Dharm (2007) (6/10)

The movie is set in Varanasi, the point which connects heaven and hell through Earth, a place that transcends the three worlds. It is a place of highest religious ordeals on the one hand, and a place with dense hindu and muslim localities with not infrequent skirmishes on the other (and the Buddhist Sarnath is not too far off). The city (a town really) is junk if you are not looking at it from Pauranik goggles. I have personally talked to priests there who speak nothing but Sanskrit, and I have seen dead rats on narrow alleys, and calfs tied to one of the umpteen Shivlingas that the city is home to.

The story is about a Brahmin who is staunch and genteel. His life is somewhat changed when an infant is left at their doorstep and they have to take care of him. It changes even further when the mother shows up a few years later to reclaim the child. Without leaving his dharm, his stringent vows he learns to transcend the narrow interpretation of some of the scriptures he has been following. For him its a journey which justifies the change in his behavior. For some others its not so obvious.

The acting of the main actors is great, and the story line is timely. Worth a look. 

Of Gods and Men AKA Des hommes et des dieux (6/10) (2010)

A group of missionaries (monks of Tibhirine) living in Atlas mountains in Algeria peacefully near a muslim village in the 1990s when terrorists threaten the well being in general, and perhaps the Christian priests in particular. Its a slow moving movie as the situation warrants - with the priests deliberating whether they should leave and thinking what their mission is, what they are headed for and so on. There is always the possibility of their being kidnapped or killed. Some of them go through phases of wanting to leave, but a couple are steadfast that they won't including the medic priest.

The encounters are a bit documentary like because they are real but the acting is superb, and the icing is the bit during their "last supper" when they have all decided to stay - a piece from Tchaikovsky's ballet, Swan Lake (10th movement, the first from Act II: Scene: Moderato).

While the discussions of the priests are shown in fair detail, the other side is shown just in sketches, and their encounters have no discussion as such (perhaps as is likely to happen in a real-life situation when at least one side has its views fixed). I would have liked to see more on those lines though.

Of Gods and Men AKA
Des hommes et des dieux (6/10) (2010)

Pinjar (2003) (8/10)

There are many movies about religion, about religious strifes, about partition. But none combines these AND love and social issues like Pinjar does. It handles these complex issues in an immaculate and moving way. Flowing with the masses and then seeking individuality in it is explored as also social pressure to act in certain ways even if it means giving up your own child. To think that perhaps people in some parts of the world may still be going through such situations. The performances are stellar. It seems to flow slowly but never bordering on being boring. The emotions need the time to come out. If for nothing else it is worth watching for the human angle.

Pinjar (2003) (8/10)

My Son the Fanatic (1997) (7/10)

Its all about Om Puri who puts in a sterling performance. He is a common man, and immigrant. All he wants is a simple life and to look after his family, and as is typical for South Asians, to make his son his main concern. But times are a-changing in some ways. The international mixing of peoples, and the clash of cultures and ideas is brought out. The norml way of showing it is to depict how countries, or communities, or individuals of a type are affected. But here it is all about Om Puri, a taxi driver. And yet it is capable of drawing the bigger picture.

My Son the Fanatic (1997) (7/10)

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)

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)