Classic Revisited in 3D: Titanic (1997)

The 3D version of this true magnum opus was just an excuse to check it out at the theaters. Of course, the prospect of seeing some intense romantic scenes and a tastefully done nude scene on the big screen, also played a part in my decision to check out James Cameroon's 1997 epic. I wasn't taken to the theater when Titanic released first, as I was not even 11 then.

Today, the movie made me emotional with its absolutely magical BG score by James Horner, which haunts and gives you an indisputable high. Goose bumps whenever the main theme played in the background. Actually sat till the end credits rolled out completely. Such was the charm that the two 'James' wielded with this classic.

The greatest ship made by man, the ship of dreams sets sail from Southampton to New York city on her maiden voyage. Due to an iceberg, the lower floors are first flooded and as time progresses, the entire ship is flooded and finally the entire ship breaks into two and crashes into the ocean floor. A diamond necklace called the "Heart of the Ocean" plays a main role in the state of affairs.

LDC and Kate Winslet weren't big stars then. But now they are stratospheric. Leo is so naive, raw and he fits the bill perfectly as the low-society Jack who floors Rose with his absolute love and honesty. Kate as Rose bowls you over with her passionate love particularly in the final scene when she screams at a dying Jack "Come back, Come back" and the scene when she jumps back into the ship from the life boat, just to be with her man. The scenes when Jack and Rose run around in a drowning ship show their magical true-to-life romantic chemistry. Among the best romances in cinema history though it is a typical poor guy meets suppressed rich girl story. The villain in the story is the typical rich man who is engaged to Rose and he loathes Jack to the core. This rich man's moves and characterization are stereotypical.

The 3D effects are subtle and there are no gimmicks. Titanic was magnificent without the added dimension, itself. The production of the movie is mammoth with gallons of water being used. The number of actors used and the way they have been managed is a lesson for any production crew. The way the Titanic has been recreated and the VFX scenes during the final collapsing of the ship are mind-blowing. That said, the ice berg was pretty lame.

James Cameroon makes sure that the human element and emotions connect big time with the audience unlike say the disaster movie specialist Roland Emmerich whose films just make you clap hands but, never move you to tears. Samples - the musicians on the ship who play till the ship is about to collapse, the guards who operate the life boats and their dilemma whether to send more people into the life boat, the ship's captain and the maker's emotional connect with the ship etc. etc.

Made at a budget of 200million USD, the box-office collections are fast approaching 2billion USD. Only Avatar is ahead but by sheer number of tickets sold, Titanic is the biggest blockbuster of all time. 14 Oscar nominations and 11 Oscars are the mere icing on the cake.

VERDICT: Magnum opus in every sense of the word. Experience the magic again in a nearby theater to commemorate the centenary of the tragedy.   

J. Edgar (2011)

The film is a biographical account of FBI director J. Edgar, during his career that spanned 48 yrs. Edgar was a man who wanted to get rid of American society's evils like communism and later the menace of gangsters. He lived with his ageing mother and didn't have a social life.

He liked to take the credit and always loved to be in the spotlight. He is assisted by his secretary Helen Gamby and his "man Friday" Clyde Tolson with whom he has a homosexual relationship.

Edgar narrates his experiences to a writer so that they know his story and the story of the FBI. He doesn't always reveal the truth which only Helen and Clyde know. A controversial career on the whole which had a lot of secrecy.

Helen hides all the secret surveillance files that Edgar maintained, about high profile people in the society. In the end, he dies a natural death as his partner Clyde mourns. The president is on the look out to destroy all the secret files but Helen keeps them safe.

Review

• Intense performance by Leonardo as the controversial J. Edgar whose life is anything but normal. Solid support roles for Naomi Watts and Armie Hammer. Armie takes the cake in the climax and towards the end when he is attacked by a bout of fits. The dialogue diction of both LDC and Armie is excellent. 
• The makeup for the ageing 3 main characters is authentic. 
• There are frequent time shifts in the narrative
• Edgar's tackling of the communism menace and the Lindbergh kidnapping is intelligent to say the least. The fingerprint collection, the handwriting analysis, the wood analysis, monitoring of registration numbers on the ransom notes etc etc. Truly indigenous. 

VERDICT

Clint Eastwood and Leonardo - the best possible combo. Their film is gripping with great performances by the lead trio. 

Gangs of New York (2002)

What’s it about

It focuses on the gang wars between the Natives and the Irish ‘Dead Rabbits’ in erstwhile New York’s “Five Points” joint of the 19^th century. Bill the Butcher, the leader of the native gang kills Priest Vallon, the leader of the Irish Dead Rabbits in full public view. Bill is dead against the Irish immigrants and is a hard core patriot.

           Vallon’s son, Amsterdam returns to the Five Points joint with revenge on his mind. He slowly gains the confidence of Bill and becomes a part of his gang. Amsterdam's friend Johnny who knows the truth behind Amsterdam's New York visit, grows jealous of his proximity to Jenny, another Irish immigrant and rats on Amsterdam to Bill.

