Kiki's Delivery Service Review (with Spoilers)

It had been a while since I’d watched an animated film, so I went through the Miyazaki films I hadn’t seen yet, and picked out Kiki’s delivery service. I had heard the main piano theme and it was so heartwarming, I couldn’t resist.

[Spoilers Ahead]
Kiki’s Delivery service is one of those films where you think about it even after it’s over. Even though it was made in 1989, Miyazaki hits many chords and tells a story that is relevant even today (especially today). Kiki is a perfect protagonist. She’s kind, brave, energetic and driven. Kiki comes to the big city to complete her ‘training’ as a witch, where she is expected to find her special skill. She discovers that since flying is the one thing she really knows and enjoys, she turns it into a living by starting a delivery service. Somewhere along the path, she starts losing her magic (skill). She gets so caught up in her job, that she loses focus on why she flew in the first place.

The struggle she goes through as a young witch in the city is especially relatable to non-conventional professions like art, music, dance etc. Kiki’s situation is a clear metaphor for artists and creators who lose their passion and creativity whilst finding real-world applications in a world that has no economic value for such talents. It is only when her friend is in grave danger, and she’s the only one who can save him by flying that her instincts and magic comes back and let her fly again. Just like artists, Kiki finds her passion back only when she realises that she’s making a difference to the world, and that there is value in what she does.

It amazes me everytime to see how Studio Ghibli successfully tells stories which explore such profound and meaningful ideas through their beautiful characters. They feel more alive and real than us. This, coupled with stunning backgrounds, art and animation gives the perfect illusion of life, and let’s you sink in to their world in the first 60 seconds itself.

I can’t wait to see the next one, and what it has to offer. Hat’s off to Ghibli for yet again giving us a timeless film that we can always run to when the world gets dark. <3

Mad Max - Fury Road Review

17^th May 2015 Mad Max – Fury Road

Mad Max is the 4^th film in the Mad Max series directed, produced and written by George Miller. We went to see the film in Inox Screen 1 with Dolby ATMOS sound. I couldn’t be more lucky to have seen it there.  This is evidently the BEST action film I’ve seen in all of time. The film is based in a post-apocalyptic world where humans have now become a wild inhumane race. In a stark desert landscape, the story is about journey of two rebels, Mad Max – a blood bank for the War Boys, and Imperator Furiosa on a wild ride to escape from the Citadel with their ruler (Immortan Joe)’s child brides in desperate hope for a better home. 

The film’s characters are so well rounded and their goals are so evident. The film is thrilling with some glorious visual effects. But what I was absolutely floored by was the fully rounded world that was created in the film. Everything seemed to have been so well thought out, from the vehicle rigs, the characters, tribes, landscapes, costumes - right till the colloquium. Sayings like ‘Witness me’ used by the War Boys was used so dramatically and timely.

The camera work, staging, and colour palettes were absolutely cinematic. I couldn’t stress on how important it is that audiences should watch this in a good theatre with a great screen and sound. George Miller has done such a fantastic job directing that you are always with the characters, jumping with them, feeling vengeful with them and feeling despair with them.

Lastly I’d like to mention the sound. The score is absolutely thrilling and jolting and keeps you at the edge of your seat. The sound design is just spot on, and watching it in a Dolby ATMOS theatre really made it a complete compelling experience.

After a little fishing I found out that George Miller has directed 3 more before this and now I’m definitely going to watch the remaining three. I really think the world designed is comparable to Avatar or the Star Wars Franchises. I’m giving this film a 10/10 on IMDB. I may change that opinion after my 2^nd watch but for now, I’m so awed!!

 

More inspiration, news, and updates!

30th August 2013

Soooo! All you fellow bloggers, artists and film makers! Here's another dose of crazy inspiration!! <3 p="">



Cory Loftis
Visual Dev. artist at Walt Disney - his work is SO JUICY!! So much humor, personality, and life! Beautiful handwork, coloring and compositions! A major inspiration to suffice for another 3 weeks!

