Friday, November 25, 2011

Salvaging What You Can

Yeah, it's definitely getting a little dirty down here... wait, isn't a cliche?


It probably is, but hey, nobody seems to mind, right? Because, you see, sometimes, no wait, (considering that these are bleak times indeed) all the time, we tend to overlook the demeanor at which we are in at the moment. Simple put, we can't see what we can, and hence, we can take or salvage what we can. We are oblivious, and yet still stubborn enough to say, "I'm alright, and I ain't gonna beg."

Do we really need anger to claw our way out of troubles?

Which dubs us as none other than a lunatic, a fool, and an idiot. Wow! To be frank, we actually knew this was coming. The notion of us being none other than ignorant, rambling cowards, afraid to make a move. But, I guess, as they - who are they, really? - say, ignorance is bliss. As long as our needs or satisfactions are satiated, we are fed well, and happy.

So why are like this? Why don't we start looking ourselves in the mirror and go hostile on ourselves? Why don't we just tell ourselves, "Enough is enough. It's high time we reconsider and grab whatever that's left in the rubble." (I mean, whatever rubble-like situation you can think of or possibly be in.)

We are vain beings, which is good when we are trying our best to learn from our abject failures, but damagingly bad, when we are ahead, and looking to better our successes. There tends to be something that will catch us off-guard, and we are likely to brush it off, thinking it as a non-problematic "thing". But one day, when it all seems so merrily fine... BAM.


And then, it's time to salvage and scratch and claw our way out...


Review of The Week!

Movie : The Avengers (2012)

Awe-inducing, funny and action-packed, this could be the superhero movie of the year (not that there are many).



It is unusual for directors to modify the genre of superhero movies. To be precise, if we are looking for some popcorn entertainment, Joss Whedon could have easily turned this into a full-blown alien-versus-superhero affair (that actually would not be too bad). Interestingly to note however, he does not. With an affinity to blend action scenes with tongue-in-cheek humor, he balances the tone of the movie to be both rewarding and most definitely, superhero-themed.

There are plenty of noteworthy things you can brag about this movie. The cinematography, the script, the visuals, the cast, the production design. Surely though, there would be one or two flaws, but they are not really meant to be called 'flaws' per se. Bending the laws of physics, 'saving the world' is saving the US and how Hulk manages to comply to orders are just some of the minor 'flaws'. These are probably things that you would just like to ignore for the sake of giving the director the benefit of the doubt.

It is quite evident that Whedon has made this film his own. He incorporates humor into almost every scene, as if things are not to be taken too seriously in the world of The Avengers. And it should be like that. Again, the emphasis on superhero movies usually lie on destruction, life-saving and personalization of characters. But here, there is some of that, but not completely. No chessy lines. No rushed pacing. No cliche-ridden narrative. (Just Loki speaking in a not-so-sharp English accent.)

The movie can also be likened to last year's Deathly Hallows (Part 2); a lot of hype, and duly delivered. At least we could expect how the last Harry Potter movie was meant to be : an emotional, epic battle. The Avengers did deliver but there is something different to the whole theme that somehow manages to change our view on how superhero movies should be in the future. Is it Robert Downey Junior's Shakespearean jab at Thor? Or is the excellent cinematography of sticking to single shots instead of quick-fire editing? Heck, it could even be Scarlett Johansson's semi-obscene display of bust. Anyhow the movie is a success, most definitely.


Unprecedented, now that is one word to decribe Joss Whedon's take on a superhero movie.


Personally*... Stay in your seats till the end; there are rumors that an extra scene is added to the US version of The Avengers, for compensation of the late release.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/894039/reviews/

Spark of inspiration?