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Reviews
Mystic River (2003)
Get yourself thrown into the Mystic River!
This is without a doubt one of the best films of the decade, coming from the extremely talented Clint Eastwood. The Mystic River is a cinematic experience to last a lifetime. It is based around a murder mystery which leads to a tragic outcome. The murder summons childhood friends and their dark memories. In this background, Eastwood allows us to explore each of the characters, and to virtually understand the human nature. This film depicts the unexpected consequences of redemption, regret and all the deeply-rooted feelings of the human mind. All these things have been told in a very thrilling way, yet allowing you to dig into the deeper layers of this masterful film.
Unforgettable performances come from the whole cast, especially from Penn and Robbins who become the victims of the tragedy, and from Bacon who is torn apart between them. Harden also skillfully portrays her hysterical betrayal of her husband, a mistake which defines the ending of the story.
This film left me with a feeling similar to that I had after watching Godfather, perhaps because of the way the movie ended. I highly recommend this movie for anybody who wishes to be thrown into the Mystic river!
Sankara (2007)
A new outlook for Sri Lankan Cinema
Sankara depicts the internal conflict of a vulnerable Buddhist monk whose forbidden desires are aroused by the beauty and comeliness of a girl whose hairpin he discovers. In his endeavour to return it to the girl, he is met with the dark side of him which strives to mislead his heart and accomplish its sensual desires. To portray this inner conflict Prasanna Jayakody skillfully exploits a secular Alter Ego who can be observed in the background during many parts of the movie. Emphasis is given to the theme when the monk's assignation in the temple is revealed to be restoring the wall paintings which relate the Thelapaththa jatakaya, in which desires ("klesha"/ defilement) and sensual pleasures had been condemned by the Lord Buddha.
Because Sankara has a complex screenplay, some audiences might be slightly confused by its plot. But this movie has a wonderful story in it; a meditation on desire. The cinematography is one of the best in the history of Sri Lankan cinema. Palitha Perera uses a colour scheme which goes perfectly with the film's theme and handles the camera and light clever enough to finely capture Ananda's desires to film. Nadeeka Guruge's fresh music harmonizes with the the photography and art direction to give the movie a very artistic appearance.
This movie is truly a masterpiece, rich with sheer creative talent. But the strange fact is it's the work of a débutante director. Sri Lankan cinema has long been shackled by Indian cinema, preventing the creativity of Sri Lankans from emerging with its own identity. Some new directors like Vimukthi Jayasundara tried to modernise Sri Lankan cinema but their insensitivity to the culture and civilization of Sri Lanka and the ethics of its cinema, and their adherence to European cinema makes most of their productions un-Sri Lankan. Contrarily Prasanna Jayakody seems to have a good idea about the cultural restraints of Sri Lanka and the correct path to international recognition. He may be inexperienced in the industry but his mind is rich with a load of experiences surrounding cinema. He has put together his experiences and his vision to create a marvellous work of cinema, one of the best directorial debuts Sri Lanka has ever witnessed. I think it is a must-see for all mature Sri Lankans!!!
Ta'm e guilass (1997)
The work of a master
This movie definitely encompasses more mature cinematic elements than does Kiorastami's first masterpiece, "Where is the friend's home?". In A Taste of Cherry Kiorastami reveals his sheer talent of innovation. Most Iranian movies are thrilling in that they are confined to one specific story which is related using a series of incidents taking the audience straight towards its conclusion. During that time, the director uses various cultural and humane references to cinematically enrich his film. Here, Abbas Kiorastami uses the Iranian landscape and simple moments from its culture to bring the worldwide audiences to Iran for about 95 minutes. The cinematography is predominant and keeps our attention to the flow of images. This movie has been masterfully screen-written by Kiorastami who makes the audience meditate on life and death while trying to unravel the mysteries the movie carries. The mysteries are never solved but perhaps if they had been, the audience might have felt deeper sympathy for the protagonist. There are a few setbacks in the movie the director might have overlooked. At the beginning during his pursuit of a helper it was implied to me that the protagonist is homosexual. The way in which he approached men on the road gave me that feeling. I think that is an unnecessary issue to the plot. Overall, the movie, in its tranquility, made me meditate on its themes and to develop a fascination with the ways of Kiorastami!!!
Australia (2008)
Titanic with a happy ending
This movie reminded me of Titanic mostly because of the similarities in the themes they are woven around. Also, they both are set in similar contexts; costumes, art direction, photography and makeup tug at my memory of watching Titanic. Australia too speaks of caste discrimination but with a more serious approach. The discrimination of the unbreakable bond between Lady Sarah and the "half-caste" Nullah and the chemistry between Lady Ashley and Drover have been thematically exploited to bring out the foregoing issue. The love story of Sarah and Drover is as romantic as that of Jack and Rose although not as evocative. Like in Titanic the latter part of the movie depicts a disaster, the bombing of Darwin by Japanese, and how the protagonists endeavour to overcome its consequences. Mr.Fletcher, like Cal in Titanic, makes the story take our breath. Unlike Titanic, Australia has a happy ending. Overall, the movie is thrilling and romantic and leaves its unforgettable impression in my mind! I recommend it for anyone who loved Titanic.
Sooriya Arana (2004)
One of the most striking films in the history of Sri Lankan cinema
After the enormous success of his critical movie, 'Saroja', Somarathne Dissanayake has tried to draw the Sri Lankan moviegoers' attention to a movie with more 'natural and artistic' values than any other movie in the last decades of Sri Lankan cinema. The breathtaking story embedded in this movie is unfolded in a sylvan environment; this movie has been filmed at location of 'Meemurai', a forested area which equips the filmmakers with all the necessities to bring the storyline to life. The movie opens with Sediris, a hunter in the jungle teaching his son the tricks of his trade. Jackson Anthony, the perfect actor for the role, has given more life and strength to the character than the filmmakers could have expected. Though the language he uses is somewhat harsh to the minds of children who were the targeted audience, the dialogues have been written suitably. Then suddenly, a Buddhist monk accompanied by a novice come to live in the jungle. What Sediris did for a living is hindered by the monk who tries to stop him. The uninterrupted flow of the movie perseveres with the differences in the attitudes of the two; the monk and the huntsman. In the mean time, the two boys; the novice and the son of the hunter become friends. The freshness and splendor of childhood has been brightly exhibited in this movie. The unforgettable musical experience added to the movie by Rohana Weerasinghe has highlighted the theme of the film. The movie ends with the unification of the two sides; the hunter who hoists his own petard by losing his leg, gives his son to the Buddhist order. This movie captures a beautiful theme nourished by the Buddhist teachings. An emotional tug of war is put forth by this colourful production. This movie stands out as one of the highest grossing movies in the history of Sri Lankan cinema. It has left its signature in the minds of the audience.