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ramayana
Reviews
Belyy tigr (2012)
War movie, Tarkovsky-style
Starts out as a perfectly good war flick and turns more and more surreal during the last thirty minutes. Or maybe I should say, it becomes a meditation over the meaning, the spirit, the essence of war. As a whole, White Tiger is like an episode of Twilight Zone filmed in the gritty philosophical manner of Tarkovsky - some faces and scenes almost appear like a nod to the protagonists of Stalker. It probably won't please those who watch this for the war part, and because marketed as a war movie, it probably fails to reach out those looking for the surreal and mystical. However, even if this film is an odd bag, it has the potential to leave a lasting impression on the viewer because the point it makes in the end (in the fireplace monologue scene) is utterly taboo-breaking with thoughts no Western-made WW2 films dared to express. 8/10 for a few sluggish scenes towards the end.
Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter (2013)
Like the Wehrmacht - impressive in the beginning but ends up in shambles
Many have compared Our Mothers Our Fathers to Band of Brothers but apart from set against WW2 the two features have nothing in common. This is definitely not the German counterpart to BoB. Contrary to the latter, the German series has not a single character I could like. The nurse is dumb, the singer a slut, the mandatory Jewish friend just always at the wrong moment and at the wrong place, and the character development of the two soldiers just... confusing. I mean, what to think of a cast where the (apparently also mandatory) evil SS-Whateverbannführer is the most memorable character? Apart from flawed character development it's bad screen writing ruining the series. The first part was promising and perfectly watchable but around the second more and more things happened which made me ask myself "wtf?" ***SPOILER*** For example, the transformation of the younger brother from weakling into die-hard soldier happens from one scene to the other, the Jewish doctor betrayed by the nurse and dragged away by the Gestapo suddenly appears as a highly decorated Russian officer (who, to add insult to injury, delivers a sickeningly didactic speech when saving the nurse from being raped - the makers probably didn't dare to show what usually happened in reality wherever the glorious Soviet army went), characters escaping from a moving train to Auschwitz (where else, of course...) sleep between the tracks until it gets conveniently bright enough to shoot the next scene. ***END OF SPOILERS*** These are just a few examples of flaws in the script which ultimately make the whole story unbelievable, even annoying at parts.
It appears to me the German makers didn't have the guts to show the real face of Nazism and war; about the former we don't learn anything new (for example why on earth is everyone except the protagonists an ardent Antisemite? why did everyone hate the Jews?), and from the latter, we only see grunts PTSD-d by events that are only mentioned, not explained. It's apparently still not a time to show the cruelty of the Soviet army and the partisans, which would have psychologically explained many of the protagonists actions and their slide into cruelty - as it happened in reality.
The series attempts to give a bitter look to the transition of Nazi Germany into the BRD too; without giving away more spoilers, I can only say that this was done much, much better in "The Life of the Others" where there's a very similar scene.
So, in the end what could have become an epic TV drama ended up as a didactic lecture on typical German self-chastising with a flawed script and unreal protagonists. Probably there were better chances to find an unopened bottle of brandy in a trashed Berlin pub after the siege than for Germans to make an honest and well-realized feature about WW2. Maybe in a hundred years. Until then, if you want to watch a truly good German film about WW2, go for Das Boot and forget this one.
Amal (2007)
One of the most touching films I've ever seen
"Amal" offers a sadly forgotten experience: catharsis. It fools the viewer who is nowadays way too much used to happy endings. This is not to say that the movie doesn't has a happy end, but it's probably not a spoiler to say that the end is very much different than one would expect. "Amal" has been criticized for being too didactic, too much centered on the moral of "poor people with rich heart" but I think there are enough greyshades to save the movie from being naive. It is balanced out by having crooks on the "poor" and (although just ultimately) fair characters on the "rich" side. Apart from that, the movie abounds of memorable scenes - there were at least three scenes where I had to stop and rewind the DVD to watch them again and again, especially those with Naseeruddin Shah in the beginning. Acting is superb here and the actors do their best to fill their sometimes - let's be honest - cardboard characters with life. It shouldn't be forgotten that this is an Indian film, and Indian film culture is not really famous for tragic, character-driven movies. After "Amal", we watched a recent Bollywood hit (wife LOVES them, yuck) and the difference was unspeakable. For me, it was sickening to watch the usual dance-and-love-and-marriage rubbish, and yet this is the style of movies that Indian film industry is famous for. Shame... and no wonder that in such a world, Amal's story ends the way it does.
Redacted (2007)
Could ANYONE tell me what this movie was about?
I must admit I've only watched 2/3 of this movie because I found many scenes and dialogs so boring that I just fast forwarded them. Redacted is based on real facts and this makes it way too predictable. No tension, no story arch, no nothing. Everyone knows what's gonna happen. Even De Palma knew that, so he threw in some graphic photos at the end to wake up viewers who fell asleep like me. But what's the point? War is hell? That has been told by other movies a thousand times, and better ones too. Did it tell anything new about war in general or Iraq in particular? Nope. I think those who are against the war in Iraq anyway will love Redacted, but since it lacks any depth it will fail to convince anyone else. I feel tempted to label it as a desperate attempt of a filmmaker to keep up with visual trends by throwing in every media he thinks is trendy, from handhold cameras to the internet, and convey a message which is easy to sell. Just like Disney makes movies for kids, De Palma made this movie for war critics. Perfect business model. You know, if you want Angelina Jolie to appear as a beauty, you photograph her face. If you want to make her look like an old hag, you take a close shot of her cellulites. De Palma did just like that - and he decided to present the US and its soldiers as the junk of the world. He is free to do so but if he does it, he should do it right and not like this terminally biased mockumentary. Bottomline: waste of time.
