Mud: A Contemporary Huckleberry Finn

The very southern movie Mud was very misleading in its trailer as it could be misconstrued as just another fugitive-hunting thriller. In fact, it's a very poetic, modern version of a Huckleberry Finn story.

I wasn't familiar with director/writer Jeff Nichols's previous works as this is only his third feature film and I've never seen his other two - Take Shelter and Shotgun Stories. But the Arkansas-born director has totally earned my confidence after this latest work of his. The film was shot throughout Arkansas and the beauty of the river, the animals, the birds and the weather are as important as the principal characters. The movie is ironic and poetic at the same time. Set against a southern town with a dishevelled fugitive, powerful bounty hunters, a mysterious ex-vet loner, a messed-up female white-trash, and two teenage boys, the flick oozes dirty masculinity and childish sentimentalism at the same time. The teenage boy wants to be a romantic, heroic adult and the adult fugitive is actually a romantic kid at heart.

Matthew McConaughey continues to surprise me as he ages. Here's an actor who was once voted People's Magazine Sexiest Man Alive and gained popularity via numerous roles in romantic comedies. But recently, he's turned into a character actor and dazzled us with his performance in Magic Mike, Killer Joe  and, now, Mud. The 43-year-old actor with Paul Newman's eyes is definitely having a ball and entering new territories with his film career. I've never paid any attention to his acting until Magic Mike  and Mud just confirms that McConaughey is comfortable in his own skin and no longer relies on his good looks.

All the supporting actors are excellent in this movie, particularly Tye Sheridan who has matured since his acting debut in The Tree of Life. I was quite shocked to see Sam Shepard aging so badly in this movie. What has happened to the handsome, rugged Renaissance man who's had Jessica Lange's heart for so song?

The recently omnipresent Michael Shannon (who's nominated for an Academy Award in his supporting role in Revolutionary Road) has a minor, ordinary part in this film; and apart from confirming that he can play a normal, average guy, his huge talent as an actor is really wasted in this movie.

Mud is a very pleasant surprise, but a very memorable one too!

The Cruelty Of Old Money

I was never a fan of Baz Luhrmann's movies - most of them were too avant garde and pretentious! But I have to admit that I was totally swept off my feet by The Great Gatsby.

After all the anticipation, the real thing dazzled me! It's not a traditional interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic, but I would not expect anything traditional from Luhrmann. It's one of those rare love-story dramas that was shot in 3D and the decadent parties, costumes and music as well as the ill-fated love story all play a part in dazzling the audience.

I couldn't help comparing Luhrmann's version with the older movie featuring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow although fortunately, Baz Luhrmann deliberately chose not to see the other version. The new one is so much better, mainly due to the brilliant performances of Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan as Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan respectively. A Botoxed-up DiCaprio is mature enough now to look and act the part of the charming yet tormented Jay Gatsby. And Carey Mulligan just plays the role of Daisy Buchanan to such perfection that you want certain scenes of hers to be frozen on the big screen!

Understandably, every actress would want to be cast as Daisy because she's so glamorous and yet so complex and vulnerable. I read that Carey Mulligan beat other renowned actresses such as Natalie Portman, Blake Lively and Michelle Williams primarily because of her kissing scene with DiCaprio in the audition. And to play this role, Mulligan has obviously shed quite a few pounds from her Shame days and looks absolutely picture-perfect in all the Prada dresses.

I would not expect any lesser performance from DiCaprio and Mulligan, but I thought Australian actor Joel Edgerton did an outstanding job as Tom Buchanan. I read that Ben Affleck was originally considered for this role but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts and Edgerton eventually beat out Bradley Cooper and Luke Evans. Tobey Maguire, who's best friend with DiCaprio in real life, is a talented actor but turns out to be very mediocre in his role as Nick Carraway, the narrator.

