nandy-rinki Reviews

Viva Zapata! (1952)

Zapata...Zapata !

[9 June 2011]

I wonder how one of the reviewers found Brando a miscast, Brando is brilliant in the movie. With his intense anger and hatred for the exploiters and supported by good looks his performance is quite impressive. Kazan is a genius with his direction, all the main actors are superb starting from Brando, Quinn and the bad guy. I can't imagine why 'they' gave the Oscar to Gray Cooper for High Noon when Brando's performance in Viva Zapata clearly outdid Gary's, I have seen both the movies and Brando deserves it without a second thought. Well, Brando didn't care and that's the best part, he certainly is the BEST in method acting and this movie shows just how talented and gifted as an actor he was.

The movie overall is a classic, poetic, rebellious and based on the life of the revolutionary Zapata in Mexico. There are a number a similarities with Che Guevara, war tactics and the way he lives and spares no one when it comes to his ideals. It's must watch for the lovers of classic, artistic cinema.

Original Sin (2001)

overrated and cheap

[1/10 · 9 June 2011]

The movie's poster attracted me, seemed dark romance and I got much less than what I expected. The wealthy businessman played by Banderas is dumb and stupid who doesn't care if his wife is not what he thought of during their letter writing period. It also, doesn't matter to him that his wife vanishes with his money and is found with a chain of men. Jolie is in the movie to play the sex card from Banderas to Thomas Jane both had a nice time with her. Aside from her super pout and intimate scenes there's little she brings to the screen. I have never liked her acting aside 'girl interrupted'. The dialogs are stupid and immature and the ending is far more than disappointing.

Watch it if you are an admirer of either one of the leading actors or for the nude scenes. There's nothing much to say here.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

All we got is the Brokeback Mountain...

[10/10 · 3 June 2011]

I couldn't agree more with those who have rated this movie excellent. Most times after watching a movie I say to myself "it's only a movie" but this one, BBM makes it's way to my most favorite list which is now a huge part of my life. From the slow, smooth beginning till the emotional, weepy end both escorted by brilliant background score I loved it ...I lived it. I felt I was in there and it's all happening in front of me and not in some DVD. I am a woman and I wish I could just hug jack twist once and kiss Ennis in the last scene, there's so much honesty, love, loss, emotion, loneliness and freedom in that scene, With the BBM postcard and their shirts together...oh..I cried and I cried and couldn't stop myself from thinking about it. All the characters are brilliant, background score is touchy and emotional and it is picturesque too with lonely streets and beautiful landscapes'. Although I sometimes wonder would Ennis have realized his object of affection had Jack not initiated it? And would Jack have taken a trip to Mexico had Ennis rejected him in the mountain? Both men lived a normal family life otherwise, and Ennis didn't seem to bother much at first so would he have taken a step forward and contacted Jack in case the latter never did? In this case it is Jack who loves Ennis dearly but doesn't mind a trip to Mexico once in a while. Ennis on the other hand, loves him back but is not free from family and social obligations hence, he loves within his boundaries. Both lead characters are common people, people no one notices. They are like anyone, you and me and this is what makes this movie you don't watch but live in with the characters becoming your friends. I had mine in Jack and Ennis.

It is lovely, mature, real, artsy, a commonplace with common people. This one may as well have been a silent movie given it's Texan / Wyoming jokes and accent which was too difficult to understand at times so, I chose not to pay attention to their words rather watch their eyes and listen through my eyes. Nonetheless, it would make the same affect, same impact on minds and hearts. An exhilarating experience for movie lovers.

Puffball: The Devil's Eyeball (2007)

Goes by the name: it's All balls

[1 June 2011]

I don't think I need to go through the characters individually, you must have read it by now in the other reviews. The only reason I am writing this review is because no movie has ever disappointed me so much and that's why I can never forget this one. The trailer is mysterious and quite mystifying. Initially it comes on as some dark story with twists and secrets all throughout, but the expectation is soon kicked aside by a plot set up by an old witch who is trying tricks for her daughter to get pregnant with a boy, but chooses to practice voodoo on her new neighbor to get her pregnant instead so that in time she can steal the baby boy. But then, the neighbor miscarries but apparently doesn't after which she falls victim to another voodoo trick and ends up sleeping with the old witch's son in law, she gets pregnant again but the baby is not a result of the voodoo trick, instead the leftover of her first pregnancy. One fine day, the witch dies unable to yield a grandson. Following which enters an old man supplying silence and absurdity to the script and does little to excite the viewers. Then the neighbors have a spat when invited to a gala lunch, after which blood runs on the pregnant mama's legs followed by the birth of a child...story ends with the proud parents leaving with the baby. That was the story, isn't? I know that's a difficult question and it is easy to lose your way in the wilderness created by the entire crew of the film. However, the dark tones and the artistic background are quite impressive, moreover it suits the vagueness this movie intents to imply. There are too many useless scenes in the movie starting from: used condom handling, mushrooms everywhere and the occasional triple "ekx".

You may like it if walking into the wilderness towards nothing is your type of movie, although escorted by dark tones and earthy feels.

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Stanley Kowalski is the man

[10/10 · 31 May 2011]

This was my first Brando movie and I fell in love with him right in front of the monitor. The movie is like a play, a condition which maximizes it's beauty being a screen adaption of a play. The actors are brilliant esp. Ms. Dubois, her character is intelligent, clever, poetic, suave, soft-spoken and yet manipulative, complicated, vulnerable, a liar and an intelligence driven madness ending in an asylum. Mr. Kowalski on the other hand is BRASH, loud, a lover, a rapist, a force of nature, very handsome, very manly and very aggressive with a hatred for pretense of any sort. Besides being all that Mr. Kowalski is also, the strongest character who not only dominates and humiliates Ms. Dubois but also, crushes her pride and her fantasy world under his macho-ism and chauvinism resulting in the victim's nervous breakdown. What makes this movie brilliant is Ms. Dubois's character which starts as a pity sight, a someone stuck in time with the death of her young lover trying to look happy, making peace with her desires. But then the drapes are soon removed with the entry of Mr. Kowalski, who she stares at with lust despite having shown her dislike at his rowdiness in the bowling scene. She does her best but can't escape Stanley, hence a confession before the life altering scene. This movie left a mark on my mind, it's one of the best. Even long after watching this movie it's difficult not to fall in love with the characters, esp. Stanley Kowalski.