Dragon's Talk

Across the Universe

Beautifully inspired! this movie encompasses all the feelings of listening to The Beatles' musical stylings while adding equally striking visuals. it is intelligent, complex, poetic, and psychedelic. also, like a Beatles' song, there were some parts that left me a bit baffled (but mostly in a good way). the cast was wonderful and talented. I don't think the movie has a weak storyline as some suggest, but rather one that depends upon lyrical interpretation, which in some spots requires a little abstract thinking. I would definetly recommend watching this one (preferably trashed ;).

Downfall (Der Untergang)

Based on true life memoirs of people who were actually there, this starkly gripping depiction of the last days of the third reich can hardly be described as an enjoyable experience. The german people are suffering terrible hardship as the attacking Russian forces reach Berlin while Hitler's cowardly henchmen are attempting to make their escape or plotting the murder/suicides of themselves and their families when faced with the consequences of their monstrous actions. Lynch mobs roam the streets dispensing "justice" against suspected traitors (who in Hitler's deranged eyes seemed to include virtually everyone) and ill-equipped professional german soldiers are ordered to fight to the death in the face of certain defeat. The entire cast of the film are superb, but it is Bruno Ganz's remarkable performance that is the centrepiece of the film, his portrayal of Hitler veering between twitching broken shell and wild-eyed delusional maniac (who even at the end still commanded occasionally fanatical belief in him from some of his people) is totally convincing. It is still difficult to fully comprehend what you are seeing even as it happens in front of your eyes, and I was left feeling shellshocked at the film's end; I intended to watch another afterward, but everything else just seemed silly and trite by comparison. Possibly the most important film made about WWII, and something everyone simply must see.

Hot Fuzz

Nicholas Angel is such a good cop, he's shipped off to the most law-abiding village in the country to stop him showing up the rest of the force. This brilliant pastiche of the Hollywood action movie is brought to you by the same team as Shaun Of The Dead, and has the same mix of silly one-liners, slapstick and spoofery. Transferring all of the familiar action cliches and plot devices to rural England was a masterstroke, and Pegg's obvious love of cult film and TV offers up a wealth of targets for homages, from Bad Boys II to The Stepford Wives to The Wicker Man. In many ways, Simon Pegg is the Quentin Tarantino of British film comedy; there are so many throwaway gags that it'll take multiple viewings to spot them all and I'm sure that the majority of the film references will be lost on a lot of people, and so may it not be appreciated for just how clever it is. This may not have the comedy zombies that enjoy so much affection from the cinema-going public, but the fact is that from one movie lover to another, Pegg has created a much more complete and funnier film in Hot Fuzz. And to anyone who remembers his sitcom Spaced; episode 3 featured comedy zombies, episode 4 was a action movie pastiche revolving around paintballing. So if his next movie is a multi-million dollar extravaganza about the kidnapping of a small scottie terrier named Colin, do not be surprised!