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5. Chinatown


















"CLASSIC" is just a mere compliment that can be given to this masterpiece from Roman Polanski , if you think am just blowing out my imaginations ,mind you ,before making any comments watch this film.I love the 80's & 70's films coz they didn't have a mammoth budget or a stunning premiere ,the films just relyed on the essence of the story and script ,CHINATOWN stands a testimony for that.

PLOT :"Los Angeles detective Jake Gittes is hired by Mrs.Mulray to spy on her husband bot trouble starts when the detective finds out that he was duped ,it seems he was hired by an impersonator and not the real Mrs. Mulwray ,determined to find out the impersonator Gittes starts his investigation unraveling a complex set of deceit involving murder, incest and municipal corruption all related to the city's water supply"

"REALITY CINEMA" is what you can expect from this movie ,as we all know "Laws that are passed are only for the "AAM AADMI" ,the difference is that RICH & POWERFUL have the resources to "fix" the incident, whereas those who are poor do not", this film perfectly illustrates that fact.

CHINATOWN is one of the best detective movie i have ever seen ,it brings about the best detective work ever adapted on screen with a simple plot to begin with but thereby revolving more complex & mysterious without ever losing the audiences attention and yet was easy to understand.



The script is so well written, if you miss one little part of the dialogue you could be lost for the rest of the movie and Robert Towne deserved the Oscar hands-down for the script.There are enough twists and turns here to keep the viewer on edge, and warrant multiple viewings. This film is not for those who find it hard to pay attention.

You don't watch "Chinatown" when you're in the mood for a good thriller ,you watch it when you want to see fine film-making.

Jack Nicholson really shines through in his role ,his acting in this film perfectly fits the character with shark smiles, his voice, his tone ,all of it, perfect,he really takes this character and makes him his own.Faye Dunaway succeeds at portraying the fact that her character appears to be hiding something from Gittes in nearly every scene.The film doesn't work without them both being very interesting characters to watch and the characters are well-written and credible.

The lead villain here is John Huston providing a stunning yet a subtle act.Huston is Dunaway's father, RICH & POWERFUL who can just about buy everything and everybody and usually does. But as it turns out he's far more sinister than that, a truly terrifying evil soul.

Chinatown is a classic film that you could watch over and over again and never get tired of it.One of the other things that makes this film great is an unforgettable music score by Jerry Goldsmith.

It's gritty, authentic looking and captures the mood of the story with its Los Angeles backgrounds and detailed attention to '30s styles. Visually, it's a masterpiece & while the story gets a little slow once in awhile in uncovering a convoluted plot involving land rights and water control, it leads to a highly suspenseful ending.

This is a wonderful film and should be required viewing for any film buff. Polansky creates the right amount of confusion, intrigue, and atmosphere to bring the story to life in a way few directors can.

I like how everything here isn't spelled out for you in bold letters. One must pay attention and piece things together for themselves ,which is exactly how a mystery should be.It keeps you on your toes.You never seem to know in which direction the story is going to take you next.

CHINATOWN's ending is famously despairing, acknowledging that ordinary citizens with good intentions stand no chance against a corrupt bureaucracy. It would be a rarity nowadays to have so many great talents collaborating on such a pessimistic story, fortunately, in 1974, the makers of "Chinatown" pooled their efforts and created a tragic, engaging, and outstanding movie.

  • Rating : "PG"

P.S : This masterpiece was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, but only won for Original Screenplay was unluckily released the same year as 'The Godfather Part II' also one of the best films ever to be made, and the Academy opted for the latter. Be it that it was released one year earlier, Chinatown would have won a considerable number of Oscars.

4. The Future begins......
















Remakes are the toast of the day these days & STAR TREK is definitely not going to be let out.I usually sneer at the term "REMAKE" just making me imagine which CLASSIC movie is going to be butchered but this movie is magnificent,an out and out sci-fi entertainment.If this doesn't keep the fans of STAR TREK happy then nothing will.

