Vicky (Qi Shu) is constantly at odds with her boyfriend Hao-Hao (Chun-hao Tuan) and always breaking up with him. She finds herself using mysterious Jack (Jack Kao) with a shady past, as an anchor in her turbulent life. Like all of Hsiao-hsien Hou films this one too looks at human emotion and passion with dispassionate lenses.
Naomi Watts enters the brutal world of the Russian mafia voluntarily. Unknowingly, rather. But the inevitable approaches her as she discovers more than she has to - but there is a small issue of Viggo Mortensen to be sorted out though. Hopeless, pointless thriller - yet another disappointment from the guy who made A History of Violence. Good to see Naomi Watts again though.
An old man (Ng Sway Ah) grieving the death of his wife, finds loneliness weighing him down. It slowly dissipates when he starts to cook for a deaf and blind woman (Theresa Poh Lin Chan) whose story inspires him.
One of the many nondescript Nicolas Cage movies lying in some corner. Plays a private detective who is hired to find the origins of a "snuff" movie found in a very expensive vault. The rest of the movie takes you from porn shops to porn shoots and utlimately to the truth. An ordinary story, but tightly made.
The film opens with Ji-hae (Ye-jin Son) stumbling across her mother's old lover letters. As she loses herself in her mother's past, she finds the present mirroring it. Ji-hae finds herself helplessly attracted to her friend's boyfriend Sang-min (In-seong Jo). Her mother's first love was also in a similar predicament involving his best friend. The director, Jae-young Kwak, effortlessly flits between the past and present in this typical melodramatic South Korean love story. If only he had the good sense to end it sooner it would have ended up being a cut above the rest.
Robert Redford is a surprising choice for the Democrats to supplant the Californian Republican governor. It all begins as an honest campaign directed at bringing about change from the usual politics, Bill Mckay starts to convince people that he is for real. As the race lengthens, and his chances of winning increases, Mckay begins to question where its all heading. I suppose, political stories are quite enduring considering its essentially about people, power etc - and thereby there are many resemblances to the current presidential race. Nicely made movie, with Robert Redford setting up a performance that I think inspired Bill Clinton and his style! ahem
Amongst the finest pieces of story telling that I have seen. Dont know why the phrase "cleanly made" comes to mind when thinking of how to describe a good part of the movie. 
Much like her recent movies, Jodie Foster decides that she has to take the law in her hands - and is portrayed, with no subtlety, as being justified considering her grievances with life. A long winded action movie that unceremoniously ends in a pool of sentimentality.
Venu Nagavalli's brilliant film that follows the birth and rise of communism in Kerala through the eyes of three party workers. Ushering the delivery of the political ideology are comrades Netturan (Mohanlal), DK (Murali) and Sethu (Geetha). Rather than focusing entirely on the political ideology, Nagavalli brings to the forefront the reality of politics in a politician's life. A trip down the vintage Malayalam movie lane that leaves you wondering where the Mohanlal of yesteryear disappeared...
Young hardworking Philippe (Benoît Magimel) is smitten by Flora, a stone head of the Greek goddess. When he sees the goddess's looks reflected in his sister's bridesmaid, Senta (Laura Smet), he is smitten and so is she. Sparks fly of a psychotic nature and Philippe's world changes overnight. But for the viewer it translates into an insipid thriller.
Lush photography, beautiful scenery, understated acting, flowing music: is what comes to mind after watching this movie. But I didnt get the connection between the 4 sub-chapters thats spread across some 5 characters and over 3 different locations. There is a profound linkage I believe, and would be an interesting one, if one is arsed to find it.
Been a while since one has seen Benecio del Toro in action. The movie opens with the killing of a good husband/father and Halle Berry (the wife) is left to deal with the absence. She relucatantly approaches the junkie friend of her husbands - played by del Toro - for help, by volunteering to help him. So its all "how I can help you, but you cant help me, because I cant cry, I cant feel, I cant smile; but please help us" kind of thing from thereon. Interestingly, Halle Berry doesnt smile in the movie - while its del Toro that carries the movie and his friend's family forward. Quite a well made film, but it appears to be tied to a leash of some sort.
(Emily Rios) is about to turn 15 and is revving up for her quinceañera. But things take a turn for the worse when she magically finds herself to be pregnant much to the chagrin of her pastor dad. She leaves home and moves in with her great uncle (Jesus Castanos) and gay cousin (Jesse Garcia). This unforeseen circumstance exposes her to chapters in life she otherwise would not have seen. A very simple coming of age tale that made me think again about the originality of Juno. But then again one should not comment on a film unseen.
