L'appartement (1996)

Missed my routine gym once I started watching the movie. Was it so gripping, maybe no. But the build up of the story was quite racy. There initial parts of Vincent and Monica's courtship which I really adored. The way Monica responds to Vincent when she drops by to pick a pair or red sandals, it was quite a build-up. The climax was bitter-sweet, did not impress me completely though.

Leaving Las Vegas

Nicolas Cage, is an alcoholic. Does he make drinking look cool and stylish, probably he does not. However, me makes you feel, that for Ben it was really his way of living life. He is suicidal, but not chronically depressed. Sera is pretty and has a way with life and what it has to offer. As they proclaim, they did not have time to know each other, they were running out of time. They needed each other desperately, and the way Sera takes care of Ben and is able to see the person beyond an alcoholic, and the way how Ben comes in terms to the fact that she is a prostitute, eases out everything between them. Rarely can a relationship develeop so much of ease and space for each other.


Nicolas Cage - Academy Award for Best Actor
Nomination - Mike Figgis (Best Director and best adapted screenplay) and Elizabeth Shue (Best Actress)



******** Spoiler Alert********

Sera comes to meet Nicolas Cage when he is dying. She makes love to him. I thought well, she can now have a part of him with her, even after he was gone. It's probably not a big revelation to you or probably its known to all. But the enormity of what a person could pass to this world while he passes away, well it was almost a mind f*^& for me. He is dying, and she really likes him so much, she can actually keep a part of him with her forever and the child would be the living part of him with her. Is it not an amazing thing to happen? Probably I knew it all along, but the enormity of it and the more I think about it, its a bigger mind f^&*

The boy in the striped pyjamas

I had read the review in the local DNA; I knew it would be a great watch. It was there at the rental store, and always postponed thinking it would be documentary. I had just watched ‘Turtles can Fly’ on Thursday, and this was I guess the continuation of the spirit.
Bruno and Shmuel are friends, when they were supposed to be enemies. Shmuel is supposed to be evil and everything which is wrong, but Bruno finds him just like any other kid. Pavel, Bruno feels, can’t make his mind and wants to peel potatoes though he was a doctor before coming to the ‘farm’. The farm is no farm, but a camp. Bruno’s sister has dumped all her dolls in the cellar and has taken instant liking for German history and the current affairs. Bruno asks a lot of questions which are perfectly more sane and sensible while the adults esp. his father seem to have completely been blinded by reason and duty. Bruno’s mother rejection of her husband’s acts, his sister’s patriotism, his friendship with Shmuel, Pavel peeling potatoes and many other sub plots add to the layers of the cinema.
The DVD was not playing on my Sony DVD player, because of region constraints. I was watching in my flat-mates room on his DVD, and his girlfriend happened to join us about the time was getting over. She said someone she knew, ‘who bhi aisi movies dektha hai’, meaning, ‘he too watches such movies’. At an instant it dawned on me that not all consider these movies like ‘The boy in the striped pyjamas’ as to be movies or common people or that it’s mainstream. The definition of cinema is gravely dependent on the viewer; and this I guess is a matter of taste which you acquire or work towards to acquire.

Turtles Can Fly (2004)

War and Children. I have not seen many films which deal with these two subjects so closely.



Satellite well its quite an unique name for a boy, a boy who knows too much for his age, or forced to know more than what he could. 'Agrin' a mysterious name (I do not know what it means) for mysterious girl. Satellite and Agrin face reality in probably an opposite sense. There is enough room for the kids to be kids when it is war and their lives are on the verge of death and at the same time display traits of adults. There are light moments, for the audience to enjoy, probably to say people in war too laugh in the midst of 'fear and despair'. The danger is palpable, it is difficult to keep faith, difficult believe and in whom.

lot of inferences, lot of reality, lot of war, lot of pain, lot of mud, lot of mines, lot of love, lot of loss, lot of fear, lot of hope, lot of despair, lot of security, lot of guns, lot of shells, lot of tears, lot of height, lot of rain, lot of tanks...

The Doors

'Well, show me the way. To the next whisky bar. Oh, don't ask why. Oh, don't ask why.'

After reading 'No Here Gets Out Alive' by Jerry Hoprkins and Dennis Sugerman, I got an insight to 'The Doors' beyond the hypnotic lyrics and charismatic vocalist. When I read the book, I was convinced that he was a poet, and that he could not be contained by the constraints of the society. He was beyond all his vices, he was beyond all his fan following, he was beyond all the wealth he amassed. His writings, his responses at the iterviews, his opinions and his ideology - he was far too mature for his age. I still cannot comprehend how in spite of 'suspending his senses' he made 'more sense'.

