Manju Warrier's final film before her marriage to the comedian (even in reality) Dilip. Badhra (Manju Warrier) returns to her village like a Kali on a war path seeking retribution against the lanlord father (Thilakan) and son duo who destroyed her life. The fine acting cannot save this film thanks to a trite, lifeless and often repeated storyline.
Rating: *
I am not sure what chocolates have to do with this movie. Shyam (Prithwiraj) prances into an all girl's college with the usual furor. Ann (Roma) and her friends oppose the new entry with great vengeance. But then of course hate turns to love and so the story goes. An entertainer with a few hilarious sequences. Other than that there is not much to write home about this flick. Rating: * +
A thriller with a heavy hint of David Lynch. Marc (Vincent Lindon) decides to shave his moustache which he has had almost all his adult life. Much to his chagrin his wife, Agnes (Emmanuelle Devos), doesn't even notice. Neither does anyone else. Slowly Marc finds himself questioning his own existence. I just hope I really have a French beard and everyone is in agreement.
Its always tough to deal with movies objectively when there is so much hype about. Even if its good hype - be it the sex scenes, or the fact that it is an Ang Lee film or having the enigmatic Tony Leung in it. Thats usually the problem watching Oscar winners and I find myself in a similar predicament.
More than 8 years after seeing the movie the first time around, watched it again and would still consider it as the best Indian movie that has gone to the Oscars in recent years. Far superior than Lagaan - a bit ironical, that the latter was an Aamir Khan produced movie - while Earth sees Aamir Khan in one of the most powerful roles he has put out.
Visually spectacular it indeed is. Two friends (Matt Damon & Casey Affleck) who call each other Gerry get lost in the salt lakes and the wilderness of Utah. It something of a "land" equivalent of this movie. Fantastic photography that one can associate with Gus Van Sant - in that its like a 90 min photography exhibition. But the Matt Damon + Afflect combination (this time its bro Casey) strikes again with an expected self-indulgent script. Nevertheless, as the movie goes on, the desperation of the characters comes across well - while ones waiting for the credits to roll.
Sometimes what we are trying to escape from is what will follows us whether we like it or not. Jisook (Yun-hong Oh) travels to Kwangon with her friends on a holiday. Without saying or doing anything the viewer can sense an aura of loss and sadness around her. Sangkwon (Jong-hak Baek) too is drawn there with similar feelings. A film about which less should be written and spoken about. I just wish the person who wrote the Netflix synopsis felt the same.
Young sensitive Tadashi (Ryunosuke Kamiki) finds his life turned upside down when he chosen to be the Kirin warrior at a village festival. He finds himself inadvertently in middle of a Yokai (spirit) war where the weight of the world rests on his shoulders. A very different film from the otherwise violent minded Takashi Miike. But it still has his trademark over the top strangeness and stoner like phantasmagoria.
Very disappointing movie. Considering it was about a 'spin doctor' and directed by Sidney Lumet, was looking forward to this one. But it just kind of kills itself with the intense script thats horribly muddled - even the actors look confused at times.
Rating: *
Where were you in '62? goes the tagline. A movie on growing up pains in the 60s that was made in the 70s. Directed by George Lucas, and produced by Francis Ford Coppola, the story was inspired by George Lucas' teenage years. As is typical of such movies, a bunch of friends are trying to figure out their future before the night finishes - one of them wants to leave town for college, the other doesnot want to leave, the third just wants to live his life being the finest drag racer in town and the fourth is just happy that he has been loaned a new car. With a fine bunch of young actors (Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard) the story moves slowly sideways. Heard the movie is considered some kind of American classic - just as 'Catcher in the rye' is I suppose. Which is understandable, but personally there was some element of fatigue - having seen many of such existential 60s movies in the past. Just as I would if I were to put on a DVD on vietnam or the holocaust. 
An ex-marine from the Operation Desert Storm lands up home having died the first time. Miraculously he emerges, with no destination in mind - but unwittingly lands up as a part of a science experiment in a mental asylum. Through the experiment, Adrien Brody manages to crack the code and begins to get to the bottom of the problem. A fairly interesting plot, but does not manage to grip you the way it probably should have. Adrien Brody does a fair job, but Keira Knightley shows that being a pirate's pretty beau is what shes best at.