A Madhur Bhandarkar film that tries to bring the world of corporate politics to the common man. It centers around the tug of war between two companies in the food industry with Nishi (Bipasha Basu) as the central character who uses every trick in the book to help her corporation. But finally karma catches up with her...
When Eva (Leni Tanzer) feigns blindness at school, her parents slowly come to realize that they are leading a futile and meaninglessness existence. Michael Haneke's meditative film loosely based on a true story looks at the monotonous life of a family that decides to break out of the funk and take matters into their own hands.
This is the inspiration for one of the many sub-plots of this movie - the one with a young ambitious executive letting out his apartment to senior managers in his organisation for their carnal pleasures. Jack Lemmon in his usual effervescent manner bumbles his way through the movie, while a young Shirley Maclaine appears as a stunningly beautiful lift operator. Showcases all of the complexities of life in a big city today. A reasonable watch. 
A poignant movie that captures the growing up pains of a young man ("the child"). His young girl friend gives birth to a baby and the hero decides to give up the child to move on. Seems a normal day until his girl friend throws him out of the house and reality checks in. But its going to take some doing to get back. 
About the flight that never got to its destination of intended destruction. A well made movie that captures, without any established stars, all that went on that morning. Had heard good things from the others who had watched the movie - and must say its a honest piece of film making from Paul Greengrass - maker of the final two Bourne installments.
Gustave Klopp suffers from narcolepsy and naturally goes nowhere in life. Until circumstances cures him and Gustave realises whats going on. Expected it to be funny, but was just time consuming.
A desperate young executive, in an attempt to keep himself afloat, chases a wild dream of winning 100 million dollars. But neither him or us as viewers are prepared for this one "hell" of a game, which as one suspects has 13 steps to completing it. Much as in such thrillers, it fizzles out at the end. Quite an entertaining watch nevertheless - with the production quality particularly impressive. Makes you wonder why the Indian film industry cannot come up with such quality (production/ideas wise) on a regular basis. Rating: * * +
The War machinery is humongous and the people who encompasses it are invisible as individuals. It is this very fact that director Stuart Cooper shows through the eyes of Thomas Beddows (Brian Stirner), a young Brit lad who is enlisted just in time for D-Day. Seamlessly interspersed with archival WWII footage, the film leaves with you stark phantasmal images of the war.
Jean Hervey's (Pascal Greggory) life is like a train with his family, work and friends chugging along in neat little compartments. The smooth running train abruptly gets derailed the day he discovers that his wife, Gabrielle (Isabelle Huppert) has left him for another man. Most of the film is an angry and remorseful argument about the affair. Even if the setting is changed from early 20th century bourgeois France, the trite and grating screenplay will still drive the viewer to despair.
Priscilla (Parker Posey) has only heard of orgasms and has never had one. As her school teacher husband Jack, (Paul Rudd) starts feeling inadequate in spite of being a dutiful lover, their marriage hits the rocks. He moves out and shacks up with a hot student played by Mischa Barton. Priscilla in the meantime sets out to seek the big O. A light hearted and very mirthful flick with moments of cunning humor.
A film showing a young Muslim, Anwar's (Prithwiraj), path to becoming a terrorist in the name of religion. His young wife, Sameera (Bhavana) struggles to get him to see the error of his ways. Director Jayaraaj who is famous for making depressing movies for the sake of seeing the tears of his audience does not fail.
The scene is rural Kerala in the late 70s where only a handful of Nair families continued to live off the land bequeth to them over generations. Unni (Karamana Janardanan) is the head patriarch of once such family. A lion within his den and a sheep outside; he is completely dependent on his younger sisters Rajamma (Sharada) and Sridevi (Jalaja). As society around him changes and rats run amok in his tharavadu , Unni tries to hold to his old ways and views. A film that shows the twilight of a society with sparseness that is characteristic of Adoor.
A traffic signal in the downtown of any Indian city is a hub of activity with its hawkers, policeman, prostitutes and beggars. Madhur Bhandarkar's film tries to highlight the economy involved in such a place and the people who eke a meager living out of it. A slightly long winded movie which meanders around trying to make its point. Thankfully the viewers interest is never lost at any point.
What would you do in middle age with the realization that you let the love of your life slip away on the tides of arrogant youth? Some would pine and look back through the misted panes of the past. Others would throw caution to the winds and ride a wave of recklessness to bring their love back. Antoine (Gérard Depardieu) does the latter when he moves between continents in the hope of winning Cécile (Catherine Deneuve) back. The fact that she has a family with a host of their own problems does not faze him. But then again if he was fazed by it, one would not call it surfing the waves of recklessness.
