300
Gerard Butler, Lena Headey
Directed by: Zack Snyder
The intro part of the film is a bit overexposed. I remember doing my school project with the same intensity of lighting. It almost ruptured the entire project due to mismanaged amount of lighting perceiving it as unreal and studio-based or simply, ultra-edited.
The storyline conveys, well, rubs in actually, how Spartans should be. One that my fellowmen do not possess. The seasoned Philippine elections is a classic example of how we should be like Spartans by not turning back to our ideologies and principles but to no avail.
The film is an upfront showcase of bravery and valor. For a US Standard Film, this one has a lower budget compared to its contemporaries which is plausible. However, the precocious transitions from one phase to another just brought me closer to predicting scenes that are not supposedly predictable. Maybe, due to some constraints that budgetary issues have laid out.
I give an “A” for the effort of making every Spartan buff as hell without prosthetics and gaining a solid feel of how early Greeks look like. The animation did not overpower the entire film which is a good sign of balance. I remember one scene where it was raining that seemed like a famous softdrink-commercial where Ricky Martin shakes his bootie with the back-up dancers. Haha.
It’s just that I felt betrayed too by the director when I saw golden coins of betrayal possessed during a high court scene. That’s just not right to take evidences against you to a place where you know you’re more likely to become a suspect versus an entire nation. Maybe the story is good during its time and works during earlier productions, but for current times? I think a little tweaking of plotline could have made the story a bit more interesting than this. Just an ample space for thinking viewers.
I would love to see more of this type of war scenes especially that I am a Lord of the Rings fan, myself. Hehe. Cheers!
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BABEL
Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Koji Yakusho
Directed By: Alejandro Gonzalez
A confusion of voices and other sounds.
ONE BULLET, heard all over the WORLD.
This is what BABEL is all about: a mixture of emotions, imperfection and mysteries of different cultures that the world has. The limitations of one may be considered peculiar by another and can ignite discomfort and misunderstanding. The film has captured the essence of being trapped inside oneself and cringing on one side to just let everything pass each and every single day without trying to liberate from the ordeal. This arrangement has oppressed millions since time immemorial.
Absence of communication; Third-world status; Government differences have caught everybody off guard, thus.
Multi-cultural and cross-continental scenes were juxtaposed to develop multiple plotlines and come up with well-directed cuts.
A perfect score for one unexpected cinema release. Well, the director, Alejandro Gonzalez {the director of AMORES PERROS and 21 Grams} has proven his worth as a filmmaker anyway, gaining the best director accolades in Cannes Film Fest this year.
I just hope my VIDEO MENTOR agrees with me on this… haha. Or else I will be getting fine lashes from SIR ELVERT BANARES not long after posting this review. Hahaha.
