Week 15

Movies: Non- English

The Class (France, 2008) [IMDB: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 97%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8HWJqgMAhU

Winner of the ‘Palme D’Or’ at Cannes, this film tells the story of a teacher grappling with a group of teenagers from different backgrounds in his classroom in suburban Paris. Hailed for holding a mirror to the new socio-cultural mix of the French society, this film is as powerful as it is simple. The characters are so believable that you will forget momentarily that they are acting and performing the scenes given to them. One thing I have always loved about French cinema is that it gives importance to the character and dialogues more than anything else. The banter among students about some obscure nations competing in the African Cup of Nations  point to the effect of immigration from former French colonies. The movie is also a pointer to the restrictions that the teachers face in the name of the rights of students. My endearing memory of this movie is a discussion on it with a friend when I was in France. I had watched this movie in India and in my keenness to impress him I started talking about it. His response, ” It is nice that you have seen it. It has not even been released widely in France and I don’t know anyone else who has seen it. At least you get to see such movies.”

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romania, 2007) [IMDB: 7.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZisE16JBUMA

Could the story of an abortion be a thriller? Yes, if it set in communist ruled Romania during the 1980s. This movie was the winner of Palme d’Or at Cannes and took the film festival circuit by storm, winning all the major accolades except the Oscar. The only reason why it did not win the Oscar is because in the USA people are still fighting the right of a woman to have control of her body. The film is a must watch for choosing to shed light on a dark period in Romania’s history. It has some disturbing images. If you are the religious type, please stay away. For more sensible people, it is a must watch. Two thumbs up from a bleeding heart liberal.

Hollywood Retrospective

Synecdoche, New York (2008) [IMDB: 7.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 70%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIizh6nYnTU

This debut feature from the writer of gems like ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ and’Adaptation’ is one of the most devastating films I have ever seen. Chosen by Roger Ebert as the best film to have come out in the first decade of the 21st century, this is not for the ordinary viewer. In fact, most will not be able to fully grasp the story on first viewing. It is a little arty and the writing is also complex that the viewer will not be able to make much sense of what he sees on screen. At a simplistic level, it is the story of a man and the women in his life. At a more complex level, it supports the idea that our lives are predetermined and we do not have much control over anything. Philip Seymour Hoffman hits the high notes with his performance and his acting is an essential viewing for anyone who thinks that acting is a serious craft.

Are we so powerless that we cannot have a say in our destiny or is it that we are just playing out the parts written for us. Is it all about fate? Will the voice just say it? Die.

Chinatown (1974) [ IMDB: 8.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T37QkBc4IGY

As I have mentioned in one of the earlier posts, Roman Polanski is not a director who likes happy endings except for his masterpiece ‘The Pianist’. In ‘Chinatown’ also the dominant feeling is that of doom and gloom. The climax confirms the general pessimism of Polanski towards life, perhaps a reflection of the awful tragedies in his life. Nevertheless,  this movie is a compelling one with a solid story and outstanding performances. Jack Nicholson plays a private detective who is hired to investigate personal lives but as he begins his investigation he soon learns that it is as painful and complex as peeling onions. Chinatown’s final sequence has a dialogue; “It’s not worth it”. The opposite is true for the movie.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) [IMDB: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 90%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDw6VSSAVg4

This Western has Paul Newman and Robert Redford at their best. They essay the roles of two outlaws. Based on real life events, this motion picture is a delight to watch. The movie has enough action, adventure and comedy. In one of the scenes where they try to rob a bank in Bolivia, they do it by writing their instructions on paper slips in Spanish so that they don’t forget. The love Robert Redford has for the movie is evident from the fact that he chose the name ‘Sundance’ for the film festival he started. There must be a reason why he loves it so much. Watch it.