          Bill then nabs Amsterdam and surprisingly, doesn't kill him the first time around. Amsterdam is terribly injured. He recuperates and then unites all the Irish in New York and revives the ‘Dead Rabbits’ gang.

           In the meanwhile the poor American mob is against the government’s call for draft into the army for the war. There is a big riot that takes place in the end where many of the mobs are killed by the Union Army soldiers (New York Draft Riots). Many niggers are also killed by the local Americans who are against Lincoln’s anti slavery policy. Amsterdam also challenges Bill one final time at Paradise Square and eliminates him.

          The final shot shows how New York as a city grows, leaving behind its bloody past filled with gang wars and protest marches.

                                                                          

Hits

• Leonardo’s dashing looks with long locks. His screen presence is as usual arresting
• The period feel is very authentic
• The BGM score by Howard Shore is good. The end credits track “We are the hands that built America” is soul stirring.
• Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher is terrific. In fact his is the performance of the film.

Misses

• Very slow moving. Tests the patience many a time. Was checking the timeline very often
• Lack of exposure to New York’s history may be one of the reasons for the non-involvement in the film during the many political scenes.

VERDICT

A dampener from the Martin Scorsese - Leo combo. Not exactly a must watch. Can watch it once at the most. 

Classic - The Aviator (2004)

Whats it about:
It's a bio-pic about Howard Hughes, the aviation mogul cum ambitious film maker. Howard is a dreamer, cleanliness freak, partially deaf, sort of a playboy and is uncomfortable with crowds. He makes a film called 'Hell's Angels' spread across 3 yrs. He manufactures great aircrafts for the US AF, through Howard Aircrafts funded by Howard Tools and co. He has his loyal team lead by Noah and Odie. He has flings with many ladies but isn't committed to a single woman. A real go getter.
        The boss of Pan Am, Juan Trippe is close with Senator Brewster. They are jealous of Howard Aircrafts' acquisition of TWA. They don't want TWA to expand across Europe and the Atlantic. They basically want Pan Am to be the monopoly in flying international aircrafts from the US. They file a law suit against Howard saying that he had parted with 56 million $ of the US money during war times, in the name of making planes. Unfortunately those planes never did fly.
        Howard also meets with a great personal disaster during one of his test flights. He is ambushed physically. But, he still keeps the fire burning and asks his team to continue building Hercules, the biggest ever plane in the world.
        Howard faces the law suit boldly, comes out clean with some very valid arguments against Senator Brewster and convinces the law that this suit was just a setup to stop his progress. In the end, Howard flies his Hercules successfully, and is even more determined to rule the future by investing in jets.
        An inspiring GEM indeed.

                                                                          
Hits

• LEONARDO DICAPRIO. As usual. What a screen presence. What a talent. I am an unabashed fanatic. Proud to be in the same era as him. This is one of his best shows. As the slightly psychic and driven young man, he is A class. Many scenes give goose bumps, particularly the scenes where he slightly looses his composure and is overcome by his inner thoughts.
• Nice jazzy classic BGM by Howard Shore,reminiscent of the old times. 
• Great effort by Martin Scorsese and co., to show a great legend's true life on-screen. 
• All the ladies have a decent part and they play it well. 

Misses

• Even after meeting with such a nasty accident, Howard isn't shown to be suffering that much. Just a little difficulty while walking is shown, while the doctors actually explain some real complications post the accident. 

VERDICT

Another killer punch from the Martin Scorsese - Leo combo. DON'T MISS IT ...

Classic Revisited - The Departed (2006)

Whats it about:
Frank Costello is a big hotshot gangster and sergeant Sullivan is his informant in the SIU (Special Investigations Unit) ... Trooper William Costigan is assigned to work undercover by officers Queenan and Dignam. Costigan joins Costello's gang. The whole operation is all wound up in secrecy.
     Soon doubts start cropping up. Costigan informs his superiors in the undercover unit that there is a rat in the SIU while Sullivan also informs Costello that there is a police rat in Costello's gang. It all ends in a bloody classy fashion. Check it out ...                                                                  

Hits

• Leo's dashing screen presence. His intense, frustrated portrayal is pure class. 
• Matt Damon is sort of overshadowed by Leo's dashing style. But still a great portrayal as the corrupt complicated cop.
• Jack Nicholson, as always, is majestic as the RocknRolla gangster with a taste for adult jokes.
• Mark Wahlberg is a riot as the foul mouthing no nonsense cop. Such fluency of dialog delivery, particularly in Leo's interview scene :). The actor who plays Queenan is earnest. 
• Vera Farmiga as the psychiatrist is dignified and an understanding partner to both Sullivan and Costigan. That love making scene between her and Leo on a rainy night oozes with heat and passion
• The making style is awesome. Scorsese Sir, take a bow.
• The title BGM track is kick ass. It comes later too at an appropriate time
• All the scenes on top 344 Washington are terrific. Gripping and violent cinema 
• The scenes where Matt and Leo try to expose each other are extremely thrilling.

