Hotel Mumbai

Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, 

Jason Isaacs, Anupam Kher,

Nazanin Boniadi

"November 26, 2008
Terror Struck the Heart of India"

Cinema 11, SM Megamall

Any movie based on true events can be disturbing to watch, especially if these events involve terrorism, violence and the lost of innocent lives. "Hotel Mumbai" deals with the siege of the prominent Taj Hotel by a group of terrorists in Mumbai, India. Even if this horrific incident happened over 10 years ago, the anguish for those who lost loved ones as well as some survivors is still very raw.

In the beginning, we see the young men who carried out the attack, arriving in Mumbai on rubber boats. They disperse to different places where they will simultaneously unleash their evil plan. Then, we shift to the grand hotel where the staff is busy as guests begin arriving for their stay.

We are introduced to some characters like head chef, Oberoi (Anupam Kerr), a young waiter Arjun (Dev Patel), David (Armie Hammer) an American guest who arrives with his wealthy Indian wife Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi), their foreign nanny and their little baby. You also have a dubious Russian operative named Vasili (Jason Isaacs) as well as the rest of the hotel staff.

I believe the intent to cast some known actors as some of the characters is for us, the audience to get invested with them. The little background or information, we get about them, doesn't really matter because we know these character are based on actual people who became victims of this brutality.

There are also some scenes focused on the attackers. Young men whose orders are given by someone known as the Bull. Just a voice over their cellphones barking his commands, preaching to them, reaping them praises for the terrible acts they were about to commit and were committing.

I remember with clarity a specific scene. One of the terrorists is wounded, panicking and questioning his faith, yet the Bull prods him on. It clearly shows the vulnerability of these young men who were brainwashed, how susceptible they were. Easily influenced by a higher authority, believing their vicious acts are for the greater good. 

Of course, I am not condoning violence, their acts are inconceivable and quite barbaric. What I am trying to say is that this movie did a good job in projecting the different perspectives in this narrative. From the points of view of the terrified hotel staff, the hapless guests to these young men who perhaps didn't know any better but still chose to carry out these assaults.

It is very disturbing to see scenes of violence on screen, but it was necessary to show them. "Hotel Mumbai" was a tale which needed to be told. It didn't glorify these terrorists. More than anything it was a well crafted tribute to the victims, and the survivors - in the hope that they didn't die in vain and that this type of terrorism won't ever happen again, anywhere in the world.

Captain Marvel

Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Lashana Lynch,

Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Bening

"Discover what Makes a (Her)o"

Cinema 4,  the Red Carpet @ Shang

I should say right out that I am not a fan of superhero movies. Fan as in knowing all the backstory of each Avenger, knowing the sequence of the movies of each superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (because there is an order when they were released) and being totally invested to the point of lining up hours before the movie is shown at the local cinemas. 

Having said that, I know enough about each of the Avengers because I would leave the TV on in the movies channel, and more often than not a superhero film would be on - "Guardians of the Galaxy 2", "Iron Man", "Black Panther", "Captain America". We were in a mood to watch and picked "Captain Marvel" because the others did not pique our interest. 

The first few minutes show us Brie Larson as Vers, a Kree warrior who is haunted by nightmares. Flashes of scenes that don't really make sense to her. During one of their battles with their shapeshifting enemies known as the Skrulls, she falls on planet Earth. She crashes on the roof of a Blockbuster video store. Soon enough, we discover she is in Los Angeles during the 1990s. Her name is Carol Danvers and is a training pilot in the Air Force. With the help of her friend, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) who is also a pilot, agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) of S.H.I.E.L.D and a witty Skrull leader named Talos - she sets to rediscover who she really is, why she returned to Earth and what is her purpose in the grand scheme of superheroes.

This two hour long film has action packed sequences, a dry sense of humor in its dialogue mostly courtesy of Nick Fury and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn). It retains its 1990s vibe by featuring a soundtrack from artists famous during that era and also through its surroundings like having her land on a Blockbuster video store.

Now I want to focus on Brie Larson's acting as Carol Danvers. She was stoic, to the point of being arrogant and mostly managed just one facial expression throughout the entire film. I, first saw her in the dramatic movie "Room" for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2016. She was excellent there, very emotional and compassionate. So I don't really get the manner she portrayed Vers/ Carol Danvers in "Captain Marvel". Sure, I am all for having an empowered female superhero in the name of the feminist movement yet did she have to be so void of emotions? 

In fact, speaking of another female superhero, Diane Prince aka Wonder Woman, she was also a warrior and a princess at that! She was well portrayed by Gal Gadot, with several emotions amidst all her struggles as "Wonder Woman". 

Now going back to "Captain Marvel", the film provides a good background with a believable plot on how Carol Danvers turned into Captain Mar-vel. It also gave us a teaser on the part she would play in the last installment of the much awaited Avengers movie. Overall, aside from my issues with Brie Larson's acting, this movie is a 3 buckets of popcorn worthy entertainment.

A Private War

Rosamund Pike, Jaime Dornan,

Tom Hollander

"The most Powerful Weapon is the Truth"

War correspondents are brave individuals who enter into dangerous, war raging places to give us news stories straight from the battle scenes. Risking everything even their lives to show us the horrors of war. Raw, disturbing images/videos of the brutality which despots inflict on their citizens, ruining their countries for ages.

Marie Colvin (Rosamund Pike) was a fearless Foreign Affairs correspondent for the Sunday Times. She reported from war torn areas to show us what it was really like, to give the disenfranchised, a voice. She was dedicated to her career even losing an eye when she was hit by a grenade while covering the civil war in Sri Lanka. But this setback did not deter her, even donning an eye patch while on coverage in different combat zones, all over the world.

But all that bravery came to an end in 2012 in Homs, Syria. Relentless bombing rocked the Syrian city, she perished when the building they (along with her photographer Paul Conroy, who survived) were in was hit by a bomb blast. It has been reported that the Syrian army specifically targeted her because she kept reporting about the brutality during the Arab Spring.

The movie is filled with war zones scenes as well as 'quieter' moments where Colvin is recovering from her injury. It also shows her being haunted with nightmares as she was suffering from PTSD. 

Rosamund Pike is brilliant in her characterization of the larger than life correspondent. From her physical appearance (wavy blond hair, black eye patch) to her inner turmoil, witnessing all these traumatic war experiences. These are manifested by her, being a heavy drinker, chain smoking and also having tempestuous relationships. 

"A Private War" provides a glimpse into the work and life of an interesting, colorful and very brave soul named Marie Colvin. She provided a voice for the numerous hapless victims of conflicts. Excellent acting by Rosamund Pike is the only saving grace for this average movie.