Friday, January 9, 2009

Speed, Matrix and Déjà Vu

Speed is a movie that thrills me even today, after watching it around 7 or 8 times in the last ten years. I had an occasion to see it again in TV last week, after a while. Yes, I know the bomb doesn't explode till the people are off the bus, nevertheless I find myself perched on the edge of my seat. One of my favourite scenes is the bus approaching the gap in the freeway. The police vehicles that accompany them give way and stand by to watch the jump and everyone's face is tense as Annie and Jack floor it... oh! even as I write this, I feel the hair rising, in thrill.

But as we see it over time, the loopholes slowly poke their heads out. It is up to us whether we choose to notice them. Such as, Annie manages to never hit a single person during her long driving stint, despite jumping red lights and getting on to the pedestrian pavements, always keeping above 50, till she enters the airport runway. She thinks she hit a baby once but it fortunately turned out to be a stroller full of cans.


Another interesting movie that I could see in bits and pieces was Matrix Reloaded. Yes - Keanu Reeves again. Quite by chance, I assure you. I haven't been able to make head or tail out of the Matrix movies but then you aren't expected to. Just keep watching, go out and make yourself a cuppa tea and be back and then continue. Finally watch Neo put his hand inside Trinity and make her heart pump again.



Déjà Vu was not what the name suggested. Not exactly. I expected something and got something else. The name led me to expect something akin to "Premonition" starring Sandra Bullock. But no, it was a trip to the past. The only trouble was, the Denzel Washington who travels to the past dies, and a new one comes. Well if the body is destroyed,... you think. But otherwise how could they have accounted for the presence of two Denzel Washingtons? Since there is no way you can go back to the future where you came from, to change the past. This movie, having watched late into the night, left me with a confused mind that kept looping around trips to the past and someone watching me through a satellite camera, till clarity arrived with the morning.

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