Preaching Cinema, by Subramanian

Ostwind (a.k.a Windstorm)

2013-11-17T11:59:00.004-08:00

Language : German

Rating : 9.5/10

Trailer :

Review : "I don't know what I am good at" - When Mika, the protagonist of Ostwind, declared this to her friend after failing in her exams, I realized that she was resonating the sound of a vast majority of the contemporary youth. In her face, I could see all the frustrations and confusions of a young teen who is put into misery by the institutionalized education and the conformist society. Though she reflected a hatred to her adults and a childish ego, she was so pure and genuine in her expressions. As a film, Ostwind, succeeds in portraying this genuineness which ultimately helps Mika succeed.

The undisciplined and rebellious, 13 year old, Mika is sent to her maternal Grandmother to spend her summers. Mika vigorously opposes it, but her situation lacks any justification. She is sent to the suburban village where her Grandmother, an Olympian show-jumper runs a horse-stable.At this juncture, I expected a cliched mentor-protege story where the Grandmother counsels Mika to follow her passion which in this case may be horse-riding. Well, I was proven wrong. The Grandmother turns out to be stricter than Mika's parents and takes no interest in understanding the poor child. Mika is again drawn to her own world and explorations. The horse stable attracts her and there is where she meets the wild and untamed stallion - Ostwind (Windstorm, in English). That marks the beginning an unusual friendship as Mika realizes her unique gift of speaking and understanding the language of horses. However her Grandmother is least happy about Mika's new association as she believes that Ostwind is a dangerous animal and ought to be butchered. The grandmother had tried her level best to tame the wild horse only to get physically hurt by him. So she instructs Mika never to meet Ostwind. Mika disobeys and follows her guts. She is helped by the stable boy, Sam and his grandfather who teaches Mika horse-riding. In a small period of time, Mika grows to be a confidant girl who now knows what she is good at. The rest of the film deals with how she succeeds and proves herself by following her heart and tames the wild and unfriendly Ostwind.

As a story, Ostwind succeeds in portraying the glory of individuality. Usually in such coming-of-age films, untethered youth would meet a mentor who teaches them some lessons on morality, some tips on hard-work and a few on believe-in-yourself stuff. Ostwind never enters that territory. It just lets loose Mika and follows her instinct. The film does not attempt at judgement, doesn't even bother to give advices. It just has one focal point, which is Mika's instinct. Most of the films of the same genre do not celebrate the glory of individual at the level which Ostwind has tried. Those films take the route of preaching values and traditions and take the credit out of the individual. That poor guy or girl will just remain as an instrument in the hands of the conformist filmmakers.

Another beauty of Ostwind is that it has utilized all the possibilities of cinema. The growth of the strong bond between the horse and the girl is magnificently shown with beautiful wide angle shots. The camera has captured the green yards of the suburban Germany so well that we fall in love with those beautiful landscapes. The colour tone of the film is extremely bright which syncs well with the positivity of the story. Background music is another attribute which sets the right tone of the film. The music might have been inspired by the gallop of a horse which stands for the pursuit of dreams. Throughout the film, the music maintains the powerful spirit and elevates the viewer's mind. Editing is something which I cannot miss to say about. Usually such feel-good films follow a slower pace, at least in the beginning, in order to establish a context. However Ostwind seems to be an exception there as well. Right from the beginning, at nowhere, the movie lags. The film establishes the characters quickly, giving all the due importance, and does not bother to entertain any unwanted ones. That is very evident in the scenes where we see the reins in the hands of the Hungarian butcher who is most often referred by the lead characters. We don't see his face, but only him waving the reins. The makers have wilfully avoided his face.

The actors have also done a marvelous job, especially the young girl who portrays the role of Mika. She has just not lived the role, but has transformed into Mika. She succeeded in showing all the necessary emotions like stubbornness, genuineness, innocence and may be the dreamy lackadaisical approach to life. Another special mention has to be given to the well-trained horse which was the best-fit for the role. Kudos to those who managed and trained the animal!

Ostwind is undoubtedly one of the best films I have ever watched. It could evoke emotions and happiness in the audience. It could bring smiles and tears and take you to a level where you feel anything is possible in this world and you could just go and grab it!

I watched this film in the International Childrens Film Festival held in Hyderabad. Majority of the crowd was children and I am sure that all of them enjoyed the film and got inspired. It was evident in the huge rounds of applause, throughout the film, coming from the unadulterated hearts. The film not only touched the youngest minds. It could touch people of other age-groups as well.I could see that in the old lady, sitting next to me.
She seemed to be in her late sixties, uneducated and coming from a rural background. I did not understand how she happened to come for this film. Later I realized that her son has made her sit there when he is occupied with something else. At times, I looked at her and could see that her face was no different from those of the children. It was like a mirror, reflected the moods in the film. When the film climaxed everybody started applauding and I secretly peeped through my clapping hands at the old lady. I could see her smiling and meekly clapping. Oh, the makers of Ostwind, here is your Oscar. You could move the gentle hearts of blossoming children and the complacent minds of the elderly. What else a film needs?

Imdb Link: Ostwind

Ship of Theseus : and finally an Indian film !!

2013-08-25T02:19:00.000-07:00

Language : Hindi & English

Rating : 9/10 (Why I have cut down 1 point..I don't know..May be my ego..)

