John Lee Hancock
is a very choosy person. How did I deduce
that? Well, in 54 years, Hancock has made 7 movies and written 9
screenplays. Of these 16 pieces of work,
4 overlap leaving us with a total of 12 assignments. In a career spanning over 20 years, that’s being
choosy. But that’s also being a stickler
for perfection – The Rookie, Alamo and The Blind Side are 3 of Hancock’s recent
works.
Showing posts with label Emma Thompson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emma Thompson. Show all posts
Friday, 7 February 2014
Friday, 12 April 2013
Love Actually
How many of you
guys remember this sequence from Love Actually where Mark (Andrew Lincoln)
tells Juliet (Keira Knightley) what he truly feels about her. It is titled – To Me You Are Perfect - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7u6bMBlCXw. If you haven’t seen the movie, watch the clip
and you will rush to the nearest store to get your hands on the DVD.
Friday, 29 June 2012
Brave
Sorry! Sorry!! Sorry!!! Like Really Really Really Sorry!!!! Most of all to Disney and more to the readers of this blog. It has been nearly a week since I saw the best animation movie of the year to date and I haven’t done anything to urge you folks to make your way to the nearest theatre to watch an absolutely gorgeous Red Haired Merida (Kelly Macdonald) ride through not the just the woods but into your hearts with absolute ease. And I know I sound like a fan boy but what the heck. I love animation and I love Disney Pixar. So all bias forgiven.
The essence of Brave – and there is no need to scream “Spoiler Alert” – is summarized in the last 2 lines of the movie. Something that all of us could actually take away a lot from. “Our fate lives within us. You only have to be BRAVE enough to see it”. That one line is what people keep giving us but very few of us are actually BRAVE. Princess Merida definitely was.
Not because Princess Merida was a brilliant archer – which wasn’t what a princess is supposed to be. Not because Princess Merida could ride like the wind (especially on her favourite steed Angus) – which wasn’t what a princess was supposed to be. Not because Princess Merida wanted her frizzled red hair to be open enough to breath (or for that matter her clothes) – which wasn’t what a princess was supposed to be.
It was because she had a belief in herself that pushed her to stall a wedding which was all but sealed in blood. A belief that got her to run away from home and do something really stupid i.e. get a witch to create a concoction that turns her mother into a bear. But the same belief that gets her to stand up to the situation and find a way out of the mess that she has got herself into.
Brenda Chapman was the first American woman to direct a full length animation feature film from a major studio in Prince of Egypt. Why did she stop is something I am not familiar with. But the magic that she created in 1996 is only magnified significantly with the use of technology that is accessible to us these days. She has also partnered in the screenplay with the lead directors Mark Andrews and Steve Purcell both of whom had no major experience in directing before. Surely Chapman was of great help.
Original music by Patrick Doyle (also the voice of Martin) & fabulous editing by Nicholas Smith come together to give us an extremely enjoyable movie from the house of Disney Pixar (tell me something new… yawn!!!...). The good news for us animation fans is that Dreamworks is also doing fabulously well. So one can expect more such blockbusters in the near future. 8 on 10 for Brave. Watch out for the slow motion release of the arrow when Merida challenges her suitors – makes the entire movie totally worth while.
Watch the trailer on http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi678863641/
The essence of Brave – and there is no need to scream “Spoiler Alert” – is summarized in the last 2 lines of the movie. Something that all of us could actually take away a lot from. “Our fate lives within us. You only have to be BRAVE enough to see it”. That one line is what people keep giving us but very few of us are actually BRAVE. Princess Merida definitely was.
Not because Princess Merida was a brilliant archer – which wasn’t what a princess is supposed to be. Not because Princess Merida could ride like the wind (especially on her favourite steed Angus) – which wasn’t what a princess was supposed to be. Not because Princess Merida wanted her frizzled red hair to be open enough to breath (or for that matter her clothes) – which wasn’t what a princess was supposed to be.
It was because she had a belief in herself that pushed her to stall a wedding which was all but sealed in blood. A belief that got her to run away from home and do something really stupid i.e. get a witch to create a concoction that turns her mother into a bear. But the same belief that gets her to stand up to the situation and find a way out of the mess that she has got herself into.
Brenda Chapman was the first American woman to direct a full length animation feature film from a major studio in Prince of Egypt. Why did she stop is something I am not familiar with. But the magic that she created in 1996 is only magnified significantly with the use of technology that is accessible to us these days. She has also partnered in the screenplay with the lead directors Mark Andrews and Steve Purcell both of whom had no major experience in directing before. Surely Chapman was of great help.
Original music by Patrick Doyle (also the voice of Martin) & fabulous editing by Nicholas Smith come together to give us an extremely enjoyable movie from the house of Disney Pixar (tell me something new… yawn!!!...). The good news for us animation fans is that Dreamworks is also doing fabulously well. So one can expect more such blockbusters in the near future. 8 on 10 for Brave. Watch out for the slow motion release of the arrow when Merida challenges her suitors – makes the entire movie totally worth while.
