too much cinema

Ebert is a four letter word !

noreply@blogger.com (chaitanya kumar) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:14:00 +0000

This post is in response to Roger Ebert's piece on movie critics and movie criticism. The article can be read here.

Roger Ebert is considered one of the most prolific movie critics of all time and in my opinion, that statement stands as the biggest oxymoron I have come across in my life. I occasionally read his reviews, especially to get his opinion on certain movies that I found delightful, and have found myself at times sharing the same opinion and sometimes contradicting his view completely. With this premise I venture into response to Ebert's piece on movie criticism and the clear undertones of high-handedness in his writing, a quintessential quality of a critic that conditions him/her to behave the way they do.

Ebert cleverly chooses to play the devils advocate of his profession and starts off by stating all the typical invective thrown at critics and their job. He even makes a gracious mention of a quote that I have come to appreciate from the movie Ratatouille. It goes : "In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations, the new needs friends... Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere."

Without divulging or digressing into the situations that preceded this quote in the movie, I wish to have the readers attention on the importance of the quote! "in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so." While Ebert nonchalantly rubbishes this by claiming that junk movies are only successful in conditioning the audience's mind to watch more junk movies, he conveniently fails to focus on the grand scheme of things. Movie criticism is a high paying job for Mr Ebert and he makes his living from a cinema hall. The grand scheme of things could well mean defending his reviews and criticism but to many others, it values differently.

My friend Nikhil watches movies for their sheer entertainment value while another friend watches films to adore her screen actor every time he appears on the screen. Their understanding of cinema might not match up to a critic of Mr Ebert's standards but they certainly can value and rate what they see. A good or bad movie doesn't necessarily warrant a critic's stamp to make it so. After all, we tend to forget that critics are also normal spectators who experience a variety of emotions while watching a movie and can always be biased depending on how they reacted to a movie at a particular time in their lives. Again, the grand scheme of things is a little too important a phrase to be ignored.

Another complaint of mine is the pedantic behavior that is shamelessly professed by critics to fellow audiences. They want us to understand that they possess a universal process (I do not how one arrives at such a theoretical process); that by divination, they are expected to lead the entire world through it. I need to make myself clear when I reiterate this: critics do not hold any universal process of explaining or understanding movies and instead, they perform the same dirty role of junk movie directors that they condemn, which is to condition the mind to enjoy only the so called "Good" movies. In the grand scheme of things, we are what we do!

From the article: "you must know why you like a film, and be able to explain why, so that others can learn from an opinion not their own. It is not important to be "right" or "wrong." It is important to know why you hold an opinion, understand how it emerged from the universe of all your opinions, and help others to form their own opinions. There is no correct answer. There is simply the correct process. "An unexamined life is not worth living."

The above words are nothing less than prophetic! There is a correct process or so it seems that is created and disseminated by critics all over the world. The process will let the viewer explain the movie better and in the process elevate his opinion of the movie. No, I am not talking of a new world order to appreciate films but am merely remarking on the audacity of the critic to assume he/she knows the correct process. If one had to argue that such a process did exist, then lets dare to look at the essentials of one. I would like to think that the process would demand of its follower to look at the technical aspects of a movie (like camera shots, graphics) the story line, acting, cinematography and a few more. These simply have to be part of the essentials besides the overarching idea of what impact the movie did or was supposed to create. Now, one look at the above and we are given to understand that we have to condition our minds to appreciate a movie according to a formula. Set the equation and if 'X' doesn't match 'Y', then thrash the movie. Ebert snobbishly divides the audiences into those who are looking for "just a good time" and those apparently looking to transform themselves. Such a division is only characteristic of a critic and demeans the majority of cinema goers, thereby neglecting the grand scheme of things.

Imagine a world where every movie goer has undergone this imaginary process and has transformed into a good appreciator of cinema. Wouldn't you think then, that the world could be filled with zombies walking around aimlessly while trying to understand the inexplicable and varying opinions they share on things? Opinions are good and to have an opinion on anything is quite an empowering feeling. But to turn the opinion into a formula to be thrust down people's throats in the name of eclecticism is a downright dirty job. The grand scheme of things will not permit us to do so.

Anton Ego, the character from Ratatouille who made the above statement was a man with many years behind him. He finally realized the grand scheme of things that are in constant operation in our lives; that are in constant motion with or without our knowledge and in all humility accepted that he can be no better than an ordinary rat. I hope with all respect that one day, Ebert will realize!

PS: I do not consider myself a critic but a lover of Cinema. And when I am in love with someone, I accept them for what they are and move beyond judgment.

Pps: I have no hatred towards Roger Ebert but mere pity on all those who claim to know how the world should run.

Oscar Invisibles

noreply@blogger.com (chaitanya kumar) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:23:00 +0000

Staying with the Oscar fever this week, we have a simple quiz for our readers. The quiz images are courtesy filmwise.

The images have the characters turned invisible and you have the simple task of identifying the movie the following images are from. In tune with the theme, all the movies are either Oscar winners or Oscar nominated flicks.

Biographical?

It's a sitter fellas!

All things sweet

All is not well in this land?

Greatest movie intro?

Comment with your answers and if you thought this was a sitter quiz, click agree at the bottom of this article. :P

Peace!

Could you double-check the envelope please?

noreply@blogger.com (chaitanya kumar) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:00:00 +0000

The 82nd Annual Academy awards are around the corner and we will witness yet another page in cinema history take a glamorous turn. Take the best of world cinema over the year gone by, have a gallery of movie veterans judge them and give the world something to cherish for another year. This is the Oscars story that has lived on for decades and has stood as the single most awaited awards ceremony in the calendar. The desire to claim the golden statuette drives a lot of artists in the film fraternity and while some are blessed with it after one tremendous performance, many have come a long way to win the coveted prize and the name that first comes to mind when one thinks of the latter is the director Martin Scorsese.

"Could you double-check the envelope please?", this was the rhetoric that Scorsese gave the world as he picked his first Oscar for The Departed in 2006. Having been nominated 5 times before, the 67 year old director from NYC is a classic example of making cinema for cinema's sake and nothing more. One look at the director's record of movies and its global reception and we are swiftly reminded of audiences and critics who have showered more praise and honor on him than the belated Oscar. So I guess the question I am asking myself is, if I look back at Scorsese's career and his cinematic achievements, should Oscar glory really mean much to him or any other artist of the film fraternity?

Now a 23 year old, my fascination with Marty's movies began with his 1976 classic Taxi Driver. Straight after the success of Mean streets, Taxi Driver established Scorsese as a prolific film maker who brought European influences to Hollywood and renewed the film noir. Contemporary cinema during the 70's saw the likes of Brian De Palma, George Lucas and Martin Scorsese who enjoyed a sense of freedom in film making. That freedom was translated into great story telling for Scorsese. Teaming up with Paul Schrader as the movie's writer and Robert De Niro (who would become Scorsese's life long friend and screen muse), Taxi Driver was beaten at the Oscars in that year by the insufferable underdog classic Rocky. An interesting observation that was made on the difference in film making of the then directors from the West coast like Spielberg and Lucas and in Scorsese's East coast movies was the assertiveness and confidence that Scorsese possessed in giving his audiences what he felt like giving while Lucas and Spielberg were more careful yet experimental in trying to understand what the audience wanted and then giving it to them. This difference sometimes stands out for me as to why the Oscars ignored his earlier classics.

"As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster". The opening lines from Goodfellas, another masterpiece from Scorsese came after a long bout of failed films and bad box office performances. His thematic take on the Italian American mafia worked wonders with the audience. We began to take note of his style and the trademarks! His use of music, ranging from Dylan to Stones to lacerating instrumentals; his first person narration; slow moving shots; raw depiction of women et al were all admired and hailed by the film viewer. Goodfellas did rake in good money at the box office or in other terms, it was a mainstream commercial success but was beaten at the Oscars by Dances with Wolves. One could have probably imagined his sudden and unforeseen success at the box office as a slip in judgment to award it the best picture. His Age of Innocence was a sudden departure from his inimitable style for portraying existential social issues based in a particular period of recent history to a more dark and dreary indulgence in the Age of innocence.

In many ways, Scorsese was the rebel that his earlier movies portrayed. As a director who did not necessarily choose his audience or walk an already toed line, his movies could well have been a touch too bold for an Oscar jury. After all, the age old debated question of 'Oscar winners' Vs 'Good cinema' has thrown his name quite often to represent good cinema. After a couple of rockumentaries, the turn of the millennium saw Marty inducting Leonardo Di Caprio for his movies and that resulted in the Gangs of New York in 2002 followed by Aviator in 2004, The Departed in '06 and quite recently Shutter Island '10. The opening sequence of Gangs of New York is an epic and I cannot help but share the video here for the readers to appreciate his panache.

Gangs of New York lost to Chicago and Roman Polanski toppled him with the Pianist in 2002. 2004 was another year that Clint Eastwood got the best of the Oscars with his grunge style Million Dollar Baby. The moment of reckoning finally came in 2006 with The Departed that was a remake of Infernal Affairs that fetched him an Oscar. The Departed was a commercial success and had its own share of Marty's trademarks. It was quite momentous to watch his contemporaries George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Spielberg presenting him the Oscar that evening which was foreseen by many as Marty's award in vanity and the Oscar jury's final redemption.

I sometimes wish he didn't accept the award and continued to make movies that break the norms and push the envelope of story telling but a statuette to acknowledge his achievements never harmed anybody. Here's to a genius that has given the world a piece of himself - Martin Scorsese!

Oscar Road: Best Picture Also Rans

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:15:00 +0000

The Oscars are nigh. In around 5 days they shall be given out. There are plenty of awards to be given away but the most prestigious one is for the best picture and for no small reason too. In retrospect, the academy awards for each year are marked and called with the picture which won. Like 2008 was the year of No Country for Old Men and 2007 was the year for Departed regardless of what other pictures were made that year.

But in this article I shall talk about those which are definitely not going to take the nameplate. It would be a titanic surprise if they do! This is the round of the most definite also rans!

The Blind Side

It is a heart warming story of human kindness told really well. Made out of a real life story from the South(ern America) with some of an extremely poor

African American teenager whose life changes radically after he is taken in by a wealthy white family. Unlike other such movies it doesn’t try to cash in entirely on the emotional quotient but yet makes a strong impact by getting the story telling elements perfectly right.

The performances in this movie just like the setup are natural and restrained. Everything and everyone just seems so right. Never would have I pictured Sandra Bullock in such a strong role. But she pulled it off really well playing a fine Christian woman from the South (Where the women of the family are generally strong willed and righteous). This role is similar to the stubborn boss she plays in her other movie of the year, The Proposal, but only much more central and powerful. Other than the every fantastic Meryl Streep who played Julia Child in Julie and Julia, she doesn’t have much competition for the Best Actress Oscar.

Overall it is a must see movie, something which will moisten your eyes with happiness.

Rating:

Very Good

An Education

As I had tweet reviewed it sometime back , An Education is a bildungsroman of an intelligent teenage british girl in the mid 60’s. Carey Mulligan who gives a fine lead performance saves this movie from being lost in a pile of hundreds of such other movies. It is about a young girl finding interesting company and yearning to get out of her stale life due to the vastly exhiliarating and educating experiences she has in the brief getaways. We know where these kinda movies head and this one is no different. It also has a strong undercurrent of the purpose of woman’s education and the attitude of the parents and society when she has found the right match.

The supporting performances were as good as the lead’s especially those of Peter Saarsgard, Alfred Molina and the Rosamund Pike (she was funny). This movie seems to be in the Juno slot, for its demographic focus and the nominations it has garnered strongly remember the film I just mentioned. I can see no other reason this movie would get a nomination. This is at the rock bottom of the list.

Rating:

Good

A Serious Man

Another movie set in the 1960’s but this one is on the other side of the pond and has jewish focus. After the incredible prologue, it dives into being a mid 20th century mashup of conflict within duty, dream and religion giving rise to hell lot of doubts about life.

