Upside Down 2012

“Gravity, they say you can’t fight it. Well I disagree. What if the love was stronger than gravity“

There is a very fine line between fantasy & illogicality. If the fantasies slightly cross the line it becomes too illogical. The same happens with Upside Down. When I first watched the trailer, I feel a certain urge to watch the film instantly, as the subject of two twin world with opposite gravity attracts heavily. And a love story between the people of these two planets seems pretty interesting to watch. But when I watched the movie I feel pretty disappointed because the movie was not up to the trailer. I feel that a perfect idea is wasted in form of Upside Down.

The line above could be the main reason for the script to fail. As when you start getting biased on certain component in a script, it’s than the script starts loosing it’s track. The moment writer of the movie becomes biased for love element, the starts pushing gravity & logicality down. And result is the love wins, along with illogicality. 

Upside Down is the story of Adam & Eden. Adam is from the down world of poor whereas Eden belongs to the rich world of upper planet. Now they meet one fine day when they were in their pre teens. They instantly get connected. They starts meeting up to the late teens. Than one day they get found & separated by the police as the two worlds are not allowed to get in touch, especially for such relations. They meet 10 years later. And what happens next is the entire movie about.

The major loopholes are, firstly it was never ever tried to show the development of chemistry between the two neither in teen nor later. They just get attracted & fall in love. But they hardly spent any time to know each other, in such a way that they gets ready to cross the world for each other. But they do. Surely the answer will be love. Secondly, why the government of both the world is so strict especially in love affairs is never explained. They can hire the workers from other world, but they can’t fell in love. Why, not explained. There is two or more time, when it’s never shown how Adam gets escaped from Upper world. How the Police gets alarmed every time they meet, is never told. Finally when she gets pregnant & suddenly how the fantasy gets fairy tale ending is not shown. 

The best thing about the movie is it’s idea & than the way it is executed from camera lens. Movie is a visual treat. Though at some places it looks irritating to watch a guy talking with other guy who is in inverted position, but than also it is a difficult job to shoot. Director tries to show the division of rich & poor through the division of worlds, which is quite innovative. But neither this gets connected to romantic genre nor with fantasy. 

Jim Sturgess & Kirsten Dunst have played their part well. Though Jim most of the time tries to get escaped from one world to another but than also he is okay. Dunst doesn’t get too much scope. Timothy Spall as Bob is good.

Overall, you can watch the movie for a new idea/concept. If that excites you, you can give it a watch. Otherwise neither as a romantic drama nor as a fantasy, it is a watchable experience.

Rating- Two Out of Five

Love Me If You Dare (Jeux d’enfants) 2003

“Sophie was back in the game! Pure, raw, explosive pleasure! Better than drugs, better than smack! Better than a dope-coke-crack-fix-shit-shoot-sniff-ganja-marijuana-blotter-acid-ecstasy! Better than sex, head, 69, orgies, masturbation, tantrism, Kama Sutra or Thai doggy-style! Better than banana milkshakes! Better than George Lucas’s trilogy, the muppets and 2001! Better than Emma Peel, Marilyn, Lara Croft and Cindy Crawford’s beauty mark! Better than the B-side to Abbey Road, Jimmy Hendrix and the first man on the moon! Space Mountain, Santa Claus, Bill Gates’ fortune, the Dalai Lama, Lazarus raised from the dead! Schwarzenegger’s testosterone shots, Pam Anderson’s lips! Woodstock, raves… Better than Sade, Rimbaud, Morrison and Castaneda! Better than freedom, better than life! “

These lines could make you imagine how one could be addicted to love. If you still can’t imagine, than watch Love Me If You Dare (Jeux d’enfants). Its a french movie starring Marrion Cotillard & Guillaume Canet as Julien & Sophie. It’s not a mass movie. You have to dare to watch this fare. As the character asked strongly “Are you game?”. And if you dare you will watch a new version of love. A love that is mad, crazy, daring, tyrant, or like a cream puff. As an audience one has seen many poignant tales of love. So it’s pretty difficult to show something apart from genuine lived happily after or parted for the life time or died in each other’s arm like saga. Mostly a romantic movie is way predictable. Most of the people can even guess what the next frame would be? But not in this case. Here every frame will thrill you even more.

Julien & Sophie are from two different social background. Julien’s father never liked her. After Julien’s mother he approved their meeting as to make Julien’s grief bearable. But he lost his son to that girl from their onwards. Julien & Sophie used to play game or dare through a little tin box. They exchange the box after every dare or game. This goes on till their adulthood until one day when Julien confess his love & that damn game comes in between.“Tell me that you love me first because I’m afraid that if I tell you first you’ll think that I’m playing the game” Also Julien’s father asked him to chose between him & Sophie. They get separated for next four year as a part of game. They meet after four year when Julien came to Sophie. Sophie dump his than boyfriend to go back to Julien, but than it is revealed that Julien has come to asked Sophie if she would become the witness at her marriage. Sophie plays the game or dare at marriage too, causing a permanent father-son off relationship. They again goes to different ways for next ten years. And then they meet again & again asked each other “Are you Game” The movie has two alter endings in the same story. It is for the viewer’s convenience to either way they want to conclude. But the first one is more suitable as the films starts at the same point where first ending ends.

Marion & Guillaume both have played their part exceptionally well. Guillaume shows the pain at regular interval with a wittiness. His character can be seen growing, both on looks & maturity level. Marion is a greatest french actress according to me. She looks slutty, heart broken, deeply in love or all. Whatever you want from her character she provides you. Damn her eyes even act so beautifully that they looks like real character. She Sparks, dazzles all the way. The chemistry between the duo is terrific. From reel life they went to become real life partners after this movie. Also the child actors played their childhood part are terrific. They are on the verge to become great performer in future. Julien’s father played by Gérard Watkins & mother played by Emmanuelle Grönvold are also deserve applaud especiall Emmanuelle Grönvold. She brings the pain in her character naturally.

Direction from  Yann Samuell is top notch. He depicts the three stage of life differently, according to the mood. The childhood part is much more colorful & looks like a fairy tale, whereas present day part is sharp & real. The hypothetical old age is shown in blurred light. Also being emotionally high at some part, it never become slow or boring. There is no part for tear & all that drama, whereas it could, if handled by some one else. Cinematography is according to the mood.

Overall, if you are bored with normal romance drama, if you want thrill mix with romance, if you don’t want to be predictable. Than surely go for this one. But if you are just too happy in usual stuff, don’t watch it just to fill it with your spoiler comments & thought. Ingenuously a genuine cult status movie.

Rating- Four Out of Five