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Director: Amrit Sagar
Year: 2007 Country: India
Cast: Manoj Bajpai, Ravi Kishan, Deepak Dobriyal, Chittaranjan Giri.
Rating: **** (out of ****)
Inspired by true events, the film revolves around six daredevil Indian soldiers who plan to escape from the Pakistani prison and risk death with honour and courage. The best thing about 1971 is it's uncompromising look at the grim situation of Indian soldiers at those secluded barracks in Pakistan. The story almost never loses it's track.
I have to mention the stupendous work of production designers, particularly the barracks recreated in Manali look strikingly authentic. Acting is laudable, all the supporting cast is superb. Chirantan Das' camera work is adequate. But, I think, judicious use of hand-held camera, particularly in chase sequences would have added to the impact. The only problem I've is director's use of voice-overs when they are not required. voice-over, I feel, is a technique that should be used only when required to facilitate the viewer with insight of the character and not to tell him/her the story. Here it looks manipulative and unnecessary. It makes the viewer aware that he/she is watching a movie. Perfect example of apt use of voice-over technique is the movie Jarhead.
Undoubtedly one of the best Indian films of 2007 along with Johnny Gaddar. I'm waiting for next film by Mr. Sagar.
Director: Sam Mendes
Year: 2005
Source: Based on a Book by Anthony Swofford
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Jamie Foxx, Scott MacDonald.
Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)
Are the soldiers deployed at the front always at war? If not what do they do then? This question ever crossed your mind? Watch Jarhead. See, we have seen many war movies and each one of them claims to be different, but since all wars are same, so are war movies. Soldiers are different, enemy is different, circumstances are different but still war is war, it's cruel, it's demanding, and one not only has to survive but stay sane too. Jarhead focuses on the psyche of a soldier who is struggling to find a purpose, a meaning to his existence rather than the war.
Based on bestselling book by a former marine Anthony Swofford (played by Jake Gyllenhal in the movie) about his experiences in the Desert Storm, this movie explores what it takes to be in the unforgiving Gulf and keep oneself ready for war. Cinematography by Roger Deakins and production design ( Gulf was recreated in the desert of Mexico) is breathtakingly spectacular. Jake Gyllenhal's Swof is humane and believable. I'm saying this since what happens in certain war movies is that soldiers are presented in a heroic way who care for whom they kill. They are not some heroes fighting with saintly moral values and all, they can't be. Their job is to kill.
Director: David CronenbergYear: 2005Source: Based on a Graphic Novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Ashton Holmes.
Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)
Mr. Cronerberg's movies were never personal to me. Still I always feel immensely fascinated by them. One of the peculiarities of Cronerberg movies is it's leisurely speed. He takes time to get us in the groove. Some like it, some hate ( I don't say 'dislike'). I fall in the former category. Having said that, some scenes seem stretched. Watching his reminds me of another talented director Sam Mendes. Like his Road to Perdition this one is also based on a graphic novel. Cronerberg disappointed me in Crash. His repetitiveness in Crash irked me a bit. Anyway, here he has made a brilliant film with such talent as our own Mr. Mortensen at hand. The film is effective and seldom seems dragged. There's lot of sex and violence in here too as is Cronerberg's hallmark and it's all worth. The violence is on your face and it's never lame, so are the sex sequences. It sure isn't gratuitous. Viggo Mortensen is a great actor. He pulls off Tom/Joey with great power and his vulnerability as Tom, the gentleman with a family is a real achievement for the actor. Ed Harris and William Hurt shine in small roles, particularly Hurt is chilling as the bad guy 'Ritchie'. Remember the last scene, Joey looking at his wife with guilt and misery, his eyes explaining everything, as the camera pans out. That reminded me of Cranerberg/Moretensen pair's last venture, the unforgettable Eastern Promises. Remember the horror in his eyes? Joey's son Jack picks up the gun before he realizes the truth about his father. The legacy passes on. The History of Violence. It wasn't really a choice, was it?
Director: István Szabó
Year: 1999
Country: Hungary
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Ralph Fiennes, Ralph Fiennes, Rosemary Harris, Rachel Weisz, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Strong
Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)
We, Indians, have seen our loved ones suffer in partition. It was a cruel culmination of Indian freedom struggle. Jews, on the other hand, have seen such cruelty many times over, in different parts of the world, at different times. Anti-semitism is a harsh lesson history has taught the world and has affected millions of people.
Sunshine is lots of passion, lots of history, lots of characters and lots of reel time. A film that runs just four minutes shy of three hours and chronicles three generations of a Hungarian Jewish family, the Sonnenscheins (later Sors). I have to tell something about the actor who is so vital to the film. He's there for almost the entire length. Ralph Fiennes is a sincere actor. Sincere, that's the word. It seems to me that you give him anything and he'll pull it with utmost sincerity. His eyes will tell you that.
It reminded me of The Godfather as this too is all about family and also of Scorsese's marvellous The Age of Innocence in terms of the mood of the film. There are many twists regarding love and relationship. The film is grandly made. But the director seems interested in telling the story of the Sonnenscheins rather than focusing on the characters at hand. The problem of the film is that it is too ambitious. It tries to do so many things and never dwells on one character. It still does all this with great honesty. It's like a child chasing something he deeply feels for. He runs through a narrow lane with all his power and stamina ,we see it ending there and then there's another tiny lane and he chases on. It's a tiring but rewarding saga. István Szabó has made with great love and care. So much so that sometimes it feels autobiographical work of his. As I watched this motion picture late night, I felt a deep connections for the Sonnenschein or the Sors. Ignatz, Valerie, Greta, Adam, Ivan, Hannah, Gustave, even Kato. I wish they had freedom. I'll watch it again whenever I miss them.
