Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Joel: This is the day we met. You're down by the surf and I could just make you out in the distance. I remember being drawn to you even then. You were in that red sweatshirt that I'd come to know so well and hate eventually. At the time I thought, 'How cool..."
Clementine: Hi there....I saw you sitting over here by yourself. And I thought, thank God, someone normal who doesn't know how to interact with these things either.
Joel: Yeah...I don't ever know what to say.
.........
Clementine: This is it, Joel. It's gonna be gone soon. What do we do?
Joel: Enjoy....


Give me any Charlie Kaufman / Michel Gondry movie and I can watch it any number of times. Every quote in their movies has a deeper meaning and something that one can relate to. Just like Joel wonders in the initial half as to why he falls in love with every woman who shows him the slightest of attention. And thus starts the story with his random thoughts that would span over a couple of years and run in circles again.

Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) gets to know that his girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has had him erased from her mind by a procedure that is made possible at Lacuna by Dr. Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson). Feeling humiliated, he decides to do the same and asks the doctor if there is any risk of brain damage. As Dr. Mierzwiak mentions, "Technically, this is brain damage. But it's on a par with a night of heavy drinking", Joel finds that comforting. As Dr. Mierzwiak's assistants, Stan (Mark Ruffalo) and Patrick (Elijah Wood), set out on the process of erasing Clementine from his mind, he finds himself in a quandary and wants to hold on to some of the good memories he has of her.

He tries to hide in different corners of his brain where he can escape the process in an effort to not let Clementine go. He remembers a memory where Clementine mentions, "Meet me in Montauk", which is the place where he would have headed on an impulse at the start of the movie. As we go back to the beginning where the movie had started, they both realize they had a past and have to decide whether it's really worth working it out again.

This is one of the few movies of Jim Carrey where he has shown his audience that he is capable of more meaningful roles. And Kate Winslet as the wild and impulsive Clementine is, of course, a treat to watch. She is one of the most versatile actresses with a variety of roles in movies such as Finding Neverland, The Reader, Jude or even Iris. Mark Ruffalo as Stan also does a great job and I feel he is one of those underrated actors who never gets his due. Overall, some brilliant acting by most of the cast, but Kate Winslet definitely stands out. Can't believe it took her six nominations to finally win the Oscar!

Rating: 8/10

Beautiful Boy (2010)

Bill: Hi...This is Dad. I know you are not gonna get this, but I wish you could have told me what's wrong...that's what I'm here for....Well, I just wanted to hear your voice...that's all

Bill (Michael Sheen) and Kate (Maria Bello) are not doing too well in their marriage, until the unthinkable happens. As they are trying to plan a vacation to make things work, they get the news of their 18-year-old son, Sammy (Kyle Gallner), being the perpetrator of a mass shooting at school. Being hounded by the media and the superficial sympathy from friends and relatives, they keep struggling to find an answer behind their son's monstrous act. The usual questions. Was he depressed? Was he taking drugs? Did we do something? Did we not do something? How could he do it?

As they avoid going out, we don't see any real duel with the world outside. When they decide they couldn't stay in that house any longer, other people find a way in to take photographs or look at Sammy's belongings. As Bill visits the place one day, he sees a kid talking on the phone saying, "The dude even had a medal for perfect attendance". Even as he doesn't mean to, Bill gets into a confrontation with the kid. They realize they have to live with the stereotyping of campus killers - shy, quiet, lacking friends, no past misdeeds, etc.

Cooper (Austin Nichols) comes across as a friend of Kate who gets his to-be-released books first revised by Kate. When Kate finds out the real purpose of Cooper's visits, she asks him to leave. And in that scene, Cooper says, "I was just trying to see who Sammy was....I'm just trying to show them he was human too, no different from anyone else. Everyone is capable of such rage....It's no one's fault what happened...It's not your fault, not your husband's...that's all I'm trying to say". Well, exactly what I'd like to say too about some of those kids. However, even someone's offer of help can seem like an intrusion. Just like Bill realizes on his first day in office after the tragedy.

As they keep struggling to come to terms with their environment, they finally see they have only themselves to fall back on.

A brilliant, sensitive subject for a movie that I'd highly recommend, specially with Sandy Hook incident being so fresh in our minds. Sammy wasn't evil. Neither was the Sandy Hook kid. Let's not be too quick to judge.

Rating - 7.5/10

Lost in Translation (2003)

Bob: Can you keep a secret? I'm trying to organize a prison break. I'm looking for, like, an accomplice. We have to first get out of this bar, then this hotel, then the city and then the country. Are you in or are you out?
Charlotte: I'm in. I'll go pack my stuff.
Bob: I hope you've had enough to drink. It's going to take courage.

Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is a fading actor who's in Tokyo to film a few commercials. Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) is a Yale psychology graduate who has tagged along with her photographer husband. They both live in the same hotel and they are both bored with their lives. And not understanding the native language is one of those common things that brings them together.

Charlotte definitely has a talent for seeing through fake people, and to be more specific, seeing through her husband's fake friends. She is everything you could ask for in a woman, making it difficult to believe she is in her early twenties. The only time she opens up to one of her friends over the phone, she realizes nobody really cares about her troubles or her dull existence. Bob, on the other hand, is sarcastic, grumpy and yet mild-mannered during his interactions with people around him.  Both are obviously bored in their respective marriages and they strike a fast friendship as they go along. Probably it's the age difference that makes each of them hesitant to turn it into anything more than a friendship. They discuss everything about life, relationships and aspirations even though both are the quiet-types. Almost like they have known each other for long enough to complete each other's sentences. There's pure magic in their relationship, even though they decide not to be back again in order to treasure those moments.

There's not much happening in the movie and it's exactly that which makes the movie so likable. One could compare this pair to the one in In the Mood for Love or Before Sunset. This is Sofia Coppola's second movie and she has done an absolutely brilliant job. Bill Murray fits the role perfectly (just like the way in Broken Flowers) and Scarlett Johansson is, as usual, lovable.

Rating - 8/10

Michael Clayton (2007)

Michael Clayton: I'm not the guy you kill. I'm the guy you buy! Are you so fucking blind that you don't even see what I am? I sold Arthur for 80 grand. I'm your easiest problem and you're gonna kill me?....... You're so fucked. Here, let me get a picture while I'm at it.

Michael Clayton is a fixer with a powerful law firm who works behind the scenes to clean up his clients' mess. They call him a miracle worker, though he prefers to believe he is just a "janitor". He drives the company's Mercedes and doesn't even have $75k "just lying around" even after being with the firm for 17 years. It's a failed restaurant business and a divorce that's to blame.

The movie starts with Arthur Eden (Tom Wilkinson), the firm's star lawyer, deciding that he is no longer going to defend UC North in a lawsuit after finding evidence that could be damning to UC North. He snaps in a meeting and takes off all his clothes while threatening to blow the whistle. This can turn out really bad for both his and Michael's boss, Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack) and the law firm's business. Michael doesn't really believe that there might be a problem with UC North but the fact that Arthur might not be taking his medications. UC North's legal attorney, Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton), lays out all the cards on the table and they would make it look just like Arthur is crazy and he has no case here.

Michael is not too sure whether he is Arthur's friend first or he needs the $80k more when Marty agrees to pay the money. Of course, the money comes with strings attached. We won't know whether he would have stayed loyal to his friend or his boss if certain things hadn't happened. But he seems more pissed off with the agri-firm making an attempt on his life.

Michael Clayton is the directorial debut for Tony Gilroy and he does a decent job at it. Of course, we all love George Clooney in those suits, though he is not as wealthy in this movie as he looks. I can't remember if I have seen Tilda Swinton in a similar role before, but I think if ever there is a role for a cold-hearted manipulative bitch, she should be the perfect person to play that (I'm actually praising her performance here). It's scary to think that corporations might be willing to go to that length to protect their reputation and it's not just fiction. The Insider was based on a true story.

Rating: 7.5/10

Match Point (2006)

The man who said I'd rather be lucky than good saw deeply into life. People are afraid to face how great a part of life is dependent on luck. It's scary to think so much is out of one's own control. There are moments in a match when the ball hits the top of the net and for a split second it can either go forward or fall back. With a little luck it goes forward and you win. Or may be it doesn't and you lose.

Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhye Myers) is a tennis coach from Ireland who comes to London and happens to meet a wealthy family through Tom (Matthew Goode) whom he coaches. Tom's sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer) seems to develop a liking for mild-mannered Chris, probably more out of sympathy for his poor background than any strong chemistry between the two. Chris obviously doesn't let go of the chance to be with the wealthy Hewitts. Things take a turn when he is invited to a family party and he meets Tom's sexy fiancee, Nola (Scarlett Johansson). What did he just walk into?

Chloe makes sure that her father would give Chris an opportunity at his business empire to get him out of his poverty and bring him into their social circle. All this happens in the first half hour of the movie which would make one wonder if it's real. Chris instantly develops a strong sexual attraction towards Nola and keeps on trying to get in, while not being a little concerned about the fall it might bring upon him which could be just as fast as his rise. Strangely, he keeps getting away with it. For an ambitious person like Chris, we never know what's in it for him. Nola is just a struggling actress. May be he sees something common about both their situations while being part of a super-rich family? Anyway, it's a Woody Allen movie. Things just happen.

