MOVIE REVIEW

SNOWPIERCER

Director: Joon-ho Bong
Writers: Joon-ho Bong, Kelly Masterson
Stars: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Ed Harris
Runtime: 126 min
Strength: Story, fantastic acting, script, character development
Weakness: Some unnecessary sub-plots, too long
Showbiz Rating: 3/5
Plot: In a future where a failed global-warming experiment kills off all life on the planet except for a lucky few that boarded the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the globe, where a class system evolves.
Review: The world is a frozen hell from the backfire of an over-executed maneuver in battling global warming. Secluded from the outer world, the survivors are on a train called the Snowpiercer, who become stratified by social class, the highest at the front (a perpetual-motion engine) and the lowest at the back. The underprivileged bunch is at the back fighting its way, car after car, all the way to the front to gain control of their destiny. Through the allegory progression, the audience witnesses a rich pageantry of environments – rough workplace, lush greenhouse, giant aquarium, plush lounge, and more. The impressive cast is well assembled. Chris Evans sheds his "All American" heartthrob image to play this perhaps his first heavy-weight role as an earthy leader of the revolution. John Hurt is the semi-disabled wise old man, a rich reservoir of knowledge. The show-stealing personas, however, are on the opposite side. Most delicious is Tilda Swinton, barely recognizable with ingenious makeup (essentially of a dental nature) playing the spokesperson for the dictator. Allison Pill is another manifestation of eccentricity, a pregnant kindergarten teacher, all sweetness until she produces a gun and starts shooting. The dictator is competently played by Ed Harris. The movie is quite long (a little over 2 hours) and does not hurry itself as most blockbuster thrillers would do. Instead, it takes its time with careful, well-crafted character development. But it does hold the audience's attention with excellent acting and artsy photography.

Reviewed by Mohammad Haque

***

GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (1988)

Director: Isao Takahata
Writers: Akiyuki Nosaka (novel), Isao Takahata
Stars: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Akemi Yamaguchi
Runtime: 89 min
Strength: Tragedy
Weakness: None
Showbiz Rating: 5/5
Plot: A tragic film covering a young boy and his little sister's struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.
Review: The famous movie critic, late Roger Ebert of The Chicago Times has a list of “Great Movies”. Grave of the Fireflies or in Japanese “Hotaru No Haka” is the only Japanese anime in that list. Another renowned movie critic Ernest Rister compares it to “Schindler's List”. On a more personal note, as far as I can remember, this is the only movie that made tears fall down my eyes without me even realizing it. It is about a teenage boy and his little sister trying to survive during the horrors of World War II. It is as simple as that but it takes you through an emotional whirlpool that it has the power to change someone's conception on animation. The shots in the film are done strategically where shots are held still so we can think about them. Some Japanese poets and even the Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu uses pillow shots – a detail from nature, say, to separate two scenes. The whole film's visuals are kind of a poem. The story had enough opportunities to exploit actions of the War. Rather, it relies on its consequences. The story is based on a semi-autobiographical novel by Nosaka Akiyuki, who was a boy at the time of the war, whose sister died of hunger and whose life has been shadowed by guilt. Some may question why it was an animation? Animation lets director Takahata concentrate on the essence of the story. It brings the viewer's imagination more into play. Even if do not like animation, this movie is a must watch.

Reviewed by Zia Nazmul Islam

***

Director: Clint Eastwood
Writers: David Webb Peoples
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris
Runtime: 131 min
Strength: Script (creates anticipation), Story
Weakness: Slow plot development
Showbiz Rating: 4.5/5
Plot: An old west gunslinger reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner and a young man.
Review: Fans of Italian “Spaghetti Western” will find a connection between “The man with no name” and Unforgiven's William Munny. Munny, an old gunslinger who is now just a farmer lives with his children and is always regretful of his past. A young man, Scolfield Kid asks him to join the hunt for a bounty, and for his children's sake he fails to refuse. Along the way, his old time friend Ned (Morgan Freeman) joins the company. We hear stories of Munny's feats. Like the audience, the young Scolfield can't believe the ordinary old man riding along with him could've been such a menace once. Our anticipation boils to a point when all the stories seem made up. Just then, the last scene of the movie plays out handsomely when he shows his younger self. Unforgiven is a movie about a lot of issues: the dying era of the west, pulp fictions and most of all, how 'wild' wild west was. The movie features mammoth Hollywood actors. You may not be a western fan but be patient till the end, the last scene will just blow you away.

Reviewed by Zia Nazmul Islam