Interstellar (2014)

Summary
In the near future, Earth has been devastated by drought and famine, causing a scarcity in food and extreme changes in climate. When humanity is facing extinction, a mysterious rip in the space-time continuum is discovered, giving mankind the opportunity to widen its lifespan. A group of explorers must travel beyond our solar system in search of a planet that can sustain life. The crew of the Endurance are required to think bigger and go further than any human in history as they embark on an interstellar voyage into the unknown. Coop, the pilot of the Endurance, must decide between seeing his children again and the future of the human race.

Genre : SF
Country : USA/UK/Canada
 
Cast :
Matthew McConaughey : Cooper
Jessica Chastain : Murph
Anne Hathaway : Brand

Director : Christopher Nolan

My opinion 

“I'm not afraid of death. I'm an old physicist. I'm afraid of time.”

Magnificent. Fascinating. Absorbing. Breathtaking. Titillating. Mind-blowing.

These are just some of the superlatives that I could think of, after watching this masterpiece. It doesn't happen to me often that a film keeps resonating in my mind and I'm still pondering about it after a while. Not that you have to be puzzled about the mathematical content, because it's better to forget about that part. The theory of relativity is brought up once and a while, they end up somewhere in some fifth dimension and you'll be bombarded with theories about black holes and wormholes till you get dizzy. There were some things not really clear to me, but I restrained myself to find plot holes or doubt the accuracy of some mathematical assumptions. It would be quite pretentious to doubt certain statements that are thought out by more enlightened spirits than myself. Although I kind of lacked some imagination in the past to understand certain axioms from solid geometry. So I still have difficulties with the proposition that "two parallel lines intersect with eachother at infinity." Firstly, I can't imagine the infinite. And second, those parallel lines will still be parallel even at infinite distance. No one on earth will ever claim that they do intersect there, because no one ever been at that infinite point and saw it with his own eyes. For me it was totally surreal mathematics, my limited intellect couldn't grasp. Hence probably that's why I flunked that exam of solid geometry. But that's beside the point.

Nolan managed to make an epic film. A mix of fiction and non-fiction. The set-up to establish a colony on an unknown planet in another galaxy ("To boldly go where no man has gone before" comes spontaneously to mind) is not really science fiction anymore, given at this time all preparations are made to try the same thing on Mars. But as they plunge into the wormhole, after which they'll be teleported to another galaxy, the non-fiction ends and speculations begin. How it works, is demonstrated in a playful manner, using a sheet of paper and a pencil. Just to keep it simple for someone like me and explain it in an understandable way. But I have to admit that the visualization of this utopian trip looks stunning. As a counterpart of this high-tech future story, there's also the human aspect whereby Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) has to make a difficult choice between his family and saving humanity.

The space trip is preceded by the melodramatic part of the movie which I normally would have described as the corny sappy part. But here I didn't have that feeling at all and the whole was brought well-founded. The sketched relationship between Cooper, Murph (Mackenzie Foy) and Tom (Timothée Chalamet) on the dusty ranch, is explained in detail and in a sound manner. In gloomy conditions they try to grow crops. A project that is doomed to fail because fungi slowly eats away all crops on our planet. Cooper, a former astronaut who was employed by NASA, focuses on the agricultural sector now (because there is a need for the production of food, and not space experts) and has constructed a fully automated farm. According to Murph there's a so-called poltergeist who wants to deliver a message. Because of this phenomenon they discover a secret NASA complex run by John Brand (Michael Caine) who explains to Cooper his exodus theory and  asks him to lead this exodus as pilot of the intergalactic spaceship "Endurance".

Usually the soundtrack of a film leaves me Siberian cold. But in "Interstellar" the composer Hans Zimmer created a perfect atmosphere with his compositions. Cooper leaving his family wouldn't be so impressive with the supporting organ sounds missing. Knowing Nolan you can also assume that the appearance of the film would be impressive. And it is. The interior of the Endurance, the landscapes of the three planets, the images of infinite space, the black hole Gargantua, the presentation of the fifth dimension and the trip through the black hole. It all looked very impressive. Nolan is also known as a supporter of limited-use-of-CGI and it wouldn't surprise me if they made use of huge settings interspersed with tiny elaborated scale models. The planet Miller I personally found the most successful and imaginary result. And finally I just like to mention the accompanying robots TARS and CASE. An innovative design with a humorous communication interface.

