(I initally meant to post this on the 1st October. Go me.)

Brideshead Revisited

Up until this point I always assumed Evelyn Waugh was a woman, but this is the name, in fact, of a man. And I had no idea that the mini-series adaptation was held in such high regard. I got “free” tickets for an advanced screening at Nova, thanks to my delightful affiliation with the Monash Golden Key Society. Honestly, I paid $93 to join them; I should get the money back slowly but surely, no? In any case, I’m glad I didn’t technically pay for the film, because it was a bit of a disappointment. My appetite for visual candy was more than satisfied, however, probably to the point of gluttony. It is a sumptuous, seductive film for the senses. But for the mind? Maybe not so much. The protagonist, Charles Ryder, a modest painter is introduced to a world of decadence, wealth and opulence through his growing relationship with Sebastian Flyte at Oxford. He is swept away by the grandness of Sebastian’s home, Brideshead. What follows is a series of events that lead Charles into the closing, controlling grip of Brideshead itself, and the choices he makes or will not make, will haunt him forever. Yes, it’s that much fun. I was interested to know more about what WWII!Charles was up to. Surely that was not the point of the film!

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WALL-E

Pixar (or should I say Disney Pixar) has long established itself as a superlative animation studio. Lately I’ve found their works to push the boundaries of not just the technology and art of animation but also in their unique story-telling. The narrative concepts are ambitious but intelligent, but Wall-E is somewhat different in the way there is little dialogue to ease the narrative along. The first half hour involves a lone robot, Wall-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class) processing endless bales of trash on a frightfully abandoned Earth, and coming “home” to a tip filled with trinkets discovered in trash. Wall-E is not entirely alone as he has a chirpy cockroach buddy who follows Wall-E around. The drama really comes with the arrival of a high-tech robot called EVE, sent to Earth on a mission for the Axiom, an enormous ship housing the Earth’s population for the duration of its clean-up.

Some may argue that this is of little relevance to a child, but come on, credit kids these days with a bit of intelligence here. Yes, it is a cautionery tale of the woes of waste and technology that screams Orwellian preachiness, but the universal elements of self-awareness, friendship and love are never far from the surface. As with all Pixar films the attention to detail is impeccable and meticulous; a true visual delight that warrants multiple viewings.

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Hellboy II: The Golden Army

I desperately want to watch this again after actually meeting Doug Jones (who played Abe Sapien in both Hellboy I and II, but voiced only the latter) last week. I enjoyed this a lot more than the first film, possibly because there is no exposition, or very little of it, at least. My favourite character out of the first film was indeed Abe Sapien, and I was delighted to see that his character had a plot going for him, including a love interest. Would be keen to see a third film in the works, but that does not seem likely, given that Guillermo del Toro’s got plenty on his plate right now (The Hobbit, anyone?).

Rating:

Persepolis

A whirlwind narrative detailing the life of a young Iranian girl adapting to the political and social transformation of the world around her. All dialogue is in French, but the content is very much in the heart of Iranian culture and its deviations through the eyes of Marjane. Indeed I’m no expert on Iranian history or culture so I can only take on what’s being said at face value. Nevertheless, it’s a confronting exploration of the coming of age of a young woman—the opportunities that she’s been given, and the choices she’s made in coming to terms with her identity and herself. The animation is whimsical—the stills are almost exact replicas to that of the graphic novels, upon which the film is based—but simple with a loose flowing style. I loved it.

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Old Reviews:
The Dark Knight

Um, it seems pointless to review this now. But hey, it’s my declaration to the world, among countless others, that this is a film to be reckoned with. Yes, a FILM, not just a BLOCKBUSTER POPCORN MOVIE. It’s been loved, cherished, and crafted with a no-nonsense attitude, intelligent writing, unforgettable characters and stunning photography and direction. To me, it’s the ultimate superhero film. (Curiously it channels the darkness and narratives of such graphic novels as Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke and Jeph Loeb’s The Long Halloween and Dark Victory. So read up on those if you want more Dark Knight goodness) I thought Batman Begins couldn’t be more gritty or real in the sense that it could happen to any metropolis. I was delightfully corrected. Like its predecessor, there is nothing camp about it, nothing “comic-like” (just a guy in a bat costume, and a psychopath in make-up), just a real exploration and reflection of moral anarchy and if one looks deeper: the lost American Dream. It gave me a truly good kick of adrenaline, and I was pretty much on the edge of my seat for most of the ride. It is that good.  Heath Ledger was truly breathtaking in a way that we’ve never seen him before, and never will again. It’s one hell of an epitaph. But let’s not give the late actor all the credit for the film’s success; this film wouldn’t have been if not for the superlative performances from Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine. This is after all the story of the Dark Knight, and all that he’s created, gained, lost and found. I’ve seen it 3 times in the cinema (including IMAX, which was just, WOW, really. WOW. Six sequences were shot with IMAX cameras—the highest quality resolution yet) and no doubt when the DVD is released on December 10, 2008, it’ll be looping non-stop on my player.

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Kung Fu Panda

Apart from making me feel a tad hungry, as looking at good Chinese food always does to me, and apart from my occasional scoffs at the inevitable Americanisation of Chinese culture (well, this does star Jack Black; you’re going to have to expect a lot of “awesomeness” and on-the-spot word inventories that go beyond the usual KAPOW and HYYAAAH!) this feature film does hold my attention with its usual moral tale, and its homage to martial arts and wushu. Basically, a fat, lazy panda who idolises the Furious Five (legendary Chinese warriors) ends up becoming the greatest legend of them all: the Dragon Warrior. Of course, that won’t do, and the rest of the Furious Five set out to prove it. We all know what happens next, I think. It’s wonderfully animated, with a perfect toned palette of pastels and contrasts, and the jokes come fast and heavy like dumplings. The marriage between Hollywood blockbustery-ness and Chinese sensibilities is well done, and this is perfectly reflected through the score by Hans Zimmer and John Powell. It’s one of my faves this year. A lot of Chinese themed work popping up in Hollywood this year—no coincidence with the Beijing Olympics? Probably one of the better creations to come out of Dreamworks since the original Shrek.

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Speed Racer

Pooh, so people are complaining how this film lacks any plot, and if attempts to create one it’s done haphazardly and with a bombardment of colours and visual effects so as to hypnotise the viewer into conveniently forgetting about it. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, so to speak. I was never that great a fan of the original Speed Racer series, probably because I was about 3 decades away from being born, but I’m pretty sure I watched quite a few episodes in my day as a kid, and who can forget the unforgettably catchy theme song? With the Wachowski brothers, you know you can expect some spectacular visual effects and stunts, and this film certainly doesn’t disappoint in that respect. In fact, it explodes with all colours of the spectrum like a sea of Willy Wonka gobstoppers in a game arcade. The wooden acting should be forgiven, given that most of the time the actors were performing in front of blank green screens. Don’t go watching this if you’re expecting a brain-teaser, this is for numb skulls only. ;]

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The Band’s Visit

I saw this on one of Nova’s cheap Monday sessions. I’m glad I went ’cause that time I really needed a breather from the wangst that is university life. The Band’s Visit is a beautiful, wry and amusing story of an Egyptian band of musicians who, by mistake, bureaucracy, or miscommunication, end up stranded in a tiny, inconsequential town in Israel. There are plenty of awkward (but priceless) silences, loneliness in all its bittersweet and sad forms and budding relationships between people who are making the most out of their circumstances.

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Upcoming Highlights:
- Quantum of Solace
- Australia
- Twilight
- Defiance
- Valkyrie
- Changeling
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Ghosttown
- Dragonball
- The Soloist
- X-MEN Origins: Wolverine