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: * * +

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

The sixth installment of J. K. Rowling's world of wizards wafts its way on to the screen with Harry entering his sixth year at Hogwarts. He stumbles in to the potions class and comes across a book that belongs to the mysterious Half Blood Prince. Dumbledore meanwhile is up to his old tricks in his usual benign fashion while the shadow of Voldemort lurks. The film tries desperately to be dark and moody but what shines through is teenage angst. 

Rating: * *

The Girl Who Played with Fire

The film loosely picks up from where Girl with the Dragon Tattoo left off. Lisbeth Salander is seen vacationing off of her pickings from the Wennerstorm fortune. She has disappeared from the lives of her Swedish friends especially that of Mikael Blomkovist. He is busy setting up his next expose of a sex trafficking ring with help from a young journalist and his girlfriend. When the couple is found murdered and Salander is accused of the killings, Blomkovist is again in the eye of the storm.

Director Daniel Alfredson has liberally cut out swathes from Steig Larson's book. His handling of a certain fight scene which is amazing portrayed in the book lacks any sort of punch. But yet the film makes for a complete and thrilling experience. 

Rating: * * *

Kapurush

A car breakdown in the hillside finds Amithaba taking refuge at a tea estate manager's bungalow. Bimal is portly and jovial with a stunner of a wife who turns out to be Amithaba's old flame. Soon there are the required flashbacks and the aches of what could have been. The story goes only skin deep and maybe a lot was lost in translation.

Rating: * +

Intimacy

Jay and Claire meet every Wednesday for a roll in the haystack. The encounters seem casual, devoid of emotion and sexually intense. However as it is the wont in the such situations feelings creep in and the couple careen towards an unfriendly place...

Rating: * *

Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!

The future of Hindi cinema seems safe in the hands of Abhay Deol, who dons the mantle of the notorious con man Lucky Singh who terrorized the affluent all over India. The audacity of some of his heists had me wondering if this was indeed based on a true story or if Dibaker da had toked on one too many. However a quick google search proved me wrong and led me to this article at one of my favorite film websites, Passion for Cinema. Lucky was apparently more than notorious and his panache is effortlessly brought to life by Mr. Deol. Neetu Chandra plays his love interest and is not only easy on the eyes but also does a decent job of the limited role she is given. However the man who takes the cake is Paresh Rawal as he seamlessly shifts gears between a father, don and businessman. All in all this turns out to be one of the best Indian heist movies made to date.

Rating: * * *

Taking Father Home

A young boy from a far flung Sechuan village sets out to the city of Zigong looking for his father who abandoned his family six years ago. His sole companions are two ducks that he plans to use in stead of money. And on his journey he runs in to goons, cops who in their own ways nudge him towards his destination. The film heralds the arrival of Liang Ying in to the film industry and is shot with a cheap hand held camera with a cast and crew made up of Ying's friends and relatives. A film that I desperately wanted to like however it totally failed to engage. 

Rating: *

The Fountain

Past, present and future collide in this film as each time stream's protagonist searches for eternal life to save his love. The doctor races against time to find a cure for brain tumors so that his wife can be saved. A warrior trudges through the jungles of Peru to find the tree of eternal  life to save his country. An astronaut flies through space in an encapsulated bubble with  an aged tree in hope that a dying star can save it. A film that explores man's thirst for eternal life but yet doesn't examine the meaning of having it.

Rating: * * +

Well Done Abba!

Armaan Ali (Boman Irani) takes a month's leave from his chauffeuring and shows up for work three months later. His boss's exasperation sees no end but Armaan convinces him to hear out his story. Armaan Ali then takes on a ride that starts with him returning to his village to find a husband for his daughter. The yarn runs in to corrupt government officials and politicians when Armaan decides to dig a well using a government scheme. Throw in a little love story and you have a packed film in your hands. However, Shyam Benegal has used this light hearted comedy to poke some serious fun at the pitiful state of Indian government and its official. A decent watch but the film could have been made shorter.

Rating: * * +

Ek Chalis Ki Last Local

The film initially reminded me of this wonderful Kishore Kumar song. Nilesh (Abhay Deol) is a young whippersnapper who runs in to the hot Madhu (Neha Dhupia) at the time of night in Bombay when the trains disappear. It also helps that the two want to head to the same destination. The night meanders in to one that involves a bit of gambling, the cops and the underworld. Along the way a couple of pages are taken out of Pulp Fiction and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. But yet, the film calls for enjoyable viewing. It also confirms that Abhay "I want to have nothing to do with Sunny Deol" Deol is indeed the man of Hindi cinema these days and Neha Dhupia is just a bimbo with a figure.

