Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
Released: 2017
Country: United States
Genre: Romantic drama
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
''I have loved you for the last time
Is it a video? Is it a video?
I have touched you for the last time
Is it a video? Is it a video?
For the love, for laughter, I flew up to your arms
Is it a video? Is it a video?...''- ''Visions of Gideon'' (Sufjan Stevens)
Watching ''Call Me By Your Name'' I was haunted by the very same fear that bothers the protagonist, Elio (Timothée Chalamet), throughout the film: the fear of an inevitable parting, the fear of losing a loved one. What he goes through is so much more than a passing infatuation: it is the kind of love that one discovers only if they are lucky enough. As Chalamet mentioned in an interview, ''Call Me By Your Name'' does not focus on the social stigmas and taboos surrounding homosexuality; instead, it is a celebration of love for what it is.
The story takes place over the course of a single summer. Elio lives with his parents in Italy. His life is fairly monotonous until his father employs Oliver (played by Armie Hammer), a graduate student, as his research assistant. Oliver moves in with Elio's family. Elio is attracted to him and at the same times finds him slightly rude. Over the course of time, however, he finds himself falling for Oliver and when he- indirectly- confesses his feelings to Oliver, the latter is initially reluctant to respond because of the stigmas surrounding homosexuality, bet eventually they start a relationship. While their love each other gets deeper with the passage of time as they share adventures and beautiful moments, they are constantly haunted by the knowledge that this is not going to last forever.
''Call Me By Your Name'' is such a deeply moving film, such a sublimely beautiful love story. The chemistry between Elio and Oliver is developed so beautifully, with such care that we start living the story with them. And Timothée Chalamet, oh Timothée Chalamet, he delivers such an extraordinarily powerful performance, I am more than sure that he will receive an Oscar nomination for his role in this film. He brings Elio to life, making it possible for us to feel his longing, his fears, his love for Oliver. Armie Hammer is powerful in his role as Oliver. Michael Stuhlberg, playing Elio's supportive and understanding father, is brilliant as well. I also liked the performance by Esther Garrel, who, although playing a rather minor supporting role, shares an emotionally overwhelming scene with Chalamet near the end of the film.
''Call Me By Your Name'' is indeed a rare masterpiece, a simple yet breathtakingly beautiful film. The film left me shaken and in tears and I pondered several questions. Why do people come to our lives if they are not destined to stay there forever? Is it just how life works? Is it more important to just cherish the present, the beautiful moments that we spend together? These are questions that have always haunted me and this film provoked them in me all over again.
I will finish this review quoting a few lines from the song ''Visions of Gideon''- which plays a very important role in this film, reflecting Elio's longing for Oliver. I started the review with these lines and this is exactly how I will end it.
''I have loved you for the last time
Is it a video? Is it a video?
I have touched you for the last time
Is it a video? Is it a video?...''
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Released: 2015
Country: United States
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Review
Due to natural calamity, astronaut Mark Whatney (played by Matt Damon) is stranded on Mars. The other members of the mission, believing him to be dead, leave Mars. Mark is, in fact, alive and survives in Mars by managing to grow food and make water there. When scientists come to know that Mark is still alive, they must find a way to bring him back to the earth.
''The Martian'' is in many ways very innovative and interesting. Matt Damon's performance is great and the film is in many ways a really good survival film. I loved the way Mark manages to find ways to grow food and make water. I would definitely recommend the film to those who like sci-fi and even adventure and survival films.
There is one thing, though, that I really disapproved of. There is a scene in which Mark is treating a wound and this is shown pretty graphically. It could have simply been implied instead of being portrayed so explicitly. The film is supposed to be watched by both teenagers and adults and not everybody can endure such graphic scenes.
Directed by: Paweł Pawlikowski
Released: 2013
Country: Poland
Genre: Drama
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
''Ida'' is a beautiful and thought-provoking film. It is only an hour and twenty minutes long, but within that duration it manages to move us deeply.
The film is set in the 1960s, in Poland. The protagonist is Anna, played by Agata Trzebuchowska. Anna is a novice nun about to take her vows but is then informed that before taking her vows, she has to meet her only living relative, Wanda Gruz (played by Agata Kulesza), who happens to be her maternal aunt. Anna has never seen Wanda before, and when they meet, Wanda reveals that Anna's parents were actually Jews who were murdered during the World War II. She also reveals that Anna's actual name is Ida. Anna/Ida wants to know where her parents are buried. Together, Wanda and Ida make a journey that takes them back to the place where her (Ida's) parents used to stay, with the intention of knowing what happened to them. In this journey, Wanda and Ida go through realizations, self-discoveries and emotional upheavals.
