hikerhetav Reviews

Donkey Skin (1970)

daddy's Princess!

[8/10 · 12 February 2022]

This was way weird than I had anticipated. The story was way simpler than some of its other themes, yet the direction is complex enough to keep us expect the unexpected. Enjoyed a bit, but I expected something more which I myself can't comprehend.

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

The power of culture and self over power of nation.

[8/10 · 12 February 2022]

Competitive recommendation for Gorge, yet I feel sorry for it felt short of what was expected.

This is the most beautiful movie I've ever seen in recent years and it's accompanied by some mesmerizing music and cinematography. Mishima could become a foundation stone to explore more of his directorial ventures which are heavily praised around.

The House of Yes (1997)

The Importance of being Posey!

[4/10 · 12 February 2022]

I understand this film was not supposed to be plain comedy, because usually comedies emerge from a normal situation having people acting normally and in their manners or errors patrons find humor. In other cases actors have to be really skilful and playful with their tricks to tease the sense of humor of viewers (like Chaplin or Keaton or Jim Carrey). Some dark comedies have smart dialogues that give hints to viewers about what exactly the story wants them to giggle about.

None of the cases are found easily in THY. It's shown that the characters are dysfunctional and some of their acting shows this clearly. However, for most of the part the actors are seemed to be forcing themselves too hard to be like that. The concept of film was still appreciable, but acting was just so monotonous and one-dimensionally flat that I couldn't feel any emotions at all.

The dialogues reminded me of the style of narration in The Importance of being Earnest.

P. S. And yes, I do like Hollywood comedies. Wedding crashers and Yes Man are still funny to me even after more than 15 years of their release.

Goodbye, Children (1987)

Wars and Religious conflicts can put any beautiful thing at bay!

[8/10 · 12 February 2022]

Before this, I had seen Malle's only one film - My dinner with Andre and contrary to perspectives given by my closed connections with Cinephiles, I liked it a lot. For once it was one of the best films ever made technically. Today, I still regard it as a technically good film. However, Au revoir les enfants is drastically different. It challenges the usual notion of how war can impact people and especially kids.

Having seen Come and See, which is however much different, it sticks to horrific effects a young person has to endure. What this film instead does is gives a glimpse of hope and empathy that viewers can share with characters and which is also visible shared between characters themselves.

In terms of screenplay, there was hardly anything that was novice but its simplicity touched so many things and emotions that it looked profound in a unique way. It is a long way to watch all of Malle's films but this will stay in heart for a while.

Il posto (1961)

Fruitful reality and that's what counts in life!

[7/10 · 15 September 2021]

Many Italian Neorealist films have discussed about harsh, bleak reality of life but I have rarely come across any reality that's fruitful. By fruitful, it reflects on the realistic aspects of life and it gives you an image that resembles with our own. People may not relate to it often but when they do, they show the components that provide an analysis which help us to lead our lives.

Il Posto deals with the very honest portrayal of getting recruited in corporate sector and how to get aquainted in it without buzzing away. Overall, it's a magnificent film, despite some loosely connected sequences in the story in the second half.

Woman of the Photographs (2020)

Woman of the dunes in 21st century?

[6/10 · 7 July 2021]

Well this could have been a wonderful entry from the similar concept of Woman of the dunes by Teshigahara. But what this attempts to do is make it look like a feel good film for the cause of showing empathy to one of he lead characters and focusing in instagram-narcissism. The second half falters just when the story gives us an opportunity to think big. It starts as a slow-burn thriller and ends at being a feel-good love film. Only if the directory knew what exactly he wants to do with the second half, this could have been a great film.

Sully (2016)

Very boring.

[4/10 · 22 June 2021]

Uninventive, unfocused, uninspiring and undiversified. This movie sticks to the basics yet feels so monotonous, and largely over the practicality. A documentary could have been better. Nice acting by Mr. Hanks though. That colour palette was astonishing and I like such colour tones in the movies. - - 4/10.

Anantaram (1987)

Memories are as fickle as the bubbles of water left out in the air.

[10/10 · 20 June 2021]

I hardly trust my mind when it comes to watching and understanding movies that have memories in a major role. I was first fascinated by Memories of Murder wherein memories played a sort of major character.

Anantharam is altogether different where two different memories have been retold on a story to showcase two different personalities of a character. Both of them starts at one same station and end at the same destination, yet both of them are so different, it puts the viewers in questioning the narration.