 

What remains are the performances, with Matthew McConaughey as main figure. After seeing him  at work in "The Lincoln Lawyer", "Mud" and "Dallas Buyers Club" (for which he won an Oscar), you can only agree that McConaughey is a talented actor with a peculiar accent who leaves a mark on each film. Personally, I think "Interstellar" isn't his most impressive rendition. Yes, he's cut out for the emotion-rich family parts, but as an intellectual NASA astronaut I found him quite implausible. In contrast, I thought Jessica Chastain (as the adult Murph) and Anne Hathaway (daughter of Professor Brand) acted excellent. Casey Affleck (adult Tom), Topher Grace (Murph colleagues and for the umpteenth time in a fairly geeky role) and Matt Damon appear only briefly and each with a different important contribution. The only one who really should feel at home in this film is John Lithgow, for his participation in "3rd Rock from the Sun".

I could repeat the superlatives I wrote down at the beginning because despite some developments that went beyond my understanding and an ending I wasn't impressed by, this is still a wonderful film that manages to blend both the scientific and the personal feelings of the protagonists perfectly. I'm still wondering who ultimately planted that wormhole near Saturn, that fifth dimension still goes over my head and how Cooper finally succeeded in sending the right information needed to Murph also seemed quite an achievement. And posturing about love as something scientific that knows no boundaries, was also an excuse to give it all a deeper philosophical tone. But ultimately, this is another SF that can be included in the gallery of all those other masterpieces.

My rating 8/10
Links : IMDB
 

A most violent Year (2014)

Summary
A crime drama set in New York City during the winter of 1981, statistically one of the most violent years in the city's history, and centered on the lives of an immigrant and his family trying to expand their business and capitalize on opportunities as the rampant violence, decay, and corruption of the day drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built.

Genre : Crime/Drama
Country : USA
 
Cast :
Oscar Isaac : Abel Morales
Jessica Chastain : Anna Morales
Albert Brooks : Andrew Walsh

Director : J.C. Chandor


My opinion 

“If I were you, I would start treating us with a little more respect or I guarantee he will make it his mission in life to ruin you.”

New York, 1981. The most violent year in the history of the metropolis New York. No doubt about it, but that violence probably took place somewhere else than where this film took place. Are you expecting some sort of mafia film like "Once upon a time in America", "The Godfather", "Scarface" or "The Untouchables" ? Well sorry, but this will be a disappointment for you because it's not such type of mafia movie. Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) is the opposite of a Don Corleone. Anything that smells like mafia stuff or corruption, he tries to avoid studiously. He's trying to run his business in oil fair and square, without falling back on violent and corrupt interventions. And this despite the tough competition which apparently has no problem with applying harsh and intimidating methods. Abel, the epitome of honesty in these turbulent criminal years, faces terrified truck drivers and an increasing loss because of stolen oil. This together with an investigation by the District Attorney Lawrence (David Oyelowo), who is determined to uncover wrongdoings, ensures that an investment Morales trying to finalize with some Jewish businessmen, will be compromised and is doomed to fail.

 

I didn't expect a film about a supplier of oil in the first place. It certainly provides opportunities for other business sectors to be placed at the center of public attention. After "The Postman Always Rings Twice" and "Promised Land" it was time to put the hard-working fuel suppliers, who make sure that we ordinary citizens have a cozy warm house during a severe winter, in the spotlight. I don't want to have a prejudice against this noble profession, but as a subject, it resulted in a painfully slow movie in which there was not much to be seen. I did notice the terrible shortage of light-bulbs in that time. Large parts of the film are bathed in scorching darkness. Dark offices, dark corridors, nocturnal wanderings through the house and garden, dark tunnels and staircases. Probably it has to do with the fact that these were the most nefarious years and the protagonists were accustomed to nightly activities. Or it's because many things weren't allowed to see the light in that period ? I'm still completely in the dark about that.