Soon after Nola is dumped by Tom, Chris is driven by his deep lust for Nola and before we know it, they are in an affair. The man who cannot conceive with his wife seems to get Nola pregnant. And things go down hill. Nola doesn't want an abortion for the "third time" (apparently she had already done it with her two previous ex-es) and keeps bugging Chris to leave Chloe and live unhappily ever after.

The only way out for Chris seems to be to have a grand plan of killing both Nola and her innocent neighbor and make it look like a burglary-gone-wrong. And once again, Chris gets away with it even though the detective is so close in seeing through his motives. But then, it was about luck, isn't? The only person in this whole drama I feel bad about is the detective. He was so close and so right in connecting the dots that people might call him paranoid. In a final scene we see Chris justifying his actions in a hallucination, while saying-

(To Nola)- You can learn to push the guilt under the rug and go on. Otherwise it overwhelms you.....(To the neighbor) -The innocent is sometimes slain to make way for a grander scheme. You were collateral damage...(To his unborn child) - To never have been born is the greatest boon of life.

Well said. Amen. In other words, that's the beauty of a Woody Allen movie- it's not about justice. It's about reality. Or luck.

Rating - 7/10

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Jack: Did you get maced too?
Rita: No, I'm crying.....What's wrong with you?
Jack: Let me think about that. I'll tell you the next time I see you.
Rita: Sure, tell me then.
Jack: Thanks for using me.
Rita (Sighing): You're welcome.

Following Hotel Chevalier, we see Jack Whitman (Jason Schwarztman) on The Darjeeling Limited, travelling from Mumbai to the Himalayas. The spiritual journey is arranged by his eldest brother, Francis (Owen Wilson) and they are also joined by the middle one, Peter (Adrien Brody). Francis seems to be a rich man as seen from his $3,000 loafers and $6,000 belt. Wondering why they haven't spoken to each other in such a long time (after meeting at their Dad's funeral a year back), he wants this journey to be a life-changing experience.

Every man here is dealing with some personal loss, be it Jack's troubled relationship or Peter's doubts about having children as opposed to getting a divorce. Jack keeps monitoring his ex-girlfriend's answering machine, while Peter seems to have developed a habit of picking up things that don't belong to him. Jack, being in a rebound stage, falls for the railway hostess, Rita (Amara Karan). As he lets his brothers read his autobiographical book, Invisible Ink, he keeps insisting that "all characters are fictional". As they keep fighting about things they did and things they didn't do, they also wonder if they could have ever been friends in life.

Francis: I guess there's still some more healing to do
Jack: You're getting there though
Peter: Anyway, it'll definitely add to your character

As they finally get to meet their mother, which was the main objective of Francis's itinerary (left as T.B.D), they probably realize that feeling sorry for themselves is not the best way to go about it and they are finally able to let go of all the baggage. In a final symbolic scene, we see them running for the train back to Mumbai while letting go of all the baggage that had been slowing them for so long.

Wes Anderson, along with Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman, comes up with another brilliant, heartbreaking story and manages well to capture the essence of rural India. The scene where we see every person on board on the Darjeeling Limited, including Jack's ex-girlfriend (Natalie Portman) and Bill Murray's unnamed character, is amazing.  The dialogues are again, in the usual "Wes Anderson way", unintentionally funny. And the cast for the movie couldn't have been better chosen.

Rating: 7.5/10

Hotel Chevalier (2007)

Jack: How did you find me?
Jack's ex: Wasn't actually that hard. 
......
Jack's ex: What the fuck is going on? How long have you had this hotel room?
Jack: I don't know
......

Jack's ex: How long are you gonna stay?
Jack: How long are you gonna stay?
Jack's ex: I'm leaving tomorrow morning. Don't you think it's time for you to go home? Are you running away from me?
Jack: I thought I already did.
......
Jack's ex: Have you slept with anyone?
Jack: No. Have you?
Jack's ex: No
Jack: That was a long pause....I guess it doesn't really matter
Jack's ex: No it doesn't. Whatever happens in the end, I don't wanna lose you as my friend
Jack: I promise I'll never be your friend, no matter what...ever
......

A perfect 13-minute prologue to Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited, easily my favorite among all Anderson's movies. I've pretty much posted the script of the movie here. These simple yet extremely powerful lines don't leave much to write about, except a longing to relive that experience of The Darjeeling Limited again.

Rating: 7.5/10

The Lives of Others (2006)

Jerska: I can't understand this country anymore. There are no human rights, no freedom of speech. This whole system drives me mad. But on the other hand, it's the same system that inspires us to write, to write about how people live in this country, real lives. And that's real masterpiece coming from our conscience.
........
Dreyman: Albert, I think I'm in trouble. It's the minister in charge of the arts, Minister Hempf. He threatened to ban my plays. Would it be terrible? I don't know what a ban is like.
Jerska (smiling) : Really? It's great.

