Paradise Now

Director: Hany Abu-Assad
Year: 2005
Cast: Kais Nashif, Ali Suliman, Lubna Azabal.
Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)


Here I am, good five hours after watching this wonderful, thought provoking cinema taking a sip of warm coffee and a thought suddenly hits me. I had just seen one of the disturbing ending to a motion picture in recent past. The drama created (I don't know whether it's based on true events or not still the backdrop is totally inspired by real world situations) only helps the plot. Except for some needless cat-dog chasing coincidences, everything is spot on and nothing seems redundant. So unsettling that made me more of a pessimist (I hate to say so though) about the future of humanity, a value we cherished for centuries, the value that form the very basis of us being human. I started getting this feeling that an eye for an eye is going to make this world blind. Or has it?

Rounders

Director: John Dahl
Year: 1998
Cast: Matt Damon, Edward Norton,Gretchen Mol, John Turturro.
Rating: *** (out of ****)

Let me declare, I don't know squat about Poker. Check, fold, blinds, I don't even understand the terminology properly. Still I had fun watching this movie. Like Scorsese's The Color of Money. How a man gets sucked right in the game even if he thinks he's through. Here, Mike (Matt Damon) does it for a friend 'Worm' (Edward Norton). I don't think he did it for Worm, he got into this trouble for himself or for 'the love of the game'. Because by any stretch of imagination, supporting a friend like worm seems unreasonable.

A good film.

Vozvrashcheniye/ The Return

Director: Andrei Zvyagintsev
Country: Russia
Year: 2003
Cast: Vladimir Garin, Ivan Dobronravov, Konstantin Lavronenko, Natalya Vdovina.
Rating: *** (out of ****)

This is the second movie I have watched from Russia. There's a unique quality about both Stalker and The Return. The camera angles and movements seem to have something to tell, to convey. The cinematography by Mikhail Kritchman is chilling, with muted bluish, greenish shades. There is anguish, sorrow, frustration, insecurity that's engulfing Ivan, in those frames, supported by great background score by Andrej Djorgatsjev. It's not like today's modern Hollywood style with rapid flash editing which, by the way, I don't have any problems with if used to serve some purpose rather that disorienting the poor viewer. Anyway, it's like the narration flows with the camera not giving a slightest hint what is going to happen. I really am finding short of adjectives to describe the climax. One thing I can tell you is, this is compelling, haunting and unusual motion picture that will linger in your head for more time than you expect.

The Wind That Shakes the Barley

Director: Ken Loach
Year: 2006
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Pádraic Delaney, Orla Fitzgerald, Liam Cunningham.
Rating: **** (Masterpiece)

I'm really overwhelmed by this motion picture. It's exhausted me emotionally.

Events transpire in Ireland sometime around 1920. Presents a brutally true picture of Irish freedom struggle. IRA was formed to accomplish the dream of a free Ireland. Later IRA compromised it's principles and started talks with Britishers for something less than that (an Irish Free State within the British Commonwealth). The revolutionaries that saw the blood of their fellow Irishmen spilled feel the martyrs and their families are being cheated and decide to continue war themselves. Conflict. Dilemma. Those who stared off together become foes. Things unravel and lead to something utterly unpleasant and unexpected. Their every argument, every action, pain, suffering, every atrocity they face, you will feel it, you will be there right into that frame. Hats off to Loach and Barry Ackroyd , the cinematographer.

This is first Ken Loach movie I've seen and I assure you it wont be the last.

You Don't Mess with the Zohan

Director: Dennis Dugan
Year: 2008
Cast: Adam Sandler, John Turturro, Emmanuelle Chriqui.
Rating: Half Star (out of ****)

Oh Finally! I've just watch the worst movie I've watched in recent time. No, not Hancock, this one here. The last one would be Sandler's forgettable Reign Over Me.

I question the sensibilities of anyone who liked this film. I hated the movie with all my living guts. I hated the audacity of the filmmakers that someone can actually get entertained by such crap (and audacity of a filmmaker is not always a bad thing). I was surprised and anguished to see some reviewers praising this movie as entertaining as Sandler does almost anything to entertain us. Who cares? I don't. I'm sure you wouldn't either.

Adam Sandler is this Israel's super cop, Zohan Dvir having many super powers (from jumping from buildings to swimming like a super-fish). He is frequently used by the security agencies for specified tasks. He has this desire to become a hair stylist since forever. Off he goes to USA to follow his dreams. Falls in love with beautiful Palestinian girl Dalia (Emmanuelle Chriqui). Now, you may say, it seems fine. The problem lies in the way the filmlakers chose to make it. In such a vulgar, disgusting and yes, stupid way. Only sane thing he keeps on saying is, "but when will this (Israel- Palestine conflict) end?" Finding the solution of that conflict here will be like finding a sea pearl in a gutter. Although I don't think it was an intention of the makers. This half star if for a little fun I had watching well choreographed but very sporadic fight sequences. I don't want to say anything further as it's just not worth it.

