Rang De Soliloquy

35 Films of the Decade 1990 – 1999 (English)

2011-05-30T01:10:00.001-07:00

In continuation of my film lists, here is my compiled list of 35 films from the 90s in English. It originally started as 25 films, then 30 and ultimately I settled for 35 films. That is a testament to how great the 90s decade was in terms of quality of cinema.

The usual disclaimer: I am no movie expert, nor have I seen every film out there. There are still a lot of great movies I had not seen. These are just some of my most favourite ones from a whole lot of good movies that I have seen. This is not a definite list or anything, simply an exercise in talking about my favourite movies based on my subjective taste.

12 Monkeys (1995)

Directed by: Terry Gilliam

Terry Gilliam’s sci fi masterpiece is one of the most intelligent, innovate and realistic films in the genre. The genre piece involves time travel, two to two different epochs in the past from the future.

The storytelling is non-linear and instead opts to distort and bend the way the story is told skilfully incorporating a bevy of different time sequences: flashbacks, dreams, memories, the present, the past, the future, and even a scene that is lifted out of Hitchcock's Vertigo. All serve to envelop the viewer into its disturbing cacophony of madness and futility. The tight editing helps ensure a slick pace that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Brad Pitt delivers perhaps his first great performance. Bruce Willis makes his mark and Madeleine Stowe looks and acts very well.

Gilliam's expert, overwhelming, and complex handling of what could have been a routine action/sci-fi film makes 12 Monkeys a compelling vision of a nightmarish, futuristic landscape. Its rich, well-thought out, intricate storyline along with bravura performances from the entire cast and its brooding, bleak cinematography make it a masterpiece of madness.

A Civil Action (1998)

Directed by: Steve Zaillian

Steven Zaillian’s adaptation of Jonathan Harr’s A Civil Action is one of the best court room dramas filmed in Hollywood. This means it does away with all the cliche ridden scenes and dialogues that you see in most John Grisham adaptations Hollywood churns out year after year. Courtroom drama is a robust dramatic formula; there is human conflict, suspense and, in the verdict, resolution. This film prefers to emphasise and explore those non exciting parts in between the human conflict and suspense, in between the suspense and the verdict and in between the verdict and the resolution. As a result of that, the film was considered ‘slow’ and ‘dull’ by the mainstream brain dead used to explosions, car chases, quick cuts, power punched dialogues and so on and so forth. However, for the serious movie goer, this is where the charm of A Civil Action lies.

The man who deserves most credit for that is writer director Steven Zaillian himself. I have always believed that Zaillian is one of the best writers in Hollywood. He has written some of the most powerful and acclaimed films for directors like Scorsese and Spielberg.

So it is no surprise that in his second directorial feature, the strongest point of the film would be the gripping script. The film starts by introducing us to the main protagonist Jan Schlictman expertly played by John Travolta. Travolta perhaps delivers the performance of his career. Schlictman gives us snippets of his line of work, the American justice system and the nature of personal injury claims via voiceover dialogues.

However it is not just Travolta’s performance that worthy of admiration in this film. The film boasts of actors like Robert Duvall and William Macy. Duvall is excellent as the sinister, experienced, veteran lawyer Jerome Fachor. Macy’s performance as Jan’s partner in his law firm was the standout one according to film critic Roger Ebert. But for me the standout moment of the film was the final scene where Travolta sums up his entire law career without saying a single word. A bravura scene and a bravura performance.

American Beauty (1999)

Directed by: Sam Mendes

This is one of those unexpectedly great films out there. Low key films, not over hyped, the plot summary does not make you go weak in the knees. I did not know who the director was, who the writer was. I had no body of work to examine so I could figure out what to expect. I watched it without any pre conceived notions and the film blew me over.

I have often felt that while compared to the proportion of films Hollywood makes each year, it produces too few that are actually about contemporary America, that have something to say about contemporary American society, its people and culture unlike its European counterparts.

American Beauty does exactly that and does so brilliantly that I felt like what one of the character remarks in the film, “ Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst.”

American Beauty does make you squirm and uncomfortable in certain parts and that is a great testament of how well the film is acted, written, photographed and directed.

I watched the film twice with a gap of a few years in between and like every great film, even during the second viewing, the film had the exact same effect on me.

Before Sunrise (1995)

Directed by: Richard Linklater

Cinema can be this way too. Very few films make me feel that way. This is because cinema is already close to 100 years old and we have exhausted almost every genre and plotline. Very seldom we find filmmakers who manage to do something no one has done before, make films like no one before. And that is when I feel, cinema can be this way too, because in doing so they expand the boundaries of cinema.

Richard Linklater’s two part compendium Before Sunrise and Before Sunset is the most complete, sublime and delicate one that exists on contemporary man-woman relationships.

Before Sunrise is an invitation to the audience, an invitation to spend an entire day in Vienna with Jesse and Celine. Visit the places they visit be a part of their conversations. The film is revolutionary in so many different ways. Firstly, the screenplay does not follow a traditional three act structure, but rather sounds more like a normal conversation that would take place between two regular individuals.

Secondly, there is no plot, just a dialogue heavy conversation driven film that takes places within the space of one day and not for one second do you find the film tedious or slow. It proves the notion that in order to feel as if you are inside the film, inside the mind of characters, sitting with them, you do not need 3D technology but just plain good filmmaking.

Career Girls (1997)

Directed by: Mike Leigh

There is something about Mike Leigh films that makes it very hard for me to speak about them afterwards. They are too close to my comfort zone, to close to reality, to easy to relate to, to easy to find yourself in the same turmoil and dilemma as the main characters. You don’t want your own life and its problems and demons explored on screen now do you? Well that is exactly what Mike Leigh films do. That is what he did with Secrets and Lies and Career Girls, which on surface sounds much lighter requires the same level of emotional engagement.

Annie and Hannah were roommates in college for 4 years, after they graduated Annie returned to her hometown and now 6 years later she's visiting her old friend in London for the first time in those 6 years. Re-uniting with old friends is something that has happened to all of us and always brings back the most bittersweet memories.

This film explores friendship in a way never done before on screen. When close friends are not in touch for years, it is often very difficult to reunite and start off where you left. It makes us very uncomfortable and the two actresses Katrin Cartlidge and Lynda Steadman reflect this in their performance beautifully. Do we change with time? or do we just reveal more of ourselves in time? and how does that effect our relationships? our friendships?

Another striking feature of Mike Leigh films is that you discover such brilliant actors and actresses you have never heard of. Cartlidge and Steadman are such fine actresses, you find yourself asking why you never heard of them and why they did not go onto do more work.

Carla’s Song (1996)

Directed by: Ken Loach

How does Ken Loach do it time and again? and so effortlessly? He makes these movies about characters that initially seem so far away from us, living on the margins of society. Yet as his film unfold, he manages to draw us into the world of his characters and before we know it, we are deeply involved with them. I have had this same experience watching The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Bread and Roses and My Name is Joe (more on that later in this post).

A bus driver George Lennox meets Carla, a Nicaraguan exile living a precarious, profoundly sad life in Glasgow. Her back is scarred, her boyfriend missing, her family dispersed; she's suicidal. George takes her to Nicaragua to find out what has happened to them and to help her face her past. Once home, Carla's nightmarish memories take over, and Carla and George are thrown into the thick of the US war against the Sandinistas. A mystery develops over where Carla's boyfriend is, and the key to his whereabouts may be Carla's friend Bradley, a bitter American aid worker. She finds her family, the Contras attack, and she and the Scot face their choices.

I had read about the political turmoil in Nicaragua and American involvement, especially the role played by CIA in a university course about politics and terrorism. Here Loach takes me on a journey to Nicaragua and makes me face the horrors and atrocities directly, through the eyes and experiences of the protagonist Carla.

As the proceedings unfold, there are moments in the film that make you gasp in horror and amazement. It makes you wonder how far power will go, or how low power will stoop to, in order to maintain its position, and commit atrocities in the process without a blink of an eyelid. The images and horrors stay with you after the film. Such is the power of Loach’s cinema.

Donnie Brasco (1997)

Directed by: Mike Newell

Gangster movie genre is not an unexplored genre in American cinema by any means. In fact, it can be claimed that the genre has been exhausted with so many films being classified as a gangster movie. Donnie Brasco on its surface may not sound like anything extraordinary but it is a good gangster film made great by the emotional under currents.

Too many poor gangster films that try to copy Scorsese or De Palma go overboard in terms of gratuitous violence but are emotionally hollow. Scorsese/De Palma gangster films are violent too but the violence is contextual, it helps create an effect. But one complaint I have had about Scorsese’s crime films like Goodfellas and Casino is the rawness. Now to some that might be what makes them great films. But this is where a film like Donnie Brasco, or Leonie’s Once Upon A Time in America or even Scorsese’s own Mean Streets scores for me – they are able to draw you into the characters emotionally. You feel intrigued by their morality, their dilemmas, their struggles, you don’t just observe the proceedings from afar. It makes us relate to the characters without ever glamorising the gangster life. Some might even find it a little slow paced and low on action but that is what separates Donnie Brasco from countless other gangster films.

Al Pacino adds warmth and humanity to his character Lefty and makes you feel as if you have known him all along.

There is something so charming and rebellious about a young Johnny Depp of the 90s in films such as Ed Wood, Don Juan and Donnie Brasco. Depp plays Joe Pistone with precision and restrain and helps the audience really empathise with his struggles.

Fight Club (1999)

Directed by: David Fincher

Fight Club established the career of one of the best directors of the last 20 years – David Fincher. You know a film is great when each time you watch it, you form a different perspective on the film. The first time I saw the film, I hated Tyler Durden. The second and third time, I understood him and now he is one of my most favourite fictional characters. Deeply layered films like Fight Club grow with you. As you evolve as an individual, the film evolves with and you find newer meanings. Such works of art enrich you if you will enrich the work itself.

Films with voiceover narrations are always easy to connect to and Fight Club is no different. But before you can slot it in a category and feel you have this figured out, Fincher changes gears takes you to places you knew was possible. The film is a harsh and scathing critique of western materialism, consumerism and corporate culture but at a macro level, it is one of the most important critiques of modern capitalism. It is no surprise that the film met with a lukewarm response from both the critics and the audience on its arrival. Films of this magnitude that brutally rips apart everything that we recognize as contemporary society usually take time to find its audience and Fight Club today is not just a cult classic but is considered one of the best films ever made and Fincher one of the best directors of our time.

Following (1998)

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan’s first feature film is perhaps one of his best. That isn’t saying much now is it considering all films are superb and he is yet to make a ‘disappointing’ film.

This is an excellent and captivating thriller that provides for a great showcase of Nolan’s talent and prowess. Wannabe writer Bill, aka "The Young Man" (Jeremy Theobald), is "between jobs," living in impoverished circumstances with no prospects, plots, or outlines. Desperate for ideas, he begins following people in the street to "gather material," more accurately described as a venture into voyeurism. When Cobb (Alex Haw) realizes he's being followed, he confronts Bill. Cobb explains that he goes one step further -- entering people's apartments not only for theft but also to spy on private possessions. The notion of illegal intrusions excites Bill, but graduating to the next plateau beyond break-ins sets him up as a fall guy.

This is a gem of a film in independent cinema and shows what you can achieve with talent and hard work even with a limited budget.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

There are certain movies that you begin to appreciate only after you have seen a good number of great movies movies in general. And then there are certain movies that you appreciate instantly but when you revisit them after you have seen a good number of great movies, they don’t seem all that. Forrest Gump falls in the later category. When I had seen it for the first time, I was amazed by the experience because it is that kind of film. It is serious, deals with life, bug also manages to make you laugh and feel good in the end. When I watched it a second time recently, while I could still appreciate that it is a well made film, it just did not effect me as much. Still it is one of the most loved films of the 90s decade and deserves a place in this list.

Gattaca (1997)

Directed by: Andrew Niccol

Gattaca is the second sci fi feature on this list, which goes to show that the 1990s saw a wide range of well made sci fi stories that had a gripping story to say first and foremost instead of being a sci fi film to look cool. Technology, which often overwhelms most Hollywood CGI extravaganzas these days is merely a backdrop of a human story. The story centres around an inner conflict inside the main protagonist Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke).

Discrimination has always been part of civilization right from time immemorial. When one form of discrimination was fought against and removed, another more vicious form of discrimination replaced it. Gender, colour, race, religion, nationality are just some of the various ways in which humanity divides itself to make itself nobler.

Gattaca presents a futuristic world, devoid of these ancient forms of discrimination but a world where humans make distinction among each other over genetic engineering. It is about a utopian society where the highest ranks work at a space program named Gattaca. Vincent has wanted to work there since he was a child, but since his parents did not "pre-order" him, he was born inferior (a 99 % chance of heart failure by the age of 30, physical and mental problems, etc. ) to his "ordered" brother Antoine. Hence he was automatically ineligible. The interesting concept of the film is about how Vincent cheats the system that tests and examines genetic superiority and lands himself a job at Gattaca.

The set designs are excellent and the Andrew Niccol resorts to the classical method of storytelling, where the film unfolds layer by layer, making the viewing experience so enriching.

Good Will Hunting (1997)

Directed by: Gus Vant Sant

Good Will Hunting is a beautiful film written by its Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The screenplay rightly won the Oscar for best original screenplay.

True it appears contrived at times, true it looks slightly clichéd now, true tends to border on ‘feel good’ at times. But the important thing about this film is that is well told, well acted and that more then compensates for the minor flaws here and there. The film is a great example that a script can have certain minor weaknesses, but if it does not mess up the major stuff like characters, and the actors are able to rise above the script and deliver memorable performances, it works. The set-piece conversation scenes between Williams and Damon are to watch out for and they are what make this film so great.

Robin Williams is excellent and deservedly won his Oscar. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck delivers one of their finest performances. One look at Ben Affleck in this film and you cannot help but wonder ‘what could have been’

Happiness (1998)

Directed by: Todd Solondz

What is happiness? is it a state of mind that is realistically possible to reach? is it a dream so out of reach that no one will ever know what it is like? Why are we so unhappy in life? What are we doing wrong? Is this the default state we are meant to be in? If that is the case, then there is nothing we can really do to change can we?

There are various kinds of movies made every year. There are those that are ‘feel good triumph of the human spirit’ stories which if made well work wonders. Examples include The Shawshank Redemption and Good Will Hunting. Quite often though, many of these films are not made well and they unfortunately outnumber the well made ones pretty easily. However, every once in a while you find directors make films as if to counter attack the feel good warm movies that are churned out every year.

The poorly made films are often dangerous because they create and propagate myths, and give the audience an illusion about life. Hence it becomes of paramount importance for films like Happiness and directors like Todd Solondz to exist.

Films like Happiness rip apart all the illusions one might have about life and makes one gulp in shock and disbelief.

The best compliment I can provide for the film is that it was extremely difficult to watch. Like films like Magnolia, Requiem For a Dream, Happiness leaves you absolutely drained emotionally.

Heat (1995)

Directed by: Michael Mann

A Los Angeles crime saga, "Heat" focuses on the lives of two men on opposite sides of the law - one a detective; the other a thief. Sounds very basic? predictable? Its a Michael Mann film and it is almost 3 hours long and it brings together Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Two of the greatest actors America has seen and they had never come together on screen before this. Only a director of the calibre of Mann could do justice to such powerful actors and although the actual scene between them isn’t two long, its the way their characters are written and pitted against each other that makes it so fitting.

Mann makes genre pieces, and perhaps one of the best directors who makes genre films. And it is very rare that genre filmmakers are given the respect of being auteurs by serious film critics but it would be grossly unfair to label Mann as just a genre director. Mann is an original American auteur and all his films mark the stamp of his style.

Instead of getting carried away, Mann meticulously sticks to his script and characters and produces some scintillating set pieces –both action and dialogue set pieces. The shoot out on the streets of LA in broad delight between the robbers and cops is one of the many memorable set pieces Mann has offered his audience over the years.

Kafka (1991)

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

Kafka directed by Steven Soderbergh is a very ‘Soderberghish’ take on the acclaimed writer’s life. Those who are familiar with Steven Soderbergh movies will know what I mean. This is not a bio pic by any means. Soderbergh interweaves Kafka’s life with fiction from his own works such as The Trial and The Castle.

This is Soderbergh’s second feature after his magnificent Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989) which blew everyone away at Cannes and won the prestigious Golden Palm. Watching this film only reinforces what I had observed about Soderbergh, that he had peaked very early in his career, as a result of which people started to take him for granted and many of his later works like Solaris, The Girlfriend Experience, The Limey did not receive the praise they deserve because the expectations were too high.

Kafka centres around a spectacular performance by Jeremy Irons in the title role. Soderbergh and Dobbs (the writer) aren't concerned with pandering to anyone here; they allow the story to remain, much like Kafka himself, an enigma. The story grips us like film-noir should, and Soderbergh keeps us enthralled with his constantly inventive camera work. This is a perfect film that deals with notions of fact and fiction, dreams and reality. The filmmakers respect our intelligence; they understand that some question can remain unanswered and film can work better as a result of this. Whether or not you believe the story to have taken place entirely in Kafka's head (note how the last shot of the film sees Kafka at his writing desk) or whether you see it as the mirroring of fact and fiction is entirely up to you. With fine support from Theresa Russell, Jeroen Krabbé and Alec Guinness, coupled with an exotic Cliff Martinez score, what we have with Kafka is one of the best and most underrated films of the nineteen nineties.

L. A. Confidential (1997)

Directed by: Curtis Hanson

L. A. Confidential is one of the best police dramas and in my view the best police film made period. If 1990s did not see so many great films, I would have no qualms in declaring this the film of the decade. Nevertheless it is right up there among the top 5.

A shooting at an all night diner is investigated by three LA policemen in their own unique ways. Ed Exley (Guy Pearce), the golden boy of the police force, willing to do almost anything to get ahead, except sell out; Bud White (Russell Crowe), ready to break the rules to seek justice, but barely able to keep his raging violence under control; and Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), always looking for celebrity and a quick buck until his conscience drives him to join Exley and White down the one-way path to find the truth behind the dark world of L.A. crime.

The acting is phenomenal. Perhaps a bigger tragedy than L.A. Confidential's loss to Titanic in the Best Picture race is that none of the three lead actors even garnered nominations. Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Kevin Spacey are absolutely phenomenal; it is their characters that drive this fascinating story about police corruption in 1950s Los Angeles. We get to know these people, to understand who they are and why they do what they do, and to root for them to overcome their imperfections.

Director Curtis Hanson is careful to not make any moral judgements about police corruption but instead present it the way it is, as part of a system and then allow the audience to make up their own mind.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

Directed by: Guy Ritchie

This little gem from Britain in 1998 introduced and established Guy Ritchie as a writer-director to watch out for. Perhaps influenced by Tarantino and older British crime movies/TV shows, this film gave birth to a whole new genre of British gangster movies like Snatch, Gangster No 1, Lucky Number Slevin and Sexy Beast which blend humour with gangster elements. While Ritchie might have been influenced by other works, his own works are refreshingly original.

Today we have come to expect great lines and scenes from Guy Ritchie but it all started here. A brilliant crime comedy that packs plenty of twist, colourful characters and unravelling plot complimented by a talented and charming cast. A wicked soundtrack. Loaded with bullets, great laughs and terrific surprises. You wont be able to get enough of this flick because it's so much fun.

Magnolia (1999)

Directed by: Paul Thomas Andersen

24 hours in L.A.; it's raining cats and dogs and frogs. And Paul Thomas Andersen pushes you right into this madness and for the next 3 hours, you have to spend time with some varied characters from various different fields but you will find yourself connecting with them very easily, even if you have never been in situations as extreme. That is the power and charm of PTA’s filmmaking.

I would classify Magnolia in the category of films like Todd Solondz’s Happiness and Mike Leigh’s Secrets and Lies. There is no connection except for the fact that the film demands an emotional investment on your part and by the end of the film, you feel emotionally drained. Magnolia makes you squirm and shift uncomfortably, it makes you helpless, just like its characters. It takes you right at the centre of their different dilemmas, you find yourself understanding every character yet unable to take sides, unable to form an opinion.

Magnolia boasts of some excellent performances from its star cast including a career best performance from Tom Cruise. Julianne Moore, William Macy and Jason Roberts as Earl Partidge are top notch too.

It is because of films like Magnolia that makes Paul Thomas Anderson one of the most important directors of America today.

Malcolm X (1992)

Directed by: Spike Lee

Bio pics are my least favourite genre. I find most of them boring so when I am talking about a bio pic, that means I really liked it. Bio pics are often not the best written films because you cannot follow the narrative highs and lows that you usually would. Serious filmmakers like Spike Lee want to remain as true to the facts as possible. So it requires a an actor to rise above the script and dominate the entire film. Denzel Washington does exactly that in his best performance.