The movie is set in the 1980s when the Stasi is in full power in East Germany. Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) is a poet-playwright who's about to become Minister Hempf's new victim. Captain Wiesler (Ulrich Muhe) is appointed to spy on his activities and political affiliations and report anything that he finds suspicious. Wiesler would come across as your typical by-the-rule-book, obedient officer who'd quietly take orders and has nothing of a rebel in him.

Dreyman lives with his actress girlfriend, Christa Maria (Martina Gedeck), who is Minister Hempf's object of desire. She is blackmailed into visiting him every Thursday to stay out of trouble in her acting career and also in exchange for Dreyman's freedom. Specially after Jerska (Volkmar Kleinert) kills himself, she believes it's a small sacrifice she has to make for their freedom.

Dreyman, although initially has been more of a model citizen compared to other artists, slowly changes his views after knowing the kind of leaders his country has. He writes an anonymous article in a major newspaper, Der Spiegel, which enrages a few important government officials. One of them is convinced it's written by Dreyman because of the article's "poetic nature". However, Captain Wiesler seems to have reported nothing suspicious against Dreyman even though he sits in  a cabin listening to all his conversations. We are never really told why exactly an officer like Wiesler seems to cover up for Dreyman. Is it that he starts believing in Dreyman's beliefs after reading a collection of his poems? Is it that he questions the unethical nature of his work on spying on a man who poses no real threat? Or is it that he has secretly fallen for his beautiful girlfriend and wishes them well?

We'll never find that out as he goes on about his job while leaving out details that'd help in implicating Dreyman. Even as his promotion is suspended and he finds himself out of favors with his superiors, he finds his happiness in the collection that Dreyman dedicates to him. Yes, good men do exist.

The detailed way in which writer-director, Florian Donnersmarck lays out the plot, makes it difficult to believe it's his first feature film. Ulrich Muhe delivers a brilliant performance as Captain Wiesler. Even though he doesn't speak much in the movie, you'll find yourself rooting for his character. And to top everything, the last musical score in the movie is amazing.

Rating - 8.5/10

On the Road (2012)

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!” - Jack Kerouac

I must admit this was the quote that made me want to read the book that has so famously divided people into two kinds - the ones who absolutely love the book and the ones who think Kerouac's writing was just hyped up following his death. I did watch the documentary on the life of Jack Kerouac, but never managed to get hold of the book. And somewhere deep within, knowing his life story, I don't want to be harsh. So lets see.

Sal Paradise (Sam Riley) is the narrator of this road trip that he and a group of friends set off on in search of meaning and spirituality. He goes around with his diary making observations on everyone around him, but it's mostly Dean that he is fascinated with. At times, we see them reading to each other  from Swann's Way by Marcel Proust.While the first half of the movie mostly helps us to get to know the characters, the second half is mostly the road trip, the people they meet on the way and how their futures are shaped. 

Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund) is one hell of a charmer with a deep voice who can be the center of attention in any group. However, it's not all show and he does have a deeper side to him. We see that when he's entertaining Sal with one of his anecdotes while visiting him, and suddenly breaks into a silence, breathes deeply and says "It's good to have family, isn't?" At times his personality could be bordering on psychosis as he keeps abandoning all those who love him while being so unaware of the mess his life is.

Marylou (Kristen Stewart) is unforgettable. Sexually adventurous and so full of life. She understands Dean very well and loves him but says she can't have him since he is so mad. Among the other characters in the movie is Carlo Marx (Tom Sturridge). He has a funny way of talking and in one of the scenes he mentions about contemplating suicide and then suddenly realizing, "Oh shit, I haven't even written a suicide note. I'm going over searching my mind for the right words and then I couldn't jump anymore. In that moment I wanted to experience the wisdom of life, mad with ecstasy and vengeance and truth."  Viggo Mortensen (Old Bull Lee) and Kirsten Dunst (Camille) have nice little cameos too.

Garrett Hedlund delivers a strong performance as Dean. So does Sam Riley in his moments of despair for not being able to earn his father's respect. Walter Salles (of The Motorcycle Diaries fame) has done a good job of adapting the book (that so many claim is "unfilmable") with some lesser known actors. Though I wouldn't know how good an adaptation it is. At the end of it, I don't have any strong feelings. I'm certainly not bored as some others would say. I'm glad I watched the movie first and now I can go on to read the book. I'm afraid the other way round is always disappointing.

Rating - 7/10

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Sam: What kind of bird are you?
Sparrow: I'm a sparrow, she's a dove...
Sam: (pointing to Suzy): No, I said...What kind of bird are YOU?
Suzy: I'm a raven.

How do you make a movie  with no real plot and with two twelve-year-olds as serious lovers and turn it into some escapist fantasy that's a delight to watch? Ask Wes Anderson.