Val Kilmer can try hard, really hard, but I feel he cannnot match to Jim's charisma, even to the extent what Jim exudes in the photographs. Meg Ryan misses the eccentricity of Pam. However, the movie is hypnotic, covers a lot of important incidents for the band and for Jim personal life. Its a true delight for 'The Doors' fans, if not more, at least 120 mins of pure 'The Doors' music and concerts. Some of the re-creation of the concerts is quite brilliant.

Andy Warhol looks too plastic, in this movie, but in 'Factory Girl' he assumes an entirely different persona. There are only slight references to Andy in this movie, but its worthwhile to watch 'Factory Girl'.

Ram Teri Ganga Maili

I am not sure what's up with this movie; I usually end up watching this movie, whenever it is played on telly. Though I have never been able to watch this movie completely, I vaguely know the plot. This movie was released in 1985 under Raj Kapoor's banner and was a block buster during those times. Mandikini won a Filmfare nomination for her role as 'Ganga'. The songs are very 'Bollywoodish' but some how, I kind of like it. While I was watching the movie, I noticed that there a lot of mythical references in the movie with social and political undercurrents.

Indeeed it can be passed off as a typical Bollywood masala mix with a cliche plot, but something about the movie draws me towards it. I have not figured out why.

End of Violence

I could not follow Wim Wender's 'Wings of Desire' to an extent that I left it incomplete. I did not read reviews or the script. I did not like the movie one bit. With that experience, Wim Wender and his movies were out of my list of movies.



Then going through the collection of movies at my rental store, I saw 'End of Violence', and I saw Andie MacDowell in the cast. I was kind of mesmerized by her performance in 'Sex, Lies and Videotape' and 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'. I somehow felt the 'End of Violence' would be similar to 'Sex Lies and Videotape'. I was completely wrong. Apart form some gripping and thought provoking sequences, I found the movie to be a drag. For instance the solo performance of the actors, Andie's encounter with her husband after he has been misssing for days and few others were worth the watch. On the whole, I did not comprehend the mystery of the movie. I have no regrets either, neither do I want to sit up and read what did I miss. I feel the movie is not worth all that effort. Well, that was not the case when I watched 'Mulholland Drive'. I watched the movie back to back to get a hang of what goes on.

Andie is charming, I need to dig out and see more of her movies. Its a pity that I discovered her so late.

Wim Wender definitely not for me.

Delta Farce

Stupid, funny, mindless,

Apur Sansar

The final shot was so familiar from the 'Bicycle Thief'. Sharmila Tagore appears so naive and rustic. Kajal is so adorable.

Aparajito

Masterpiece

Boondock Saints

And shepherds we shall be. For thee,
my Lord, for thee. Power hath
descended forth from thy hand that
our feet may swiftly carry out thy
command. So we shall flow a river
forth to thee and teeming with souls
shall it ever be.
E nomini patri, et fili e spiritu sancti.

We must fear evil men and deal with them accordingly but what we must truly guard against, what we must fear most is the indifference of good men


First of all, I'd like to thank
whichever one of you donut munching,
barrel-assed dip-shits leaked this
to the press. That's just what we
need now, some sensational story in
the papers making these guys out to
be super heroes, triumphing over
evil. And let me squash the rumors
now these two aren't heroes.

Symbology? Well, now that Duffy has
relinquished his King Bone Head crown
I see we have an heir to the throne.
I'm sure the word you were looking
for was symbolism. What's the
symbolism there? Let me explain it
to you. In Greek and Roman mythology
when you died you would have to pay
the toll to Charon, the boatman who
ferried you across to the gates of
judgment. This made sure the dead
came to atone for what they did during
their lives,

We do not ask for your poor or your hungry.
We do not want your tired and sick.
It is your corrupt we claim.
It is your evil, who will be sought by us.
With every breath we shall hunt them down.
Each day we will spill their blood
till it rains down from the skies.
Do not kill, do not rape, do not
steal. These are principles which
every man of every faith can embrace.
These are not polite suggestions.
They are codes of behavior and those
that ignore them will pay the dearest cost.

There are varying degrees of evil.
We urge you lesser forms of filth

Not to push the bounds and cross
over into true corruption... into our domain.

For if you do, there will come the
day when you look behind you and see
we three. And on that day you will reap it.

And we will send you to whatever God you wish.

Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo

Mindless entertainment, any learning probably none at all…

Leon

Jean Reno: Hit man, milk, plant, practice, exercise, rules, alert, expert, loner, key-hole, prepared, real-quick

Natalie Portman: Girl, wisdom beyond her age, committed, worldly-wise, resolved, fearless

Gary Oldman: Whimsical