First Man (2018)

We have always defined ourselves by the ability to overcome the impossible. And we count these moments — the moments when we dared to aim higher, to break barriers, to reach for the stars, to make the unknown known — we count these moments as our proudest achievements. But of all the discoveries & breakthroughs we have made throughout history, possibly nothing is more memorable, significant & extraordinary than what we accomplished 50 years ago. The first manned Moon landing even to this day remains the pinnacle of our pioneering heritage. It was an unprecedented leap that’s still unrivalled, and considering the risk-averse world we live in today, it’s unlikely that something of this scale will be attempted again in the foreseeable future.

It all started in the late 1950s when the world, still engaged in Cold War, saw its two rival superpowers take their one-upmanship interests to the sky, thus opening up the frontiers of space exploration. The Soviets gained the upper hand with the launch of Earth’s first artificial satellite, followed by first human in space & first extravehicular activity among other things, which then compelled the United States to level the ground by pursuing a far-fetched goal that was merely a fantasy few decades back. And so was born a mission that was so ambitious, dangerous & full of technological challenges that when it was close to being actually realised, the entire world attuned to this singular event and gasped collectively as they witnessed one man planting the first human foot on a world beyond our own.

First Man is the story of that one man. A personal, poignant & powerfully evocative account of the personal sacrifices & professional challenges that Neil Armstrong overcame in his journey to becoming the first person to walk on the moon. Adapted from the only biography to have his authorisation, the film offers a properly researched & incredibly fascinating glimpse into the life of the legendary astronaut by concocting an emotionally driven & profoundly melancholic story set around his personal grief without discarding any of the soaring delights & adventurous wonders of space voyages. An impressive feat that exquisitely balances emotional storytelling with visual splendour while showcasing first-rate craftsmanship in all aspects, First Man is no less than an absolute masterpiece.

Directed by Damien Chazelle (the wunderkind behind Whiplash & La La Land), the film marks his third consecutive cinematic gem and cements his status as the most promising new talent in the contemporary pool of Hollywood filmmaking scene. Marking his first stint with biopics, First Man allows the young filmmaker to widen his creative horizons by tackling a story that required maturity on top of passion for it to be properly realised on the big screen. And the confidence & composure his direction exhibits throughout the story, in addition to the gentleness & sincerity with which he translates Josh Singer’s masterly penned screenplay into soul-stirring imagery, only points to his prodigious talents as a storyteller and his extensive understanding of the medium. In short, it’s a massive step forward for the immeasurably talented filmmaker.

Written by Josh Singer, First Man would be a celebration of human spaceflight if it was solely about NASA’s crowning achievement but since it is centred on the man whose strength, perseverance & personal conviction brought him to the moment when he took one giant leap into the unknown, it only makes sense for the story to be more focused on his personal journey and narrate the historic set of events from his viewpoint without deviating from the emotional beats at play in those moments of spectacle & wonder. The film covers a decade in Neil Armstrong’s life, from his time as NASA’s test pilot for X-15 to the commander of the historic Apollo 11 mission but the core ingredient that drives this narrative is the sense of loss & accumulating grief that turns Neil’s flight to the moon into a hellbent obsession and finally culminates on a cathartic note on the lunar surface.

From the technical standpoint, First Man is a marvel. Production design team transports the viewers back to the early days of the agency with the Space Race ongoing in full flow while the precise settings & era appropriate set pieces lend more credibility to the 1960s timeline. Cinematography is stupendous throughout, employing 16mm film to give a raw, gritty & documentary feel to scenes set within the spacecraft, utilising 35mm cameras for the other portions, and going for IMAX 70mm cameras for the Moon landing sequence to provide a sense of grandeur that segment deserves. The handheld photography is neat & seamless yet quick to shift gears when the occasion calls for it. Adding more sharpness to the images is the apt colour tones & excellent lighting. And thanks to controlled editing & relaxed pace, the narrative flow is smooth and its 141 minutes runtime isn’t bothersome.