The story starts with Khaki Scout Sam (Jared Gilman), an orphan, and Suzy (Kara Hayward), the black sheep, missing. Later the adults related to them, i.e. Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton), Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis), and Suzy's parents (played by Bill Murray and Frances McDormand) realize that the two might have colluded to run away together. As a search is set off for the two young lovers, we see the usual elements of a Wes Anderson movie, namely, dysfunctional families, people not in terms with reality, emotionally troubled people, etc at play.

Some of the dialogues are sharp, clever and funny, while at times they might sound dramatic. And some, between the two young lovers(remember- 12-year-olds), might make you wonder, "How did he get away with it?" But may be, that's the point. However, I wouldn't rate it above The Darjeeling Limited or Fantastic Mr. Fox.The ending was bit of a drag, but overall a must-watch for all Wes Anderson fans.

Rating: 7/10

Pieces of April (2003)

Mom/Joy: Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad we’re going. This way, instead of April showing up with some new piercing, or some ugly new tattoo, and…God forbid…staying overnight, this way, we get to show up, experience the disaster that is her life, smile through it, and before you know we’re on our way home

It's Thanksgiving Day and April (Katie Holmes) decides to invite her dysfunctional family over to dinner and reconnect with them even though she remembers a lot from her childhood that isn't so pleasant. Like the time when she was a kid and was holding on to a piece of crockery, only to be warned by her mother (Patricia Clarkson), "Be careful, they are worth more than you are". Though now she is willing to make amends when she learns of her mother's cancer. 

The Burns set out on a long trip to New York with her Dad (Oliver Platt) being the most or perhaps the only one excited about it. On their way they try to find all kinds of excuses to not make the trip and keep bickering amongst themselves. Meanwhile, April and her supportive Afro-American boyfriend, Bobby (Derek Luke), are preparing a turkey dinner for April's "big day". As Bobby sets out on some mysterious mission, April realizes their oven is not working and things start to look like a mess. She tries her best to get things back under control, while her Mom is busy cracking a few jokes about April and complaining how she can't even think of a single good memory of April. 

As the Burns finally arrive and April seems to get her shit together, her Dad decides to turn back after seeing where she lives. As they make their way to a nearby restaurant where they won't have to pretend to like April's horrible cooking, April's Mom, in a moment of epiphany, realizes her love for her eldest daughter. 

Peter Hedges makes a great directional debut with this emotional, tragic yet funny drama on a tried-and-tested theme of dysfunctional families. The dialogues are at times really funny and the movie does well to expose a few stereotypes that are associated with certain people in America. The movie also has a great background score and it ends with a lovely and fitting song from indie-band, Magnetic Fields, "I've always loved you in my own way....."

Rating : 7.5/10

The Man from Earth (2007)

Sandy: I love you, you know...
John: I know
Sandy: Since my first week at the office....And?
John: I care very much about you, but now you know what you'll be getting into
Sandy: Do you really think you're a cave-man?
John: Do you?
Sandy: (Silence).....Could you love me? I know you don't believe in that anymore
John: I've gotten over it too many times....Fond of you, certainly attracted to you
Sandy: That's it?.....I can work with that...
John: If what I'm saying is true, then one day you and all your children will age, and not me. And I'll leave. The simple fact is I can't give you forever
Sandy: How long is forever?

John Oldman is a teacher who's moving on to his next destination and his colleagues come over to his place to bid farewell. As they all start to drink and party, John reveals something that he had never done before - that he may be a Cro-Magnon man who's lived since 14,000 years. And every ten years he keeps moving before people start to suspect that he doesn't age. This claim doesn't go down very well amongst his colleagues as they all start to question the validity of what he has just revealed. The whole movie is set in his room where all his colleagues, experts in their respective fields, start to quiz him. The more they know, the more they try to resist that his story might be true.

Anything more I reveal about the plot would be a spoiler. So go watch it for yourself. It was just pure luck that I chanced upon this movie and I believe everyone should watch it!

Rating: 8/10

Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001)

Julio and Tenoch: The Manifesto:
1) There's no greater honor than being a Charolastra
2) Do whatever you feel like
3) Pop beats poetry
4) Get high at least once a day
5) You shall not screw a fellow charolastra's girlfriend
6) Team America's supporters are queers
7) Forget morals and rules
8) Never marry a virgin
9) Club America's supporters are....
Luisia: You have already said that
Tenoch: It's worth repeating. They are queers. Crappy team
10) Truth is cool but is unattainable
11) The arsehole who breaks any of the above rules loses his title of Charolastra

A quiz in a magazine Luisia (Maribel Verdu) picked up while at the doctor's describes her as a woman who is afraid to accept her freedom. She doesn't agree and looks for an escape from her troubled married life. She calls up her husband's young cousin Tenoch (Diego Luna) and his friend Julio (Gael Garcia Bernal) to see if their invitation to a fictitious beach, The Heaven's Mouth, still stands. And thus, they embark on a spontaneous road trip which would teach them so much about friendship and freedom.

