Week 20

Movies: Non-English

A Moment to Remember (South Korea, 2004) [ IMDB: 8.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 92%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo9WSLv-lzs

This Korean romance will put even Bollywood to shame with its melodrama and overplaying of sentiments. It is a mushy romance which is worth a watch with your girlfriend/boyfriend. A young couple overcome many obstacles to get married and start a life together. Sooner than later, tragedy strikes when the wife is diagnosed with a rare form of memory loss. How the couple cope with it forms the rest of the story. The onscreen chemistry between the lead couple is unmistakable. The story reminded me of Erich Segal’s book ‘Love Story’. Overall, a breezy romance.

In the Mood for Love ( Hong Kong, 2000) [ IMDB: 8.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 93%]

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

This is one of the better works of Wong Kar Wai. A man and a woman have one thing in common. Both doubt their spouses of infidelity. They also happen to be neighbours and this becomes their meeting point. The film is shot in a rather fluid way and moves at a leisurely pace. The film was acclaimed universally by the critics and had a good run in the festival circuit when it was released, with the lead actor bagging the ‘Best Actor’ award at Cannes. The best thing is that the films keep you interested till the very end when it goes for an unpredictable climax, something I could not foresee even though there are very heavy hints in the movie for that particular ending.

English Retrospective

The Graduate (1967) [ IMDB: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%]

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

The film that practically made a star out of Dustin Hoffman. ” Mrs. Robinson, you are trying to seduce me.” The charm with which Hoffman says the dialogue is a reflection of the ease with which he carries the role. Hoffman plays a man who also falls for the mother of his girlfriend. Exceptional music with some of the chart-busters of the era help in creating the ambiance for one movie which is easy on the eye. Watch it for Dustin Hoffman.

Gone With the Wind (1939) [ IMDB: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFu-jemU-bA

If you not yet seen this classic, please do. It is one of the greatest movie spectacles to unfold on the big screen. Winner of 10 Oscars, it has unforgettable performances from all those performing in the movie. Few movies have had success in achieving the scale and grandeur of this movie. At its heart it is a love story but it is more of a story in the vein of great works of literature. I have wondered how they were able to achieve such finesse in 1939. It would be no exaggeration to say that many languages have not yet made one movie to compare with the quality of ‘Gone with the Wind’. And frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn. Could not resist it.

From Here to Eternity (1953) [IMDB: 7.8, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yup3rl2yK8A

This movie’s consistent claim to fame is the kiss scene on the beach which has almost always been voted as the best kiss scene in movie history. Fortunately, the movie also has a riveting tale to tell. It tells the story of an ultimately doomed romance with the US Army as the backdrop. It has a stellar cast and strong screenplay. All in all, a movie you should not miss.

Movies I Saw This Week

Pain and Gain (2013) [ IMDB: 6.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 52%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEQ8jyvmYtw

The one thing about this movie is that if they did not write at the beginning that it is based on true events, it would have been hard to believe. For this reason, it feels like a farce at times but it is not the trash movie I was expecting it to be. It is a decent shot at telling a rather improbable story. For once I liked the acting of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson because he was playing a character that fits him well. A dumb body builder who has as many grey cells as the highest number a newborn baby can say. The casting is spot on but you know you are watching a wannabe film when graphics appear on screen to tell you explicitly who is the ‘weak link’ or who is the ‘new recruit’. For all its infirmities, it is still worth a watch.

Madras Cafe (India, 2013) [IMDB: 8.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 84%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnkKI01I0Ac

I have generally appreciated the efforts of John Abraham and his willingness to try different types of films. This is his attempt at interpreting the events that led to the assassination of former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi by the now dead and buried LTTE rebels of Sri Lanka. The movie has a definite cutting edge feel to it and the fact that it has no songs is a great step because it does not mind breaking the stereotypes. Most of the scenes are evidently shot in Kerala. John looks the part as an army man. Even Nargis  Fakhri whose acting was so poor in ‘Rockstar’ that Ranbir Kapoor’s guitar in that movie acted better than her, does justice to a role which suits her. Legendary quizzer Siddartha Basu making his debut also looks sharp as the intelligence Chief. The movie builds towards the climax so well that one starts feeling sorry for Rajiv Gandhi. The film does have many loopholes. It is audacious to suggest that big corporations were behind the planning of the assassination just because Rajiv Gandhi was interested in solving the issue peacefully. Truth be told, Congress was down and out for the general election that was approaching then. There was no chance for Rajiv to return to power. Even the sympathy wave generated by his death did not help Congress get a majority in the elections that followed. Also, the film makes a joke out of India’s intelligence gathering capabilities. The reporter sitting in London knows more than the intelligence establishment. Now there is a talk of making this India’s official entry for the Oscars. Spare us the pain.

The Angel’s Share (2012) [IMDB: 7.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 89%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcQIvmR21VU

This is a fun movie and a mood elevator. It also happens to be on whisky. It is Ken Loach’s least serious film and that itself is enough reason to raise a toast to this movie which is about normal working class people trying to find their way in a difficult world. Not at all boring and educative in many ways. I recommend.

Documentary Pick of the Week

McLibel (2005) [ IMDB: 7.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 100%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyGK5j_EcmE

The story of a postman and a gardener who took on McDonald’s and won against all odds. The biggest David Vs Goliath story in corporate history. The biggest PR disaster in corporate history. I’m loving it. The documentary, that is.

Eagerly Waiting for: ‘Salinger’ because they apparently have material on this dead and reclusive writer to make a documentary on him.

Did you now: Samuel L Jackson holds the record for the actor whose films have grossed the highest at the box office.

