Our life, the world we build for us, our entire system works on our hope for the future. All our plans, expectations, speculations are based from future's point of view. But what if there was no future to look forward to? With no hope for the coming tomorrow, our system would slowly but surely decay and collapse. This is the premise on which Children of Men is based.
The movie starts with the protagonist viewing a news report in a bar. Its the news of a famous celebrity who passed away. Its a kid. He was famous because he was the last kid to be born. In the future, mankind has inexplicably lost the ability to give birth. Everyone has, for some reason become sterile. And this has lead to a slow but certain Global Meltdown. As the protagonist comes out of the bar and walks away, there is a blast in the bar. It is one of the regularly carried out arsonous acts carried out by the Foogies (for Refugees) against a totalitarian government regime.
This is how the movie starts. The lead protagonist's ex-wife asks him a favour. He has to arrange for a pass to get someone out of the country. He manages to get the pass, but it turns out, he will have to personally escort that someone. Somewhere on the way, things take a turn for the worse. And while trying to cope with the sudden turn of events, he realizes that his mission is much more important and critical than it appears.
The story is based in a hypothetical future. So it certainly is a Sci-Fi movie, but without the aliens and the hi-tech stuff. And the story never really explores the why and the how of the apparently sudden sterility of the entire human race. It has some very breath-taking action. But its not your usual action flick. The direction ensures that the main theme of the movie never gets lost in the action scenes and the depiction of a future gone bad.
The movie starts with a bang but soon looses momentum for a while, as the stage is set, and the character-building happens. This initial character and story-building is nice if you don't mind the slow pace. And then suddenly the movie picks up speed. And then it hardly ever slows down...
The protagonist has to get involved in lots of action and intrigue. But he is never depicted as an action hero. He is a normal empathetic human who is doing what has to be done, like a normal human. neither are the antagonist portrayed as totally evil. The characters in this movie are more realistic shades of grey, instead of the usually shallow black and white ones that most simplified movie plots depict.
The director Alfonso Cuarón (director of the famous recent movie Gravity), pretty nicely depicts a world where hope is lost and all is shot to hell. And yet, we are shown the human side of things, where common people try to survive against all hopelessness and unnecessary violence. Even the violence is depicted with empathy, where we feel the unnecessariness of it, and the shock of its sad aftermath. And in spite of its dark dreary background, the movie gives us a message: that however dark and hopeless the future may appear, there is always hope...
On the whole its a pretty decent flick. Much better than your run of the mill Sci-fi action movies that attract so much audience. This is certainly not for everyone. But if you like sensitive movies, that add a pack of pretty slick action, pace and suspense, then you will certainly enjoy this movie the way I did.
My Ratings: 4
I have never been much of an Old-Black-&-White-Movies guy. Not until recently, I began exploring some such old movies. And I am surprised to come across some really fine ones, even for their time! This is one such movie...
It reminds me of Fail Safe, another awesome Black and White movie I recently watched. Both are based on a similar premise - what if, by mistake or deliberately, someone triggers a military action that will lead to a certain Nuclear War? Whereas Fail Safe is a very serious movie, Dr. Strangelove is a black comedy on the same subject. And yet the seriousness of both the movies cannot be undermined
The name is pretty misleading. At least the Dr. Strangelove part. For though there is a character with that name in the movie, he hardly appears for a few moments somewhere during the second half of the movie.
The movie is full of a lot of zany characters, with unusual names. We have a Russian Premier named Kissoff, a US General named Turgidson, and another one named... Jack D. Ripper :-P And each one plays an equally zany role in this really eccentric movie. Some of the witty dialogue will make you laugh out loud and long. For instance: "Gentlemen you can't fight in here, this is the war room."
The comical storyline might over-shadow the fact that the props and effects shown in the movie are really nice for their time. The bomber plane's flight is traced quite nicely by the camera. And though, one can sometimes discern that the plane is really a model being moved over a set or a background motion picture, other times the plane's flight looks very real indeed. Not to mention breath-taking and elegant... The instrument panels displayed look realistic too (at least to a layman like me who has never set foot inside a cockpit).