The movie is a caricature of an average Jews life and Michael Stuhlbarg portrays very well the victim of a crazy world where everything seems wrong and none due to his doing. The character evokes utmost pity and the settings, the conversations and the actions are funny with a layer of guilt. The Coens prove yet again their mastery of dark comedy and do ample with the script. Yet it is still so small. I didn’t even mention how much of a bore some scenes were and how some other were quite pointless.

Rating:

Good

Up in the Air

George Clooney. He is the heart and soul of this movie. A few moments here and there the character Ryan Bingham seemed like a reflection of Clooney himself, the lifestyle, the bachelorhood etc. Not that I know much about Clooney but it was a thought. Every frame is pitch perfect as long as he seems to be in it. He lives the dream in the movie travelling light in the matters of both baggage and heart. An amazing performance. I must also mention Anna Kendrick and her fine work as the novice in the firing industry who has got quite ambitious plans. She got an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress and I say it is well deserved. The sizzling hot Vera Farmiga did too and she wasn’t bad too.

Jason Reitman makes a wonderful movie yet again from a book just like he did with Thank You for Smoking. He has got finesse in capturing the essence of the story and deliver it cinematically. I thought Thank You for Smoking was a great adaptation and this seems to be too. Reitman is the director to look out for in the decade to come! Up in the Air is a funny and touching drama which I cant recommend enough.

Rating:

Very Good

District 9

As I mentioned before, 2009 turned out to be a really good here for some good science fiction. District 9 is as good as science fiction can be for the larger audience. It has got an off American location for starters which was quite a relief. Am really tired of seeing every Hollywood movie set in or starting from or ending up in the States. Even bollywood has more offshore stuff! The other good points being the aliens for once aren’t somehow so clever enough that they try rule our planet. There is some realistic estimation of how cohabitation would pan out to be; not much very different from the way we treat races of our own species. Set in South Africa and the creation of separate district did seem like a take on Apartheid but the problem is endemic to all civilizations all over the world and I don’t expect the conditions to be much different in case such aliens really arrive.

The movie is gripping and bordering on hard sci fi with only problem or in a way boon being the absence of explanation. The documentary style narration of all that happens is fairly effective but loses track and consistency at places. It helps capture really well the human emotion and the fear and other responses that would arise in various scenarios from different types of people. The reluctant (un)hero , Van Der Merve is actually one of the best characters I have seen in recent times. All sci fi fans must have already seen it and I recommend it to other movie lovers too for it transcends stereotype.

Rating:

Excellent

UP has also been nominated for the best animation feature and I shall review it with other movies of that category in a soon to come post.

Up and District 9, though really good movies, fall in this category for they belong to genres which have been forever snubbed by the Academy members and it is highly unlikely they are going to win this year either for there are 2 or 3 really good movies which are real contenders and the folks at Oscar die for such stuff.

Also this list is pretty huge because for the first time since 1943, the oscars have 10 nominations for the best picture. Also the method of voting this year has changed. But more about that later.

Quick Review: Sherlock Holmes and Zombieland

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 04:45:00 +0000

We are starting off a new feature called Quick Review. Generally a review would be several hundreds of words long and delve deep into the movie. But not all movies merit such deep analysis or maybe we just dont have much to say. For all such movies where we have an opinion but not an opinion so huge we have quick reviews! Read on!

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

If you havent read Sherlock Holmes you should! He was the definitive character mould for the 20th century. A 100 years later characters like that began to seep into mainstream cinema. Now this Sherlock Holmes essayed by the fantastic Robert Downey Jr is a comic one with knack of showcasing his plot before he actually performing it, be it at trivial one to put the opponent in a boxing ring down or catch the villain. Besides distributing his immense capacity for love between lady love Morstan and man crush Watson he has a cheeky tongue which is delightful and racy making the most uncharacteristic remarks which would make even a progressive Victorian like the real Sherlock Holmes himself widen his eyes.

Sherlock Holmes is as much fun as the movies can get with a decent plot and strong characterization. It is a fun, on your toes ride much like the usual superhero movies; only the hero here is a 19th cent. detective. But the action sequences and the chases though fun are nothing new, Mark Strong was wasted playing the maniacal villain who was the weak link of the movie.

Rating:

Good

p.s: This movie is actually like Iron Man in lot of its ways. The wasted hero, with a guiding light in form of his assistant, who is self obsessed beyond norm and so sunk in his work that he can perceive little else. But he comes around in the end to save the day. Also they both have a nice little pad of their own where they perform experiments and are in captive for certain periods.

Zombieland (2009)

There have been ah so many zombie movies and though I have not seen many(classic case of you have seen one, you seen em all feeling) I know how it is going to pan out like. Zombies arent inventive! They are dumb almost dead people and can do nothing but try feed of the normal ones. So in every zombie movie onus falls on the real people who live and weave around them fighting for survival. They set the movie's pace and tone. Be morose and heroic like in I am Legend or poke fun and run for your lives with tongue in cheek fear like in Shaun of the Dead. Zombieland is of the latter category. It entertains superbly mixing in all that you need for a fun and timepass movie; a geeky boy, a macho dude, a sexy chic, cute child and some hot wheels with some great cuts and funny jokes.

Woody Harrelson gave a really good performance as the hack happy cowboy. Jesse Eisenberg who was being his usual fidgety self fit in really well. What really makes this film a must watch is the small but smart things. The rules appearing in and out are a riot and being contextual and active too just ads to the fun. The slow motion sequences with some great background score are a delight. This movies lives in its moments and does them all well.

Rating

Very Good

Best of Decade - Top 50 movies of the 2000's

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:08:00 +0000

It has been a great decade. Life in one decade is quite different from another but the 00's or noughties as some would like to say it. It goes with movies too. The decade which just ended had a huge diversity in the way it unfolded. The word blockbuster was redefined and the BO expectations were re adjusted to a level way up north. A major part of this was the re emergence of the superhero movies. Superheroes never really had it good outside the comics and on kids' channels but the emergence and success of Spiderman paved way for a decade full of heroes. Then there were the animation flicks which laughed their way to box office and critical success at the expense of all those people who thought they were just for kids. They have an amazing potential and next decade will be even better. And finally I should also call upon the Independent film circuit to honour them for being so brave and resilient in the face of the studio moguls spending hundreds of millions on every other flick. As like in any other decade it is the independent small budget (comparably) ones which actually deliver on the potential of cinema but this time round they had help from digital technology which has become affordable and thrown the fencing between producers and consumers in to the recycle bin. The youtube generation can deliver the punch as well as the studios. You have heard of

Paranormal Activity, haven't you? 15000$ budget & 100 million$+ gross. It was good film making coupled with brilliant marketing. This is just the beginning to all such breakout movies.

We do not know how next decade is going to pan out. What will the movie watching experience be? Will theaters still hold their pull or are we going to just be addicted to Netflix? Will Avatar truly revolutionize the industry and will 3D reach our homes and be a part of it as they predict? But we do know how the last one has panned out for movies. Here in this article I try and capture the 50 best movies of the last decade ie 2000 to 2009. These lists are tough, especially when they spread across such a long time and across the world. So

though inherently flawed I try my best to keep a level head and chalk out the decade's finest.

(update: highlighting and minor sentence and position changes)
How did I make this list? After perusal of extensive ratings on my vote history on IMDB, reading of various lists all over the web, I took into consideration the quality of film making, my personal favourites, cultural and overall impact of the movies. Then the movies were microscopically weighed against each other and rankings in this list were determined. Ask me after a couple of years and it might be different. Such is the case with all lists.

There are more blockbusters than I expected. Of course there might be many more movies out there definitely deserving a place in this but I havent seen them yet. Sure will do someday and maybe a decade down the line I can make this list really, really comprehensive.

50. Love Actually(2003)

This is a tie between two very different romantic movies. One is an outrageous mix of several stories, some sweet, some bitter but all wonderful. One of the best ensembles cast of the decade.

Once(2006)
Undoubtedly the contender for the sweetest movies of the decade. The latter is quaint independent movie capturing the life of two lost musicians who aren't exactly romancing each other. This movie took the industry by storm showcasing the power of the small movie.

49. Persepolis (2007)

Marjane Satrapi's digs into her own life and puts out a bildungsroman graphic novel of a young girl from Iran. The movie is unabashed story telling which has compelling visuals which seem pretty straight and simple.

48. High Fidelity (2000)

This movie should be hung on the walls of every rom com writer and shown how much character depth one can create in any movie regardless of its target audience. John Cusack and the music talk form the core of this movie.

47. Seabiscuit (2003) / Last Samurai (2003)

These two demonstrate the power, a legend can hold on screen. Brilliant captivating tales of 'beings' rather than just persons out of their element striving to achieve and make that difference for themselves and others. Get me every damn time.

46. POC: The Curse of the Black pearl (2003)

The ideal recipe for a blockbuster. Take a Disney ride, wrap it in a brilliant story, get Johnny Depp to do the swagger and take the audience on a thrilling ride. You earn a ton of money. Redo it to earn billions!

Dil Chahtha Hai (2001)

Technically it is a simple bollywood film made with good film making values. But it changed the whole industry and influenced a new generation of filmmakers, paving way for a new Bollywood.

45. Casino Royale (2006)

Roger Moore almost killed Bond. Brosnan though made a really good Bond was part of some bad movies. Daniel Craig who is a brilliant actor steps and gives Bond a 21st century's typical makeover. Grim, troubled and flawed is the way to go.

44. Finding Neverland (2004)

Depp again this time with Kate Winslet delivers a magical movie about the making of a magical play, Peter Pan.

Maqbool (2003)

Vishal Bharadwaj’s take on Macbeth with a mafia twist surprised me beyond belief. Seldom have I seen a movie from the subcontinent being so majestic, dark and uncompromisingly intense and not once stooping down to please every man in the hall.

43. Sunshine (2007)

Sci Fi had been relegated to anonymity till the end of the decade after the disastrous Star War prequels. Among Danny Boyle's finest work this movie works wonders for a scifi geek.

42. Iron Man (2008)

When everyone is going dark and gloomy, Iron Man takes a comicbookish lighthearted yet somber at times approach to what is the most exciting new franchise. It had the Wow factor.

41. Cidade de Deus (2002) ie City of God

Loved by almost everyone and topped several lists like these. It is a compelling tale of 2 boys growing up in violent Rio but I dint find it jaw droppingly or devastatingly great.

Mr. & Mrs. Iyer (2002)
A beautiful movie capturing a story of two very different individuals thrown together during a journey amidst communal strife. Several years since I have seen it but can still vividly remember its finesse and intensity. One of my favourite Indian movies of all time.

40. Monster's Inc (2001)

Toy Story and Bug's Life were good but this movie marks the beginning of Pixar's imaginative genius coupled with compelling story telling. And of course it had Mike!

39. La science des rêves (2006) ie The Science of Sleep

How far and well can you capture all those weird and fascinating things in your mind? It is one of the toughest things to capture it on screen and Michel Gondry with such panache that for me it is truly enviable!!

38. In Bruges (2008)

Simple Premise, good plot, very good location, great cast and one fantastic movie. In Bruges has got everything a good movie needs and it makes you laugh, think and pulls your heartstrings effortlessly.

37. Good Night and Good Luck (2005)

One of the most underrated movies of this decade. George Clooney directs this masterful piece of work capturing the battle between Edward R Murrow and Senator McCarthy. Among the best lead performances on this list or this decade if I may say by David Strathairn.

36. Ying xiong (2002)

Hero Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon paved way for movies like this but Hero was the gamechanger personally because it showcased the brilliance the Chinese harboured. Arguably the most beautiful film on this list!

35. Crash (2004)

Paul Haggis does a Innaritu but only better. It showcases the life of an average American and his/her insecurities magnificently. It is so good in doing so it should be preserved as a snapshot of personality of a post 9/11 American in the history archives.

34. The Man from Earth (2007)

This is here on this list because of Internet and shows yet again that movies aren't stars, sets and sauce. Fantastic plot in a minimalist setting with a tight screenplay is all one needs! Must must see!

