April 11, 2004

Big Fish

Based on a novel by Daniel Wallace, Big Fish tells the tale of a man whose life is divided into different chapters, each having a fantastic story. Edward Bloom (played in his younger years by Ewan McGregor and as an old man by Albert Finney) entertains everyone with elaborate stories about his experiences in life. Some gems include the time he encountered a witch with a glass eye; migrated from his hometown with a giant; took up a job in the circus; met his wife; his son’s birth and most interestingly, his attempts to catch the biggest fish — which has never been caught.

Unlike others, his son William (Billy Crudup) is not interested in his stories anymore because he has heard them a thousand times and finally leaves. But when Edward is on his deathbed, William comes back to see his father and to hear the last and the only story which he has kept secret: the vision of his death which he saw in the witch’s glass eye.

Stories from the past and the present are so mixed up that it’s a little hard to grab the gist of the movie in the beginning. As it progresses, the film treats viewers to some decent laughs. Another big draw of this flick is its attractive locations. A very palatable plate of fish! — Aftab Borka

The Passion of The Christ

There is no denying the admirable ambition and passion of Mel Gibson, whose emotional account of Jesus Christ’s final hours in the epic, The Passion of The Christ, has garnered Gibson zealous accusations of being anti-Semitic, which isn’t the case with anyone who has seen the film.

Gibson is an artful film-maker, and here he transcends all previous boundaries by making a film which is both beautiful and particularly spine-chilling to watch, with a consciousness not to succumb to the homily traditionalism of Sunday school. There is much unconventionality about The Passion and to give credit where it is due, the film is perhaps the best release of the year so far. And that’s saying a lot (even if it is subtitled from Aramaic and Latin, which is surprisingly easy to get used to, since we are able to pick up certain similar words).

From the opening scenes, where Jesus (Jim Caviezel) is praying in the garden of Gethsemane to the crucifixion, the musical and photographic renditions are superb. The performances are filled with misery and paradoxes, depending on who you are watching, and nothing is out of context.

Gibson’s version of the Gospel is both harrowing and horrific, and at times unsettling and difficult to watch, as Christ is consistently beaten, cuffed, flogged and crucified in graphic detail. There is a reason why this film is rated R: Gibson u- turns this tableau of pain, suffering and redemption into a chronic bloodbath, which makes for a powerful movie-watching experience. — M. Kamran Jawaid

Torque

Torque is about a renegade biker Ford (Martin Henderson) who returns home after disappearing without any explanation. Ford had stashed away several bikes, which contained drugs in the fuel tanks belonging to Henry (Matt Schulze), leader of the Hellions gang. When Ford returns, Henry is more than anxious to get the bikes back, and when the recalcitrant guy drops not-so-subtle hints of his refusal to comply, Henry plans the murder of Junior (Fredro Starr), younger brother of Trey Wallace (Ice Cube) of the Reapers gang, and frames Ford for it.

With his sidekicks Dalton (Jay Hernandez) and Val (Will Yun Lee), Ford must shake the FBI off his tail, dodge the vengeful Trey and the malicious Henry, and find enough time between his escapades to rekindle a romance with his girlfriend, Shane (Monet Mazur). Obviously, a Bollywood writer was roped in to distort the script in such a manner!

Torque is a coarse replication of Biker Boyz, which itself was a dopey rip-off of The Fast and the Furious. Scoring minimum points in the originality department, the movie falters in every other arena as well. Despite the testosterone pumping wild stunts, slow motion sequences, fancy camerawork and tight leather attire, the flick fails to create an impact. The acting from the leads is atrocious to say the least. The bad guys try hard to look bad, but their performance is blemished by overacting. The dialogue is perfunctory and delivered without the slightest trace of conviction.

Unmemorable at best, Torque is little more than a spruced up arcade game! — Taimur Saleem

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)