Jul 30, 2007

Cheeni Kum

Cute little film. Could have been a classic though with some more work on the script.
Also the first half in London was great but the Delhi part was frankly boring and expositional.
Slick looking film though. The DI looked nice but I edit was quite choppy. I could feel the cuts which aint good news for a Romantic film. But a fine debut.

Jul 29, 2007

Aeon Flux

Piece of shit. Dunno what the guys who made this were smoking but I hope I never get to sample it. No redeeming factor at all. The script was so awful and the acting was the pits. What a waste of 90 mins. Still it was better than Ultra-violet though. God that was an awful film.

Jul 28, 2007

Sunshine - Danny Boyle

Pretty good film but the climax is kinda cheesy. Cinematography is exceptional though. I have to say though that the film is a bit bland. I think Danny tends to loose the plot when he gets huge budgets eg "The Beach". Cillian rocks as always.

Jul 27, 2007

Neo Noir Festival

Watched 3 cracking Neo-Noir Films back to back. Man I so love Film Noir with their femme fatales and twists in the tail. What was really great that none of the films were from America. 2 were slick procedurals while one was a snorter of a Brit Gangsta flick.

1) Tattoo (Germany) - My fav of the 3. Slick urban thriller with a fab climax.

2) Gangster No 1 - If you thought that Paul Bettany could only do romantic/comedy roles u gotta watch this film. He's amazing as the psychotic and ruthless gangster.

3) Tell Me Something (Korea) - Good film but would have been much better if half and hour had been chopped off. Too many indulgent and introspective shots. Still a worthy effort.

Jul 26, 2007

Update

Been busy shooting so havent had time to update the blog but I have been watching stuff on and off. Lotsa TV in fact.

1) 3lbs Season 1 (Good)

2) Rome Season 2 (Awesome)

3) Sex and Lucia (Awesome)

4) Flesh+Blood (Good)

5) Over There Season 1 (Good)

6) Split Second (Ok)

7) Ratatouille (Best Film of the Year)

Jul 14, 2007

The Salton Sea

Impressive and engrossing neo-noirish film starring Val Kilmer and a young Peter Saarsgard. Good acting all around and outstanding Cinematography by Amir Mokri. Though the dutch angles went a little overboard sometimes the film does boast of outstanding lighting and compositions throughout. Well worth a watch.

Jul 12, 2007

An American Rhapsody

Amazingly gorgeous sentimental film which treads a fine line between American indie and European arthouse cinema though it is completely European in its approach.

Highly thought provoking and evocative, it makes you realise the power of memories and when to let go of them. Also makes you realise what it really means to be a parent and the decisions you have to take which will affect your life forever.

Brilliant film. Glad I watched it. Natassja Kinski and the little girl who played Zsuzu are incredible.

Renaissance

Without a doubt, the most perfect neo-noir film ever made. Might even be the greatest film noir ever made. And also one of the most stunning animated films that I have ever seen. Intrigued?
Watch "Renaissance". It has all the classic elements ie a hardbitten hero, femme fatales, perpetual rain, gorgeous shadows and lighting and a solid twist in the end.

FUCKING A amigos !!!!

The Young Americans

This film has like totally rocked my world. The plot and acting isnt something really innovative but the lighting. Oh mama the lighting. I will never look at mixed color temperatures the same way ever again.

Fucking Brilliant. Need to buy the DVD and study it all over.

Jul 11, 2007

Manga + City of Industry

Man, read 2 of the most fucked up bizzare and fucked up mangas ever in my life. And thats saying a lot coz Ive read Ichi the Killer before but on a plain out fucking insane quotient nothing can beat "Shamo" and "Crying Freeman".

Shamo was so disturbing I could only read the first volume. Freeman was visually spectacular but you had to like suspend all disbelief. Ikegami's artwork was superb as usual. Nobody can do action and sex scenes as well as him. I also loved the poetry that popped up periodically amidst the savage violence.

Also caught a little known flick called "City of Industry" on IFC. Nice little caper indie flick. Great cast, well shot and with some nice lighting.

All in all a good day.

Jul 10, 2007

Comic Book Update 2

Jesus Fucking Christ. Each one better than the rest. Ok not really. Midnight Nation is my fav but each one of em was so stunning and unique. Today was like I died and went to Comic Book heaven.

Without further ado the comics I perused today were

1) Planet Hulk

2) Midnight Nation

3) Lore

4) Demo

5) Fallen Angel


Salut !!!!!!

Comic Book Update 1

Hadnt really been reading comics for a while now. Got so much into work and watching films that they kinda slipped. Recently however I got kinda saturated with moving images and wanted to get back to my first love.

So here is the list of the Comics I have read since today morning

1) Scene of the Crime (Ed Brubaker) Fucking amazing film noir mini series. Perfect companion piece to Chinatown which Im sure is also a major influence. The denoument just leaves u gasping for breath. Brilliant. Would love to see a movie adaptation

2) Strain (Ikegama and Buronson) Fucking Hell. Fucking Bloody Hell. I would fucking kill to adapt this manga series into a film. Its so fucked up and insane that I love it. From the team that brought you "Sanctuary" here is another absolute masterpiece.

