Terror's Advocate

Jacques Vergès came in to prominence defending Algerian terrorist bomber Djamila Bouhired during the 50s. From there he tended to find a string of infamous and notorious clients to support. Ranging from Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie to the notorious international terrorist Carlos the Jackal. The documentary while examining Vergès and his sensational cases weaves an almost invisible line between the numerous terrorist organizations the world over. A brilliant film that views like a John le Carré novel except that everything in it is real!

Rating: * * * +

The Heartbreak Kid

Eddie (Michelle Monaghan) marries the One (Malin Akerman)  and heads off to their honeymoon only to discover that she is a complete psycho. He then meets the real One (Michelle Monaghan) there. I am sure he divorces and marries the real One after a comedy of errors but I did not wait to find out! I think Gollum threw this on the queue when I was not looking...

Rating: +

Michael Clayton

Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is the attorney every law firm has. He is the man behind the scenes that "fixes" things and one could say wrongs all rights. Now his firm's highest profile case is crumbling and their dream attorney is living in a nightmare. Mike starts to do his job and then pauses...

The film initially starts to ramble and meander but towards the end you realize it was with a purpose. The plot is simple but the fine acting all around and the deft direction of Tony Gilroy makes it memorable. 

Rating: * * +

The Wrestler

It has been made out to be the renaissance of Mickey Rourke the actor - which it is. But where it really does have something interesting to say is the behind-the-scene look at professional wrestling. A sport that I never followed due to its theatrics - but was pleasantly surprised by the the high levels of camaraderie amongst fellow wrestlers and though contrived, one realises that physical pain inflicted is all real. Brilliantly captured - right from pumping in of illegal steroids, choreographing of the fight scenes and the quirkiness of the props & personalities on stage.

The plot itself is predictable in many ways - a desperately lonely individual attempting to break out of his slow path to destruction, reaches out to people that matter to him and hits the wall of expected inevitability. The supporting cast includes Marisa Tomei who plays a strip club dancer - does a good job, in her usual refreshing manner. However, the predictability of the broad story line takes nothing away from the execution of the movie - the wrestling scenes; the trailer park life; and in many ways, the recreation of the lost years of Mickey Rourke.

Mickey Rourke has been around for a while since coming back from his life in the boxing ring in the early 90s. This movie can be considered a tribute to the man. Not that he has great achievements against his name, but its just that he repeatedly played dodgy characters with a certain elegance and remarkably well. Its easy to forget his movies, but some stick to memory - like Wild Orchid and Angel Heart. Am sure Kogi K will remember the latter. I plug Mickey Rourke in the same league as some other unconventional guys like Ray Liotta & Kevin Bacon - people who have only been in rather ordinary films, but always bring a certain distinct intensity to their performances.

Anyway, here is his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes - interesting contribution from another lost soul from his generation Axl Rose and his comments on the director Darren Aronofsky who brought us this :



Rating: * * * +

Outsourced

Todd / Toad (Josh Hamilton) walks into his Seattle office to find that his division has been fired and he is being sent to India to train his replacement. A movie that surely resonates with many Americans who have seen their jobs shipped overseas. Though the portrayal of the call center might have a tad too overblown. An enjoyable film with a display of typical India cliches that definitely will have you grinning sheepishly.

Rating: * *
PS1: No Desi decorates his work space in an overly personal fashion.
PS2: Josh, I will turn you into a toad and you know why!

The Last Winter

The scene is an Alaskan site for oil drilling where the foreman (Ron Perlman) is up in arms against an eco-activist (James LeGros) and his warning about the unstable nature of the site. But to reiterate his point things start to go bump in the night and all hell breaks loose. Larry Fessenden's supernatural thriller gives a veiled warning against the perils of oil drilling and global warming. But in the end meanders a tad too much to produce a cogent message.

Rating: * *

The Man of My Life

Frédéric (Bernard Campan), with his family and friends are enjoying their summer at a villa in the French countryside. An innocent dinner invitation to their gay neighbour, Hugo (Charles Berling), leads to meandering conversations and a strange friendship. Hugo's free spirit and inquisitive nature causes Frédéric to question his life, love and relationships. A gentle film with flowing conversations that forces the viewer to start introspecting  onmany things one usually takes for granted.

Rating: * * *

Ghajini

This one is a Hindi remake of a Tamil movie which in turn was inspired by Memento. Don't know at which point did someone fuck up, but this film was extremely painful to get through - some three hours of Aamir Khan acting like Rowan Atkinson on steroids. The Polaroid camera + the tattoos on the body were the only resemblance to the original inspiration. There was some decent action in the movie - predictably in the usual "punching bag" style - keeps going on and on.

