Monday, December 29, 2008

CHUNG KING EXPRESS ( DIR: WONG KAR WAI) 1994

Here we find two different stories of two heartbroken cops.How they search for love and misses it.The two cops do not know each other but they have a common link,a street side food stall.A girl from that stall breaks the first cop's heart while another girl from that stall gives the other peace....

The way the film is shown is a treat to the eyes.The splash of colors and motion along with other brilliance s make the film beautiful to watch at.

LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE ( DIR: RATANARUANG PEN EK) 2003

Kenji is a quit,lonely,shy Japanese librarian.He reads a lot of books and believes death to be bliss.This belief of his leeds him to many suicide attempts.Noi is a pot-smoking,care free Thai girl.When Kenji's brother and Noi's sister gets killed for different reasons,circumstances make them meet each other....

The cinematography is good.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

HENRY POOLE IS HERE ( DIR: MARK PELLINGTON) 2008

When Henry,a "sad and angry" man,moved into the new neighborhood,he wanted only one thing,solitude.But his privacy was disturbed by Esperanza a talkative old lady who is also known as the "local newspaper" and a little girl.To add to this Esperanza finds a stain in Henry's wall which she starts to believe as the face of Christ.Although Henry asked only to be left alone,he got a lot more than that....

Another feel good type film.

PERHAPS LOVE ( DIR: PETER CHAN) 2005

In the beginning of the film we find a man,who likes to describe himself as someone who tries to give people small pieces of their memory back to them when they need it the most.He visits the set,where a film is being shot.There we find out that the script of the film is slowly merging with the real lives of the actor,the actress and the director.

The film which was being shot was a musical.So the film which we are watching has many musical instances.The cinematography is very attracting.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

RAB NE BANA DI JODI ( DIR:ADITYA CHOPRA) 2008

On her wedding day Tanni lost her to be husband in a bus accident.The shock killed her father a little later.Before dying her father puts her hand in the hand of his favorite student Surinder.Surinder,a middle aged boring person is entirely opposite compared to her.Tanni decides to accept this and change herself to fit the new situation.But suddenly Surinder realises that he has fallen in love with Tanni and he does not want her to change...


The eternal questions are asked here again.If a girl falls in love with Batman or Superman etc can she also love there other image as Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent etc?Which of the images conveyed by the super heroes are real?

Saturday, December 20, 2008

HERO ( DIR: YIMOU ZHANG) 2002

The emperor of Qin in pre-unified China was the most powerful of all the other emperors.In order to rule all over China he took many drastic measures.Three assassins Falling Snow,Broken Sword and Sky had only one goal in there life that is to kill the emperor of Qin.Nameless another assassin meets the king and announces there death in his hand and offers the king his service.The film develops through flashbacks in the conversation between Nameless and the emperor.

The cinematography is beautiful in the film.

Monday, December 15, 2008

FATAL MOVE ( DIR: DENNIS LAW) 2008

The film tells the story of a criminal organisation leaded by BigBro.The internal affairs of the gang and their encounter with police or other gangs are shown in the film.

The action/violance in some scenes were vulgar/bloody.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

WITH YOUR MOTHER TOO ( DIR: ALFANSO CUARON) 2001

Two teenage friends Tenoch and Julio invite Luisa,wife of an Tenoch's elder cousin, to embark on a trip to Heaven's Mouth,a beach.When Luisa accepts the plan they hide the fact that there is no such place like that and decide to take her to another place and name it so.They set off in Julio's car...

Sometimes unexpected things happen when the things we expect/want happens.A film about growing up,maturing through experiances.

OPEN CITY (DIR: LEE SANG KI ) 2008

Jo's mother left him and his sister 20 years ago.Jo grew up and joined the police,only to find out that his mother after leaving them has joined a pickpocket gang.After that,series of incidents made him tough but he never wanted to work against pickpocket gangs until now.Now he again starts work to catch pickpocket gangs....

Why do pickpocketers or cops need to wear or behave such,so that they can be spotted easily in a crowd?