An English stand up comedian, a star from yesteryear, is struggling with herself and with keeping the family afloat in this little town in Australia. Despite all her posturing about being in control, she has no clue on what her children really want and becomes ore overwhelming - even to herself. Her elder boy finds himself a girl and is often at crossroads dealing with his urge to be with the girlfriend and his mother's need for him to remain in the nest. A watchable family drama.
Adam (Ian Gamazon) is about to fly to the Philippines for his father's funeral when his girlfriend calls to tell him that she is cheating on him. He lands in Manila to find that his mother and sister have been kidnapped. As his life slowly goes down the rabbit hole he is given a cellphone. It is his lifeline to the kidnappers that leads him slowly but surely down the road to hell.
The age old story of a boy from a rich family falling in love with the household help. But something about the way the film is directed and how the story unfolds lends freshness to it. Impressive performances from Prithwiraj, Navya Nair, Innocent and Jagathi also helped. The film is really a throwback to the melodramatic and melancholic Mallu movies of the 80s and 90s. A breath of fresh air among the stale krap that passes off as Malayalam movie these days.
A movie that really works with nothing. Except two fairly talented people, who are more musicians than actors. And an ore romantic script and 150k quid. A young Czech immigrant runs into a busker on the streets of Dublin and is enchanted by his original songs about a lost love. She turns out to be a reasonable pianist and they get together to make more music. There are complications on the way which takes the story forward which is all right (you know how it is), but its the lack of production money (and the related sparseness of bleak Dublin life) & the music that made this film create space for itself in my mind.Enclosing : A much sober version of a number from the movie
Update: heres the same song with the clip from the movie
Richard (Paddy Considine) returns from the army and wrecks vengeance on the local gang that terrorized his younger and slower brother. Yet another revenge flicks albeit a well taken one but that does not take away from the fact that the premise is a tad stale and oft repeated.
Wes Anderson is at it again and he has made a come back from his lackluster (my opinion) Life Aquatic. A brilliant script backed by some fine acting by Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman. Owen Wilson bumbles along in his usual style. They play three brothers who meet up to make a spiritual journey across North India. The cameos by Irfan Khan, Bill Murray and Natalie Portman were a nice touch too. An orey funny movie in bits and pieces that make a decent whole.
A ping pong ball finds it way down a river into a sleepy little village in inner Mongolia. The boy who finds the ball and his friends who have never seen one before, are thrown into flights of fancy. Very reminiscent of "The Gods must be crazy", the film serves as a huge advertisement for Mongolia with its lush landscapes. But what really piqued my interest was the portrayal of everyday life in the remote village with its traveling salesmen and nomadic entertainers.
It is never a good idea to make out with your mom's boyfriend as Heidi (Abbie Cornish) discovered. Unwilling to face her mother she runs away to ski resort where she sleeps with random men. I am not sure what the director was trying to show other than highlighting some obscure form of personality disorder.
Have you ever waited for your boy/girl friend to call you? Have you ever made up bizzare scenarios in your head for him/her not calling? If the answer is yes then this film is made just for you.
Like many of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's recent movies, Eklavya is a stylishly made movie with a competent cast and a reasonably engaging story line - makes it a fair watch. Though the melodrama does jar a bit - but that goes with mainstream Indian commercial fims, the performance of Big B, Boman Irani and Saif Ali Khan makes it relatively smooth to handle. 
While his oscar-winning buddy's career has only been going up, Ben Affleck has increasingly been staring at mediocrity. Like this one for instance - plays a once successful agent for hollywood writers struggles to cope with his cheating wife and problems at his company. It doesnt help that the story line is utter crap, but his performance is even horrible & appears completely disinterested with himself. Ben Affleck's number should be retired at the Hollywood Hall of Waste.
Rather simple funny movie. A sly maid in the house of a distracted priest and his philandering wife rearranges the family setup. Amusing and keeps one entertained. Good to see Kristin Scott Thomas after a long time.
