A Clockwork Orange (1971)

An Education (2009)

High Rise (2015)

High Rise (2015)

A Rainy Day in New York (2017)

It has been a hot minute since I saw Woody Allen’s work. So when finally I got hold of this gem, I couldn’t stop myself. I was excited!

Woody has made a film each year since 1969; but due to a horrible issue (we should not bother about, because great cinema is above all scandals), this streak got jinxed in 2017 when, Amazon refused to release this movie.

Although the film was released for the European markets; the movie may never get to release in the United States. Well, that’s too sad for the Americans I can tell you that much, because after the last couple of movies, I finally found a true “Woody Allen” element in this rom-com.

The movie, in true Allen fashion is set in New York; Erroll Garner jazz in the background; a young, chaotic, fast-talking, witty and pseudo intellectual romantic man; a naive beautiful country girl; not one cheap effect or act of violence or sex that you normally find in movies to please the regular audience.

Elle Fanning is delightful as Ashleigh Enright, a 21-year-old university student who attends an expensive college in the countryside. She writes for the school newspaper and is given an assignment to go to Manhattan to interview Roland Pollard, a renown and insufferably melancholy and exasperated filmmaker, who is played to perfection by Liev Schreiber. His screenwriting partner is an unhappy Ted Davidoff, acted by a sheepish Jude Law, miraculously playing against his own type.

Ashleigh heads for Manhattan with her boyfriend; Gastby Welles played by the talented Timothée Chalamet , who has breeding and wealth, as well as a little bit of the fictional Holden Caulfield aura about him.

Chalamet, wonderfully channeling director Allen himself, delivers an exquisite performance. His character’s journey will lead to a memorable moment at the piano where he pours his complex emotions into a beautiful Chet Baker cover. 

Enter Selena Gomez as Chan Tyrell, the friend of one of Gatsby’s former girlfriends. She’s in Manhattan acting in a student film. Her interest in him is negligible. Or is it? Dressed mostly in a Velma Dinkley costume and a plain hair, she is a natural in front of the camera.

While Ashleigh is interviewing Pollard and discovering the pitfalls of trying to talk to an egocentric director, she’ll also learn about the Upper East Side’s rules of attraction, and why missing a planned rendezvous with one’s boyfriend can be risky. A now-tipsy Ashleigh delivers a magical performance that the audience has been waiting for.

“A Rainy Day In New York” has revealed itself to be a winning comedy drenched in youth seeking a level of maturity only heard or read about.

The beauty about any Woody Allen movie is his love for the city, the jazz and the rains, not to mention the wonderful wit covered in the winningly naive writing.

I hope you get to see “A Rainy Day In New York.”

The Platform (2019)

The Platform is a Spanish science fiction horror-thriller film, directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, released in 2019.

The film is set in a large, tower-style prison where the inmates are fed via a platform containing vast variety of food, that gradually descends the levels of the tower, a fair system if each inmate takes only his or her fair share of food, but not so equitable in practice as inmates at the top levels have the ability to take much more food and leave less for those below.

These inmates are here living this hell because they have asked for something in return. Our lead (Goreng) for example, has taken up this journey in return for a diploma.

“The platform” mirrors our world, and the administration, our governments, and the levels in this tower are the social classes that are created. The administration (government) works with care and planning, but due to flaws in the capitalist system, there are people suffering and dying.

The film perfectly argues that there is enough resources to go around for everyone, but people’s consumption or rather overconsumption leads to the inequality of these resources and hence the struggle for power.

The problem is the structure of power, as those at the top are unreachable; cooperation by the lower level dwellers is not given since everyone is struggling to survive and will do whatever it takes to make it out alive.

It is your act and behaviour at the level you reside at that the administration will factor in when deciding which level you get to live next. The film has great characters and the depths of each of them can be felt as you see them partake in this somewhat karmic world and the chaos of it all.

Goreng is shown as having high norms and values, he even tries to change the entire system with Baharat. At first, they try to send a message to the administration by sending back untouched food – which is impossible in their system. They fail in this, then Goreng tries to send up another message to the administration; a child that survives the bottom floor, as she is a metaphor of human spirit, unbroken, despite the overwhelming, dehumanising influence of the system.

Baharat tried to go up several times, but fails as just like in life, there will always be people that are going to stop you. One day you wake up in a horrific situation, the other day you are happier. When you are happy (or of higher class), you seem to forget about the bad days and lose your emphaty as a human being and exaggerate in every act that you do.

