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)

Koi... mil gaya (2003) (5/10)

A bit disappointing - except for a good performance by Hrithik and Priety. Borrows a lot from Encounters of the third kind, Star wars, ET, Flubber and even Space Balls. Yet it does have the Hindi touch. Ample, in fact, as evidenced by an unnecessary song every several minutes. Friendship between a powerful and powerless ET and a mentally challenged and brilliant grown-up child. Or something like that.

Koi... mil gaya (2003) (5/10)

1408 (2007) (6/10)

One of the better horror movies for some time in the sense that it does not have to adhere to ugliness, obscenities or gore to try to frieghten the viewers. That it did not manage much, but there was a fairly consistent bit of intrigue much of the time. It does not explain the supernatural, but I guess that is not the point anyway. In the end it is a bit like the bottle of Klein. You don't know what is inside and what is outside. There is a bit of cube used and hints of shining.

1408 (2007) (6/10)

Yanda Kartavya Aahe (2006) (6/10)

A non-farcical non-serious, non-moralizing, but with-a-moral comedy. Slow at times, but mostly acted out very naturally. Perhaps not worth spending a lot of money to go watch it in a movie hall where you can not chat in order to let others enjoy it. A newly wed pair finds itself honeymooning in rather strange environs. Getting to know each other as well as trying to mix in the culture surrounding them makes for some interesting if at times a little far-fetched scenarios. Use is nicely made of ignorance and a private urge to keep private things private. Marathi.

Yanda Kartavya Aahe (2006) (6/10)

Manchurian candidate (2004) (7/10)

Sci-fi on steroids. Good theme and storyline, and acting if you ignore the rather fantastic matching of "memories" depicted across a whole group. in some sense the fantasy goes even beyond James Bond's devices, only that it is not fast.

Manchurian candidate (2004) (7/10)

Bheja Fry aka Dinner Party (2007) (6/10)

This is a well made copy of the French movie Le Dîner de cons (1998). I guess no matter how well made, a copy is a copy. May be they should at least pick old forgotten ones?

The acting is good except for Asif (Ranvir) who just seems to make faces instead of acting. There are only 5 actors in this 90 minute movie anyway. There is a bit of tastelessness where they discover what is actually happening at the Juhu flat. But the plot does not stray (though it meanders) and a light vein is kept almost throughout. The 'phone and the ritual of the scrapbook are the epitome and not to be missed. Most of the work needed would have been to do the songs.

Bheja Fry aka Dinner Party (2007) (6/10)

Millions (2004) (7/10)

An interesting movie about the adults in children. Two children find a lot of cash and they want to help the needy. Until they discover the source of the money. Can they go back. The invocation of various saints is cute. And our mum is dead. Could religion be like that? Giving you strength at the expense of something else? The premise of Britain going Euro can be an evergreen one until the British economy gets bogged down. Will it herald an even more commoner currency? But we are digressing ...

Millions (2004) (7/10)

Sullivan's Travels (1941) (7/10)

A Hollywood director wants to make a movie with a message, perhaps teach people about morals and all that so they can appreciate what the world is going through with wars and all. He is reminded that he knows nothing about poverty. So he sets out to learn about it first hand, to find trouble. But its not easy, at least not the way he had hoped. But then he manages to find it, learn everything he wants to learn, is happy, and then suddently things turn really sour. It is only then he learns what reality is like. Will he survive? Its not so much a suspense as the juxtaposition of wanting to make a movie with a message, and learning that may be not all movies should be that. A little bit slow in the middle, but wonderfully done overall.

Sullivan's Travels (1941) (7/10)

The Hills Have Eyes (2006) (5/10)

The bad effects of nuclear testing in a remote place are shown in a horrorific way. Mutated people left with nothing stoop to very low levels to keep alive. Good atmosphere generation early on, but then it goes down the hill a bit as you are not given a chance to ask questions like how did they survive until now etc. Some good starts, many rather gory scenes.

The Hills Have Eyes (2006) (5/10)

Amistad (1997) (7/10)

Amistad starts off being unintelligible while neither English nor subtitles are seen - though the action does speak a lot. Slaves on a ship escape and the battle to claim them starts. It is in the courts that they find a determined anti-slavery advocate and his battle against the establishment to get them freedom. The hypocracy in the civilised world as well as the elements of good are brought out well.

Amistad (1997) (7/10)