Rating: * +

Slumdog Millionaire

Despite focusing very hard to ignore the hype, the movie disappointed. Came across as a regular Bollywood movie with the customary sentimentality and tactless script. However, with the slick production and some reasonable performances, makes it a reasonable watch. But thats about it really. No comparison to some other great films in the genre. Like a friend said - its got no soul.

Rating: * *

Wool 100%

Ume and Kame are two old sisters living blissfully among the junk they collect as part of their daily hikes into town. On one such scavenger hunt they find a pile of wool. They bring it back home only to find it comes with strings attached in form of a strange girl. The girl knits a sweater and then promptly unravels it. If you watch the film to the end I am sure you will discover her reason for doing so but I decided to leave it as one of life's unsolved mysteries.

Rating: +

Constantine

The hordes of hell are ripping at the fabric between Hell and Earth. Only one man holds them back... John Constantine!!! I have to grudgingly admit that Keanu Reeves does pull this role off in this movie based on the graphic Kevin Brodbin, Mark Bomback and Frank Capello. Dark, brooding and eminently watchable.

Rating: * * *

Death at a Funeral

Funerals were never meant to be fun. But when hallucinogens, nudity, sibling rivalry and skeletons from the closet are throw into the picture, laughter is the inevitable outcome in spite of the sombre occasion. Frank Oz has outdone himself with this flick and it has to be one of the funniest movies I have seen in a very long time.

Rating: * * * +

Cassandra's Dream

2 brothers (played by couple of good actors) in respective financial bother, Woody Allen, a boat called Cassandra & a twisted plan - its easy to expect a lot. Made deliberately, I suspect, with a touch of the 60s in terms of dialogue & reactions - disappointingly the quirkiness ends there.

Rating: * *

In Bruges

2 hit men are stranded in Bruges, a tourist spot in Belgium - ordered by the boss (Ralph Fiennes) to get away for a while. Colin Farrell plays the younger nervous one, while Brendan Gleeson is the mentor. Not knowing the "apparent" purpose of their visit, bulk of the movie is the 2 conversing rather hilariously, attempting to pass time while running into some interesting characters / episodes -a Canadian, a dwarf, some prostitutes, another hit man, love and drugs. And of course the scenic beauty of Bruges. The plot is simple, but one doesn't care because its generally hilarious - drama does build up towards the end. Brilliant and bloody funny. Full-on applause for Colin Farrell for showing for what he is capable of, occasionally.

Rating: * * *

Juno

Much like this film, didn't quite understand what the fuss is about. An under aged girl gets pregnant and decides to go ahead with having the baby. Her parents are supportive but Juno, played by Ellen Page to great reviews, takes a while coming to terms with the situation (and the couple likely to adopt the baby). Its all very cute, but extremely tiring. Heard the sound track was fantastic - was again very cute. Heard Ellen Page was brilliant - thought she was irritating with her precocious wit.

Rating: * *

Gone Baby Gone

When Meara suggested that I should watch this film, I was leery thanks to it being directed by one Mr. Affleck. But after this film I am convinced that he should spend more time behind the lens instead of in front of it.

A young girl goes missing in the tough Dorchester neighborhood of Boston and a couple of private detectives are asked to assist with the case. Patrick (Casey Affleck) and Angie (Michelle Monaghan), colleagues and lovers, soon find themselves reluctantly immersed in what initially looks like a simple abduction. As they meander through the investigation, they find themselves conflicted personally and professionally and nothing is as it seems...

Rating: * * *

Violent Cop

The first Takeshi Kitano movie with him playing a Dirty Harryesque detective chasing after drug dealers. You can see the early writings that would become his signature later. But on its own this is just a sullen and violent film with a very thin plot.

Rating: * +

Still Life

The Three Gorges dam has caused the Yangtze river to slowly submerge the town of Fengjie. Sinking not only structures but the lives and memories of its citizens. This bleak setting finds Sanming (Sanming Han) from the Shanxi province looking for his wife and daughter whom he has lost sight of in the last sixteen years. Shen Hong  (Tao Zhao)wanders around the town looking for her husband who has been silent for the last two years. Like the land around them they at cross roads. Do they move forward or keep looking in the review mirror that is their past?

Zhang Ke Jia while telling us the story of the two protagonists, allows his camera to languish over the disintegration of the towns along the Yangtze river. He doesn't pass judgement or influence the viewer. He just shows the situation as it is with subtle starkness.

Rating: * * *