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

RIGHTEOUS KILL (DIR : JON AVNET) 2008

Way back , when i allowed myself to read up a bit on cinema , rather than solely deriving unalloyed visual pleasure, i came across terms like "thriller" and "suspense" and also "twist in the tale". Now i guess thriller is a film which reveals the joker in the pack in the begining to the viewer but remains a mystery for the lead actor to unravel while the kind of suspense we see in this film is supposed to leave both the viewer and the lead actor guessing about the joker . And the suspense here is defused with a twist at the end of the cinematic narration." Righteous Kill" does pose a moral quarry on whether its best to combine judicial and executive functions but it also brings back the good old fashioned cops with the stakeouts and shootouts. And i would give the director credit for taking us off on a long highway with the suspect the story props up and for giving us the opportunity to have the pleasant surprise of being caught off the dominant stream of thought .

JELLYFISH ( DIR: SHIRA GEFFEN,ETGER KERET) 2007

The film tells about three different women living in Israel.Batya who works as a waitress in marriage parties.Keren who broke her leg on her wedding day and is forced to have an irritating honeymoon.Joy a Filipino guest worker who has left her son behind for job.All of them are trying to find their ways in the world.


A couple of days in the life of these women are shown in the film.The events of these days matures them for their future.

CYBORG SHE (DIR: KWAK JAE YOUNG) 2008

Jiro sends a Cyborg from future to his young self for guiding him towards a better future.Slowly Jiro falls in love with the Cyborg and tries to give her feelings.Jiro gets a better future but the Cyborg gets destroyed trying to save him from an earthquake.Jiro grows up and recreats the same looking Cyborg with the help of its intact brain.After Jiro's death the Cyborg(declared dead but with useful memories) is auctioned and brought by an woman who looks exactly like the Cyborg.She examines the memories.She travels time and meets Jiro before the Cyborg was sent to him.After a brief meeting she goes back to the future.She falls in love with Jiro.She comes back to him at the moment when the Cyborg got destroyed in the earthquake.Thus indicating towards another possible future.


Our actions choose our future.It would be easy if we try to believe that there are more than one possible future and we are just choosing among them.

A MAN WHO WAS SUPERMAN (DIR: JEONG YOON CHUL) 2008

Song works for a producer who is interested in filming strange/funny/carefree people living in or near the city.Consequences make her meet with a man who thinks himself to be the Superman and his only aim is to help others.Slowly she befriends him and finds out more about him...


Magic or superpowers are probably doing something which is so simple that we often forget to do or in giving our best.Time has made us think the simple things as the most complicated things.A man with superpowers does not perform miracles,he performs what is natural from him.In the dream of superpowers we create excuses and avoid what is expected from us.

TRANSPORTER 3 ( DIR : OLIVIER MEGATON) 2008

Frank is forced to make a delivery.To his disgust he has to to work with a girl,Valentina.Frank and Valentina are fitted with bracelets which are designed to self destruct if any of them go too far away from the car....

The action sequences are enjoyable as long as one does not use his head to think about them.

CHOCOLATE ( DIR: PRACHYA PINKAEW) 2008

The film is about an autistic girl.Although her other senses are dull,she has her interest in martial arts and slowly picks up deadly skills by herself.To treat her mother (who was in a gang and was banished due to falling in love with the leader of a rival gang) she needs money.She and her friend soon find out that there are people who owe her mother money and are unwilling to pay.She by instinct uses her skills to make them pay.....


As other movies of Pinkneaw this movie also showcases deadly martial arts.

OYE LUCKY,LUCKY OYE ( DIR: DIBALAR BANERJEE) 2008

Lucky grew up in a small locality,but always dreamt big.After growing up with his confidence and the ability to socialize with people he became a successful fraud.He was so my dear in his manner that everybody seemed to like him and that served him good in his business of stealing....


