The Evil That Computers Do
In the original Tron, the villain in the virtual world is MCP - Master Control Program - created by a money-hungry business-man, Ed Dillinger. Originally written as a chess playing AI, it transpires that the program develops further intelligence on and of it's own by kidnapping other programs and absorbing their functions. The program, in essence, develops megalomania - taking control of American and Russian government systems at a time during the Cold War - and there's very little doubt as to whether or not this 'intelligent' program is evil.
But in the case of CLU, the villain of Tron: Legacy, this seems not to be the case. He's not so much explicitly evil, but rather he's doing what he was programmed to do - to help Flynn create a perfect world. It just so happens that his idea of a perfect world, contrary to Flynn's, involves genocide.
Okay, so CLU' plans and motives seem like a fairly obvious allegory for Hitler and the Nazis, especially in his desire to rid his world of all 'ISO's, which he considers to be imperfections.
Further to this, he plans to enter the real world with an army, figuring that if a user can be inside the Grid, a program can exist in the real world. And his plan then, is to correct all the imperfections of the world, presumably by exterminating all humans in a move that would make the daleks proud.
In a flashback, we see CLU start to diverge from Flynn in ideology, but more importantly, we see the point where CLU expresses a feeling of betray towards Flynn. Asking "am I to create the perfect world", when Flynn affirms this instruction, CLU then goes ahead and tries to remove Flynn, seeing him as an imperfection and an obstacle to his instruction and his vision. And it's Flynn's resistance and opposition that is, in CLU' eyes, what makes Flynn the bad guy.
Towards the end, this idea is reiterated in CLU' lines "You promised we would change the world together. You broke your promise. I brought the system to its maximum potential - I created the perfect system."
Flynn tries to explain that he didn't fully understand what he wanted (philosophically) when he created CLU and the plan for a perfect world. But ultimately, CLU is just a piece of programming. And unlike the ISOs, he can't operate outside of the instructions programmed into him, unless he's manually reprogrammed. Or else deleted. Which is partly why Flynn and his son need to escape back to the real-world.
Besides this, you have the theme of self-sacrifice - the idea of "removing yourself from the equation". And in fact, Jeff Bridges apparently brought in Zen Buddhist, Bernie Glassman, to help with writing the spiritual subtext of the film.
You also have the ISOs - Isomorphic Algorithms, which are programs that emerged spontaneously from the architecture of the Grid, and that theoretically have a sentience of their own. That is, since they weren't (explicitly) programmed, they aren't bound by predefined instructions, so can act of their own 'free will'. This supposedly gives them the potential to "unlock mysteries in science, religion, and medicine".
This is contrary to the other programs (basics) on the Grid, though this distinction isn't made outwardly obvious, or really explored, in the film.
Script Shortcomings?
A lot, if not most, of the reviews I've seen compliment the films visuals and it's soundtrack, but single out the script as the films weakest part. But if anything, it's fault was that it had several promising ideas that got pushed into the background, which might have made for a richer story had they been expanded on.
And perhaps the other problem is that all of the 28 years that go between the two films (and bearing in mind that time effectively moves slower on the Grid), everything that happens in that time has to be summarised.
The full story of the intervening years is actually expanded in other medias:
Tron: Betrayal, a graphic novel, covers the first half of the story - Flynn returning to the Grid, setting out to create his perfect world. It goes through the creation of CLU2, through "The Miracle" and the appearance of the ISOs, and ends on the eve of "The Purge". (As well as the concurrent real world events).
The video game, Tron: Evolution, then covers "The Purge" - the genocide of the ISOs - how Flynn came to be trapped on the Grid, and everything else leading up to the events of Tron: Legacy.
I'm inclined to believe that the deeper detail that's 'missing' from the film, will in fact be found in these other medias. It's just unfortunate that most people who see Legacy won't come across them, so may be left feeling like big chunks of the story, and the back-story in particular, are just missing or too vague.
And bear in mind that, if we're honest, the script of the original Tron was hardly a masterpiece. But it's not the plot that people remember about it - it's the visuals, the fact that it was ahead of its time, and the fact that it became so influential as a whole.
Holy hell, this movie's slick!
It really is quite a stunning film to look at.
At least one review described it as part sequel, part remake/re-imagining. And that is basically it. If you rewatch Tron having seen Legacy (or vice versa), you see all the little nods to the original, some scenes taken almost verbatim ("big door"). But this is not a bad thing. Given how dramatic the change in the graphic appearance of everything, you'd feel almost let down if you didn't get to see, say, an updated light-cycle.
And the dramatic upgrade in the appearances and visual effects really is a good reflection of how much technology has advanced since 1982.
You also have Jeff Bridges made young again by CGI, for the role of CLU. Now while I was watching I kept thinking how it looked so obviously CGI. But one commenter I saw suggested that this may in fact have been intentional - that since CLU is supposed to be a computer simulation of Flynn, it makes sense for his appearance to reflect that. And in retrospect, I'm inclined to agree.
If you're familiar with Daft Punk's singles, the soundtrack is really not like any of that. In a word, the soundtrack is gorgeous. Reminiscent in places of the likes of Hans Zimmer's Inception and Batman soundtracks in it's rich, powerful architecture, it takes these amazing orchestral pieces and mixes in strong, modernized-retro-syth sounds. And all combined, it just sounds spectacular, and fits the film perfectly.
