All About My Mother (1999)

Original Title: Todo Sobre Mi Madre

*ing: Cecilia Roth, Marisa Paredes, Antonia San Juan, Penélope Cruz, Candela Peña

Genre: Drama, Romance

Almodóvar's "Best film by far" … well … at least among the one’s I have watched. Generally speaking this film is a melodrama about 3 women and 2 transvestites and each of the character has a saga to narrate. The idea may seem pretty boring but the way Pedro Almodóvar has scripted the whole drama and directed it, makes it a delight to watch, no wonder this film won rave reviews and turned out to be the ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ at Academy Awards, BAFTA, Golden Globe and numerous International film festivals. Credit not only goes to the writer director but also the ensemble cast who has done a fantastic job.

The film narrates the story of a grief stricken mother Manuela (Cecilia Roth) who has lost her only child, her son, Esteban. Esteban, used to write a diary till the day he died in an unfortunate accident while chasing his favorite actress Huma Rojo (Marisa Paredes) in the hope of getting her autograph. However, Huma is not aware of the death of her fan. Fast forward and Manuela is now in Barcelona searching for her son’s transvestite father, to inform him about the loss of their son. The quest brings her to cross paths with her long last friend Agrado (Antonio San Juan), another transvestite, Rosa (Penelope Cruz) a young nun who has devoted her life for charity and is about to find out that she is terminally ill and Huma, her son’s favorite actress. What really amazes me is that a man cooked up a story about love, emotions and relations between a handful of women, couple of transvestites and intertwined them to make a very interesting tale and to make it even more interesting he scripts and directs it in a fashion that is an absolute delight to watch. The subtle humor that is embedded into the script makes this otherwise heavy melodrama a little light and palatable to most of audiences.

Bottom-line: You simply cannot afford to miss this movie. This is by far one of the best works by Pedro Almodóvar.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185125/

Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/all_about_my_mother/

Frankie and Johnny (1991)

*ing: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer

Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy

The chemistry between Johnny (Al Pacino) and Frankie (Michelle Pfeiffer) is awesome. I can think of very few movies where the chemistry between the lead pair looks so real on film. Not to mention the fact that Michelle Pfeiffer looks drop dead gorgeous in her role (gorgeous in the sense, not as a fashion model but gorgeous as a New York waitress and just another lady) and had me drooling ;-) BTW, Michelle Pfeiffer can act, she can really act … she proves it in this film … as far as Al Pacino goes … well I guess there is no doubt he is one of the finest actors Hollywood has ever seen. Credit should also be attributed to Gary Marshall the director, yes … he is the same Gary Marshall who in later years directed few more romantic hits of which Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, and ‘The Princess Diaries’ duology still rate pretty high in terms of Chick Flicks and Romcom’s.

Frankie and Johnny is the story about a middle-aged prisoner who after serving his prison sentence finds himself in New York looking for a job. He is soon hired as a short-order cook in a local New York diner. His cooking lessons he learned while he was in prison come in real handy and soon make him a favorite at the restaurant, however this film is not about how good or bad Johnny is as a cook. It’s about how Johnny meets Frankie, who works as a waitress at the diner where Johnny cooks. Frankie has just stepped out of an abusive relationship and trying to move on with her life. It’s the story about how Johnny attempts to win Frankie’s heart and in the process learns few important things that eventually brings Johnny and Frankie closer to each other.

Bottom-line: On screen chemistry of Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer really strikes out and makes it worth a watch and to make the romantic story … and … the generous amount of humor makes it even more interesting a watch. +vely an 8/10 movie :-)

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101912/

Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1037161-frankie_and_johnny/

The Guard (2011)

*ing: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Thriller, Crime

Refreshing, very refreshing .... an Irish centric comedy drama as refreshing as my favorite Irish Coffee :)
Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) plays a corrupt but a pretty uptight police officer. Gerry is posted in a small rather sleepy small Irish town where I guess not much of the action happens to keep a lawman busy. However the body count shoots up the moment a gang of international cocaine smugglers decide to dock into this small town. Overnight the small town police station is buzzing with black suit wearing FBI chaps. FBI wants to get their hands on the smugglers and their cargo of cocaine. A reluctant Gerry is forced to team up with FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) and assist the FBI chaps in their investigation. However, this is not just the story of Gerry as a police officer who fights crime ... sizable chunk of the movie showcases Gerry as a lonely man, a loving son to his aging mother, a corrupt but caring officer et al. Gerry is funny and witty as a character who shoots quotes like "I'm Irish. Racism is part of my culture." and "Something's up! And it's not just my pecker!" and keeps the audience giggling :-)
Debutant writer and director John Michael McDonagh has done a fantastic job with screenplay and direction. If 'The Guard's is any measure to go by, I say this man has potential and I guess I will keep a watch on his forthcoming releases.
Bottom-line: Great acting, dark and witty humor, some decent thrills, makes 'The Guard' funny and entertaining from start to finish. Must Watch :-)

