To the Ends of the Earth (2005)

I had to choose between "2 Guns" and "To the Ends of the Earth" for this entry. The first, a recent action movie, the second, an eight years old BBC mini series which probably can be qualified as a drama. I finally went for the latter, because at least has the quality of being usable as sleeping pill compared to the first which is way too noisy for that purpose ...

The movie follows a voyage done in 1812 by a ship traveling from England to Australia, trip seen through the eyes of a young aristocrat boarded as a passenger who at destination is supposed to be appointed in the dominion's province government. There are three parts of the story: "The Rites of Passage", "Close Quarters" and "Fire Down Below", each corresponding to a distinct volume in a trilogy written by William Golding (probably much better known for "Lord of the Flies"). I can't express opinions on the books themselves, but I honestly think they're much more appropriate for theatrical adaptation - a shortened one - compared to four hours and a half of movie in which the action takes place in a confined environment which is the ship. The story revolves around the relations between the passengers and the crew members, and the effect of the issues that emerge during the long voyage. In some parts is an interesting analysis of the human behavior, although this seems a bit lost in the context of XIXth century early years and the theatrical dialogue apparently specific to the period. The movie doesn't lack scenes and situations which are pretty hard to swallow getting quite shocking at some points, which totally contradict with the otherwise slow and relatively calm story development close to something like a "naval soap-opera". I could actually say that the first part reminded me, more or less, of "Deliverance", in total contrast with the second which is mostly focused on one of the dumbest and hard to believe romance portrayals that I've ever seen.

Cinematic-wise I don't have much to appreciate. Probably contributes to my feeling that a theater play is more appropriate than a movie script. I have to acknowledge though, again, the top acting of the British cast which keeps the movie watchable from start to the end, because without this ...

Rating: 3 out of 5 (at the limit)

Blue Jasmine (2013)

I don't like Woody Allen. I always found him over-appreciated, especially since every year (I actually don't remember when was a break) the "new" released movie is not much more than a mix of situations from other 5 previous productions. So I don't how I ended up seeing "Blue Jasmine". Especially given that the summary, the trailer and the expectancies from Woody Allen pretty much label the production as a "girls movie" (no matter how stereotypical this may sound) ...

Actually I know how it happened. I had something like three reasons. One: probably it will get (as in most of the years) some nods for the upcoming Oscars and since I'm struggling to do a sort of coverage of the event ... Two: it was a good opportunity to catch Sally Hawkins in a more consistent role (don't ask). Three: in the area where I reside, the last weekend of September is dedicated to a regional wine fest (to be read: in the evening the town center resembles more or less a packed sardine can, to analyze the atmospheric composition you need a breathalyzer and the noise level makes me thank the Heaven for how lucky I was to catch a rent closer to the suburbs) .. anyway, since it was probably the last year when I have the opportunity to attend the most important public social event from the town's life I decided not to close myself in my cave anymore but I still needed a escape route from all the fuss + an additional motivation to move my legs downtown. That's how I ended up watching "Blue Jasmine".

I made a double intro because I'm not in the mood to write about the movie. Without thinking too much, is probably the best I've ever seen from Woody Allen (definitely above "Midnight in Paris" to take a recent comparison). I don't know if this impression is very objective. The description of the start situation sounds like this: A woman from the New York's upper class (Cate Blanchett) gets broke after her husband is uncovered as a big time financial crook, and ends up killing himself in the prison. Following that, the widow is forced to move temporarily with her step sister (Sally Hawkins), a saleswoman in a San Francisco supermarket. As any Woody Allen script this one also revolves around the problems and relations in a couple, between couples, between couples friends, anyway in a sort of 10 people limited circle. Nothing new in that. What's new, at least in what I've seen (maybe excepting "Match Point" to be fair) is that despite a comedy label shown on IMDb, the movie is much more deep and categorizing it as drama (and just drama) would probably be much more appropriate.

I don't know how objective am I, probably I'm not, because instead of what I expected to be a light flick as "Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona", "Midnight in Paris" or others, I found myself watching something that started to relate to some more or less real life facts. I'm not in the mood to elaborate on that and that's the reason why I also don't want to write about the movie too much. I'll resume on appreciating the role made by Cate Blanchett who leaves behind pretty much every other cast member ( with all my 2nd reason stated somewhere above :) )

As subjective I would be, I guess the movie's ending gives me reason for crediting it, almost exclusively, as a drama. I had a sort of "surreal" sentiment ... to say so when I left the cinema, augmented by the surrounding euphoric context. I felt a real need to find an empty street in my way home to digest the way the movie ended (which normally is quite easy to get where I live at 22:30, but in this case was impossible). I wanted another ending. At least a more complete one, any, but more complete ... I really feared that the last scene will be the last.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012)

"The Reluctant Fundamentalist" is a pretty heavy movie. And I think not only figuratively speaking, or at least in more than one way. In any case, quite different from the impression left by the trailer ...

