Yokubo - A Review.

AKA: Desire.
Director: Tetsuo Shinohara.
Language: Japanese.
Rating: * * *

Desire is a tricky customer to handle. They can drive us to the zenith of an endevaour, or make us dig our own graves. They can enslave us, or set us free. Whatever may be the repercussions, desire is what ultimately makes us tick, and do the things that we do. And the most flammable, yet, the most pleasing of all desires is the desire for love, for intimacy.

Ruiko (Yuka Itaya), in her 30s, is on the lookout for something meaningful when it comes to relationship. But she settles for just steamy moments under the bed sheets every Saturday, with one of the teachers at the school where she works as a librarian. Ruiko doesn’t mind being used and using someone else to satisfy one’s carnal instincts. Apparently, she has given up on having something substantial with another man. Her weekend stint with her sleeping partner, who’s purportedly a family man, is what she always looks forward to, and that seems to be the only outlet for her physical needs and ultimately what keeps her satisfied for the moment. One day, Ruiko runs into Asao (Saki Takaoka), a good friend from junior high, and learns that she’s plucked an oldster for herself as a life partner. This wealthy psychiatrist seems to fulfill all of Asao’s materialistic needs, but abhors her sexual drive and her intimate demands. He dictates her everyday movements, and is hellbent on altering the way she goes about living her life. Even though she despises the totalitarian intents of this fellow, she’s willing to trade all her sensual cravings for a financial and social stability in her life. Then, there’s Masami (Yuka Itaya), a common friend to the two ladies from junior high, and who was once besotted by Asao. Masami’s feelings were returned by Asao during their heydays, but he was soon dumped right after meeting a life-altering accident. The accident led to the loss of circulation in Masami’s private parts, resulting in permanent erectile dysfunction. Since then, he’s been bottling his eros and putting it away.

Years later, these characters are reunited, and Masami admits to Ruiko of still having feelings for Asao. Ruiko has always been Masami’s confidante. Regardless of the nature of conversation, he always felt comfortable in opening up to Ruiko; even the fact that he’s incapacitated sexually. After a night out with Ruiko, Masami bursts out of his barriers, and confesses his love for her. Apparently, Ruiko was always the one for him, but Masami never had the galls to move in that direction because of his condition. However, his unfathomably suppressed feelings for Ruiko, finally gets the better of him and he breaks down before her. Another truth is that even Ruiko had gradually been getting mesmerized by this hapless soul. There were moments when she wished for his love, but the idea of not having the same physical pleasures as she does now, kind of made her hold back her feelings. But now, the opportunity for boundless love in the face of lack of physical intimacy impels Ruiko to reciprocate Masami’s feelings. She decides to hell with her occasional libido, and experience the one emotion she never thought she’d be the recipient of: love. She even comforts Masami by letting him know that she doesn’t care about his inability to please a woman in bed. All she wants from him is to love her. Asao, on the other hand, has her every need fulfilled besides the sexual ones. She’s overwrought because of this void, but continues to put up with being kept on a short leash, until one day, when she thinks she’s had enough. The finale is reached through, what may seem as a sacrifice to some, human stupidity. Well, human beings are fallible after all.

Desire and its diverse metamorphosis loomed large throughout the movie, and reared its gnawing head occasionally. However, the core was housed by the longing for another human being in its extreme, intimate form; notwithstanding the nature of the associated relationship. The movie tried to portray the sway that a person’s desire holds over him, and how we tend to contort ourselves so as to accommodate our, sometimes unrealistic, wants. Not everyone gets everything in life, and it’s flagrantly apparent in this movie; especially when it comes to having your feelings requited. The trinity of the movie shared physical attributes that would make anyone week in their knees. But appearances are not what desires fester on, and it’s not everyone’s cup of tea to deliver on its keeling, slippery and temperamental ground. . The heart wants what it wants, and there’s not much one can do about it, period.

The characters were very-well fleshed out, and the script, along with the unencumbered execution of the same, did ample of justice to the transformation that these people undergo over a period of time. All the actors pulled off their parts competently and effortlessly. Yuka as the tormented Masami, who gradually embraces his failings, shined in his part. Saki, as the part-gold-digger-part-servile Asako, balanced the tightrope of desire with aplomb, and her refined depiction of a petulant housewife, driven to the edge of paranoia and reclusion because of the lack of intimacy, was painful to say the least. However, it’s Yuka as the principal character of the movie, to whom the movie really belongs to. Incorporating all the traits that the other two characters possessed, and adding her own vulnerability and frailty into the mix, she was able to invoke empathy and care for her character. Despite having the looks and the radiating charm, she succumbed to the ultimate need of momentary companionship, smothering her innermost feelings to have another human being touch her for anything other than sex. And the moment she finally has her wish granted, the fortitude with which she expels the craving for heat between the two bodies, and venture into the uncharted territory of love, carries with it the strength and the intent one one’s part to move heaven and earth, just for some tender, true moments with your other half. A pool of emotions lay under that rugged, jaded, yet, charming exterior of Ruiko. And when she finally finds love, all that ailed her seemed to peel off, and her inner self started glowing. Yuka was brilliant in delivering on both counts, sketching both extreme aspects of the character meticulously.