This movie has an epic sweep and scope and as a director Lee is up to the challenge. He is served well by being able to direct in several styles, one of which is almost cartoonish: witness the scene where Malcolm (Denzel Washington) and Shorty (played by Lee himself) go stepping out at the Roseland Ballroom, resplendent in their zoot suits. Some comic relief is welcome at times because otherwise the serious, heavy message of the picture might be overwhelming. For instance, the movie opens with a full-screen shot of an American flag while we hear a voice-over of one of Malcolm's most rousing, or inflammatory speeches, depending on how you look at it ("I accuse the white man of being the greatest murderer on the planet!") The flag begins to burn and eventually forms a flaming 'X' as the fiery rhetoric continues. But if you haven't been scared away, the next scene shows the young man Malcolm Little in a funny situation, having his hair straightened by a concoction that threatens to burn off his scalp.

The film is uncompromising and controversial and there will be many who will find legitimate or not, faults with film and the way it was made. But it is one thing that will surely be talked about and doesn’t that sum up Malcolm X perfectly? Uncompromising, controversial, polarising figure, but someone you cannot help but talk about.

My Name is Joe (1998)

Directed by: Ken Loach

Ken Loach is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style and for his socialist beliefs. This film is a beautifully crafted, poignant tale about a man who lives on the margins- Joe. Joe (Peter Mullan) is a recovering alcoholic, currently a part time football coach and living on government dough and a little bit of work here and there. He falls in love with Sarah (Louis Goodall), a health worker, and wants to go straight but circumstances conspire against him. He is determined to help his friend Liam (David McKay) when he gets behind on his payments to a drug dealer but his options are limited and he is forced to make a choice that threatens the stability of his fragile relationship.

I have watched quite a lot of Ken Loach films in the recent past and I am absolutely convinced that Ken Loach is not just the one of the best British directors but one of the best in the world. For some reason, perhaps his left leaning politics, he is often not given the respect and accolades that is so freely showered upon many others whose politics suit the establishment.

The script by usual Loach collaborator Paul Laverty is excellent and Peter Mullan rises above the script to deliver a memorable performance. He deservedly won Best Actor at Cannes in 1998.

Loach films are filled with compassion and old school humanity, the kind characterised by Satyajeet Ray, Frank Capra, Akira Kurosawa. This is a powerful, emotional and important film, like most of Loach’s films.

Naked (1993)

Directed by: Mike Leigh

I am not sure I can really review this film. As I had said earlier with Mike Leigh’s Career Girls, I find it very difficult to talk about his films. The film is raw, macabre and sharp. It is impossible to script a film of this nature and I am not surprised to find that most of the film, the dialogues and screenplay were improvised during rehearsals.

This is hailed as Mike Leigh’s best film and it probably is. This film investigates the existential angst as portrayed by the protagonist Johnny of what is to survive; the main character gradually reveals himself before us stripped of pretence and standing "naked" . Johnny's diatribes tinged with apocalyptic tones upon the nature of the universe and beyond are breath taking. Sex and violence under pin the narrative of this film, and with Jonny adhering to no personal boundaries he embarks upon a journey that takes the viewer upon an uneasy and ultimately rewarding journey .

Lastly, it is not possible to talk or write about this film without mentioning David Thewlis’ performance as Johnny. In my view, it is one of the top 5 of the decade and one of the top 10 of all time.

Night on Earth (1991)

Directed by: Jim Jarmusch

I absolutely love and adore Jim Jarmusch movies. They work like drugs for me. They make me high and I can never get enough of his movies. The best compliment I can give to Jarmusch is that I fear that I will soon watch all his films and then I will have nothing to look forward to. That is why I have resisted from watching some of his films, just to keep the excitement alive.

In his commentary for the film Broken Flowers (2005), Jarmusch said that what fascinated him were the random, tiny, insignificant things in life that actually MAKE our lives. The best things in life are not planned, they are random. They happen out of nowhere and make our lives in ways we do not understand. His attempt is to capture some of that in his cinema. That is why every film of his is so fascinating because you can never run out of exploring all the fascinating things in life can you?

Night on Earth is about 5 different stories in 5 different cities – New York, Paris, Los Angeles, Rome and Helsinki. They all feature cab drivers and explore 5 different, fascinating encounters they have with customers during one night in different parts of the world.

Jim Jarmusch is an old fashioned humanist who is keen on exploring the lives of those mainstream cinema pretends ignores. Or even on the rare occasion that it does explore them, it appears contrived, romanticised and artificial. None of that in a Jarmusch film.

I do not want to describe anything else about the individual stories because that would diminish the charm to an extent. It is best to let this film flow freely, unravel at its own pace, allow its characters to get familiar with you.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Where do I begin to talk about this film? What is there to say that hasn't been said already? The film is brilliant in so many different levels, it is hard to even start with one.

Like Godard’s Breathless which forever changed cinema and is hailed as one of the more influential films of all time, Pulp Fiction is not just one of the most influential films of the 90s but has influenced a whole generation of filmmakers, writers and even movie fans.

Like Tarantino’s mentor Godard, Pulp Fiction broke all the rules of cinema and established some new ones – Non linear narrative, a character killed off at a certain point can re appear later, long conversation scenes which have now made Tarantino so famous and of course the most important point – that you do not have to relate to or feel for the protagonists to appreciate the film.

Lot of people who criticize Pulp Fiction make this point. While it is true, I do not see it as a criticism, at least not in the case of Pulp Fiction. This might be true for Tarantino’s Kill Bill films where I did not really feel for the Bride’s character. However in Pulp Fiction, it does not matter. You don’t have to feel for Mia Wallace, or Vincent Vega or Jules, or even Butch. You find them interesting, amusing and intriguing. You enjoy their company, their conversations and you enjoy them so much, before you know it, you love the film.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Tarantino will have to live with something all his life. Every director makes one or two at most really great films in their career, that end up defining their career. They might go onto make good films, very good films, but their careers will forever be defined by that one or two masterpieces. For Scorsese they are Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. For Coppola they are The Godfather and Apocalypse Now.

Unfortunately for Tarantino (or fortunately depending on your perspective), his first two films are his best and greatest work and it is not possible to surpass work of this quality in a lifetime. Now if Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction came within 10 or 5 years of each other, his career would have been looked at differently. But they came within two years of each other and inevitably everything since then will seem downhill.

Tarantino loves genre and he loves the sub genres and he loves to work specifically within those parameters, but obviously in his own way. Reservoir Dogs takes the crime (heist) genre on its head and turns it upside down. The actual crime or robbery or heist is not actually shown in the film. It is a macguffin. A crime film where the actual crime is a macguffin is unusual to say the least. Instead the film is a series or collection of ground-breaking set pieces filled with riveting dialogue and powerful acting. As you unravel Reservoir Dogs, it just gets better and better and culminates in a riveting climax.

Secrets and Lies (1996)

Directed by: Mike Leigh

Secrets and Lies is a deeply layered, nuanced social drama about a dysfunctional family. Mike Leigh is one of the truly underrated directors in the world. I do not know if it is because he is British or his films have a distinctly British character, but I am had Secrets and Lies been made in America or France, it would have been much more well known.

The story, every bit as believable and real as the rest of Leigh's work, centres on a woman, Cynthia Purley (Blethyn ), whose mid-life crisis is further exacerbated by the appearance on the scene of the daughter she gave away at birth, the wonderfully named Hortense Cumberbatch (Baptiste) - a young, beautiful, professional black woman who causes a few eyebrows to be raised in the family, and forces Cynthia to come to terms with her past.

Why do family members hate each other at times? Why do they act cold with each other? Years and years of estrangement, bitterness, hatred can one day burst out and explode and reveal all the dirty secrets and pathetic lies.

In a powerful moment, brilliant actor Timothy Spall says "Secrets and lies! We're all in pain! Why can't we share our pain? I've spent my entire life trying to make people happy, and the three people I love the most in the world hate each other's guts, and I'm in the middle! I can't take it anymore!"

Leigh’s handling of tender, emotionally charged scenes are magical. He is one of the most original writer-directors alive today. It is a lot easier to pick the best script or best novel out there, make a few changes here and there and deliver a good film. It is a lot harder to write the film yourself out of nowhere.

The Age of Innocence (1993)

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

My introduction to Martin Scorsese was through his gritty, raw films of the 70s and 80s like Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas. As much as I enjoyed those films, I often felt that Scorsese should try a softer subject and see how he handles it. It is as if he made this film to answer that.

There are very few period films that I have liked. So if this list movie makes it here, it means I truly loved it. While the writing is excellent, and it fleshes out the characters beautifully, what completes this film is impeccable art direction & beautiful cinematography by the legendary Michael Ballhaus. The film looks as impressionistic as the paintings that line the walls of the characters' homes.

Daniel Day Lewis and Michelle Pfeifer play their parts with aplomb. But Winona Ryder was the surprise of the package. She plays the part of a naive on the exterior but calculative inside with ease.

Often I feel detached and uninvolved with period films but this was not the case with The Age of Innocence.

The Devil's Advocate (1997)

Directed by: Taylor Hackford

Brilliant in one word. And the only thing that takes it the level of brilliant from very good is the climax. The climax required extremely heavy duty acting to take it to a higher level and who better than Al Pacino to do the honours? This is not the first time where Pacino has risen above the script and leave you awe struck with his screen presence and power. Luckily Reeves was not required to deliver many lines in the climax but his average performance was the one weak link in the film. Charlize Theron is gorgeous and acts so well.

Taylor Hackford films are usually acting showcases and The Devil’s Advocate is no different but this film also manages to explore some important philosophical themes of good, evil, free will and human nature.

The Insider (1999)

Directed by: Michael Mann

Michael Mann has always been greatly interested in telling real stories. He has admitted himself that he is not good at imagining things, but rather reflecting things as they are. His previous attempts at realism include films The Thief, The Last of the Mohicans and Heat. However, for some reason, they have always been seen more as dramatic genre pieces despite the director’s insistence to the contrary. Its as if that dissatisfaction led to Mann picking up a real news article and developing a script out of it.

The 90s was a great decade which saw a host of great films from directors such as Martin Scorsese, Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino and Francis Ford Coppola. This list contains movies from all those maestros but if I had to pick a film as THE film of the decade, it would be Michael Mann’s The Insider.

For me, this film is how I would describe perfection in cinema. The screenplay is taut, brave and inspiring. Set piece scenes involving actors of the calibre of Al Pacino, Rusell Crowe and Christopher Plummer are absolutely compelling. But when set pieces are mentioned in Mann movies, they usually involve high octane shoot outs like we saw in Heat. However this film contains no shoot outs. The set pieces are dialogue set pieces and the dialogues are absolutely brilliant.

The background scores by Gustavo Santaolalla and Lisa Gerrard are absolutely majestic. Every department, every field of art combines and collaborates in order to create a perfect film that is The Insider.

I feel Michael Mann does not get enough credit and appreciation as he deserves and this film would be my strongest argument as to why Michael Mann is right up there in top of the tree when it comes to great American directors.

The Limey (1999)

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

The Limey is an old school thriller, the kind they used to make in the 60s and the 70s and is also the most underrated film Steven Soderbergh has ever made. Terence Stamp is Wilson who after finishing a nine-year sentence "at her Majesty's leisure" goes to L.A. to discover how his daughter, Jenny, met her end while he was in the big house and to avenge her death. Peter Fonda plays her former lover, a wicked, soulless record producer who was big in the 60s.

Soderbergh shuffles time and Wilson's life like a deck of cards yet always keeps the story moving forward—with marvellous editing by Sarah Flak. It's a lovely, startling effect; rather than weigh the narrative down with a number of plodding, onerous details, this style keeps the thing as light as a soufflé yet full of implications as we imagine the ways and necessities of Wilson telling and retelling, hashing over his life, representing and misrepresenting his actions or inaction.

Soderbergh incorporates all the elements of a spell-binding thriller and shows everyone how its done. The film is very much like a course on filmmaking it self.

The Matrix (1999)

Directed by: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowsky

This is one of the best science fiction films made in decades. When you have access to great technology, it is very easy to get carried away and make a weak film in terms of content. This is where the Wachowskis deserve credit because not only did they use great use of technology and special effects, they also managed to present a film with good characterisation, explore serious philosophical themes of reality, truth, free will and destiny and extract decent performances from almost everyone. Keanu Reeves is perhaps the most disappointing with his limited range as an actor but it isn’t always so apparent.

The Rainmaker (1997)

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

As it happens with great actors, it happens with great directors too. The world starts to take them for granted and as a result, lot of their very good work remain underrated. This is a powerful, courtroom drama directed by the master of American cinema – Francis Ford Coppola.

A courtroom drama can often go a predictable route at the hands of a lesser director, but not Mr Coppola. Its amazing to see the health insurance being such a hot issue today, and this film actually explored that 13 years ago. I enjoyed the trial scenes and all the grunt work that went behind it. And the cast was wonderful. Each person added a little more to the movie, and each gave a great performance. Danny Glover as the (2nd) judge gave a little humour to the movie, but also made you feel good about Rudy's (Matt Damon) chances in court. He was going to play fair, but hew as also going to give Rudy the benefit of the doubt. Jon Voight played the insurance company's lead lawyer, and he played his character to it's swarmy best. He is what people think lawyers are like, out only for money; win at all costs, no soul (I know attorneys like that). And he was convincing. And of course DeVito and Damon carried the film.

The Thin Red Line (1998)

Directed by: Terrence Mallick

One of the greatest war films ever made, the best war film of the 90s, better than Spielberg’s overdrawn and over dramatic Saving Private Ryan by a mile.

It uses one of the most complex narrative structures yet produced by cinema to tell three stories (yes, it DOES have a plot): the one the book wanted to tell (the book's title comes from a 19th century allusion to the British Empire's infantry [red uniforms] whose small numbers managed to 'protect' the British "civilization" from the countless hordes of "savages" which the Empire ruled. James Jones used this analogy to tell the story of how young American soldiers with no battlefield experience become bloodied veterans.

The fundamental paradox of war: to protect "civilization" (all that we hold dear) we are prepared to send young men to fight in wars. We know that in war they will see and do things that will turn them into the very "savages" that we are trying to prevent from destroying our civilization.

War films often tend to take the jingoistic route, or the emotionally over dramatic route, or the route of a thriller, where you try to keep the audience at the edge of their seat with what happens next.

Terrence Mallick has never conformed to the norms. His war masterpiece is a contemplative, philosophical, multi-layered piece of intense, haunting and powerful drama. The film requires multiple viewings to allow yourself to absorb the various themes the film attempts to explore.

The Usual Suspects (1995)

Directed by: Bryan Singer

A boat has been destroyed, criminals are dead, and the key to this mystery lies with the only survivor and his twisted, convoluted story beginning with five career crooks in a seemingly random police line-up.

A great, gritty script, beautifully-acted characters, and what many have called the greatest movie twists of all time, are some of the shining qualities that make the Usual Suspects an object worthy of praise above its humble-looking shell.

The casting is very unusual but somehow fits perfectly. Gabriel Byrne is convincing as the ex-con trying to build a new life when he gets drawn back into his old life. Stephen Baldwin has the role of his career as the smart-mouthed and cocky professional. Kevin Pollak takes a big departure from his usual good comedy self to take a more dramatic role. Benicio del Toro literally takes a one-dimensional character with absolutely nothing in the script to give him character, and he fleshes it out with brilliant mannerisms and memorable mumbling to show incredible acting creativity. Kevin Spacey as we know him was born from this movie. His manners and fast-talking yet shy gimp nature are a treat to listen to throughout the flick.

This film established quite a few memorable quotes, one of them being “the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist”.

Bryan Singer established his place in American cinema with this cult classic and its a shame he hasn’t been able to recreate the magic of this film ever again.

Trainspotting (1995)

Directed by : Danny Boyle

“Choose life, choose a job, choose a fu*king big television” The film starts with one of the most powerful monologues I have seen in cinema. This ensured that I was hooked onto the film from the very first scene, the very first line and till this day, it remains one of my most favourite films of all time.

Every now and then I come across films that in some mysterious way speaks to me not just from the text level but from various quarters. They change the way I look at cinema and life and Danny Boyle’s cult classic Trainspotting is one of them. One often hears the criticism of style over substance levelled against certain films. Quite often I come across films that explore deep themes but are stylistically unappealing. Danny Boyle is one director who has consistently offered substance in a stylish way and Trainspotting is quite possibly his best film.

There is a tendency among serious films critics to not take Trainspotting and in particular Danny Boyle movies seriously because apparently they are too ‘commercial’. I do not understand where the boundaries begin or end but if ‘non commercial’ means a work of art that ought to be taken seriously, then Trainspotting is right up there at the top of the tree.

True Romance (1993)

Directed by: Tony Scott

Romance, drugs, violence, more romance, mafia, pimps, cops, more romance, gunfights and you have True Romance. When asked why he does not make a romantic film, Tarantino instantly answers that the first script he ever wrote was a romantic film and just because it has have violence, blood, drugs, gun fights does not meant it is not a romantic film. However it is impossible to speak about this film without mentioning what is perhaps one of the best conversation scenes ever written and quite possibly the best scene Tarantino ever wrote. I am obviously talking about the scene with Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper.

For some odd reason this is not a film that is talked about at great length but for me it is one of the best films of the 90s decade and is a great example of the great genre films that came out during that decade. As a fan of genre films, I have to go back to the 90s to watch these classical genre films as genre is mostly dead in our ‘Twilight’ age.

Honourable Mentions:

Bottle Rocket (1996)

Chasing Amy (1997)

Goodfellas (1990)

The Godfather Part III (1990)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

15 Films of the Year 2009 (Non English)

2010-10-08T00:25:00.001-07:00

35 Shots of Rhum (France)

International Film magazine Sight and Sound declared Claire Denis as the finest film director working today and I can see why. There are a couple of reasons why 35 Shots of Rhum is a magnificent little film and Claire Denis is a master director.

1) It is a French modern day drama without being a typical "French” film meaning characters don’t sit and randomly talk about philosophy and life and relationships.

2) It handles delicately a father-daughter relationship, something that is absolutely non existent in contemporary cinema. The culture today has very little time for older people and in turn, cinema has very little time for older characters as Guardian’s Ann Bilson talked about recently. So it was refreshing to see a film about 4 principal characters, 2 of who belong to the older generation.

3) It is set in modern day France but has an all black cast and yet never even makes a glancing blow towards making it clear “look I am making a film in France about black people.

A Prophet (France)

Winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes 2009, A Prophet was quickly being touted as the finest crime saga since The Godfather. A Prophet came in a year where World Cinema was at its very best, which perhaps explains why it did not win the Golden Palme at Cannes nor the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. That speaks more about the quality of cinema in year 2009 than anything else.

Nonetheless A Prophet is a masterpiece of epic proportions. Jacques Audiard delivers a visceral and compelling film about the coming of age of a young Arab journey through prison and life and beyond.

Tahar Rahim as Malik El DJebena in the central role is a revelation. Those of you who think the crime genre has more or less reached its end need to see this to see how when a master director is at the helm, every genre gets a new life.

Accident (Hong Kong)

How is it that a bloated, rich industry like Hollywood can only churn franchises and sequels and Asian cinema comes up with gems one after another? Accident ranks among the best modern thrillers to come out of Hong Kong. Multiple viewings is a must to appreciate and explore the sub textual philosophical and moral questions the film poses about the nature of accidents, destiny, free will and human nature in general. How we see others is merely a reflection of our own nature. This film does an excellent job of making that point.

I saw this film without knowing anything about it and that is the best approach for a great viewing experience. This is a must watch.

Ajami (Israel)

The multiple plot structure of the film is reminiscent of Crash (2004) and Traffic (2000) but that is where the similarity ends. Ajami is a fantastic film that has strong legs to stand on its own. I saw this a while ago and writing about it now, while I remember the scenes and characters make me want to see this film again.

Five separate stories set in Ajami, a poor Arab neighbourhood situated in the city of Tel-Aviv/Yafo. The many characters are played mostly by non professionals, and the result gives a documentary feel to the film. This film is the Israeli entry for the Oscars 2009. I was initially a bit apprehensive about watching a film dealing so directly with the Arab-Jewish conflict but at its heart it is a human story about human conflict and suffering.

Directed by two newcomers on the cinema scene Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani, it is acted most of the time in Arabic and deals with a world that many Israelis know only from the news - the crime and poverty dominated Arab districts at the periphery of the Israeli big cities.The name of the film is of one of these areas, in Jaffo, south and close to the shining lights of the Tel Aviv metropolis. This film is a must watch for anyone who wants to understand the conflict.

Ip Man 2 (Hong Kong)

Ip Man 2, the sequel to the highly successful biopic Ip Man (2008) is yet another delight for martial arts fans. Based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun and the first person to teach the art openly. One of his students was the widely influential and acclaimed martial artist and filmmaker Bruce Lee. I am not sure how historically accurate the film is or how honestly it portrays the incidents of that time but as a film, it packs the punches in the right places and strikes at the right chords. A must watch for Asian martial arts fans.

Micmacs (France)

What an outstanding film, what an outstanding director, what an outstanding body of work. In case people don’t know, the director I am talking about is Jean Pierre Jeunet, director of such fantastic films like Amelie, A Very Long Engagement and City of Lost Children. Now anyone familiar with even one of those films will know that Jeunet has his own very distinct filmmaking and storytelling style and even if he picks what might seem an old genre or a predictable plot or known characters, he still manages to make a totally unpredictable and refreshingly original film. Micmacs is no different.

