Movie:: Wolf Creek

Wolf Creek was nearly an unheard of film. It’s an Australian film to say the least, so why pay attention to it? I hadn’t heard of this movie till I heard how it has been declared a hit upon its release. On top of that, it’s supposed to be a true horror story.

The movie does start off with the “based on true events” tag and that sets the mood for this gritty, ultra-realistic film. Wolf Creek details out the journey two Brit girls, alongside with their Australian male friend. They take a road trip to visit Wolf Creek, a site where a meteor had crashed leaving a vast crater behind. Once they get ready to leave from there, their car doesn’t work. Their watches stop working. A friendly Australian outbacker spots them and gives them a lift. Spending a night at his junkyard, while the friendly Australian is fixing their car, our three friends think they have made it through. When they get up the next day, we find Liz all bound and tied up. Her friend is screaming from the other shed. Their Australian friend is completely missing. Thus begins their descent into hell as they realize the friendly Australian is not so friendly after all. He is hell-bent on torturing the three young travelers. He will not let them escape, and even if they do, he will hunt them down like an animal. “The thrill is in the hunt!” so says the tagline for Wolf Creek.

Wolf Creek is not for the faint hearted, because it is an ultra realistic horror movie. There are no cheap scares. There are no demons or monsters. In the same vein as The Blair Witch Project, Wolf Creek uses the same kind of camera techniques so we are tagging along with the main characters. The movie spends a good 25-30 minutes familiarizing us with the three main leads, showing them on the beaches and clubbing, and that proves to be very effective because when these three people are in trouble, we are with them and want them to safe. We actually sympathize with them, which is a rare thing in a horror movie. We cringe in disgust when they are hurt or beaten. We look away as one is slapped on the face. We feel upset when one is stabbed. Why do these innocent people have to go through this?

The acting is so natural; it almost felt like as if you were watching their home videos. The chemistry between the three leads is so natural you are convinced these three actors are best of friends in reality. The movie has made great use the locations too, depicting the vast, huge outback area of Australia. Powerful images of showing one lone car driving amid a huge desert strike hard. You realize how helpless and lost one could be in such a huge desert.

The Australian outbacker who saves the young people from Wolf Creek site is probably the scariest thing here. How could such a friendly, helpful person turn out to be such a violent and sadistic person? It’s all too real and scary and makes you think about hitchhiking again. The director did a good job of not portraying the villain like a Freddy Kruger or Jason, where the audience actually supports the killer and not those who are being killed. The outbacker in Wolf Creek is a mean thing, and you are genuinely terrified of him. You don’t have any sympathy or support for him, and you wish so hard that the three people all run away from him. You realize that there are sick people out there who are lunatics and will do anything to hurt innocent people.

The ending was not quite what I expected. There were two small twists. However, the most disturbing thing at the end of it all was what we witnessed in the movie was actually based on true events, and we are told, “30,000 are missing each year. 90% are found within a month. 10% are never found.” Wolf Creek is about the 10% that are never found, and that is a scary thought.

Wolf Creek sets a high example of how a real horror movie should be made. Psycho made people scared of taking showers. Jaws made people scared of swimming in the ocean. Wolf Creek will scare you into not hitchhiking again!

Mansur

PS One thing of importance here is that the movie is set in 1999. Before any one jumps into questioning the lack of cell phones or internet, keep in mind in 1999, cell phones were not that popular. Also, being in the outback, there would be no coverage of any cellular network.

Movie:: Pride and Prejudice (2005)

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice have been turned into several movies, including an Indianized version in Bride and Prejudice. However, the latest version of Pride and Prejudice is no boring re-tread of the novel. It is in fact the closest to the book from all the previous versions I have seen, and that makes a big difference. What ever you are doing right now, stop, go watch this movie NOW!

From the beginning, it becomes clear that this movie belongs to Keira Knightley, who plays Elizabeth Bennet, the most vociferous from the five Bennet Sisters. It is through the eyes of Elizabeth, or Lizzie, we see the other stories unfold, namely the fate of her sisters. Knightley shines like a true star here, illuminating the screen, projecting her radiance right back to the last row in the hall. Too strong is her presence that the locations in the movie are not restricted to the dank interiors of 1800s England, filled with stuffy decorations and heavy drapes illuminated with candles, but rather outside in the majestic English countryside. Even the scenes inside the house focus a lot on what’s outside, for every shot from inside the house has a window. It’s all about the outdoors, for that symbolizes Lizzie’s strong and outdoor-sy persona.

