Slumdog Millionaire (2008) (8/10)

A fairly honest movie juxtaposing many aspects of current India. Presented in the guise of a game show, which could very well actually happen (meaning its result), and many other things that do happen. Good twists, and realistic bursts, betrayals, brutality and all that. Illegal use of humans is brought out well, and so are the religious issues, public aspirations etc. There is also the drama and the suspense and all that. Extraordinary storytelling of an otherwise ordinary, nay, a mosaic of commonplace happenings. The Amitabh episode takes the cake.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) (8/10)

Murder by Death (1976) (5/10)

A star-studded cast in this spoof makes a valiant effort at showing how detectives work, or rather how story tellers make us believe they do. Some of the jokes make you laugh. But it seemed that was not the point. I seemed to have missed the point. Last few minutes are okay summing up what the director wanted us to see. But if they have to describe it to us, then clearly they have not been successful in making their point.

Murder by Death (1976) (5/10)

Ghajini (2008) (5/10)

These folks started making a Hindi copy of Memento, down to the detail of the way the the man whose hippocampus has been injured tries to remember things that happened using external instruments. But then somewhere someone has an accident, and a brain gets damaged and they forget what it is they were doing. Then they started making it into a typical Bollywood lovestory (which they happen to be good at - at least for the people who like that kind of things). But things drag on. Suddenly something reminds them that they were supposed to be having a mission - make Memento and they quickly switch into that mode. Until they forget what they were doing - and pretty quickly. And we, the poor viewers are back into a typical Bollywood movie. Teh acting is good in general, but that is not the point, is it? They are so many glaring gaffes and one better not get into that. And the behavior of the police inspector took the cake. Oh, BTW, its intense.

Ghajini (2008) (5/10)

Being John Malkovich (1999) (8/10)

Not a completely novel concept, executed in a completely novel way to fascinating effect. What is it like to be a bat? Ask Thomas Nagel. What is it like to be John Malkovich? That anyone could tell you. Or could they? What does John know about it? (The restaurant scene is out of this world). Its an intricately weaved web of intricate connections. May be at the heart it means we are made of many people or just that all our souls are one as any God-smart Hindu will tell you. At the base of it may just lie physical attraction though. Better overall than Harry Potters platform 3.5 or somesuch. Do puppets have anything to do with it? Maybe.

There was a Gay from Khartoum
Who once took a Lesbian to his room
They argued all night,
Over who had the right,
To do what, how and with Whom.

Being John Malkovich (1999) (8/10)

The Thief of Bagdad (1924) (6/10)

A pantomime from the Arabian Nights. The low points (and 6 is not low) it gets is mainly because it is pantomime, and rather long (and pantomime). Obviously it can not compete with Indiana Jones as far as effects are concerned. But it has a great simple story and lots of ups and downs as also villains. The age tells, but so does the timelessness.

The Thief of Bagdad (1924) (6/10)

Paddle to the Sea (1966) (8/10)

A wonderful short (28 mins) film with live action about the journey of a wooden man from a mountain top to the sea. Its the live action and the totally chance encounters that make it delightful. In passing there is also some commentary made on the action of people, but quite appropriately its kept to a minimum.

Paddle to the Sea (1966) (8/10)

Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006) (8/10)

Gory details of the killing of a good initiative. Given the vagaries of the gas prices (they are down today, but wait until summer) and the demand for hybrids, the wonderful, if fledgling, electric cars that were around a few years back and then gotten rid of by car companies, oil industry, politicians, selfish California officials is nothing short of shameful. That in fact is a very mild word.

The documentary is fairly thorough in looking at different aspects of the introduction and vanishing of the electric car. When the time is ripe things happen. Or do they? Hopefully the Japaneses hybrids and electrics will keep coming. If the US wants to play dumb, so be it. I wonder why other countries had not picked up the development though.

Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006)(8/10)

Batoru rowaiaru AKA Battle Royale (2000) (5/10)

A rather gruesome Japanese movie that pits 9th graders against each other in an oppresive environment where it is insisted that only one of them can survive beyond three days. The killings are gory, and the alliances few and far between. I suspect the book would make a better reading with the background provided in a more encompassing manner. The movie just seems like mayhem. Once you accept the situation that you have to go after the others, the depiction is very realistic as well as unnerving. The analogy is apparently to the economic competition in Japan and its outfall. The children in the teenagers, as well as the teens, and adults are clearly seen.

