solitary_mariner

I had a small disagreement with the person who invited me to see Phantom Thread. What's your game, I asked charmingly. "Boredom, bad 90's art-house and actors and a director trying to channel an hallucinating David Lynch I smiled. "No they're not." "Well, yes they are." "No," she replied with spirited bellicosity and a balletic non sequitur, "the only thing they are channeling is exquisite cinema, wonderful performance art and an incredible Oscar worthy film" I realised I was staring over the precipice of one of those conversations that the potential to escalate into three managers, a cook with a cleaver, phone calls to the Guinness Book of Records and a sleepless night where you pace the room saying "what you don't understand is...." to the wall. So I nodded my head and stepped back from the brink. Anyway the movie was nonsensical and boring as a 5 year old's Christmas pantomime - whoever's in them or directs, dead or alive - invariably are.

So stuck in a hotel room because of a missed flight i saw this on the pay per view. A few words sum this movie up quite adequately, those being, slow, droll, drab and well, slow and just plain mediocre.

Now don't get me wrong, I like medieval action films, and i like hack and slash films like 47 Ronin and The Seventh Son, but the drab monochromatic colors and the weird mix of sets, styles and actors made the whole movie feel disjointed and boring and the dull plot lets it down, which i found sad because the first 15 minutes showed great promise.

A few good action scenes do not save this movie and Morgan Freeman and Clive Owen can't carry it to something it isn't. Save your money and pay to see something else or buy a bottle of wine and read a book because Game Of Thrones on the big screen this is not.

Mystic India is an absolutely breathtaking and stunning piece of film work and has a soundtrack to match. Unfortunately it is not very well known as it was shot in 70mm for Imax. This documentary takes you you from the lowlands and jungles of India to the towering Himalayas whilst following in the footsteps of 11 year old Nilkanth as he sets out on a 12000km journey of enlightenment in the year of 1792.

The Rath Yatra festival in Jagannathpuri is a scene not be missed and for me, was the highlight of this movie. It included over 8,000 participants and chariots taller than five stories high.

Narrated by Peter O'Toole, with amazing music Mystic India will take you to to locations that you can only ever dream of seeing. This is one for the bucket list of films to see - you will not be disappointed. A guaranteed feast for the eyes, the ears and the soul.