As Ivan observes, "Nothing will surprise you in this family."
A fascinating film.
Director: Mike Binder
Year: 2007
Cast: Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler
Rating: * (out of ****)
Post 9/11 was a difficult time for the U.S. Everyone was affected in one way or the other. The story of Reign Over Me revolves around one such victim of the attacks. Charlie (Sandler) lost his whole family to one of the air crashes. He doesn't want to remember any of that ever again and so lives a secluded life till one of college mate Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) meets him. Alan understands the situation and comes to a conclusion that Charlie needs help.
The story seems fine but the problem lies in the direction. Neither the characters nor the story generate any interest. In the second half, it becomes unbearable. Being a character based drama the story demands much from it's actors. Charlie played by Adam Sandler is not only hollow and plain but also irritating. If he wants to try serious acting, he will have to dig much deeper. Don Cheadle is fine. Jada Pincket Smith is wasted. We almost never sympathize with Charlie which was essentially a major requirement here. If you want to experience movie depicting the trauma of losing someone, better go for 21 Grams or even a Reservation Road will be much better. So finally what do I think of this movie? A boring dud.
Director: Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Year: 2003
Country: Thailand/ Japan
Cast: Tadanobu Asano (as Kenji), Sinitta Boonyasak (as Noi)
Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)
We meet some people in our lives who enrich our lives. Touch our souls. Help us to come out of misery, give a new meaning to life. Show us the path, directly or indirectly and then quietly walk away.
The Last Life in the Universe reminds me of two great movies I've had the privilege to watch. One is Sophia Coppola's Lost in Translation and the other is Scorsese's Taxi Driver. The Thai girl, Noi, reminded me of Scarlette Johansson in Lost in Translation and the guy, Kenji, a Japanese guy reminded me of Travis Bickle. Both alienated from this world, live in their own respective worlds. Noi loose her sister in an accident due to her own mistake.Kenji is suicidal in nature. "This is bliss", he writes in his suicide note. Upon trying to kill himself many times, he meets Noi on the street of Bangkok. She watches her sister lie on the street, lifeless. He consoles him, as any passerby would. Visits her home and stays there. All this is shot with great leisure. At a point I thought, why am I watching this? Leisurely speed should be used (by a filmmaker)when he has (and he can, of course) something to say that can't be described in words. Here, what we see is he roaming around in the house, washing dishes and all. But it's all worth. The friendship between the two is not instant but is effortless and completely believable. In one of the scenes, when they are together, he asks her whether she is sad. She simply replies, "who isn't?" And then smiles. This incident speaks volumes about the emotional numbness. Through such moments the director succeeds to develop a strange, life affirming bond between the two. In it's own way, this film is a harsh comment on humans losing sensitivity (in the first half only).
Then there is a plot. And, there, it stays behind the afore mentioned two films. The direction, although a little flawed, is smooth and confident. The film chronicles the sorrows of urban, suave people trapped in mundane and sometimes meaningless lives and does exceedingly well. Most importantly The Last Life in the Universe creates two characters we come to care for. That is, above all, it's biggest strength.
Director: Austin Chick
Year: 2002
Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Maya Stange, Kathleen Robertson, Petra Wright.
Rating: **1/2 (out of ****)
xx/xy. Cool name for a movie. What do you say? No, don't worry this movie is not about chromosome theory. Anyway.
Who should you go with? The woman you had a steamy history and still feel the same about you or the woman who looks out for you, who is always there for you, understands you more than perhaps you do and accepts you as you are. Sometimes not complaining at all isn't noble. People start taking you for granted. This is what happens with Claire (Petra Wright), long time girlfriend of Coles (Mark Buffalo). Her eyes reflect wisdom. Coles is a wannabe movie director. He had this fling with beautiful (she really is) Sam (Maya Stange) and had a threesome with Sam and their common friend Theo(Kathleen Robertson).
Now this Coles guy is a person who can't stand up to anything, always carrying that smirk on his face. Such people need partners with greater understanding capabilities. Coles has found this very quality in Claire. They are (at least seem) happy together. Until Coles accidentally run into Sam one afternoon and all those memories rush back. And the fate of these three people arrive at crossroads. What happens next is xx/xy for you. A romantic (non-comedy) film.
So how was it? Well, not very special if you ask me. I mean, the quality of romantic movies that holds you is depth, of emotions, of visuals, of the longing. That depth is missing. Story doesn't have anything to offer either. The characters are developed fine.
Roger Ebert says, " Jerks are often the most interesting characters in the movies, and sometimes the ones most like ourselves. "XX/XY" would be dismal if the characters all behaved admirably.' Well sir, this is not my problem that these people are jerks and I totally agree these they are most likely to reflect human spirit with all it's exuberance but the way characters evolved was least convincing for me.
All said, I appreciate the makers of the movie for it's courageous ending. It made my two hours worthwhile.
