Dennis D. McDonald (ddmcd@ddmcd.com)consults from Alexandria Virginia. His services include writing & research, proposal development, and project management.
I don’t think I’ll be submitting myself to this cinematic torture again. I guess I prefer my spirit to be uplifted, not crushed, even when the crushing is beautifully and artistically portrayed.
What propels the story along are the twin realities that (a) this story is true and (b) Japanese prison camp conditions really were this horrific. Jolie’s almost documentary approach lets these things speak for themselves. You can’t help but be moved by the results. I certainly was.
This tasty little thriller really packs a punch with frequent and unexpected twists and turns along the way. Jude Law and Rooney Mara star in an expertly crafted cat and mouse game that pits … well, explaining the story too much would spoil things.
Seeing INK reminded me of my guardian angel days as it explores the conflict between good and evil and the shadowy netherworld of dreams, nightmares, and overlapping timelines.
What Spielberg seems to be saying is that we must not let the very real fears and dangers of the time make us forget who we are and the freedoms we hold dear.
But it’s the characters on display here that are the real focus. Who are these people and what are they really up to? Watching the actions of the police is especially interesting. They’re the outsiders here. Everyone goes to great lengths to keep the cops at arm’s length so they can pursue their own deals.
While there’s a lot here that’s “true to the Bible,” the movie also make sense as a fantasy set in a time and place far far away. We can’t help but wonder about the morality of such a world where the vices of humans are met not with forgiveness but with genocide on a planetary scale.
Out of this genocide emerges a new and greener world.
It’s an oddly sterile middle class urban future that’s presented here and one where all annoying visual corners seem to have been knocked or sanded off.
The bond between the two characters is never clearly understood. Master and pupil (as the title implies)? Or two dissimilar peas in a pod, one reflecting the other?
This is not your typical Stathan action movie. I enjoyed it along with the excellent direction and beautiful nighttime photography. The thick English accents are a bit tough to follow at times but if you just follow the movement and the eyes you’ll be fine.