We begin the movie with the arrival of Mr. Darcy, played by Matthew MacFadyen, who chooses to give Mr. Darcy a very masculine persona, as opposed to earlier depictions of him as a softie. There is a real chemistry between Lizze and Mr. Darcy, so much so, you want them to be together. I had goose bumps towards the end, when I wanted so badly for Lizzie and Mr. Darcy to be together. So impactful were their performances, Knightley got an Oscar nomination for her acting.

Pride and Prejudice of course deals the issue of how we develop first impressions of other people, and judge them. We become pride in not accepting our faults, and prejudiced against others and not seeing them in any other light. Lizzie is too proud of herself, and Mr. Darcy is prejudiced against Lizzie’s background. How they both transform into different human beings through a series of rendezvous ultimately forms the crux of the movie. There are loads of topics that can be raised from this movie, and I can tell you now that this version of Pride and Prejudice will be watched in every literature classroom all over the world.

There was something else in this movie that made it so likeable and relate-able to the audience today. Whether it was the stars, or the music, or simply the behavior patterns of the characters, there was just something that made the 1800s and 2006 connect. While watching the movie, my mind was simultaneously comparing it to the previous versions, when half way through I realize how superior this new version is, I simply stopped comparing.

My favorite scene in the movie clearly is towards the end, when Lizzie is waiting in the moors, with the sun rising. She spots Mr. Darcy walking from a distance, amidst the morning dew, and finally comes up to Lizzie. They both know they love each other but are too proud to admit it. Their pride eventually falls to the ground as they embrace one another.

If only real life were like this!

Mansur

Review:: Walk The Line

Hands up if you know who Johnny Cash is! I wouldn’t be surprised if not many hands went up. I for one have heard about Cash, but never really bothered to know who he is. All I knew was that he was a Country music singer in the States, and apparently, he was very popular.

Walk The Line helped me know who Cash was and how he emerged to be one of the forefront leaders of Country Music in the States. Joaquin Phoenix (pronounced Waah-keen) takes on the personality of Johnny Cash in the movie, and he does an amazing transformation, getting every nuance, body language and style of speaking amazingly well. Reese Witherspoon does an even more amazing transformation to play June Carter Cash, Johnny’s wife. Gone are her famous blond locks, and in comes the dyed black hair complete with a southern accent. So amazing have been the two leads, they have garnered nominations and even an a Golden Globe Award for Witherspoon for acting.

A large part on whether you like this movie or not depend on how much interest you have in knowing more about the country music legend, and country music itself. Most of the movie focuses on the friendship and eventual love between Johnny and June. Johnny’s earlier life is shown as he grew up in Depression hit era in the United States. His brother passes away as a kid, and Johnny suffers torments from his father. We immediately cut to the point where we see a grown Cash leave his house to make it big in music industry. He eventually marries Vivian and has children.

While trying his luck at the local recording studio, the manager tells Cash that the no one wants to hear happy songs, but rather want to hear songs that come from his heart, about heartbreaks, tough life, hardships and overcoming them. Cash sings one of his own song, and that becomes an instant classic. Soon, he has made it big, is touring the country with his band and gets to meet other rockers like Elvis Presley. June Carter is also a budding country music singer and hers and Johnny Cash’s paths are crossed at a show. There is affection and appreciation, but both are married to other people.

Cash eventually stumbles and falls as he is involved in drugs, leading him to perform poorly at some of his concerts. June dislikes Cash’s attitudes, avoids him and also struggles with her own marital status. The only time they have any privacy of their own is when they are on stage performing a duet.

Cash’s lifestyle meddling with drugs eventually leads him to a low point in his life, at which point June Carter chooses to help him out. How she nurses him back to life eventually forms the rest of the story. A lot of people may comment that most of the story is focused on the relationship between the two, and I think that is what the makers of the movie attempted to show. Amazingly enough, the script of this movie was approved by Cash and June themselves back in 2003, right after which they passed away. So with their approval, the makers of this movie created a biopic of Cash.

