No Country for Old Men (2007)

Rating: 8.5/10

"[first lines] 

 Ed Tom Bell: I was sheriff of this county when I was twenty-five years old. Hard to believe. My grandfather was a lawman; father too. Me and him was sheriffs at the same time; him up in Plano and me out here. I think he's pretty proud of that. I know I was. Some of the old time sheriffs never even wore a gun. A lotta folks find that hard to believe. Jim Scarborough'd never carried one; that's the younger Jim. Gaston Boykins wouldn't wear one up in Comanche County. I always liked to hear about the oldtimers. Never missed a chance to do so. You can't help but compare yourself against the oldtimers. Can't help but wonder how they would have operated these times. There was this boy I sent to the 'lectric chair at Huntsville Hill here a while back. My arrest and my testimony. He killt a fourteen-year-old girl. Papers said it was a crime of passion but he told me there wasn't any passion to it. Told me that he'd been planning to kill somebody for about as long as he could remember. Said that if they turned him out he'd do it again. Said he knew he was going to hell. "Be there in about fifteen minutes". I don't know what to make of that. I sure don't. The crime you see now, it's hard to even take its measure. It's not that I'm afraid of it. I always knew you had to be willing to die to even do this job. But, I don't want to push my chips forward and go out and meet something I don't understand. A man would have to put his soul at hazard. He'd have to say, "O.K., I'll be part of this world." 

First time I sat down to watch this film was during the time I was getting an education in filmmaking myself. I still remember that I had just been taught the magic of film sound and sound mixing in movies, so I was eagerly delighted to watch this film in my local cinema theatre in Bristol (UK). I had heard beforehand that it had quite a few shocking moments in it, but since I had read absolutely nothing about the story, I went in not knowing quite what to expect. All I knew, was that I had a growing antipathy to the Cohen brothers for some inexplicable reason. And then I saw this film...

First of all let me give you a taste of what the story's about:"In rural Texas, welder and hunter Llewelyn Moss discovers the remains of several drug runners who have all killed each other in an exchange gone violently wrong. Rather than report the discovery to the police, Moss decides to simply take the two million dollars present for himself. This puts the psychopathic killer, Anton Chigurh, on his trail as he dispassionately murders nearly every rival, bystander and even employer in his pursuit of his quarry and the money. As Moss desperately attempts to keep one step ahead, the blood from this hunt begins to flow behind him with relentlessly growing intensity as Chigurh closes in. Meanwhile, the laconic Sherrif Ed Tom Bell blithely oversees the investigation even as he struggles to face the sheer enormity of the crimes he is attempting to thwart." (www.imdb.com)

One of the really greatest things that the Cohen brothers have managed to succeed with this film is their sheer loyalty to the book. 'No Country for Old Men' was written by Cormac McCarthy and was visually translated by world-renowned directors Joel and Ethan Cohen who also co-wrote the script. The fascinating thing about this story of corruption and vanity is how truthful the two brothers stayed to the novel. In filmmaking is not an easy task to translate a very hefty on-words novel into images and sound. The Cohen's surpassed any kind of expectations that McCarthy may have had when he was giving them the right to make his novel into a film.

Apart from the very loyal and stoic attention the Cohen's gave to this film, they also were able to create the word of the 1980s wild-west Texas, and re-create the long-lost values of a long-forgotten era where morality and corruption were shaking between an uneasy balance. The Cohen's have long played on the themes of leaving the modern man take life in his own hands and make the tough choices between a life of crime and morality, but with this film they circulated even more to the idea of a world where heroes do not get to be victorious and the villains do not get the retribution of their ill-doing.

The most frightening moment of all is the absolute silence and serenity that with-holds the villain in the story; Anton Chigurh, who is performed by spanish-born actor Javier Bardem, who also got to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His portrayal of this ultra-villain is merely a testament of the growing corruption of the new-age, and what evil is able to conquer with a little patience and planning.

Equally well is the portrayal of the semi-hero of the story, Llewelyn Moss, who is performed by world-acclaimed actor, Josh Brolin. No matter how bad the story begs for retribution for the equally corruptive nature of Llewelyn, the reality hits him harsh and at the end gets the better of him.

It would be of course careless of me not to mention the real gem of the story; the struggling small-town sheriff who longs and idealizes the long-lost glories of getting his fairy-tale ending, of the villain getting what he deserves and the hero getting his victory (wealth and love). This beautifully performed role is portrayed by world-class actor Tommy Lee Jones, who once again his macho-cop character is looking to give an absolution to what has been done wrong in the world. Whether he succeeds or not that is something you will have to sit down and watch to find out.

