The Order: 1886 is a flawed but ambitious game

Here are my thoughts on the merits and flaws of The Order 1886.

If I should summarize my feeling it would be “I'm interested in seeing more of this world. A visual feast where aesthetics are triumphant even if the narrative falters frequently.”

I will expand on this summary to clarify my statement and add weight to it.

This post might be a bit lengthy, as a result, because I want to explain my thoughts on why visuals are fantastic, why they are a lot more than a ‘shiny coating of graphics’ and why I think the writing should have explored the characters further before expecting us to relate to them or feel empathy for them.

Firstly, the point about visuals.

FPS, black bars, pixel density are the words I dislike and I won't discuss these unnecessary concepts. Unnecessary in the sense that in this discussion visuals are a lot more than anti aliasing or polygon count. I want to discuss the importance of visuals to enrich the world and make you forget that you are looking at a polygonal face.

A rich, vivid world has the power to transport you into another person’s living imagination. It's living because you are an active participant in it. In that regard, The Order’s visuals are a triumphant. They make you feel part of a living world, which I think is a great accomplishment. They achieved this, of course, through a lot of tech wizardry but an integral component of that was the art direction, level design and vivid imagination. This is to state that the world of The Order wasn’t held back by the fact that it was on a console. There was this cohesion and immaculate attention to detail which brought everything together to make you believe in the reality of its world and it absolutely worked in that regard.

Visuals are a great service and a companion to storytelling because they add atmosphere and an intensity to the action on the screen along with creating a visual language for storytelling. In that sense it’s a character in itself and in that regard make the experience of playing the game a very memorable one. The world of this game is not just an authentic replication of the real world, it actually represents the best version of our reality as everything in the game world is laid out and coloured in a way to invoke the sense of beauty and every room is lit in a way to further enhance the aesthetics. Our real world is a lot more crude in that sense, with much more bland lighting most of the time and far less symmetry or composition.

That was the strong point of the game but I also want to address a lesser part of the experience which is its story.The world carries the story as much as it can but soon the viewer realizes the shallow treatment of the characters and checklist methodology of writing to stir our emotional hearts. Sir Galahad is our protagonist and he is written in a very heroic fashion, a very decisive and stern human being who is incredibly brave in the face of danger and fights, what he thinks, is a good fight, fight against Lycan/Werewolves. But that fight quickly changes to a fight against a rebellion group who he assumes is related somehow to the Lycans. There was this glaring flaw in Sir Galahad’s personality where he leapt into an action without thinking it through. He had an assumption about the link between the rebel group and Lycans but he was insistent on thinking that he was right. His desire for investigation is rejected by the Order, rightfully so, but he pursues it anyways. His mission ends up costing so many lives of people he think are to blame because Galahad is very sure his side is correct.

so many needles deaths

I understand that war is bloody but the utter lack of remorse for life is what’s my disappointment in Galahad’s character. That cost also includes the life of his mentor Sir Percival.  That death was supposed to make us sympathize with Galahad for his actions which follow soon after. His revenge plan, which I sadly could never get behind. His bond with Percival was never established as a relationship of any importance throughout the game, neither visually or through dialogue. A mere line before Galahad goes on his revenge trip about how he considered Sir Percival to be his father, is not enough to establish that bond. It’s lazy writing that thinking one line can convey a relationship which could have easily been established and fleshed a lot more in the game prior to the death. Due to this lack of establishment, my sympathies weren’t behind Galahad when he blindly starts killing more people, driven by his desire for revenge. There are other story tropes being used as well, for example Galahad’s decision not to share his secret plans with his trusted fellow Igraine which undoubtedly proves to be troubling later on. There are also instances in the game where the villain escapes and within a split second the team arrives on a scene where Galahad appears to be perpetrator, with a remarkably precise and unfortunate timing. All in all, when the tragedy strikes our protagonist, I can not feel sympathy for him, which is a weakness in writing because I had the constant impression that the creators wanted me to get behind the protagonist instead of establishing him as an anti-hero instead.

There are other things which I can talk about but i think I have expanded on my thoughts enough to say what I think works in the game and what doesn’t. For the sake of all the things that did work, I think this game should have had a sequel, as a chance to correct it's flaws and embrace it's merits fully.

Overall I’m impressed and for the atmosphere and world building alone, the Order is worth praising or at the very least worth playing.

God of Ma'arkel - An Original Story

Earth, since its existence, has seen many beasts walk on it, swim in it and fly in its atmosphere. Some we know, many we don't and might never will. Beasts so great that even dinosaurs would worship and obey. We have seen the strange fossils and gigantic skeletons, so what reason do we have to believe they don't exist today? I believe they do. Ever since I ventured into that forest of Khaleb and found those strange writings on the rocks and that sound, oh God that sound still resonates in my ears.