The acting from both the lead actors is very strong. I was most impressed with Phoenix, who I remember fondly from Signs as Gibson’s younger brother, and Witherspoon, who I remember from Legally Blonde. Both the actors have done a complete change of acting
It’s impressive. Oh, and what would a film about a country singer be without country music? The songs are really great, each one an important one, especially “Jackson” signifying their moving on with their lives. I am not sure, but I think “Jackson” was one of their more popular duets. It is also my favorite song in the movie.

Great acting, amazing music, a strong story line makes Walk the Line one of the highly acclaimed movie of the year. I certainly learned a lot more about Johnny Cash, and how he Walk(ed) the (fine) Line between destruction and redemption.

Mansur

Movie:: The Chronicles of Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia encompasses a series of seven books penned by C.S Lewis. I had read the first of these series The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe collectively with my class in grade 7. It was no doubt a book filled with awe-inspiring scenes and situations that led us far away into an imaginary world; a world that I thought could not be replicated onto celluloid. BBC came out with a mini-series on the same books, and while they were a commendable series, they just did not click right. Till the movie version came out recently.

Andrew Adamson, who directed Shrek 2, directs the Chronicles of Narnia and while some may have questioned his foray into live action movie from an animated movie, I had a delightful time watching the movie. Those who hold these books to be sacred may not be quite yet satisfied with the treatment the book got on the big screen, but generally speaking, I think everyone will have a wonderful time.

The setting is WW2, where the four Pevensies children are relocated to the English countryside from London to escape the Blitz. Living with the “professor” at a rather large mansion proves boring for Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, the youngest. During a game of hide and seek, Lucy stumbles upon a cloak covered wardrobe in the spare room. In an attempt to hide in the cupboard, she realizes that there is no back wall, and instead walks right into the snow filled world of Narnia.

She meets Mr. Tumnus, the fawn (human-goat), who explains to Lucy that the White Witch has control over Narnia, who has cast a spell of snow and ice for the last 100 years. Mr. Tumnus explains further that the arrival of four children, two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve, will help Aslan, the talking lion, and his army defeat the Witch and restore peace in Narnia. Lucy goes back, and convinces other about Narnia, and how they all come to Narnia, meet Aslan and defeat the White Witch forms the crux of the story.

As we all know, C.S Lewis was a great friend of J.R.R Tolkien, who had written The Lord of the Rings, and it was Tolkien who convinced Lewis to write The Chronicles of Narnia. Some may see this movie as a family-friendly version of the Lord of the Rings. Narnia has all the ingredients that a fantasy epic would: grand scale epic settings, fawns, centaurs, mentaurs, flying horses, unicorn and an icy villain in the White Witch.

Lewis was also a devout Christian, and for those people who want to find it, will find Christian subtext in the movie. Aslan is Christ, who is killed and resurrected. The children are referred to as Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve. However, the Christian subtext is not hammered into you head. It is subtle enough for some of us to merely glance over, while glaringly obvious to those who want it to be there.

The acting is consistently performed by all the child actors. Their acting actually gets better as the movie moves along, evidence of the decision to shoot the movie sequentially. Peter, the eldest boy, and Susan, the second eldest were somewhat weaker. Edmund, the third child, is the rebellious one, and his character had shades of gray making his character more interesting. Finally, a lot depended on Lucy, because it is through her we enter Narnia. Lucy did a fine job, neither being irritating nor overly sentimental. Tilda Swinton, of The Beach fame, portrays the White Witch with much aplomb and glee. She is delightful, and scary, as the Witch, using her powers to lure in Edmund with Turkish delight, and to turn others into icy stone.

Finally, I have to say that CG effects had me fooled this time. Aslan, the lion, voiced by Liam Neeson had so much grace, dignity and power. Half way through the movie, I had forgotten I was watching a CG-ed lion. The makers had me convinced that Aslan is a real lion. Save for a few shoddy CG work, over all, the movie has done a very commendable job of successfully integrating the effects into the movie, so they become a part of the movie and not stand out on its own. (The effects were done by the team in New Zealand, who also worked for The Lord of the Rings)

I enjoyed the movie immensely, primarily because I had read the book and so had fond memories of it. I am not sure however, if I will be the first in line to watch the sequels. Some may compare Narnia to The Lord of the Rings, but I think Narnia is solid enough to hold its own standing.

