Monday, March 26, 2007

A river made to drown in

USA 1997

Poster and details imdb

Seen 22 March 2007

A dying man's last days with two persons he had loved. He was the typical flamboyant rich gay man who had many sexual partners. His feelings for these particular two men brought him back to Los Angeles. We se how he tries to make them realise that life is more than what it seems. A particular dialogue might sum up what he was trying to convey - “If you're terrified of loving someone besides yourself then you're not going anywhere”.
The film did not resort to histrionics but maintained an even keel. I was attracted to the film because it had Richard Chamberlain in the main role with a capable supporting cast which includes Ute Lemper and Talia Shire.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Sin Destino

Mexico 2002

Poster and details amazon

Seen 13 March 2007

Disturbing. A street boy's life in the cut throat man eat man urban landscape. We see Francisco selling his body to men to eke out a living of sorts. He also uses drugs to lessen the impact and forget what he has done. The drugs are supplied by his best friend, David who also initiates Francisco to a sexual encounter with a woman. Unfortunately, Francisco's past keeps haunting him. A past that kick started his life as a hustler since he first met a photographer, Sebastian who specialises in young boys' photographs. A hesitant first encounter with a girl that he likes pushes him back to Sebastian. Unfortunately, the downward spiral for Francisco continues from this point onwards.

The actor who played Francisco managed to convey the tormented soul of a street boy who is forced to do unspeakable acts in order to survive. The supporting cast lends a hand in giving the film its overall atmosphere of gloom and doom. There is a flicker of hope somewhere but not for Francisco in this lifetime.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Heart

Indonesia 2006

Poster and details sinema-indonesia

Seen 11 March 2007

Cliché ridden love story but it works. Two girls and one guy. Rachel and Farel have been good friends since they were kids and one day Farel falls for this girl named Luna. Then and only then did Rachel realise that her feelings for Farel goes deeper than being close good friends. That is the start of her sacrifices in order to see Farel happy with his love. At the end, Rachel confesses to Farel that she has lost her love, her ideal guy to another girl. Farel does not realise that Rachel is referring to he himself. There is another twist at the end which ties up the loose ends. Some of the dialogue can be over the top but taken overall, this method does pull the right heart strings. The film concentrates on the three main characters so the audience is focused on the story line. Good editing helped a lot in putting this tale of romance and sacrifice above the run of the mill output.

Silom Soi 2

Thailand 2006

Poster and details silom-soi2

Seen 10 March 2007

Gentle love story focused on two men, Kaeng and Tum. The film goes through their ups and downs thematically according to the letters of the alphabet. Interesting method. Feels like a documentary. The director does not delve too deeply into the whys and wherefores of love but more of mere touches on the surface. Some scenes deserve a special mention. For example, the scenes where Tum takes care of the sickly Kaeng and how Kaeng tries so hard to avoid physical love making with Tum.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

The Queen

United Kingdom 2006

Poster and details imdb

Seen 2 March 2007

The film revolves on how the Queen of England, Elizabeth II copes with the death of her former daughter-in-law. Most probably a lot of the scenes and dialogue are conjectures but seems believable if reports that have been published on the English royal family are true. The main thrust of the story is how human the Queen is. Of course, she has her flaws but anyone else in her situation might have buckled under the pressure of being in the public gaze throughout their lives. She has always been under this spotlight, brought up to deal with the situation in the best way possible and the pressure became more acute since she became the queen in her twenties. Helen Mirren who pot rayed the queen did a remarkable job balancing the public and private persona of a woman who has been thrust into public life at such an early age. Revealing inside information on the machinations in the palace as well as the government of the day adds to a memorable tour de force.


Babel

USA 2006

Poster and details imdb

Seen 23 February 2007

Four separate stories with a common link. Each highlights the consequences of miscommunication. Feelings of lost, unrequited love, yearnings for the human touch. Each character is laden with their own emotional baggage. Pent-up emotions explode with dire consequences to the person himself and those linked to him. Layers of the human psyche is highlighted. Ordinary people trying to make sense of the world around them but unfortunately certain actions beget an unintended reaction.
Wonderful ensemble cast and the unknowns manage to carry their role well. The director manages to coax the actors to display the emotional undercurrents seething within each person.
One of the most memorable lines "If You Want to be Understood...Listen"