Batoru rowaiaru AKA Battle Royale (2000) (5/10)

Hauru no ugoku shiro aka Howl's Moving Castle (2004) (6/10)

Miyazaki's masterful animation keeps this fairy (or rather witch) tale going. A relatively simple tale where the evil is not black, nor is the good white. A few twists (or rather ups and downs) and a few tricks. But the landscape and the change of scene and the detail keep you engrossed.

Hauru no ugoku shiro aka Howl's Moving Castle (2004) (6/10)

Dune (1984) (5/10)

Its a very sketchy movie. The first time I saw it was soon after reading the book and I thought it fell way short of the quality of the book, perhaps because you have to fit it in to a movie's length. A few years later, now, many of the original mental images are not as sharp. Though the sight of the spaceships, and the Baron etc. are still jarring, it is somewhat easier to pardon. Will the 2010 movie be better? All we can do now is wait and watch. Do read the book though. That allows more vivid imagination, especially in the context of events currently unfolding on the world-stage.

Dune (1984) (5/10)

Children of Men (2006) (6/10)

One of the dark possible future. A very mysterious infertility syndrome has the entire Earth in its grip. War ravages the planet and people are being driven out of their minds. The story is then about a beacon in the darkness. Can humanity come out of the imminent wiping out? There is the alleged Human project which will help people out. That is the hope. Personally I feel that they are the ones who caused the mass infertility. Too many mysteries. Good acting though.

Children of Men (2006) (6/10)

Rock on! (2008) (6/10)

Four friends whose friendship rocks and what happens in their life. The first half seems more enthralling than it is due to the web of flashbacks and the somewhat unnecessary shrouding in mystery of an incident that changes their lives - an incident which is common place from one point of view, but catastrophic from another.

Interesting human qualities are brought into play to push the story, keeping you interested. Then there are some almost predictable coincidences, some more obvious elements, and some improbable situations to wrap it up.

What keeps it afloat is its being true to the music and not drifting to the tune of usual Bollywood elements. Magik can not be dominated by an individual, and they have stayed true to that mantra.

Rock on! (2008) (6/10)

tingyaa (2008) (7/10)

A moving film based on a real story and closely related to the suicides by farmers as they can not support themselves. The acting especially by Tingya is great. His love towards their ox has been brought out very well. As the child is the hero, justice has not been meted to showing the extent of frustrations farmers face. That comes out as somewhat of a linear phenomenon

tingyaa (2008) (7/10)

History of the World - Part I (1981) (6/10)

Mel Brook spook (I mean spoof). As funny as Mel Brooks can be. Actually may not meet his standard. It is in different sections (not parts).

History of the World - Part I (1981) (6/10)

The Pianist (2002) (7/10)

All you want to play is the piano - and you are good at it. And the war breaks out. and with it hell. You are captured and spend time in captivity. Helping here and there a bit but not being able to do much. Surviving. And you get a break. You find humanity in the enemy. Or a small part (with a large mind?) of the enemy. You survive and are united with your art.

The Pianist (2002) (7/10)

The Presitge (2006) (8/10)

A magical movie executed to great effect. Two rivals trying to better each other with plots and counterplots, feats and counterfeits. Using tricks and people to trick people. The machine, the men and the magic. Many hats off. Stooping to lower nadirs just to raise oneself in ones own esteem.

The Presitge (2006) (8/10)

Hot Fuzz (2007) (6/10)

A dark comedy. Well, more correctly a dark mystery. A lone officer trying to find out things with no willing help. In fact lots of obstacles. You won't generally laugh out loud, but will smile. Is violent though. Or rather that is the purpose of it. Its the story of a rather peaceful little place. The high points are more for bringing the story together rather than other things like acting.

Hot Fuzz (2007) (6/10)

The Dark Knight (2008) (8/10)

A slick, fast-paced, no-nonsense (if you pardon the fantastic moves - but then you won't go to this movie if you were not in a pardoning mood anyway) movie with a good number of twists. While the masks can to an extent mask your acting skills, the body language was indicative enough that the actors meant business. Though the title has the word dark in it, it was certainly not as dark (in an art movie sense) as the original batman which seemed as if shot in an Indian town with perpetual powercut. Very elaborate plans were executed in very short precise intervals. That in fact seemed a major shortcoming where it is difficult to grant a poetic or otherwise license.