Both actresses are brilliant in their roles. The film kept me intrigued from the time Ida and Wanda first met. But I had no idea about the direction the film was heading to. The journey the women go on turns out to be a journey of self-discovery and revelations. The revelations they come across leave a deep impact in both of them. They both have questions about their identities, their lives. The film also explores how the tragedies of the Holocaust left impacts in the minds- and lives- of people. Moving and hauntingly beautiful, ''Ida'' is a brilliant film.
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: Alexander Payne
Released: 2013
Country: United States
Genre: Comedy-drama
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
I have watched Alexander Payne's ''The Descendants'' several times. I love it so very much. I love the character development, the humor and the moments which are emotionally overwhelming.
The difference between ''The Descendants'' and ''Nebraska'' is in the types of family the two films deal with. The family we saw in ''The Descendants'' was a dysfunctional one, while the family in ''Nebraska''- the Grant family- is a loving one. The Grant family consists of Woody Grant (played by Bruce Dern) and his wife Kate (played by June Squibb) and their grown-up sons, David (played by Will Forte) and Ross (played by Bob Odenkirk). Woody and Kate are in their seventies. Age has caught up with Woody. He has always been simple and kind, helping others and believing everything that people told him. They live in Montana. When Woody gets a letter stating he should travel to Nebraska to collect a million dollars that he has won, he wants to go to Nebraska by any means possible. Kate, David and Ross know that it is just a scam, but Woody is adamant and wants to collect the money, even wanting to walk to Nebraska to collect the prize money. David decides to drive his father to Nebraska. He knows that it is just a scam, but he wants his father to be happy and he knows that driving to Nebraska might make him happy even though it does turn out to be scam. As they start their drive to Nebraska- they are soon joined, on their way, by Kate and Ross- they have a good time together, sharing little adventures. David also comes to know little things about his father that he had never known before.
It's impossible not to admire these lovely characters. David is amazing. He knows that his father has won no such thing, that it is just a scam. He knows that his father has a lonely, uneventful life in Montana and that is why he drives his father to Nebraska to make him happy. Over the course of the film we get to spend a lot of time with David and it just makes his character more lovable.
Woody and Kate are really cute too. Bruce Dern and June Squibb are excellent in their roles. I admired Kate as much as I admired David. For her, the wellbeing of her family is the top priority. There is a scene in which she confronts some extended family members when they start claiming that Woody owes them money and that he should pay them back once he receives his prize money. Such a strong performance she delivered throughout the film and particularly in that scene.
Another thing that really touched me is the way the four members of the family have retained strong bonds. David and Ross might have lives of their own, but in a situation like this- driving to a different state together- they become childlike once again and their mother is once again the formidable yet sweet matriarch. No matter where our life takes us our bond with our family members always remain strong.
''Nebraska'' is lovely and gentle, sweet and beautiful, deeply moving and often funny. It is a very character-driven film and Woody, Kate and David are three lovely characters.
Directed by: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Released: 2013
Country: United States
Genre: Dark comedy, Drama
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review
Set in the 1960s, ''Inside Llewyn Davis'' follows a few days in the life of folk singer Llewyn Davis (played by Oscar Isaac). Llewyn is a struggling singer, has no permanent job and his latest album hasn't been commercially successful.
''Inside Llewyn Davis'' takes us, well, inside Llewyn Davis. We see the world through his eyes. Several people around him consider him a loser; they think that he is messing his own life up. Are they right? Well, that depends on the perspective. But at the end of the day, the film does not ask us to judge Llewyn Davis but rather to spend a few moments with him and it does so successfully.
The song ''500 Miles'' is sung by two of Llewyn's friend and I thought this really reflected Llewyn. ''Not a shirt on my back/ Not a penny to my name/ Lord, I can't go back home this a-way''. Is Llewyn ashamed of himself? No. But he does look fed up with life anyway. In spite of that, however, he loves folk songs and although it might look that he has given up, but he does want to make something of himself in the world of folk music. But, nevertheless, he is frustrated. He feels alone and lost in a world where people have to race to survive. We feel for him.
Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake and John Goodman play important supporting roles. The cinematography is oh-so-beautiful, giving the film a very poetic aura. Oscar Isaac's performance is really very good and ultimately this great-looking, excellently-written film is really moving.
