for me): Bollywood has got to stop making such boring, useless movies. And it's a bad idea to play drinking games during Aishwariya Rai movies.
.
Lust, Caution
From Ang Lee, director of Brokeback Mountain, and starring Tony Leung and Tang Wei (who was incredible). It's set in 1942 during the Japanese occupation of China, and is about a female resistance fighter sent to seduce a high-ranking Japanese collaborator. I was hesitant to see this despite good reviews, because Brokeback had received good reviews too and I hadn't liked it. And, I'm still not sure if I like it or not, and like is too simple a word to be associated with it anyway. The acting was amazing, as were the sets, as was the cinematography, etcetc. I want to say that it was too real, but that's not it, either, because what's depicted here is more joyless and brutal than any reality I've ever experienced (and I am so glad for that). When I finished watching I got some of the same feeling I get when waking from a bad dream. There were parts that were enraging - how much the female protag, Wang Chia Chi, was asked to give up of herself and how it was taken almost for granted that she would, how she was used, how the only time anyone had ever looked out for her was at the end when her target said she didn't need to worry, he'd protect her (and how that turned out to be a lie too). There were also parts that felt claustrophobically uncomfortable, though not the sexual intimacy (of which there was a lot. first time I've seen so many graphic sexual positions outside the kama sutra) as much as the emotional one. It would've been so much easier if the only thing she'd felt, if she'd felt anything at all, was hatred. And, the thing is, I would write it off as a sexist movie about a girl falling in love/finding pleasure in the arms of her captor/oppressor and paying for it in the end... except for the fact that the girl in question was the most sympathetic character in the movie, the only one brave enough and principled enough to retain her humanity.
Ang Lee said in an interview: "It was hard for me to live in Eileen Chang's world. There are days I hated her for it. It's so sad, so tragic. But you realize there's a shortage of love in her life: romantic love, family love. This is the story of what killed love for her." The ultimate take-away message (for me): Never become a spy, even if the guy you're secretly crushing on asks you and it comes with a fabulous wardrobe. You might have to seduce a sadist that you ultimately end up falling for (hello Stockholm Syndrome) and who orders you and your fellow spies executed when he finds out your real identity.
If you've seen this movie, let me know what you think. I'm somewhat at a loss to analyze my own reactions.
Juno
THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THE MOVIE ABOVE. I don't think there's anyone who hasn't heard about it. I liked it, found it very entertaining and fun, but am confused about why people seem to consider it so life-changing. Maybe I'm just the wrong demographic? It is a good movie. It has a surprising plot, awesome characterization, and the whole thing is very endearing. The ultimate take-away message (for me): Teenage pregnancy can be as cute as a furry panda yay.
Descent
A British horror movie about six women who go on a caving expedition that goes wrong. There are two versions - one for the US and one for the rest of the world, and I found the second one more compelling. If you haven't watched this, even if you don't mind spoilers, stop reading now! The less you know about the film going in the more enjoyable it is, I think.
So, yes. Caving expedition! One of the tunnels collapses and they're stuck, have to try and find another way out! Run into another species that chases them around and tries to kill and eat them! (And, just a note: this new species is the funniest looking thing EVER. I am the biggest wimp when it comes to horror movies, and even I was kinda amused at some of the scenes.) Halfway through I was afraid that it was just going to end up being another repetitive hacker movie, but ohman, the ending turns out to be so much more, not just physical but psychological horror, a descent into madness and darkness. The last scene (in the longer version, not the US version) was so haunting and unexpected.
The ultimate take-away message (for me): If I ever get married and have a kid and then while coming back from a rafting trip my husband and kid are killed in a road accident and years later when I'm still kind of messed up my friend asks me to go on an adventure with her like I used to before the traffic accident? I should say no!
Jodhaa Akbar
A Bollywood movie, apparently based on a true story about the romance between Akbar, a Mughal king, played by Hritik Roshan, and his Rajput wife Jodhaa, played by Aishwariya Rai. The history it's based on is extremely interesting. The Rajputs were awesome, ruthless and unrelenting as warriors, and Akbar was a brilliant king, the way he was able to bring his court together and rule for as long as he did, cementing the Mughal empire and ensuring it would survive after he died, and quite an enlightened one, too (if we forget about the whole I AM A GOD WORSHIP ME >:E phase he went through, an insanity that seems distressingly prevalent in kings, but the important thing is, the phase passed! can't begrudge kings a few midlife crises, even if they do take them to extremes). Anyway, considering the history and the director, I went in with high expectations, and yeah. The movie turned out to be one of the most boring useless things I've sat through. Half of it consisted of just about everyone and their pet elephant singing and dancing praises to Akbar (you think I'm kidding but I'm really not), and I say just about everyone because of course the bad guys would do their very ineffective and cowardly and evil best to kill him. The other half of the movie consisted of Aishwariya Rai, completely miscast as Jodhaa, wailing about how awful her life was. And, just in case this wasn't enough and you wanted more, there were Jodhaa & Akbar fight scenes stolen straight from Chinese martial arts films, with Aishwariya Rai starring as the most unbelievable swordswoman ever. I know nothing about swordfighting and even I could tell that her stances were wrong, that she was leaning too far forward during the thrusts and leaving herself too open. If a complete neophyte can spot flaws in a martial arts technique, then either its time to fire the coach or fire the actress, and I'm thinking it should be the latter, because for all the flaws in this movie when Hritik Roshan was fighting or practicing he looked awesome.
This movie did succeed in cementing my dislike of Aishwariya Rai. There was a time when I thought her beautiful. But she has the kind of regular average features that get really boring to look at after a while, with nothing particularly arresting. And considering the fact that she can't act or dance all that well, seems to have the force of personality of a flighty teenager, and takes on the same type of roles all the freaking time - the embodiment of beauty and suffering and fidelity and love and if I had to take a shot every time I saw her red-eyed and crying I'd be drunk almost before the opening credits - there's nothing redeeming left, really, no reason to keep watching.
Ultimate take-away message (for me): Bollywood has got to stop making such boring, useless movies. And it's a bad idea to play drinking games during Aishwariya Rai movies.
.