I firmly believe there are indeed many strange and peculiar creatures still living among us. Maybe it's for the best that their existence is hidden from us for we can neither fight them nor control them. It's best that we go on about our lives and best not venture into the unknown territories where they sleep, deep within the oceans and the hidden lakes. For if we do, our demise would be no better than that of Ma'arkel. I know what happened to them, some from the rocks they wrote on and some through my nightmares ever since I was found near-dead at the coast of Selsey. I have no recollection of how I was found there since I never went to that place. I went to the forest of Khaleb to find the specimen of a plant I had been researching on and that's where I found the remnants of the Ma'arkel tribe. I will tell no one of this place as I fear our existence will be in peril once the mankind will try to venture into those marshes. But the things I've read and seen in my nightmares are too much of a burden to carry so I'll write my story and lock it away. I'd have to be brief, as my heart can't bear giving vivid descriptions of the incident. The burden is already sinking me day by day. Slowly drowning me into the well of insanity. Every now and then I leap up and have moments of clarity but they are short and sporadic. I'm doing down and deep under, it's pulling me away with its magnetic force. But I have some hope, I'm clinging to the idea that once I'd transfer this tale to the papers, I'd feel much lighter and maybe more saner. I might even be able to finally go outside my house and mingle with the world like I used to. Oh, how much I miss being a sane man.

15 August 1930; The Demise of Ma'arkel.  The tribe of  Ma'arkel  was not too big, probably about 20-30 people in total. They dressed in animal skins which they gathered by hunting and lived their primitive lives near the Lake "Saarth". That lake was deep, how deep nobody knows as I could not find its record in history books. The tribe worshiped anything giant and mighty and what was mightier to them than the bottomless prodigious lake Saarth. Every night the lake water receded in a low tide and revealed a marshy bed full of fish but in the day the water rose and engulfed the marsh like it never existed. A blanket of thick mist also used to pour out from the bowel of the lake and onto the shore whenever the marsh was visible in low tide. The tribe told stories and legends of the lake's enormity and treasures to their children.

One night, lead by curiosity and the desire to hunt those treasures, a group of children from the tribe ventured into the marshes. Carefully taking each step in the marsh, they wandered for sometime, looking for the treasures their elders told them about. They were knee-deep in the marsh when something caught their eyes. Far in the deep marsh was a protruding structure poking through the slimy mud. On top of that protruding was a creature few meters tall. It resembled a crocodile but with longer limbs and a peculiar human-like flat face. Its face was only dimly lit by the moonlight and its grotesque and deformed features were eery and captivating at the same time. The children were all awestruck by this strange beast. It stared at them with its glowing lantern-like eyes and opened its hideously gigantic jaw. Out of its open mouth came a very unnatural and guttural sound. It quickly dived into the marshy water and disappeared without leaving a ripple at the surface. Gone like it never existed, as if the children hallucinated the whole thing. Then within few heartbeats, a giant claw rose from beneath the marsh and grabbed the child who stood the furthest of them all. Just like that the child vanished underneath the marsh as if he never existed. No scream and no struggle, he just disappeared right before their eyes. It didn't take long before the creature came for the others, they ran towards the shore but the monster under the marsh was so quick that they didn't stand a chance. It took them all - all except one. The lone survivor reached the shore and ran, breathless and mortified but he didn't look back.

The next day, the whole tribe of Ma'arkel was at the shore, lead by the surviving child. They held spears and burned in rage but there was nothing to salvage. The marsh had disappeared into the high tide and the fog was gone. There was nothing but the curious stillness of Saarth staring back at them. The tribe's leader was ahead of all, standing knee-deep in the water with a spear in one hand and the ox horn in another. He blew the ox horn and waited for the answer from the lake. A protruding object poked at the surface of water soon after and the leader, with immense precision, threw the spear at it. A strange green liquid bubbled up from the water along with some ripples. The leader leapt at it with his bare hands and came out with the creature who massacred their children last night. Every tribesman ran to help the leader before the writhing creature could drag him into the water again.

That evening was the ritual which Ma'arkel performed, partly in the celebration of capturing the murderer and partly mourning the death of their children. They hung the creature in the center and pierced its skin with many spears. One by one every man came forward and poked the spear further in the creature to satisfy his quench for revenge. The creature was still breathing but only barely.

