Dark Room vol.1: Money, Masks and Murder
Posted by Arnprior on May 18, 2009 in Blog • No comments
Hello my fellow QSS posters. My name is Urbangiggles and I want to welcome you all here to the new QSS Blog. Now this section of the blog, The Dark Room, is about movies that most people have never heard of or that just go unnoticed here (or anywhere else for that matter). Now, of curse, there are great independent flicks that we all know and love, like the infamous beauty of Amelie or the masterpiece know as Memento. But there are many other hidden gems that I want to bring to the light. These movies have been either posted by me and/or other great members here on QSS. So enjoy the first edition to (said with my best Darth Vader impersonation) The Dark Room. Enjoy.
1st: Millions (2004)
Now this movie I just came across while watching my favorite channel, IFC. I have never heard of it but when I read that Danny Boyle was the director, I knew I was in for a treat. This movie is cute, sweet, and absolutely charming. I have seen it numerous times and it still puts a smile on my face.
This movie is about a little boy named Damian who lives with his older brother, Anthony, and father, Ronnie. Now Damian is boy searching for an adventure, as any youngster does. So this movie kicks off while Damian is in his make believe shuttle talking to a saint, yes a saint. Various saints visit him and guide him throughout this movie. Now while a train goes by, to make Damian feel like he is actually on a shuttle, a duffel bag full of millions of Pounds, falls on his shuttle. Damian thinks the money is from God, he does not know that a robbery was taken place and that bag of money belongs to a thief that wants to hide it until the coast is clear. This is where the craziness starts.
Older brother Anthony comes along and tells Damian to keep it all a secret and that they should spend it on what they want. Damian is the one who wants to do good with it. This is where the battle begins in the movie. Now if you have seen another great film by Boyle named Slumdog Millionaire, the same difference between the siblings is one of many things that drives the movie. The younger brother is the one that wants to do the right thing and has the big heart. The older brother is the one that is mostly selfish and greedy. Now this movie is not violent compared to Slumdog, but you can see how money splits the two half. It is the battle of ethics.
Seeing how Damian is guided by saints throughout this film (a great play of fantasy on Doyle’s part as well), Damian begins to see that having this money is not as great as he thought it would be. He realizes that the money is what makes things worse for him and his family. Not only is he being followed by the thief, but many various people wanting the money as well or to quote Frank Gallagher of the great tv show, Shameless, The God Squad.
This movie is a must see in my opinion. It is funny and charming. It has a beautiful story with a great message. It shows that is depends on the heart of a person how money can be very good or very bad. Also with the imagination of Danny Boyle, the movie is sure to lift your spirits and make you smile as well. You will enjoy this movie. It is something that the whole family can enjoy.
2nd: Mirrormask (2005)
This movie was a recommendation from a friend. I am happy that it was recommended or else I would not have ever known about. A movie full of wonder and adventure. The first time I saw the trailer to Coraline, this was the movie that popped in my head first. Though the movies are not the same, they still offer a sort of playful darkness that looks like something Tim Burton thought of (Tim Burton was not involved with Mirrormask or else you would have heard of it).
The movie follows a 15-year old girl named Helena who works at a circus with her mom and dad. So as any teenager, she wishes she had a different life, a normal life. So one night, she falls asleep and her dream sends her to a completely different world. This world is full of unusually creatures and characters. Some of them want to go after her, others want to help her. But it is no mind for Helena, so she thinks.
Helena finds out soon after that this dark new world is in trouble. She must find a way to save it and by doing it, she can go home. It is her job to find the Mirrormask. This Mirrormask is the only thing that will help get rid of the Queen of Shadows and her daughter, Anti-Helena.
Now this is another movie I think is great for the whole family. Like Coraline, it is has a dark beauty about that I tend to enjoy. I don’t necessarily believe it is as good as Coraline (can’t compete with something Burton touched), but it is a good story that is well worth watching. I do recommend this movie for anyone that is attracted to seeing something a tad bit different, visually speaking anyway. The visual effects are familiar and yet different at the same time (if that makes sense to anyone). Just take my word for it. I hope you all enjoy.
Watch it here
(Credit and thanks to duckyandme and nightingales for providing the links)
3rd and final movie for the week: Kontroll (2003)
Now this is another movie I found while scoping IFC as well. This movie here is my personal favorite. When someone asks me about a movie, this is the movie I tell people to go and watch. I am not kidding when I say it has everything. There is comedy, action, mystery, drama. You can laugh your ass off one second and be on the edge of your seat the next. This is my little gem.
Bulcsu and his fellow crew of ticket inspectors work at a subway station in Hungary. Now the movie follows them after a murder takes place at the subway. Someone has pushed a drunken woman in front of a moving train. They see it later that day or so and go back to work. The movie mainly follows them to show just how frustrating their job is. They come across people on the subway that corporate and then the come across people who give them the runaround. The arguments will drive you mad and make you laugh at the same time. All is well but you still know there is a killer around there somewhere.
Now I wish I could go into more detail about the movie, but I don’t want to give anything away. This movie is full of laughs, some troublemaking and more. Words cannot describe how much I love this film. It is a lot fun, it is not kid-friendly as the two films above, but it is still wonderful. It has one of the coolest soundtracks I have ever heard and the second coolest chase scene in my opinion (first going to Ong-Bak). Also I would like to touch on the director of this movie. This was the director’s, Nimrod Antal’s, first attempt at a full length movie. I just want to say how impressive it is for a director’s very first movie to be this good, I know we are going to have a great movielovers’ relationship. Watch this movie, I know, well I hope, you won’t be disappointed. Be prepared for a rollercoaster.
I hope you all enjoy these movies and please let me know what you think. I will see you next week right here in The Dark Room.
UrbanGiggles
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