Reel Suave

The Great Buck Howard (2008)

suavers — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:17:07 +0000

What happens to famous people when their popularity dies out? If this intrigues you I would recommend you go sit down and watch The Great Buck Howard. It stars Colin Hanks, John Malkovich, Emily Blunt, and features Tom Hanks in a comedy about just that question.

The beginning of the film almost started off exactly like Orange County, another film starring Colin Hanks. Here he plays Troy, law student who has decided that becoming a lawyer just isn’t what he was cut out to do. So he does what every young man decides at some point in his life to do: write. That’s about the extent of the comparison to Orange County. The rest of the film is nothing like it (and that’s a good thing).

Since writing doesn’t quite pay the bills, he finds a job working on the road for the Great Buck Howard, played marvelously by Malkovich. Buck is not a magician but a mentalist. He appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson 61 times, but since then hasn’t done much. He now plays small town theaters across the country.

Hanks doesn’t know anything about show business but soon learns that life with Buck can be both rewarding and degrading. After tearing through town after town, Hanks falls into a grove until his father, played by his real father Tom Hanks, catches wind that he left school to work for Buck. He is disappointed to say the least and nearly gets Colin to quit, but Howard manages to keep him on for his secret trick (or as Howard refers to them as “effects”) to take place in Cincinnati, Ohio.

It is there we meet Hanks’ love interest in PR girl Valerie (Emily Blunt). Buck is paraded around town by a pair of simple folk (Debra Monk and Steve Zahn) who try to make him feel as welcome possible. In doing so they nearly ruin the entire event. The rest of the film follows Buck and Troy as they try to resurrect Buck’s career and bring him back to the Tonight Show and eventually Vegas.

This is a cute little film that has a lot of heart. Malkovich puts on a great performance as the aging mentalist, giving the character a much developed personality and history. We can see that years on the road have turned this man into somewhat of a nut job, but he can still put on a great show.

The script doesn’t waver. Writer/director Sean McGinly does a fine job for his first big production. There is nothing flashy going on here. Just a basic film with an above average story. That’s all I expected from this film. I knew Tom Hanks wouldn’t put his name on just anything (he produces the film).

I don’t see this film making too much of a splash. There’s nothing really here that makes me say “wow!” Malkovich is probably the best part of the film, as well as the story. I wouldn’t go out of my way to see it, but I’m glad I got to. I also look forward for more of McGinly’s work. It looks like he has a knack for storytelling.

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Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)

suavers — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:07:36 +0000

When Night at the museum was released back in 2006 i was really impressed with what was a fresh exciting new family movie. I have no doubt that the sequel will make just as much money if not more but for me it’s a pale comparison to it’s predecessor.

When the Museum of Natural History is closed for upgrades and renovations, the museum pieces are moved into federal storage at the famous Washington Museums.

To be fair it’s hardly a surprise that Night at the Museum 2 is not as good as the first. It’s a constant trait of big movie studios to make sequels bigger, brasher and full special affects and completely forget about telling an interesting story. This is exactly the case with this movie. We see new see a whole new bunch of characters introduced to the story but to detriment of the old ones. Ricky Gervais is hardly on screen, Steve Coogan’s Roman warrior struggles to find his place in the film and Owen Wilson is………Owen Wilson I’m afraid!.

All the good lines are saved for Amy Adams (Amelia Earhart), Hank Azaria (Kahmunrah) and Jonah Hill (Security Guard). Delightful Amy Adams lights up the screen as always and the master of voices Hank Azaria lessens the boredom slightly.

The only real time i laughed was when Ben Stiller and Jonah Hill were on screen together and that was all of five minutes. If it’s special affects and action that is your thing you wont be disappointed but i was left with the feeling that i had seen it all before. I also got the impression that Stiller was bored with the role as well.

They writers even gave up by the end and relinquished the one thing that gave the original characters their magic and that is the secret of them coming to life at night. Hopefully this will mean that this is the last of these films but somehow i doubt it .

