Blindness

A macabre take on how mankind would react to a global epidemic of blindness. Similar in concept to 'Lord of the flies', it shows how destruction is latent in normal people - like you and me. Nicely made - and deals with the 'supernatural' phenomenon in a manner very different to say how Manoj N Shyamalan would. No attempt in explaining, no heroes but just a depressing view of ourselves. From the maker of this series and an adaption of Jose Sarmago's novel of the same name, Blindness can be disturbing to many. But on the flipside, at the end of all of it one can look around with much satisfaction.

Rating: * * *

Be Kind Rewind

Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover) runs a VHS video store in dilapidated street corner in Passaic, NJ which is in danger of being demolished. When he goes off on a trip, his trusted side kick, Mike (Mos Def) in charge. But disaster strikes when Mike's friend Jerry (Jack Black) shows up magnetized and ends up erasing all the tapes. In a desperate attempt to satisfy customers Mike and Jerry start to remake films in their own quirky and hilarious fashion.

The film is Michel Gondry's stab at the main stream film industry that is losing out on innovation and artistry to big budgets and technology. I prefer Joss Whedon's stab to this!

Rating: * +

Bamako

The forefront of the film is a mock trial featuring the people of Mali vs western oppressors disguised as well wishers. The witnesses rant and rave albeit in a cogent fashion against the World Bank, IMF and colonization. The backdrop is the sordid life of the locals and in particular a couple struggling to keep their marriage afloat. A well meaning but poor executed film which also featured a western soap opera that locals tuned into featuring Danny Glover as cowboy. At that point I decided to use the stop button and call Wenerd to abuse him for no reason.



Rating: *