Write & Watch

Salesh Dipak Fernando

Tag: HOLLYWOOD

100 DAYS OF LOVE – DAY 1 – 50 FIRST DATES

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On November 6, 2017

In MOVIES

50 first dates will remain one of my sweetest teenage memories. That was the phase when Adam Sandler was extremely likable and Drew Barrymore was steadily stealing our hearts with a string of charming performances. It is one of those movies which will tug your heartstrings as the two leads re-discover love again and again. I will let Lucy and Henry take over from here.

LUCY

Dear Henry,

I wake up every day not knowing what the day has in store for me. Is it a never-ending stretch or a never-ending happily ever after? I choose to embrace the latter.  Life has given me that rare chance of filling the blank spaces with traces of love each and every day.  I don’t have to yearn for surprises and sweet nothings. Every day is a surprise, a new adventure filled with the abundance of love.

Every day is a fresh start and a brand new attempt at re-writing our love story in a million different ways. I often wonder why you chose to hold on to me for eternity despite the fact that you have to start from the scratch every single day but then the heart seldom seeks a reason to hold on to love. 

I seldom have to worry about what my life has in store for us in the long run. For us, future is a myth.  It’s always one day at a time as we sprinkle our lives with doses of love.  I have chosen to embrace the surprises that life has in store for us between sunrise and sunset.

I know I will wake up tomorrow not knowing who you are but I will be waiting to make me fall in love with you again.

 

HENRY

Dear LUCY,

Life can be bliss when love manifests itself in different ways every single day.  I wait for that moment when your eyes for the day.  It reminds me that we just finished one single chapter in a never-ending love story. The best part I won’t have to re-visit the same chapter again.

I don’t have to re-live the same day twice and life will never be an endless stretch of boredom.  Beyond the uncertainty that awaits us each day there’s a strong thread of hope that binds us together. Our kid will never yearn for love for all the different dimensions of love will unfold within her as she grows up.

Someday I won’t be there and neither will you but the traces of love that we have left behind will remain as permanent impressions for the people around us.  Let’s hold on to each other and embrace the sunshine until sunset greets us together for one final time.

 

 

 

DOCTOR STRANGE – MOVIE REVIEW

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On November 16, 2016

In MOVIES

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The last time I fell in love with a hero was when Vijay Sethupathi appeared on screen. The list has expanded today. Rajnikanth, Vijay Sethupathi and now Benedict Cumberbatch.

Dr Strange is nothing but a marriage of the Matrix and the Batman Begins. Ideally this marriage should not work for we have seen it before in endless movies which challenge time and space. But it works because you have a sincere charismatic hero and some stunning imagery.

The two components which more than make up for a wafer thin script. I can understand why the critics find it underwhelming because this movie challenges the conventions of a Marvel Movie and gives us a feeling of sameness.

The one thing which put me off was Rachael McAdams such a talented actress wasted in a minuscule role. Is she a mandatory fit in or a lucky charm for Movies dealing with the concept of time?

But Doctor Strange has re-written the casting rules of the Marvel Universe. For the first time Marvel can actually experiment an ensemble movie without the presence of Iron Man. A possible Iron Man vs Dr Strange face off perhaps. The prospect looks enticing.Mr Tony Stark you have finally met your match

Despite the flaws this is one movie where you can say let the critics be damned and watch the movie to drool over Benedict Cumberbatch. The man deserves it. Welcome aboard Dr Strange the Marvel Universe needs you. Strictly on the big screens only if possible in IMAX.

WORKING GIRL – MOVIE REVIEW

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On October 20, 2016

In MOVIES

 

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Working Girl is one of the best films to capture the aspirations, trials and tribulations of a middle class working woman. There’s something inherently beautiful about Working Girl. It lifts me up every single time I watch it and my mind wanders off to a different premise ” The Devil Wears Prada” which was nothing but a glossy re-vamp of the Working Girl with Meryl Streep and Ann Hathway filling in for Sigourney Weaver and Melanie Griffith.

The premise questions the values that govern the aspirations of the working class through Tess McGill. How long do you remain a silent bystander? When do we take ownership especially if the boss treats you like an invisible being.  The ultimate triumph of the film lies in making us root for Tess despite the fact that she could be morally wrong.

Sigourney Weaver plays the most sinister version of the horrible boss that we all hate and she does with so much style and poise. It is Katharine’s ruthlessness which makes the viewer empathize with Tess. It’s more a case of Katherine being wrong than Tess being right.