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First Look: Thrilling New Trailer for the Twilight Saga ‘New Moon’

suavers — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:58:30 +0000

If you loved the first movie, you have got to love the trailer for the sequel titled ‘New Moon’. Summit has debuted the first trailer for The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Fueled by the success of the first movie, the studio pushed this into production quickly, so that it would be ready in exactly one year from when that first movie came out. Additionally, director Catherine Hardwicke was replaced by Chris Weitz, which hopefully was a smart decision, although it looks like it’s still in good hands so far. Check out the trailer below.

[See post to watch Flash video]

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First Look: Sam Worthington in Clash of the Titans

suavers — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:13:07 +0000

The first official photo of Sam Worthington as Perseus in Louis Leterrier’s Clash of the Titans remake is out in the latest edition of Empire Magazine. I think Sam Worthington looks really Badass and he seems to have that no-expression face from Terminator Salvation. The story is about a man born of a god, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is helpless to save his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson) and unleash hell on earth. Leading a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own destiny.

This is one movie, you should not miss. Its got a stellar cast and I can’t wait for the trailer to pop up somewhere soon.

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Pixar is ‘Up’ to the top of the Box Office

suavers — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:03:58 +0000

New family film Up has soared to the top of the U.S. box office to become the third biggest debut for a Disney Pixar film behind The Incredibles and Finding Nemo.

Early estimates suggest the film, about a cantankerous old man, voiced by Ed Asner, who goes on a flying house adventure with a boy scout and a dog, opened with a $68.2 million opening weekend take.

Much-hyped horror film Drag Me To Hell failed to scare up huge numbers at the box office and opened with $16.6 million to come in third behind Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, which took its 10-day tally to $105.3 million with a weekend estimate of $25.5 million.

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Natalie Portman joins the cast of ‘Your Highness’

suavers — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:55:36 +0000

Natalie Portman is joining Danny McBride and James Franco in the fantasy comedy “Your Highness.”

Written by Ben Best and McBride, the Universal Pictures project centers on an arrogant, lazy prince (McBride) who must complete a quest to save his father’s kingdom. Joining him on the quest is McBride’s more heroic brother, played by Franco.

Portman will play McBride’s love interest, a warrior princess.

Director David Gordon Green (”Pineapple Express,” “All the Real Girls”) is shooting the film this summer in Northern Ireland.

Portman is working on “Hesher,” an indie drama that marks her inauguration as a producer. She next stars with Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire in the drama “Brothers,” a remake of Susanne Bier’s Danish film.

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Dev.D

suavers — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:29 +0000

Cast: Abhay Deol (Dev), Mahie Gill (Paro), Kalki Koechlin (Chanda), Dibyendu Bhattacharya (Chunni),
Directed by: Anurag Kashyap
Written by: Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane
Inspired by the novel ‘Devdas’ by Saratchandra Chatterjee
Release date: Februrary 2009

Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote that the scent of bitter almonds is reminiscent of the fate of unrequited love. In Indian cinema, it would be the pungency of booze. Devdas, the failed lover drowning his sorrows in the bottle clutched to his bosom has been the eternal mascot for jilted lovers. The Bengali novel, which according to Saratchandra himself is his least work, has been adapted to the screen an astounding nine times prior to the current incarnation. But why am I talking about all this history? Let’s get down to Dev D, a knock-out movie which captures the essence of Devdas as none of the previous versions have. This movie along with his last work, No Smoking, establishes Anurag Kashyap as a true auteur. I watched No Smoking a month back and still haven’t recovered from its awesomeness. Kashyap is a director whose movies can’t be compared with any of his peers. They demand to be seen and experienced on their own terms. Barely four movies old, he has already crafted two masterpieces and one very good movie (I haven’t seen his first movie Paanch as it was deemed to be too ‘vulgar’ and banned by the Indian censor board for its obscenity).