Trailer :

Review : Adoor Gopalakrishnan, the renowned filmmaker from Kerala, once remarked about Slumdog Millionaire. He told - "It is the most Un-Indian film ever made. The heart of Indian values lie in the ethos of renunciation and spirituality. But Slumdog fails in even understanding such thoughts." This statement from the master craftsman helped me to understand how culture impacts cinema or what makes an Indian cinema an Indian cinema.I have always believed that any story has to be the culmination of a natural thought process rooted in our own identities. And as our bare identities belong to India and its beliefs, our films also should reflect them. I adopted Adoor's view as a yardstick to measure the Indianness in our films and to my surprise, very few films qualified to be innately Indian. Many of them are inspired versions of western stories, ornamented with Indian languages and superficial characteristics. Many of them lacked the depth of a few pure Indian films like Gurudutt's Pyaasa, Adoor's Mukhamukham etc. However I agree that such films are difficult to be conceived as even our contemporary identities are no more purely Indian. The westernization or globalization has conquered not just our outlooks but our inner souls as well. Nevertheless I still embrace this idea of Indian film making as it gives me a spiritual kick and a peek at my original identity. Here is when Ship of Theseus comes to the spotlight completely qualifying as a pure Indian film.

The concept of Ship of Theseus is drawn from a Greek philosophy, also with the same name, which raises the question whether an object with all its components replaced remains the same object (This paradox actually refers to a ship of an ancient Greek king - Theseus and thus the name). Our movie adheres to this concept in every frame and kudos to Anand Gandhi, the director, for that sincerity. The script revolves around three stories and weaves a connection between all of them with the finer thread of Theseus' philosophy. The first one is about a vision impaired photographer whose photographs are no more captivating after she gets her vision back.Then there is a Jain monk who fights against the brutalities of pharmaceutical companies involving testing medicines on animals. The monk reprimands all such medical practices and goes to an extent where he declines to receive a liver after he gets diagnosed with liver-cirrhosis. The third story is about a money minded stock broker who develops empathy towards the society after his diseased kidney gets replaced. He plunges himself to help a person who was trapped in the organ donation racket and in the course of it breathes in a new identity onto himself.

Though these three plots talk about organ replacement and the aftermaths, fundamentally they are about the adoption of new identities and the gap between the old and new ones. The photographer realizes that natural photography came to her when she was blind. But she senses this only after her cornea replacement. She later blindfolds herself and clicks photos which turn out to be good.She is bewildered at this fact and wonders how good a photographer she is. She earns for inspiration and gets on to traveling.Here we can see that her identity as a photographer is shattered by her vision and she is confused at herself. For the Jain monk as well similar identity clashes occur. He used to fight for animal rights and was courting a case against the pharmaceutical companies. Very idealistic, he is, and rooted in spirituality. He is least religious and never attached himself to any symbols. But he believed in the omnipotence of universe and the equality of every living being in it. These beliefs transformed him to a gatekeeper of equality by fighting for wacky-to-others-affairs like animal rights. He censured the practices of pharma companies against animals and wondered how some lives are sustained by exploiting other ones. However life was not very smooth on this ideal monk. He got diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and the doctor saw no other way than replacing his liver with a healthy one. Maitreya was shattered as he was also asked to go through medication where he had to consume tablets which had been manufactured by the same practices he despised. He was absolutely trapped in between his own ideals and what life was proposing to him. He didn't succumb to it immediately.He opposed his well-wishers, resisted his own body's wishes and put it to immense suffering. When his friend asked him whether he was not doing himsa to his own body (an OSHO thought), he remained unmoved. However finally he had to surrender as it was hard to ignore the calling of life. These two stories show how a nurtured identity gets in the way of one's achievements and ideals. I was not very convinced with the photographer's story as it was little bit artificial and I could not relate to the possibility of such a character. But the monk literally bowled me over. The conflict of ideals was so strong and his struggle to stick to them was painful to watch though very impressive. Hats off to Neeraj Kabi who portrayed the role of Maitreya. He has lived the character.

The third story marks the perfect closure for the movie. Here the protagonist, a stock broker, willingly wears a new identity. Unlike those of other two characters, we are not shown the life of him before the organ replacement. After the episode of kidney reception we see empathy sprouting in him and how he nurtures it. Once a selfish businessman, our protagonist, pushes all his limits to help a poor patient whose kidney was stolen during an operation. He wholeheartedly embraces the new identity of empathy and even regrets at the limitations imposed by the society on it. While in the first story the photographer is dismayed by the the new identity, in the second one the monk is surrendering to it.But the contrast in the third story is that the central character proactively wears the new identity.

These three stories are about old and new identities and how humans are trapped in between or are reluctant towards change. Anand Gandhi did not leave the three plots just like that, but has metaphorically and realistically connected three of them. The three recipients had happened to receive organs from the same person who has departed leaving all of his organs to dwell in other bodies. Now are they the same organs which were in him or have they also adopted new identities? The highlight of the movie is that it deals with an identity crisis at an individual level and at an universal level. It talks about how change is embraced by individuals and gives a pinhole view of how the same is embraced by the dynamic universe around us which is again a macrocosm of individuals. Very subtly, the movie tell you - Nothing is permanent, or may be Nothing we perceive to be permanent is permanent. There could be something else which is permanent. Is it worth pursuing that. No, we don't know and the movie also doesn't preach anything on that. But it leaves you at that juncture of questions; questions related to our identities, purpose and soul. These questions let us ponder...and ponder..nothing more...And I feel that this is what art should do..It should make you ponder, wonder and question...It should sow the seeds of productive doubts which helps you to evolve...grow..as an individual, as a society and as a universe...