Apart from the acting and the direction, three things really stood out in the entire movie - the music, the costumes and the use of technology. You would not have imagined that hip-hop music would fit in with a story written in the jazz age, but surprisingly, Jay-Z's score works brilliantly. And what could be a better fit than Lana Del Rey's  melancholic voice?

The director's wife, Catherine Martin, who won two Oscars for her work in Moulin Rouge (another one of the husband-and-wife collaboration) would probably, once again, win two Academy Awards for Production and Costume Designs for this movie.

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the novel in southern France and the story was set on Long Island, New York. Luhrmann, however, shot the entire film in Sydney, Australia, using many wonderful production sets and, of course, 3D filming and CGT wonders. This is such a cool movie that you would want to watch it many times, but what ultimately strikes me is not just the visuals. Luhrmann successfully conveys the tragic elements of Fitzgerald's novel - the cruelty of old money versus the nouveau riche; the unfortunate timings of the love story; and the failure in the pursuit of an American dream. It's not surprising that when I was watching this movie, another dark drama popped up in my mind - AMC's Mad Men. Both are beautiful, dark and brilliant works of art!

Does The Man Make The Suit In Iron Man 3?

I've missed Iron Man 2, but thoroughly enjoyed Iron Man 3. All these Marvel comic-book storylines more or less follow the same formula: the good conquering the evil. The hero will never die - even if dead, only temporarily.

In this movie, industrialist Tony Stark (Iron Man) answers his own question: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man? It's obviously the former and Writer/Director Shane Black (Lethal Weapon fame) did a terrific job of giving the audience more scenes of Robert Downey Jr. without his Iron Man armour. We see more of the Iron Man in vulnerable situations in this movie more than the rest in the sequel. But they make this comic-book hero more human at times.

We see Tony Stark as a playboy and a possibly good father figure. I love his interaction with the 11-year-old kid Harley Keener (played by Ty Simpkins who's also in Revolutionary Road). Stark is protective, witty and cool with kids. His playboy role is less impressive. The role of Maya Hansen, the researcher, is kind of superfluous and what a waste of Rebecca Hall's (Sir Peter Hall's daughter and famous for her roles in Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Frost Nixon) talent to play that role!

For those of you who are Ben Kingsley fans like me, you've all seen how he can be chillingly villainous in Sexy Beast (Oscar Nomination for Best Supporting Actor), but as The Mandarin, the 69-year-old Kingsley is just downright hilarious!

I've never liked Gwyneth Paltrow and find her as irritating as ever in this flick. Guy Pearce and Don Cheadle are both talented actors, but very mediocre in their respective roles as Colonel James Rhodes and Aldrich Killian in this film.

China is becoming a huge market for American films, so it's no wonder that Iron Man 3 got funding and input from DMG, a Chinese marketing and entertainment group. Apart from the villain, The Mandarin, I could hardly see any other Chinese elements. The movie was shot primarily in North Carolina and California, so I was disappointed when I mistakenly thought that it's partially shot in China. I heard that there's a Chinese version of the movie which added an extra four minutes to include a minor, irrelevant plot twist and a few shots of female heart-throb Fan Bingbing and another local star, Wang Xueqi. Maybe this is why the film has been compromised without Susan Downey (Robert Downey Jr.'s wife) as a producer for the first time in the Iron Man sequel!

Redford On Boomer Regrets

Robert Redford's latest movie, The Company You Keep, is a film for boomers who are going to the cinemas in full force to support this film. As a poster boy in the 60s and 70s, Redford has transformed himself from just a pretty face on the big screen to one of the most respected filmmakers, philanthropists and environmentalists in the 21st century.

Redford is always more talented as a director than an actor. Among the nine films directed by him since 1980, I like Ordinary People (won him the Best Director Award at the Oscars in 1981), The Horse Whisperer, The Conspirator and now The Company You Keep. They are always subtle and non-traditional. In the last 30 years, Redford has also never made a movie with the box office in mind. Perhaps, now he can afford to do so just for the art alone.

