mystic river (2003). directed by clint eastwood.

 

one of my favourite movies, mystic river (2003); watched it countless times but i didn't review it. it's poetry. subtexts don't get anymore richer than this. modern nightmare is fashioned by distrust and suspicions amongst friends and families; important people like your wives who just can't believe, let alone understand. lives destroyed in a blink of an eye followed by the lingering aftermath that swallowed everyone around. we are all in it, together. in the car, spending the rest of their lives justifying. the desperation of loss that drove people to madness for closure, if only one can place the blame on someone so that it all made sense. it didn't. you just continue living and take it. incomplete lives as trivial as unfinished words on a slab of wet cement.

Sean Devine: So Jimmy, when was the last time you saw Dave?
Jimmy Markum: The last time I saw Dave...
Sean Devine: Yeah, Dave Boyle.
Jimmy Markum: Dave Boyle...
Sean Devine: Yeah Jimmy, Dave Boyle.
Jimmy Markum: That was twenty-five years ago, going up this street, in the back of that car.

clint eastwood's cinematic best.

all the king's men (2006). directed by steven zaillian.

Adam Stanton: What is my weakness?
Jack Burden: You can't look at something that's broke without having to fix it.
Adam Stanton: Why is that a weakness? WHY IS THAT A WEAKNESS?
Jack Burden: It makes you do things you don't wanna do.

from all the king's men (2006)

all the king's men (2006), directed by steven zaillian. knocked up (2007), directed by judd apatow. public enemies (2009), directed by micheal mann.

i haven't done movie reviews from some time now, reflecting that i haven't been spending quality time with the box or the movie screen. caught some in action, though.

those which are worth talking about:

 all the king's men (2006). directed by steven zaillian.

power changes people. even those with good intentions. so how does one shields oneself from corruption due to power? be ethical, have great integrity. now, who's up for that?

i normally can not watch jude law without feeling a slight tinge of annoyance. however, he did a good job being jack burden, the reporter who thought he could just be an observer but couldn't stay away from the political and personal drama that unfolded due to his involvement with willie stark. 

knocked up (2007). directed by judd apatow.

judd apatow, sad men who got lucky because they are nice people. or nice people who got lucky? i like his vaguely homo humour. and the fact that grown up relationships can be retarded. 

 public enemies (2009). directed by micheal mann.

a note to micheal mann, say no to dv. especially when the theme is the 1930's. even you can't beat yourself in heat (1995). should have casted viggo mortensen or someone equally less famous, not johnny depp. he swallowed the movie. it's beautiful but soulless; empty. i wished it had better scripts. it saddens me that miami vice (2006) has greater intensity than this movie. but history has a habit of repeating itself, as much as i dismissed mann's latest effort, this movie might just win an oscar like the departed (2006), a poor remake (to me) of infernal affairs (2002). there's no accounting for taste, eh?