Monday, December 24, 2007

Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu


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: *

Chocolate

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: * +

Sunday, December 09, 2007

La Moustache

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.

Rating: * * +

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Lust, Caution

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.

Lust, Caution is well-crafted movie no doubt - good quality production and super performances from debutant Wei Tang and Tony Leung. Wei Tang is part of a student resistant movement against the Japanese regime in China / Hong Kong and is chosen to seduce a Chinese traitor - played by Tony Leung - and help in exterminating him. All this is set out early in the movie as it slowly develops. Its well into the second half, the wheels of the movie start working and complexities develop.

Tony Leung appears physically shrunken these days - but is successful in potraying a cold, calculated character. While Wei Tang I thought was stupendous in appearing as the fragile yet focused seductress - however a part of her is not sure what she really wants, which can be put down to her experiences in the past.

Would not put it down as an ore brilliant movie - think its down to the fact that it is a fairly simple script that hinges a lot on the performances of the two leads. Which admittedly were brilliant; they were able to create the kind of sexual tension that was sought and which then transgresses into the realm of something more. But for a short story to be expanded into a 2 hr 40 min movie, there needs to be more of a plot. Again, if not for the hype, one could have thought differently. Definitely worth a watch.

Rating: * * +

Earth : 1947

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.

Its set at the time of the 1947 Partition that ripped apart India in more ways than one. Aamir Khan plays a muslim ice candy man who is interested in a pretty hindu girl (Nandita Das), a maid at a Parsee household in Lahore. But he has to fight many other potential suitors and is single-minded in his approach. As the social fabric around him deteriorates and with his love interest seemingly destined to fail, the integrity of the ice candy man is tested.

The film captures very well how things can change so quickly in times of such social unrest - and in a way explains how violence is an integral part of society. To think otherwise, is foolish.

I would rate the closing scene as one of the better crafted scenes in recent Indian cinema - credit to Deepa Mehta. The soundtrack to this movie created by A R Rehman is also top notch.

Rating : * * * +

Gerry

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.

Rating: * *

Friday, December 07, 2007

The Power of Kwangon Province

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.

Rating: * * *

The Great Yokai War

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.

Rating: * *

Power



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: *

American Graffiti

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.

Harrison Ford appears in the end as a rogue drag racer. Finishes in the dump, but only to emerge in the next George Lucas film as Han Solo.

Rating: * * +

The Jacket

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.

Rating: * *

Clubland

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.
Rating: * *

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Cavite

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.

Rating: * *

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Nandanam

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.

Rating: * * +

Quo Vadis, Baby?


A fairly interesting but simple thriller, as a sister dwells into her sister's death. The protagonist, the crazy sister, is a detective photographer who is messed up as she cant find a man nor sleep and finds solace in some finely rolled hash. She cant find sleep because of the sister, who was also a crazy one and who maintained video journals recording the travails of her tumultuous life. Through the video journals, the crazy protagonist sister slowly gets closer to the truth.

The title of the movie is inspired by the 'The Last Tango in Paris' and is one piece of the puzzle. A fairly entertaining watch.

Rating : * * +

Once

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.

Rating: * * *

Enclosing : A much sober version of a number from the movie

Update: heres the same song with the clip from the movie

Saturday, December 01, 2007

Dead Man's Shoes

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.

Rating: * +