WajidMalik
Lifetime Total
5+
IMDb Member
24 years
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Xích lô (1995)
A daring triumph, which isn't afraid of its audience.
First of all I was blown away by the strong visual quality of Cyclo. Directed by the talented Ahn-Hung Tran, a Vietnamese/French director. This is his second film after the critically acclaimed `Scent of a Green Papaya'. The film looks and feels like a visual poem, and you can't do anything but be awestricken by the sheer intensity and power of the images and their composition that are expressed towards you. Even if their exact meaning isn't always clear to us.
In visual terms I would say that the director borrows more from photographers and video artists than other films. What emerges from this is a bold and powerful film. But unlike his fellow film director such as Wong Kar-Wai (In the Mood for Love, Fallen Angels), whose films can sometimes give you the same feel as leafing through a hip photo magazine. Tran's film is more collected, even though it can be made a point out of the plot at times being a bit sketchy.
The story circles around a young cyclo (played by Le Van Loc), a bicycle taxi driver (pedicab), his older sister and her lover / ex-lover the local hoodlum, know as the poet ( played by Hong Kong star Tony Leung). We don't learn any of their real names; even the film credits them as the cyclo, the sister, the poet, the grandfather, the madam etc.
The cyclo has lost both his parents and is currently living with his siblings and his grandfather. The film gives us a unique view of the contrasts and the poverty of Saigon. Everyone in this household has to work, in order to make ends meet. The cyclo drives his pedicab looking for passengers. His younger sister shines shoes after school. The beautiful older sister cooks and carries water from the marked, and even the old grandfather repairs tyres.
The chain of events starts rolling when the cyclo gets jumped by rivals who steal his pedicab and beat him up. The cyclo who was employed by the local gang boss, the madam, is now forced into taking up petty crimes, under her sponsorship to pay for his cab. But instead of returning to a normal life, he is pressured by the madam's gang led by the silent gangster the poet, to commit even more violent crimes, on madams behalf.
The poet however, is at the same time living a second life as a pimp, under which guise he recruits the cyclos elder sister (presumably because she and her family need the money). There is also a clear indication that she and the poet are either lovers or have been so.
But trying to follow or find the plot of the film is missing the whole point of this film. Events occur suddenly for no direct reason, while other times, events don't occur as you as a viewer expect them to. The film follows a dynamic structure reflecting the human spontaneity. Events are sometimes difficult to make out, because the director clearly doesn't believe in feeding us information with a spoon. It's liberating to watch a film that isn't afraid of its audience, and deliberately has a storytelling that leaves much up to our imagination and interpretation of event. There is such room for speculation, because Tran leaves a whole continent of emotions and information unexposed.
Let me just point out that this is not a bad thing in anyway. We are raised upon a tradition of films that force-feed us their purpose. Formula based clichés where you know where the film is going and what's going to happen after watching 10 min of it. What Ahn-Hung Tran does is both daring and plausible: breaking new ground and expanding our horizons.
As I mentioned, that trying to follow the plot is to miss the point of this film. It reminds me of French new wave aesthetics and the work by John Cassavetes. While most films and their characters are more about doing instead of being, this film does the direct opposite. It seems like the story is serving the purpose of exposing a distinct character emotions, instead of the western plot driven stories, where characters serve as devices to push the plot forward.
Tran has a great eye for visual composition and picking out details he want to show. The films story could easily have turned into something uninteresting and shallow. But the attention the right detail along with the decision to show consequences of situations instead of action and confrontation makes this a unique insight of human nature.
The main characters are all mostly silent throughout the film. This strengthens the feeling of them being almost passive accepting of the choices pressed upon them. Because the cyclo, his sister and the poet are all in one way or another force to do what they're doing, either by each other or by their environment. With this minimal amount of dialog, the majority of the scenes are more dependant of the characters actions or more: their reactions. Their expressions and body language conveys their desires and torments, without ever becoming sentimental.
