BLUE VALENTINE (2010)

 It is hard to come by movies which speak of life and relationships in deep such as in Blue Valentine. This movie is not the typical which involves a couple and a bunch of problems about their marriage. This is much more coupled with raw and intense performances and strictly natural dialogues throughout. You will not see fairy tale moments and endings, or utterly dramatic scenes which make you cry for nothing. This is life and this is it. Blue Valentine is top of its art and a must watch. 

Being said that let me hover on the plot briefly. Dean and Cindy is a married couple with a kid. Dean seems to be a simple minded individual who does not have big plans of life. Being a college dropout and having done several simple jobs he does not contribute a lot to the income of the family but tries his level best to blend in as a husband and a father. Cindy on the other hand is an ambitious lady. Coming from a good family she worked hard to become a doctor and works busy schedules to keep the family running. It is somewhat a puzzle in the beginning how a well educated woman like that ended up with a man with such caliber. But the plot beautifully unravels their love story and develops a solid character base. 

 The story runs showing the viewer several flashbacks of their past and how they collide with the events which occur in the present, and how Dean and Cindy find it difficult to make a balance of their relationship any more. The viewer is put in a tight spot to judge who’s wrong and who’s correct in their situation. It is a mind blowing experience to realize how such a wonderful relationship blossomed with so much love and affection turns in to a place filled with darkness and hate. And there is always the question of recovery intact. The whole story just places the viewer in a deep hole with little light to feed upon. 

 

Other than the wonderful plot and the script there are several things which need to be mentioned of. The whole movie is fantastically crafted with purely blessed acting. In one review I saw that it says ‘If there is justice this movie definitely deserves the best acting awards in Oscars’. Sadly it didn’t win that award but it was nominated. I have not seeing such pure and raw performance by a couple in recent times. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams make this movie 100 times more watchable. 

Then comes the cinematography. I loved it. Or I should say that I fell head over heels for it. Such fantastic camera work which makes every seeing a bliss. This has very thematic color scheme and sets that contribute to the story very well. I might watch this over and over again just to get the artistic side of it. 

I can write more. But I’ll stop at this point. Because you need to experience it by yourself. 

My score 4/5

Genre: drama, romance

Director: Derek Cianfrance

Writers: Derek Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne,

Stars: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams and John Doman

TRANSSIBERIAN (2008)

‘Transsiberian’ is a movie about an American couple who just finished a humanitarian mission in China. As Roy the husband (Woody Harrelson) loves travelling by train, they decide to take the Transsiberian railway to go to Moscow. The wife Jessie (Emily Mortimer) who has a passion for photography likes the idea though it takes longer to reach the destination. On board they meet another couple who doesn’t seem odd. Travelling for days together at one stop Roy misses to get back on the train and Jessie decides to get off from the next station and wait for him to catch up. The other couple Abby & Carlos also offers to stay back with her. While Roy is gone some events happen which puts Jessie in a tight spot and Abby & Carlos involved. When Jessie finally meets up with Roy after 2 days things have changed dramatically. And they are on the run for their life on the snow piled forests of Siberia.

 This movie has its own mood to it.  What I like about it is that it’s silent most of the time but just enough loud and thrilling when it has to be. There is no hype created throughout. It starts like a detective movie and switch back to drama mode in a jiffy. After that for a long time it stays like a drama. Mainly concentrating on Roy and Jessie and the ups and down of their marriage life and the train journey. Things start to bump only on the second half. And it gets tense by the minute. Remember this is a slow movie. And its 2 hours long so expect it to be boring as travelling on the Transsiberian Itself at times. But everything adds up in the final and you will be glad that you watched it. 

 There is an eerie frame of mind created about the whole Russian Siberian part of the movie. About the people, places and their views starts to sink in to the plot and it’s all used to build up the tension. The viewer feels like the couple is actually has no way to run and tangled in a web which they are not totally aware of. However the ending is quite well planned and gives a sigh of relief to everyone. 