Instead of the traditonal setting of early 20th century rural Bengal and Kolkata, Kashyap places his story in the earthy heartland of Punjab and seedy neon-lit lanes and brothels of Paharganj, a Delhi suburb. Dev, the bratty son of a rich industrialist, is packed off to London at the age of twelve. His childhood sweetheart, Paro, waits for him patiently, steadfast in her love. Here, sexual desire is not something to be talked about in hushed tones or be alluded to in cheap double entendres. It is embraced as an essential ingredient of passion. When Dev demands nude photographs over the phone, Paro not only clicks them but travels to the city to mail the pics from a cyber-cafe. Dev returns home. A series of misunderstandings ensue. Ultimately, Dev’s feeble reciprocation proves too weak to sustain the luminous intensity of Paro’s faith in her love.

The parental disapproval angle has been tweaked in this movie to make Dev’s self-loathing even more plausible and relatable. Soon he sets forth on a spiral of unrestrained self-destructive behavior, dragging himself into a zone of coke and vodka induced numbness. One night he ends up in Chanda’s velvety bed in a whorehouse. Supported on the able shoulders of Chunni, a ponytailed, suit-wearing, sleazy pimp.

Chanda is a regular college student by day and a prostitute by night, transforming herself into the fantasies of her clients. The infamous DPS MMS scandal is used to provide an affecting back-story for her. Her charmed existence turns into a nightmare overnight when an explicit MMS clip finds its way online. Abandoned by her parents and society, she is forced to carve out a new identity for herself. And she is strong enough to accept it and move ahead with her life, hiding her vulnerability beneath her verve.

Dev.D’s Paro is not the submissive, demure epitome of Indian womanhood cooked up by Bollywood over the years. Fiery yet tender, she loves Dev almost to a fault. But she’s not not prepared to take crap from him and knows where to draw the line. When she decides to sleep with Dev and carries a mattress out to the fields early on a winter morning, only to be spurned by an insecure Dev….it results in an amazingly poignant scene. Later on, there’s another wrenching sequence when she comes to visit Dev in his pigsty of a room.

I would like to devote a line to Abhay Deol, who thankfully shares only his surname and nothing else with the rest of the Deol clan. He is fast turning into an Indian Marcello Mastrioanni for Bollywood’s new-wave directors.

Dev.D would not be what it is without the mind-blowing cinematography and addictive musical score by Amit Trivedi. I had been listening to the soundtrack for two weeks non-stop, prior to the movie’s release. Now that I have the visuals to go with it imprinted in my head, I don’t think I will stop listening to it anytime soon. From gritty realism to kaleidoscopic hallucinatory images, cinematographer Rajeev Ravi juggles it all with elan.

Dev.D is easily one of the most original, path-breaking movies in recent times, even if you include the best of international cinema. It is an angst-drenched, iconoclastic celebration of quintessentially Indian pop culture and an uncompromising work of art.

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The Wrestler

suavers — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 06:02:37 +0000

Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Ernest Miller, Evan Rachel Wood

Directed By: Darren Aronofsky

“The Wrestler” traces retired professional wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson’s route from a cherished-fandom to just the devoted-fandom. A simple and realistic portrayal of the not so glamorous real life of the “fake” art of wrestling.

While battling the rigors of a wrestler’s life Randy surfers a serious heartache forcing him to retire. Haunted by loneliness and having shunned the call of a father Randy(Mickey Rourke) tries to find companionship with stripper/exotic dancer Pam-Cassidy (played by Oscar winning actress Marisa Tomei, yeah I know wtf!). On Pam’s advice he tries desperately reconnecting with his estranged daughter-(played ironically by Evan Rachel Wood, Marilyn Manson’s girl the hard-working daughter, double wtf!)- while simultaneously trying to stoke the embers of a romance gradually developing between him and Pam. Rejection from both leads him spiraling towards his only true companions, the fans. Utterly lost and torn between all relations,in a fit of frustration and realization he takes one last leap at doing what he does best.