Night came and the ritual continued in full force. A tribesman beat the drum-like instrument and the men danced, wearing animal skulls on their heads. Women sat on the ground in a circle around the creature and mourned the death of their young. The performance went on for hours before the leader asked the man to stop the drum. Everyone gathered in a circle and the leader stood under the hanging creature. He stabbed the creature's belly and the green goo poured down the creature and onto the leader. The creature let out a loud and horrid shriek. The leader bathed in the blood and danced under the hanging body. Soon everyone joined him and danced and rubbed the green liquid on their bodies. The drum started to beat again and the ritual reached the climax. By killing the creature they were not only rejoicing in revenge but ridding their God of the foul creature as well. For them Saarth was pure and this creature was an unholy guest which must be perished.

Soon came a Rumble! A deep and intense growl unlike any a living creature can produce, emanated from the lake. The sound was closest to that of whales but somehow more deeper and louder. One of the tribesmen stood at the bank of the marshy lake with his jaw dropped. He screamed in horror and soon the whole tribe followed his scream and ran to the shore. There was an oblong shaped and dark-coloured structure, many feet wide, emerging from the marsh. The leader walked towards it carefully, carrying his spear and the torch to investigate this strange form.

Suddenly the surface of the oblong structure cracked and popped open. A creature raised its face from inside it. The look on everyone's face was both horrific and justified. That structure was an egg and the creature emerging from it looks exactly like the one they killed, many meters long and still an infant. Another growl came from nearby. They all stared in that direction and saw two glowing eyes peering at them from the misty marsh not too far away. The leader raised his torch towards it and saw that not one but countless pair of eyes were glowing and staring at them from all around. They were gazing at them from the thick mist and murky marsh like a predator watching its prey. There was no victory to be had, the creatures far outnumbered the tribe. The leader threw his spear in the marsh and raised his hands up in surrender. He bent down in front of the creatures and the whole tribe followed suit.

A deep rumble echoed again. It appeared to be coming from the bottom of the lake. They knew that very instant that the sound was nothing the creatures, or anything for that matter, could produce. That was the sound of death and I curse myself everyday but it still rings in my ear, like a calling. The marsh around the tribe began to vibrate. The whole tribe started to step back but came to a sudden halt after few steps. There were countless creatures on the shore standing behind them, awaiting their prey and snapping their jaws at the tribe. They were circling the tribe from all around. The deep rumble from the unknown, echoed again but this time it was deafeningly loud and very close. Some of the tribesmen helplessly covered their ears. Their ear drums were very close to rupturing. Their auditory sense was overwhelmed but then came a shock for the eyes. The one which would scar their minds and soul and burn their eyeballs with an imagery no eyes should see. Water splashed as if thousands of gallon is displaced suddenly and then from the bottom of the deep lake, something emerged. The tribesmen raised their torches up their heads and towards the sky. It was akin to a gigantic curtain, spawning hundreds of feet, rising from the lake and towards the sky, blocking everything in sight. The moonlight and the torches managed to show a silhouette of a black creature rising from the lake and onto the surface. They saw its charcoal black and moldy skin as it rose from water and disappeared up in the mist. It moved effortlessly as it rose above from water, like a whale thrusting itself out of the water, only this was no whale. Our eyes could not fathom its scale even in the daylight and even the Eiffel tower would not compare to the size of this beast. A creature rising from the hellish bottom of the lake and unleashed onto the Earth. What followed in the dark murky waters of Saarth was not seen but only heard. The screams and gut-wrenching cries of the tribesmen echoed everywhere before complete and utter silence prevailed. The marsh bathed in the red colour and the spears floated aimlessly on it, waiting for the sun to come and engulf the marsh along with the remnants of that tribe.

In the sunlight the scale of Saarth could truly be seen. Its dark water lay soundless and still, covering a hidden slumbering demon under its blanket and I stood there with my eyes wide open and my heart almost stopped. Here lay a beast, along with its countless infants, which the world never knew about and I managed to witness its resting place. Yes, I was here again. I came not out of a desire to see, I had no such desire. In fact, I forced myself to never consciously think about those memories and nightmares. But I couldn't resist in the end. The hypnotizing sound of that beast was indeed a calling. That sound was calling me towards it and it lead me here again through that hidden passage in the forest of Khaleb. My pulse was racing and my body was almost paralyzed but it was beyond my control. That sound and the blurred view of the beast I saw in my nightmare has scarred me for life. It has pushed me to the edge of sanity and oh what wouldn't I give to get my life back, but that life was gone and I knew it. My death might just stop that ringing sound after all, I hoped. But I must close my eyes and stop these scribblings on the papers right away. I would throw the papers on the shore and hopefully someone who's come here would be saved by reading this warning. My story is finished and if my life story would warn others by reading these then I've done my part. My eyes will not see the sight of that monstrosity before I taste the nectar of death. I will not give it that pleasure. My feet touched the water of Saarth as I stood like a statue with my heart in the throat. I heard the rumble from the belly of that lake. It was time!