The story has its moments of suspense that keeps us holding onto our seats. But the tense atmosphere is soon broken as the scene shifts from serious impending catastrophe to idiosyncratic high-level politicians and military men bungling up the efforts to avert the said catastrophe...
The actors have played their part really well. I personally liked the acting of Peter Sellers who has played all the three roles (Group Captain Mandrake, the President and Dr. Strangelove himself) quite admirably. Though his acting as Dr. Strangelove appears a bit over-done, and gets overshadowed by his other two brilliant roles. And by the way, I was not aware that the three roles were played by the same actor, not until right this moment, when I checked out the Wikipedia page for the movie to get the names of the actors ;-)... I also liked the acting of George C Scott as General Turgidson.
There is something very serious about this supposed-to-be-funny movie. In the guise of a black comedy, it gives a very important message: It shows how greed and paranoia led up to an Arms Race. How building up an arsenal of Nuclear Arms as a Nuclear First Strike deterrent, might not always work. How the Fail Safe mechanisms put in place to avoid such an event may fail. And how we can end up destroying ourselves if we don't stop being so paranoid... The Cold War is thankfully over. But not the danger of a Nuclear War wiping us out altogether, even in this age...
My Ratings: 3
It is difficult to imagine a movie without the spicy elements of action, adventure, romance, omnipotent heroes, deadly villains. And yet, imagine a film that has a puzzle as its central driving force. Actually, a series of puzzles...
Imagine you wake up in an unknown room. The last thing you remember is doing something ordinary in an ordinary and familiar environment, like your home or your work-place. And the next thing, you wake up in this room. Its a medium-sized room. A cube-shaped one. All painted uniformly with a single colour. Each wall has a little hatch at its center. Ladders lead towards the hatch from up, as well as down. Hand-holds on the ceiling to access the one there. You go and open a hatch. it leads to another cube-shaped room. Albeit, with a different-coloured lights / walls. Each hatch opens up in another cube-shaped room.
Where are you? How did you come here? How do you get out? Why are you here? What is this place? How do you get out of here? And while you are trying to figure that out, you better watch your step. For some some of these rooms may hold unpleasant surprises...
This is the puzzle of the cube. It starts with a set of strangers trapped in a series of cube-shaped rooms. How did they get here? What is this place? Who built it? What is its purpose? Why were they brought here like this? How big is this place anyway? And where the heck is it? The movie does not complicate itself in order to explain away these conundrums. Though, the characters engage in rational discussions while they try to figure out what exactly is going on. As the story progresses, they try to contemplate on some rational possibilities to these questions. And their probable conclusions are revealing, intellectual, profound and rational.
There are no heroes and no villains here. No known heroes at least, and no known villains. Just a bunch of strangers in a race against time to solve puzzles of the cube - that's what fuels the pace of the movie. And finally, it is a revealing exploration of how humans react under pressure, exhaustion and desperation...
It does not explore the past lives of the characters much. Nor does it add unnecessary emotions and romance. Yet the personality of each character is plausibly well defined as the movie progresses.
The pace of the movie never slackens. Every few minutes, we are treated with new revelations about the intricate puzzles of the Cube. And though the movie purposefully does not clutter it plot to answer some of the questions about the purpose and existence of the Cube, it does end with a satisfactory, if a bit unexpected climax.
Its a well-thought of movie, that may not have achieved financial success, but, over the years, has become a cult classic. To this day, it remains one of my favourite movies in the puzzle genre (not that there are many movie to appear under this genre - unfortunately).
If you like movies with a bit more brain and a bit less spice in them, an unusual and unique concept and rational plot-line, then you will certainly enjoy this one, the same way I did.
