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)

Taare Zameen Par (2007) (9/10)

Taare Zameen Par (2007) (9/10)

A disclaimer: the movie does have its flaws. The 9 it gets are for the good things, the excellent attempt, an important subject, and for the unnecessary things typically seen in movies that it leaves out.

Its about each of us literally having ones own world, and some having to take it to the extreme. When you call something red, and I agree, we may not be seeing the same thing. Thats certainly truer when it comes to more complex things like the solution to a college-level calculus problem. But when you have to go to the other extreme and see that what you call b may in fact be d for me, and that too only sometimes, and then you realize that many people do not realize this, and hence do not realize that it can be a big problem when it comes to fitting in, you are just realizing what could be happening to a few unfortunate children. Unfortunate not because it is an uncurable thing, but because proper care can easily overcome it and bring out the best in them. Te theme has been well handled from both aspects: (1) how they can be ill-treated, and (2) how they can blossom. A must watch!

It does become a bit melodramatic in an attempt to make it a comedy. Just a revival would have sufficed. Showing all other teachers to be a stereotype is also a bit extreme. His brother not noticing the symptoms seemed a bit odd.

My greatest hope is that some people on the border line turn to teaching and some teachers, parents, students see it all in a different light.

Das Leben der Anderen AKA The Lives of others (2006) (8/10)

A beautiful movie about socialist East Germany, the strife between the people on either side of the party, table, wall and humanity. Also about free speech, the need to use it, and in the correct place and measure. And to think. And to choose sides carefully. Many times. Many potential twists, some guessable based on who and what you are. Good editing, especially of dialogues. Could make out the turning point as it happened. See if you can. The last sequence is powerful, telling us of the importance and strength of non-verbal communication. The last sentence is cute.

Das Leben der Anderen AKA The Lives of others (2006) (8/10)

The Courtesans of Bombay (1983) (5/10)

A documentary about singers in Bombay. People who live with them, visit them, teach them, manage them.

The Courtesans of Bombay (1983) (5/10)

Les Quatre cents coups AKA 400 Blows (1959) (6/10)

A B&W story of a boy told in B&W. A subtle yet thorny issue is dealt in too short a time for a movie. How one thing leads to another driving the boy into things that he should not necessarily be doing. The movie is not slow, yet does not cover enough ground possibly as it goes in to some details in some sections. The end is not too enlightening.

Les Quatre cents coups AKA 400 Blows (1959) (6/10)

Match Point (2005) (7/10)

Good start, boring in between (the pretext of proper atmosphere, build-up resulting in far few dialogues) and then a somewhat predictable yet interesting chain of events - except for the end itself. Woody does not star himself which almost immediately may explain the reduced number of dialogues. Does the movie need the dialogues? Not necessarily. Is it like a Hitchcock movie? Perhaps, but the plot is not equally open. Some of the effect is similar though.

Psychology, need for stability, ability to not see beyond oneself, blindedness of different sorts etc. are all combined for good effect.

Match Point (2005)(7/10)

MirrorMask (2005) (6/10)

Imaginative imagery of a mirror world, one dark with possibilities is the backbone of the movie with some fabric of juggling the waking and sleeping world, of dreams and reality, of wanting to confirm and escaping, of one's people being on one's side and then may be seemingly not. Or vice versa. Not much of the modern world. Or of the old. But secret riddles that are not too deep.

MirrorMask (2005) (6/10)

Avaghachi Sansar (1960) (8/10)

Though a rather old movie, does not seem dated at all. If at all, some of its thoughts are worth enfranchising by the folks today. Keeps you smiling if not laughing through sterling performance and excellent lyrics and even a wonderful classical dance sequence. But it is the plight of a husband-to-be of finding more in a not-too-complicated series of alomst unfortunate events that the movie delights you. Knowing Pune is an asset, but by no means necessary.

Avaghachi Sansar (1960) (8/10)

Lakhachi Gosht (1952) (5/10)

One of the oldies showing the struggle between surviving for the sake of ones art and for ones love, the later needing one to earn a lot of money. Or times spending even more. The bons between the two artists friends is a bit strange. I guess that kind of separate-us-not was sort-of assumed between any pair being depicted in movies around that time. The songs are good, but the movie shows a bit of age overall.

Lakhachi Gosht (1952) (5/10)

Kay Dyache Bola (2005) (6/10)

A fairly good comedy, marred by two facts that its a remake of an English movie (my cousin Vinny) and that some of the cross-questioning which reveals flaws in the original accounts could in no way have been thought of by the viewers. Otherwise the marathi touch and the humor is worth a watch (though slow at times). The fire alarm episode seemed rather out of place, and the bookies also seemed to be an add-on that did not gel too well. The anandibai bit was excellent, and the last argument was impressive.

Kay Dyache Bola (2005) (6/10)

Joshua (2007) (5/10)

These days inexplicable without a basis does not pique my interest. Unless there are some fantasitic elements or elements of mystery that can be attacked, its just one of those mindless or paranormal phenomenon that does not need any attention from your gray cells. Joshua is like that. No creek provided to guess why what is happening is happening. It just happens. All you can do is watch. Solved (in this case unsolved) mysteries are useless if you as a viewer do not get a chance to solve it as the story progresses.

Joshua (2007) (5/10)

The Terminal (2004) (6/10)

An interesting version of living out of a box. The difference being that you are made to live so. Or at least apparently. Despite being allowed to escape if you don't understand the opportunities, are those opportunities at all? Human persistence (either way) sustains its goals until they are overcome. A good combination of persistence, taking the law to the extreme, humanity (or some strains of it) and in general hilarity springing from the unfamiliar. The airport is clearly a miniature version of the United States itself.

The Terminal (2004) (6/10)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) (5/10)

Another disappointment in the series. The picturizations seem to be getting worse. Producers keep missing details forgetting that the devil is in the detail. Without the devil what can a good magician do but just feel like a cheap trickster? Action, action, and more action. Well, actually not too much of that either. Seemed even a bit like mahabharat with just charges (weapons) flowing from one side to the other.
Nothing profound or even seemingly profound.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) (5/10)