The first movie, The Ambush, delivered good action and I thought was good enough to start off the film series. Ang Lee's second short film was less than good with mediocre action scenes and a story that did not make much sense. He said he was going for the comedic approach, my advise to Mr. Lee, don't do comedy again.
The third installment was the best so far, intriguing story and beautiful filming style. Then there was Guy Ritchie's film Star. It was, I thought, quite funny and the second best. Then we have the last one: Powder Keg by Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu, (remember that name), director of the critically acclaimed Amores Perros. His movie is inspired on the actual event of the massacre of Aguas Blancas which happened in Mexico's guerilla zone. The rest of the story is enitrely fictional and concerns a photographer who captures the event and becomes wounded when he is discovered by the militia. Clive Owen's driver character is sent to get him out of the war zone. Alejandro's script manages to create a story far more deep than all previous BMW films. The photographer's character starts to develop when he says he would like to have time to play with his kids, which he doesn't have because the life of a war photographer is very demanding and he hasn't had the chance to start a family which he regrets. He then laments what he has witnessed in the 15 wars he is covered by telling of the dying people that have that died at his feet begging for help. He is unable to help them and all he can do is take their picture as all he is after all is a witness. He then says he wishes on of his pictures would help change something so all the time he has dedicated to his career are worth something. Then we learn about his mother who influenced him to become a photographer by telling him 'to see'. We later learn the mother is blind. All this in about five minutes in the most natural way. The film is shot with energy and the style alone can evoke emotion even with the little dialogue it has. 'This is not a political movie but a movie about love between a man and his mother' says director Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu and it is true. Even if the characters never are in the same scene together. Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu is a genius, the other four directors have a chance here to learn a thing or two about movie-making.
The third installment was the best so far, intriguing story and beautiful filming style. Then there was Guy Ritchie's film Star. It was, I thought, quite funny and the second best. Then we have the last one: Powder Keg by Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu, (remember that name), director of the critically acclaimed Amores Perros. His movie is inspired on the actual event of the massacre of Aguas Blancas which happened in Mexico's guerilla zone. The rest of the story is enitrely fictional and concerns a photographer who captures the event and becomes wounded when he is discovered by the militia. Clive Owen's driver character is sent to get him out of the war zone. Alejandro's script manages to create a story far more deep than all previous BMW films. The photographer's character starts to develop when he says he would like to have time to play with his kids, which he doesn't have because the life of a war photographer is very demanding and he hasn't had the chance to start a family which he regrets. He then laments what he has witnessed in the 15 wars he is covered by telling of the dying people that have that died at his feet begging for help. He is unable to help them and all he can do is take their picture as all he is after all is a witness. He then says he wishes on of his pictures would help change something so all the time he has dedicated to his career are worth something. Then we learn about his mother who influenced him to become a photographer by telling him 'to see'. We later learn the mother is blind. All this in about five minutes in the most natural way. The film is shot with energy and the style alone can evoke emotion even with the little dialogue it has. 'This is not a political movie but a movie about love between a man and his mother' says director Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu and it is true. Even if the characters never are in the same scene together. Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu is a genius, the other four directors have a chance here to learn a thing or two about movie-making.