 (images courtesy of morguefile.com)

                                                                                                                                Mani Haider         

Prometheus gets more hate than it deserves...

 Prometheus gets a lot of hate. One of the reasons is that Alien fans were expecting an Alien-like film. I think before the film released, Ridley and the team tried to ensure that it's not a sequel to Alien to manage people's misguided expectations. It was clear that Prometheus was in the same universe but it wasn't obligated to follow Alien's formula and I don't think trailers tried to convey Alien vibe either. The promo to me felt more like a homage to Alien rather than a promise of a true sequel. The film tried to reach further with its ambitious themes and ideas. It did fail in conveying some of them properly but also managed to achieve many of them and the result was a very thrilling and layered narrative which deserved multiple viewings.

I was watching this film again tonight and I enjoyed the pacing, visual style and ambitious ideas more. I knew its flaws already so my mind just ignored them and focused on what clicked. I found out that there was a lot which clicked. I think Ridley really wanted to make something ambitious(I keep coming back to this word). He created a very tight(both visually and narratively) and suspenseful masterpiece in the form of Alien in 79 and after such a long break from sci-fi if he wanted to come back, the last he wanted was to repeat himself. After I read Jon Spaihts' draft, it became quite clear why Ridley got it re-written(well atleast semi-rewritten). The DNA changed a lot when Lindelof came in. I won't delve into the subject of which writer did a better job at delivering a required script; they both had strengths. In the final film under Ridley's direction there were many great things and all three of them deserve credit for that. David was a great character and I thoroughly enjoyed him. He was a fully formed character with many hobbies, interests, some intriguing ideologies and a goal to pursue. The scene where he asks a rhetorical question to Dr Shaw that who doesn't want their parents dead was particularly interesting. The writers gave his character an opinion without further delving into it. It was just another one of David's thoughts and intriguing ideologies. It didn't need to be answered and I think it wasn't meant to either. It added mystery to his character further and added another curve in his well rounded personality.

But David wasn't the only highlight of the film, Prometheus fulfilled another very strong trait of great sci-fi fiction as well. It asked interesting questions and probed us with new ideas about origin, life, God and humanity's position/place in the universe. It rose above the normal parameter of a summer blockbuster. It was provocative and it relied on implication at many instances instead of lazy exposition. Engineer's motive, internal thoughts and reasons weren't told to us by our protagonist. David utters an interesting quote which  non-verbatim is, sometime one must destroy before it recreates but David is manipulative and have hidden motives throughout the film so he isn't a very reliable source. I don't think his opinion could be taken as fact also because he didn't prove what he says and we never see how he came to this conclusion as he didn't talk to any Engineer at that point either. The Engineer David woke up, didn't say a word and like Weyland, we were left with guesses and assumption which I think worked. Clearly, by ripping David's head off, he was trying to prove a point. But was it that he hated humanity's 'inferior' creation as compared to his own or he did it out of spite/jealousy or he just hated how pitiful and fragile Weyland (and in turn humanity) is so he went on a rampage to prove his point. The film also played with the idea of faith, it's strength and contrast to the science. Dr Shaw was religious clearly and it was emphasized that it gave her strength and specially as she prepares herself to meet the Engineers. But religion wasn't just used as a support system for the protagonist, it was involved also because the film played with the idea of God. If the film showed correctly, then Engineers were our Gods. They weren't the traditional God mentioned in the abrahamic religions, it was an interesting sci-fi spin of the film. It doesn't have to be a God who sits in the sky and watches humanity with obsessive concentration, passing judgements and punishments for minute little things. It was an advanced intelligent species who might have created many others like us in solar systems or even galaxies. The relationship of God and his creation was although similarly bitter. David isn't a fond of his creators and our humanity's creator didn't seem pleased with us. So in other words, we were hated by our creation and our creators. Maybe those silly caricature of characters who died stupidly were intentionally stupid to show what we as a whole, from the perspective of David and Engineer. It's a possible theory but even if it isn't the point remains that Prometheus poked us with these questions and left us to come to our conclusions. This was not a weakness but rather strength of the film. Lovecraft had similar provocative themes about cosmos, humanity, mystery of the unknown and our inability to comprehend the secrets of the great mystery which are hidden in the universe we live in. I'm not comparing Lovecraft's stories to Prometheus but only stating some shared themes. Prometheus had a lot going for it but apart from the above mentioned strengths in story, it also had great cast, crew and director which all made it a great visual and thrilling experience on top of the interesting questions it posed. I don't think anyone shies away from Prometheus's many obvious flaws but people who were put off by the questionable decisions of the side character to the level of not giving the film a chance, missed on very enjoyable experience. Anyways, this is my train of thought as I've just finished watching the film. I might discuss the direction, editing and acting in the proper review later but the bottom line is that Prometheus received negativity because of the prior expectations, comparisons, involvement of lindelof and few flaws of side characters and writing this film off based on any of these reasons is doing the film a disservice.