VERDICT

One of the most stylish cop dramas with the best star cast in recent years. 

Classic Revisited - Blood Diamond (2006)

Whats it about:
Sierra Leone is the scene of action. A plethora of characters and issues. Danny Archer is a smuggler who is looking to get out of the African continent by exporting one last diamond, which happens to be a big pink one uncovered by a fisherman named Solomon Vandy who is forced to work at a mine by the RUF, a rebel unit fighting against the Govt.

The RUF employs many slaves at the diamond mines, creates numerous child soldiers, brainwashes them and makes them commit heinous acts. Dia Vandy, son of Solomon is one such child soldier. Solomon is also separated from his family.

Maddy Bowen is a journalist who is looking to expose the atrocious activities that take place behind the export of these conflict diamonds. She needs authentic facts, figures and someone who would go on record.

Does Danny manage to find the diamond in an increasingly frantic environment, does Solomon get back his son, family and does Maddy muster enough evidence to expose the dark diamond underbelly? Watch this intense flick to find out.
                                                                     
Hits

• LEONARDO. With his dashing looks and supreme screen presence, he is a treat to watch. His performance, during his final moments on his last phone call with Maddy, is truly emotional. The tan in his skin, the colored hair and the accent are all in sync with his Zimbabwean origin. 
• Djimon Hounsou as Solomon Vandy is composed and desperate at the apt moments. A solid show. 
• Jennifer Connelly as Maddy Bowen is absolutely charming and is glorious with her expressions. Her romance with Leonardo, though not the conventional one, shines through thanks to Jennifer's longing and passionate eyes. The scene when she leaves Leo and walks towards the aircraft is unforgettable. 
• Kagiso Kuypers as Dia makes a mark in the scene where he emotionally reunites with his father. 
• The bonding between Danny and Solomon. Though initially strictly on a task basis, their final moments on top of the hill are touching
• A novel attempt to touch upon conflict diamonds and their impact on Africa. Child soldiers, the refugee crisis, the black - white conundrum etc etc. TIA as they say. "This is Africa"
• Marvelous African touch be it the locations or the BGM. 
• Frenetic action sequences with guns, bombs, explosions et all. 
• Touching BGM particularly in the climax. 
• Awe-inspiring top angle shots. Class camera work. There are in fact so many nature shots peppered across the movie. 

VERDICT

One of a kind. MUST WATCH. Leonardo leads a long list of highlights. 

Classic Revisited - Shutter Island (2010)

Whats it about:
Andrew Laeddis, a former US Marshall is admitted into the mental health facility at Shutter Island, for having killed his suicidal wife who had murdered their 3 children. Andrew is highly delusional and he is continued to be haunted by images of his wife Dolores and little girl Rachel.
    To help him come out of this rut, Dr.Cawley and Dr.Sheehan stage a path breaking role play where Laeddis becomes Edward Daniels and Dr.Sheehan becomes Chuck, Daniels' partner. Daniels visions himself as the hero in this play where he needs to find out a missing patient Rachel Solando and also expose the murky activities happening in the island like psychotropic drugs and lobotomy.
   Laeddis is so taken into his role as Daniels that he regresses and loses track of reality. Then, Laeddis is brought back to reality after a breath taking scene in the lighthouse and is finally released.

                                                                                
Hits

• The facility at Shutter Island looks breathtaking. Ward A, B, C, the lighthouse ... Really Surreal
• The cinematography and locations are beyond words. Some dangerous top angle shots. 
• The CGI/VFX/visuals during Daniels' delusions are outstanding. 
• The lighthouse scene where we as an audience come to know for the first time that Daniels is actually Laeddis the dangerous prisoner is shocking in its revealing nature. 
• The scene where Dolores drowns the 3 kids and Andrew comes home and finds it out, should rank among the saddest scenes in cinema history
• The conversation between Daniels and George Noyce at Ward C when Noyce gives out some hints that Laeddis and Daniels are the same, is another terrific scene. The match sticks giving out light in an otherwise totally dark setting is again beyond words. 
• Ben Kingsley and Mark Ruffalo as the doctors are dignified. Michelle Williams as Dolores haunts with her slow speech and striking eyes. Jackie Earle Haley in a small cameo as George Noyce makes a shocking impact
• Last but not the least, LEONARDO DICAPRIO as Laeddis/Edwards gives one of his best ever shows. His acting in the lighthouse scene, the scene with Noyce, and the scene where he cries out "NO" on seeing his 3 dead kids are proof enough of this handsome star's insane talent ... 

VERDICT

Deserves much more attention. One of the best psycho movies ever made. Bow down to the master, Scorsese ...