I'll be honest though. The performances are spectacular. Isaac plays the stubborn manager masterfully. Despite all the setbacks and the enormous pressure he remains determined on the outlined course he doesn't want to deviate from. Despite the warning from a union man that the truck drivers will abandon him and the continuing distrust of his wife Anna Morales (Jessica Chastain), who apparently has a mafia past, has a dizzying cleavage and commits the only violent offense in this film (with a poor deer as the victim), he doesn't want to yield to unfair practices. He fits perfectly in snowy New York. He's as cool and chilly. And that was my biggest problem with the characters. They are all totally numb. Anna is even colder than Abel. The only one who showed some emotions was Julian (Elyes Gabel) whose fear and desperation were believable.

I've also seen A.J. Chandor's film "All is lost" long time ago and can only conclude that this film fits perfectly. "All is lost" was also visualized beautifully with an unusual rendition, but painfully slow and boring. Brilliant performances, elaborate personalities and expressive character roles serve as the foundation of timeless classics. But when a movie only contains that and has nothing else interesting to offer, you can be sure that a large part of the audience will be slightly disappointed. Including me.

I'm sure that Morales has the saying "Honesty is the best policy" framed above his bed. And yet, his character was quite contradictory when it comes to being honest. The term "morality" is extremely valuable to Morales (What's in a name), but at the final confrontation with Lawrence, corruption comes into play. The "like knows like" feeling pops up and then finally Morales tends to do a favor in a way it's still applied nowadays in the world of business and politics. And the ultimate act in the end, with a banal handkerchief being used to seal a puncture in a huge oil tank, is implausible as a physical phenomenon and also in contradiction with the character of Abel. Apparently the business aspect is more important than the human aspect at that moment. Eventually still a ruthless businessman, our saint Abel.

My rating 4/10
Links : IMDB

 

John Wick (2014)

Summary
John Wick is a mob hit man who, upon falling in love, quits. 5 years later, his wife dies and to make sure he's not alone she arranges for a dog to be brought to him after her death. Later, some men wanting his car break in and beat him up and kill his dog. When he recovers, he sets to get the ones who killed his dog. He learns that the leader is the son of his former employer. And the man wanting to protect his son, tries to take care of Wick but he's still as good as he was.

Genre : Action/Thriller
Country : USA/Canada
 
Cast :
Keanu Reeves : John Wick
Michael Nyqvist : Viggo Tarasov
Willem Dafoe : Marcus

Director : Chad Stahelski


 My opinion

"John will come for you and you will do nothing, because you can't do nothing." 

Do you hate complicated films where your brains hurt while trying to keep up with the story ? Do you start to drool spontaneously when watching endless violent action scenes ? You answered twice "Yes Sir" ? Well, that means "John Wick" is cut out for you. Because the story is simple in a way that even your goldfish can follow it easily and it contains a concatenation of rough,cruel liquidations. I never thought that stealing a Ford Mustang and wringing the neck of a puppy could result in a never-seen, raging revenge. John Wick, however, thought otherwise. This retired former hitman leaves a bloody trail in New York, after they steal his car and kill his dog, donated by his deceased wife. The fact that this is committed by the son of his former boss, who's from the Russian mob, doesn't impress him. Instantly he demolishes his basement floor. Years ago, he buried his whole arsenal of weapons and other adult toys there, just to forget his past and change gear in his new life.

