JayDee's Movie Musings

Plot – The lands of Middle-Earth have been blessed with peace for many generations. But that peace is now threatened as the dark lord Sauron has begun to stir. The forces of good have one hope; that the One Ring, holder of Sauron's power, can be destroyed. The ring finds itself in the possession of the most unlikely of heroes however, a gentle hobbit by the name of Frodo Baggins. Together along with a Fellowship of companions he will travel to Mount Doom where the ring was forged and throw it into the fires of the mountain to destroy it. This Fellowship includes three of Frodo's fellow hobbits, a powerful wizard, two men, an elf and a dwarf.

There's a sequence about a third of the way through this film where we see the treacherous wizard Saruman attempting to build an army for the dark lord, Sauron. Under his orders, the vile and repulsive Orcs under his command are seen tearing down massive, deep-rooted trees. They delve deep into the ground, creating a cavernous workshop of sorts; an armoury for creating weaponry and armour, and a breeding ground for a new race of orc/golbin hybrids by the name of the Uruk-hai. It's an immense piece of manufacturing. And it works as an apt comparison to Peter Jackson's personal undertaking. For what he has delivered is a stunning creation on the absolute grandest scale imaginable. To even think you could attempt something of this magnitude is laughable, to actually succeed is downright flabbergasting.

As some of you will know I adore the Lord of the Rings films. The trilogy sits at #1 in my list of favourite ever films and has done so right from the moment I first saw Fellowship. And going back to watch it now, right from the film's very opening moments I just felt myself being transported back to this world. As soon as I got my first glimpse of The Shire, heard the first bars of Howard Shore's score and Ian Holm's warm voice narrating from his book it just felt like I was home. That opening sequence in the delightful Shire is perhaps my favourite stretch of the whole trilogy.


The film achieves a rare feat amongst films in the science fiction and fantasy genres; it creates and transports us to a fantastical world we've never encountered before, while at the same time giving us a world that feels real. A world that feels earthy and grounded. And every part of the world feels unique thanks to the wonderful design that realises each individual location. Hobbiton is just a delightful place, so quaint and cosy that I long to live there. The realms of the elves, Rivendell and Lothlorien, are magical and ethereal places. Rivendell in particular is truly beautiful, perhaps the most stunning location I've ever seen in any movie. While the refuges of the villainous creatures are dark and dank, as are the foreboding Mines of Moria. And while I feel other countries could have proved a viable option (Scotland for instance! ), New Zealand proves to be a terrific choice for bringing Middle Earth to life with some truly astonishing scenery. Jackson delights in lingering on the members of the Fellowship as they traverse the wilderness and the mountains.

Also contributing to the realisation of this world are the different beings and creatures that inhabit the lands of Middle Earth, and a huge thumbs up has to go to the art design and make-up departments for making this happen. In their black riders guise the Ringwraiths are an absolutely chilling creation, brought to life through a combination of their classically ghoulish look, Howard Shore's score that accompanies their arrival and the bone-chilling screeches that they let out. The orcs are a gruesome and slimy invention while the Uruk-hai chill my very soul; such a brutal race of warriors. To be honest it's hard to blame these guys for becoming villains; if I looked that ugly I'd be a bad guy as well!

I think it's a real shame, verging on a sin, that over the course of the three films only one acting Oscar nomination was garnered. However, if it was fated to receive just one nomination at least the Academy chose the correct recipient. Sir Ian McKellen's Gandalf is just a sheer delight to behold, both a gentle presence and a tower of strength. There are spells where he is like a kindly old uncle or grandfather figure, particularly when he spends time in The Shire with the hobbits. He has a twinkle in his eye and a wry grin, and always has a pearl of wisdom to dispense. I love the little moment where he entertains the hobbit children with fireworks, followed by the look he shares with Frodo. And then on occasion he shows off the bad ass wizard that you imagine he once was as a darkness overcomes him. His confrontations with Sauron and the Balrog are prime examples of this. A terrific performance from a truly talented actor.