My Ratings: 4
Not many movie series can boast of sequel that's better than the original. But this is one of them. The second movie in The 3 Investigators series, is certainly better than the first one. If you are a hard-core fan of the T3I, or if you have read the book The Secret of the Terror Castle, then please don't expect the same story from the movie. The book was one of my favourites and I was quite disappointed to know the kind of liberties the movie makers have taken to almost completely change the original story... Though it was to be expected, considering the first movie which was completely different from the original book (except for the title, the central characters and a few little details here and there). The same can be said about this movie.
And yet, the movie has a charm of its own. The direction is ok again, but better than the first part. The story, though quite different from the original book, is better too. More complex than the first movie's story, it also boasts more puzzles, thrills, humour and action.
Lets look at the central theme of the movie. The Terror Castle itself. From the day I read the book, I have always been fascinated about the Terror Castle. Time and again, I have tried to imagine how it would look like. The Terror Castle portrayed in the movie does not necessarily match the one in my imagination. But it certainly is worth appreciating. The setting, design and portrayal of an old abandoned castle full of mysterious devices and an unsettling brooding atmosphere has been done quite nicely. The story about who built the terror castle and why is entirely different from the original one. And though it is not as good as the original (may be that's my personal prejudice), it certainly is complex, plausible (within fictional limits) and quite interesting.
As for the central characters, the three kid artist portraying the Three Investigators have played their part pretty well, as in the previous movie. Jupiter Jones is smarter than before. We get to know some more about his personal life in the movie (which as far as I remember, has not been explored much in the books). Pete and Bob both add a nice touch of humour. Apart from these famous trio, we get to meet some other characters famous in the original book series. For instance, we get to meet Uncle Titus Jones and Aunt Mathilda (but only for a minute or two). And we get to see the great Rolls Royce, and its chauffeur, the famous Worthington, whose short role has been well-portrayed in the movie. And we also get to meet some other characters, like the eccentric sheriff, an equally eccentric girl who falls for Bob, and the spectre of Steven Terrill, the century old creator of the Terror Castle.
Rational explanations of almost supernatural mysteries and almost impossible puzzles has always been a hallmark of the original T3I series. The movie-makers have tried to keep this in mind as Jupiter his pals try to figure out some almost seemingly inexplicable events and occurrences in the story. There are some obviously glaring holes in the story. But one can always ignore them as the story hurtles along with a steady pace.
The T3I have been known to be tech-savvy for their time. But time and technology has changed a lot. And the arsenal of tricks up the sleeves of these new 3 investigators looks like some stolen props from the Spy-Kids movie. But the movie-makers have tried to keep the use of these hi-tech devices to a minimum, and rely on the cranial abilities of Jupe in order to solve the major puzzles in the story.
If you are a die-hard fan of the T3I, and can still manage to forgive the movie-makers for not being faithful to the original story, then this movie is worth watching at least once. Certainly a welcome addition to the Kids Movies genre...
My Ratings: 3
At first there were the fairies and the giants, magicians and evil witches, magic and myth that made up the major mass of kid stories for ages. Then they became a bit more sensible when mystery and adventure were used to make these stories entertaining. But this era of relatively rational kid stories did not last long. The kid story genre was thrust into the Dark Ages as once more the crutches of magic and fantasy were used to entertain kids, instead of real-life down to earth adventures. But before the rise of this Dark Age, there were the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Famous Five... and the Three Investigators...
As a kid, I stumbled upon T3I while reading a Hardy Boys book. At the back was a full list of titles. Mystery of the Terror Castle, Haunted Mirror, Moaning Caves, Talking Skull. The titles captured my imagination. Soon I had my first T3I book in my hands and I was hooked. For the longest time, I trawled the net in search of any TV serial, any movie, animated or otherwise, about the T3I. After reading the books, staring at the covers and the illustrations for long wistful moments, I was eager to see the terror castle, the haunted mirror, the Jones Salvage yard, the T3I headquarters. But alas! No one seemed to be interested in making a TV series or a movie on such an awesome series. Sad...
And then, a few days back, I stumbled upon this movie. The Three Investigators - Secret of Skeleton Island. Someone had finally made a movie out of one of the T3I books! I had to watch it! And I did.