33. Lucía y el sexo (2001) ie Sex and Lucia

Love, sex and more sex. That's all you see if you flip through. But it is a gut wrenching evocative tale of love, relationships, loneliness, guilt, regret, desire and of course lust.

32. Children of Men (2006)

Though not a new concept, 2009 was the year of dystopian future for man. But this did it much earlier and so much better. Clive Owens and Julianne Moore add that good acting touch in this vivid Alfonso Cuaron movie which most Sci-Fi flicks usually fall short on.

31. Star Trek (2009)

In a decade of blockbusters, Star Trek is the defining one. It is fun, it is smart, it is tight and it is well executed. JJ Abrams reboots a franchise almost deemed dead and makes it so good it is unbelievable.

30. Bourne Supremacy (2004)

Though the Identity launched this remarkable anti-bond spy and Ultimatum sealed him as one of the best heroes of our generation, for me Supremacy as the name loudly suggests is where he prevails. And also it has my fav movie car chase of ALL TIME.

29. United 93 (2006)

Paul Greengrass again! Just after wowing the world with his shaky cam in Bourne Supremacy takes up a very ambitious project and delivers undoubtedly the best 9/11 movie. It is good on so many levels!

28. Moon (2009)

Sci-Fi generally equates high costs, loud backdrops and operatic sequences. Moon takes the manual, shoves it in the trash and shows the world what truly sci fi is: An exploration of humanity in a world different from ours!

27. Prestige (2006)

When not making Batman movies, Christopher Nolan makes heady, heavy and hammering movies of struggle and ambition. Prestige is a classic thriller, Mr Hitchcock would be proud of.

26. V for Vendetta (2005)

Wachowski driven Alan Moore hero who inspires the rebel in everyone of us. This movie has brought a strong icon into mainstream popular culture who has given a voice to millions of people while entertaining and wowing them. Few have done this so far!

25. Waking Life (2001)

Richard Linklater goes on a tizzy trip exploring so many issues in life and their meaning. This dreamy affair is a cerebral overload and visual delight and exploits the medium in a uniquely new way.

24. Donnie Darko (2001)

Another very cerebral movie which has sunk into pop culture and largely derives from it to. A multi dimensional premise with the focus on the protagonist's psyche. 'American Beauty' in Sci-Fi if I may.

23. Hotel Rwanda (2004)

Africa is raged by civil War and it's as good as a hell hole but some acts of courage stand out as one man becomes the Oskar Schindler to his people taking mammoth risks on his own life and family.

22. El laberinto del fauno (2006) ie Pan's labyrinth

Guillermo Del Toro makes an astonishing tale of fantasy set in Fascist Spain. It is a beautiful, innocent and at the same time cruel. What you get is a mixed bag of reactions!

21. Le scaphandre et le papillon (2007) ie The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

The protagonist is paralysed and can move nothing but his left eye! He lets his mind do the living and writes a book and. It is a beautiful essay of imagination and courage.

20. The Dark Knight (2008)

Heath Ledger of course played a great part as a Joker but the reason this movie stands apart is because of the almost unconquerable levels of darkness and brooding it achieves. Nolan finishes rewriting the tone for Superhero movies with what he set out to do in Batman Begins.

19. Synecdoche New York (2008)

Charlie Kaufman and his introspective, self deprecating and worldly life reflecting genius! This movie is a grand painting of words and ideas on celluloid.

18. Amelie (2001)

This is a delightful French movie everyone adores because it is simple, beautiful and yet very enigmatic.

17. Das Leben der Anderen (2006) ie The Lives of Others

This best foreign language film Oscar winner set in communist East Berlin. It is a shocking and stirring tale for which I don't have enough words for.

16. Before Sunset(2004)

A sequel to Before Sunrise is bound to have expectations! This movie maintains the spirit of its predecessor and takes it up a notch in the way it has been made. If you observe the whole movie is one sweeping capture of conversation!

15. Atonement (2007)

Ian McEwan's novel is wonderfully brought to screen. This is a gem lost in a year of heavyweights. The super long shot at the beach and the unsettling typewriter soundtrack are just two examples of its brilliance.

14. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

A movie which can leave one scarred or corrected. It explores the lives of 4 drug addicts and physically, mentally and socially captures their pain and makes you feel it!

13. There will be Blood (2007)

Paul Thomas Anderson's grand tale of an Oil Man his ambition, life and battle with faith is a masterpiece. You know it when you watch it, it shouts so at you. Daniel Day Lewis is my best actor of the decade for his grand role.

12. Gladiator (2000)

Ridley Scott's magnum opus of Maximus Decimus Meridius has been a defining movie of my generation. Tale of a powerful leader yet a simple man who has been wronged told well doesn't go wrong, it becomes a cult!

11. Shrek (2001)

Along with Monster's Inc Shrek moved animation to the next level. What made Shrek so special was its wittiness and smart story telling. The combination of oh so many fairy tale characters to weave one to rule them all was a masterstroke. The pop cultural references including that of Matrix were epic!

10. Old Boy (2003)

This was one of my early foreign language films and I was left astounded. Not only does it leaves a bitter taste, It is a violent and revolting story one cant place themselves in brilliantly told.

9. Man on Wire (2008)

My fav documentary of all time ceases to be one and becomes a compelling tale of a marvelous feat. Couple with a brilliant Michael Nyman soundtrack you are damped with anticipation though you already know the result. Just Wow!

8. Kill Bill Vol 1 (2003)

The Bride is on a roaring rampage. She roars and rampaged and got bloody satisfaction. That about sums up Tarantino's blood and gore filled, style driven action extravaganza.

7. Fa yeung nin wa (2000) ie In the Mood for Love

Set in Hong kong of the 60's this beautiful tale is an exploration of love, loneliness and the longing. Amazing score and brilliant cinematography make this movie an instant classic.

6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind (2004)

Michel Gondry meets Kaufman with Kate Winslet at hand and Jim Carrey gives what maybe the best performance of his career. It is a story about inseparable love wrapped with imagination!

5. Vals Im Bashir (2008) ie Waltz with Bashir

It is a psychedelic trip down the memory lane of an Israeli ex-serviceman in the Lebanese war. It is so fantastic that I was tripping on it and waltzing to its tunes!

4. LOTR Two Towers (2002)

LOTR, the whole trilogy as one would stand here but it is the second movie where it truly achieves greatness. The battle at Helmsdeep and Isengard just shook me away.

3. The Fountain (2006)

Arronofsky said his first movie Pi was an exploration of mind, Requiem was of body and Fountain of soul. Watching this movie was a spiritual experience. The soundtrack was so powerful I can recollect the visuals! It is a movie par excellence.

2. Wall E (2008)

The first 40 min of the movie changed it all. When animation movies had set into a fantasy stereotype with animals and objects doing extraordinary things, along came Wall E. With his adorable traits and mighty heart he awakens a world unknown to animators and humans!

1. Memento (2000)

A great movie is an enigma. A mastery over your story, its characters and the way they unfold to your audience. For the audience it is a challenge and Nolan brings out the greatest one among all. Arguably the greatest screenplays ever this movie set out to be emulated a million times by story tellers in their own petty way.

Do chip into let me know what you thought should have made it to the list and what shouldn't have.

p.s:This article first appeared in the magazine I write for called Avant Garde Life. I have made a few additions here.

Too Much Cinema Movie Ratings: What do they mean?

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:56:00 +0000

Be warned! This is a very self indulgent post where I try to standardize the movie ratings I give. This is to not only give an idea to the readers but to maintain consistency in how I rate movies. I believe all movies of a certain ratings (say 6) should be superior to those with lower one(like 5 and below)

Everyone who watches movies rates them in their own way. Some may just rate them simply good or bad while others may call them Great, good , ok, poor and horrible or in similar other notations, to each his own. It gets complicated when you write about movies and you want to give a rating. Ratings are quite important for any audience cos they give a quick idea of how good the product is. There are ratings all over, right from electrical appliances to censor board ratings to chess player or cricket team ratings. Movies are no different.

The ratings make life simpler for the reviewer/critic and the reader/audience in the same way. When one watches or read about hundreds of movies every year an easy way to categorize them and recall for recommendations or any other purpose is by giving it a rating. For example I could make a list like 'my movies in 2009' because I rated them all in imdb and archived them in an excel sheet. Call me a geek but without doing so it would be virtually impossible to track the couple of hundred movies I saw last year.

When I started loving movies, writing about them and rating them seemed the logical next step. Since then(almost 6 years now) I have been trying to find the perfect rating system. Each and every critics have their own. Ebert and Siskel used the thumbs up/down method, while Ebert gives a 4 star rating. Lots of publications especially the newspapers use a 5 pointer or 5 star system. Even some podcasts I know like filmspotting uses the latter. Some sites like Yahoo, AV club give an alphabetical grading system. Aggregation sites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic use a 100 point score. However the one I always chose was the 1-10 ratings system as you find in IMDB. Each of the selections made sense to the reviewer or publication because of the way they approached the rating.

IMDB is the mother of all movie knowledge for movie buffs like me and as I began to rate movies there it seemed best to maintain a consistency all over. Now the challenge was to create a definition to the scale. I explored various ratings like mentioned above and even seeked inputs from ratings from various other industries like music and electronics. I found a good one at CNET but the best one was at WIRED. This one was itself built using the game review and tech review ratigns guide. It reinforced the system I had indigenously made and gave it clarity by using tried and tested words of wisdom. So here I reproduce verbatim and my own annotations because they were exactly what I was trying to make.

1 Abysmal

The perfect storm of artistic wretchedness. Horrible in every way, from script and direction to cinematography and on-screen performances. A production so boring or revolting that it’s nearly impossible to watch to the end.This movie is a complete failure in every way. These movies make me puke.

2 Terrible

With almost no redeeming qualities, you’d be better off waiting till the one or two worthwhile scenes in this production show up on YouTube.It is usually unbearable and obviously I suggest not to watch it. EVER.

3 Poor

Not even the most devoted genre fans would argue: This is a bad piece of work. The production isn’t fun, even for a second, although it might be interesting to some people for one reason or another.Overall it is a pain and the downsides far outweigh the rare good moments.

4 Mediocre

Noticeably worse than what we consider a run-of-the-mill production, the overall experience is disappointing, even though we might actually have been entertained for a few minutes by scene-stealing special effects or a compelling cameo.These movies are just about bearable only if you watch out from the corner of your eye and dont pay any attention.

5 Average

Your run-of-the-mill entertainment experience. Genre devotees would give this a 6 or maybe a 7 on a good day, but even they would have to acknowledge that undeniable flaws keep it from standing out from the crowd. A couple of good scenes or genuine laughs barely make up for the overall mediocrity of the production.

They are bearable, recommended with reservations if you have nothing else to watch or cant take anything heavier.

6 Good

A score of 6, while displeasing to some, is still an above-average rating. Maybe there’s a great plot that’s undermined by poor acting; maybe it’s a beautiful production with bouts of shockingly bad dialogue. We could see recommending this to genre fans, but not to everyone.

Its strengths slightly outweigh its weaknesses, making it good for most uses but not a standout. These movies are good to pass time.

7 Very Good

This is a very good score, two full notches above average. Genre fans will likely enjoy this work and put up with its minor issues in exchange for a relatively solid piece of entertainment. Maybe it’s got one huge flaw that hurts it, but it’s still quite good.

They are quite enjoyable but not really reaching out for long term memorability. Very good but not quite great as they put it.

8 Excellent

Minor flaws drag the score down, but not by much. It’s still a stellar work, but too many missteps drag down the experience (at least a little). This is the cutoff point at which we might not recommend this title to someone who’s not already a fan of the genre. True believers might give this a
10, but everybody else will be less enthusiastic

They are very enjoyable and memorable experiences which often leave you thinking.

9 Spectacular

An amazing show; its only flaw is that it isn’t a groundbreaking work of genius. We’ve seen movies or shows just like it before, but this is too entertaining to get anything lower. Recommended even to people who aren’t fans of the genre

They leave you enthralled and nearly flawless. Watch them now!

