Sabtu, 18 Ogos 2012

V FOR VENDETTA (2006)

Remember.. remember.. the 5th of November…
V FOR VENDETTA was filmed based Alan Moore's best-selling graphic novel on terrifying portrait of totalitarianism and resistance, superbly illustrated by artist David Lloyd. The first episodes of V for Vendetta originally appeared in black-and-white between 1982 and 1985, in Warrior, a British anthology comic. The strip became one of the most popular in that title; during the 26 issues of Warrior several covers featured V for Vendetta.

Vendetta in Italian stands for revenge. And V for Vendetta is dystopian movie directed by James McTeigue set in futuristic totalitarian England, a country without political freedom, personal freedom and precious little faith in anything. You will be executed even if you kept a Quran in your house! Muslim is not welcome there.


Hugo Weaving starred as V, a masked anarchist who seeks to systematically kill the leaders of Norsefire, a fascistdictatorship ruling a United Kingdom in 1997. The thiller started off when he rescues a young woman, Evey Hammond, from a gang of secret police officers (known as Fingermen) who intend to rape and kill her. V heads to a rooftop with Evey and detonates a bomb at Parliament. V takes Evey to his secret underground lair, which he calls "The Shadow Gallery" located in abandoned Victoria Station.

V always wears his trademark Guy Fawkes mask, a shoulder-length wig of straight dark-brown hair and an outfit consisting of black gloves, tunic, trousers and boots. Expertise in arts of explosives, dagger combat-fight, subterfuge, and computer hacking, and has a vast literary, cultural and philosophical intellect. V is the only survivor of an experiment in which four dozen prisoners were given injections of a compound called Batch 5. The compound caused vast cellular anomalies that eventually killed all of the subjects except V, who developed advanced strength, reflexes, endurance and pain tolerance.

After destroying the Houses of Parliament, V confronts three other Party figures and executes them for their past immorality. Meanwhile Evey has developed a strong attachment to V.

The following November, exactly one year after the Parliament bombing, V launches an all out attack towards the government facilities and leaders which cause him his life. The seriously wounded V returns to the Shadow Gallery and dies in Evey's arms. Evey considers unmasking V, but decides not to; instead, she destroys 10 Downing Street by giving V a Viking funeral with an explosive-laden Underground train containing his body, sent to detonate beneath the desired location.

 

To be honest, I bought this dvd because of Iced Earth wrote the song “V” in their “Dystopia” album last year. It is one powerful anthem of rebellious riffs, thundering drums and wonderful voice of victory.

Freedom! Forever!

Rate: 4/5

Jumaat, 17 Ogos 2012

VANTAGE POINT (2008)



Now, this is another film about kidnapping, assassination and terrorism. But Barry L. Levy wrote this piece is truthful idea and genius story-telling like no other American movies. The story is about a link of terrorists attempt on assassination of U.S. President Henry Ashton (William Hurt) in political summit at Salamanca, Spain to promote an international treaty. The movie is going through multiple perspectives, but in order to unfold the ultimate truth.

I like the way they reveal how the terrorist works, the sick and manipulative mind of Sam (Said Taghmaoui) and how his followers confuse their activities as Jihad. And terrorists shouldn’t always wear hijab and jubah. They are intellectual, brave and they really have their point to cause terror. Maybe they came from Middle East but they also good with hi-tech weapons. In fact, in this movie the terrorists knew everything about U.S security force and alert. They’re just making fun of it.


And what make it more realistic and idealistic was Vantage Point filmed in Spain, a controversial country for Muslim and Christian which was where the summit took place. The plots are good and this kidnapping and assassinations process is a big success if not because of a lost young girl named Anna. And yes, Mr. President also played his part here, that a hero will never go down without a fight.

The kindhearted President also did not want any counter attack towards terrorist village responsible for this brutal assault because they finally gained world’s sympathy. But it just too strange, right? We knew how U.S will react on this matter.

America or terrorists, they’re just a bunch of barbaric warlords in different uniforms.