The film tackles serious issues like weapons industry, international warfare and vigilantism yet does this in a very Jeunet sort of way, quirky, refreshing and funny at times. This is one of the best films of the year, one of my all time favourite films and a must watch.

No One Knows About Persian Cats (Iran)

This is a beautiful, fresh and unique way of looking into the lives and struggles of Iranian citizens in their day to day lives under a strict and totalitarian regime. The film presents to us two musicians who are looking for more band members and a visa that would allow them to perform at concerts overseas and fulfil their dream of being musicians. Shot in documentary style, it takes us along with the two main characters along a journey through Iran, in search of band members and in the process explore various facets of contemporary Iranian society.

Samson and Delilah (Australia)

There is a reason why cinema is so important to my life. It enriches and enlightens me. This film is a shining example. It took me to a side of Australia I was absolutely unfamiliar with despite living in Australia for almost 5 years now. Debutante director Warwick Thornton takes us to this other world, and manages to intrigue, disturb and emotionally drain us by the end of the film with very little dialogue and conversation. This is a minimalist film of the highest order and places emphasis on mannerisms, ambiance, atmosphere, eyes.

The film gives a snapshot of the effects of substance abuse, extreme poverty, the violence within aboriginal society as well as the violence directed at it and worse of all the general apathy of the white population to these issues. The acting is unpretentious, the soundtrack sparse and conversation is absent.

Following the story of two star crossed lovers and the reality of Aboriginal life in the Territories, this is a film that should be shown widely and help to dispel the myth that the Australian film industry is somehow lacking - with films like this being produced, it's certainly not - we just need to see more of it.

Sin Nombre (Mexico)

Why are Mexican films so awesome? How do they keep making gems one after another? Let's be clear from the outset, this is a dark, bleak and violent movie, at times reminiscent of Brazilian masterpiece City of God.

Today when terms like ‘illegal immigrants’ still exist, when issues about asylum seekers are still opportunities for political parties to score points, I cannot overstate the importance of films like Sin Nombre. Maybe, just maybe, watching this movie will at least give people a glimpse into the lives, backgrounds and destinies of these people, who are abused, mistreated and forgotten by almost everybody, people who basically have come to symbolize a type of disposable human garbage, that truly are without a face and identity, just another label ranging from terrorists to illegal immigrants to asylum seekers.

As a film, it scores in all the right areas, beautifully shot, acted and executed. Everyone should go see this as soon as they can. Great, great first film.

Soul Kitchen (Germany)

Fatih Akin (The Edge of Heaven, Head On) is one of my most favourite of World Cinema directors. If I had to make a list of 5 directors of the world today from the current generation, I know his name would one of the first be on that list.

With Soul Kitchen, he delves into unfamiliar territory – light hearted breezy comedy, although it isn't laugh-out-loud funny. I read an interview where he talked about his apprehensions in doing a comedy after the mature and much lauded film The Edge of Heaven but I am glad he did because Soul Kitchen is a delight. The story revolves around a restaurant/club called Soul Kitchen and the troublesome life of its respectful owner Zinos. He has to overcome many struggles involving his girlfriend, his brother and the authorities. The film is set in the heart of the diverse northern German city of Hamburg.

Most of the films that are highly acclaimed and lauded in World Cinema are of a more serious kind, often falling in the genre of drama. Many of them, including many on this list are quite disturbing and emotionally draining. Soul Kitchen is a complete anti thesis of that. It is a positive breath of fresh air and enjoyable affair yet at the same time it manages to encapsulate the unpredictable randomness of life.

Fatih Akin has a keen ear for music and most of his films have great soundtracks so the fact that the soundtrack of this film was so awesome did not surprise me at all. It makes great use of colours and textures and draws a fine analogy between cooking and life. Watching Head On, I got the impression that Fatih Akin is someone who takes a special interest in cooking and recipes and this film where the protagonist is a cook and an owner of a restaurant is perhaps a culmination of that.

The White Ribbon (Germany)

Michael Haneke (Cache, The Piano Teacher) once said that his films were a reaction to contemporary cinema, cinema that already exists. He feels a large part of contemporary cinema resorts to appeasing and reassuring. He finds that misleading hence he attempts through his cinema to disturb and disorient the viewer. He went so far as to say he wants to ‘rape’ the audience.

That is perhaps what makes The White Ribbon so difficult to watch, and even more difficult to review.

Filmed beautifully in black and white with subtitles, The White Ribbon is a movie that will leave viewers with a lasting residue long after it ends. The film portrays the residents of a northern German village, dominated by a baron, sometime before World War I. A number of unexplained accidents beset the town’s schoolchildren and their parents. Violence plagues the town, as observed by a school teacher, who for most part of the film remains a silent spectator, an outsider who observes everything yet is to feeble or powerless to do anything. All he succeeds in doing is narrating the story to us. It is perhaps best to not know anything else about the film and let it just flow freely.

Winner of The Golden Palm at Cannes 2009, this film along with A Prophet and The Secret In Their Eyes just raised the bar for cinema to a whole new level in 2009.

The Secret in Their Eyes (Argentina)

Very rarely do I find myself agreeing with the Oscar results. In that regard, 2009 was even worse because I disagreed with almost all the winners until I watched this film. Competing with The White Ribbon and A Prophet, both of which had won at Cannes and garnered huge praise and acclaim, the film shocked everyone when it won the Best Foreign Language film. Many people, most of who had not even seen the film snickered and dismissed the Academy.

Being someone who prefers to watch a film before forming an opinion, I decided to check it out. By the time the film was over, not only did I wholeheartedly agree with the Academy, I found myself ready to see the film all over again. My only complaint was that it ended. Hence, despite appreciating The White Ribbon, despite A Prophet being one of my most favourite films, this will be my pick of the year.

It is a multi-layered, noirish thriller set in modern day Argentina about a murder that took place in 1974. he story is split between two time periods: the investigation by the three main characters of the rape and murder of a young woman in 1974, and the reunion of two of those characters today. Benjamin (Ricardo Darin) is writing a novel about the 25 year-old case that ended with an unfavourable outcome, and in the course of recounting what happened, we learn about the past events and the rather complicated past that Benjamin had with his superior, Irena (Soledad Villamil).

Elegantly shot with the Red One Digital camera, the film is aided by competent performances by the lead cast. Director Campallena never loses grip even for a second and in the end film is one rewarding experience with a fitting ending. Very seldom does a director manage to balance style and substance so eloquently and Campallena does so in this film so beautifully that it looks effortless.

The eyes being the window to the soul is perhaps a major theme of the film and due importance is paid to filming the eyes. The two main characters never speak their mind to each other yet we know their thoughts through their eyes. The murder mystery in the end is solved through secrets in the eyes as well.

Film critics and cinephiles the world over are talking about the rise and rise of Latin American cinema. This is one of the finest examples of that rise.

Thirst (South Korea)

In my books, among the younger directors, Chan Wook Park is the best director working in the world today. Oldboy, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, Lady Vengeance, Joint Security Area, I am yet to see a bad film by him. He played a major role in bringing Korean cinema on to the world stage. His latest venture, Thirst is a vampire story.

Corrupted by crappy Hollywood films, the moment I heard of this film, I was a bit apprehensive. I still had enough faith in Chan Wook Park to give the film a chance. Well, as it happens, it is not the genre, it is the master behind the camera who determines the film.

As a result, despite not being a fan of this genre, I absolutely loved the movie. If you love Chan-wook Park, you know what to expect. His films are brutal, poetic, tragic, and artistic, with splashes of very grim humour. Starting with the cinematography (every shot is gorgeous and creative) to the story, which blends Shakespearean tragedy, murderous love, Gothic horror, and layered character drama, this is yet another masterpiece from South Korea.

Sang-hyun, a priest working for a hospital, selflessly volunteers for a secret vaccine development project intended to eradicate a deadly virus. However, the virus eventually takes over the priest. He nearly dies, but makes a miraculous recovery by an accidental transfusion of vampire blood. What starts of as a standard vampire story quickly develops into a poetic take on romance, religion, madness and ultimately human nature.

The World Is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner (Bulgaria)

Like Soul Kitchen, this film also helps balance out the serious quotient of World Cinema without compromising on the integrity. Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars last year, this film had only an outside chance against some of the bigger films by bigger directors. Nevertheless, this is a beautiful film about self discovery.

The subject matter might be clichéd and done before but when clichés are done with conviction, they work. A young man (Aleksandar) who has lost his memories and parents in a car accident is guided by his charismatic grandfather (Bai Dan) to regain his memories by travelling around Europe, retracing the path the young man and his parents once took when they had illegally migrated from Bulgaria to Germany for a new life. This is the premise of this movie.

But this is more than a tale of two people on the road to self discovery. The movie explores into the political situation of Bulgaria during the 1980s. Aleksandar's father, Vasko, gets into trouble with a local communist who wants him to spy on Bai Dan, his father-in-law. He refuses and worrying about the consequences he decides to leave Bulgaria and flee to Germany with his wife and son. We get to see the troubles that they face during their migration and the problems they and the other immigrants from different countries face in the refugee camp.

This is the first Bulgarian film I have seen and it was Bulgary’s official entry for the Oscars last year. This film is struggling to find a theatrical release in most of the major countries and markets. Nevertheless, try to find it wherever you can and watch because it is truly a beautiful film.

Vengeance (Hong Kong)

A French chef swears revenge after a violent attack on his daughter's family in Hong Kong, during which her husband and her two children are murdered. To help him find the killers, he hires three local hit-men working for the mafia.

Johnny To is a big name in Hong Kong cinema and is a cult name among fans of action and crime films. This is a pretty standard revenge tale where an outsider is forced to rely on three strangers to extract revenge. To make matters complicated, he suffers a “Memento-esque” condition of short term memory loss.

Despite a few predictable elements, Vengeance makes its impact thanks to Johnny To’s stylish execution and shoot outs that would make Michael Mann or John Woo proud. While the characters lack background, the story successfully builds up the camaraderie between the protagonists, which is necessary since much of the film spends time with them as they carry out their mission.

It is perhaps not as polished as a Mann or a Woo or even a To film, but overall it is a hugely entertaining affair. Fans of action thrillers should not give this a miss.

Honourable Mentions:

Broken Embraces (Spain)

Everlasting Moments (Sweden)

Lorna’s Silence (Belgium)

Welcome (France)

15 Films of the Year 2009 (English)

2010-07-21T19:43:00.001-07:00

The following films are the notable and memorable films of the year 2009. They are ranked in alphabetical order and not in order of preference.

500 Days of Summer

For a long time I had given up on mainstream Hollywood to deliver a realistically made entertaining film about real life characters, characters we can easily identify and relate with, about the current society we live in, current age we live in. Don’t get me wrong. I love Iron Man and Batman but an industry as huge as Hollywood should be diverse enough. Sadly the bigger it gets, the less diverse it gets.

Well, 500 Days of Summer directed by debutant director by Marc Webb is the answer to that question. For too long when it came to romantic comedies, Hollywood has relied on caricatures, the typical honest, committed, believes in fairy tales kind of girl and the typical non committed, emotionless, easy go lucky guy who would chase anything in skirts.

500 Days of Summer does away with all those caricatures and stereotypes and establishes at the very onset that this is a story about a boy and a girl but this is not a love story.

The crisp engaging screenplay and awesome soundtrack all add tremendous value and compliment the excellent performance from the lead pair Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. I had only seen Joseph earlier in an annoying performance in the film Killshot so he greatly impressed me here. I am glad he got a film like Inception now and hopefully his career will progress well from here on.

As I said before, the characters are so well written and easily relatable, this could be anyone’s story, my story or the story of the guy next door.

I had absolutely no trouble in seeing myself in Tom especially when he expertly delivers lines like “People don't realize this, but loneliness is underrated” and “It's these cards, and the movies and the pop songs, they're to blame for all the lies and the heartache, everything. We're responsible.” and “You know what sucks? realizing everything you have always believed in is a total load of bullshit”.

Initially I had dismissed it as just another crap romantic comedy Hollywood churns out every year but this is a deeply entertaining and beautiful film. Do not miss it.

An Education

This was a delightful film about England in the 1960s. The crisp and witty screenplay keeps you engaged all throughout and competent performances from every actor in the film makes it an enjoyable affair. Any talk about this film would be incomplete without special mention of its confident and promising young actress Carey Mulligan.

Away We Go

If someone held a gun to my head and I had to pick one film from this list, it would be this one. So far, I am yet to be left disappointed by a Sam Mendes film. Away We Go tells the story of a couple, looking for a suitable environment for the birth of their first child.

It is a delightful, fresh and quirky take on relationships, marriage, human emotions etc. It is one of those films that engage you from the very first scene with its fantastic screenplay. The music by Alexi Murdoch is a delight and adds value to the film. After a very long time, I felt a personal connection with a film and the music and lyrics which are some of the best in recent times had a big contribution towards building that connection. The performances by the two lead actors John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph are absolutely charming to say the least. It is a must watch.

Bright Star

This is the film that prompted none other Quentin Tarantino to write a letter to director Jane Campion after he saw it at Cannes 2009. He wrote, “My favorite film of yours … I don’t like period pieces like that. I loved this!!! Never has heartache been so realistically and movingly portrayed as Abbie taking to her bed … The lovers kisses … Abbie and Ben … touching … Brilliant. I loved it!!! Love – Your fan – Quentin Tarantino”

I don’t think I would have been able to sum it up better myself. Like Tarantino, I am not a huge fan of period pieces either but this film just totally blew me over. Heartache, solitude, pain, bliss, everything that defines love is there. Add to that, the exquisite cinematography and soothing background scores.

Campion is a master director and there is nothing left to be said about her. However, I would just like to mention one scene, where Fanny’s younger sister is looking for her while she is with John Keats. As she walks along, we hear the rustle of the leaves and the chirping of the birds. Never before has the rustling of leaves sounded so poetic.

Fish Tank

This gritty, realist, coming of age drama is about growing up in modern Britain seen through the eyes of a 15 year old Mia Williams (played competently by Katie Jarvis).

She is disturbed, lonely, disillusioned and ignored by her mother and society in general. Her life changes drastically when her mother’s new boyfriend,(played by Michael Fassbender – the film critic cum spy from Inglorious Basterds) moves in with them.

The film is a brilliant character study of a 15 year old girl struggling to make her own place in this world.

Five Minutes of Heaven

This is an underrated gem which, for inexplicable reasons was totally ignored. I have absolutely no idea why no one has seen this film and why no one talks about this film.

Alistair Little was 17 years old in 1975 when, as a fledgling member of the Ulster Volunteer Force, he murdered his first and only Catholic. Little fired three shots through the downstairs window of James Griffin's home in Lurgan, County Armagh, killing the 19-year-old as he sat watching television. "I've scored," he told his masked accomplices as they drove off. Griffin's younger brother, Joe, who had been kicking a football around outside at the time, witnessed the whole thing. Their eyes locked and Little admits now that if had known that Joe was Griffin's brother, he would have killed him too.

This is the first half hour of the film. The next hour is a fictionalised account asking the ‘what if’ question. What if Alistair Little met Joe Griffin today?

The next 1 hour is absolutely riveting as the two individuals interact and attempt to make sense and ‘move on’ with their lives. Liam Neeson (as Alistair Little) is first rate and is ably matched by James Nesbitt who plays Joe Griffin. This film is not to be missed.

Inglorious Basterds

In a specatcular piece of arrogance, Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine is given the last line in the film “I think this might just be my masterpiece”. Quentin Tarantino fans will not find this line the least bit surprising as Tarantino has been wanting to make a WW2 masterpiece since 1998. In fact as early as 1994, when giving interviews for Pulp Fiction, he had spoken of his desire to make a western and a WW2 drama. Still waiting for the full on western but this is his WW2 revenge fantasy.

Sadly, Inglorious Basterds is no masterpiece. In a career that started off with Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, two films that would easily make it to any Top 100 films of all time, it is indeed difficult to make a film that would surpass those. However, that said, Basterds is still a hugely entertaining film like all Tarantino movies and one of the notable ones of the year.

The weakest link in the film is however the Basterds themselves. Other than that, typical Tarantino characters like Col Hans Landa, film critic cum spy Archie Hicox, or German war hero Frederick Zoller. Dialogues are always a highpoint in a Tarantino film and this is no different. The opening scene in the film is perhaps one of the best and most chilling openings in cinema.

Then he gives this particular line to Michael Fassbender’s character in a spectacular set-piece that culminates in a Mexican stand-off, “Well, if this is it, old boy, I hope you don't mind if I go out speaking the King's.There's a special rung in hell reserved for people who waste good scotch. Seeing as how I may be rapping on the door momentarily...I must say, damn good stuff, Sir. Now, about this pickle... we find ourselves in. It would appear there's only thing left for you to do.” Its lines like these that make a Tarantino film a Tarantino film.

Also, as brilliant as the lines maybe, a lot depends on the actor to pull it off. There is this particular line uttered by Brad PItt, “You know, fightin' in a basement offers a lot of difficulties. Number one being, you're fightin' in a basement! The way Pitt delivers it with his thick accent makes this such a hilarious moment in the film.

Out of the 5 chapters, 3 are absolutely gripping and despite the weak climax, the film is definitely one of the best ones of the year.

Moon

Moon is an old fashioned sci-fi movie. That means it does not use technology as a gimmick to substitute good story telling. Moon is a psychological human drama, dispensing with overweening CGI and loud flashy action sequences and relying more on characters and ideas.

Sam Rockwell handles all the acting bundle of the film with the utmost of ease and confidence. This performance should do wonders for this talented actor’s career.

But more importantly, Moon is the debut feature of a talented, brave and independent young director and for that reason alone it should be watched by all cinephiles.

New York, I Love You

This is an anthology film joining several love stories set in one of the most loved cities of the world, New York. The coming together of diverse, internationally acclaimed directors like Fatih Akin, Mira Nair, Shunji Iwai and Yvan Attai, each with their very own take on one of the most popular cities in the world is surely a treat for any love of cinema.

Out of the many segments, I loved the ones featuring Orlando Bloom, Andy Garcia, Robin Wright Penn and Qiu Shu.

Public Enemies

This highly awaited film was not as well liked as it should have been. Honestly, I do not understand why. But perhaps I am a bit biased here for the following reasons

1) Michael Mann is one of my most favourite American directors

2) Johnny Depp is my favourite actor of his generation

3) Marion Cotillard is exquisitely beautiful.

I have seen all of Mann’s films since Heat and I have liked all of them, with Heat and The Insider being my favourites. I don’t even mind his weaker films like Ali and Miami Vice.

So I got everything I look for in a Michael Mann film - Sharp suited gangsters, audacious bank heists, exhilarating shoot-outs and sentimental romanticism, carefully, meticulously researched and as historically accurate as a feature film can be. All this and more defines Michael Mann’s take on the depression era bank robber John Dillinger. Many of the key sequences including the shoot out at the Little Bohemia and Dillinger’s escape from Lake Country Jail are filmed in the actual locations where the events took place. This goes to show Mann’s dedication to keeping it real and true.

The set-piece shoot out scenes are some of the most chilling and power packed ones we have seen. The shoot out scenes in Mann films always make you forget about shoot out scenes in other films altogether and Public Enemies is no different.

I have always been a great fan of the visuals and cinematography of Mann films and this digitally shot film with the new HD camera is a treat for the eyes. Mann’s usual DOP Daniel Spinotti helps create a captivatingly cold, clear and detailed mise en scene that combines with lots of handheld coverage to give the film a distinctive look and feel.

The great soundtrack created by Otis Taylor compliments the film beautifully and the theme song Ten Million Slaves is my favourite.

There is a lot of criticism about this film that there is very little exploration of Dillinger the man, his motivations, his background, what made him the man he was. I am glad the film did not tread along that path because not much is known about all that. Having read Bryan Burrough’s Public Enemies, which is the source material for this film, I realized that we do not actually know for certain why John Dillinger is John Dillinger. In such a case, I felt Michael Mann and his writers did the right job by not even going there.

Sherlock Holmes

Guy Ritchie is another favourite director of mine. Apart from his disaster Swept Away, I have enjoyed all his films. I loved his last film RocknRolla but unfortunately it wasn’t as successful and Ritchie was unable to continue with parts 2 and 3 as originally planned.

But when Ritchie picked up Sherlock Holmes instead with Robert Downey Jr, I was no longer complaining.

Ritchie delivers a tightly structured, intriguing thriller full of the twists and turns and witty humour. The film does have its customary ‘explain everything in the end’ bit as commercial thrillers usually do but apart from that, I enjoyed every bit of it.

Downey Jr and Jude Law are in fine form and it was a treat to see Mark Strong deliver another strong performance after RocknRolla.