Honestly, I've been listening to it on repeat almost non-stop. Somehow, they've managed to do for the soundtrack what was done for the visuals - that is take what was in the original film, and update it to make it richer, cleaner, more modern; and yet still maintain the essence and the feel of the original.
A Note on 3D
3D, when done right, can be spectacular. And I certainly appreciate it's "Wizard of Oz"-style implementation in Legacy. But it still has it's drawbacks. The glasses for one, that sit uncomfortably when worn over regular glasses. And besides that, two sets of frames obstruct the view in a slightly irritating way.
But also, the film's faster action scenes were made somehow harder to follow. You have characters in almost identical outfits throwing disks at each other and performing all manner of acrobatics, and it's hard to tell who's in peril or who's winning until they land and pause to catch their own bearings.
And for the love of God, please stop doing the thing where things suddenly fly out of the screen and straight at your head. It freaks me out, and I don't like it.
Conclusion
Tron: Legacy is still running at cinemas, and should be released on DVD around April. The game and GN are available now. The original Tron is suspiciously hard to come by. Which seems to me like a poor move, and the sort of move that encourages piracy. But no doubt it'll be released along with Legacy (probably as a boxset), if not before then.
And as far as sequels, one is currently being written, and while it's still waiting to be greenlit, it seems inevitable.
There's certainly plenty to lead on from; what happened to Jeff Bridges and the Grid, how is Quorra going to cope with being a program in the real world, and how is Ed Dillinger Jr., son of the original film's (real world) villain, going to react to Sam taking over control of Encom..
Overall, I'd give it Legacy maybe 4/5 - as has been said over and over again, it's a pleasure to the senses, but there's certainly room for improvements in the script, which might have been able to elevate it to near perfection.
Oatzy.
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Friday, January 14, 2011
Friday, August 27, 2010
The Good Departed Pilgrim Flew Over The Unbreakable Island Road
Shutter Island
You know you've seen a good film when you're left with a lingering feeling of unease once the film's over. It happened after Inception, and it happened after this.
Based on a book by Dennis Lehane, it's the story of a state trooper investigating a missing patient from from an isolated island-based institute for the criminally insane. Or so it would seem.
It's a twist ending movie. And your experience with the twist may vary. I can't say how obvious it is, but I worked it out before seeing the film, but that didn't remove any from it. Though I'm sure the viewing experience would've been quite different if I hadn't. Still, like Fight Club, knowing what's coming doesn't ruin the film at all.
In fact, while I guessed the major twist, that wasn't all there was to it. And the reveal-all flashback scene to what happened in Leo's past is genuinely unsettling.
It's visually appealing, and in terms of the acting, Leo was fantastic. As was Ben Kingsley. If I ever go batshit, I hope I have a psychotherapist like him.
Overall, I reckon it's made it onto my favourites list, so as you'd probably expect, it comes highly recommended from me. Watch it!
The Road
First of all, as far as I can recall, I've never cried at a movie. And I mean actually cried. Sure, I've been close to tears a few times. But The Road... I don't know why, but that ending really got me*.
It's based on a book by Cormac McCarthy, who also wrote No Country for Old Men, another great film. The most basic description I can come up with is that it's the story of a father and son trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. But unlike other post-apocalyptic films, the dangers are simply from other survivor, who chose to survive by cannibalism, theft, whatever it takes - not some supernatural horror.
It's a slow burner, unusual in a world of more fast-paced, action-filled films. But when the action does come, it's all the more tense. Unlike a lot of horror film, you're not desensitised to the violence and horror, which makes it all the more distressing. And the film as a whole has a general uncomfortable feel to it. But in a good way.
It seems like one of those films that will likely be on so many lists of films to see before you die.. Not quite a cult classic, but certainly not mainstream, despite its critical acclaim.
Nonetheless, it comes with my recommendation.
[*I'm not claiming to be a really macho manly man who doesn't cry for anyone or anything. I just generally.. don't. Maybe I'm just dead inside :p]
The Departed
I seem to have been seeing a lot of Mr DiCaprio recently. You judge for yourself whether that's a good or bad thing. Also staring Matt Damon and an aging Jack Nicholson, it's a modern mafia film (directed my Martin Scorsese), and a decent one at that.
It's also a little mind fuck-y - you have the cops and the gangsters, each with a rat on the other side and each looking for the other's rat, and it's not entirely clear who is actually on who's side.
Okay, so when I said mind fuck-y, what I meant was confusing. The unfortunate thing is, due to my revising at the time, I didn't entirely pay attention to it. So instead, I'm going to bring up The Simpsons.
As per the memeic refrain - Simpsons did it! In an episode when Skinner introduces a new student into the school - Donny - meant to befriend Bart and rat on all his planned pranks. They even go so far as to include the main musical theme from The Departed and parody (among other scenes) the final cut-scene - an actual rat walking across the background. And in The Simpsons, Ralph popping up to say "The rat symbolises obviousness".
There's also an episode of South Park that seems to parody the end, where the cops are randomly executing each other for some, not entirely clear reason.
Well, I say not entirely clear - it may have been more clear if I'd been paying attention.
It's not what I'd call a must see film. But I wouldn't discourage you from seeing it either. I'll leave it up to your judgement.
