abasu0819
Joined Jun 2019
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In the land of sands, tells a story of consequential ambitions, political struggles & a fated destiny. Dune, originally written by Frank Herbert, is one extravagant grandeur. Adapted by the renowned director, Denis Villeneuve alongside Warner Bros. & Legendary Pictures, the breathtaking journey of 2 hours & 28 minutes lays the most astonishing foundation for what's yet to come.
For someone who's not been fortunate enough to have experienced the novels, I was in complete awe of such brilliantly laid concept. Usually, in a sci-fi series of such manner, you'd expect a lot more action deriving from its character driven tendencies rather than a sense of complexity and depth present within the story itself. For Dune, however, you get the perfect blend of everything with a very clear idea of what's there to come and what more could there be from your perspective. The suspence and excitement on the course alone leave you satisfied enough towards the end, if the film itself hasn't managed to amaze you properly yet. But given its slow-paced nature of storytelling, which was indeed a little wearying at times, one may find it hard to keep their attention level consistent or may even go onto dislike it, and understandably so. But considering how well crafted the film is, one is certain not to be left perplexed with the vast world of Dune.
The story is arguably the film's strength. Those who've seen Star Wars will undoubtedly be reminded of the iconic trilogies at the beginning of Dune, but it manages to set itself up for us to be able to espy the collosal differences. Much bigger, much more serious, more detailed conceptually, more emphasis on lores, a little less dramatic & overall more profound as compared to the hopeful, glamourous, straight-forward, heart-warming & action-packed saga's of Star Wars. The story itself is deriving from & driven by the themes of oppression, colonialism, political differences & faith, establishing itself something very unique excellently & quickly. The conflict between the Harkonnen & the Atreides possibly brings about the most significant contrariety. It's a political predicament stemming from the seeds sowed a millennia back, which itself leaves an opportunity to develop the characters, story & the world further. It's most definitely not a simplistic story of the "the dark vs. The good." It's much more nuanced than that, and even with a limited presentation, comprehending what exactly it's attempting to do is not too difficult. Perhaps, the realisation of the difference also hits harder upon the revelation of the fact Dune is, in fact, much older than the Star Wars franchise! But whether you find this or that amusing depends upon your perception. Personally, I'm a big Star Wars fan!
The direction, that apparently has taken quiet a bit of artistic freedom, has turned the film much more than anything you'd otherwise expected it to be. Right from the very beginning, the film makes it clear that the political tensions reign over everything else out there & as the sensational story progresses, it only becomes further evident. The sense of tension was brought to life with a spiffing work of direction that left absolutely no holes to dig in further. What's more, you've this massive cast filled with characters of different cultures, coming together to create and prevent chaos alike that it becomes significantly difficult to choose just one or two characters you want to explore further. For this fine presentation & near-perfect utilisation of the characters to create an impact on the story alone, the director surely deserve a lot appreciation.
Perhaps, one complaint I could think of ironically comes down to the very same characters who were so monumental to this extravaganza's success. Having so many characters in a film that's main purpose is setting up the world in a very limited screen-time always comes with one flip side: lack of enough layers, or depth within. You'd wonder what has led the certain characters, specifically Paul's mother in this case, to become what they've; or why are they seemingly so very monumental in driving this grand story forward. Perhaps, that's the cost a "part one" of such a complex & ambitious project comes with. But seeing how carefully the film has been crafted, and with its sequel coming in two years time, one can be more than certain that all the questions will inevitably be answered when the time arrives. Though, when's that remains another mystery funnily enough, confirming what has been the preferred format for serious movie watchers for years now: binge-watch! Lord of the Rings, Star Wars or Avengers wouldn't have been the kind of impactful classics they are if people didn't dive onto them again years later to experience them at once to form a conclusive judgement and solidify the love further! After all, not every franchise is James Bond!
Coming down to the protagonist - Paul - I feel like he started off in a very generic manner but quickly grew into something much more worth of our attention. Charming, smart, rational, a little hot-headed at times, ambitious & not particularly nuanced just yet but basically, everything you'd usually expect from a lead character of a sci-fi. The world is certainly poised to revolve around him (while having the consequences of its own) & given his strong sense of "developing" resolve, which is thematically paralleled to the themes of the film itself, I felt his subtle growth throughout the film was presented ideally. Nothing too extraordinary, but rather perfect enough to lay the foundation and show the potential.