Lucky acted well to develop his character.But the film ends quite abruptly.Lucky never planned his future,he was a natural in his business.The film also ends without any conclusion.Maybe the film portrayed the character well enough so as to give a feeling of abruptness.

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS ( DIR: DAVID GORDON GREEN) 2008

Dale accidentally witnesses a murder scene committed by Ted,a powerful drug dealer.In that moment of panic he goes to his pot dealer Saul's house.After a moments thought they reason that they both are equally in danger.Now Dale and Saul are on the run to save themselves....

The movie starts out as a normal movie but letter it develops more into a bad spoof.Probably the director was in two minds about what to do with the film : make it a spoof or keep it normal.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

3:10 TO YUMA ( DIR: JAMES MANGOLD) 2007

An honest one legged rancher Dan Evans desperately needs money to keep his land by paying off his debts and support his family.For 200$ he volunteers to be one of the escorts who are going to take Ben Wade,a deadly outlaw,to Contention City.There Ben will be put in the 3:10 PM train to Yuma for trial.En route Contention City the men come to know each other better.....

MADE IN HONG KONG ( DIR: FRUIT CHAN) 1997

The film develops around Moon,the protagonist,a school drop out,low-rent tried,his friends Sylverster, a retard and Ping a girl who is going to die of cancer.One day Sylverster comes across a girl,who has committed suicide by jumping from a building and now lay dead on the street.He finds two blood soaked suicide letters lying beside her.He takes the letters and show them to Moon and Ping.They come to know that the girl's name was Susan.They decide to deliver the letters to the addressed persons.Slowly Moon feels that his life is not going to be the same any more....

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

PERFUME:THE STORY OF A MURDERER (DIR:TOM TYKWER) 2006

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, from the time of his birth was more dead to the world than alive.From childhood he was aware of his extraordinary ability to smell things.He grew up in an orphanage,was sold to the tannery factory then again sold to a perfume maker.He craved to preserve the scent.On his cruel quest he suddenly realizes that he himself has no smell of his own.That day he decided to make the world feel his presence....

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

RUN LOLA RUN (DIR: TOM TYKWER) 1998

Lola has 20 minutes to get 100,000 Deutschmarks from where ever she can if she wants to save her boyfriend.A little delay or any decision made by her can change lives.....

Sunday, November 23, 2008

MAX PAYNE ( DIR: JOHN MOORE) 2008

Max Payne working with the NYPD, has searched in vain for three years to find those,who are responsible for his wife and child's murder.In his search he sacrificed friends,reputations.Now he finds some loose ends which leads him to discover more than what he bargained for.....

Saturday, November 22, 2008

SPRING,SUMMER,FALL,WINTER AND SPRING ( DIR: KIM KI DUK) 2003

This film tells the story of a monk and his master living in a isolated floating temple.How the weathers,mentioned in the title of the movie changed there lives and marked new beginnings are shown in the film.The weathers were not from the same year.

PARIS, I LOVE YOU ( 2006)

(DIRECTORS: Olivier Assayas,Frédéric Auburtin,Emmanuel Benbihy,Gurinder Chadha,Sylvain Chomet,Ethan Coen,Joel Coen,Isabel Coixet,Wes Craven,Alfonso Cuarón,Gérard Depardieu, Christopher Doyle,Richard LaGravenese,Vincenzo Natali,Alexander Payne,Bruno Podalydès, Walter Salles,Oliver Schmitz,Nobuhiro Suwa,Daniela Thomas,Tom Tykwer,Gus Van Sant)


The film is a collection of many small incidents happening in different parts of Paris as described by the directors.One thing which can be seen common to all these pieces is "love" in all different forms.Love is shown here in many of its strange forms.....

Friday, November 21, 2008

DOWN BY LAW ( DIR: JIM JARMUSCH) 1986

It is a black and white film.Two men Zack a pimp and Jack a frustrated D.J. land up in the same cell of a prison for the wrong reason.Later they are joined by Bob,an Italian who understands broken English.Bob finds a way and all the three escape.They find a place owned by Nicoletta.Bob falls in love with her and decides to stay there with her.Zack and Jack bid goodbye from them and letter from each other and walk their own separate paths.