Here is where again I will come back to my original question of whether this movie is a pure Indian film - and I would give a very affirmative reply. This movie, inspired by a Greek philosophy, has its heart and soul of that of an Indian as it discusses bigger questions of identities and life. The movie, like any Indian art, is not bothered about mortality but rather transcends it to raise bigger questions. It subtly mocks the addiction of human minds to identities and puts a bigger thought in the mind of viewers which is LIFE.

This movie is a must watch for serious cinema goers. It has got brilliant cinematography and background score which syncs well with the mood of the film. Editing lags at certain places and the movie would have been better with lesser duration. Casting is almost close to perfect and artists have done a fantastic job irrespective of the time spent in the screen.

Imdb Link: Ship Of Theseus

Barfi - innocence and love, personified

2013-04-04T23:45:00.001-07:00

Language : Hindi

Rating : 7.5/10

Trailer :

Review : Somebody once quoted - "Life through a child's eyes is the most precious way to live." This life is what Anurag Basu has visualized for us in Barfi, a film which teaches us to make the biggest decisions of life through heart and not through brain.

Barfi is truly a director's movie. Though I cannot think of any actor other than Ranbir to play the subtle character of Barfi, I still claim that the movie belongs to Anurag Basu, the Bengali director who ignited our senses with the sensuous Murder. This movie reflects the rising graph of Basu who scintillated the Indian viewers with Murder and Gangster where emotions and personal vendetta played the lead roles. Post Gangster, he entered the world of parody where he showcased the hollow emotions of the fast paced metro dwellers in Life In Metro. His next venture was Kites which was a romantic thriller, a less experimented genre in Bollywood, was surrounded by more hype than substance. His latest move,Barfi, turns out to be the best out of his kitty which establishes himself as one of the most promising directors in Bollywood. The movie portrays Basu's spiritual and philosophical thought process which might have been a consequence of the life threatening leukemia in his life. His graduation is very evident in his movies.From loud emotions like anger and revenge, he moves to social sarcasm from where he tries out romance of the hearts to finally land up in a movie which explores personal philosophies. Now it would be very interesting to see what is Basu up to in his next movie.

To talk about the movie - I know that lots and lots had been talked, praised and ridiculed about the movie. The film got into the limelight by its heartwarming story-line, the non-linear-but-candid screenplay, wonderful music from Pritham and exceptional performances by its lead actors - Ranbir, Priyanka and Ileana. It also received some blunt criticism because of the allegations of copying scenes from foreign movies including those of Chaplin. However as far as I am concerned the movie fulfilled its purpose.The movie is all about three characters - Barfi (a deaf and mute guy who sees life through a child's eye), Shruti (the Bengali bubbly girl who strikes Brafi with her beautiful smile, played by Ileana) and Jhilmil (the autistic girl who loved and trusted Barfi beyond doubts, played by Priyanka). The whole story revolves around the emotional tangles which each character sets for the other and how they breaks it.

The movie might have been inspired from some other theme and may not be labeled original. Nonetheless, the film succeeds to converse directly to the viewer's heart. There are some lovely scenes in the movie which make you fall in love with the characters. I would want to quote one sequence here - Barfi, after befriending with people, takes them to a place where there is a lamppost. The lamppost is built out of wood and is very fragile. Barfi will cut the lamppost at a particular angle and he clearly knows where it will fall. He then clasps his friends' hands and stand in front of the lamppost. His friends will get concerned and they will move away from Barfi fearing that the post may fall upon them. But Barfi remains still as he clearly knows at what length and angle the post will fall and it will not touch him. This is an exercise he does with all of his friends. It can be touted as a funny act from Barfi or one which tests his friends' trust in him. He chooses to leave Shruti and live with Jhilmil performing this simple act. When Shruti moves away from him after he cuts the post, Jhilmil allows him to clasp her hand and hold her firm. She believes in him and trusts him. She doesn't try to judge him while others do.

Barfi tries to establish that love cannot be defined within the conventions of society. It shows that love is the language of hearts and transcends norms and customs to a world where purity and innocence dwells. There is no place for ego or prejudice in this world.

To me, a movie succeeds if it remains in my mind at least for a day after watching it. Measuring Barfi in terms of that, I can easily say that this movie is more than a mere success. It is here to stay.

(I regret of not watching Barfi in the cinemas. If I would have, then this review would have happened one year back.)
Imdb Link: Barfi

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Paan Singh Tomar

2012-05-17T04:26:00.000-07:00

Language : Hindi

Rating : 6.5/10

Trailer :

Review : Most often Indian directors hesitate to film the rural life of India as they may feel that the audience may not like to watch the penury prevailing in the villages. Very rarely do such ventures hit the screens which thrive the furious marketing campaigns of other urban-oriented movies. Paan Singh Tomar is one such movie which tells the story of a real-life Robinhood rooted in the realities of Indian villages. The movie is a biopic of a national Steeplechase champion, Paan Singh Tomar who represented India in the Asian Games, Tokyo, 1958 who later turned to a dacoit or a rebel (as he likes to call himself) because of certain land disputes upon which the police and the authorities turned a blind eye.