Rigorously following each minute of the movie we come to realize the only shortcoming in this movie if at all any is the corny title. But then again that is director Darren Aronofsky’s forte(The Fountain, The Fighter, Pi… ). No, his genius in story-telling outshines the pithy in his titles. Why the movie blows our minds away is the surprisingly “real depiction of the fake wrestling” that goes on in the rings. What you see in some of the shots is REAL. The blade cutting on the forehead…the whole face and heel act….even the gruesome staple gun pinning. The movie is void of a constant background music score but has the Aronofsky trademark of conveying more with what meets the ear.

Watch the movie again if you don’t remember these arresting scenes: When “Robin” dons the apron of a part-time employee and enters the grocery store, the background score played is that of Randy’s entering the ring. The contrast between his cheerful attitude on the first day at the counter and the day he quits when almost everything looks bleak. When Randy treats Cassidy like a “real” stripper on her insistence of their relationship violating her “code of ethics”. Other noteworthy facts include the fact that he uses a “Dodge Ram”. The movie also serves as resurrection of real life boxer Mickey Rourke as he makes a comeback into the ring. Both Randy and Cassidy are “actors” way past their performing age, torn between the decision to “gracefully” retire and doing what needs to be done. Darren Aronofsky in an interview quotes the Charles Mingus song “The Clown”(note title please)-an instrumental piece with a poem read over the music about a clown who accidentally discovers the bloodlust of the crowds and eventually kills himself in performance- as a major source of inspiration for the movie.

All in all fully worthy of the Golden Lion at Venice.

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Oye lucky, lucky oye

suavers — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:06:35 +0000

Cast: Abhay Deol (Lucky), Paresh Rawal (Lucky’s father/ Gogi Bhai/ Dr.Handa)

Directed by: Dibakar Banerjee

Release date: December 2008

Making people laugh is no joke. A comedy is probably the most difficult genre to tackle for any director. I am talking about the genuine, heartfelt stuff, where you laugh with the characters at the vagaries of life. Rather than at them. ‘Oye Lucky, Lucky oye’ has that fast-disappearing breed of humane humour in spades.

Dibakar Banerjee’s sophomore effort is a loud, rambunctious, earthy celebration of life in the by -lanes and high roads of Delhi. From the scenarios such as rowdy Jats jumping around at a wedding to the tunes of popular Bollywood numbers belted out by an out of tune singer dressed in a gaudy purple outfit…to the details of the Punjabi tinged accents and impeccable Dilliwala Hindi…it captures the living heart of Delhi. The city is as much a character as any of the actors in the movie.

The movie opens with Lucky as a teenager. He is an ambitious one. Unlike his friends, he’s not satisfied with ogling the pretty private school girls in their short skirts, hanging around with their boyfriends in the latest flashy cars. If he can’t get a car, he will get a bike. If he can’t get that too, he will steal it. And snare a girl from the local gift-shop to go with it. He doesn’t exactly understand what greeting cards are for. That doesn’t stop him from gifting one to his first love. That it turns out to be a ‘get well soon’ card is irrelevant.

Lucky’s father is always on his back. He’s tired of trying to beat some sense into his kid’s head. In fact, he’s justified in his frustration and rage at his son’s constant stream of unreasonable demands. But Lucky is not going to be content with the lower middle-class honest life of his father. And he is prepared to take on his father and the world.

Next when we meet Lucky as an adult, he’s beginning to find his place in the bigger scheme of things. Through his friend and future sidekick Bangali he meets Gogi Bhai, who organizes singing-dancing shows at marriages and runs a small ‘import-export’ business on the side. Lucky starts off by stealing a Mercedes for him. Preternaturally confident, he is a born thief. His stratagems are elegant in their simplicity. He could practically walk into a house, chat up the owner as if he was meeting an old friend and walk out with all the furnishings with the owner being none the cleverer about being robbed.Once he realizes he’s turning into a mere lackey of Gogi Bhai, he goes freelance. He’s set-up and caught by the cops. He again uses his ingenuity to escape and carry on with his career-building. It is now that his fame grows far and wide.