10 Perfect

We might be able to point out a couple of niggling flaws, but the experience is so entrancing overall that it just doesn’t matter. Very few works will get this rating, which is reserved for truly brilliant, groundbreaking works.

These are the movies which just blow you away and impact one strongly. They achieve metaphysical perfection.

All ratings are in integers and there is no scope for decimal ratings like 7.2 or 6.5. They are rounded off to the greatest integer less than rating. Though there might be a different in quality all movies which seem better than 7 but not 8-worth are given a rating of 7.

P.S: Moving to this exact definition of ratings there is a slight tweak I made recently to ratings as they were far too many movies accumulated at the 8 spot. Giving the same ratings for movies like Invictus and The Blind Side as Synecdoche New York and My Fair lady seems wrong. So I moved down all other ratings a notch and created a new 7. All this is too geeky and you shouldnt bother.

My 2009 in Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:20:00 +0000

The year has been ordinary one in terms of movies. Some of the best ones were sci fi and that is the only consolation. However I am not going to make a best of 2009 list quite simply because unlike the professional critics at Uncle Sam’s place I havent been able to watch all the movies that have been released yet and anyhow in a month or so we will be counting down to the Oscars and doing a list then is best. By then most movies will be available for consumption. Since the Oscars are so prestigious, we movie people should simply give up calendar years and do our lists around it. The movies featured during Oscars often get forgotten and end up in neither lists not this year and not the year before. So i am going to take a different path. We critics are innocent folk with everyone living in their own glass doors. We can celebrate Christmas whenever we feel like.

When it comes to me personally this hasnt been a stellar year like the year before where I could clock 240 movies (inspite of the TV shows). This year I could only clock 192 but its ok ‘cos life has changed in many ways and TV shows like Mad Men and Friends (yep it was my first time) made life richer in their own ways. The first two months were spent watching and writing about the Oscar nominees of 2009 and I was exposed to some really fine movies like Rachel Getting Married, Waltz with Bashir etc. There were a lot of classics, foreign language films and rom coms. There were a lot of indie films too. This was also the year I fell in love with Spanish movies and this was partly aided by the Spanish Film festival which happened in Hyderabad. So really as a movie buff what matters to me more than the best I have seen of this year is the best I have seen in this year. So I have compiled a list of must watch films I have seen for the first time this year and believe you too should sometime. So something like a 3rd time of Casablanca or Wall E wont count. There wasnt a single 10 this year I could see. Star Wars was the last one in October 2008. The 9’s were rare too but there were a plenty of 8’s. Here it goes!

Best films I have seen in 2009

The 9/10 ‘s

1. Waltz with Bashir

2. La Vita E Bella ie Life is Beautiful

3. Star Trek (2009)

4. In the Mood for Love

5. The Blues Brothers

Technically 8 (but they are better than that)

6. Moon (2009)

7. Full Metal Jacket

8. My Fair Lady

9. Sex and Lucia

10. Rachel Getting Married

11. Synecdoche New York

12. Waking Life

13. Suspicion

The 8/10’s

14. Cool Hand Luke

15. In the Loop (2009)

16. Revolutionary Road

17. The Hurt Locker (2009)

18. 4 Months 3 Weeks 2 Days

19. About Love

20. 500 Days of Summer (2009)

21. Milk

22. Mary and Max (2009)

23. Siete mesas de billar francés or 7 Billiard Tables

24. Il y a longtemps que je t'aime

25. Okuribito

26. Slumdog Millionaire

27. Up (2009)

28. Away We Go (2009)

29. District 9 (2009)

30. Taken (2009)

31. Where the Wild Things are (2009))

32. Julie and Julia (2009)

33. The Hangover (2009)

34. Bullitt

35. Doubt

36. The Blind Side (2009)

37. Rushmore

38. The Wrestler

39. Invictus(2009)

40. Hunger

41.

Or should I say best Indian movie I have seen this year:

Rocket Singh:Salesman of the Year (2009)

That was a long list! But these were the better ones among the roster I had seen. So another year ends and a new year begins soon. Looking back this wasnt a great one from a personal viewing perspective either. However it had some great beginnings from this blog’s perspective, it’s initiation in the current form, the very gratifying Oscar road, the distinct URL and uncharacteristically me writing. I want to make the next year much better! Julie and Julia inspired me in this respect. So here is what I have set as the goal:

200 Movies & 100 Reviews

This site will get more time and more features too. It wont be easy like the previous years, because now I have a full time job and am juggling many things but for the love of good Cinema this has to happen!

Wish you all a very Happy and Cinematic New Year as i hope for a merry and filmi new year.

The 10 most anticipated movies of 2010.

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:55:00 +0000

2009 has been a pathetic year in terms of quality and variety of movies. Most of the big budget ones were crappy and the best were some independent or very low budget movies like In the Loop, Moon and 500 Days of Summer. These are surprise packages and tough to predict. So like always I look at the Multi hundred million dollar, Super Star Studded, Auteur helmed movies to show us the path. Here are my top 10 most anticipated movies of 2010.

10. The Rum Diary: Johnny Depp is back serving Hunter S Thomson in another of his works after the dizzily brilliant fare: Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. Well we will take anything with Johnny Boy. Just hoping it won’t make the Public Enemies.

9. Jonah Hex: A wild Wild West where bounty hunters and Voodo practitioners are involved. Based upon a comic book with a terribly scarred anti hero it throws me back to the good ol’ days. Dont tell me Megan Fox in hot Victorian lingerie wont delight you!

8. Arrested Development: Everyone loved the TV show. Much to the delight of the fans it’s back in the form a movie. Sex and the City worked, The X files didn’t. But I am pretty sure with its fantastic humour Arrested Development wont disappoint the fans.

7. Shutter Island: This Martin Scorcese-Leonardo Di Caprio period thriller was supposed to release in 2009 but got pushed back. We cant wait to see what Marty has to follow up to his Oscar winning Departed. Something better I hope.

6. Robinhood: Another quintessential pair, ie of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe is back. They try to repair the joke that was the last Robinhood movie was 20 years ago. Right up in Gladiator’s alley Scott must have put heart and soul into this after the performance of his last 2 movies.

5. Kickass: This might end up being the surprise package of the year. Matthew Vaughn, who also directed Layer Cake and Star Dust makes a movie in which a teenager just decides to be a superhero though he has no powers, training or meaningful reason to do so.

4. Inception: When Chris Nolan makes a movie, it can be certified to be of good cut, colour, clarity and carat. So if he goes onto make a thriller with Di Caprio, Michael Caine, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page and Marion Cottilard; how can you not notice all the 200 million dollars of it?

3. Toy Story 3: The movie that revolutionized the industry and delivered possibly the best ever sequel (yeah I even considered Godfather II) is back. Doesnt matter. The child in me says: Woody and Buzz are back! In 3D. Wooooooooow!

2. Iron Man 2: If you have seen Iron Man and were wowed by its brilliant combination of comic book madness with deep sensibilities and the tinge of Robert Downey Jr’s wry humour, you would know what I am talking about.

1. Alice In Wonderland: The Greatest fantasy of all time meets Tim Burton and they put an over the top ensemble with Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman and so on! Do we have the next Wizard of Oz in the making?

The Inevitably Anticipated. Sigh!

The following movies are all sequels and inevitably have got hoards of fans and whether you like them or not they are coming and making tons of cash at the B.O. Yes I am putting a top 5 for them too but they need no talking. They sell themselves.

5. Chronicle of Narnia: Dawn Treader

4. Sex and The City 2

3. Shrek Forever After

2. Twilight Saga: Eclipse

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt.1

So what are your most awaited movies? Drop in a comment below :)

Feature: Summer 2009 Roundup, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:30:00 +0000

The Summer in question here starts in may and ends by mid September with the beginning of fall which brought out releases like Surrogates and Inglourious Basterds. So this roundup does come almost a month late but this situation is due to the place I live in most movies including some big ones like Up and Star Trek come several months late. There are some others like District 9, Sam Raimi's Drag me to Hell, 500 Days of Summer, Cloudy with Chance of Meatballs, Bruno, Time Traveler's Wife etc I couldnt get to see at all. Maybe I soon will when they are out on DVD's. Sometimes I feel like moving away to greener(read where movies release the earliest) pastures. Also I have intentionally skipped talking about movie like Aliens in the Attic, I love you Beth Cooper etc which have been said to be ranging from uncomfortable, nauseating to vomit inducing. So here are the rest of the movies which I got to see and are worth talking about. For here in 'Too Much Cinema' good cinema is everything.

So continuing the serial reviews from the last post:

8. The Proposal

This is the best 'chick-flick' or romantic comedy if you wish of this year. It stars Ryan Reynolds who has a knack of picking simple small budgeted yet refreshing films and Sandra Bullock who I havent seen act so well in a long long time. Well I have never seen her act well before. This movie has the usual romantic plot and twists but it has refreshingly new and bold (read adult) stuff in the comedy department. Just like The Hangover you are entertained through out the movie with one liners and sketches. By doing so this movie ends up pleasing the views who are non chalant to the chic-flicks, which is quite a big thing for such films. It has paid off well too by landing the 10th spot in the highest grossers of the year so far.

9. The Ugly Truth

I like rom-coms as much as I like non stop action popcorn movies which the summers are characterized by. This movie stars Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl and revolves around ONLY them as any other movie of this genre. Yet these two very beautiful and talented actors havent been given much to do. Ugly Truth is like a rehash of The Proposal with all the workplace settings, hate you but end up loving you plot and more importantly the adult humour. So it is boring sometimes but gives you good laughs and fun overall. Did you seriously expect anything more out of it?

10. X Men Origins: Wolverine

This was easily the one to pick among the big starrer blockbusters of this summer. It was like a ticking bomb where there is action right from the beginning to end, you just dont stop and rest even when the characters are contemplating. Much like Salvation and Transformers 2 this movie doesnt have much character depth but they make up for it by giving you tons of flashback. But the true star of the movie and what separates this from the other two is Hugh Jackman. He is a brilliant actor and he makes most of whatever little scope he has been given to act. This must have been easy but by keeping him in focus and not losing track like McG did in Salvation this movie fares pretty reasonably.

11. GI JOE: The Rise of Cobra

Most would say 6/10 is a lot for this movie, but I beg to differ. 2 simple reasons: 1) It was pure unadulterated corny fun. 2)I dint get anything more or less than what I expected from a movies with B list stars based on a 80's Cartoon series. This movie is the best example for the non stop action popcorn summer blockbuster everyone yearns to make. They were all like this before intense characterization and Dark Knight levels of glood and depth came in. Insane technology, breathtaking action sequences, Rachel Nichol and Sienna Miller in deep cleavages and padded bra's gave the movie wholesomeness. But at the end it was just another stupid action popcorn movie with a plotline your 10 year old cousin can think of. Hence it just a 6/10.

12. Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

Harry Potter movies have been huge letdowns. They are visually and directionally inconsistent and confused. They shouldnt have gone with so many directors. But on the bright side it is not Chris Columbus making all of them. However Prisoner of Azkaban was an aberration with a unique style and strong story telling which almost recreated the complete book experience. And The Half Blood Prince comes close to it. Yes, a lot of plot elements have been distorted and altogether removed. Even the explanation of the title was inexistent and out of sheer formality but this movie dint make me curse the sacrilege of the books or bore me to death either. It was stable storytelling and my attention wasnt let gone at any moment. That is a lot for the HP movies.

13. Public Enemies

Johnny Depp! Christian Bale! Michael Mann! Marion Cotillard! This movie was one of the highly anticipated movies of the year and many were even whispering Oscar. But it turned out to be a dud, it dint even entertain properly forget about drawing you in and binding you with the characters and their lives like great movies do. It wasnt even the expectations that did it for me, since like always the movie came late and I heard of the luke warmed reviews. This movie was plain boring. Having seen all this before, I thought American Gangsters was just alright and this takes mediocrity with aspirations to a new level. The silence during gun fights, they failed attempts to make the viewer emotionally connect with Dillinger and the confused character sketches were yawn inducing. Though Depp performed well with whatever he was given, Bale was totally wasted. Again reminds me of American Gangsters which ran solely due to Denzel Washington's performance but here even Johnny Depp wasnt enough to save this movie. Will the real Michael Mann please stand up?