Mansur

Movie:: Crash

After watching the movie Crash, I was provoked to think about the issue of racism. The movie made a statement that we all are racist to some degree. Some people may claim to be non-racist and all, but I think there is a little bit in each one of us that doesn’t understand a foreign culture or nationality and so disprove of it.

Crash is set over a period of 24 hours, and we follow about a dozen storylines. A rich white couple has their car stolen by two black guys. An Iranian family has their store mobbed, and goes to shoot the Hispanic guy who changed the lock on the door. A Portuguese- Peruvian woman has a run in with a Chinese, and is also having an affair with a black detective. A black man steals the car of another black man. A racist white cop fondles a black woman up her dress in front of her husband. Another white cop is in the making of being a racist prick.

Different people of different backgrounds are pitted against one another, to the point of them crashing into another, thereby changing their outlook on life. The movie has a stellar star cast including Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Brendan Fraser, Thandie Newton, Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillipe and many others. This movie has also been nominated at the Oscars, and was also a winner at the Golden Globe awards.

Like I said in the beginning, this movie raises so many issues about racism. I could certainly relate to it, and have been in positions where I look at others with suspicion. A walk down East London with my mom and aunt, we were targeted by some white guys, who managed to thrown rotten tomatoes on my aunt. On a trip to New York, our car got stalled in Bronx, and we were scared thinking that the black guys will rob us. Sitting in a taxi here in Dubai, I am asked almost always if I am an Indian, and I get offended. There have been so many more moments, and this movie has made me reassess my thinking, and how I view others.

If anything, I am thankful for my recent trip for the Hajj, because that was one time when racism and differences were dropped and we celebrated the similarities and likeness with one another. If only the rest of the world were like that too.

Mansur

Movie:: Rang De Basanti

Rang De Basanti (Colors of Spring)

For the first time in my life, I saw an Indian movie where I left the theatre talking about the theme more than the actors. It is not the case like that with Indian movies, where people usually leave talking about how great the actor was, how cool the cinematography was, or how amazing the music was. But with Rang De Basanti, I left more asking myself the questions the movie brought out.

The Plot

Rang De Basanti (RB) is seen through the eyes of Sue, a British documentary filmmaker who desires to make a documentary based on her grandfather’s diary, which he wrote when he served in India with the British regiment. Sue is touched by her grandfather’s words, as he describes how the freedom fighters, of which Bhagat Singh is one, refused to bow down to pressure to give themselves up. He saw in them a strong passion, a heartfelt conviction to stand for they believed in: freedom.

Sue’s bosses deny her the budget to carry out the film, and so she leave for India, where her Indian friend Sonia, helps her recruit five young guys to act in her movie. Though there is disappointment initially, Sue realizes she needed not have looked further than the circle of friends Sonia is in. Each of these guys, from Dil Jeet (DJ), Aslam, Sukhia, including Sonia, are all the partying kind of guys, hanging out at abandoned areas, singing, dancing and smoking the night away. These people are skeptical about acting in a movie about freedom fighters. They don’t know who they were, nor care to find out about them. But they still agree to act just to help Sue complete her documentary.

A certain tragedy in all their lives leads them to re-evaluate their beliefs and values, and forces them to see and appreciate the freedom fighters, because of whom they have independence and freedom today. Their lives are changed, and as we witness them go through the changes, we see them re-awakening to who they really are, and what their identity is really is.

My Views:
1. The acting from every single actor in this movie has been amazing. With an ensemble of four guys and two girls, each one of them held their own standing against one another. Usually, the star actor hogs all the limelight (think Shahrukh Khan) but here Aamir Khan becomes a part of the group, which is refreshing, because you are not focused on the star actor, but on the characters they are portraying. Sue, a British actress, speaks Hindi with such fluency, I am sure she will win over the viewers. Soha Ali Khan, of whom I had heard bad reviews, shone like a star here; in particular a crying of scene of hers was probably the most natural acting scene in the movie. The other guys held on their own, with each of them making their character distinct from each other. Aamir Khan once again proves his versatility, be it in Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Mangal Pandey or RB, he is the best actor out there. (Well, I may be biased since he is my favorite actor anyways and I admire his guts to do versatile roles!) There are no one dimensional characters here. Each one of the actors here have a background, and their issues, and we get to see where they are coming from. Like DJ (Khan), we think he is a party-boy, who is hanging around in university still after graduating, but when he opens up to Sue, we realize where he is coming from: he is simply to afraid to go out into the real world. We understand their motives and reasons for behaving the way they do.

