British enfant terrible Ken Russell’s Altered States was an adaptation of a book of the same name by Paddy Chayefsky, but the author (who was also the screenwriter for the movie) disowned it after he saw the final cut. The movie starred William Hurt as an eccentric underground scientist who is obsessed with his experiments on altered states of human consciousness and human evolution – so much so that he starts resorting his bizarre experiments on himself. Suffice it to say, the consequences of his spending hours in an enclosed chamber and self-infliction of hallucinogenic drugs, are grotesque to say the least. Accompanying him on this fantastical journey are his loving wife, his ever-loyal friend, and a disbelieving doctor. The director juxtaposed the ominous tone with prolonged usage of psychedelic lights, imageries and sounds, to present us a movie that does a decent job in treading the fine line between a disturbing, visceral experience on one hand, and silliness and ludicrosity on the other. Russell’s overt self-indulgence would be evident to anyone who has watched the film, yet there’s also a strangely engaging quality about the disorienting visual fest, outlandish psycho-babble, and especially the excellently crafted sequences with the ape-man that he dished us in this “body horror”. The acting too was good if not great.
Director: Ken Russell
Genre: Psychological Horror/Sci-Fi
Language: English
Country: US
Vietnam War was a watershed event for all of America, and rarely has something as serious as that was made to look so utterly farcical as in Joseph Heller’s brilliant book Catch-22. M*A*S*H, the pointed satire that catapulted Robert Altman to the highest echelons of critical acclaim and popularity, could perhaps be qualified as the cinematic counterpart of the groundbreaking novel. Controversial, anti-establishmentarian and unapologetically in-your-face, this superb black comedy gleefully mocked at the utter ludicrosity of not just the Vietnam War but all wars in general. The irreverent and iconoclastic movie chronicles the acts of blasphemous defiance by the doctors and nurses of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, led by the brazenly rebellious duo of Hawkeye Pierce (Donald Sutherland) and Trapper John McIntyre (Elliott Gould). The film is filled with loads of jokes and innuendoes that might seem crass, offensive, politically incorrect and sexist to many; but to think of it, the total dismissal of anything to do with morality, religion, bureaucracy and authority with such impudence and nonchalance was perhaps Altman’s intent to begin with – and in turn one of the principal reasons for its seamless entry into the collective consciousness of its age. And, at the end of the day, all the socio-political ramifications aside, the movie sure was hilarious. Each of the series of eccentric characters were incredibly sketched and superbly performed by the ensemble cast, with improvisation playing a key role in the film’s success.
Director: Robert Altman
Genre: Black Comedy/Political Satire/Social Satire/Ensemble Film/War Film
Language: English
Country: US
Terry Gilliam is renowned for his incredible sci-fi satire Brazil. 12 Monkeys, though not of the same caliber, nonetheless remains a competent sci-fi set in a dystopian timeframe. A dark and intense examination of the meaning of “madness” and how its definition varies from person to person, the movie is about time-traveller James Cole (Bruce Willis), a prisoner in the future, being sent to the past to unravel the origin of and possibly thwart the virus attack that has wiped out nearly the entire humanity. Upon his journey to past he befriends a sympathetic psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) who, initially reluctantly and later willingly, becomes his only ally, and also the mad, rabble-rousing son (Brad Pitt) of a world-famous biochemist. The film delivers the goods in creating an atmosphere that is filled to its brim with grime and grunge, which in turns helps in holding our attention despite the plot not being its biggest strength. Bruce Willis, as the time-traveller on the verge of insanity and perpetually plagued by a sense of déjà vu (through his recurring dreams), gave a solid performance, as did the beautiful Madeleine Stowe; the show however was befittingly stolen by Brad Pitt for his gleefully over-the-top supporting turn. Though not a great film per se, over the years it has managed to gain considerable cult following.