14. Taking of Pelham 123

Tony Scott is the master at what he does. Find gripping, on the edge of your seat thrillers and cast Denzel Washington as the hero and give you a jolly good ride. They are usually tales with some novelty and depth. This is not. You have a tick mark by every point in the "How to make an action thriller like Die Hard?" book. Psycho Killer with hostages. Check. Common Man with troubled past stuck co incidentally. Check. Proper crew with a plan. Check. It is just about the money(more money than the psycho killer wants you to believe). Check. These go on, but I cant. It was a nice lazy afternoon watch and though not something I would recommend cinematically it is something I would see to unwind just like I watch those rom-coms.

15. Star Trek

J.J Abrams. Take a bow. Though MI3 wasnt that great, you wow'ed us by producing Cloverfield and Lost. Here you show us how a perfect Summer blockbuster has to be done: Take a immensely successful franchise of the past. Strip the story, keep the outline, forget what happened and start from the beginning. Cast talented and promising new actors in iconic roles and let them be. Provide strong characterization and personality to your leads and put them in adrenaline rush situations with emotional challenge. Create a powerful imbalanced villain who is set on revenge and not just money. Get a cameo by an icon who will please the previous generation. Weave a story around all this with spell binding effects and geek worthy science. Voila! And I just understated it.

Star Trek is much more. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are fantastic in their roles and are well flanked by an equally admirable support cast. They arent intimidated by the legacy and synergize well. I had a brilliant ride watching this movie and it made me cheer like a little boy like I last did while watching Iron Man and Dark Knight. This movie is in their league and stands strong. It does have its flaws but lets not bother because when you have the best movie of the summer in your hands you dont really care for the bad pennies. I watched this movie thrice on the big screen(including once in IMAX) and not only that is a record, each repeat was as good as the first. Hands Down, the best movie of the summer and the year so far!

Feature: Summer 2009 Roundup, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:57:00 +0000

Every year in May, the biggest of movies are released by Hollywood. These movies are fitted with the hottest of stars, tried and tested formulae like superheroes, end of the world scenarios and established franchises in spectacularly explosive circumstances made possible by the embarrassingly huge budgets allocated to them. Why this specific time of the year? It is the beginning of summer in the western world (upper parts of northern hemisphere) and the attendance rates in theatres skyrocket as a result of the holiday season. The kids are free, lets give them a movie and then create merchandise based on the same lines for them to play with. That is their philosophy and usually it works. Year after year such movies come out and they make oodles of money, for a good reason too. The movies are visual treats couple with good film making. But this year they didnt do so well and again for a really good reason. No! It is not the recession, it is the sorry state of films.

2009 has been the year of impending or post apocalyptic future. Terminator, Transformers, 9, GI Joe and Star Trek all were either dealing with saving the planet or dealing with whats left after the worst has happened. This theme business isnt unique for this year as I am pretty sure all of you remember the Superhero Summer last year with Iron Man, Hancock and Dark Knight. Indiana Jones and James Bond arent any less than your average superheroes either as they have been still kicking some good amount of evil ass even after decades of existence. 2007 was the year of threequels, with Spidy 3, Bourne Ultimatum, Shrek the Third and Pirates of Carribean's third part too. Also the forgettable Rush Hour 3. Far too many 3's I say!

Back to disappointing 2009, I not only see many movie marvels coming out this year(oscar types) I have also been through the most boo..(yawn)...oring of so called blockbuster movies. They did not create any cinematic road blocks with showstopping marvel and they definitely dint bust any chops. JAWS would turn in its grave or maybe come back for the 20th part and still do better like in the back to the future movies. So with so many movies to cover I better get started.

1. Terminator Salvation:

Talking about bores; I start with the biggest one of the season. I dont know why Christian Bale signed up for this and he is still doing the sequel when he can earn as much as he wants doing other projects. This movie was made with a budget close to 200 million $ and earned only 125 million $ in US and 320 million$ worldwide and that means it has been an epic flop inspite of the "terminator" and Bale brand name. Except for a couple of pretty cool explosions sequences and the performance of Sam Worthington the movie had nothing. I almost fell asleep. I always though John Connor was a dud not THE Dude who was going to be leader of human resistance and this movie sets out to prove that despite the pain they take to portray his alleged heroism. Worthington's character Marcus was the star of the movie not some brainless punk Connor.

2.Angels and Demons

This movie was fun to watch as it was based on interesting source material (the book of same name) and according to many it was better than The Da Vinci Code. I beg to differ not in saying that it wasnt better but in saying that Da Vinci Code itself was a decent movie considering the material it was based on. Da Vinci

Code, the book is not as good as Angels and Demons and however people put it the movie wasnt a let down unless you are a fan. I had fun then and better fun here but at the end of the day it was just another treasure hunting save the world/city/civilization story where you follow a couple of very witty people. National Treasure took up Dan Brown's game and beat him at it considerably. Even the last Indiana Jones was a dud. But this movie does as much as can be expected from it. A lazy afternoon well spent.

3. Transformers II: Revenge of the Fallen

This is another movie which was better than its previous installment. We all know what Michael Bay can do and expecting the moon out of him is stupid. So go in for the sickest of explosions and the coolest of graphics with IMAX sized 100% oomph called Megan Fox and you are a happy man. Michael Bay gives what every man wants and this time without the vomit inducing editing or shallower than paper characterization. Not that Martin Scorsese has possessed him but this time he does better. But yeah if you could stand the wince inducing one liners you are good to go and its a marvellous feat of human achievement, both in terms of seduction and graphics.

4.The Hangover

Leaving aside the mammoth movies for a while and dealing with the one which made the greatest waves this year for its unadulterated pure fun. The Hangover is the most hilarious fare of the year so far and was far removed from the studios bullshit. Thank Apatow for that and I must say its my favourite work from his production house. Though 40 year old Virgin, Knocked Up and Superbad were fun they were not as spectacular as this insane journey. The gag reel substitute at the credits is as hilarious and the very feeling that it makes you beg for more shows its Awesomeness. It was a Legendaaaary Vegas night Barney Stinson would be proud of.

5.Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Speaking of laugh riots reminds of this movie. I love the first two installments to bits and have had the time of my life actually rofling for them. Yet with all the warnings I go to this movie with not so high hopes and I am not disappointed with those who warned. The first half an hour of the film all that was

coming out the mouth was 'cliche', Cliche this and cliche that. They used everyone in the book. A heavy ode to almost every popular movie too. However things pick up with the introduction of a marvellous character called Buck. Voiced by ~~my idol Hugh Laurie~~ the always awesome Simon Pegg(updated), this character single handedly saves the film from mediocrity. Its get better with ~~Scratte~~ Scrat (update) and his two love interests. Yes there is competition to the nut. Truly brilliant score during this love triangle is one screen.

6. 9

No not a 69. Just a 9. Not even a ninth as interesting. Tim Burton picked up a short film of the same name and gave its director Shane Acker a free hand at making a movie out of it. I am pretty sure he will think now that it wasnt such a wise decision after all. Not only did it not make much money it was a drab of a movie. The 6/10 I gave it was because it was animation and it was good. Good, mind you not great like the next one. A good animation movie exploits its strength to make a compelling movie going experience. This on the other hand was just like Terminator Salvation in animation. Yes it rhymed and the movie is as cornily predictable. Not only did I know where everything was going from the beginning till the middle. The ending I couldnt predict. Sorry, because it was so bafflingly stupid or nonsensical.

7. Up

And finally one of my favourite films of the summer: Up. Pixar never fails to deliver. With this movie they have a perfect 10. 10 movies, 10 superhits. Can you believe that?! After the daringly refreshing WALL-E, Pixar is back doing what it does best. Tell a wonderfully human story touching the deep emotions with such innocence and wild fantasy that you say "choo chweet". The balloon powered house, talking dogs, hidden nature's wonders are few of the fantasy elements in this movie and it leaves you with warmth and fuzziness. But this movie wasnt perfect. The story was predictable and took the usual animation direction and dint wow me in ingenuity of plot as it did in storytelling. However as I mentioned before the character were very cute, especially the kid and the adorable couple. Must must see!

So this was one half of the summer round up of 2009 and there are many more movies to cover including the best movie of the season. So come back in a couple of days for the rest. Meanwhile leave a comment on what you thought of the above mentioned movies and the reviews.

Review: Inglourious Basterds

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:06:00 +0000

Save James Cameron, who hasnt made a feature film in more than a decade, no director in the world creates as much anticipation as Tarantino does when he picks up a project. Inglourious Basterds was no different. The noise for this one has been around since the time he announced this movie even before he made Grindhouse. And it has lived up to its hype and people seemed to love it. I dont.

Tarantino has carved a niche for himself where he makes seemingly the most absurdest of stories into compelling tales with visual and aural splendour which lie perfectly on that thin line between genius and mockery of genius. Thats quite something. I have thoroughly enjoyed all the stuff he has made and I have seen. (Yet to watch Jackie Brown and Deathproof) My favourites among his work are the Kill Bill movies. And yes I had mentioned in the podcast episode before, though I really appreciate Pulp Fiction I dont consider it remotely even among the greatest movies ever made. Also I dont consider him among my favourite or even the best directors out there. Yes he is a brilliant auteur who has created his special place by giving the internet generation marvellous mashups of old and current popular cultures and arts from all over the world but where is the variety? His originality lies in the incredulity of his work but where is the novelty?

It does sound odd when I praising him so much and yet not saying he is among the best. Well Inglourious Basterds is the reason why! The movie is an engrossing tale of revenge and amends for misfortune doled out to the Jews and band aid in alternate history to their immense suffering and persecution. As always the storytelling is brilliant. I am engrossed in the tale he tells and often surpised with the tricks he pulls but.. yawn! I have seen it before and he reminds of himself or of Leone. The first half hour I was telling myself, havent I seen this before, havent I heard it before. The shot compositions and the background score was beyond a tip of the hat to Leone and Morricone they were big banners. As the tale moves on there is the usual mix of unexpected events which Tarantino always uses with good doses of gruesome violence and awkwards twists of events. I have seen it all before. It was no different from watching that movie where Leonardo Di Caprio is a spy in Middle East under Russell Crowe (Body of Lies, the name I almost forgot even though it is Ridley Scott) but I wont forget Basterds cos it is Tarantino! But that is not enough for me I want more from this guy. I want movies in different genres, newer stories, different plot lines and devices and maybe even without crime!

I know the Tarantino fans are gasping and they are much like the Apple Fanboys, who wont allow a single word against their god Steve Jobs. I wont go on comparing them but please QT step out of your own classic fanboy shell and give us something that blows us away, something original ala Reservoir Dogs but in a different line. I doubt if Tarantino will ever do it and I doubt if I will ever call him the best.

Back to the movie, I found the characterization not upto his usual standards. Except for Landa and Shoshanna the other characters werent built well enough. Yeah I know he gave a lot of flashback style character sketches but that isnt enough. Is it? Ask our telugu filmmakers they will give you tons of it. Though it is no excuse, I understand it is already a long movie and you cant cram in every bit. The best character in the movie as everyone already knows by now was Col. Hans Landa, played by Christopher Waltz with utmost wicked charm and cruel delight.

It was wonderful to watch him essay the character so wonderfully being charmed by the evil and I felt like an impressionable girl getting wooed by a infamous playboy. Shoshanna Dreyfus played by Melanie Laurent and Frederick Zoller by Daniel Bruhl did impress but the other were just well placed pieces. Diane Kruger and Brad Pitt though well cast dint have really much to do. They did have LOTS to do in terms of how the story goes but what I mean is this is not their movie. It is Waltz's and a bit of Laurent's. I did love the climax and its lip service to history. Why dont people do it more often? Gives a lot of fodder plots wise. Watchmen was the other movie this year which did the same, if you know what I mean.

