xGary Xx (garyX)

A fisherman caught up in the civil war of Sierra Leone reluctanctly teams up with an amoral smuggler to retrieve a precious stone in the hope that it will secure freedom for his family. Edward Zwick has made a career of making worthy adventure-with-a-message movies which have tended to be a cut above the usual Hollwood action blockbuster fodder, and Blood Diamond is very much in this tradition. Rather than a deeply insightful analysis of the political situation, it is more of a straight action adventure that uses the conflict as a colourful backdrop to the story. Not that it doesn't have any points to make; it highlights the cynical complicity of the West in the conflict diamond trade, and the "politics" of the warring factions whose ideologies extend no further than greedy and corrupt self interest. Zwick's penchant for dewy eyed sentimentality does rear its head towards the end of the film, but no more so than most other films of its type; personally my favourite moment was when Hounsou wordlessly eyed the absurdly ostentatious bauble that has been the cause of all his woes, destined for the necks of the idle rich in a jewelry store window. Not in the same league as the likes of The Killing Fields, but if you want something more in the way of rousing adventure rather than emotionally harrowing, this is a fine choice.

An ex cop tries to spend time with his dying wife during her final days, but a Yakuza loan shark refuses to leave him in peace. A typically understated marriage of violence and poetry from Beat Takeshi, Hana Bi examines loss and mortality in a deeply personal way. It shares many of the themes of Sonatine, but is not as brutally nihilistic; there is much warmth in the often wordless scenes with his wife which have far more humanity than the contrived schmaltz we are used to from most mainstream film making. Takeshi's laconic persona is taken to the extreme in this film as he silently deals with the loss of his child, his wife's illness and his guilt over his suicidal ex-partner's crippling injury, although he still manages to find humour with the use of some oddball supporting characters. In other words another typically brilliant and artful Beat Takeshi film.

The best movie ever made. End of.

Daesu Oh is a drunk and a philanderer, but otherwise a fairly typical husband and father. That is until one day he is kidnapped and imprisoned in a cell for 15 years with only a TV set for company and no word of explanation. One day he wakes up on the outside with only a wallet and a phone, and he sets out on a single-minded quest to find out why he was imprisoned and extract bloody vengeance on those responsible. The second part of the Vengeance Trilogy by Chan-wook Park, Oldboy is a bizarre and brilliant film. It constantly wrong foots you and messes with your perceptions, and contains the kind of revelation that makes the kind of so-called plot "twists" of most films look gimmicky and inane. This is the kind of film that blows you away and makes you realise you've been watching the WHOLE THING from the wrong standpoint. As for Min-sik Choi's performance, astonishing is the only word for it...the way such intense emotions and motivations are constantly shifting without ever feeling contrived or forced is just spellbinding. It combines art and extreme violence in a way that reminded me of A Clockwork Orange, but BETTER. It's also stylistically on the same level as Fight Club and is absolutely riveting from beginning to end. A totally flawless modern masterpiece.