Faana

Fanaa
India (Bollywood)
2006
Starring:  Aamir Khan, Kajol, Tabu, and Rishi Kapoor

You know how most Bollywood movies have an intermission because they are so long?  The second part of this movie was nothing like the first, it was truly like a second movie.  There aren't many times that I am caught off guard by the turn of events in a movie, usually I find movies predictable... this one was all but predictable.  From drama, to romance, to action, and some adventure this movie evokes many different sentiments.  The cinematography in the movie is absolutely stunning full of amazing sweeping views of gorgeous countrysides and scenery and Delhi as well.  The music is interesting in this movie.  A portion of the same tune is used in about 90% of the musical sequences.  How it changed to fit the different songs is through the whole movie and was still recognizable is unique.  The brave attempts at poetry through the whole first half was cool also; I'm quite sure this would have been a more enjoyable experience if I could understand the native audio - poetry always looses some of its constructive points in translation.

Zooni, a young blind woman who's lived a sheltered life.  She leaves the most important thing in her life, her family, and travels to Dehli in a grand adventure with her father's reluctant permission.  Through most of the movie she is recounting quotes of her father's wisdom, which I found quite enjoyable and personally reminded me of someone I used to know.   Rehan, "God's greatest gift" in his own words, is a tourguide.  Destiny brings them together and what follows if the story of a lifetime.  The path of their relationship takes the most unforeseen twists as Zooni makes a decision to undergo a corrective surgery to restore her sight.  Fanaa is quite cheesy in an enjoyable way through the first half.

Seeing a Bollywood movie with a blind woman as the leading character was interesting to me.  Kajol did a great job in keeping her eyes from reacting to visual stimuli during filming.

In all if you're a fan of Bollywood I have to recommend this movie it wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't bad either.  It's a awesome love story and has the wft? factor going through quite a bit of it.  I'm glad I gave it the chance.

Quote:  The choice isn't between good and evil.  That's easy.  The real choices of life are choosing between the lesser of two evils, or the greater of two goods.

Fung wan II - Storm Warriors

Fung wan II - Storm Warriors
Hong Kong
2009
Starring:  Aaron Kwok, Ekin Cheng, and Kenny Ho
Awards:  Nominated for the Asian Film Award (2010)

Probably my second favorite genre of movies right now is the martial arts arena, fantasy martial arts movies are awesome because of the thought that goes into creating the worlds and the martial arts themselves.  Fung wan II is no exception to that.  Virtually all of the action sequences are friggin awesome.  The limits of reality are tested, sure, but that doesn't mean the story isn't cool.  If you liked the looks of Goemon you should certainly like the looks of this.  Some of the names in this movie were a little corny, but that very well could be something that is lost to me in translation.

I think we are coming into a new era for martial arts movies.  I have a hypothesis that the kids who grew up watching anime are becoming directors now with production budgets large enough to create the worlds and special effects their minds have been trained to imagine.  I think we're going to see a large number of flicks coming out of Asia that will rival Hollywood action productions in the next decade.

Storm Warriors has a decent plot behind it.  There is a strong element of good and evil, light and dark, and it approaches the high ranking martial arts training with that perspective.  There is a some type of a love story tied into this movie for both Wind and Cloud, but for some reason if it wasn't for the acting that wouldn't be overly apparent; the subtitles said little about it other then hints here and there.  If you like fantasy martial arts movies with good action virtually all the way through you should check this one out.

Saawariya

Saawariya
India (Bollywood)
2007
Starring:  Ranbir Kapoor, Soman Kapoor, and Salman Khan

Saawariya didn't contain anything new for me, but it was still a beautiful movie. The movie was a cross between Pretty Woman and Moulan Rogue, with a little more innocence then either; not saying it directly pulls from the plots, but the Sawwariya reminds me of both.  With that said the scenes are absolutely beautiful; the filming mirrors that statement as well.  They did a great job creating romantic mysticism with dimly lit foggy scenes.  The town itself reminds me of Venice in general appearance and feel, but has a vibrant look to it in the dark that I don't recall of Venice; all of that with a traditional Indian overlay and some custom neon and coloring to finish it off.  If for nothing else then the sheer romanticism created by the sets alone I would watch this movie again.  The scenery in short is poetic.

The acting was good.  Sonam like many Bollywood actresses is just absolutely gorgeous and plays her part well.  Ranbir allso put on a stellar performance.  One of them a hopeless drifter who sings his way through bars and the other a woman awaiting a love who promised to come back to her the following Eid; they meet on a bridge and the stars can tell the rest of the story.  Together they made a movie that reminds you when love is hopeless life will go on.

