Ramanujan Redux

[amazonify]B00011CZRE::text::::Se7en[/amazonify]: This movie was gruesome, but I guess this is what you expect on a film concerning the seven deadly sins. David Fincher penned a really solid script, keeping the characters to a minimum to ensure development of the mystery doesn’t wander off-track.

The most impressive part of this film is that the killer never seems to lose focus, never loses the upper hand. This is a man who has planned his crimes well in advance and controls the dynamic from beginning to end. It’s an unconventional approach compared to the usual “take down the evildoers” approach. Even when the film reaches its resolution, it feels more chilling than satisfying.

Morgan Freeman plays a well-cultured, grizzly old veteran who can quote Chaucer and Dante, a role he has replicated in every film he’s ever been in. Brad Pitt is aggressive, and then more aggressive, then more aggressive…this doesn’t really stretch is acting capabilities. Gwyeneth Paltrow has a brief role of big-city angst talking about babies, which is never a good sign for the baby–why else would it be brought up?

The twist at the end isn’t much of a twist–you can see it coming about an hour away. For those who don’t though…it’s going to be rough.

[amazonify]B0007W7I4W::text::::Assault on Precinct 13[/amazonify]: This movie is like any typical siege film–hopeless situation, painful emoting, internal conflict casting a shadow over external conflict, and an improbable resolution. All in a day’s work for Hollywood action thrillers. Thank God Laurence Fishburne is involved–at the least he can elevate the level of discourse from mediocre to deep. Adding Fishburne is like adding Scottie Pippen to a team of “Who theys?”–you’re always going to get a respectable two hour performance from the players involved.

All your typical “hopleess situation” characters are involved. There is an intelligent psychatrist who dissolves into a babbling maniac during times of crisis. There is a grizzly old cop who distrusts any criminal scumbags in any situation. There is a kooky minority junkie who mumbles and grumbles about government conspiracy theories. There is a sexpot secretary who needs cigarettes in her mouth. There is the amoral crime lord who does what he needs to do to save his skin. There is the lead cop battling internal demons. All in a day’s work.

The film itself isn’t unique or interesting–I figure in three days I’ll have forgotten about 95% of the movie and moved on with my life. But it’s a nice study aid to keep the adrenaline flowing.

Groundhog Day: A brilliant film. I’ll talk more about it in a separate post; let’s just say for now it’s one of those films you should pick up on a gloomy day to lighten up your mood.

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This entry was posted on Monday, March 17th, 2008 at 8:06 am and is filed under Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.