Penny Dreadful - Review

                                                                                                                                Rating: A-

There is a mystery at hand. A person is missing, an unassuming but skilled man is pulled into the chaos and  horrific creatures lurk in the shadows. This is the barebone setup of this series and is every bit interesting and worth the watch.

Premise: 
Set in late 19th century, this is a story set in Victorian London. Timothy Dalton (Sir Malcolm), Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) and Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett) are three key players who are involved in the mission to rescue the daughter of Timothy. Timothy's daughter is taken by vicious creatures of the dark who live in the world between ours and thereafter. But all three of them don't know much about these creatures and in order to rescue the girl, they need to find out who they are fighting. On their path, they seek the help of an ambitious Dr Victor who knows a lot about human anatomy and who is eager to learn a lot more. Thus begins their journey into the dark world filled with unspeakable horror and danger.

Review:
In short, I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it for many reasons, most of all because it was a great horror piece. I'm a big fanatic of horror genre and whenever a good horror project comes along, I relish it like a homemade blueberry cheesecake (with extra cheese). In many ways, it reminded me of Lovecraft's stories (and this is a great plus point). Not just the era this series is set in but many other themes, like the creatures in the hidden world which surrounds us but is somehow largely mysterious. There is a great mystery at hand, much like many of Lovecraftian stories, there is a very eager but scientific and rational mind pulled into the world of credulousness and myths which all turned out to be much more than that. As Timothy says to Dr Victor "..a place where science and superstition go hand in hand". Then there is also an "Egyptian Book of Dead" and ancient hieroglyphs, found on a creature, symbolizing the horror which has lived for many thousands of years. In Lovecraft's stories, that book turns out to be Necronomicon and the hieroglyphs are often the language of some ancient and powerful otherworldly force . These are all quite likely the genuine nods to the literature's classic writer and his stories because apart from this, the series also happen to contain many other creatures and characters from literature of the past, namely Frankenstein, vampires, Jack the Reaper among others which we hope to see later on.

The story is fast paced and doesn't drag but still provide enough personality to the main characters that we believe them and want to continue on this journey with them. John Logan wrote a great script with a fine balance of action and exposition although sometimes a little too much time spent on the latter making few sequences overwrought; namely the meeting of Timothy of Dr Victor. But overall, I liked the pacing and how the mystery was handled. There was a lot of tease of how much more there is to discover and me as an audience craved that unknown information. They showed me through a peephole and now that I've seen what I did, I want to enter through that door and unravel what lies beyond in all its glory. I hope this doesn't turn out to be another Walking Dead where every bit of interesting incident is dragged through till the finale and when you reach there, you've already lost interest. But I have a very strong feeling this won't be the case as Bayona is directing it. J.A. Bayona is a great visual director with great repo, who doesn't like to waste a frame without any beautiful and mysterious imagery. That beauty doesn't come from vibrant colors but often though symmetry of shapes within the frame, the mysterious lighting full of dark corners and slow deliberate camera movement. He uses a lot of extreme closeups of faces too, which instantly bring us closer to the characters and creatures. He knows how to direct horror and he showed this in the wonderful "Orphanage" before.

Conclusion:
As always, I try to keep away from the specifics of the narrative as to give you the whole unspoiled experience but try to explain what worked in terms of script, themes and direction in broader sense. Penny Dreadful is indeed a great horror series; there is horror, dread, mystery and lots of character to this series. The pilot episode was great in setting up the puzzle pieces and slowly moving towards the unknown horror lurking in the Victorian London. Horror which comes in many forms and sizes, not just from outside but also from within, as the logline reads "there is something within us all".

Elysium - Review

                                           
                                                                                                                           Rating: B-

I'm having a hard time rating this film. On one hand, it's a stupendous technological effort but on the other hand it's a hammy eye-twitching melodrama. Every line is paper thin, peppered with unnecessary exposition.

