Weekly Review -- The good, the bad and the sinister

I saw some vastly different films this week. One was an independent film which, contrary to many other indies, did not concern real life issues. Sure, its intentions were good, but its script was bad. The other film is one I had wanted to see for a long time, finally got to it and did not regret it.


London (2005) -- Where to start? This film felt like I was watching the private life of someone like Paris Hilton or one of those creatures. In other words, it featured ugly nouveau riche people with so-called problems. When Sid (Chris Evans) learns that his ex-girlfriend London (Jessica Biel) is moving from New York to Los Angeles, he starts reflecting on their relationship, realizing how many mistakes he made during their time together. All the while, we meet some of their mutual friends, like party girl Rebecca (Isla Fisher) and bartender Mallory (Joy Bryant), all of whom have something to say about the situation. From one pretentious dialogue to yet another shallow character, 45 minutes into the movie I was ready for it to end. Let me first say that I am sick and tired of the bling mentality that is occupying culture nowadays. Judging by the style of this film, it is now creeping into cinema, and it presents a sad state of affairs. Throughout the film, I kept wondering if these people have any semblance of jobs in their lives and just how they could afford the lofts they hung out at, as well as the cocaine and heroine and whatever else they were shoving up their noses. This film consists of a vacuous story populated by cardboard characters. True, some of the dialogues do show realistic relationship dilemmas, the film has that much going for it. However, none of the characters are developed enough for the audience to care. The screenplay leaves much to be desired and comprehended. Quasi-philosophical dialogues pop up out of nowhere, the characters jump from one situation to the next without any background stories and most of them are very irritating, anyway, leaving one completely neutral to their "troubles". I cannot remember the last movie where I cared this little for the characters. Overall, I got the impression that the film was trying to emulate The Rules of Attraction with its liberal approach to sex and aloof characters. The trouble with the sincerest form of flattery in this case was that Rules was set in the context of the materialistic, sexually daring 80's -- the setting that managed to make the novel and film's issues poignant -- while London has no context that would make us relate to the story. The tagline of the film is "A film about love and her victims". I am sorry to report that I was a victim of this film, but hey, the good news is that you do not have to be.

3/10
(for Jason Statham's performance, the good ending and some very appropriate music)


Sisters (1973) -- One can barely talk about Brian De Palma's films without mentioning the hitchcockian elements in his work. Sisters, the film that propelled De Palma into mainstream cinema, is no different, its thematic elements and musical score paying tribute to the late master of suspense. The story concerns a pair of Quebécois Siamese twins, Danielle and Dominique Blanchion (Margot Kidder), who are successfully separated in their adolescence. Years later, Danielle is working as a model in New York. After a rendez-vous with Phillip (Lisle Wilson), he ends up dead in her apartment and the apparent murder has been witnessed by Danielle's reporter neighbor Grace (Jennifer Salt). Since the police fail to take action, Grace decides to do a bit of investigating on her own, soon realizing that not everything is as it seems. As with many De Palma films, the style is half of the film's substance and half the fun of watching. The director's beloved split screen technique is used in an incredibly effective manner in a key scene; in some other parts, it almost makes us feel like voyeurs, allowing us to glimpse into crime scenes and twisted lives. The acting is very spontaneous, further enhancing the bizarre circumstances. Kidder is disarming as Danielle, making the audience sympathize with her tortured character. Salt's Grace is an intrepid, smart cookie who the audience roots for, while De Palma regular William Finley, who plays Emil Breton, only needs one unsettling stare to go from creepy to possessively caring. This film is a satisfying thriller, with intelligent twists, some very disturbing flashbacks and an ending you did not see coming.

8/10