Directed by: Mel Gibson
Released: 2016
Country: United States
Genre: Biographical, War, Drama
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review
''Hacksaw Ridge'' is a biographical film that tells the story of Desmond Doss. Doss (played by Andrew Garfield) strictly believes that no matter what the situations are a person should never be killed. Socially awkward and meek, Desmond is only in his early twenties when the World War II starts. Believing that he should not be sitting home when the rest of his countrymen were off to the war, Desmond enlists, intending to be a combat medic. However, he absolutely refuses to carry a gun. Even when his superiors try to talk him into it, he refuses. He does not want to be connected to something that is used for killing people. The other soldiers think that Desmond is a coward and that he will not last long in the war, but Desmond proves them wrong by showing great heroism when they try to defeat the Japanese army at Hacksaw Ridge in the Battle of Okinawa. His heroism saves a lot of lives and he manages to do this without even carrying a weapon for self defense.
The war scenes are brutal, well-made and extremely realistic and I found myself looking away from those scenes for seconds because of moments of extreme violence, horror and brutality. The film does a great job portraying the bravery and heroism of Desmond Doss. It is impossible not to love Desmond. The character maintains his innocence and firm determination throughout the film and I cheered for him during the scenes in which he proves his heroism and everybody acknowledges it.. Glimpses into his
relationship with his family members and how it has shaped his life and his views further
develop the character. Andrew Garfield does a great job and Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Huge Weaving (as Desmond's father; his experiences in the World War I left him emotionally unstable but he eventually goes on to play a great role in Desmond's life) and Teresa Palmer (as Dorothy, a nurse with whom Desmond falls in love) provide great support.
In short, ''Hacksaw Ridge'' is a very well-made war film that depicts the brutality and horror of wars and the heroism of its protagonist, Desmond Doss, with perfection.
Directed by: Morten Tyldum
Released: 2014
Country: United States
Genre: Historical, biographical, drama, war, thriller
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review
I sometimes find war movies intimidating. Even historical and biographical films can be slightly intimidating. But in case of ''The Imitation Game'', it was exactly the opposite. I loved, loved, loved the film. From the beginning to the end. I loved every second of it: the film was intriguing, it dealt with a concept extremely interesting and sometimes suspenseful, and it had characters that over the course of the film I learned to appreciate. The story has depth in it, a lot of depth to be honest, and this depth develops over the course of the film.
''The Imitation Game'', based on a true story, shifts between three periods, each period contributing to develop the character of the protagonist, Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch). Turing is a mathematician, a Cambridge University graduate, and during the World War II, he gets a job at Bletchley Park, and his work is to try break the Enigma codes that the Germans use for communicating. Turing decides to develop a separate machine for working and for the decryption, a method which Commander Alastair Denniston, played by Charles Dance, disapproves- and it is disapproved initially by the rest of the people working in the team as well, as they think that they are making no progress at all. However, eventually his co-workers start respecting him and cooperating with him. He also appoints a very intelligent young woman, Joan Clarke (played by Keira Knightley) to work with them. The team work hard for decryption, and they know that breaking the Engima codes will greatly help them win the war or at least, to shorten the war and lessen the damages that it might cause.
Unknown to others, Turing is a homosexual, a fact he tries to hide because back then, homosexuals faced a lot of discrimination. The other two time periods also greatly contribute in the development of the character. One of the time periods shows a young Alan Turing, studying in an all-boys' school, bullied because he is different from the others. The other shows Turing's life after the war, as the police suspect him for being a spy: no record is found of his wartime activities, and as such, they investigate, thinking that he might have a shady background. And over the course of the film, over the course of the three different times periods, I eventually started to love the character, as the film developed a great depth in the character.
I really admired the way the story is narrated and presented. I loved the way it shifts between the time periods, helping us get an insight into the life of Alan Turing. Benedict Cumberbatch is excellent in his role, he really is. I started to feel as excited as the characters when they performed their researches for the decryption, when they worked to develop the machines. Although at the very beginning the co-workers of Alan had little depth, over the course of the film each of them became an individual, each of them became distinct and recognizable. Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Allen Leech, and Matthew Beard play the four co-workers of Turing and I must say I started to love the way the eventually cooperate with each other in their work. Each has his own chemistry with the major character, Alan Turing. The chemistries are all unique and interesting. Keira Knightley, of course, brightens up the film a lot, and remains extremely memorable. I loved her character and the way it develops, I really did.