Unbreakable
It was sold to me as how a superhero origin story should be done. And it was certainly impressive. M. Night Shyamalan has been getting a lot of abuse lately, but we have to remember, there was a time when he was a respected director. And this is one of his better movies.
As I said above, it is a superhero (and nemesis) origin story. And a very good one at that, not least because it convincingly suggests that heroes could exist in the real world. Possibly. And you have little emotional sub-plots in there as well. But what really wins it is Samuel L. Jackson - the Glass Man - brittle-bone sufferer. The Antithesis of Bruce Willis's hero.
But really, Samuel L. is just consistently awesome in everything. And this is certainly no exception. You should see it - especially if you're a comicbook/superheroes fan; but even if you're not.
And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there will be a sequel, and that Shyamalan hasn't completely lost his awesome-movie making abilities. Because the ending really does leave the potential for something great to follow.
Good Will Hunting
So this kid, this delinquent working as a janitor at a university - turns out he's a secret genius. Also, he's Matt Damon. Okay, so if it were that simple, the film would be at risk of being trite. But as you probably already know, this film is critically acclaimed. (And possibly won an Oscar?).
I seem to remember that that part was parodied in an episode of Jimmy Neutron. At least, I think it was Jimmy Neutron. Either way. It's always weird seeing a film, having seen various references and parodies before hand. The Godfather is a good example of that (for me, at least).
But no, the actual bulk of the movie is in Will's relationship with his psychologist - played by Robin Williams. I have to say, Williams is actually a really good actor when he's not playing a buffoon [See also: One Hour Photo].
Okay, so this was another film I only half watch (revising for a maths exam at the time), but what I saw of it was impressive. I might even consider buying it. Possibly. It's probably only about £3 in HMV. We'll see how impulsive I'm feeling.
Yeah, I'd recommend it. One of those you might want to see on TV before buying it. But it is worth a look.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Here's another parodied one, in particular in The Simpsons. And having seen it, all of a sudden a handful of jokes make a lot more sense. Like Bart kidnapping the old people and taking them for a boat trip, and 'the Chief' that throwing a water fountain through a window to 'escape' the old people's home. Also, a big chunk of the Michael Jackson episode.
One Flew centres on criminal Jack Nicholson being sent to a mental hospital and on the people he meets and befriends there. And these patients are at the mercy of Nurse Ratchet - an evil bitch of a woman, who, at one point, guilts one of the patients so much he slits his throat. This leads Jack to try and choke her to death - and as a result, gets lobotomised. Then there's the surprisingly touching/disturbing scene where the lobotomised Nicholson is smothered to death by 'the Chief' - as a mercy killing.
It's a damn good film. I suggest you watch it.
Also worth mentioning: the first two episode of series 6 of House (wherein House has been committed) bear some resemblance to One Flew, and in and of itself they're a fantastic pair of episodes. The rest of the series is a bit hit and miss, but you should definitely watch those two.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
I don't know what some of the other reviewers are talking about - misogynistic?! I honestly don't see it. Or maybe I'm just to misogynistic myself to notice? Either way. The point is, it's a good film. And there's a few pretentious, youth/gamer-hating bastards who could use a good slap.
Based on a graphic novel by Brian Lee O'Malley - Scott Pilgrim, at it's most basic level, is a 'boy meets girl' love story. Albeit one that's been smashed together with a video-game to form this stunning, visually pleasing fusion of a film. Of course, this will not be to everyone's taste. But it was to mine, and ultimately, that's all that really matters.
Oh, and also, Scott has to defeat the girl - Romona Flowers -'s seven evil exes, which he does in true video-game style - compete with the defeated becoming a pile of coins.
The film as a whole.. well, I loved it. I've heard other people speak highly of it. But it's kind of a niche film. Odds are, the people who'll like it the most are those around student-aged. Which is not necessarily a bad thing.
It's funny, it's romantic (but not sickeningly so) it's just generally good fun, and it has 'Vegan Police'. Oh, and did I mention it's visually stunning?
Yeah. If you're around student age or are just a big nerd (or both), I'd recommend it. If you're not, maybe read up on it first..?
[Only downside - not nearly enough prancing :p]
Oatzy.
You know you've seen a good film when you're left with a lingering feeling of unease once the film's over. It happened after Inception, and it happened after this.
Based on a book by Dennis Lehane, it's the story of a state trooper investigating a missing patient from from an isolated island-based institute for the criminally insane. Or so it would seem.
It's a twist ending movie. And your experience with the twist may vary. I can't say how obvious it is, but I worked it out before seeing the film, but that didn't remove any from it. Though I'm sure the viewing experience would've been quite different if I hadn't. Still, like Fight Club, knowing what's coming doesn't ruin the film at all.
In fact, while I guessed the major twist, that wasn't all there was to it. And the reveal-all flashback scene to what happened in Leo's past is genuinely unsettling.
It's visually appealing, and in terms of the acting, Leo was fantastic. As was Ben Kingsley. If I ever go batshit, I hope I have a psychotherapist like him.
Overall, I reckon it's made it onto my favourites list, so as you'd probably expect, it comes highly recommended from me. Watch it!
The Road
First of all, as far as I can recall, I've never cried at a movie. And I mean actually cried. Sure, I've been close to tears a few times. But The Road... I don't know why, but that ending really got me*.