I did have to take and download a different subtitle file then the one that came on the DVD and play the movie through an alternate viewer that would let me force overlay subtitles.  The one that came with the movie didn't seem to match the spoken dialog; seemed like a lot more talking was going on then I was reading.  With a different subtitle file I got a much better translation I think and translations of the songs (which are half the reason why I watch Bollywood movies anyway).  If anyone else finds they have the same ailment and need help with the subs let me know, it's a simple process.

La Hora Fria - The Cold Hour

La Hora Fria - The Cold Hour (AKA The Dark Hour)
Spain
2006
Starring:  Silke, Omar Munoz, and Pepo Oliva

La Hora Fria is dubbed a horror, mystery, sci-fi movie.  It fits the sci-fi category; works with the mystery category; yet, I wouldn't call it a horror.

I keep an eye out and continue to look for new sci-fi and horror movies from Spain because there is something just a little different about them that I like.  Maybe I'll figure it out in the next 5 or 10 of them that I come across.  It could be that I understand about 85% of Spanish movies in their native language so a little less is lost in translation.

La Hora Fria is no exception.  The movie followed suite with a post apocalyptic theme, a little creepiness, and a plot that I couldn't figure out till the movie was over.  Then this one kept me pondering the situations presented throughout the plot.  The movie twists all the way through the plot and has an ending that I didn't guess or predict.  I recommend this move for anyone that enjoy's  slower moving sci-fi and mystery movies that keep you wondering all the way through.

Quote:

My Name is Khan

My Name is Khan
India
2010
Starring:  Shahrukh Khan, Kanol, and Sheetal Menon

Since the day it was released on Netflix on demand service this movie was in my queue; I left it there for months without watching it for one reason or another and I'm sad that it took me so long to watch it.

My Name is Khan is an amazing movie consisting of a well knit web of difficulties.  The movie is centered around the struggles of Muslims and Hindi in America before and after 9/11.  The main character, Khan, faces struggles of his own throughout his childhood and adulthood both in India and in the United States.  The circles of struggles touch on the relationships between Indian Muslims and Hindis, family, religions, countries, cultures, racism, discrimination, acceptance, love, loss, innocence, and so much more.  I don't know that I have ever seen a movie that involved so much that was so well done; I had assumed this movie wouldn't interest me and instead when I started watching it in the middle of the night I couldn't go to sleep until I finished watching it (5am).  This is simply a must see.  

I will be the first to admit that I do not know much about the Great Divide in India, what caused it, or why it still an issue.  I'm not sure if the Great Divide is the same as the Partition of 1947.  But, it is sad that there are so many people who struggle to this day with religion and in the case of Khan's homeland the caste system as well.  This movie didn't involve the caste system, but was but did depict the struggles from two cultures from the same country while in a foreign land.  It also involved the struggles of the Indian Muslim and Hindu population living in the United States and how they also began to divide after 9/11.  This movie is simply and amazingly eye opening and moving.  

There could not have been more horrible things happening to a man who was simply trying to do his best to live in a world where he was different then everyone else.  Khan's struggles with Asperger Syndrome and with his own identity.  Even being shunned by society at large and struggling on so many fronts a warmer heart and soul could not have been written into his character any better.

Through the struggles of one man and his actions this movie reminds us that one individual can be a powerful force, no matter who they are.

While I was in the process of due diligence on this movie I found an article that broke my heart.  While the article is a compilation of stories and says the actions of those involved had more to do with cricket in India than the religious or cultural differences portrayed in My Name is Khan the actions by religious groups shows otherwise in my mind.  It is sad that different cultures struggle for acceptance from each other in their home land and add the struggle of acceptance of a nation to that difficulty when they come here.  As borders grow less obscure in the way the world is trending currently hopefully mankind will learn to accept itself at large no matter what culture or background someone comes from.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2010/02/100212_my_name_is_khan_nh_sl.shtml

Quote(s):  "My Name is Khan and I'm not a terrorist"

Ammi: "This is you Rizvan. And this is the person who has a stick in his hand.  And he is beating you."
Rizvan: "It's bad, beating is bad."
Ammi:  "Yes, it's bad.  Now this is you again Rizvan and this is the person who has a lollipop.  And he gives it to you.
Rizvan:  "Lollipop is sweet.  It's a good thing."
Ammi:  "Good boy.  Now tell me which of these is a Hindu and which one a Muslim?" Looking at stick figure drawings.
Rizvan:  "Both look alike."
Ammi:  "Good.  Remember one thing son, there are only two kinds of people in this world.  Good people who do good deeds and bad people who do bad.  That's the only difference in human beings."