 Performance wise it stands out. Especially noticeable acting by Emily pushes the plot deeper and deeper. And well shot cinematographic as well. Few wonderful frames of the train passing through ‘Ghostly’ snowy mountains of Siberia for instance. And most frames done in tight spots in the train will make the viewer feel like they have spent a long time in a can. 

My score 3.5/5

Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime, Mystery

Director: Brad Anderson

Writers: Brad Anderson, Will Conroy

Stars: Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer and Ben Kingsley

I AM NUMBER FOUR (2011)

D. J. Carusso has done his magic once again. I started to like his work after I watched ‘Taking lives’ back in 2004. And after some stunning movies like Disturbia (2007) and Eagle Eye (2008) he has returned to the silver screen with a possible promise of an ongoing movie series ‘I am Number Four’. The plot has no twists or hard points to digest like some of Carusso’s previous flicks. It’s plain simple and straight forward.

John (Alex Pettfyer) is practically an alien. He came to earth in order to survive the destruction of his home planet with 8 of others just like him. But their enemy is at unrest and chasing and killing them one by one. Gifted with special abilities and strengths John is getting ready for a war with the enemies who destroyed his planet. Already the first 3 of his people killed, Jason the ‘Number Four’ must survive in order to fulfill his legacy.

 Running from place to place with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant), in a small town of Ohio he finds the girl which he falls for. And now both of them are to expect the wrath of the enemy while the enemy gets closer and closer in tracking them down. 

Packed with jaw dropping animation and thumping action sequences the movie is not boring at all. Mainly concentrated on the teenage crowed it has it little romantic moments which does not bother the main theme. There is no big character development as such but maybe since the ending hints of a sequel we might get to know them well in coming editions. 

Strongly with a touch of a super hero movie which the hero throws cars away just by pointing his hand towards it, John reminds me of our old hero Superman who landed on planet earth after his planet Krypton was under jeopardy. 

 

I wonder if John will become super powerful later on. And not to forget that there are 5 others just like him somewhere on earth with different abilities. John gets to meet one of them in this edition and tie up a league with her. And I think sweet dog will become a very important part of the plot and all this is “IF” there is a sequel. As still there are no solid leads on that taking place yes, this movie as one has a very loose ending. Seriously hang the viewers to dry without washing them properly!! If you expect to see a ‘total’ ending then don’t expect it. 

This is fantasy and it’s quite good. Fantasy movies are for enjoyment but not for serious criticism. So I rest my case at that point. 

My score 3/5

Genre:  action, Fantasy, Sci fi, Thriller

Director: D.J. Caruso

Writers: Alfred Gough (screenplay), Miles Millar (screenplay)  

Stars: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant and Dianna Agron

NO STRINGS ATTACHED (2011)

 This is a story about a guys dreams coming true. No I mean it. How many of you guys would like to have a hot lady friend just for sex and don’t have to really worry about keeping up a relationship. It sounds simple, carefree and dead wrong!! But for Emma and Adam even how simple it sounds, couldn’t’ do it for long. They fell in love with each other. And now that’s what I call true LOVE MAKING.

Adam is a guy who is a little shy and fits for a relationship. Emma on the other hand is a totally independent girl who thinks relationships sucks but doesn’t mind going the physical way if there is nothing emotional involved. They hook up and come to an agreement. It’s just sex and nothing else. And they decides to keep their relationship strictly physical. But soon Adam realizes that Emma is the girl of his dreams but Emma backs off giving them a break. And that break brings in wisdom. 

 

‘No Strings Attached’ is not the typical love story but not a very extraordinary love story as well. Theme wise a bit similar to many romantic movies but more closer to ‘love and other drugs’. Proves again that relationships don’t work only for sex. 

The movie is not boring. And it’s not extra interesting. You may just sit back and watch the love story roll out with quite a lot of talk about sex and its related in the first half. As it goes it becomes a little serious and dramatic in a point or two. And brings in humor as well time to time. That’s it!

