DUNKIRK (2017)

Genre: War / Thriller
Running Length: 1:46
Cast: Fionn Whitehead, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy, Harry Styles, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh
Director: Christopher Nolan
Screenplay: Christopher Nolan

What I learned from this movie is that regardless of our social position in our society, whether you're lame or able, we can still serve others. Because not only helping others makes us feel good, it gives us purpose.  

War movies like Saving Private Ryan and the recent Hacksaw Ridge are about characters in a war situation. DUNKIRK is all about the war situation. There are no dramatic Braveheart "Freeeeeedom!!!" moments, no inspiring war cry speeches, no small talk during downtime introducing themselves and their loved ones waiting for them at home. None of those.

The moment the first frame kicks in, the action starts. And the tension builds and builds and builds right until the satisfying payoff at the end. By the time the credits roll, I was just staring at the screen in stunned silence, breathless.

This movie is about the true story of the evacuation of more than 300,000 soldiers (allied soldiers from Britain, France and Belgium) at Dunkirk, France back to England. During this evacuation at the beach front (which happened between May 26, 1940 to Jun 4, 1940) they were attacked by the German forces.

The narrative sounds simple but the storytelling is not. Just like most of Nolan's films, this film unfolds itself in a non-linear-cross cutting-three perspectives manner. To me, it wasn't distracting as it actually kept me more focused.

Dunkirk is a cinematic event and it demands to be watched on the biggest screen available in your city (I watched it on IMAX). If you can't find one, then at least watch it in a cinema with the bestest sound available. I wouldn't be surprised if it wins an Oscar in the Best Sound categories next year. And coupled with Hans Zimmer pulsating tick-tock score, it really amped-up the intensity.

The performances in this movie are very good but Tom Hardy wouldn't be winning any awards (eventhough he's very good here with his eyes and eyebrows, just like how he used them effectively in The Dark Knight Rises and Mad Max: Fury Road). Like I mentioned earlier, Dunkirk is not about any specific characters but it's all about transporting the audiences into an immersive experience of "being there" in the evacuation itself.  

With Dunkirk, Nolan has added another engaging chapter to his impressive body of work. He's arguably one of the few directors out there who still challenges himself with each film, and we're not talking about small films but big budget tent-poles. Dunkirk is akin to a roller coaster experience - it deserves to be watched again.

RATING: 9.5/10

THE REVENANT (2016)

Genre: Drama / Adventure
Running Length: 2:36
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Screenplay: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Mark L. Smith, based on part on the novel by Michael Punke

THE REVENANT feels like an expensive exercise in self indulgence by director Inarritu (more about that later). And it also feels like Leo signed up for this because it could be his ticket to winning an Oscar, finally. The industry knows that the Academy digs actors who go through physical transformation or some kind of emotional torture (or both) in the name of Intense Method Acting. And boy, does DiCaprio suffer to "become" the character of Hugh Glass; consuming raw bison liver on camera, frequently shirtless in hypothermia-inducing harsh climates, sleeping in animal carcasses and so on and forth. 

Please don't get me wrong as all these misery the cast and crew had to go through is translated powerfully on screen - it's a tough, intense and experiential drama. But was it necessary for the film to take so long to tell a simple revenge-in-the-wilderness tale? 

There were way too many perfectly crafted long tracking shots (especially the film's opening Indian raid sequence) which was more distracting than immersive. As the camera glides smoothly through the bloodbath, it calls attention to the whereabouts of the camera instead of making it disappear. It just informs me that Inarritu was intentional on this and wants people to admire his craft rather than getting the audience involved in the action. And there are just too many extended takes on the rugged landscape. 

That said, this method of "not cutting away" was employed effectively in a grizzly bear attack sequence which was intense and disturbing. It gives a realistic view of what actually takes place when a man is being mauled by an enraged bear. Viewers may find this scene way too unsettling as we see DiCaprio being shred apart. 

And speaking of serving the ego, there is an ongoing artsy dream sequence which didn't really serve the story except to showcase how beautifully it was shot. It could have at least been used to fill in some back story of our protagonist so that the audience could be more emotionally invested in him. All we know of DiCaprio's character is that he seems to be super determined to survive but I was detached from his character because I hardly know anything about him. 

From a technical standpoint, The Revenant is flawless and very beautiful to look at. Reportedly shot using only natural light, the glory of the untouched (and freezing) American frontier is masterfully captured. 

Catch it on big screen if you like a gorgeously filmed revenge flick cum survival porn.  

Rating: 7/10

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)

Genre: Action
Running Length: 2:00
Cast:  Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Zoe Kravitz, Riley Keough, Abbey Lee, Courtney Eaton
Director: George Miller
Screenplay: George Miller and Brendan McCarthy and Nick Lathouris

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD is the real deal. This movie will be up there with the modern action classics; Die Hard, Aliens, T2, Speed, The Matrix. Fury Road is big, brash and bizarre. For those who didn't see any of the earlier Mad Max films (granted that the last one was made almost 30 years ago), it's ok. I've not either but the plot is easy to follow. Although 90% of the entire film is wall to wall action, you don't feel bored. This is probably because very little special effects were used for the chase and fight scenes and thus it adds an element of grittiness and a sense of real danger. The stunt crew should be awarded or something. Also, the characters and rituals in George Miller's post-apocalyptic universe are eccentric, over the top and grotesque. It's like watching a 2 hours Lady Gaga music video but with more excitement and mayhem. Despite the intense emphasis on action, the characters are well defined, especially Charlize Theron's Furiosa. When the audience care for the protagonist in an action movie, we know we have a winner here. But the real star of the movie is Miller's mad and magnificent visuals and vehicles. The day scenes are bright with lots of orange and the nights are soaked in blue. And the vehicles...oh boy, it's so extravagant especially the truck with a concert stage on it (with a disfigured flame throwing guitarist tied to it). Absolutely i.n.s.a.n.e. And the hard-driving score here is off-the-chart. You must watch this spectacle on the big screen and I only wish theaters showing Fury Road would have seat belts installed to its chairs.

Rating: 9/10
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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