Mini-review: True Grit (2010)

His jaws dropped on hearing everyone using their ludicrous 'tough guy' accents.

True Grit (2010)

Director: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper and Hailee Steinfeld.

Never have I felt so terribly UNDERWHELMED after seeing a Coens movie. True Grit is a film made by and starring supposedly masters in the art; Coens, Spielberg, Rudin, Bridges, Damon, Burtwell, Brolin and yet what we get is a mediocre film at best. True, that the technical aspects of the film were fantastic but that's a given considering it's a Coens film. Now that the film has received so many accolades and has earned around 250 mil. at the box office makes me wonder, whether the film would've been this successful if it had starred relatively unknown, indie actors instead of Bridges and Damon with no big names to back the movie. True Grit was a disappointment of epic proportions, to be very honest. Sad sad SAD!

Mini-review: Lord of War (2005)

Nic Cage being meaningful, for a change.

Lord of War (2005)
Director: Andrew Niccol
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto, Ethan Hawke and Bridget Moynahan


This is a beautiful, poetic film - the kind that Cage doesn't do very often these days. The film has a strong message, and it presents it in a very sincere manner, though often discontinuous in my opinion, for example Cage's rise to power and dominance in the gunrunning profession was very swift and abrupt. It would've been better if the growth of Cage's character was slower, subtle and more, how do I say it...'Mann'esque. What was most perplexing was how Hawke was cast in such a small role. Even though it was perfect casting, I kept wondering how could an A-list actor agree to do such a small (in terms of screen time) role? Perhaps most of his scenes were edited out. But then again, it's all understandable. The focus of the story was mostly on Yuri (Nic Cage) 's hopes, pains and ambitions and his philosophy than it was on the supporting characters. 

Some of the scenes were very fresh and innovative in the way they were conceptualized, lit, shot, directed and edited, for instance, the opening sequence and the sequence where Yuri is having a guilt trip after snorting a line of brown-brown (a mixture of gunpowder and cocaine!). The soundtrack was fresh and all in all, Lord of War is a very good film, and it certainly deserves a spot in the top 100 films of the decade.

Mini-review: How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)

Simon Pegg is obviously scared shitless here.

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)

Director: Robert B. Weide

Cast: Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Danny Huston, Gillian Anderson, Megan Fox and Jeff Bridges.

Am I the only one who saw this as a romantic comedy? A good, uproariously funny (in a biting, satirical, Brit way) and fresh romantic comedy? Probably so. Granted the film was the guy version of Devil Wears Prada, the romantic chemistry between Simon and Kirsten was just, just...too good. I was a bit disappointed with the climax, yes, but I'm willing to forgive all that for the sheer genius of the film. Comic timing, for an actor and directing a good comedy film, both of these jobs are extremely hard and here, Pegg and Weide have just created nothing less than magic. This is totally a performance driven film from start to finish, with due respect to the fantastic source material, the memoir of the same name by British journalist Toby Young, who is apparently double the trouble than Simon's character (based on Young) is in this film. Danny Huston delivers in a role tailor-made for him. Kirsten is sincere and almost effortless. Gillian Anderson didn't impress me much, except for the fact that she was looking hot, in a particularly milfy way, very different from her Scully avatar. Megan Fox plays her real self and kudos to her for that. And last but not the least, Jeff Bridges is just otherworldly, I can't find any other way to put it, really.

I wish this film was as noticed and praised as The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy or Spaced, the TV series. This is indeed, one of Pegg's better works, if not the best.

Mini-review: Alien³ : Special Edition (1992)

'Alien' and Ripley. Together. Again.

Alien³ : Special Edition (1992)

Director: David Fincher

Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Charles S. Dutton, Lance Henriksen

The Special Edition version contains 30 minutes of additional footage. Some of it works in favor of the film and some of it just has no value, except photogenic and slowing down the film in the process. Alien³ was hated all over when it came to theatres two decades ago. Fans were displeased, critics were unimpressed and James Cameron (director of Aliens, the previous installment in the series) was enraged on seeing three primary characters from his film killed in the very opening minutes of Alien³. All I can say is that, this film is really not that bad. This film didn't deserve that kind of hate, though I think I get where all that hate came from. This film is an example of genuine, inspired direction and I'm not saying this on account of being a rabid David Fincher fan; in fact I consider The Game to be his weakest work (unlike what most people think) and just a mediocre B-movie.

So why did I like it? 

Well first of all I didn't find the deaths of Newt, Bishop and Hicks to hamper the film in any way. In fact the sudden emotional void, thus created, did a double job - it allowed Ripley to form new, fresh relationships in the space prison, and in a way, also added to the grim and hopeless tone of the film. In fact I found this to be the most depressing film Fincher has ever made. None of the characters, not a single one you root for survives till the end, not to mention, die in horrific ways. All the characters (the prison inmates, I mean) are guilt-ridden, slightly paranoid and both their spiritual and intellectual growth has been stunted due to their dark backgrounds, subsequent repentance and finally, full submission to religion. Add to that, they have double Y or XYY chromosome patterns. I googled it to find out its significance to the story and I came to know that XYY people have lower IQ than usual. All of these provides a reason for why the characters were 'uninteresting' (a common complain about the film) as opposed to those in the previous films. As a result they are always scared, praying or are freaking out, not knowing what to do, and David Fincher is totally spot on in recreating their mental state audio-visually; the empty dim-lit corridors, the wet, iron pipes, the constant smoke, the dark, imposing architecture, the constant hollow hum throughout the film, the brilliant use of light and shadows, sounds of distant banter of deranged inmates filling up the desolate iron rooms as 'the beast' lurks around for its prey - all of these stylistic elements and much more plays an important role in strengthening the film that suffers from a very weak screenplay. 