In the final segment, Lucky meets Dr. Handa on a flight. He is the kind of guy, who would describe himself as being first and foremost a respectable man. Steeped in middle-class self-righteousness, he is the probably the worst con of all.

Abhay Deol has been taking up some of the most interesting roles currently on offer in Hindi cinema. And he just keeps getting better with each movie. Here, he gives his best performance till date. I am not exactly sure why the director got Paresh Rawal to play three entirely unrelated roles. But it works out pretty well. Yet again he proves why he’s one of the finest and most under-utilized actors in Bollywood.

Like the best of comedies, beneath the crackling smart dialogues and the breezy proceedings, there is a hidden but unmistakable streak of melancholy. From the first reel to the last, Lucky doesn’t express any qualms or remorse about what his actions. He has never cared for anyone’s approval. But he is always searching for acceptance of some kind. From his parents, his friends, from society. Acceptance of him for what he is.

Nowadays, humour, this most essential of the arts has been systematically reduced to dim-witted trash that would be insulting to a five year old’s intelligence. That’s why it’s time to get up and applaud, when a small, unpretentious gem like this appears on the horizon.

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Official Photos from Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds

suavers — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 06:34:17 +0000

Finally we have got hold of some really cool photos from the upcoming Tarantino film. These pictures will become a distant memory the moment the first trailer is out. Brad Pitt who plays Lt. Aldo Raine has a really funny smile on in the first picture. His moustache sort of reminds of Vito Corleone. The second photo features Diane Kruger as Bridget von Hammersmark, an undercover agent and German actress who helps the Basterds. I’m glad to see that we have at least got a few more photos to keep us patient.

Synopsis

During World War II a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as “the Basterds” are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.

Inglourious Basterds is both written and directed by the infamous Quentin Tarantino. He is known for his films like Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Death Proof and many other great films. The film is yet to get a theatrical release. But it is sure to come some time in 2009.

Here are the photos

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Wackness

suavers — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:37:11 +0000

Cast: Josh Peck (Luke Shapiro), Ben Kingsley (Jeffrey Squires), Olivia Thirlby (Stephanie), Famke Janssen (Kristin Squires)

Written and directed by: Jonathan Levine

Release date: July 2008

A loving, messy, wistful ode to the bitter-sweet memories of New York circa94

The wackness. Rarely have I seen a move title more apt. Set in New York, during the summer of 1994, this movie is a messy, loving ode to the memories of those times. I say memories because is not a realistic or accurate portrayal. Cribbing over the details in a work like this would be entirely missing the point. It is how the director nostalgically remembers those days, while going through his high school yearbook, poring over photographs, listening to those old mix tapes. The confusion and the sunny days, drugs and Notorious B.I.G., how the adult world where you were headed for seemed so stupid and vacuous. In spite of the over-abundance of drugs and booze and f-words, ‘sweet’ is the adjective which most suits this movie.

Luke is graduating from school. He has three months of summer ahead of him. He has a job. He deals weed. From an ice-cream cart. He is invited to the parties for the dope. But he’s never invited in. In his own words, he is the most popularly unpopular guy in school. His parents are eternally squabbling. His dad has lost all his money in a bad deal and they are going to move in with his grandparents. All this merely adds to his angst and his feeling of being a loser. He visits a psychiatrist, Doc Squires, who takes his payment in quarter bags of dope. And advises him to get laid as the solution to his problems. The good doctor has screwed up his life. And he is acutely aware of it. His marriage is in shambles. He craves to be 17 again, to hook up with hippie chicks, to listen to cool gangsta rap, to get stoned. He does the last thing anyway. Way too much of it. Ben Kingsley sinks his teeth into the colourful role and let’s go with complete abandon. He lends quirky credibility to the otherwise outlandish personality.