Watch the trailer on http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi678863641/
Friday, 25 May 2012
Men In Black 3
Now this franchise is 15 years old… or should I say 15 years young!!!! 1997 is the first time we were saved from the scum of the universe. 15 years and a sequel later, we have the same team – and that to me is THE most surprising part of MIB III – the same team, coming back to save us from some more scum. Now how is that for a benchmark of commitment towards consistency? Take a bow people. Take a bow!!!
And Barry Sonnenfeld doesn’t disappoint. The director of other hits such as RV and Wild Wild West, teams up with his favourite star – Will Smith – once again to give us some vintage MIB stuff. All with upto date techniques of visual effects. Add to that some really good Alien Effects from Rick Baker – in a movie like this it deserved to be called out separately in the credits. What you get at the end of the day is the MIB essence which people in my age bracket have grown up with. But you also get a product that will appeal to the “children” of today ;) (notice the evident sarcasm).
J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are going about their business as usual saving the earth and reporting to their new boss O (Emma Thompson). But on the last 2 stake outs, J starts noticing something out of place and is not the most comfortable with K informing him that it is above his pay grade. Some more investigation and he finds out that Boris The Animal (Jemaine Clement) who has recently escaped the world’s most secure prison has something to do with this.
Boris, with the help of his hot aide, escapes the Lunar prison and using a time machine goes back to alter the course of the universe. He kills K – and that’s only because K didn’t kill him the previous time – and now J finds himself craving for chocolate milk. Are you confused already? Don’t be. Coz all of the above has been done really well in the movie. And rest assured you will not be as twisted around as you are now.
The essence of MIB is retained all through with the quirky dialogues which may make little or no sense to the young and uninitiated. But fear not – coz they have nothing to do with the movie . What has improved dramatically is the quality of visual effects and the emphasis on the aliens. The story line is as always very straightforward but complicated with the use of unpronounceable galaxies and species.
I read this in another review and I quote, “That old canard is right: comedy is not easy. Science fiction comedy is even less easy”. I cannot agree more. 7 on 10 for certain.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3916407065/
And Barry Sonnenfeld doesn’t disappoint. The director of other hits such as RV and Wild Wild West, teams up with his favourite star – Will Smith – once again to give us some vintage MIB stuff. All with upto date techniques of visual effects. Add to that some really good Alien Effects from Rick Baker – in a movie like this it deserved to be called out separately in the credits. What you get at the end of the day is the MIB essence which people in my age bracket have grown up with. But you also get a product that will appeal to the “children” of today ;) (notice the evident sarcasm).
J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are going about their business as usual saving the earth and reporting to their new boss O (Emma Thompson). But on the last 2 stake outs, J starts noticing something out of place and is not the most comfortable with K informing him that it is above his pay grade. Some more investigation and he finds out that Boris The Animal (Jemaine Clement) who has recently escaped the world’s most secure prison has something to do with this.
Boris, with the help of his hot aide, escapes the Lunar prison and using a time machine goes back to alter the course of the universe. He kills K – and that’s only because K didn’t kill him the previous time – and now J finds himself craving for chocolate milk. Are you confused already? Don’t be. Coz all of the above has been done really well in the movie. And rest assured you will not be as twisted around as you are now.
The essence of MIB is retained all through with the quirky dialogues which may make little or no sense to the young and uninitiated. But fear not – coz they have nothing to do with the movie . What has improved dramatically is the quality of visual effects and the emphasis on the aliens. The story line is as always very straightforward but complicated with the use of unpronounceable galaxies and species.
I read this in another review and I quote, “That old canard is right: comedy is not easy. Science fiction comedy is even less easy”. I cannot agree more. 7 on 10 for certain.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3916407065/
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Stranger Than Fiction
“As Harold took a bite of Bavarian Sugar Cookie he finally felt as if everything was going to be OK. Sometimes when we lose ourselves in fear & despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness & tragedy – we can thank god for Bavaraian sugar cookies. And fortunately when there aren’t any cookies we can find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin or a kind and loving gesture or a subtle encouragement or a loving embrace or an offer of comfort. Not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish and soft spoken secrets and Fender Stratocasters and maybe the occasional piece of fiction. And we must remember that all these things – the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties – which we assume only accessorise our days are for a much larger and nobler cause - They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange. But I also know that it so happens to be true” – Zack Helm, Writer
Quite a long way to start off a review. I know. But definitely a line worth sharing. Written by Zack Helm, Stranger than Fiction, is about Harold Crick – someone who would auto qualify for the “World’s Biggest Nerd” contest. He may in fact go on to win it. What with his capabilities of being able to multiply 11503 x 3486 on the fly (don’t hold me to the numbers please)? He is single. He counts the number of strokes he takes to brush his teeth every morning after he wakes up at exactly 7:13 am. He goes through the same routine diligently every morning before he gets to work by the 8:17 Metropolitan Bus. Now wait a minute – the worst is yet to come – He works for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS for short) – HE IS A TAXMAN!!!!!