Rating: * *
A love story with a difference. One that increasingly gets perverse - the two lovers agree very early that they pledge themselves to the game of 'Dare' for life. It gets complicated when each party alternatively discovers that the other is their soul mate. Through the complexity of the 'Dare' game, both start drifting apart but periodically meet up to inflict pain & suffering. Therefore the end is inevitable and bloody bizarre. 
Time has not reduced the potency of the movie which is loosely based on true events with a good dose of imagination. The man eaters of Tsavo terrorized workers of the Uganda Mombassa bridge in 1898. The film chronicles the hunt for the lions by Col John Patterson (Val Kilmer), the engineer in charge of building. He is joined by no nonsense professional hunter, Charles Remington played by Michael Douglas. In spite of being melodramatic and a tad over the top one can sit back and take in this film that oozes coolness and machismo. Rating: * * +
PS: For the record it should be noted that wenerd secretly went to watch this film with the Monkey Man in Devi Paradise without having the decency of inviting me.
Boredom and New Jersey makes one watch films like this. Based on a popular video game of the same name, the action flick forces you to shutdown your brain, sitback and take in the slick action sequences. The film is enjoyable as long no one is talking on the screen.
A wilderness that tempts you to crawl into your TV screen and forget the world. The film is dominated by Kekexili, the last virgin landscape of Tibet (China, depending on your point of view). Also the home to the endangered Tibetan antelope who's fur is much loved the world over. Poachers hunt them mercilessly causing their population to dwindle. This is the story of the hunters, the hunted and those brave souls know as the Kekxili Mountain Patrol who stalk the hunters.
Love is yet another movie about a hitman on his last assignment. But that's the only thing it has in common with other films of its genre. Vanya (Sergej Trifunovic), a Yugoslavian assasin on his final hit runs into his ex-wife Anna (Geno Lechner). Seeing her opens closed doors to his past and reprises his buried feelings for her. Anna who is in an turbulent relationship with NYC cop, Dirk Malloy (Peter Gevisser) finds herself thrown into an abyss.
Day Watch picks up where Night Watch left off. Our unlikely heroes plod on in their fight against the Dark Ones. As gritty as its predecessor, the midsection of this trilogy continues to keep you on the edge of your seat but not for long. Sadly after a while you slide down waiting for inevitable end. A huge let down for a film that promised so much.
The film is set in during the 1980s in East Germany when the Stasi ruled supreme with its limitless cadre of informants and spies. Big brother was indeed watching every little move of all its citizens. Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe) is a surveillance expert who is asked to eavesdrop on a high profile director and actress couple. Slowly he is drawn into their lives and the warmth of their love. At the end of the day everyone needs a little human touch and 1 is indeed the loneliest number.
Every character in this film is in different stages of relationships. Shruti (Konkona Sen Sharma) is looking for her first love. Monty (Irfan Khan) is a walking advertisement for shaadi.com. Shikha (Shilpa Shetty) is having dangling conversations with her husband (Kay Kay Menon). Amol (Dharmendra) is trying to rekindle the flames of a lost passion. Irfan, KK and Kokana dish out excellent performances. Shilpa is still HOT and Dharmendra still cannot act. A film that burns bright but fizzles out in the end.
The first seven minutes of the movie shows a close up of Rebecca (Natalie Portman) crying in a taxi on the streets of Jaffa. The weight of her sadness roots her to the cab. The driver Hanna (Hana Laszlo) is forced to take her into Jordan's Free Zone. Hanna hopes to collect some money for her husband's business. But we all know how hope treats the hopeful...
The General, an old "friend" of George's is on the trail to Karla. The trail that had gone cold. This brings old Smiley out from retirement along with some of his people and I couldn't help follow. Like it's predecessor this too turned out to be a brilliant adaptation of the John Le Carre novel..jpg)
As the tagline states: inspired by the true story of the greatest breach in US history. Seemed interesting at the outset, but all that we get is an insipid spy movie. A fairly impotent script that tells the story, but with less than half the intensity of the documentary that I had seen on the subject. 