Coming to the acting department, Ryan Gosling steps into the role of Neil Armstrong and delivers a silent yet brooding performance with his impeccable body language & subtle expressions. He’s one of the rare actors who can convey a feeling without being explicit about it and there’s hardly any moment when he doesn’t seem in control of the characters he’s rendering on screen. Armstrong’s final moment on the moon in this film provides a perfect closure to his arc as he finally lets go of the loss, pain & sorrow that was inflicted by a tragedy earlier in the story. And Gosling is just faultless in that scene. It’s a beautiful, melancholic & deeply intimate moment made all the more touching by its stirring score. Claire Foy also manages to make herself stand out on a couple of occasions in the role of Janet Armstrong; Neil’s first wife while both Jason Clarke & Kyle Chandler deliver strong inputs in supporting roles, and the rest are just as good if not better.

Lastly, we have Justin Hurwitz. Having composed the music for every Damien Chazelle film to date, Hurwitz orchestrates a symphony that captures the heart & soul of the story with accuracy, hitting the right emotional chords at the right time, and it’s always in sync with the immaculate sound design to fulfil the aural requirements of any given scene. Also, his harmonious soundtrack single-handedly amplifies the effectiveness of several moments, at times even evoking other space films simultaneously. The track for Gemini 8 docking segment briefly carries the romantic flair that a similar scene in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey exuded. Accompanying the Apollo 11 launch sequence is a musical piece that gets as epic as a score can get for a scene like that. And then, there is the Moon landing sequence that Hurwitz turns into one for the ages with a breathtaking track that brims with the same nail-biting intensity & rousing quality that Hans Zimmer was able to infuse into the docking scene in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. By all means, this is Justin Hurwitz’s finest score to date.

On an overall scale, First Man is an ambitious, audacious & awe-inspiring biopic that finds Damien Chazelle delivering another knockout as he brings the story of one of NASA’s most notable figures who successfully commanded their most groundbreaking mission, and stepped into history when his foot planted an iconic & indelible imprint on the lunar surface. The only gripe I have against this film has got nothing to do with its quality but the studio’s decision to not wait until next year as the summer of 2019 would have provided First Man the perfect opportunity to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the pivotal & historic moment the film recreates on the silver screen. An engrossing blend of ingenious direction, polished writing, spellbinding camerawork, smart editing, stellar soundtrack & honest performances, First Man is an undeniably impressive feat on both technical & storytelling fronts, is sophisticated enough to rank amongst the finest films of the year, and is authentic enough to garner a spot amongst its genre’s finest offerings. To summarise in a sentence: That’s one small step for cinema, one giant leap for Damien Chazelle.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Denis Villeneuve is a gift that just keeps giving. In the last decade, especially the last 5 years, he has established himself as one of the most acclaimed & versatile filmmakers working in the industry today and has built up an utterly impressive résumé that’s jam-packed with quality works. Making the most of every single opportunity that has knocked on his door, he has tackled many different genres throughout his career and has managed to turn every single one of them into a critical success. And even though every subsequent work of his seems different from the one preceding it, they all scream Villeneuve right down to the bone.

After introducing himself on the global stage with the emotionally devastating drama Incendies in 2010, Villeneuve made his breakthrough in Hollywood with a brilliantly crafted maze known as Prisoners in 2013, and has been in top-notch form ever since. Next up was the intricately structured arthouse mystery Enemy, followed by the taut & tense Sicario, and just last year he delivered one of the finest sci-fi films of the decade with Arrival. Each film of his has garnered him new admirers and over the years, he’s amassed a highly devoted fan following. But that number gets a serious boost this year, for Villeneuve has pulled off what many considered to be an impossible task.

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner was a box-office failure at its time of release but it enjoys a cult following today like no other film. Its influence & reputation has grown considerably over the years and now, it’s widely acknowledged as one of the greatest works of science-fiction, and is still the leading example of neo-noir cinema. 35 years later, in a time when all the classics are being exhumed with the intention of turning them into franchises, be it with a sequel, prequel, remake or reboot, even the idea of following into the very footsteps of Scott’s breathtaking reimagining of the future is intimidating. But not only does Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 live up to those towering expectations but actually exceed it in many aspects.

