Hail Mary (Jean-Luc Godard, 1985)

What could I expect in this film? Jean-Luc Godard taking on the story of the Virgin Mary in a modern era. It was typical Godard style - more gazing then advancing the story (speaking of, there wasn’t really a complex plot) and some female nudity of course. It was a shame I didn’t find the story as engaging as it could have been given that the religious story was transposed into a contemporary setting. (And also a shame that the DVD I was watching was a little scratched so I missed some of the last half hour). It was about a teenage girl, that plays basketball, who falls pregnant having never been intimate with a man. She had a boyfriend who of course finds this hard to accept but they marry and she has the baby. The film was actually banned in some European countries and the USA, as well as condemned by the Pope − so you know that Godard was pushing the envelope on this one.

2/5

Annapolis (Justin Lin, 2006)

After watching (and loving Pineapple Express), I made note to watch this film, which also stars the talented James Franco. I was glad I did because Annapolis turned out to be more enjoyable than I thought. There was good drama and I found it to be a really engaging movie.

The story is quite familiar: a young man is trying to pursue his dream against all odds: in this case, it’s Jake Huard (Franco) who has his heart set on attending the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Huard works at a shipyard, building vessels for the Navy, working for his father, who doesn’t seem to have faith in his son (we find out Huard’s mother died). Anyway, Huard’s application is successful but life is not so smooth in the academy − there is plenty of tension and frustration, and Huard even considers quitting (though he returns to prove his father wrong). One of his roommates attempts suicide, which prompts Huard to punch one of the officers, almost getting him expelled. But one thing I can’t really comprehend is how a fellow student gets kicked out for lying, and Huard punched lieutenant and isn’t immediately expelled from the academy.

Anyway, the main focus of the later half of the film is Huard entering a boxing tournament at the academy. Though no one really seems to believe in him, Huard shows admirable determination and I though the training montage featuring Huard was great. I couldn’t look away during the boxing scene, which I thought was really well done. It made me think that Huard might have had a good career as a boxer if he left the academy. Nevertheless, Huard actually loses the final match but the film ends on a realistic and positive note.

What I like about this film is it has a number of elements: drama, action, there is a clash of personalities, a love interest for Huard, and the expected clash with authority. Overall, Annapolis was well-worth seeing, with a good story and a strong skilful portrayal from the versatile James Franco.

4/5

Les Carabiniers (The Riflemen) (Jean-Luc Godard, 1963)

I was curious to see how Godard was going to depict war in one of the first films he made. And not surprisingly, it depicted the real ugly side of war, as if playing on the mainstream audience’s love of action and war films.

The film is about two men who receive letters, delivered by soldiers from the King, to enlist in war, promised they will be rich afterward. They return with postcards (as Michelangelo calls them “deeds”), and seem to be under the impression that they will inherit these monuments, etc (while I had thought they brought the postcards in defeat and realising they weren’t going to get the real treasures) − so that was clever on the part of Godard. Also, another thing to note, was that I couldn’t really get where they were − they seemed to have Swiss-like crosses on their hats, etc but I thought the Swiss were neutral and it seemed like they were fighting in Mexico at one point? So I was confused but I actually don’t think Godard wanted to depict a particular place or time (or war). I think it was more of the general idea of war he wanted to examine.

Amélie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001)

A sweet film, an absolute classic. This was my second time seeing it I think but it has continued to resonate in my mind since years ago when I first saw it. Such a unique story, weird, yet sad but happy too. At the end, I was happy with the film’s ending but it makes my own world seem so plain and almost tragic. It’s so extraordinary how I feel like I relate to Amélie but at the same time, I am not like her. Those innocent emotions − I know how that feels. And of course, Nino isn’t so bad − a good choice of actor I must say. It’s amazing how films like this can put a spin on the unusual/slightly odd and make them so endearing. And I like the subtle, touching humour too. The first time I saw it, the film made quite an impression on me. Funny how I couldn’t recall the storyline before I watched it again this time − I just remembered something about a phone booth and train station (which was kind of haunting).

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part II) (David Yates, 2011)

An epic finale to one of my favourite film franchises. As the final Harry Potter film in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part II) had great expectations to fulfill. Ultimately, it looks like it has lived up to the hype, and in the process, captivated audiences worldwide who will no doubt be sad to see this magical world leave our screens.

Right from the opening scene, this film was very dark − it seems to me like each Harry Potter film was getting progressively darker. So while many of the people watching this film would have grown up together with the characters, I wouldn’t recommend Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part II) to younger, newer audiences. When I think back to the first film, it was much lighter − these young witches and wizards on the train to Hogwarts, where we see them do some magic and we see them in their various classes. Now it’s all about life or death − Harry’s friends are dying and we have emotional visits from loved ones already gone (and to the point where I actually started to tear up while the lady next to me in the cinema was crying!). For the last two films, we don’t see Harry, Hermoine and Ron attend any classes − they are no longer studying and their mission is now purely to defeat Voldemort. However, it was good to see some lighter moments, often in the form of passing remarks made by characters in the film, which helped break up the tension.

This film also focuses more on the character of Severus Snape, who up until now had been a fairly black-and-white almost two-dimensional stereotypical antagonist. But this time around, another layer of Snape is revealed and we see he is a much more complex character. Even as someone who has read all the books (a number of years ago), my memory of the films is stronger and so having watching all the previous movies lately, I also got sucked into the impression that we knew all there was to be known about Snape. So I guess, like Harry, I learn more about his character and it is quite touching to find out that there is essentially a love story at heart here, Snape’s undying love for Harry’s mother, Lilly. This film seems to illustrate that there is no longer plain good or bad people − the boundaries can be quite blurred. I don’t if it was just me but even Voldemort seemed to be on the verge of empathy at one point in this film − it was like he was rethinking his plan to kill Harry.

Anyway, there was also a lot more action and special effects in this film. While earlier films used effects largely for magic, like for the Whomping Willow or flying car, in this film, special effects are used for the major fighting scenes between the Death Eaters and the students and teachers at Hogwarts. These action scenes actually reminded me of Lord of the Rings − particularly with the types of creatures (like trolls) that featured in the battle, as well as the fact that they were trying to infiltrate the castle.

Also, I have to mention the ending as I was really curious as to how it would be portrayed in the film, if it would be portrayed at all. So as in the book, the film then jumps 19 years in the future. I personally found the final scene amusing as it just seemed really unrealistic. I’m not referring to the plot but the way the characters looked. I think I was expecting to see different actors play the grown-up versions of Harry, etc. Instead, we saw the same actors but with some extra stubble for the boys and more mature hairstyles for the girls. For me, there was hardly any difference between their appearance in the rest of the film and when they 19 years older. This struck me as strange and I guess it undercut the poignancy of the final scene for me.

Nonetheless, it’s sad that this franchise has finally ended − over the eight films we’ve seen these young characters grow into interesting individuals with their own distinctive personality traits. We’ve seen both dark times and light moments − happiness, fear, bravery, death, friendship and love. It’s one big magical adventure that is sure to remain one of my favourite film franchises.

5/5