On the way, both Julio and Tenoch end up in bed with Luisia and this leads to a burning jealousy that threatens to come in the way of their friendship. Frustrated by this, Luisia starts to leave and remarks, "Play with babies and you end up washing their nappies". Finally she agrees to come back on the condition that the  "kids" will have to play by her rules and she makes the new Manifesto. And while continuing their trip, they do come across the illusive Heaven's Mouth.

Alfonso Cuaron does a good job portraying the three different characters while they keep telling stories to each other. Maribel Verdu does a fine act while playing the once-restrained-now-free-spirited woman.  The narrator keeps telling us about what the future holds for each character that we come across. They all have one thing in common. Things in the future will never be the same again. Wouldn't want to spoil the ending for you, but it's something that will surely haunt you for some time.

Rating : 7.5/10

Revanche (2008)

Alex: Why are you doing this? Are you bored with your cop already?
Susanne: No. He's my husband. I just wanted to.
Alex: What does your God have to say?
Susanne: He understands.
Alex: A very understanding God.
Susanne: What is it? Can't you just be friendly? Will you lose face acting like a normal person? What happened to you?
Alex: I'll be going.
Susanne: Why are you this way? What did anyone do to you?
Alex: Be glad you don't know everything.

Alex (Johannes Krisch) and his girlfriend, Tamara, are burdened with debt and hatch a plan to escape their misery. But as is most common about life, things don't go as planned. Tamara is accidentally shot by the police officer, Robert (Andreas Lust), while they try to flee from the crime scene. Alex, while trying to maintain a low profile, returns to his grandfather's place where he strikes up a friendship with Susanne (Ursula Strauss), Robert's wife. In this 2008 tragic drama from Gotz Spielmann, two men cling on to the death of the same woman - one for revenge and another with guilt. The final scene where the two men cross paths is brilliant. While Robert is made to confront with the consequences of his action, Alex is faced with a question before he could justify his search for justice. Revenge - it's complicated.

Rating - 7.5/10

Warrior (2011)

Brendan: Man, I don't understand this...You won't forgive me but you forgave Pop?
Tommy: He is just some old vet that I train with...he means nothing to me..what I do means nothing to you either...you got balls talking about forgiveness
Brendan: I forgave Pop...just like I forgave you and Mom
Tommy: You forgave us??...I'm not surprised you made the tournament...you got some stones man...

Rocky meets The Wrestler. And what we get is a product better than the two. Gavin O'Connor's Warrior is a drama on the relationship between two estranged brothers and their sad, drunken father. While one is trying to save his family from financial debt and the other fighting to provide for a friend's widow, they find themselves pitted against each other in a mixed martial arts tournament. Although there's nothing new in the story, great performances by all the three main characters and some authentic fight sequences combined with great editing make this movie a reveling watch.

Nick Nolte plays the role of the father with perfection. Having wronged his family a long time back, he keeps taking the insults and sarcastic remarks of Tommy quietly. The best one from Tommy comes in the lines, "So you found God, huh? That's awesome. See, Mom kept calling out for him but he wasn't around. I guess Jesus was down at the mill forgiving all the drunks. Who knew?"  

Although some might find the last scene a bit melodramatic, I absolutely loved it. Behind all the toughness of Tommy's exterior was a just a man who needed to hear the words from his brother, "It's okay. I love you." To top it up, starts the best song of 2011, About Today by The National, which has made it to all my playlists.

The only sad part is the marketing for this movie. Whoever was in that team, he simply sucked at his job. Otherwise it'd have been easily one of the highest grossing movies of the year.....

Rating: 8/10

A Prophet (2009)

Luciano: No longer scared of me? If you can walk around this place, it's because I had you made porter. If you eat...it's thanks to me. If you dream, think, live...it's thanks to me. You have no guards? Dumb shit! The name Luciani is branded on your face! You live off me, Djebena! People look at you and see me.

Malik el Djebena (Tahar Rahim) is a 19 year old delinquent serving a six year prison sentence who doesn't take any side, either with the Corsicans or with the Muslims. But all that is about to change. He is asked by the prison kingpin, Cesar Luciani (Neils Arestrup), to get Reyeb killed in exchange for protection till he serves his time.

