FILM REVIEW:MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

Funny and witty, Midnight in Paris is a light hearted journey of self discovery for aspiring writer Gil Pender (Owen Wilson). However, it is also not entirely a romantic comedy as its title might suggest.

Gil, a successful Hollywood writer who is struggling with his first novel, travels with his fiancée, Inez (Rachel McAdams) to Paris. He is enthralled with the city and has thoughts of staying in Paris after getting married but Inez thinks otherwise. Gil sees Paris as the ideal place to find the inspiration to accomplish his artistic goals; while Inez views it merely as an important touristy location of note. It is this difference that would lead them to very different conclusions about their lives. When Gil decides to leave Inez to party with her friends and goes for a midnight stroll along the streets of Paris, he is picked up by merrymaking folks who will provide him the writing inspiration he needs.

The film begins in modern day Paris, with its beautifully designed buildings and museums that display its golden age of artistic expression; before luring us into the 1920s, where its dimly lit, moody streets evoke a rustic, cosy feeling that makes you want to stay a little longer, among the literary/artistic greats of the past, just to know them a little better.

Owen Wilson is aptly cast as protagonist Gil Pender. A veteran of the comedy genre, he exudes an unbiased and unassuming air that allows him to be the nonjudgmental eyes and ears of the audience, while not losing his own character in the process.

Performances are good, although some of the supporting cast’s roles serve merely as character foils to the protagonist; to highlight how different and possibly incompatible he is among their company. What delighted me the most were the many cameos of accomplished actors, aptly taking mentoring roles in their fictional impersonation of the many artistic talents that flocked to Paris circa 1920 .

Woody Allen writes and directs a film that is very watchable, expects nothing from its viewers other than an open mind and a need to escape reality for a brief respite. His script is snappy and witty, subtle and gentle; coaxing and luring us into the magical, alluring past of Paris. Filmed entirely on location, in Paris, Allen also engaged a number of local French actors and actresses (like former model and wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Carla Bruni) to evoke an authentic Parisian feel that is different from, yet similar in some ways to their American counterparts; a juxtaposition of sorts.

Midnight in Paris is no epic melodrama; nor is it entirely a romantic comedy in the traditional sense but it is definitely more than the sum of its parts. The film sublimely delivers Woody Allen’s message to artists of all mediums to seize the present and not mope about the difficulties they face, especially when they are misunderstood by those around them. However, it might offend some people with its shallow, materialistic depictions of antagonistic characters that oppose Gil’s chosen literary path. All in all, with the exception of young children, Midnight in Paris is entertaining, educational and doubly entertaining for art and literature enthusiasts.

[REC]-Record everything...

REC is a Spanish horror film in line with the 'newer', modernized, fast, quick and perhaps even intelligent zombies that have been populating countless zombie flicks in the last 20 years.


REC follows a 2 person TV crew who are filming a night of a Fireman's life at work. What they initially thought would be a boring night soon leads them to joining in on the action as a case sends them to the aid of an old lady who has injured herself in her apartment. Things soon go very wrong when all of them are trapped in the building by the authorities, claiming that a quarantine is in effect due to a suspected viral outbreak.



What places it apart from the rest is it's in your face approach and "docu-drama" style of filming. The film makers apply documentary filming techniques such as using a hand held camera to film the entire movie, allowing the audience to experience a deeper sense of immersion, creating a 'first-hand', you are there effect. This not only greatly accentuates the panic and fear felt by the characters trying to survive but also generates immense tension when in one scene, the camera is dropped on the ground during the characters' desperate struggle to survive a zombie ambush. By providing only brief glimpse of the action, while heightening the fear felt via their screams and shadows sprawled on the building's walls is a chilling experience. The long narrow corridors and compact central spiral staircase of the building further augments the fear of the unknown with the claustrophobic fear that the survivors and YOU, have no where to run...



Like all good horror shows, it is best watched in the middle of the night with the lights dimmed and a lack of noise other that the sounds from the film.



Definitely, a horror flick worth watching for even the most casual of film goers and even more so, for hardcore zombie lovers (like angry grandma on the right).

Its A Long Road...The Reel and Real Rambo

For those who haven't read First Blood by David Morrell but only saw Rambo as portrayed by Sylvester Stallone, you do not know the real Rambo. Morrell's Rambo is a young man barely out of his teenage years, brash, immature, pyschologically scarred but a highly skilled individual. Stallone's Rambo has both the latter traits but is older and perhaps more understanding than Morrell's version. Like Morrell wrote in the foreword of the 1994 reprint of First Blood, both Rambos are like similarly made trains, just headed in two different directions, leading to shocking conclusions.

Personally, I found Morrell's Rambo too brutal and unforgiving for a highly skilled warrior who only wanted to give the local sherriff layabouts a lesson or two about respecting people regardless of how they look. He was vicious and lethal, cutting through the sherriff's posse like a hot knife through butter without remorse except maybe a litte regret towards the end of the novel. However, one noteworthy thing is that the book does not villify the local authorities especially sheffif Teasel. The reel Teasel was a real pain in the behind, full of prejudice and pride that the audience would most likely want to see Rambo gut him open like what Morrell's Rambo did to some of the sherriff's deputies in the book.

Regardless of the differences between the book and the film, it was fortunate that the film makers decided to mellow down Rambo's character, for it made the audience sympathise with him more so than if it 100% done like the book. Morrell's purpose was to write an entertaining thriller that also served as a critical analysis of the physical and psychological trauma faced by returning war veterans who become increasing billigerent to many situations back in their daily lives. This is embedded in the personalities of both Teasel and Rambo, both veterans of different wars, namely Korea and Vietnam respectively. Both had a general distrust of each other which escalated into full fledge guerilla warfare. One can't help but feel that if both men communicated and negotiated with each other rather than take an outright confrontational approach, their misunderstanding could be resolved.

The film removes this aspect of the book in favour of an even faster paced action packed story (not that the book is not action oriented), reducing Teasel to an overconfident commander who is itching to get his hands dirty. Fortunately, due to such changes, Rambo's superior officer, Trautman, played by Richard Crenna had an even bigger role to play as Rambo's mentor, counsellor and even bailing him out from the trouble he was in. Like the book, Trautman's character description was nearly the same, except due to the differences of both Rambos' actions the book's Trautman had to save Rambo in a very different way.

In the end, the film made Rambo a successful multi-million dollar cash cow, even having its own dictionary reference for the word Rambo which has since become a descriptive word for incredible skill and hot blooded temprement.