 

Digging up Keanu Reeves again, certainly wasn't a bad idea. The man has a natural talent for portraying an icy cool killer. His emotionless visage is perfect for the role. And the less dialogs in a film, the better. It's not the dialogues, he has to struggle through, that gives him the appearance of a cold-blooded assassin, but his stoic calmness and the expressionless gaze does. He demonstrated this already in "The Matrix" and also in "47 Ronin" (wrongly considered by many as a pulp film). If you want to keep track of the number of victims, you should purchase a large oversize abacus. I enjoy a straightforward action film, with not to much frills and where the emphasis lies on mindless brawling and shooting. It shouldn't be serious all the time. Although after a while I felt kind of impassive about it and sank deeper into my cozy seat to watch it with such an infinite look. I compared it with a ride on a wildly popular, matchless rollercoaster. During your first ride, you feel the adrenaline rushing through your body and you rush back to the entrance full of enthusiasm just to experience that indescribable feeling once again. During the tenth drive you're sitting in it very relaxed, looking around in search for the next challenge. That's "John Wick" in a nutshell. A flashy rollercoaster ride that starts fiery and impressive, but as the journey takes longer, the euphoria fades away slowly.

In terms of genre, it's ultimately of the same level as "The Equalizer". Only the latter contained a bit more story, I thought. In "John Wick" you have a stolen car and a dead dog on the one hand, and on the other hand an increasing number of corpses. That's it. And yet it's pure enjoyment witnessing the flashy action and shown coolness. Chad Stahelski, a former stuntman (interesting fact: he was the one who played Neo in "The Matrix" during dangerous scenes), doesn't beat around the bush and creates a series of precisely choreographed fight sequences. Without much effort he succeeds in giving Reeves the reputation of a bogeyman. But as Viggo (Michael Nyqvist) remarks it himself: "John is not exactly "The Bogeyman". He's the one you sent to kill the fuckin 'Boogeyman.". And this top assassin moves in a swirling way to eliminate his enemies with a well-aimed shot. His shooting technique is slightly off-track and looks somewhat forced. But that doesn't keep him from transforming the place where he appears, into an outright shooting gallery.

There were some pretty surreal scenes which impressed the imagination. Like the "Continental" hotel, the professional cleaning team and the reputation of John Wick in itself and his cult status hovering around him as an aura. "The Continental Hotel" could serve as a scenic design in a future Batman movie, which bathes in a real cartoonish atmosphere. It's a famous meeting point for notorious assassins, with its own monetary system, an unnaturally friendly desk clerk that meets with all the needs of the guests and a resident physician who can be called for when guests return reasonable damaged after taking care of their "business". There is only one golden rule which is mercilessly punished after being violated. It's prohibited to arrange matters in the hotel itself.

For most of the supporting acts you can safely say that there's a total lack of character development. Most are no more than a shadow in this film, who come momentarily into view and then they're mercilessly being slaughtered. But it seems as if they are suffering from anemia, because despite the continuous aggression, there is very little blood splattered around. So only Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen (Iosef) and Willem Dafoe remain. Michael Nyqvist wasn't very convincing as Viggo and was at the times too theatrical. Alfie Allen played the well-known roll as the conceited, imagining-himself-being-untouchable son of a criminal who as he starts to realize what predator is hunting him, needs a larger size Pampers. Not that very original. And Willem Dafoe tries, but gets little screenplay to play himself into the spotlight. So Reeves is the only one to steal the show. And he does that with panache and style. Once he slips into that measured black suit and swings a duffel bag full of adult toys in it over his shoulder, he walks confidently towards you while the camera zooms in. And then you can brace yourself. Magnificent.

"John Wick" isn't exactly of a high level in cinematic terms but does meet the requirements of the targeted audience. A pure action movie full of spectacle. Unfortunately, there are rumors that the sequel "John Wick" is planned already. I admire Reeves that he's still capable to portray a character as Wick at his age of 50. He can take that kind of personage to a next level, but I'm afraid that this sequel will be a weak carbon copy from the original.

My rating 7/10
Links : IMDB

Wolves (2014)

Summary
The coming-of-age story of Cayden Richards. Forced to hit the road after the murder of his parents, Cayden wanders, lost, without purpose... Until he meets a certifiable lunatic named Wild Joe, who sets him on a path to the ominous town of Lupine Ridge, to hunt down the truths of his history. But in the end, who's really hunting whom?