Having the Oscar winning Natalie Portman kicks off well. She is petite and sweet and better looking than her ‘Black Swan’, obviously with some pound of flesh. Ashton kutcher fits the role of Adam. He looks confused, act confused but knows what he really wants after all. 

My score 3/5

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Director: Ivan Reitman

Writers: Elizabeth Meriwether (screenplay), Michael Samonek (story)

Stars:Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Kline

LIFE AS A HOUSE (2001)

 Life is short. That’s what we hear for a long time until we really realize that it was after all. When time runs out maybe everything else seems a waste of time except building up quality relationships and making up to the people you love. No one needs to die alone, with regret. Taking this theme dramatically and very close to heart, “Life as a House” represents itself in a very touching manner. 

When George Monroe (Kevin Kline) is diagnosed with terminal cancer and lost his 20 year old job for new technology, he decides that it’s time to look back and fix some of his mistakes. The biggest is letting go of his marriage 10 years back and his son with it. Thinking of making a change and winning back the lost heart of his son he decides to bring him to his place to spend the summer vacation. The teenager Sam (Hayden Christensen) who is tough headed and crack addict with good load of piercings on his body objects the idea. George decides to take him any way and live in the garage while the old shack he lives in is demolished in the name of reconstruction. These he wishes to be the last things he does in his life, getting to know Sam and building a house for his own and give it to his son. With difficulty and lot of tolerance both of the men fit in the small garage until they find out the meaning of the father and son relationship. And George finds love and comfort at the end in the hands of his x wife whom in heart have never left at the first place. 

“Life as a House” is a warm drama. It flow calm yet strong while you knowing that the ending is not going to be that something to celebrate of. Seeing young Sam so hard headed and arrogant and George making room for him to fit in seems like an arduous and next to impossible task. But the story rolls out wonderfully flawless and emotionally. 

My score 4/5

Genre: Drama

Director: Irwin Winkler

Writer: Mark Andrus

Stars: Hayden Christensen, Kevin Kline and Kristin Scott Thomas 

RAIN MAN (1988)

 Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) is a New York based car dealer, self centered, utterly selfish and wants to win his life no matter what. Left home at an early stage after severe arguments and regrettable memories with his millionaire father, he returns home after his father’s death expecting a huge chunk out of his fortune. But to him amusement is father just left him an old car along with some other stuff, while the majority of the property and money is left to Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) who is Charlie’s brother that he never knew that existed until now. Furious and disappointed, Charlie wanting to grab what’s inherited to him learns that Raymond is autistic and spent almost his entire life in a mental institute. Overwhelmed by all the things which is recently happening in his life and about to lose his car business due to debt, Charlie hits the road with Raymond. Dealing with Raymond’s challenging behavior; Charlie gets anxious day by day on how he can reach his goals. But unknowingly while spending time with Raymond, he finds a long lost connection of brotherhood and actually starts to feel for Raymond. 

 ‘Rain Man’ is a classic, not just in 80s but in all time movies. In an age where movies were not totally based on how pretty they looked or how well animated with special effects, you will feel what a movie really needs to be while watching it.

 Charlie and Raymond both are challenging characters to pull off. Specially Raymond who is mentally challenged and unpredictable, Hoffman portray really well proving that he is one of those actors who knows what character representation is all about. Equally wonderful performance by Tom, who is selfish and greedy you might hate him right from the inception. (My regret is that Tom is not getting any more worthy characters such as this nowadays which he can place his real talents than jumping from one building on to another like a stuntman)

Wonderfully written script with warmness of hearts embedded, ‘Rain Man’ brings in anger, disappointment, love, hope and ambition in to one whole 133 minutes. With wonderful performances of Tom and Hoffman throughout and cleverly build set of characters this is one heartwarming piece of drama that you can lay hands on. 

 

My score 4/5

Genre: Drama

Director: Barry Levinson

Writers: Barry Morrow (story), Ronald Bass

Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise and Valeria Golino