Away From Her

Away From Her (2006)--How can you make a good short story even better? ... By turning it into a screenplay written by an equally sensitive and passionate writer, and then, through her own talented, interpretive eye, re-creates it into a visual narrative. Along the way, throw in a few veteran actors who are so passionate about what the script is trying to convey that they themselves embody the message. Such 'coincidents' are all happening in the movie Away From Her. Sarah Polley has made her directorial debut with a most impressive and memorable feat that I'm sure things will go even better down her career path. What she has composed on screen speaks much more poignantly than words on a page, calling forth sentiments that we didn't even know we had. Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent stir up thoughts in us that we'd rather bury: how much are we willing to give up for love, or, how would we face the imminence of our loved ones' and our own mental and physical demise. Based on the story by Alice Munro, 'The Bear Came Over the Mountain', Polley brings out the theme of unconditional love not by your typical Hollywood's hot, young, and sexy on screen, but aging actors in their 60's and 70's. It may not be as pleasurable to watch wrinkled faces hugging and kissing, or a man and a woman in bed, bearing age spots and all, but such scenes effectively beg the question: why feel uncomfortable? Why does love has to be synonymous with youth, beauty, and romance? It is even more agonizing to watch how far Grant is willing to go solely for love of Fiona. Lucky for us, both writers spare us the truly painful at the end. It is through persistent, selfless giving that one ultimately receives; and however meager and fleeting that reward may seem, it is permanence in the eyes of love. And it is through the lucid vision of a youthful, 28-year-old writer/director, that such ageless love is vividly portrayed....Oh, the paradoxes in life.

~~~ 3 Ripples

Water

Water (2005)--A highly acclaimed movie from Indo-Canadian director Deepa Mehta of Bollywood/Hollywood fame. Through a cultural lens, it depicts the high cost of individuals' struggles against traditions and religious mores. Examples of this genre are plentiful: The Joy Luck Club, Bend It Like Beckham, Fiddler On the Roof, or even Romeo and Juliet, for that matter. If not delivered from a fresh angle then, such a genre can easily become a cliche in itself. The crucial test for the director and / or scriptwriter therefore is to make it different from the others, and not give the viewers the impression that they are watching a National Geographic feature. The key of course is the story, the faces behind it, and the pathos underlying it. In various points of the movie, I feel like I'm watching an instructive film on Indian cultural mores and rituals. What baffles me is, since the movie is in the Hindi language, do the makers of the film need to explain to their own people what their norms and traditions are? Instead of going into cultural rituals, the film should explore much deeper into its love story between an upper caste man, intellectual and idealistic, and his lover, an outcaste, a widow who is restricted for life to ever remarry. The story is the appeal of the film, and the director should carry it much further to see that it is well developed and fully explored. The faces of lovers Lisa Ray and John Abraham are the valuable yet underused asset of the film. They are probably one of the most beautiful pairs of lovers on screen. Let us have more of them together please, I yearned. Indeed, all the actors in the film are memorable, especially Sarala, who plays the 7-year-old widow Chuyia. To contrast with the epic Indian scenery, Mehta should zoom in more on the passion and struggles in the lovers' own world. The heart-wrenching twist towards the end is proof that the story is a poignant one, but with deeper, focused development, it can be much more powerful.

~~½ Ripples

Notes on a Scandal

Notes On A Scandal (2006)-- Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett have garnered many accolades for their performance in this movie, and I must say well deserved. But I'd just like to give a fair share of credits to Phillip Glass, the minimalist composer. His torrents of symphonic upheavals and tidal waves of nerve wrecking themes effectively create the momentum, sweeping our emotions along the way. Without the music, we would be just watching the flesh without the soul, motion without feelings. Loneliness can be the most powerful potion. It can wreak devastation, bringing destruction to self and others, yet strangely, it can also drive one to seek redemption, as Dench and Blanchett have shown us so powerfully these two scenarios. Kudos also to Bill Nighy, who may well be the ultimate victim of this tragic betrayal. The road to redemption is paved with forgiveness. The construction of which begins with his opening the door and letting his wife back in. After all the tension, I feel relieved to see such a resolution. In contrast, the note of perpetual malice in the final scene resonates in me a most disturbing chord.

~~~3 Ripples