It's based on a book by Cormac McCarthy, who also wrote No Country for Old Men, another great film. The most basic description I can come up with is that it's the story of a father and son trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. But unlike other post-apocalyptic films, the dangers are simply from other survivor, who chose to survive by cannibalism, theft, whatever it takes - not some supernatural horror.
It's a slow burner, unusual in a world of more fast-paced, action-filled films. But when the action does come, it's all the more tense. Unlike a lot of horror film, you're not desensitised to the violence and horror, which makes it all the more distressing. And the film as a whole has a general uncomfortable feel to it. But in a good way.
It seems like one of those films that will likely be on so many lists of films to see before you die.. Not quite a cult classic, but certainly not mainstream, despite its critical acclaim.
Nonetheless, it comes with my recommendation.
[*I'm not claiming to be a really macho manly man who doesn't cry for anyone or anything. I just generally.. don't. Maybe I'm just dead inside :p]
The Departed
I seem to have been seeing a lot of Mr DiCaprio recently. You judge for yourself whether that's a good or bad thing. Also staring Matt Damon and an aging Jack Nicholson, it's a modern mafia film (directed my Martin Scorsese), and a decent one at that.
It's also a little mind fuck-y - you have the cops and the gangsters, each with a rat on the other side and each looking for the other's rat, and it's not entirely clear who is actually on who's side.
Okay, so when I said mind fuck-y, what I meant was confusing. The unfortunate thing is, due to my revising at the time, I didn't entirely pay attention to it. So instead, I'm going to bring up The Simpsons.
As per the memeic refrain - Simpsons did it! In an episode when Skinner introduces a new student into the school - Donny - meant to befriend Bart and rat on all his planned pranks. They even go so far as to include the main musical theme from The Departed and parody (among other scenes) the final cut-scene - an actual rat walking across the background. And in The Simpsons, Ralph popping up to say "The rat symbolises obviousness".
There's also an episode of South Park that seems to parody the end, where the cops are randomly executing each other for some, not entirely clear reason.
Well, I say not entirely clear - it may have been more clear if I'd been paying attention.
It's not what I'd call a must see film. But I wouldn't discourage you from seeing it either. I'll leave it up to your judgement.
Unbreakable
It was sold to me as how a superhero origin story should be done. And it was certainly impressive. M. Night Shyamalan has been getting a lot of abuse lately, but we have to remember, there was a time when he was a respected director. And this is one of his better movies.
As I said above, it is a superhero (and nemesis) origin story. And a very good one at that, not least because it convincingly suggests that heroes could exist in the real world. Possibly. And you have little emotional sub-plots in there as well. But what really wins it is Samuel L. Jackson - the Glass Man - brittle-bone sufferer. The Antithesis of Bruce Willis's hero.
But really, Samuel L. is just consistently awesome in everything. And this is certainly no exception. You should see it - especially if you're a comicbook/superheroes fan; but even if you're not.
And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there will be a sequel, and that Shyamalan hasn't completely lost his awesome-movie making abilities. Because the ending really does leave the potential for something great to follow.
Good Will Hunting
So this kid, this delinquent working as a janitor at a university - turns out he's a secret genius. Also, he's Matt Damon. Okay, so if it were that simple, the film would be at risk of being trite. But as you probably already know, this film is critically acclaimed. (And possibly won an Oscar?).
I seem to remember that that part was parodied in an episode of Jimmy Neutron. At least, I think it was Jimmy Neutron. Either way. It's always weird seeing a film, having seen various references and parodies before hand. The Godfather is a good example of that (for me, at least).
But no, the actual bulk of the movie is in Will's relationship with his psychologist - played by Robin Williams. I have to say, Williams is actually a really good actor when he's not playing a buffoon [See also: One Hour Photo].
Okay, so this was another film I only half watch (revising for a maths exam at the time), but what I saw of it was impressive. I might even consider buying it. Possibly. It's probably only about £3 in HMV. We'll see how impulsive I'm feeling.
Yeah, I'd recommend it. One of those you might want to see on TV before buying it. But it is worth a look.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Here's another parodied one, in particular in The Simpsons. And having seen it, all of a sudden a handful of jokes make a lot more sense. Like Bart kidnapping the old people and taking them for a boat trip, and 'the Chief' that throwing a water fountain through a window to 'escape' the old people's home. Also, a big chunk of the Michael Jackson episode.
One Flew centres on criminal Jack Nicholson being sent to a mental hospital and on the people he meets and befriends there. And these patients are at the mercy of Nurse Ratchet - an evil bitch of a woman, who, at one point, guilts one of the patients so much he slits his throat. This leads Jack to try and choke her to death - and as a result, gets lobotomised. Then there's the surprisingly touching/disturbing scene where the lobotomised Nicholson is smothered to death by 'the Chief' - as a mercy killing.
It's a damn good film. I suggest you watch it.
Also worth mentioning: the first two episode of series 6 of House (wherein House has been committed) bear some resemblance to One Flew, and in and of itself they're a fantastic pair of episodes. The rest of the series is a bit hit and miss, but you should definitely watch those two.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
I don't know what some of the other reviewers are talking about - misogynistic?! I honestly don't see it. Or maybe I'm just to misogynistic myself to notice? Either way. The point is, it's a good film. And there's a few pretentious, youth/gamer-hating bastards who could use a good slap.