Directed by: Lenny Abrahamson
Released: 2015
Country: Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom
Genre: Drama
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
''Room'' tells the story of Joy (played by Brie Larson) and her son Jack (Jacob Tremblay). Joy was kidnapped by a man known as 'Old Nick' (Sean Bridgers) seven years before the events of the film and since then, she has been kept locked inside a tiny garden shade. Old Nick impregnated her and Joy has raised her son in the garden shade. Jack is now five years old and knows the garden shades lives in as 'Room'. To Jack, Room is everything; the outside world is only something that he sees on the television. Even in these conditions, Joy tries to keep Jack as happy as possible. Now that Jack is five years old, Joy feels that he is old enough to know that there is such a thing as the outside world and hatches a dangerous and difficult plan to escape.
The first half of the film has great touches of thriller in it. I was often so concerned about Joy and Jack that I kept breathing hard as I wanted them to escape safely.
The second half of the film, however, is very different in its tone and approach, although the basic theme is the same: a mother's love and concern for her son. In the second half, having escaped, Joy and Jack must adjust to the outside world after having been in confinement for seven years (five years for Jack). While Joy had known an outside world before being kidnapped, Jack grew up being entirely confined in 'Room'. As such, the outside world is very intimidating for both of them.
Paradoxically, though, Jack might take a long time to get used to the outside world, but being a child, after that certain time has passed, he will naturally be able to be adjust to the outside world. However, in spite of the fact that she was initially very happy to be back in the real world, it is Joy who eventually falls into the depths of depression. Seven years have been snatched away from her, her parents have divorced, her own father refuses to accept Jack as his grandson, and at one stage, she feels guilty for having raised Jack in confinement. She is worried not for herself but for her son. She is worried that her son might not be able to lead a normal life- not understanding that he is still a child and while it may take him some time to adjust to his new surroundings, he will eventually make it. Her maternal worries, though, are very realistic, and we see love for Jack reflected in everything she does. Brie Larson makes Joy a very realistic character. Jacob Tremblay is simply magnificent as Jack as well, while Joan Allen is great as Joy's mother.
''Room'' is an emotionally overwhelming film. What it reflects is maternal love. In her attempt to escape from Room, Joy makes sure that Jack has the opportunity to escape first and call for help. She does not know if her plan will succeed. She does not know if Jack will be able to escape and even if he escapes, if he will be able to summon help. She does not even know if she will ever be able to escape. But she wants Jack to have the best chances for escaping. Later, after they have escaped from Room, she worries for Jack. She wonders if he will be able to adjust to the real world. Among the several themes that ''Room'' explores, the power of love- maternal love and a child's love for his mother- is the most significant.
Directed by: Asghar Farhadi
Released: 2011
Country: Iran
Genre: Drama
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
Asghar Farhadi's ''A Separation'' has to be one of the most emotionally intense films I have watched recently. Filled with flawed characters in situations they never wanted to be in but where life, which is never predictable, landed them in, ''A Separation'' is a film that portrays the emotions of its characters with raw intensity.
Simin (Leila Hatami) and Nader (Peyman Moaadi) are a middle class couple living in Iran. Their family consists of themselves, their daughter, Termeh (Sarina Farhadi) and Nader's father, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Simin wants to move abroad for better opportunities for Termeh, but Nader will not, by any means, move abroad, as he wants to remain in Iran to take care of his sick father. When the judge does not grant them a divorce, Simin decides to separate from Nader and moves with her parents. Meanwhile, Nader hires a woman, Razieh (Sareh Bayat) to take care of his father in the daytime. Razieh is from the working class and her conservative husband, Hodjat (Shahab Hosseini) does not want her to work, but she secretly works in order to provide for her family (Hodjat is unemployed). Razieh brings her daughter, Somayeh (Kimia Hosseini) with her when she comes to Nader's house to tend to his father. A series of incidents then follow that drastically affects the lives of all of them.
Unexpected incidents take place over the course of the film and so many questions came to my mind: whom should we blame for the things that happen in the film? The characters? The situation? Or both?
I decided, after the film ended, not to think of what to blame because it can easily be understood that it is the characters and their flaws and the particular situations that are responsible for the things that happen. But the film is not portrayed in black and white, rather, the characters we see are flawed but they are also very three-dimensional characters. The things that they do are not probably the things that they would even think of doing in any other situation. They are not bad people. Certain incidents caused certain actions, and it is easy to sympathize with every single character.
It is such an emotionally intense film. There are certain encounters between certain characters in the film that moved me deeply. Every single character is developed with care and I felt sympathy for every single character: Simin, Nader, Razieh, Hodjat, Termeh and Somayeh. Termeh, in particular, is deeply affected by the things that take place throughout the film. She is only a child and is not responsible for any of the things that happen, but the things that her parents go through greatly affects her life.
