Heaven's Burning

I love movies that take me totally by surprise. Turned on the TV, saw a Russel Crowe movie I'd never heard of was starting in a minute and decided I'd give it a whirl. For the next 100 minutes, I don't remember breathing. What could be described as a formulaic detective, on the lam movie was packed with the little things that make movies worth watching.

It has a stellar leading cast who evolve in totally unpredictable ways over a very short period. Throw in your typical colorful Aussie characters, tribal Afghan crazies, and Japanese you'd never see act that way in Japan and let the bullets fly.

Maybe I also really enjoyed it because in a cast of misfits and crazies, the one who turned out to be the craziest (who starts off the sanest) is driving around the countryside on my motorcycle, a beautiful black Triumph Thunderbird (although it could have been a bonnie, but I don't think so).

But I really enjoyed the subtle things that separate good movies from bad. There are thematic (and landscape) shifts, accurate and slightly ugly social commentary, a little philosophizing, Afghan woman with hijaab as computer hacker, and tasty Aussie back-country scenes (the corner country bar, B&S dance), and some father/son dynamics to go with typical on the lam love developing.

So see this movie, I bet you'll find things you like about it too.

First of all, I'd like to say that this is a very unique, but also important film that is making a social commentary on the oppression that (specifically, but not exclusively,)many Japanese women suffer at the hands of their domineering and quite often abusive husbands. Because of their ancient cultural structure and social and familial pressures, these women are forced into marriages that are probably not always fulfilling, and this incredible Australian? director has tackled the telling of this poor woman's predicament, which alot of Asian women may be able to relate to, without being able to speak up about it for themselves. At the same time, this director, by bringing Russell Crowe, and a plot that revolves around a bank robbery gone awry, with plenty of action and gore, is probably going to attract viewers who otherwise wouldn't really care about the problems Japanese women face. He is therefore challenging those people to take a look at this human rights issue, and bringing it to light, which is good for everybody. The inter-racial romance is an added entertaining element, but if that's all that viewers see, then they're missing the point. Let's face it,inter-racial relationships between Japanese women and foreign men have been going on since the early days of exploration by Europeans. The director of this film, along with everybody involved must be commended for taking a gamble on a topic that obviously can be touchy, and at the same time misunderstood by the typical, shallow public. To top it off, he also manages to make an homage to the classical composer Richard Wagner, first with the guy in a wheelchair, played by the ex-Men at Work singer (forgot-his-name),who should get an Oscar for his Heroic performance, and then again with the music from Tristan and Isolde at the very end! A really Cool Flic!

Well, I watched this again after seeing Russell Crowe in The Insider.

THE reason to watch this movie, in my mind, is the last five minutes. If you've read the title, I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say that it's the sort of poetically cataclysmic ending you'd expect from the best of film noir...bringing to mind a vague connection with Kiss Me Deadly...and the only way to end any good road movie. That said, the rest of the movie is pure B...true to the noir roots...and whether or not the mistranslations and boom mike shadows were intentional is somewhat irrelevant. You may laugh, you may not, but at worst it's a quirky, passably interesting vehicle to the "good" part.

As for Crowe, well, fans may enjoy, but no one's really given enough time or lines to shine in this movie. Or establish believable relationships for that matter. They're grim characters on a silent march to their doom, leaving a path of carnage and (I must insist quite relevant) dead bystanders in their wake.

I first saw this movie in a late night slot on a satellite movie channel. The movie has a more than interesting cast of quirky and disturbing characters that appear throughout is length, in some respects quite similar to a Coen brothers film. The two central characters meet in the most unusual of circumstances and have more than one reason to hide themselves from their respective pursuers. The film portrays a different side to Australia, especially with the mixture of cultures presented. There are enough action scenes within film to keep the pace up and is accompanied with a good soundtrack. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and would recommend it.

Ok, so this isn't your typical shoot them up movie or a romantic comedy or drama in any way. It's a combination of everything, and for me it is quite effective. The story is told very well. There are funny moments, touching moments, and enough action/violence to keep the viewer interested throughout. I didn't expect anything before I saw it so I was pleasantly surprised. Obviously it is no Gladiator, but as a Russell Crowe fan I gotta say once again he does not disappoint.