Based on a graphic novel by Brian Lee O'Malley - Scott Pilgrim, at it's most basic level, is a 'boy meets girl' love story. Albeit one that's been smashed together with a video-game to form this stunning, visually pleasing fusion of a film. Of course, this will not be to everyone's taste. But it was to mine, and ultimately, that's all that really matters.
Oh, and also, Scott has to defeat the girl - Romona Flowers -'s seven evil exes, which he does in true video-game style - compete with the defeated becoming a pile of coins.
The film as a whole.. well, I loved it. I've heard other people speak highly of it. But it's kind of a niche film. Odds are, the people who'll like it the most are those around student-aged. Which is not necessarily a bad thing.
It's funny, it's romantic (but not sickeningly so) it's just generally good fun, and it has 'Vegan Police'. Oh, and did I mention it's visually stunning?
Yeah. If you're around student age or are just a big nerd (or both), I'd recommend it. If you're not, maybe read up on it first..?
[Only downside - not nearly enough prancing :p]
Oatzy.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
A Handful of Film Reviews
Thanks to LoveFilm, my recently seen movie quota is significantly up at the moment. And you lucky people get to enjoy my so called reviews.
Beginning with..!
Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel
What Shaun of the Dead is to zombies, FAQ about Time Travel is to, well, time travel. And the comparison is obvious and no doubt one that's been used numerous times before (including in the trailer). But, it does capture the general style and feel of the film quite well. It's that quirky, off-beat, British humor we've all grown to know and love (unless you haven't).
Staring Roy out of the IT Crowd, Shakespeare out of that episode of Doctor Who and this other guy, the misadventures of these unlikely heroes centre around the men's bathroom of their local pub where there's some sort of time leak - Weirdness ensues!
And to be honest, I thought it was fantastic. I mean, it's the sort of convoluted time travel madness that Steven Moffat would be proud of, and frankly I welcome it with open arms. And like all infuriating time travel stories, it ends with the major events of the film not actually having happened. Technically.
If you like Doctor Who, if you like time travel, if you like British comedy.., you should like this film.
I'd definitely recommend it.
Catch Me If You can
Great fun. The life of Frank Abagnale Jr. - renowned fraudster. The man who could charm the pants off of anyone. Then slip out the window with all your money. But you'd be too damn impressed to care.
I wouldn't buy it on DVD (unless I were feeling particularly impulsive). But odds are, if you wait til Christmas it'll be on then, if not before. And it is worth watching.
The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus
Heath Ledger's last film. Which is a shame, because he was damn good in it! Johnny Depp was similarly on form; Jude Law and Collin Farrell, nothing special. And Lily Cole was surprisingly not crap!
The story itself surrounds Dr Parnassus and his on-going deals with The Devil - the latest of which is first to five souls, the prize being Parnassus' daughter. And thank God Heath Ledger showed up (hanging from a bridge) or Parnassus would have failed miserably. I mean he did still failed, but it's a lot more intricate than that.
It's quaint and magical and charming; But surprisingly underwhelming. I mean it was 4 out of 5 stars good, but I was expecting something a little more.. epic. If you were planning on buying it, I'd give it a couple of months til the price drops again, but it is worth watching nonetheless.
The Mist
For the love of God, why didn't they kill that nut-case sooner?! The Mist, for those who don't know, features the most infuriating religious psychopath you will ever see, and it'll have you wanting to round up all the God-fearing and have them shot. You know, just in case.
Based on a book by Stephen King, it's fantastic, end of the world, horror that's more about how people can turn against each other in dire situations, than about the actual threat. Though the monsters are suitably formidable.
The Dream Lord himself (Toby Jones)co-stars as friendly shop assistant and surprise bad-ass, and he was just plain amazing. So how dare they let him get eaten when he was so close to freedom and safety.
The other amazing thing about The Mist is its ending. So bittersweet, you'll hate Stephen King for daring to think up something so sinister. But I'm not going to give it away.
Just watch the God damn film! About £10 in HMV, but if you can find it in ASDA (Living) it's £3, and for that price you might as well. Online, you'll have to look it up yourself.
A Scanner Darkly
The rotoscoped marvel - it's basically a cartoon traced from live action film. And it works to good effect. Especially in the more bizarre scenes.
Based on the book of the same title, this is a semi-autobiography of a period of Philip K Dick's life, and as such, it's one of those stories that doesn't really seem to be going anywhere until the big reveal at the end. And what you have at the end is that reveal that a drug rehab clinic uses its most messed up patients to (secretly) grow the drugs that put them in rehab. Keanu was purposefully made addicted to the drugs (unbeknownst to be) by the government so he could get them their evidence.
Robert Downey Jr is great in it. Keanu Reeves is Keanu Reeves. Overall, it's decent. I wouldn't pay for it. I probably wouldn't be bothered about watching it again. But it was worth watching the once. So if it's ever on TV..
Total Recall
"I just had a terrible thought - what if this is a dream?"
Inception, eat your heart out! Based on the story "We Can Remember It For You Whole-sale" by professional mind-fucker, Philip K. Dick.
Staring Governor Schwarzenegger, for the most part it's Sci-fi action thriller, and a decent one at that, if a little flamboyant.