The movie made with a shoestring budget of 8 crores reaped a huge success and enjoyed much critical acclaim. Irfan Khan who enacted the role of Paan Singh internalized the character with its subtleties and proved his mettle in portraying powerful characters once again. The movie evolves with natural dialogues typical to the rural backdrop of Madhya Pradesh and tries hitting the ground realities of the land starkly. The director does have an eye for perfection and succeeds in maintaining that throughout the movie.

Still, the movie is not a perfect one. The script fails to logically explain the character transition which Irfan Khan masks with his acting skills. The film loosely explains how Paan Singh transitions himself from an athlete to a dacoit. That part is very fast for the viewer to follow. Also the brilliance which the director and the scriptwriter has shown in establishing a character does not happen in obliterating them. This seems very obvious in the case of Paan Singh’s wife brilliantly played by Mahie Gill. This character comes and goes out of the screen without any discipline which sometimes annoys the viewer.

Imdb Link: Paan Singh Tomar

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Adaminte Makan Abu

2011-10-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

Language : Malayalam

Rating : 7.8/10

Trailer :

Review : A movie with a soul, more than a heart.It does not boast anything, but silently takes you with the protagonist to a realm of awe. It does not pose a slightest degree of doubt on why it swept away all the national and state level awards for different categories.

The movie is about a Muslim couple and their aspirations for a Hajj pilgrimage. Abu and his wife after deciding for Hajj start their preparations.Even though they are not financially well off, their aspirations never take a backseat. Abu, being a true Muslim, wants to undertake the pilgrimage by abiding to all of the decrees in Islam.All planing goes very well except for the final settlement of the money.The couple is heartbroken and looks back at their deeds in retrospect to find out why God denied them the chance and finds a reason.

Salim Kumar, who acted as Abu has penned the performance of a lifetime.There is high intensity in his delivery that it is very hard to distinguish the actor and the character. Zareena Wahab who essayed the character of Abu's wife contributed in her own subtle way. All the other artists too have supported the central characters in their own limited ways.Another highlight of the movie is the combination of the songs directed by Ramesh Narayan and the background score designed by Isaac Thomas Kottukappally. The music touches the heart and speaks a spiritual language.Cinematography is at its best and Madhu Ambat definitely deserves the national award he got.Finally, kudos to the director who is also the scriptwriter to come up with a heartwarming story and present it gracefully.

The movie does have its own lows with a lousy dubbing and the lack of a better treatment in the script. But realizing that Salim Ahmed has directed a movie for the first time in his life and seeing the list of merits he achieved, we can overlook the flaws with a sense of national pride as the movie is hopping towards OSCARS.

Imdb Link: Adaminte Makan Abu

The King's Speech

2011-03-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

Language : English

Rating : 7/10

Trailer :

Review : Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.And when greatness is bestowed upon them, individuals are forgotten;titles matter more.Monarchs fall into this category.For the polity, monarchs are designations; the persona is hidden behind the titles.What makes a ruler is less discussed than what a ruler makes.This is one of the reasons for why The King's Speech becomes an interesting cinematic experience.

The King's Speech achieves its relevance as the movie shows the making of a king.Prince George has got a serious speech disorder which is his major roadblock towards a confident life.The Prince realizes his disability and seeks treatments ; all to end in vein. Here is when his wife Elizabeth comes to know about an Australian speech therapist in London, Lionel Logue and introduces George to him.In spite of the reverence involved, Lionel establishes a very close and personal relationship with George.With the help of Lionel and his unconventional speech exercises George gains confidence in speaking. Meanwhile he becomes the King of England and his array of responsibilities widens.The film ends with Lionel aiding the king to give a radio speech upon the September 1939 declaration of war with Germany.

The movie is backed with breathtaking acting performances.All actors have gone above par to prove their skills.Colin Firth who played the character of Prince George made the heaviest impact on the audience that after the movie viewers will start stammering. Geoffret Rush(Lionel Logue) and Helena Bonham (Queen Elizabeth, George's wife) were very convincing and natural in their presentation.

Another highlight of the movie is its pleasing cinematography. Most of the scenes are visually stylish and well designed.

Nevertheless The King's Speech does not qualify as an extraordinarily brilliant movie.The screenplay is strictly linear with conventional up and down moments. Editing could have been more crisp.There are obscure areas, especially the scenes leading to George's coronation, which demands clarity and pace.My final word is that the academy award for the best film could have gone to Social Network which was more peppy and unconventional while King's Speech could have remained as one of the best films of the year.

Imdb Link: The King's Speech

127 Hours

2011-02-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

Language : English

Rating : 8/10

Trailer :

Review : We may have nothing in common with this guy, Aron Ralston. He is a cool freaky sort of guy, daring for adventures and bold sports.But let me assure you something, with just ten minutes into the movie, you will start identifying yourself with Aron, you start accompanying him, may be living his life.And that is what 127 hours all about.It is a journey with Aron, his thoughts, his life , his adventures...

