Film Review - Chappie

Bot From The Blue

Film: Chappie

Cast: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman

Duration: 2 hrs

Directed by:Neill Blomkamp

Rating: * * * 1 / 2

Even since he made that smashing debut with that apartheid-allegory film District 9, Neill Blomkamp’s films have always evoked interest. It won’t be easy to make a follow up as special as that 2009 venture, Elysium was not bad at all till it become a typical Hollywood film in the latter half.

The thing about Blomkamp is that he always throws interesting ideas. Even though Chappie has a very Robocop like base to its story (with a bit of Transcendence thrown in), yet when I walked out of the theatre after two hours, there was a feeling of satisfaction.

Set in Johannesburg (Blomkamp is South African) in a futuristic day and age, the streets of the city are manned by droids. Crime rate is down, the authorities are happy and so is the company manufacturing these robots, headed by Michelle (Sigourney Weaver).  A geek Deon (Dev Patel) is the creator of these robots but like any corporation, they are pushing for bigger and better. He is working on a program that will allow the droids to ‘think’ and infuse some artificial intelligence, his rival (Hugh Jackman) meanwhile has invested a lot of time in developing Moose, a remote controlled  robot.

Deon experiments with his new program and Chappie (Sharlto Copley) is born, he lands up in the hands of couple of hoodlums (Yolandi Visser and Ninja of the South Africa rap group Die Antworod) who try and use him for their own gains. While Chappie’s basic instincts are not to indulge in violence as he is told by his ‘maker’ he develops his own thoughts and acts as per his volition.

Consciousness in machines was something that was recently touched up by Wally Pfister in Transcendence but with limited effect, it works better here. For most parts, it is a fun film, Chappie as a character gets more fascinating as it progresses.

Sure there are some lazy bits in the middle portion but in the end, the climax redeems it all. At times the direction also looks casual in some scenes but on the whole, Blomkamps vision is admirable. He is set to direct the next installment of the Alien franchise and that would be something to look forward to. But meanwhile, let’s enjoy Chappie.

Published in The Navhind Times, Goa on 15th March 2015

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Film Review - Prisoners

 A Must-Watch Taut Thriller

Film: Prisoners

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Melissa Leo

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

Duration: 2 hrs 33 mins

Rating: * * * *

After making waves around the globe with Incendies (2010), director Denis Villenueve offers us yet another film that gives a lot to write home about. Prisoners is an intense film, even though it is on the longer side, it gets you hook, line and sinker. It gives you the same feeling when you read a highly engrossing novel, which you wish would never end.

  

Credit should be given to writer Aaron Guzikowski for the taut screenplay and of course director Villenueve who has been consistently making good films for the last decade or so.

Prisoners goes way beyond the usual action thrillers. It also deals with morality, predicament and guilt. Hugh Jackman plays Dover and one fine day, during a small celebration with friends, his young daughter goes missing. In fact his friend’s (Terence Howard) daughter has also vanished when the two were playing together. A young man who was sitting in an R.V. near the house is picked up as a suspect but he claims innocence and it turns out that he also has the I.Q of a ‘ten year old’. A bright police detective (Jake Gyllenhaal) is assigned the case and though there is no evidence against the suspect, Dover is convinced he is the culprit and has kidnapped the two girls.

Slowly, it all starts to get murkier as sex offenders are rounded up and the suspense starts building up   While it is largely the personal story of a father in desperate search of his daughter, the film throws in a lot of questions about what is right and wrong and what any individual would have done in that situation. And that is where Villenueve’s brilliance comes in as a director. When you think it is all said and done, he pulls the plug at the end with great precision.

There are times when you like the good guy and hate the suspected bad guy and moments later, it is the other way round. There is no absolute good or bad, such is the nature of man.

Excellently shot by veteran cinematographer Roger Deakins, the atmosphere adds to the effect. Prisoners is also a triumph for its actors. Melissa Leo as the aunt and Maria Bello as the grieving mother are aptly cast. Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman both have delivered a remarkable performance. It’ll be surprising if an Oscar nomination doesn’t come there way.

 In toto, this film is not to be missed.

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