The movie had a notch-above ordinary direction, with few scenes being the piece de resistance of the whole offering. There, the direction needed to be something on a sublime level, and it sure was. The scene in discussion is where Masami and Ruiko are sharing an intimate moment, and despite being well aware of Masami’s problem, she doesn’t hold herself back in living each and every part of that experience. Masami, on the other hand, tries and prays hard to give Ruiko what every female wants in bed: sexual ecstasy. But he never succeeds, and at one point of time, during the act, he even hits himself on his abdomen, hoping to miraculously jumpstart the circulation, so that he could please the love of his life. Masami breaks down in bed, being unable to perform, and apologises to Ruiko for being a failure. Ruiko bosoms Masami, with all her might, comforting him, and letting him know that all she desires now is for him to be by her side. Movie as a whole may not be brilliant, but it’s small moments like these and the emotionally stirring performances that makes this movie worth watching

A Single Man - A Tale Glazed With Sadness and Hope.

Director: Tom Ford.
Language: English.
Rating: * * * *1/2

Tom Ford’s ‘A Single Man’ is an extremely refreshing take on an age-old perspective of accepting whatever life throws at you and getting on with it; notwithstanding the despair and the misery that may surround you. Armed with serene photography, impeccable performances and an entrancing background score, the movie hits all the correct notes throughout, and leaves you musing over its brooding, melancholic appeal.

An Englishman, George Falconer (Colin Firth), lost his love of 16 years, Jim (Matthew Goode), eight months ago in a car accident, and has since been reeling from that depression. Every morning, he gets up, trying to get through the day without letting his life get through with him, and go about doing his daily activities, and wearing the look that everybody expects from him. George has, since the incident, become a loner, and he shuts off every opportunity to socialize. His one friend in America, Charley (Julianne Moore), whom he dated in his younger days back in England, tries hard to help him get out of the closet, but to no avail. An English professor, George has started seeing things with a darker shade, and has ceased to see hope in any form or any being.

One day, over the course of which the movie plays out, George decides that things will finally be different. Despite getting up with the same sinking feeling and loneliness like he does every day, George seems to have found a resolve. He has decided to end his plight with a gun at the end of the day. Till then, he’ll just go through the motions, finish up his routine and the everyday responsibilities. He even decides to humor Charley by accepting the invitation for a drink at her place. Back at the university, George seems more animated and pensive than usual, which doesn’t go unnoticed by one of his students, Kenny (Nicholas Hoult). Kenny is dealing with his own set of problems. He’s teetering on the fine line of sexuality, for he has a girl to keep him company, and, yet, seems to be attracted towards George. To help him through this dilemma, Kenny seeks some answers from George, and tries to get close to him at the same time. George, on the other hand, seems to have nothing to spare for any new developments, and is busy tending to his arrears. As the twilight dawns, George scrambles to put an end to his grief, but is interrupted by one thing or the other. What follows, paints a new and a hopeful picture for our protagonist. However, the night has something different planned for him.

Colin Firth’s talent has never been doubted, and after this movie, he shall be counted in the league of effortless actors, to whom acting is second nature. The range of emotions on display here by the actor is astounding. The ability to communicate without uttering a syllable, and let the viewers in on the unrest and sadness deep within through one’s eyes, is a talent possessed by only few. Colin Firth leaps from one emotional precipice to another with ridiculous ease and with a savant-like precision. Julianne Moore, as the abandoned wife, drowning herself in gins and other drinkable vices, lends an insurmountably sulky charm to the movie. Nicholas Hoult as the confused teen and at the doorstep of realizing his true inclination is a revelation as a capable actor. He exhibits a youthful charisma along with a knack for seamless performance when it comes to delivering on the slippery slopes of emotions.

Tom Ford, a fashion designer, shows no signs of being a newcomer on the directing circuit. The fact that Tom’s a designer is evident throughout the movie. With the incisive use of props, colours and other ingredients, he manages to put an aesthetically pleasing spell on the overall look and feel of the movie. The moody lighting, which alternates from placid dark to blossoming, bleeding maroon, adds to the gloomy undercurrents and a semblance of disheveled moments of hope. His ingenuity brings the LA of circa 1960 back to life, with vivid colour and palpable feelings. Complementing the whole aura of the movie are the probing cinematography, conspicuously fleshed-out characterizations, and a sorrowful background score.

There’s no doubt that the whole movie stands out because of its aforementioned beauty and brilliance, but there were few scenes that really would stay with me for a long time. One of them was when George and Kenny go for a swim at the beach, and the moment George sees Kenny strip to go for a dive was something can’t be described in words. The emotion that overflowed through George’s eyes and his whole countenance, coupled with the haunting violin score, underscored the longing for his love, which he couldn’t have anymore, and how deeply he wanted this to not to be the case at the same time. A tear just formed in the corner of my eye, along with an epiphany that this is an intimately beautiful movie.

Micmacs à tire-larigot - A Review

AKA: Micmacs.
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
Language: French.
Rating: * * *1/2

From the maker of Amelie, comes yet another smartly delivered, rib-tickling ride. The movie held me in its strange and hilarious developments right from the start; not an easy thing to pull off. Apart from the simple storyline, it’s the whole gang that does the trick and leaves you laughing, or at least smiling, after every frame.