This story is a tantalizing tale about the injustice and the raw reality of the vanities of how human nature fails to avoid temptation and falls prey of his own idolatries (in this case the money, as often is the case). The Cohens have done a superb job letting their camerawork extend their need to translate the words into images and let the silence throughout the film, fill in the high-tense emotional moments. Laconic language and moments of pure realism are a few of their key trademarks as directors, but also something that establishes them as visionaries of a tale full of human greed and corruption.

Excellent film to watch if you're in the mood for a good'ol crime of the west. Do not be shocked if you do not find that justice does not exist in this film. Some stories are plain truthful.

Sincerely hope every film-goer enjoys this film as much as I have.

Have a good Sunday afternoon!



No Country for Old Men (2007)

Oldboy (2003)

Rating: 8.8/10

"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone."

Let's talk about film style; there will always be an Asian, and in this case a Korean, who will do it better than you. Not a statistic, but a much proved-fact.

The reason to the above statement is well proven by Chan-wook Park's 2003 film, 'Oldboy'. What's the story about? The story is about an average man, who "is kidnapped and imprisoned in a shabby cell for 15 years without explanation. He then is released, equipped with money, a cellphone and expensive clothes. As he strives to explain his imprisonment and get his revenge, Oh Dae-Su soon finds out that his kidnapper has a greater plan for him and is set onto a path of pain and suffering in an attempt to uncover the motive of his mysterious tormentor." (www.imdb.com)

The plot does not reveal itself from the beginning. It is indeed one of those well weave-plotted stories that it will come to light little by little leave very little time to the viewer to react and digest what'd just happened in the story-line. With an amazingly cleverly written script, the themes of vengeance, paranoia, psychosis, freedom and self-awareness are made possible into the big screen.

When first watching this film, the viewer might not even grasp two fifths of what really is going on. So a second and third watch would be advisable. Park make's sure that the more closely you look into the story, the more entanglements you will realize there are. Besides the "killer" narrative of the plot, Park entrusted his camera crew with the creation of a world full of psycho-bizarre elements and giving subtle but also aesthetically beautiful hints on the film noir genre.

'Oldboy' is specifically placing its hopes on the story line, the exquisite cinematography and the well adapted performance by lead actor Min-sik Choi. His role echoes that of Guy Pearce's in Memento, but Min-sik Choi gives another sour taste to what could happen to a man who's freedom and his whole reality is turned upside down. Psychosis and paranoia are among the twisted emotions that one will get out of watching his character closely. Painful emotions are what collide with trying to make sense of what the character should and what he must do to survive in a world that others have placed him in.

The performances are top-notch, to say the least, but what really grabs the audience is the retribution of both the leading characters and the plot itself. Park does not fully prepare the viewer for the horrors that will have to faced once the truth unfolds, but let's them question on the motives and the moral integrity of how the characters act.

'Oldboy' is nowadays hailed as a cult classic; not so much for its stylistic performance but also for the very intricate cinematography and technical aspects in general. The way the camera-work relates to the psychological factor of the main character's actions is one of the best, and well-enhanced frame-works in the film industry.

With quite a few infusions of action moments and a very paranoid and also stoic script, 'Oldboy' manages to shock and captivate even the most demanding cinema-goers.

Watch it with mates, whilst in the mood to be blown-away and let your mind run wild whilst watching it, as the possibilities are endless!

Enjoy the film!



Oldboy (2003)

Drag me to Hell (2009)

Rating: 6.9/10

"I beg and you shame me?"

Sam Raimi, the director of 'Drag me to Hell', is a master-mind in the whole suspense/light-thriller genre and with 'Drag me to Hell' he does not fail to submit to his viewers' eyes that he can be a great director as well as producer.

'Drag me to Hell' is about "Christine Brown, who is a loans officer at a bank but is worried about her lot in life. She's in competition with a competent colleague for an assistant manager position and isn't too sure about her status with a boyfriend. Worried that her boss will think less of her if she shows weakness, she refuses a time extension on a loan to an old woman, Mrs. Ganush, who now faces foreclosure and the loss of her house. In retaliation, the old woman place a curse on her which, she subsequently learns, will result in her being taken to hell in a few days time. With the help of a psychic, she tries to rid herself of the demon, but faces several hurdles in the attempt." (www.imdb.com)

The film that makes this film fascinating is the need to believe that gypsy curses actually work. In order to make such story believable into an audience that is prone to too much internet/knowledge exposure on the urban legends of gypsies and curses, Raimi created a villain so horrendous that can actually give you sleepless nights for quite some time; a granny.

