scene one, take one

In the last two insomnia-fueled nights, I watched 3 excellent movies: 2 of them starring my much-admired idols and one that just blew my mind with clever cinematography and editing. Is this a movie review post? Possibly but according to some twats I'm too critical and too much of a perfectionist. So, let me prove them right (just for now) and not do a review per se. I'll just be all warm and glowy and rave on the excellentness of these movies.

Mrs. Henderson Presents with Dame Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins, directed by Stephen Frears. Wonderful costumes. You don't even notice the amount of CGI used. Flawless execution on a beautifully crafted script set during the Second World War. Simple at times but tells the story of a woman who has lost both husband and son, who, in her old age, decides she wants a hobby. She buys a theatre, hires a manager, gets some dancers to go full monty. The chemistry between Dench and Hoskins... you just can't buy it, priceless.

Keeping Mum with Dame Maggie Smith, a serial killer of sorts, Rowan Atkinson and a scrumptuous performance by Kristin Scott Thomas. Labelled as Black Comedy, this is British humour at its best. Patrick Swayze (him of Ghost fame) makes an appearance and I was pleasantly surprised by his comedic prowess. The scene that really got me was... Oh no, can't tell you, can I? Kills the surprise. Directed by Niall Johnson. Clever. Incredibly clever.

This next one, I don't know where to begin. It's simply brilliant albeit the questionable American accent of one Mr. Ewan McGregor. Good performance but that accent... Aiyo! But less than 10 minutes into the movie, you forget about the accent as Stay sucks you into the world that crosses between reality and illusion. The cast includes Naomi Watts, Ryan Gosling and appearances by Janeane Garofalo and Bob Hoskins. A psychiatrist, played by Ewan, meets a strange and mysterious young man, Gosling, who claims to want to commit suicide in three days, the day he turns 21. Naomi plays Ewan's girlfriend who was once his patient. Ewan's sense of reality gets questioned everytime the young man seeks his council. The editing (Matt Chessé) and excellent direction (Marc Forster) takes you on a roller-coaster ride. Twists and turns and even at the end, you, the audience, questions whether it's the end. If I ever had the opportunity of directing a movie, this would definately be one source of inspiration.

Present film-makers, especially the younger generation, seem to have a firm grasp on the MTV culture that is prevalent in the society. Fast cuts, minimal dialogue, catchy graphics/imagery and music that I thought would remain locked in my private library.

Tonight, I battle insomnia again but will have to win as I have an early day.