Mumbai Meri Jaan

Director: Nishikant Kamat
Year: 2008
Cast: Paresh Rawal, Kay Kay Menon, Madhavan, Vijay Maurya, Soha Ali Khan.
Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)

I recently watched a movie called Bloody Sunday. Directed by British director Paul Greengrass, it is a faithful representation (rather recreation) of what happened on the streets of Derry on 30 th January, 1972. It was a bright Sunday remembered in the history for the tragic incident leading to the death of 13 protesters for civil rights. The movie's documentary-like approach works making it a memorable watch. Anyway, as good movie as that was, the events were precisely reconstructed. Nishikant Kamat, who made a powerful Dombivali Fast, attempts something much more ambitious here. Someone with conviction and clarity of vision only could do. He uses the September 7 attack in Mumbai local as backdrop and creates a heart wrenching drama.

We meet four people from walks of society and come to care for them. A senior cop about to retire, Tukaram Patil (along with his subordinate Kadam), A techie Nikhil Agrawal, a journalist Rupali Joshi, a trader Suresh and a road vendor Thomas. All of them are affected by the blasts in some way and it changed their lives forever. Their tales are as affecting as the movie, if not more. Thanks to the writers. The film effectively depicts the resilience and audacity of a city which never stops, literally.

For me, the biggest strength of this film was that it tells us the things as ordinary people like you and me understand. Yes, it does falter at more than one occasions. For instance when Suresh is sitting in a hotel and Yusuf comes there and he suddenly starts talking about how he had gone to Shirdi and all. Why would a person we hardly (here, never) met before would all of a sudden start such a discussion? When Rupali (Soha Ali Khan) is talking a reporter about her fiance's death, the camera keeps revolving around her. Had the camera just panned into her, making us feel what she feels, it would have made a much more poignant scene. These small issues could have easily taken care of. That said, cinema is never about perfection. Here, it's about a team of writers and craftsmanship of a director to come up with something original and untold.

Tukaram Patil (Parel Rawal) tells so many insights about the system, knowing very well that he himself can't do anything for it. He's lost the strength to do it but always wished he could. In one way, he reminds me of Sheriff Ed Tom Bell of No Country for Old Men. There's an incident where a friend of Nikhil tells him about his life in US and he stares blankly. Mind you, blankly. There's no hope, none whatsoever. Maybe this vast empty space is our plain indifference to the horrible things happening around us. This is the country which came on streets for justice, for peace, for the philosophy of non-violence. That has now been replaced by irksome negligence. We are getting used to it. As his friend says, maybe our children will get used to this. This is dangerous.

Amant, L' / Lover, The

Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Year: 1992
Country: France
Cast: Jane March (as the Young Girl) and Tony Leung Ka Fai (as the China Man)
Rating: **1/2 (out of ****)

So what is your fantasy, you know what I mean, the fantasy? A strange land, a beautiful girl, a secret affair, a dark room….Sorry, am I going too far?

So here's the deal, there's rich china man (the credits mention him thus) and of course, there's a
beautiful young woman and there's the Indochina under French rule in 1920's. She is too young for him. She has a dysfunctional family and also has to return to France after school. Till now everything is as per our erotic fantasy, but Jean-Jacques Annuad wants to make this into some kind of a serious cinema, a coming-of-age movie about sexual awakening of a girl, that is enchanting, tragic and unforgettable (at least, it seems that way). Does he succeed? He could have, indeed, but he stops just when we want to know more. After some really steamy sex scenes, he suddenly wraps the things up. There is a lot of explicit sex, some really impressive close-ups. That's that. Why does he let her go if he really loves her that much? He could've used his influence, money, or at least could have tried. Why doesn't she say something if she really was romantically linked to him? Did they try to contact later? How? We get no answers. Sadly that eventually dilutes the experience for us.

Reservation Road

Director: Terry George
Year: 2007
Source: Based on the novel by John Burnham Schwartz.
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Jennifer Connelly, Mark Ruffalo, Elle Fanning.
Rating: *** (out of ****)

Accidents, extortion, child abuse, these crimes are rampant these days. It is rather more challenging to raise your kids safely in the present situation than before. So, naturally, movies about these subjects are becoming more relevant than ever.

A college professor, Ethan learner (Joaquin Phoenix) and his family is returning from a recital. Little did he know, the worst nightmare of his life is about to happen. His son, Josh, gets hit by an SUV when they stop on the way home. The SUV disappears in that darkness, leaving the family devastated. Police starts the investigation but couldn't get any breakthrough for about 3 weeks. Ethan gets increasingly impatient and furious about the tragic event, his eyes always searching the murderer. And, one day he finds him.