He is by no means the only performer to impress however. As the heroic Frodo, Elijah Wood is an earnest and gallant fellow, and so easy to root for. Viggo Mortensen and Sean Astin are both solid but it is more in the further two instalments that those two get their chance to shine. On appearance alone Liv Tyler is well cast as Arwen, a vision of beauty from the first moment we see her as she emerges from a burst of angelic light. Her face alone just convinces us of her elven genetics. Now I'm not really a fan in general of Sean Bean but he is very well suited to this kind of exploit; the rugged wilderness and medieval war kind of territory, the same territory that saw him shine in Game of Thrones. He strongly portrays the wild warrior of Boromir, and I found his heroic send off very moving. John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan provide the comic relief, while Ian Holm proves to be a very warm presence as Bilbo.

Next in line to be the recipient of my gushing is the film's composer Howard Shore. I'm honestly struggling to think of a score that I like more than this effort from Shore. And with it being my absolute favourite score I obviously believe it should be held up in the highest esteem of movie scores; alongside the best from Ennio Morricone, John Williams, Bernard Herrmann, Hanz Zimmer, John Barry or anyone else you care to mention. I can't recollect of any other scores which achieves so many moods so successfully, and as a result he just adds so much to the scenes. His music for the scenes in The Shire are just so cheery and upbeat; they make me feel like skipping! The theme for the Ringwraiths and other assorted evils is tremendously ominous. He thrills us during the moments of action and adventure. And he breaks your heart with the haunting music following Gandalf's demise. Absolutely beautiful stuff, so deserving of the Oscar that was bestowed on him for his work.

As anyone who has seen the film will be able to attest to, the special effects on show are incredible. Through a combination of CGI, practical effects and the use of miniatures the world just springs to life before your very eyes. And they help to create a film that is just chock-full of so many scenes and moments that instantly imprinted themselves upon my mind, moments that I can just recall in perfect detail with little effort; the battle in the mines, the demise of Gandalf, floating down the river towards the Argonath statues etc.

Even with all these ingredients in place however, it still requires a director with a keen eye and mind to bring them all together, and thankfully for all of us Ringers the world over, the films had just the man in Peter Jackson. His direction is staggering; he revels in sweeping over the vistas of Middle Earth to capture the great scope of the world, while also successfully delivering the smaller more personal moments between the characters. And when it comes to the large action sequences he certainly doesn't skimp on the thrills. The battles in the Mines of Moria and at the film's conclusion are so epic in terms of how many characters are involved and the sprawling nature of them, and yet they always feel so controlled and focused. We never feel overwhelmed or that we are missing a single beat, just fantastically choreographed and filmed. It also highlights a little touch that I love, and that's how the characters are distinguished from one another by their fighting styles and methods. Gimli has a really brutal, smash-mouth stlye; Aragorn has the appearance of a much more stylish, classically trained fighter, while Legolas has a very creative and unique style that produces some awesome as f**k moves.

In my mind at this current moment I would probably rate Fellowship as my favourite film of the three. I think Return of the King is the 'best' but it's close between those two for favourite. I think the reason I perhaps like this film the most is that it is lighter in tone (particularly the opening in the Shire), it has more small and personal moments and it has more character interaction; little moments like Boromir training Merry and Pippin in swordplay which then descends into rough-housing and tomfoolery with lots of laughter. It also features a more likeable Gandalf in his guise as Gandalf the Grey. This is the first time I'll be watching the series in full for a few years now though, so we'll see if that thought still stands up or if Fellowship is knocked from its perch.

The Lord of the Rings has often been compared to the original Star Wars films in terms of how revolutionary and influential they are. They are an epic tale of adventure and fantasy; a story encompassing friendship, loyalty, honour, both the weakness and strength of man and the notion that even the smallest being can have the biggest impact upon the world. I frequently hear and read of people talking about the first time they saw Star Wars, and the impact it had on them. And their recollections sound incredibly familiar to the experience I had that first time watching this in cinemas on the 19th of December in 2001. Star Wars inspired a generation of film-makers, and I can imagine that this will do the same with directors citing the importance of these films in interviews over the coming years.