''A Separation'' is one of the most moving films I have watched recently. It is very raw, emotionally intense and with very realistic characters in situations they never thought they would be in.
Directed by: Gareth Davis
Released: 2016
Country: Australia, United Kingdom
Genre: Biographical drama
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
Saroo, the protagonist of ''Lion'', lives with his mother and siblings in a small village of India. However, after accidentally getting on a train, he finds himself in Kolkata, which is far, far away from his home. The little Saroo is lost and confused in the unknown city and ultimately, he finds himself in an orphanage and is eventually adopted by an Australian couple, Sue (Nicole Kidman) and John (David Wenham). Twenty years later, Saroo, now a young man (played by Dev Patel), has forgotten his original mothertongue, Hindi, but still retains memories of his biological mother and siblings and of how he got lost. When a friend suggests that he use the Internet to locate his home in India and thus find his biological mother, Saroo gets to work immediately, working for several years to trace his hometown and often coming to dead ends, but never giving up hope.
''Lion'' is based on a true story. The screenplay is based on the book ''A Long Way Home'' by Saroo Brierley. The film manages to capture so many things beautifully: the hard lives of impoverished people, the plight of a child lost in an unknown city, the determination of a man to make his way back to where he originally came from, and maternal love- reflected through two different characters: Saroo's biological mother and also Sue Brierly, who adopts not just Saroo but also a boy named Mantosh and deeply loves them- we come to know her reason for not having her own children but adopting two children instead, a deeply moving reason.
It is heartwarming and deeply moving as we follow Saroo and his search for his identity, his home. Dev Patel gives an excellent performance, and Rooney Mara (playing Saroo's girlfriend Lucy), Nicole Kidman, David Wenham, Priyanka Bose (as Saroo's biological mother) and Sunny Pawar (as young Saroo) provide extraordinary support, shining in their roles. It is a very beautiful film indeed.
Directed by: Tim Burton
Released: 2014
Country: United States
Genre: Biographical drama
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review
''Big Eyes'' tells the story of artist Margaret, played by Amy Adams. At the beginning of the film, Margaret leaves her husband and arrives in San Fransisco with her daughter. Margaret is good at painting and has always wanted to be an artist. Her paintings are those of little children and all the children in her paintings have big eyes. In San Fransisco, Margaret comes across Walter Keane, played by Christoph Waltz. Walter says that he is an artist and shows Margaret the street scenes that he has painted. Walter being a charming man, Margaret falls in love with him and they decide to get married. After their marriage, certain incidents cause Walter to come up with an idea: he decides to sell Margaret's paintings under his own name and gradually Margaret's paintings become very famous and they sell very quickly- and Walter takes the credits. Although he initially tries to keep this a secret from Margaret, she eventually finds out. She is shocked and crestfallen: her paintings are like her children, she never imagined Walter to be capable of doing such a thing. However, Walter manages to convince Margaret to play along, and although Margaret is disappointed and sad about it all, she agrees. But how long will this continue? How long will Margaret tolerate being wronged?
''Big Eyes'' tells the story of Margaret Keane beautifully. Over the course of the film- thanks to the great screenplay and the great performance by Amy Adams- she becomes a very deep, well-developed character. We can see how much she loves and cherishes her art, and we can feel how she wronged she feels when someone else takes credit for them right in front of her eyes. The story was developed strongly enough to make it possible for me to follow Margaret through what she faces and feel how crestfallen she feels at being wronged. And I felt so very mad at Walter. Although initially a charming character, he becomes a rather detestable, greedy character over the course of the film, I hated him for how he kept wronging Margaret. Christoph Waltz does a very good job portraying him. I also loved Madeleine Arthur, who plays Margaret's daughter Jane. Over the course of the film she becomes a very important supporting character and I loved the way she felt for and supported her mother.
''Big Eyes'' is Tim Burton's best film since ''Sweeney Todd'' and is undoubtedly one of the best films of his career. Through its portrayal of what Margaret Keane had to face, it depicts the constant struggle of a woman to establish herself- and her opinions- in a patriarchal society. With excellent performances from Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz, a great screenplay and beautiful cinematography, ''Big Eyes'' is a very thought-provoking film.
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Released: 2013
Country: United States
Genre: Romantic drama
Rating: 4 out of 5
Review
''Before Midnight'' is the final film in the lovely ''Before'' trilogy and after I finished watching it, I could feel that I had just finished watching a beautifully sophisticated trilogy of films.
Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) are the protagonists of the ''Before'' trilogy. The events of ''Before Midnight'' take place nine years after those of ''Before Sunset''. Jesse and Celine are now in their early forties. They are vacationing in Greece with their twin daughters and Jesse's son from a previous marriage (the son leaves for the United States early in the movie as he stays there with his mother). Over the course of a single day tension and conflicts arise between Jesse and Celine about different things. Celine thinks that Jesse makes her feel guilty, that Jesse wants her to leave her career behind and accompany him to the United States so that he can be near his son. This gives rise to a series of arguments.
The ''Before'' trilogy can be summed up in two words: simple and beautiful. The romance in the trilogy is sublime. It is never sappy. The chemistry between Celine and Jesse is very believable. Their conflicts never feel overdone. It is strange how we first met the two characters in ''Before Sunrise'' and spent a few hours with them in Vienna- but these few hours were so very beautiful that we could not but love the two of them. And then in ''Before Sunset'' we met them again and although we spent fewer hours with them there, it was such a joy! ''Before Midnight'' gives us a glimpse into their life after their marriage. Their lives are not perfect, they have conflicts and quarrels, but their chemistry is strong all the way through. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are, once again, excellent in their roles. ''Before Midnight'' is a very satisfying conclusion to the lovely trilogy.
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Released: 2016
Country: United States
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery, Thriller, Drama
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
Poetry and science fiction are two terms that may not always coincide, but when they do, you get a film as beautiful as ''Arrival''.
When twelve mysterious structures- apparently spacecrafts- appear in twelve different locations in the world, the entire world panics. Scientists get busy to solve the problem and to come to a conclusion. To know why the spacecrafts have landed on the earth and what exactly their purpose is, Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker) of the American army appoints linguist Louise Banks, played by Amy Adams, and physicist Ian Donnelly, played by Jeremy Renner. Louise and Ian work to help the aliens- seven-feet creatures that are eventually named 'heptapods'- communicate with them so that they can come to know why exactly the heptapods have come to the earth.
Initially, ''Arrival'' seems to be a simple little science fiction mystery about the appearance of aliens on earth and humans wanting to know what the purpose of these aliens are. But, well, I was proven so wrong. I mean, the film is really about that, but it so much deeper than that, so much more twisted and layered and emotionally intense than that. Eventually, when everything falls into place, I literally felt the beauty of the film. Yes, I felt it. It is so very beautiful, so very poetic, so magnificent. The story is designed so beautifully. Along with the excellent performances by Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker, the film is also really well-directed, well-written and has beautiful cinematography and music. It is an overwhelmingly beautiful film, both visually and conceptually.
Directed by: Damien Chazelle
Released: 2014
Country: United States
Genre: Drama
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review
When I was twelve, I enrolled in violin classes. As soon as the classes started I realized that a musical instrument was not for me. I could not manage the pressure and although the teacher was kind and understanding, I found it way too stressful. In the end, the little passion for playing a musical instrument that I had disappeared, and I ended up quitting it after a grueling year of trying to learn an instrument and failing at it.
Well, my passion for an instrument was nothing- absolutely nothing- next to the intense passion that the protagonist of ''Whiplash'' has for jazz. And my teacher was very, very kind, unlike the teacher/conductor in ''Whiplash''. In addition, the pressure that I faced trying to learn to play the violin is nothing next to the pressure that Andrew, our protagonist, feels. My point is, I was awed by the protagonist because of the extreme passion that he has for jazz. I was fascinated by the things he is ready to do to succeed in jazz, be it breaking up with a girl he really likes, or facing the terrible insults by the strict- strict is rather a mild word in this case- conductor. The conductor, Terence Fletcher, is the character that really shook me to the core, because of the way he treats his students, because of his extremely perfectionist method.
Our protagonist, Andrew Neiman, played by Miles Teller, is enthusiastic about jazz and plays drums. He studies at the Shaffer Conservatory, and when he is spotted by the well-known conductor (who works in the conservatory) Terence Fletcher, played by J. K. Simmons, and Fletcher invites him in his own studio band. Fletcher is a perfectionist and he is ready to do anything to bring out the best performance from his students- be it insulting them, slapping them, or throwing chairs at them. His grueling methods are at times way too cruel- indeed, the students have great passion for jazz, as we see them tolerating this kind of treatment from Fletcher. Andrew is soft-spoken and introverted, and Fletcher's methods are really very pressurizing for him. However, his passion for jazz inspires him to keep practicing harder and prove himself; he dreams to be one of the great jazz musicians, and for doing that, he is ready to do anything, even if it is to face the insults from Fletcher day after day.