The Girlfriend Experience

Steven Soderbergh is known for maintaining his ‘one for them, one for me’ policy in Hollywood. So while he makes the Oceans series and Out of Sight, which are enjoyable to say the least, he also makes gems like Traffic, Che and now The Girlfriend Experience. This is his latest experimental film about a Manhattan call girl who offers not just rushed release but the more refined "girlfriend experience" -- a suite of services including, as we see in the opener, fine red wine and Marc Jacobs black dresses, soft kisses and small talk, and many more things, an experience that goes far beyond sex. Sex is everywhere in The Girlfriend Experience, except there's no sex.

The movie is set during October 2008, many of Chelsea’s clients are customers are seen talking about politics, the elections, McCain, Obama and the financial crisis. Through the main character Chelsea, we are also given a window to contemporary America.

But the soul of the film is Chelsea played by adult actress Sasha Grey. The film is shot-with-the-4K-Red-digital-camera and gives it a spectacular look. Soderbergh’s sense of colour and aesthetics is always pleasant and this is no exception.

The Messenger

The Messenger is about two soldiers whose job it is to inform families when loved ones are killed in the line of duty. They are messengers of bad news basically. The two soldiers are expertly played by Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster. This film brilliantly captures that 10 second period where one's life is turned upside, and it blissfully displays the heartache that thousands of loved ones have had to endure during this Iraq War. It depicts those of all backgrounds with many different reactions.... some of them were truly harrowing to watch. It was the kind of performances that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

For me as an audience, the film was much more effective than The Hurt Locker in getting the point across.

The Road

After the visual masterpiece that was The Proposition, I have been waiting with bated breath for John Hillcoat’s next venture. An adaptation of a Cormac McCarthy novel, this is a beautifully shot film with a haunting soundtrack that adds to the depressing and often disturbing story of a father desperately trying to keep his son alive in a post apocalyptic world. The masterful cinematography and score bring The Road to life.

The film is definitely not for the faint hearted. It is a deeply stimulating film that provides deep insight into human nature and the nature of life itself and is often bleak and heart crushing.

But if cinema or any form of art is supposed to stimulate your mind, then The Road definitely does a very good job of that and it stays with you long after the film is over.

Tetro

Tetro is a deeply personal and beautiful film written and directed by the old master Francis Ford Coppola, the most personal according to the man himself. I can see why.

This is the sort of artistic gems that a man who has nothing else to prove has the luxury of indulging in. This is the sort of film I wish Scorsese would do now rather than churning out studio products.

The plot is very simple. Bennie travels to Buenos Aires to find his long-missing older brother Tetro, a once-promising writer who is now a remnant of his former self. Bennie's discovery of his brother's near-finished play might hold the answer to understanding their shared past and renewing their bond but also long buried family secrets.

Vincent Gallo as Tetro is not a very familiar actor for me. I had only seen him once before in a Johnny Depp movie called Arizona Dream where he played an Italian American wannabe actor. So when he delivers a performance of such high class in this film, I was totally awe-struck.

This is a haunting, heart-wrenching cinema experience that needs to be seen. It pains me that a mediocre work like Shutter Island gets praised to death while a legend's return to form is ignored. See this film.

Honourable Mentions

District 9

Drag Me To Hell

Goodbye Solo

Invictus

The Limits of Control

30 Films of the decade (2000-2009) (Non-English)

2010-06-22T23:58:00.001-07:00

This is in continuation from an earlier post

This was originally meant to be a list of 25 films but in the end it was just too difficult. So 5 more films have been added. These 30 films are amongst my most favourite films from all around the world. I am aware that there plenty I still haven’t seen or haven’t heard of. When it comes to foreign film, I have seen a larger proportion of Asian films (mainly South Korean) than Italian or German so this list will be heavily skewed towards Korean films.

Often I need to see a movie at least twice, sometimes even more to really enjoy it and make up my mind about it. I also need a minimum gap of 1 year before I can look back at it again and see if my perception of the film has diminished a little bit. As a result, I have not included any film from the year 2009 simply because it is just too early to put them in decade list although there have been some awesome films made in 2009.

1) 4 Months 3 Weeks 2 Days (2007) (Romania)

Written and Directed by: Cristian Mungiu

This little Romanian gem is gritty, brutal and sensitive all at the same time. Fiercely realistic to the point where you start wondering whether the film followed a script or just recorded a real situation with actual people instead of fictional characters. Performances are absolutely flawless from both the actresses Anamaria Marinca and Laura Vasiliu. I was expecting this film to win the Best Foreign Language Oscar that year but to my utter shock, it was not even nominated. But I am glad it deservedly won the Golden Palm at Cannes in 2008.

2) Amelie (2001) (France)

Directed by: Jean Pierre Jeunet

Written by: Guillaume Laurant, Jean Pierre Jeunet

If you love life and you love cinema, there is no way you cannot like this heart warming and absolutely adorable tale of a naive, idealistic girl called Amelie, played by the superbly talented Audrey Tatou. Amelie is one of those films that is about finding the small things in life, those little astonishing moments which don’t seem extraordinary but make our lives in ways we do not quite understand. I am not going write anything else about the plot because I watched it without having any idea what its about and I think that is the best way to approach this film.

3) Amores Perros (2000) (Mexico)

Directed by: Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu

Written by: Guillermo Arriaga

This is perhaps one of the most important films I have ever seen. I saw it for the first time 3 years ago. As it happens when a film has this kind of impact on me, I don’t have much to say except for the fact that this film changed forever the way I look at cinema, and more importantly, the way I look at life. Today, whenever I feel upset about life, I look back at Amores Perros and it re affirms for me the power of cinema as an art form.

4) And Your Mama Too (Mexico)

Directed by: Alfonso Cuaron

Written by: Carlos Cuaron, Alfonso Cuaron

This is another masterpiece from Mexico, directed by Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men, 2006). Two teenager meet an older woman and embark on a road trip that will transform their lives for ever. The film on its surface is brilliant in its exploration of human nature, relationships, jealousy, friendship etc. But Cuaron as a director also hits some glancing blows, by having his film revolve around three upper class characters against the backdrop of harsh poverty and cruelty of life in Mexico. Gael Garcia Bernal is supremely talented and the only reason this is not his finest performance is because his body of work is so brilliant. Diego Luna and Maribel Verdu (Pan’s Labrynth) are great too.

5) Battle Royale (2000) (Japan)

Directed by: Kinji Fukasaku

Written by: Koushun Takami (novel), Kenta Fukasaku

Battle Royale is a futuristic, highly controversial film that severely polarised opinions when it came out. The film focuses on what happens when a group of high school students are sent to an abandoned island to kill each other. What brings such a bizarre idea to fruition includes civil unrest, teenage anxiety, and a nation literally terrorized by their youth. The film does contain allusions to contemporary Japanese society in a large way and that prompted a negative reaction from the Japanese government.

As someone not very familiar with Japanese society, it intrigued me and led me to try to read and understand a bit more about the society.

The film is quite violent and can be disturbing at times. But it is a captivating story with intriguing situations and provides deep insight into human nature.

6) City of God (2002) (Brazil)

Directed by: Fernando Meirelles, Katia Lund

Written by: Braulio Mantovani, Paulo Lins (novel)

If there is one film that I am sure will make it to every “Films of the last decade” list, it is this. Based in a ghetto in Rio De Janeiro, the film shocked the world with its brutal portrayal of drugs, gang wars and children killing children. The film depicts three generations of gangs and is often reminiscent of Scorsese’s Goodfellas but is far more violent and uncompromising.

7) Head On (2004) (Germany, Turkey)

Written and Directed by Fatih Akin

Cahit is 40 something German male of Turkish descent. He is a failure, an acoholic and drug addict. Failing to struggle anymore, he attempts to end his life.

Sibel is 20 something German girl of Turkish descent. She is brought up in a strict environment by her parents and brother who want her to live in a certain traditional way. Sibel is free spirited and would do anything to escape from her life. She too attempts to end her life.

It is in the hospital where Cahit and Sibel meet and what follows is the most unlikely, and unconventional love story. What happens next, why the film is so brilliant, why Fatih Akin is one of the most talented filmmakers in the world today, for answers to these questions, you have to go see the film.

8) Hero (2002) (China)

Directed by: Zhang Yimou

Written by: Zhang Yimou, Feng Li, Bin Wang

When it comes to foreign films, I make it a point to watch it in its original language with its subtitles. The problem with that is, I often miss out on the visuals and other aspects while reading the subtitles. So when a particular director’s visuals and style appeal to me, I note the film and the scene and make it a point to revisit it later when I no longer have to read the subtitles to know what's going on.

10 minutes into Hero, I was so struck and enamoured by its beauty, I decided to ignore everything else, and just focus on the visual poetry. Zhang Yimou, who is known for his aesthetics and visual style, collaborates with the best cinematographer in the world – Christopher Doyle and the result is a visual masterpiece.

I had to watch Hero a second time, to read the subtitles and know what’s going on. Hero is not just a visually stunning film lacking in content. It is deeply spiritual, philosophical and along with great martial arts, heart touching background score, it is one of the strongest arguments for the power of cinema. This is the reason cinema exists. In heaven, every film would be directed by Zhang Yimou and photographed by Christopher Doyle.

9) Infernal Affairs Trilogy (2002-2004) (Hong Kong)

Directed by: Wai-Keung Lau, Alan Mak

Written by: Alan Mak, Felix Chong

This trilogy is for cinema of Hong Kong what The Godfather Trilogy is for American cinema. It is easy to see why this trilogy has such a cult following not only in Hong Kong but among movie lovers all over the world. The second film of the series is my personal favourite as it deftly incorporated spiritual and philosophical themes in a crime drama. The first one is absolutely riveting while the third one is a fitting end to the saga of cops and gangsters in Hong Kong. The three films have to be watched together really and treated as a single film. Forget about The Departed. This is the real thing.

10) In The Mood For Love (2000) (Hong Kong)

Written and Directed by: Wong Kar Wai

The first time I watched this film was 2 years ago in 2008. I knew there was something in this film which was beautiful, which struck me and stayed with me. Yes the characters were beautifully written, the score was great, performances were superb, but there are many films like that. I knew there was something else in this film which was so beautiful, but I did not know what it was. Later, having read a little bit about cinema and having talked to people into photography and art, I realized what it was about In The Mood For Love that was so spectacular. It was the aesthetics. Later when I saw other films made by Wong Kar Wai, I found it aswell. Wong Kar Wai’s sense of aesthetics is unmatched and that is what makes his collaboration with Christopher Doyle such an engaging experience for us viewers.

11) Joint Security Area (2000) (South Korea)

Directed by: Chan Wook Park

Written by: Chan Wook Park, Mu Yeong Lee, Hyeon Seok Kim, Seong Sang Jeon, Sang Yeon Park (novel)

Most of us movie buffs who heard of Chan Wook Park after Oldboy would probably have seen this after we were done with his revenge trilogy. This is why perhaps this film absolutely amazed me because it is so unlike a Chan Wook Park film.

In the DMZ separating North and South Korea, two North Korean soldiers have been killed, supposedly by one South Korean soldier. Maj. Sophie E. Jean is assigned by the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission to investigate the incident. We are then told the story from both sides.

In an age when nationalistic fervour is the order of the day and we live in a deeply polarised world and jingoistic war films win Oscars, Joint Security Area is perhaps one of the most important political thrillers because of its uncompromising take on the hollow nature of nationalism.

12) Memories of Murder (2003) (South Korea)

Directed by: Bong Ho Joon

Written by: Sung Bo Shim, Kwang rim Kim and Bong Ho Joon

Film lovers all over the world hail this as one of the best serial killer movies and I can see why. It is a top notch thriller of the highest class, absolutely compelling. A must watch for lovers of this genre.

I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot because I watched it without knowing anything, with a blank slate and I recommend that as the best approach to enjoy this gripping film.

13) Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran (2003) (France)

Directed by: Francois Dupeyron

Written by: Francois Dupeyron, Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt (novel)

This is a heart warming, adorable little film that finds its way into your heart gradually and before you know it, you find yourself deeply attached to the two main characters. It is the story of a lonely, Jewish teenage boy who is ignored by his parents and who befriends an older Muslim man who happens to be the owner of the local store right next to his house. Veteran Omar Sharif is excellent as Monsieur Ibrahim and Pierre Boulanger who plays the teenager is also first rate.

14) Oldboy (2003) (South Korea)

Directed by: Chan Wook Park

Written by: Jo Yun Hwang, Chun Hyeon Lim, Chan Wook Park

15 years of imprisonment, five days to seek vengeance. This is the film that catapulted Chan Wook Park as a cult figure, a powerhouse director among film lovers all over the world. For many film lovers like myself this, this is the film that introduced us to Korean cinema.

This film is so powerful and rich that it requires at least 2 to three to absorb it totally. The first time I was simply focused on the story and the proceedings – the plot. The second time I began to notice and appreciate the production designs, background colours, aesthetics etc. The third time it helped be reflect on the themes.

If I was asked to provide an argument for the power of cinema, my answer would be Oldboy.

15) A One and a Two (Yi Yi) (2000) (Taiwan) (Japan)

Directed by: Edward Yang

Written by: Edward Yang

This movie is a magnificent piece of art. Every shot of the movie is like a painting in its own right. Hats off to cinematographer Wei-han Yang for getting so many splendid images on film. From his serene reflective shots against a city nocturnal background, to innovative bird eye-view shots, to neat mirror shots, to the perspective of the bedridden grandmother in a coma, to cars passing by in front of the actors, to gorgeous corporate buildings... everything on camera was meticulously thought out. The beautifully written characters and scenes compliment the beautiful photography to make a truly heart touching film.

16) Pan's Labyrinth (2006) (Spain) (Mexico)

Directed by: Guillermo Del Toro

Written by: Guillermo Del Toro

I was absolutely blown away by this absolutely dazzling gem of a film. I watched it initially at the movies when it came out in 2006. But I watched again a second prior to writing this list on DVD and was just as fascinated and intrigued as I was the first time. The film presents us two worlds, one is a fairy tale, the other is a civil war.

The fairy tales are weaved perfectly into the story of a country amidst a civil war, I guess that's why the film is so poetic - it flows like poetry. The fairy tale world is violent but not as violent as the world around the little girl however unlike the world around around her – there’s at least hope that she will find something better, richer.

17) Paradise Now (2005) (Palestine)

Directed by: Hany Abou-Assad

Written by: Hany Abou-Assad

“How can the occupier be the victim? If they take on the role of oppressor and victim then I have no other choice but to also be a victim and a murderer as well.”

This is a very important film about a very controversial topic from one of the most unlikeliest and unheard places – Palestine. I have always felt that the world does not hear enough from Palestinian writers, artists, filmmakers. Paradise Now attempts to do just that, provide a voice to Palestine in this complex conflict by taking us through the humane journey of two friends in densely populated and occupied West Bank.

18) Sex and Lucia (2001) (Spain)

Written and Directed by: Julio Medem

I absolutely loved this beautifully photographed, philosophical, surrealistic, multi-layered film about sex and a waitress Lucia. But we soon realize it is also about various lives, connected by an author whose novel has become inextricably entwined with his own life. The film is very Lynchian in its lack of structure and non adherence to any linear time-line and as a result is open to various interpretations. It is another triumph for the rich and diverse cinema of Europe.

19) Talk To Her (2002) (Spain)

Written and Directed by: Pedro Almodovar

After a chance encounter at a theater, two men, Benigno and Marco, meet at a private clinic where Benigno works. Lydia, Marco's girlfriend and a bullfighter by profession, has been gored and is in a coma. It so happens that Benigno is looking after another woman in a coma, Alicia, a young ballet student. The lives of the four characters will flow in all directions, past, present and future, dragging all of them towards an unsuspected destiny.

This Almodovar film with beautiful cinematography, rich and intriguing characters and sensitive performances will go down as one of the more accomplished films in the career of the veteran film director. Considering the fact that Almodovar’s career is more than 30 years old, this makes Talk To Her one of the best films of the decade and a must watch.

20) The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005) (France)

Directed by: Jacques Audiard

Written by: Jacques Audiard, Tonino Benacquista

This is a gripping, stylish, intense and gritty film from acclaimed director Jacques Audiard whose film A Prophet (2009) won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes last year. The movie is shot stylishly with a hand-held camera which is my favourite anyway, so that played a great role in making me love this film. The music is beautiful. But most of all, the film should be watched for its high drama quotient and fantastic character study of a real estate agent on the fringes of crime. Romain Duris as the real estate agent is absolutely unforgettable in a brilliant role.

21) The Chorus (2004) (France)

Directed by: Christophe Barratier

Written by: Christophe Barratier, Phillipe Lopes Curval

This delightful story set in an extremely strict school for problematic children in 1948 France is full of life and beauty and is an absolute pleasure to watch. Slightly reminiscent of Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society (1989), newly arrived teacher Mathieu Clement uses music to transform the lives of in-disciplined and unruly children in a very strict school. This film rides heavily on the heart warming performance of Gerard Jugnot and is sure to take you to a high at the end of the film.

22) The Day My Parents Went on Vacation (2006) (Brazil)

Directed by: Cao Hamburger

Written by: Claudio Galperin, Braulio Mantovani, Anna Muylaert, Adriana Falcao and Cao Hamburger

This is another Brazilian gem about World Cup fever in the land where Pele was born amidst the backdrop of political upheaval and violent dictatorship in 1970 Brazil from the writers of cult classic City of God (2002). We follow the life of a kid, whose parents are leaving for "vacations". He's left at his grandfather's apartment, only to find out that he died hours before his arrival. Finding himself in the unnatural environment of a Jewish community, having no news about his parents and having to live with a grumpy old man, he finds comfort in football and everything that deals with it.

This heart warming, soulful tale will instantly find resonance with lovers of cinema who are tired of Hollywood artificiality and empty shells. Lovers of World Cinema should pounce upon this gem immediately.

23) The Edge of Heaven (2007) (Germany) (Turkey)

Written and Directed by: Fatih Akin

This is another of those realer than real movies in the same category as Amores Perros, Three Monkeys, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and like those films, a supreme piece of art. Every once in a while a film like this comes that portrays life and human beings so well that you are left to wonder how this could all have been scripted and acted. It was perhaps unfortunate to compete with 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days at Cannes in 2008. Honestly I wouldn’t be able to pick a winner from the two.

A German man of Turkish descent travels to Turkey to find the daugther of his father’s ex girlfriend after her death. A Turkish political prisoner enters Germany illegally to look for her mother. This is a compelling, emotionally charged film that explores the concept of ‘chance’ and coincidence and how are lives are effected by forces unknown to us.

24) The Edukators (2004) (Germany)

Directed by: Hans Weingartner

Written by: Katharina Held, Hans Weingartner

This is a film very close to my heart. How close a film gets to my heart is directly proportional to how long it stays with me after the end credits are on screen. I kept thinking about this film, the characters, their ideals, their backgrounds, and where they would be in 5 or 10 years time.

It is a film about political activism, love, friendship, ideals in life and how we feel compelled to betray them as we grow older, and have to compromise ideals for pragmatism. The use of the song Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley is very effective as well. I loved the camera work in the film. The constant motion puts us right into the characters' world and helps foster an instant connection with them.

I have heard of a Hollywood remake. Go watch this one as soon as you can before the remake ruins it for you.

25) The Host (2006) (South Korea)

Directed by: Bong Ho Joon

Written by: Chul Hyun Baek, Won Hu Ja, Bon Ho Joon

The monster/disaster movie genre has been overdone and somewhat ruined by bad films like Godzilla and Cloverfield. Once again, the cinema of South Korea leads the way and shows its Hollywood counterparts how its done. This film proves that any genre, no matter how over done, has something entertaining, captivating to its audience if made by a good director. Bong Ho Joon who gave us a serial killer masterpiece Memories of Murder (2003) earlier delivers a captivating, suspenseful film that manages to send a tingle down your spine and make you laugh at the same time.

26) The Lives of Others (2006) (Germany)

Written and Directed by: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

This is a brilliant and beautifully acted peek behind the curtain of mid 80s East Germany into both the dynamics and functions of its government and the heart of its people. One lonely man, whose job is to spy on a couple (German artists) discover through them a new appreciation of life, art and love.

It poses a very basic question, and while having a warm and tender core, never compromises on the reality of the situation for the safety of a feel good moment.

The story is basically of a saga of two good men, a Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Muehe) who was in charge of spying on and tracking people suspected of treason during the totalitarian period of East Germany history and a theatre director Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch), who is under suspicion.

These characters pose a very basic question: What does a truly good man do, when being good involves going directly against the ideas you believed in for so long? When doing the right thing would imply committing treason against your country? Its such an irony that the only dutiful communists in the movie are the ones trying to find a way around the system.

The movie has the pace of a thriller, the heart of a love story and the sweep of a saga.

27) The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) (Argentina) (Brazil)

Directed by: Walter Salles

Written by: Ernesto Che Guevara (book), Alberto Granada (book), Jose Rivera

“Before he changed the world the world changed him”

Lovers of international cinema are no stranger to the name “Walter Salles. In 1998 he gave us the much loved Central Station. So when he was making a film on one of the most fascinating personalities of the last century, it was going to be incredibly special.

