Argo

While watching Oscars 2012 live, I was hoping “Life of PI” may get the best picture award. But, surprisingly (May be it is surprise only to me) they had proclaimed “Argo” as best picture for 2012. Until then,  I was not intrigued in watching this movie though it was nominated for Oscars, otherwise decided to watch it to figure out what is that it is in that movie that made it as the best film. Usually award winning movies means, in my notion, very bore to watch as they contain melodramatic story with historical background or war related with less to almost zero action. Bottom line is, we (I) can’t “enjoy” while watching all award wining movies. The best example is 2009 Oscar best picture, “The Hurt Locker”. That movie got Oscar award over “Avatar”that year. I’m still wondered how it got best picture over Avatar. Anyway, there are exceptions, sometimes few movies, which are very entertaining to watch and the same time won “best picture” award. For e.g “The Lord of the Rings”, “Titanic” etc.

With that, I watched “Argo” movie. As a plot, it is a true story of how a CIA agent rescued six US diplomats from Tehran, Iran, during 1979 Iran hostage crisis. The rescue was called as “Canadian Caper”. There is a twist in how actually he had planned to rescue them. I’m not going to reveal that here. But, I assure you, it’s NOT a James bond kind of rescue. If that is the case then it would have become another old-style James Bond movie.  That twist is very interesting and keeps you to watch the whole movie without feeling bored.

The actor plus director Ben Affleck is a back bone for this movie. His direction is very nice, but acting; I don’t know somehow I don’t see certain expressions on his face, he is subtle. I knew him before as he acted in many action movies like Armageddon, Pearl Harbor.  He did very good action in those movies. Perhaps his expressions are choked off because of his beard in this movie. They almost succeeded to replicate 1979 atmosphere, in terms of actors get up, hair style and locations. Only the Ben Affleck (Tony Mendez) get up does not feel as he was from 1979 era. They should have taken much care on this makeup.

I wondered seeing Iran’s women holding guns and leading revolutionary guards that to in 1979 in this movie!!! I didn’t realize that women in Iran had so much courage during that time which is almost 35 years back. Some of the "Iran's" shots as hanging a person on the public road, protesters demolishing the walls of US embassy etc, are brilliantly pictured. It was terrifying to anybody witnessing angry protesters wrecking everything and trying to capture them. The interesting thing is the people of Iran that time, they rebelled US people so much, but whereas they were favored Canadians, who were long term friends to Americans. They even didn’t think that Canadian people who lived in Iran may try to help US diplomats due to their long companionship with USA.

There are many tensed scenes towards climax, I don’t know whether absolutely happened in that way, but, in the movie, it was like “edge of seat” scenes and glues you to the screen. Though it was American CIA agent Tony Mendez who planned whole rescue, due to the classified nature of the case, US suppressed it and gave full credit to Canada government.  Hence it named as “Canadian Caper”. The whole details were revealed to public only in 1997.

Overall this movie is very interesting to watch due to the fact that it is a true story and they had rescued US diplomats using cinematic idea. I’m satisfied with this movie and felt it is a good pick for best picture award. After all in that way US can show to the world, how ingenious their CIA agents were ;). I’m giving 8 out of 10 to this movie.

The Day After Tomorrow

The Day After Tomorrow ( TDAT ) is one of my favorite movie in disaster category.  The story is great, and it gives very good lesson to human kind. If we keep polluting the atmosphere by taking nature resources as granted, then eventually nature will turn around. And if it turns around then effects are devastating and catastrophic.  We can't survive. Though we are so advanced in technology and we are proud as superior species on the whole planet. But Still we are surviving on the grace of nature. We can see plenty of examples. We can take only precaution to minimize the effect of hurricanes, cyclones etc... otherwise we don't have the power to stop them. Some of the nature disasters like earth quakes even don't leave any hint to us to take precaution. However, at least few things like temperature rises, acid rains and things happened in this movie can be prevented if we don't pollute nature.

Anyway, when It comes to the movie. The story is so realistic, and  in one point you can feel it might happen in one day to earth. I've not seen the lead actor Dennis previous movies, and in fact I don't know him until in this movie. His acting as paleoclimatologist is very natural, but sometimes I feel his face don't show few emotions. The first scene in Antarctica where ice breaks was a highlight, and that helps to involve in the movie. The next following scene is in Delhi, India. I was wondering why most of the disaster movies, starts scenes in India. The other successful disaster movie is "2012", which also starts in India. It could be that these disaster movies have huge openings in India, so if they put at least few scenes in India then Indian people easily connect to it.

Later in the movie, the sequence of scenes like sudden temperature drops in oceans, violent changes in the weather across the world hook you to the movie. I liked the scenes which shows the storm from the space station. I don't know whether really there would be any people living in space station and watching earth regularly. But those scenes are helped to understand the magnitude of the storm on the earth.

As usual the CG works are nicely done. Since I watched this movie on blue-ray, so there are few deleted scenes included in special features. Which were deleted before post production. You can see in those scenes how they picture and mix the CG work and actual scene with actors. Apart from main disaster theme, there is a underline father-son bonding in this movie. The father comes to rescue his son, who stuck at new york public library.

There is a funny scene, where all Americans escapes to Mexico as illegal immigrants as Mexican government closes the border gates due to massive people coming to Mexico. This is really funny because in real it happens in other way round where Mexicans try to enter US illegally.

There are few hospital scenes with Dennis wife, where she is treating an ill boy. I felt only those scenes are blocking the story. Even if they delete those scenes there is no damage to the movie. Actually they deleted 18 mins footage. I watched all those deleted scenes. Some scenes are re-done, especially when Jack ( Dennis ) and Jason ( The other guy who comes to rescue Jack's son ) take shelter in an abandoned hotel. The whole scene they had re-done though dialogues are remain same.

At the end, all of the sudden, the  deep freeze stops and the atmosphere becomes normal, which I thought they did that way to end movie in happy note. But the complete northern side of earth covered in ice and snow.

The movie ends with president speech saying at least we should open our eyes and stop misusing natural resources in greedy.

Overall in disaster category this is one of the best movie. I'm giving rating 8 out of 10.