I was looking forward to this anime from the maker of Akira with much anticipation. But Katsuhiro Otomo disappoints. The flick highlights the ever ensuing fight against using science for destruction. It is very rich in detail and portrays some wonderful animation but does not have the deep philosophical and mystical storyline that Akira had.
Based on the book by Christopher Paolini, the movie like the book mashes LOTR, EarthSea and few other fantasy classics into a barely palatable dish. But hey I can't resist a movie or book with dragons in it...
Interesting piece at the Guardian which highlights 50 movies that lost their way, rather unfortunately. Some good suggestions for Christmas viewing.
A movie very much inspired by "In the Mood for Love". Bjarne Henriksen is a Danish Bill Murray. After his wife of 25 years abruptly leaves him, he starts to frequent his neighborhood Chinese grill. He befriends the grill owner who offers him a sizable sum of money to marry his sister so that she can remain in the country. And so the story goes...
Mustafa a.k.a Schizo is kicked out of school because he his strange and slow. The rest of film shows that schizophrenia has not affected him much. After leaving school he signs on to scout for fighters for an underground fighting ring. One of the fighters he brings dies in the ring. Schizo takes it on himself to help the dead fighters family and soon gets intricately involved in their daily life.In spite of the simple and linear storyline, the film made out for some fine viewing.
This should have been the movie going to the Oscars; instead of the other UTV over-rated-piece-of-dog-piss production, Rang De Basanti. Glad to see more such real & funny mainstream movies making its way into the theatres. There slowly appears to be a core group of actors regaling in the freedom of making non-larger-than-life-fucking-bullshit cinema: a throwback to the early 80s indie film movement. Boman Irani as an evil land grabber is certainly one of them. 
Return of the prodigal son. And the resultant impending doom. A dark movie thats set in a religious Texan town and how the top church family is infiltrated by a virus - of sin. Good performances that make it fairly a distant, bleak movie.
"How can one take the role of oppressor and victim?"
Sean Penn's directorial debut film - and its got every bit of the 'tragedy' element that Penn, the actor, thrives in. 
Gregg starts work in a new company only to find his cubicle covered with Post-It notes left by his predecessor. And there ends all the novelty in the film. Another one of those "Why did I put this on my queue?" movies.
The final installation in Deepa Mehta's trilogy, Water portrays the plight of windows in India during the 1930s. The film has a excellent story line and screenplay but having Lisa Ray and John Abraham in the lead roles made the movie fall flat.
These days when I see the words - 'A CLINT EASTWOOD FILM' - I shut the laptop and head to the nearest queue for cinema tickets. And when its based on a WWII incident, I am found missing from office for the rest of the day. 
Vietnam is beautiful even when covered with water. You get to literally soak up the countryside in this movie. Set in the 1940's before the split, it shows the tale of Kim. There is a bit of everything in this film... booze, weed, fights, young lust, death and life... A young boy's coming of age tale.
Tony Leung is a police mole in the mafia. Andy Lau is a mafia mole in the police. Let the cat and mouse games begin. One of the tightest gangster flicks I have ever seen. Completely stripped of unnecessary melodrama. Even the love interests of the two characters are subtly portrayed. Just a few conversations here and there to get the message across. And Tony Leung rules!!! Every time I see him on screen he just blows. The man's acting is effortless.
Why would someone like Martin Scorsese have to dig into the Asian pocket and adapt a film, I know not. Andy Lau's role is played by Matt Damon and Tony Leung's is taken over by (snicker snicker) Leanordo Di Caprio. In an attempt to give more background and depth to the characters, Scorsese has made the film more noisier without adding anything to it except of course the unnecessary love triangle. But I have to say that Jack Nicholson does get under your skin as the Mafioso don.
Kitano reprises his role as Beat Takeshi in this film. One of the funniest films I have ever seen. Beat Takeshi is a loud mouthed ex-Yakuza who is handed the role of a companion to a young shy and awkward boy who is looking for his mother. This unlikely pair go on a road trip that will leave you rolling on the floor with laughter.
The Joseph Stalin professor makes his appearance in a role thats more his scene. A return to the beginning of 007 - an indication that they believe the fellow is going to be here for a while. A good watch - especially, the hand combat scenes and less of gadgets. 
