Dir Martin Cambell.So here is the new re-vamped Bond in the form of Daniel Craig to bring a whole new depth to the character of 007. Its about time. Its not that the previous guy was a bad Bond, its just that the whole Bond concept was getting rather long in the tooth and kind of needed an overhaul. Craig and Cambell provide this quite well though there are a few jarring elements to the revamp. Judy Dench's continued presence annoys me. I don't think she carries her role at all, and would have liked to see another actor or actress as the case may be, in that role. Some one more gaunt and forbidding, but the reast of the cast play really well. The film moves at a good solid pace and apart from a dull airport chase scene I thought the whole piece worked rather well. Craig is a tougher, harder, grittier Bond altogether. More like the character in the books than any previous actor, including Connery.
Apocalypto.
Apocalypto.Dir Mel Gibsen.
If you want real grit though, then this is where you'll find it. This is Mel 'bloody slaughter' Gibsen in all his carmine glory and it doesn't get much grittier than this. 'Apocalypto' is set in pre colonial South America and is the tale of a group of villagers taken captive by a larger and more powerful society. The whole film is done in the native language giving it a better edge of realism, just as in Gibsens last film 'The Passion of the Christ'. There is however plenty of symbolism here with myriad of hints at the way things are in the USA today and if thats what rings your bell then you can spend a long time nodding at the similarities, but I doubt this was why Gibsen made 'Apocalypto' . I suspect our friend Mel is a something of sadist because his films all seem to include graphic torture scene's and this one is as bad as they come. I don't know what it is about Gibsen that attracts so any people because frankly I think the guy is a creep. That doesn't mean he makes bad films though. He doesn't. Its just that I suspect his motivations are rooted in some sort of personal psychosis that would get most people locked up.
It was as I said though a really good film. Its a bit far fetched with the amount of coincidences along the way, but thats the stuff of story telling after all.
4 comments:
I won't see "Apocalypto". The gore doesn't bother me. It's Gibsen's Catholic bias.
I saw "Casino Royale". Loved it. Pierce Brosnan was suave in "The Thomas Crown Affair" (I recommend it) but I just can't see him throwing a punch without breaking his wrist.
CR had some clever advertising too. By my count I think there were more scenes with men naked or half-naked compared with women. Gotta like that. :) Future productions can include aaaall the torture scenes the director wants.
Is there a hidden catholic bias in 'Apocalypto' (I never noticed it) or are you just opposed to Gibsen himself?
My opinion is admittedly based on film reviews. At the beginning of the movie there's something about civilizations being more likely to destroy itself from within instead of outside forces, then the ending with the Spanish landing there is an appearance or expectation that the Spanish will replace the religious mayhem with rule of a benevolent monarchy.
Hmm, I think thats reading a bit more into the arrival of the Spaniards than is intended. In the film the Spaniards are merely ships in the sea and an approaching boat. I'd say they are meant to establish the march of history and thats about it.
The quote at the beginning of the film, attributed to W. Durant goes like this: "A great civilisation is not conquered from without before it has destroyed itself from within".
I think the point being made is that the Aztecs were already doomed by the time the Spaniards arrived because they were destroying themselves. This is essentially the truth, though diseases brought by the Europeans helped as well.
I assumed Gibsens point was aimed more at a contemporary USA divided within, but I suppose he could have been lamenting a loss of faith. Having seen what constitutes faith in 'Apocolypto' though I'd say the film was cynically anti religion, no matter what Gibsens actual intention was.
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