''Whiplash'' remains memorable because we can really relate to it. There have been times when I guess all of us have been in Andrew's situation. We have been passionate to achieve something and that passion and ambition inspired us to do anything to achieve it. And there have been times when we have met people like Terence Fletcher: the kind of people who want you to succeed but can do anything to make sure that what you do is perfect. The kind of people who are intimidating and scary and at times you hate, hate, hate them but at the end of the day, if you can endure their treatment, you can succeed in what you wish to succeed in. My second grade teacher once told us about one of her teachers. When she (my second grade teacher) was in school, she was careless about her handwriting, in spite of the fact that she was a very good student. A teacher of hers scolded her, gave her detentions, and my teacher hated that teacher of hers. But, eventually, within a few weeks, her teacher was able to do something that my teacher had never dreamed of: my teacher now had a beautiful handwriting, and won a prize in a handwriting competition that same year. These teachers are quite like Fletcher- although I think very few people can be as intimidating and as perfectionist as Fletcher is.
There is also another scene that I thought was extremely relatable. There is scene set during dinner, and the people present in the scene are Andrew, his father, a few family friends and their children. The family friends were glorifying the achievements of their own children while not paying much attention to Andrew and his own achievements. This really pained me and I think everyone can relate to it: everybody has had the experience of being slighted and ignored.
Damien Chazelle's next film- after ''Whiplash''- was ''La La Land''. Both films deal with the necessity of following your dreams, your passion. Although the two films dealt with two different situations, they definitely do not belong to the same genre, but both films deal with dreams. ''La La Land'' is more about how to keep chasing your dreams without being intimidated by the competitive world, and ''Whiplash'' is more about the extent to which people can go to achieve their dreams, and the role of perfectionists like Fletcher.
There were times in which I really hated Fletcher. There were times in which- I don't know how to put it- I became Andrew, if you know what I mean. There were times I felt Fletcher was misbehaving with me, because I felt deeply for Andrew. But here is the point: Fletcher wants his students to be the best. Could he be successful in his mission if he were slightly less strict? Well, I think for his goal strictness is absolutely necessary and there is a line he says with which I absolutely agree: ''There are no two words in the English language more harmful than good job.'' Perhaps the words ''good job'' would lessen the drive in his student to be better, to be perfect. I agree, definitely agree with it. In that sense, I appreciate his character, but I guess he could have slightly milder.
''Whiplash'' is a very realistic film in the sense that we can relate to it. Miles Teller and J. K. Simmons both give excellent performances, and the film is very relatable, intense and moving.
Directed by: Barry Jenkins
Released: 2016
Country: United States
Genre: Drama
Rating: 4 out of 5
Review
''Moonlight'' tells the story of Chiron and it focuses on three phases of Chiron's life: the first being Chiron's childhood, the other showing Chiron as a young adult, and the other phase it his adulthood. Being homosexual, working class and living in surroundings where drugs and drug dealers are not uncommon, Chiron has to face a lot of difficulty growing up. The people in Chiron's life include his verbally abusive mother who also happens to be a drug addict; a drug dealer named Juan who becomes a father figure to Chiron; Teresa, Juan's girlfriend who eventually becomes a close friend of Juan's, and Kevin, Chiron's best friend.
At times, ''Moonlight'' can be a very captivating and beautiful film. It is an excellently-written film and is artistic and poetic. A film does not necessarily need a great storyline to become an excellent film. The three actors playing Chiron (Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders and Alex Hibbert) are amazing, each of them good in his own way. Mahershala Ali, who plays Juan, has comparatively less screen presence but he gives a great performance, and so do Naomie Harris- who plays Chiron's mother, a very realistic and strong character- and Janelle Monae, who plays Teresa. The three actors who play Kevin are amazing as well.
''Moonlight'' is a quiet film about the difficulties that people like Chiron have to face growing up, and yes, the film has a poetic beauty of its own: it is deeply moving, and although very quiet and unpretentious, it is a powerful film in its own right. This is a great, poetic film and yes, I liked it very much but do I think it should have won Best Picture? Well, that would be difficult to answer: when it comes to the artistic achievement, it is an excellent and powerful film, but I personally liked ''Manchester by the Sea'' much more than this film.