But it gets bonus points in my book thanks to how it's framed. It starts with Arnie going to 'Rekall', a company which offers 'holidays' in the form of implanted memories (claiming that it's just as good as actually going on the holiday). But they offer Arnie something special - an adventure holiday, where he plays the part of a secret agent, who has to save Mars.
But when the machine's started up, it triggers some erased memories that, in fact, he was already a secret agent. Then shit gets real as he's hunted down by his ex-employer, eventually venturing to Mars and so on.
Or does he? Okay, my description was biased because I reckon it was all just implanted memories, but if you watch it yourself you may disagree. And it is just a massive mind-fuck.
The ending may not be as subtle as Inception's. But it doesn't really need to be. It suffices. Again, it's not something I'd pay for, but if you can see it for free, you definitely should.
Apparently they're remaking it as well, so should be interesting to see what they do with it.
And finally
Mr Nobody
My new favourite film. Why, oh why aren't you available outside of France yet? Over a year ago I saw a trailer for it on the Empire website and I've been waiting ever since. Anyway, I did finally get to watch it. And wow!
It stars Jared Leto (the 'pretty boy' from Fight Club and lead singer of 30 Seconds to Mars), as the dubiously named "Nemo Nobody"* - but I'm willing to forgive that, because it's just so damn good. It's Sci-fi with a heavy dose of quantum physics and it's three love stories for the price of one. In fact, Jared essentially plays 12 different possible outcomes of the same life - any and all of which could be real. And the big reveal is just magnificent.
The cinematography is just plain gorgeous; the music is perfect, visually it's stunning, and the DVD need to be released over here right now!
As I may have mentioned, you can't buy it outside of France yet. But when you can, you should. And if you can't wait til then, well, there are other places you can find it...
[*- nemo is Latin for nobody]
Oatzy.
Beginning with..!
Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel
What Shaun of the Dead is to zombies, FAQ about Time Travel is to, well, time travel. And the comparison is obvious and no doubt one that's been used numerous times before (including in the trailer). But, it does capture the general style and feel of the film quite well. It's that quirky, off-beat, British humor we've all grown to know and love (unless you haven't).
Staring Roy out of the IT Crowd, Shakespeare out of that episode of Doctor Who and this other guy, the misadventures of these unlikely heroes centre around the men's bathroom of their local pub where there's some sort of time leak - Weirdness ensues!
And to be honest, I thought it was fantastic. I mean, it's the sort of convoluted time travel madness that Steven Moffat would be proud of, and frankly I welcome it with open arms. And like all infuriating time travel stories, it ends with the major events of the film not actually having happened. Technically.
If you like Doctor Who, if you like time travel, if you like British comedy.., you should like this film.
I'd definitely recommend it.
Catch Me If You can
Great fun. The life of Frank Abagnale Jr. - renowned fraudster. The man who could charm the pants off of anyone. Then slip out the window with all your money. But you'd be too damn impressed to care.
I wouldn't buy it on DVD (unless I were feeling particularly impulsive). But odds are, if you wait til Christmas it'll be on then, if not before. And it is worth watching.
The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus
Heath Ledger's last film. Which is a shame, because he was damn good in it! Johnny Depp was similarly on form; Jude Law and Collin Farrell, nothing special. And Lily Cole was surprisingly not crap!
The story itself surrounds Dr Parnassus and his on-going deals with The Devil - the latest of which is first to five souls, the prize being Parnassus' daughter. And thank God Heath Ledger showed up (hanging from a bridge) or Parnassus would have failed miserably. I mean he did still failed, but it's a lot more intricate than that.
It's quaint and magical and charming; But surprisingly underwhelming. I mean it was 4 out of 5 stars good, but I was expecting something a little more.. epic. If you were planning on buying it, I'd give it a couple of months til the price drops again, but it is worth watching nonetheless.
The Mist
For the love of God, why didn't they kill that nut-case sooner?! The Mist, for those who don't know, features the most infuriating religious psychopath you will ever see, and it'll have you wanting to round up all the God-fearing and have them shot. You know, just in case.
Based on a book by Stephen King, it's fantastic, end of the world, horror that's more about how people can turn against each other in dire situations, than about the actual threat. Though the monsters are suitably formidable.
The Dream Lord himself (Toby Jones)co-stars as friendly shop assistant and surprise bad-ass, and he was just plain amazing. So how dare they let him get eaten when he was so close to freedom and safety.
The other amazing thing about The Mist is its ending. So bittersweet, you'll hate Stephen King for daring to think up something so sinister. But I'm not going to give it away.
Just watch the God damn film! About £10 in HMV, but if you can find it in ASDA (Living) it's £3, and for that price you might as well. Online, you'll have to look it up yourself.
A Scanner Darkly
The rotoscoped marvel - it's basically a cartoon traced from live action film. And it works to good effect. Especially in the more bizarre scenes.
Based on the book of the same title, this is a semi-autobiography of a period of Philip K Dick's life, and as such, it's one of those stories that doesn't really seem to be going anywhere until the big reveal at the end. And what you have at the end is that reveal that a drug rehab clinic uses its most messed up patients to (secretly) grow the drugs that put them in rehab. Keanu was purposefully made addicted to the drugs (unbeknownst to be) by the government so he could get them their evidence.