The story centers on Bazil (Dany Boon), who’s orphaned at a tender age by losing his father in a freak accident. An army officer, his father was trying to diffuse a landmine while on duty, when the mine just blew up in his face. Among all his father’s belongings that were returned, were pieces of outer-shell of the landmine that killed his father. On close inspection, Bazil finds a brand etched on it, probably belonging to the makers of that mine. Thirty years later, Bazil becomes the butt of yet another nearly-fatal freak accident. While a shootout is in progress right in front of the video store he works at, a stray bullet hits him right in the forehead. The surgeon is uncertain whether to remove the bullet, rendering Bazil comatose forever, or to let it be stuck inside his temple, and let the poor guy live until the bullet does any further damage. The critical decision is made after flipping a coin, and the doctor decides to leave the bullet lodged in his head. Bazil’s world isn’t the same after being discharged from the hospital. He’s been replaced at his work, all his belongings at his rented tenement have been pillaged, and he occasionally suffers from strange fits when his senses are heightened, all thanks to the bullet. Soon after, he finds another arms dealer’s brand etched on the shell casing of the bullet that has made him into a ticking bomb. Trying to make his ends meet and live one day at a time, he gets through his strange life in stranger ways.

One day, he meets Placard (Jean-Pierre Marielle), a pardoned convict and the bandmaster of a group of talented, yet eccentric personalities, living in a junkyard, housed under a mammoth heap of scraps and disposables. The misfits comprise of Calculette (Marie-Julie Baup), a walking, talking calculator; Fracasse (Dominique Pinon), a proud record holder of human cannonball feats; Remington (Omar Sy), enigmatic with words and a failed writer; Petit Pierre (Michel Crémadès), capable of building robots or any other mechanical contraption out of discarded junk of metal; La Môme Caoutchouc (Julie Ferrier), an wide-eyed, hyper contortionist; and Tambouille (Yolande Moreau) as the mother figure to this motley crew.

Bazil soon stumbles upon the headquarters of the two arms manufacturers that orphaned him and have made him live life on a razor’s edge, and they also happen to be old rivals. These two lords of armaments are competing for supremacy through defence contracts, or any other (il)legal trade, which involve aiding and abetting guerillas/revolutionaries on foreign soil. Bazil contrives a very ingenious and an intricately woven plan, which would expose these war mongers’ under-the-table dealings, and finally rip them off of their sheep clothing. Inevitably, he involves the whole group and each of them contributes in their own peculiar way, providing the viewers with some genuinely funny and, at times, laugh-out-loud moments. Bazil pulls all the right strings with the help of his colleagues, slowly deconstructing the two devils, occasionally, pitting them against each other, and sabotaging their ongoing efforts in weapons domination. With the delightful tone, albeit somewhat dark at some places, and the reputation that precedes the director, one could easily anticipate what the finale will be like. But that guesswork doesn’t take even a dime away from enjoying this marvelous piece of satire. It’s all in the journey up till the destination that truly holds the charm and keeps the movie progressing through some hilarious phase, and brilliant acting.

With such a huge cast of bizarre shades, it can’t be left to one’s imagination that the movie is a triumph because of the performances and all the small elements that were employed in the making. Here, proverbially, the devil is in the details. The director and all the rest of the behind-the-camera assets, set up each scene with spellbinding visuals of the urban jungle, and painstaking choreography of each elements’ moves. The yellow tint that we’ve become so accustomed to, when it comes to Jeunet’s movies, is diffused throughout the film, and it provides a subtle, soothing touch, highly in contrast to the on-screen wild, innovative ride. The star cast does a tremendous job, obviously, and never let a moment slip away without filling it with their charisma. The director, following in his own, celebrated footsteps, delivers exactly what he’s good at: comedy with enough substance for a relaxing and an invigorating viewing. This movie sure goes down in my book of movies that made me sustain a smile throughout its duration; with Andaz Apna Apna seated at the very top. Now, if a movie manages to keep you smiling and admire its visual storytelling, then its damn worth your every buck and time spent.

Viyon No Tsuma (AKA Villon's Wife) - Too beautiful to review.

Rating: FULL DAMN MARKS!!!

Movies that hold your attention and assault you with its storytelling beauty are very few and far between. Villon’s Wife is one such movie that had a simple yet an achingly beautiful story to tell. The movie wouldn’t be half of what it is, if it hadn’t been for the breathtaking leading lady.

With Japan during post-war as the setting, the story begins with Mr. Otani (Tadanobu Asano) on the run, after having robbed a modest pub of 5,000 yen. The owners are hot on his trail and won’t back down unless he pays them back, or else they’ll take the matters to the police. Otani, a promising novelist on a spiraling decline, was once a regular customer there, and would daily drink himself to stupor, never once bilking on his tabs. This routine, however, stopped soon after, until the day he went too far and robbed the place. The owners of that eatery chase Otani to his house, where they meet Sachi (Takako Matsu), Otani’s beautiful wife. Undoubtedly, Otani refuses all the allegations and makes a quick run, but fearing for her husband, Sachi decides to take charge of the situation and requests the owners to let her work for them as a “hostage” till they get their money back. This way, she can earn enough to run her house, which Otani has been overlooking for too long now, and even pay for their ailing son. Now with Sachi to help out at the joint, the eatery soon starts brimming with drooling males, showering Sachi with praises and exorbitant tips. Otani, on the other hand, is busy being a debauch and a lousy family man. After the stolen money is restored to its rightful owners by one of Otani’s sleeping partners, Sachi decides to continue with her present job, to make up for Otani's previous debts. Gradually, Sachi learns about her husband’s philandering nature, which once involved the wife of the pub owner. But being a saint that she is, she never takes offence or even mentions of this particular finding to her husband, and carries on with her family life like clockwork. However, it doesn’t take a genius to realize how hurt she is from inside, and is only putting up a front to survive in the mess that her husband has brought on the family.