Director: Terry Gilliam
Genre: Thriller/Sci-Fi
Language: English
Country: US
In the last few years films from Far East Asian countries, especially Japan and Korea, have set the standards for horror movies – a fact substantiated by the number of American remakes they inspire. A Tale of Two Sisters, which can essentially be clubbed as psychological horror, is decidedly a part of that trend. Directed by Kim Jee-Woon, one of the most exciting Korean filmmakers of today, and inspired by an ancient folklore, the movie is not so much about supernatural elements as it is about exploration such themes as familial dysfunction, memory, loss and mental disintegration. The most noteworthy aspect about the movie is that the eerie and spooky moments it comprises of have been very well complemented by its melancholic tone and lush visuals. The plot begins with two closely-knit sisters arriving at an isolated house, located at the middle of nowhere, to stay with their father and step-mother. Not only would be criminal of me to reveal any more of the plot, it would also be exceedingly difficult for me to do so given its byzantine nature. The third act might seem too mind-bending for some and the climax especially cryptic and ambiguous – but in my opinion they added to the very essence of the film as this was anyway never planned to be an open-and-shut kind of work. The acting in this haunting mood-piece is also really good and engaging.
Director: Kim Jee-Woon
Genre: Horror/Psychological Horror/Family Drama
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea
The Romanian New Wave, known for naturalistic depictions of life in the country, has given us some truly memorable gems in the last few years. Tuesday, After Christmas, though not of the same caliber as say 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, 12:08 East of Bucharest, California Dreamin’, Tales from the Golden Age, etc., is nonetheless another feather in the country’s cap. A tale on adultery and the aftermaths of its revelation, the film is about a middle-aged married man with a doting daughter, who has fallen in love with a pretty and much younger lady. Despite the seemingly lurid theme, the events and the characters are portrayed as utterly and unspectacularly quotidian, as a consequence of which the dynamics and the interactions are both intensely believable and subtly disquieting. The fact that the revelation takes place around the time of Christmas – an occasion otherwise marked by celebration, happiness and familial bonding, has made this movie quietly resonating, heartbreaking and powerful as well. Minimalistic and intensely realistic in nature, the film is largely bereft of any background scores or quotable dialogues, has made great use of gripping long takes, and is filled with exceedingly naturalistic performances.
Director: Radu Muntean
Genre: Drama/Family Drama
Language: Romanian
Country: Romania
The Godfather Part III was the final chapter in Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather trilogy. Though it undoubtedly pales in comparison to the towering brilliance of the first two films in the trilogy, it still stands as a good film that brought the epic saga to a satisfactory and meaningful conclusion. Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), now an ageing patriarch of the immensely powerful Corleone family, is on one hand trying his best to keep his promise to his former wife by making the family business fully legit, while at the same time completely being engulfed by an overarching sense of deep guilt over his various acts of crime and violence - especially that of his brother Fredo’s cold blooded execution. The film therefore was as much about keeping up with a new series of antagonists, particularly the cocky celebrity-gangster Joey Zaza and the smooth-talking and back-stabbing Don Altobello (Eli Wallach), as it was about Michael’s poignant reminiscing of his life that could have been and his futile attempts at redemption and peace of mind. The film is a tad uneven at parts. Its performances too are mixed – while Eli Wallach and Andy Garcia (as the illegitimate son of Michael’s long-dead elder brother Andy, and the chosen successor to the clan) were good, Sofia Coppola was a severe disappointment as Michael’s naïve daughter; Al Pacino’s performance too was affecting without ever touching greatness. The film was exceptionally photographed as before, and the final scene, which was both ironic and sad, had a sense of Shakespearean tragedy written on it.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Genre: Crime Drama/Gangster Film/Ensemble Film
Language: English/Sicilian
Country: US
Vicky Cristina Barcelona is not set in New York and it isn’t loaded with quirkiness or neurosis; that said, it has most other archetypes that Woody Allen films are known by, viz. self-loathing intellectuals, love and heartbreak. And though it never managed to even come close to the sheer brilliance of his masterpieces, it nonetheless garnered far more support vis-à-vis his other recent works. The movie is about two art-loving friends (and, unsurprisingly New Yorkers) who have come to spend their summer vacation at Barcelona, the cultural melting point of Spain. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) is a happily engaged girl who ends up having a one-night-stand with Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), a self-destructive painter. The more extroverted Cristina (Scarlet Johansson), on the other hand, moves in with the charming and erudite artist, only for her blissful life to be disrupted by the arrival of Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz), Juan Antonio’s suicidal and stunning ex-wife. The film is lovingly shot and has a leisurely (even tranquil) feel to its narrative. And Woody, with his eye for detail where portraying a city goes, managed to capture Barcelona with all its glorious details, while also painting with broad strokes the tragedies of heart therein.
Director: Woody Allen
Genre: Drama/Romantic Drama
Language: English
Country: US/Spain