Rachel Saunders/Barukurri
Illustrator and painter. Although she's British, her work looks very eastern, and makes me want to watch all the Miyazaki movies (including the ones I've already drooled over) again and again!
Her drawing is so beautiful and soft, and her characters are lovable at the least! Beautiful colors and inspiring characters!

 

After seeing this, I think you guys should be interested in participating and giving this a shot! It's a mind-blowing opportunity to go for an all-expense-paid-trip to Burbank CA for CTNXpo!!!!!
Hells yeah! The deadline is Oct. 1st. Here are the DETAILS.

Lastly some updates. I have been trying to make a living out of freelancing to fund my own film. I've been working with Doodle Monkey, a company started by some close friends, and I'm using a great site called PeoplePerHour which is for freelancers and people who want to avail their services. Unfortunately it's one of those projects that is confidential and that I can't put up here. :'( Check it out. It's been taxing, fun, and interesting.That's all for now. Film is almost done, sound is left, and my awesome new laptop is finally here to help me finish it! Things are finally looking up!

Cheers and love!! <3 br="">  

The Secret World of Arietty (I'm mindblown)

22nd Nov 2012

I am overwhelmed. If I could ask an elder to bless me when I touch their feet, I would ask for them to bless me to get a job offer from Studio Ghibli. I can't believe I hadn't seen it earlier. The first thing that came to my mind when it started: Thumbelina. Later, I find a classic story about being brave, and fighting for the things you believe in; although truly, a love story. Maybe it's a Japanese thing, but their romance seems so beautiful and meaningful. Most of them end with the characters being separated in the end because one has to go away. But the feelings told and expressed in Ghibli movies are so true to life, and genuine, you can hear them in the voices of the characters and feel for them so deeply. The boys are so nerdy and emotionally deep. Poetic, almost. And the girls are adventurous, brave, something quite opposite of what we see in western films like all the princess stories.

The worlds they create are so real and fantastic, like heaven (but real). The Secret world of Arietty has backgrounds mostly in a bug's perspective of a country house and it's surrounding garden and forest. I was resisting from pausing the movie to oggle at the water colored backgrounds. I found the story very similar to Whisper of the heart; they have  similar characters. There was even the cat - the guide that connected the protagonists. But they're both set in completely different worlds. I can't wait to see the rest of the Ghibli films. Somehow I save the ones I haven't seen for special days - because I know they come out after years. It totally makes my day.

If you spot me giving a flying kiss to my laptop screen during the credit roll, it means it was something really special, and that the film makers are the few people in my life I aspire to meet and congratulate on sharing such a beautiful story with the world. The Secret World of Arietty was one of them.

Here's some of the artwork from the films that I could find available online:

If you're satisfied with this, you'll be in another world if you watch the film!!

Brave Review

22nd June 2012

When I saw the Brave trailer a few months ago, I was honestly very disappointed. I realized Merida's character design was beautiful, especially her hair and the change in the generic facial structure of disney/pixar characters, but besides her, the other characters resembled the characters from How to train your dragon. A lot. Sure, they were scottish with the skirts and the accents, but the features and the designs looked as different as those in HTTYD when it released. Also I was not too happy with Pixar making princess movies. All those pre-judgements kept aside, I went into the theatre to be overjoyed with the film.
 

THE PLUSES
There are a countless number of things I loved about it.

Story and Design

The first thing I would say is the storyboarding. Everything was so well choreographed! The introduction of the immense Scottish highlands, the castle and its grasslands, the woods, the character actions really helps the audience follow the story. It created a mystery throughout the film.
Coming to the story, a lot is always expected from a studio like Pixar which has created and brought us films like Ratatouille, Toy Story, Wall-E, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo and Up. So, naturally we expect nothing but excellence. The story was usual until half of it was over - you expect a prince to come in somewhere, but there is no prince. There is no clichéd romance, instead a very unspoken relationship between Merida and her mother is suggested.
As far as design is concerned, a lot more could be explored, but since it worked, there was no need for that! All the character designs shouted out the personalities of the characters! The parents, the brothers, and even the stupid princes and their fathers! I was so glad the horse didn't look Disneyish.
Also, I absolutely loved the Score and the songs sung - they really brought in another dimension to the film.