Rate: 4.5/5

Selasa, 7 Ogos 2012

BLACK GOLD ( 2011 FRENCH FILM )


Happy fasting! The best movies I’ve seen about Moslem world today are Black Gold (originally titled BLACK THIRST). This film is crafted beautifully from high understanding of what really happened in the Middle East and how this conflict has to end. I can’t find any down point in this film and agreed to the facts that these ‘terrorism’ label came from one miss interpreted God’s words and the abuse power for personal achievement in the name of religion. Arabic world is known for their ‘Asabiyah’ (tribal) supremacy which holds them from unity for many centuries even the prophet banned has this tribalism and clanism ideology.

The story was an adaption from 1957 Novel by Swedish writer, Hans Ruesch. Antonio Banderas as Sultan Nesib, the progressive profiteer team up with an American capitalist (Corey Johnson) to dig wells in a neighboring territory for an oil sets off a series of skirmishes, tearing a pact of the peaceful tribes apart whereby (Mark Strong) the Muslim traditionalist, Sultan Amar’s two sons Auda (Rahim) and the hotheaded Saleh (Akin Gazi) are entrusted to Nesib as a sort of guarantee from his side.

Mark Strong nampak berwibawa dengan watak Sultan Amar

To avoid civil war, the westernized Sultan Naseb and a foster father to Prince Auda pushed him to marry his beautiful daughter, Leyla (Freida Pinto – remember Slumdog Millionaire?). But it doesn’t hold Sultan Amar from declare a war after he knew Saleh was murdered during his escape back to home. Here you will see the characteristic transformation of Auda from an introverted librarian to a stylish and courageous freedom fighter.

I highly recommend everybody to get this DVD, this full of epic drama film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and produced by Tarak Ben Ammar, Chairman of Quinta Communications and co-produced by the Doha Film Institute, Qatar. The film has a budget of US$55 million which is one of the most expensive films backed by an Arab about an Arab world, feel like it was one of those Hollywood super-productions of the 60’s.

Rate: 4/5

FROM PARIS WITH LOVE (2010)


Well, tonight I brought you a fine example of typical Hollywood movie about how they purposely gave Islam a bad name by came out with the idea that pious Muslim is a bunch of terrorists running with machine guns and bomb around their vests. And they’re selling drugs too.

The point here is, when some Muslims is really understood their religion and extreme believers, they won’t do the ‘haram’ (extremely forbidden) things, they don’t sell drugs and they never allowed their women to commit adultery which is haram. This is not Islam or even ‘terrorist’ way. They’re talking about deviate group here which do things with ‘unknown’ cause and blurry point. But what was filmed here just random Pakistani with senseless and violent strikes toward summit meeting. In short, if you’re good Muslim or if you’re planning to convert to Islam, a path of murder awaits you there. That’s what these film makers want you to believe.

The film starring John Travolta as super cool special agent, Charlie Wax was sent down to Paris for a mission to stop terrorist activities there. He will be aided by U.S. Ambassador in France and also low-level operative for the CIA, James Reese (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) to trace the drug money linking to Pakistani terrorist group. The evidence leads them to their base, resulting chaotic armed confrontation in which Charlie and Reese succeed to neutralize. Charlie and Reese found out that they’re planning to detonate US Embassy with explosive hidden beneath their burkas. Accidentally Charlie and Reese also found photographs of Reese pinned to a wall of terrorist basement.

 
This founding however ruin Reese happy life as he finally learn that his beautiful French fiancée Caroline is also a terrorist spy and she attempts to blow an explosive vest at the summit. Reese is force to kill her. In another situation, Charlie confronts terrorist leader driving Volvo (yes, my car! Hehehe!) Who try to attacks a US motorcade traveling to the summit by speeding towards them, wired with explosives. Charlie destroys that nice Volvo with rocket launcher.

Take note two John Travolta references in this film in conjunction with two movies made by him in the past. The first one was "Pulp Fiction" when he says his favorite food, a "Royale with Cheese" and the second one is from the movie "The Experts" when he sings the Carpenters song "Close to You" (originally written & sung by Burt Bacharach) when he hears it while casing terrorist’s Volvo.

Good movie with bad messages.

Rate: 2.5/5