Finally, I shall end this extraordinary long review on my reappearance with stating that I have to make so many observations to tell you Tarantino is not THE MAN. If it were any other movie by any other director you would have been on another page by now! That is testament to what this man has done in terms of capturing people's imagination by reinventing the wheel.

Rating: 7/10

The best and the worst from this decade’s Oscars

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Sat, 23 May 2009 17:34:00 +0000

When the curtain fell on the night of the Oscars on Feb 23rd of this year, the last of the Oscars in the first decade of the 21st century were given away. I had to make a list post and what better way to make lists than talk about the Oscars, the Academy’s short sightedness and baseless favouring of some movies over others. The Oscars have been long notorious for the fact that they often snub some great cinematic masterpieces for ephemeral success stories though they are often seen as the bastion for the best of world cinema. So this is the list of movies which were nominated and won (or dint win) in the Oscars from the year 2000 to 2009.
Here in this post I list out the top 5 movies of this decade which were nominated to the Oscars and yet dint get the love they deserved. These movies certainly should have won many more statuettes or in some cases won atleast something. Following that list will be another top 5 of the movies which were nominated to the Oscars but got far more awards/credit than they deserved. One important thing you need to know is I have taken into consideration only the movies which were nominated. So there might be some movies which weren't nominated at all but were very good pieces of Cinema which deserved to be. Taking them into consideration would just make the list very complex. So here they are:

Top 5 nominated movies that were overlooked

5:Memento in 2001: The classic modern Film Noir. It is not something you expect the academy voters to appreciate and sing laurels about but not even the oscar for screenplay? Are you kidding me? I coudnt believe it when it got beaten by Gosford Park. Also what kind of genius can pull off such a stunt with a screenplay that screws with your head and yet make it an infinitely repeat watch and not get a nomination for direction. Nolan only! First it was Memento then Batman Begins and then The Dark Knight.
Also Wall-E in 2009: Animation movies are no less than any other live action stuff but the people at the Oscars still think they are for kids. They have a separate category for them which is nice but they dont let the children stray into the living room. In the occasional circumstances the child(animation movie) is precocious they snub it. Wall-E is the perfect example. In a perfect world where there is no prejudice it would have been nominated for the best movie and may have beaten the dogs out of the slum.

4: Atonement in 2008: Atonement was fighting a losing battle right from the start with its competition being the likes of No Country for Old Men and There will be Blood.
What many people fail to realise is just because it is a love story doesn't make it less cinematically brilliant. It was heavily nominated but it failed to win any major ones. People will remember that year to be that of Daniel Day Lewis and Coen Brothers.

3: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in 2005: The Oscars of 2005 weren't really a great fair just like the ones in 2007. Everyone was just talking about the grand old man called Clint Eastwood and how Harry was still dirty and kicked ass just as they were singing songs of Scorsese in ‘07. In the process of crowning Million Dollar Baby they forgot the wonderful gem made by Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman. This movie is wonderful on so many different levels that there is probably no one who has seen it and not loved it.

2: Good Night, and Good Luck. in 2006: The year Brokeback Mountain and Crash were taking in all accolades there was one true gem which will stand the test of time. 10 to 20 years down the line people will look back at this movie and say wow! What a classic. David Strathairn gave a brilliant performance playing Edward R Murrow the iconic TV presenter who made modern TV what it was before it began to rot again. This movie showcases the power of the medium.

1: Road to Perdition in 2002 : Taking the trends at the Oscars, this the movie the academy’s voters should love to bits. It seems like as if it was custom made for them as it has got a great setting, well shot, good star cast and a touching storyline. However this movie was relegated to the sidelines and wasn't even nominated for the major awards. Sam Mendes’s follow up to American Beauty may not be as brilliant but it definitely leaves strong impressions.
Honourable mentions:
LOTR: Two Towers, My favourite movie from the trilogy. The love not shown to it and its predecessor was more than made up by showering on the final installment.
Requiem For a Dream: If you have seen the movie, you know what I am talking. It is just gold in terms of acting, directing, cinematography, music and everthing else. But people at the Oscars dint understand Indie then.

Top 5 undeserved oscar winning movies

5: Brokeback Mountain in 2006 : The movie of the year everyone said. Everyone couldnt stop talking about two gay cowboys getting it on in the mountains. It was Iconic, yes but only a decent film not much different from heavy straight love dramas. It was very boring too. However Hollywood loves to promote the gay cause. I do to. But not by making a mediocre film a cult.
Babel in 2007: Alejandro González Iñárritu made a wonderful movie called Amores Perros and then made 21 grams. He repeats the same intersecting story lines structure in each of his film and Babel was no different. It was slow, a bit boring and nothing more to while away an idle afternoon. This movie however got 7 nominations.

4: The Departed in 2007 : There were several good movies in 2006 but it was a dull year for the movies when you take into account that there was none of the usual one or more two movies each year which blow you away. Martin Scorsese had been snubbed by the oscars for about 2 decades when in the first place he should have won it for Taxi Driver and Goodfellas long long ago. This one was just a fast paced mafia/thriller/cop movie with heavily loaded star cast. If this movie doesnt convince you that the oscar panel is sometimes swayed by the people behind the movie than the movie itself nothing will.
3: The Cider House Rules in 2000: Thank heavens for American Beauty that year or else I fear Cider House Rules would have had its way. The movie was just all right and it was a bildungsroman of an orphan boy. It still managed to gain 7 nominations and win 2 including the best screenplay based on previously published material beating The Green Mile, Talented Mr Ripley and The Insider. For me even the Insider was a better film than the run of the mill Cider House Rules.
2: Gosford Park in 2001: This movie is at its best just a good thriller. It has a great star cast but what is the point if the storyline is just out of an Agatha Christie novel. It does do well in capturing the turmoil and emotions of the character but 7 nominations and one win! come on! And you know what that win was for ? Best Screenplay directly written for the screen which it won at the cost of Memento, arguably the most wonderful piece of screenwriting in the history of cinema. How could they?
1: Chicago in 2003: This is the only movie I havent seen in the list but still it is definitely the worst mistake of this decade for one simple reason. How can a musical however great the musical is upset movies like Gangs of New York, The Hours, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Pianist and win the Best Movie Oscar.
(Dis)honourable mentions:
A Beautiful Mind: Good movie but not as great as they paint it to be
Michael Clayton: I dont even know what it was doing there. So many nominations and thankfully only one win.
By the time you reach here I am pretty sure you were vigorously nodding or shaking your head on many of the mentions but hey this is what I thought. Do let me know where you think I went wrong and do mention if you think I omitted something important which belongs to the list in the comments below.

p.s: In case you want to see the complete list of winners. Check out Oscars past at imdb for 1929 to 2007 and for 2008 and 2009

lingua franca: Cinema

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:46:00 +0000

Everybody loves movies. Some love them for the entertainment and some love it as an art form and some love the whole medium for all that it presents. Whatever the reason might be most people have certain reservations against what kind of movies they watch. Some want non stop action-thrillers, some prefer comedy, some rather cuddle up with the so called chick flicks and some others enjoy the rush horror movies give them. But the most common preferences are in language and time. Most people I know prefer recent movies mostly of this decade or at most the last and would happily stick to English language.
I have been championing classics right since the time I fell in love with them especially the great movies which have come from the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’. Also I am a big fan of foreign language movies i.e. the non English ones from all over the world. This post is about the latter. I say if you haven't watched movies from different parts of the world you cannot truly say you love movies and call yourself a buff.

There is something magical about movies. They let you delve into different worlds and make you experience the plethora of emotions that we could seldom gain in our real life. And this is done without any bar of language or time. Each part of the world has a different and one or more characteristic styles of filmmaking which sets them apart from the rest. The perspective each filmmaker give on the same subject is quite different and a major part of it obviously rests on where he comes from. For who we are and what we think are influenced by where we live.

Watching exotic films from various parts of the world with audio playing in its native language (I despise dubbed movies) with subtitles appearing at the bottom is one of my favourite things to do in life. They tell me about new places, teach me about native lifestyles, give an insight into people’s mindsets and yet appeal to the basic human in me. Where we are, whatever clothes we wear or language we speak our basic tendencies and nature remains the same. Whatever may be the native tongue the movie speaks it communicates to us the human language.

People complain about that they usually spend too much energy reading the subtitles and being unable to focus on the movie. I agree it is a problem. but only at the first. After a few films it becomes second nature and you don't consciously look at the subtitles. One more thing you need to be prepared for is the diversity of the styles. The Japanese and Koreans may shock you with gore and wild themes, the Chinese may befuddle you with people almost flying, the Indians bedazzle you with the dance and colours, the Iranians with their down to earth storytelling and so on. Whatever they might be, there are something you should never miss if you are a genuine movie lover.
So if you are out there and haven't tasted the magic yet, you could start now. Given below is the list of few selected films which could be pretty nice to start off your foreign language film tryst. They will reel you in and make you fall in love. Also the foreign language film nominations at the Oscars are a good place to start off. The order has been made moving from the right of the world map to the left. Also a random mix to appeal to the enthusiast and also the newbie. If you find some movie interesting do let me know by adding it in the comments.

Japanese: Yojimbo / Batoru Rowaiaru
Korean: Oldboy / Yeopgijeogin geunyeo
German: M / Das Leben der Anderen / Der Untergang
Italian: La vita è bella / Nuovo cinema Paradiso / Ladri di biciclette
French: Du rififi chez les hommes / La science des rêves
Random picks Cidade de Deus / Det sjunde inseglet / Vals Im Bashir / Ying xiong

Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Sun, 17 May 2009 16:53:00 +0000

Hello after a long time (again). As I mentioned once before this blog seems to take new direction each time I take a break and come back with more content. Each time I come back I promise greater content and sustainability. This time I am really serious about it. I have decided to shed the excess workload, streamline work and focus on few projects and too much cinema is on top of that list.

Too Much Cinema shall shed its laziness (and me of course) and become an active and interactive blog. For this, to increase the quality and visibility of this project I have decided to take the 31 day challenge to build a better blog (problogger). I really have heard good reviews of it and I am disclosing it before hand so that you may not crib about it later.

The first task is to write a multi level Elevator pitch for the blog. It helps me understand what this blog is for and also tells you, the reader what to expect from this one. I am pretty keen on this blog not being like all the other blogs out there and an effort has been made to make it special and save you and it from redundancy. This is how it shall go for too much cinema.

Title:

Too Much Cinema-where (good)cinema is everything

The short pitch:

It is a film blog dealing mostly with good movies from different time and different parts of the world.

The long pitch:

I love movies. There is no discrimination based on genre, language or the time they are from. Only heavy discrimination against the bad ones.

I dont review (or watch) all movies and definitely keep away from the universally acknowledged crappy ones. More often than not you will find movies reviewed here to be the 'pick among the lot'. On the rare case it isnt I write why I dint like movies which some sections of people really loved. Also I have strict no spoiler policy. In case something is important for the review it shall be covered in the vaguest of ways. So this is one place you can look for good movies without any spoilers.

DR: French faves of last year

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:52:00 +0000

The two movies I am writing about in this post have a lot in common. Well having something in common is what made me put them in a Double Review. They are both the movies which garnered the most hype overseas, in the UK and US especially. They have been nominated for a huge slew of awards and have won a lot. They are both reflections of the main issue of the plot. Just dealing with the present and a small period in the lives of the characters, not much of the past and end with a hopeful future.

