Synopsis: It tells the story of English aristocrat Lady Sarah Ashley (played by Nicole Kidman) in the 1930s, who inherits an Australian Outback cattle property. To save the animals from local cattle barons, Lady Ashley joins forces with a rugged cattle drover (played by Hugh Jackman) to drive 1500 cattle through Australia's Top End, only to be caught in the events surrounding the bombing of Darwin during World War II. The movie is directed by Baz Luhrmann....remember his 2001 musical success Moulin Rouge(?). (I'm a fan of all his films)
The real star of the movie is not a name you would recognise. Brandon Walters plays the boy 'Nullah' and narrator. A small boy being asked to carry the vast majority of the film in a genre that’s pretty much been in deep stasis (if not actually extinct) for a number of years is a tall task. That he pulls it off is astonishing. That he does it with aplomb is breathtaking. An emotionally nuanced performance that carried the audience on a rollercoaster of laughter, drama and sadness that in and of itself is a reason to watch this movie.
Eleven-year-old Brandon Walters makes his film debut in Australia as the Aboriginal boy Nullah.
I really adores this little aborigine cutie...I wish there's a 'Nullah' doll that I could cuddle-ha! I learned that this is his very first film and 1st time actor...but boy he's really, really GOOD....I think he could be nominated as Supporting Actor in the next Oscar's award. And this epic could be the next Oscar's Best Picture.
This movie is really worth watching, great cinematography and good acting of all the casts. It's also very dramatic and heartfelt...especially when it comes to some scenes how the aborigines were treated unfairly and casted out. I love that Nicole and Hugh are also great together/perfect match...I mean Baz Luhrmann or any directors should get both of them to act together on more romantic films in the future.
Check out trailer here:
WATER by Deepa Mehta
This is quite an old movie but it's not a typical Hindi movie. It's one of the 'Elements' Trilogy feature films by Deepa Mehta after 'Fire' and 'Earth'. But on all CD stores in town, I could only find 'Water'.
.bmp)
Synopsis: The year is 1938, India is ruled by the British, and it is around this time that Mohandas K. Gandhi has arrived from Africa to begin his tryst with the British, as well as battle the traditions that bind the Hindus. Not yet in her teens, Chuyia is married to a much older and sickly male, who shortly after the marriage, passes away. Chuyia is returned unceremoniously to her parents' house, and from there she is taken to the holy city of Banaras and left in the care of a wide assortment of widows who live at "the widows' house," shunned by the rest of the community. Chuyia believes that her mother will come to take her home. Here she meets several elderly women, including the head of the house, Madhumati; a quiet, confident woman named Shakuntala; and a gorgeous young woman named Kalyani -- all widows. Chuyia does not know that according to Holy Hindu Scriptures she has been destined to live here for the rest of her life, for when a woman's husband dies', she has three options: One, to marry her husband's younger brother, if his family permits; two, to kill herself on his funeral pyre; three, to live a life of celibacy, discipline, and solitude amongst her own kind. A new law in India which permits a widow to re-marry is not popular, and it is these customs and openly welcoming the lower castes that will pit Gandhiji against his very own people, apart from struggling with the British to leave India. Kalyani meets and falls in love with young Narayan, a follower of Mahatma Gandhi, who wants to marry her, despite his mother's protests. The question remains, can Kalyani marry the man she loves? Will he still want to marry her when he knows everything about her? And is Chuyia destined to live the rest of her life as a widow among shunned widows? Written by rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)
The movie was originally supposed to star Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das. It was nearly abandoned by Deepa Mehta after protests by Hindu organisations halted filming in the year 2000. The director received death threats and was forced to shelve the movie after Indian authorities shut down filming amid protests by Hindu outfits. She finally shot the film in Sri Lanka five years later. With new casts, crew and a little twist in the story.
Like Australia, the movie potrayed more on the child actor as the main character. I think Deepa has her reasons (probably more on security) for casting Lisa Ray (played the role of Kulyani), a Canadian citizen and whom is of mixed parentage - Bengali Indian father & Polish Mother, even though she can't really act that well (my opinion) and she looked too much of a 'Mat Salleh' than a real Indian woman in that movie. The real star there is the child actress Sarala who played Chuyia...what a superb acting and very talented young soul! Overall it was a creative and well done movie yet touching (you may have some disturbing feelings too) by Deepa and of course the music by A.R. Rahman contributes to its greatness. I enjoyed it.
If you would like to learn more about the lives of the widows in India, you should also watch Forgotten Woman by Dilip Mehta (Deepa's brother).
Just love epic movies and feature films like this - A MUST WATCH!
No comments:
Post a Comment