Taking place 30 years after the events of the first film, Blade Runner 2049 presents a world where replicants have been integrated into the society but as servants & slaves. This new story concerns a replicant who works for the LAPD as a “blade runner” and is tasked with retiring those that have gone rogue. A chain of events are set into motion when he unearths a long-buried secret that could stain the seemingly stable co-existence between humans & replicants and may result in an all-out war. Ordered by his superior to destroy the evidence in order to prevent an uprising, he sets off on a quest to find the key to the puzzle and ends up face-to-face with a former LAPD blade runner who’s been missing for decades.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Blade Runner 2049 is an immaculately designed sequel that takes ideas & inspirations from its predecessor to carve its own story but never steers so far away that it becomes unfamiliar & alien. Villeneuve has absolutely nailed the brief when it comes to recreating the dystopian setting, for it is very much in balance with the tone & feel of Blade Runner, but he heads one further in the narrative section. The story in this follow-up instalment is far more engaging & compelling when compared to the original, and all the twists n turns are cleverly placed & properly executed. It’s a fascinating mix of old & new that pays homage to the original, effectively builds upon the universe it created, and is sturdy enough to stand on its own.

Coming to the technical department, the set pieces in Blade Runner 2049 may not be as groundbreaking as they were in Ridley Scott’s feature but they are visually spellbinding to say the least. Production design team uses the dystopian setting of the first film as its bedrock and engineers an evolved version upon it in a way that not only suits its futuristic timeline but also looks eerily familiar & affiliated to the world the viewers witnessed back in 1982. Cinematography is a highlight in itself, for Roger Deakins leaves no stone unturned to revive the Blade Runner experience, and turns every frame into a work of jaw-dropping photography. Be it his trademark use of silhouettes or vivid application of hues or precise lighting or hovering shadows, it’s all absolutely faultless.

Bringing the 2049 Los Angeles to cinematic life are its breathtaking use of visual effects which, while not as revolutionary as its predecessor’s special effects, stay in close proximity with the first film’s retrofitted future and its dark, desolate & rain-soaked surroundings. CGI is extensively applied in nearly every frame but each pixel is refined to the minutest of details, which in turn uplift the depth & texture of those images by quite an extent. Its 163 minutes runtime is allowed to unfold at a gradual pace, and while it may trouble a few impatient viewers, it’s difficult to point out any moment that seems irrelevant to the plot. And last but not the least is its impeccable sound design that works in near-perfect harmony with the synthesised score, and these soundscapes impart a very atmospheric & haunting vibe to the overall experience.

Coming to the performances, Blade Runner 2049 packs an interesting ensemble in Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Dave Bautista, Mackenzie Davis, Barkhad Abdi & Jared Leto, and all of them perform their part sensibly. Gosling is in as K, a blade runner whose latest discovery sets this plot into motion, and delivers a deftly measured input. Ford reprises his role of Deckard and effortlessly steals the show with an intense but also charismatic performance. Armas plays Joi, an artificial intelligence, and offers fine support to our protagonist. Hoeks’ stone cold rendition of her replicant character makes her contribution stand out. Davis, Bautista & Abdi make brilliant use of their limited screen time. Lastly, Leto is in as the CEO of the replicant manufacturer Wallace Corporation. In short, the entire cast delivers in their respective roles and leave nothing to complain about.

On an overall scale, Blade Runner 2049 is a worthy follow-up to Blade Runner and for me at least, it’s an improvement over Scott’s movie, especially in the way it tackles its story & handles its existential themes. An intricately layered narrative puzzle that captivates & confounds in equal doses but brings it all together in the end, Villeneuve’s latest is nothing short of a filmmaking achievement and is another quality addition to his already stellar filmography. Ingeniously directed, smartly scripted, gorgeously photographed, methodically edited, steadily paced, eerily scored & outstandingly performed, it’s one big-budget spectacle that takes blockbuster storytelling into the realm of arthouse cinema, and is truly worth the 35 years wait. A calm, controlled & confident effort from an auteur at the apex of his creative talents, Blade Runner 2049 is everything that a Blade Runner sequel is supposed to be, and then some. One of the finest films of 2017, this unnervingly quiet, deeply introspective & thoroughly mesmerising sci-fi masterpiece comes strongly recommended.