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1540133/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_guard_2011/

Bottle Shock (2008)

*ing: Chris Pine, Bill Pullman, Alan Rickman, Freddy Rodriguez, Racheal Taylor
Genre: Drama

Set in the year 1976, this movie talks about the turning point whereby Napa Valley in US came to be recognized as a producer of quality wine beating the dominant French at their wine making game. The movie is based on actual events although much has been debated post the release of the movie. Anyway, irrespective of the controversy 'Bottle Shock' comes up a decent movie that is worth a watch. The film when released did not get a warm reception from the critics and was trashed by a vast majority of them and to be honest 'Bottle Shock' does not come out as a great movie to watch. However, the music and the breathtaking shots of Napa Valley do make it look very beautiful and pleasing to the audience. 

 

Here is what the movie all about ... Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) a British wine expert and founder of 'Academie Du Vin' decides it's time the world Parisians are introduced to quality wines from across the globe. Mind you this is 1976 and France's Bordeaux and Burgundy were considered the best wine producing areas in the world and wine's from those regions used to rule the Number One spot. Steven Spurrier travels to Napa Valley, USA in search of quality wines and in a chance encounter meets Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman) of Chateau Montelena, Bill is a self styled maverick who wants to produce the best Chardonnay in the world. When Steven propses Jim to showcase his wine in 'Paris Wine Tasting of 1976', Jim refuses. Jim thinks the French hold such competitions to make a mockery of US and other wine makers. However, Jim's son Bo (Chris Pine) smuggles couple of bottles from his fathers winery for the wine tasting and much to everyone's surprise wines from Jim's vineyard and other vineyards of California top the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines beating the best French wines thus putting Californian wines in  global spotlight.
 

Bottom-line: Co-writer and Director Randall Miller has done a decent job. Music by Mark Adler is noteworthy, the cinematography is breathtaking to say the least. Overall 'Bottle Shock' is a decent enough affair.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0914797/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bottle_shock/

A Serious Man (2009)

*ing: Michael Stuhlbarg, Sari Lennick, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed
Genre: Drama, Dark Comedy

A very intriguing drama with a touch of dark humor. I must confess the writer, director duo Ethan Coen and Joel Coen deserve a huge round of applause for crafting this impressive movie. I ought to point out that the way the film starts with a somewhat obscure short story in Yiddish language featuring a dybbuk (a living person possessed by a wandering spirit) can be a bit confusing ... I was left wondering why that short story was highlighted at the very beginning ... and ... it all makes sense in the last few seconds of the climax scene.

A Serious Man is a story set in late 60's and features a Jewish family man Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) who lives in a Jewish neighborhood of Minnesota and teaches Physics for a living. Larry's somewhat balanced and perfect life is disturbed when his wife out of the blue asks for a divorce and as if that is not enough Larry's job as a Physics teacher starts looking at stake due to a troublesome student, some false allegations and a string of anonymous letters and to add to Larry's miseries he has the added responsibility of nurturing his mentally challenged brother Arthur (Richard Kind) who brushes with the law and is now facing criminal charges against him. In short ... Larry's life looks gloomy and Larry is a piece of nervous wreck who thinks it's God's doings and is visiting Rabbi's to seek an explanation on how God works and how to understand his actions and make sense out of it so that Larry can fight it out and probably emerge victorious.

Bottom-line: Cohen brothers have once again managed to impress me with their writing and direction. I had liked their earlier drama, dark comedy 'Burn after Reading', this one outperforms the previous release. If you do not know Cohen brothers, watch this one and get to know them, positively a must watch.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1019452/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_serious_man/

Dazed and Confused (1993)

*ing: Jason London, Wiley Wiggins, Michelle Burke, Adam Goldberg and many more
Genre: Drama, Comedy

Dazed and Confused is written and directed by Richard Linklater. I had earlier watched Richard’s works ‘Before Sunrise’ (1995) and ‘Before Sunset’ (2004) and both the movie left me impressed and wanting for more. Wanting for more is what lead me to watch ‘Dazed and Confused’.
Truth be told I am not very impressed with ‘Dazed and Confused’ apt as the title is … the film has left me dazed and confused wondering if I liked the movie or did not like the movie. One thing for is for sure and that is the fact that I did not hate the movie. It’s just that …. I am not able to make up how to rate this movie. Maybe, I could not relate to the movie.  The movie talks about the last days of school for a group of teenage boys and girls. It starts with the last day school and when the final bell rings students are shown running out of the school tearing books and throwing paper in the air and littering the school property … an expression of freedom from a year of studies. At the same time a bunch of seniors are waiting to get their hands on freshmen students to rag the juniors. I have been a kid myself, I am not alien to last days of school, I am not alien to be a freshman, I am not alien to being a senior, I am not alien to drugs and alcohol as a student … I guess I can say I have been there and done that … still … I could not quite relate to the movie and maybe that is the reason why I could not quite enjoy this one. Having said that I am not saying this is worth a skip … apparently this movie has done well at the box office and fared decent with the critics.