Ahn Hung Tran's storytelling suits the exquisite minimalist approach the cinematographer Benoit Delhomme turns toward the material. The films fixation with fluids is also quite interesting choice. All kind of fluids play a visual and symbolic role throughout the entire film: water, mud, sweat, paint, even urine and blood. Everything ads to the visual flow of the film.
Evoking an incredible atmosphere of chaos, helter-skelter activity that seems to follow no law, the strength of cyclo lies in its imagery. Stunning colours and cascade of metaphors, on many different levels, constructs a coherent picture of the world. The main story is regularly intertwined by photomontages from Saigon: everything from the city streets of Saigon, or a montage of all the residents of a particular block, classroom of children singing Vietnamese songs. And a quite surreal funny scene of a helicopter carrier that tips over with its military helicopter, in the middle of heavy street traffic. Everything is connected with a kind of dream logic that's hard to define, where things just fit together even if they logically shouldn't.
The film is a beautiful daring triumph, which isn't afraid of its audience. It will make you reflect over it long after you have seen it. And isn't that what all good art should do ?
In visual terms I would say that the director borrows more from photographers and video artists than other films. What emerges from this is a bold and powerful film. But unlike his fellow film director such as Wong Kar-Wai (In the Mood for Love, Fallen Angels), whose films can sometimes give you the same feel as leafing through a hip photo magazine. Tran's film is more collected, even though it can be made a point out of the plot at times being a bit sketchy.
The story circles around a young cyclo (played by Le Van Loc), a bicycle taxi driver (pedicab), his older sister and her lover / ex-lover the local hoodlum, know as the poet ( played by Hong Kong star Tony Leung). We don't learn any of their real names; even the film credits them as the cyclo, the sister, the poet, the grandfather, the madam etc.
The cyclo has lost both his parents and is currently living with his siblings and his grandfather. The film gives us a unique view of the contrasts and the poverty of Saigon. Everyone in this household has to work, in order to make ends meet. The cyclo drives his pedicab looking for passengers. His younger sister shines shoes after school. The beautiful older sister cooks and carries water from the marked, and even the old grandfather repairs tyres.
The chain of events starts rolling when the cyclo gets jumped by rivals who steal his pedicab and beat him up. The cyclo who was employed by the local gang boss, the madam, is now forced into taking up petty crimes, under her sponsorship to pay for his cab. But instead of returning to a normal life, he is pressured by the madam's gang led by the silent gangster the poet, to commit even more violent crimes, on madams behalf.
The poet however, is at the same time living a second life as a pimp, under which guise he recruits the cyclos elder sister (presumably because she and her family need the money). There is also a clear indication that she and the poet are either lovers or have been so.
But trying to follow or find the plot of the film is missing the whole point of this film. Events occur suddenly for no direct reason, while other times, events don't occur as you as a viewer expect them to. The film follows a dynamic structure reflecting the human spontaneity. Events are sometimes difficult to make out, because the director clearly doesn't believe in feeding us information with a spoon. It's liberating to watch a film that isn't afraid of its audience, and deliberately has a storytelling that leaves much up to our imagination and interpretation of event. There is such room for speculation, because Tran leaves a whole continent of emotions and information unexposed.
Let me just point out that this is not a bad thing in anyway. We are raised upon a tradition of films that force-feed us their purpose. Formula based clichés where you know where the film is going and what's going to happen after watching 10 min of it. What Ahn-Hung Tran does is both daring and plausible: breaking new ground and expanding our horizons.
As I mentioned, that trying to follow the plot is to miss the point of this film. It reminds me of French new wave aesthetics and the work by John Cassavetes. While most films and their characters are more about doing instead of being, this film does the direct opposite. It seems like the story is serving the purpose of exposing a distinct character emotions, instead of the western plot driven stories, where characters serve as devices to push the plot forward.
