Crash

Waiting for so long for such a movie like "Crash", I left the movie theater fully satisfied. The story gives a perspective on how we percieve others as it develops around the decisions that we make under the influence of the issues of prejudice mainly around multicultural tension at a subconcious level. It invites you to an experience with a rich variety of emotions. The movie points out the questions and the problems, while it leaves the answers to the audience.

Author: Brambo from Toronto, Ontario, Canada

In a drama strikingly reminiscent in style and tone of P.T. Anderson's film Magnolia (1999), the narrative in Crash shifts between 5 or 6 different groups of seemingly unconnected characters, whose relationships to each other are only revealed in the end.

Not to be confused with the David Cronenberg feature of the same name, this Crash is the feature-length, studio-released directorial debut of veteran Canadian TV writer/producer/director and two-time Emmy-winner Paul Haggis. An in-depth exploration on the themes of racism and prejudice, cause and effect, chance and coincidence, and tragedy, "crash" is a metaphor for the collisions between strangers in the course of day-to-day existence. Set over a 24-hour period in contemporary L.A., it is a social commentary on the interconnectedness of life in the big city.

Crash features a top-notch ensemble cast which includes: Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, Brendan Fraser, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Loretta Devine, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillipe and Larenz Tate. All put in superb performances in a tight script which is at once gritty, heartwarming, shocking, tragic and witty, and which will ring true with viewers of all demographics.

Centering around two disturbing car accidents, a carjacking, vicious workplace vandalism, and the suspicious shooting death of one police officer by another, the drama is set against the backdrop of a racist LAPD and Los Angeles justice system. Action shifts between the various characters, whose lives collide with each other in unpredictable ways as each faces their own moral dilemma, and tries to cope with the consequences of their resulting decision made or action taken. Each of the dozen or so main characters undergoes some type of a personal metamorphosis as the various story lines head toward a striking, common conclusion, which succeeds at being both cathartic and unsettling.

Crash is backed by a solid and varied, original soundtrack and excellent cinematography. Sweeping, wider shots alternate with disjointed camera angles which convey the chaos and confusion of the characters and the unpredictability of life. Occasional lingering close-ups -- on occasion without sound -- capture the actors' facial expressions, which suitably detail key moments of the characters' aching pain, fear, anger, bitter anguish, remorse or grief, far better than any dialogue could.

This breathtaking film is destined to be a critical smash and box-office hit.

Hearts in Atlantis

This movie tells the childhood story of an eleven year-old boy, named Bobby, during a summer in the 50's or 60's. As the movie unfolds, we learn Bobby has endured the loss of his father leaving his mother in unhappy and financially struggling, or so she says. When a boarder comes to stay in the upstairs apartment, he and Bobby quickly become friends. Loss and love are the main themes throughout the movie and I found the film very touching and enjoyable. The story is eloquently told and heart-felt, in other words... it got to me. This movie is based on a Stephen King book, but from what I was told is not very representative of the novel. However, it does not seem possible to encapsulate a Stephen King novel in one film, people have been barely able to do so with his short stories. In conclusion, I would recommend this movie, but if you have read the book, you may be disappointed. If you would like to learn more about the film, click here.

Bekleme Odası

English Title: Waiting Room (2004)

Here is the synopsis taken from 18th Singapore Film Festival:

Film director Ahmet is trying to adapt Dostoyevsky’s ‘Crime and Punishment’ to the screen and struggles through a daily ritual of smoking, television-gazing and alienated musing to produce something of substance for the project. He perceives himself to be faithless and arrogant, whereas people around him see him as an idealist and a man of principles. His girlfriend Serap is suspicious of his reticence and he indulges her fears about another woman, prompting her to leave him. Meanwhile, he begins to go in pursuit of a thief who he catches trying to rob his house, in the hope that he can convince the man to play the role of Roskolnikof in the film. Yet another triumphant solo project, Waiting Room was directed, written, edited and photographed by Demirkubuz who also starred in it.

It's worth of watching!..

Duvara Karşı

English Title: Head On

Head On is written and directed by Fatih Akın who is a Turkish director born in Germany. He also produced one of my favorite movies: In July.

Even though I didn't expect "Head on" to be similar to what "In July" was, it really surprised me with its completely different style. I think the strength of the movie comes from the character development.

Plot (From movienet):

A marriage of convenience between two troubled Turks living in Hamburg dramatically changes both of their lives in this gritty contemporary love story. Though the two share an apartment, Sibel's insistence on having an independent sex life from her husband ultimately leads to jealousy and tragedy. Director Fatih Akin (In July) dives deep into Turkish culture and explores the slippery slope of identity and cultural pride faced by Turks who either move to or are born in Germany.

If you get a chance, it's definitely worth of watching!..

Dare mo shiranai

English Title: Nobody Knows

My attempt to see this Tuesday's feature at the Hipp got its first concussion when I heard that it lasts for 141 minutes. However, when different people brought it up, I decided to follow the signs and give it a shot. When I got there, I ran into a friend of mine who works at the Hipp and he got us free tickets... And that was the best part of the movie!... (it sounds little harsh but as the title goes it's my point of view.)

Shortly on the plot: The movie is about a not-so-ordinary-Japanese-family; a mom and four kids, each of whom is from a different father. And she is still seeking another savior for her to get married. The long-lasting intro implies the warm nature of the relationship between the mother and the kids. Yet, the elder brother takes the resposibilities for almost everything; shopping, cooking and paying the bills while he is only 12 years old. Then, the mother gets involved with some guy and that's when, she simply chooses to leave her children by themselves. As you may have guessed, the movie is all about the challanges of four little children on their quest of survival after her abandonment. There is a sad surprise at the end.

The plot is very interesting indeed. But, I felt like I'm watching a selection of footage during the whole movie. Extra-long scenes, too much symbolism, and other redundancies made me wanna re-edit this outcome of so-called post-production. As a result, the movie was slow, immature and lacking the ability to pull you in. Though, I have to give credit to certain scenes where the picture was so beautiful.

Conclusion: simply I'm glad that I haven't paid to get to see this movie. Definitely; artsy-fartsy!..