Bottom-line: If you can relate yourself to any one of the many characters in the movie, chances are you are gonna love this movie else you will be left dazed and confused the way I am :-) All said and done the soundtrack of the movie is awesome, couple of tracks by Aerosmith are like the icing on the cake … you will positively enjoy the music and the soundtrack if nothing else.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106677/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dazed_and_confused/

Iti Mrinalini (2010)

*ing: Konkana Sen Sharma, Aparna Sen, Rajat Kapoor, Koushik Sen, Priyanshu Chatterjee
Genre: Drama, Romance

'Iti Mirnali' ... after a long ... long ... real long time I watched a Bengali movie and I loved it. Makes more sense to watch regional Indian movies rather than mainstream Bollywood movies (exceptions do happen in Bollywood, but most of them are trash). I am impressed with 'Iti Mrinalini' to say the least. It's a story of a yesteryear Bengali actress who is now leading a retired life, her life of youth, glamor and glossy fame are now more of less over. She sits in her apartment one evening lamenting on how her life has been and recollects what she learnt first while she entered filmdom and that was a lesson on timing - the perfect timing for making an entry and an exit from the stage. In life our entrance is beyond our control however we can choose our timing of exit ... in other words she contemplates suicide thinking it's best to exit the stage of life when the timing is just right. Protoganist Mrinalini (younger Mrinalini played by Konkana Sen Sharma and older Mrinalini played by Aparna Sen) has been shown as a control freak who always wants to be in complete control of her life ... however life has a different plan set for us and we may not be always in control. The screenplay shows Mrinalini writing a suicide note and while she is writing the note she is looking at objects and memories that surround her in her apartment, trying to recollecting how her life has been, what she achieved, what she missed, what she felt proud of and what she laments. Most of the flashback story focuses on her relations with the men in her life. The ending has a nice twist ... when the sun comes up ... Mrinalini is shown tearing her suicide note wearing a smile on her face ... however fate has something else in store and then something unexpected happens. I loved the climax ... had she taken those pills it would have been a dull and boring end to a fantastic film.
The cast has done an amazing job, needless to mention Konkana, Aparna, Rajat are extremely talented actors however surprise surprise ... Koushik Sen adds a magical touch with his pivotal role. Oh BTW, the movie has been written and directed by Aparna Sen ... I love it when the writer, director and actor are the same person ... they always make a better film.
Bottom-line: Not the 10/10 .... but I guess 7 would be good enough. The movie is available in Bengali and Hindi with subs in English ... positively worth a watch ... trust me you won't be disappointed. Oh ... BTW ... Konkana looks gorgeous in those somewhat retro looks ..... droooll!! ;-)

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1521223/

Annie Hall (1977)

*ing: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton
Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy

Let me start with few one liners from the movie ... I guess that will give you an idea of what to expect :)
Alvy Singer is played by Woody Allen and Annie Hall is played by Diane Keaton.

Annie Hall: It's so clean out here.
Alvy Singer: That's because they don't throw their garbage away, they turn it into television shows.

Annie Hall: So you wanna go into the movie or what?
Alvy Singer: No, I can't go into a movie that's already started, because I'm anal.
Annie Hall: That's a polite word for what you are.

Alvy Singer: It's mental masturbation!
Annie Hall: And you would know all about THAT, wouldn't you?
Alvy Singer: Hey, don't knock masturbation! It's sex with someone I love.

Alvy Singer: With your wife in bed, does she need some kind of artificial stimulation, like, like marijuana?
Street Stranger: We use a large vibrating egg.

[Alvy has killed two spiders]
Alvy Singer: I did it. I killed 'em both.
[Annie starts crying]
Alvy Singer: What's the matter? What are you sad about? What did you want me to do? Capture 'em and rehabilitate 'em?

Alvy Singer: I'm so tired of spending evenings making fake insights with people who work for "Dysentery."
Robin: "Commentary."
Alvy Singer: Oh really? I had heard that "Commentary" and "Dissent" had merged and formed "Dysentery."

