Before Sunset (Richard Linklater)

Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy reprise their roles in Richard Linklater's more contemplative follow-up to "Before Sunrise".

Film Review Archive (date seen: December 7, 2010)

Now here's a sequel made not because it has a new or unique story (I believe within the ratio of chances that the love story in the two films can really happen) to tell, but because of the natural ease of conversational exchanges and spontaneous sarcasms between Jesse and Celine, two characters that many people have loved so much that it has inspired its makers (including stars Hawke and Delpy) to urgently tell what happened and what could have been in a happenstance meeting 9 years later in Paris.

By the summary of the film, it's already given that their promise to meet on a train station in Vienna was particularly broken by either one of them. So as if fate has brought them to the city of love itself, "Before Sunset" is the center stage for their reunion, to measure up how they've changed, physically, emotionally, and even politically, while at the same short amount of time, contemplate all the 'what if' scenarios that could have been brought into their lives if the promise they've kept to see each other again was fulfilled.
If "Before Sunrise" is a definitive love story film for young lovers, "Before Sunset" is a matured observation of love, marriage, and no, not mid-life crisis (as what could have been expected in a sequel conceived 9 years after the first part), but about the contemplative spirit of a fateful night in the streets of Vienna that has might as well half-filled all the passions and perfect dreams Jesse and Celine ever had, and how another moment, even in a tranquil afternoon in Paris, is sorely necessary not just to pick up the pieces, but to piece out the fragments that surely could have been a lasting love. It may not be enough to fill up the other half, but it is, after all those years of neutral existence, a reassurance that they still can.

FINAL RATING

Before Sunrise (Richard Linklater)

The Vienna connection.

Film Review Archive (date seen: December 2, 2010)

"Before Sunrise" is a romance film pretty much unaffected by spoilers of any type, not because of any complexities that are involved in the story, but because the start and end of this unexpected love found in the most compatible of places are already given; what mattered most and further emphasized was what happened in between.

Richard Linklater and Kim Krizan has inserted impressively ingenious dialogues, ranging from brief philosophical views about life and death to trivial matters such as fortune-telling and even the cliches of male fantasies. But through this, director Linklater has able to weave both a gentle poem about the beauty of love and a valid question of "how long does it really take to consider 'love' as a transcendental one?" Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are both natural and genuinely affecting as Jesse and Celine, two people who had the greatest chance encounter of their lives but with not enough time in their hands.

"Before Sunrise" may not be the most aesthetically-excellent romantic film, but it surely is one of the most satisfying expositions of a love threatened to be hindered by the absolute reality of time, but exceeded it with both people's urgency to feel and connect, brought about by the unconscious push of a ticking clock, a scheduled flight back to America, and a train ride to Paris. "One night may suffice." That may be Richard Linklater's answer to the aforementioned question above.

FINAL RATING

The Edge (Lee Tamahori)

Survival in the jungle and against each other.

Film Review Archive (date seen: November 29, 2010)

Intense wilderness adventure anchored by strong dual performances by Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin, respectively. During my childhood (or at least from what I recall), I always hear about "The Edge's" inclusion of a grizzly bear and how impressive the animal's sequences were. That particular claim is certainly true, and believe it or not, without the abominable presence of the bear, the film's impact, in my opinion, would not have been that effective.

Yes, "The Edge" is really about how an extramarital affair and its psychological implications would translate into the primitive idea of survival in the wilds, but ironically enough, it's also about an unexpected friendship found in that irreversible circumstance, especially for it to develop from two people with contrasting personalities and coming from different social status. The bear fight sequence is the film's center piece, heightened by exceptional editing, intense musical score and, well, credible performance from "Bart the bear".

Timothy Treadwell (see "Grizzly Man") should have seen this film, because although "The Edge" is a purely cinematic treatment of the characteristics and behaviors of a grizzly bear, it must have been enough to prove his prolonged eccentric immersion with the animals to be a very grave impossibility, at least in terms of whether or not the bears would see him as a caring 'friend' or a 'food' within reach.

FINAL RATING

Doctor Zhivago (David Lean)

Omar Sharif and Julie Christie in David Lean's epic "Doctor Zhivago".

Film Review Archive (date seen: November 28, 2010)

I'm never much aware of Russian history especially the time of Lenin, so I watched "Dr. Zhivago" partly so I may get some immediate knowledge about the Bolsheviks and the Communist wave in Russia. But David Lean, always the master of substantial scale, treated the revolution and turbulence not as important political details but merely circumstantial forces of nature to cloud and test the real center of the film: That of Yuri Zhivago's (Omar Sharif) life and love.

Unlike Lean's previous protagonists which were enclosed with moral and personal ambiguities (Col. Nicholson and T.E. Lawrence), Zhivago is a fairly straightforward man. A principled doctor who's always ready to help within his ability, and though not invulnerable to hardships, always carries them with a teary-eyed smile. "Doctor Zhivago", aside from a strong lead by Omar Shairf, is also littered with heavyweight performances by Klaus Kinski, Alec Guinness and especially Rod Steiger as Komarovsky.