How I managed to survive the year long wait until the release of The Two Towers baffles me now. Immediately after completing this film I wanted to go straight onto the next instalment so how I managed 365 days is just amazing to me. I am truly at a loss to find a fault with this film and the trilogy as a whole (and no Honeykid, that's no an invitation to point the flaws out to me! ) and it's tough to see it being budged from my personal #1 spot anytime soon.

Conclusion – Stunning. Incredible. Revolutionary. Life-changing. It's hard to think of any superlatives that truly do justice to this film, and the trilogy as a whole. I just adore these films. The direction is amazing, the casting is perfect, its effects are amongst the best cinema has ever offered and I honestly can't see how it could be improved.

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Great review of Fellowship. Totally agree with you on all points.

Have you read the books Jaydee? and also have you read "The Silmarillion"? If not it will give you a much deeper understanding of the lore surrounding the movies.

Some of my favourite parts of the movie are simply where the Fellowship are travelling along the road whilst Howard Shores grand theme booms without any other sounds. Peter Jackson said he struggled with what to do for those travelling scenes but what he came up with is absolute magic.

Fellowship is easily my favourite of the 3 and easily the best imo. I find it difficult to pick a favourite part of the movie becaause its ALL my favourite part. Literally never a dull scene or moment where on rewatches you think come on get this scene over with and onto the good stuff. Still I would have to pick the Bridge of Khazad-dum, when Gandalf turns around and confronts his enemy "You Cannot Pass" in his grand thespian voice.

In fact I'm going to You Tube right now to watch that bit.

Fellowship showing on Christmas Day in the UK Channel 4 5.40pm. Seen it a million times but will probably end up watching it.

"A Balrog, a demon of the ancient world, this foe is beyond any of you, RUN"

Love how Legolas eyes widen as he hears a Balrog is coming, he and Gandalf know what is coming and they are right to be afraid.

A superb trilogy. It's easy to nitpick but for those who love epic fantasy, like me, it doesn't get any better.

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#31 on SC's Top 100 Mofos list!!

LOTR:

That is all.

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Recently got the LOTR trilogy on blu-ray, need to watch them all again, I loved them but can't really remember much of the specifics at the moment

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This pleases me. Make sure the list includes City of God, which I think you'll love.

The review of FotR looks awesome, by the way. I'm on a trip right now so I haven't read all of it yet but I will when I get home.

Oh and Merry Happy!

City of God should be required viewing.

Thanks gandalf. I'd never have guessed you were a Lord of the Rings fan!

Yeah after Return of the King I did read through the books. Not read The Silmarillion or The Hobbit though.

So did you end up watching it?

You're a man who likes to get right to the point aren't you?! What took me over 1500 words to say, you summed up with just one smilie!

City of God is certainly on the list of films I'm considering. So far I've been residing in the East, with 3 films from Korea and 1 from Japan. Oh and one from Finland. Alongside City of God and more Asian movies there are also possibles from Germany, Sweden, France, Spain etc.

And if you get the chance and can be bothered reading through the whole review (I'd be amazed how many people actually do! ) I hope you enjoy it

Watched Oldboy for the first time last night at around midnight, I was very tired and don't really know why I put it on as normally I would have ended up falling asleep, but after the opening scenes and introduction of the initial mystery like your review says I felt compelled to watch the rest of it to find out just what the hell was happening.

What a film though, one of the best viewing experiences I've had in a while, not only does it have extremely powerful and sometimes hard to watch violence and gore that like you said feels like something Tarantino would enjoy, but it also has a powerful centre that focusses on the darkness of human nature, the whole mystery and continuous twists and turns including the ending I thought were brilliant, I'd say it's kind of like Kill Bill Vol. 1 meets Memento

Anyway great review and I agree with much of what you've said, I might end up doing a review soon and I think I'll give it a slightly higher rating, I think I'm going to watch it again today anyway (probably with my brother) and see how it feels now I know what is going on

Wow, while Oldboy isn't exactly what I'd call classic Christmas viewing! I'm glad you found it such an enjoyable experience.