Based on a novel by John Burnham Schwartz who also co-wrote the screenplay with director Terry George ( director of Hotel Rwanda), the movie explores the psyche of a hit-and-run offender (a rather sensitive one) and also the deep effect family suffers. This makes a good character based drama maintaining the delicacy of the subject. There are certain problems. The way the accident happens is lame and over-used. Also, there are coincidences everywhere to the point that it's hard to digest. Acting is uniformly good. I've always liked Jennifer Connelly's work. The pain in her eyes makes Grace Learner believable. Mark Ruffalo and Joaquin Phoenix are good. Little Elle Fanning is adequate. When it comes to movies made on acclaimed novels, I have observed, they fail to translate the characters, their feelings, the overall setting elaborately described in words with such poignancy on the celluloid and lose pace in the middle portion.
Reservation Road is no exception.

Vivah

Director: Sooraj R. Barjatya
Year: 2006
Cast: Amrita Rao, Shahid Kapur, Anupam Kher, Alok Nath, Seema Biswas, Amrita Prakash.
Rating: *** (out of ****)

I like Suraj Barjatya. He is kind of cool and so funny. To the point that his movies especially Hum Saath Saath Hain will qualify as a fine comedy. Everyone is so freakishly goody goody that it almost seems spoofy. Still charm on some level. His movies are usually so out of this world, something we can't imagine in our purest dream, which is fine as long as there's no tone of pretension and self importance to them. Fortunately Barjatya never lied about his cinematic sensibilities. He made the 'stories' he believed in. And remains unapologetic about his cinema. Barjatya's cinema views the world in black and white, good guy and bad guy. Clear distinction. His brand of movies can't be called a work of art, unfortunately.

The female protagonists are level headed, intelligent and mellow and yes, very traditional. Not someone who is traditional by the family she was born but someone who knows what she is doing and why. You don't always like heroines stripping right away in an item song, do you? If the answer is yes, go for any Sanjay Gupta film (Kaante, Dus Kahaaniyan). Here you have someone who believes in flirting with her designated husband but in a different way. Like in Vivah, for example, when Poonam serves Prem Kadhi when he doesn't want any, or when she plans the whole thing to come on the roof to meet the guy confessing she actually wanted to come).

The male lead is someone who is necessarily shy, a bit introvert and Mama's or Papa's boy - Prem (Salman Khan) in HSSH. A quintessential progressive traditional urban dude. Sounds great, doesn't it?
One of the comic sequence in Vivah peeks into my mind now. Poonam (Amrita Rao) brings water for a guest (this being her introductory shot in the film) and says "Jal". Who talks like this today?I was laughing like crazy. So was my friend who, by the way, hated the movie. Isn't this entertainment? Okay, he makes the kind of outlandish, unbelievably sugar coated, and sometimes so artificial movies but he never promised any classic. He knows his limits, the movies he 'can make', and makes them passionately. Here, the sign of a good director.

When everyone else curse him, telling how unbelievably lame he is, I find myself rooting for him. You might wonder, with all derogatory adjectives I've used for Mr. Barjatya films, why am I recommending them at the same time? Well because it's hell lot of entertainment, guaranteed. It always makes a good reason to visit the movies.

My Boy Jack

Director: Brian Kirk
Year: 2007
Cast: David Haig, Daniel Radcliffe, Kim Cattrall, Carey Mulligan
Rating: **1/2 (out of ****)

This movie is an adapted from a play by the same name and it's quite evident while watching the movie. Events take place in the play-like manner. Before watching this movie (and subsequent research), Rudyard Kipling to me was 'The Jungle Book' and the fact that he was born and brought up in India. I didn't know his life that well. Let me tell you, this motion picture isn't a biopic. This is a tale of a father, a son and the life in deep turmoil when a tragic incident happens affecting the entire family. If you are thinking there'll be something about R. Kipling's work (literary and political) or about his philosophy, I'm afraid you will be disappointed. There are brief war sequences when Jack goes for the battle of Loos. They are not bad but there isn't anything spectacular about them either. Unusual camera angles, kind of weird jerky camera is used to achieve certain impact of war scenes. I don't think that served the purpose that well.

My biggest disappointment was that the character of Jack Kipling never opens up. This was very important since this basically is the story of Jack Kipling. What does Jack want or think or feel? We never understand. That poor kid was painfully sidelined. It was necessarily his story. I won't blame Radcliffe for that as he is handicapped by a weak script and incomplete character.

It seems I have said enough bad things about this motion picture so now some good things. To the director's credit acting by principal actors is restrained and by and large effective, particularly by David Haig. There's a scene where Rudyard Kipling mourns his son's death (when he finally confirms the news) is captured poignantly. Though, actually, Jack Kipling's grave was only found in 1992, the Kiplings had accepted Jack's death almost immediately after the war. And the poet's life was never the same.

Note: Kindly try to find the song/poem 'My Boy Jack' and feel a father's pain.