The Dark Knight (2008) (8/10)

Valu AKA The Wild Bull (2008) (8/10)

Another delightful movie starring Atul Kulkarni. It hits the bulls eye in capturing the peripheral village atmosphere replete with its politics and pettiness as also purity and plain pleasures. There are no complications and everyone can be hopelessly selfish as that is the only way that exists. Dealing with the job at hand. Long term plans normally do not feature. Take the bull by the horns.

The sprinkling of innocuous humour is what makes the movie stand out. It fits in very naturally. Forest the brother of documentary? Perhaps only when a girl can dance like a bull.

Valu AKA The Wild Bull (2008) (8/10)

chakva (2004) (4/10)

A Marathi movie from 2004 which does not have an IMDB page in 2008. May be that sums much of it. The storyline could have been developed as there were two parallel mysteries to be solved which are strangely interconnected. The recourse to the supernatural is okay if (1) it is done well, or (2) it indroduces some new techniques. The sentence at the end (after the movie) that says that the actors do not believe in the supernatural seemed to suggest that (1) but it is true anyway, or (2) they have to work in such movies for their daily bread. I wish they could at least have show more of the Konkan beauty.

chakva (2004) (4/10)

Paths of Glory (1957) (7/10)

When ambition makes you blind, it can be bad for other people. If you happen to be in a position of command, that becomes an understatement. A complete disdain for anything in your path can result. Even paths considered to be those of glory can turn gory. Why wars are started and where they can take you. Irrespective of which side was right, here we see what happens just on one side. A different kind of war movie.

Paths of Glory (1957) (7/10)

Iron Man (2008) (6/10)

A fantastic fairytale with lots of loopholes and patently illogical stuff mainly owing to assumed jumps in technological prowess. But with a hint of social awareness, and a flair for being somewhat different. A few twists here and there but none too heart-stopping.

Iron Man (2008) (6/10)

Goodfellas (1990) (5/10)

Perhpas a good movie if you like gangster movies where some guys cuss and curse all the time and others coolly execute multi-million dollar heists without telling you how they did it. The making of a gangster has been shown well, but it drags a bit, even though it is jumpy in places.

Goodfellas (1990) (5/10)

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) (5/10)

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) (5/10)

While the movie pokes genuine fun at many social and cultural issues, it was neither subtle nor humorous in the political sense of the word. Or, in other words, it was generally needlessly gross. Its the kind of movie which is wasted upon the offenders in any case.

Finding Neverland (2004) (7/10)

It keeps you rivetted to the screen as the drama unfolds. It moves you up and down with its dreaming, and beliefs and beliefs in dreams. When you reflect on it, you realize that there is not all that much to reflect. Either you are a child, or you are not (though you may long to be one). They tried to do a glass bead game by not revealing what the play "actually" contains. The fragments are of course suggestive, but most of the rest then has to be filled in by you, your imagination, something central to the point being made. The quagmire of relationships is interesting to say the least. The movie operates at many levels and it is difficult to get them all. I wonder what the characters in tumbolina will say about the movie. That it is just a movie?

Finding Neverland (2004) (7/10)

Bronenosets Potyomkin aka Battleship Potemkin (1925) (6/10)

An epic movie about the Russian revolution. The revolution is almost shown as black and white. It is an important thing to understand. The need to revolt is an important one. And it can come through persistent oppression. When the pent up forces are let out, almost anything is possible. What are the lessons to be learnt? Are there lessons to be learnt? I don't know.

Bronenosets Potyomkin aka Battleship Potemkin (1925) (6/10)

Babel (2006) (5/10)

A bunch of stories connected in a seemingly impossible way. Not exactly cascading, but one setting another off by a longshot. No closure is offered. It would have been artificial anyway. Most stories are almost commonstance barring perhaps two that are connected with a rifle. But those too show signs of the times. You may like it if you like life as it is.

Babel (2006) (5/10)

Office Space (1999) (6/10)

A light hearted movie poking fun at office culture, management etc. and the frustration that can come from it, ways people seek around it and what it can lead to. Nothing profound.