By the time film ended I had become intrigued by the story, the characters. The story and its ultimate culmination were emotionally powerful, it really was. After watching the film, I read about Alan Turing, Joan Clarke and the other people involved in the work of breaking the Engima codes. Although there are factual and historical inaccuracies in the film, apparently, and certain things, certain characters in the film are overly romanticized, I hardly think that matters because the film succeeds in what it wants to do: it tells us about Alan Turing, someone about whom I really hadn't heard much before watching this film and at least now I know about some of his contributions. After watching the film, I read about the things the film deals with, and now I know about them. Yes, it succeeds in what it tries to do. It succeeds in being an excellent, moving film- with an excellent screenplay, a magnificent story and great performances- and it succeeds in making the audience aware of the life and works of Alan Turing.
Directed by: Fred Zinnemann
Released: 1953
Country: United States
Cast: Burt Lancaster, Montegmory Clift, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra, Donna Reed, Phillip Ober
Genre: Drama, Romance, War
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
''From Here to Eternity'' mainly tells the story of two people, Private Robert ''Prew'' Prewitt (Montegmory Clift) and First Sergeant Milton Warden (Burt Lancester). Set during the World War II, the film starts when Prew is transferred to Oahu. He is an expert boxer, and Captain Dana Holmes (Phillip Ober) expects him to box for him, but Prew refuses, because he gave up boxing after he had accidentally wounded a friend. Holmes doesn't give up. He decides to persuade Prew to join his boxing team, using cruel method, trying to make life for Prew as miserable as possible. Prew befriends Private Angelo Maggio (Frank Sinatra), who frequently gets into fights with Staff Sergeant James Judson (Ernest Borgnine).
First Sergeant Milton Warden starts an affair with Karen (Deborah Kerr), the wife of Holmes. Holmes has affairs with several other women, and has never treated Karen well, causing Karen to feel lonely, neglected and depressed. Warden and Karen start loving each other deeply, in spite of knowing that if their affair is released, Warden will be sentenced to a 20 years' imprisonment. Karen suggests Warden to try to become a Captain, which will make it easier for her to divorce Holmes and marry Warden. This causes Warden to fall into a great dilemma- while he wants to be with Karen, he would never like to be a Captain. He thinks that being a Captain will cause him to become a cruel person like Holmes.
I'm not sure which of the two stories I felt more attracted to- the story of Prew gets more screen presence, but on the other hand, the love story of Warden and Karen is extremely beautiful and touching. The kiss scene on the beach is perhaps one of the most unforgettable movie moments. Both the stories are equally touching and emotionally intense. Prew, who starts becoming a victim of torture, falls in love with Lauren (Donna Reed), a girl who works at a gentleman's club, yet sweet and deeply in love with Prew. The story of Prew also features Maggio, Prew's friend who gets into fights with Sergeant Judson and ultimately meets a tragic end.
''From Here to Eternity'' is a film emotional and touching--- the main characters are so well-developed that we feel them, we feel sympathy for them- especially the characters of Prew, Warden and Karen. The cast is extremely strong as well: Montegmory Clift, Deborah Kerr, Burt Lancester, Frank Sinatra, Donna Reed, and the others- give excellent performances (the supporting cast is mentionable). I loved this film, I really did. The ending almost brought tears to my eyes. The last scene that features a conversation between Karen and Lauren felt heart-wrenching and emotional to me- a short, but sad little scene. A deeply moving film- a story of torture, misery, loneliness, and the love that can overcome all these things, and yet a love that is uncertain... Magnificent film.
5 ou of 5t
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| The titular character |
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Released: 1964
Country: United States
Genre: Dark comedy, War
Cast: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
I didn't really expect to love ''Dr Strangelove'' as much as I did. It is a bizarre film, there is no doubt in that, and yes, a great film; very entertaining, dryly and darkly humorous, and though it deals with a grim and fatal situation, the severity of the situation is overshadowed by the dry humor, the bizarreness and comedy that prevails throughout the film due to the actions and words of the characters and their behavior. The film never tries make us forget the serious situation that it deals with, but the dry humor, weirdness and wackiness definitely keeps us entertained and amused; I ended up loving this film!
