Beast Noir

It seems The Beast (La Bete (French)) is a movie that's very hard to describe. We have Lea Seydoux. Across 3 entirely different existences. And the doomed relationship with a man who is obsessed with her. And the pigeon that is the harbinger of death.

It is not easy to understand what this movie is about. But one thing is clear. There are certain memories that are in the minds of Leah. Well into the distant future. And the AI works at clearing off those memories, creating an unique noir fateful spectacle...A one-of-a-kind movie, hard to describe. This is not entertainment, this is stream of consciousness prose.

15.5/20

Arakkis Redux

Paul Aetrides is no saint. Dune is amoral. There are no god people. The Harkonnen and the Bene Gesserit and the Aetrides are all related. The Fremen are the ones that are fair game for all colonizers. Dune Part Two is s much of realpolitik and unlike the first edition - where there is some cause for empathy with Paul and his mother as refugees - the cynicism of Frank Herbert is in full flow herein. Visceral and real. And great action sequences in IMax

15.5/20

The Spectacle that is Spectre

James Bond (Daniel Craig) kicks off his search for the elusive secret organization Spectre in the midst of the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City. The search takes him across to Rome, where Ernst Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) engages him in a cat and mouse game that finally culminates back in London. Bond affictionados are in familiar territory (or are they?) - the title song (by Sam Smith, male), the Bond girls - Lucia Sciarra (Monica Belucci), and Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), the latter highly accomplished in medicine and hardly a wilting violet by any stretch of the imagination, the gadgetry from Q - and Bond inevitably taking some liberties with them. In the balance of things, Spectre is an understated good watch, with Daniel Craig showing clear signs of ageing though. That for me was the only point of disappointment with what was otherwise a fine movie.

15/20

Another Mission Possible

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) begins Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol with a little help from his friends in getting out of a Russian prison. However, on a subsequent routine if difficult assignment in Russia, things go awry, and the IMF suddenly finds itself under Ghost Protocol – disavowed at the best of times, they are now on their own and behind enemy lines. Under the circumstances, the prospect of thwarting a warmonger’s evil plans to trigger a nuclear apocalypse seem remote indeed. Something that will necessitate a trip to Dubai and – hold your breath – Mumbai – to get things moving. This MI edition will stick in your memory for two distinct reasons. One is the Burj Khalifa – the tallest building in the world – and some rather unforgettable feats related to the same. The other is our very own Anil Kapoor in a meaningful if comic role. Overall, in the copybook thriller mould, Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol does not disappoint, but does not attempt any transmogrification of the genre either 13.5/20