Movies I Saw This Week

Before Midnight (2013) [IMDB: 8.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euOJkb0U8v

The quote may be for books but it holds true for movies also. Some movies are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some movies are to be watched only in parts, others to be watched, but not curiously, and some few to be watched wholly, and with diligence and attention. Thankfully every movie in the ‘Before ….’ series falls into the last category. ‘Before Midnight’ may be the best in the series. The thing with the ‘Before…..’ series is that either you love it or you don’t understand it. How can they make movies one after the other every nine years, that has the same people speaking to each other and yet keep it interesting? Julie Delphy, Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater were perhaps born to do this. Nothing is forced: the dialogues, the acting, the story. It all looks so easy and that is the triumph of the movie. We find the couple nine years after their coming together but with some family and work related stuff to bother them. I have tried to figure out the formula for the series or at least the way dialogues are written. What I think are the key factors in keeping it engrossing are; a) never have long monologues unless it is an anecdote, b) have lot of anecdotes, c) discuss about the world and keep it civilized d) don’t discuss money e) don’t discuss any relatives outside the immediate family unless there is a death. All this does not take away the fact that ‘Before Midnight’ makes the mundane sound so exciting. I hope that at least this time the actors get Oscar nominations and maybe a win too. I also hope that they find another reason to make the fourth movie in the series after nine years.

Stand Up Guys (2012) [IMDB: 6.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 48%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NApJNjPTqZs

When you have Al Pacino, Alan Arkin and Christopher Walken, you expect at least an above average attempt. This movie disappoints on that front. At best, it is an average film which might have nursed ambitions of greatness but then goes to sleep after the first ten minutes. It is a story of old con men trying to settle some accounts while trying to enjoy their last days. Nothing special but not bad enough for me to get excited and tear into it.

Fukrey (India, 2013) [IMDB: 6.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 64%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GT-lN6c6Uk

‘Fukrey’ has no ambition. It knows that its hatchet job is to pose as a juvenile comedy and recover its money in the first weekend of release. Many bollywood movies have done this carpet bombing of the box office and ensured that they get suitable returns on their investment before the word spreads that the movie is pathetic. There are no jokes in the movie, the joke is on the viewer while the producers laugh all the way to the bank. The movie is an insult to the people of Delhi. There is not even a single character who is not twisted. Men want to enroll in a college because girls also go there. Girls who go to college have other means of earning money. People who run those activities ask perfect strangers to sell drugs as if they were waiting for franchisees for their business. Think of ‘American Pie’. Remove the good looking girls and the humour (stupid as it is). You get ‘Fukrey’.

Mumbai Police (India, Malayalam, 2013) [IMDB: 7.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 80%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REy6DziJwAQ

A cop who has just solved a murder mystery has an accident before revealing the culprit to anyone else. Sadly, he loses his memory when he recovers from the accident. Now he must start from scratch while his opponents now know that he cannot tell a friend from a foe. This thriller starts on such an interesting premise but then disintegrates into a character study rather than an investigation. Spoilers ahead. The central question of the movies is whether a person’s core character would change after an accident where he loses his memory. For example, will he be less violent than before? Or will he now become straight and cry when his gay past is revealed? I am not a psychologist to answer that but I think that even if such changes are possible, the character won’t cry over them. How unfortunate that we have to debate such things when we could have had an edge of the seat thriller. Disappointing.

Documentary Pick of the Week

Born Into Brothels: Calcutta’s Red Light Kids (2004) {IMDB: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AODZ6k8LgEI

Oscar winning documentary on the kids who grow up in a red light area in Kolkata, India. Frankly, I believe that this documentary is exploitative in nature and the only reason it was made, in my opinion, was to win some awards. I could not empathize with the film makers as they just show what is obvious and they don’t have any real interest in the children who are the subject of the movie. You can agree or disagree by watching this one.

Eagerly waiting for: ‘Kick-Ass 2’ because ‘Kick-Ass’ was kick-ass.

Did you know: Pixar takes up to 4 years to make an animation movie.

Week 14

Movies: Non- English

Departures (Japan, 2008) [IMDB: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtdENmR6jKw

A young unemployed cellist is forced to take up the job of preparing the dead for funerals. What makes the film unique is the distinct cultural landscape of Japan where your job and matters of death are of high importance. The movie is an audience pleaser with moments that will make you smile and reflect. The underlying idea is something I strongly believe in; every job deserves dignity and respect. Come to think of it, I would have watched the movie just because of the title. Death as just departure.

Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War (South Korea, 2004) [IMDB: 8.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 91%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY3v9gMehf4

This movie was recommended to me by Rithin, one of the readers of this blog and I would like to thank him for that. This Korean war film tells the story of two brothers caught in the quagmire of the Korean war. The elder one enlists in the army to protect the younger one but as the story progresses fissures appear in their relationship. This is an out and out war film with some sentiments thrown in. The thing about Korean movies is that they are as melodramatic as commercial Hindi films but they also try to tell a story. Some of the war sequences are quite impressive for an Asian film but the same cannot be said of the computer graphics. It becomes evident that some of the scenes are shot on set. That can be pardoned as the budget of the movie is a fraction of what a similar Hollywood film would have demanded. Some of the scenes are flimsy and technical finesse is evidently missing but that is compensated by the scale of the film and the well choreographed action scenes. I would definitely recommend it for fans of war movies.

Hollywood Retrospective

The Piano (1993) [IMDB: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 90%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_kaUp8NDDU

Jane Campion became the first woman director to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes with this master class which is a romance at its heart but has equal amounts of mystery and adventure thrown in. A married woman has a torrid affair with an odd character which shakes the world around her. Other than the outstanding performance by Holly Hunter in the lead role, watch out for the promising performance  that Anna Paquin delivers as a child. The film is so beautifully shot that viewing it on a small screen would be an injustice.

Full Metal Jacket (1987) [IMDB: 8.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 94%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAvWQa64B8M

Another Vietnam War classic. The initial training period sequence when one of the nerdy guys snaps is chilling and the effect of that on fellow soldiers might have been more dehumanizing than their experiences later. Still, the film explores how the line between right and wrong blurs when self preservation is the overriding emotion. Stanley Kubrick is a master at crating rough sequences and this could be his most realistic film dealing with real people and raw emotions. I believe that for Kubrick Vietnam was just another setting. His story could have been set in any war and that is what makes this an emotional drama more than a war film.

Apocalypse Now (1979) [IMDB: 8.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 99%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HEiqAsrVMQ

The makers of the film almost got killed making it. Their effort did not go in vain and the end product is perhaps the best movie on the conflict in the Indochine region to be made. Though it is Martin Sheen show all the way, the few scenes where Marlon Brando appears confirms that quality triumphs quantity. It is not an easy watch at 153 minutes but then good things require time. It is a hellish experience in the mould of ‘Das Boot’. At the denouement, the question about who is right and who is wrong is difficult to answer but then the soldier is on a mission and he must complete the task assigned to him. All this, because another soldier forgot which side he was on. Must watch.

Movies I Saw This Week

A late Quartet (2012) [IMDB: 6.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 78%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX66lRnNmqs

One of the better films of 2012. It says the story of a Quartet whose members are at a turning point in their lives. When one of the members is diagnosed with Parkinson’s, strains appear in the relations between other members and hitherto suppressed feelings boil over. The film is quite engaging right from the beginning. The film scores quite high in the acting department. The story has only five characters but the director is able to keep it engaging. The only issue is that if you are not an expert in Western Classical, you will make a fool of yourself in some scenes. I can tell the difference between Mozart and Wagner but I bet there won’t be many who can detect mistakes if some notes of Beethoven are played wrongly. There are a few such scenes and you just have to trust the screenplay on such occasions. It is also an area that has seldom been explored in movies. So you get to know how much hard work goes into the making of a half decent musician. Definitely worth a watch.

Trance (2013) [IMDB:7.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 72%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvTW1JecmZo

James McAvoy has been heralded as the next superstar for quite some time now. In ‘Trance’, directed by Danny Boyle, he does his reputation no harm. The film is typical Danny Boyle stuff with scenes of time lapse photography, indulgently shot sequences and pulsating music. Here the protagonist loses his memory after a cooperating in an art heist. So the other gang members come up with the idea of using the services of a hypnotherapist to retrieve his lost memory. The story is sleek and missing any scene may mess up the understanding of what is happening onscreen. As it is, even if you watch all the scenes you will be little confused about some of them. The story is full of unreliable characters. So you can choose whom to trust.