Robert Downey Jr is great in it. Keanu Reeves is Keanu Reeves. Overall, it's decent. I wouldn't pay for it. I probably wouldn't be bothered about watching it again. But it was worth watching the once. So if it's ever on TV..
Total Recall
"I just had a terrible thought - what if this is a dream?"
Inception, eat your heart out! Based on the story "We Can Remember It For You Whole-sale" by professional mind-fucker, Philip K. Dick.
Staring Governor Schwarzenegger, for the most part it's Sci-fi action thriller, and a decent one at that, if a little flamboyant.
But it gets bonus points in my book thanks to how it's framed. It starts with Arnie going to 'Rekall', a company which offers 'holidays' in the form of implanted memories (claiming that it's just as good as actually going on the holiday). But they offer Arnie something special - an adventure holiday, where he plays the part of a secret agent, who has to save Mars.
But when the machine's started up, it triggers some erased memories that, in fact, he was already a secret agent. Then shit gets real as he's hunted down by his ex-employer, eventually venturing to Mars and so on.
Or does he? Okay, my description was biased because I reckon it was all just implanted memories, but if you watch it yourself you may disagree. And it is just a massive mind-fuck.
The ending may not be as subtle as Inception's. But it doesn't really need to be. It suffices. Again, it's not something I'd pay for, but if you can see it for free, you definitely should.
Apparently they're remaking it as well, so should be interesting to see what they do with it.
And finally
Mr Nobody
My new favourite film. Why, oh why aren't you available outside of France yet? Over a year ago I saw a trailer for it on the Empire website and I've been waiting ever since. Anyway, I did finally get to watch it. And wow!
It stars Jared Leto (the 'pretty boy' from Fight Club and lead singer of 30 Seconds to Mars), as the dubiously named "Nemo Nobody"* - but I'm willing to forgive that, because it's just so damn good. It's Sci-fi with a heavy dose of quantum physics and it's three love stories for the price of one. In fact, Jared essentially plays 12 different possible outcomes of the same life - any and all of which could be real. And the big reveal is just magnificent.
The cinematography is just plain gorgeous; the music is perfect, visually it's stunning, and the DVD need to be released over here right now!
As I may have mentioned, you can't buy it outside of France yet. But when you can, you should. And if you can't wait til then, well, there are other places you can find it...
[*- nemo is Latin for nobody]
Oatzy.
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Inception - A Review
Don't get me wrong, The Matrix is a good film. But held up next to Inception, it has the comparative emotional and philosophical depth of [generic thriller].
The main philosophical idea of The Matrix is the suggestion that, maybe, our world isn't real - that we're really in, or part of, a computer simulation - and more importantly, that we have no really way of knowing whether or not that's the case.
But realistically, this is an idea that has been considered and explorer a lot throughout history, dating back as far as the ancient Greeks. And this is evident in this article, which lists some of The Matrix' influences and interpretations. Just because it was the first to bring the idea into wide-spread popular culture, doesn't mean it was the first to do it ever.
But enough about The Matrix and the ridiculousness of its being held up as a yard-stick for all modern Sci-fi and reality questioning.
Okay, first of all, let me get this out of the way - the final scene of Inception wasn't a dream! Contrary to appearances, Cobb's children were wearing different clothes AND were played by DIFFERENT ACTORS! And there are other hints, like how Cobb is always wearing his wedding ring in dreams, but never in reality - he wasn't wearing it in the final scene.
So, mystery solved. End of story.
Inception, for those who still don't know, is the film that isn't about stealing ideas through dreams. While the film plays out like a heist movie, it's actually quite the contrary - inception is the act of placing the seeds of an idea into a subject's subconscious, so as to affect a change in the way the subject thinks or acts.
Businessman, Saito, hires protagonist Cobb to make business rival, Fischer, dissolve his dying father's company, using inception to plant the idea in Fischer's mind. And this forms the core of the film. Not that it's anywhere near that simple.
And if that were all there was to the movie, then what we'd have would be a good Sci-Fi thriller (like The Matrix) with a cool twist and some magnificent cinematography. I mean, visually it's just plain gorgeous. As is Hans Zimmer's hauntingly beautiful score.
But Nolan adds extra depth to the story with a second narrative strand, involving Cobb's wife.
The story goes like this: having spent an extended period in a shared dream, Cobb had to convince his wife, Mal, that their dream world was just that. So, by inception, he planted the idea in her mind that their world wasn't real. This worked. And to wake up they killed themselves in perhaps the most gruesome way possible - head on a train track + on-coming train.
But having woken up, Mal was convinced that the real world was a dream as well. And that, to wake up, she and Cobb had to kill themselves again. This eventually led to Mal committing suicide.
What you get, then, is that same question - is this world real? But with the added gambit that if you die in the simulated world, you wake up. It's like the film's saying "Go ahead, test the reality of your world. I dare you!". And that makes it all together more sinister.
You also have Cobb's guilt manifesting itself as Mal popping up in his dream-share jobs, and sabotaging him. (But since she's just a projection of his memories, he's actually just sabotaging himself).
And all this adds an extra dimension to the film. Needless to say, my summary nowhere near does the film justice though.
The most common negative reviews I've seen, besides the ones that call it over-rated/over-hyped/etc, have included these words - 'confusing' and 'boring'. Now, I'm not suggesting these reviewers are just too stupid to follow or understand the film (because I'm not a bastard). But you feel free to make your own judgement on that.
