Atonement

UK 2007

Details imdb

Seen 16 January 2008

This is a biased view of the movie. As I have not read the book yet, I fell hook, line and sinker from the word go. The whole movie titillates, stimulates and gave many lump in the throat moments. I've always been partial to glances and looks and this movie has them in abundance. The close-ups magnify the emotional turmoil underneath and I especially love that tremor and electricity when hands were barely touching each other.

A very compleat movie and I'm quite certain the author approves of this cinematic vision of his work as he is one of the producers. It was also a delightful treat to see Vanessa Redgrave on screen again.

Flower in the pocket

Malaysia 2007

Details dahuangpictures

Seen 12 January 2008

The child actors in this movie remind me so much of child actors in Iranian films. Natural. I guess a director cannot go wrong if they cast the right child in his movie.

The three main actors in the movie depict the normal life of children at school, home and play. The innocence of children playing and enjoying each others company seem such a wild dream compared to what man do when they reach adulthood.

There were also snippets of Malaysian life juxtaposed against the progress the nation has made in terms of material development. The family is still the core of society even if there are more single parents at the helm at present. They do try to give the best to their offspring. I guess in hopes that the children will have a better life in future.

In the meantime, the children should be allowed to be children, enjoying their childhood years without the prejudices of the adults colouring their experiences.