The Unit (2006)
Almost perfect
I find it fascinating how many brilliant ideas are packed in each episode. Most episodes have enough stuff for a full movie, especially in Season 2. For example, "Old Home Week" in S2 was one of the best 50 minutes I have ever had the chance to enjoy on television.
On the downside, though, there are a few minor things which spoil the show. I mean some unrealistic things like Afro-American characters operating in environments where their color cries "hey, I'm a US spec-ops guy in local disguise", like Bosnia or Afghanistan; bad guys speaking perfect English, no matter in which godforsaken place; cars with plates from a different country than where the action is allegedly happening and so on. It's OK, all shows have their own goofs, but there comes the acting. Some female characters are so hopelessly ANNOYING that will make you reach for your imaginary gun. On the male cast side, it's Dennis Haysbert who can be disappointing sometimes. Even in the direst of situations, he seems incapable of NOT speaking in the manner of President Palmer.
Acting in general is not a strong side of the show anyway. We're almost at the end of S2 and somehow the bond between us as viewers and the characters still isn't there. It's maybe our fault but we still couldn't identify ourselves with any of the characters, something that happened early on in Band Of Brothers - a quality that made that series perfect but is missing from here so far.
Another overall flaw is the show's attitude to US allies - it never misses an opportunity to bash them, be it Bulgaria or especially France. I doubt that real Delta could afford the arrogance shown here both on tactical and strategical level. I think this is also bad for the chances to market this show internationally.
That said, The Unit is still top entertainment and delivers many truly memorable moments despite all its flaws. If you want to watch 24 but your girlfriend insists on Desperate Housewifes, The Unit is a perfect compromise.
Lonely Hearts (2006)
Far from flawless, but still among the best
OK, it's been a while I saw a movie with a similarly stunning start. After the suicide scene I just said "wow" and waited for a movie keeping up this high level of suspense. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the later parts. The true story of the two killers is so dark with its blend of sexual perversions, voodoo magic and cold-blooded murder, it has potential for a really memorable epic (Natural Born Killers and Angelheart come to mind). What we got instead is beautifully shot and aptly directed melodrama with cheesy dialogs. The actors are highly praised by others, but let's be honest here, there's only cliché characters in this movie. Travolta does have a strong presence but lacks depth because his character, which was supposed to be the lead element, is badly underwritten. Salma is gorgeous and has a moments that gave me goose-skin but, together with Leto, she fails to provide the dramatic skills needed in the most climactic scene (when arguing with Leto to kill Delphine). I was almost bored by their lines and just waited for him to make up his mind at last so that she shuts up. And being a true story, I don't think the late Mr Robinson would like this film. In reality, both of them were disgusting both by character and appearance (especially the real Martha who was rather ugly and so fat she could barely squeeze herself into the electric chair). However, the movie almost makes them into romantic heroes, or at least respectable people, with all this stuff about true love and Martha's very human obsession with having a child. BTW, she did have a child before she met Martin, who she abandoned for the man's sake - so much about historical accuracy. OK its fictionalized but question is, is it ethical to turn two perverted killers into demi-heroes for the sake of romance and dedicate the movie to the prosecutor who brought them to justice? Anyway, with all this said and with all its flaws, photography and directing make Lonely Hearts one of the best movies Hollywood has produced recently. It's a movie you won't easily forget.
River Queen (2005)
Reverse racism
A good example of reversed, politically correct racism where white men are presented as senseless brutes who're only there to be massacred and their aboriginal adversaries as noble heroes, superior both in their appearance and abilities. Apart from making the story overally dull, this also prevents the neutral viewer to identify himself with one or the other side - it's just too simplifying. The repetitive score is incredibly annoying (as is the voice-over), the characters lack any depth and the viewer is soon lost between questions like "who is this character" and "what the hell is that supposed to mean". Photography is wonderful, though, and on the whole there's a lot of atmosphere to it but nice shots of misty landscapes alone don't save this movie. The DVD box uses Kiefer Sutherland as an eye-catcher. In fact, his character could have been played by anyone else because it's basically just an empty shell (like most non-Maori characters), and disappears anyway around halfway the film. But if you are eager to see Jack Bauer in a kilt, that's your kind of movie...
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
Dangerous movie - makes you go to Kafiristan!
First time I saw it, it made me go to Pakistan directly with a bottle of Glenlivet. This says it all. I agree with all folks who swarmed about this movie, and being one of my few all-time favorites I rather dare to write about the only thing I didn't like and that's the flaw of location. Kafiristan scenes were shot in Morocco and although the makers did everything to create the atmosphere of the real place, there are some scenes which are as Moroccan as peppermint tea. First, the whole opening market sequence, then the dance and lu-lu-lu of "Kafiri" women, and later the Bashkai elders' talk which is clearly Arabic. Moroccan outfit also appears during shots of the marching army. But all this is obvious only if you have been to Morocco. Even a Pakistani friend of mine was convinced that the movie was shot in Ladakh, India!