... and this is one of the best scenes in my opinion ....
[Alvy and Annie are seeing their therapists at the same time on a split screen]
Alvy Singer's Therapist: How often do you sleep together?
Annie Hall's Therapist: Do you have sex often?
Alvy Singer: [lamenting] Hardly ever. Maybe three times a week.
Annie Hall: [annoyed] Constantly. I'd say three times a week.

If that got you giggling ... you will LOL while you watch the movie when those lines appear in context. I would rate 'Annie Hall' as one of the finest comedies by Woody Allen. Honestly, I am not sure if it's even a comedy ... yes ... there are those real funny lines that run thru the length of the movie delivering giggles and laughs but scratch a bit of the surface and down there is a drama ... the story of a neurotic stand up comedian who has not been so lucky in love. It's the story of the hits and misses (no pun intended) our neurotic protagonist had. What really makes this film so interesting besides the comedy, drama and romance is the style of telling the story ... the screenplay ... Woody Allen does not use a straight line when it comes to narrating his story. I have to say I have always loved Woody's way of writing and directing his work and since most of the times he also plays the character he defines he does a phenomenal job ... it's like he is telling his story, his life, his triumphs and fails. He makes you believe ... that is is awesome ... very few directors can do that.

Bottom-line: 'Annie Hall' is one of the best works of Woody Allen. In fact this film actually beat 'Star Wars' when it released in 1977 ... I guess that says it all and for people like me ... this film has a sorta cult status as a Woody Allen fan :) +vely one of those 10/10 movies :) Must watch :)

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075686/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/annie_hall/

Bottle Rocket (1996)

*ing: Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Robert Musgrave, Lumi Cavazos
Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy, Crime

I am little undecided on this film. I have not been able to make up my mind if I really liked this movie or not so really liked it as in like to the extent of recommending and singing all praise. Generally speaking ... I really liked Bottle Rocket for what it is, I liked the somewhat unconventional screenplay, mediocre direction and a pretty decent display of acting by Luke Wilson and Owen Wilson the two of them really do a decent job of keeping the audience entertained and interested. However, the movie starts with some sorta bang ... things are happening all over the place and then somewhere mid-way it seems the screenplay, the director, the actors, the entire unit behind making the film ran out of steam but somehow managed to jump back on to the tracks and deliver a pretty decent and convincing enough ending. Now ... that is my problem ... starts good, ends good but gets lost somewhere mid-way and that is the reason why I still undecided on this one. But ... I being a generous soul will give this flick a Thumbs Up for whatever it is.
BTW, if you are wondering what the film is all about ... well ... one nervous wreck Anthony (Luke Wilson) gets out of a correction institute and happens to rendezvous with his friend Dignan (Owen Wilson). Dignan has been planning a heist and he keeps plotting this rather stupid heists thru the flick getting his friend Anthony involved in his plans to carry out a heist to impress the bad guy. Anthony is not so willing but somehow always is a part of Dignan's plans. A lot of things happen in between the movie anyway ... towards the the end the duo impress the big bad guy and hatch a big heist ... needless to mention ... nothing goes as per Dignan's plans.
Bottom-line: I am not sure, I am a bit dazed can't say if this is a must watch or worth a skip .... anyway ... if you are like me and don't mind experimenting ... watch it and you may quite like this affair ... else ... I guess it's pretty safe to give this one a skip.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115734/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bottle_rocket/

Incendies (2010)

*ing: Lubna Azabal, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette, Rémy Girard
Genre: Drama, War

Intense. Very Intense.
You really wanna know what a civil war / unrest can do to families and lives you gotta watch this one. This one ain't no documentary but it sure gives you very deep emotional peek into the life of one very brave Palestinian Christian woman who losses everything due to the unrest between Muslims and Christians. It shows how disturbing life can be if you are a Palestinian. The movie describes the story of Nawal Marwan (Lubna Azabal), how she looses her Muslim boyfriend while she about to elope while she is pregnant, she anyway gives birth to her love child and is forced to abandon her new born and .... then .... war happens ... a war that tears apart her family and her roots, transforms her and displaces her ... a war that also gives her two twins who will ultimately set out on a quest to find their father and a lost brother after their mothers death. The quest of the children to search for their father and brother after their mother Nawal's death form the plot. What I liked is the way the story of Nawal is told in bits and parts as flashbacks while the quest is going on. The way Nawal is introduced as a lover, a mother, a rebel et al is noteworthy.
The movie gets pretty graphic while it talks about the war ... there are couple of split second scenes that will freeze you with shock. The screenplay is intense, gut-wrenching and involving, a devastating story that is mostly about love and hate without beating around the bush. It's one of those in your face type screenplay and direction that makes this a must watch. No wonder this movie got nominated as one of the best foreign movies in the Academy Awards.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1255953/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/incendies/

Shaitan (2011)

*ing: Rajeev Khandelwal, Kalki Koechlin, Shiv Pandit, Gulshan Devaiya, Nikhil Chinnappa, Neil Bhoopalam, Kirti Kulhari, Rajat Kapoor
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Crime

Thanks to a friend of mine who recommended me this movie else I would have missed out on one of the finest dark movie of the year. Debutant director Bejoy Nambiar has suddenly become my favorite director :) A bit of looking up revealed that Bejoy has been an Asst. Director for 'Guru' and a Line Producer for 'Raavan' (Mani Ratnam venture), respect quotient for Bejoy went up. I can't wait for his next release.

