Sunday, June 19, 2011

And here we go again...

....with more random thoughts on random movies...

Megan is Missing (2011) - documentary like movie about teenage girls kidnapped and most probably killed (in the end) by Internet "lovers". Some pretty disturbing images and also a very bleak image about a generation without purpose, ideals and any firm guidelines through the life.

The Little Fockers (2010) - definitely the worst of the series, but this does not spoil the pleasure of watching Robert de Niro, Dustin Hoffman (this time he is learning flamenco in Spain to become a sex magnet...LOL) and Barbra Streisand.

The Rite (2011) - when I watch such movies, I always find only one explanation. Actors like Anthony Hopkins do need their permanent pocket money. Even so he is doing his best as an exorcist priest, but also as a possessed priest. O_O

7 Khoon Maaf (2011) or Seven Murders Forgiven is a Hindi movie, which I dont know exactly whether I liked or not. Still it weirdly reminded me of fantastic realism and I guess this is its strong point in my opinion (other critics dismissed the movie exactly for this reason). It is definitely a brand new cinematic experience for Hindi cinema, one pleasant for the eye. Pryanka Chopra, in spite of her already schematic and branded talent, is growing as an actress and I congratulate her for choosing such a role.

Aetbaar (2004) - Oh boy... All I can say is that Bipasha looks much better 7 years later. At that time she was a doll without expression or rather with bad expreesions.

Anji (2004) - a Telugu movie which tells a similar story to Indiana Jones. Yes you are allowed to laugh. I did all the way, especially during the item songs. Involuntary humor. And I dont care it won National Film Award for Best Special Effects.

Friday, June 17, 2011

The Borgias - a hit without a doubt

Another brilliant series released in 2011, out of which we could enjoy only one season. Again I started watching it with reluctance as I read too many books about this topic in the past. And because of this I was already set-up with the clicheic image of a cruel, blood thirsty, incestuous and poisoning family. And I wasn't in the mood to see such perverted gore. Still as always my love for movies said: "Woman, give it a try!".

And what a surprise I had. An incredible Jermey Irons who seems more refined than ever and who will remain in the history of TV series as the funniest, wittiest, most ubiquitous and vicious Pope. He is like an apricot - ripe, mellow, sweet with a bitter, tough and cyanide kernel inside. I have to give the credit to the screen writer, too of course, who knew to choose the best lines, but beyond this...the easiness of Irons to put such an artistry at work is magnificent.

The rest of the cast is also intelligently chosen and I want to highlight Michel Muller as King Charles VIII, who is crazily hilarious. A thumb up with all my heart and an out-loud laugh, which did not cease, even though several days have passed since I finished it watching.

Do not miss such a splendor. I am sure you will come back here and you will say I was right.
PS. Music, scenery, atmosphere, camera, editing... Oscar worthy.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The Tudors and other games...

Topic number 1

Well...I managed to see them all... The Tudors - 4 seasons... in one week and a half. Most probably one of the best historical TV series ever made. In the beginning I was so reluctant... I saw so many movies/plays about Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII...that I said to myself...why should I give this a try?

After a few slow paced episodes I got caught. For good. Yes the actor has nothing from the real Henry in physical appearance, but oh boy...he is a treat for the eye and soul. The story stretches the facts as they were narrated by the chroniclers of the time and often it gives some fancy explanations, but each and every image is a masterpiece (music, scenery, direction, script)...

After I saw the last episode, I read for almost 6 hours everything about Henry's England. What a joy and what a pleasure. This is how history should be taught in school.

Try it and then search the portraits of his six wives and let yourself fascinated by their lives and destinies.

As a conclusion - Anne Boleyn wasn't a slut at all. Neither a witch. Just a very intelligent and educated woman, who did not realize unfortunately how hysteric and paranoiac her husband, the king, could be. And that costed her head.

PS. I do not understand why Henry considered Anne Cleves ugly. By comparison, Jane Seymour and Katherine Howard (who were considered beautiful) are ugly like hell. Just check their portraits and you will see. But I guess men's tastes in women will always remain a mystery.

Topic number 2

This prolonged weekend I finished The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins. Phewww...what a ride. Ate it in 2 days all together. It is supposed to be a sci-fi for juniors...teenagers. The style is simple, without fancy stuff. Characters slightly unbalanced. But the narrative thread simply keeps you turn the pages and sometimes skip lines just to see what is happening.
This is again another proof that people, no matter their background or education always yearn for stories, for tales to be told and heard... It is written in our DNA.
Recommended even for those who smirk.

To be continued...

Friday, June 10, 2011

This and that...

As I said some days ago on Twitter, I will share some of my thoughts on some books and movies I have been dealing with lately.
Because of my chaotic life in the last 3 months, I could not focus on serious stuff...so I grabbed anything at hand without thinking too much about quality, fame, must read/watch, etc. So here they are in an absolute random order.

1. Marian Keyes - Rachel's Holiday

Supposedly chick lit from what I heard, the book focuses on a young woman who is a drug addict. She lives a sweet life in New York, doing nothing, going to parties, pouring all kind of drugs in her, then leaving for Ireland in a rehab center. Everything beautiful, but unfortunately the character seemed surreal to me. Maybe because I am coming from a country where normal people coming from normal families work their asses to move on from one month to another.

2. Craig Russell - Eternal
Crime fiction with a slow pace and lots of good information about Hamburg. It also made me check the most famous mummies in the world. The killer had some pretty gore MO. Entertaining reading. But not for beginners into thrillers.

3. Philippa Carr - The Black Swan
LOL
PS. No connection to the movie. And because I respect any writer, I say this is a very good material to be used for translations. You know...you learn the basic - Give me that, go there, the sky is blue, etc. Brilliant from this point of view.

4. The Killing - TV series (Season 1)
Saw 10 episodes on a Sunday. I couldn't move from the couch. A mix atmosphere of Twin Peaks and Harper's Island. Finally a police woman who is not attractive at all and makes you like her for her coldness and apparent normality. Gloomy weather all the time. Depressing music and story. Awesome.

5. Fringe - TV Series (Season 3)
Guys who are doing Fringe are from another planet so help me God. Watched all the episodes (20 something)in 2 days and a half. Didn't eat much. The episode where the characters turn into comics heroes - pure genius. After X Files, the best Sci-Fi touched series ever made.

6. Black Swan - the movie
This was a thing made for Natalie Portman, who is doing her job perfectly. No question, no doubt about it. The climax image when the black swan gets to life is so clicheic that it can blind anybody. Music - superb. Schizophrenia and the path of the artist toward perfection were supposed to impress me. But nope. All in all a good movie, but trying to throw at me an art movie subject dressed in an alluring dark, mysterious commercial blanket did not manage to convince me.

To be continued as always. :)