There are some minor scenes which really help to understand what exactly has happened throughout the movie. Sometimes the movie felt filled with the formula "show, don't tell", yet one or two junctions help us in understanding the sequences; not necessarily they can be the same for everyone. Moreover, the way it started, it felt like this is going to be an introduction of "Postmodern" cinema in India. However, the importance and use of memories show that the structure of the story is set to be like that of an absurdist story. This film fascinates on a lot of levels, be it story or techniques or direction and they ask to be scrutinized separately. And that is what makes it to be rewatched and rewatched to explore it in detail. -- 5/5.

Benny & Joon (1993)

Good acting by Depp!

[6/10 · 20 June 2021]

Aidan Quinn is a weird character, he acts well enough in the situations where he rarely needs to be serious and acts weird and boring where the situation is troublesome. The story is very good, but the direction faltered somewhere in the middle and I lost interest in the dialogues. Dialogues is an element which makes up a lot for such movies and they were irrelevant and messy.

On the other side, Johnny Depp is an acting masterclass. He knows how to deliver words, punctuations and breaks between the words. Where the presence of Depp always shines, the presence of other two makes the screen dull, because most of the dialogues are not really like that how mentally ill people would behave. It is understandable that as the title says, Benjamin and Joon are the protagonists, then why the movie's title introduced Depp as the main character? Was it because Depp was already a popular actor back then? Still it doesn't suffice the purpose. Moreover, the chemistry of Quinn and Juliann Moore just slows down the screenplay. There should have been something strong that connects them well with the story.

There are also many scenes which are filled with music or songs in the presence of Benny and Joon and it didn't really help the screen get closer to me. A crisp writing for the mentally challenged people could have been good. Something more serious and exciting like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest might have made the story brilliant.

Central Station (1998)

Train to a new family...

[6/10 · 20 June 2021]

I don't know but I like certain melodramas, yet this one was an exception. A boy looking for his father? Just give me something like Landscape in the mist or some story which shows the boy explores himself a lot of life which he never thought about. This was made to look a feel good film but it doesn't suit the context. Sorry.

The Childhood of a Leader (2015)

Autocracy in progress...

[5/10 · 20 June 2021]

It is inevitably clear what this film intended to do but it becomes a product that it's elements may not able to define even by combining each of them. The first part is what helps it pick up the story very fast and I liked how the documentary footage and background music helped in forming a solid foundation, yet just in the middle of story the screenplay tackles some serious issues. Where the first two parts can be managed to sit together, the third part doesn't remotely sits beside anyone or in connection.

On the positive note, I liked how the character of the child develops gradually, but that drastic impact in the third part doesn't make sense and that spiraling cinematography doesn't help either. Had the third part been given a little depth it could have been good, and not even at the cost of the runtime. In conclusion, three disjointed sets of mini-plots failed to give a bigger picture and it didn't help too if the director wanted his viewers to think by themselves.

5.5 /10.

Closely Watched Trains (1966)

Do you want a stamp on body to make it public?

[8/10 · 20 June 2021]

Although I am short on the knowledge of Czech New Wave or Czech Republic's history during the WW 2, this stands out as a 'burlesque'. The ridiculous use of mockery and comments on nation's own people and land is nothing less than an honest fun one can find. The movie runs for mere 90 mins and it is filled with laughable moments from the fist minute to the last and that is what makes it a commendable watch. People might find this masculinist in its nature, but it is nearly not, rather it makes fun of human behaviour as a whole. There are some scenes which just shine out amongst others and they are so bold as if Menzel wants to write in block letters, "to hell with everyone" and show the crude reality of the society. This needs a rewatch, possibly in a better quality like Blu-ray or a Criterion release and it'll come onto the mind very firm and clean.

4/5.

The Family Man: Exile (2021) Season 2, Episode 1

Just wow!

[10/10 · 4 June 2021]

I had low expectations since I didn't like the ending of first Season. But here we are with an all new trouble and enemies, and the first episode gives a high profile punch. Found 1st episode more realistic than first season and it is something one never may expect.

The Goonies (1985)

Sorry I didn't buy this...