Set during the Cold War, General Jack Ripper (Sterling Hayden) orders the airborne bombers to attack Russia with nuclear bombs. He does this without the permission (and knowledge) of his superiors. When they come to know about this, everybody, including the President, Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers), are very concerned. They plan to call the bombers back, but the only way in which they can communicate with them is through a code that is known to none except Ripper himself. They think that it would be ridiculous to try all the possible codes, as it would take hours to try all of the codes. Worried and concerned, the President calls the Russian ambassador and informs him of the situation. The Russian ambassador informs them of something even more drastic: if any attack is made on Russia, a particular device made by the Russians will be triggered on automatically, which will cause the destruction of the entire plant and animal life of the world, leading to the destruction of life. Hearing this, everybody is scared and worried, but what steps can they take? For consultation, they have Dr. Strangelove (played by Peter Sellers), an ex-Nazi with an uncontrollable hand...
On the other hand, back in Ripper's office, Group Captain Mandrake (another role played by Peter Sellers) tries to convince Ripper to tell him the code, but to no avail...
These are the three major locations that we see throughout the film: the War Room, Ripper's office, and inside the aircrafts. In the War Room, there is an increasing amount of tension as the people inside the room start worrying about the drastic situations that will arise if Russia is attacked. In Ripper's office, we see Ripper and Mandrake, as Mandrake (unsuccessfully) tries to convince Ripper to call the bombers back, or to give him the code. And in the aircraft, the bombers keep approaching...
The film deals with a severe and drastic situations, but oh, I don't think I have ever seen a film like this one, a film that, without making us forget the severity of the situations, makes us so amused; it's such a hilarious, darkly comedic film. Stanley Kubrick is indeed one of the greatest directors ever (I am going to watch his most famous movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey, soon). Some very unforgettable bits from the film: General Turgidson and the Russian ambassador start fighting; they are interrupted by President Merkin Muffley, who says "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!" A perfect, amusing example of irony, isn't it? Dr Strangelove, a bizarre and odd character, a knowledgable scientist, is himself an extremely amusing character. The way he speaks, his expressions, and most notably, his uncontrollable hand- all these are all unforgettable. Peter Sellers's performance is AMAZING, as the three characters, Dr Strangelove, President Merkin Muffley, and Group Captain Mandrake. The ending... I didn't really expect it; it was so sudden and so unexpected!
And now a few words on the technical aspects. The cinematography is excellent, and I also loved the humming score; it's very memorable.
Overall, this film is unforgettable; though the story deals with a severe, dangerous situation, it never stops to be hilarious and is dryly, and darkly, comedic throughout. A really great film, one of the best films Kubrick made!
5 out of 5
Directed by: William Wyler
Released: 1946
Country: United States
Cast: Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Harold Russell, Virginia Mayo, Cathy O'Donnell
Genre: War drama, Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
''The Best Years of Our Lives'' is a beautiful, amazing film! It's a post-World War II story about three men who have returned from war, and find many things changed in their lives. It deals with the emotional journey of these three men, their moments of joys, sorrows, disappointments, difficulties to deal with the changes.
The three men are Fred Drerry (Dana Andrews), a young man who had been married for less than a month when he had to enlist, Al Stephenson (Frederic March), a successful banker with a happy little family, and Homer (Harold Russell), who had lost his hands in the war and now has to use hooks for hands.
After returning home, Fred discovers that his wife, Marie (Virginia Mayo), took a job at a nightclub while he was away. Fred persuades Marie to quit her job. However, their relationship soon start to deteriorate as Fred can earn much less than the amount he used to earn before his war. On the other, Al finds that his children, though still as loving and caring as they were before, have grown up. They have changed much, and many of their habits have changed. Homer is given a very warm welcome at his house, but he is heartbroken to find that everybody treats him in a very caring way because he has lost his hands...
