FIVE MINARETS IN NEW YORK
Five Minarets in New York is the story of two Turkish anti-terrorist agents sent to New York to capture Islamic terrorists. An interesting subject worth exploring from various angles, giving the filmmakers the opportunity to be unbiased.
It is a touchy subject that could go really wrong or really right. It could be a subtle, independent production aiming for an exploration of characters and chain of events – or a Hollywood, action-filled, gun-slinging, naive piece of crap. The trailer is quite confused as to what it is really presenting. Is the movie sympathetic with Islamic fundamentalists? Is it favouring an American way of life? I am genuinely confused.
Hiring Danny Glover as an imam is either really stupid or quite clever. Perhaps it will attract a greater audience; perhaps it will alienate those audiences who do not want to see Murtaugh kick it with Islam. The whole concept feels like it would work better with unknown actors, seeing as Glover’s presence surprises and as a result, takes the viewer’s focus away from the story itself.
The film should be dealt with delicacy, but every now and again elements appear – such as Robert Patrick’s character, big explosions, lines that belong in a Sylvester Stallone flick - making it hard to understand the direction the trailer and film are going in.
The Americans are presented as ass-holes and it is really not beneficiary to the movie (cf. the scene where Patrick interrupts the prayer in the mosque). The film tries to depict the arrogance and incompetence of American justice and does not come across the right way.
And did I really see the Statue of liberty crying?
The film has potential but the efforts have been put in wrong places. Less is more.
WINNIE
Winnie is a biopic of Nelson Mandela’s first wife. A woman who fought against apartheid and on behalf of her husband. Sounds like the perfect subject for a magnificent film. Yet it stinks.
Firstly, Terrence Howard needs to tone it down. Particularly when he says nonsense such as “The purpose for you to be made, was for you to be free”. Seriously, who wrote this?
Secondly, the trailer is a clichéd, chronological, biased biopic made of light, insignificant dialogue, appalling, unchallenging editing; thus spawning a boring, long-winded trailer. The film clearly does not take into consideration all the wrongs Winnie did while her husband was locked up. They have put her on a pedestal and it gives an untrue account of her life. There is only one word for it: biased.
And who on earth thought Elias Koteas could pull that role off? Who imagined Howard and Jennifer Hudson would have chemistry? What an insignificant, dull, unimportant film this trailer puts forward.
Louise-Afzal Faerkel
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