'Shaitan' is intense, hard hitting, a dark contemporary thriller that gives and insight to the Shaitan (evil) that resides in each one of us. There was this movie 'Company' released a decade back directed by Ram Gopal Verma and Ajay Devgan delivers a line saying 'Hum sab mein ek rakshash chuppa hota hain' (There's a monster that hides in all of us) ... 'Shaitan' demonstrates and proves just that. 'Shaitan' is not really a nail biting thriller ... but it sure has it's moments where the audience will find themselves seated on the edge of their seats frantically biting their nails. Bejoy has crafted one of the finest dark thrillers. It's amazing to see that film making in Bollywood is really evolving and new debutant directors are trying their best to experiment with unconventional storyline and directing styles. It's a sad thing that because of a tight budget these newbies don't get to market their ware's hence not getting the fame and exposure they deserve. I repeat myself I think it's high time Bollywood gets a chain of small screen multiplexes to exclusively cater to a niche art loving cinema crowd. It makes no sense in releasing a billion rupee masala movie starring the Khans or Kumars or Roshans and a low/mediocre budget art movie in the same multiplex on the same day. Movies like 'Shaitan' stand no chance to be noticed and appreciated while in competition with a movie starring industry heavy weights.

Anyway, coming back to 'Shaitan'. 'Shaitan' is a story of 5 friends who are leading a carefree life doing drugs and alcohol until one night an accident changes it all and brings out the 'Shaitan' in them. Guys and Gals ... please please please watch 'Shaitan' for it's hard hitting screenplay that does not beat around the bush and superbly builds up tension, gripping moments follow, some dark humor, top notch performance by the ensemble cast of new comers (Kalki and Nikhil Chinappa being the only known faces) and brilliant direction by Bejoy Nambiar ... I specially loved the scene where a gun fight happens in slow-motion while a yesteryear song 'Khoya Khoya Chaand' plays in the background ... seriously ... that's some creativity :) 

Bottom-Line: Full marks to Bijoy Nambiar for the screenplay and direction and full marks to the ensemble cast too who have done a fantastic job. Positively a must watch if you dare to think of Bollywood as not just a masala movie making industry. 

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1836912/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shaitan/

Jack Goes Boating (2010)

*ing: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan, John Ortiz, Daphne Rubin Vega
Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy

First thing first ... 'Jack Goes Boating' is a debut for Philip Seymour Hoffman as a director. I like the fact that actors turn into directors and take a backseat behind the camera and sometimes they do a pretty awesome job while behind the lens. Philip Seymour Hoffman does a pretty remarkable job a debutant director. 'Jack Goes Boating' is impressive to say the least. A very simple straight forward story of Jack (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a 40something limo driver leading a pretty much solitary life, unsuccessful in love and has a fellow limo driver Clyde (John Ortiz) as his best friend. Clyde and his wife hook up Jack on a blind date with Connie (Amy Ryan). Jack and Connie develop a liking towards each other and try to break of their shells of shyness and insecurity (Jack's efforts to learn swimming and get rid of the fear for water in order to take Connie boating is noteworthy and forms the core of the plot, hence the title) while on the other hand their friends Clyde and Lucy's marriage is falling apart. Okay ... I guess that's it ... anymore of that plot being revealed and I will be spilling beans which will not be good for those who intend to watch the movie. Anyway, what I really liked about 'Jack Goes Boating' is the quirky humor, subtle romance, the outbursts of emotions, melodrama in general ... overall the movie has a nice feel good factor to it. 