Baby boomers often reminisce about we have done in our youth. Perhaps some of us even regret about our past follies. The Company You Keep is about how a group of former activists under the umbrella name of Weather Underground all resurface again to confront their own demons. It is about doing what's right for the younger generation. The thriller keeps you on the edge of your seats but the plot is never that complex. When you've watched about two-thirds of the movie, you can sort of guess where the plot is going. The film was beautifully shot in Vancouver and is a very classy, intelligen and concise thriller that only Redford can make.

What's most delightful about the film is the gang of boomer actors who were all superstars in their gloriest days - Susan Sarandon, Julie Christie, Chirs Cooper, Stanley Tucci, Brenda Gleeson, Nick Nolte and Sam Elliott. The only two young actors in the film - Shia LaBeouf and Brit Marling - carry their own weights in front of the veteran actors. A talented actor like Terrence Howard does not need to play the role of the FBI chief in this film, but I guess if Robert Redford calls, you just don't say no! I read about Julie Christie initially refusing her role, but Redford went to Canadian director Sarah Polley, who directed Christie in Away From Her, for advice. Christie finally accepted the invitation and gave a brilliant performance as the irresistible Mimi.

I have to admit, however, that it's scary to watch how Redford has been aging over the years. At 76, he's still cool as a cucumber, but his face on the big screen looks like plastic surgery gone awry. There's also a scene where a jogging Redford could easily be mistaken for an old woman running in the park. Perhaps it's time for Redford to consider just staying behind the camera instead of still appearing in front of it?

Playing Games With Memories

In spite of the critics' lack of enthusiasm for Danny Boyle's new movie Trance, I had to pay attention to anything that the director produced after his Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire. Plus, Vincent Cassel (who won a Cesar award for his role in Mesrine) is one of my most favourite actors.

This is another flick that constantly works your brains. Just when I thought that I had the whole plot figured out, there came another surprise - layers and layers of it! The ending is shocking and incredible, but if you constantly question the storyline of movies, half of them would not be watchable!

This stylistic heist is a big play on human memory. Somehow, this has lately become a popular theme for movies - Inception, Total Recall, Oblivion and now Trance. But if you believe in the power of hypnotics, then this is the movie for you. But coming from Boyle, the movie is a bit disappointing. This is a thriller with a lot of violence and action, but short of brilliance. It's as if Boyle, after his witty direction of the London Olympics, wants to continue with showing off London in its best form. Under his direction, London is hip, mysterious, romantic, stylish, sinister and foggy. But style trumps substance - that's where the problem lies.

But at least the actors are strong, particularly Vincent Cassel and Rosario Dawson. James McAvoy's innocent looks always limit his versatility as an actor. He always gives 150 percent but efforts do not necessarily imply impact and depth.

For us Vincent Cassel fans, we always wonder why he's not a bigger star in North America. He has won numerous awards in France and appeared in many Hollywood movies (Eastern Promises, Black Swan and Ocean's Trilogy). But he's always just the bad guy, that's it. I understand that he's currently living with his family in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he's producing a new movie. Maybe it would be finally a movie with him demonstrating his full acting talent without strutting his animal magnetism?

Rosario Dawson is always a formidable actress and talented artist. Whether it's her teaming up with Prince for the re-release of his 1980s hit "1999," or her performance in Quentin Tarentino's Death Proof, she's always got a cool factor in her. Because of her exotic ethnicity - Puerto Rican and Afro-Cuban descent - a lot of film critics find her beautiful.  Judging from her romantic history (she's dated former Sex and the City star Jason Lewis for two years and then dated Danny Boyle in 2012 when they were shooting this movie), obviously the men in the acting world agreed. Although most of the film critics raved about the sex scene between her and Cassel in this movie, I just didn't find it that significant. But Dawson might garner an Oscar nomination for her performance as Elisabeth Lamb, the hynotherapist who turns the world upside down in the film.