Rating: * *

Gandhi my father

Had heard about this movie when it was released couple of years ago. Finally watched it and can quite understand some of the rave reviews that had I read at the time. Much like its Bollywood counterparts, its a long movie - at 2 hours + and also has its fair share of melodrama. But it manages to brilliantly capture the story of a fallen son and a father on his way to sainthood with the Indian freedom struggle as its backdrop.

Akshaye Khanna plays Harilal Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi's eldest son) impressively - as Harilal progresses from being a loyal son to a disgruntled husband to an unscrupulous rebellious son and finally, running out of second chances, ending up on the streets. The jacket of the DVD says "Mahatma Gandhi could transform the soul of a nation but could not save the soul of his own son". The irony of the situation, as the tagline suggests, is clearly the central theme of this story - but the writer does well in bringing out the values of Gandhi as it was and not demonise him.

Darshan Jariwala also does a good job of playing Gandhi - but doesn't quite look like Gandhi as I know him and which is Ben Kingsley's fault. WTF moment - the film's produced by Anil Kapoor.


Rating: ***

Paraiso Travel

Reina (Angelica Blandon) allures Marlon (Aldemar Correa) like a temptress moon and he has no choice but to follow. He leaves his humdrum life in Madellin, Colombia for love and the harsh streets of New York City. In a brief flash he finds himself separated from Reina and on his own. But luckily for him a better life follows including the bewitching Milagroz (Ana de la Reguera) who inexplicably falls for him. However, Marlon dreams of Reina in spite of the angel who opens her legs arms to him. A film that couches the perils of illegally crossing in to the US within a forlorn love story, leaves you feeling empty of sympathy for the characters. In spite of their dire situation one feels that they got what they deserved!

Rating: * *

In the Loop

A benign quote "War is unforeseeable" from a British minister, sets off a slew of events that sees the US and the UK careen towards a war against a middle eastern country. A political satire that jet sets between London and Washington DC leaves you wondering in spite of its absurdity if this is the way governments function.

Rating: * *

Road, Movie

Vishnu is a young nothing from Jaisalmer, staring at a life of selling hair oil, his dad's business, and is not pleased. Fortunately for him, he stumbles upon an old neighbourhood uncle who is planning to drive his old Chevrolet truck (cinema theater on wheels) to a town by the sea and donate the damn thing to a museum. Vishnu volunteers to drive and envisages a long drive full of "foul smelling farts" - its not to be as he encounters 3 strangers on the way, who pull him away from life as he knows it.

Written & directed by Dev Benegal, 'Road, Movie' belongs to the burgeoning class of alternate / independent / not-fucked-up-Bollywood cinema. Whilst the plot seems familiar, the truck, the landscape and the sparseness of it all, makes it wurf-it. Abhay Deol does a good job as a young nothing - he is definitely an actor to monitor - got an eye for cool roles. I don't think the plot does justice w.r.t developing some of the other characters - the little boy and the fat man (Satish Kaushik). Last word: Mr. Benegal is, arguably, as pompous as his Bollywood director friends.

Rating: * * +

Villon's Wife

After reading Osamu Dazai's masterpiece last year, it was a pleasant surprise to watch an adaption of his earlier novel on the big screen. It does appear that all his works were an attempt to understand the darkness that engulfed him. Unlike 'No longer human', this story is narrated from the point of view of Otani's long-suffering wife - besides capturing all the sacrifices she makes to keep him, one, through Sachi's eyes, comes face to face with the devil that Otani is.

Tadanobu Asano as Otani shows yet again why he is one of the finest actors in the world today. Takaka Matsu plays Sachi with the kind of honesty and loyalty that would have made the Villon's wife proud. With brilliant performances, a plot that completely draws one in and fine directing by Kichitaro Negishi, Villon's wife slots into the top draw quite comfortably.

Rating: * * * +

PS: I really hope nobody attempts to adapt 'No longer human', as it would take away all the attention that the novel deserves. Update: wikipedia says the movie is on its way. Fuck it.