Ghanchakkar (India, 2013) [IMDB: 5.5, Rotten Tomaotes: 25%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClncY3AQxeg

The funny thing with ‘Ghanchakkar’ s that it begins on a premise similar to ‘Trance’ reviewed above. That is, the lead character loses his memory after a heist but the similarity ends there. Whereas in ‘Trance’ they go to a hypnotherapist to retrieve the memory, in ‘Ghanchakkar’ they go to a baba. That sums up the difference in approach between Hollywood and Bollywood.  ‘Ghanchakkar’ is a painfully slow movie but with a rock solid climax. The issue is that you may not have the patience to sit through the movie to see the climax. I believe that the script would have looked good on paper but what is shown on screen is a cure for insomnia. The film is neither funny nor engaging. When a film has Emran Hashmi as the best performer, it says so much about its quality. The characters are annoying and the director deserves much of the flak for making it less interesting than a television serial. I did like the ending but then who cares about the dessert when the main course is stale.

Documentary Pick of the Week

The Corporation (2003) [IMDB: 8.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 90%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKbpQ_H7ziU

Documentary which charts the growing influence of large companies in a historical perspective. Very educative but a little biased in my opinion. Still, must see.

Eagerly waiting for: ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’ because a little fun never killed anyone.

Did you know: Steven Spielberg met Drew Barrymore when she acted in ‘E.T’. When she grew up she posed for Playboy. When Spielberg found out, he sent Barrymore a blanket so she could ‘cover up.’

Week 13

Movies: Non- English

California Dreamin’ (Romania, 2007) [IMDB: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 89%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75NoNVMkQwU

What happens when a NATO train with US soldiers is stopped in a small town in Romania because it does not have the transit documents? In times when the Bolivian President is not given a safe flight home, this film is also a reminder that even Romania can poke USA if it really wants to. This is the story told by Director Cristian Nemescu in one of those movies which is as farcical as it is serious. Stranded in a small town with corrupt local officials, the soldiers get to see a slice of the daily lives of the people of Romania.  The acting is natural and believable. We are not talking of a masterpiece here but a normal entertaining movie. The film could have been sharper but the young director died immediately after the completion of the film.

Halfaouine : Boy of the Terraces (Tunisia, 1990) [IMDB: 6.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 61%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N8OzaWW24g

Get a glimpse of Arab culture and life in this Tunisian movie which is a coming off age story. An adolescent boy and his curiosities are presented with poise by the director without losing the sensuality of it all. The film never gets voyeuristic and moves at a pleasant pace. The story is universal but the setting and the characters make it special. The acting is so effortless that you may feel that you are not watching a movie but a slice of life in Tunisia. Recommended for the viewer who is open to knowing new cultures and lifestyles.

Hollywood Retrospective

Say Anything… (1989) [IMDB: 7.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFV7FnbhBRY

John Cusack may mean many things to many people but when I hear that name the first image that comes to my mind is the iconic scene of him holding up the stereo to play it outside his sweetheart’s house in the finely written romance ‘Say Anything’. This movie will never make it to the list of greatest movies ever made but this one will stay with you if you can pay attention to the good dialogues and scenes it has. Also, when the lady being wooed is Ione Syke, it does not hurt to look at the screen. In case you want to see more of her ‘The Rachel Papers’ is highly recommended in spite of it being a flawed movie.  If you ever watch ‘The Rachel Papers’, check out the scene when the taxi leaves just as a kiss is going to happen. That is one of my favourite romantic scenes on screen. Coming back to ‘Say Anything’, just watch it with your boyfriend/girlfriend on a lazy afternoon.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) [IMDB: 8.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 93%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GiLxkDK8sI

Once in a while you watch a movie that just blows you away. With me the real world experience in such cases involves changing my posture from lying down in the bed/sofa to jumping up and grabbing the chair because it hits me that the movie deserves my full attention. ‘Eternal Sunshine…’ is one such movie. The movie wants to tell  three things. Firstly, when lovers start out they look perfect to each other but then it is difficult to sustain the same passion unless you are willing to put that extra effort. Secondly, some people are made for each other and nothing can stop that. Thirdly, just as joy is part of life so is pain. Now, the real genius of the writer Charlie Kaufman (I am a huge fan) is how he makes a story to fit these ideas neatly into them and tell it without you realizing that you are being told the exact same things in a wonderful way. More than anything, I marvel at the ability of someone to think, conceptualize and finally put pen to paper on such an original screenplay which deservedly won the Oscar. It is interesting that in a film with Jim Carrey it is Kate Winslet who looks the odd character. The performances are alright, the direction is above average but the screenplay is awesome. While watching this masterpiece, try to think like a writer.