Bottom-line: Not the 10/10 kinda movie but considering the fact it's a debut venture for an actor as a director and the cast doing a remarkable job with Philip Seymour scoring an ace as the lead character I would give this movie a generous 7/10 :)

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278379/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jack_goes_boating/

Amores Perros (2000)

Amores perros (original title)

*ing: Gael García Bernal, Goya Toledo, Emilio Echevarría, Álvaro Guerrero
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Romance

Spoiler Alert - I absolutely admire the works of Alejandro González Iñárritu and I personally rate him as one of the best Directors in the world of Spanish cinema. Having said that 'Amores Perros' is a work of Alejandro González Iñárritu directed before he gave us hits like 21 Grams, Babel and Biutiful. Now that I have confessed my likeness towards the works of Alejandro González Iñárritu this review may be a bit skewed because all I can do is sing praise for Alejandro and why not he delivers such excellent works of art. What I really really really liked about 'Amores Perros' is the screenplay ... the movie kicks off with a car chase that lasts for a min or two and ends in a crash and then the audience is transported back in time and 3 parallel stories are revealed .... and guess what ... all the 3 stories are connected to the car crash. The way the whole plot is unraveled is a brilliant display of direction, art direction and some clever writing and editing.  I am not saying this kind of movie making style is new but the way the whole screenplay is directed and presents makes it a treat to watch and mind you there have been umpteen number of directors who have tried copying such styles of movie making only to come up with something that fell face flat on-screen ... it's a delight to watch Amores Perros. No wonder this movie walked away with 2 critic awards besides innumerable other awards under the category of 'Best Foreign Feature' in various film festivals across the globe.

What the story is all about ... well like I mentioned 3 stories ... it get a bit complicated to put it all in a few sentences. But, primarily Octavio (Gael García Bernal) is trying to put money together to run away with his sister-in-law on the other hand Chivo (Emilio Echevarría) is a contract killer and leading a homeless life with dogs he cares and finally there is Valeria (Goya Toledo) and Daniel (Álvaro Guerrero) who are trying to start a new life together only to witness their plans come crashing down as something unexpected happens. Trust me ... this one's a delight to watch ... I sure rate 'Amores Perros' as one of the finest Spanish movies till date. Positively a must watch :)

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245712/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/amores_perros/

Dirty Pretty Things (2002)

*ing: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Audrey Tautou
Genre: Drama, Romance

Impressed!! WOW!! What a movie!! What a climax!! That's what I told to myself after I had sat out this film. Love between two illegal immigrants working in West London, the compromises they make, the scarifies they make, the fear they live in, the way they get exploited due to their illegal immigrant status and their escape from the hell hole to freedom. Well, that pretty much sums up what the movie is all about. Chiwetel Ejiofor (Okwe) plays the role of a Nigerian immigrant working for a West London hotel and Audrey Toutou (Senay) plays the role of a Turkish immigrant working in the same West London hotel. Both have their reasons for fleeing their motherland and both unexpectedly fall in love with each other. Anyway ... this movie is not about their love story ... that's just a part of the script that runs parallel to the main story and that is of illegal organ trade. Illegal immigrants being exploited for their body parts, treated as if they were cattle and how those helpless victims are trapped in a vicious circle for the gains and greeds of a handful people. Disturbing it is. But at the same time, isn't trust always a bit disturbing and discomforting least when you expect it.

Watch this movie for it's brilliant screenplay, excellent performance by Chiwetel Ejiofor (shows real talent as a promising actor) and Audrey Tautou (personally, I have seen Audrey in better roles ... but this one is not so bad after all), not so great but still noteworthy Cinematography and a fantastic exposé.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0301199/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dirty_pretty_things/

Let the Right One In (2008)

Låt den rätte komma in (original title)

*ing: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Romance

Before I say anything ... 1. I hate Vampire movies (well ... mostly) 2. I honestly think the Twilight movies are f****** crap. There. I said it.

'Let The Right One In' was suggested to me by a friend and since it came from a very trusted friend I had to watch the movie despite my dislike for vampire movies and I am glad I sat through this one. I would have been an ass of the highest quality to miss this one. I have not watched too many of those Swedish movie till now but this one now take the Numero Uno spot among the Swedish movies I have watched so far. I loved the movie for it's very simple plot and script and a rather mundane style of direction too ... what really impressed me was the acting by Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson, the 12yr odd olds have done a brilliant job in playing the characters assigned to them, trust me, had this been a story between two youths or adults it would have been just another movie but the 12yr olds make it a delight to watch. In a way ... I think kudos to director Thomas Alfredson who won accolades for his earlier 2004 work 'Four shades of brown' for getting these 12yr olds come out with their best acting on screen. The on-screen chemistry and friendship between the two is impressive to say the least. The plot of the movie is rather straight forward ... it's a romantic story between two 12yr olds, one vampire and the other a normal kid. Normal kid 'Oskar' is being bullied in school and is leading a very meek existence and that changes for good or worse until one fine day a new neighbor 'Eli' shows up. Eli and Oskar instantly hit off as friends and life will never the same for Eli and Oskar.
Watch this movie for the two 12yr olds who have done a fantastic job. The entire package of screenplay, cinematography, music, direction etc make it a real worth watch. No wonder this movie was rated in the tops in various film festivals and won accolades from critics. 

