Three recent Screenings

I went to a few SCL screenings these 2 weeks - Happy Feet, Babel, The Queen. Sorry I’m not talking much about them, coz I should really go back to my work.


Happy Feet
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/happyfeet/
Typical hollywood animation... great production thou, but not much surprise if I look at it professionally. Actually, who cares?? I know I’m going to enjoy the film and I truly enjoyed it and came out from the theater with mirth. Isn’t it more valuable?

Penguins a cappella, tap dancing Mumble are simply too charming. ‘Mexican Penguins’ doing Mariachi? hell hilarious! Great music I have to say! John Powell, as usual, had done a stunning score. All vocal music were well arranged and performed! John Powell and the director Geroge Miller were there for Q and A session.


Babel
http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount_vantage/babel/
From hollywood, no?

Damn... a surprising american film for me!!! for many americans too I’m sure. Perhaps Babel is the best film I’ve watched in these 2 years in LA. How should I put it??? Crash, ya another Crash but much better than Crash.

With 3 different stories happened in 3 different places, 3 different countries, 3 religions, 4 languages, 6 different families... but are somehow connected. I love the way the story is plotted. How Alejandro (or the writer) interlocked those relationships (or the crossover) between strangers, between cultures (it’s so far but at that moment they are close), between close family members (but it’s invisibly so far), etc... damn, he is as good as the real mother fucka!!
Telling you stories - someone appears at the wrong place, a wrong person steps into another existing world, and an a story happens at the wrong time, and.... and just TELLING you stories, no conclusion, no hidden meaning, not intended to build any climax... just naked stories. How you wanna take it, your business. Crash is somehow still an american film, giving you a conclusion indirectly and somehow building the plot although the plot is not linear.

Who should get the credit? Director Alejandro is a HUGE surprise. I haven’t heard his name before. (O... he directed 21 Grams!! But I am still surprised!) Script is good too. Music is good, going along with the stories so well, and not intended to build or dig any hole. However, the music is a little bit disappointing when it comes to the Morocco story. Gustavo used the right sound, and definitely the right instrumentation, but he should study Islamic music more. It sounds western played by different instruments, timbre etc... It’s not that bad, I agree, but Gustavo (Composer of Brokeback Mountain) can definitely play around with the sound far far away the box for the Morocco segment. Other than that, he did a tremendous job. I love all the stuff he created for the Japanese segment.
Composer was there for the Q & A session after the screening.... but Alejandro wasn’t there. :(
Not surprised if this is the best film of the year. I watched Prestige few weeks ago and gave some good comments. But Prestige seems so small compare to this. Shouldn’t say much. GO WATCH!

O ya.... Brad Pitt is much better than Tom Cruise. Acting wise, maybe they are close technically. But in terms of CONTENT, Brad is way much better. Tom Cruise should come out with another film talking about his freaking scientology. How good is Scientology I don’t know, his scientology is just a freak.


The Queen
http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/thequeen/
I have no comment! There is a purpose behind the film... and I slept through the 1st half. You can’t use a film to plead a monarchy. You either tell the truth, or don’t make the film. DIU.

Anyway, the queen Helen Mirren is fabulous!!!! She is one of the only two reason why audience got in tears. The other reason is because of those reconstructed footage of the period after Diana’s death until the burial. I got my tears for that, and half of the audiences wept when the screen showed those footage.

Charles is a jerk and he still a jerk. No tolerance for this!


Perhaps, it’s true as what english critics said “NOT FOR FOREIGNERS”. The best film of the year? It’s maybe true but not outside the Great Britain.

The composer Alexandre Desplat was there. Music was great I think, but sorry dude, you scored a wrong film... End!

Looking forward to welcoming a film about Diana, uh??

Finally I spent much longer time than I wanted to... I am really terrible.