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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
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
George Lucas’ debut feature was in the genre he’s come to be associated with, viz. the sci-fi genre. But, contrary to what one might expect, it was a polar opposite to the kind of flamboyant extravaganza that he’s popular for thanks to his Star Wars series. THX 1138, expanded from his award-winning student short, is a brooding, disquieting, even surreal, exploration of an Orwellian future. Set in an unknown time in a dystopian, computer-controlled future where everyone is under perpetual surveillance, and a pristine, dehumanising environ reminiscent of Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, the film has Robert Duvall as the eponymous bald-headed nameless protagonist. Always dressed in white androgynous attires, he ends up committing two crimes considered inexcusable by the state – those of reducing his sedatives and making love with his female roommate (Maggie McOmie); and these end up in providing him with the resolve to break free. Less about plot, the film is filled with claustrophobic visuals and an oppressive, menacing tone. However, that said, I found the film a tad uneven, and deliberately artsy and sluggish at times – but I’m sure these facets can be forgiven given the challenging nature of this 1984-esque mood piece.
Director: George Lucas
Genre: Sci-Fi/ Thriller
Language: English
Country: US
George Romero is considered the father of zombie flicks courtesy his iconic debut film Night of the Living Dead in particular and his “Living Dead” series in general. But, as happens in such case, the other works of such filmmakers tend to get lost – case in point, his pseudo-vampire film Martin. The shoddy look of this ultra-low-budget film and its moments of grisly violence might be off-putting to some, more so given its subject matter; but one shouldn’t be misled as this remains an interesting, intriguing and intelligent reworking of the vampire sub-genre. It’s protagonist is a shy and quiet young guy – the eponymous Martin. However, contrary to his demeanour, and as pointed out in the chilling opening sequence, he has a bizarre fetish for blood, maybe even necrophilia. Consequently one would imagine he’s a vampire. However, unlike those belonging to that mythical clan, he doesn’t satisfy any of the criteria that have come to define vampires, viz. being afraid of the cross, avoiding sunlight, possessing super-human strength, etc. That said, his uncle, in whose house (located in a dilapidated small town) he takes lodging, refuses to believe in Martin’s logic that there’s no such thing as “magic”, and this ultimately leads to a shocking finale. The movie is completely bereft of any stylization or artificially infused thrill-quotient; its matter of fact tone, leisurely pace and seedy picturisation are hence responsible for its nightmarish and haunting qualities.
Director: George A. Romero
Genre: Horror/Drama/Psychological Drama
Language: English
Country: US
Directed by Hollywood’s enfant terrible Samuel Fuller, The Naked Kiss was a heady concoction of noirish sensibilities, tabloid storytelling, psychological drama, social commentary and melodramatic kitsch – the movie is hence sure to create ambivalent reactions among most viewers. It starts off in spectacular fashion. The electrifying opening sequence shows a hooker, Kelly (played with delicacy and charm by Constance Towers) clobbering her pimp with a stiletto; most of the scene is shown through the pimp’s eyes, so it feels as if her fury and aggression are directed at the viewers! She escapes from her sordid life to a small, ‘clean’ town in order to start her life afresh. She has a lurid encounter there with the local sheriff. Eventually she does manage to make a decent living, and even falls in love with the town’s most eligible bachelor. However, she’s unaware of the grotesque blemish that he harbours, and consequently it’s not long before the details of her scandalous past travel all the way there to derail her best-laid plans to leave all her baggage behind. By the time the movie ends, you wouldn’t know whether you’ve been served something special or the director has blatantly manipulated you, but you’ll like the movie nonetheless – I guess that’s Sam Fuller for you.
Director: Samuel Fuller
Genre: Drama/Psychological Drama/Crime Drama/Neo-Noir
Language: English
Country: US
New York Stories, an omnibus comprising of three short films based on New York and New Yorkers, bears the astounding distinction of serving as the confluence of three of the greatest American filmmakers – Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Woody Allen. Scorsese’s Life Lessons is about an ageing, moody and brilliant painter (a compelling Nick Nolte) in self-destructive love with a bitchy and much younger girl; Coppola’s Life Without Zoe deals with a few days in the life of Zoe, a lonely 12-year girl and daughter of a renowned, globe-trotting flautist; Allen’s Oedipus Wrecks concerns a successful Jewish lawyer (played by Allen himself) whose life and relationship (with Mia Farrow) are on the docks courtesy his domineering mother. Scorsese and Allen have, over their careers, created masterpieces with Big Apple as the backdrop, and their shorts, though never equaling their best works, are certainly worth a watch – Scorsese’s edgy and melancholic, while Allen’s darkly funny and self-deprecating. The one by Coppola, however, tuned out to be rambling, a tad pretentious, and thus ultimately disappointing – saved only by the fact that his fantastical short was sandwiched between two reasonably assured works. The three shorts do not have any connecting thread apart from their locale, thus making the whole seem disjointed; nonetheless, any project that brings such powerhouse filmmakers on the same platform should automatically become a must-watch for any cinephile worth his salt.
Directors: Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola & Woody Allen
Genre: Drama/Romance/Black Comedy/Fantasy/Urban Comedy/Satire/Omnibus Film
Language: English
Country: US