The story is nice. It has its usual set of ups and downs. Suspense and Puzzles. Humour and action. But as far as I remember, it is not faithful to the actual story in the book. There are quite a few differences. But that does not make it in any way boring or uninteresting.
The cinematography is quite nice. The shots of some of the natural beauty of South Africa are quite breath-taking. So much so, that it looks more like an advertisement for SA Tourism rather than a T3I movie.
The direction is OK - your standard one for Kids movies. But some of the sets and props are quite nice. The Jones Salvage Yard and the T3I headquarters are quite nicely and imaginatively portrayed in the movie.
The actors have acted well. Especially the kids playing the three investigators kind of fit their roles quite well. Jupiter's acting was good, and so was Pete's. Bob's was a bit over-done, but it was charming in its own way.
Frankly speaking, I was a bit disappointed. Being a die-hard hard-core fan of T3I, I find it disappointing that the movie-makers took the liberty to change the actual story to such an extent. Agreed, it was targeted at South African audience. Yet, for me it was disappointing. Moreover, I have always thought, that the T3I would make a great animated TV series. It they would stick to the original story-line, it would make a great series. So the portrayal of T3I as a real-life movie was a bit disappointing to me, personally.
And yet, the try was worth it. Our generation of kids enjoyed the T3I books so much. And I wish that the kids nowadays, who are so enamored to Harry Potter and similar new-age stuff, should be introduced to the T3I universe. And I hope that this movie (and its companion "Secret of Terror Castle" - which I plan to watch soon) would prove an ideal platform for doing just that.
My Ratings: 2.5
This movie is not about Monsters.
It has aliens. And Soldiers fighting them. But it is not about Aliens. And it is not about war. And certainly not about Humans fighting Aliens.
And its less of a Sci-Fi movie, more like an art flick. Somewhat like the movie The Road, only less intense, less apocalyptic, less tragic and much more positive.
If you are expecting any of this masala (spicy) stuff in this movie then I recommend you go watch something else. You and this movie may have compatibility issues.
If you are still reading on, it probably means you are open to watching something that is more substantial, subtle yet meaningful than the mindless movies that depict the above mentioned scenarios. If so, then this little piece of audio-visual treat may surprise you.
In defiance to what its name and its story-line may suggest, its about a little voyage. Involving two humans. One is a photographer. Another is the daughter of his boss, a big-shot publisher. He is unwillingly entrusted the responsibility of leading her out of Mexico and back into US across the "infected zone".
Science-wise, the premise about the aliens and how they appeared on earth is sadly quite shallow. Nor is the depiction of the aliens original or inspired. But it does no injustice to the story-line which uses the alien "infestation" as a base to build upon, nothing more.
The characters of both the protagonists are complex and very well-sketched. He is a care-free soul, unscrupulous when it comes to savouring the little joys life has to offer. She is a some-what disillusioned woman, probably searching for a meaning out of the meaningless chaos that life sometimes appears to become. The chemistry between them is depicted pretty nicely.
The dialogues are pretty thought-provoking. The one I liked best was a sequence where the lady asks the photographer (who is dying to get a good shot of an alien's attack) "Doesn't that kinda bother you, that you need something bad to happen to profit from it?" And his answer to her is mind-blowing. I wish I could quote it here, but that would ruin your experience of actually stumbling over it during the movie.
The script and story are well-crafted enough. For instance, the sequence about how they loose their only chance to leave Mexico via a ferry ride over the sea, is both comical and tragic.
The post-apocalyptic scenes of a countryside ravaged by calamity are sometimes visually stunning, sometimes subtle, beautiful and touching. Its a pretty slow movie. Don't expect quick and stunning action from it. It has a slow but enjoyable pace of its own.
The direction and photography are technically pretty amateur, crude, by commercial movie standards. Yet the story is depicted with maturity and empathy. The visuals are artistic and pleasing. In spite of its slow pace and not much action involved, some of the scenes build up the suspense pretty nicely. It makes good use of the background score and audio effects to do that.