Genre : Horror
Country : France/Canada
 
Cast :
Jason Momoa : Connor
Lucas Till : Cayden Richards
Merritt Patterson : Angelina

Director : David Hayter


My opinion 

Life is like an onion.
That's what they say.
The more you peel it back,
the more it makes you cry.
Especially when
you're afflicted.

It's obvious that everyone is looking for that gold mine to produce something similar like "Twilight". They even got help from David Hayter (writer of "X-men") and miraculously they found another theme. Imagine a brainstorming session at TF1 International : "Hey, Twilight used vampires . What if we use a pack of werewolves instead ? And a handsome young guy as a key player who meets a fresh, young wench somewhere in a remote place ? Maybe it's the start of  a brand new series that will be so successful, teens will stumble over each other to see it !" ( followed by applause, cheers and heartfelt hugs). After watching this horribly acted and meaningless predictable story about an ancient tribe of werewolves who've retreated in a commune where they eventually compete among each other, I recommend to store these plans. Just to avoid a financial hangover.

Clayden Richards (Lucas Till) has a fairly turbulent puberty. For instance he dreams about werewolves at night. His parents blame this on his raging hormones that play tricks on him. However, everything is going really well for him. He has wonderful and caring parents, a gang of friends and the prettiest girl in school. He is a quarterback and has the appearance of an Adonis. Most teenage girls would melt just looking at him. Until he beats up an opponent during a match and while making out with his girlfriend, the beast in him bursts out. Literally. He flees from the place where he grew up and on his trip some guy called Wild Joe sents him out to the deserted village Lupine Ridge. Of course the place is swarming with werewolves. As you can see, the name of the village "Lupin" is distracted from the Latin word lupinus. Very subtle. What follows is the revealing of Clayden's past and his relation to Connor, a kind of alpha werewolf who rules the place. 

Nothing new under the werewolf-moon and at times it's downright ridiculous. You really can't say it's exciting  and it reminded me of "Teen Wolf" with Michael J. Fox. Only the latter I actually could appreciate. At times the transformation of the villagers looked successful. But mostly I thought I was watching the Muppet show with some wearing carnaval costumes. However, I hope the makers weren't serious because I couldn't suppress a smile. I still don't know whether this was a smile because it all looked ridiculous or because that shown on the screen was actually meant to be funny. Some performances were pitifully poor. Lucas Till has the charisma of a flowerpot. Merritt Patterson looks delicious (useful for the werewolf Clayden) and sweet. Only Jason Momoa could convince me. But probably his huge impressive stature and his deep penetrating eyes caused this. The best acting performance was Stephen McHattie as the cooperative farmer who of course knows the whole history of Clayden's family.

"Wolves" is as thrilling as the stretched elastic in the underpants of a grandmother. Not really exciting. Even the presence of the beautiful Patterson and the sensual scene with Till doesn't help. I can still remember me seeing a fragment of a black and white movie when I was young, with someone turning into a werewolf because of the shrill sound of a school bell. That scared the crap out of me and for days I had nightmares (mind you I was only 12 years or so). "Wolves" will only keep me from sleeping because I'll be laughing irrepressible. And despite the sometimes bloody splatter scenes, you can hardly call it horror. It's also known that a person who's mutated into a werewolf, won't make use of his natural voice ! The term "Popcorn-teenager-horror" for tar sensitive souls will fit well. I praised "Wer" and thought it might be a revival of the werewolf genre. This film is quite the opposite.

My rating 1/10
Links : IMDB

The Judge (2014)

Summary
Hank Palmer is a successful defense attorney in Chicago, who is getting a divorce. When His brother calls with the news that their mother has died, Hank returns to his childhood home to attend the funeral. Despite the brittle bond between Hank and the Judge, Hank must come to his father's aid and defend him in court. Here, Hank discovers the truth behind the case, which binds together the dysfunctional family and reveals the struggles and secrecy of the family.

