Saturday, August 22, 2009

Orphan

The plot is creative but not sure whether its very realistic but anyhow the attempt is admirable. It does remind me a bit of typical seduction movies where a family is broken apart by the new housemaid. I thought the child was brilliant and has a bright career.

The characters of both women represent people dealing with love. Esther is in need of love and Kate needs to give her love which is bottled up inside. The man in this film plays a very weak character of a man who wont decide anything for himself.

Until the plot is unraveled the child is presented as pure evil and one might actually ask if children are born evil. Well that takes us into the question of what is evil? Is evil something which was meant to be part of this world? or is it something alien to this world? Some people believe that the world was created, then whats the purpose of evil in this world?



Saturday, August 8, 2009

In The International, Interpol Agent Louis Salinger and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman are determined to bring to justice one of the world's most powerful banks. Uncovering illegal activities including money laundering, arms trading, and the destabilization of governments, Salinger and Whitman's investigation takes them from Berlin to Milan to New York and to Istanbul. Finding themselves in a high-stakes chase across the globe, their relentless tenacity puts their own lives at risk as the bank will stop at nothing - even murder - to continue financing terror and war - www.imdb.com

When the enforcers of Justice are unjust, when everyone else are quite okay with whats goin on, to whom do one turn to? "They control your money. They control your government. They control your life. And everybody pays", its the tag line from IMDB. Somehow or the other it sounds all too familiar .

Louis Salinger had to make a choice. He would never be able to defeat this evil power by stayin within the system because the system itself was easy. In Sri Lanka this approach is shown in films like 'One Shot' and 'Leader' and presented as the best way to deal with Corruption. But is it? Arn't we fighting the evil with evil itself ?

Something similar was presented in WATCHMEN, chosing the lesser evil to avoid the bigger evil. Does the end justify the means in the progression to a better world ? We dont have the answers but something which we can think about after watching this.

Watchmen - Not just another super hero movie

"Watchmen" is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion - a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers - Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity... but who is watching the Watchmen?" - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409459/synopsis

Watchmen is a movie which deals with certain human elements which are linked to mans inability to come out of conflict, without superhuman intervention. Unlike many sci-fi movies which are set in dystopian futures, Watchmen is placed in a parallel timeline, where society is much dysfunctional as ours. Of course in this time line certain key events are seen to have happened otherwise. Most notable of these is Nixon who was removed from presidency after the Watergate scandal is still the president in the US, and the Cold war is still in full swing.

Vigilante operatives were made illegal, leaving only Dr. Manhattan (a US version of a walking Nuclear arsenal) and Rorschach (an idealist) who refuses to bow to the rules. For me, Rorschach idealises something of humanity. Scarred yet unbowed and a thirst for truth, which lies at his core. He lays down his life for truth, while many of his colleagues (super heroes like himself) accept the rational of "ends justifying the means"...

"Whats one more body among the foundations of utopia" are one of the last things said by Rorschach before being killed.

In bringing peace to the world in the way depicted in the movie one of the protagonists utter "you havent idealised mankind, you've deformed it, mutilated it"....

Certainly a film worth watching and understanding...

Thursday, August 6, 2009

The Pacific: coming soon-2010

"The Pacific is based primarily on two memoirs of U.S. Marines: With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge and Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie.[3] The series will tell the stories of the two authors and Marine John Basilone, as the war against the Empire of Japan rages." - wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pacific_(miniseries))

Film deal? Write about films, I will. But somethings are worth a special mention... Based on true stories, The Pacific like its predecessor "Band of Brothers" dealt with war in all its gory and glory...

We can expect to see a film that does not glorify war, but glorifies the human being... showing both the ugly side and what is good. As such a war is a place where you will find man at his worst... and best too.

While we live in a world that portrays even the ugly as beautiful... A war and a documentary type movie that depicts the goodness in man, and the goodness that is LOST in a war, sacrificed to some evil...will always be a scream at what is wrong in the world. Wars will continue until we realise its waste... in humanity and life.

For those of us who have watched "Band of Brothers"... this will be something to look forward to. Stay tuned as we await to find more about this HBO production.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009



"The powerful alcoholic and clumsy John Hancock is the most hated person in Los Angeles, as in spite of saving lives, he also destroys properties causing high cost to the city to fix his damages. When he saves the life of the PR Ray Embrey from a train, the executive feels in debt with Hancock and decides to change his image. He brings the anti-hero to have dinner at his home, and introduces him to his son and fan Aaron and to his wife, Mary. But Mary does not want Hancock in her life" - www.imdb.com


Interesting portray of the character "Hancock". I wonder if being immortal and powerful is the only way he could have helped peoples lives. Someone would say it was the better way. Cant we help each other even if we are not powerful?

Ray's character is quite admirable but Hancock had the difficult part. Ray helped him to understand the need to change but Hancock had to make the choice. It reminds me of how stubborn people are sometimes, making excuses about their flaws without making an effort to change.

"It's the choices we make that define our lives and not destiny" the answer given by Mary when asked if they are destined to be this way. Have you ever thought of living forever but not being able to be with the one person who your really attracted to? Interesting how the love between the two immortal beings makes them Human. Guess its right, when people love each other unselfishly they become more human.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

The Soloist

"In 2005, the only thing hurting Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez more than his face from a recent bike accident was his pressing need for story ideas. That is when he discovers Nathaniel Ayers, a mentally ill, homeless street musician who possesses extraordinary talent, even through his half-broken instruments. Inspired by his story, Lopez writes an acclaimed series of articles about Ayers and attempts to do more to help both him and the rest of the underclass of LA have a better life. However, Lopez's good intentions run headlong in the hard realities of the strength of Ayers' personal demons and the larger social injustices facing the homeless. Regardless, Lopez and Ayers must find a way to conquer their deepest anxieties and frustrations to hope for a brighter future for both of them" - www.imdb.com

"All he needed was a friend" , very moving story line. Once I went to with a friend of mine to talk to beggers at the Nugegoda Junction, I felt strongly that they loved the attention we gave them more than the money we offered. Nathanial's character was such that he wasnt seeking the 'better life' but he was overjoyed by the attention and friendship. Makes me wonder the number of time we do this mistake of defining 'charity' as giving money or goods, when sometimes what they need is a our time and attention.

I would have been very frustrated if I was in Steve's shoes, here I am trying to go out of the way for this guy from the streets and he is not supportive at all.With the ex Wife breathing down my neck and with all the pressure, I may have given up. Would you?

Monday, August 3, 2009

" Crossing Over is a multi-character canvas about immigrants of different nationalities struggling to achieve legal status in Los Angeles. The film deals with the border, document fraud, the asylum and green card process, work-site enforcement, naturalization, the office of counter terrorism and the clash of cultures "
www.imdb.com

Other than Ford, Liotta and Judd the cast is farely new.


I am surprised that America allows these types of films which reveals the Hypocrisy of the country. The film successfully captures the inhuman procedures carried out to carry out different laws of the country. Their is a scene.. an Afghan girl.. suspected a threat due to an innocent essay she wrote.. Let me know what you think about it after watching the film.
Im not sure whether the nudity was needed to bring out the message of the film. Maybe it did. The last bit of the film ,during the ceremony, it makes my wonder Why oh Why do these people want to become second class citizens in that country when they will be fully excepted in their own. A country where everyone is forced with an American way of living.

Hey ppl

Hey their fellow movie freaks,

I still dont quite know how to go about this movie blog and facebook page and would really like some suggestions :) he he..Crazy isnt it..I will post some comments on some new movies i've watched and hope u guys do as well...this is actually a test post to see if everything works..cheers

Me

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