Among auxiliary characters are Okada (Satoshi Tsumabuki), a twenty-something guy, and a patron at the pub. It’s obvious that Sachi is the only reason he frequents the place, and soon starts accompanying her on her train ride to home, even though his destination is a couple of stops before that of Sachi's. This leads Otani into suspecting his wife of having affair with this particular person. To add insult to Sachi’s injury, he even invites Okada to his place for a sleepover, anticipating a weak moment where his wife would go astray. Then there’s the girl Akiko (Ryoko Hirosue), who obsesses over Otani and visits the same pub on the off chance that she might run into him. She’s gone all out for him, and being with him seems to be her only goal in life. Midway through the movie, another character Tsuji (Shin’ichi Tstsumi) is introduced whom, we soon learn, Sachi once loved immensely. She had even shoplifted a scarf to save her poor lover from cold, but is caught red-handed. Instead of helping Sachi, Tsuji tiptoes out of the situation, but Sachi’s beauty catches Otani’s eyes and he couldn’t help himself from reeling her out of the fix. Presumably, Sachi’s indebted and marries him eventually to ease the burden of that favor. Back in the present, Otani picks Akiko as his next excuse to carry on with his miserable life, and a little later, they both decide to commit love-suicide only to fail at it, which leads the movie into its finale. The conclusion to this piece of gem may be termed as a compromise, but it’s a hopeful compromise nonetheless.

The gorgeous Takako as Sachi deserves every word of praise there is in the dictionary. The radiating skin, the mesmerizing smile, the sultry voice, but a river of anguish and hurt beneath that entire exterior is not something every actor is adept at rendering, but Takako does it with elegance. She epitomizes a dutiful, demure, unquestionably loyal wife, which a patriarchal society like ours has come to expect since the time began. It was Takako’s performance that made this movie from average to good and from good to unforgettable. Tadanobu as the grief-stricken husband and on a self-destruct mode is brilliant. There are moments when you abhor him for being so insensitive and brutal to his loving wife, and that’s possible only through a nuanced performance. He’s also able to evoke a strange sympathy for being so lost in his melancholies, and struggling to find that moment where he’d realize what he has in life is probably enough to survive with content. It’s a rare feat to have viewers sway to both extremes, and Tadanobu pulls it off with extreme ease. It goes without saying that for a movie to be so beautiful and memorable, the direction, too, needs to be spot on. This department was never left anything to be desired, because Kichitaro Negishi, the director, handled this soulful movie with inconspicuous deftness, and providing the surging painful emotional undertones at the same time. Having two brilliant actors in tow goes a long way in making a decent fare into something truly memorable, and director used them like a masterful conductor; especially Takako. It won’t be wrong to say that the movie’s true soul lies in Takako, and she’s the only reason why this movie has become one of my all-time favorites.

Spoorloos (AKA The Vanishing) - A Review

Rating: * * * *

It was pure luck that I came across this Dutch/French thriller, and the resultant disturbing experience after having watched it, is something I’ve never felt in a long time. This is one of those rare movies where excruciating patience is rewarded with an even more excruciating denouement.

This chilling movie is about a Dutch couple, Rex Hofman and Saskia Wagter (Gene Borvets and Johanna Ter Steege respectively), and the horror that befalls them. They set out on a cross-country drive through France to go on a cycling expedition. They make a stopover along their way at a bustling gas station for refueling, and it’s at that fateful moment that Saskia is abducted. The movie even makes it quite obvious who the perpetrator is in the very next frame. According to me, the essence of any thriller/suspense movie is not the “who” but the “why”. It’s the reason that makes any ordinary thriller an edge-of-the-seat ride, and this movie certainly has that going for itself. The husband runs futilely from pole to post, searching for his wife. The movie jumps forward by three years, and we learn that Rex has resumed his failed attempts at finding his long-lost wife, and has been turning up empty handed as ever. He has a new love interest, but the obsession of finding his ex’s whereabouts drives him to the brink of insanity, leaving his present love interest a tad underappreciated and overlooked. Furthermore, to add to the twist, the kidnapper, Raymond Lemorne (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu), a chemistry professor with a blissful family life, has been taunting Rex by mailing him random addresses where he’d ask him to turn up, which the husband would obviously oblige to. Bernard has been following the routine for the past three years, watching and analyzing the misery Rex has been living in. Evidently, he’s interested in knowing how far Rex is willing to go to know the fate of his wife. Right then, the movie throws in another twist, by bringing these two characters opposite each other. Rex is infuriated to say the least, but more agonizing is Raymond’s nonchalance towards the dastardly acts he’s committed against Rex’s wife. Moreover, he presents Rex with a proposition which, if accepted, would lead him to the discovery of his wife’s present condition. Hesitantly, Rex makes the deal with the devil and follows whatever Raymond asks him to do, all for the elusive outcome of meeting his wife. The ending is a merciless blow to all our hopes and expectations, which is exactly why the movie would haunt and appeal to the true admirers of cinema with substance.

