Life of Pi

As with Anna Karenina, I decided to read the original book before watching the movie. Largely for the same reasons - I wanted to know how the story was originally developed and conveyed before it was adapted to a movie option.

 The movie was well produced. The scenes of ocean landscape, enhanced by the effects were incredibly beautiful. The adapted story is well performed by the lead actor - Suraj Sharma. His role and performance inspires you - watching a young boy survive a shipwreck, especially with a Bengal tiger, is very inspirational and a testament to the endurance of the human spirit. The way the story is told from two points of view - young Pi and older Pi (played by Irrfan Khan) with the visiting writer (Rafe Spall), makes the viewer feel as though he or she is right there in older Pi's  living room hearing this story for yourself and reliving it too. Ang Lee rightfully received the Oscar for his directing, this film was very well executed.

Their were certain events that were completely missed, and others that were added on relative to Yann Martel's original story. And although not everything can be captured from book to screenplay to movie production, and choices must be made - I believe the choices to change the way Pi trained Richard Parker, the exclusion of his chance encounter with a blind shipwrecked person out at sea, as well as the addition of a love interest in the beginning, were not one's that I would have made.The original series of events seem more truthful, and believable to the overall nature of the story itself. That is not to say that surviving a shipwreck with a Bengal tiger is a believable story, but if one is to believe it, I personally believe Yann Martel's version more than the adapted screenplay.

Overall I rate this movie a 4.25.

In Bruges reviewed by Michael McGurk

I begged Lana to let me do a guest review of In Bruges, directed by Martin McDonagh.  I think this is my favorite film of all time.

It's a dark comedy featuring Colin Farrell as a hitman dealing with an existential crisis.  The in-your-face humor is a striking juxtaposition with the tasteful musical scoring and cinematography of the film.  Some of the narrated scenes were so beautifully done, that I couldn't help but feel that I was viewing a universe where magic still lives.

I've heard some people say that the film is too slow, without enough action.  I disagree, and think that the pace of the movie reinforces the psychological state of the protagonist.  Sometimes life's events take time to sort out, and the moral conflicts depicted in the film aren't solved quickly or easily.  I love how the film slowly builds to it's climax, and a mind-twisting conclusion.  I give this film a 5/5.

The Oscars

Watching The Academy Awards last night was wonderful! The beautiful attire, performances, and ceremony were a sight to remember.

Halle Berry and Jessica Chastain were stunning. And, George Clooney and Joseph Gorden-Levitt did not disappoint in the least.

Stand-out performance by Jennifer Hudson - who received a standing ovation - reminded me that movies are not just for actors, but singers and dancers too. Adele, the most natural female there, did not leave any room for disappointment with her incredible performance of Skyfall from Skyfall. I am so inspired to see her get her first Oscar on her first nomination. Talk about girl power for both of these beauties!

The snub toward Zero Dark Thirty because of the portrayal of torture was really disappointing. There were so many opportunities for that movie to win across multiple categories - but the grand inquisition by the US government shrouded this movies potential success.

Also, I was not impressed that Michelle Obama came in to introduce and announce the winner for Best Movie. Something about it was not sincere - a declassified government mission about a CIA operative going out to save Americans abroad - being announced from the White House, made it seem like their was bias involved in the selection of Best Movie. And don't get me wrong, Argo is a great film; but I believe the choice made for how to present was not the best alternative.

Overall, it was good to see the variety of winners - no single film swept the awards. I look forward to what the contenders for 2013 will be!

The Pirate Bay AFK

This is the first documentary I'm reviewing on my blog.

Documentaries , similar to cinematic productions of fiction, tell a story. The story this production told was one that I was not familiar with, and the perspective presented is not one I am likely to see in mass media. The founders of Pirate Bay appeared frank and sincere throughout the entire law suit ordeal. Their reactions to how they were being treated by mass media and corporations resonated with honesty. I believed them.

I appreciate the free release of the film - the open and accessible nature coincides with the message of the documentary. I rate this a 4.5 - well done.

Anna Karenina

I read the book as soon as I heard the movie was coming out. Not just because the movie was coming out - I was actually meaning to read it for a while, but because I love movies, I figured reading the actual story before watching the movie would give me more insight into how and why the story develops as it does.

So the movie - it was well produced! Keira Knightley is beautiful and impressive as a leading lady. And Jude Law, of course, is handsome as ever, with excellent performance timing. For a screen play, if the viewer is only judging the story as a cinematic production, and not comparing it to Tolstoy's original novel - it was good. The style of the production - especially the transitions - was really unique; at times it felt like I was watching a theater performance.

I think some of the choices that were made on which scenes to exclude from the original novel in the making of the movie, took away from the density and magnitude that the story conveys. Its impossible to capture everything, but some events were even inaccurately conveyed which detracts from the viewers understanding why Anna's character or Kitty's character (Alicia Vikander) made the decisions they did. Even Kitty's story - which is beautiful and intense even relative to Anna's - was diminished and shortened in the movie. The viewer would never know if not for the book.

So I rate Anna Karenina a 4.75 - well done, but better choices could have been made to keep it truer to Tolstoy's original work.

Goon

Goon

This was an ok movie at best. I think Seann William Scott can be pretty funny, so there was definitely some giggling involved while watching it. Also, after I finished watching the movie, and saw that it was based on a true story - I liked it more, but not because of the acting, just the fact that there is some reality to what was portrayed. How much reality portrayed is also questionable.

I liked watching a movie about hockey - so hockey enthusiasts could find this movie enjoyable. But personally, the dumb type of humor that they seemed to be going for just didn't always hit home. Seann's character was portrayed as a dumb guy, who was a human battering ram on the ice. I mean maybe he was a dumb guy after fighting so much - but I don't know - at times I felt the movie took it too far.

I would give this movie a 3.5. Not bad, not great, and low chance I'll watch again.