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139797/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/let_the_right_one_in/

Vera Drake (2004)

*ing: Imelda Staunton, Adrian Scarborough, Peter Wright, Daniel Mays, Philip Davis
Genre: Drama

Few months back I had watched a Romanian movie titled '4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days', original Romanian title '4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zile'. It was a movie on abortions in the communist ruled Romania whereby abortions were illegal and a punishable offense. 'Vera Drake' works around the same topic of abortions ... except this is Britain and not Romania and the period is 1950's and though Britain was not a communist regime abortion was illegal as per the law and punishable. Enter Vera Drake (Imelda Staunton) a lady in her late 40's or early 50's types, a loving caring daughter, a dedicated wife, mother of 2 kids and a dark secret side of  Vera Drake, that of a secret midwife helping young girls / ladies to terminate their unwanted pregnancies risking the law and doing it for no monetary gain. All is well in Vera's life her social life remains social and her secrets remain secrets until one of the ladies develops a complication post the abortion procedure and Vera's secret is now a police case and her family and friends are at shock to discover the other side of Vera.
Watch this movie for brilliant performance of Imelda Staunton who plays the lead. Mike Leigh's direction and screenplay, if you do not know who is Mike Leigh, look him up on IMDB and watch some of his works (I recommend 'Happy Go Lucky' for starters) ... you will start respecting this man :-)

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383694/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/vera_drake/
 

Guitar (2008)

*ing: Saffron Burrows, Isaach De Bankolé, Paz de la Huerta
Genre: Drama

Actress turned debutant Director Amy Redford picks up a very average script and a not so well known actors and probably a very mediocre budget and comes up with a pretty impressive Indie type movie. Actress Saffron Burrows plays the lead role of 'Melody Wilder' who leads a mundane solitary life and has a mundane job that does not pay her much ... in short there is nothing exciting about the life of Melody Wilder that is until Melody is diagnosed of cancer at an advanced stage. Her mundane life is now doomed with death knocking at her doorstep and Melody gets into a depressive state that is until she realises that she might as well live out her last few days doing what she wants without worrying much about the cancer or anything else. Yeah! Yeah! ...  I know there are million billion trillion movies with such similar plots and themes and this is nothing new. True. What makes 'The Guitar' new is the treatment Amy Redford gives to the script and the performance by Saffron Burrows and an unexpeected twist in the climax. That's what makes it an interesting watch. If you have ever been exposed to Indie genre movies and liked a couple of them ... 'The Guitar' is a must watch :-)

PS: Ignore the rating for this movie in IMDB & Rottentomatoes, this movie deserves more respect than what has been mentioned.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0942891/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10009426-guitar/

Magnolia (1999)

*ing: Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Reilly, Julianne Moore
Genre: Drama

First things first, I was inspired to watch this movie after getting my hands on the OST almost all of it is sung by Oscar winning Aimee Man infact, after her work in Magnolia she became the most sought out soundtrack contributor. Anyway, this post is not about Aimee Mann, that deserves a special post. Coming back to the movie, I was pretty disappointed to notice that the movie is a good 3+hrs long. Damn! However, after a rather sluggish and a pretty weird confusing start it gets interesting ... real interesting, suddenly you have a dozen characters on-screen, multiple story lines all criss crossing paths in a span of less than 24 hours. I know this is not a new formula, it's been tried and tested by many script writers and directors. However, Paul Thomas Anderson who wrote, produced and directed the movie has done an awesome job in keeping his audience captivated through the length of the movie. Notable are the performances of Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Reilly and Julianne Moore.

Plot?? Well it's a little complex to sum up the plot in a few lines ... in short its a dozen people crossing paths and one real wild night.

Why you should watch this movie? Watch it for the mind blowing performances, Aimee Man for her amazing songs that make up much of the score, Paul Thomas Anderson as a director and writer and one real twisted story. 

Last Word: +vely one of those 10/10 type movies :)

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0175880/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/magnolia/

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)

Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom (original title)

*ing: Ki-duk Kim, Yeong-su Oh and Jong-ho Kim
Genre: Drama, Romance

My first ever Korean movie experience ... never have I watched a Korean movie before and I absolutely feel in love with this one. Feeling very encouraged to experiment more of Korean cinema, I think it's time I seriously give some attention to Korean and Japanese movies. Okay ... 'Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring' is a very simple yet very fascinating tale of a wise monk, his disciple who is brought up by the monk as his son and a lady who brings lust to the young monks life and how the fine balance in the monk's lives change forever. I loved the movie for it's script narration, it's slow but does not bore, not for one moment felt like hitting the fast forward button. Direction is amazing ... trust me ... the moment you watch the movie you will say 'I wanna live in a place like that' or at least 'I wanna visit that place', cinematography is beautiful, the four seasons have been captured well, I personally liked summer and winter ... winter is beautifully captured wearing a white cloak. 