In the end, however, Goreng cannot ascend with her, having been corrupted by his time in the facility, but it’s unclear what will actually happen when the girl reaches the top.

The director has said that Goreng is dead by this time and hence all this might just be his coma infused dream or hallucination as he is dying. But this has been left to the imaginations of the viewers.

Literally speaking, the girl’s ascent is unlikely to change anything. But metaphorically speaking, the girl is the future, and likely the only hope humanity has left.

Adults, like Goreng, have been living in the system for too long, and have been shaped by its injustices; they can fight for a better future, but have been hopelessly corrupted in the process. 

Those at the top aren’t about to give up their privileges willingly, and the bottom-dwellers are too busy surviving to consider the greater good. Restoring humanity might be our only path forward. 

The film’s cast includes Iván Massagué, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor, Emilio Buale Coka and Alexandra Masangkay.

The film premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the People’s Choice Award for Midnight Madness. At TIFF, the film also secured a worldwide streaming deal with Netflix.

Go stream it on Netflix and share your interpretations with me in the comments below.

Joker (2019)

“For my whole life, I didn’t know if I even really existed. But I do, and people are starting to notice.” Arthur Fleck (notebook)

And boy did they notice him!

Joker (that has grossed over $95M worldwide), centres around an origin of the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, “standalone” story not seen before on the big screen. Nor will it have anything to do with the upcoming DC movie(s).

Being the only DC movie rated “R”, there have been concerns about the political message and why/should we feel empathy towards joker.

But before you start taking sides, let us dive deep into the storyline.

Todd Phillips’ understanding of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a man disregarded by society, is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.

It is the 80’s, Arthur Fleck, a party clown at the HAHA club and a wannabe comedian, lives with his mother, Penny, in Gotham City. A city that is infested with crime and unemployment, leaving its population disenfranchised and impoverished.

Arthur suffers from a neurological disorder that causes him to laugh at inappropriate times and depends on a social services worker for medication.

Arthur gets bullied and beaten up in the allies and on the subway by those that are more powerful and better off than him. Making him feel weak and angry and resentful towards the world. And us audience, more empathetic towards him.

Now Arthur commits a crime that he didn’t think he was capable of committing nor did he understand what altered in him to make him take such a step. But the deed was done and now he must live with it. Luckily for him, he was under disguise (JOKER) and nobody knew that it was Arthur who did shoot “those Wall-street guys.”

The days go by and the city is beset by rioters in clown makeup and clown masks in Arthur’s image; because of the mayoral candidate Thomas Wayne, who labels those envious of more successful people as “clowns”.  Funding cuts and shuts down the social service program, leaving Arthur without medication.

The story line picks up from there and you see Arthur’s transformation into the “JOKER” that he always knew was inside of him and he was only now finally able to live like his real self.

My favourite scene from the movie:

I get why some people hate this. It is because of the political message and how correct it is or isn’t to give empathy towards Arthur’s madness. But it was never about it, it simply showed the story of an underdog, a superhero for those who can’t defend themselves but are tired of the oppression of the society.

It is a psychological study, rather than a superhero flick if you ask me.

Joaquin Phoenix gives a tour de force performance, fearless and stunning in its emotional depth and physicality. Mark my words, he is on his way to an Oscar this time.

The music, the cinematogrophy (how they played with the warm and cool tones throughout the film) have been the highlights for me apart from the stunner performance by the actor.

Enjoy this masterpiece because Joaquin Phoenix and Todd Phillips overdid themselves with this movie.

I’m sure Heath Ledger would be proud. 🙂

Wonder Wheel (2017)

In a career spanning 50 years and almost as many features, Woody Allen has periodically refined, reinvented, and redefined the terms of his art, and that’s exactly what he does with his daring new film.

“Wonder Wheel” opens with narration from Mickey, a Coney Island lifeguard played by Justin Timberlake. His tale, he tells us, takes place in Coney Island in “the 1950s.”  Mickey tells us a story that just might be filtered through his vivid imagination: a middle-aged carousel operator (James Belushi) and his beleaguered wife (Kate Winslet), who eke out a living on the boardwalk, are visited by his estranged daughter (Juno Temple)—a situation from which layer upon layer of all-too-human complications develop.

Ginny (Kate Winslet): “When it comes to love we all turn out to be our own worst enemy”

Woody Allen is such a genius! At age 82 he continues giving us art, art, and art. His films continue being brilliant, and making us think, feel, smile, and cry. And that’s something for which I will always be thankful to him.