The brilliance of the movie lies in using the blandest of everyday items and activities, and turning it on itself to be used as a mean to commit a macabre deed. What is more, the subtle variations in tonalities of its characters and the unforeseen shifts they undergo are something very few movies deliver on. Some of the scenes in the movie, regardless of how ordinary it may seem to an amateur eye, are nothing short of unsettling. The instance when Rex leaves his wife right in the middle of a long-stretching dark tunnel, apparently ignoring her pleas to get back, is very troubling. The tension there is palpable, because we, as a viewer, fear for the worst. Another scene where Saski is shown to have a casual conversation with her soon-to-be kidnapper is ruthlessly unnerving. The scene may come across as a very normal one, more so because the director chooses to keep it that way, but it’s a far cry from normal. The glint in Raymond’s eyes and the slight twitch gives you fair idea that the guy must be salivating from inside at the sight of his unsuspecting prey. The acting is of top quality, and everyone puts up a good show. However, it’s the devil who shines in this dark thriller. Bernard-Peirre with his understated and checked performance is a force to be reckoned with. He literally took “wolf in a sheep’s clothing” notion to a whole new level. He never displayed even an ounce of regret or acknowledged that he’d done something ghastly. The events preceding the actual kidnapping, where Bernard’s character is seen preparing for the D-day has undertones of ominous humor and horror in its purest, unadulterated form.

Equally brilliant was the guy calling all the shots: the director (George Sluizer). It’s like an unwritten rule that a thriller with dark edges needs to look dark and feel even darker. But the director felt no need to go down that path, and brought the wickedness out in the daylight, on the faces of every passerby and amidst our everyday hullabaloo. He understands that with all the technical chicanery one uses to manipulate audiences into believing that they’re about to visit a gothic place, there’s something even darker that no technology could ever reproduce; the human brain. It’s there that all the unfathomable and unmentionable inceptions take place, and it doesn’t need help from any dark-side companion. The director succeeded in showing us the grossly overlooked side of the human psyche, and emphasized the notion that one needn’t be an outcast, or abnormal to go around being a menace. Normalcy is just a façade that everyone tries to adhere to. It’s what deep within that's really scary, and by letting those innards take the better of oneself, we inevitably sketch our true identity. The movie acts as a reminder that you need not be alone, or in an isolated place to let bad things happen to you. It can be in the crowded of places and carried out by a seemingly normal guy. The devil doesn’t always wear black and he certainly doesn’t always wear that sinister smile.

Pe-eo Leo-beu (AKA A Fair Love) - A Review

Rating: * * *

It’s been quite a while since I thoroughly enjoyed a mushy Korean movie. Such melodramatic movies don’t really rate high on my list, but it doesn’t harm me in any way to enjoy them once in a while, and just act silly. However, despite being a little mushy, the movie was mature in many a department.

Hyeong-man (Sung-kee Ahn) is in his 50s, has never been in love, and is still single. He just doesn’t click that way, perhaps because he’s busy trying to make his ends meet. To help that cause, he runs a small photo studio out of a stuffy room, with a couple of employees to help out. He just makes enough to support himself with bare minimum and pay his employees their wages. One day, out of the blue, an old friend calls him up in his dying moments and asks him a favor. This particular friend has swindled every close friend he had, including Hyeong-man, and feels the need to contact them only in his desperate moments. Despite being furious at the audacity of this dying friend, Hyeong-man visits him, only to be imposed by another burden. The dying friend asks him to be the caretaker of the daughter he’s going to leave behind. The financial rut that the daughter’s father had dug himself into, hasn’t spared the daughter either. Thanks to her father’s whirlwind of debts, she’s left to her own devices to avoid his creditors, including the owner of the shack of a house she lives in. But her cunning father has another friend convinced to help her financially, until she graduates. This miserable father certainly does his best in amassing favors for his daughter before finally buying the farm. Hyeong-man is left with no choice but to shoulder the burden, which he carries out a tad hesitantly at first. Sporadically stopping by at her place, helping her out with defunct home appliances (since he’s good with machine) among other minor things. However, one thing he’s unaware of is that the daughter, Nam-eun (Ha-na Lee), has her heart set on this old geezer. She finds him different and hence attractive. She just adores everything he does, which for her is a class apart from all the bozos she’s been around with. She looks for silly reasons just to be around him; going as far as offering to do his laundry. Hyeong-man remains clueless, albeit intentionally, and keeps her at an arm’s length for the obvious age factor. But the love-bug eventually bites our Heyong-man, coupled with the relentless persuasion by Name-eun, he lets go of all his inhibitions and societal objections that may arise, and takes the plunge. Thereafter, it’s a sweet and unusual series of dates between the two leads. It’s universal that love, regardless of how simple it is, is never a smooth ride. This pair, too, come across some unforeseen hurdles, leading to the inevitable friction. It’s got more to do with the poles-apart perspective each one harbours about life. The ending, to me, was a bit fuzzy. Maybe, the director wanted the viewer to interpret it in their own desirable way. So, regardless, I’d still say that the ending was sort of a downer for me.