The doctor’s step-daughter, Stephanie, is bored. She’s decided to stay back for some unexplained reason, while her friends were going off to Europe. She starts going around with Luke as he visits his clients. She decides to introduce him to sex, which almost ends up in disaster. Luke thinks he’s falling in love with her. Though he’s warned by Squires. At some level, he probably wants to experience his first heartbreak and is aware that Stephanie treats him as a barely interesting weirdo to pass her time with.

The most fascinating relationship in the movie is the friendship between Luke and Squires. In their own way, they are both outsiders. Luke needs the wacked out advice and Squires just needs to feel the hopeful self-centred misery of youth once again. Living life as an adult means you don’t have the leisure to think about what could be or what could have been. Those are the provinces of the young and the old respectively and that’s what helps Luke and Shapiro connect.

I liked the soundtrack, enjoyed the coolness oozing from every pore of this movie. And I loved the beautifully etched little moments. The characters are flawed, at times they behave in clichés. They themselves are aware of it. That doesn’t make them any less appealing. In fact, it might all sound familiar. But then, what would we do without flakes of wistfulness to sprinkle on our bitter-sweet memories.

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Boy A

suavers — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:21:28 +0000

Cast: Andrew Garfield (Jack Burridge), Peter Mullan (Terry), Michelle (Katie Lyons)

Directed by: John Crowley

Based on the novel by Jonathan Triggel

Are there some crimes for which the granting or gaining of redemption is beyond human reach?

Boy A is pure evil. I would believe that. And you would. If you learnt of the horrifically violent and senseless crime he committed. We would consider any punishment to be inadequate. Now, here comes the catch, the Gordian knot. He was a kid when he did it. Probably around 12. He spent the next 14 years of his life locked up in a juvenile detention centre. He has undergone intensive therapy and counselling. He is being released. He is no longer Boy A. He has a new identity and a new name, Jack Burridge. He has been deemed cured. But could an individual like him ever really change? Does he deserve a second chance at life, the opportunity that so many better are denied by fate?

When we first see him he looks like an ordinary young man…in fact more like a shy, childish boy who has stumbled into adulthood, carrying over an appealing goofy smile. As he is driven to his new home, accompanied by his counsellor Terry and he gazes through the window, the mix of apprehension and wonder in his eyes is palpable.

A job has been arranged for him at a warehouse. He finds a friend in a co-worker, Chris. The pretty, older secretary, Michelle, develops a liking for him. As he places an order in a restaurant confused with paninis and Mexican chicken, as he goes to his first after-hours party and gets drunk and stoned, as he kisses Michelle tentatively, as he tries to catch up with the world which left him behind, we follow his steps with concern.

The one thing which his counsellor, Terry, keeps on drilling into his head is that he must not reveal his real identity under any circumstances. Even when he feels compelled to share it with his girlfriend or his best buddy. Even when the lies start piling up too high.

In flashbacks we see Jack as a neglected child, ignored by his father and sick mother. He finds a companion in Philip, who is probably already damaged beyond repair by this stage. Together they bunk school, shoplift, beat up bullies, indulge in random destructive behaviour. But nothing could ever justify what it all ends up in.

All is not hunky-dory in the present either. His past is always creeping up around the edges. Threatening to take over. He has regular nightmares. He obsesses over the suicide of his partner in crime, Philip, at the age of seventeen. A local tabloid splashing a story about the hush-hush release of the second unnamed killer is the least of his worries. His biggest fear is what’s within. He is acutely aware of what he is capable of. When he beats up a couple of guys ganging up on Chris during a rooftop party and is hailed as a hero by his mates, he scarcely feels like one. But he does turn into one in the eyes of a lot more people when he spots a roadside accident and ends up saving a little girl’s life. And begins to get attention he could easily do without.

