A Lost Identity… A gained Supremacy… A fitting Ultimatum

The “Bourne” series is the sort of thriller that nicely illustrates the paradoxical irony of The Vicarious Experience: in fact the series thrives on it. Few of us will ever get behind the wheels of fast cars at Doppler-shift speeds in the prime cities of Europe; encounter lethal adversaries and muscle our ways through them with splendid sleight of hand martial arts’ reflexes; blow up prime estates in Munich, Paris, Madrid; be glib in over five languages and escape posse of police and special forces whilst hopping through Europe and America. But, boy, would we like to! The irony is that Bourne doesn’t want any of these!

Bourne, arguably Robert Ludlum’s best creation, the first agent of the Blackbriar (a secret military operation for grooming cold blooded killers) ilk, goes about his duty of “saving American lives” until the feeling of sympathy and guilt creeps into him. An accident occurs, he loses his memory and that sets in the motion for what is to be the epic series. A stray agent with the ghosts of his past hunting him forms the main MacGuffin, a catalyst for him to display his catalogue of deadly skills that he is surprised that he possesses leading onto the sinister schemes that he must overcome to discover who he really was before he turned into a killing machine and indict the top level conspirators.

“The Bourne Ultimatum” leaps, scampers, scraps and drives its way into the pantheon of all-time great action movies. But the third and best chapter of the amnesiac spy saga has more going on above the shoulders than on the streets, sidewalks and rooftops. This movie is alive with the thrill of thought and the courage of a most timely moral compass. “Ultimatum” is best classified as a fortuitous occurrence in the genre of “threequels”, which are generally either tired or tepid lacking the “Prestige”(-ious) (as a colleague put it) final punch. It clearly does provide the fitting finale to the brilliance that is exuded by its elder siblings. The action sequences are fresh; the story a bit grave and “Ultimatum”, just as “Identity” and "Supremacy", moves with the same hyper-caffeinated, blink-and-you-miss-an-action-sequence speed that drives Ludlum's novels breathlessly through 600-odd pages.

The movie features spectacular sequences uncluttered by superfluous digressions (some long sequences rush by before you realize there hasn’t been any dialogue for twenty minutes) of sheer simplicity that nevertheless swells with urgent political undertones. The stakes are high, politics is dirty and they dovetail neatly with current events and the questions that surround a carte blanche surveillance society. The movie espouses the qualms that many have about unchecked power that is wielded. [In the movie, the activities that CIA honcho (David Stratharin) says falls under the “umbrella of Blackbriar”.] The movie also acts as an exposition of technology (or imagination!) of tracking a person across any corner of the world. THE CIA CAN WATCH EVERYTHING!!!! The level of technology may or may not be available but they look oh-so real!

The action itself is superbly staged; Mr. Paul Greengrass and his crew (of the academy nominated United 93 fame) combine camera movement and editing, spontaneity and lockstep precision, to create a sense of constant movement that keeps everyone at the edge of their seats. Even better: The masterful fight and flight is never divorced from the excitement of a good cat-and-mouse hunt, bolstered by the feeling that the end awaits anyone who doesn’t stay a step ahead of the curve. The waterloo station sequence, the roof top jumping chases, the exhilarating car rides et al requires one to exercise a great amount of self-control to remain fixed to the chair. It’s tempting to say that any macho actor could show up on the Bourne set and coast on the movie’s considerable craft.

BUT THAT IS TO COMMIT TREASON, A SORT OF SACRILEGE TO THE SERIES!

Matt Damon IS Jason Bourne as much as Harrison Ford IS Indiana Jones, Arnold Schwarzenegger IS the Terminator, and Johnny Depp IS Jack Sparrow. He masters the role and leaves nothing to envy from any other of the blockbuster actions stars, past or present. He has made the character so real that even though some of the action in the film pushes the envelope on realism, he keeps Jason well grounded unlike another action hero, a certain NYPD cop who went into his “4-quel” fighting F-18’s from container vehicles.

Well, this was one good treat from the Action department of Hollywood, a feast for the eyes and the satiating feeling of one good action movie embraces the frequent movie goer!

Sailing with the Pirates, a Special Effects ride

Lurking under several million dollars' worth of digital effects, Gore Verbinski's Pirates of the Caribbean sequel got what was well deserved on the Oscars night. The pinnacle being the convincing computer generated cephalopod, the film’s arch villain, the spectral buccaneer, barnacled Davy Jones – captain of the ghost ship the Flying Dutchman. Firstly the story, the special effects later. The plot spurs off with Jack Sparrow having found an evil machination to avoid the Faustian debt that he owes to Captain Davy. Then on, it is a convoluted tangle of adventures designed around some hair-raising stunts, impossible physical feats, battles against formidable foes and the genial comedy-of-errors that seems to follow every footstep of the foppish, hazy-brained Sparrow. In all probability the ambling plot could have taken directions from Jack’s skewed off compass.

