Avalon

Two cents on movies

Saturday, September 05, 2009

After a prolonged hiatus, I have decided to pen down my thoughts about a few thought-inspiring movies I have watched recently, or maybe not so recently, depending on one's interpretation of the word.

First up is "The proposal" which was supposed to be a rather neatly packaged, couple-ensnaring romantic comedy, not unlike its predecessors like "He's just not that into you", "The Holiday" yada yada, you get the idea, except that I watched it with 2 other guys which makes it a rather weird proposal to watch "The proposal" in the first place. But nonetheless, being a long-time supporter of American humour, I would say the crunchy bits hit the right buttons and to top it up and earn itself the title of 'romantic comedy', there is the overused plot of having two seemingly impossible couple get together and after a few intimate moments that never fails to include some magical rediscovery of each other and predestined dispositions to be mutually attracted, they got together. Yeah.. all so sweet, and predictable.

All very well conceived, if not for the cliches here and there and plot derivatives that create too much of a deja vu. But if the movie scores a saving grace, it has got to be the marvellous onscreen chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. Reynolds delivered a charming performance and his charisma shines throughout the show. Bullock is ever convincing and comfortable in her role as the stern and unyielding boss who slowly loosens up in her private moments. Another plus point of the movie will be the Alaskan scenery that is extensively depicted in the film, making one wonder just how much the tourism board is pumping into the movie budget. But if that were the case, I would say the objective has been met because I forsee Alaska will probably be topping the Honeymooon lists of many.

Rarely does a project idea that started out as a short film gets developed exponentially into a Peter Jackson blockbuster. Except this is a blockbuster that requires some brain work. So if you have been rooting for 'Transformers', you might want to rethink your options. Yet another matter of concern will be the amount of gore and blood spill that might create discomfort, so this is not for the weak-hearted, or the ill-prepared.

A synopsis of the story will probably give the story away so just having the idea that it is centred about relationships between aliens and humans although vastly different from the likes of "Aliens versus Predators". The alien discrimination so inexplicably expounded on in the film makes it hard for one not to relate it to racial bias and apartheid policies in South Africa. The director took pains to craft out emotionally gripping and visually impactful moments throughout the show, especially during the second half of it, when the tempo starts to pick up. But the key message in the show would be the need for understanding.

Understanding is probably a concept so well-known yet so underplayed. Perhaps we all find it easier to forcefully impose our way instead of talking things through.

Envoy of the Stars @ 10:01 PM
-------------------------------