Not a granny in the old sense. Lorna Raver, who for me is Raimi's golden ticket for this film, delivers a superb performance as the icky, slimy, budgering Hungarian elderly woman, who bears a legacy of cursing others when things don't quite turn out just the way she expects them to. In indeed if one is to believe in this 'myth' or legend the story can make a tremendous impact on the cinematic audience. The way the costume design transformed her from a lovely creature, into a maniac demon that will make Alison Lohman's role pay, is rather astonishing.

Lohman on the other hand, really seems to be challenging herself with this role, in trying to come out as the quiet and polite bank assistant who has not a great volition about her career and life in general and who in retrospect falls victim of her own nature. Lohan has that sweet-looking presence that a well-bred, self-contained, middle-class young lady would have that would all of a sudden would be the centre of an evil presence that would demand more than anything the one thing that's pure in her entourage; her soul!

Justing Long, seems to be parading about as the willful and supportive boyfriend who's trying to be the voice of logic in this overwhelming scenario, but without too much attention being paid to him, his screen time is relatively brief and tactful.

The chemistry between Lohman and Raver, takes on a more dangerous turn, as the story progresses with the battle of the two extremes, good and evil fighting to the very end.

The result is not quite what a well-made scenario would be expected out of such uncommon circumstances, and that's what makes the story so thrilling to watch. The unbelievable turn of events, the rush of feeling to see if the curse has a real impact or not, is quite a fascinating journey to take on.

'Drag me to Hell' might not be the film to make you leave your light on, but it does serve for a thrilling night in, giving you a few goosebumps here and there and ultimately leading you to an effective resolution.

Would recommend to watch it with friends. It is great fun, if nothing else, albeit it cheesy and common in its essence.

Hope you enjoy the flick!




Drag me to Hell (2009)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Rating: 8.9/10

"Rules? PISS ON YOUR FUCKING RULES!" 

So we have Jack Nicholson who loves to play himself on screen, crazy that is. Oh wait! In this film he really is supposed to be crazy. This is one of Milos Forman's greatest films.

The reason being is by the infallible recipe of getting Nicholson to be the rebellious crazy wind that would shake this story apart. The story is about a young man, "McMurphy has a criminal past and has once again gotten himself into trouble with the law. To escape labor duties in prison, McMurphy pleads insanity and is sent to a ward for the mentally unstable. Once here, McMurphy both endures and stands witness to the abuse and degradation of the oppressive Nurse Ratched, who gains superiority and power through the flaws of the other inmates. McMurphy and the other inmates band together to make a rebellious stance against the atrocious Nurse." (www.imdb.com)

Albeit being a cult classic nowadays, 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' still manages to wow and hold the interest of the modern-day viewer as it tackles some very transcendental themes; oppression/suppression from the society, ethical and orthological issues and how free a person can be inwardly as well as outwardly. The strong build-up of the asylum offer a familiar view of how a suppressed modern man would live and function in today's society.

Like a young James Dean in the 'Rebel Without a Cause' and Marlon Brando in 'The Wild One', here comes Nicholson to establish his presence as the rebel who has a cause; to stir things up and prove that sanity is not only a state of being but a state of choice. What one considers sane can be greatly considered as controversial to what another person finds insane.

Milos Forman chose a wonderful line of cast to overwhelm his audience with this film; the unknown back then Danny DeVito, the hateful nursed who was portrayed by one-hit wonder actress Louise Fletcher, the brilliant Christopher Lloyd and the little gem of an actor who will amaze and leave everyone breathless with his performance Will Sampson.

The cold environment of the production design, the creepy and hauntingly beautiful musical score by Jack Nitzsche and the austere performances as well as the stoic and straight-forward direction of Foreman, make for a unique psychological tale of freedom and the need to be treated with respect and honesty. Pay close attention to the character of Nurse Ratched and what the symbol over her over-bearing ruling means in the asylum.

Quite a serious film, not the cup of tea of everyone, but without losing this way the essence of masterful filmmaking.

Perfect if you're into psychological dramas. Hope you enjoy the film.




One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Black Swan (2010)

Rating: 6.2/10

"It's about a girl who gets turned into a swan and she needs love to break the spell, but her prince falls for the wrong girl so she kills herself."