Nor surprisingly, the film garnered pretty negative reviews from Western critics. But regardless of one’s political inclinations, this film should not be missed because first and foremost, its a beautiful story, well told.

This movie is based on the true story that took Ernesto Guevara (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna) on a road trip all across and along South America in the 1950's. The movie concentrates on how the world changed Ernesto which in turn led him to try to change the world. The movie ends at the end of their road trip. Great photography, humour, action, and drama are all ingredients of this movie. This movie also provides a great window to life and culture in South America as the director allows us in on the journey with Che and Alberto.

Gael Garcia Bernal is an extremely accomplished director with a a body of work unmatched, so it is perhaps hard to say if this is his best performance but it surely is an incredible performance. He is ably supported by Rodrigo De la Serna.

28) The Orphanage (2007) (Spain) (Mexico)

Directed by: Juan Antonio Bayona

Written by: Sergio G Sanchez

This film is executive produced by Guillermo Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) and is very similar in terms of its styling, imagery and attempt to explore darker themes using fairy tales and fantasies.

The horror film genre has long been tarnished by poorly made films, high on blood, gore and gratuitous violence. This film shows that when handled by talented people, even a genre believed to have reached its saturation point can produce a gem.

The production designs and cinematography is absolutely stellar and creates the right atmosphere and ambience.

29) The Tunnel (2001) (Germany)

Directed by: Roland Suso Richter

Written by: Johannes W Betz

This is a true story a group of East Berliners escaping to the West. Harry Melchior was a champion East German swimmer at odds with the system under which he has already been imprisoned. On his own escape, he is determined the arrange the escape to the West of his sister and her family. The idea of the tunnel is born.

I hadn't really seen anything about the Berlin Wall in cinema and what life was like during that transitional period in Berlin. The director uses old fashioned, no-frills film making, and the almost 3 hour running time means character development gets full preference which is the way I like it. Despite its length, the film managed to remain a gripping thriller and a very human drama at its core.

30) Three Monkeys (2008) (Turkey)

Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Written by: Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Ebru Ceylan, Ercan Kesal.

This is an elegant exercise with four characters trapped by class, guilt and greed, beautifully photographed, with minimum dialogue, no background music. Satyajeet Ray once said a great director is one who is able to use silence to communicate. If that is the test, then Three Monkeys should catapult Nuri Bilge Ceylan to the list of a grade directors of our times.

Every once in a while, a film which is an amalgamation of various thoughts and result of various thought processes and ideas has a moment or two that find their way into our hearts, finds resonance somewhere inside our hearts. It is something very personal and the same scene will perhaps have a totally different impact on another viewer and was probably intended for a totally different purpose by the maker. That is the beauty of art.

Three Monkeys for me had this moment when the father and his son stare at each other through the bars of a prison cell. The son is there to visit his father, but both struggle for words. They love each other, and they know that visiting hours are limited, yet they cannot quite find the words to express themselves other than the customary “how are you, how are studies, did you get the money” kind of talk. That a film is able to capture so beautifully that moment is a testament to the skill and talent of everyone involved with the film.

Honourable Mentions:

2046 (2004) (Hong Kong)

13 Tzameti (2005) (France)

A Bittersweet Life (2005) (South Korea)

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) (South Korea)

Brotherhood of War (2001) (South Korea)

No Man’s Land (2001) (Bosnia)

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring (South Korea)

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) (South Korea)

Thirst (2009) (South Korea)

Three Times (2005) (Taiwan)

This is all kind of awesomeness

2010-05-26T08:35:00.001-07:00

“What's the most resilient parasite? An Idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules. Which is why I have to steal it.”

The moment I heard these lines in the second Inception trailer, and the saw the visuals and scenes that accompanied, I wanted to see the film at that very instant. But it was quite a few months ago. So what I would do is watch the trailer over and over again.

And then, this extended theatrical trailer came out a few weeks ago, probably with Iron Man 2.

While the first two trailers teased us beyond endurance, this trailer gives us a bit more about the plot and the characters.

Leonardo Di Caprio plays a highly skilled thief who specialises in a “very specific type of security”

Needless to say, the trailer is absolutely awesome. I know what I will be doing on July 16th. I will be standing in the queues to watch this movie come rain, hail or shine.

Other than the fact that the trailer gave us a brief idea about the story, it also featured for the first time the love of my life – Marion Cotillard. The first time I laid eyes on her was in 2006 when I went to see a Russell Crowe movie called A Good Year. Judging from the trailer, she probably plays Di Caprio’s love interest. Here the film gets a bit predictable for a cinephile like me. He probably has to do this one last job that will ensure his future with Marion but is also extremely dangerous and highly risky.

So yes its perhaps a bit predictable but you know what, great directors can make great films from predictable stories. This is why Christopher Nolan is so awesome, this is why Inception is going to be pure awesomeness, its going to be great film despite being a little predictable.

The Magnificent Case of Sachin Tendulkar

2010-02-25T21:27:00.001-08:00

Sachin Tendulkar has broken yet another batting record. This might sound monotonous and predictable but it is still a tremendous achievement. The great man has scored the first ever double century in One Day International cricket.

I would like to share something I wrote sometime last year when he completed 20 years in international cricket.

The Magnificent Case of Sachin Tendulkar

In his first test match at Karachi in 1989, he was left with a bloody nose and a blood soaked t-shirt. His crime? He had dared to attempt a cover drive against the fastest bowler in the world Waqar Younis, he had dared to not be intimidated by Imran Khan and Wasim Akram in their own back yard. The audacity of the 16 year old boy shocked the world as he refused to leave the field, deciding instead to bat on and fight it out. If test cricket is what differentiates the men from the boys, then there never was a more quintessential example as a 16 year old boy proved his manhood. 20 years, 30000 runs and about 80 international centuries later, we know that boy as Sachin Tendulkar, a legend, a phenomenon, a champion.

Although I was first introduced to cricket back in 1992, I had very little understanding other than the fact that I was to celebrate like everyone else around me then and not ask too many questions. It was not until 1995 that I began to understand the game a little better, began to understand the concept of bat and ball. Very soon I had also learnt to be jealous of the fact that the best batsman in the world was an Indian. Nope, no way, Saeed Anwar was a better batsman, and soon the world will acknowledge.

This continued for a couple of years, when I would vociferously argue about Saeed Anwar’s superiority over Sachin Tendulkar and I had good reason to because for a couple of years in the mid 90s, they were neck and neck in terms of the number of ODI centuries. Back then, Desmond Haynes held the record for most ODI centuries and I was hoping Anwar would break his record before Tendulkar and prove to the world that the best batsman in the world played in the Pakistan cricket team. Alas, that was not too be as Anwar suffered a slump in form and Tendulkar went to not only break the record but leave Anwar way behind in terms of number of centuries.

Around this time, I also realized that not only was Tendulkar ahead of Anwar in ODIs, he was also way ahead of him in Test cricket. Australia toured India around this time for a test series hailed as Warne vs Tendulkar, the best spinner in the world vs the best batsman in the world. I was obviously on Warne’s side, hoping he would win the battle and prove once and for all that Tendulkar was no big deal. Alas once again Tendulkar broke my heart as he darted Warne all over the park in that series like a school boy and such was the effect of the maestro on Warne that he later admitted to having nightmares of Tendulkar coming down the track and smashing him.

I had to find someone else. This someone else happened to be the burly Inzamam ul Haq, who had been hailed by no less than Imran Khan himself as an equal of Tendulkar and Lara. Yes, I had found my new hero, Inzamam was the best batsman in the world.

My argument this time? Inzamam’s ability to win matches for Pakistan, his ratio of match winning centuries much superior to Tendulkar’s. I would listen to Imran Khan speak about Inzamam and then copy those arguments in my case for Inzamam, he was a great player of fast bowling, has so much time, and has tremendous ability to handle pressure.

Amidst all this, there was also a weak cricket fan inside me, who for some reason enjoyed Sachin Tendulkar’s batting, who wanted him to score runs, score centuries, win matches, just for the sheer pleasure of watching a champion perform like a champion. It was a strange contradiction, because on one hand I wanted him to be dismissed especially when he was playing against Pakistan, but at the same time, I wanted to just watch him bat, play those exquisite cover drives.

It is a contradiction that I have had to live for a long time. Tendulkar has hurt me many times, his innings at Centurion against Pakistan in 2003 ensured in Pakistan’s humiliating ouster in the first round. I remember a shot he played against Wasim Akram in the first over, a back of a length ball bowled by Wasim, which has often given him wickets, timed with perfection and placed with disdain between cover fielders for a four. That was in the first over, and that told me that the champion was at his best today, and that mean he could dismantle a bowling attack comprising of Wasim, Waqar and Shoaib, which is exactly what he did.

By this time, his mastery, excellence and sheer genius had finally broken me, I began to believe without any shame and hesitation, that he was truly the best batsman in the world, a champion, a character worthy of respect and admiration. My mother had once told me a long time back when I used to be furiously jealous of Tendulkar that she could not help but admire him. Soon I began to admire the genius as well.

Today I no longer have to fight any contradictions inside me. In 2004 he was unbeaten on 194 against Paksistan in Rawalpindi when Rahul Dravid declared the innings and it upset me as I knew he deserved a double century that day. I have no shame in acknowledging that there is Brian Lara, Inzamam ul Haq, Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid, and then a few notches higher, there is Sachin Tendulkar, if not in terms of cricketing talent, then in terms of his impeccable commitment, sheer strength of character and utmost humility.

That sums up Sachin Tendulkar for me. Today, when the world stands up and celebrates 20 years of Sachin Tendulkar, I feel proud because the best batsman in the world today is also my hero.

25 Films of the decade 2000-2009 (English)

2010-02-18T18:24:00.001-08:00

It is that time of the year, (actually its way past that time) when you sit down and list your favourite films of the previous year/decade. In this case, it is the decade 2000-2009. Now I am absolutely aware of the problems associated with preparing these lists.

1) Firstly, there are still so many great films of the last decade that I haven’t seen.

2) I have so many favourite films, there are so many films I absolutely adore, it is very difficult to fit all of them in a list. I initially started with 20, then had to expand it to 25, but can actually go up to 100. I also am worried about the good films that my mind probably skipped when preparing this list.

3) Since the majority of the films I watch are usually in English, I will variably miss out on many great non English films. As a result, I will write up another list of 25 films, the category being non English films.

4) Often I need to see a movie at least twice, sometimes even more to really enjoy it and make up my mind about it. I also need a minimum gap of 1 year before I can look back at it again and see if my perception of the film has diminished a little bit. As a result, I have not included any film from the year 2009 simply because it is just too early to put them in decade list although there have been some awesome films made in 2009.

Taking all these into consideration, I have managed to list 25 notable films of the last decade consisting of American, British and Australian films. I do not understand the nuances and technicalities of filmmaking. The one and only criteria is that they are my favourite films.

The films are in alphabetical order and not in order of preference.

1) 21 Grams (2003)

Directed by: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Written by: Guillermo Arriaga

This is Innaritu’s second film, and first film in English. He carries on with his non linear story telling technique. The film is about three principal characters – Paul Rivers an ailing mathematician love-lessly married to an English émigré, Christina Peck, an upper-middle-class suburban housewife, happily married and mother of two little girls, and Jack Jordan, an ex-convict who has found in his Christian faith the strength to raise a family. They are all brought together by a terrible accident that will change their lives. This is one of those “slice of life” films. By the final frame, none of them will be the same as they will learn harsh truths about love, faith, courage, desire and guilt, and how chance can change our worlds irretrievably, forever. The film ends with a haunting soliloquy about the fragility of life and the inevitability of death.

2) Adaptation (2002)

Directed by: Spike Jonze

Written by: Charlie Kaufman, Donald Kaufman, Susan Orlean

The opening soliloquy itself would have placed it in my top 25 list. It is the kind of start that establishes a strong place for the character immediately. You just started the movie and before you know it, you are totally engaged, slowly getting to know the main protagonist Charlie Kaufman, and wanting to know more of him. An ideal start for a wacky, crazy and absolutely incredible story about a Hollywood writer trying to adapt the best selling book The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean. Chris Cooper bagged an Oscar for an unforgettable performance as John Laroche but performances from Nicholas Cage (in a double role) and Meryl Streep are of the highest class too.

3) A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints (2006)

Directed by: Dito Montiel

Written by: Dito Montiel

I first got a look of this film when it was the topic of discussion at the Stratton and Martha show. There was something about it, the pulled me to it. I immediately did a google search on Dito Montiel and the film. What I read immediately placed this film on my “must watch” list.

It is based on a memoir of the same name written by the protagonist Dito. It is a coming of age story of a young boy with big dreams and ambitions growing up in the bronx. One of my friends once described it as a “slice of life” and I don’t think there can be a better description for this film. The non linear narrative gives you a look at both the young and older Dito simultaneously. This works brilliantly for the film as it instantly intrigues us, we want to know more, we want to know how Shia Lebouf (younger Dito) became Robert Downey jr (older Dito). Apart from the sensitive direction, Montiel also manages to extract top performances from Chazz Palminteri, Channing Tatoum, Robert Downey Jr, Rosario Dawson, and Shia Lebouf, whose sincere performance holds this film together.

4) Babel (2006)

Directed by: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Written by: Guillermo Arriaga

4 interlocking stories all connected by a single gun all converge at the end and reveal a complex and tragic story of the lives of humanity around the world and how we truly aren't all that different. In Morocco, a troubled married couple are on vacation trying to work out their differences. Meanwhile, a Moroccan herder buys a rifle for his sons so they can keep the jackals away from his herd. A girl in Japan dealing with rejection, the death of her mother, the emotional distance of her father, her own self-consciousness, and a disability among many other issues, deals with modern life in the enormous metropolis of Tokyo, Japan. Then, on the opposite side of the world the married couple's Mexican nanny takes the couple's 2 children with her to her son's wedding in Mexico, only to come into trouble on the return trip.

Innaritu and Arriaga collaborate on their third and perhaps most ambitious film with a tagline “If you want to be understood, listen.” Like their previous two films, there are multiple characters, various subplots narrated in a non linear structure.

“England and America are two countries separated by a common language.” said the great George Bernard Shaw. Imagine the chaos, complication, isolation when nations and peoples are separated not only by languages but by cultures, values, perceptions, religions etc.

The film has some heart wrenching moments but in the end Innaritu manages to make an important point, the more different people are in terms of race, language, religion, the more we are connected by a common thread. This is how coincidence films should be made.

I have seen it twice now, and felt enriched each time at the end of it.

5) Batman Begins (2005)

Directed By: Christopher Nolan

Written By: David S. Goyle, Christopher Nolan

As a child, my preferred hero was always Batman. Till this day, I have not been able to figure out exactly why I picked Batman over Spiderman and Superman. Maybe it was the colour black which happens to be my favourite colour, or the fact that it was aired on television at just the right time for me to watch. Needless to say, when Tim Burton’s Batman films came out, I was gifted with VHS copies of those films. Then, I grew up. I did not like Sam Raimi’s Spiderman (2002) and told myself that I had outgrown comic book heroes. This is precisely why, I will be forever thankful to Christopher Nolan, for reinventing and redefining Batman for me so and not allowing me to outgrow my favourite superhero. I have seen this film so many times now, each scene is etched in my memory, each dialogue, each movement. Add to that Liam Neeson’s voiceover with dialogues like “You have learnt to bury your guilt with anger, I will teach to you to confront it and to face the truth. You know how to fight 6 men, I will teach you to engage 600. You know how to disappear, I can teach you to become truly disappear.” If God ever came on earth, he would sound like Liam Neeson. If all that wasn’t enough to make this super hero film absolutely great, Nolan throws in the element of moral ambiguity with lines like “The first time I stole so that I wouldn’t starve, I lost many assumptions about the simple nature of right and wrong".” Batman Begins is an instant classic.

6) Before Sunset (2004)

Directed By: Richard Linklater

Written By: Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke

Very seldom, we encounter films where the screenplay and performances by the actors draw us so deep into the film, make us sit with the characters and be a part of their lives, listen to their conversations, laugh with them, cry with them, hope with them, despair with them. Very rare. Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke and July Delpy achieve this rare feat twice with this second part of their eternal and absolutely magnificent love fable about two soul mates. When a film has this sort of effect on me, I am often unable to find words that encapsulate my thoughts and feelings. This film is no different and all I can say to sum up my thoughts is, that after finishing the film, I was ready to start all over again, just to be with Jesse and Celine and enjoy their rendezvous.

7) Cinderella Man (2005)

Directed by: Ron Howard

Written by: Cliff Hollingsworth, Akiva Goldsman

Ron Howard’s Cinderella Man is the inspiring tale of washed up boxer Jim Braddock who came from nowhere to become a Champion. It is the ultimate story of the triumph of the underdog and strikes at the right chords to emotionally connect with the viewer. I am aware of a few reservations people had about the portrayal of Braddock’s opponent Max Baer. I am not too familiar with the boxing scene hence cannot comment on that. But as a film, Cinderella Man gets it right and boasts of a towering performance by Crowe.

8) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Directed by: Michel Gondry

Written by: Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is yet another crazy brainchild of Charlie Kaufman. In the film self-referential film Adaptation, Charlie’s producer tells him after watching his Being John Malkovich that she would love a portal into his brain. Well this is the first Kaufman written film I saw and I had the same response..I wanted a portal into Kaufman’s brain, because I was just so awestruck by what I saw. Jim Carrery delivers his career best performance as Joel Barish and is ably supported by Kate Winslet as Clementine. I think directors (Michel Gondry and Spike Jonze) of films written by Kaufman deserve a lot of credit for making it all comprehensible and not isolating the audience which is easy to do considering Kaufman’s uncanny ability to write bizarre stories.

9) In Bruges (2008)

Directed by: Martin McDonagh

Written by: Martin McDonagh

In Bruges sees the arrival with a bang of British film director Martin McDonagh. As a member of my local cinema, I was given a free pass to this indie film as a way to promote it. I went, not knowing what to expect. However, what I got in the next 2 hours or so was astonishing, original and enthralling. McDonagh establishes himself as one of the most talented writers in the category of Tarantino, Shane Black, Guy Ritchie. His ability to mix humour with emotion is truly beautiful and places the viewer in the magical position – where he understands each character’s perspective, yet is unable to pick between them. In Bruges features top rate performances from Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes (who does a Ben Kingsley from Sexy Beast) and is considered a cult classic today.

10) Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

Directed by: Shane Black

Written by: Shane BlackKiss Kiss Bang Bang is the film that totally revived Robert Downey Jr’s career. It is the directorial debut of Hollywood screenwriter Shane Black (Lethal Weapon films) and is an underrated gem. Black’s displays his mastery as a writer with the ease with which he combines genres (humour, action, film noir) and ensures a thrilling ride for the audience. A must watch.

11) Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Directed by: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

Written by: Michael Arndt

I was first told about this film by a friend whose recommendations I don’t usually take seriously. The title evoked a typical ‘film snob’ response from me - “I don't watch those kinds of films” He persisted and since he always took my recommendations seriously, I decided to give it a go with low expectations. Instead, by the time the first 10 minutes were over and I had been introduced to each of the 6 characters, I had already fallen in love with the film. This is a little gem of a movie that instantly makes its way into your heart. It was highly acclaimed when it came in 2006 and it deserved each of those accolades including the Oscar for Best Screenplay.

12) Memento (2000)

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Written by: Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan

Memento is perhaps one of the most important films of the last decade. With its unusual backward narration, Memento revolutionises the concept of non linear narration. The film right established Christopher Nolan as an A-grade film director and set a high benchmark which only Nolan himself can adhere to. The film is about a man who suffers from short term memory loss after an accident. Now this man is hell bent on finding the killers of his wife, so he uses notes, photographs and tattoos to hunt them. In order to draw the viewer into the film, Nolan’s extraordinary narrative style makes the viewer feel as dazed and disoriented as the protagonist Leonard. If that was not enough, the film is multi-layered, thus having various interpretations of the ending and message boards and forums dedicated to debating them. What an achievement!

13) Primer (2004)

Directed by: Shane Carruth

Written by: Shane Carruth

Primer is an extraordinary story of two friends who after various trials and errors come up with a machine that allows them to time travel. I am not going to say anything else, nor do I want you to know anything else or read anything else about it. Just watch the film and let it mesmerise you like it mesmerised me. The film might take repeated viewings to really seep into your mind.

The concept of the film is absolutely incredible but what is extraordinary is the fact that Shane Carruth pulled it off on such a tight budget. Unfortunately the Michael Bays and James Camerons of the world have all the money and technology available to them but neither do they have a good story nor a special vision. Shane Carruth proves with Primer that all you need is clarity of vision, perseverance and determination to make a great film.

14) Requiem For a Dream (2000)

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky

Written by: Hubert Selby Jr, Darren Aronofsky

If I had a gun held to my head and had to pick one film from these 25 films, and this happened 5 times, Requiem For a Dream would probably be my pick twice out of those 5 times.