Wonder Wheel is just another jewel of his. The music is beautiful and nostalgic, and the cinematography (Vittorio Storaro: the 3 Oscar-winner cinematographer of Apocalypse Now, Reds, and The Last Emperor -who previously worked with Woody Allen in Café Society) is absolutely brilliant: super long shots, 50-ish colors, big close ups, and a very special light. The story of the film and the feelings of the characters are really well written, and Kate Winslet’s and Jim Belushi’s performances are absolutely amazing. With a taste of Radio Days, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Match Point, Wonder Wheel appears like a jewel in the middle of this cinema age of superhero millionaire productions full of espectacular special effects but empty.

Wonder Wheel is a drama. Nevertheless, there is also a bit of humor inside the catastrophe (that refine humor that Woody Allen knows to tell so well): the son, the fires, the post-session with the psychiatrist…

Allen and his cinematographer, the great Vittorio Storaro, working with a remarkable cast led by Winslet in a startlingly brave, powerhouse performance, have created a bracing and truly surprising movie experience. An Amazon Studios release.

Sunset Boulevard (1950) Vs. Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)

 

This week I (unknowingly) watched two stellar performances. One, a certified classic while the other a recent biopic. The more I thought about writing two separate blog entries for both, the more I was convinced that the two movies were a close resemblance to each other, if not entirely.

If you haven’t been living under a rock, you would have seen the first movie I’m gonna dive into. Sunset Boulevard; the highly acclaimed film-noir directed by none other than Billy Wilder, the man who gave us classics like Double Indemnity and The Apartment to name a couple amazing ones. The film is about a bothered scriptwriter ‘Joe Gillis and a forgotten silent film star Norma Desmond’s weird relationship and the insaneness that surrounds them and the people around them. Don’t wanna give away the plot, because it is an utter gem that should be experienced by one’s own eyes.

This movie has some very eery moments because of some great cinematography. Black and white LA, star-dust, movie business and the life of an old “long gone” star is depicted beautifully by the director and cinematographer. Gloria Swanson embodies the character so perfectly and those eyes, have so much expression like you’ve never seen before. For me, Eric Von Stroheim stole the limelight. You never know what secrets a man is hiding under his male bravado until he falls in love and is destroyed forever. Stroheim showcased just that, and rightly so. We are made to see the story from Joe Gillis’ POV played by the very talented William Holden. And the fact that it’s a narrative (voice-over) makes it truly a piece of art (for me at least).

The next movie is a 2016 release Florence Foster Jenkins. Based on real-life events. The film shows the inspiring true story of the world’s worst singer. A NY heiress Florence, whose dream is to be an opera singer, only she has no idea that she can’t sing.

The film revolves around Florence (played to the T by Meryl Streep) and her husband St.Clair (Hugh Grant like you’ve never seen him before)  and the struggles he faces in maintaining an illusion of a world that respects and have high praises for his talented wife.

It’s a story about having dreams and letting go of them when harsh realities set in. It’s a movie about love. Hugh Grant quotes Shakespeare in the movie which is what he really practices in his love life;

“Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no; it is an ever-fixed mark,”

Technically, the movie is dazzling. The 1940s stage setting is brilliant, from the steep outfits to the elegant decor and old-fashioned automobiles that inhabit old-time New York. By the looks of the poster, many thought it would be a feel-good comedy of the year.
Stephen Frears has taken a sad, tender story and made it surprisingly fun and enjoyable without avoiding the melancholy. It has a beautiful message. A must watch!

Now, the real reason why you’re reading this (if you haven’t closed the tab already that is), the comparison I drew from both works. Let’s list them down:

1. Delusional Star syndrome: Both the stories talk about the slightly delusional stars that still think that the audience wants them back as they’re truly mesmerized by their acts. Gloria Swanson and Meryl Streep play the delusional character so well that at some point, you start feeling sorry for them.
2. Loving Husbands: We have Erin Von Stroheim and Hugh Grant doing their duty towards their mentally disturbed wives because their love is too strong and because both the husbands have dealt with the bad cards in the entertainment industry themselves and therefore, they personally invest in the talent (or lack thereof) of their wives. Knowing that the outside world is mocking them both.
3. Court Jesters: Ok, I don’t know why I put out this term to describe the external elements of the movies, but I guess this somehow described their characteristics. I’m talking about the outsiders in the movie (apart from the leading man and woman) who develops an interest in the “talented stars” for money. Although, they soon find themselves deeply invested in the talents of the ladies. In Sunset Blvd.  the court jester is William Holden’s character, Joe. Who is initially taken up by Norma to be her personal editor (for a great deal of money) but later on develops an intimate relationship with her? In Florence Foster Jenkins, the court jester is Simon Helberg’s character Cosme McMoon. Who is paid a lot (by St Clair) to play along with Florence’s fantasy as her Pianist? He too later on develops a great deal of love and admiration for Florence.
4. Death: Both the movies end up with deaths (I won’t spill the beans about who dies though). This somehow showcases that life is but a stage and all men and women merely players. All the botheration about rights and wrongs are nothing when compared to the ultimate destiny of each one of us. So, we must play along with our dreams and fantasy if that is what brings us pleasure.

Although, one is a fiction and the other, based on real-life events; you cannot help but wonder if Life imitates art or is it the other way around?

 

Top 10 Halloween (Horror) Movies

October is ending, and that brings with it the most entertaining and thrilling night of the year… Halloween!!

I am a sucker for scary movies. I love to not being able to look under my bed at night or walk down the hall to my kitchen to grab something at 3 in the AM. I get great pleasure in getting jumpy at the slightest of sounds after I’ve seen a few good horror scenes of a horror movie.

This got me thinking about curating a list of my top 10 Halloween flicks that I have enjoyed over the years. So skip the cinema and have yourself your very own thrill fest with these gems…

                                                                Hocus Pocus (1993):
I remember I saw this one when I was 6 or 7 and it left a huge impact on me in my formative years.  I know it is a bit Nickelodeon/Disney but if you haven’t seen this, you’re not doing Halloween right.

   Donnie Darko (2001):

It’s not your average “Horror” movie; it’s on a different tangent all together.  With the right script and cast, this movie is a cult classic in psychological thriller category. Watch it and try to contemplate what happened…I dare ya!

      Nosferatu (1922):

Kids these days don’t know what the real vampires were suppose to look and do to a mere human (thank you Twilight). Thankfully, we have classic cinema to teach them a thing or two about the actual vampires, you know, how Bram Strokes originally imagined it to be.

   The Amityville Horror (1979):

Oh boy! The best horror movies are those that are inspired by real life events. This is the best example of it. The infamous Amityville Horror is a Halloween treat and a spine chilling movie to enjoy with (or without) family. See what I just did there 😉 You’ll understand when you watch this.

    The Changeling (1980):

A haunted house, a vindictive ghost and Martin Scorsese’s stamp of approval, need I pitch this more?

     Orphan (2009):

What you see is not what you’ll get in this thriller. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you about what goes down in this 2009 thriller/drama. See it to figure out what I’m talking about.

     The Craft (1996):

What happens when four beautiful Catholic school girls decide to run the world on their terms? It’s a more creepier version of Mean Girls to say the least.

     The Addams Family (1991):

My list won’t be complete without mentioning this “all together ookie” family. They scare you, disgust you, confuse you and even make you giggle. Their home is full of dark magic and they find it difficult to adjust to the normal outside world, so they just stay the way they are. We love them!

           Carrie (1976): 

American supernatural horror film based on Stephen King’s 1974 epistolary novel of the same name. The King of horror, Stephen wrote this story so well that to this day, directors try to remake this movie, in the attempt to out shine the next.

  The Wicker Man (1973):

A police sergeant is sent to a Scottish island village in search of a missing girl whom the townsfolk claim never existed.This British mystery horror film is like no other. It has it’s weird moments (look out for songs and dances) but thats a given being a British film, which is great as it brings a whole other cinema into light.

Well, I hope you’ll enjoy these movie recommendations and I hope that you have an uneasy sleepless Halloween night. (Insert evil laugh here)

Trick or Treat?!?!

My Top 10 (dead of) Summer Flick Picks 2016

Well, now that we’re on a break from all the GOT drama (for a while); let’s not forget the simple pleasures in life that are equally enthralling and worth the while.

I’m talking about the slumber summer! Yes, that time of the year when your body is on a constant drowsy mode and your mind just feels like procrastinating on your “To-do list” (please don’t tell me it is just me).

If that’s the case, I have you covered. I curated a perfect summer movie list to put those unproductive days to shame.  Let’s get your summer on…