How would you rate the quality of films in the cinema so far this year?
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Perfect Double Bills
Pina (2011) Dir. Wim Wenders
The Raid (2012) Dir. Gareth Evans
So, a perfect double bill consisting of a wonderful moving portrait celebrating contemporary dances’ most exquisite choreographer and a relentless, blood pumping, loud and crunching martial arts action film, Are you thinking I am out of my mind?
Well, just let me explain. Pina Bausch is an icon, when I saw Café Müller for the first time as a teenager, it made my mind really discover contemporary dance as an art form - and I am sure that is the case for thousands of others. Wim Wenders’ portrait of her through her work is a cinematic feast. It is rich, glossy and makes you shiver in appreciation of the physical and fluid representation of emotion.
Then there is Gareth Evans’ The Raid - testosterone fuelled, bloody and makes you shiver in appreciation of the physical and fluid violence on display. As contrasting as it is in every aspect, the choreography is almost equal to the delicate dance of Pina, if at the opposite end of the scale.
So, just before Sunset, stick in your blu-ray copy of Pina and enjoy your heart massaged with a nice glass of Red and some wasabi peas. Take a cigarette break, order a big greasy pizza and come back in and enjoy your heart punched and kicked with adrenaline with The Raid.
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Scene of the Day: ‘Everyday we brush past (Opening Credits)’ Chungking Express ((1994) Dir. Wong Kar-wai)
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Scene of the Day: ‘Khan!’ Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ((1982) Dir. Nicholas Meyer)
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"I feel like in telling stories, there are the things the audience thinks are important, and then there are the things that are actually important."J J Abrams
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Strar Trek in to Darkness(2013) Dir. J.J Abrams
6/10
J.J Abram’s lens flare fuelled reboot of Star Trek was a blistering thrill ride, capturing an essence and charm of the original series, but shaking it about, throwing in explosions and upping the action to 10. It was an entertaining romp and it created a new generation of trekkies and had kept enough in the foundations for the old–school fans who are still wiping away tears from The Wrath of Khan.
In this sequel, Abrams pushes the action in to hyper-drive. 10 minutes in you look at your watch and it you will be shocked to see that in fact 30 minutes has flown by. It is non-stop from start to finish, when watching it you are engrossed and engaged till the end.
However, there are many flimsy elements and narrative strands that are never followed through, but these only appear after the movie has ended and you get your bearing back on reason, logic and taste - because during the ride, there is no need to consider of these things.
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Scene of the Day: ‘Mummy deserved it’ Kill Bill Vol.1((2003) Dir. Quentin Tarantino)