Directed by: Pete Docter
Released: 2015
Country: United States
Genre: Comedy-drama, Adventure
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review
The film ''Inside Out'' personifies the five basic emotions of a girl named Riley- the emotions being Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger. They all live inside Riley's mind. Riley's mind is a world in its own right. The five emotions live and work in the headquarters. The five emotions influence the way Riley feels about things. Joy- the most optimistic emotion- works to keep Riley happy and optimistic. When Riley's parents move to a different city- and Riley has to leave behind the city she was born and brought up in and her school and her hockey team- she finds it hard to be happy but tries her best. However, an accident lands Joy and Sadness out of the headquarters and, in the absence of Joy, Riley cannot find anything to be happy about. While Joy and Sadness try their best to make their way back to the headquarters- coming across different obstacles and adventures on their way- while Anger, Disgust and Fear try their best to keep Riley happy, but it has no consequences, as Riley cannot be truly happy in the absence of Joy, while Joy- always optimistic- keeps tackling the obstacles to find her way back to the headquarters.
''Inside Out'' is such an imaginative, original film! I loved the concept very much, and I loved the characters- particularly Joy, Sadness and Bing-Bong (a part-cat, part-elephant imaginary friend of Riley's whom Joy and Sadness encounter). The concept is amazing, and the story is filled with many imaginative elements- inside Riley's mind, there is a maze where the long-term memories are stored, there is a place where memories go when they are forgotten, there is a place where the subconscious memories are stored. There are workers, cleaners, and even train stations inside her mind. There is a place called Imagination Land- where there are such things as a French Fry Forest! Every person, in this film, has personified emotions: the emotions of Riley's father all have mustaches, while the emotions of Riley's mother wear glasses just like the person does. Such a very imaginative film it is!
If you have already watched the film: The most memorable quote from this film is probably ''Forget it Jake, it's Cloudtown''. When I heard it for the first time, I was speechless for a second, and then I burst out laughing. Such an interesting reference to the 1974 film ''Chinatown'', where there is a quote that goes like this- ''Forget it, Jake, it is Chinatown.''
Directed by: Tom McCarthy
Released: 2015
Country: United States
Genre: Biographical drama
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Brian D'Arcy James, Stanley Tucci, Jamey Sheridan, Billy Crudup
Rating: 4 out of 5
Review
The film ''Spotlight'' is based on a true incident. Spotlight is an investigative team of the Boston Globe, and once every few months they publish thought-provoking, investigative stories that expose many of the injustices happening in the society. They decide to look into the matter of a Catholic priest molesting children, and they come to find out that higher authorities did nothing about it although they knew. As the members of Spotlight look deep into the matter, they come across more shocking revelations that indicate that there were many such incidents happening in Boston, and nobody did anything to expose them. The team then investigates the incidents in depth, interviewing lawyers and victims to publish their story and to make the public aware.
It took me some time to get into the film, but once I did, I was completely captivated by it. The film deals with a thought-provoking subject matter, and the way things slowly and eventually unfold is really interesting. It slowly transported me to its world, and once it did, it became gripping and captivating. Excellently directed, well-made, well-scripted and with excellent performances, this is definitely a very thought-provoking film.
There is a scene in which two of the members of the Spotlight team- Michael Rezendes and Sacha Pfeiffer (played by Mark Ruffalo and Rachel MacAdams- on another note, the two of them deliver particularly excellent performances)- horrified by the revelations they have come across while researching for the story they are about to write- are talking on the porch. We can see how devastated they both are. We can see that they are not just working for a story. They are working on the story because they care. They want to put an end to the crimes that has been overlooked and covered up for such a long time. They are working on the story because they want to put an end to the injustices happening in the society.
Directed by: Bill Condon
Released: 2017
Country: United States
Genre: Musical, Romantic, Fantasy, Drama
Rating: 4 out of 5
Review
It is love that triumphs in the long run and this is the underlying message of ''Beauty and the Beast''. Here is a story that I have loved and treasured since my childhood, and this beautiful remake made me not just nostalgic but it also charmed and amazed me with its powerful, strong message dealing with the victory of love.
The film is, of course, a remake of the 1991 animated film of the same name. Along with ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarves'', ''Cinderella'', ''The Little Mermaid'' and ''Pinocchio'', ''Beauty and the Beast'' is one of the films I grew up with. As such, I had been eagerly waiting for this remake. And I was not disappointed. It is a charming and beautiful film.
The story is that of an arrogant, narcissistic prince, played by Dan Stevens. When one evening, during a party, he misbehaves with a frail, old woman who appears in his palace, the old woman turns out to be an enchantress, who transforms the prince into a monstrous beast and the members of his household are transformed into household objects- like clocks and pots- that can talk. The enchantress also wipes the memories of all those living around the palace, making them forget the existence of the prince and his palace. She leaves with the prince a rose: when the last petal of the rose has fallen, the prince will remain a beast forever- unless he finds true love before the last petal falls.
