Note: Originally written in September 2015
Earlier this year, Mad Max:Fury Road stood out to be one of those films, which, with its gorgeous cinematography, managed to instill a haunting interest in me towards deserts. Deserts as landscapes, imaginative environments, inspirations and enigmatic ideas. Probably, the inspiration for Fury Road was there in someway all this while in 'Lawrence'. The courage with which David Lean and Freddie Young take this film's cameras into the various landscapes that dot deserts are the subject of much needed cinematic discourse. This has only culminated in visuals that are spellbinding, to say the least. Other than being spectacular, the visuals also add a very quaint dimension to the narrative, strictly in the way the camera moves and chooses where and how to frame the subjects. Like in the eponymous scene where Lawrence walks victoriously on a fallen enemy train, or in the opening shot of the motorcycle. I had an issue with the narrative; with how it chooses to focus more time on certain reflective moments of Lawrence that showcase his emotional turmoil and yet, at the same time, chooses to skimp time from certain crucial moments in the plot that are precursors to this turmoil. Maybe with a second viewing, I would be able to delve deeper into Lean's intentions with the narrative and peel off an unnoticed layer. But that in no way undermines the grandeur of this film; of its vision, its landscape, its imagination and its enigma. The star cast, including Peter O Toole, Omar Sharif, Antony Quinn and Alec Guinness, only adds a rich texture to the film's fabric. But I guess I could just watch this flick numerous times for those visuals of the desert. Read more on the film at IMDB and Letterboxd.
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Note: Originally written in August 2015
It's a rare quality, for a movie to not take itself too seriously, yet provide an exceptional level of precisely laid out thrills, filmmaking brilliance and storytelling grit. The good ole Hollywood action flick was meant to fill into these shoes; though of late we've seen movies waver into either being too serious or being outrageously silly and shoddy. Christopher McQuarrie showed that there is still some hope for the 'classic well made action flick' lovers in his largely undiscovered yet brilliant 'Jack Reacher'. Rogue Nation is his indubitable spot in the limelight. It surely is nothing more than a string of action set pieces woven together by a meek plot about saving the world. Yet, each of these set pieces is so stunningly crafted, that I have actually blurted out more 'whoas' and 'wows' in the theater for this flick than Mad Max: Fury Road. The sound design, cinematography, editing and stunt choreography come together in perfect unison to elevate these action pieces to a spectacular echelon. Joe Kraemer's music has its moments of brilliance. Simon Pegg delivers some rather delightfully funny notes. Rebecca Ferguson kicks some serious ass. (yay to more serious female roles; cue - Imperator Furiosa). And the movie has so many surprises that aren't shown in the trailer, for goodness sakes. And one last note. Tom Cruise - last action Hero. Period. Catch more on the flick at IMDB and Letterboxd. Note: Originally written in July 2015
Blessed be his soul, Tony Scott had a rare quality of bringing an innate beauty and flamboyance to action flicks. As opposed to the plethora of action flicks we've come to see over the years, the narrative and the camera work in his films are not focussed on creating thrills for the viewer or strictly piloting the story forward. They're quite indulgent on portraying the proceedings; the frames have a poetic sense to them, the characters are overboard, dramatic and charming and the music is intense. The story or the screenplay doesn't really have much to be said about it, save for the fact that this movie stands out to be one of the quintessential fighter plane dog fight movies of all time. But its that indulgence that Tony Scott brings to the narrative, and how Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis abide by it, that makes you want to revisit this flick time and again. Catch more on the flick at IMDB and Letterboxd. |
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