of savages and masterclasses

for the past few days i've been watching films incessantly, and at hours when most people are sound asleep. i simply couldn't help it.

everytime i tried to catch some euro '08 actions, i always end up falling asleep right after the first half. i just can't make it past the boredom of having to wait for the half time commentator gibberish. so what i did for the past couple of nights was to fill myself up with a huge mug of coffee before the games start so i'd be awake literally the whole night long.

this however presented it with another unique challenge. whenever half time did arrive, i find myself with nothing in particular to do, so what i always do is to go to my download folder and have a look around. and then i'm reminded of the many movies which i haven't even watched so inevitably i end up clicking on one of them. the itchy fingers. and from there on, there's no turning back...

so onto my main point: usually i choose films to watch purely based on their titles. it's always hits and misses, and you never know what you'll get. but on those rare occasions when you find a gem out of all those mainstream junk, you are really satisfied with yourself on making the leap of faith because otherwise you would have never heard of it.


The Savages was such a film. initially i thought it was some kind of wild western film with lots of action but it turned out to be an incredible tale of familial relationships between a dying father, a brother and a sister. i'm a sucker for dramas depicting a depth of characters and this one sure has plenty to offer.

on the surface it seems like the ultimate tragedy and speaks of the bitter links between a failed parent and the damaged lives of his children - both struggling writers trying to land the big break, one of whom is living under the illusion of the perfect romance and the other letting the love of his life go and not realizing what he was doing.

i guess the notion that both of them somehow "failed" at their own relationships serves in turn as the reminiscent side effects of not having really been "loved" by their dad. and so one of them tried to seek instant gratification in a married man assuming that was love, while the other had met the love of his life only failing to realize what it was before letting go.

and this whole tale of two completely separate tragedies was then inexplicably intertwined when their father was diagnosed with dementia, and was quickly dying. their struggle to take care of him and finally knowing how much they loved him when he passed away seemed to have restored faith and gave them the courage to love again.

the filmed is somewhat of a hybrid between a complete tragedy and a dark comedy, because there were moments of lightness and humour which are derived from watching the interactions between the characters. plus the soundtrack had a really cheeky feeling to it at times which really made this film something of a unique piece.

once again, philip hoffman (one of my favourite actors) has delivered in spades with his touching performance. it seems that whatever role he plays, he adds that midas touch to it that just makes it such a joy to watch. and it's because of that precise reason that made me decide to revisit another classic of our time, which also happens to be one of my favourite films of all time - Capote.


i just wanted to be reminded of that electrifying performance of his again, which in my opinion is arguably one of the best lead performances of all time, certainly up there with brando in The Godfather. the fact that he alone was the guiding force of the entire film made it seem at times like a monologue, nevertheless you're simply drawn to his character. and i honestly think he was the only person on this planet up to the job of playing truman capote, who himself was quite a handful in person. seriously, this film is nothing short of a masterclass for all the other actors out there. there are plenty of good actors around, but you'll know it when you see a great one.

so do your self a favour and go get a copy of The Savages and watch it. you'll definitely be left with a lot of thoughts afterwards, about how you'd take care of your parents when they can no longer take care of themselves, and about your own family and the intricate relationships. and if in the most unlikely of events that you have not seen Capote yet, i'm really lost for words here, except that i wanna give you a big L for love. go watch it already you loser.


+listening to: help the poor by b.b. king