2. The music, by the incredible A.R Rahman, who is now working on the musical version for Lord of the Rings, has created music for this movie that accompanies it perfectly. It doesn’t hinder the narrative (like it did in Mangal Pandey), but rather carries the movie forward. I was on a bathroom break during one of the songs, as my friend told me there would be no break in the movie, and as soon as I came back in a hurry to not miss the movie, there was an immediate break! I don’t know what to say.

3. I am just impressed with all the technical stuff Bollywood comes out with. I for once completely forgot I was watching an Indian film, and was convinced this was a Hollywood film, which just happened to have Indian actors. I also love the smooth and slick transition from the old to the new, past to the present.

4. There are several interwoven themes in this movie, all of which have been handled with maturity. Credit goes to the director for what could have been a satirical, or non-believable movie, for making it a realistic movie. Issues and themes revolve around racial tension, corruption, decadent youth, freedom among others. I was left with lots of questions as I left the theatre - How do I change a system that is corrupt already? - What can I do on a personal level to bring about a change? - Do I sit around and do nothing because I know I cannot change the system? - What or who would I sacrifice my life for? - What does it mean to be free? - What does freedom mean to me?

RB is the first hit of the year 2006, and has made 1.08 millions dirhams in the first five says in UAE alone. It’s a fun-filled film with a deeper message at heart. See it as soon as you can, and be prepared to be blown away and left with a deeper appreciation of what it means to be who you are as a person.

Mansur

Movie:: The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Hey friends,

[Keep in mind, this movie is based on true events.]

One of the biggest hits of the year 2005 was a small, unknown movie called The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Scary movies excite me, and so I waited with bated breath for this movie to release. The Exorcist (1977) is one of my all time favorite horror movies, and I stayed away from drawing comparison between these two movies.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose stars Laura Linney as Erin Bruner and Tom Wilkinson as Father Moore, and Jennifer Carpenter as Emily herself. Father Moore is accused of negligence of Emily’s health resulting in her death while performing the exorcism. Erin is called in to be Father Moore’s lawyer to defend him from the “people” who are prosecuting him. Thus begins the case trial, through which we get to hear about Emily Rose’ story, her possession and the eventual exorcism leading to her death.

The major attraction of this movie is that it is based on a true story; hence the reality of it strikes a chord in your heart. The prosecution teams argues that Emily Rose was not possessed but in fact afflicted with epileptic-psychotic disorder which made her see hallucinations, use dual voice from her vocal chords, manipulate her body, dilate her pupils so they turn black and so on. They argue that there is no such thing as demonic possession, and that Rose’s condition can all be explained through scientific reasoning and facts. However, Erin on the other hand, defends Father Moore by bringing in the supernatural arguments, making a case for possession as believed in by millions, perhaps billions of people. She even brings in an anthropologist as a witness, who explains that there are some people who are born “hyper-sensitive,” which allows them to experience connections with the supernatural. (At this point of the movie, I could only think about my cousin who told me how he would see jinns from his bedroom window.)

Erin herself is an agnostic whose views are changed as she comes to deal with the supernatural powers that are working against her. This movie is more about the trial, while we see Emily Rose’s story in flashback.

All the actors have given restrained and credible performances, and newcomer Carpenter as Rose is particularly terrifying as she conveys her descent into being possessed. I immensely enjoyed watching this movie, because it attempted to show demonic possession and exorcism from both the supernatural point of view and the scientific world’ point of view. Can we justify a person who one may claim to be demonically possessed in scientific terms? Just like in The Exorcist, the doctors try to understand the child’s condition, and through repeated tests fail to cure her of her disease and ultimately resort to exorcism.