Week 18

Movies: Non- English

The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany, 2008) [IMDB: 7.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 85%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FanVI8-zlsA

Germans are a curious bunch of people. They like things to be planned and dislike uncertainty. How such a society falls prey to radical ideologies is worth pondering about. After the disastrous fling with Nazism, Germans of the post war era have a shot at left wing radicalism. This film tells the true story of the group at the heart of this movement. The film is a copybook study on how idealism goes wrong and leads to bloodshed and crime. It also looks at how movements deviate from their path and ultimately fail. The movie is told at a good pace and the settings look authentic. The performances are nothing to gloat over but it is definitely worth a watch.

Army of Shadows (France, 1969) [IMDB: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 97%]

Tralier: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on38oTESbHU

This one charts the story of the French Resistance against the Nazis during the Second World War. France had easily capitulated to the Nazis but that did not stop a group of spirited people from putting up a resistance. This movie does not have supermen or gladiators fighting off the evil but it does have ordinary men doing extraordinary things in a very ordinary style. The story is written by two people who were part of the movement. The movie does not try to excite. It moves at the same pace throughout but as a viewer you are slowly drawn into the lives of the characters. The story is one of loyalty and deception, hope and heartbreak and many other hues. All this adds up to the best French movie on the Second World War. Highly recommended.

English Retrospective

The reason I am changing the name of the section to ‘English Retrospective’ is because some of the finest English movies are made outside USA.

The Wind That Shakes the Barley (Ireland, 2006) [IMDB: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yvHe_ksnDA

Ken Loach is one of the best film makers alive. This is his masterclass. It is the story of two brothers who take up arms for Ireland against Britain but then find themselves at the opposite ends after the bigger enemy is dealt with. Ireland is one of the political disasters of the 20th century and the British government sowed the seeds of discord among those who fought them in Ireland. The movie is a painful recollection of the events and how successful the British were with their ‘Divide and Rule’ policy. It is a formula they later applied with great success in India too. Coming back to the film, it is a movie shot exquisitely and has a great story to tell. It never gets melodramatic but then the despair on the screen is affecting. I would say that it is a must see if you are interested in making any sense of the conundrum in Ireland. No wonder it won the Palme d’Or at Cannes.

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) [ IMDB: 7.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JMuyzm3JRU

If you have seen too many movies on weddings with the same old story, take  a break and watch this one. Genre defining movie with clean humour and too many laugh out loud moments. This is the movie which made a star out of Hugh Grant and is testimony to the power of great writing. The movie deals with the protagonist’s love life over four weddings and a funeral. One of the biggest box office draws of 1994, this film was loved by audiences across the globe. A really good comedy which is my benchmark for wedding movies. Watch out for Rowan Atkinson in his best movie performance.

Fargo (1996) [IMDB: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 94%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB4PmbfG4bw

The Coen Brothers are masters of crime cinema. This is one of their best movies with Frances McDormand in an Oscar winning performance. I haven’t checked who were her competition that year but she would have won hands down any year for her role as the local policewoman trying to find the missing links in a series of crimes that sweep a small town. The movie is about a kidnapping gone wrong and how things spiral out of control leading to disastrous consequences. This one is so astutely made that if you blink you may miss some of the best moments. A real edge of the seat thriller. I just love it.

Movies I Saw This Week

The Great Gatsby (2013) [IMDB: 7.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 70%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaBVLhcHcc0

I have not read the novel which is the source material for the movie and after watching the movie I don’t plan to. One thing I can say for sure is that the film is an early contender for the Oscar for ‘Set Decoration’. Though there are many scenes that have backgrounds that rely too heavily on technology to create the ambiance, the attention to detail is breathtaking. The film has been made with such dedication that every frame is so well thought out and it shows on screen. That is ultimately the failing of the movie because somewhere along the line the movie loses its soul in trying to look spectacular. I have not been a great fan of Baz Luhrmann who has made some below average films like ‘Australia’ and ‘Moulin Rouge’. Here he is let down by the fact that the baby faced  Toby Maguire who is also the narrator of the movie, has a baby voice. Leonardo DiCaprio is not going to win the elusive Oscar for this one but Carey Mulligan is a delight to watch. The Great Gatsby is hailed by some as a classic American novel but then the film makes it look like an average masala novel with a very convenient ending. The film never soars but it is not exactly a disaster either. Sometimes too much publicity is a bad thing.

The Company You Keep (2012) [IMDB: 6.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 56%]

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

A reporter from a local daily uncovers the identity of a fugitive on the run from FBI for more than three decades. The fugitive was part of a dreaded underground group which violently protested against the Vietnam war. Veterans like Robert Redford and Susan Sarandon add sparkle to this otherwise average film. It is engaging to a point but not exciting enough. The cards are heavily in favour of the fugitive. So things are not difficult to predict. Not a bad movie though. Anna Kendrick is a fine actress but she needs to get out of the role of the office assistant / intern which she seems to always end up with.

Lovelace (2013) [IMDB: 6.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 52%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPJY-g-WoQo

Linda Lovelace was the star of the biggest grossing porn film of all time. This film takes you behind the scenes and details the seventeen days that Lovelace spent in the porn industry, gaining her a lifetime of infamy. It is a sympathetic portrayal of a lady exploited by her husband and how she shows the courage to come out of it all. Amanda Seyfried looks the part as the naive young lady. Fit for mature audiences only.

Documentary Pick of the Week

Religulous (2008) [IMDB: 7.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 78%]

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

Bill Maher talks to people on religion and God. Funny, revealing and informative.

Eagerly waiting For: ‘The World’s End’ because it has some really funny guys.

Did you know: French movies have won the most number of Oscars in the ‘Best Foreign Movie’ category.