To be honest since posting the review I feel I should have gone 4.5. Usually I just rate a film on that particular viewing but with Oldboy I decided to go a little conservative and see how it held up on repeat viewing. If it held up then it would be bumped up to at least 4.5.

You're going to do a review of your own are you? You think you can do better, is that it?!!! If you agree so much with me you should just copy and paste mine into your reviews thread and pass on the rep!

I hope Memories of Murder is up next. Just thinking about it makes me wanna rewatch it.

Damn Brodinski, you must be psychic or something! Though I don't think you'll be overly happy with my rating of it.

Have really fallen away with my world cinema season over Christmas. Not had time for films with Christmas prep, family stuff, catching up on Christmas TV and watching stand up DVDs I got at Christmas.

Plot – 1986. In the small South Korean province of Gyunggi a series of brutal murders begin to plague the area. Several women are found dead having been tied up and raped. The task of catching the killer falls to two inept and rather brutal local cops who either have no idea how to do their job properly, or just don't care. To aid the investigation a hotshot detective is sent from Seoul, a man of vastly different techniques to the local police. Together they will have to try and stop the serial killer as the bodies continue to mount up. Based on a true case that rocked Korea.

Occasionally in movie reviews you'll get a little section along the lines of “see this if you liked these” and it will list a few films that are in some way linked, either through their story, genre, director etc. Anyway if you were to do that with this film it would definitely be 'see this if you liked David Fincher's Zodiac.' They really do share a considerable amount in common, right down to the whole basis for the films. Both films concern themselves with the true story of a serial killer that terrorised a community over a substantial stretch of time, and has still never been caught.

The style the films choose to employ to tell their story is also very similar. They concern themselves just as much, or indeed more so, with the men investigating the crimes as the crimes themselves. While we may see snatches of the violence there is no sensationalising of it. It shows the lengths that individuals will go to in search of the truth and justice. The film presents the contrasting fortunes of two of these investigators; local cop Detective Park Doo-man and Detective Seo Tae-Yoon, a young investigator sent from Seoul to assist the department. Doo-man is a man who sees no problem in planting evidence, coercing a confession or abusing suspects to gain an arrest. Though at times I wondered if he was truly a dirty cop, or if he was just completely out of his depth and desperate to find someone to blame for the crimes. As the film goes on however he changes; the case itself obviously has an effect but much of it is also down to his relationship with a local woman; he seems to want to become a better man to be worthy of her. In contrast, Tae-Yoon arrives in the small town as a real hotshot, up to date with all the latest procedures and techniques and is digusted at the attitude and actions of the local cops. His character arc takes him down to the level of the cops he was initially dismayed be; the sheer horror of the case and the frustration of the investigation leads him to desperate lengths to try and find the killer. It all shows how the evil deeds of mankind can lead a good man down a dark path, and how the love of a good woman can save a troubled man.

The film also features a dark, subversive streak of humour which pops up every so often though I have to say I wasn't sure how appropriate it was. In a piece of fiction fair enough, but in a story which features real crimes, real victims and is recent enough that family members of these victims will still be around and affected by this nightmare, I just wasn't sure it was the best move. Though I have to admit that I couldn't help but laugh at the wild actions of Detective Yong-koo. His answer to dealing with a suspect, or to try and break up a situation is just to take to the air and deliver a flying dropkick to someone. I understand showing the ridiculous nature of the policing at that time in Korea as it's an important part of the reason why the killer wasn't captured, but it gives the film a rather farcical tone which feels a little off-putting at times. It's like watching cops right out of the Inspector Clouseau School of Policing.