I do believe in jinns, because the Quran talks about it, but what do I make of those people who claim to be possessed by jinns? Can their personality change be justified in scientific terms, or are they really possessed by jinns? I don’t know the answer, but this movie is a great starting point to address this issue. One other small thing. In the movie, as Erin Bruner starts the trial, she experiences sleepless nights, specifically at 3am. 3am, as Father Moore explains, is the demons’ witching hour, which is an inversion of 3pm, which is the time when Jesus Christ was supposedly killed on the cross. I just got thinking: do the jinns, or demons, try to attack us if we meddle with their world?

A friend I know attempted to start writing a book about jinns, and has put that on hold temporarily as she claims she feels some strange force working against her, almost as if it were trying to stop her. As Erin Bruner says in the movie, “the trial is not about facts. Its about possibilities.” When something is a fact, there is no room for doubt. And in our world, isn’t it just possible that jinns possess us?

Mansur

Book:: The DaVinci Code

Hi all,

Over lunch at Chilis, the discussion veered towards The Da Vinci Code penned by Dan Brown. I had heard so much about it, but never really bothered to actually read it since I was not familiar with the works of Dan Brown. However, when the more controversial stuff in the book was being discussed, I was quite intrigued, and went ahead and purchased the book.

In one word: pulsating-mystery-thriller that makes you sit on the edge of your seat. I

t is so intriguing that as I was nearing towards the end before I left for my recent trip to Pakistan, and I forgot my book back in Dubai, I was actually getting frustrated. I was so anxious to come back and finish reading it!

So what’s the big deal about The Da Vinci Code?

Well, it’s a mystery thriller that starts of with the death of a curator at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The death of the curator is no ordinary one, but a murder. However the curator leaves a mysterious message/ code on his body: some symbols and a series of number. Sophie Neveau, a cryptologist, and also the granddaughter of the curator, arrives on the scene to assess the situation. Robert Langdon, an American detective, who happens to be in town, also arrives on the scene.

Thus begins the first steps of an adventure that leads them all over Europe to different locations, encountering various people, good and bad. The French police suspect Robert to be the murderer, and so Robert and Sophie are on the run.

I will not spoil any plot details for you, because the joy will be taken out from reading the novel. However, the interesting part is how our two detectives discover further clues using the previous clues, and stumble upon hidden messages in the painting and works of Leonardo Da Vinci, especially in the world famous painting Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. They come to discover of a secret society, the Priory of Sion, of which Da Vinci and other prominent philosophers and scientists are a part. The more controversial stuff that had led the world to talk about this book deals with the issue that Jesus and Mary Magdalene, the prostitute who Jesus forgave of her sins, are married, and this idea is supported by The Last Supper painting where supposedly one of the thirteen men is a woman, who could be Mary Magdalene, sitting on the right side of Jesus. The two detectives also manage to find clues leading them to the Holy Grail, which is historically known as the cup that held the blood of Jesus Christ. Look at the above picture. Is that person on the right side of Jesus a man or a woman? At the start of the book, the author makes a note about the factual evidence of the existent of a secret society known as the Priory of Sion.

The tricky thing is that the author, in my opinion, mixes facts with fiction, and it becomes quite difficult to separate the two. Following the release of this book, there came ten or so more books refuting the claims that Jesus and Mary were married. Don’t take the book too seriously, read it with an open mind, and be prepared for one huge mystery treasure hunt, filled with clues and new discoveries. The chapters are ridiculously short, and that should make the reading a lot easier.

The only mistake I did was to read it over a long period, and I should have read it in one go. The cool thing is that I recently saw the trailer for the movie, and it looks dark and creepy, yet very exciting. I will be the first in line for this movie as it releases in May 2006!

Verdict: 5 out of 5 for sheer brilliance in plotting, mystery factor and the high level of adrenaline and excitement as we follow the two detectives on an amazing journey.

Mansur

Movie:: King Kong (2005)

Hello friends,

What do the words “King Kong” bring to mind? The 1933 black and white version where we see the mechanical King Kong atop the Empire State Building, clutching on to Ann Darrow, while fighting of the biplanes? Or does it remind you of the Universal Studios ride, where you experience King Kong shaking your tram as you get stuck in front of him? Whatever if reminds you of, I can promise you that the recent new release King Kong will give you a whole new perspective on who King Kong is!