Genre : Drama
Country : USA
 
Cast :
Robert Downey Jr. : Hank Palmer
Robert Duvall : Joseph Palmer
Vera Farmiga : Samantha Powell

Director : David Dobkin

My opinion

"The law is the only thing capable of making people equal”

Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) is a shrewd and successful lawyer with a smooth tongue. A chatterbox that overwhelms you with his arguments and you can't get in a word edgeways. He uses arguments and counter-arguments in such a natural way, as if he's ordering something to eat at a sandwich bar. Therefore for some he's an insufferable person who doesn't mince his words. My favorite scene is the confrontation with some drunk local figures in a local bar where he and his two brothers Glen (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Dale (Jeremy Strong) chat about lost times. The way he gives those windbags tit for tat and knows how to silence them, is a perfect representation of who the person Hank Palmer is. This piece reminded me a bit of Matt Damon in "Good Will Hunting" who puts a group of university students in their place. Slyly I enjoy those moments. I know, schadenfreude is not a nice virtue.

Because of family circumstances, Hank must return to his hometown which he turned his back on years ago. The funeral of his mother confronts him with his past. There's his brother Glen, who once stood at the beginning of a promising career as a professional baseball player, and his other mentally handicapped younger brother Dale, who has a passion for filming and usually carries a camera to capture all kinds of scenes. And then there's his father Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall) who's invariably called "Judge" by everyone. A bitter man who can look back at an impressive career as a judge in the town of Carlinville and who's more concerned with his legacy as a righteous judge than his current miserable situation. The next day after the three brothers went on a night out, Mark Blackwell is found dead and his blood is found on the grill of Judge's car. Hank's father can't remember anything and pleads not guilty. Were it not, that years ago he made the error to give this Mark Blackwell a light imprisonment who after being released drowned a 16-year-old girl, there probably still would be some doubt. But this fact does give Judge a decisive motive for murder with hit and run.

"The Judge" isn't a typical courtroom drama as we've seen frequently. It's a subtle made family drama with the legal dispute as a side issue and the emphasis on the family joust. Unresolved resentment and mistakes made in the past, playing an important role. The whole is explained in detail in a brilliant and subtle way and time has been taken to outline the whole family situation, based on conversations and fragments filmed by Dale. And despite the significant playing time of 140 minutes, you won't get the feeling that you have to drag yourself through it. An intriguing and fascinating family sketch that sometimes tends to become melodramatic (culminating in the confrontation in the basement during a suddenly emerging tornado). It was to be expected that the confrontation between Downey Jr. and Duvall would guarantee some acting from the top shelf. A brilliant performance by Duvall as the stubborn paterfamilias, who nevertheless expresses some human feelings as his granddaughter comes to visit (incidentally also an admirable role played by Emma Tremblay). Downey can be arrogant. He demonstrated this already in "Iron Man". The difference is that this bugged me in "Iron Man", whereas it fits perfectly here. And definitely worth mentioning are the two emotional (and sometimes funny) renditions of D'Onofrio and Strong. Vera Farmiga ("The Conjuring"), as the ex-girlfriend of Hank, we see trotting along and merely serves as a distraction of the clash of arms between the two Palmer-clan members. 

"The Judge" is a pleasure to watch when it comes to the acting, but ultimately it's still just a typical family drama with a court case as a side topic. For the rest, it's crammed with every imaginable emotive subject such as death, illness and an unwavering feud. The priority is the father-son relationship with some story-lines wrapped around it. Ultimately these stories have nothing to do with the core of the matter and only serve to incorporate frequent used cliches so it's guaranteed you'll use a handkerchief to wipe away a tear. 

My rating 6.5/10
Links : IMDB
 

Bhopal : A prayer for Rain (2014)

Summary
The story follows a young rickshaw-puller in Bhopal who gets a menial job at a chemical plant, but in December of 1984 a chemical spill in India takes the lives of almost 15,000 people and injuring more than 100,000. The film follows how the industrial disaster in the city changes his life and those of others.