The movie doesn’t have a labyrinthine plot, or any other complexity that a love story would or should need. Simply put, when two people come together in love, enough complications are already on their way, and the same happens in the movie. Hyeong-man, with his weathered demeanor and a safe, one-pronged approach to life is in contrast to the upbeat and take-your-chances image of Nam-eun. They both are right in their own way, but when you try to mix these two, there’s bound to be volatility. The movie delves on these nuances and its associated ramifications, which might put everything awry if not kept in check. The movie is worth watching simply for the awkward, yet amazing chemistry between its leads. The emotionally hopeless, stable and struggling Heyon-man is someone that every aged fellow would recognize with. How he abhors and fears change, despite trying it just to humor Nam-eun. Despite being Nam-eun’s lover, he can’t help giving out suggestions to Nam-eun just like a typical father would. Name-eun on the other hand, despite adopting a contradictory approach to life, tries her best to adjust to Heyon-man’s ways, and tries equally hard to help Heyon-man realize that he needn’t limit himself to one particular thing, irrespective of how good he is at it. She wants him to push his envelopes and take a chance, but Heyon-man doesn’t share the emotion, because he thinks people at his age are beyond change. Both the actors rendering these two characters are pitch-perfect in their respective roles. Sung-kee plays it low key, and delivers handsomely with his controlled expressions and maturity that a person of his age would possess. Ha-na, with her sober and sulky beauty, needed for the movie, made me want more of her. She does undergo an outlook transformation when her love’s requited, and we get to see her spirited, blossoming self. I’m always partial towards Korean female actors, and I’m going to do the same here. I adored Ha-na and everything she had a hand in, in this movie. Watching these cute Korean ladies perform just takes my breath away. The director (Yeon-Shick Shin) handled all the delicate moments ably and with the right amount of innocence to it. He had a strong grip throughout and hardly did he falter; barring maybe the unclear ending.

The movie is a triumph due to its small, yet professional cast and those small, tender moments scattered throughout the movie. Such movies always do depend on the quality of the small details that go into making them. A conversation, a fight, a bus ride with one’s lover, being intimate on phone among other daily activities, that are normally ignored, are what makes these movies a little gem not to be missed. If one would overlook the hackneyed tools the movie ends up using in its final reel, the movie is definitely worth a watch. Add to that the charm the movie overflows with when its two leads are on screen, one would have sufficient reasons to enjoy the movie.

Four Weddings and A Funeral - A Review

Rating: * * *1/2

I don’t remember the last time I rued watching an English rom-com, and Four Weddings and A Funeral didn’t give me a reason to discontinue carrying on with that notion.

Just like the title suggests, there’s nothing more than four weddings and a funeral in the movie. That’s the milestones around which the whole movie is weaved. The movie starts with, well, the first wedding, and we’re introduced to the group of friends that comprises of Gareth (Simon Callow): single, in his early 50s, bearing a cynical viewpoint about marriages and motives that drive each one of them, and he keeps coming up with an equally, emotionally-devoid theory which the whole group solemnly agrees upon; Matthew (John Hannah): a soft spoken fellow, with feelings for his live-in partner Gareth; then there’s the ever-bumbling Tom (James Fleet) who’s always trying to find a girl, any girl, with whom he can settle, but just doesn’t find the right way to do it. He comes across as a rather babbling baboon every time he opens his mouth, and he isn’t growing any younger; then there’s the brooding Fiona (Kristin Sott Thomas), or “Fi” as she’s lovingly called by her mates and she’s also Tom’s sister. She has her heart set on only one particular guy, but never discloses his name; David (David Bower), hearing impaired, unintentionally flaunting his English charm; Scarlett (Charlotte Coleman), who doesn’t seem to find the person who’d reciprocate her feelings. Every time she falls for someone, he just “bonks” her and then leaves. On the other hand, the guys that fall for her, she thinks aren’t worth wasting her time on. Both the above characters are Charles’ (Hugh Grant) siblings. Charles is a very introvert chap, afraid of commitment, and always falls short of words every time a girl comes running his way. He’s had a fair run with the ladies, but never had the grit to take it any further than a couple months’ excursion. He thinks there’s one right girl for everyone, and his will arrive when thunder strikes, metaphorically of course. One common thing that runs through all the above-mentioned characters is that they all are still single, and are in desperate need to have their feelings requited.

The above motley meets at every wedding that’s featured in the movie, which acts as a stage where these guys would hunt for their potential life partners. These incidents are nothing short of funny, and most of the humor comes from the ceaseless English witty dialogues. Most of the characters’ failing efforts and the awkwardness of it all, lends the movie its required dose of rib-tickling humor. It’s at the first wedding when Hugh Grant chances upon an American lady guest Carrie (Andie Macdowell), and falls head over heels for her. However, being the reticent fellow that he is, he stumbles and babbles his way through during his introductory conversation with the lady. The lady, however, is also smitten by this reserved gentleman, and sees an aura of mystery around him because of his unwillingness to take the plunge in a relationship. It’s not long before they roll in the hay, only to be separated the next morning. And, these serendipitous encounters continue in the second wedding, too. Only this time, Carrie is already engaged to a stiff, self-conceited, Scottish old bag of bones. And the realization that Charles has missed the bus dawns on him. To make the matters worse, third wedding is that of Carrie and the skirt-clad Scottish. But Charles makes no bones of it, and attends the wedding without being a spoiled partisan. Gradually, some events lead to one thing after another, leading to a typical finale that these movies always have; I’m not complaining either. The journey was far better than the destination, and that’s exactly why I liked the movie.

