Finestra di fronte, La aka Facing Windows (2003) (4/10)

The character development is rather jumpy. As a result you do not start connecting much, and many events seem rather mundane. Even if the premise seems good - about how we can learn of our own life from others and our interactions with them - it is rather trivialised by finding all the right components close by.

Finestra di fronte, La aka Facing Windows (2003) (4/10)

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942) (5/10)

This was a movie with great potential, good plot, twists and acting wasted by being a bit too verbose. Many of the dialogues and tongue in cheek remarks are excellent, but at times it seems as if it is just strung together from such remarks. Too many characters are inserted and their character built rather rapidly for specific short roles, and some people are too receptive.

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942) (5/10)

Shakespeare in Love (1998) (6/10)

Was only half-watching this movie and it seemed good. Full of good acting. Reasonably good plot. A little over-doing of the Victorian era which was inherent to that time and which I have never been able to really understand.

Shakespeare in Love (1998) (6/10)

Christmas in July (1940) (7/10)

This is a delightful 67 minute package. Very positive throughout in all its aspects. A drama that unravels following a big prize announced for a slogan contest and a false telegram notification about the actual prize. What is most wonderful is that even people who have lost or are losing something or the other are shown to take it very gracefully. So gracefully that even today you do feel that it is possible to do so.

Christmas in July (1940) (7/10)

Auberge espagnole, L' aka The Spanish Apartment (2002) (5/10)

A movie about a French student moving to Madrid and spending an year there living with other students from other countries and also with two people he has met at the time of his arrival. His journey through the year and ups and downs are depicted.

Auberge espagnole, L' aka The Spanish Apartment (2002) (5/10)

Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran aka Monsieur Ibrahim (2003) (6/10)

A fairly straightforward plot (if you can call it that) and a triumph of nurture over nature with a bit of sex thrown in for taste. A French boy is groomed by a moslem and told that he gets all his answers from the Koran. What the answers are is never revealed, of course. It is really about love and people power than any religion. Or, in fact, it is the common denominator of all that is good in religions. Without the biased, selfish, oneupmanshipish part.

Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran aka Monsieur Ibrahim (2003) (6/10)

The Namesake (2006) (6/10)

Well made, well acted, fast paced. Shows cultural diversities and borderlines of intermixing and problems thereof quiet well. Where it fails is that too much is crammed in to it, The character of the namesake is not developed at all. It can be anyone's story. The reason for that particular name does not really come out. Most Kolkata images are a backdrop and not clear why those particular ones were there. In general not enough time is spent on different parts of the movie and is abrupt much of the time. May be this is typical of books adapted to movies.

The Namesake (2006) (6/10)