Past few days
Fateless [Sorstalansag] (2005) 6/10
The gaunt, haunted look of Marcell Nagy will stay with you long after this film is over. The kid is a revelation, as he chillingly potrays the life of one Gyuri Koves, a Hungarian teen who is thrust into the darkness of concentration camps. By the end of it all, Gyuri prevails, but not before a part of him dies in the camp. He is different, changed and alienated from those who do not understand, who do not see what he has seen. They ask of the horrors of Auschwitz, but he would rather remember the few moments of happiness he had.
The film is shot with visual flair, and the colors slowly fade into a monochromatic dullness when Gyuri is at the concentration camp before regaining the color after the prisoners are liberated. The directing and the soundtrack are also fairly good, and boasts of an excellent performance by Marcell Nagy. So why then, am i not enamoured by the film? For all its technical brilliance, the script simply wasn’t engaging. It didn’t have the soul of Schindler’s List, or the heartbreaking performance of Adrian Brody in The Pianist. It didn’t say anything or show anything that previous films have done. While it was a good film, it didn’t transcend the medium and resonate with the audience. And that is its greatest failing. Simply put, it didn’t have a compelling script.
The Family Stone (2005) 7/10
In spite of the cliched, predictable plot, this Christmasy family fare was an enjoyable film. Certainly, one could expect the saccharine happy ending and the predictable love quadrangle even before the halfway mark. The plot is filmsy and inconsequential, but the real delight lies in the solid ensemble case that has excellent chemistry. Sarah Jessica Parker overacts a tad as the overly uptight romantic interest, but still manages to steal the limelight whenever she is onscreen. Clive Owens perfects his swarmy Cassanova persona while Claire Danes is simply luminous. Rachel McAdams seems to revel in her bitchiness and the ever so dependable Diane Keaton is always watchable as the matriach of the house. Because of these enjoyable performances, i’ll even forgive the stock ending and manipulative coincidences.
Lie With Me (2005) 6/10
A provocative and tantalising film, Canadian director Clement Virgo pushes the boundaries and scores solid direction and excellent performances from leads Lauren Lee Smith and Eric Balfour. Lauren Lee Smith in particular is absolutely smouldering and has explosive chemistry with Eric. Unfortunately, the script is unfocused and unnecessary subplots like the one regarding Lauren’s divorcing parents or Eric’s ill father bog down the film. Clement Virgo tries to infuse a moody, dreamy feel to the whole film, but needless detail like the abovementioned parents goes against his intention. You don’t see Wong Kar Wai trying to introduce needless characters to In The Mood For Love, do you? What Clement Virgo is trying to do here is to do a sexually charged version of modern love in the vein of mood driven movies such as ITMFL or Lost In Translation. Unfortunately, he lacks the subtle nuance and streamlined script and the attempt to let the film be driven by mood doesn’t exactly work. Whilst Lie With Me has a great performance by its two leads, it is ultimately let down by a weak and unfocused script.
