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Oechul (2005)
Snow, Silence and a Slow-Burning Romance..
After a long time I've seen a romance movie that does not seem like a piece of fiction to me.. what I love the most about this movie is the development of the relationship between the two people.. the way their budding relation evolved taking time & patience was convincingly believable.. and also that how perfectly their body languages were in harmony with their intimacy level at that particular stage of their relationship..
Dialogs are few and one needs to pay attention to so many subtle details in each and every scene.. the psychology of multi-layered characters torn between contradictory sentiments, their restrain and painful outbursts and a struggle for solace.. the delicate treatment of highly dramatic events and complex emotions make it feel so close to reality..
Throughout the movie there is an air of melancholy that never lifts till the end.. filmed in muted colors, aided by the heartrending soundtrack accompanied with a more than perfect use of silence.. one feels like a quiet observer of their sadness.. perhaps some people may find it boring because of its slow pace and few dialogs but for me this is the most preferred and adored setting for a romantic movie for sure..
The Collector (1965)
Cure for an Obsession: Get Another One..
I started watching this movie by chance and the first few scenes were so captivating that I had to watch it till the end.. at that time I was not aware that its a movie by 'William Wyler' who's famous for movies like 'Ben-Hur', 'The Best Years of Our Lives', and 'Roman Holiday'.
A two hour drama focused mostly on only two characters (Freddie Clegg and Miranda Grey) with many long scenes with no dialog at all apparently seems a boring idea but screenplay is brilliant, editing is prefect and each moment is deliberate.. the element of suspense is heightened to the point of tension that just kept me hooked into watching more to know what will happen next.. and above all, the dark instability of Freddie's character and his gradually intimate series of arguments, conflicts, confrontations and negotiations with Miranda was more than enough to keep me on edge throughout..
Freddie Clegg, the shy and introvert bank clerk who got a chance to make true what had previously been only his fantasy.. there are so many shades in this character.. driven by obsession & regression.. one moment he seems harmless, eager to please, and dismal in his desire for love and care.. and next moment he is bitter, stubborn and self-centered to the point of becoming blind to anyone else's feelings and thoughts.. one is always uncertain of what to expect from him next.. Terence Stamp is just terrific as Freddie Clegg and portrayed each and every shade of Freddie's personality with utmost brilliance..
Miranda Grey, a young art student.. the object of Freddie's desire.. her real personality is of an extrovert, confident, independent and dynamic girl who want to do so much in life but owning to circumstances imposed on her, she has to become an obedient and submissive person.. Samantha Eggar played this character perfectly.. one can see how initially she's in anger and pain of denying her real personality but near end how she actually become the one..
Stories where characters are portrayed as black & white, evil & innocent, wrong & right seems boring to me.. I enjoy situations when both the right and wrong person are equally confident that they're right.. confident to that extent that you become doubtful that who is right in real.. or if both are right at the same time.. this movie certainly offer such experience.. throughout the movie viewers must try to understand both character's perspectives..
I love how the title of the film reflects the hobby of collecting butterflies and the subject of the film as two sides of the same coin.. smart, beautiful yet creepy.. dialogs are effective and kind of that stays in memory.. one that is on my mind is 'It's no good shouting. You can't be heard. And anyway, there's no one to hear.' and yes, 'They're looking for you, but nobody is looking for me.', and then that entire argument over the Picasso's painting.. so many scenes, dialogs are just stuck into mind and will stay here for long I guess..
Ta'm e guilass (1997)
Saying nothing is saying a great number of things..
I love the kind of movies that instead of just telling a story make you think and preferably pose some questions too.. movies that make you feel the experience of some other world, not just in the sense of the world outside the characters but the world inside their minds too.. I find 'Taste of Cherry' one of those and that's why I loved it.. but if slow paced movies bore you and somewhat boneless plots irritate you then definitely its not your cup of tea..
From cinematic point of view, the landscapes of desert are worth watching.. the mood of the movie perfectly harmonizes with the mental condition of the protagonist.. some of the scenes and dialogs vividly express his thinking process but then there are some scenes that are apparently seems simple or dialogs that are said in a very casual way but after looking back and rethinking make you doubt if it was as simple and casual as it seems to be or if I overlooked what was trying to convey in a subtle way.. as I'm still thinking about the professions of all the men he met in reference to symbolism.. and last but not the least, its ending is an enough premise to start an endless debate that will lead to nowhere I guess.. but reading this quote by Abbas Kiarostami solves many puzzles..
When we tell a story, we tell but one story, and each member of the audience, with a peculiar capacity to imagine things, hears but one story. But when we say nothing, it's as if we said a great number of things. ... It's necessary to envision an unfinished and incomplete cinema so that the spectator can intervene and fill the void, the lacks. ~ Abbas Kiarostami