Like I usually do, I started watching this film without reading too much about it. All I knew was that this was a highly acclaimed film and established Aronofsky as one of the frontline directors of his generation along with Christopher Nolan.

During the next 1 hour 40 minutes or so, I was shocked, disturbed, challenged, moved and emotionally drained at the end of it. Various scenes from the film simply stayed with me, and I couldn’t forget them even if I wanted to. From nowhere I would see the scene of Jennifer Connelly lying on her side on the couch, with a satisfied smile on her face, a reflection of fulfilled craving or the hospital scene of Ellen Burstyn when her friends come to visit her in the end.

The music by Clint Mansell is haunting and helps tremendously in creating the right atmosphere. Aronofsky also uses various innovative visual styles and establishes himself as an extremely talented director.

15) Road To Perdition (2002)

Directed by: Sam Mendes

Written by: Max Allen Collins, Richard Piers Rayner and David Self

“Sometimes there's so much beauty in Sam Mendes’ films, I feel like I can't take it, like my heart's going to cave in.”

Sam Mendes is one of my most favourite directors of his generation. I have loved each of his films till now but Road To Perdition is perhaps my favourite Mendes film. I used the famous quote from American Beauty and changed it a bit because that is the best way I can sum up my thoughts.

Mike Sullivan works as a hit man for crime boss John Rooney. Sullivan views Rooney as a father figure. However after his son is witness to a killing he has done Mike Sullivan finds him self on the run trying to save the life of his son and at the same time looking for revenge on those who wronged him. This is the plot according to IMDB. On paper it sounds very simple and that is where the beauty of the film lies because the film is so multi-layered. It is about loyalties, redemption, father-son relationships and much more. I don't want to ruin it by highlighting all the subtexts. Its for you to find out.

16) Sexy Beast (2000)

Directed by: Jonathan Glazer

Written by: Louis Mellis and David Scinto

There is hardly a guy who loves movies and does not like British Gangster movies. They are just a different class altogether. Sexy Beast has one of the most simple and unoriginal premises. Gal is a retired gangster after serving time, and now lives quietly in Spain. He is soon joined by his old friend and boss Don Logan who wants him to do this one last big job in London. Gal does not want to but Don Logan won’t take no for an answer. What ensues next is a story of battle of wits and will power told in the most innovate way. Ben Kingsley delivers and unforgettable performance as Don Logan who will go down as one of the most powerful characters. Writers Louis Melli and David Scinto come up with one memorable line after another and they are all written for Don Logan. Slick editing and tight direction ensure a thrilling ride.

17) Snatch (2000)

Directed by: Guy Ritchie

Written by: Guy Ritchie

Lots of characters (mainly set in the British underworld), kick ass dialogues, hilarious and crazy situations and London are the ingredients of a kick ass Guy Richie movie, and in other words, everything a guy looks for in an entertaining film. Snatch is hilarious, entertaining, thrilling and then some. I have watched it many times and not once does it get boring. Performances are fantastic and Brad Pitt as a gypsy bare knuckle boxing champion is unforgettable.

18) Syriana (2005)

Directed by: Stephen Gaghan

Written by: Stephen Gaghan, Robert Baer

In 2006, I happened to come across this film with the tagline “Everything is connected”. The synopsis at the back seemed interesting. Syriana is directed by writer Stephen Gaghan of Traffic fame and like Traffic has multiple storylines intricately connected. Syriana is an intense, politically charged, taut thriller that entertains and enlightens. I had to watch it 3-4 times to fully digest everything, such is the depth of this film. A must watch for those into current affairs, global politics and economy and terrorism.

19) The Assassination of Jesse James by Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Directed by: Andrew Dominik

Written by: Andrew Dominik, Ron Hansen

Andrew Dominik’s take on 18th century American outlaw Jesse James and his murder in bizarre circumstances by Robert Ford is one of the most beautifully picturised films of the last decade. The film is yet another addition to the western genre in Hollywood yet its enthralling beauty and poetic narrative establishes it as a supreme piece of art. Casey Affleck comes out with an incredible performance Brad Pitt underplays well to support him. The cinematography by Roger Deakins is breathtaking and deserved an Oscar.

20) The Machinist (2004)

Directed by: Brad Anderson

Written by: Scott Kosar

An exciting, stylishly made, taut thriller that shocks, awes, enthrals and culminates into a powerful ending. Christian Bale delivers the performance of his career He lost about 60 pounds for this film by living on a can of tuna and an apple a day. You have to watch the film to see the effect. It has all the ingredients of a riveting thriller, along the lines of a Memento or any Hitchcock thriller.

21) The Proposition (2005)

Directed by: John Hillcoat

Written by: Nick Cave

Cinema is an amalgamation of various art forms – acting, music, writing, cinematography to name a few. A director’s job is to combine everything according his particular vision to create an overall effect. When each of those artists/technicians involved gets it right and the director is able to channelize it towards its intended purpose, the result would probably look like The Proposition. The film takes us to 19th century rural Australia and provides us with a view of a chaotic,violent, brutal and dark world where it is a struggle to hold on to some basic element of humanity. It is a landmark film in Australian cinema and an instant classic.

John Hurt is absolutely unforgettable in one of the most powerful cameos in cinema, but performances from Ray Winstone and Guy Pearce are first rate too.

This is an experience not to be missed. There is this scene early in the film when Ray Winstone character lays down the proposition to Guy Pearce's character. It is in voiceover while we are presented a view of rural Australia in all its brutal and ruthless glory.

"I wish to present you with a proposition. I know where Arthur Burns is. It is a God-forsaken place. The blacks won't go there, not the tracks; not even wild men. I suppose, in time, the bounty hunters will get him. But I have other plans, I aim to bring him down - I aim to show that he's a man like any other. I aim to hurt him. And what will most hurt him? Well I thought long and hard about that, and I've realized Mr. Burns, that I must become more inventive in my methods. But those be my words listen to me now, *don't* say a word. Now suppose I told there was a way to save your little brother Mikey from the noose. Suppose I gave you a horse, and a gun. Suppose Mr. Burns, I was to give you and your young brother Mikey here a pardon. Suppose I said that I could give you a chance to expunge the guilt, beneath which you so clearly labor. Suppose I gave you 'til Christmas. Now, suppose you tell me what it is I want from you. "

Its one of those powerful moments only cinema can create.

22) The Three Burials or Melquiades Estrada (2005)

Directed by: Tommy Lee Jones

Written by: Guillermo Arriaga

Mexican cowboy Melquiades Estrada is mistakenly killed by a Border Patrolman Mike Norton who quickly buries him in the desert. Estrada happened to be a close friend of ranch foreman Pete Perkins and had made a heartfelt request that in the even of his death, Pete should make sure his body is buried in his home town in Mexico. So Pete takes it upon himself to find the body, and take it back to Mexico and at the same time ensure Mike Norton gets his comeuppance.

The narrative is non linear like most films written by Arriaga and that is what makes it so interesting. Being a huge fan of Arriaga’s stories and non linear structures, I was always going to love the film. The film also boasts of excellent performances and beautiful background score. The magnificent visuals help highlight the sad reality of Mexican immigrants and the situation on the US-Mexico border.

23) Traffic (2000)

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

Written by: Simon Moore, Stephen Gaghan

Traffic is a multi starrer film with multiple storylines all intricately connected. It is a an intelligent and enthralling thriller about drug trafficking in America and provides us with characters and sub plots from various levels, starting from a judge spearheading the war on drugs all the way down to his teenage daughter who becomes a victim. The film does not attempt to preach or provide solutions but highlights a very important issue and does so in a very entertaining manner. Steven Soderbergh deservedly won his best Director Oscar and this is the film that made me a Benicio Del Toro fan overnight.

24) The Wind That Shakes The Barley (2006)

Directed: by Ken Loach

Written by: Paul Laverty

Ken Loach’s masterful film on the IRA and the British occupation of Ireland won the Cannes Golden Palm in 2006. It is about two brothers, Damien and Teddy during the early days of the IRA in 1920. Teddy is enlisted with the IRA and is a strong, brave and stubborn character. He has dedicated his whole life to a higher cause – the liberation and freedom of Ireland. Damien, the younger, more educated and practical brother is a doctor about to move to London and work in a hospital there. But an incident involving his childhood friend being beaten to death in front of his mother by British soldiers changes his mind and he decides to join his brother to fight against the imperialist British empire. As the brothers Damien and Teddy get more and more involved with IRA, they grow as characters and Teddy becomes more practical and Damien becomes more idealistic.

This is where Ken Loach takes the film to a higher level, by not only providing a commentary on the proceedings of the war between IRA and Britain but also providing us with a human tale, about relationships, brotherhood, loyalties, ideologies, clash of ideologies, the thin and blurred line between realism and idealism, the contradictions inherent in socialism and capitalism, and what it really means to stand for something.

There are various sequences in the film that leave the viewer as confused and unsure as the two main protagonists, about which path to take, whether to compromise towards the objective or compromise on the objective. It reflects the problems associated with an armed struggle, colonialism, challenges of post colonialism.

There is a sequence where Damien writes a letter to his beloved and the lines of that letter will stay with me forever and sums up the film in my view.

“I tried not to get into this war, and did. Now I try to get out, and can’t. Dan once told me something I have struggled with all this time. He said it is easy to know what you’re against, quite another to know what you are for.”

The film in my view is a tad underrated and I was a bit disappointed it did not bag many nominations at the Academy awards

25) Zodiac (2007)

Directed by: David Fincher

Written by: James Vanderbilt, Robert Graysmith

David Fincher had earlier established himself as a master storyteller especially in the genre of crime and thriller with films like Seven, The Game and the cult classic Fight Club. So when he takes on a serial killer story, which also happens to be a true story, the end result is a completely spellbinding ride. You are glued right from the first scene and as Fincher unravels layer after layer, it only gets better like a delicious cake. Performances by Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr are first rate too.

Honourable Mentions:

28 Days Later (2002)

Bread and Roses (2000)

Good Night and Good Luck (2005)

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

Kill Bill Vol 1&2 (2003 and 2004)

Narc (2002)

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

The Dark Knight (2008)

The Visitor (2008)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Music and Me – Part IV

2010-02-17T17:10:00.001-08:00

Continued from Part I, Part II, Part III

Influence

When it comes to music, my greatest influence has been my best friend Numair, although I will never admit it in front of him. I mean we still argue like kids over who has heard a wider variety of songs, who has heard more songs, we race to listen to a new good song just to be able to say “aha, I told you about that song”

So here are two songs that I would not probably have liked had it not been for influence. The lyrics, although good, would not connect with me instantly. Yet, I love these songs today, and its all because of influence.

Boshe Achi Eka is a very old song by one of the pioneers of rock music in Bangladesh – Warfaze. This song is just so energetic, its almost as if an individual cannot absorb it by himself. It talks about celebrating, about the beautiful sky, butterflies, flowers, the wind, everything. But the guitar riffs and the vocals just grab you and lift you up.

There was never a music video of this song, so this is a live performance of the song by Warfaze at a theme park.

This song brings back old memories. Its one of those songs we would have on full blast in the car and go on for long drives, enjoying the wind on our faces through the windows, while at the same time revelling in shocking the people around with our exuberance and free spirit. Ah those were the days.

The second one is the song Hamesha by the Pakistani rock band Entity Paradigm. Once again, I first heard this song in Numair’s car. The songs starts off with an eerie feel and slowly builds up. I remember I had this startled look on my face when the song started, and asked him what the song was. He told me to just listen quietly. I did and was totally blown over.

The guitar riffs are once again, absolutely fantastic, and in no time energises the listener. The quality of the Urdu is of the highest class, and the ideas expressed are quite philosophical and deep. Not the kind of lyrics that would connect with me instantly as you have to keep listening to it a couple of times to absorb it. So once again, what attracted me to this song was my friend’s influence initially, and I grew a liking to it instantly. It is the song that made me an Entity Paradigm fan overnight.

A few more songs that did not have those usual ingredients that would connect with me immediately but I still ended up loving them.

Kahan Hain Tu by Entity Paradigm

For Whom The Bell Tolls by Metallica

Jilawatan by Call

Shayad by Call

Ultimately, I think music or any form or art for me is communication. Sometimes the words communicate with me directly, sometimes it is the composition, the rendition, or a combination of everything, and sometimes it is something I am not sure of myself. All I know is, every song that I like is an individual, and when we become good friends, its because of how well we connect as individuals.

Music and Me – Part III

2010-02-16T18:37:00.001-08:00

Continued from Part II

Moving on from Indian and Bengali music to English music, I was always more drawn in general towards rock and metal. Perhaps it was the influence of my friends which I will talk about later.

Anyway, even in this category, there are songs that became my favourites by the courtesy of their lyrics.

Here are a few examples.

This is the first Pink Floyd song I ever heard and made me a fan in a matter of seconds. I immediately started looking for Pink Floyd songs and now have got hold of almost their entire discography. But this one still remains a favourite. The more I think of it, the more the song is revealed to me. Recently, I was thinking of two characters for a film I would like to make one day and suddenly out of nowhere, the following lines came up in my mind.

When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse,
Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone.
I cannot put my finger on it now.
The child is grown, the dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb.

I was not aware of this when I first heard the song. But today, those lines will have always have a different meaning for me and will go a long way in developing the two characters in my mind.

This is another special song from Pink Floyd’s 7th studio album of the same name - Wish You Were Here.

The song is about longingness, loneliness, companionship, disillusionment and lost dreams etc. I later read that the song was also written for the band member Syd Barrett.

So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell,
blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?
And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?
How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have you found? The same old fears.
Wish you were here.

There is a theme of lost idealism and selling out or maybe its just me.

Is there any rock music fan who doesn’t absolutely adore this song? I have nothing to say except, ‘just listen to it’. Listen to the guitar solo, just listen to the entire song.

Despite being a huge Guns N Roses, I had not actually heard this song until it was recommended to me by a close friend. This song has a very special meaning for me, because I heard it at a time when I was going through a bit of a difficult phase in my life. I was/still am disillusioned, upset, frustrated with the world, the wars, terrorism and the farce also known as peace and democracy. What’s astounding is that this song was probably written in the late 80s and yet it can just be as reflective of the world today.

The song starts off with a famous dialogue from the Paul Newman movie Cool Hand Luke

What we’ve got here is failure to communicate. Some men, you just cant reach, so you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it. Well…he gets it.

My hands are tied
For all I've seen has changed my mind
But still the wars go on as the years go by
With no love of God or human rights
'Cause all these dreams are swept aside
By bloody hands of the hypnotized
Who carry the cross of homicide
And history bears the scars of our civil wars

Moving on to a soothing song.

The concept of “near-far” is a fascinating idea and something that has been explored beautifully in Arabic/Urdu/Turkish poetry and finds lot of resonance in mystical Sufi literature of the east as American writer Ali Eteraz explores here and here.

Here, this concept is explored from a totally different and unusual perspective – American heavy metal music.

I absolutely adore the last bit from 5:25, the singing by James Hetfield is magnificent after the guitar solo.

So close no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No nothing else matters.

Bon Jovi is another favourite band of mine. I first heard Bon Jovi back in 2000 when their album Crush came out with the instant classic Its My Life. That song energises me every time I hear it. But this is a different song, a love ballad, with very soulful lyrics that will always be close to my heart for personal reasons. Its a beautiful song, and you just have to listen to it.

I would like to end this post with this absolutely magnificent song Hallelujah. The song was originally written and sung by Canadian singer Leonard Cohen. Since then, the song was covered by various artists, most notable among them being the one by Jeff Buckley.

I first heard it in the German film The Edukators. The song is simply beautiful and one that I can listen to over and over again. It has that soothing/calming power, the power few songs have. I usually listen to it when I am all by myself in my room and want no one but music as my companion.

Maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Needless to say, I am a huge Jeff Buckley fan now and have his whole discography.

Continued in Part IV

Music and Me - Part II

2010-02-15T18:18:00.001-08:00

Continued from Part I

Another song where lyrics played the major role is this Bengali song “Pothchola” by Bengali progressive rock band Artcell.

The lyrics are simple, yet profound. It talks from the perspective of the first person and with repeated use of the words ‘aamar’ (meaning mine). It is a very individualist song and hence it is able to easily strike a chord with the younger generation. The guitar work is beautiful and subtle, allowing the thoughts to flow through the lyrics and reach the heart of the listener. This song is part of Artcell’s first album and the one that made me stand up and pay attention to the band and its album. This song played a major role in me liking most of the other songs in the album.

This is a very famous song in the Bangladesh Rock arena. It quickly gained cult status in the 90s and there is hardly anyone from that generation who does not like this song.

Shay Tumi (meaning That You) is about a man seeking redemption, wanting his love back in his life, asking for forgiveness. The song uses very simple words to convey the meaning and instantly strikes a chord with the listener. Once again a song that will stay with me because of the lyrics.

This is a song Ondho (meaning blind) by a more contemporary Bengali band called Black. I love everything about this song, the composition, the singing, guitar work, but what gives this song that extra meaning for me is the lyrics.

Phire Jete Chai Tomar Bhitore
Mukhosh Gulo Phele Rekhe
Amake Tene Nao

Ekhono Paai Ni Khuje Kichu
Ekhono Arale She

Shob Kichu Dekhe Ondho Hoyechi
Mitthar Kolome Shotto Likhe
Boshe Thaki Sobar Sathe

Ekhono Paai Ni Khuje Kichu
Ekhono Arale She

This is a song about intimacy, seeking intimacy, seeking closeness, stripped of all pretence, masks, lies, facades. It is about looking for that truth, purity, beauty.

While the lyrics are of a high class, I also absolutely adore the guitar solo especially from 3:07 to 3:50. This song also makes very beautiful use of a very traditional south asian instrument in the beginning called the Sitar. The video is pretty disappointing and does absolutely no justice to the song.

This is a song called Protibaad (meaning Protest) by another Progressive Metal band from Bangladesh called Cryptic Fate.

I have very little to say except that it is an absolutely amazing song. The lyrics just did it for me but the composition and guitar work is of the highest class too. Unlike Ondho, the video is also beautiful and fits the song aptly.

The song is about seeking for meaning, God, higher power, whatever you want to call it. The following lines are absolutely beautiful.

Jokhonie ami khub kacha kachi
(Whenever I am close to it )

Thikana dure shore jay..ha hayyyy
(The destination moves away a bit further)

Continued in Part III

Avatar is one-dimensional

2010-02-14T19:36:00.001-08:00

It is a one dimensional, overlong film with its clichéd, predictable plot and half baked characters. You don’t necessarily need fancy special effects to engage the audience, what you need is an engaging screenplay and well written characters and that is what Avatar lacks badly. But the imagery is often breathtaking, the ferocious battles brilliantly staged and technically it pushes the medium forward, though not necessarily in a direction that everyone, myself included, will approve of. And let's hope 3D doesn't become the norm rather than the exception.

The following is a review by a friend of mine from Flixster called William Sleet. He saved my the trouble of writing any further on this film because his words summed up my thoughts.

James Cameron is NOT a great film-maker, he's a master manipulator and very good at giving a lazy, impatient and a thoroughly greedy audience what they want. Avatar gives you everything you want on a plate (minus substance or a soul or anything approaching cinematics) and even manages, literally of course, to plonk it in our laps! Of course, as eager fans are still waxing lyrical about the pyrotechnics on display, I know there are many who have been sitting with mouths agape to catch the over-ripe stodge flying at them and will wonder if I actually saw the same film. But, as far as I'm concerned, they are only under Cameron's insidious spell and, as time diminishes this spell, many of them will realise they were tricked once again. Funny thing is though, as with Titanic, they'll deny ever falling for such a shameless charlatan (as they do time and again with Roland Emmerich, Michael Bay and George Lucas). Please, can anyone actually say, with their hand on their heart, that they think any of Cameron's films are great years down the line of having seen it (anyone serious about cinema that is). How many are still watching 'Aliens', 'Titanic', 'True Lies' or any of 'The Terminator' films??

No-one watches them anymore because the gimmicks that they were sold on are now old-hat. The simplistic story-lines have become dated. Even Cameron knows this - why else does he take an eternity (force-feeding the stupid masses with the pre-publicity) polishing and perfecting his film with the latest technologies and fashionable elements before he releases it?

And I HATE 3D. I hate that it has nothing whatsoever to do with cinema and has everything to do with instant gratification and I hate it because it really is the Emperor's New Clothes - all it seems to do is disguise the fact that, without the in-your-face technology, the film itself really is either not very good or just distinctly average. Even if a film is actually quite good, it simply becomes an unwanted distraction (certainly the case with 'Coraline'). Add to this the fact that it is still a technology in progress, foisted on us too early by greedy soulless men in suits, impatient to line their pockets. I hate it because it's ripping the soul out of cinema and people seem to be buying into it!