Office Space (1999) (6/10)

Diarios de motocicleta AKA The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) (7/10)

The well made movie about Che Guevera's formative days does not reveal what is to follow except for a sentence to the effect that you can not do much without guns. What is depicted instead is a compassionate, socialist, frank young person. True the stirrings increase in frequency and intensity after he and his motorcycle buddy see discrimination everywhere and signs of things getting worse. There is a genuineness which is often lacking in many revolutionaries. Many, even with the genuineness can get affected by power just like Che's later partner Fidel Castro did. Che himself jumped elsewhere to free other countries. The one sentence that stood out was when they were in Peru and he says: How is it possible to feel nostalgia for a world I never knew?

His desire to unite the people stand out. While they are not depicted as atheists, their almost revolt against everyone having to go to mass in the leper colony testifies to their being people-centric. There seemed to be many parallels with Bhagatsingh although fairly vague. Sources of the unrest, displeasure are not shown starkly or blatently which makes the movie appeal more to the mind. It is left for the viewers to find out more about the central person, and may be others like him.

Diarios de motocicleta AKA The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) (7/10)

50 First Dates (2004) (6/10)

A serious topic handled in an entertaining way. So much so that most people will likely leave without realizing the seriousness of it. The good thing is that there is no moralizing, or judging that is depicted. Some core human qualities come out as do some frivolous.

50 First Dates (2004) (6/10)

The Man from Earth (2007) (7/10)

John invites a few of his professor friends to say goodbye as he is moving on. No one knows where. A probe into that moves towards a possible science fiction story. The upheavel the storyline causes is hard to resolve or bring to a closure until John is threatened to do so or face consequences. His choice seems to satisfy everyone (because obviously that is the only conclusion anyone was going to believe). And then something else happens. The question is, what will the viewer believe? Unfortunately for such good storylines, viewers are already biased and have decided what they are going to believe, so much so that they will not even consider the opposite, not even in a what-if scenario.

The downside of the movie is that it is a bit low-budget and the acting is not uniform. But of course it is the loss of cinema that you need to make everything palatable.

The Man from Earth (2007) (7/10)

El Laberinto del fauno AKA Pan's Labyrinth (2006) (6/10)

A fairy tale intertwined with a revolution in 1941 Spain highlighting different facets of human nature. The way real life and the fairy tale is seamlessly mixed is amazing and so is the acting. That said, I am not a great fan of mixing genres where it is not natural i.e. just for a great effect. If there was a deeper analogy e.g escapism, it was lost on me. The good thing was that neither part seemed jarring (if you excuse the violence in the war which you really shouldn't).

El Laberinto del fauno AKA Pan's Labyrinth (2006) (6/10)

V for Vendetta (2005) (7/10)

A philosophical action movie trying to make it hard to draw a line between terrorism and revolutionism. Asking questions if destroying symbols of democracy wielded by a few is okay if that is going to make a peoples democracy available. If the revenge is not going to do any good for you personally, do you have the right to do good to others whether or not they want it?

Good dialogues, excellent acting, and good theme. It is all exaggerated a bit (a lot) but it is fair enough to drive across the point. Or may be not. If one person could do so many things, may be such a persion should do it. The issue is mainly due to fractured mandates, fractured identities etc. The human variety is what is sometimes the problem. But hopefully it is a solution too.

V for Vendetta (2005) (7/10)

Equilibrium (2002) (6/10)

A post WWIII movie where man has learnt to keep his emotions clouded away with daily doses. But of course there are people who do not do this. The movie is a mixture of Fahrenheit 451, matrix, 1984 and other such. The strength of the story is that they have kept it straight forward without complicating it with too many factors. Also, their are enough twists to keep you guessing about the future. The absence of big brother (or father) from certain walks of life (for instance no cameras in the interrogation rooms) was puzzling (shall we say miraculous?). Some good scientific (if you consider statistics to be a science) fighting action.

Equilibrium (2002) (6/10)

Labyrinth (1986) (5/10)

Fairy tale with predictable hurdles to be overcome. Will friends be friends, will the evil be vanquished (or conquered) and so on. Good premise, thin on novelty. Not enough twists. Not much acting needed.