PLOT : " A Prequel to the STAR TREK series that reveals the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew who together seek out to vindicate Commander Nero "

In Remakes sustaining the expectations of a successful franchise constitutes the major aspect and director J.J.Abrams faced this huge task , although Trekkies will feel a little disappointed as the original elements of the previous movies have been altered, credit to the director for carrying out this feat with panache developing a new saga of STAR TREK . A very important trait for any film-maker is to produce a movie with a detailed story and bursts of information within a two hour period as J.J. Abrams manages to accomplish.

Both main plot and other sub plots made the story involving much to my delight as for me " A GOOD MOVIE IS ONE WHICH DOESN'T MAKE THE AUDIENCE RESTLESS ".The extent to which the writers alter Trek history might be met with anger by some, but the story is so fun and the characters so lovingly written, I did not see it as a huge issue.

In fact, I think it was a smart move,if the movie was set in the old timeline, there would be little suspense or surprise because we already know what happens to the characters. As controversial as it may be, the writers handled it beautifully and without a hint of disrespect.

Another thing is that the quality of computer graphics of universe and star ships was superb. Especially when I saw the full-scale USS Enterprise, I found adrenaline rushed through my body. The visual effects are possibly the best I have ever seen in any film , the visuals were nothing short of awe-inspiring yet at the same time they didn't completely rule the movie. Make no mistake , the stars of this movie are the characters & not the effects.

The story unfolds at a nearly break-neck pace. It holds your attention throughout the entire movie, and leaves you wanting more when it's over. It was thrilling, emotional, funny,everything a movie should be, especially a Trek movie.The best aspect of STAR TREK 2009 is that it makes the Enterprise crew and the STARSHIP Enterprise powerful, not just in reputation -but in action as well.



Chris Pine as 'Kirk' was the most pleasing of them all but was not standing out there alone.I would hold Karl Urban's performance as 'Bones' and Simon Pegg as 'Scotty' in high esteem, they brought the same warmth to the characters as their predecessors if not more.From the other end, Eric Bana gave a very credible performance as the Romulan 'Baddie', Nero.

I have to say this is one of the best casted movies I've seen in a while. Each member does their part to give the new crew of the Enterprise some originality as well as maintaining enough similarities to the characters of the old Trek and help to add comic relief throughout the film.

The sound effects were cool and tuned to sound different, but at the same time quite faithful to the original (the beaming noise effect, the warp drives engaging, etc). I was particularly impressed with the soundtrack, which conveyed the urgency portrayed in the film and the fast paced action.

The story, the characters, the visual and emotional impact of the movie all came together here.A true Sci-fi gem that didn't wipe out the authenticity of the original series,but opened a totally new door to a bunch of another star trek adventures.

The film is really good because there's almost nothing bad to say about it. Yes, maybe you can find one small detail here and there that doesn't make the film perfect, but no movies are perfect. This movie is human, with sharp dialogue, and fantastic characters, a complex story, with action sequences to fill on top.

Star Trek has been dead for a while now and this was more than what it needed for a jumpstart. The new movie is more youthful in both a sense it is the story of the start of Captain James Tiberius Kirk and that it is a more modern and fresh take on the series, a good way to tap into the youth of the world. I believe that Star Trek has risen out of the ashes and will continue rising for a long time to come.

This movie is a must-see, if anything else. Its made for the big screen, and you'll feel your money was well spent, at the very least.I went in the movie house with very high expectations due to the very positive word of mouth. I was definitely NOT disappointed. I exhort all of you to watch this movie on the big screen as it deserves to be watched..The beginning of a new adventure, and I hope this new franchise will live long and prosper.



  • Rating : "PG"


P.S : Paramount Pictures has produced eleven Star Trek feature films with a twelfth in development, possibly to be released in 2011, which will celebrate the Star Trek franchise's forty-fifth anniversary.

3. The illuminati !!
















Foremost
let me enlighten you about certain facts that occur in the movie that is adapted from the novel "Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown

The Illuminati - a secret group having scientists outlawed by the Vatican church for opposing religious beliefs using science, they go into hiding seeking revenge for the execution of its members by the holy church.