Animation:
There're no second thoughts about this - all the gags and the acting is extremely well done and believable. We can expect nothing less from Pixar animators!

THE MINUS
What I didn't understand is the core of the film. Was it about choosing/changing your fate, about her relationship with her mother or about accepting each other for who we are? If there was emphasis on one particular subject then the audience could have taken back something. Since the core is unclear, we take back bits and pieces. We are entertained, but it doesn't touch our heart and stay with us.
Also initially the scottish accent was very distracting and at times changed the tone of the film.


A lot of critiques mentioned that this film didn't have a specific target audience - well, I cannot understand why there should be one as a rule! This film is enjoyed by all age groups. So is a film like 'Up'.

I guess that's all I have to say about Brave. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it and hats off to all the talent and the effort put in! Loved the story, the gags, the action and the emotion. I actually cried at the climax. :'( (yes I am an emotional individual) Go for it guys! 

Warrior Review

13th April 2012

When En told me I'd feel happy after watching Warrior, I gave him 'the look'. How can I film named 'Warrior' make me happy? He said I would like it. Of-course I liked it, not only that, I loved it. It was absolutely stunning. Technically the shots weren't artsy and I don't think that was the purpose of the director anyway - but it sure had a lot of continuity. The film goes through a lot of emotional conflicts more than anything else. After a point you're in their shoes. From the beginning you know what the end is gonna be - the two brothers will have to fight against each other - it is predictable. What you don't know how they will arrive at that point, and you want to know who will win and what will happen to them after that.


Warrior was very close to 'Fighter' in terms of the concept, but it was so much more emotionally satisfying, it breaks my heart. Nick Nolte who plays the father has acted so well that after a long time I cried for a character. Tom Hardy makes you hate him and Joel Edgerton makes you want him to win at every point. It's gripping throughout and it makes your heart ache. It makes you cheer with them, laugh with them, get angry with them and feel pain with them. Absolutely wonderful.

The art of Ratatouille Review

8:07 PM 9/20/2011

What wonderful art. The art of ratatouille will make you wanna watch the movie ten times over and totally fall in love with the characters all over again. Remy, Emile his brother, Linguini and the wonderful Collete, Skinner the villainous chef, all designed the contrast each other so beautifully. The interiors of a sewage systemn (underground Paris) so wonderfully contrasts the world above. Paris is shown as magnificent as in travel books and for real; so much, that it shows you how Remy dreams of living in Gusteau's kitchen without threatening his life. Designs which express the complexity of the character and the conflicts he faces are depicted so clearly and beautifully, keeping in mind that the audience should relate to this rat, and not get disgusted by the idea of it being in a kitchen of a restaurant. Remy has to hide the one thing he loves - cooking.

It's amazing how similar cooking is to design. The tastes, the smells, colors and textures are like colors and compositions. It made me wanna make movies, and start working on the process of creating the script, story and the visuals that would inspire me to make the rest of it. Brad bird has respectfully credited Jan Pinkava as co-director, who thought of the premise while he was cooking in the kitchen with his wife. These artists I worship, for creating a masterpiece of animation, something the world will love and cherish.

Mesmerizing, magnificent, insightful and delicious! The art of Rataouille is just as good as the movie itself.

A Seperation Review

12th Feb 2012
Watched an amazing film today, that I've been planning to watch for a looong time. It's an Iranian film titled 'A Separation'. It's absolutely beautiful, and I think it's a mus-watch for every film student. The actors were so believable and real that it was getting really hard to read the subtitles simultaneously! I just wanted to delve into their performance. It was stunning. The story is simple - a story about a separation of a married couple, and an incident that takes place in their lives which makes you wonder whether they will stay or separate. On a moral ground it asks so many questions, it makes you choose between two grey people throughout the film. It was so honest, and simple, just the way it happens in reality. The emotions were rooted, and not only did I sympathize, but empathized with the characters of the story.