"Doctor Zhivago" was trashed and denounced by critics upon its first release (which of course learned from their mistakes). But through the years, it has since been hailed as a cinematic "treasure" and of significant importance to the art of films. It may just be a playful coincidence, but the film's initial critical reception was a great parallel to Yuri Zhivago's life: Once invaded, halted and violated by the turmoil inflicted by the sudden revolution, but went on and able to create love and leave a lasting mark to those who knew him.

"Doctor Zhivago" is littered with sequences of immense magnitude, but they're merely treated as backdrops, as Lean, armed with Boris Pasternak's strong material and his firm belief that individual human emotions must never take the backseat for the sake of pure pageantry, created another picture that strengthened the fact that if a filmmaker wants to know the blueprints of a fine epic film, there's no other place to look further into than David Lean's body of work.

FINAL RATING

Awakenings (Penny Marshall)

Veterans Robert De Niro and Robin Williams in "Awakenings".

Film Review Archive (date seen: November 24, 2010)

There's always a recurring belief in Hollywood among actors that once you played an impaired character on film, then one can already consider him/herself "made". Honestly, that's what I initially thought of "Awakenings", a sentimental film that will do nothing but to put one of the missing pieces of De Niro's more than impressive resume' into place; oh, how wrong I was.

Though his performance was great, it was his sense of belonging among the other encephalitis-stricken characters that made the portrayal so absorbing. To a more flamboyant performer, he could have easily stole every single scene with some scenery-chewing moments. But De Niro, having to do justice to such a critical character, has carried himself with methodical devotion as Leonard Lowe. Going into great lengths to show the physical sufferings of an encephalitis victim, but also hinting, with subtle motions and glances, the depths of the characters' heart and the reaches of his mind that was enclosed inside a physical limbo for 30 years.

But the best performance came from Robin Williams (though not nominated for an Academy Award) as the socially awkward Dr. Sayer, whose characterization started in the middle but ended on something to begin with. My tears, tested by the span of years I've been watching films, are quite adamant to sentimental displays on screen. But this one, since "Letters from Iwo Jima", I think, finally persuaded them to just trickle down in peace. Although based on a true story, I will always think of the film's "awakenings" as a symbolic series of inner defiance, brought forth by the indomitable power of the human spirit struggling against the shackles of physical invalidity.

FINAL RATING

The Dirty Dozen (Robert Aldrich)

The 'Dozen', plus Lee Marvin's looming presence.

Film Review Archive (date seen: November 21, 2010)

An iconic and unforgettable war film, not because it has any sentimental message to send, but because of its sheer high-powered action, unforgettable characters, and a charismatic Lee Marvin as the tough Major Reisman. One can easily see its untainted influence across the years prior to its release, from modern 'ensemble' war films tackling different conflicts, to a masterful Tarantino homage in the form of "Inglourious Basterds".

Before watching the film, I've read the plot summary and saw derogatory adjectives such as 'losers' and 'lunkheads' on one side, with some atrocious descriptions like 'rapists' and 'murderers' on the other. I wondered, "how did Robert Aldrich pulled it off and squeezed out some form of heroism from these unlikable characters?" Then, while I watch the film, it occurred to me like a revelation, that all the negativity are all just paper-bound. Halfway through the film, the supposed 'death and hard labor-sentenced' criminals became even more likable than the actual military officers. Donald Sutherland is excellent in his precursor performance to his immortal Hawkeye in "MASH", Telly Savalas is great as Maggot, and Charles Bronson, arguably the king of cool next to Clint Eastwood, is, well, 'cool' as the German-speaking Wladislaw.

The developments, trainings, and comic reliefs proved to be very effective as a build-up to the literally shattering climax, with the team-affirming 'war game' as the film's best sequence. Though "The Dirty Dozen" is an action film urging audiences to cheer with the Major Reisman-led team, the final attack at the chateau, with the Germans trapped in the bomb shelter, proved to be an adequate slip-in commentary regarding the horrors of war.

FINAL RATING

The Guns of Navarone (J. Lee Thompson)

The bunch.

Film Review Archive (date seen: November 18, 2010)

I've grown up always hearing about this film, and how impeccably masculine it was. So, aside from the two female characters, it really is one of the iconic pictures to ever put a stamp on the "recruited men on a mission" sub-genre of war films. It appealed to me immensely how effective the opening narration is (seems like "Fargo"), making us believe, with that voice tailor-made for telling tall tales, how perilous the "Navarone" mission was, only then finding out that it's all a work of fiction courtesy of adventure novelist Alistair Maclean.

Though it's quite hard to view Gregory Peck as a British, he, aided by his personality, physical features and his pure cinematic presence, has ably passed as a believable leader of the bunch. As for the others, headed by Anthony Quinn and David Niven, they have created great chemistry among contradicting characters; an ingredient very much common for the sub-genre nowadays but was initially sparked by the influential Kurosawa classic "Seven Samurai".

There were some sequences that contained unsure, half-cooked editing, but with this film heading for an ending as anticipated and explosive (though not as morally puzzling) as the one in "The Bridge on the River Kwai", these slight blunders were easily eclipsed by the film's more exciting moments.

"The Guns of Navarone" is one of those blockbuster war films that has carried its sense of high adventure and action consistently while maintaining its grasp on 'morality' and a pacifist message that tells about how war can put it into 'ruins', like how their mission will wreak destruction on the eponymous weapon, and a parallel to the ancient remnants of its Greek backdrop.

FINAL RATING