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.