I Loved You So Long (Il y a longtemps que je t'aime)

She was the woman Hugh Grant ignored during the four weddings and a funeral and the lover of English patient and Jeremy’s Clarkson’s idea of the most beautiful woman. Kristin Scott Thomas is wonderful and talented actress who has played a varied set of roles and easily one of finest of the contemporary English ones. With her beauty and talent it’s surprising she hasnt moved to Hollywood. In a way it has been a blessing with her dabbling with a lot of French cinema and this I believe is one of the best of her efforts. ‘I loved you for so long’ is a story of a woman who has just been released from prison and has to live with her kid sister who she hasnt seen in 15 years. It shows how Juliette Fontaine (Kristin Scott Thomas) is moving into normal life after such a long stay in prison and at the same time finding love of her sister at a time when she thought all her family has disowned and abandoned her. Juliette is a very strong woman who can take whatever life throws at her and yet inspite of all her strength she cant forget her past. It was an amazing performance by Kristin Scott Thomas and she along with the Elsa Zylberstein, actress who played her sister give the movie its special place.
In many ways this movie reminded me of Rachel Getting Married, where too the elder sister has had a bad past closely related to the family and her life has gone into a disarray. The younger sister who has had to deal with the trauma associated and who builds her life around it and yet makes something out of it. During the movie they bond and resolve their issues, with the younger sister alleviating the pain of the elder one. ‘I loved you for so long’ might have not the overall brilliance flow of Rachel Getting Married but it really stands out as a heart-touching movie due to the lead performances.

The Class (Entre Le Murs-Between the walls)

When a movie wins the Palme D’ Or at the Cannes film festival and attracts praise from critics world wide it definitely evokes an interest in you. And when the subject matter of it is quite commonplace you get even more piqued as to how it turned out so praiseworthy. It has metacritic rating of 94 and also features in several critics' top ten lists. After a long wait, I got to watch the Class and I must say i was underwhelmed. I understand the nuances and the beauty of realism and all but I fail to understand why this movie stands apart?
The Class is a semi autobiographical account of François Bégaudeau’s former job as a literature teacher in a Parisian mid-school. François Bégaudeau starred and scripted the movie after the novel he wrote in 2006. He shows us the rich and overwhelming diversity of a class in such a school and how each student has such a baggage of their low income background, identity of their place of origin and religion along with the usual issues which every other teen has to deal with. It makes a volatile atmosphere and yet somehow its is short of exploding. This drives most teachers crazy and they have their limits which makes the task of reform and education more daunting. Any slip on their part, like I see in most western societies, is met with the harshest rebuke. I don't understand how education is possible at a place when the teachers mind. body and spirit are tied down by the system and the students are living with closed minds. How can education happen in such hostile environment?
The movie flows really well and it is quite commendable that it does for there are no concrete plot points along which the movie is woven around but its just a series of well knit snapshots of a class of students in particular year attending this particular subject. There is not a moment where you are bored during watching this seemingly plain movie because of the vivaciousness of the characters(read students) involved. You never once get that we are in a movie and people are acting and saying out lines written for them and in this too the movie is commendable! But what is it that makes it tick and so brilliant I dont comprehend. It maybe my being an amateur or just absence of the right perspective. Whatever it is this is my final say. The Class is a lovely film dealing and a very interesting watch but doesnt really excite you at any point of time during the film or makes you think about it at later which is the whole basis for a great movie.

Review: Watchmen

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:03:00 +0000

The Comic book: Watchmen is the critically acclaimed and wildly popular graphic novel/limited series comic book written by Alan Moore and was published in 1986-7 and is set in alternate history where superheroes emerge in the 1940’s and 50’s, US wins the Vietnam war and Richard Nixon has been elected for a third term. It talks about various issues plaguing the society in the 80’s like the fear of nuclear holocaust and detriment of morals in the society and also the angst and troubles of retired and active superheroes especially the wrath they face from the people they set out to protect. The novel is multilayered and very complex in all its essence ie the plot, narrative and themes. It was called unfilmable by several people including the author himself. Its movie adaptation has been in the pipeline right since it was published and finally materialised in 2009.
The Movie: With huge resources and lots of budding talent at hand, Zack Snyder(who made 300) finally got the Watchmen project off the ground and played to his forte of brilliant visualization and loyal adaptation of source material. The first worked perfectly and the second was his undoing. He started out brilliantly with the titles sequence which was very innovative and crucial part of the movie laying the background story for the ‘Minutemen’, the original superheroes and the childhoods of the current generation. However when he cut out the parallel stories running along with the main one(he put em in a direct to video release named Tales of the Black Freighter) and ignored some events due to the crunch of time and excess complication for an average movie-goer the plots loses its lustre and seems trivial and still remained very confusing for lots of people.For Zack Snyder, the Watchmen was like a loaded gun which he lifted and aimed well but miscalculated the firing intensity and range which led to the movie veering out of control by the time second half started and ending on a confused note with hardly any fizz at all.

The problem: The portrayal of Rorsach and the Comedian were brilliant and also they were the only genuine superheroes people are used to seeing, the others being weak willed, confused and resigned to their fates. This was captured well in the comic but the weak direction and acting which was shallow and pretentious, just misguided everyone who dint read the comic. The casting was bad and most performances were flaccid. Flaccid was what Night Owl was when he tried to make love to Silk Spectre in his place. That showed his insecurity and lack of confidence without a suit on.There is a background story giving the reason for this in the novel and also this was supposed to be understood when they finally do it on the top of Archie in the Sky. Snyder totally lost it and audience were clueless about what is happening and they had to endure an atrocious sex scene. This is what happened through out when he left off the fine details which gave strength to the central plot. The sound track too was entirely made of all time hits and was very cheesy. And why the hell were you playing the Sound of Silence during the burial of Comedian?
The Solution: I am no big shot movie producer or script writer but the Watchmen is not unfilmable. It is just cannot be condensed into 2 or 3 hours. What should have been done is a two part movie or a 6 part miniseries with nothing edited out including the actual mind bomb and the Black Freighter. All its ugliness the book portrays and the goriness which ensues by the end, which was hard to be read on print if reproduced on the big screen in its relevance would have made a cinematic masterpiece and I believe Snyder is still the best man to do it, just not in the one film captures it all medium.

Spanish Film Festival: More reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:51:00 +0000

On the third day of the film festival, my second, I got to watch two totally different films both set in the present unlike 13 roses. They were Fermat’s Room and Seven Billiard Tables. It was fun watching two thoroughly yet differently entertaining films back to back

Fermat’s Room (La Habitación de Fermat)

The movie,as everybody else would mention in their review, starts with the line, “If you dont know what prime numbers are, you can stop watching this movie”. Quite a bold statement and kinda nonsensical too because the movie is not laden with heavy mathematical jargon or thesis. It is just a thriller woven around a few mathematicians. 4 mathematicians who donot know each other are invited to a secret meeting to solve an mathematical puzzle and each of them is given a pseudonym for use during the meeting. They are asked to drive to a certain place and find a Car with a pda telling them where to go. After a while they find themselves in a room at a warehouse. Their host Fermat has to leave due to some circumstance and they are left to solve certain problems the pda gives them. The trick here is they are solving for their lives. Each time they arent able to give the answer within a time frame the room begins to shrink. What they do from then on forms the rest of the story.
The movie is a standard thriller wearing a mathematician’s moustache. It is very easy to follow and has all the cliches associated with a movie of this sort. A pretty girl, a scape goat, an ambitious young man, some one out for revenge etc. That doesnt mean I discredit the way it is made. The premise is decent and the performances are pretty good. It would make a nice movie to watch on a weekend night.

7 Billiard tables (Siete mesas de billar francés)

7 billiard tables was by far my favorite movie of the lot during the Spanish film festival. It starts out more or less the same way as Volver (starring Penelope Cruz) did and plays out in the same way showing a strong single woman who generally lives in the city having to go back to her hometown and family and in doing so reviving and enthusing spirit into the lives of people around her.
This is the story of Angela who gets a double blow of the death of her father and the truth about her cheating and conman of a husband. She goes back to her roots and tries to resurrect her father’s billiards hall. This is the also the story of how a man has wrecked the lives of three other people, living selfishly and always serving his own interests at the cost of others’. This man, ie Angela’s father is not even alive during the movie and yet holds an iron grip over the people involved. As the movie goes on they try and let go. Every character is well carved and thoroughly examined and each person in the story is very likeable.
The movie sails through the story and the viewer is pulled into the life of a middle class spanish household. Unlike the usual dramas the movie has several light moments and I had a great time smiling and laughing at the situational humour spread through out the film. The end kind of fizzes out but overall the movie is delightful to watch. I would love to see more movies like these but yeah that is because I am a sucker for dramas on urban middle class with severe issues.

Spanish film festival: Report and review

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:45:00 +0000

It has been quite sometimes since a film festival open to general public happened in Hyderabad. The last one I got to attend was way back in 2007 when there was 100 movie 33 day film festival at Ravindra Bharathi, A Spanish Film Festival happened in Hyderabad from 20th to 22nd of March at Prasadz Multiplex, Hyderabad. This film festival was organized by Moving Images and Team Work Productions and backed by the Spanish High Commission in India. The festival happened in Delhi and Chennai too a few days, before and after their showing in Hyderabad.
The team had a slew of movies from which they selected a few for each city and screened them for general audience. It was surprising that the passes were available for free inspite of the screening being at a popular multiplex. I think it was crucial in filling up the seats for all shows which frankly I dint expect to happen. Also the mention of the festival in Prasadz ad in various newspapers did help in spreading the word. The organizers were expecting some of the actors and producers involved in the movies being screened to show up so that there could be a Q & A session after the movie but it dint happen as the expected delegates didnt turn up. I got to see three movies during the last two days and I was really satisfied with the way it was organized and happy with the kind of crowds it attracted. I had a great time watching the movies and I hope we could have more such festivals here in Hyderabad and it would be better with more publicity well before the event starts.
In this post and next, I shall review the three movies I got to see during the festival

Click read more for the review of 13 Roses.

13 Roses (Las 13 Rosas)

This movie is a real life story from the time of General Franco’s takeover of Spain. The country was already going through rough times due to war and after Franco assumed control their live only got worse. Everyone who had opposed or even not helped Franco was being persecuted, imprisoned even executed sometimes. People did not have their fundamental rights anymore and they lived by the whims and mercies of the officials in the regime. In such circumstances, the movie shows the story of 13 women from different walks of life, different places of origin, some of them friends, some strangers, some totally innocent, some guilty by association and the rest guilty of speaking their mind. It takes us through their lives during the turbulent times, how they are extricated and imprisoned after cruelly being treated.
The movie is well paced, well shot and made to capture the pain and stigma of the women involved. It portrays their vibrant spirits and hope at the face of death and the tyranny of the government. It has a huge cast and the performances are really good. It is a very heavy drama and lesson of history showing Spain at those times. The subject matter makes it very easy to create interest but I thought the director could have made this movie more impactful and a greater cinematic experience than just witnessing a story. Do check it out if you can.

Double Review(DR): Bolt and waltz with Bashir

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:54:00 +0000

Well this is quite a special post. This shall be the last one in the series of posts dealing with this years Oscars. Yes, I did drop the ‘Oscar Road’ tag due to the reviews being past the dead end sign. Also this deals with two movies belonging to my favorite genre: Animation. I am a big fan of animation movies and believe they arent given their due credit. We had reviewed two of the three oscar nominated animation movies ie Wall E and Kung Fu Panda in the last episode of our now discontinued podcast. Check it out @ http://toomuchcinema.wordpress.com . Here I talk about the remaining two animation movies nominated for the oscars this year.