All is seemingly fine in Harold’s life until one Wednesday morning he begins to hear a voice in his head describing everything that he is doing. A first Harold ignores it but after a few minutes it begins to get really irritating. Nothing that he does seems to get the voice out of his head. His structured days start going for a toss. As the constant narration gets to him, he has no other option but to see a shrink, Dr. Mittag Leffer (Linda Hunt) who diagnoses it as schizophrenia. Harold would hear nothing of it. His constant denial gets the good doc to guide him to Prof. Jules Hilbert who is an expert in Literature – since the Voice (Emma Thompson) is extremely eloquent and speaks in proper English. Adding to the spice, in a manner of speaking, is Ms. Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhall) who is a rebellious civilian who has not paid part of her taxes the previous year due to her objection to the money in which the taxes are being used.
The essence of STF is captured in the first paragraph of this review. However the core twist in the tale, the USP has to be seen to be believed. It is truly Stranger than Fiction to say the least. Zack Helm’s writing is superb and the narration is extremely tight. One may say that it gets slow in parts but that was absolutely required. Anything faster and we could have lost the plot. I have never been a huge fan of Will Ferrel but he has come up with an outstanding performance here. Probably his best to date. He is supported ably by Maggie Gyllenhaal who is definitely not THE most talented actress these days but can definitely act. Add to the fact that she looks normal which gets her to look just that bit sexier as well. I like her.
Add to this the extremely super talented troika of Emma Thompson, Queen Latifah and Dustin Hoffman. Emma plays the role of the voice and that of acclaimed author, Karen Eiffel who is stuck with the task of finishing her novel but is unable to do so since the lead character has to be killed. She is as always effortless in her acting. And that voice – so calm and composed and soothing to the ears. Rounding off the acting talent on display with Queen Latifah who plays Karen’s assistant and the oh so 60+ but yet cool and confident and still baby faced Dustin Hoffman. Marc Forster is indeed extremely lucky to have worked on a concept like STF with the cast that was on offer. STF is indeed a “different” movie – but even different movies have to be well executed. Very clearly a 7 on 10 minimum.
Quite a long way to start off a review. I know. But definitely a line worth sharing. Written by Zack Helm, Stranger than Fiction, is about Harold Crick – someone who would auto qualify for the “World’s Biggest Nerd” contest. He may in fact go on to win it. What with his capabilities of being able to multiply 11503 x 3486 on the fly (don’t hold me to the numbers please)? He is single. He counts the number of strokes he takes to brush his teeth every morning after he wakes up at exactly 7:13 am. He goes through the same routine diligently every morning before he gets to work by the 8:17 Metropolitan Bus. Now wait a minute – the worst is yet to come – He works for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS for short) – HE IS A TAXMAN!!!!!
All is seemingly fine in Harold’s life until one Wednesday morning he begins to hear a voice in his head describing everything that he is doing. A first Harold ignores it but after a few minutes it begins to get really irritating. Nothing that he does seems to get the voice out of his head. His structured days start going for a toss. As the constant narration gets to him, he has no other option but to see a shrink, Dr. Mittag Leffer (Linda Hunt) who diagnoses it as schizophrenia. Harold would hear nothing of it. His constant denial gets the good doc to guide him to Prof. Jules Hilbert who is an expert in Literature – since the Voice (Emma Thompson) is extremely eloquent and speaks in proper English. Adding to the spice, in a manner of speaking, is Ms. Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhall) who is a rebellious civilian who has not paid part of her taxes the previous year due to her objection to the money in which the taxes are being used.
The essence of STF is captured in the first paragraph of this review. However the core twist in the tale, the USP has to be seen to be believed. It is truly Stranger than Fiction to say the least. Zack Helm’s writing is superb and the narration is extremely tight. One may say that it gets slow in parts but that was absolutely required. Anything faster and we could have lost the plot. I have never been a huge fan of Will Ferrel but he has come up with an outstanding performance here. Probably his best to date. He is supported ably by Maggie Gyllenhaal who is definitely not THE most talented actress these days but can definitely act. Add to the fact that she looks normal which gets her to look just that bit sexier as well. I like her.
Add to this the extremely super talented troika of Emma Thompson, Queen Latifah and Dustin Hoffman. Emma plays the role of the voice and that of acclaimed author, Karen Eiffel who is stuck with the task of finishing her novel but is unable to do so since the lead character has to be killed. She is as always effortless in her acting. And that voice – so calm and composed and soothing to the ears. Rounding off the acting talent on display with Queen Latifah who plays Karen’s assistant and the oh so 60+ but yet cool and confident and still baby faced Dustin Hoffman. Marc Forster is indeed extremely lucky to have worked on a concept like STF with the cast that was on offer. STF is indeed a “different” movie – but even different movies have to be well executed. Very clearly a 7 on 10 minimum.
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