Now, now, how could you just watch Dune and ignore the presence of Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Chang Chen, Jason Momoa & everybody else? All of them, irrespective of their limited screen-time, did perfect justice to their respective characters throughout. The screenplay definitely enhanced the value of their participation as well. Be it the early interaction of Paul & his father, or the scene of Paul & his mother in the desert, the performances coupled with some great screenplay left an impact in the mind for sure. Oscar Isaac & Jason Momoa, in particular, were the stand-out actors for me despite the fact that they couldn't manage to get a good chunk of the runtime. Perhaps, they were little too good for the film, haha!
Coming along, another minor-or-major-or-whatever complaint I could think of was the lack of further exploration of the world, its science & its culture. Given how amusing the world seems to be, it's not my fault to be wanting to experience it further, right? But perhaps, the limited exploration was still not enough to limit the greatness of one of the best cinematographers out there currently - Greig Fraser. The coruscating way in which he managed to capture the sense of tension, the fast-paced action sequences and the mind-blowingly crafted CGI & VFX atmosphere as a whole played an enormous role in glorifying the already so dazzling piece of work! Surely couldn't have happened without the impeccable assistance of Legendary Picture & Warner Bros. Though! And coupled with some background scoring as peerless as ever by the stalwart Hans Zimmer, the experience of Dune is something to remember for long time to come.
Living upto the expectations is not so practical for everyone. There are elements in filmmaking which you've to add or sacrifice to spice it up, at the cost of leaving the a small fraction of the audience dissatisfied entirely. But Dune Part One is something that's bound to satisfy you in one way or another. Whether it's the concept, story, characters or the technicalities, Denis Villeneuve has undoubtedly done his finest as always. To sew this up, if Denis' name, the cast & the critically acclaimed novel series wasn't enough to convince or diminish the hesitance in you, I hope this review helps you sincerely in some ways because I reckon, you most definitely wouldn't wanna miss on getting aboard this wonderful rollercoaster of around two and a half hours... Not a masterpiece in any sense just yet, but a true extravaganza in every sense! A classic in making!
For someone who's not been fortunate enough to have experienced the novels, I was in complete awe of such brilliantly laid concept. Usually, in a sci-fi series of such manner, you'd expect a lot more action deriving from its character driven tendencies rather than a sense of complexity and depth present within the story itself. For Dune, however, you get the perfect blend of everything with a very clear idea of what's there to come and what more could there be from your perspective. The suspence and excitement on the course alone leave you satisfied enough towards the end, if the film itself hasn't managed to amaze you properly yet. But given its slow-paced nature of storytelling, which was indeed a little wearying at times, one may find it hard to keep their attention level consistent or may even go onto dislike it, and understandably so. But considering how well crafted the film is, one is certain not to be left perplexed with the vast world of Dune.
The story is arguably the film's strength. Those who've seen Star Wars will undoubtedly be reminded of the iconic trilogies at the beginning of Dune, but it manages to set itself up for us to be able to espy the collosal differences. Much bigger, much more serious, more detailed conceptually, more emphasis on lores, a little less dramatic & overall more profound as compared to the hopeful, glamourous, straight-forward, heart-warming & action-packed saga's of Star Wars. The story itself is deriving from & driven by the themes of oppression, colonialism, political differences & faith, establishing itself something very unique excellently & quickly. The conflict between the Harkonnen & the Atreides possibly brings about the most significant contrariety. It's a political predicament stemming from the seeds sowed a millennia back, which itself leaves an opportunity to develop the characters, story & the world further. It's most definitely not a simplistic story of the "the dark vs. The good." It's much more nuanced than that, and even with a limited presentation, comprehending what exactly it's attempting to do is not too difficult. Perhaps, the realisation of the difference also hits harder upon the revelation of the fact Dune is, in fact, much older than the Star Wars franchise! But whether you find this or that amusing depends upon your perception. Personally, I'm a big Star Wars fan!