BOLT

Bolt is a marvellous movie about a dog with superpowers, er… Well who thinks he has superpowers. He is only a TV actor. Well this is not a spoiler because the viewer is told after the brilliant action sequence at the beginning. He is close to a young girl who is his co star and is made to believe she is his real owner. He gets transported to somewhere else by mistake and the movie is his journey back. The movie is has some good animation, great characters(ie girl, the cat and the hamster) and good plot. It is very hilarious and has all the stuff you expect from an animation movie. Yes! Exactly all the stuff you need, making it at the same time the reason why people trivialise animation and love it. The reason it made it into the oscar list is because its strong moral plot, some great voice acting and its funniness. Ofcourse when Wall E and Kung Fu Panda are in the ring, you cant expect a Bolt to win. Do watch it because it is oodles of fun and if you, like me adore animation (you better do!) you will enjoy every moment.
Rating:7/10

Waltz With Bashir

When it comes to animation, all things Bolt is Waltz with Bashir is not. All things Waltz with Bashir is Bolt cant dream of. The slurry of emotions this ‘Waltz’ drowns you in will send an innocent dog cowering for help underneath the kitchen table.Waltz with Bashir takes animation to its next level something like what Wall-E and japanese stuff but on a different plane. Though the subject matter is different it is kinda similar to last year’s Persepolis. Animation in these two movies has been used to depict the surreal and complex emotions and graphical interpretations hard to capture in live action. Not saying they couldnt have been but animation makes it more easy and even more vivid. Surreal and Vivid being the key words here. It is made

Waltz with Bashir is the story of a man who is trying to recollect his past and meeting various people to do as he is unable to on his own. He was part of the Israeli army which took part in the 1982 lebanon war and cant remember any of that period. The movie gives you insight into what happened then and the ugliness of war. I gasped, was shocked, laughed, swayed and rolled as the movie went on. As i said the surreal and vivid imagery taunt and treat you as well as you can dream. Dream again being the key word. The movie is almost a dream, it deals with dreams and you wonder if you are dreaming after a while. It is a truly trippy experience which you must have.
Such the strength of the movie that I forgot to sell you its attention grabbing trivia. It is the first Israel animation movie released in theatres and won the Palme’ D Or at the Cannes fim festival and also the best foreign movie at the Golden Globes. The crew did an excellent job in making the movie and the brilliant soundtrack it is accompanied with only adds to the effect. I will keep going on about it but I shouldnt cos you need to feel the surreal and vivid dream like experience on your own.
Rating: 9/10
p.s: Oh i forgot this is a documentary of sorts. I might have forgotten to mention many things. But I wont make an effort to say anything else.

Review: Milk

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 17:39:00 +0000

We, as a species are still evolving mentally, we make up our value systems via traditions, religion and society. And then we stick to them blindly and build hatred causing intense harm to those who dont believe in the same things we do. That has been the problem of humanity and gay movement is just another chipping back at having equal rights for every man. Whatever it is we are humans first and have equal rights. Harvey Milk tries to do exactly that. As he says violation of gay rights is violation of human rights, They might come after you next.
Milk is the true story of a man who was happy and confident of what he was. Harvey Milk was a born leader and enthused spirit into people around him. He united a usually low key and inactive collective of gay men and made them a force to reckon with. When discrimination became rampant and their needs being ignored he decided to stand for office. How we did that and how he won is the movie. It is very well scripted and save for a couple of scenes there is a momentum being built up as you go. You are truly enthused by the energy Harvey injects into you and gay supporter or not movie does rope you in.

After giving us a treat for eyes like Paranoid Park, Gus Van Sant cuts down on his brilliant visual style to focus on a strong story at hand. The shots are very good, especially the first few scenes between Harvey and Scott. There is a lot of classical music in the form of piano and opera as part of the background score during this scene and the rest of the movie. It was well done but I thought wasnt that effective during the second half. Sean Penn as Harvey Milk gives a brilliant performance and I was flabbergasted watching his transformation from the usual hunk he is to a realistically gay man. The body language spoke volumes and everything from his attire to speech was well modelled on the real Harvey Milk. Sean Penn gives adds another jewel of a performance to his already decorated career. Emile Hirsch was fantastic too as Cleve Jones, one of the friends and campaign members of Harvey Milk. Also James Franco plays Scott Smith, Harvey’s lover and initial campaign manager. Its great that both these actors who we last saw essay totally different roles in In to the Wild and Pineapple Express respectively have given amazing performances in this movie too. Victor Garber, Josh Brolin and Alison Pill play other major roles.
On the whole, the movie is a must watch for two simple reason, Sean Penn and Harvey Milk. Everybody needs to see Penn’s performance and know Milk’s story.Thats it!
Rating: 8/10

Quick Review (qr) and Movie of the Week (Mw)

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 07:29:00 +0000

Quick Review (Qr)
There are some movies which need to be seen and there isnt much to talk about them except praise or derision. There are movies of which people have to be warned against and some more people have to warmed up to. With Quick Review we try and do exactly that; summarise the movie in a few lines instead of few paragraphs of talk. It makes sense because some movies dont warrant eloquent speech and some are better kept a surprise for the reader with short intro. Some others have to be beaten to death quick before somebody else is in harm’s way. Do expect a large chunk of quick reviews to be pop corn and rom com stuff along with some cheap skate stuff we couldnt avoid. However there might be some strokes of brilliance which we want to keep mum about and only persuade you to watch. You never know!
Movie of the Week (Mw)
Every week we shall strongly recommend one movie to be watched by you. This movie could have been selected for a host of reasons like its spell of magic, novel plot, entertainment value, brilliant portrayal, heartstring tugging emotions, masterful use of the medium etc. We shall try keep the movies as varied as possible with a promise of high quality.
Also for the sake of brevity in the post titles, Reviews shall be Rw and Double Review be Dr
Let us know what you think of the above features and also tell us if you have any specific features you would like to see.

Review: Revolutionary Road

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:18:00 +0000

When two brilliant actors, who are among the best among their generation and a director who has captured human pathos in stunning and vivid displays of beauty and perdition get together to bring to the big screen a critically acclaimed novel capturing the angst ridden life of an American suburban couple in the 1950’s you get a devastating trip to Revolutionary Road
There has been much talk of how Richard Yates’ supposedly brilliant novel has been brought to screen and critcs remained indifferent or deadpanned to this effort of Sam Mendes. Not only Kate Winslet is working for the first time with her husband, this is the frst time since the epic Titanic since she and Leonardo Di Caprio have come together in movie. Since Titanic they have blossomed into such fine actors and their body of work is source of envy to any contemporary or upcoming actor and it is a surprise that inspite of their proclivity to act in multi starrers they havent had a chance to come together till this movie came along. And I saw it was a good thing because this movie, totally revolving around the lead couple, Frank and April Wheeler, gives them an apt stage to prove their prowess and to show how far they have come since Titanic. The performances are simply stunning and I cant fathom why they have been snubbed by the oscars this year.

Kate WInslet’s performance in this movie is powerful and definitely way superior to what she did in The Reader. Its a pity that this role of hers dint get as much credit as it deserved. Her portrayal of a late 50’s housewife who is a failed actress and not at all happy with her life and needs to search some meaning to stay relevant is simply of the highest quality. Her character moves from one mood to another rapidly and tries to make sense of a life where she feels she doesnt belong and Winslet comfortably glides along perfectly portraying every emotion of fear, confusion, betrayal, love, hatred etc. Leonardo plays the husband who hates his job and though he understands the ‘hopeless emptiness’ of his life being chalked out as everybody else’s doesnt try make a serious effort to change it. He plays very well a man who is constantly challenged by his wife, who he loves dearly and yet cant make her happy. Also a must mention is the oscar nominated role of mentally deranged mathematician played by Michael Shannon. In the short yet explosive screen time he has he twists and influences the lead characters heavily and is like the soothsayer of the story unravelling the mystery behind their lives.

As I began watching this movie, it strongly reminded me of Mad Men, the critically acclaimed AMC series which is set just a few years down the line. I happen to be a big fan of the series and I cant help notice the striking similarities between the two. A suburban household comprising of an attractive couple and two children. The husband works in the city and catches a train everyday, the wife is a housewife who was once a model and they have girl and a boy. Remove the ad agency part of Mad Men and what you get is Revolutionary Road. Both have been know to be accurate representation of the times and I guess it is how those times were with people cheating on their spouses, puffing as chimneys, drinking like fish, always lost in thought trying to discover their true selves and hardly talking to each other in the process. They were some painful times and hence very rich material for brilliant fiction.
Back to Revolutionary Road, Sam Mendes did a fine job by not letting the movie linger too long at any point of time and slowly yet strongly building up the friction between the lead pair. The costume and set designs were spot on. But the movie is only as good and brilliant as its plot and how well it challenges the viewer. I guess this one reaches a fairly high mark for its premise. If you can stand heavy drama definitely for you, or else you will ask me what was the point?
update: As my friend Chaitanya pointed out and I had noticed while watching the movie but failed to mention was the haunting background score which did a great job in building up steam for the high tension sequences and also considerable chunks of this 2 hour movie were left without any sound which only added to the scenes.

Rating: 8/10
p.s: Kate Winslet was breathtakingly beautiful in the movie.

Review: The curious Case of Benjamin Button

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:15:00 +0000

David Fincher is one of my favourite directors and each movie of his has had me spellbound. I thought last time round Zodiac was badly treated at all the award ceremonies and was one of my top 5 films of the year of 07. With work like Fight Club and Seven to his credit you frankly dont expect mediocrity from Fincher. All his tales have a unique mix of thrill, adventure, human nature, depth and novelty. Well I wouldnt say The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was mediocre but it was not as awesome as I thought it could have been. This one had a lot of depth and reflection on human nature but hardly any of thrill, adventure and excitement. Though the plot was essentially unique being based on the F Scott Fitzgeralds’s story of same name telling the story of a man who ages backwards; it goes on in a fashion quite common to biopics where the whole story is narrated from start to end. We trace the steps of Benjamin Button as we move on never harping too long on any part of his life and for some reason I cant explain all his life is just in the same vein and nothing is too important or too trivial. It works and the movie is quite breathtaking technically thanks to flawless art directions and brilliant sets and costumes but it doesnt shock, awe and delight your instincts like an uncommon story dealing with age and life can do.

This brings me to the question, how would your life be if you were like Benjamin Button. Quite the same if they let you live, a lot more exposure and wide media coverage if we lived in this modern age as world easily gets around. However Button was born in 1918 as the war ended and his father puts him quite luckily at the footsteps of an old age home, which quite practically is the only place he wouldnt have grabbed attention. If we were there, more or less thats how our lives would have turned out and this point exactly is the boon and bane for the movie. Fitzgerald and Eric Roth did think it through and do a good job at it ( I dunno who did what as I havent read the story yet) and they chose a complete life a reflection of deeper things which affect man in general like the phenomenon of aging, youth being wasted on the young, living life losing your loved ones and above all tolerance, love and understanding of various people we across of our lives. The questions asked and explored were all right but I thought they could have been done more effectively with such a running time and resources of money and stunning cast at their disposal. And what if they hadnt chosen this path for Button?
Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Taraji P Henson give brilliant performances and the special effects team did a marvellous job of forging different ages and changes seamlessly into the fabric as the movie moved on. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett get to play such deep and emotionally taxing characters which have to endure so many things in life, live together and love each other when their lives are going in the opposite direction; and they do it really well. Quite a good movie and if you get a chance watch it on the big screen(too bad I dint get to do it).
Rating: 7/10

Return

noreply@blogger.com (Vemana) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:23:00 +0000

It has been exactly one month since the last post on this blog. We were running full steam with the Oscar Road and suddenly we hit a road block. The road ended for us and everything else passed us by. The Oscars were given away, new flicks have come out and many other things have happened. However we were stuck due to various reasons. Me and the others were busy with personal stuff and couldnt make enough time to contribute. We apologise for the break. Clearly the sourcing of the content for the blog wasnt thought through. We are making a few changes there.

Turning a new page, It will have new contributors and not just flooded with my stuff. The quality shall be maintained and we plan to have a post everyday. It was our plan to be the place for you to get quality movie reviews, news and other content. Before we broke off, the content was flowing in well in form of reviews and award coverage. We shall have more stuff now. Below are the guidelines we set for ourselves and stuff we need to bring to you.

Most movies we review here shall be of some importance and the average rating will be high due to the simple reason that we and in specific I generally stay away from movies which known to be bad already unless something unique associated with them.
We shall have reviews, quick reviews, marathons, recommendations and several movie centric features.
New contributors. If you think you have content to share do let us know. We would love to share your stuff on our blog.
We hope to have a post everyday but it will take sometime before we fall into the groove. Hopefully by the end of this month with a good crew we can do that and maybe more than that.

Thanks for coming back and we hope too much cinema entertains you well. Do leave a comment on what you would like to see on this blog. We would love your input.