La La Land (2016)

Every once in a while, a movie comes along that changes everything, one that shakes things up from its very foundations, while injecting a new life into that particular medium of storytelling. In fact, this has happened throughout history of cinema. Whenever the film industry went out of original ideas or continued churning the same formulaic narratives for far too long, there always emerged a fresh breed of filmmakers who took it upon themselves to bring the change and, in the process, heralded a new era of motion pictures.

There is no denying that 2016 will go down as the year when horror reigned supreme on the big screen after ages but one still cannot ignore the dream of an up-n-coming filmmaker who wished to make an original contemporary musical in the style of old Hollywood classics yet more forward-looking & grounded in reality. And not only did this gifted talent manage to make his dream come true but did so with such effectiveness that the resulting film ultimately breathed an air of freshness into the genre that had long been dismissed as part of a bygone era.

His name is Damien Chazelle and the dream he recently turned into reality is his latest film, La La Land. Already regarded as one of the most promising talents to look out for after he set the film stage on fire a couple years ago with the electric, explosive & extraordinary jazz-filled freight train that was Whiplash, Chazelle follows his sophomore effort up with a musical that pays a heartfelt tribute to all the notable examples of its genre that played an instrumental role in its creation yet carves an original path to separate itself from the norm, thus assuring all that he’s for real.

Set in Los Angeles, the story of La La Land follows the lives of an aspiring actress who serves lattes in between auditions and a jazz pianist who manages to scrape by playing in small gigs. Numerous chance encounters between the two result in them falling in love with each other but when success begins to mount in their professional endeavours, the dreams they have managed to keep alive in each other all this time through love & mutual support begins to fall apart, which in turn forces them to confront their relationship and make tough decisions along the way.

Written & directed by Damien Chazelle, La La Land opens with a richly coloured & gorgeously choreographed song that is shot in a single unbroken take lasting six minutes and then follows it up by introducing our protagonists to both the viewers & each other. Chazelle’s kinetic direction retains all the zest & passion that was evident in his last feature but also exhibits much more confidence in his abilities as a storyteller. What he has skilfully crafted here is something that’s both nostalgic & new, and it doesn’t really matter if you get all the homages & references because the story is rewarding regardless of that.

The screenplay is no slouch either, for the narrative follows a seasonal pattern, starting with winter that focuses on the professional stasis of our characters and takes it from there as we see their relationship blossom as the story progresses until the harsh realities of life take over. Unlike Whiplash, which was aggressive throughout its runtime, La La Land is much calmer and more willing to celebrate the lovely moments as they come along although beneath the surface, they do share similarities in themes & characterisation as both films are about the very struggle of being an artist and the sacrifices made along the road to success.

Chazelle borrows the template of an old Hollywood musical and reinvigorates it in ways that is going to influence its genre in the years ahead. La La Land retains all the characteristics of an old-school musical, brimming with endless charm, incessant warmth & joyful celebrations, but Chazelle is bold enough to root this extravaganza in reality and let it reverberate with the viewers on a much deeper & personal level. Where musicals of the past offered its audience an escape from their tumultuous lives with its unrealistic romance & happy endings, this one is aware that not all dreams come true in real-life but lets them know that there’s still a new surprise waiting on the other side.

The technical aspects are expertly executed, as each element works in harmony with the other to improve & enhance the overall experience. Production design team does well to impart a nostalgic feeling to the contemporary locations of Los Angeles. Cinematography makes ingenious use of camera as many sequences & musical numbers are filmed in one continuous take with constant adjustment of lighting & set pieces in the background to reroute the viewers’ attention towards the central figure in those moments. Editing unfolds its 128 minutes narrative at differing pace, opting for montages at times while letting the plot simmer when the occasion calls for it, and all the choices work out in the film’s favour.

Soundtrack becomes all the more essential in a musical but Justin Hurwitz more than lives up to the challenge of composing both the score & songs that are as memorable & catchy as they are relevant to the plot. Every musical number only assists in developing the characters’ arcs except for the opening song which is an ode to not just Los Angeles but also those dreamers also who move there with aspirations of making it big. All the songs & dance segments radiate an immense sense of joy & an intoxicating feeling, which is all the more uplifted by its first-rate choreography & exquisite photography. The film features so many instant-classic moments that it’s really difficult to choose a favourite although “A Lovely Night” scene is the one I loved most, for everything about it is perfect.