[4/10 · 18 April 2021]

Sorry I didn't buy this and I'm happy in being minority.. Sometimes I do really question the American culture and especially when kids are involved. I expected this film to be something like Stand by me, but it turned out to be like Super 8 which was okay too. When you mix fantasy with reality, it should be handled very meticulously, there should be a fine line that not only separates fantasy and relaity both but also respects both the varieties. The Goonies literally fails here; when it began with some mild performances, I was put off by how the loud kids were, sure kids are meant to be loud and childish, but how come did they talk like how mature men do? How did they used the terminology of some aspects that was completely out of their thought process?

Maybe this was the film made for kids and they liked it but I'm not sure if I should consider it as a coming of age film. No. It might have been a hit back when it released in 1985, but today it looks as if it just doesn't matter. I didn't care for most of the actors, except Josh Brolin cause he acted with sense. The guy who spoke fluent Spanish too was good enough. Everyone else didn't just catch my mind. I expected some real strong emotional bonding like the kids ahd in Stand By Me. Here what I saw was just simple mischiefs and trying to carry out abrupt laughter through them. I'd say 3 Idiots is a better film than this whuch at least has some message in it that can change lives. 4/10.

The Farewell (I) (2019)

Sometimes a good lie makes the situation beneficial for all...

[8/10 · 25 March 2021]

The Farewell is about how a little lie can attract members of mixed family come together and enjoy the slice of happiness amid the turbulent times. Sometimes it is better to confront the bad times with more practical decisions and action so that everyone involved in it do not stay disturbed and instead can take care of themselves in easier ways.This story is so relatable and I believe it's no big shock that China is a neighbouring nation to where I live. The lifestyle of middle-class people, their beliefs, thoughts and ways of living life are quite similar. I expected more amount of humor, but the director focused more on heartfelt emotions rather than giving cheap humor and I loved it.

It is a mesmerizing piece of real life portrayed on screen. that ooze out real emotions. I am glad that the real character on whom the film was made stayed alive even after the film. It'll be good Lulu Wang provides us with such more movies. She can be the yasujiro Ozu of 21st century.

Day for Night (1973)

This is what Postmodernism does to Cinema

[9/10 · 20 March 2021]

A certain sense of being a character in your own film is some crafty work. Very few people have done this yet they've been less successful. Truffaut is definitely amongst them. He knows how to pour heart in your story which is nothing but a story itself about about making a film. There are a lot of things that happen from the first minute to the last and it didn't leave me gasping. It is a romantic poem written for filmmaking.

The scenes whenever there is some information provided related to filmmaking or lives of actors, it is very genuine and comes from the very experience of a prolific director like Truffaut. This not only gives a tribute to two of the very first actresses in Cinema, but also to every other directors and cast and crew wjo hafe gone through similar experiences while filmmaking. Thus, it also resonates in today's date. The difficulties of filmmaking like losing out cast amid the filmmaking, personal issues of actors and crew cropping up, and how professionalism is dealt with such personal care is something to take from the film. The film is funny at some instances and thus makes the watching a feel-good film instead of getting heavy dose of "problems of filmmaking".

To a certain extent, it does remind of "8 and a half" by fellini, which was a masterclass filmmaking in itself, but this one goes a bit on a lighter side, making it a unique experience. Definitely recommend it in 2021. ---- 8.5/10

Blade Runner (1982)

Exploration of finding immortality in mortals

[7/10 · 20 March 2021]

This was definitely ahead of time. Endeavouring to do something with the concepts of immortality, death, morbidity and consumerism, is definitely a good take on how Communism can be deadly in the modern context. The subjects like Marxist perspective on humans' lifespan and their productivity is very relatable in today's era when many nations have begun to try a hand at expansion of robots and their capability to protect human's lifespan. But the major issue is what if the manufacturers of robots do not envisage the actual lifespan of robots? Are humans capable of making immortal robots? If no, what are the chances that the future of robots will be possible even when humans will perish?

More thematic discussion in next review.

Woman in the Dunes (1964)

Necessity is the mother of invention.

[9/10 · 19 March 2021]

An entomologist who arrives to a desert place far away from urban area shows the contrast of urbanxrural / people of cities vs villagers/ they keep on building cities and metros but forget about developing Villages and so their villages get deserted. The sand resembles that humans are made up of soil and ultimately when we die our bodies will turn into sands. Concept of insects - clever cinematography uses shots as if we see insect-like images even though they are human bodies. The camera shows either of neck, zoomed in bare back, earlobe, and face as if they look like insects. The way the man captures the insects from the desert, he is captured by the desert in return. The woman is a miniature version of the desert who lives in a basement - not just isolated from the cities but even the neighboring houses as she experiences solitude. The way desert area is overlooked, even the lives of people living in desert are overlooked. The lives of people in the deserts are no different than the insects. Niki wants to find himself get listed on one of the books but he has no purpose in his life. After living in desert, he finds purpose when he finds a way to produce water underground. In Tokyo he has everything. In desert he finds lack. He observes how there's a necessity of resources for living. And it's rightly said - "Necessity is the mother of invention". - 9/10

Midsommar (2019)

Banal, confusing...