What makes English romantic comedies stand out from the rest of the herd of the same genre, are its characterizations and lip-smacking dialogues. All of which are at play here in this movie. Above all, it's the on-screen camaraderie between all of its primary characters that really gets you hooked and longing for more of their harmless banters. They all fit like hand in glove. English actors are also known for their spontaneity, and the trait is in abundance throughout the movie. All the actors do a bang-up job, and leave absolutely nothing to be desired. Even characters that have only few minutes’ screen presence leave us with something to ponder upon and laugh over well after the movie has finished. Take for instance Rowan Atkinson (extremely famous as MR. BEAN). He has a blink-and-you-miss role in the movie. He’s learning the ropes to being a vicar, and second wedding of the movie is his first time as the priest in charge. He tries his best to not forget the lines and the sermons that a priest usually doles out at such an occasion. Yet, despite all his genuine efforts to not to screw up, he inadvertently does just that. The scene is a treat to watch. The typical Bean combination of buffoonery and the garbled sermons, takes the scene to a whole new level. And Rowan Atkinson’s antics only amplify the comic aspect. Hugh Grant, with his understated suaveness, and the English magnetism, delivers handsomely; as expected. Andie Macdowell, too, is good in her parts, but there’s not much of that. The major chunk of the movie has the whole group running wild at the weddings throughout. It’s they, who truly lift this movie, and make it worth our while to a great extent.

Written by Richard Curtis, who gave us gems like Love Actually, Notting Hill and Blackadder series, to name a few, pens yet another typical English classic romantic comedy, with its, now, predictable ups and downs, and tying it all up in pretty ribbon-clad finale. The director Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco) had professional actors to work with, which of course made his job a lot easier. He doesn’t miss a beat in getting top performances from his lot, and executes each scene with royal finesse. But, no matter what, it’s the cast that’s the real reason one should watch this classic. The story must’ve been aped a zillion times by all sorts of movie industries, but the English essence and the tranquil, no-nonsense approach to such a simple subject cannot be replicated by any Tom, Dick or Harry. Watch it for the supremely talented cast, their undying chemistry oozing with oomph, and the simplicity of it all.

Pulse (AKA Kairo) - When Life and Death Collides.

Rating: * * * *

Needless to say, I was anticipating to be sucked in yet again by this venture from the director of the previously reviewed movie “Kyua”. Suffice to say that never did a moment go by when I didn't want the movie to end. This movie was unlike any horror movie I’ve ever seen, and it’ll forever be one of its kind; notwithstanding the abominable American remakes.

This movie follows a two-pronged approach for a major chunk of its duration, but amalgamates into a single thread at the end of the movie. One sequence follows a handful of a plant sales company employees, where people start to disappear for no apparent reason. It all starts when an employee, Taguchi, fails to show up at work for a prolonged period of time. One of the concerned colleagues, Michi (Kumiko Aso), visits him and finds him to be physically fine, only to be proven horrifically wrong a minute later: the guy hangs himself, who was showing no signs of remorse or depression prior to the suicide. The event undoubtedly leaves a dreadful impact on Michi. Slowly, other employees are sucked in the same vortex that had lead to Taguchi’s abrupt end, with Michi being the only exception. The other sequence involves an economic grad student, Kawashima (Haruhiko Kato), who’s eager to get on the internet furore that’s been sweeping the then Japanese society. He sets up the needed connection, and tries to dial in, only to be greeted with a head-scratching system error. Understandably, he’s annoyed and shuts the PC down. However, with no manual input, the PC powers up, dials itself to the net, and opens up a site featuring an array of webcam live feed, with people in a despondent disposition, rolled up in a dingy, bleak corner of their messy apartment. A moment later, “Would you like to meet a ghost?” message flashes across the screen. The guy is obviously taken aback, decides not to tread any further and shuts down the PC. But, right in the middle of the night, the PC starts acting up again in the aforementioned fashion. Bewildered Kawashima seeks help from a Computer Science lab assistant, Harue (Kyuki), who doles out a couple of suggestions, and later on, takes a personal interest in solving the conundrum only to come up empty handed.

These two incidents cue us in into the shocking world of afterlife, and the fine dividing line between the two worlds that has been blurring lately. Apparently, the world that the dead occupy is running out of space, so they inadvertently trickle over to our side through whatever means they could find; internet being one of them. However, they crave for human touch, which they presumably failed at when they were alive. They succeed in making contact with the living, but the fallout is in the form of their counterpart committing suicide and leaving behind a shadowy presence against the wall or ground where they end their life.