Aron Ralston embarks on a bike ride to the Grand Canyons on a bright sunny day, but his cruel fate was waiting for him with a boulder to trap him in the canyon.For almost five days, Aron stays trapped with his arm caught crushed by the boulder.He struggles to get out of the ravine, but with no result.He loses hope, start repenting over his secret ride to the canyons and contemplating his past.He always wanted to withdraw from his family, his love life, friends etc and he regrets over those feelings.All these thoughts replenishes him with a longing to live when,
finally, he retorts to amputation and lets him free.

James Franco plays out Aron Ralston in the movie and believe me, this guy is gonna hit the bull's eye in the Oscars.His character goes through an evolution in the movie.He had to balance Aron's innate freaky persona with the delirium he was going through.And this oscillation has been brilliantly portrayed by James.Hats Off, Mr Franco.Oscar votes for u.(Guyz, he is the Henry of Spiderman movies)

Since the movie is about hope and survival, Danny Boyle has sketched a stark and affirmative screenplay. It is evident, even in the gravest scenes of the movie.Cinematography is at its best with some unbelievably long jimmy jib movements, bird's eye shots etc.The sound and music section is well crafted by AR Rahman; especially the song - If I Rise - captures the mood of the entire movie nicely.

Finally - I am not sure whether Danny Boyle will hit the Oscars again.But he is definitely going to give a tough competition for other Oscar listed films with 127 Hours.This one is a new cinematic experience when the viewer evolves to become the protagonist.It is not a chewing-gum movie which you enjoy and spit it out, but an eclair which will melt inside you and stay there for a while.

Imdb Link: 127 Hours

Arjunan Sakshi

2011-01-29T21:52:00.000-08:00

Language : Malayalam

Rating : 4/10

Trailer :

Review : Two years back when I saw Passenger, I was impressed with its different narrative and stout screenplay.The whole idea in the movie, of a how a common man can make serious changes in the society was very much involving and inspiring.Now, Ranjith Shanker,the director of Passenger, is back with his second flick - Arjunan Sakshi, again revolving around the common man theme.In Passenger, the story starts when Sreenivasan witnesses a kidnap of an attorney and decides to help him out.Even in Arjunan Sakshi, the premise is similar.

Roy Mathew, played by Prithwiraj, gets mistaken as Arjunan, an eye witness to the district collector, Pheeroz Mooppan's brutal murder.The society, the media , the police and of course, the gang behind the murder;everyone are now behind Roy.He tries to convince them, but coincidental similarities between Arjunan and Roy again reinforces the doubt.Then some incidents happen in his life which makes Roy realize or see things with a different perspective.He comes to know who Pheeroz Mooppan was and the kind of causes he stood for.The rest of the film is about how Roy evolves into Arjunan and how he deals with Pheeroz's killers.

Well,Kudos to the director who is coming up with a socially relevant movie.It is valid in our society where youngsters rarely contribute to.It was required in this period when people are hesitant to speak against the wrong as they are afraid to get into the vicious loops of the existing law and order.

But,now, taking the cinema into hands and bisecting, you will see that the movie is a kind of repetition of what we saw in Passenger. "The common man-witness" theme, dealt crisply in Passenger, is loosely shown in a lethargic style, in Arjunan Sakshi.The movie becomes easily guessable once the plot is established and starts lagging.And to cover up the lag, unnecessary twists and turns are put in, which annoys the viewer.There are lot many scenes which Malayali audience has watched numerous times like that of tricking the antagonists to speak out the truth and video-graphing it.The cinematography is not that good with an amateurish style, often making the scenes obscure.The acting seems to be just normal and if somebody requires any special mention, that is Ann Augustine who portrayed the role of a journalist in the movie.

Finally:- Movie directors should never try to repeat themes or treatments, sensing them as success formulae.With each and every movie, they should grow, innovate new treatments and themes and breathe life into them. Here Ranjith, may be not intentionally, committed this mistake.After making a very promising start, he did not try for a dissimilar screenplay or theme, but compromised around with his comfort zone.The movie, hence, averages down to a normal flick of one-time watch category.

Imdb Link: Arjunan Sakshi

Run Lola Run

2011-01-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

Language : German

Rating : 6.5/10

Trailer :

Review : Many times, we might have wondered - Life would have been different if I got a chance to rewind and start again.We might have sometimes even cried to ourselves - Life, Gimme just one more chance.Well, the relentless life doesn't give u chances, but it gives something else - sense and imagination which helps you to choose your chances.Well, sounds a bit ungrammatical? We'll see..

Lola receives a phone call from her boyfriend. He informs her that he needs 100,000 marks in 20 minutes.Unless he gets the money, his life is in deep trouble.Now Lola has 20 minutes to save her boyfriend and prove her love.And we see three different versions of these 20 minutes in the film.These three versions actually discuss how life of Lola moves differently when slight changes happen , like when she misses her Father, when the ambulance driver turns to see her, etc.The director has thrown the cue to the audience and it is up to us to choose the version we like.The movie, with a stout narrative oscillating from a philosophical angle to that of a thriller, has got awing and sonorous visuals. The cinematography is something which is sharp and strikes strongly.And finally, Kudos to Franka Potente, who portrayed Lola, and her acting skills and physical stamina(:D, she had to run a lot in the movie)

Imdb Link: Run Lola Run

Portraits In A Sea Of Lies (PIFF Special)

2011-01-16T00:08:00.001-08:00

Language : Spanish (Columbia)

Rating : 7.5/10

Trailer :

Review : Marina, with a past of traumatizing experiences, still lives in those memories.She loses her family in her early age because of Colombian paramilitary troops' assault. She moves out of her native city with her grandfather and living with that savage oldie deepens her penury. Once, after her grandfather's death she sets off for a journey with her cousin to her native place. Their purpose is to retrieve their original land scriptures which can fetch them better money and better life. The troubles during this journey changes Marina's attitude or at least she forcefully has to change.