Lastly, (spoiler alert!) I'd like to write about some of the most beautiful parts in the film.
When the dad's father almost dies and he later bathes and cleans him, while scrubbing his back he sinks into his shoulders and cries. His father, suffering from Alzheimer's doesn't react. It is so real and candid that it makes you uncomfortable.
When the daughter confronts her father, asking him if he knew about the maid's pregnancy, we see what he goes through, trying to lie to his daughter and yet teach her the values and lessons of life. So much in this film is about trust, and doing the right thing, even though you have to do some wrong to reach there. It leaves LOTS of room for interpretation to the viewer, and that's how effective it makes cinema look.
At the end I waited till the credits went off the scene, even though they were in arabic. I wanted to know whether the daughter would ever come out with her decision. And more than that, it was the aftershock of the movie's greatness.

So those who haven't seen it yet, try your best to get a hand on it. You won't regret it. :)

'A Separation' by Asghar Farhadi

Iron Giant Review

8th March 2012

Woke up to the sound of many people cheering. I'm going through a very tough phase right now. I'm fighting with a lot of decisions that are um - not exactly work related. So I couldn't whole-heartedly join the celebration. I knew it was my last year here, and that I would never get to play again in MIT, but I could get myself to go downstairs. So the morning started off pretty terribly. I am now in class, trying to work on my backgrounds. I gotta admit, you really do need A LOT of energy and enthusiam to fuel a project like 'The Mailox'. A shortfilm takes time, patience, and a LOT of self motivation. So once again, I watched 'The Iron Giant' - a HIGHLY underrated 2D animation feature directed by the one and only - Brad Bird!

I gotta say there was so much I didn't notice the first time. Though the effect of the story stayed the same (I was in tears when the giant says 'You stay, I go') there was so much more to see in terms of animation and staging. I also noticed some of the shots would have not been possible without 3D. I saw so many shots that I can refer to while animating! For example, Hogarth running away from the camera, Hogarth on his bicycle, clicking a photo etc. it makes you laugh, and cry, and learn about life. I love the part where a deer in the woods get shot, and Hogarth explains to Giant how he perceives death and the idea of a soul. :)

Well, some fruit out of the uneventful morning! Will start with my backgrounds now!

Psycho Review - Spoiler Alert!

10th April 2012

Wow, I'm speechless. Another brilliant Hitchcock film and it stood up to all I'd heard about it. I love the good old classic cinema. Besides the absolutely brilliant staging, lighting, color or black and white, there is a ton more to learn from it. I feel like pausing it and soaking everything in. It's becoming harder to watch good films for the story now. Animation makes you so sensitive to framing, continuity, lighting, acting, and all the other 1000 technical aspects of a film. Coming back to Psycho - the story was absolutely gripping. I was at the edge of my chair at all times. There's this thing I noticed Hitchcock does in all his films - he fools you into believing that something is very important (in Psycho, let's say the money she steals in the beginning), and then he just makes you realise that that wasn't important at all! (the money gets drowned in the swamp with her body). He seems to do this a lot in all his movies - he confuses you, misguides you, but all these sub-stories guide you to the bigger picture - and the end unravels everything so beautifully that you're mind puts all the pieces together. It was sheer creative brilliance. Actors of that time were so charming - their dialogue delivery was so grand and theatrical, your ears would pay attention to what they said. It's true - they don't make them like they used to.

Another thing I would really appreciate is the staging. It completely stood out. Every scene was so planned, so crisp - yet it didn't reveal the story completely. Here are some of my favourite screenshots.

Did anyone notice the stuffed birds in the background and foreground, adding to the strange personality of our newly introduced character?


Vertical lines suggesting anxiety, nervousness. The composition guides your eyes towards him.



Amazing lighting, creating so much suspense! As the detective climbs up the staircase we see this door opening very slowly.


More suspense! We see the body of a person in a gown, and we see his/her head, but we can't see the face! Throughout the film, there has only been a suggestion of her.

The almost haunted mansion.

Sharp lines and foreground elements guiding us towards her - almost as if someone is watching her.


Well composed 3 shots and 4 shots. It's not easy to place so many characters in one frame without it looking artificial and staged!


The film ends with the Rule of thirds, with our subject on the golden point. I don't know if all his shots were intentional - maybe all the rules we know are rules based on movies like his that managed to communicate the story so well! :)