The direction, that apparently has taken quiet a bit of artistic freedom, has turned the film much more than anything you'd otherwise expected it to be. Right from the very beginning, the film makes it clear that the political tensions reign over everything else out there & as the sensational story progresses, it only becomes further evident. The sense of tension was brought to life with a spiffing work of direction that left absolutely no holes to dig in further. What's more, you've this massive cast filled with characters of different cultures, coming together to create and prevent chaos alike that it becomes significantly difficult to choose just one or two characters you want to explore further. For this fine presentation & near-perfect utilisation of the characters to create an impact on the story alone, the director surely deserve a lot appreciation.
Perhaps, one complaint I could think of ironically comes down to the very same characters who were so monumental to this extravaganza's success. Having so many characters in a film that's main purpose is setting up the world in a very limited screen-time always comes with one flip side: lack of enough layers, or depth within. You'd wonder what has led the certain characters, specifically Paul's mother in this case, to become what they've; or why are they seemingly so very monumental in driving this grand story forward. Perhaps, that's the cost a "part one" of such a complex & ambitious project comes with. But seeing how carefully the film has been crafted, and with its sequel coming in two years time, one can be more than certain that all the questions will inevitably be answered when the time arrives. Though, when's that remains another mystery funnily enough, confirming what has been the preferred format for serious movie watchers for years now: binge-watch! Lord of the Rings, Star Wars or Avengers wouldn't have been the kind of impactful classics they are if people didn't dive onto them again years later to experience them at once to form a conclusive judgement and solidify the love further! After all, not every franchise is James Bond!
Coming down to the protagonist - Paul - I feel like he started off in a very generic manner but quickly grew into something much more worth of our attention. Charming, smart, rational, a little hot-headed at times, ambitious & not particularly nuanced just yet but basically, everything you'd usually expect from a lead character of a sci-fi. The world is certainly poised to revolve around him (while having the consequences of its own) & given his strong sense of "developing" resolve, which is thematically paralleled to the themes of the film itself, I felt his subtle growth throughout the film was presented ideally. Nothing too extraordinary, but rather perfect enough to lay the foundation and show the potential.
Now, now, how could you just watch Dune and ignore the presence of Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Chang Chen, Jason Momoa & everybody else? All of them, irrespective of their limited screen-time, did perfect justice to their respective characters throughout. The screenplay definitely enhanced the value of their participation as well. Be it the early interaction of Paul & his father, or the scene of Paul & his mother in the desert, the performances coupled with some great screenplay left an impact in the mind for sure. Oscar Isaac & Jason Momoa, in particular, were the stand-out actors for me despite the fact that they couldn't manage to get a good chunk of the runtime. Perhaps, they were little too good for the film, haha!
Coming along, another minor-or-major-or-whatever complaint I could think of was the lack of further exploration of the world, its science & its culture. Given how amusing the world seems to be, it's not my fault to be wanting to experience it further, right? But perhaps, the limited exploration was still not enough to limit the greatness of one of the best cinematographers out there currently - Greig Fraser. The coruscating way in which he managed to capture the sense of tension, the fast-paced action sequences and the mind-blowingly crafted CGI & VFX atmosphere as a whole played an enormous role in glorifying the already so dazzling piece of work! Surely couldn't have happened without the impeccable assistance of Legendary Picture & Warner Bros. Though! And coupled with some background scoring as peerless as ever by the stalwart Hans Zimmer, the experience of Dune is something to remember for long time to come.
Living upto the expectations is not so practical for everyone. There are elements in filmmaking which you've to add or sacrifice to spice it up, at the cost of leaving the a small fraction of the audience dissatisfied entirely. But Dune Part One is something that's bound to satisfy you in one way or another. Whether it's the concept, story, characters or the technicalities, Denis Villeneuve has undoubtedly done his finest as always. To sew this up, if Denis' name, the cast & the critically acclaimed novel series wasn't enough to convince or diminish the hesitance in you, I hope this review helps you sincerely in some ways because I reckon, you most definitely wouldn't wanna miss on getting aboard this wonderful rollercoaster of around two and a half hours... Not a masterpiece in any sense just yet, but a true extravaganza in every sense! A classic in making!
Spirituality, the power of youth, the ignorant society where you can still expect support of a few, the bond of love, two relatable characters, some realistic supporting characters & how everything in the end affect the society as a whole are key elements of any Makoto Shinkai films. And Weathering With You was no different. Coupled with some fabulous animation, art & music, the film was a fabulous experience for me. The metaphorical themes of the film and how its narrated may not be so original but the execution just makes everything so perfect, mesmerizing and a joyful treat!