Coming to the performances, La La Land features a perfect lead in Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone with John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt, J.K. Simmons & others in supporting roles. Few, if any, will dispute the fact that Gosling & Stone make up for an ideal Hollywood couple, for their chemistry with each other is so natural, effortless & convincing that it definitely is one for the ages. On top of that, their on-screen magic really makes it easy for the audience to see & imagine them as a couple and invest in their relationship. It is a terrific casting by all means and the impressive performances these talented actors deliver, both individually & as a duo, truly elevates an already awe-inspiring feature to an even higher level, and they are finely supported by the remainder of the cast.

Ryan Gosling plays Sebastian, a jazz musician who earns his living by playing in local gigs and dreams of opening his own jazz club and the actor’s innate ability to express more without ever saying much plays an instrumental role in shaping his character but what makes his act even more admirable is that Gosling went all the way to play Sebastian from inside-out, even learning piano to perform all the piano sequences all by himself. And still, Emma Stone outshines him with a powerful & emotionally resonant rendition of Mia and absolutely nails it in the film’s final song by bringing all her experience into play. The chemistry between Mia & Sebastian is the core ingredient that makes this story work and both the actors make it look so easy that it’s magical in every sense of the word.

On an overall scale, La La Land is this season’s most dazzling movie experience and is undoubtedly a musical masterpiece for the ages. Bursting with passion, overflowing with emotions, and intimately capturing the magic of cinema in all its glory, it is an irresistible, inescapable & infatuating rhapsody that’s brought to life with incredible restraint & precision artistry, and promises its viewers a toe-tapping journey that they’re going to cherish for a long time. It brought a smile on my face from its opening moments and left me grinning from start to finish, and that indeed is something that doesn’t happen very often when you go to the movies these days. Bringing musicals back to life, Damien Chazelle’s La La Land is an utter fantasy-turned-reality that asks its audience to dream more urgently, live more fervently & love more deeply. In short, they don’t make films like this anymore. Delightfully recommended.

The Nice Guys (2016)

From the writer-director of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Nice Guys is another ravishing, rambunctious & rollicking ride that’s full of laugh-out-loud moments, captures the magical vibe of the 1970s with finesse, balances the elements of comedy & thriller in a seamless fashion, and is further bolstered by charismatic performances from Russell Crowe & Ryan Gosling.

Taking place in Los Angeles around 1977, The Nice Guys tells the story of a private detective who’s hired to investigate the apparent suicide of a famous porn star. The trail leads him to a young girl who hires an enforcer to keep him off her. But when she goes missing, the two detectives team up to find her, only to later discover that the whole plot is far more complicated than they imagined.

Written & directed by Shane Black, the film brims with plenty of style, is downright witty & makes excellent use of its resources for the most part. The first half is a laughter riot and presents Black at his best but the second half fizzles out of energy after a while plus the big reveal unfortunately isn’t as rewarding as expected. Nevertheless, the narrative stays funny & thoroughly entertaining.

The 1970s atmosphere is brought to life with vibrancy, thanks to its outstanding production design, fitting costumes & numerous pop-culture references. Cinematography also adds more richness to the story with its energetic camerawork & exquisite use of bright colour palette. The first half is brilliantly paced but it all goes downhill in the next half. And the music further evokes the 1970s feel with its selected tracks.

Coming to the acting department, The Nice Guys features a colourful cast in Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Margaret Qualley & Kim Basinger, with both Crowe & Gosling stealing the show although Rice gets to have her own moments as well and does a commendable job in her given role. Crowe & Gosling do chip in with strong inputs separately but their chemistry is even better and makes the whole experience all the more enriching.

On an overall scale, The Nice Guys had all the ingredients to finish as one of the finest examples of its genre(s) but it just misses out on boarding that train, thanks to its less-refined second half that simply fails to live up to the expectations set by its previous act. It still bears all the hallmarks of a Shane Black feature, and is an incessantly fun, endlessly groovy & powerfully alluring cinema that promises an equally thrilling & amusing ride to all its viewers and delivers it in sufficient doses. Definitely worth your time & money.