The film is in fact, more of a doomed tragedy, a tale of redemption than it is a monster movie. Moments in the film are just so 'ghostly', that it's almost surreal. 

Now why did people hate this film so much? Perhaps they were appalled by the gloomy nature of this film, or maybe, it was the disturbing gore (this is definitely the goriest film of the series, if you count out Alien: Resurrection that was just plain buffoonish with its gore). Perhaps, they expected something on the line of Aliens, after the utterly senseless and misleading promotional campaign by Fox. But without doubt, the ridiculous ending scene of Ripley grabbing the queen alien bursting from her chest, as she fell into the fire, played a pivotal role for attracting so much criticism. Thankfully, they edited the scene out in this version.

All in all, I think the perfect Alien³ lies somewhere between this version and the original theatrical cut. The original was fast but incoherent in plot progression. This one was a bit too long. Good thing is that the colossal failure of Alien³ didn't stop Fincher from making further films or we would've missed SO MUCH.

Mini-review: Happiness (1998)

Philip Seymour Hoffman looking for a bit of happiness.

Happiness (1998)
Director: Todd Solondz
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jane Adams, Dylan Baker, Lara Flynn Boyle


I am writing this, stupefied by the man, that is Todd Solondz, writer - director of this incredible movie. This is a movie that humanises misfits and geeks and doesn't create caricatures of them. This is a film that humanises a pedophile without exploiting his lack of normalcy as something sad or evil. This is a movie that empathizes with its characters and gives a shoulder to lean on for those quiet, lonely people whose needs are just the same as other, normal folks - to love and be loved, but cannot express it for reasons hard to describe. A film of this kind seems almost like an intense, personal project, considering how deep and objective and yet understanding Solondz is about these people (much like PTA's Boogie Nights). 


Happiness is the epitome of perfection in film. I am a picky person and quickly notice if there's anything wrong or off track with any scene (at least I think so). And here, starting from the choice of lighting (bland, minimalist, reminiscent of American Beauty) to the choice of music (happy sitcom type) to the choice of individual shots or rather moments that remain etched in your mind long after you've finished watching the film, nothing is out of balance or harmony. I would group this along with The Godfather, Seven, American Beauty and Raging Bull as films that left me satisfied both emotionally and also as an appreciator of fine cinema. 


P.S: Philip Seymour Hoffman is a force of nature. He has not more than twenty minutes of screen-time in the film (he's one of the principal characters however) and yet he lives the role like it's his second skin. Watch him take small pauses, looking uncomfortable, blinking his eyes looking for the perfect words, sighing in pathetic desperation as he acts out loneliness in all its colours - black, grey and a lot more.

Mini-review: High Plains Drifter (1973)

Clint Eastwood in annihilation mode as 'The Stranger'

High Plains Drifter (1973)
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Verna Bloom


Not much going for the plot here. Clint Eastwood plays his trademark role of the nameless 'Stranger' with panache and authority. The film boasts of rich, dark atmosphere owing to its low-key cinematography and haunting background score. Eastwood in his black outfit with hat atop stands out in every frame looking mythical and imposing against the barren scenery. As a director, he has done a fine job with a mediocre screenplay by spicing it up with sharp dialogues, black humor and mood. He is particularly clever at throwing in a possible supernatural explanation for his character's origin at the end of the film, something which has kept people talking over the years. 

Mini-review: Howl (2010)

James Franco stars as Beat poet Allen Ginsberg

Howl (2010)
Director: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
Cast: James Franco, David Strathairn, Jon Hamm, Mary - Louise Parker.


The movie is about the Beat generation and its philosophical foundations as much as 24 Hour Party People is about the history of the Madchester music scene. I always try to look for the basic, simple human story underneath heaps of rhetoric, plot and context and to me, 'Howl' is about finding an original voice in a world of cold, clinical machinery run by automatons drained of life blood. The story is the same in every decade. Rock and Roll followed by Beat followed by hippies followed by punk followed by Grunge and so on. The message is the same, it's of protest, just the figures change. 


I have never seen Allen Ginsberg speaking in any documentary or footage before, so I am unacquainted with how he was like in real life. But James Franco gives such a lively, sincere and heartfelt performance that never for a second, I found it difficult to empathize with this lost, melancholic and loving character. Some critics, including Ebert criticized the use of animation to support Howl's (the poem I mean) visual imagery, but for ignorant noobs like us, for us common folk, I think it was a smart move on the makers' part - it allowed me to seep into the world of 1950's post World War trauma and empathize with the lost souls that Ginsberg wrote about in his poem. I am thankful that this film was made or else I would've never come to know about this great man and his mind.