I've also seen more extreme reviews; and perhaps evident by this entire post, the most infuriating (for me) were the ones that had the audacity to claimed that Inception is just a rip-off of The Matrix. Anyone who genuinely thinks that deserves a good, hard slap, which I would gladly administer.
I'm not going to claim that Inception is perfect, or even my favourite film. But it is a damn good film! If there is anyone in the world who hasn't seen it yet, I'm not going to demand you go and see it right now. But if you want my opinion, I would definitely recommend it.
And if you find yourself at all confused as to what's going on, go see it again! And if you're still confused, there are plenty of explanations online (and an infographic).
But really, it's best just to enjoy it without asking too many questions. Because you can ruin anything by over-thinking it.
And if you prefer to think of the ending as being ambiguous, or even a dream, then feel free. I've put forward my case, but I'm sure there's someone in the world who can give you a convincing counter-argument. And unless Nolan himself gives us an answer, we may never know for certain.
Oh, and if you have a spare moment, you might also like to check out my previous post - "If You Liked Inception...".
Oatzy.
[I may have gone a little over the top with The Matrix abuse. I'm sorry. It really is a good film.]
The main philosophical idea of The Matrix is the suggestion that, maybe, our world isn't real - that we're really in, or part of, a computer simulation - and more importantly, that we have no really way of knowing whether or not that's the case.
But realistically, this is an idea that has been considered and explorer a lot throughout history, dating back as far as the ancient Greeks. And this is evident in this article, which lists some of The Matrix' influences and interpretations. Just because it was the first to bring the idea into wide-spread popular culture, doesn't mean it was the first to do it ever.
But enough about The Matrix and the ridiculousness of its being held up as a yard-stick for all modern Sci-fi and reality questioning.
Okay, first of all, let me get this out of the way - the final scene of Inception wasn't a dream! Contrary to appearances, Cobb's children were wearing different clothes AND were played by DIFFERENT ACTORS! And there are other hints, like how Cobb is always wearing his wedding ring in dreams, but never in reality - he wasn't wearing it in the final scene.
So, mystery solved. End of story.
Inception, for those who still don't know, is the film that isn't about stealing ideas through dreams. While the film plays out like a heist movie, it's actually quite the contrary - inception is the act of placing the seeds of an idea into a subject's subconscious, so as to affect a change in the way the subject thinks or acts.
Businessman, Saito, hires protagonist Cobb to make business rival, Fischer, dissolve his dying father's company, using inception to plant the idea in Fischer's mind. And this forms the core of the film. Not that it's anywhere near that simple.
And if that were all there was to the movie, then what we'd have would be a good Sci-Fi thriller (like The Matrix) with a cool twist and some magnificent cinematography. I mean, visually it's just plain gorgeous. As is Hans Zimmer's hauntingly beautiful score.
But Nolan adds extra depth to the story with a second narrative strand, involving Cobb's wife.
The story goes like this: having spent an extended period in a shared dream, Cobb had to convince his wife, Mal, that their dream world was just that. So, by inception, he planted the idea in her mind that their world wasn't real. This worked. And to wake up they killed themselves in perhaps the most gruesome way possible - head on a train track + on-coming train.
But having woken up, Mal was convinced that the real world was a dream as well. And that, to wake up, she and Cobb had to kill themselves again. This eventually led to Mal committing suicide.
What you get, then, is that same question - is this world real? But with the added gambit that if you die in the simulated world, you wake up. It's like the film's saying "Go ahead, test the reality of your world. I dare you!". And that makes it all together more sinister.
You also have Cobb's guilt manifesting itself as Mal popping up in his dream-share jobs, and sabotaging him. (But since she's just a projection of his memories, he's actually just sabotaging himself).
And all this adds an extra dimension to the film. Needless to say, my summary nowhere near does the film justice though.
The most common negative reviews I've seen, besides the ones that call it over-rated/over-hyped/etc, have included these words - 'confusing' and 'boring'. Now, I'm not suggesting these reviewers are just too stupid to follow or understand the film (because I'm not a bastard). But you feel free to make your own judgement on that.
I've also seen more extreme reviews; and perhaps evident by this entire post, the most infuriating (for me) were the ones that had the audacity to claimed that Inception is just a rip-off of The Matrix. Anyone who genuinely thinks that deserves a good, hard slap, which I would gladly administer.
I'm not going to claim that Inception is perfect, or even my favourite film. But it is a damn good film! If there is anyone in the world who hasn't seen it yet, I'm not going to demand you go and see it right now. But if you want my opinion, I would definitely recommend it.
And if you find yourself at all confused as to what's going on, go see it again! And if you're still confused, there are plenty of explanations online (and an infographic).
But really, it's best just to enjoy it without asking too many questions. Because you can ruin anything by over-thinking it.
And if you prefer to think of the ending as being ambiguous, or even a dream, then feel free. I've put forward my case, but I'm sure there's someone in the world who can give you a convincing counter-argument. And unless Nolan himself gives us an answer, we may never know for certain.
Oh, and if you have a spare moment, you might also like to check out my previous post - "If You Liked Inception...".
Oatzy.
[I may have gone a little over the top with The Matrix abuse. I'm sorry. It really is a good film.]
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