Beyond Borders - Thoughts

I’ve possibly heard of this movie around its release in 2003, but just never watched it, as it didn’t figure on my ‘must watch as soon as possible’ list. Having come across it recently during my routine movie research, I decided to give it a watch. In Beyond Borders, Angelina Jolie plays an American living in London married to a wealthy British man. One night at a charity ball she meets Nick Callahan who crashes the party to make a moving plea for funding for refugees in Ethiopia. Deeply moved by this, she leaves her comfort zone and family to embark upon a journey to the distressed relief zone. Little does she know that this would spark a change in her that would transform the rest of her life


Weighing in at a little over 2 hours, Beyond Borders is comparatively long by regular movie standards. Add to that the overall slow mood of the movie, and what you have is a serious unhurried plot that takes its time at portraying the harsh realities of poverty and civil unrest in the world. While that may not work for many light moviegoers, for the discerning few, Beyond Borders will be quite epic….the horrors and intensity of human hardship being very in the face of the audience. Also efficient is the evolution of the plot, over the movies’ 12 year timeframe; character development and world events coming across realistically as the movie runs its course. The audience gets a unique opportunity to witness Ethiopia, Cambodia, and Chechnya. Photography in many of the long shots in the distress zones is magnificent. Casual moviegoers will probably find Beyond Borders to be a drag, but if you have the patience, and if relief work in hot zones interest you, you’ll quite enjoy it.

Angelina Jolie’s performance as Sarah Jordan is remarkable; most notable being her characters evolution between 1984 and 1995. Initially she comes across as an American girl from a sheltered background, mostly concerned with stereotype thoughts of love, marriage and family. Unplanned events slowly change her, helping her discover her true passion, in a coming of age sorta way. Her portrayal being a beautiful blend of courage, with that of the tender love of a mother. Clive Owen as Nick Callahan is the brash rebel doctor, who plays a hardened man, very driven and passionate about his beliefs. While his character is slightly over the top, the representation is pretty good.

As in most cases I was watching a Region 1 US release DVD. Video was quite good, with some particular scenes being extremely sharp and clear. Color tone for most part favored warm colors, with orangish sandy brown highlights being very notable. As mentioned before, aerial mounted camera work is quite breathtaking in various shots. Sound was presented by means of a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack. Being a serious movie, dialog was key, and this was presented well from the center channel. Ambient sounds were very good, immersing the audience into the various hot zones. Channel separation and surround stage usage was noticeable in several of the conflict scenes, and added a level of realism and intensity to the scenes.

My Recommendation: Watch It (A gripping and intense narrative of humanity and hardship)

127 Hours - Thoughts

There's been a lot of buzz around this movie, and with the 6 Oscar nominations, the hype has only increased. I watched the trailer a couple of months ago, and wasn't necessarily bowled over. It seemed like a decent watch, but not one to be enamored by. It subsequently released in the theaters, and a friend of mine was keen on checking it out. 127 Hours is the retelling of a true story wherein a lone mountaineer gets trapped during one of his treks and is forced to spend 127 hours stuck; looking back on his life, and perhaps coming to terms with his end.


To be fair, my expectations were very realistic going into the movie. I was aware that the bulk of the movie would be just 1 actor/character, and his struggle; that in some way reminded me of Castaway, which was quite slow overall. The movie was very in keeping with this limited potential, and did what it could quite well. The love for mountaineering, trekking, and the wild outdoors has been captured very effectively. Audience with similar interests will be able to relate to this well. Aspects of a man knowing that he is near his end, reminiscing about past events and the years gone by are portrayed effectively. With an exception of the opening 10 minutes, the bulk of the movie is slow, but pace is managed relatively well. Be warned that there are some gruesome moments of extreme physical endurance; but that should be anticipated with such a theme. The overall level of appeal here will probably vary greatly; casual movie goers will probably find this to be a bit much. Those looking for something different will enjoy it. Trekkers and amateur adventurers could love or hate this one. As for professional adventurers; I don’t really think they care about movies!

The success of 127 Hours rides primarily on the performance of James Franco who plays Aron Ralston. Thankfully James does a wonderful job, portraying an enthusiastic, vibrant and energetic Aron Ralston. While I wasn't overly analyzing, for most part it's fair to say that it’s hard to fault his performance. Kate Mara, and Amber Tamblyn who play Kristi and Megan, fellow trekkers that Aron meets during his expedition add value to the overall story. Though their roles are limited, their performances are apt, and in keeping with the fun theme of mountaineering.

I watched this movie in the theater and found the video to be quite good. Colors were realistic, with very little or no post production color tone addition. Picture was clear, and even the dark scenes had sufficient definition. Dream sequences used minimal visual effects, which worked acceptably. Sound was good, but nothing ground breaking. Minimal surround stage usage was noticeable during the movie.

My Recommendation: Watch It – (Different and intense; not a casual watch though)