If you like movies that move slow yet keep you interested with few dialogues in them and stunning cinematography then this is THE movie to watch. Highly recommended.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0374546/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/spring-summer-fall-winter-and-spring/

Digging to China (1998)

*ing: Evan Rachel Wood, Kevin Bacon
Genre: Drama

10 year old Harriet (Evan Rachel Wood) lives with her mother and her elder sister. Mother owns and run a motel and Harriet simply won't get along with her elder sister. Harriet is pretty much a lonely kid leading a life minus much friends ... but ... Harriet is a dreamer and lives in her fantasy world thinking she is not needed by her mother and sister Gwen. There are some funny moments when Harriet waits in the school ground to be abducted by aliens and in another scene hits a power cable while digging in the hope to surface into China on the other side of the globe :) That's Harriet's life till fate brings Ricky (Kevin Bacon) to her mothers motel and how life for Harriet changes for ever. Evan Rachel Wood and Kevin Bacon have delivered brilliant performances ... Kevin plays a mentally challenged man ... the friendship between Harriet and Ricky is the highlight of the movie. Watch this movie for it's simple story of two very unlikely friends. I normally don't rate movies ... however .... I would like to rate this movie a 4/5 ... trust me ... it's worth it.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118980/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/digging_to_china/

That Girl in Yellow Boots (2010)

*ing: Kalki Koechlin
Genre: Drama, Mystery

2 reasons to watch this movie, Kaki and Anurag. Kalki for her acting ... yes ... she can act ... she is an actor and she has proved it this time by playing 'Ruth' in this movie. Anurag ... well I guess that man need no introduction for his direction and maverick styles and script he chooses to direct. 'That Girl in Yellow Boots' is co-written by Kalki and Anurag and apparently this movie has been a much talked about movie in international film festivals for almost a year now. The Plot??? Well ... Ruth plays this foreigner on the streets of Mumbai, overstaying her tourist visa in the search of her father who had abondoned her when she was a little kid. The movie gives you an insight into the difficulties Ruth faces with the Visa authorities, local elemements and the challenges in tracing down her father ... and she does find her father only to learn about some very disturbing facts. If you think Kalki did a decent job in Dev D ... she rocks in this one :) +vely worth a watch.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1580704/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/that_girl_in_yellow_boots/

Deconstructing Harry (1997)

*ing: Woody Allen, Richard Benjamin, Kirstie Alley
Genre: Comedy, Drama

This one ... I will rate as one the best works by Woody Allen. He writes this one, directs and acts. Woody plays Harry a writer who suffers a writer's block just before he is about to be awarded a prize for his writing achievements from a college which expelled him when he was a youth. Harry gets anxious trying to overcome his block and that results in all his past memories flashing back ... what follows is chaos in Harry's that makes you go LOL :D (Mind you ... I was watching this movie on my tablet while I was flying to Mumbai and laughing all thru the movie ... the girl sitting besides me must've thought I am crazy!) I loved the witty one-liners that make you giggle throughout the movie and most of all Woody is at his best ... the way he has written and executed the script is awesome. A must must must watch for Woody Allen lovers.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118954/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/deconstructing_harry/

Revolutionary Road (2008)

*ing: Leonardo Di Caprio, Kate Winslet
Genre: Drama, Romance

When I watched 'Titanic' the movie ... that was the first time I watched Leonardo and Kate as actors ... and honestly speaking ... I quite hated the movie as well as quite hated Kate in the movie ... yeah ... call me an Idiot for disliking a movie that world loved and critics loved ... but this is me. Anyway ... that was then and then I see Leonardo and Kate once again in 'Revolutionary Road' and ... I am almost speechless ... brilliant performances by the two ... when I say brilliant I really mean brilliant ... a performance that deserves a standing ovation ... I would go as far as boldly saying that 'Revolutionary Road' is probably the most under-rated movie of 2008 and sadly Leornardo and Kate the most under-rated actors for their performances in this movie. Also, thanks to Sam Mendes, yes ... the same Sam Mendes who directed 'American Beauty' and 'Road to Perdition'. What's the movie all about? Kate and Leonardo play a couple married with 2 children ... however not all is well in their marital life. April (Kate) has failed in her dream to be an actress and Frank (Leonardo) is not happy with his job and is not able to figure out what does he really want to do that will give him the satisfaction to work and be happy and now they are expecting a 3rd child and add to that is a plan in the hatching.

Watch this movie for brillaint performances by the lead cast, amazing music by Thomas Newman, 1950's art direction and Kate Winslet ... brilliant acting and she looks amazing in those 50's fashion :-)

IMBD: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0959337/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/revolutionary_road/