The movie has got amazing narrative packed with the scintillating Colombian visuals. It puts us in a despair mode and awestruck wonder.We travels with Marina and her inner feelings. Some of the scenes where she lands up in her decrepit native house and recollecting her old memories are really touching.

The movie has the won the best film award in International Film Festival Of Kerala and is a real contender for the best foreign film in OSCARs.

Imdb Link: Portraits In A Sea Of Lies

Rompecabezas (PIFF Special)

2011-01-08T11:07:00.001-08:00

Language : Spanish

Rating : 5.5/10

Tagline : Not Mentioned

Review : Maria, in her fifties gets interested in solving puzzles.She fosters this interest and is overjoyed with this newly found passion.Once, on her visit to the shop where she bought puzzles from, she comes across a notice on the message board : Partner for puzzle tournament wanted. The film takes a very interesting turn from there and focuses on Maria's internal conflicts.

This is a typical movie showcasing the identity crisis in which the middle aged housewife-women are seen with, in the present day world.With a crude narration, the film is grounded to reality and the artist portraying Maria has done full justice to her role.

Imdb Link: Rompecabezas (The Puzzle)

Boiling Point (PIFF Special)

2011-01-07T11:06:00.001-08:00

Language : Japanese

Rating : 5/10

Tagline : Not Mentioned

Review : Raw, rough movie. People will like the movie for its different type of visual grammar, nevertheless, there is nothing much to it.The movie got released in 1990 and watching it almost after two decades,when global cinema has gone to peaks, again fails to excite us.However the realistic depiction of the Yakuza mindsets in Japan really deserve an applause as well as the dark humour which Takeshi Kitano has tried with is also commendable. The story is set around a greenhorn-young man who gets involved with certain incidents along with the local gangster group.

This one is Takeshi Kitano's second movie as well as the second Takeshi movie I have watched.(Zakotchi was the first one I watched from this Japanese guy and I was highly impressed.)

Imdb Link: The Boiling Point

The Social Network

2010-11-22T10:44:00.001-08:00

Language : English

Rating : 8.5/10

Tagline : You don't get to 500 million friends without a few enemies.

Review : The Social Network is, of course, one of the best movies of 2010 and is surely going to give a good competition to movies like Inception at the Academy Awards.David Fincher has carved out a pleasing film with an intact screenplay and sound script. The dialogues form the major highlight of the movie and even the background score scintillates you.

The story is about the origin and evolution of the social network, Facebook. It takes you to the world of Harvard student, Mark Zackerburg and how the idea of Facebook came to him and how he fostered it.The movie is carried through discussions happening on two lawsuits against Mark, one from his best friend and other from a rival group, suing him on the ownership of the website and the idea.The best part of the movie is that it doesn't take any sides. It does not even claim that Mark was right in his perspective. The film just tells u what has happened or what might have happened behind the flashy Facebook and the money it is generating. The take-away factor is the understanding of how an idea takes birth and how it is popularized.

Imdb Link: The Social Network

Children Of Heaven

2010-09-14T09:56:00.001-07:00

Language : Persian

Rating : 8.5/10

Tagline : A Little Secret...Their Biggest Adventure

Review : Some stories..they are too magical.they crawl over you, slowly climb into your head and finds a place in your heart where they start living.
Children of Heaven, the Iranian film by Majid Majidi portrays such a story which you will keep close to your heart.It is about the tale of a brother(Ali) and sister(Zahra) and a lost pair of shoes.When Ali loses Zahra's sneakers, they come up with a plan of sharing his shoes while going to school-Zahra will wear them to school in the morning and return them to Ali by noon so that he can wear them for his afternoon classes. They are left with such an option only because of the poor financial plight of their family when they could not afford a new pair of shoes.

The movie reestablishes the fact that the best stories in the world are not about wars or revenge plots or patriotism, but about love and compassion. There are several sequences in the film which teach that the natural instinct of man comprises of these factors only.Like, when Zahra and Ali finds that their shoes are with a little girl in Zahra's school whose father is a blind garbageman and leave her without bothering.Like, when Ali is grief-stricken when he realizes that he ended up first in the footrace when he really wanted to be the third as the third prize was a pair of sneakers.

The film is a true classic in all means and deserves to be in the heart of the audience rather than the brain.

Imdb Link: Children Of Heaven

Vedam

2010-06-07T12:39:00.001-07:00

Language : Telugu

Rating : 8/10

Tagline : Not Mentioned

Review : Movies are like railway lines, with interconnected tracks of visuals,connecting the director's mind to that of the viewer's. Each track or visual is so important that, if one is loosened, the entire cinematic journey is affected.Very few Indian directors of the present times, realize this phenomenon of visual interconnection and tries to handle the screenplay accordingly, that too sometimes at the cost of good stories or acting or other technical features.So,we can say that the perfect formula is rarely attained and this is why the viewership for international movies is on its ascent.Here is where films like VEDAM throws the exception.This film discusses 5 lives,ie, 5 different story-lines and intersects them perfectly giving no space for discontinuity.The movie does not compromise on anything and conveys a very beautiful message.