Towards the films conclusion there were one or two scenes which I felt strayed into contrived territory, just to try and amp up the dramatic effect, but other than that it's tough for me to really find many faults with this film. It is strongly directed and features some appealing performances. The film also follows a trend I've noticed in many Korean films in that it features some quite excellent cinematography; this time creating a very brooding and atmospheric aura. It won't be for everyone certainly; it's a very slow burning mystery which does not have a resolution or many thrills along the way. As a result, for me personally it resembled Zodiac in another way; that while I was able to admire a great deal of it I didn't feel myself getting all that close to really loving it. And I'm not sure I ever could.

Conclusion – I know a lot of people are huge fans of this film. Tyler 1 loves it. Quentin Tarantino loves it. I think Brodinski is also a big fan but not completely sure on that one. Now while I think it's certainly a very worthy and accomplished film, it's not one that I made a really emotional connection with. Perhaps that could change with repeated viewings

I think it's ok, but I didn't get what was so great about it either. In fact, I probably wouldn't rate it as highly as you do and I didn't see it with any great expectations either, as I hadn't heard of it before, it was just a blind buy.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

I don't agree with your rating, but I like your review. The parallel with Zodiac is fitting and I would think Fincher got some of his inspiration from MoM. The humor I didn't mind. As you say, the behavior of that chubby cop is quite hilarious at times. Honestly, I think just about everything in MoM is top notch. It's one of the best films of the millenium imo.

Also, I'm a big fan from Joon-ho Bong. I don't think he's directed a bad film as of yet, and Mother (2009) is another terrific film of his.

Plot – During the Korean War, soldiers from both the North and South armies stumble across a remote village named Dongmakgol. A village so remote in fact that it has no knowledge of the civil war that is currently ravaging the country; they don't even understand the notion of guns or grenades. When the opposing soldiers find themselves face to face, the peace that prevails in Dongmakgol is threatened. When their face-off results in the accidental destruction of the village's food stock however, both sets of soldiers vow to work hard to replenish the stock. As they do so a bond of friendship between them starts to form, so much so that they will work together to try and save the village from destruction.

Quite a delightful little flick this one. Now up front I'll admit that I know very little about the Korean War which the film is based around, other than what I picked up watching the classic sitcom MASH of course! So I can't really comment much on the political side of things; whether the film misrepresents anything or has a biased slant to its version of events. What I can comment on however is just how much I enjoyed it. This film was actually Korea's submission for the foreign language film category at the 2005 Oscars. Despite that fact however, this hasn't gained anywhere close to the recognition around the world that many other Korean films have achieved such as the Vengeance trilogy, The Host, Memories of Murder etc. Hopefully that changes over time as I certainly think it deserves a place alongside those other favourites of this current Korean New Wave.

I just absolutely fell in love with the little village of Dongmakgol, hidden high up in the mountains. Like a Korean version of Shangri-la it is a magical, mystical and utterly beguiling location. A place of stunning beauty and peacefulness, populated by a group of endearing individuals. They are just so touchingly naïve and innocent. They have no concept of war, and don't even understand the notion of guns. They regard and refer to them as 'sticks', and as such have no fear of them. They are perfect subjects to highlight the absurdities of war and generate a number of laughs along the way. The most obvious example comes just after the soldiers from opposing sides have arrived in the village. They engage in a standoff with the villagers caught in the middle, forced to sit down and stay put. Except the villagers don't understand the danger posed by the guns and grenades the soldiers are wielding. They frequently just break away from the pack for a toilet break or because they're just bored as if it's no big deal.