Suppose this is one of the many new movies centred around 9/11 that I have been reading about. Adam Sandler (who looks like he can play Bob Dylan in a biographical movie sometime in the future) runs into an old classmate played by Don Cheadle. But Sandlers all messed up, and Don Cheadle attempts to help the fellow out - realising he has issues of his own to deal with. Part funny, part serious it ends up flat. But do not miss the bluesy jam session between the two, hidden under 'special features'.
Olivia (Jennifer Aniston) is the poor single one in this group of affluent friends. Each one has issues in their lives and relationships. But it Olivia who is viewed as the messed up one. As the film unravels the women do too...
October 21st, 2007
During the Cultural Revolution, Mao banned all films and operas and replaced it with Yang Ban Xi. A constrained opera with a strong political agenda of extolling Mao and communism, featuring peasants overthrowing land lords and ballerinas twirling around with rifles. This documentary looks at these revolutionary operas through the eyes of its actors, directors, composers and fans. Overlaid with the chilling voice of Mao's wife, Jian Qing who heralded the movement, the film brings to light the art form that once dominated China. Though it provides interesting tidbits of history it fails to engage the viewer.
Similar to this in concept, The Machinist (originally known as El Maquinista - produced by a Spanish company, the movie was shot entirely outside Barcelona, though its set in some west coast American city) is a thriller where the protagonist struggles to understand whats going around him. Christian Bale plays Trevor Reznik, a young machinist who hasnt slept for over a year and resembles a skeleton. Christian Bale lost around 30 kg to prepare for the role (and to think that he played Batman in his next movie). 
The lack of sleep drives him to make mistakes at work, and everyone around stops trusting him. And vice-versa. Before he realises, hes driven into severe state of paraonia. The only way out is to get his sleep back, and he therefore has to unravel this mystery. Tightly made movie and Bale impresses big time.Rating: * * *
The Proposition is a fascinating watch; good old-styled western movie about revenge and dealing with the natives. However, its set in the great, barren Australian outback. Guy Pearce is part of a splinter group of outlaw brothers who is caught but needs to hunt down his brother, to save another. 
One can notice the impact of 'Fight Club' and 'The Sixth Sense' has had on modern day movie writers & directors by the slew of movies about alter egos and the ones with the dramatic twist in the tale thats been staring at the viewer. But not all of them manage to carry that kind of effect - simply because the comparison to its inspiration proves excessively burdensome. 
A story of divorce and its aftermath set in New York. Bernard Berkman (Jeff Daniels) is an unmitigated asshole writer on the decline. His wife Joan (Laura Linney) who has issues of her own decides to finally leave him. The splinters of their separation hit their two teenage sons with unnerving accuracy. The boys (Owen Kline, Jesse Eisenberg) struggle to grapple with their shattered world. They act out but their cries are muted when compared to the parents. Brilliant performance all round that leave you wondering if they were acting or if a hidden camera was lurking in a disintegrated household.
Tracy (Cate Blanchett) an recovering heroin addict is slowly getting her life back together. She struggles to get a bank loan to start a new business. All seems good but her past comes crowding back in. One by one the characters from her yesterdays, file back into her life sucking her back to a place she does not want to be.
Old friends Mun-ho (Ji-tae Yu) and Hyeon-gon (Tae-woo Kim) meet after many year. They reminisce about old times and slowly the conversation drifts to their flame from the past, Seon-hwa (Hyeon-a Seong). Alcohol reignites dying embers and they set out to look her up even though they know fire only burns. Director Sang-soo Hong is someone worth keeping an eye on.
A must watch for any aspiring script writer on how not to write shit. Complete fucking waste of time.
Tsosti is South African slang for thug. That's exactly what the protagonist in the film is until he is saddled with a baby after a brutal robbery. Holding the baby awakens compassion and a need to nurture in the hardened criminal. But his means of expressing them still remain feral.
An interesting movie about an event that haunts a retired professor and his family. Credible performance from Anupham Kher in the lead, but Urmila was very dramatic and kind of destroyed what the movie could have achieved. But a good watch nevertheless. 