Het Leven Uit Een Dag - Life in One Day

Het Leven Uit Een Dag - Life in One Day
Netherlands
2009
Starring:  Matthijs van de Sande Bakhuyzen, Lois de Jong, and Tygo Gernandt
Awards:  Nominated for Best Cinematography at Camerimage and for the Dutch Film Critics Award at the Netherlands Film Festival

Life in One Day is a unique movie.  At first I thought that it might have followed the storyline of a movie called Wristcutters, though it did show a small resemblance the movie was far from what I anticipated.

This independent film from the Netherlands explores love and relationships through experiences that take place in two parallel worlds.  One world is nearly the same as the other with a couple major differences; if one were to pick at some of the possibilities of the "alternate" world there are some fundamental issues that could be addressed, but the fact of the matter is that movies are a vehicle, a image if you will, from someone's mind as it imagines the possibilities and impossibilities in life and creates stories.  Het Leven Uit Een Dag is no exception.  This movie started out a little twisted, but surprised me as it continued.  The plot flows smoothly throughout the movie.  I am most positive I would thoroughly enjoy the movie in its native language.

The plot is that of two lovers who desire the impossible and strive towards it; this impossible being eternal love.  The story flows along this line all the way through.  There is quite a bit of eroticism, nudity, and sex through the movie - go Europeans.  How can one have an eternal love without considering sex and nudity in the relationship?  Through the exploration of life and satisfaction this movie journeys through situations ironically humorous and sad at the same time.

Het Leven Uit Een Dag, Life in One Day, was worth seeing once.  I enjoyed the movie enough that I came back and finished watching it; dread the movies that I can not do that with.

Quote:  In the world where I was born, life lasts one day.   One day in which you experience everything only once.

Cargo

Cargo
2009
Switzerland
Starring:  Anna-Katharina Schwabroh, Martin Rapold, and Regula Grauwiller

Cargo is a Swiss sci-fi movie.  With that said not many sci-fi movies have come from Switzerland.  Cargo is unique in some of the environment that the story takes place in.  The ship is cool and there are some really cool looking scenes.  Production wise this movie is visually entertaining.

I've had a problem with Hollywood specifically for the better part of the past decade though:  Hollywood can't seem to do anything original, everything is a prequel, a sequel, or heavily borrows plots and story lines from already produced movies.  This movie though far from a Hollywood production follows suite there.  The plot was paper thin and could be predicted before you were halfway through the movie.  It also borrowed from the plots of a half dozen or more blockbuster sci-fi movies ranging from the mid 50s to nearly present day.  There are a couple of blunders if one picks apart the science involved in the move, but a movie is a move some scientific blunders are acceptable in my book.

With all of that said, I am more then happy to help support independent film and watch this movie.  It does have some uniqueness about it and is unique in the way some of the material is presented throughout the movie.

Quote:  You were right, earth won't make it.

Soon to come

I have unfortunately been lax in my reviews, however I have not been so in watching the movies. Soon to come (next few days) will be reviews of Cargo, Zeitgeist, Het Leven Uit Een Dat, Strigoi, Action Replay, Ip Man 2 & 3, Black Death, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame.... amongst a couple of others. Check back soon ;)

MirrorMask

MirrorMask
2005
Canada
Starring:  Stephanie Leonidas, Jason Barry, and Rob Brydon

MirrorMask falls into many different categories.  It is an adventure, a drama, a family movie, a fantasy, and is full of carnies all the way through.

I think Jim Henson had a run in with some bad acid from the 60s when he wrote this.  This movie was a visual trip all the way through.  I can only imagine the people who created it.  It is done by the creators of Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

With that said, if you can deal with the trippieness of it all it is quite an imaginative adventure.

The story begins in a carnival where one of the stars of the show is fighting with her daughter.  After those often exchanged words between the rebellious teenager and parents watching out for them.  Soon she finds herself in a world where everyone mysteriously wears masks..



Quote:  If I told you something wierd, would you think I'm crazy?

Die Verlassenen - The Abandoned

Die Verlassenen - The Abandoned
Spain, Germany, UK, Bulgaria
2006
Starring:  Anastasia Hille, Karel Roden and Valentin Goshev


The Abandoned is a unique horror film.  Much of what I've watched in the past 10 years for horror is simply gore and boring or teen humor and kind of funny.  This movie puts a bit of suspense and some freaky moments back into the horror category.  I wasn't overly impressed with the cinematography, but it served its purpose in this movie.  The story alone was unique and what I truly appreciated of this movie.  


The movie begins with Marie on her way to claim her father's will back in Russia.  From there the mystery just gets deeper and deeper till...   


I would recommend The Abandoned for anyone who enjoys a good chilling horror flick.