Premise:
It's a story set in the future, 2154 to be exact, where rich people have left the earth for the poverty ridden masses to live. On earth, there seems to be no proper governments or laws except the drones and robots sent from the sky(elysium) to control the masses. One guy, with a luck which can only be of a multi-million dollar film protagonist, has the key to lessen the class division and give the people on earth a proper health care and other basic facilities. Thus begins the journey of the hero to accomplish his goal as besides the moral duty of whole world, he also faces lethal radiation exposure which only Elysium can cure.
                               

Review:
Spoilers ahead, be warned!

Before I delve deeper into the review, I'd like to say that the degree to which you'd like the film depends on what you're looking for in the movie. If you are looking for big action extravaganza with some sci-fi sprinkled on top a la "Oblivion" and "Aliens" then this does the deed. If you're looking for thought-provoking sci-fi with action sprinkled on top a la District 9 then look away. Speaking of District 9, how amazingly Neill Blomkamp popped onto the mainstream feature foyer with D9, making everyone notice this immensely talented director. The CGI was mind-mindbogglingly terrific on a very modest budget compared to its peers in the same category including Elysium. What he accomplished in D9 was a spectacular sci-fi film with great engaging narrative, life-like CGI and some message to share, which was wrapped up nicely in a shiny bundle. With Elysium however, the engaging narrative was gone, the message was literally on the nose and sci-fi took a side step for the sake of guns and bullets. What was left was CGI and in that department he delivered in spades. The elysium ring which floats dreamily on top of the Earth is both massive and believable. It has spectacular level of detail and beauty. I got goosebumps when the supersonic jets flew vertically from the Earth and to the Elysium. It all looked so real and majestic. But more time was spent on Earth during the film which must have helped in keeping the budget in check as the main action was taking place in slum-like congested and poorly maintained streets. But the magic and spectacle of sci-fi was gone the more time we spent on Earth. As a result we were not in awe anymore and started noticing the story. That's where the main problem lied. It was cheese laden with too much exposition and too many convenient plot points, all happening in the lives of uni-dimensional characters.
Why do the characters have to say every single thing which comes to their mind, even when it's so obvious through their actions? Its story is incredibly lazy and over-the-top, with information not spoon fed but forced fed to us. You can argue that if it's meant to be an action blockbuster then I shouldn't over-emphasize the lackluster script, but it's from the creator of District 9 not Michael Bay. He proved that he can create dazzling action sequences, jaw-dropping VFX and engaging story at the same time as well.
A cold and calculated security official played by Jodie Foster, who calls all the shots behind the curtains. She basically runs Elysium and of course she's evil. She's planning coup with the help of a CEO also while trying to capture Max (Matt Demon) with the help of a rough and tough sleeper agent Kruger (Sharlto Copley). Fighting these forces is the hero, Matt Demon, who must do the impossible task of bringing equality to the people of the Earth.
                              

Mid way through the film, while Matt's character is planning to go to elyisum, it is conveniently stated that he has the brain which can hack the elysium system and reboot it with the chance to give equality to everyone. How did that even happen or is possible is left out of the picture. The control elysium has on Earth is immense yet no one has taken or plan to take action ever before the hero emerged? Are all the people living in elysium that cruel? If so, why? Are they just too filthy rich to care or just downright evil-plotting elites and hate the humanity in general? Why are all poor people depicted as good and rich as bad? The world created in elysium is too black and white and the characters are like cardboard caricatures. On top of that, the acting is bad! Sharlto was great in D9 but extremely annoying in this film. His lines were downright cringe-worthy on the paper and more so when spoken by him. At one particular scene, he was shouting to himself while chasing the protagonist and blurting out lines like " I'm gonna eviscerate the little one/boykie." Jodie is a great actress without a doubt and can handle a lead in a sci-fi as she showed in "Contact" but even she struggles with the goofy dialogues and confused expressions as the camera lingers on her face for the reactions after every dialogue the other character speaks. Many of her choreographed hand gestures were very contrived and unnecessary. Matt was good for what he was provided with and seemed to be having a lot of fun. I suppose that's so because much of the time he was playing the action hero where the focus is not on the character but the spectacle.

Conclusion:

I loved the fact the Neill had something to say in D9 and he did so while giving us a good narrative driven story of the protagonist on a personal level. Here Neill told the same message which he already did but without the personal engaging story of the main character to boost. I still think Neill is a great director but I also strongly believe that he isn't a good writer. At the end of the day, the film will not hold long if the story isn't good. All the classics which are still studied to this day are great examples of how a great script lives forever. The CGI and other visual effects look dated but their stories are fresh and powerful to this day and will continue to be for long. It feels like Neil came up with an idea and then spending much time in script, he spent the whole time creating amazing armour, robots and VFX. They were of course great but in all that, story got left behind a little. Elysium was a good spectacle but hollow underneath however despite saying that I'm really looking forward to "Chappie".