And in the end, we are left to wonder, who exactly are the "Monsters" in the movie?
This is a little unknown gem. It was released in 2010, and I don't remember ever hearing about it. Like all the best movies I have ever seen... yes yes, I know I am repeating the phrase... I did "stumble upon this" one too, while trawling for such unknown gems over the net. And am I happy about this find.
My ratings: 3.5
If you ask me a list of my most favourite Bollywood movies, Iqbal will feature in the top 5. Like most of the finest movies I have ever seen, Iqbal was an accidental discovery. Until I stumbled upon it, (thanks to a friend who was heavily into p2p and 'import-export' of movie rips), I knew it only by name. Which led me to draw completely baseless and wrong conclusions.
But all my misconceptions were shattered as I plunged into the life of Iqbal as depicted in the movie.
The movie starts with a cricket match being broadcast over radio. The radio is in a remote village, surrounded by lots of villagers listening in on the action taking place on a ground somewhere far away. One of these villagers is a pregnant lady. When the announcer announces the victory for the Indian cricket team, the crowd erupts in applause and jubilation. It is during this celebration, that the lady feels the first pangs of labour. And that's how Iqbal is born.
One thing Iqbal shares with his mother is the passion for cricket. But he never gets an opportunity to follow his passion. The reason being the handicap of being born deaf and mute. And the even greater handicap of being born in a poor peasant's family. His father, a hard-working farmer, wants Iqbal to help him out in the fields. But its not farming that drives young Iqbal, its the passion for the game. But his physical and economical handicaps come in the way.
With unfulfilled dreams and desires, life looks grim for Iqbal. Then one day an accidental encounter with a drunken fellow in the fields changes his life forever.
To say that Iqbal is a movie about cricket would be like saying that Mumbai is a city in India. Its true. And yet hardly touches the tip of the iceberg. No its not about cricket. Cricket is just a platform to build the story on.
As the name suggests, it is the story of Iqbal, his dreams, his struggles, and his final triumph against all odds.
Its also the story of a mother, a peasant's hardworking wife, who is ready to go to any lengths - even go against her husband - to help her son realize his dreams.
Its the story of a father, a poor peasant toiling day in and day out to help his family make ends meet; who only wants what he believes to be the best for his son - even if he has to be hard on him.
Its the story of a sister who believes in her brother; who becomes his ears and his voice; and who, with undying dedication, supports him every step of the way.
Its the story of a brilliant cricket player who was robbed his chance at glory; who, giving up all hope, whiles away his lonely days in a drunken stupor; and who has to rise again and find his own redemption as he helps a deaf and mute boy reach a goal millions dream of, but only a handful can achieve...
The script is very well written. Nagesh Kukunoor's direction is superb as always. The characters are so realistic and well sketched, it hardly feels like a bollywood movie at all. Equal justice is done to all the characters, not just the character of Iqbal. All the actors have performed very well. Shreyas Talpade who plays the role of Iqbal, has taken great efforts to portray a deaf and mute boy. Its not easy to express your emotions without the support of words. And Shreyas does it effortlessly. Naseruddin Shah, one of my favourite actors, plays the role of the drunkard former cricket player superbly as always. The role of Iqbal's kid sister played by Shweta Prasad is brilliant. I liked her performance most. Preetksha Lonkar and Yatin Karyekar have done justice to the roles of Iqbal's patents by their great performance. Even the role of the antagonist, the famous cricket coach who turns down Iqbal, is played very nicely by Girish Karnaad.
There are many movies about sports. Quite a few about cricket itself. But few can manage to make the workings of the game interesting, entertaining, and effortlessly weave it within the tapestry of the movie itself. This movie does it so brilliantly and plausible that I almost applauded during the movie's climax...
I could continue ranting about how good this film is. But after reading this, don't you feel like watching the movie instead of reading my raves and appreciation? Well then why wait? I enjoyed this movie. And I hope you will enjoy it too...
My ratings: 4.5 !