The movie would never have worked without Andrew Garfield’s fascinating, layered performance. We are not even sure if he has any true remorse. The only thing we know for sure is that he is trying…hard. As is his counsellor. Even at the cost of his personal life and his relationship with his son.

The movie is not entirely unbiased or objective in its view. It makes no bones about its beliefs. What makes it intriguing is that while it is making us empathize with Jack, it is slowly unveiling the sordid details of his heinous crime. And thus, it implicates the audience, involving them in the dilemma of the people who come to care for him. Could they and should they forgive him? He answered the call from the dark once and went in. Whether he can ever emerge from there is the question asked.

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Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

suavers — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 23:46:29 +0000

How did Jamal Malik win 20 million rupees?
a. He Cheated
b. He got Lucky
c. He knew the anwers

An adrenalin rush of inspiring, exhilarating entertainment, Danny Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is a feel- good fairy tale straight from the slums of Bombay/Mumbai. The story is about a 18 year old Slum boy Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), who is on his way to win 20 million rupees in the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

He is one question away from being a millionaire, when he’s thrown out of the TV studio to be interrogated and tortured by the police because they think a slum kid would have to cheat to get those answers right.

The interrogation becomes a memory flash because each of Jamal’s explanations of how he knew the answer to a particular question takes the form of a flashback to yet another exciting, heart-stopping moment of his emotional, tedious slum life. The answers to each of his question are in the form of his life’s answers he has to answer to everyday in his life. It’s very fluid, non-stop and the high-energy film-making ensures that all three settings are consistently exciting and suspenseful. Every childhood reminiscence is a shocker, a tearjerker, and a cliff-hanger as Jamal strives to survive and be with his beloved. We don’t know how the interrogation’s going to wind up and thats the best part. And most exciting of all, the whole country is waiting to see if Jamal, the poor boy making good, will win the big jackpot or sink back into poverty, and we don’t know how that’s going to end.

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ tells an ingenious simple story in the most raw and humane way possible. It seems likely to stand as one of the year’s best films. There are loads of good performances. Irfan Khan (’The Namesake’ and ‘A Mighty Heart’) adds so much subtlety to the role of the police inspector. Anil Kapoor is colorful as the show host. Dev Patel is an absolute gem and ought to be seen. Tall and thin, Patel projects a perfect combination for the role of nerdiness and purity, innocence and the will to never give up. This is a wonderfully cinematic effort whose essence is its intense visuals and ably supported by the lively music of A.R. Rahman. Boyle has done it all. This will always be his Ace among all his films. It’s one of his greatest successes and a disturbing, thrilling, heart-warming pleasure to watch.

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Hunger

suavers — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:47:34 +0000

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham

Directed By: Steve McQueen

Bobby Sands feels grand every time. We are living in harsh times. The world is plagued with a lot of insecurities. Our identities have been influenced by our parents. We try sometimes so hard to make them understand who we are. But at times when movies like this come around it makes me ask myself why we even want to try?

Bobby Sands has realized death too early in his life to see anything that breathes. His ideals make him loose sight of all that is beautiful around this world. While his surroundings smells of the end of time. I am not sure how many of us are really going to relate to this utopian jail dweller. But somewhere in his thick sheen of despair there is hope. He sees everything does as a chance for new lives to cherish this earth in harmony. I began to detest the word harmony after seeing. How many lives do we have to see go for achieving this horrendous word? Do you really want to know what this movie cinematically achieves? Simple answer: Everything.

Flies laid to rest, tense knee jerks, cigarettes blown to ease the pain these are some of traits the film uses to show us points of view of each of these characters. The pain and suffering is pasted on the inmate’s cell walls. They try to forcefully clean the debris left by the prisoners. The prisoners are young men who try and shed light for their cause. The film has many references to some of Salvador Dali’s work. But the number of points of views used in this movie gives the movie a sense of dissociation from the central character. But it is not easy for one to forget this piece of art.