Vedam is a Telugu film , directed by Radhakrishna(Krish) who has only a single film in his portfolio.The movie is outstandingly brilliant in its screenplay and script.The director tries to connect the lives of 5 different people of different backgrounds to present a story which is reminiscent of some universal truths about humanity.The protagonists, with different mindsets, resemble varied psychologies and the director truly deserves more than an applause for his casting of the mainstream heroes and heroines to portray them.Allu Arjun plays a youngster from a slum, who wants to woo away a rich girl.Manoj Manchu acts as a teen rockstar, with an indifferent attitude towards everything in life.Anushka, the angelic diva, does the role of a prostitute planning to start her own brothel.Manoj Bajpai,the terrific Bihari actor, dons the fabric of a Muslim youth, who plans to go abroad to forget his painful past in the country.Another powerful character of a rural oldie is essayed by the debutant Nagayya, where he, along with his daughter-in-law arrives to the city of Hyderabad to engage in an illegal kidney trade and thus find money for his grandson's education.

These 5 story-lines have nothing akin to each other, but the director skillfully joins them at various points to indicate the philosophy of interlinking in life. The movie discusses a range of issues which have crippled the society, the polity,the community and finally the individual.

The film does not make any loud statements, though it whispers about the sterling quality of humanity.We hear this murmur at many points in the movie; like when Allu Arjun's character returns the stolen money to Nagayya's character or when the young rock-star decides to miss his show for a pregnant helpless woman or when the prostitute tells the Doctor that she will sleep with him if he agrees to treat her friend.Some instances, which are very incisive in nature, change the course of the protagonists.By the end of the movie, they start embracing life in a new way.

Technically, the movie is sound with amazing editing and sound mixing.The awing background score and the musical compositions pumped more vitality to the visuals.All the lead actors and the supporting cast excelled in their acts and cemented their respective niches.

The movie welcomes a new trend in the cinema industry of South India, weaving a new wave with a formulaic combination of aesthetics and realistic art.A must-watch movie and missing this one will be costly.

Note For Non-Telugu people : This movie has a vivacious screenplay that even non-Telugu people(including me) can watch and feel the movie without the aid of subtitles.We may miss out some witty dialogues. So it is advisable to go along with a Telugu friend and keep on annoying him/her.

Imdb Link: Vedam

Inglorious Basterds

2010-06-04T10:49:00.001-07:00

Language : English

Rating : 7/10

Tagline : Once upon a time in Nazi occupied France...

Review : Quentin Tarantino's(director of IB) is a very different way of film making.His films follow a non-linear pattern with independent tales, finally, intersecting to present a cinematic totality.The best part of his films is the dialogue section. The master filmmaker pens the script keeping in mind that each dialogue and scene should be non-conventional and no viewer should predict that easily.

IB falls in the same bucket and has the usual Tarantino gimmicks.Multiple story-lines, spooky dialogues and especial performances from the lead actors[Christopher Waltz jewels the visuals with his flawless acting;Yes, he got the OSCAR; :-)].The film takes you to the Nazi occupied France and shows some heavy violence against the Nazi despots by a team of mavericks, known as the Inglorious Basterds.

IB may not be as perfect as his previous works, but right from the plot to the casting, the director has followed a different approach.All WW2 - Nazi films have narrated tales with tragic and realistic outlines(Schindler's List, Pianist, Boy In The Striped Pyjamas etc), while IB is an exception.Movie buffs will love this unorthodox movie and the response it has received proves it well.

Imdb Link: Inglorious Basterds

Atonement

2010-05-13T10:30:00.001-07:00

Language : English

Rating : 7.5/10

Tagline : You can only imagine the truth.

Review : A classic movie grows in the eyes of its viewers.It evolves, matures and establishes itself in our hearts and refuses to die out.Atonement does the same.It takes its own time to build the base;but once it is done, the movie holds you in its fist and we will never want to go away.

This movie is about how an action of avenging grows into a feeling of guilt and finally reaches remorse and atonement.The story starts when a 13 year old girl accuses her sister's lover of a crime he never committed. She pledges against him even if she was sure that he was not guilty.The little girl had many reasons at her age when all of them topples down as she matures.

The movie has striking visuals penning the beautiful landscape of England during 1940s.Shots seem to be extremely planned and detailed.Joe Wright, the director of the movie, has to be saluted to take up a non cinematic novel from Ian McEvan and transform it into an elegant piece of art.

Imdb Link: Atonement

A Good Year

2010-05-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

Language : English

Rating : 7/10

Tagline : Everything Matures...eventually.

Review : Some films, we love it when we watch it for the first time and then, we may not bother to be reminded of them.Some others, we may just like it initially, then find the real beauty in it in the second chance and fall in love with it after wards. A Good Year falls in the latter category. The film has an inner beauty and meaning which is hard to understand with a single time watch. It requires perfect repose and peace to admire this movie.Ridley Scott, the man behind Gladiator and American Gangster, scored again with this movie along with his friend, Russel Crowe. The film is about a fast-life investment banker realizing the beauty of life when he gets a chance to spend some time at his childhood dwelling.The visuals and the music touches your brain , penetrating towards heart. Acting is terrific and the casting is amazing.A romanticist film with briskness.

