eXistenZ (1999)

Director: David Cronenberg

Cast: Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Genre: Sci-Fi

Plot: Set in a future where virtual reality is more or less the way of life.

This movie simply bowls you over! Hats off to Cronenberg—what foresightedness.
 

Even today this movie is way ahead of time. Back in the 90s virtual reality was just making inroads into our lives but there weren’t any serious implications—let alone deaths! However, in last few years “Deaths while playing video games” are all in news. Cronenberg saw the pros/cons of it in advance and made a movie out of it.

There is no point discussing the movie and giving away the key plot, it must be watched. There are elements like mutated amphibians, bio pods, organic weapons which give it a futuristic look but one might find the acting/screenplay part a bit docile, i.e. until you see the climax. The climax simply is top notch and director/actors justify their unconventional approach to the movie.

I have always been a huge fan of Jennifer Jason Leigh especially her intoxicating smile (“Single White Female” and Verhoven’s “Flesh+Blood”). She once again brings to screen a sort of deadly innocence!

 8/10

Unforgiven (1992)

Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman
Genre: Western

Plot: The biggest names in Hollywood come together to revive what was long dead, and they do it in style—Western makes a come back!

Clint Eastwood has done more westerns (actor/director) than anyone else I can think of. However, instead of being banal, each one of his films is a masterpiece in its own rights. In the same wild west setting there are such subtle variation in script and approach that you can only admire the master at work.

Once notorious killers and partners: William Munny (Eastwood) and Ned (Freeman) are now leading simple farm lives, separately. Munny’s beloved wife is dead and he has completely given up his old ways—whiskey and gun. Until, the economy forces them to take up a last job after a gap of almost eleven years. This last job is more about retaliation than money, though. The task will require them to lock horns with dangerous Little Bill (Hackman)—the sheriff, rather ruler, of the town of Big Whiskey, and they will pay a hefty price.

To clean any place somebody must get hands dirty and, inevitably, the chore falls into Munny’s hands. A little wary at the onset, in the end Munny is at peace with his inner self and realizes he must be who he is without a guilty conscious.

Another superb directorial effort by Eastwood. Timing, chemistry, perception and many other things might go awry when such heavy weights are involved; Eastwood shrewdly avoids that by giving them all personalized breathing space.

Eastwood had to ensure Munny isn’t swashbuckling like his “Dollar Trilogy” character and does a stupendous job on that. Gene Hackaman as a domineering sheriff is nothing less than mesmerizing.

8/10

Rashomon (1950, Japanese)

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Cast: Toshirô Mifune

Genre: Crime/Drama

A teaser trailer for the world of what was to come! 

Kurosawa shows us a glimpse of his immense genius and creativity that he eventually unleashes in his masterwork “Seven Samurai.”

Rashomon isn’t just a movie it is a master in making. This is the film that established Kurosawa legacy/class outside of Japan.

Rashomon deals with a crime, delving deeper than mere investigation and finding the culprit. It thoroughly analyzes the reason-part from different point of views, all along studying the obscure human conscious. And thus establishing that cognition is an immanent act of mind.

Once again, Kurosawa partnered with his favorite, Mifune!

7.5/10

Princess Mononoke (1997, Japanese – Mononoke Hime)

Director: Hayao Miyazaki 

Plot: Man is at war with the Nature that fosters him.

In this age of technological animation—where you can almost feel an on screen drop of water falling on you through your 3-d glass—Miyazaki is like a one-man army successfully leading the bandwagon of hand-drawn animation. And “Mononoke Hime” is “Avatar” of animation genre when it comes to visual creativity! Each and every character breathes freely to its maturity. 

Mononoke Hime is like beautiful bedtime story with loads of lessons in morality and right living. Such stories/movies are what make the world a better place. It is set in imperial age/iron age period of Japan and deals with the then society taboos e.g. lepers, prostitutes, outcasts. There are no negative characters in the movie as everyone of them is somewhat justified for their actions.

Main character Ashitaka is stuck between the battle of man and nature and tries to establish a harmony among them, in which he eventually succeeds.

This is an epic work even more substantial than “Spirited Away”.

While watching the English dubbed version I so badly wished for knowledge of Japanese so that I could watch and understand original too! As there are a few Japanese term which don’t have a meaning in English. Even though the dubbing is very impressive, I plan a re-watch with subtitles.

Wikipedia:

“It took Miyazaki 16 years to fully develop the story and characters of Princess Mononoke. Princess Mononoke came together after Miyazaki visited the ancient forests of Yakushima island, but he didn't fully complete it until well into production. The final storyboards of the film's ending were finished only months before the Japanese premiere date”

8.5/10