This movie is not a humdrum horror fare. In fact, the horror aspect of the movie exists in the form of psychological, social questions raised and subtle points made about our failing attempts at intimacy. How, social alienation makes us no better than the dead, walking the planet, engulfed in our own desolation. How, making countless friends online provides us with only an illusion of being connected, but is never a match to actual physical contact. The movie portrays the horror of living alone, and finding answers in death, which brings nothing but more loneliness, only this time it’s eternal. That is not to say the movie lacks in scare department, but don’t expect the usual gambit being employed here to make the hair on the back of your neck stand at its end. Here, there are numerous instances where you do get to see ghost, but with a twist. The ghosts don’t appear out of nowhere, or for a fraction of a second, or accompanied by a deafening orchestral introduction. You’ll know when they’ll show themselves, you’ll know well in advance from what angle they’ll crop up, and that’s the beauty of it. The ghosts come up to you, slowly, staggering, enveloped in an abnormal dark halo, with expressionless face sans gaudy makeup, and with an absence of apparent malice. This is where the genius of the scare lies; the unknown in the known. The phantasmagorical images grow on you and slip under your skin. Every time you see a corner or any dark crevice in the movie, you’ll be certain that a ghostly presence would step out of that dark orb without disturbing a soul, and more often than not, you’ll be bang on target.

The creator, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, like in his previous movie, leaves no stone unturned, and utilizes ridiculously simple techniques, to create a world of afterlife right in our living rooms. This time though, he utilizes background scores at key moments, but they’re downright creepy to say the least. The acting isn’t world class like it was in “Kyua”, but it’s in no way remotely bad either. The production depicts a world in twilight, worsening with every suicide, and is ultimately reduced to a state nearing apocalypse. With such surreal combinations of diverse grim aspects and its veritable rendition on celluloid, the movie does end, but the experience lingers for a very long time.

PS.: Just like in the previously-reviewed movie, here, too, one needs to put in an effort to understand the reason for the title.

Cure (AKA Kyua) - A Psychological Nightmare.

Rating: FULL DAMN MARKS!!!

Coming out of the movie, I was impressed with the semblance of an uneventful movie, which was anything but uneventful. However, there were so many questions left hanging which I wanted to know the answers to. I scoured the net, and the eventual explanation made me love the movie to its extreme extent.

The movie follows a certain detective, Takabe’s effort to solve a baffling array of random murders. It’s baffling for one simple reason: The killers don’t try to deny the heinous act they’ve committed, and there’s one different killer for every murder. However, the modus operandi repeats itself in each of the killing, thereby leading the detectives to believe that a commonality exists in these killings. The murders are gory alright, but the twisted part is the ‘X’ carved on the throat of each victim. Adding to the list of bafflements is the spooky nonchalance with which every murderer accepts his crimes and describes the same. They don’t show even a hint of regret or horror at the revelation of their grisly acts. Such inexplicable disposition of these murderers compels the detective to contort his usual procedural gimmicks, and look for something that exists at the fringe of every investigation. Somewhere else in the city, a man (Mamiya) exhibiting signs of short-term memory loss, has been running into strangers, who later on end up becoming the aforementioned killers. The man’s demeanor suggests that he’s dissociated with his surrounding and every person he meets, he invariably asks them the same set of questions, beginning with, “Who are you?” The question may seem straightforward, but the answer he’s looking for isn’t. It isn’t too long before we realize that he has more than a hand in all the bizarre killings ailing the city as well as the psyche of the detective in charge. However, the investigation soon hits a serendipitous pay dirt. The amnesiac is found at the scene of a crime, and is apprehended on the spot. Thereafter, a very unsettling journey begins, that introduces us to the macabre underbellies of human psyche free of any inhibitions, and what we, as humans, are capable of, once our tendencies are unleashed. The ending, to say the least, is a silent deathblow, sure to leave you scratching your head and begging for more.

The acting was top notch, especially by the lead members. The detective (Koji Yakusho) breezed past his character’s upheavals and dilemmas with aplomb. Juggling his responsibilities as a doting husband, catering to a mentally volatile wife, and the unforgiving nature of his job, Koji strikes an amazing balance, both physically and emotionally in the character's portrayal. The way he unravels himself and peels off every faux layer of his being is commendable and brilliant in every sense. However, the amnesiac (Masato Hagiwara) was a standout performer for me. His presence took the movie to whole another dimension. All the while he was on screen, the movie felt more organic and surreal.

However, the movie wouldn’t be half as great if it weren’t for the director Kiyoshi Kurosawa. His approach is that of genre-breaking, and follows in the footsteps of Roman Polanski's Rosemary Baby when it comes to scaring you. He never once utilized the cliché-ridden devices to scare the viewers. His scare tactics was more on the fundamental level, and absurdly human. The gloomy, bleak atmosphere he created; the void present in almost every scene due to absence of background score (which only added unmentionably to the creepiness); and utilizing the everyday sound from our surroundings to attack our sense in a very deft way; the deliberate dark corners in every abode that played with our imagination; each and every trick he employed, was subtle to say the least, and yet, horribly effective. His methodology is why the movie gets under your skin and fosters.

The movie is not your traditional hack-slash-jump-in-your-seat fare. It works on psychological levels, and leaves you with images and notions that would haunt you, for a major portion, if not the rest of your life. If that’s not scary, then I don’t know what is.

PS: It would take someone with sharp acumen to understand the reason for the title.