In terms of acting, as usual, versatility aids Johnny Depp as he stalks off as the best performer in the entire cast once again. Sparrow's entry is as grandly off-the-wall as when James Bond emerged from the water at the start of “Goldfinger” with a rubber gull stuck to the top of his oxygen mask. The scene effortlessly sets the tongue-in-cheek tone for the film to come, as well as the devil-may-care swagger of the role that Depp has made all his own. He faces quite some stiff competition from Bill Nighy (Davy Jones), the veteran British comic actor. A damned pirate with so much panache and idiosyncrasies is quite a rarity. The supporting cast does well with Bloom and Knightley putting up some good show.

The best part…

The swordplay on the runaway waterwheel, death defying jumps from canyons, explosions on the high seas, the Flying Dutchman and its mortified crew, the Kraken are all hands-down winners!!! The Flying Dutchman with its crew of the undead sailors with their blistered skin, mossy teeth and their eerie faces are worth watching for the flair with which they plunge into action. The action sequences are well worked with the terrific special effects (courtesy Industrial Light and Magic, the Mecca of SPFX – Jurassic Park, Star Wars, etc.) the highlight being the exciting triple swordfight which has almost impossible arenas as its fighting grounds – the water wheel to the beaches. A spectacular add-on is the Kraken, the giant squid of 12th-century Norwegian mythology and of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea fame, which is recruited to play the part of Captain Jones's pet, popping up regularly to embrace a ship and sweep it to the ocean floor.

An exciting entertainer with an insight into what SPFX really are, the carpers say in conclusion – pardon me R. L. Stevie…

Fifteen men on a Dead Man’s Chest, Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.

Drink and the devil will do the rest, Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.

Jack and Davy will do their best, Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.

To make our evening a merry fest, Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.

JUST FOR JOUST!!!

“A Knight’s Tale” is a manifestation of the concerted effort to lure our imagination into accepting that modern day humor can be easily amalgamated in a romantic comedy set in a period as early as the 14^th Century. (The time period is deduced to be so as the “jester” of the story claims to have finished ‘The Book of the Duchess’ which was written around 1368)

The film combines action, comedy and romance and the spice being the anachronistic use of the rock numbers like Queen’s “We will… rock you”, David Bowie’s “Golden Years” and various other electric guitar solos. The story itself isn't much more than a dressed-up, time-warped sports underdog yarn, in which the lowborn hero poses as a knight and becomes the toast of the jousting world. But in the hands of writer-director Brian Helgeland, the movie's cliché-spawn chassis is merely a jumping-off point for a jocular, high energy theme-park ride of action, wisecracks and romance.

The movie claims its fair share in the terms of setting and costumes. The cathedrals, medieval mansions and Cheapside were right of the yellowing pages of the classics though the cinematographer cannot be spared for a shot of the “London Eye” (a large observation wheel) in the aerial shot of London. The action sequences are well done with the well planned photography that captures every ounce of the incredible impact that happens when a lance crashes into the armor of a knight on a galloping stallion.

Comedy being the main essence of the movie reaches zenithous heights when “Geoffrey Chaucer” (jester), author of Canterbury Tales, is introduced as a character in the story heralding our hero in poetic fervor as a blustery cross between a boxing announcer and a carnival barker. The betting scenario in the inn leaves the audience in peels of laughter. The double “swoosh” (of Nike fame) on the armor of Lord Ulrich, a symbol of Kate the Farrier is quite a tickle. The other sentiments are beautifully orchestrated along with the inevitably hilarious plot.

The plot lends itself to some poignant moments. The clichéd father-son reunion with the tag line of the movie-“Rearrange the stars” being the crux of the conversation brings a tear to the eye. The Knight Ector telling little William of the marvels that lay beyond the wildest dreams is both poetic and rich in message. The appearance of Prince Edward in the knighting scene gives the required twist and the dialogues are potent – “You are loved by your men that is enough, even if I had not known you, for you to be a Knight!” being one such.

There are of course some misfits. Jocelyn, is the movie’s weakest link with a character that is not well established and is the one who is most jarringly modern in this ancient tale (apart from the music). She dresses queerly at the Renaissance Faire and she's preposterously sassy and independent for a 14th Century lass.

But the picture's modest brilliance lies in Helgeland's ability to mix oil and water into such a satisfying cinematic concoction. The fact that the modern day rock music play perfectly into the context of this movie that takes place in a 700-year-old world of honorable knights is a minor miracle. The supporting cast also do a fine job in their roles.

IN conclusion,

“The game of jousting, even for a knight, is daunting,

It was weighed, measured and found certainly wanting.”