CERN - a research laboratory with the elite of scientists credited with many discoveries and technologies

Antimatter - Its the opposite of matter which is very volatile and when it comes in contact with matter(i.e; almost anything) is highly destructive and powerful.

PLOT : " The Vatican city seeks the help of symbologist Robert Langdon and scientist Vittoria Vetra when threatened by the Illuminati who have placed a powerful antimatter explosive,stolen from CERN, inside the Vatican and have planned to kill four important cardinals kidnapped by them on the same day in their very own churches , now its upto Robert Langdon to decipher the clues by studying the Illuminati and uncovers the sinister plot behind all this. "

Curiosity got the better out of me after reading the book to see this movie as the novel made me so involved that i couldn't stop imagining how this book will be translated on-screen. Dan Brown after his best selling novels of The Da Vinci Code & Angels & Demons involving Robert Langdon has made this fictional character well known in today's literary world.

Ron Howard ,the director of the movie took the privilege of changing some of the actual content of the book to trim the movie's script making it a fast paced thriller which has never a sluggish moment on screen , Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon has enacted his role perfectly serving justice to the expectations of the movie.Tom hanks is Tom Hanks,it seems like he is Prof Langdon after all,no one can do it better than him.

I was clearly taken back with the beauty of the places in the movie,WOW this movies is certainly going to boost up the tourist attractions to Rome.The Fountain of the four rivers is clearly a stand out attraction for me ,the locations in Rome which is the backdrop of the movie were picturised really well.The sets were gorgeous to look at - replica or not the locations were impressive.



The plot, like the novel, has enough twists and turns to keep the audience engrossed and some of the set pieces, especially the "fire" scene are very unsettling to watch. There was a good mix of suspense and action to break up all the talking and trips to the Vatican Archives (which was not anything like I pictured them to be when I read the book!)

Ewan McGregor gets a great role in this movie, he was always the character that intrigued me most in the novel and McGregor does him justice. I won't spoil about him, but you understand after the halfway mark why such a famous actor was cast in the seemingly unimportant role.He was the pick of the actors delivering a stunning performance in the movie.

The key to Angels and Demons superiority is in the pacing.Here the movie is set over a night, and it works all the better for it. The plot zips along, and all the talky dialogue is usually done while driving or running to the next location to prevent a murder. The murders themselves are shot superbly, although the Air murder is nowhere near as gory as depicted in the novel,I liked the execution of the twist for the most part.

One of my main assumptions about modern entertainment, is that the book is always better then the film. Indeed, the case is no different here but the point I want to stress is that the film leaves a lot of stuff out and even alters certain events or details. However, in retrospect I can see that this suits the fast paced narrative and by no means does it spoil the film.

This movie is, in my opinion, one of those movies which you can love or you can really dislike. Probably the audience who read the book can be quite disappointed by the absence of elements of the storyline etc. I myself am one of the readers of Angels and Demons and I was quite surprised by this movie. I liked the acting and to me it accomplished its primary goal which is entertainment.

We also get a closer look into the inner workings of the Vatican and the fabled history of the Illuminati.The movie throws light upon what actually happens and how a POPE is selected from the conclave ceremony which happens behind closed doors.

The humour content is also enjoyable and coupled with the action scenes makes the movie an edge of the seat thriller gluing the audience's attention at all times. The thing that worked in both book and script was "ticking time bomb" fact. It both keeps the pace faster and puts a sense of purpose to whole movie.

From historical and beautiful Rome locations and replica of Vatican scenery to simpler explanations about Illumunati and their history with Catholic church the whole background was almost with novel.For those who have not read the book, read it! And later, you will be enticed to research more about Vatican lore, the Papacy, and the Illuminati, as I was, to distinguish what is fact from the fiction.



  • Rating : "PG"

P.S : Dan Brown has stated that he has ideas for about 12 future books featuring Robert Langdon.Well lets expect all these books to be as riveting like this one.

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