[5/10 · 23 September 2020]

It left me sort of confused. I can collect multiple narrative subplots to form a bigger one but that does not necessitate that the result is outright acceptable. The concept of culture and religion was good but it did not support the whole duration of the screenplay. Speaking of which, the first half is too boring, less disconcerted to what is followed and somehow Aster tries to patch up Dani's past with present; however, this looked too awful, I did not even bother for what was happening before my eyes.

The tropes used for horror in first thirty minutes are just hackneyed, and after that, the all attempts to make it look horror felt incompetent. I wish if Aster tried to make a documentary on Swedish culture instead of mocking his own direction.

I'm not sure if I would like Hereditary but there were many, many questionable points in screenplay as well as direction which didn't captivate me at all.

Goodfellas (1990)

All style and short on substance...

[7/10 · 13 September 2020]

I don't acknowledge the hype. Maybe I did not understand but there was something specifically missing. It was probably soul. I witnessed only stylish gangsters and their glossy lives. The first half was superb with a trademark first dialogue by Henry Hill but apart from that, it was quite mild. Again, there were some good moments in second half but not substantially great. most of the scenes lacked connection with the characters. Also it was so haphazard in the middle of the film, I could not care less.

The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)

Some men are just filled with non-dilutable passion.

[8/10 · 13 September 2020]

The secret in their eyes is filled with passion. To commit a crime with passion, to take revenge with passion and to solve a case with passion. To create a story with passion, the characters need to be fed with passion. This film is indeed a passionate film to understand these characters and why they do what they do. However, this film lacks a certain punch. Suspense is to the point and it strikes the target finesse. This would have been a sure hit if it focused more on depth of the story. 8/10

Maborosi (1995)

An illusion of light

[8/10 · 13 September 2020]

I liked this film. I usually like such films from Japan that emphasizes on the reflection on death and transition from life to death. It made me remembered the style of Ozu, another great visionary from Japan during 1950s. The direction is minimalist and which is why it requires us to contemplate ourselves what exactly happens and why. The losing of one's husband is quite a common trope for me and have seen it in multiple Indian movies in different ways. What differs here is the cinematography and picturesque style to capture moments of one's life after losing someone close. The definition and questions on death are asked to us directly and ultimately Koreeda wants us to think about them our way. Through portraying still frames, the action carried out in the frames show a lot more than what is shown and that is where the communication between the director and us begins. A nice film.

Adaptation. (2002)

Bizzarely ironic.

[6/10 · 12 September 2020]

This has been my third postmodern film in past week, along with the most profound 8 1/2 and Pierrot Le Fou. It is true that in this era, the media validates reality, but it sure matters for what motive. While we see an adaptation of a book into a movie(inter-textuality), an adaptation of one's own past incident (parody), and ultimately, showing the adaptation as a part of the screenplay(metafiction), I expected something uniquely believable. However, unlike few others say, I do not consider the ending as what it seems to be. The first half had its moments but not without being ambiguous. It was the better part than the second half and there comes the downhill where, i'm not sure what Kaufman chooses to d here. Maybe I get the idea that adaptation of a book or another written material into a movie is complex process, however, the choices made by Kaufman were a bit debatable. I shall get back to this after second viewing; for now, I would say it was just fine.

Out of the Past (1947)

Confusing

[6/10 · 12 September 2020]

Well, it started well off, like a great noir suspense drama. But towards the second half and post intermission, story becomes overly complex and I'm not sure if more infusion of actors does justice to the script.

Pierrot the Fool (1965)

A classic example of French postmodern cinema...

[9/10 · 12 September 2020]

A combination of Irony, Metafiction and Socialism through politics of France portrayed at its best. I liked Breathless a point better than this, but it does not make it worse. The characters are purely raw and stylishly infuriating. "You speak to me in words and I look at you with feelings" - it even comments on American influence on French society and Cinema which started to comment on inter-textuality of societies. More thoughts to come soon.