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mrpmosh
Reviews
Powder Keg (2001)
Best of the Series (summary and possible spoilers)
The first movie, The Ambush, delivered good action and I thought was good enough to start off the film series. Ang Lee's second short film was less than good with mediocre action scenes and a story that did not make much sense. He said he was going for the comedic approach, my advise to Mr. Lee, don't do comedy again.
The third installment was the best so far, intriguing story and beautiful filming style. Then there was Guy Ritchie's film Star. It was, I thought, quite funny and the second best. Then we have the last one: Powder Keg by Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu, (remember that name), director of the critically acclaimed Amores Perros. His movie is inspired on the actual event of the massacre of Aguas Blancas which happened in Mexico's guerilla zone. The rest of the story is enitrely fictional and concerns a photographer who captures the event and becomes wounded when he is discovered by the militia. Clive Owen's driver character is sent to get him out of the war zone. Alejandro's script manages to create a story far more deep than all previous BMW films. The photographer's character starts to develop when he says he would like to have time to play with his kids, which he doesn't have because the life of a war photographer is very demanding and he hasn't had the chance to start a family which he regrets. He then laments what he has witnessed in the 15 wars he is covered by telling of the dying people that have that died at his feet begging for help. He is unable to help them and all he can do is take their picture as all he is after all is a witness. He then says he wishes on of his pictures would help change something so all the time he has dedicated to his career are worth something. Then we learn about his mother who influenced him to become a photographer by telling him 'to see'. We later learn the mother is blind. All this in about five minutes in the most natural way. The film is shot with energy and the style alone can evoke emotion even with the little dialogue it has. 'This is not a political movie but a movie about love between a man and his mother' says director Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu and it is true. Even if the characters never are in the same scene together. Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu is a genius, the other four directors have a chance here to learn a thing or two about movie-making.
Amores perros (2000)
LIKE IT OR NOT THIS MOVIE IS OUTSTANDING
Amores Perros, the directorial debut for Alejandro Iñarritu is one outstanding movie. It may be hard to swallow for people who are not aware of some of the cruel realities of our world and people who are bad at reading subtitles. The movie starts fast and exciting and it remains like that throughout. The characters of the three stories may have problems and not be very likeable but like it or not most of us have our imperfections and are not liked by all. The stories are very simple yet compelling. Specially the third one with 'El Chivo'. The violence maybe maybe too much for some but they have to realize that it is not at all exaggerated or glamourized. The fact that the director shows this violence doesn't mean he enjoys it. He is merely using it as the backdrop for our 'love stories' that show the bad aspects of love. The tag line 'If you don't see this movie, don't worry, you'll live it anyway' stands. Unlike some stupid dolt who posted a review here and took the tag line too literally, most of us can recognize the basic dilemas: loving someone else's partner, loving someone who will never love you, being in a superficial relationship, having to leave your family for something that you may know is wrong, trying to fix the world and realizing you can't. If some still don't believe such violence is real, and that people do fight dogs, people do rob banks, stab others, go to guerillas and shed blood by the bucket in fatal car accidents, then read the following example which is directly related to the movie. In an interview, the director told a story about how him and his crew were assaulted by a juvenile gang just outside the house where they held the dogfights who claimed they were filming in their territory. The crew decided to call in security guards who know how to talk to gangs because if they had called the cops, the gang would have killed them and the cops. In the end the guards found out that the gang claimed they where filming in their turf and that all they had to do was ask their permission. The crew asked and the gang granted it, no money down. Maybe in the US and Canada one is not as related with this type of behavior and may be led to believe that the director was just glamourizing. Well, I have lived in Mexico City and I have seen much worse things in the biggest and most violent city in the world. Back to the movie, the story is excellent, the characters may not be likeable but are entirely real, the acting is the best I've ever seen, specially by 'El Chivo', and the technique is superb. Forget comparisons to Pulp Fiction this movie stands on its own and it's more creative. If you haven't seen this movie, then go. If you have and didn't like it then just tell me this: most people liked it, thus the 8.5 rating (which I believe should be higher) do you, in your small little world, honestly think you are right and everybody else is wrong? Its okay if you don't like it but just think about it, go see it again and actually read the subtitles. P.S. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was much inferior to this movie and it didn't deserve to win the Oscar. Amores Perros all the way!!!! (like it or not.)