Out of Africa (1985) [IMDB: 7.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 83%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gYlSGUTthw

A fiercely independent woman who would not be tied down by anything or to anybody meets her match in Africa. The people in question happen to be Meryl Streep and Robert Redford in this old world romance directed by Sydney Pollack. Visually stunning, tragic and emotionally draining. In the middle of all the excitement that the movie generates there is that feeling of impending doom. Based on a true story.

Movies I saw this week

To the Wonder (2012) [IMDB: 6.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 48%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTAzcTZTY1g

Terrence Malick’s effort after ‘Tree of Life’ is a dud. Ben  Affleck, Javier Bardem, Rachel McAdams or Olga Kurylenko cannot save this film from doom. The dialogues are minimal and the movie tries to look high end art house cinema without much success. Still, I can watch this movie more than once just for the visual experience it gives. It is one of the most beautifully shot films I have seen in recent times. The locations are simply breathtaking but in the end all that comes to nothing for the lack of a story.

Ishkq in Paris (India, 2013) [IMDB: 3.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 33%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqwSWLjChSs

Why I watched this movie? I don’t know. How I felt when I watching it? I certainly know. I should have known better. When Preity Zinta was giving interviews saying she was confident about the movie because it has a good story, I should have read between the lines. The first half of the film is ‘Before Sunrise’ copied scene by scene. The second half? Don’t even bother. Somebody please tell Zinta that she is no more the bubbly girl of ‘Dil Se’. I don’t know whether I was hallucinating but the male lead had kohl lined eyes throughout. Spooky. Also, trash.

The Watch (2012) [IMDB: 5.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 41%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNvzuscCzVA

Heard about too many cooks spoiling the broth? The case is not exactly that here because there is no broth to begin with. Four men defend their neighborhood against alien invasion. Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill are so bad in the film that the aliens’ acting looks better. Still, if you have an IQ in single digits you may enjoy it but such people are harder to find on earth than aliens.

Documentary Pick of the Week

Hoop Dreams (1994) [IMDB:8.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph2Y-epihlk

Two boys whose only way out of crime and poverty is basketball, try to make their dreams come true. Uplifting.

Eagerly waiting for: ‘Blue Jasmine’ because I eagerly await every movie from Woody Allen. After covering Barcelona, London, Paris and Rome in the last few films, he is now back to San Francisco.

Did you know: There are more than 40,000 movie screens in the USA.

Week 12

Movies: Non- English

Merry Christmas (France, Germany, 2005) [IMDB: 7.7/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 81%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkKkAg4Ew-s

Based on true events, the film tells the story of enemies united by music and the spirit of Christmas. During the First World War, German, French and Scottish soldiers momentarily stop fighting on the eve of Christmas and celebrate it together. It is little difficult to describe because it looks surreal. If I were at the scene, I would have pinched myself. They just lie down their arms, exchange hugs, sing, celebrate Christmas and then go back to fighting. Nominated for Oscar in the best foreign language film category. Did not win. Even the Academy voters would have found the story too good to be true.

Mediterraneo (Italy, 1991) [ IMDB:7.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 90%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU4G6mfyvhM

Exquisitely shot anti-war romance. Italian soldiers land in a Greek island during the World War 2. The story develops as they come in contact with the people (some of them too gorgeous) of the island. Picturesque locations and the laid back life of the islands have an enduring effect on the soldiers. Though set during the World War, it is a light movie which moves at a leisurely pace. Only thing that can hold you back from watching this Oscar winner is the damning fact that it was produced by Silvio Berlusconi (yes, the Bunga Bunga guy). On a serious note, worth a watch.

