Reviews

A very interesting, psychologically well developed film, that starts from the rather simple (the whole of the establishment are 'a wunch of bankers', as the British say) and then becomes more complex. The problem of social precariousness touches many young people today I think, though there are probably not so many around who'd also take 'revolutionary action' as the people in the film do.

The development of the Hardenberg character was also very interesting: at first, he is a very rich top manager, also a rather pathetic figure, but then, as he gets in touch with his own idealistic past, he shows much strength and wisdom. The story of the ménage à trois vs. 'free love' also shows that young people then where even more radical than they are now...

***SPOILERS!***

The ending left me bewildered though. After seeing the film, both my boyfriend and I interpreted it in he way that Hardenberg has succumbed to the establishment again. But here on IMDb I read some other interpretations, notably that it was him who helped them to get to the Mediterrenean and who gave him his boat and money. The message in the empty apartment, 'Some people never change', also pointed into this direction. But why the attack by the police - especially with anti-terrorist forces - was still necessary then, is quite beyond me. Also, Hardenberg didn't at all look amused or content in the police car - as he obviously would have if he had only wanted to fool the cops.

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

I was surprised to see 'The Day After Tomorrow', the new film by Roland Emmerich, to be a delightful and also quite satirical piece of catastrophe moviemaking, with impressive special effects and a sense of visuality that has already impressed in 'Independence Day', also directed by Emmerich. The movie was the more interesting as dangers such as these are much closer and more realistic than, say, aliens from outer space attacking us. Most of the physics of the whole thing were complete bogus of course (an ocean can't freeze in only a few hours, regardless of outer temperature; even at very low temperatures people wouldn't freeze in seconds; even if the Golf current was to stop, its follow-up effects would take years, etc.), but still I think it is important to tell people that global warming will have serious effects that will affect the global climate and all of us.

The most enjoyable thing though were the really nasty bits of satire about the US government and its politics: the president is an incompetent guy who reminded me of the one in Stanley Kubrick's 'Dr Strangelove'; the vice-president is a slave of big business for whom money is more important than the environmental dangers faced by humanity. There was also a lot of irony about US citizens crossing the Mexican border illegally - but in the other direction...

A really enjoyable and surprisingly subversive piece of Hollywood moviemaking.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

"The Red Shoes" is the story of a woman who would like to live a life that is both professionally AND privately fulfilling - but the two men in her life (one personifying Love and Private Happiness, the other her professional passion, Dancing) do not permit her to incorporate both in her life. The conflict comes from the fact that neither man wants to recognize her as an artist and a personality in her own right, but rather as a vehicle of their own aspirations.

During the budding romance with Craster, though, we see that her dream could be fulfilled: she dances to the music that he writes for her; both live a professionally and personally fulfilling life by cooperating. But Lermontov wants Vicky to be his creation and not to be attached to anyone or anything else except dancing. (It is obvious that he is not interested in her sexually or romantically - some said he might be gay, which can well be, but in the end, it doesn't matter, as Lermontov is rather the personification of his own ideal, a person only committed to his profession and to nothing and nobody else.)

As the story develops, it turns out that to Craster, she is nothing more than an inspiration for his own work (he doesn't seem to bother that she is professionally unfulfilled while he reacts aggressively when she takes a step to dance again); to Lermontov, she is the clay she wants to form his own creation (a "great dancer") of. Though most supporting characters seem to recognize Vicky as an artist in her own right, the two men that matter most in her life do not. This is what leads ultimately to her downfall, as she is not able to choose between love and dancing, because both form a whole inside her. She rather sacrifices herself (though in the end it is not clear, to what extent) and thus affirms herself as a person and artist.

A beautiful film (though not as supreme as I had expected it to be), with a great performance by Anton Walbrook and beautiful dancing scenes (though the not-so-perfect special effects in the otherwise highly original and captivating centerpiece were a bit disconcerting). I also like the passionate conflict of the story (the passion here is of the "sublimated" rather than of the downright erotic kind - it is very refreshing that the conflict between Vicky, Craster and Lermontov is not reduced to a mere love triangle). And, of course, a must for ballet lovers.

* POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

A new masterpiece by Lars von Trier. A most impressive film that reminded me a lot of "Breaking the Waves" (except for the ending). In the beginning, I had a bit of trouble with the shaky hand-held camera and the theater-like staging, but then I got sucked into the story and lived through it with all its ups and downs.

"Dogville" tells a heart- (and also gut-) wrenching story about a little town that is "tried" by the sudden appearance of a young female stranger. And the town fails.

While someone wrote here that the ending made them very happy, I was not happy at all. In my opinion, the ending expresses that even revenge cannot do anything about what has happened before. If someone takes revenge, they only do evil themselves. Once evil is done, it could only be eradicated by the clear acknowledgement of one's bad actions and by repentance, the film suggests I think. But neither character is capable of doing this, that is why Grace's tragedy engenders another, even more devastating one.

I think those who talk about anti-Americanism in the respect of "Dogville" are wrong. This story is about the nature of human evil (and the evil in human nature) and thus universal.

A most impressive, moving film that makes you think a lot afterwards. I recommend it to all open-minded people who are not put off by the experimental staging and the length of the film (which I didn't even realize as I was so absorbed by the story).

For me, K3G is THE quintessential Bollywood movie - even though it was made with much higher production standards and more money than most of the lot. In fact, it is a film that sweeps you off your feet, exactly because it is so perfect in the technical sense: stunning cinematography (kudos to Kiran Deohans), art direction, costumes, editing, coreography... The song-and-dance scenes are a real treat for everyone, both Indian and non-Indian.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

I've seen the film two times and both times thoroughly enjoyed it, though I basically didn't like the message and though it was too hypocritical and sentimental. As for the hypocrisy, the storyline and directing swiftly obliterate for example the quite obvious fact that Yash Raichand wants Naina (played by beautiful and lovely Rani Mukherjee) to marry his son Rahul because he himself is attracted to her (as is hinted to in the "Shava Shava" song and dance scene). The nationalistic bits (British people standing up in amazement when hearing the Indian national anthem - I beg you!) were simply annoying, as was all that obscenely paraded consumerism (Dolce & Gabbana seems to have sponsored the movie - they had their logo onscreen almost every ten minutes or so).

I found the movie's central message also very annoying: love your parents, even if they behave to you as if you were a piece of crap - then one day they will forgive you that you left them because you were angry at them for treating you that badly (and you are also allowed to forgive them a little bit, if you please to do so). The father's authority is never really questioned throughout the story, not even in the final scene - the only time this happens is maybe in the scene where his wife Nandini tells him that he is "not God" - but then, who is?

The all-star cast was most impressive (who had this most over-the-top idea to get all these people together for one film?!), the acting was generally quite good, though Amitabh Bachchan had been better in other films (for example in a very similar role in 'Mohabbatein'), Shah Rukh Khan was good and believable. Hrithik Roshan looked gorgeous :), even though I still doubt if he can really act. But his screen presence and dancing were excellent. Kajol was very unnerving in the first part, but got better in the London scenes (though her naive and fervent Hinduism and longing for an idealized Bharat didn't make her character very sympathetic). Kareena Kapoor was great fun as the self-obsessed Poo who seemed to be straight out of the Hollywood flick 'Clueless' (though when I watched the film with a Hungarian friend he told me that he hated the superficial criticism of Western ways expressed through her character). Thus I didn't like at all when in the end she conformed to the Indian ways and became a good housewife - and all this for a man sporting Dolce & Gabbana clothing and driving a most expensive red sports car!

All in all I'd still recommend K3G to everyone who wants to see a top Bollywood production of today with excellent song and dance. But, honestly, if you want to see a really good and personally satisfying Bollywood flick - better go and watch 'Lagaan'.