The Fall - Review

                                                                                                                  Rating: A-
The Fall. What to say about it. I absolutely loved it. It's a true cinematic experience which I sadly could only catch at home. It was a limited release and certainly not around the area I live. But nonetheless I own the copy now and come back to it from time to time to indulge myself in the fantastical world of The Fall. It's a good film by many accounts but the visuals alone deserve a viewing.

Premise:
It's a story, set in 1920s, about a child recovering from a broken arm in the Los Angeles hospital. There she befriends another patient who is a stunt man much older than her who tells her a mythical story, in parts, everyday. Thus begins the journey of us as the spectator and the girl as the listener into the surreal and magnificent world of a fairytale told by the stunt man. As the parallel narrative continues between the gritty hospital scene and the immaculate fairyland tale, the story intertwines and the two worlds merge together. The characters become more open and we soon realize that the stunt man might be using the girl as a pawn for his own agenda using that fabricated story as a tool.

Review:
The Fall is an exquisite film. "Exquisite" is the word which instantly popped into my mind while thinking about this film and the most appropriate one at that. This film has just the right amount of surrealism and artistry to it, making it a marvelous looking film without over-boarding into the abstract genre. The scenes and images make sense to me as an audience and work as an essential part of the story. What I'm trying to say is that it's no Tree Of Life, rather better(In my humble opinion). It achieved what it set out to, through the imagery it used. Tree Of Life left me dazzled me with the visuals but never quite took me to the philosophical elation it was trying for. It felt more like a statement of the director rather than the journey while The Fall is the opposite. Many people might wonder at the parallel between the two films but for me the connection was natural as both used visuals to extreme extent as the major component of storytelling. The Fall fulfills that job remarkably. Tarsem had stated clearly that there is no CGI used in the film which makes it all the more organic and close to reality. It's not just about the visuals anyways, the film has many other shining aspects. The performances from the lead girl Alexandria(Catinca Untaru) and the Stunt Man/Roy (Lee Pace) are captivating. These two characters essentially hold the film together and keep the viewer interested through their realistic portrayals of their respective characters. I particularly loved Catinca, she was truly the heart of the film. There were plenty of moments where her expressions and delivery was so natural it was superb. The look of awe on her face when she hears the story and the innocence in her eyes was very raw and real. In many ways we were the spectator and listener along with her. Roy was telling us the story and when he would suddenly stop at the most interesting part, Alexandria would rightfully show disappointment reflecting our thoughts perfectly. The story was very cohesively written and the pacing of the events made us engaged and interested throughout as it progressively gets more emotional and climatic. In a way I have already praised the story by liking the two main characters. A great story always has great memorable and interesting characters and when a story accomplishes that, most of the work is done. Once the audience relates and understands the characters, the writer can essentially take us anywhere through those characters and manipulate our emotions the way he wants. This is a great mastery and few screenplays has this. The art direction and the sound complement the story and elevate the overall experience by many degrees. Tarsem's skill is apparent in this. We can tell it's his passion project afterall he himself invested all his money instead of asking the mighty studios. By doing this, he maintained the artistic integrity and creative vision which would have otherwise been lost if financed by studio executives. It was a risk through and through and as a film lover and member of the audience I can proudly say it paid off with flying colors.

Was it perfect? No. Am I bothered? Not at all. I loved this film because it tried to achieve it and that itself is an accomplishment. It tried to do something risky and out of the box. It is a nightmare logistically and financially to pull something like this off on your own. I would commend a person daring enough to try it and more so if he achieves it. Tarsem finished the job and did it by giving it everything he had and it shows on the screen. The film was a broad canvas and he painted it with his imagination with no one to stop him. Sometimes such an exercise can be very self-indulgent for its own sake but The Fall isn't one. It's an experiment of a child running wild with imagination put on film and instead of feeling distant or left out, you go along with it embracing your own inner child and be mesmerized by the experience.

Conclusion:
Ultimately it comes down to how great of a time you have while you're watching a film. No matter how philosophically superior a film might be, but if it leaves you with a feeling of boredom then it's not doing it right. While being entertained can be very subjective but I can say this with confidently that The Fall won't bore you. Such films need to be made more and I only wish they get more audience because a film which breaks the narrative formula and succeeds, should be seen. More artists should take creative risks and experiment with the genre on a broader level and I really wish more studios invest in those artists. Because ultimately such endeavors will move the medium forward, not the recycled cliched-laden films which plays safe to make a profit. Hopefully you don't need any more persuasion to watch this film. The opening credits scene can be viewed as a beautiful short film on its own and I believe once you watch that opening you would be hooked to your seat till the very end.

