87. THE WAVE (2015)

THE WAVE (2015)

Language               -       Norwegian (Norway)

Genre                     -       Disaster

Director                 -       Roar Uthaug

*ing                        -       Kristoffer Joner (Kristian), Ane Dahl Torp (Idun)

IMDB Score           -       6.7/10

PLOT

                           Kristian is a geologist who has been studying the Geiranger mountains for a long time. He got a new job into the oil industry, as a result after having the farewell party he prepares to leave his office. But an anomaly in the groundwater sensors in the mountain keeps him in the Geiranger. His colleagues said that it will be a cable problem. But later he finds that it is not just the cable, it’s the mountain plates that started shifting. If the mountain collapses, it can create an 85-meter-high tsunami. The entire village is at a greater risk.

MY VIEW

                           “The Wave” is the first disaster movie made in Norway and Scandinavia. Even though the movie is from a small industry it portrays disaster in a perfect way. It didn’t show any heroic deeds from the main characters instead they all acted naturally just like persons react during the situations of panic. There are no saving factors for protagonists’ families like in the movie “2012”. If you’re a person who loves to travel, then this small tourist village of Norway must be in your bucket list. The movie portrays its beauty in a more elegant way, with emerald blue water and greenery filled mountains. But the fact is that the basic plot of the movie is not fictional, because the director himself states that the crack in the mountains of Geiranger is expanding in each year it will be only a matter of time where the people will face a huge calamity. I felt that the movie ended soon, maybe the director tries to be as real as possible without adding much cinematic elements, but still, it shows many feelings of humans like the love of father and mother towards their children, the love towards towards their friends, even the tendency to survive themselves by killing others.

VERDICT

                           It was the No 1 in Norway Box-office in the year 2015 and gained much popularity through the country. The Quake (2018) is a sequel to this movie. Apart from the financial success, the movie had won many accolades in Norway like the The Kanon Awards, Amanda Awards. It was also the official entry of Norway to the  88th Academy Awards but failed to be nominated. The movie is a must watch one for people of Kerala, because it shows how civilians should behave during the case of emergency, leave all your belongings because nothing can replace your life, reach as fast as possible to the top of any mountain and all this have to be done within 10 minutes from the Red Alert. The citizens of Geiranger is a perfect example for people to follow during a disaster.

Movie Trailer- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3616916/videoplayer/vi2929702169?ref_=tt_ov_vi

86. RESCUE DAWN (2006)

RESCUE DAWN

Language          -     English (United States)

Genre                -     War, Survival

Director            -     Werner Herzog

*ing                    -     Christian Bale (Dieter Dengler), Jeremy Davis (Gene)

IMDB Score      -     7.3/10

PLOT

                                                                      Dieter Dengler is an American fighter pilot, who is on a secret mission to do bombing in Laos during the Vietnam war. But his flight being shot down by the rebels. He is captured by the peasants, tortured and sent to a prison camp in a remote village, where he met other prisoners, who were there for more than a couple of years. Dengler comes with a new escape plan but they didn’t know the chance of survival because they must overcome armed guards, scarcity of food and the herculean the task of Vietnam wilderness.

MY VIEW

                                                                     Rescue Dawn is a war/survival movie from German director Werner Herzog. The movie is based on the true story of Dieter Dengler, a US Naval Aviator shot down over Laos during the Vietnam War.  This movie is not at all a military movie showing the supremacy of American Soldiers, nor it is filled with patriotic pumping scenes or music, instead it is one of the best movies showing the survival of the fittest. It shows the trauma a human mind must undergo when there is no sign of rescue from death. As always Bale was outstanding in acting. He shed 55 pounds for his role. The plane crash scene is the only scene where Christian Bale was doubled by a stuntman. Even the co-actors shed more than 20 pounds to show life in a prison camp. “It's not the camp, it’s the jungle that makes the real prison”, this dialogue from the movie shows the real villain in this movie.

 VERDICT

                                                                     RESCUE DAWN is a feel-good movie without really trying to become one, which is where so many survival and hardship movies fail; but any imperfections this film does have, is certainly overshadowed by its obvious technical genius, excellent acting, and courageous story.

Trailer- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462504/videoplayer/vi3215197465?ref_=tt_pv_vi_aiv_1

85. JULIA'S EYES

JULIA’S EYES

Language       -       Spanish

Genre             -       Mystery, Thriller

Director         -       Guillem Morales

*ing                -       Belén Rueda (Julia/Sara), Lluís Homar (Issac)

IMDB Score   -       6.7/10

PLOT

Julia is a scientist who searches for new planets and stars, but she received the suicide news of her blind twin sister, Sara who hanged herself under the basement of her home. Julia suspects it to be a murder and tries to solve it, she is continuously chased by a mysterious man. But the real problem starts when she too suffers the same degenerative disease of her sister and gradually losing sight. In this surrounding of death, weirdness and blindness she must solve the secrecy behind the mysterious man and her sister’s death.

MY VIEW

“Julia’s Eyes” is a Spanish thriller by Guillem Morales. Anyone will be interested in seeing the name Guillermo Del Toro’s (Pacific Rim, Hell Boy fame) name as producer. Even I expected it to be in the range of other Spanish thrillers like “The invisible guest” and “The body” but it is not as great as others but still a great thriller. There are many indications of predicting the villain character, just like many other movies we will predict someone, and became wrong but on reaching the mid portion of 2^nd half we will be able to know the real villain. The movie was able to maintain the thrill until the end, even though I am not satisfied with the climax because it ends with some questions.

VERDICT

Originally planned to be filmed in the English language. Once Guillermo del Toro became involved as a producer and Universal Pictures saw an opportunity to start its first Spanish production, the idea was changed. It can be a good pick for everyone for thriller genres with many rain scenes, dark and scary backgrounds.

Trailer- https://www.imdb.com/videoplayer/vi371957017?playlistId=tt1512685&ref_=tt_ov_vi