Ramcsays….

Me, after coming to United States drastically created myself a special interest in different genre of movies. One of which  is the ‘Drama’. I adored watching action movies but the opportunity i got to watch different movies made me re-think that do i like Drama more than action movies? Thanks for Bloomington Library and my job for giving me enough time for watching movies.Well, here are few movies where i started to enorm Drama and Musicals than action movies.

First and foremost, I would go with a classic Musical – Singin’ in the Rain – A Masterpiece. What a glorious feeling. Yes, truly I had a glorious feeling watching this all-time classic. With every single song and each individual scene in the film so indelibly ingrained – watching it with sheer awesomeness. The tap dancing episodes so affectionately embraced the celluloid, you could not take your eyes off the episode.

The movie is about the times of transition from silent movies to talkies. The kind of subtle humor in the film is unique, of its own kind. Remember that the movie was made way back in 1952 and at that time, a master with such imagination would make this movie and the director (who was also the protagonist in this movie) was fantastic in it! This movie is listed in AFI’s 100 years of Musicals and still stands 5^th in the best movies ever made list by AFI. I liked the movie so much because –  it was my first movie in this genre and it showed me how a musical can pull you into the movie and you get so involved in it. And yeah for first time watchers like me, it would be a totally new feeling and you will love it..!

I, as an amateur writer constantly struggled to find words to describe how great the experience was, as some glorious moments can only be felt and cannot be described.

I would thank my colleague Chris, an avid classic movie follower, for inviting me to watch this movie and watching it on Blue-ray – was a DELIGHT.

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Next in the line is one of the best ever made Drama movie – its the Product of Clint Eastwood, and gosh how does his brain work to make such movies. Its Gran Torino. After watching this i followed his movies Changeling, Million Dollar Baby, Invictus. A truly original approach, seminal unconventional and underivative. Well, yet to watch more of his movies.

Untill I watched this movie – I only heard of him, I just know he is a great actor, his voice such commanding, was the life for any character he portrayed. Yes, I am talking about Clint Eastwood. I never saw any of his movies but this one took me by surprise as how any actor even at the age of 78 could not only direct a movie, but also act and fight. I cursed my ignorance about not watching his movies before, this movie made me search his filmography and now i am planning to watch few of his movies. Also, to my surprise, realised that Million Dollar Baby is his product.

And coming back to the movie – the movie is about a veteran who saves his neighborhood, a Hmong family from criminals in crime – ridden city. And the most important thing in this movie and one should appreciate and love is its Originality. It’s so simple that while watching the movie you will get a feeling that it’s happening right in front of you and you are seeing these in your daily life. How many movies will give you a feeling like that?

My article above about this movie is kept simple with no excited words to describe it, because the movie just happens and you will not get a feeling that you watched a movie for 2 hrs. Watch it to know it!!!

More movies …….Yet to come………………………………………………

The basic advantage of the movies on true stories is – It has the strong story line and if a good director can put in some effort to make it interesting , intriguing then the movie comes out oustandingly brilliant. Ben Affleck was successful in doing so. Ben Affleck ably kept the story on track without making audience loose the anxiety of what happens next. And the last half an hour of the movie was astonishingly made.

For all this, it would be obtuse to deny how very watchable this movie is is and how powerfully and confidently Ben Affleck socks it over. He handles a big, long picture with directorial calm and strength, and every character’s performance has the same powerful qualities, along with intelligence and dignity. Simply, Argo has the considerable advantage of not looking like everything else around. What a bold, virile, operatic piece of film-making from this director.
To just keep it short Argo is compelling, real story – period thriller and least i can say,  There’s just something satisfying about seeing a movie so well made. Two way Thumps-up.

Argo – F*** Yourself!!!

Bourne Legacy is based on Robert Ludlum’s novel of the same name, and akin to its previous installments the plot is entirely different from the novel. The movie is based on an intriguing storyline, and when compared to the previous Bourne versions gives an impression that the execution didn’t quite go well. Tony Gilroy who was also the screen writer for the earlier Bourne movies directed this movie. When you are using the name Bourne, which is associated with the most successful non sci-fi trilogy ever made on the celluloid, and pairing it up wih the word Legacy – it ought to carry the magnetism of the character, the plot and the narration.