Hollywood Retrospective

A Fish Called Wanda (1988) [IMDB: 7.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqAJUlSRCwo

The thing about ganging up to commit robbery is that trust between the gang members is an absolute essential. The uproarious British comedy explores what all could go wrong when each member of a four member gang tries to double cross one another. Jamie Lee Curtis is in the role of a lifetime in this film which has comedy at its core but also has a story to tell. The sad thing is that many Indian movies have unashamedly stolen scenes from this movie. Otherwise, perfect weekend entertainment.

Raging Bull (1980) [IMDB: 8.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiVOwxsa4OM

The original boxing classic based on the life of Jake LaMotta. LaMotta reaches the heights by channeling his rage and anger on the boxing ring but as he climbs the charts, the same flaws take a heavy toll on his personal life. Robert De Niro deservedly won an Oscar for his performance but Scorsese had to wait till ‘The Departed’ to land his first one. The movie is a lesson on life. Don’t miss the title sequence in the beginning. I would have given Scorsese the Oscar just for that.

The Searchers (1956) [IMDB: 8.0/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 100%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI2AZb04HAc

A man’s search for his last remaining relative who has been kidnapped at a tender age. His persistence and focus also leads to morally ambiguous situations. After years of staying away in a different culture would the girl still want to come back? Will he take her back when she discovers that she is no more like the girl he was searching for? Tough questions. Watch the movie which is often cited as the best Western ever made.

Movies I Saw This Week

Upside Down (2012) [IMDB: 6.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 41%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkYvYGR7Ys4

A boy and a girl fall in love. Then they are separated. The boy does not let go and pursues the girl. Simple story. Only issue is that they live in different worlds which have opposite gravity. Since digitally everything is possible, we have a plastic world where things are so beautiful that you know they don’t exist. Since the science is spurious, the story also feels fake. Maybe, you can take your partner to the cinema, eat popcorn, discuss few things and occasionally look at the screen.

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) [IMDB; 6.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 61%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DylgNj4YQVc

The initial idea behind big budget animation films was that kids will drag their parents to the cinema and help sell those extra tickets. Disney has laughed all the way to the bank on a couple of occasions milking this idea. Now things are not so simple. So they have to throw in Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams to attract the right kind of audience. The grown ups can ogle at the beauties while the children can have the real fun. The movie is strictly for kids. They may enjoy it.

Raanjhanaa (India, 2013) [IMDB: 8.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 50%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER9vmhxFucg

One line verdict: Not a bad film by the standards of Bollywood. Now the real thing (Spoilers ahead). If you think about it, ‘Raanjhanaa’ is a regressive film. The Muslim girl cannot marry any Hindu guy even when she has a choice of two. The leading lady is manipulative and does not really love any of her suitors. Truth be said, the film is about the love story of two different men for the same girl but it is all one way traffic. One of them is dumb enough to try his luck at marriage by posing as a Muslim and the other gets into politics of which he has no clue. The most sincere scene in the movie is when the men bond at the hospital bed of Abhay Deol. I have not lived in Uttar Pradesh but I can safely say that wrist slashing at the drop of a hat is not the preferred mode of wooing a girl in any part of the country. Come to think of it, Dhanush’s character is a bigger psycho than Shahrukh Khan of ‘Darr’. Here the stalking is direct and so in your face. Unfortunately Dhanush looks so earnest in his performance that you are willing to give him some sympathy but if you want to see why he won the National Award for best actor, watch ‘Aadukalam’. The good thing is that the movie does not really bore you and A R Rahman’s music helps the cause. Moral of the story for men: You cannot force anyone to love you and when you understand that get out of the scene. Otherwise you may find yourself in a coffin and the girl won’t even cry.

Documentary Pick of the Week

Man on Wire (2008) [IMDB: 7.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 100%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIawNRm9NWM

Some people have too much courage or are they plain crazy? In which category would you place someone who walks 200 feet on a wire between two buildings at a height of 110 storeys? That too, without any safety features. One guy did it in 1974 and this is the documentary on him and his activities. Don’t try at home.

Eagerly waiting for: ‘The Lone Ranger’ because of Johnny Depp.

Did you know: The African Americans who acted in ‘Gone With the Wind’ were not allowed entry to the premiere of the movie.