Film, life and everything in between
Weekly Review -- Obsessed into oblivion
Renaissance (2006) -- Somewhere between film noir and the urban dreamscapes of Blade Runner lies Christian Volckman's Renaissance. The film takes place in the bleak Paris of 2054, where the corporate monopoly is held by Avalon, a company that touts eternal youth and beauty as a prerequisite for a happy life. With the city's crime rate increasing, one of Avalon's prodigious scientists, Dr. Ilona Tasuiev (voiced by Romola Garai in the English language version), disappears without a trace. Detective Barthélémy Karas (Daniel Craig) takes the case, teaming up with Ilona's sister, Bislane (Catherine McCormack) to find out more about her daily life and likely enemies. As the duo learn more about Ilona, they also get deeper into Avalon's shady politics, never knowing where the next discovery will lead them. The stark, black-and-white animation of the film suits the industrialized mood of the story and also contributes to some unique scenes; a sequence that involves a glass floor is particularly gorgeous. The acting is very good. Garai brings out the various emotions and inner conflicts that Ilona has to deal with, while Craig is authoritative as Karas. The story is timeless, pun completely intended. It is a story about obsession, life and various societal pressures, many of which are already sneaking or being downright shoved into our lives by today's media. The film is an ominous fairytale that reminds us to thread carefully, since we are not that far from 2054 Paris, after all.9/10
Weekly Review -- Technobsessed
It just so happens that all the films I saw this week revolve around modern technology. They all deal with 21st century techno fascination in different ways, from the adrenaline-pumped to the comical to the terrifying and back to pure excitement.
Live Free or Die Hard (2007) -- The fourth installment in the popular series is an enormously entertaining, action-packed adventure. This time around, hapless Detective JohnMcClane (Bruce Willis) is dealing with a cyber meltdown that is slowly destroying the infrastructure of the United States on July 4, while taking hacker Matt Farrell (Justin Long) to the FBI for questioning and trying to make peace with his estranged daughter Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The dialogue is full of humorous quips that the series is known for, and the chemistry between Willis and Long is hilarious and endearing. The bad guys are pretty interesting, and not just collages of one-dimensional villains from various other action movies. Even though their actions are inexcusably psychopathic, for lack of a better term, there is a great motive offered to propel the villains' part of the plot and to take their intentions to the next level. Timothy Olyphant is appropriately sinister as the main baddie, Thomas Gabriel, while Maggie Q is a dynamic addition to the proceedings, playing remorseless partner-in-crime Mai Lihn with great relish. The movie's stunts are a joy to watch. Some have said that the stunts were a bit over the top and far-fetched, but hey, so what? You do not expect a car to shoot down a helicopter in real life, and scenes like those are the reason why you would watch a movie like this one. I think that director Len Wiseman, whose Underworld was an incoherent mess for me, has found his niche in the action genre. Live Free or Die Hard is the reason summer blockbusters were invented.
9/10
Alchemy (2005) -- I discovered this film purely by accident and it proved to be quite a find. In the midst of his budgeting problems, university computer scientist Mal Downey (Tom Cavanagh) decides to conduct a study in collaboration with a popular women's magazine. His quest - to find out if a woman will fall in love with a computer or an egotistical professor, after both attempt wooing her. The woman in question is ditzy, struggling actress Samantha Rose (Sarah Chalke), who then starts falling for Mal himself. However, things start getting complicated when the computer gets a face... The film is a breezy tale of love and chemistry, with elements of a situation comedy and slapstick thrown freely around. The dialogue feels a little stale sometimes, like in the last half hour, but the screenplay is very fresh and satisfying overall. Cavanagh and Chalke share a genuine rapport, adding quite a spark to some otherwise contrived parts, such as the first two wedding scenes. The film makes some clever points about the search for love in the modern age, as well as initial attraction and connection between soul mates. I also found Luke Geissbuhler's cinematography very warm and appealing, and found that its neutrality added to the universal meaning of the story. If you would like to see a romantic comedy with a twinkle in its eye, see Alchemy.
7/10
Alone With Her (2006) -- Without a doubt the creepiest film I have seen in a while, this voyeuristic piece of cinema is a terrifying glimpse into the mind of a stalker. Doug (Colin Hanks), a mentally unstable young man, becomes obsessed with watching and recording Amy's (Ana Claudia Talancón) every move. He worms his way into her life, stealing her trust and spying on her 24/7, with Amy completely oblivious to her loss of privacy. When he is satisfied with her behavior towards him, he does favors for her; when he gets angry, the consequences for Amy are dire. So, how long can this go on? The dark and intrusive style of the film is perfect, not only for the story, but also for depicting these two opposing personalities -- carefree and naive Amy and obsessive, calculating Doug. The events are shot entirely from the perspective of Doug's hidden cameras, one of the many aspects which make the audience extremely uncomfortable. Hanks is disturbing enough as Doug, who leeches off of Amy's innocence, does not leave her alone and does not allow her to simply live her life. Talancón is relatable as Amy, an everyday girl who gets caught up in terrifying circumstances that are literally beyond her control.**SPOILERS (please highlight to read)**The ending is tragic, but suitable. I believe that a happy ending would have negated the effect of the story in a big way. There are many real-life stalking cases which have ended in fatality, so the film's courage to show a realistic and somber ending to such a situation should be applauded.**END OF SPOILERS**Alone With Her is a movie that effectively sterilizes and destroys any semblance of a normal relationship within its storyline. It is frightening, it is mind-numbing and it is shocking; however, for some people, it is an overwhelmingly disastrous part of their lives.8/10
Renaissance (2006) -- Somewhere between film noir and the urban dreamscapes of Blade Runner lies Christian Volckman's Renaissance. The film takes place in the bleak Paris of 2054, where the corporate monopoly is held by Avalon, a company that touts eternal youth and beauty as a prerequisite for a happy life. With the city's crime rate increasing, one of Avalon's prodigious scientists, Dr. Ilona Tasuiev (voiced by Romola Garai in the English language version), disappears without a trace. Detective Barthélémy Karas (Daniel Craig) takes the case, teaming up with Ilona's sister, Bislane (Catherine McCormack) to find out more about her daily life and likely enemies. As the duo learn more about Ilona, they also get deeper into Avalon's shady politics, never knowing where the next discovery will lead them. The stark, black-and-white animation of the film suits the industrialized mood of the story and also contributes to some unique scenes; a sequence that involves a glass floor is particularly gorgeous. The acting is very good. Garai brings out the various emotions and inner conflicts that Ilona has to deal with, while Craig is authoritative as Karas. The story is timeless, pun completely intended. It is a story about obsession, life and various societal pressures, many of which are already sneaking or being downright shoved into our lives by today's media. The film is an ominous fairytale that reminds us to thread carefully, since we are not that far from 2054 Paris, after all.
