Umut

Umut Ayşe Kulin'in ailesini anlattığı 4 kitaplık serinin ikincisi. İlk kitap Veda çok akıcıydı ve Umut'ta aynen öyle lüp lüp gitti. Ayşe Kulin kitaplarını okumayı seviyorum, yazı dilinde herhangi bir lezzet bulamasam da Sn.Kulin çok iyi bir öykü anlatıcısı. Konu akıp gidiyor ve özellikle oruç kafasıyla bana pek bir iyi geldi zira hiç beyin çalışması gerektirmiyor. Serinin diğer iki kitabını da almaya karar verdim. Hatta mümkünse ramazan bitmeden elime geçirip bitireyim diyorum, zira yeni başladığım The Paperboy bana pek hitap etmedi. 

Inside Llewyn Davis

Photo credit: http://reelclub.files.wordpress.com

Inside Llewyn Davis was a film I have recorded long time ago but never felt in the mood for. It looked and sounded depressing in a too real way and the colour palette I have seen on stills and parts of the trailer didn't appeal to me.
But I had time and I started this with the vague feeling of watching and getting it over with. Why? I like the directors, Cohen Brothers and liked most of their films, very very much. So I wanted to add this on the "watched" side of things. Who knew I'd like it this much? It is a very real mixed with just the right dose of surreal (yeah I do not like full on surreal but love it when a small dose of it is mixed with the real, like Murakami novels) and the colour palette worked so well.

The story is a slice of life of titular Llewyn Davis. He used to be part of a folk singing duo and his partner killed himself (well, in hindsight, that seemed to be the unintentional theme of Sunday film viewing). He has a solo album but things are not going well for him. He doesn't have a house to live in and has to rely on his friends' generosity in sharing their couches (I have been there). His career is not going anywhere and his agent doesn't seem to pay it much attention. Furthermore he is stuck with a cat. He has the option to become a seaman (he has the license and his dad used to be one) but at the beginning of the film he thought this option a bad one "just existing". During the course of the film, he has come to realise that being a seaman is not the worst he could do. In fact he welcomes it and had to work for it.

The lead character was not very sympathetic but the script and visuals and the direction are such at I have started to root for him, wish that something would work out for him.

And this film was one of those cinematic surprises that delights one when you don't see it coming.

Paprika

Paprika written by Tsutsui Yasutaka is a book I have found at a secondhand book store in Koh Samui. It was there, it was cheap and I like Japanese translated to English. So I thought it is a win win situation.

But what I forgot was that I don't really care for surrealism. And this one was surrealist. I know that there is a film adaptation too and I was curious about from time to time, but now that I've read the book, I won't be seeking it out unless it is put in front of me free of charge.

Don't get me wrong, it is not a bad novel, at all. But I just don't like the genre so it didn't appeal to me.

The Wolverine

Photo credit: http://thewolfmancometh.files.wordpress.com

The Wolverine is one of those films that I let pass me by. But when it showed up at dvdigi, I gave it a priority. It is so good to watch action films while fasting.
This one is after Wolverine kills Jean. He is an emotional wreck who lives in the mountains without any comfort (such as electricity) etc. Then he meets a young Japanese woman who gives him a message from a yound Japanese soldier he saves from a bomb attack (Nagasaki) towards the end of the second world war. This man is now old and dying and wanted to say goodbye to his saviour. So having nothing better to do, he goes to Japan meets the guy. This man was under the impressiong that

a) Wolverine is tired of regenerating and wanted to be mortal,
b) His regeneration power can be taken away from him and transmitted to another.

So while he is thinking about this,
* he gets poisoned and his power becomes really weak
* The old guy dies and his son plots to harm his daughter (the man's granddaughter) in order to gain the company (everything is left to her)
*Her fiance who is a minister (of economy? internal affairs?) is a shady guy in cahoots with her father
* The daughter is attacked at the funeral and he is forced to run away with her to avoid her attackers (yakuza hired by her fiance at the request of his father)

Anyway, I liked it well enough. I have always like Wolverine and I only like Hugh Jackman when he is Wolverine (gasp! I know I just don't like his performances as an actor, and I don't think he is handsome).

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Photo credit: http://welivefilm.com/

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is adapted from a YA novel everyone was raving about, and it never captured my attention. I saw some of this on TV and liked the warm colours of the cinematography and Emma Watson so I decided to give it a go next time I was able to watch it in its entirety. So I did. It was about an (probably) abused  (I'm guessing by his weird Aunt) teenage boy whose best friend has committed suicide previous year and he had psychotic episodes and got well and started high school without any friends. OK yes this is as a few first world problems as it sounds and I never sympathised with the kid. But I liked Emma's character (a girl who was a drunk and a slut at her freshman year who wised up at her last year) So I even shed a few tears but not really was into it. It also made me surprised that they didn't figure out the David Bowie song (we could be heroes) I assumed at least they would have hear of Moulin Rouge soundtrack or something. I guess I'm just old :) 

Road House

Photo credit: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/

Road House was a film I have seen parts of for some reason. And I do like Patrick Swayze (RIP), a lot. So when I came across this on TV I've decided to give it a try and I liked it. It definitely has that 80's feel (which I love), Patrick is at his top foem and despite being a bit sleazy (shocking!), I liked it very very much. Kelly Lynch is also someone I like a lot. There is something about her that appeals to me. Not her directing efforts but herself as an actor. A certain self assurance I probably am imagining. Anyway, this turned out to be a good watch.

Ramadan is going well thank God, especially on weekends where all I have to do is just lie down and watch films. Although this Saturday we had visitors. My paternal elder Aunt and her close friend came for a visit and I was not able to rest as much as I wanted.  

Welcome To The Punch

Welcome To The Punch  is a film I have watched before X-Men First Class (I got it very cheap on amazon) And James McAvoy was so cute in it. The film was decent too. After the film I have watched the making of (I'll confess to wishing to watch James and hear his adorable Scottish accent) and found out that they were aiming for a Hong Kong type of action. Well they went halfway there. The film had the melodrama of the good HK action films but it lacked the tempo and the swagger. The actors were good though and I may even watch it again sometime in the future.