What is missing in this sequel?

The first and foremost thing is the fascination of the character Bourne in the trilogy, which you look for endlessly in Cross’ character in Legacy. Bourne was man on a mission, whose character hustled through like a missile, whose smart work held the reins and kept us glued to the seats all through. This whole thing was missing in the character Cross. Cross is shown just as an Agent who has got skills to tackle the bad guys which is usual for any CIA Agent. As a character Bourne was a true rarity and potentially villainous. Bourne made us wonder if he possessed any super human abilities but Cross never comes close to impress us that far.

And the next thing were the action sequences – Let’s take the Ultimatum – some sequences like the one shot in Waterloo station in London (the place where the Journalist gets killed), was technically a chase but done in such a realistic way to look something very new to the audience. The brutal slugfest between Bourne and Desh to save Nicky Parsons, the roof top chase – The intensity and momentum of such scenes were definitely missing in the Legacy. Every scene looked so intense and catchy while Bourne mislead the CIA with his shrewd tactics. It was all a prefect cat and mouse race, mouse catching up with the cat, all the time. Whatever Cross does looks predictable and certainly the consequences too. This is where Bourne Trilogy stood out.

The background score is one of the reasons for the Bourne’s earlier movies to be so intensifying and haunting, but it is not the same with Legacy.

And coming to the dialogue part – “You are nine hours behind the toughest target you have ever chased in your life”, “Jesus Christ – that’s Jason Bourne”, “They don’t do mistakes “. This is how the heroic nature of the character gets elevated. Certainly these kinda things were missing in this movie

The other Agents who were assigned to kill Bourne looked equally dangerous and always posed a threat to Bourne’s life, but in Legacy the Agent who is sent to kill Cross never really catches up with Cross and is not as intimidating.  Bourne drove the movie – CIA operated according to his movements, but in here Cross was driven by the CIA.

What’s good in Bourne Legacy? :

The performances. Jeremy Renner as Cross looks good and does what’s expected of him, but I was wondering “Is there any other guy who could have done this role..?” Jeremy Renner has come off age to have pulled off this intense role. Its his characterization and narration that makes him look pale against Bourne but not his performance. Edward Norton has fit the bill as a baddie with his usual good performance.

While Bourne Legacy may not seem as solid as the earlier Bourne movies it’s different in its own way. The legacy is carried in the action department atleast. The only chase in the climax was very well shot and no one would take the eyes off the scene. And the camera work was same as the Bourn’s last two installments. One of the interesting things is the director left a possibility to make a Bourne next, with Jason Bourne in it while indicating Pamela Landy as culprit and Noah Vosen innocent. This may lead the government agencies to get back to the actions of Bourne. As an fan I wish there would be no fifth installment in Bourne Series. Let it be the best Trilogy ever made.

P.S : I referred to Bourne’s earlier movies more often and not as much about the Legacy , that’s understandable how much I liked the Bourne trilogy than this one. This movie is fantastic but its tough to say this indeed is the Bourne Legacy, literally.

Bourne went towards the death for saving himself, Cross, away from death and this, my friends, is the standout difference between the two characters and, the Bourne triology and Legacy.

Its a prime example of the greatest Story Telling on a film. Gone with the wind is the amalgam of everything and every character tells us something. It includes jealousy, emotion, suffering, love, attachment and what else a film needs to have it.

The most impressive thing about this epic, though, is that it uses all the extra screen time to inform us about the personal lives of its characters. I felt it as a most ambitious film making from movies made in Hollywood. One may wonder it won 10 Academy Awards , but i say in those days no film has everything that excelled Gone With The Wind in all aspects.
I was shocked during my first viewing, at how unlikable the characters truly are. Instead of taking the easy route and making a movie with likable characters the director makes you care about two characters that are selfish, cocky, and conniving. The ending is absolutely one of the most rewarding endings in film history! The last words heard by Gable are some of the most famous in film history.

“Frankly, My Dear, I dont give a Damn”

Overall, if you have not seen it, then take 4 hours off of your weekend and give it a play. This is a film every movie fan should have on their resume.