The production follows a novel with quite some success apparently, describing the path of a young Pakistani from ascending to a high analyst position in an investment company in New York to the return in his home country where he ends up giving apparently nationalistic speeches while teaching in a state university. The story is shown in flashbacks during an interview taken from the main character. Interview that ends up just as reason for questioning on the kidnapping of an American professor, the reporter being a direct collaborator of CIA. Of course, at some point we get the 9.11 attacks in this story and the following enhancements of racial discrimination. As a pretty neutral viewer on the exposed themes, I don't have much to say, and anyway it's a bit complicated to emit opinions ... What's to be appreciated is that the movie, if you take it as a whole (and not just any piece of the ending, middle or beginning) manages to keep a balance and not to put all the blame on one side.

I didn't like the directing starting with the first frames. You have a complete mess in which there are some people singing, while the kidnapping scene which triggers all the following action is presented. If you want to pay attention to some details it's damn hard. The bad part is that there are other portions in the movie in which the directing is flawed = unnecessary fragmented action, dragging scenes, etc . The cast on the other hand is ok, the lead actor being actually very convincing in the role of a guy living the American dream woken afterwards by nationalist ideals but still .. "reluctant" as the title says.

The rest, as I said, heavy even in the way it flows = do not expect an action movie, it's much closer to a biopic. Actually it's a drama with enough life issues mixed together ( a bit too many I would say ). I some sense reminded me of "Spy Game" and of "The Quiet American". But to connect the movie with one of these in a way .. I don't know, maybe with a combination between the two ...

Rating: 3 out of 5

I Saw the Devil (2010)

Still looking for a movie that would make me raise a bit the average rating I went again towards the East = Korea. It seems I'm still unlucky. More, I guess I'm convinced that I should find time to see at least two movies in a week, because I don't know if "I Saw the Devil" is the best option to discuss ...

Why I wanted to avoid this entry ? Not because it's a bad movie, but I guess it's one that you don't want to see twice. Or at least to forget rapidly. I had the luck to see the "censored" version. Just to make sure from start that the violence level of the movie is well understood, and it's a violence that .. you can fell = it's a bit hard to overpass as in, I don't know, "Saw" or other productions made in Hollywood, which surpass as graphic level what I've seen here but most often is just dumb excess of gore. It means that given the subject of the current movie it somehow makes sense, but you still don't want to see that on screen ...

The story is relatively simple and linear. We have a serial killer who makes the error to pick as victim the wife of an agent in the Korean intelligence, and altogether the daughter of a former police chief. After the victim's head is found (and I'll limit the "graphic" description to this but I felt the need for a "warning") the grieving husband takes two weeks of vacation. Which vacation transforms into a hunt for the killer. The agent finds the target relatively fast, but instead finishing him quickly, decides that it's not enough to kill him and starts a cat and mouse game in which beats him badly and releases him just to catch him again and start the following punishment round.

Usually, pretty much every complex "revenge story" is quite catchy. In the current case the murder is so horrible that maybe you won't want to finish with the killer immediatly. Or at least, to reference another Korean series with a similar background - "The Vengeance Trilogy", but by another director, you would like an explanation, however dark it might be as in "Oldboy". Light spoiler - this doesn't happen, or as the title suggests is just "pure evil" up to the end. Consequently, at least for a part of the movie you're tempted to take the side of the agent who's in the mood for an "eye for an eye" revenge, especially since (another light spoiler) "the evil" starts getting more grotesque ramifications. The final though transforms the movie from a revenge story into an anti-revenge story. But I've said already too much from the story ... so I'll stop here with that.

In a way, besides "Oldboy" or "Lady Vengeance" from the Korean area, it reminded me of "Silence of the Lambs", but at a more gruesome level. The difference is again, the feeling that's left in the end. The conclusion is that I doubt this is a movie that can be liked, subjectively speaking. More than getting over the violence and sadism, it's about being fine with the outcome, because you start normally by sympathizing in a way with the one who wants payback .. but if this is in the beginning about the need for revenge, in the end it gets more towards the need of inner comfort, and apparently this is quite far from the Talion law ...

Rating: 3 out of 5