Snowpiercer

Over the winter vacation, I was scrolling through Netflix and decided to watch Snowpiercer without any prior information to what the plot of it was or how it was received by critics and audiences. To say the least, I was pleasantly surprised to find a movie filled with gritty and captivating action sequences as well as an interesting plot and premise. Snowpiercer does a great job of keeping the story and action interesting and, as long as you don't take it to seriously, it is a lot of fun throughout the entire feature.

Snowpiercer takes place in a desolate future where the Earth has been frozen over due to a failed attempt to stop the effects of global warming. The surface is now completely uninhabitable and most of the world's population has been eradicated. The only surviving humans left on the planet now live on a train that is constantly moving and never stops under any circumstance. A man named Curtis (Chris Evans) lives in the back of the train with other survivors in harsh living conditions where they must work to survive. Meanwhile at the front sections of the train, wealthy aristocrats live lives of luxury and relaxation. Tired of the oppressive upper class, Curtis leads a revolt in order to take control of the train by fighting his way to the front and taking the engine room by force. 

It took me awhile to understand that the dialogue and circumstances of the movie were supposed to be over the top and ridiculous. That being said, it did take me a good twenty or so minutes into the film to actually start appreciating it for what it was. Once the plot and characters were established, the action started and thats when I really started enjoying it. Most of the characters are pretty one dimensional but there are moments that are very heartfelt and others that will make your stomach churn. The pacing is very good as the progression of the film is marked by the rebellion's advancement through different parts of the train. The ending was very unexpected and there wasn't a lot of clarity in where it was heading after the cliffhanger-esque sequence but I was able to look past it for all the fun I had while watching the entire movie. 

Since my first time watching, I have watched it again and it was great knowing what to expect and reliving all of the awesome fight scenes and emotionally gripping parts all over again. I highly recommend watching this movie if you enjoy science fiction and all of the ridiculousness that stems from the genre.     

   

V for Vendetta

As today is the fifth of November, I feel that I have to be the film student to post about V for Vendetta. What was originally a graphic novel published in the 1980's (written by Alan Moore and made into art by David Lloyd and Tony Weare), was adapted into a film in 2006 (staring Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman, featuring John Hurt and Stephen Fry).  This 2006 British action thriller follows the story of a masked tragic hero, known only as "V".  The story takes place in a totalitarian Great Britain in the year 2020, the people of Great Britain have allowed themselves to be completely ruled by their Chancellor and his Norsefire party.  This Great Britain is essentially a police state.

V (Weaving) comes into the picture, wearing his Guy Fawkes mask, ready to take down the High Chancellor Adam Sutler (played by famed British actor John Hurt) and his regime.  In an act of chance, he manages to meet Evey Hammond (Portman), who he gets out of a dangerous situation.  Over time they build a very close relationship, and the past of the mysterious V is revealed.  This is not just the story of V though, this movie can also be described as Evey's journey out from the unenlightened masses.  We do tend to see a lot of things from Evey's point of view, in particular our revolutionary, V.  Unfortunately it is incredibly difficult for me to get much further into the plot, without creating serious spoilers, as this film really gets its power from the reveals we get throughout the film.

The original writing by Alan Moore is really pumped up by the writing of Andy and Lana Wachowski, who also produced the film (made famous by their direction and writing of the Matrix trilogy).  The best moments in this films are the moments where V is delivering some of the most quick and beautiful monologues.  Throughout the film the writing consistently keeps the energy vibrant and the pace very much alive.  Which is helped significantly by the skilled oration of Hugo Weaving (who played Mr. Smith in the Wachowski's Matrix trilogy)  We see one monologue here, where V meets Evey:

The significance of the mask simply being that Guy Fawkes was a British revolutionary who attempted to destroy parliament on November the 5th of 1605.  We learn later, the much more in depth reasons as to why V wear a mask in the first place.  This mask winds up being the symbol for V's revolution; Guy Fawkes day (November 5) also winds up having serious significance to his revolution as well.  We also see the traditional British poem used as well:

Remember, remember the Fifth of November

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot. 

I know of no reason, 

why the Gunpowder Treason 

should ever be forgot

One extra thing to note, is that this film is getting extra attention this year in particular, as we move through NSA wiretaps and other questionable acts by our government.  One such article can be read here.  Overall this thriller will have you at the edge of your seat.  You still have two hours left to watch it on the fifth of November, so stop reading and get to it!  That is where I am headed!