Several years later, when the beautiful Belle- played by Emma Watson- ends up in the beast's palace after some accidental incidents and the beast imprisons her in his palace- the members of the beast's household think that it is Belle who can break the curse.
The film conveys the message of the power of love really well. The story is exactly the same as that of the 1991 film. There is even a background story about Belle's parents that was absent in the 1991 film. The characters have a lot of depth in them. Emma Watson and Dan Stevens deliver excellent performances. Besides them, Luke Evans, playing the antagonist, Gaston, is amazing too. The supporting cast is extremely impressive as well: Kevin Kline, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, and Josh Gad.
Every single thing in the film is reminiscent of the animated film we love and cherish. The music and the songs transport us back to the 1991 film. Of course, this film can never replace the animated film. However, that does not mean, by any means, that this film has to be neglected. The 2017 remake is lovely and enchanting in its own right. No, it is not as great as the original. Yes, we are aware of the storyline and most of the songs. However, with its brightness and positivity, the film overwhelmed me. Power of love is not just reflected in the chemistry between the Beast and Belle, but also in the chemistry among the different members of the Beast's household, Belle's love for her father and vice versa, and Morris's (Belle's father's) love for his late wife.
Like Belle comments in the middle of the film, the members of the beast's household find a reason to be hopeful and optimistic about even though they are going through sorrows and despair. But in spite of that, their love for life, the sunshine- things they haven't enjoyed since the curse was placed on them- make them retain hope for life, for better days. The film gives us the opportunity to celebrate the power of love all over again.
Directed by: Kenneth Lonergan
Released: 2016
Country: United States
Genre: Drama
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
''Manchester by the Sea'' is a gorgeous masterpiece, a cinematic achievement. In its emotional content it is raw and real, taking us into the depths of human emotions in a way that we can all feel it, relate to it.
The protagonist is Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck), who works as a janitor in Quincy, Massachussets . From the very first time we meet him we can understand that he is depressed, that he finds no purpose in life. When he comes to know that his brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler), has suddenly passed away, he rushes to Manchester-by-the-sea (where Joe used to live). There, he is perplexed to know that in his will, Joe had named him the guardian of his teenage son, Patrick (played by Lucas Hedges). He plans to take Patrick with him to Quincy- much against Patrick's will as he has many friends and is involved in many extracurricular activities in Manchester. However, Lee has to wait in Manchester till the burial of Joe, who cannot be buried right now because of the snow caused by the New England winter. Over the following weeks, Lee and Patrick slowly reconnect through both misunderstanding and understanding, disagreement and agreement.
From the very beginning of the film we can understand that things have fallen apart for Lee. Flashbacks show us that there was a time he had a happy family life, with his wife (who is played by Michelle Williams), three children, back when he, like Joe and Patrick, used to live in Manchester-by-the-sea. I asked myself what could have happened, what exactly could have happened that Lee has such a different, sadder life now? Perhaps an ugly divorce? But when I came to know what actually happened, it broke my heart. It really, really did. I cannot express how shocked I was. Lee's past is revelead around halfway into the film and when I came to know about his past the film got a new momentum in my eyes. It was then that the character felt so real, so fleshed out. It was then that the film got its emotional momentum and this explained a lot of things in the film. It was heartbreaking but it is this revelation, along with other small revelations, that made the film as emotionally overwhelming as it is. Though it had started as pretty emotional, Lee's tragic, heartbreaking background helped me to really get inside the film, to feel the characters, to understand the situation, to cry along with them.
The emotional tone of the film is supported by the surroundings itself: there is the wintry Manchester, snow on both sides of the road, wintry and cold, and just then you can catch glimpse of the sea, so calm, so gentle. It is in this winter that the entire story takes place. The haunting background music adds a lot to the story as well.
The reason that the film becomes so unforgettable is the fact that we can feel the characters, we can feel how they feel and why exactly they feel that way. I could understand why exactly the conflicts arose between Lee and Patrick. I could understand why exactly Lee and Patrick had the disagreements that they had and I could understand that none of them was to blame to for it, that they both were right in their own way. I loved their developing chemistry (there is a very touching scene in which Patrick has a panic attack and Lee consoles him, calling Patty, which was his nickname for Patrick when the latter was just a child). Casey Affleck and Lucas Hedges are excellent in the roles. Then there is Michelle Williams playing a character, though having comparatively less screen presence, moves us anyway with her past and what she has endured. These are raw, real characters and this is where the success of the film lies. It took me right into the depths of the troubles, depression and sufferings that the characters are going through and it made me feel for them. How can I possibly not love a film that is so emotionally overwhelming, so real?