Inside(À l'intérieur) - Review

                                                                   
                                                                                                                  Rating: A+

Inside is a horror gem. It's one of the few horror films which manages to do everything right and more. Much of the time the ranking given to any horror film is relative and does not usually stand true comparing to other great film outside the genre. For most people a good horror film is considered exactly that, a good horror film and not necessarily a good film overall. My purpose to mention this is to say that Inside is a great film in every aspect and not just a great horror film.

Premise:

Sarah (Alysson Paradis) has lost her husband in a car accident four months ago. She is heavily pregnant and is resting peacefully at her home, the night before her delivery. In the middle of the night a woman (Beatrice Dalle) knocks on the door. She is in distress and wants to use the phone. Sarah refuses to open the door and goes back to bed. But the woman is not gone. She is still there, waiting. She knows about Sarah's personal life and is determined to get inside. She wants her BABY. Soon the silence in the house dissipates and the screams dominate. Chaos, pain and chase for life and death begins.

Review:

Not very often does a debutant achieve the status of a great director but that's what happened with this debutant duo. Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury showed such skill and mastery of the art that it was impossible to not acknowledge their craft as great. They know the art of suspension and restraint. Their magic started from the early stage in script as they are the writers as well. Anyone can have a great concept, an initial idea which is unique and groundbreaking. The true art though is in the pace and the way it's effectively projected. A great setup would depend heavily on the great characters to have that impact. That is what many films lack, the gore and nonsense action is thrown at us without any proper context or believable characters. This shuts our mind and sympathy and we merely wait for another explosion to happen.  This film is self aware and too smart to do that mistake. First act is almost entirely bloodless and a slow burner. Sarah goes to hospital for a check-up. She meets her mom and later her employer, who is supposed to take her to hospital next morning. But none of the scenes are boring. They set the mood, develop the characters and has that subtle eeriness to them. It feels like calm before the storm. So, when the action does kick in, it grabs you and doesn't let go. You care for Sarah and you want her to survive. But directors don't waste time by hanging on with your sympathy but rather constantly throw something unexpected. That is great writing, because having one location and two characters limit the ways you can surprise us. But the writers constantly throw twists and turns while keeping the smooth progression and without breaking the overall theme or feel. For instance, the first thing Sarah does when being suspicious of stranger is that she calls the cops. Cops do arrive as well. Her mother visits her too. Let's say that all the actions were very understandable which keeps your sympathy for the protagonist throughout the film.  The score was pulse pounding literally. I am not much fun of a background score in the film but when done right, it does escalate the tension. The score here is so eerie and blends with the environment seamlessly. Lightning is another important aspect in the horror films. The use of shadows was brilliant making the dark corners all the more scary. Specially look out for 'something' in the darkness when Sarah is resting on the chair. I do not have enough praise for the leading ladies. Alysson as a vulnerable ordinary woman stuck in the turmoil is brilliant. We care for her and want her to survive and survive she does. Beatrice as the mysterious woman is possibly one of the most cruel and terrifying antagonist in recent memory. The way she stares with unnerving malice sends chills down the spine. The dialogue is minimum and the story is carried wholly by these amazing ladies with their speechless performance.

The film has gore, lots of it. But that's the most justified gore used in a film for years. It works as an art not as a cheap thrill. There is certain poetry in the way Sarah lies on the bed bathed in blood, almost like a corpse, staring into the distance. You will have to see to appreciate the beautifully orchestrated imagery throughout. The contrast of white and red colour in many scenes is striking. This film did put the directors as one of the most promising debutant directors for horror genre. There is no exaggeration in that at all. I will not reveal more plot, my reviews are about why certain film works or doesn't work and what exactly stands out or lacks. The aesthetics and the craft of it. You can read more detailed synopsis on Imdb but I would not recommend that-at all.

Conclusion:

This film is one of my favourite horror films possibly ever. Films like these make me proud to love this genre. This film shows why horror films work. There is a desire as an audience to feel vulnerable and feeling scared while sitting comfortably in the safe environment of home or cinema. We want to feel, for even few moments, to be transported to another world. Where imaginary characters come to life and where nothing is safe. That feeling of fear is not easy to convey. Most of it comes from unexpected. This is the reason why this film works so brilliantly. In the sea of mediocrity, Alexandre and Julien have made something unexpected and extraordinary. Their film defies genre classification and evokes universal emotion. The one which is instantly relatable but difficult to achieve. FEAR.