Genre : Drama/History
Country : UK/India
  
Cast :
Rajpal Yadav : Dilip
Martin Sheen : Warren ANderson
Kal Penn : Motwani

Director : Ravi Kumar


My opinion 

“We are Union Carbide, united in our efforts to build a better future for everyone.”

Despite the fact it's already indicated at the beginning that they have incorporated certain facts in a different way, just to increase the dramatic effect of the film, I was stunned and shocked after watching this docudrama. Frankly, I had never heard of this industrial disaster that took place in Bhopal in 1984. A human tragedy that could have been avoided. But greed and indifference were the main causes leading to this human tragedy. Martin Sheen plays Warren Anderson, CEO of Union Carbide, and is perfectly casted for this movie. He manages to portray Anderson as a man with some human feelings, while on the other hand his business instincts prevail again and he asks casually why an amount of pesticide isn't sold. However his contribution is outplayed by the typically Indian actors. Bollywood movies are unknown territory to me and I guess they usually aren't the epitome of superb performances or a stunning footage, but I'm convinced that the message of this movie was much more important.

December 1984, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. In a Union Carbide pesticide plant, a chemical reaction of water with Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) ensure that a deadly toxic gas cloud spreads over the surrounding slum. The next day there are around 2,000 casualties and hundreds of thousands of residents affected by the toxic cloud. Soon after another 8,000 victims would die because of that. 30 years later, there are still problems and casualties caused by this disaster. The combination of inadequate security, human errors and mismanagement caused this terrible disaster. Had the slip-blind plates been placed so water wouldn't mix with the chemical substance, if only the scrubbers were functioning (but they were under repair), had the refrigeration worked and was the torch installation not taken out of service, this could have been prevented.

A terrible topic about the disastrous consequences caused by human negligence and greed, which is played in a fair way by Indian actors. Especially by Rajpal Yadav as Dipil. A person who's lovable and sometimes comical at the same time. A rickshaw-puller whose vehicle was recreated into pleated iron after transporting a corpulent passenger, who's desperately looking for some work, so he can support his family, pay for the impending wedding of his sister and mainly keep his wife satisfied. He sees a chance to work in the factory as an ordinary handyman. Afterwards he's offered a better paid job (after the previous person dies because a drop of Methyl Isocyanate dripped on his arm, which subsequently is indicated as a typical accident because of an irresponsible act of the concerned person). Essentially he's technically incompetent for this job. But finally it's a dead simple task : he has to keep an eye on a pressure gauge and let someone know when it falls below a certain level. A beautiful rendition and a character that arouses pity every time. Motwani (Kal Penn) is a local reporter who fills his own newspaper with rumors and allegations against Union Carbide. In retrospect, he proved to be an important character in reality. These two together with Martin Sheen, are the key players in this drama. Mischa Barton is presented as the American journalist Eva Gascon, but soon she vanishes from the scene and you wonder what importance her part was anyway.

The known outcome is visualized in a simple yet effective way. Thousands of dying victims, coughing up blood and suffocating. Children looking around apathetically. Helpless doctors trying to save victims with the insufficient available resources. And while this drama unfolds, the chairmen of Union Carbide are trying to find a way out, so they can put the blame on anybody but themselves. The fact that there's a description in the contracts about the slip-blind plates, is sufficient enough to conclude it's the factory managers fault. The final settlement made with Union Carbide was a compensation for damages of a lousy 470 million dollars. It shows once again what a human life is worth for such industrial giants. Sickening.

 

My rating 6/10
Links : IMDB

Boyhood (2014)

Summary
Filmed over 12 years with the same cast,Richard Linklater's BOYHOOD is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason, who literally grows up on screen before our eyes. The film charts the rocky terrain of childhood like no other film has before. Snapshots of adolescence from road trips and family dinners to birthdays and graduations and all the moments in between become transcendent, set to a soundtrack spanning the years from Coldplay's Yellow to Arcade Fire's Deep Blue. It's both a nostalgic time capsule of the recent past and an ode to growing up and parenting.