Malik realizes soon that the only way to survive in the prison is to work for Luciani. He runs small errands for Luciani and with his help and some good behavior in the prison, he manages to get a day off every week. Luciani, of course, uses these "leaves" to make him carry out more errands.When Malik gets into trouble with another Egyptian dealer, he suggests to his friend outside to make the Egyptian a partner and go on to rule the market and settle scores later when the time is right. Malik is no Michael Corleone for whom revenge means everything. He is a realist, unsure, unassuming and the innocence is never lost. A fast learner who knows when to keep his head down and when to stand up.

This is the second movie from Jacques Audiard (Of The Beat that my Heart Skipped fame) I've seen. He's brilliant in building the characters and the movie, at two and a half hours length, is gripping and never makes you feel bored. Both Tahar Rahim and Niels Arestrup play their respective roles to perfection. And even though the movie is not really fast-paced, it's one of the best crime dramas I've seen in a long time.

Rating - 8/10 

Wuthering Heights (2009)

Among the classics, Wuthering Heights has always been one of my favorites. I was contemplating reading it again on my Kindle, however, later I thought it'd be best to download a movie adaptation. Among so many adaptations of the novel, there were two that caught my interest - one starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche (1992) and a newer version starring Tom Hardy as Heathcliff. I settled for the 2009 version as I've become a recent fan of this actor. And he didn't disappoint in the role.

He is an orphan. I found him on the streets of Liverpool where he'd have died with his mother. He'll not tell me his name, so I'm going to name him myself....Cathy, Hindley, this is Heathcliff.

One of the best characters ever created, an antihero driven by vengeance, Heathcliff has been well portrayed  by Tom Hardy, specially after he returns a rich man. Though some of the other characters do not really fit as per the novel, if my memory serves me right. Charlotte Riley also does well to bring out the flaws in Catherine's original character. Her jealousy after seeing Heathcliff return, while she's married to Edgar (Andrew Lincoln), has been played really well, which makes Isabella (Rosalind Halstead) remark upon her as a dog in the manger. There definitely is that element of tension all the time in the movie, just as it was in the novel.

I'm not too sure of the ending though and why would they want to tweak the story. As I remember the novel, Heathcliff dies after hallucinating about the ghost of Catherine and not by committing suicide, like the movie makes us believe. And that's what I confirmed from the web too. I guess, after all, I'll have to read it again!

Rating - 7/10

2046 (2004)

Whenever someone asked me why I left 2046, I gave them vague answers.....I once fell in love with someone. After a while she wasn't there. I went to 2046. I thought she might be waiting for me there. But I couldn't find her. I can't stop wondering if she loved me or not. But I never found out....All memories are traces of tears.

2046 is not in the same class as In the Mood for Love or Chung King Express. This story casts Tony Leung in the role of Chow, a womanizer who, after a failed affair in Singapore, leaves and falls in love with the Hong Kong way of life and one-night stands. Apparently, it seems to be the same Mr. Chow from In the Mood for Love as he mentions, "I was in love with a Su-Lizhen once and never dreamt I'll meet another Su Lizhen here" (Su Lizhen is the character opposite Chow in that movie). We see him with three different women on the Christmas eve of three consecutive years. Even though he loses touch with the women around him, they keep appearing in stories he writes about a place in time, 2046. Every passenger who goes to 2046 has the same intention - to capture the lost memories. Nothing supposedly changes in 2046. Though no one knows if it's true as no one has ever come back.

More than the story line, this movie should be watched for the color themes and recurring images combined with an awesome background music. Good acting by most of the cast, and Zhang Ziyi's performance deserves a special mention. However, the movie keeps running in circles and the length can be a little tiring. Worth a watch if you are a strict Wong Kar Wai fan.

P.S. - Although Norwegian Wood has been made into a movie, for some reason I kept thinking, while watching this one, it'd be great if Wong Kar Wai adapts the book.

Rating - 6.5/10

The Barbarian Invasions (2003)

Remy: All my life I went to bed with the world's most gorgeous women. Then one morning I awoke realizing I'd fallen asleep dreaming of the Carribean. I'd grown old. Women had deserted my dreams....We can't decipher the past, how can we know the future? No one ever knows what'll happen to them. Except me, now. I know.


Nathalie: Are you scared?


Remy: Sure am. I don't want to stop living. I loved life so much.


Nathalie: What was it you loved?


Remy: Everything. Wine, books, music, women. Above all women.


Nathalie: Were there many of them?


Remy: Yes


Nathalie: Don't they begin to seem the same?


Remy: A bit, yes.


Nathalie: The trips you dreamed of, did you make them? 


Remy: Nowadays there are tourists everywhere.


Nathalie: It's not your present you cling on. It's your past life. That life is already dead.


Remy: Perhaps.