The film is affecting yet poignant in its steps to the end. The end is not sudden but still. We are left imbalanced with all that is going around. Michael who plays Bobby epitomizes Hunger. It is not just a hunger created because of the strike it is more to do with the pain he burdens with all the knowledge he has acquired. His life is not as complicated as it looks. But it is more of a simple test of what humans have to go through to become beckons for the rest of the world. Many would just right him off as a terrorist. But his own people would never see him in that light. For them he is their light.

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Happy-go-lucky

suavers — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:40:07 +0000

Cast: Sally Hawkins (Poppy), Eddie Marsan (Scott)
Written and directed by: Mike Leigh
Release date: October 2008

Many a time I have wondered if I am really happy with my life. Pondering what qualifies as real happiness, whether it is made up of bits and pieces of momentary pleasure or if it’s better defined as a more enduring contented bliss. For Poppy it is simple. Life for her is always sunny side up. A perky smile and an indefatigable, at times infectious, at others grating, cheerfulness delineates her sense of self. Derived from an inexhaustible wellspring deep down inside, it is independent of the fickle vagaries of the external world. Her exuberant cheer is almost comically defiant of whatever negativities life could throw at her.

Mike Leigh is known for his unrelentingly bleak view of humanity. As one of the pioneers of kitchen sink realism, he has time and again proved himself to be an unparalleled chronicler of drab working class British lives. So, is this a break of sorts for him? Is Happy-go-lucky an uplifting, crowd-pleasing dramedy? I don’t think so. While misery and tragedy have been staple fodder for reliably gloomy offbeat cinema, Leigh chooses to explore the bright side of the coin. And walking the tightrope between the pitfalls of enjoyable but feather-light comedy on one side and self-conscious art-house prattle on the other is a difficult proposition indeed. Leigh accomplishes it with grace and élan.

His Poppy, as played by an incredible Sally Hawkins, is astoundingly radiant but her loneliness is all too commonplace and real. She is the kind of person who would stop to greet and wave at any and everyone she sees on her way. Including squirrels and naked fat men in their gardens and surly book-shop owners. She is a primary school teacher and lives with her roommate of ten years, Zoe. When her bike is stolen, she takes it into her stride as usual and decides to take driving lessons. The instructor Scott, played by English comedian Eddie Marsan in a bravely repulsive turn, is like her anti-thesis. As a teacher, he is hopelessly crabby and overbearing. And as an individual…well…let’s just say he’s not the friendly type. In fact, he’s a pathetic creature, wizened up with bitter hatred and animosity. He yells at Poppy to close the doors when two black guys cycle past their car. He blames other people’s disregard for rules and order to be at the root of all of his own and the world’s wretchedness. The interaction between Poppy and Scott provides the dramatic tension in an otherwise plot-less script. Both are characters who can’t help but be themselves. And it culminates in a sequence where Scott’s wound-up rage bursts forth and he comes close to actually communicating with someone, revealing his confused and conflicted soul.

There is an almost surreal hiatus in the movie where Poppy runs into a homeless man in a park. We see her fear of the man’s irrational, crazy behavior and also, the over-riding empathy, which makes her listen patiently to his gibberish and make an attempt to understand him.

Poppy is not a giggly teenage girl, who is happy only because she doesn’t know any better. She is thirty and still single, being advised by a younger sister on the wisdom of marriage and savings. She has to demonstrate sensitivity in dealing with young kids acting out in school due to problems at home. And she is afraid of spending the rest of her days nursing a drink for company in the evenings. Her attitude towards life in spite of all this is not intended as a favor to others. It is for herself, that Poppy acts the way she does.

This is a movie where a lot happens without anything much seeming to happen, where the sum is way greater than the parts. It somehow manages to be touching and profound, without creating a fuss about it.