Watching Instantly
By Vijay Kumar
October 6, 2010
Browsing through NetFlix’s online streaming collection is not unlike those late Friday nights spent browsing through the movie maze in your local video store. The search for that perfect movie is often tricky. Sometimes you have to deal with a fuming partner and/or a melting tub of ice-cream in the car. The pressure is compounded by a listless, unhelpful store clerk in some cases. This column aims to be that clerk for NetFlix Instant Watch – maybe just a little less listless and little more helpful. This is what I waded through recently – at NetFlix.
Went Looking For…
Believe it or not, I sometimes do have a predetermined playlist while browsing for movie titles. Generally, there is a week between my adding them to the playlist and actually watching them. The movies under “Went Looking For…” are typically the movies that I had slotted as “Ended up with…” the previous week.
Ironman
It is difficult to find a better example for "catching lightning in a bottle" than 2008’s Ironman. Jon Favreau, with one hit as director (Elf) and Robert Downey Jr., in one of his many comebacks, came together for a superhero movie that set the scene for Marvel to start ruling the summer blockbuster scene. I would have loved to be in the room where Favreau did the story pitch to the suits suggesting Downey for the title role. This stuff is legendary. Besides setting the story in contemporary times, Favreau also pushes the envelope displaying futuristic technologies including helper robots, holograms and motion sensing display units. The story arc sets up a thrill ride starting with the abduction of weapons industrialist Tony Stark (Downey) by a terrorist group somewhere in the Asian mountains, his conceptualizing and prototyping of the first Ironman suit while still in captivity and his consequent escape that sets the platform for Stark’s transformation into Ironman’ The casting of Jeff Bridges as the baddie with the bald pate, Obadiah Stane, is another inspired decision, although he degenerates into a clichéd performance towards the end. Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard play Stark’s secretary Pepper Pots and his close friend Lt. Col. James Rhodey respectively. “Ironman” signs of with generous hints of the superhero group S.H.I.E.L.D that is going to dominate the summer blockbuster scene in years to come. With enough repeat viewing scope, Ironman could very well be the Die Hard for a new generation.
The Princess and the Frog
A rarity among animation movies, The Princess and the Frog, is a hand drawn animated film introducing one more princess to the already formidable gang put together by Disney. The original story is set in New Orleans and benefits from the unique culture and topography of the region. The central character is Tiana, a practical waitress, not a princess. She becomes a frog upon kissing another frog. Wrap your head around that. The frog that Tiana kisses is in reality, Prince Naveen, a prince in title and pauper in every other way. He becomes a frog following some serious voodoo magic by Dr.Facilier, voiced by Keith David. The resemblance of the character to the actor is uncanny. The plot is set up with Dr. Facilier on one side aided by the dark forces and we have the frogs on the other side trying to regain their human form with the help of Louis, the trumpet playing alligator, a Cajun firefly and some good voodoo help. The story is predictable but the proceedings are enlivened by the musical numbers and the jazz age setting of the story.
Kurbaan
Kurbaan is a Bollywood thriller dealing with the aftermath of 9/11 and told predominantly from the point of view of the terrorists although not exactly condoning their actions. I see it as New York (reviewed earlier in these columns) but with better actors. Real life couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor pair up in this tale of love and betrayal set in the backdrop of a post 9/11 attack in American soil again. The usual extravagance of musical routines is abandoned in favor of a tight screenplay. A small group of men and their families occupy adjacent houses in a neighborhood. This is a base, a terrorist cell, from which they launch attacks including a successful one on an airplane. They proceed to choreograph an attack on the subway system of a major city while retaining Kapoor as a hostage. Vivek Oberoi plays a journalist who tries to help her by infiltrating this group. Karan Johar produces this movie, which is offbeat from his usual offerings of family drama and frothy romance.Ended up with…
Whilst checking out the above movies, I invariably end up fattening my instant watch queue with some new additions. These go into my “Ended up with…” list and the plan is to watch them during the week ahead. NetFlix keeps tempting me to move each one of them to the top of the queue but I resist. These are movies that I plan to check out in the days ahead.
Rashomon
Kurosawa’s acclaimed masterpiece, Rashomon, is supposed to have influenced quite a few Hollywood movies including The Usual Suspects. The origins of Keyser Soze can apparently be traced to feudal age Japan.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
This movie is getting a lot of buzz. The actors from this Swedish movie are getting attached to prime projects in Hollywood. The movie itself is getting a Hollywood remake. Let’s check out the original before the essence is lost.
The Pillars of the Earth
I’ve read the Ken Follet novel of the same name from which this TV series is based upon. Set in the dark ages, it is the classic Church vs. Throne story with good and evil on either side.
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