THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (2014)

Genre: Drama/Romance
Running Length: 2:05
Cast: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Sam Trammell, Willem Dafoe, Lotte Verbeek
Director: Josh Boone

It's actually not a bad movie but there is nothing unremarkable about the "teenage cancer romance" date-flick THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. In fact towards the end, the film became a little draggy and was trying a little too hard to manipulate some tears out from the audience. However, it's a different story altogether for the two leads; as their portrayal of cancer patients who are falling for each other are beautifully realized. Their performance are honest and heartfelt and when they are together, they are adorable. A special shout out to the male lead, Ansel Elgot, who is insanely charismatic as the can-do survivor for the first 3/4 of the film but really nails his performance towards the end. One interesting thing to point out is that the film manages to capture a sense of immediacy in an unforced manner mainly through its sharp and witty dialogue. The main characters are definitely living in the now (because they have no future) for they do not hide their thoughts and emotions - "That's the thing about pain. It demands to be felt."

Although many of the movie goers in the cinema couldn't stop crying towards the end, I actually felt that the ending was hopeful. This quote beautifully summarizes it:

"To love someone fiercely, to believe in something with your whole heart, to celebrate a fleeting moment in time, to fully engage in a life that doesn’t come with guarantees – these are risks that involve vulnerability and often pain. But, I’m learning that recognizing and leaning into the discomfort of vulnerability teaches us how to live with joy, gratitude and grace." Brene Brown

Rating: 6/10

LOCKE (2014)

Genre: Drama
Running Length: 1:26
Cast: Tom Hardy
Director: Steven Knight

LOCKE is almost the direct opposite of today's cinematic experience where the goal is to numb the viewers' mind with non-stop action and loud explosions. LOCKE is such a pure example of cinematic storytelling stripped down to its minimalist form where the focus is on the character revelation. The story is simple to follow as it unfolds in almost real time; a successful construction manager (Tom Hardy) gets into his BMW, drives alone for about 90 minutes from Birmingham to London and connects to the outside world through his mobile phone. In short, it's a one-man show. No, it's not an arty abstract movie but an entirely absorbing movie experience despite its limited setting. Less is more perhaps. For those who wants to be entertained by lobotomized cinematic carnage will be fidgeting in their seats 10 minutes into the movie but if you patiently seat through it, LOCKE will haunt you long after you leave the cinema. The events that unfold in the car ride represents a turning point in the life of our protagonist. The man who reaches his destination at the end of the movie is not the same man who departs from the construction site in the movie's opening scene. Hardy's performance here is low-key and intensely engaging. His voice, subtle actions and facial expressions show the impact that each phone call has upon him. Credits should also go to the voice performers (those on the phone) as it reminded me of those drama on radio of the yesteryear (also known as theatre of the mind) where we needed to exercise our imagination. If I could sum up the movie in a quote, this would be it:

"You can't change everything in one night, but one night can change everything."

Rating: 8/10

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2014)

Genre: Science Fiction / Adventure
Running Length: 2:10
Cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirk Acevedo, Nick Thurston
Director: Matt Reeves

"The most shocking fact about war is that its victims and its instruments are individual human beings, and that these individual beings are condemned by the monstrous conventions of politics to murder or be murdered in quarrels not their own." - Aldous Huxley

In the latest Planet Of The Apes installment, DAWN OF THE PLANETS OF THE APES, the lesson of decisions and actions have consequences is explored in a tough and uncompromising way. While there are some solid action sequences, this motion picture defies the common notions of what is expected from a "summer" film. The narrative is structured like a Shakespearean tragedy; it's about love and hate, peace and war, freedom and fear - where the characters are conflicted to choose the values they are against in order to achieve the results they desire eg. in order to keep the peace, one has no choice but to fight. This film is so realistic and documentary-like (with regards to how most wars are started and fought) I didn't feel at any one time I was watching a bunch of humans interacting with CGI. And speaking of humans and CGI, DAWN is far more superior in every aspect compared to its immediate predecessor Rise of The Planet of the Apes. Besides having more depth and breadth in the narrative, the human characters here are more developed compared to the forgettable cardboard-like folks in Rise. Also, the personalities of the apes are fleshed out very well. There are some tender moments shared between apes and humans which would move even the hardest of hearts. That said, to fully appreciate DAWN, one should watch Rise first. A few words must be written about the amazing contribution of Andy Serkis for making Caesar the most compelling character in the movie despite very little dialogue (his eyes and mannerism are stunningly life-like). Caesar is a remarkable creation of human acting and CGI. While DAWN boast some big-name human stars, make no mistake – Serkis is the star. It's refreshing to see a big-budget summer movie that's more interested in telling a story than bombarding the audience with carnage, explosions and deafening sound effects.

Rating: 9/10