And I wasn't the only one to be won over by them. The soldiers who have found themselves in this very hospitable village are soon taken in the simple life of Dongmakgol and the residents, before long they have removed the uniforms that divided them and swapped them for the clothing of the villagers. It's at this point where the film's anti-war values are most clearly played out. After they inadvertently destroy the village's food reserves they join the rest of the villagers in restocking the reserves. It's an obvious call for differences to be put aside and for both sides of Korea, North and South, to come together and build their nation as one. As they do this, a friendship between the previous enemies slowly begins to form. The characters of the soldiers are imbued with a likeable charm by a series of quietly affecting and nicely balanced performances from the cast. Particularly impressive amongst the soldiers is the performance of Jung Jae-Young as the war weary North Korean commander. Even though the majority of the characters may not be the most rounded or fleshed out, through these performances I came to really care for all of them. The performer that most captured my imagination however was the beautiful and enchanting Kang Hye-jeong (whom I had just seen in Oldboy), who took on the role of the village oddball Yeo-il. It's never really established completely whether she is just eccentric and quirky, or if she is actually mentally deficient. Either way I just fell in love with her the same way I frequently do with manic pixie dream girls as frequently played by the likes of Zooey Deschanel or Natalie Portman. An example of pure innocence, she is the absolute embodiment of the notion of innocent people who suffer at the hands of a war they do not even understand.

Film trivia - Director Park Kwang-hyun has been a long time admirer of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki and his films, with the music provided by composer Joe Hisaishi a key element of his work. Park was such a fan of Hisaishi's work that when he was writing the script he would think about his scores, and even listen to his previous work while trying to visualise scenes in his mind. When it came time to select a composer Park immediately requested Hisaishi. Producer Lee Eun-ha then wrote a heartfelt letter to Hisaishi, even translating the script into Japanese. Hisaishi accepted, stating that he was moved by the enthusiasm and sincerity in the letter.

On a technical level there is a lot to admire here. It includes a rather enchanting, lyrical score which perfectly fits with the mysticism of Dongmakgol. And it features some beautiful cinematography, complete with lush colours. Thanks to some colour tweaking the blue of the sky, and the green of the grass in particular just pop off the screen. The film doesn't feature a terrific amount of special effects, but when they are put to use they are generally impressively created and wonderfully judged. They are put to use to bring life to both the dark and light sides of this world; the weapons and moments of war from the outside world such as the warplanes and an airstrike on the village, and to create the magic of the village through swarms of CGI butterflies. The film's director, Park Kwang-hyun, was making his directorial debut and while there may be a few rough edges to his work he certainly has an eye for creating striking and memorable images. Particular stand outs are the incidents where he employs slow-motion, either to capture a shower of popcorn that is created after an explosion in the food shelter or the attack of a huge boar upon the villagers.

Based on the description that I first read when I became aware of this film I was expecting something more in the Twilight Zone kind of tradition. While those expectations weren't fulfilled it certainly does retain a magical, fable like quality. And in a way it actually evoked a sense of the Studio Ghibli films in its story, its tone, its whimsical and quirky sense of humour and the larger themes at its heart. Another classic touchstone for me would be the films of Frank Capra, with a sharing of the same unabashed sentimental streak and the feeling that we're watching a world that isn't quite our own. And indeed I know Capra made a film with a very similar premise in Lost Horizon.

I certainly don't see it being to everyone's tastes. Some will likely find it a little slow perhaps, or have a problem with it being overly sentimental, slipping into mawkish territory. I however rather loved this little film. It's sweet, touching and gently amusing before succumbing to an almost inevitablly touching and poignant end.

Conclusion - If you're never seen the film, and especially if you're in the mood for something just a little bit different I'd have no qualms about recommending this little flick. You may find a little bit of a gem, just as I did. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to be in for when the film started; now that I do I could see this really growing into a bit of a favourite.

Thanks mate.

Yeah Mother is one I want to watch. I actually had it taped and tried to watch it a couple of weeks back but the disc I had put it on was screwed up. Will try and pick up a cheap DVD copy at some point

I haven't seen Memories of Murder yet, but I need to rectify that soon as I love both The Host and Mother.

If you're on a Korean kick, may I recommend the two best Korean films I've seen. Brotherhood (Taegukgi hwinalrimyeo) and The Chaser.

I've heard good things about Election (Hak se wui), Attack The Gas Station! and JSA: Joint Security Area , all of which I have, but have yet to see.

Also, Poetry, is on Film4 next Tuesday.

You recommanded Chaser to me and I watched it. It's good, but Memories of Murder ***** all over it.