Tran has a great eye for visual composition and picking out details he want to show. The films story could easily have turned into something uninteresting and shallow. But the attention the right detail along with the decision to show consequences of situations instead of action and confrontation makes this a unique insight of human nature.
The main characters are all mostly silent throughout the film. This strengthens the feeling of them being almost passive accepting of the choices pressed upon them. Because the cyclo, his sister and the poet are all in one way or another force to do what they're doing, either by each other or by their environment. With this minimal amount of dialog, the majority of the scenes are more dependant of the characters actions or more: their reactions. Their expressions and body language conveys their desires and torments, without ever becoming sentimental.
Ahn Hung Tran's storytelling suits the exquisite minimalist approach the cinematographer Benoit Delhomme turns toward the material. The films fixation with fluids is also quite interesting choice. All kind of fluids play a visual and symbolic role throughout the entire film: water, mud, sweat, paint, even urine and blood. Everything ads to the visual flow of the film.
Evoking an incredible atmosphere of chaos, helter-skelter activity that seems to follow no law, the strength of cyclo lies in its imagery. Stunning colours and cascade of metaphors, on many different levels, constructs a coherent picture of the world. The main story is regularly intertwined by photomontages from Saigon: everything from the city streets of Saigon, or a montage of all the residents of a particular block, classroom of children singing Vietnamese songs. And a quite surreal funny scene of a helicopter carrier that tips over with its military helicopter, in the middle of heavy street traffic. Everything is connected with a kind of dream logic that's hard to define, where things just fit together even if they logically shouldn't.
The film is a beautiful daring triumph, which isn't afraid of its audience. It will make you reflect over it long after you have seen it. And isn't that what all good art should do ?
Fight Club (1999)
a masterpiece of the seldom sort
Every now and then there comes a movie that defines the feeling of its time and generation. They are not always acsepted by everyone, especially the critic. But after 10 years they become classics. I think Fight club is one of them. A satire on our society and the meaningless consumerism that surrounds us.
The main character is a so anonymous and normal that we never get to know his name. Edward Norton is credited as the narrator. He lives a life consumed in material values. He cant seem to find a meaning in his life, hes strugling to do exactly what everyone else want him to do, just going with the flow, not questioning anything. How many of us have not felt this way before. Tormented by insomnia (Doctor: no, you cant die of insomnia), he joins support group for testicular cancer. Where he experiences the pleasure of crying in another persons arms. He is now addicted. In his words he explains his addiction: When people think your dying, they finally shut up and listen to what you have to say. Thats when Marla coms in an equally fake support-addict who the narator describes as : "a little scratch on the roof of your mouth that would heal if only you could stop tounging it--but you can't"
In the top of his depression the narrator meets Tyler Durden, a man with a vision and a philosophy "its only after we've lost everything that we we're free to do anything".
Wow im blown away
This film is more inteligent than it actually looks Ironical to the bone. Filmed with camera techniques that reminde us of comercials. This film deals with the masculin selfdestruction or rage. Its about a whitecolar worker who creates a fighting club. Where males can come and beat the shit out of each other, as a way of letting out their steam and confusion.The film tries to explore the dehumanization of our culture. A hard thing to do whithout being provocative.
Masterly made both technically and acting wise. Both Edward Norton and Brad Pitt give expeptional performances
Industrial noise music by Dust brothers,nicely edited and filmed, blending computer generated effects with story. This is indeed filmmaking at its finest. A testament that once in a while the hollywood machinery can actually produce a gem that could not have been possible any other way.
a film constantly turning from reality to the absurd fantasy. The twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat,. And did i mention that the film has twist that will blow you away ? Keeping true to his tradition, David Fincher cooks up a hell of a an ending that will blow you away.
A film no adult movie fan can dare to miss, and this is a film for adults, mind you. This is an intelligent film, and David Fincher is a master.
Gems like this don't grow on trees....