'Black Swan' was not at all an Aronofsky masterpiece. This film had me greatly excited from the first few months of its hyped buzzing around and couldn't wait to get a screening of it. But boy did I regret it when I finally sat down to it.

Albeit my bias opinion, I will of course be an objective reviewer and start from the plot:

"A ballet dancer wins the lead in "Swan Lake" and is perfect for the role of the delicate White Swan - Princess Odette - but slowly loses her mind as she becomes more and more like Odile, the Black Swan." (www.imdb.com)

All's fine and well with the acting of the obsessive character of Nina, who's performed by Natalie Portman, whom I admire, but something in the story seems lacking. It is beyond me that all of the facts in the film were constructed against the theme of sexual repression and how suffocating this must have been for Portman's character. Don't get me wrong, I do not doubt Portman's abilities as an actress to express this frustration only the story got me very irritated in ways of pacing, rhythm and technique. In all honesty the scripting could have been handled in more subtle ways thus not making me feel so appalled by the unnecessary vulgarity and sexualism that was promoted in the film.

Aronofsky is many times hailed as an insane genius and I will grant him his past successes but not this time. This time he couldn't have made it more majorly expressive that he cared more about the spectacle and the selling of the film, rather than the story itself. Of course people will run to the film houses when they hear a one-on-one girl-on-girl action, something which in my opinion gave the film very bad credibility and execution. Was that the standard by which I was suppose to go and watch this film or by the acting, the directing, the light and the costume design?

Granted I will put a thumbs up for the music score and the costume design as these two department did an extraordinary job in their creation in both atmosphere and style. The always astounding music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky that designed the whole film through was a guilty delight to follow the week plot line, as well as the remarkable costumes being created for the grand finale of Swan Lake. These two factors simply elevated and promoted to a more quality level the whole film.

Be sure that Aronofsky and Portman, as well as Mila Kunis, have great things to offer in the business, everyone in their field of course, without this little filmic bedazzling endeavour deters from their quality as artists.

It would be wrong of me to suggestion a no-screening whatsoever of this film, and although quite negative towards the whole shenanigans spectacle I do encourage you to sit down to watch it. If nothing, you will the very least enjoy the music and the always handsome presence of Vincent Cassel.

Black Swan (2010)

A Dangerous Method (2011)

Rating: 5.4/10

"Sometimes you have to do something unforgivable... just to be able to go on living."

It isn't often that I want to slander a period piece. Since they kind of are my cinematic vice, I find it hard to bad-mouth or give a negative review to a period drama piece. This time round though, the case was somewhat different.

'A Dangerous Method' "tells about the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud gives birth to psychoanalysis."

All's well and good with the story-line, only we seem to see more of Carl Jung's character than sir Sigmund and the relationship between the two forefathers of psychoanalysis. We do however, see a lot of Carl Jung's ex-patient and mistress and how that relationship affected Jung into the depths of psychoanalysis.

I am a great fan of Michael Fassbender and Viggo Mortensen but this period drama was lacking chemistry between the protagonists as well as a stamina to follow up with the characters' story-line. In my opinion I believe the scripted lacked this emotional ground that could be built between these two men, thus leaving me emotional detached from their drama and their emotional journey. Since both the actors above have well proved in the past to be one of the best-in-depth actors in currently in the business, I expected a lot more from their performance, but instead got very little and a lot of jumble trying to follow where they were coming from.

Keira Knightley....Oh the never-ending battle of this actress's pouting. Indeed I do hold a bit of prejudice against this actress, since I have been watching her progress since she was 16 years old, and have yet to be impressed by her. With this film, she really did try to do the best she could, I could tell she struggled with her role, but in the end she did not again manage to exceed her yet-so-far acting abilities. She can do a lot better I think. She still needs more work in her craft, because a pretty corset and a bit of provocative nudity won't do. Keep on acting Keira.

All in all, story was a bit dull and mundane for my taste. Found it a bit hard to follow the characters and what their ultimate goal was. Had a couple of good scenes with Fassbender and his on-screen wife, Sarah Gordon. The direction was mellow and uninteresting; followed a very steady pace but which at the end lost me as an audience as to what it was trying to tell me. A very peculiar phenomenon if you think that this film is by David Cronenberg, an acclaimed director in the business who failed in many ways to deliver with this film.

Worth the watch if there's nothing else in the cinema this award season, which I can assure you this is not possible as there's plenty of much worthier films out there currently showing.


A Dangerous Method (2011)