Sunday, December 16, 2012

Up in the Air


There are two angles to this movie; One, the corporate high-flyer lifestyle: “To know me is to fly with me,” Ryan Bingham, George Clooney's character says in the film, like an airborne Descartes. The excellent routine of packing into a non-routined life. The apparent fringe of gathering points for everything you do- and to label it as 'loyalty'.The empty apartment 'home' and the occasional neighbor fuck. For Ryan, the relationship with Alex is a reality because the flights and the hotels and the hotel lounges is his reality, while for Alex he is a 'parenthesis' , a state between her realities.

The other angle is the social impact of the American financial crisis. The 'pink slip' days. And how some people can always benefit in the other's crisis. The way people faced the reality of their mortgaged lives with no job.

I saw the movie again yesterday, months after the first time and decided that I was right, this is a very good movie. To add to it's excellently framed elements is the timing when it was released. It does its social duty- it speaks for its time.

Skyfall


Why do you watch a Bond movie? I well, watch it because everybody watches them. I am no serious Bond fan.
The movie is entertaining, I loved Adele's soundtrack of course and watching this Bond movie I realised all soundtracks have been sung by women. The movie maynot have any severe novelty to offer to the real Bond fan, but I was entertained. The Scottish landscape is very pretty. Bond himself, looked good. I just didn't get the part in the end with Bond shedding tears for M. Nope.

Friday, December 14, 2012

In the mood for love


This is perhaps the most elegant couple on screen ever. I am going to list all the elegant things about the movie which have been praised by many, but here goes- the little apartment space they share, the scenes where they lock their respective doors, enquire about each other, her walking to buy noodles in the rain, the landlady's counsel, their excellent attire, the way they rehearse the same lines again and again with even more effect each time, the curtains in the hotel, the 'quizas, quizas, quizas' song amongst all the other music.What is there not to like about this movie?

Raise the Red Lantern


A breathtaking take on a part of the female society in 1920s China. Beneath the opulent wealth of their surroundings the four wives vie for the attention of the master like flies swarming around a light. Their lives are mostly concentrated on seeking out the master who is ironically only shown in shadows. This forms an interesting contrast actually. The outside world almost never seeps into their lives. The servant woman who also seeks the position of the master's wife and her tragic demise and all the other incidents that unfold and Songlian's subsequent mental decline from having walked into the household on her own to ruling the red lantern roost to being holed up as the 'crazy wife' make a very sad and heartbreaking tale. Gong Li who plays the youngest wife- Songlian is just about perfect. The music of course, is also perfectly chosen..

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Hotel Transylvania


 I have been so excited about watching this movie ever since I was introduced to it in a trailer! This is easily amongst the best animation movies I saw this year. The characters are wonderful, the Dracula is fatherly, an excellent host, caring, loving and scary as the need arises. Frankenstein, who innocently believes that Jonathan the human, is his far removed cousin is my favorite character apart from Dracula and Mavis of course. Chef Quasimodo and Fly are great too. Jonathan and his ' modern 21st century music' is all said and done, very adorable. And Mavis is just utterly gorgeous! The knights, the housekeeping staff,, the old musicians, it was all packed very well!
I should watch the movie again to soak in every detail in every frame, every unnamed character. 
Great Work Adam Sandler!