Dhobi Ghat

The film opens with a handy cam's jerky motions welcoming the viewer and Yasmin, a newlywed lass to the world of Mumbai. In retrospect it seems like an apt intro to the lives of four disparate individuals intertwined in the bustling city. There is Arun, a lonely painter who seeks more introspectiveness and shies from contact. Except that Shai the annoying ABCD investment banker on a sabbatical in India to "discover" herself, follows him around. Munna the dhobi and wannabe actor flits between them both.

You would think this is just another multiple plot line converging type films that have become uber popular in the past decade. For one there is a unique depth and stillness to it with a storyline that has no clear beginning end or middle. Just a chunk of time from a few people's life. Kiran Rao seems more like a conjurer than a director, smoothly transitioning the characters between ebb and flow of scenes that pull in the viewer in to the movie like a whirlpool. There are moments where you hope and pray that she does not allow her actors to tread the beaten path and she always brings them tantalizing close only to pull them away at the last instance. 

The acting is steady all around with not a hint of overacting which is the norm in many Hindi films. Aamir Khan is an almost silent brooding presence through the film but his mark is felt everywhere especially on the budding Prateik. Monica Dogra was about to be abused in this review but then again that is the kind of reaction her character was meant to evoke. Kirti Malhotra is some ways has the toughest role as she only interacts with the viewer and boy does she hold your attention. 

To sum it up, this is the answer to abomination that was Slumdog Millionaire!

Rating: * * * *

The Mechanic

Consider the following sequence of events:

• The Transporter series started getting stale.
• Simon West chanced to stay awake for 30 minutes of The American
• West saw the original Charles Bronson' Mechanic in its entirety. 

The result is Jason Statham being cast as  Arthur Bishop in the remake of the Bronson flick with the solitary nature of the lead character from The American thrown in. The film actually feels like the Transporter with its usual action sequences and Rajini like moves. Except that the Transporter is now an Assassin who has a protege. Need anything more needs be said about this film?

Rating: * +

Munyurangabo

Sangwa and Ngabo are on a journey to kill the man that made Ngabo an orphan during the Rawanda genocide. A stop over at Sangwa's home village derails things a bit. Sangwa finds family ties pulling him down and Ngabo's roots from another tribe makes the tensions rise. A realistic film about real events but as dry as some of the deserts in Africa.

Rating: * +

Mirch

A young script writer is at his wits end when he finds it impossible to sell his script to a producer. In desperation he starts weaving tales from the ancient yore of the Panchatantira. Soon an omni-bus of scripts unfold as the producer wants a couple more with a modern touch. The film reads like a set of short stories with sexual undercurrent that one would enjoy when in their early teens. The highlight might be what comes closest to a sex scene in mainstream Indian cinema (yes, do not expect anything more that). That and Boman Irani!

Rating: * +

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) is back with a snarl, especially after finding an empty welcome at the prison gates after his tenure behind bars. Lady Luck comes looking for him as he is approached by his daughter's fiance. Young Jake Moore (Shia LaBeouf) has revenge on his mind for the suicide of his mentor caused by the explosion of the mortgage bubble. Set in our current tumultuous times, the film shows hints of the Lehman debacle and the shadowy figures behind it but all it really does is use its predecessor as a blueprint, turn the clock forward and move a few characters around. So, if you are expecting to walk out with a clear understanding of the mortgage crisis, you might be better off reading Matt Taibbi. 

Rating: * *

The Fighter

A typical boxer film plot but with a key diversion: Christian Bale. Who yet again demonstrates as to why he is one of the best around - out of his skin performance as trainer / junkie / half-brother of World Welterweight Champion Micky Ward. Mark Wahlberg, as Micky Ward, is on the periphery pretty much, while Amy Adams as Micky's wife weighs in with a measured performance. The plot doesn't seem tedious, as there is healthy focus on the Ward-Eklund family dynamics and relatively less on the usual "loser-training-winner" rhythm of such movies.

Christian Bale for Nobel Prize.

Rating: ***

Kutty Srank

3 women from different parts of the Kerala coast convene to piece together the life and times of Kutty Srank (The Sailor of Hearts), played expertly by Mammootty - clearly a director's actor and the reason why he still gets the best roles in the country. Shaji N Karun's latest film is a deserved National Award winner and it continues to amaze me as to why some of these films do not get pushed to the international stage more aggressively. Must mention the other key ingredients to this wonderful film: brilliant cinematography (by debutant Anjali Shukla), wonderful folk music and great acting by Siddique & Suresh Krishna. 

Nice start to 2011.

Rating: * * * +

Black Swan

Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) wins the lead role in the epic ballet, Swan Lake. She seamlessly fits in to the role of the White Swan, however playing the Black Swan proves elusive. As she strives to get under skin of the darker alter ego, she she finds her own dark side seeping out. Darren Aronofsky as always pushes the limit to shock and thrill. The film is very watchable in an edge of your seat kind of way but it felt like a watered down version of Helen Oyeyemi's Icarus Girl.

Rating: * * +