The main character is a so anonymous and normal that we never get to know his name. Edward Norton is credited as the narrator. He lives a life consumed in material values. He cant seem to find a meaning in his life, hes strugling to do exactly what everyone else want him to do, just going with the flow, not questioning anything. How many of us have not felt this way before. Tormented by insomnia (Doctor: no, you cant die of insomnia), he joins support group for testicular cancer. Where he experiences the pleasure of crying in another persons arms. He is now addicted. In his words he explains his addiction: When people think your dying, they finally shut up and listen to what you have to say. Thats when Marla coms in an equally fake support-addict who the narator describes as : "a little scratch on the roof of your mouth that would heal if only you could stop tounging it--but you can't"
In the top of his depression the narrator meets Tyler Durden, a man with a vision and a philosophy "its only after we've lost everything that we we're free to do anything".
Wow im blown away
This film is more inteligent than it actually looks Ironical to the bone. Filmed with camera techniques that reminde us of comercials. This film deals with the masculin selfdestruction or rage. Its about a whitecolar worker who creates a fighting club. Where males can come and beat the shit out of each other, as a way of letting out their steam and confusion.The film tries to explore the dehumanization of our culture. A hard thing to do whithout being provocative.
Masterly made both technically and acting wise. Both Edward Norton and Brad Pitt give expeptional performances
Industrial noise music by Dust brothers,nicely edited and filmed, blending computer generated effects with story. This is indeed filmmaking at its finest. A testament that once in a while the hollywood machinery can actually produce a gem that could not have been possible any other way.
a film constantly turning from reality to the absurd fantasy. The twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat,. And did i mention that the film has twist that will blow you away ? Keeping true to his tradition, David Fincher cooks up a hell of a an ending that will blow you away.
A film no adult movie fan can dare to miss, and this is a film for adults, mind you. This is an intelligent film, and David Fincher is a master.
Gems like this don't grow on trees....
Fight Club (1999)
a masterpiece of the seldom sort
Every now and then there comes a movie that defines the feeling of its time and generation. They are not always acsepted by everyone, especially the critic. But after 10 years they become classics. I think Fight club is one of them. A satire on our society and the meaningless consumerism that surrounds us.
The main character is a so anonymous and normal that we never get to know his name. Edward Norton is credited as the narrator. He lives a life consumed in material values. He cant seem to find a meaning in his life, hes strugling to do exactly what everyone else want him to do, just going with the flow, not questioning anything. How many of us have not felt this way before. Tormented by insomnia (Doctor: no, you cant die of insomnia), he joins support group for testicular cancer. Where he experiences the pleasure of crying in another persons arms. He is now addicted. In his words he explains his addiction: When people think your dying, they finally shut up and listen to what you have to say. Thats when Marla coms in an equally fake support-addict who the narator describes as : "a little scratch on the roof of your mouth that would heal if only you could stop tounging it--but you can't"
In the top of his depression the narrator meets Tyler Durden, a man with a vision and a philosophy "its only after we've lost everything that we we're free to do anything".
Wow im blown away
This film is more inteligent than it actually looks Ironical to the bone. Filmed with camera techniques that reminde us of comercials. This film deals with the masculin selfdestruction or rage. Its about a whitecolar worker who creates a fighting club. Where males can come and beat the shit out of each other, as a way of letting out their steam and confusion.The film tries to explore the dehumanization of our culture. A hard thing to do whithout being provocative.
Masterly made both technically and acting wise. Both Edward Norton and Brad Pitt give expeptional performances
Industrial noise music by Dust brothers,nicely edited and filmed, blending computer generated effects with story. This is indeed filmmaking at its finest. A testament that once in a while the hollywood machinery can actually produce a gem that could not have been possible any other way.
a film constantly turning from reality to the absurd fantasy. The twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat,. And did i mention that the film has twist that will blow you away ? Keeping true to his tradition, David Fincher cooks up a hell of a an ending that will blow you away.