Am I the only one who does not enjoy going cross-eyed for nearly three hours!? Anyway, the film itself was actually ok - just. The story has been told a hundred times before but was entertaining enough if a little too simplistic (which will lend itself quite smoothly to the inevitable game releases). I have to say that Sam Worthington is very watchable and there is no denying the lovingly created beautiful world of Pandora's landscapes and jungles. But the set-pieces, as suspenseful and thrilling as they are, were marred by the fact that 3D just can't keep up with motion or movement and blurs everything (even as I type I can still feel its after-affects behind my poor abused eyes). So combined with Avatar's insubstantial and derivative story, makes things, despite what we are being led to believe by the fanboys, ultimately quite forgettable.

I am sure in years to come, most people who cannot stop singing its praises today would be too embarrassed to admit it, just like today they are embarrassed to admit they loved Titanic back in 1997.

Music and Me – Part I

2010-02-09T16:53:00.001-08:00

A very good friend of mine, wanted to know the other day, what it is about a song that attracts me to it.

My first answer was lyrics. We had a short conversation and then it was over.

Later in the day, I was on the train and I began to think more about the question, about music in general, its beauty, my favourite songs, why they are my favourite. I realized that despite listing music as my third passion after cricket and cinema, I tend to take it for granted. I mean, I listen to songs, repeatedly listen to my favourite songs, think about them from time to time and then that's it..its over..I have never actually given much deep thought into why I fall in love with some songs, why some songs mean so much more than the rest, why some songs stay with me for over 10 years now.

I don’t think there is a definitive answer. The best answer I can come up with is “it varies”

So now I will try to think about a couple of various instances when I liked different songs for different reasons.

Firstly, my taste in music is very hard to categorise. I listen to songs in Bengali, Hindi, Urdu and English. I listen to Hindi film songs, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and Metallica and Bruce Springsteen. I myself don’t know how to categorise this.

I guess my affinity towards hindi film songs stems from watching hindi films as a kid with my parents. My appreciation of bands like Metallica and Pink Floyd can easily be traced to the influence of my close friends. My appreciation for Pakistani rock bands developed from Indian pop channels like Zee Music, MTV, B4U etc. Lastly, my fondness for Bengali Rock/Metal songs is also due to the influence of my friends.

Ok I have totally digressed from the original point which was what attracts me to a song.

Lyrics

The words do not have necessarily have to be poetry of the highest class. But they have to have something in them that adds meaning to my life, to which I can add meaning to, in other words, connect with. One of my favourite Indian lyricists is the late Anand Bakshi. Now his poetry and range of words are probably inferior to that of Gulzar, Prasoon Joshi, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Saahir Ludhianvi, but he is one of my most favourite lyricsts, simply because his simple words more often than not connected with me.

Take for example his song Yeh Dil Deewana from Pardes.

The song is beautifully sung by Sonu Nigam, it is one of the songs that shot him to stardom, and the music is great too…but what stays with me are the lyrics

Maine Usske Sheher Ko Choda

Usski Gali Main Dil Ko Toda

Phir Bhi Seene Mein Dhadakta Hain

Yeh Dil

Maine Dil Se Usse Nikala

Jo Na Karna Tha Kardala

Phir Bhi Yaad Ussiko Karta Hain

Yeh Dil

Dil Kaisa Bepeer Hain

Woh Ek Tasveer Hain

Main Kehta Hoon Tor De

Kehta Hain Zanjeer Hain

Koi Kachchee Dor Nahin Hain Main Kya Karoon

Dil Pe Koi Zor Nahin Main Kya Karoon

Sounds cliched? heard before? too simple? nothing great? maybe..but they stayed with me..and will do so…There are many songs of Anand Bakshi that have stayed with me.

At the same time, most of these songs have also had very talented singers and composers behind them, so nothing should diminish that. When I like these songs, I don’t totally ignore the singing and composition, but the lyrics help the song find its way into my heart.

At the same time, there are various songs I like whose lyrics, although great, do not really connect with, either because I don’t understand them or I just don’t have the sensibilities for the particular thoughts behind them.

Take this highly acclaimed A R Rahman song from the movie Dil Se written by the great Sampooran Singh Gulzar.

Like many Gulzar songs, some of his words are just too high for me, too unheart, too unfamiliar, and I don’t understand them, which leads to not understanding entire lines in a particular song. Does that in anyway diminish its value for me? No. There is something else in it that connects with me.

Another very popular song from the same film is Chaiya Chaiya.

Now I was first introduced to this song way back in 1998 by my father, who fell in love with this song. He would play it on the stereo all the time and the catchy tune and beats instantly struck a chord with me. A few years later, I could appreciate the high class of singing put in my Sukhwinder Singh in this song. I could tell that you had to be a fantastic singer to pull it off. Yet the highly spiritual lyrics of Gulzar were at a level way beyond me. I did not understand the meaning of

Woh Yaar Hain Jo Imaan Ki Tarah

Mera Nagma Wohi, Mera Kalmaa Wohi,

Mera Nagma Nagma

Mera Kalmaa Kalmaa

Years later, having gained a bit of a familiarity with the ideas of Sufism, Mysticism and Rumi, I can perhaps appreciate only a glimpse of the beauty of these words. There are still various words in the song I do not understand. In fact, I actually do not understand the general theme of the song, I am not totally sure of what it is talking about. I can understand only a few lines, and the ideas behind them but overall, I am not entirely sure. It would perhaps take me a few years and few books before I can even begin to appreciate the depth of this song’s beauty. Today, when labelling any song remotely dealing with love as a “Sufi song” has become a fashion, Chaiya Chaiya sets the benchmark for Sufi songs and differentiates the real from the rest.

So, having initially thought that lyrics play the most important part for me, I have now realized that it not always the case.

Here is another of my most favourite and cherished songs – Kehna Hi Kya from Bombay written by another favourite lyricist of mine – Mehboob.

Now I am absolutely awestruck by the beauty of this song, the sheer magnificence of Chitra’s rendition and Rahman’s composition. I have always known this as a beautiful song, even when I was perhaps not old enough to have any clue what the song meant. Today, when I listen to it, and having seen the film recently, I can understand the context and the meaning of the song. It does not enhance or diminish the song’s beauty in my eyes one bit, simply because it was already on a very high pedestal to begin with. Now what took this song to that level, I don’t know. These are one of those rare moments when I am inclined more towards the existence of something higher, divine, majestic, God. The fact that my 10-12 year old mind was able to find something of meaning in this despite not understanding what it was about lead me to think about life and this world in more positive terms than I usually do. It makes me think about the magic in the universe, how we are all connected in ways beyond our understanding, Ok I better stop now, I start with music and end up talking about God. Time to move on :P

Continued in Part II

Jodha Akbar – Ashutosh Gowarikar misses the point

2009-12-02T22:06:00.001-08:00

So I finally saw this film today.
Where do I start?

The problem I have with filmmakers like Ashutosh Gowarikar, Madhur Bhandark and their films is that they take themselves and their films very seriously! While the likes of David Dhawan, Farah Khan and Priyadarshan (nowadays) very explicitly mention that they make no brainers and you should leave your brains behind, Mr Gowarikar is portrayed as the intellectual who makes a magnum opus every 3-4 years. So I am unable to approach a film like Jodha Akbar the same way I would approach a film like Wanted or De Dhana Dhan.
So when I sat down to watch Jodha Akbar, I was not expecting a children's film, but a sensible, reasonably mature film. What I got was a children's film, a bad one at that.

JA reminded me of all those cartoons and animated series I used to watch as a kid about emperors, warriors etc where everything is spelt out to you like a 5th grader, no room for any moral ambiguity, subjectivity etc. You have to like Akbar and Jodha from the beginning and you just have to hate all the other characters opposing them because they are opposing them, they must be evil.
Its indeed sad that even today filmmakers like Gowarikar cannot go beyond reducing supporting characters to mere caricatures.

The character of Maham Anga is a classic example. Such a powerful character in Mughal history reduced to being a jealous sasu ma taken straight out of Ekta Kapoor's manual "Saas-Bahu serials 101"
The characters of Sujamal, Sharifuddin, Maham Anga were all interesting characters who were reduced to mere caricature to suit Gowarikar's superstar Hrithik Roshan...poor guy was completely miscast as Akbar, and realizing that he probably did not even prepare hard enough for the role. The least he could have done was to work on his diction and urdu a little bit.

As a Muslim, I was also extremely upset to see the same old stereotypical Muslim barbaric rulers we have been fed since time immemorial. Apart from Akbar, every Muslim character is depicted as someone who is driven to blood lust the moment he sees a Hindu and if he is not chopping of his head, he is exploiting them in the name of tax and what not. Well done Mr Gowarikar, but if I was looking for that kind of material, I am better off reading Bal Thackeray and 18th century Orientalists!

The few redeeming points are Rehman's music, Aishwarya's beautiful and mature performance, the cinematography and majestic sets.
Overall, a major disappointment.

Inception – Teaser

2009-09-02T05:10:00.001-07:00

This has got me all excited again. From director Christopher Nolan comes a science fiction film that deals with the mind which means it does not deal with fancy gadgets, costumes and robots. According to IMDB, film releases Summer 2010.

Have a look yourself.

An interview that disappointed me

2009-08-29T07:06:00.001-07:00

A few days ago I read an interview of one of my favourite directors Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Sex Lies and Videotape, Oceans 11) on Guardian.

I have been a huge fan of his ever since I watched the film Traffic, the drug war drama that won Soderbergh the best director Oscar in 2001. Since then, I went back and watched his earlier films like Sex, Lies and Videotape, The Limey and Erin Brockovich.

Soderbergh’s last work recently made the two part biopic on Che Guevara. Both the films were not as well received as it should have been. Initially, Soderbergh struggled to find financers for the films as he was not willing to make the film in English but in Spanish, for the sake of authenticity. This in turn led to the films only managing to find a limited release in US. The Academy awards completely ignored the films despite a stellar performance from Benicio Del Toro in the lead role.

Anyway, Soderbergh was about to direct a film titled Moneyball starring Brad Pitt, but rumour has it, that a last minute rewrite of the script by Soderbergh failed to impress the Sony Chief Amy Pascal. Soderbergh was unceremoniously ousted from the project a day before the filming was about to begin.

In this interview here, Soderbergh sounds very upset, kind of defeated and he even goes on to say that he doesn’t see a very long future for himself in the industry.

As an ardent fan of Soderbergh, it definitely upset me to see him so dejected and alienated. Hollywood would surely miss one of its most talented directors of the last decade if he leaves.

Ishqiya - trailer

2009-08-12T09:23:00.001-07:00

It was 2 am at night. Have been meaning to go to sleep for over 2 hours now, but just could not complete that all important task that I excel in – procrastinating.

Anyway, as I was just randomly going to some of my regular sites, I came across THIS

Thanks to Anurag Kashyap on PFC for sharing this trailer with us.

It has left me absolutely speechless. I am not going to say much now, as I am still in awe.

Will talk about it later soon.

Enjoy it.

Love Aaj Kal - a sincere take on contemporary relationships

2009-08-11T08:05:00.001-07:00

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rishi Kapoor

Writer/Director: Imtiaz Ali

My favourite films are not necessarily the quintessential examples of technical brilliance and flawlessness. Instead, they are those that are able to strike a chord with my heart and mind, influence my thoughts, ideas, emotions etc. The promos of Love Aaj Kal interested me greatly and despite not being a fan of either Saif or Deepika’s acting, the one man for whom I was willing to build expectations was Imtiaz Ali, whose earlier two films I am greatly fond of.

Jai Vardhan Singh (Saif Ali Khan) meets Meera Pandit (Deepika Padukone) in London. They enjoy good times together, no strings attached. Then it’s time for Meera to go to India to pursue her career as a restoration artist and Jai to work towards his dream in San Franciso. They conclude that a long distance relationship via chats, emails, phones is hard to maintain and decide to party ways amicably. But then, they do exactly what they had thought would not be possible and practical – maintain contact through phone, internet etc. Meanwhile Jai makes friends with a local coffee shop owner Veer Singh (Rishi Kapoor) and in between Jai’s long and warbled monologues, Veer Singh manages to tell his love story – a story of stolen glances, cycle and rickshaw encounters, and rebellion against families – story of a time when professing love meant proposing marriage as it is popularly believed.

With a blockbuster like Jab We Met behind him, Imtiaz Ali was in a very tricky situation. We all expect another Jab We Met, we want Love Aaj Kal to be the next Indian cult romance after Jab We Met, we all want the same experience, not realizing that each film has its own experience and it not possible to recreate it with another film. A different film will have a different experience, maybe in fact a better experience, but we are not convinced, we want the exact same experience. So either way, it was difficult for Imtiaz Ali, there would be some people who would complain “Oh its not Jab We Met”. That’s right, its not Jab We Met , its not Socha Na Tha, nor does it attempt to be. Its about two individuals and that’s where the similarity ends. If you want to watch JWM or SNT, please buy the DVDs, don’t waste your time on LAK.

Having seen 3 films written by Imtiaz Ali, (the third one being Aahista Aahista), I knew exactly what to expect – witty and crispy screenplay, and Imtiaz does not disappoint one bit. The film is full of such breezy, entertaining and fun moments. In fact, one of the areas where the film scores so heavily is not going the typical way that Bollywood love stories usually do in certain moments

SPOILER WARNING

Jai and Meera’s first meeting

Jai and Meera’s breakup

Meera’s wedding (Deepika’s expression in that scene when Saif is talking is absolutely brilliant but more on that later)

Meera’s call to Jai the morning after the wedding, you think you know what will happen next, they realize they are in love, and she ends the marriage and they live happily ever after, and that’s where Imtiaz scores as a writer with a completely different turn. Kudos to him.

The climax scene

SPOILER WARNING OVER

As a director, Imtiaz innovates with a non linear narrative, something that I absolutely adore in films. It is clear that he has not yet perfected the art yet, as in some portions the switch to a different time looks a bit forced, but then the slick editing, pace and engrossing screenplay soon help you get over it.

The music by Pritam is absolutely magnificent and fits in with the narrative seamlessly. I have earlier spoken about my thoughts on the music here

The characters are very well detailed as that is clearly Imtiaz’s forte as a writer. One will easily relate with Jai and Meera and understand their confusion, loneliness, thoughts, experiences.

Saif Ali Khan plays a character tailor made for him and does so effortlessly. However he risks being typecast as this happy go lucky guy who doesn’t believe in love and marriages thanks to Hum Tum, Salaam Namaste and now Love Aaj Kal. He is however in top form as the younger Veer.

Deepika Padukone looks absolutely breathtakingly beautiful and hot at the same time. Everyone who knows me knows how I am fascinated by her beauty. However I have never been a fan of her acting. I thought she was terrible in Om Shanti Om, a little less terrible in Bachna Ae Haseeno. Meera by far is her best role and working with a far superior director this time, she impresses heavily with her facial expressions, body language and overall demeanour. Where she falters severely is her diction/dialogue deliver. It is perhaps due to inexperience that she hasn’t been able to quite control her voice to suit her performance. Imtiaz cleverly does not require many dialogues from her in important moments such as the wedding scene where Saif speaks and she just listens. Her silence helped that scene immensely.

Rishi Kapoor, after a long time has not managed to annoy me, and is a delight this time as Veer Singh.

Giselle Monteiro looks beautiful, a bit like Monica Bellucci in some portions and doer her role well.

Love Aaj Kal is a contemporary, realistic take on love today, and while it follows many Bollywood films in its genre, it is also different in its own way and manages to make an impact. We all know that Jai and Meera would end up together, yet the film manages to shock and surprise us and the director deserves tremendous praise for being able to do that.

The message is clear as Vasan Bala of Passion For Cinema writes, “whatever the era, whether it’s the shy glances of the bygone era or of the pick up guru’s of the dude era, when cupid strikes, time stands still”.

I hope a real and closer to life love story like this manages to influence other makers in Bollywood and the days of OTT, melodramatic and poorly executed love stories come to an end.

Test Cricket - the need for a cohesive and brave administrative body.

2009-07-23T14:35:00.001-07:00

Ever since Twenty20 has made cricket, what was once known as a gentleman's game, said to cater only to a small audience into a mass oriented, entertaining sport, there has been constant debate and discourse about the future of Test and One Day International cricket.

Not surprisingly, cricketers, fans, analysts all over the world reacted in just the way people usually do when something new arrives. There were those who were vehemently opposed it, and then there were those who welcomed it instantly, while there were those who were somewhere in the middle, unsure, deciding instead to wait and see a bit of Twenty20 before they made their call. Two World Cups, IPL and ICL seasons later, many of who were initially in purgatory made their move towards Twenty20 cricket. The success of the recent World Cup brought cricket the much needed enthusiasm and excitement that was missing for a long time, but more importantly it brought in the moolah.

However, the original critics of Twenty20, who are usually the ones who fear the death of test cricket have not been deterred. This debate was recently once again brought to our attention by the MCC World Cricket Committee Meeting at Lords. The meeting ended with an alarming conclusion – Test Cricket is dying. This however is not new at all. Experts and former players have been talking about the decline in quality and as a result interest in test cricket for quite some time now. One of the main reasons which was cited was the growing gap between Australia and the rest of the world resulting in one sided matches. Another reason was the decline of once strong test sides like Pakistan and West Indies, and the sub standard performances of minnows Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. These are all cricketing issues that could be worked up. Australia is no longer unbeatable with Warne and McGrath gone, and the recent successes of India and South Africa against the World Champions have definitely improved the state of affairs. Pakistan and West Indies have a lot of internal issues which are behind the decline in their standard of cricket which one hopes is a temporary affair and will be resolved soon. Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, unfortunately have not shown any signs of improvement, and in the opinion of many experts, do not deserve to play at the highest level. This may be true.

However, the meeting concluded that the most dangerous threat posed to test cricket comes not from cricketing issues but the roaring success of Twenty20 leagues such as the IPL, Twenty20 World Cups, and the individual financial benefit for cricketers, which might result in pre mature retirements. Recently, the cricketing world got a shock when West Indies captain Chris Gayle unapologetically stated that Twenty20 is more enjoyable and Test cricket and is the future.

In order to revitalise the game of Test Cricket, a World Test Championship was proposed. This is not the first time this idea was put forward, for back in 1999, Jagmohan Dalmiya, then the President of ICC, worked hard to introduce such a Championship to no avail. He was however, successful in having the first Asian Test Championship, which has been played twice so far but has not been the success it was expected to be. The World Test Championship, according to many, including Rahul Dravid and Steve Waugh, would be successful and incorporate the much needed competitiveness and “something to play for”.

From now onward, whether test cricket will die or not depends not on the popularity of Twenty20 cricket but on the way the administrative bodies, mainly ICC treat test cricket and work on its future.

Let us face some facts. Test Cricket has never been a major crowd puller outside of England, Australia and to a certain extent South Africa. Despite the constant talk of cricket being a religion in the Indian subcontinent, it has always been the shorter version of the game, the ODIs which were the major draw. Therefore, it would be immature to expect test cricket to attract crowds now suddenly, especially with the advent of IPL in India.

On the other hand, ICC along with the respective bodies of Pakistan and Bangladesh need to seriously look into their first class cricket and ways to improve the state. Pakistan’s descent over the last few years has been most striking. The state and quality of the pitches, the standard of the first class league and the quality of the batsmen Pakistan have been producing over the last 2-3 years have all been diminishing. Test cricket there is no longer a contest between bat and ball but a contest between the stamina of the two batting sides – who can bat longer. It is no wonder then that Pakistan have failed to win a test match in Australia for over a decade now, and have lost test series in England and South Africa.

If we can look back at test cricket’s golden age in the 70s and 80s, we learn that quality and standard of test cricket had very little to do with number of test playing nations.

I do not think that the popularity of Twenty20 will translate in more test playing nations nor is it desirable. Twenty20 is necessary to keep cricket alive, but should not be used to increase the number of test playing nations. World Test Championship will hardly make any difference if the gap between an Australia and a Bangladesh remains this wide. Schemes such as a championship will only prove to be successful if the main administrative body recognizes that all it needs to do is to lessen the gap in the quality of first class cricket between nations. Within a few years we will see much more evenly balanced contests, not only between nations but also between bat and ball and test cricket will once again be a true test of mettle and a World Test Championship will truly be something to look forward to.

Manga Jo Mera Hai, Jaata Kya Tera Hai, Maine Kaun Si, Tujhse Jannat Manga Li.

2009-07-11T13:31:00.001-07:00

My introduction to the Love Aaj Kal songs was through the Chor Bazaari song promo. Loved the promo and the song. So when the album came out, the first song I listened to was Chor Bazaari. Then tried Twist..wasnt too bad. So far so good.
I knew the album had two songs by my two most favourite singers – Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Mohit Chauhan.

So I listened to all the songs except Ajj Din Chadeya, saving Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for the last. Chor Bazaari, Twist and Yeh Dooriyan stayed with me. The rest were ok. Didnt really warm up to Thoda Thoda Pyar.

And then I listened to Ajj Din Chadeya..

Its as if Pritam and Irshad Kamil sat down and decided to compose a song for Faraaz Rahman. So they had to get his favourite singer.