Genre : Drama
Country : USA
 
Cast :
Ellar Coltrane : Mason
Patricia Arquette : Mom
Ethan Hawke : Dad

Director : Richard Linklater


My opinion 

"You don't like me much, do you Mason?
That's okay, neither do I.”

As a concept movie, "Boyhood" definitely can be called a successful experiment. It took Richard Linklater no less than 12 years to realize this film. It's a registration of the daily life of an average American family with characters interpreted by the same actors or actresses in different life cycles. Is this an unique concept ? Unfortunately not. In 2001, the Harry Potter saga started with the main characters growing up while the story progressed. So that gimmick is already used. I'm also the proud owner of a whole collection of home videos I made for years with my Sony Handycam. Would the result be similar to "Boyhood" if I'd edit these nostalgic film clips into a motion picture ? No of course not, because my creation wouldn't be right. The synchronization between the different periods would be wrong. The themes wouldn't be in harmony. The continuity wouldn't be guaranteed, especially regarding the overall atmosphere. In terms of content, there might be similarities, but ultimately it simply will become a banal family documentary, dominated by triviality and platitude. What I'm trying to say is that probably there will be some who'll portray "Boyhood" as an extra-long home video, while for me it's not so evident to come to this result. Ingenious and phenomenal at the same time.

Don't expect truly earth shaking events or developments. You only witness the calmly on-going life of Mason (Ellar Coltrane). A life as most of us have experienced it. A life full of ups and downs, with its euphoric moments and sad moments. A life that forms you as a human being into the personality you'll finally become when reaching adulthood. Also Mason goes through all these stages : first a carefree teenager, school troubles, domestic problems, puberty, an exceptional father who occasionally crosses (during major and minor moments) his life, teenage love, his heart being broken and than the final step to adulthood. 12 Years interwoven with no visible indication in what time span it's happening at that time and this summarized in 165 minutes. Together with his sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater), daughter of Richard Linklater and a teenager with an attitude, and his mother (Patricia Arquette), who won a gold medal in the Olympic discipline "choosing the wrong guys", a touching coming-of-age story unfolds itself. Afterwards you realize how volatile time is and how our life goes on with an irreversible pace.

Ellar Coltrane plays literally and figuratively the role of his life. The beginning was a little bit sluggish and lethargic. It seemed to leave him indifferent which made him act quite apathetic. But as he grows older, I appreciated his deep philosophical musings more and more. His argumentation while driving on the highway about humanity functioning in modern society as self-healing and reproducing robots, because the manufacturing of cyborgs would be too costly, I found funny but at the same time I realized that it was uncannily accurate and that there's actually a little truth in what he claims. Again something I could identify myself with. Lorelei Linklater grows into a rebellious and wayward teenager. Arquette's roundings expand as the years pass. The only one whose looks remain timeless, is that of Ethan Hawke. Although it feels as if he plays an ancillary character who pops up occasionally into the life of Mason, I found this the most beautiful role in "Boyhood" and for me the one who exerts the most influence on the development of the person Mason. A brilliant interpretation: serene, vulnerable and supportive. And maybe it's my imagination, but I thought Mason resembled more and more Hawke as he grows older. What a coincidence.

The final conclusion is that it's a brilliant concept with delightful characters who grow and unfold themselves as time progresses. So what's wrong with it than ? Absolutely nothing, except in the end it's just a dull affair. You can't say there are many startling things happening. Despite the chaotic periods Mason's mother is going through , you can't detect any real traumatic experiences. Every average family's life looks like this. And yet this film is praised to the skies. And that's because everyone sees something in it they can relate to and finally think something like "Hey, I also experienced it like that" or "Damn that happened to me also in that period". And that's the strength of "Boyhood". A mirror is held up in front of you and you'll come to one conclusion : Life is a concatenation of moments you need to enjoy fully, because there comes a time you'll realize that those moments have passed. And that's perfectly summarized by Mason's final sentence: "It's the constant moments, it's just ... it's like always right now".

My rating 7/10
Links : IMDB