A film no adult movie fan can dare to miss, and this is a film for adults, mind you. This is an intelligent film, and David Fincher is a master.
Gems like this don't grow on trees....
The main character is a so anonymous and normal that we never get to know his name. Edward Norton is credited as the narrator. He lives a life consumed in material values. He cant seem to find a meaning in his life, hes strugling to do exactly what everyone else want him to do, just going with the flow, not questioning anything. How many of us have not felt this way before. Tormented by insomnia (Doctor: no, you cant die of insomnia), he joins support group for testicular cancer. Where he experiences the pleasure of crying in another persons arms. He is now addicted. In his words he explains his addiction: When people think your dying, they finally shut up and listen to what you have to say. Thats when Marla coms in an equally fake support-addict who the narator describes as : "a little scratch on the roof of your mouth that would heal if only you could stop tounging it--but you can't"
In the top of his depression the narrator meets Tyler Durden, a man with a vision and a philosophy "its only after we've lost everything that we we're free to do anything".
Wow im blown away
This film is more inteligent than it actually looks Ironical to the bone. Filmed with camera techniques that reminde us of comercials. This film deals with the masculin selfdestruction or rage. Its about a whitecolar worker who creates a fighting club. Where males can come and beat the shit out of each other, as a way of letting out their steam and confusion.The film tries to explore the dehumanization of our culture. A hard thing to do whithout being provocative.
Masterly made both technically and acting wise. Both Edward Norton and Brad Pitt give expeptional performances
Industrial noise music by Dust brothers,nicely edited and filmed, blending computer generated effects with story. This is indeed filmmaking at its finest. A testament that once in a while the hollywood machinery can actually produce a gem that could not have been possible any other way.
a film constantly turning from reality to the absurd fantasy. The twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat,. And did i mention that the film has twist that will blow you away ? Keeping true to his tradition, David Fincher cooks up a hell of a an ending that will blow you away.
A film no adult movie fan can dare to miss, and this is a film for adults, mind you. This is an intelligent film, and David Fincher is a master.
Gems like this don't grow on trees....
8MM (1999)
Uninteresting and so sugar covered sentimental !
How can you make a movie about Snuff film and the pornographic underworld and yet be able to make it so uninteresting and boring ? Well our friend Joel Schumaker just managed that. But what else can you expect from the maker of Batman and Robin? Over one hour of this film is about how the detective is trying to find the people who made the snuff film.I'm watching this and I'm thinking, that the director must really think he is telling something really interesting: how Nicolas Cages character is investigating. Then the films goes all nuts with so much honey covered-sugar-sentimentality that it makes you want to puke. Dialogs as Tell me how much you love your girl, so i can kill the men who did this to her? Or how about when Cage comes crying home saying "Save me!" or the dozen telephone calls he makes to his wife only to say that "Honey, I love you and I miss you soooo much".
The original script by Andrew Kevin Walker was about how a man who is investigating a snuff film,. wanting to find out how people can do this kind of horrible things in our world, but ends up doing the same violent things to those same men, only his motives are not perverted but that of an avenger.
This film however suffers the worst case of anti-climax i have ever seen.
If Schumaker had made bambi, bambi's mother would still be alive. Everything in this film is too warped up and tied together that it is sickening. If you were looking for a film like Seven then forget it, this is not it. Want to see a film about movie violence, snuff-films and how it effects our society ? Wach "Tesis" instead, it's shocking, thought provoking and entertaining suspense film. Come to think of it, it's everything that 8mm is NOT.
The original script by Andrew Kevin Walker was about how a man who is investigating a snuff film,. wanting to find out how people can do this kind of horrible things in our world, but ends up doing the same violent things to those same men, only his motives are not perverted but that of an avenger.
This film however suffers the worst case of anti-climax i have ever seen.