Ajj Din Chadheya, Tere Rang Warga.
Ajj Din Chadheya, Tere Rang Warga.
Phool Sa Hai Khila Aaj Din, Rabba Mere Din Yeh Na Dhale.
Woh Jo Mujhe Khawab Mein Mile, Use Tu Lagede Abb Gale.
Tennu Dil Daa Vaasta
Rabba Aaya Dar Pe Yaar Ke, Saara Jahan Chod Chad Ke.

Mere Sapne Sawar de, Tennu Dil Daa Vaasta.
Ajj Din Chadheya, Tere Rang Warga.
Bakhsha Gunaahon Ko, Sun Ke Duwao Ko.
Rabba Pyaar Hai, Tune Saab Ko Hi De Diya
Meri Bhi Aahon Ko, Sun Le Duwao Ko
Mujhko Woh Dila Maine Jisko Hai Dil Diya.
Hoooo

Bakhsha Gunaahon Ko, Sun Ke Duwao Ko.
Rabba Pyaar Hai, Tune Saab Ko Hi De Diya
Meri Bhi Aahon Ko, Sun Le Duwao Ko
Mujhko Woh Dila Maine Jisko Hai Dil Diya.
Aasmaan Pe Aasmaan Usko De Itna Pata
Woh Jo Mujhko Dekh Ke Hase, Pana Chahun Raat Din Jise
Rabba Mere Naam Kar Usse, Tennu Dil Da Vaasta.
Ajj Din Chadheya, Tere Rang Warga.

Manga Jo Mera Hai, Jaata Kya Tera Hai.
Maine Kaun Si, Tujhse Jannat Manga Li.
Kaisa Khuda Hai Tu, Bas Naam Ka Hai Tu,
Rabba Jo Teri Itni Si Bhi Naa Chali
Haaanaaa
Manga Jo Mera Hai, Jaata Kya Tera Hai.
Maine Kaun Si, Tujhse Jannat Manga Li.
Kaisa Khuda Hai Tu, Bas Naam Ka Hai Tu,
Rabba Jo Teri Itni Si Bhi Naa Chali

Chahiye Jo Mujhe, Kar De Tu Mujhko Aata.
Jeeti Rahi Sultanat Teri, Jeeti Rahe aashiqui Meri.
Dede Mujhe Zindagi Meri, Tennu Dil Da Vaasta.
Rabba Mere Din Yeh Na Dhale, Woh Jo Mujhe Khawab Mein Mile.
Use Tu Lagede Abb Gale, Tennu Dil Da Vaasta.
Rabba Aaya Dar Pe Yaar Ke, Saara Jahan Chod Chad Ke.
Mere Sapne Sawar de, Tennu Dil Daa Vaasta.

Ajj Din Chadheya, Tere Rang Warga.
Ajj Din Chadheya, Tere Rang Warga.
Ajj Din Chadheya, Tere Rang Warga.
Din Chadheya,
Tere Rang Warga.
Ajj Din Chadheya.

I have liked quite a few albums this year, – Luck by Chance, Raaz, Gulaal, DevD, Delhi 6 were my favourites. 8 By 10 Tasveer wasnt too bad. Even last year I had many favourite songs. But it has been a while that a song has personally connected with me at this level. Each and every line speaks my heart in Rahat’s divine voice.

I share an organic relationship with God and Irshad Kamil’s soulful and poignant lyrics encapsulate my present equation with God.

The protagonist does not shy away from expressing his anguish and disappointment with God at times as these lines so beautifully capture

Manga Jo Mera Hai, Jaata Kya Tera Hai.
Maine Kaun Si, Tujhse Jannat Manga Li.
Kaisa Khuda Hai Tu, Bas Naam Ka Hai Tu,
Rabba Jo Teri Itni Si Bhi Naa Chali

I don’t know how this song will be picturised in the film. Usually, when I connect with a song at this level, I end up a tad disappointed with the picturisation. This has more to do with my own interpretation and visualisation of the song. There is a possibility that Ajj Din Chadeya will be no different. But it does not matter.

I have been listening to the song all evening. Then I went to sleep but couldn’t sleep. There was a voice in my mind telling me that I need to listen to the song a couple of times more. So here I am, listening to Rahat’s divine voice carry my thoughts and plea to God.

PS: I am not always in such a romantic, sappy and sympathy seeking mood. This is an exception :)

99 - Review

2009-07-07T11:40:00.001-07:00

99 - the experience

I met a very close friend after a long time. I stayed over at his place..and we decided to watch Angels and Demons..15 minutes into the film, we looked at each other and said "we cannot waste our reunion after 1 year with this poor excuse for a film"
Luckily we had another DVD - 99.

15 minutes into the film, again we looked at each other, this time the look was – read the review and find out

99 is about two crooks – Kunal Khemu and Cyrus Broacha who make their buck duplicating mobile phone SIM cards. Soon they are on the run from the police and in the process manage to damage a Mercedes belonging to a local don (Mahesh Manjrekar).

Indebted to this don, they are forced to work for him, and are sent to Delhi to collect money from one of Manjrekar’s debtors. Unfortunately, this man happens to be Boman Irani who has such an awful habit of losing money while gambling that his wife has left him for that reason. Soon, Boman Irani, Kunal Khemu and Cyrus Broacha are on the run from all sorts of people who owe them money.

Sounds like a typical Guy Rithchie film eh? You’re spot on. Two stupid wannabe crooks, a few dangerous criminals/gangsters, lot of money involved, and you have a wild ride.

99, with its tongue in cheek humour, interesting and hilarious situations is an entertaining experience indeed. But what sets it apart, and takes it above ordinary comedies with similar themes is its various subplots, its connection with the Hansie Cronje cricket match fixing scandal, and the fact that it is so beautifully able to take you back to the year 1999-2000. T

Having grown up in the subcontinent, I loved each and every bit that 99 captures about Delhi in 1999.

The coming of those new Nokia phones without antennas, mobile phones with bad signals, having to go outside the house to talk properly, those snake games on those Nokia phones. To their credit, the directors are also able to take Delhi back to 99 when it came to outdoor locations.

99 is a true homage to Guy Ritchie’s capers classics of the 90s, because it is an original film. It is able to take little things from Delhi and Mumbai and incorporate that with Guy Ritchie’s style and the result is one refreshing film.

Performances from Kunal Khemu, Mahesh Manjrekar and Boman Irani were first rate. Cyrus Broacha was horribly under used. Soha looked stiff and uncomfortable. Simone Singh on the other hand was a surprise. Amit Mistry was a revelation.

Its been a while since I felt this good watching an Indian film. The last time was a few months back – Dev D. 99 is the kind of film that gives me a feeling of satisfaction and fulfilment.

Getting back to that look we shared 15 minutes into the film, the look was “ wow we just got lucky, this film is bloody brilliant”.

The Beautiful Lady Who Made My Day

2008-10-24T06:15:00.001-07:00

So the other day I was walking to the station, sporting a frown, my mood could not have been any worse. Usually the only person who is able to influence my state of mind like that is myself.

So here was I, walking towards the station, extremely frustrated with myself, and frustrated with the fact that I could not do anything about this frustration.

This was not new, the monster had done this to me countless times before, and stronger my determination to not suffer another defeat like this in the future, even more comprehensive was the next attack and the defeat. No wonder the wise Muhammad once said "that the greatest struggle is the struggle against yourself". Was he right or was he right?

Anyways, back to my walk, I knew I had missed the bus that I was supposed to catch, I was too early for the next train, meaning I had just missed the last train too. This basically meant I was going to be reach university 1 hour later than I should have, yet another class missed, yet another mark for attendance gone.

Walking with all these angry thoughts, and not being able to identify the enemy, I knew I was badly defeated.

Just then, I came across a familiar wrinkled face, that sported huge glasses. It was the face of an extremely old lady who I had met once or twice at the park just before the train station. She used to sit in one of the benches and being the poor lonely souls that we are, we connected at once. We would exchange compliments, "hello there beautiful lady," and "how are you young man". Anyways, the last time I had seen her was more than 2 months back, and this wasn't really a regular phenomena, we had just met once or twice. So I was not sure if she would recognize me.

Before I can greet her, she extends her hand towards me and asks for money "give me money, do you have any money"

I quickly reached for my wallet only to be stopped by the same hand, and the lady spoke, " its ok, i was just testing you, you are a good man"

I smiled...."Do you remember me?"

"Of course you, I used to see you at the park on the way to the station"

She remembered me, a huge boost for my ego.

Knowing that I was terribly early for the next train, I decided to know a bit more about her this time. I asked her about where she was from, when she came here, how long she has been living here, about her family etc.

What I learnt from her interested me. She had no husband, one son who lived in Brisbane, and one son who lived with her. This son was mentally disturbed. She showed me her house, which was right next to where we I had met her, (ah what timing...who set this up?) and she showed me the pieces of land around the house too, which belonged to her at one time but had to be sold under certain circumstances.

Sensing she had finished giving an account of herself, I quickly asked her if I could come inside and help her with the bags, I wanted to know more about her, actually, I had a selfish reason. I am greatly interested in learning about old people and their take on life, firstly the knowledge I gained helped me to pretend among others my age how much I know about what life really is, and secondly it gave me ideas and information for my characters and stories and films in my mind.

But it was not to be.

"My son is not well, he does not like new unknown people, he does not like anyone coming into the house. Don't worry, we will meet again, take care, and good bye."

I resumed walking, and suddenly I felt this new wave of energy inside me. All of a sudden, all those tiny issues and matters that frustrated and distressed me seemed insignificant. I felt these were complete non issues, not at all a big deal, and something I can easily overcome.

And then I felt the positive energy that had been somehow transformed into me by the old lady. My dreams, aspirations came back to me, I started to dream again with open eyes while awake - my all time favourite activity.

I could explain this sudden influx of positive energy that took place within the space of few minutes, I could not point at something and say "that's what changed my mood".

But I just felt the difference. I knew I probably would be defeated again, but at least this time I was still raring to go, this time I was looking forward to the next showdown, I was looking forward to welcoming the enemy.

I probably would lose, but I would still fight.

A Wednesday movie review

2008-10-09T18:16:00.001-07:00

A Wednesday - Review

When rest of Bollywood has been busy with glamour and money, UTV motion pictures have been backing small, independent, first time directors with their new, different ideas. While the big banners are too happy to just sit on their laurels and never bother to delve into different territories and explore, UTV has made it clear that they are here to change cinema..not for money...but for its own sake.
A Wednesday, an unknown Neeraj Pandey's directorial debut belongs to those small films with which UTV is daring to explore.
After Aamir and Mumbai Meri Jaan, A Wednesday is another film to come out of Bollywood that deals with terrorism..
The film starts of brilliantly, completely drawing the viewer into its world with its intriguing characters.
A Wednesday is about a common man with no name (Naseeruddin Shah) who has planted various bombs at various parts in the city to use as bargaining power for certain demands. He is up against Police Commissioner Prakash Rathod (Anupam Kher) who will do anything to save the city and not bow down to his demands.
The film is absolutely gripping thanks to its fast pace, top notch editing and lack of any bollywood songs and melodrama.
If I had to sum up A Wednesday's highs, they would be a brilliant concept and two towering performances from two veterans.
In order to maintain the excitement and fast pace, the execution by Neeraj Pandey slightly falters at certain parts...but he can be forgiven as a first timer.
The supporting characters (Jimmy Shergill and Aamir Bashir) are not well developed as the script provides no scope. The climax itself, although shocking makes the main character's culmination slightly inconsistent.
The film is not without its flaws and weaknesses however, the concept itself, the gripping and enthralling proceedings and two compelling performances from Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah makes it one of the better films to come out this year. A great effort from Neeraj Pandey and a kudos to UTV for backing these films.
Rating: 7/10

The Dark Knight

2008-08-16T19:37:00.001-07:00

So I watched it a couple of days ago... and it took me some time to articulate my thoughts because I was not sure how to rate this film..

I am not sure if that's even necessary? The verdict is out...its has smashed almost every box office record. It is currently the second highest grosser behind Titanic.

Christopher Nolan is one of those rare filmmakers who has been able to please both critics and the masses..

I am not here to say "oh its the greatest film ever made" nor am I here to say "oh no...its blasphemous to compare any film with The Godfather....IMDB Top 250 is a load of crap" because frankly I consider the concepts of the 250 greatest films of all time or the greatest film ever meaningless.

I enjoyed the film, found every bit of it entertaining but I have a few issues with the film..

First lets address the million dollar question

Is it the best superhero film? No..Batman Begins was better

Batman has always been my childhood hero...From the Batman on TV to Michael Keaton's Batman...I loved them all...
But Batman Begins completely redefined Batman..the film took Batman to the next level...brought in the elements of morality, character etc...it explored various themes magnificently. For the first time...here was a superhero film with an indispensable superhero...you cannot take out Batman from the film and replace him with Spiderman or Superman and have the same film...No...Nolan had made the character that powerful...

Christopher Nolan is an extremely capable director and I was sure he was going to deliver with The Dark Knight too...and he does deliver in the sense that he doesn't fail..The Dark Knight is not a bad film...its an entertaining, thrilling ride...but its just that...With a film like Batman Begins behind him..Nolan had everything going for him to reach a higher level...to explore even higher depths..does he?? No...sadly he plays to the galleries...simply touches on certain issues and never bothers to explore them

The second issue I have with the film is The Joker... Ok its a great performance...a great role... I am really impressed with what Nolan and Ledger did with the character...but when I go to watch a Batman film....I go to see Batman...the film is called The Dark Knight...who is The Dark Knight? - Batman
Instead...all I see is The Joker everywhere...the best dialogues...the best scenes are written for The Joker..Ok Heath Ledger is an integral part of this film..its his last film....and its a great role and performance...Right...I get the point...but all this can be secondary...here it takes precedence over Batman himself.. There was not even a single powerful dialogue written for Batman...and it was supposed to be a Batman film!!

Even Harvey Dent had a better role than Batman although his transition could have been better handled.

And I also don't get the big deal about Heath Ledger too..It was only about 2 years ago that he became an actor with Brokeback Mountain..he probably has 2-3 performances to talk about and people are talking about him as if he is Marlon Brando! Don't get the big deal...

Christian Bale had nothing to do sadly!! Aaron Ekhart was very good as Harvey Dent..the second best performance in the film! Maggie Gyllenhaal had to look pretty..and she didn't succeed totally!!

The Dark Knight is a good, decent entertaining thriller...with some great performances and dialogues... but given the potential and talent of the people involved..it could have been a much much better film.. The sad part was...Nolan had the chance..instead he just played to the galleries! It would have been a challenge to explore the character further and something I would have expected the talented duo of the Nolan brothers to take...Unfortunately they didn't...they knew they had a winner in the Joker and they knew it would work...and they were happy..and everyone else is happy as well...

I guess its then time for me to end this rant and be happy as well..

Me, Myself and I

2008-04-16T20:01:00.001-07:00

As I have just started writing, I thought it would be good idea to talk about myself and give a little introduction.

I recently took the The Five Factor Values Test

Here are the results. I thought they correctly reflect my characteristics, ideas and values.

Loyalty:
You value loyalty a fair amount.
You're loyal to your friends... to a point.
But if they cross you, you will reconsider your loyalties.
Staying true to others is important to you, but you also stay true to yourself.
Honesty:
You value honesty a fair amount.
You're honest when you can be, but you aren't a stickler for it.
If a little white lie will make a situation more comfortable, you'll go for it.
In the end, you mostly care about "situational integrity."
Generosity:
You value generosity a fair amount.
You are all about giving, as long as there's some give and take.
Supportive and kind, you don't mind helping out a friend in need.
But you know when you've given too much. You have no problem saying "no"!
Humility:
You value humility highly.
You have the self-confidence to be happy with who you are.
And you don't need to seek praise to make yourself feel better.
You're very modest, and you're keep the drama factor low.
Tolerance:
You value tolerance a fair amount.
You are open to new cultures, beliefs, and ideas.
You have very few prejudices that you're aware of.
And while you are tolerant, you do stand true to what you believe.

So..thats me

The Best Films of 2007

2008-04-16T19:48:00.001-07:00

Out of all the films that I watched last year, the following are my favourite ones.

Warning: Might contain spoilers

10) Michael Clayton

Screenplay: Tony Gilroy

Direction: Tony Gilroy

Cast: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton

Its not the most novel story..but for a first time watch....it grips you totally with the tight screenplay and editing and competent performances. How much I love a film usually is reflected by how much of it stays with me after...and while I was coming out of the theatre...the scene that remained with me was Clooney -Tilda scene where he busts her and then goes "You're so fucked. Here let me get a picture while I'm at it."

Tony Gilroy is a very talented screenwriter and with Michael Clayton he makes an impressive directorial debut!!

9) The Bourne Ultimatum

Screenplay: Tony Gilroy, Scott Z. Burns, George Nolfi

Direction: Paul Greengrass
Cast: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn

One review sums it up the best...mindless entertainer but brilliantly made!! I think with Bourne Ultimatum, the Bourne series just reached the next level and will be remembered as one of the most favourite trilogies!

Hats off to the makers!

8) Atonement

Screenplay: Christopher Hampton

Direction: Joe Wright
Cast: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan

Beautiful cinematography, competent performances and a beautiful soundtrack to go with it, Atonement would have been much higher on my list had it not been for the Oscar feel to it. It treads on the same path as films like The English Patient, Cold Mountaint, Saving Private Ryan etc. There are moments in the film that very openly begs for an Oscar and that according to me takes away a lot from a film!

James McAvoy is a fantastic actor and when I watched The Last King of Scotland, I realized how good he was but I knew that because of Whitaker's towering performance, he would go unnoticed but a film like Atonement is really able to showcase his talent!

But the performance of the film was given by Saorse Ronan! She outshined everyone else in the film. Keira Knightley looks beautiful but has little to do!

7) Charlie Wilson's War

Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin

Direction: Mike Nichols
Cast: Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julia Roberts

A very unusual take on the Cold War and US foreign policy and International politics however this is where the film scores...It is totally different from political films yet its a political film. Hanks and Hoffman and their dialogues and one liners are the plus points of this film..however if I have to pick a short coming, its probably the fact that the the premise of the film is a very very complex issue and it only provides an over simplistic view of it.

6) Into The Wild

Screenplay: Sean Penn

Direction: Sean Penn
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, Hal Holbrook

A well made character study that provides a first hand account of Chris McCandless' journey on a lonely path. Beautiful cinematography and a very good performance from Emile Hirsch. Beautiful soundtrack aswell..

5) No Country For Old Men

Screenplay: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

Direction: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin

The real heroes of this film are Ethan and Joel Coen.. A chilling thriller which is also at the same time a deeper film about life, violence, morals and fate.

Performances are first rate. Cinematography by Roger Deakins is superb! A great blend of style and substance.

Llwelyn Moss waiting in the motel room with the gun in his hands..waiting while Chigurh turns of the lights outside is one of the most intense and powerful scenes in cinematic history!!

4)The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Screenplay: Andrew Dominik

Direction: Andrew Dominik
Cast: Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck

One of the most beautifully shot and directed films that I have seen in recent times. The storytelling is unique and brilliant. The soundtrack gives the film the feel that it required and the rest is a total Casey Affleck show all the way. I would have liked this film to win the Best Cinematography Oscar. It definitely deserved more nominations atleast but I guess it didnt have Atonement's Oscar begging moments to satisfy the jury!!

There is no real attempt to take sides, or to make certain points about the characters, rather the film presents two characters and asks more questions than it answers. A film thats a western in look but is as different from one as it gets and this is where the uniqueness of the film lies. This film will be remember as an underrated masterpiece in the future.

3) Zodiac

Screenplay: James Vanderbilt

Direction: David Fincher

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr.

An absolutely brilliant thriller but what makes it better than any other serial killer film is its realism and thats because its a true story. David Fincher showed in Seven that he is extremely talented when it comes to this genre but with Zodiac he proves he is a master at it. A film that was criminally ignored at the Oscars however will be remembered as a masterpiece in years to come

2) Gone Baby Gone

Screenplay: Ben Affleck, Aaron Stockard

Direction: Ben Affleck
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Casey Affleck

Ben Affleck has arrived as a director. This film must have been an absolute shocker for most people as hardly anyone expected Ben Affleck to pull it off but he does just that. Beautiful background music, unpredictable twists and great performances. Just when you thought you had this film measured, it takes a completely different turn and shocks you. Casey Affleck gave 2 brilliant performances in two completely different roles...truly proved his mettle as an actor.

I loved the ending though it might have disappointed many but it was a necessary to make a very important point..that morality at times is subjective.

1) Before The Devil Knows You're Dead

Screenplay: Kelly Masterson

Direction: Sidney Lumet

Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney

From the maker of classics like 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, you dont expect anything less than the best film of the year.

Brilliantly written and executed, Sidney Lumet proves what an absolute maestro he is with this engrossing thriller. Along with two brilliant actors, Sidney Lumet takes the viewer on a journey, where you encounter various situations that life brings you and how humans act in such situations. Its deep character study.

I cant believe it didnt get a nomination for best screenplay when you have overrated crap like Juno winning Oscars for this category!

Sidney Lumet has made some below average films in his life but his last two films remind us of his class. A must watch if you havent seen it already