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DonKowalski
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Gravity (2013)
Promising but way too cheesy in the end
I went to see "Gravity" this evening in the cinema and came out with mixed feelings. I don't want to give anything away so let's say "Gravity" is pretty much "Open Water" in space.
While the CGI is very impressive, the set itself is kind of minimalistic. The build-up of tension is also very well made and the film has you on the edge of your seat more than once. That's probably where everybody just seeking a thrill can drop out - the movie definitely delivers.
What really bothers me is the melodramatic undertone of the whole thing. It starts with the sound effects during collisions in space. Why bother mentioning that there is no sound in space at the beginning of the film when you don't let the pictures of destruction run in absolute and horrifying silence afterward but use all the methods of dramatization like synthi-horns etc. instead? For me, it takes away a large portion of atmosphere against the background of this very special setting.
Music is generally a big problem of this movie. There is music that is a vital part of the scenery in a film (e.g. The Sining) and there is music that is nothing but a suggestive instrument to arouse emotion (e.g. any given patriotic action movie). Unfortunately "Gravity" uses the latter and thereby loads the otherwise cold and deadly solitude of space up with a "feel this, feel that.."-music that doesn't fit at all. The score makes this film really laughable at times and I have to say that "Open Water" made many things a lot better, simply by sticking to the horror such a situation bears itself.
Concentrating on the deadly silence of space would have made this film great but it really falls victim to the overly dramatic use of music. Judge for yourself.
World War Z (2013)
mediocre in parts but refreshing to the genre in general
After all the badmouthing I was actually surprised about how enjoyable this title was. Sure, it follows your usual dramaturgy so very well known from about a quarter million other movies from Hollywood but against the background of the genre, WWZ really manages to shine in some parts.
The Novella by Max Brooks, which this movie is based upon, is definitely recognisable even if the writers of the screenplay took their freedoms. The parts where the film borrows from the book are also and unsurprisingly the strongest. The whole setting is a refreshing approach to the genre as the initial outbreak and how people and governments probably would try to fight it is portrayed and not the dystopian aftermath, which is the case with pretty much every other title of the genre. I also like how the fast spread of such a virus/disease in densely populated areas and the consequences with gigantic hordes of zombies are displayed. All these are authentic aspects (as far as a "zombie apocalypse" goes however) you rarely see in other titles of the genre except the beginning of the original "Dawn of the Dead" from 1978.
If the characters wouldn't have followed your usual stereotypes and the film would have dealt with the socio-economic implications of such an event more (a bit like "Contagion" from 2011 - e.g. what about oil, food, power etc. if everything comes to a standstill) it could have even been a truly great addition to the genre. This way, it is just a tad bit above average.
Hei tai yang 731 (1988)
Very unsettling
I'm probably not the only one who did some research on the subject after watching "Men behind the Sun". It's hard to imagine, that the events displayed are actually true. They are however.
The movie shows the unspeakable atrocities done to the Chinese people during the Japanese occupation from 1937-1945. In this particular case it's a Japanese military facility for testing and producing chemical and biological weapons. It is far more extreme than "Schindlers List" in terms of explicit illustration. Nothing you see is "fake". The director worked with real body parts and corpses, which is very controversial. Some very graphic scenes with living animals will not find approval among the audience as well.
It is a very angry attempt to confront Japan with its history, that is still being denied in large parts. The movie is neither superbly shot nor are the characters overly vivid. The honest and raging accusation however is present at all times and really keeps you hooked to the screen.
I watched the original 105 min uncut version in mandarin with subtitles. I'd recommend the movie to everyone who has interest in this part of history and a strong stomach. I wouldn't ever show it to a class in school though.
A Very British Gangster (2007)
Ridiculously bad documentary on a harsh reality
I really don't know what was driving the director to turn a exceptionally interesting set of problems into an almost unwatchable and featherbrained piece of crap.
The gangsters shown to us are actually small time criminals, that come from the most knocked off part of society and never made it out of it. Don't expect anything streetwise either, these people are way beyond that. What you are going to hear are stunningly stupid statements that rather reflect pipe dreams than reality. Surprisingly that is exactly the point, that could have made this an exceptionally good and important documentary. A honest picture of how bad it can get in these so very "social" western societies. Where people are left and forgotten to literally rot in their own trash if they don't fit in.
Instead of showing us the decline of a city, the dark side of unlimited growth and wealth, Donald McIntyre tries to create a Hollywood-like gangster story which simply isn't there. The (over-) dramatization is comparable to such reality-shows as "cops" at best. The scenes and interviews are so awfully overdrawn - it is embarrassing. McIntyre doesn't make a single attempt to put things into perspective. At first you might think he cleverly uses Noonans narcissism to lure him out of cover. But when the first 30 minutes have past and Noonan is still talking trash while McIntyre keeps asking stupid questions you realize that it just won't gain any quality. Instead the pictures are underlined by folk and rock music combined with good but utterly unnecessary camera angles that (i'm afraid) intentionally glorify the whole habitus of these people. Especially the complex pan shots make the scenes look staged and false.
As a previous critic has put very well, you can not always tell the difference between a documentary and the poor copy of a guy-ritchie-film. The entire approach is so amazingly undifferentiated and cheesy, at times i really thought the creator is just making fun of me. McIntyre acts as if he were embedded in a major military operation somewhere in Afghanistan, giving insights that are usually hidden from the public. Yet he is just in the presence of probably the biggest losers England has to offer.
I rate this with two stars, just for some of the pictures shown. Definitely some disturbing and thought provoking stuff. If you make it that far into the movie.
Cheers
Martyrs (2008)
nothing more but a good horror flick
At least I have to say that the director seems to know how to push the right buttons.
But honestly, how can some critics on IMDb call this art or even a master-piece? Did I missed something? There was indeed quite a innovative storyline and the elements of drama are very well made. On the other hand, many things stay unexplained and this is not for the sake of the viewers imagination. It just seems like they were not thought to the end (the cult e.g.).
The movie is like a very well made french version of "Hostel" maybe even better than the "original". However, I wouldn't call it a mayor breakthrough as some ppl do. To show violence as explicit as possible is simply not sufficient.
To compare it with Haneke's "Funny Games" or Noé's "Irreversible" is just ridiculous. They are master-pieces for real and not part of the entertainment-machinery, while this production surely is.
Anyway, worth a watch....