THE FLIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS ( DIR: EMMA ROBERTS) 2008

Niko an young reindeer,wants to fly like his dad who is with the Santa's flying forces powering the Santa's sledge.He never saw his dad but heard about him from his mother.The problem is if his dad was able to fly,then he should also be able to do so.But he failed to fly in spite of several attempts and guidances from Julies the flying squirrel.Niko's stubbornness to prove himself brings badluck to their group.Niko decides to go on the quest to find his dad.....

ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST ( DIR: SERGIO LEONE) 1968

When Misses McBain comes to her husband's house,a faraway place from the town,she finds her husband and all her step children murdered.Slowly she realizes mysterious people are flocking around her,some trying to kill her,some trying to protect her.A strange man playing the harmonica,a man who is a prior convict and another man named Frank about whom others know little of.At first the killing of her husband and others seems to her and to every body as a pointless thing......

MISTER LONELY ( DIR: HARMONY KORINE) 2007

Here we find two stories:

1> Michael,an impersonator of Michael Jackson, meets a girl who impersonates Marilyn Manroe and married to another impersonator of Charlie Chaplin. Marilyn tells him that she lives in a place with other various impersonators. Marilyn invites Michael to live with there group.....

2> When a Nun accidentally falls from a plane while dropping foods to the poor,she places her trust to the god and survives the fall.She tells this miracle to other Nuns and they all start to do this kind of falls successfully.Vatican decides to make this miracle official and invites them......

WITHNAIL AND I ( DIR: BRUCE ROBINSON) 1987

Story of two friends who,while looking for steady work are keeping themselves busy with all sort of alcohols and living a vagabond life in London.They decide to visit the countryside as a refreshment.Withnail's uncle owns a cottage in the country side and after persuasion,Withnail gets the permission to stay in that house for a couple of days with his friend Marwood.There they spends an eventful time.....

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

3-IRON / BIN-JIP (DIR: KIM KI DUK)

In the film we find a boy who breaks into other houses when the owners are away and stays there temporarily.In return he does all the unfinished house holds including mending toys,music system etc. of that house while he is there, for the owners.On the course he meets a girl,a tortured wife of another person and they start to live like this together.This and other facts give rise to certain complications and the boy ends up in the jail.In his cell he practices methods to become invisible.He succeeds in his quest and becomes invisible to all but the girl.He comes back to her.

The director showed some methods which the boy adopted to become invisible and failed.But the final method was unknown not only to the director but to everybody,so the method is not shown but the fact is shown without breaking the flow of the film.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

COFFEE AND CIGARETTES (DIR: JIM JARSMUCH)

The film shows a collection of simple conversations developed while having coffee and cigarettes.Many a times it was mentioned how bad the consumption of coffee and cigarettes are.In one story coffee was replaced by tea entirely.The last conversation was probably most depressing.Even coffee and cigarettes failed to keep the two conversant s awake.They slowly fall asleep.Coffee and cigarettes many a times helped to keep the conversation between brothers,cousins,friends or strangers alive or provided a topic.

A film is different from story books.In story books their are stories or plots.Films also have them.But film in the end is a different medium.Here the challenge is probably how you show something and showing somethings which has literally no link between them and to make a film out of very simple common things is a tough tusk.This film did that,showed some independent simple conversations over coffee and cigarettes.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

THE MAN FROM EARTH ( DIR: RICHARD SCHENKMAN)

The title of the film hints to the discerning viewer that the person who shall be introduced on the screen shall stand out among the millions inhabiting earth . As to how special he turns out to be , that one can judge by seeing the film . The man from earth is a story told by the protagonist for his co actors and retold simultaneously in camera for the audience .Its in such a way as to show that a good film can be made without special effects or scenic locales or maybe the director was plain broke. The way the ordinariness of oneself is perceived as a greatness for others stands out as the story unfolds . The film plays with the state of suspended disbelief of the viewer , deftly presenting both sides of a happening in such an exquisite manner that belief and disbelief remains neatly balanced until almost the end. The refusal of the human mind to accept and recognize a miracle when it happens and to remain content with fantasizing about one and continuing to lead an ordinary life is a paradox that crucified Christ . The film makes us accept closure in continuity and the thoughtful viewer is left pondering over issues holding eternal fascination .

