Movie Review – Dangerous Beauty

Shakespearean gambit

It was one of the rare occasions where literature works. Good book to good movie is a different thing but mostly classics when converted to movie becomes a separate product and we don’t get the essence of the books. Many Shakespearean works are better as modern-day adaptations than its own self. But the pressure to accept that it’s a classic surmounts on every occasion. That’s the reason ‘Romeo and Juliet’ never works if you can’t really appreciate the book. But somehow the ‘Pound of Flesh’ is my closest association to Shakespearean works and this movie brought out that feel in me.

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The film on the outlook didn’t look like something special. I was introduced to this movie by my friend and it was not there in any list. So, I wasn’t having high expectations of the movie but right from the word go the movie was fascinating. Like Ebert has said in his review, not much movies were made from woman’s point of view. Even if made it’d be made by a man who thinks women would be feeling like this but not entirely like how women would think. In fact, when I was watching the movie, I didn’t think in that angle. Only Ebert’s review made me feel so. That’s the beauty of reviewing isn’t it. Highlighting not the obvious things.

‘Dangerous Beauty’ starts with Veronica Franco (Catherine McCormack) and her friend bubbling with life but things immediately get changed when she is married to an old man. His lover Marco Venier (Rufus Sewell) tells that his fate too would be the same so that makes Veronica to become a courtesan. The good part in this one is that the story is not judgmental. Marco is not made to look like a villain for not marrying Veronica and same with Veronica for becoming a courtesan. The very fact that Veronica agrees to become a courtesan so that she can read books shows her love to be knowledgeable.

Veronica becomes a household name among the men because of her wit and beauty. In the path to fame she gains the enmity of Marco’s cousin Maffio Venier (Oliver Platt) and jealously of Marco. Marco and Veronica have an on and off relationship due to her work but things go awry when she had to please a king for the city. She gets widespread fame among the countrymen but Marco is angry. By the time he’s back, the religious fanatics had taken over and Veronica’s life is in danger.

While the movie was oscillating from a great first act to an average second act, the third act was important because that would decide what impact the movie would leave upon us. Catherine McCormack and Oliver Platt show what good actors they are in the third act. It was like a grand stage play, the words and sayings felt like literature oozing out from the film. It’s a curious thing, the dialogues, if it not had worked, the entire film would have been in turmoil. But Marco standing for her and in turn making the whole ministry root for her was like a typical ‘Pound of Flesh’ scene which made me sit up and notice. This may be not be one of the famous period flicks but it definitely is a one to watch out.

Movie Review – The Last Samurai

A satisfying war epic

It’s been quite long since I watched a proper war film and even if I did, got satisfied with it. ‘The Last Samurai’ fit the bill perfectly. It in fact exceeded my expectations. This along with ‘Seven Years in Tibet’ was in my wish list for quite a long time. As ‘Seven Years in Tibet’, I thought this movie which features a white man in foreign land, would be of same type too. But there were some really great moments which had me hooked to the film for the entire duration.

Don’t know why, but throughout the movie I was reminded of ‘Blood Diamond’ but only after watching the movie I got to know that ‘Blood Diamond’ too is by same director. I guess the director is really good at making films with a white western guy in non-western world. Even though I don’t exactly remember ‘Blood Diamond’, that too was fine film. A proper commercial film which involves brains too. Just like how ‘The Last Samurai’ was. But if I’ve scrutinize and pick one, I guess I’ll go with ‘Blood Diamond’. Even though ‘The Last Samurai’ too was equally good and entertaining.

The topmost trio consisting of Brad Pitt, Di Caprio and Tom Cruise, seem to have done a film each with this concept and its difficult to choose who emerges the winner because every time I see their hit films, I don’t get irritated by its mindlessness unlike top heroes masala flicks in Indian cinema, but only look at in awe of it, to see how well its crafted. This movie would have been even more lovely if one hasn’t been exposed to much art films, it’d have been a truly emotional epic. Wish I had watched it back in my college days. It’d have been lovely.

The best part about the film is that it doesn’t overdo and keeps it simple. Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) who repents because of the war atrocities which he committed is a man who’s resorted to alcohol. He goes to Japan for money and while trying to fight against Samurai’s, get brutally defeated and taken as a Prisoner of War to their village. He gets to know about their culture and way of life which changes his persona. Any film which takes this route, where we see rising of a man, this is the best part. It was so pleasant, as if a day in hill station without any plans. We feel as if it’d extend forever. Even though it doesn’t, the film doesn’t lose its tempo and makes us eager to know what’s next.

We have to be appreciative of the fact that Tom Cruise played second fiddle in the film. Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu (Ken Watanabe) is undeniably the hero of the film. Ken Watanabe is terrific. And thanks to the way we’re used to Nolan films. As soon as we see Ken Watanabe, it feels like a Nolan film. Such a sincere actor who gets overlooked so often. I feel like watching Nambiar when seeing him act. So mature and so calm.

There has been criticism about historical inaccuracy of the film. But that’s not really a point here because whatever we see is convincing and the screenplay is gripping. Action sequences were superbly choreographed. Guess one of it was an inspiration for the transformation fight in ‘Viswaroopam’. It works better in ‘Viswaroopam’ than here but original is original anyways. Tom Cruise too is convincing but that mainly has to do with slick editing and terrific cinematography techniques. Music needless to say would always be terrific, especially when you give this much canvas to a man like Hans Zimmer. All in all, it was a truly satisfying film.