Imdb Link: A Good Year

Erin Brockovich

2010-04-11T10:45:00.001-07:00

Language : English

Rating : 7/10

Tagline : She brought a small town to its feet and a huge corporation to its knees.

Review : Conviction and character can move worlds and Erin Brockovich shows that in an impeccable manner. The movie is based on a true story where a lady , with three children, takes up a law suit and sues a company for their immoral activities.Julia Roberts had done the role of protagonist and she has excelled brilliantly. Her mode of dialogue delivery is highly commendable and her appearance radiates immense energy. An inspirational movie, reassuring the fact that singularity alone can cause changes.

Imdb Link: Erin Brockovich

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas

2010-04-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

Language : English

Rating : 7/10

Tagline : A timeless story of innocence lost and humanity found.

Review : Movies like Schindler's List, Pianist and Life Is Beautiful, which portrayed the immoral side of Nazist regime had succeeded in declaring the fact that we, at least some of us, live in a better world. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas says the same thing, in a very innocent way. The movie, set in the in the pre-World War II Germany, walks through the eyes of an eight year old child while he discovers the malicious gaps between races and the extents to which people go in the hateful journey .The story carries a purity, especially in the scenes when the protagonist-German boy finds a friend in the Jewish lad in the Nazi concentration camp.The narrative is soft and sharp and holds no prejudices.

Imdb Link: The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas

Kanchivaram

2010-03-20T11:43:00.001-07:00

Language : Tamil

Rating : 8.5/10

Tagline : Not Mentioned

Review : One of the best movies I have seen.This one has something which even the academy award winners lack - a classic story-line. The movie got the Indian national award for the best film of the year,2008.But I would say that it deserved an Oscar.The film, has a protagonist who is a silk weaver by profession, discusses his disarrayed mindset which makes him compromise his professional ethics.
The movie has got stunning visuals, crisp scripting and a sharp treatment.With this movie, Priyadarshan has proved that he is a master story-teller and has challenged the top batch of film directors of India.

Imdb Link: Kanchivaram

The Hurt Locker

2010-03-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

Language : English

Rating : 6/10

Tagline : You'll know when you're in it.

Review : Hurt Locker is a good movie. Nothing more, nothing less.The movie, which speaks about the bomb diffusing personnel in Iraq, does have something solid to say. It points out a new emotional level showing how some men approach the military job.The film is shot in raw documentary-style without over-sensitizing the visuals.A watchable movie, for sure.

But,what I firmly believe is that there is nothing in the film to fetch Academy awards.It is embarrassing to see that ,even awards for Direction , editing and screenplay went for it.(I won't say the same for Best Picture, because that award is based on subjective analysis.)

Imdb Link: The Hurt Locker

City Of God

2010-02-28T08:54:00.000-08:00

Language : English

Rating : 7/10

Tagline : If you run you're dead...if you stay, you're dead again. Period.

Review : City Of God is a raw film, based on a true story of kid gangsters in a city in Brazil. Emotions are depicted in an unpolished way, beautifully connecting to the rhythm of the screenplay which takes an unprejudiced stance on the events.The movie travels with a narrative script, led by the protagonist who is more of a witness to all that happen in the city. The protagonist, amazingly, handled by Alexandro Rodrigues, takes us to his slice of life, where he grows in an ambiance dominated by child gangsters who love guns, robbery and killing more than anything.The movie talks about all shades of crime which starts with fun and flaunt and ends with hate and vengeance.

Imdb Link: City Of God

Australia

2010-02-21T10:30:00.000-08:00

Language : English

Rating : 5.5/10

Tagline : It is not all about romance

Review : It is hard to review this movie since it gives you the feeling with it's cinematography and treatment , but fails to capture the viewer's mind as a whole cinema. Australia is fully packed and overloaded with all the cinematic moments which we can expect. The movie, which was marketed as a romantic epic,lack the soul of romance. The lead pair,Hugh Jackman & Nicole Kidman, try hard to heat up their chemistry, somehow doesn't hit the right tones. The film wavers through many areas like romance, revenge, treachery, war but does not stick to any which gives the audience no space to focus. Anyhow, the film had a real discovery in Brandon Walters, the 11 year old kid who amazingly portrayed the aboriginal boy. This cool chap, effortlessly, carries the entire narration on his shoulders with brisk acting. Australia is watchable for him, the different treatment and the amazing landscape.

Imdb Link: Australia

Dog Day Afternoon

2010-02-14T00:05:00.000-08:00

Language : English

Rating : 7/10

Tagline : Its all true

Review : Wow.Al Pacino in his best.I have been a big fan of this amazing actor since the day I watched Godfather 1. His acting skills easily portray manliness and strength which have become legendary in Hollywood.Dog Day Afternoon is one of such movies in which his skills are exploited to the maximum. The movie talks about a true incident where the protagonist robs a bank which turns out to be a hostage situation. Sidney Lumet is the director of the movie (Yeah, the same guy behind 12 Angry Men), who has creatively handled the pace of the movie.A must watch movie for Al Pacino fans!!

Imdb Link: Dog Day Afternoon