Regrets held deep down the lane of emotions and ego can often lead to a larger impact than what is usually imaginable & Noah Baumbach's "Marriage Story," a film with highs and as many lows, reflects the very realistic modern-day story of instinctive and very natural love alongside a forceful but understandable differences of opinions.
But as they say, no life is perfect. The very word of "imperfection" is an integral part of any human being. And Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) were no different. After years of marriage and a kid of 7-8 years age, Nicole finally decides to move on, citing the selfishness of a normal busy businessman Charlie. And that's where, with a simplistic plot coupled with great depth, the film starts to question your mindset and righteousness. It keeps deceiving the audiences throughout and boggles the minds with numerous scenes that may lead to an emotional attachment....... With two fictitious but highly relatable on screen characters. And then there were the bunch of lawyers, who Charlie even went onto call "assholes," is a perfect example of all the troubles that couples face during the divorcing saga. But is the mental burden the end? No. How the entire society is impacted alongside your kid and how a relationship instinctively ends up lasting forever are well and truly showcased in the most appropriate manner possible in this film.
Credits to the the fantastic screenplay and even more fantastic direction of Noah Baumbach! But can we take away anything from the technical department? A huge no. The scoring by Randy Newman, cinematography by Robbie Ryan & editing by Jennifer Lame were top-tier. The usage of 35mm made the film looked more relatable than ever with all the actors looking much larger and closer, and therefore leaving a more mental impact. The off-white coloring helped capturing the essence of Los Angeles and New York alike magnificently. In the end, it was the spot-on dramatic background scoring which played a key-role throughout the film. Most importantly, the dialogue writing, supported by a wonderful yet compact cast selection, was on point. The way Noah Baumbach used metaphors via storybooks, body language and all held the artistical values within but the pace intact. Kudos to each one of the makers in the film for being able to deliver such a masterpiece!
All in all, Netflix's "Marriage Story" is definitely one of the finest divorce dramas ever and missing it is something I definitely won't be suggesting. Although, it may not be for everyone, partly due to slight bit of profanity and how the theme is adult-centric. But if you decide to watch - be sure to be prepared for an extraordinary emotional rollercoaster ride of lots of differences and other factors (relatable for many)!
But as they say, no life is perfect. The very word of "imperfection" is an integral part of any human being. And Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) were no different. After years of marriage and a kid of 7-8 years age, Nicole finally decides to move on, citing the selfishness of a normal busy businessman Charlie. And that's where, with a simplistic plot coupled with great depth, the film starts to question your mindset and righteousness. It keeps deceiving the audiences throughout and boggles the minds with numerous scenes that may lead to an emotional attachment....... With two fictitious but highly relatable on screen characters. And then there were the bunch of lawyers, who Charlie even went onto call "assholes," is a perfect example of all the troubles that couples face during the divorcing saga. But is the mental burden the end? No. How the entire society is impacted alongside your kid and how a relationship instinctively ends up lasting forever are well and truly showcased in the most appropriate manner possible in this film.
Credits to the the fantastic screenplay and even more fantastic direction of Noah Baumbach! But can we take away anything from the technical department? A huge no. The scoring by Randy Newman, cinematography by Robbie Ryan & editing by Jennifer Lame were top-tier. The usage of 35mm made the film looked more relatable than ever with all the actors looking much larger and closer, and therefore leaving a more mental impact. The off-white coloring helped capturing the essence of Los Angeles and New York alike magnificently. In the end, it was the spot-on dramatic background scoring which played a key-role throughout the film. Most importantly, the dialogue writing, supported by a wonderful yet compact cast selection, was on point. The way Noah Baumbach used metaphors via storybooks, body language and all held the artistical values within but the pace intact. Kudos to each one of the makers in the film for being able to deliver such a masterpiece!
All in all, Netflix's "Marriage Story" is definitely one of the finest divorce dramas ever and missing it is something I definitely won't be suggesting. Although, it may not be for everyone, partly due to slight bit of profanity and how the theme is adult-centric. But if you decide to watch - be sure to be prepared for an extraordinary emotional rollercoaster ride of lots of differences and other factors (relatable for many)!