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

Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino, 1992)

A great, refreshing film. Yes, at times it was a little unsettling but it’s a really well put together film and proof of Tarantino’s incredible talent and unique style.

Apart from the great cast of people like Harvey Keitel (who is also co-producer), Steve Buscemi and even a cameo by Quentin Tarantino (who wrote and directed the film), the first thing that sticks out in this film is the way it’s structured. Ultimately, it’s a story about a group of criminals who, after a diamond heist goes wrong, suspect they have a “rat” in their group who alerted police beforehand. However, the film doesn’t unfold in this chronological order, in fact, we never see the actual diamond heist.

Get Him to the Greek (Nicholas Stoller, 2010)

If it wasn’t for Russell Brand, this film would definitely not have been as entertaining. Not that I’m saying it was a fantastically hilarious film, because unfortunately, it wasn’t − but the film is pretty much carried by Brand’s presence.

I’m a fan of Russell Brand’s humour and wit, and that’s what drew me to Get Him to the Greek in the first place. However, his brand (no pun intended) of clever and articulate off-the-cuff comedy is not really able to be utilised in a medium like film, where spontaneous natural humour is replaced with scripted and rehearsed lines. Nevertheless, his vivid personality still shone through in this film and he seemed an easy fit for his character: British rock star Aldous Snow.

The film is about record company intern Aaron Green, who is given the task to bring Aldous Snow to the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in time for his scheduled performance there. Obviously, escorting the rock star from London to the States turns out to be no easy feat and Green has to make his way through a mine field of drugs, parties and other obstacles.

I hadn’t seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall before watching Get Him to the Greek but I’m not surprised to see this spin-off film − Brand’s personality is big enough for its own film. On the other hand, Jonah Hill, who I’ve seen playing the lead in other films like Superbad (which I’m not a real fan of), seemed to almost fade from the spotlight in comparison to Brand’s character. I was surprised to see Rose Byrne play the character she did: Jackie Q, Aldous’ troubled ex-girlfriend. After seeing her in dramas and films like Troy, it’s interesting to see her take a more comedic route. (And of course, her role in Bridesmaids is further proof of her comedic capabilities). Meanwhile, I found Sean Combs (or P. Diddy)'s role quite off-putting − I’m not a fan of his character or performance in the film, so fortunately it wasn’t a major part.

So while there were some entertaining moments in this film, there were equally awkward moments, such as the threesome near the end of the film − that was quite random. Anyway, the film has it’s happy ending, although you get the feeling the characters haven’t really progressed much since the beginning of the film − it’s all just one big Brand show for the film’s audience.

3/5

The Proposal (Ann Fletcher, 2009)

Judging from the trailers I had seen for this film, it was going to fit right within Sandra Bullock’s oeuvre of romantic comedies. Now I like Bullock − I think she’s a great fit for these type of roles but unfortunately, it’s a genre that doesn’t see a lot of variation or originality.

The different approach that this film tries to take revolves around the fact that a female character “proposes” to a male character, instead of the usual ‘boys asks girl’ scenario. However, as we see, this “proposal” for marriage is for entirely different purposes. Bullock plays Margaret, an editor of a publishing company and after finding out that she is about to be deported back to Canada because of an expired visa, she pressures her assistant, Andrew Paxton (played by Ryan Reynolds), to marry her so she can stay in the country.

From the start of The Proposal, we see that Margaret and Andrew are two very different, seemingly incompatible people. Bullock’s character surprised me with her coldness and her attitude towards her assistant, almost reminiscent of Meryl Streep’s character in The Devil Wears Prada. (On a sidenote, why are editors always portrayed this way − none of the editors I know are anything like this!)

Anyway, not surprisingly, as Margaret gets to know Andrew and his family, we see the attraction grow between them. There are a few unusual scenes, such as when Margaret and Andrew bump into each other in the bedroom, both naked. But I suspect this scene was just an excuse to provide some extra visual interest for admirers of Bullock and Reynolds! I found some of the events at the end of the film a little strange − while the resolution wasn’t itself entirely unexpected, the way the film reaches that conclusion is quite weird. Also, on this note, I have to mention Betty White, who plays Andrew’s grandmother, or “Gammy”, as she is referred to in the film. White’s presence in this film becomes more significant towards the end. Anyway, although a little jarring at times, I give the film credit for trying to approach what is quite an exhausted genre in a different way. And it always helps having Bullock around too.

3/5