Saturday, October 25, 2008

I AM A CYBORG,BUT THAT'S OK ( DIR: CHAN-WOOK PARK)

The story revolves around Young-Goon,who thinks that she is a cyborg,in a lunatic asylum.All the patients have their own reasons to be there.Slowly their haphazard,disturbed thinking s overlap each other to create love,pattern,song,a film....

These lunatic people are there,probably because they refused to let go of some parts of their memory.In a way each of them were carrying on a revolution.All they needed were directions or to be addressed in the correct way.To us they are lunatics because many a times they are brooding over causes which we have often agreed subconsciously to take as granted.

Friday, October 24, 2008

BEING CYRUS (DIR: HOMI ADAJANIA)

The film is a narrative by Cyrus.Cyrus and his sister Tina grew up in a disoriented family,and was searching for stability.Rather Cyrus thought in the beginning that his sister was searching for stability just like him.Tina marries an aged man,Farokh.Cyrus befriends Farokh's elder brother Dinshaw an artist lost in the smokes of pot,and works as his assistant.According to Tina's plan Cyrus kills Fardounjee(father of Farokh and Dinshaw) and Farokh.With care he puts the blame on Dinshaw and his wife,taking the benefit of their family disorder.Tina becomes the new owner of all the property.But this which Cyrus thought would be the end of their struggle,was just the beginnig for Tina.She plans an encore.Discovering this Cyrus leaves his sister and takes the streets.

Its only in the end that we find out that Cyrus and Tina are brother and sister.The film gave an impression that Cyrus was the mastermind and were unable to kill Tina only due to coincidence.Before this revelation sets in another twist takes place,as Cyrus realizes that this was just the beginning of more murders.His sister was planning to target another family.Cyrus,a more or less grey character makes the film disturbing but up to a controlled point.A hallucinating scene helps to reflect the thoughts of Cyrus.A sense of freedom among the unknown makes Cyrus to move on.

Monday, October 6, 2008

MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO ( DIR: GUS VAN SANT)

In this film we find Scott, son of a high profile father. Scott took the streets and lived a vagabond, clumsy, careless life. He considered that he has two fathers: one was biological and another one who opened his eyes (Bob). Scott and his friends worked as male prostitutes. Here prostitution is shown in many forms through different forms of pleasures. Like a person who does not like to have sex but listen to a particular sound and hires a prostitute to go on making that sound. Here closest friend of Scott, Mike was a homosexual, narcoleptic and liked Scott. Mike and Scott embark on a quest to find Mike’s mother. But en-route Scott finds his life partner and abandons Mike in the middle of the tour and returns to the city. The street dwellers were expecting that Scott will inherit a large amount of money on his 21st birthday, which will be enjoyed by all these people. In turn Scott’s father dies and Scott with his newly found partner returns to his cultured life. The shock kills Bob and leaves Mike alone on the road.

Here from the beginning we see a void of emotion on Scott’s face. Although the street people accepted him it is never clear whether he accepted them. Unlike the others Scott always had the option of a secured life open for him. What was a life to others was just a choice or experience to Scott. In the beginning Scott represented a rebel, who wants to find answers to life by himself. Make his own mark, rather than living in his father’s shadow. It seemed like he was having the freedom which rich people can never think of. But in the end he was changed may be due to wealth or for finding love or due to the call of duty caused by the death of his father. Maybe he was never changed. Maybe he knew what he was doing from the beginning. Maybe he considered it just as an adventure and knew that he will end it in due time. Except the girl nobody moved Scott emotionally or caused him to change his decisions.