Labyrinth (1986) (5/10)

Grindhouse: Death Proof (2007) (3/10)

Rather vacuous horror/action. The theme is thin, and the horror not horrifying.

Grindhouse: Death Proof (2007) (3/10)

Khosla Ka Ghosla! (2006) (7/10)

A wellpaced and well made money showing several aspects of a problem
but not lingering on it and thus sticking to the main theme, the one
about the family itself. Interpersonal relationships, generation gap
and the like and how a single but large issue and bring out different
aspects in them. Enough ups and downs to keep one's interest live.
Another one of those with no song and dance and quality acting.

Khosla Ka Ghosla! (2006) (7/10)

Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara (2005) (7/10)

A good premise fairly well handled. Though they need not have converted it into a documentary, it will have been good if some statistics of such cases were provided through dialogues in general to ensure that people do not laugh at real cases thinking its really rare and won't ever touch any of their near ones.

One doctor is shown too stereotypical, and the other too extraordinary. Same is true with the two younger children to an extent.
They missed the subtitles to the theme poem on the only occasion when its recited fully. Good that unnecessary song and dance is kept out.

Oh, the mysteries of the conciousness.

Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara (2005) (7/10)

Flightplan (2005) (5/10)

Described as a Hitchcockesque movie (or something like that) Flightplan hardly comes close. Sure, they try to build up the tension and you are left wondering as to who to believe. But that is mainly because you are not provided ANY background. No characters are built and even at the end many questions are left unanswered.

Flightplan (2005) (5/10)

Happy Gilmore (1996) (6/10)

A silly funny movie with nothing profound in it, except perhaps some clean much needed ridicule of the flogging game. Go without expecting moralizing, life changing stuff and you will enjoy it. It does not drag, maintains a good pace of well spaced fun. You may not want to watch it on a big screen unless you also carry some friends and popcorn with you.

Happy Gilmore (1996) (6/10)

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) (8/10)

A rather beautiful movie documenting strife as well as achievement, shades of kindness as well as depths of deceit while handling a very non-standard topic. True to the memoir in its name the story does not stray and does justice to the few characters portrayed. Powerful dialogues, often in the form of a few remarks, augment the visual beauty appreciably. The whole thing turns out to be a rather complex affair, but oh well.

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) (8/10)

Om Shanti Om (2007) (7/10)

Despite being a Shahrush movie, its fun. He has overacted, especially in the first part, but that can be pardoned because he wants to be a movie star. And of course what better person to imitate than himself. In fact, one endearing thing about this movie is that it stars many big gums often in guest roles with most imitating themselves. Its healthy to see that people can laugh at themselves. It has many interesting self-refs, stories inside stories. Not quiet Mandelbrot set, but fairly close to one of ACT dialogue in GEB. In a way.

Om Shanti Om (2007) (7/10)

Mystic River (2003) (6/10)

Very well acted movie. One moment you feel you know who did it and the next you are convinced it can not be that person. It does not matter in the end. It starts with three children playing together and sort of follows their life with a big jump in between. Three different types. The reason it goes down a bit for me is because it is rather like life. The ending, the people and all that. But if you like that kind of thing, you will like this.

Mystic River (2003) (6/10)

Syriana (2005) (5/10)

In the first half the movie jumps to too many locations. The action is chunky and the things that need to be filled in are too logical (though selfish). Though curtly acted out, the movie does not make that much of an impression because much of the stuff can be inferred if one keeps ones eyes open and looks around (in the real world). Perhaps for those who are not aware of the oily politics may find it worth watching.

Syriana (2005) (5/10)

Limited Manuski (1995) (4/10)

Horrible dialogue delivery (perhaps trying to imitate common people who are not trying to deliver dialogues) and sorry theme that neither goes anywhere nor takes you anywhere. At some point it seems they may be tackling socially relevant issues. But that seems to be only a guise in the end. Not even laughable.

Limited Manuski (1995) (4/10)

Inside Man (2006) (6/10)

A sleekly executed intelligent movie touching upon wolves in the folds of sheep, high level corruption and how to execute bank robberies (among other things) but not people. Some rather buggy (and hence) dumb parts are part of the game. Unnecessarily muddied by mixing post-episode interviews during the main execution. It makes you think, tense, but for not good reason.

Inside Man (2006) (6/10)