Peter Jackson, the brilliant mind behind The Lord of the Rings trilogy, directs King Kong and I knew King Kong would also be a work of genius.

So, how was the movie?

I would say King Kong is one movie where the remake of the original is 100 times better. Many directors attempt to make remakes of old movies and fail miserably (remember Psycho and The Avengers?) King Kong actually takes the old movie, and infuses and embellishes it with more character, and given the special effects available today, enhances the characters and effects. Peter Jackson is a big fan of the movie, and so he made the new version out of his pure love and dedication for the movie, as opposed to those directors who have no genuine affection for subject matter.

Carl Denham (Jack Black, “Shallow Hal”) is a maverick filmmaker who is refused permission to make another movie after he fails to impresses his studio bosses. He seeks out a new actress for his new movie, which he plans to make without informing the bosses. Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts, “The Ring”), an actress, comes to her theatre one morning and realizes that the play has shut down rendering her unemployed. Out on the streets of New York, which by the way has been faithfully recreated into the 1920’s New York, Denham and Darrow have a chance encounter, and he convinces her to act in his new movie. The script-writer of the new movie, Jack Driscoll (Oscar winner Adrien Brody, “The Pianist”), is not convinced by the financing of the movie, and attempts to leave, but Denham maneuvers the situation that the three of them, alongside with the film crew and ship crew leave the dock. Denham proposes to shoot the new movie on an island, and mysteriously enough as they get lost, they come to what they call Skull Island, which is inhabited by human-sacrificing natives. Darrow is kidnapped by the natives and is offered to the beast on the island. Thus we get the first glimpse of the mighty beast himself, who snatches Darrow away and takes her away into the jungle. What follows is the attempt of the rest of the crew to rescue Darrow, as they battle various creatures and insects on the way, losing some members of the crew to the eventual rescue of Darrow. They bring King Kong back to New York and make money by using him on a Broadway show.

As in the old version, King Kong manages to escape and finds Darrow and climbs to the top of the Empire State Building, where we all know what happens.

So, how was the movie? In one word, brilliant!

It is more than an hour before we see King Kong make his entrance, and while the initial set up may seem slow to some, I think it was imperative to establish the human characters in order to understand their motives and reasons for their actions. A lot of people cannot fathom the concept of a woman falling in love with a huge ape. This movie establishes that concept so well, it becomes credible and believable to understand why she falls in love with King Kong. You see, Ann Darrow is a very sad person in reality. 1920’s New York is depressing, she is unemployed, she is hungry and she is asked by a friend to go to a nightclub and work as a stripper. She is hurt, and is extremely sad. When her meeting with Jack Driscoll does not go the way she expects to, she finds solace and company in King Kong with whom she establishes a rapport (like any person would with their pets!) Jack Driscoll is not able to express his love and affection to Ann Darrow, and that frustrates her, which is why she appreciates how King Kong plays with her, and keeps her in his hand, protecting her.

From an action movie, this turns into one of the biggest love story of the year. One particular scene of King Kong and Ann Darrow dancing on the frozen lake at Central Park is particularly romantic and heart-warming. By the time we come to the end, we have invested so much sympathy for King Kong that I guarantee you, not one heart will feel untouched by what happens. So how was King Kong himself? I tell you, the director has done a brilliant job of recreating a huge ape, which has a character of his own. Not for one second did I think that this was a digitally created ape, but was led to believe that King Kong was a real ape. The hand gestures, the body movements, and most importantly the facial expressions were awesome. One scene, where King Kong battles off three T-Rexes to save Ann Darrow, was amazing because after the battle, he looks away from Ann Farrow as she doesn’t say thanks to him. He also has a sense of humor.



This movie is already being considered for Best Direction and Best Special Effects at the Oscars. There are some moments in the middle of the movie where the effects look shabby, and some over-lapping is visible, but all the moments with King Kong helps you overcome the minor weak special effects. The effects were all done in New Zealand, and not in Hollywood, which may explain for the technicalities glitches in some special effects scenes. Verdict: 5 out of 5, for amazing effects, for credible story line, for one of the best created digital creature, for amazing set ups (King Kong and T-Rex battle, fighting off the planes atop the Empire State Building, the attack of the Spiders etc).

One of the best movies of the year! Bring out the DVD!

Mansur