I salute the director for keeping me guessing till the end, but is the conclusion ridiculously unbelievable? Yes it is, but I like it even though I'm disappointed with Boyle.

Tom Cruise Surprises Again

I was never a fan of Tom Cruise or sci-fi movies, and originally had no intention of watching his latest movie Oblivion. But to make a long story short, I ended up in the cinema on the first night when the movie premiered. Once again, I have to say - Cruise surprises me!

Most of the film critics panned the movie, so I went with the lowest of expectations. But whether you like Tom Cruise or not, this is a visually stunning movie. Credit, of course, goes to director of cinematography Claudio Miranda, who won an Oscar this year with The Life of Pi. With a combination of digital effects and brilliant cinematography with a huge budget, your breath will be swept away by the power of the universe - mountains, cliffs, bridges, valleys, caves, waterfalls and volcanoes. The use of minimalistic white for the interior shots is equally stunning and effective. I wouldn't be surprised if Miranda wins another Oscar next year.

I read that this is only director Joseph Kosinski's second movie (his first was Tron: Legacy) which he adapted from his never-published comic book. His latest work was fiercely criticized by reviewers who claimed that it was a mishmash of a number of other renowned epics. It's true that the film reminds you of Blade Runner, Total Recall, The Matrix, The Planet of the Apes, Inception and many others. But the plot kind of makes sense in a sci-fi kind of way and before you realize it, you're entertained by Tom Cruise (playing the technician Jack Harper in 2077) again - and he doesn't even need to smile!

The film is also a love story and Cruise's leading ladies do not disappoint. Ukranian-French model/actress Olga Kurylenko (as Julia) is so ethereally beautiful that I wonder why she was hardly noticeable as a Bond girl in Casino Royale. I understand that Kurylenko got the role only when Jessica Chastain dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.

Andrea Riseborough who plays Cruise's partner Victoria is appropriately chilling and aloof in her performance. After playing Wallis Simpson in Madonna's WE, the British actress has once again proven her versatility.

The US$120 million production partially accounts for the technical supremacy and flawless filming in eight locations including Reykjavik and Jarlhettur in Iceland; New Orleans, St. Francisville and Baton Rouge in Louisiana; June Lake and Mammoth Lakes in California; and New York City. If the film were edited down by 30 minutes and some of the sappy music be replaced by more original scores, Oblivion could have been a better sci-fi movie.

Ginger & Rosa A Must-See

The new BBC-Produced movie Ginger & Rosa was an absolute delight to watch. It's the tumultuous world of 1962 as seen through the eyes of two British teenagers - Ginger played by the flawlessly natural and gifted American Elle Fanning; and Rosa played by the18-year-old Australian actress, Alice Englert, daughter of renowned New Zealand director Jane Campion (The Piano).

I've never seen any of writer and director Sally Potter's previous movies. But having seen her latest, I've concluded that she's a creative force to reckon with. The movie stays away from cliches but still reminds us of our own teenaged years or offsprings. Only a woman writer/director can produce such a masterpiece with a strong screenplay coupled with sense and sensitivity.

But what makes the movie almost perfect is the wonderful cast ensemble (apart from the two teenaged leads) - Alessandro Nivola, Christina Hendricks (Joan from Mad Men) and Annette Bening. The music (from Schubert to Charlie Parker to Miles Davis) and poetry are also great icings on the cake.

Elle and Dakota Fanning are probably two of the best-known child actresses in North America. But the younger Fanning even outshines her older sibling with her accomplishments so far. Her performance in this movie reminds me of the very young Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver and has already garnered her nominations for the Best Actress Award at the British Independent Film Awards and also the Best Young Actress Award by the Broadcast Film Critics Association. The 5'8" lanky teenager from Georgia, U.S.A., who has been acting since she was three, will further win numerous accolades as she matures.

I'm really proud to see that Canada is one of the producing countries of this film in addition to the BBC and other independent film companies from Denmark and Croatia.