Fred and his wife's relation start to deteriorate, and Fred falls in love with Peggy (Teresa Wright), Al's daughter. This gives rise to a difficult situation. Peggy also loves Fred, and can sense that his marriage is difficult, but her parents don't quite approve of Peggy's feelings for Fred...
The film tells the story of these three characters; it's the story of their life after they return from the war. It's sometimes sad and sometimes uplifting; sometimes it's depressing, and sometimes it's very feel-good.
This is a film where you love the characters. I really liked the characters, especially Fred, Homer, Peggy, Milly, and Al. The performances were splendid, and I especially found Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Myrna Loy and Harold Russell very remarkable. Teresa Wright as Peggy is perfectly adorable. Harold Russell won two Academy Awards for his role as Homer: one for Best Supporting Actor and an Honorary Oscar.
The screenplay is excellent, the cinematography is noteworthy, the story is wonderful, the cast and characters were wonderful, and overall, it's a wonderful film, an emotional, really touching film.
5 out of 5
Suspiria (1977 movie)
Directed by: Dario Argento
Released: 1977
Country: Italy
Genres: Horror, Mystery
Rating: 4 out of 5
Short review
Suspiria is about a famous dance academy. Our protagonist, Suzy Bannion, enrolls in the academy, and after her arrival there, she starts noticing that strange, mysterious, scary things have been happening in the academy. She soon comes across dark secrets, hidden mysteries about the academy...
''Suspiria'' was a wonderful film, indeed! It was very suspenseful and kept me really engrossed! The most memorable thing about this film is probably the use of color. It's a beautifully colorful film. The use of red, blue, and green are commonly seen, and the red light in the corridor makes the whole atmosphere more scary, lonely, suspenseful. This use of colors is the most memorable aspect of the film. The score is also very good, and the performances are really good. Suspenseful, scary, and engrossing throughout, this is a really colorful film I would really recommend!
Mrs Miniver (1942 film)
Directed by: William Wyler
Released: 1942
Country: United Kingdom
Genres: War drama
Rating: 4 out of 5
Short review
''Mrs Miniver'' tells an emotionally intense and painful story about how normal people's life can be affected because of wars. The story starts in the summer of 1939, with a happy middle class family, the sweet and wonderful Minivers: architect Clem Miniver (Walter Pidgeon), his wife, Kay Miniver (Greer Garson), and their children: Vin (Richard Ney), T
oby (Christopher Severn), and Judy (Clare Sanders). The early parts of the film shows the carefree, happy life of the Minivers before the World War II. Vin falls in love with Carol (Teresa Wright), the sweet granddaughter of the aristocratic Lady Beldon (Dame May Whitty), who is excessively arrogant about her social position.
But, life changes as the war begins. To escape from the bombs and air raids, the people often have to take shelter in their cellars. Vin enlists in the air force. There are constant worries and fears about what may happen. The film follows the story of Mrs Miniver's experiences during the war, the losses and tragedies that she and her family come across.
''Mrs Miniver'' was an extremely touching film. Greer Garson is amazing. Teresa Wright is also very memorable; her sweet performance and beautiful smile are quite unforgettable. A sad film that portrays how a cheerful and happy family is greatly affected because of war.
4 out of 5
Iris (2001 film)
Directed by: Richard Eyre
Released: 2001
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Biographical drama, Romance
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Short review
Iris is basically the story of the relationship between novelist Iris Murdoch (played by Judi Dench and Kate Winslet) and her husband, John Bailey (played by Jim Broadbent and Hugh Bonneville). The film shifts between two time settings: showing the young Iris and John Bailey and their developing relation on one hand, and on the other hand, an elderly Iris suffering from Alzheimer's disease, unable to write, unable to speak and express herself, losing the words that she once used to love so much, while John loves her extremely and cares for her.
''Iris'' was a moving film, a very sweet, touching, and beautiful story. Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent are great! Kate Winslet and Hugh Bonneville are good too. But what remains memorable is John Bailey's deep love for Iris. It was really emotional. For him, it's extremely painful that Iris can no longer write, use the words that she once loved, and he does his best to take care of Iris, to support her.
While I won't exactly say that the film is great enough to be unforgettable, it is certainly an emotional little journey, a sweet, moving, lovely film.
3.5 out of 5