3) Blacksad Vols 2 & 3 - Sweet Jesus. One of the best written and most beautifully comic books ever. Sadly only three titles have been released. Would give anything for this to become a regular series. How can u not fall in love with a film noirish world poplulated by anthramorphic animals??? Fucking Amazing.


More soon.

Jul 9, 2007

Enduring Love

Intriguing and sensitive art house flick starring Daniel Craig and Samantha Morton, which is based on Ian McEwan's acclaimed book of the same name. Sensitively acted and thoughtfully shot, the film has one of the most memorable and surreal opening scenes that I have ever seen.

It's great to see where Craig got his acting chops from and I particulary like how the lighting and composition eluciadate his state of mind. The ending could have been better but all in all, quite a good film.

Jul 6, 2007

The Crimson Rivers - Matthieu Kassovitz

Taut, effective french policier helmed by the blessed Matthieu Kassovitz and starring two of my fav actors Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel. Some very interesting shot selections and groovy lighting. Perfect Saturday Night movie to digest all that Japanese food and Sake.

Chiquitita

As I was rushing to get to Penn Station in the morning today, I heard a busker play "Chiqutita" on a flute today inside the station. Now I was going for what might have turned out to be one of the most important interviews I have ever given but hearing the music stopped me dead in the tracks.

I sat down and listened to him play an extended 10 min version of the song. As I sat there breathless I was immediately transported to the fantastic African grasslands of my childhood.
Some sort of childhood memory was let loose and I could literally feel the wind blow on my face, the smell of the elephant grass and the never ending horizon. All this while sitting underground in a subway station in New York.

The power of music never ceases to amaze me.

Jul 5, 2007

Pathfinder

Hooray finally got to see Pathfinder. Had been lookin forward to is for almost a year. A very loose remake of one of my all time fav films , the mesmerizing 1987 Sami language "Pathfinder", the film is a mixed bag of delights.

It has numerous flaws starting with piss poor acting, atrocious dialog and lack of sufficient characterisation for any character.

However since this review is mainly about the visual aspects of the film and not the inherent content, I will say this. PATHFINDER IS A FUCKING AWESOME FILM. It's been amazingly shot by one of my heroes Daniel Pearl. Pearl is the resident God / Genius of music video and commercial DP's. He eschewed features to make a mark on the short form and what a fucking mark it is.

Over the years he has shot most of my all time fav music videos including "November Rain" , "I Love You" and "Wrapped around your finger". He's done features intermittently but Im crazy bout his music video work and last year he won an honorary Golden Frog at Cameraimage.

This film has some spellbinding action sequences and jaw dropping cinematography throughout in Pearl's trademark pictorial style which is majorly influenced by the legendary "Blade Runner". Shot in a jungle with what seems to be available light most of the time, the film is a visual masterpiece. Lots of people didnt like the desaturated bleach bypass look but I think it's perfect. It gives the savage violence an almost poetic and balletic feel.

If only they had cut out the awful expositional dialog and made the entire film silent it would have an been an cult classic like "Quest for Fire". The visuals are powerful enough to tell the story.

Watch it if only for the Lighting if nothing else. Danny u rock mate !!!!

4th of July Fireworks

Saw the 4th of July Fireworks on the East River. As amazing a visual as I have ever seen. Just made me realise what a fucking stroke of genius Mark Romanek had when he shot "Cochise".
Even Anand Surapur's "Teri Deewani" was fucking awesome. Unforgettable dancing silhouette with the exploding fireworks.

Jul 2, 2007

Ghost in the Shell 2 : Innocence

Stunning. Just plain out fucking mindblowingly stunning. Had meant to see it for a long time but had been putting it off for a long time. What a fucking film !!!

Amazing Production Design , divine pictorial lighting , virtuso cinematography and a truly mindblowing plotline combine to make this one an Anime masterpiece. Showing the human side of Batou was absolute genius. I still can't get some of those angles out of my head. Need to watch it again just to study the composition.

Fav Moment - Batou bonding with his Basset hound. Sigh, I miss Silver......

Jul 1, 2007

Weekend Update

Well this has been a frutiful weekend. Though I was busy shooting I did find time to read and watch some truly virtuoso pieces of art.

In chronological order

1) Whiteout and Whiteout: Melt - Greg Rucka's brilliant graphic novel series about murder in the South Pole. Visually unique in the sense that its so awesome to construct a noir-ish story in black and white when the setting is Antartica. Fabulously cinematic and Im not surprised that the film version is out next year starring the yummy Kate Beckinsale. :-)

2) More - Gorgeous and profound stop motion short film with an extremely powerful yet personal message. It's amazing that despite being totally bereft of dialogs how the visuals and claymation characters were able to portray such vivid emotions and plot. Standing ovation for Mark Osborne.

3) Signal to Noise - Creative Superstar Comic book team of Neil Gaiman and Dave Mckean reunite to create this stunning tour de force. Ostensibly bout a filmmaking facing his mortality, the book goes much deeper. Gaiman is brilliant is usual but the real star here is Mckean with his sublime mixed media palette of visual storytelling. Maya Deren would approve.

4) Man on the Train - Perfect film. Roger Ebert in his film said that he cant find any flaws in this film and I totally concur. Gorgeously shot and beautifully acted, this film is the sort you dont find in abundance these days ie a an intimate character study about male friendship akin to "Sideways". Perfect Cinema........