I love a good chic flick once in a while, tonight I saw 'no strings attached' sigh!
Ashton Kutcher: you are made for chic flicks; Natalie Portman: you don't need to be so intense!!!.....
my usual has changed.
I am discovering the unexplored genre of crime, suspense and action. No, it does'nt scare me nor do I find it difficult to go to sleepnor do I see shadows on the wall in the dark; after watching one of those...
Had read some terrible reviews of Ghost Writer, one of Roman Polanski's latest films released early this year.... The plot sounded interesting, giving Mr.Polanski the benefit of the doubt, decided to go ahead and watch the movie.. I am glad I did. The lead, Ewan McGregor, plays a ghostwriter hired to write the memoirs of the British Prime Minister of Scottish descent, Adam Lang, played by Pierce Brosnan. The prime minister, along with his wife and staff is camping on an Island in the United States, with his ghostwriter who is only allowed to work on the manuscipt, left half done by his predecessor, in the confines of his designated workplace on the island.
The task of writing the memoirs is not as simple as it sounds.. as the ghostwriter starts his work, intrigued by the sudden and mysterious death of his predecessor. In the process, he discovers a sinister connection between the CIA and the Prime minister. The discovery eventually becomes a threat to his own life, as he uncovers the mystery surrounding his predecessors death. Read more here
Apart from the obivious, I am particulary fond of watching movies with a strong connect to the prevailing socio-cultural or political environment. And this one is definitely on the upper half of the list ...
I did some searches on Tony Blair, the erst while Prime Minister of the UK, who often came under heavy criticism in his own country for his support to the US admistration's various policies,especially those on Iraq. There were also some sundry blogposts and articles on his alleged links with the intelligence agencies of both the countries... and some malicious ones suggesting Cherie Blair's involvement as well. Ah! yes, there are also reports of the controversial arrest of Roman Polanski linking that too, to the making of this film. Read the report here
The political backdrop of this film is very very interesting, and there is certainly more than meets the eye. The similarity to real life events is uncanny, the shot of Pierce Brosnan at Martha's Vineyard airport, the mention of torture flights, the thinking wife who advices her husband on each step and is not just an arm candy besides of course, the various allegations of soft peddaling on US policies by Tony Blair during his tenure and so on....
A recommended watch...
I have been watching a lot of foreign films (as in foreign language by foreign directors,non english or american or british films ) since I have been off work. It's like being in a different country among different people for two hours. If the film is well made, you also get a glimpse of the socio-cultural environment of the land.
One such film I recently saw was a french film called 'witnesses' which was also the entry from France for the Toronto film festival.
A young gay french guy, Manu, from the provinces, arrives in Paris and gatecrashes into his sister's apartment. He soon befriends a middle aged doctor,Eros, who introduces him to the sights and sounds of Paris and also some of his friends. The film is set in the 1980s when the AIDS epidemic broke out. It has a wonderful potrayal of how the lives of the friends, manu and eros and the couple they are friends with : Mehdi and Sarah are affected with the outbreak. That, the French are known for their ability to respect individual choices when it comes to sexual preference, love,marriage,relationships etc is obvious in the way the complex relationships of these friends has been depicted in the films. "I don't care who he sleeps with so long I win in the end'' says Sarah to her friend, about her boyfriend Mehdi, when she finds out about his amorous relationship with a man. The films deals with the outbreak of AIDS affecting one and all on the streets in a manner which I have never seen before. It is all very subtle and matter of fact but very real and focussed.
A powerful film which leaves you wanting for more..highly recommended.