And then there’s Harrison Ford playing second fiddle to the ladies. Our Indiana Jones macho man tones it down a notch to let the ladies take over. Yet the finale rests on his then young shoulders and he pulls it off admirably well. To all those souls who drool over Harrison Ford. Go watch him in this one and you will not be disappointed.

The end is gratifying. The makers make you yearn for the light at the end of the tunnel moment and when the light finally shines the sense of joy is unmatched. This film is a perfect watch for all those lovely souls who feel overshadowed at work. Go for it for you are the WORKING GIRL and not Tess.

 

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MAD MAX FURY ROAD – RAW AND FURIOUS

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On June 8, 2015

In MOVIES

MAX

All hail Max. An action film seldom stays with you once you leave the movie hall. Despite all the box office numbers and the hype most action movies are just a passing fad. But every decade has it’s own set of movies which re-define the action genre. Mad Max is one of them. Quite possibly one of the best action flicks in recent times if not the best.

It does take a while to get going. But once it does it just pulls you in.  There are enough wow moments to keep you glued to the screen till the end credits roll.  The plot – A survivor’s quest for freedom.

Tom Hardy – My beloved bane comes back with an awesome performance. No style, no class just raw energy. The real surprise of the film though was Charlize Theron as Furiosa.  For those who have seen Monster her acting credentials are nothing new. She’s proved time and again that she can lit the screen on fire with some jaw dropping performances. But Mad Max will hold a special place. She’s neck and neck with Tom Hardy in terms of performances and at times overshadows him. 

George Miller returns with yet another instalment of his Mad Max Franchise and gives us a cult classic.  A special applause for the vintage action sequences and the crazy music by Junkie XL.

Mad Max Fury Road – Give it your time and you won’t regret. Strictly on the big screen only.

My rating – 8/10.

 

 

BOYHOOD – A TRIP DOWN THE MEMORY LANE

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On March 2, 2015

In MOVIES

boyhood

Boyhood – Richard Linklater’s labour of love. Before I begin hats off to the director’s vision. It is not very often that you get see the characters actually grow up on screen.  It’s surreal and mystifying. Boyhood takes it’s own sweet time to grow on you. It unfolds gradually like a series of brilliant montage shots.

There are moments in the film where you feel “it happened to me too” and that’s where the movie strikes a chord with the audience.  As the little boy grows into a mature person the world around him keeps changing, his parents grow further apart, the years fly by even as he begins to discover what lies within him.

The Mom who gives her all for the family despite the chaos in her own life, the sweet sibling rivalry, the dad whom the kids yearn for. We have all come across similar personalities in our daily life. Richard wonderfully fits his 12 year old dream in a simple canvas that everybody can relate to.  No complexities or melodrama just everyday happenings of an ordinary middle class family.

Patricia is brilliant as struggling single mom a role which earned her a deserving Oscar. Ethan Hawke and Lorelei Linkater shine in admirable supporting roles. The real standout performance though comes from Ellar Coltrane as his life is peeled off layer by layer right in front of our eyes. We see him grow, we see him yearn and we see him re-define. 

In this big bad world our lives move at such a rapid pace. We fail to press the pause button and slow down. Boyhood is a gentle reminder to look back at the moments that defined our very existence

Richard Linklater – I bow to thy vision and perseverance.

Boyhood – A rare gem.

My Rating – 5/5 

 

 

 

INTERSTELLAR – HOPE AND BEYOND

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On November 17, 2014

In MOVIES

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Christopher Nolan returns with his version of a tribute to 2001 – A Space Odyssey. To me Stanley Kubrick‘s space epic always is the greatest space flick. Everything else pales in comparison and feels like a mere tribute.

Nolan takes the tried and tested Saving the Earth premise and takes us on a journey to what lies beyond us with a bunch of talented stars. Despite the flaws and the scientific jargons what hooked me to the film was the highly emotional father – daughter bond and the survival instinct angle.

Matthew McConaughey continues from where he left off in Dallas Buyers Club and gives a stellar performance. Ann Hathway and Jessica Chastain provide able support. The entire cast manages to take us through an emotional roller coaster.

The visual effects and cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema are breathtaking. Hans Zimmer too breaks away from usual style to give a different flavour to Nolan’s vision.

Christopher Nolan’s strength lies in taking up relatively simple themes and constructing mazes around them. He leaves it to the audience to find their way around the maze and interpret the journey in their own way. He does that once again with Interstellar.

There are some who might hate it, others might find it too complex to grasp but to me it is always an endearing journey of hope and re-affirmation of all that is good about the human race.

Go for it – In theatres only with 3D glasses.

RATING – 4.5/5

 

 

 

 

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