If Schumaker had made bambi, bambi's mother would still be alive. Everything in this film is too warped up and tied together that it is sickening. If you were looking for a film like Seven then forget it, this is not it. Want to see a film about movie violence, snuff-films and how it effects our society ? Wach "Tesis" instead, it's shocking, thought provoking and entertaining suspense film. Come to think of it, it's everything that 8mm is NOT.
Underground (1995)
An energy filled, work of art
This film is filled with so much energy and joy that no audience can come out of it unmoved. This film has so many layers of story, that not one person will have the same impulses after seeing this picture. And isn't that what counts: to see a picture that makes you think what you just saw instead of just going mindless out of the cinema house?
The story is perfect mix of tragedy, comedy, romance,hate. Everything we incapsulate in what we call a life. Underneith it tells the story of heroes,glorification of heroes, war criminals. It's not often i get swept away by a film but this film really managed to capture what the film medium can do.
As original as two Coen brothers films combined and as moving as anything you will ever see........ Perhaps the best film of this decade... Seldom do you learn so much about the times you are living in as in this film. It's a must see for anyone who consider themselves even a bit interested in films. Masterpieces like this are so had to come by that no one can afford to miss it.
The story is perfect mix of tragedy, comedy, romance,hate. Everything we incapsulate in what we call a life. Underneith it tells the story of heroes,glorification of heroes, war criminals. It's not often i get swept away by a film but this film really managed to capture what the film medium can do.
As original as two Coen brothers films combined and as moving as anything you will ever see........ Perhaps the best film of this decade... Seldom do you learn so much about the times you are living in as in this film. It's a must see for anyone who consider themselves even a bit interested in films. Masterpieces like this are so had to come by that no one can afford to miss it.
Raging Bull (1980)
The best film ever made,a flawless masterpiece !
What are great films made of, what do they have to contain that makes them so remarkable ? A moving story, great acting, superb camerawork, exceptional sound, cleverly editing, masterful directions ? Raging bull not only contains all these elements, but its groundbreaking in all of them. Its one of the best films ever made, and as with good wine it just gets better with each passing year. What makes this black and white film so damn remarkable?
When all the technical aspects of a film are used at its best to serve the initial story it creates a magic that is unexplainable. Each boxing-match is individually coreographed and edited. the camera moves in ways it never did before. The soundeffects are heartstopping.
The story is based on the life of the boxing champion Jake La Motta... the meanest sunofabich ever to have played the main character in a film (at least in the 80's), honestly played by Robet De Niro who took method acting to new hights when he decided to get fit in order to play the boxer, and then gained 30.kg to play the older fatter Jake La Motta. He gives his best performance ever, as he is able to bring out the sympathetic side of this monster.
But eventually its the story that moves us... about a boxer whose life consists of fighting, but his biggest fights are the ones fought outside the ring. A man that's filled with so much self destruction that he destroys not only himself but everyone around him, his brother, wife, family.... this film just works in so many layers. Its humane but never sentimental, very straight forward yet so intelligent. a must see for absolutely everyone.
If you will only see one film for the rest of your life, see this one....
When all the technical aspects of a film are used at its best to serve the initial story it creates a magic that is unexplainable. Each boxing-match is individually coreographed and edited. the camera moves in ways it never did before. The soundeffects are heartstopping.
The story is based on the life of the boxing champion Jake La Motta... the meanest sunofabich ever to have played the main character in a film (at least in the 80's), honestly played by Robet De Niro who took method acting to new hights when he decided to get fit in order to play the boxer, and then gained 30.kg to play the older fatter Jake La Motta. He gives his best performance ever, as he is able to bring out the sympathetic side of this monster.
But eventually its the story that moves us... about a boxer whose life consists of fighting, but his biggest fights are the ones fought outside the ring. A man that's filled with so much self destruction that he destroys not only himself but everyone around him, his brother, wife, family.... this film just works in so many layers. Its humane but never sentimental, very straight forward yet so intelligent. a must see for absolutely everyone.
If you will only see one film for the rest of your life, see this one....