Remy (Remy Girard) is a 50-something professor who is on his deathbed and succumbing to cancer. This brings him together with his estranged family and old time friends. Sebastien (Stephane Rousseau) is very unlike his father and works in capitalistic London. Looking at his son, Remy remarks, "The barbarians everywhere, tomorrow...their Prince approaches". Though they had never seen eye to eye, Sebastien makes sure all his father's wishes are granted.

This movie explores a man's lust for life who refuses to come to terms with his impending death. He's been searching a meaning for his life and "feels as helpless as the day he was born".  In the end, the father and son resolve the tension between them as Remy says that he'd want for his son to have a son as fine as him. 


Denys Arcand manages to blend the humor, the sadness and the nostalgia all so well, it'll leave you with an experience that you can't explain, almost like an emptiness after it's over. 


Rating: 8.5/10

A Separation (2011)

He doesn't even ask me to stay. He doesn't even refuse to divorce. After having lived together for 14 years....

Simin (Leila Hatami) describes Nader (Peyman Moadi) as a "good, decent person". Yet she wants a divorce as she wants to leave her home country and settle down abroad. While that's not a choice for Nader, who has to look after his father who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Asghar Farhadi's A Separation is a drama that's set in contemporary Iran and takes a look at how two perfectly nice people can end up not wanting to stay together anymore.

As the magistrate denies the divorce due to lack of sufficient grounds, Simin goes off to her mother's place for two weeks, while their 11 year old daughter would stay with Nader. Nader arranges for a caretaker, Razieh, who'd look after his father while he is away during the day. Razieh is a pregnant woman who has to commute a long distance for the job. She comes along with her little daughter, Somayeh (Kimia Hosseini) as she tries to support the family while her husband (played by Shahab Hosseini) is unemployed.

While this would be true of any ordinary family, a sequence of events follow that spiral into an absolute mess.    As a conflict arises between the two families following Nader's accusation of Razieh for stealing, we also get to witness a class war amongst other not-so-trivial matters. While all the characters have good intentions, being completely honest is not such an easy choice they are faced with. To lie or not to lie...

As the events unfold, we again see the couple faced with the possibility of divorce. Only the roles have reversed and there's more misunderstanding. One person's offer of help can be a question of honor for another. Overall, A Separation is a brilliant portrayal of how often miscommunication and ordinary interpersonal conflicts can spiral completely out of proportion while destroying trust and relationships. Easily, my movie of the year!

Rating - 9/10

Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)

This is not exactly a review. Watched a late night show of Gangs of Wasseypur yesterday and came out really disappointed. Don't get me wrong - I loved the movie, specially the dialogues. You can only expect such humor in an otherwise grim and violent movie from Anurag Kashyap. However, I went in looking for a tale of revenge, and I needed instant gratification. "To be continued..." wasn't good enough for me. And frankly, even Rakht Charitra was more violent than this.....

A Very Long Engagement (2004)

If you can't cry, try talking. If you can't talk, say nothing. But sometimes, talking can bring on the tears. Tears say what you can't say, if you get my drift?

A Very Long Engagement, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, is a tale of one woman's unrelenting search for her fiance in the face of adversity. Mathilde (Audrey Tatou) has been affected by polio since childhood and has been brought up by her uncle & aunt after the death of her parents. Since the age of 9, she and Manech have been close friends, which turns into love and subsequent engagement by the time she's 20.

When Manech sets off to join the French Army in 1917, we learn he's one of the five soldiers accused of self-mutilation, an act to escape the war. In the subsequent turn of events, the audience is shown flashbacks from the war and first-hand accounts of different survivors who might have known what happened to those five soldiers. As different accounts tell us that Manech might have been killed while wandering off into the no-man's land, Mathilde still believes in her heart that he is alive somewhere. Unyielding in her belief, Mathilde, at times, creates superstitious scenarios to console herself...If I reach the bend before the car, Manech will come alive!....

The movie switches between the gruesome war scenes and the beautiful landscapes of France in the 1920s. The camera work is simply amazing, however ( Disclaimer: I'm no film connoisseur) the director should have stuck to the depiction of a tragic tale, rather than fill it with intermittent scenes of humor. Somehow those scenes do not help the audience in staying focused. Having said that, the acting was excellent by the entire cast. Overall, A Very Long Engagement is only at times gripping, though a very long tale indeed.

Rating: 6.5/10

Bullhead (2011)

Sometimes things happen in life that turn everybody silent. So silent that nobody dares to talk about it anymore. To no one. Not even themselves. Not in their own head, not aloud, not a fucking word. Because everything has been lingering. Deep in those woods, year after year. But out of the blue, it is all back. Just like that, from one day to another.....Whatever you do, whatever you think, one thing you can be sure of: You're always fucked. 

Michael Roskam's Bullhead (Rundskop) tells the tragic tale of Jacky Vanmarsenille (Matthias Schoenaerts), a young cattle farmer with a troubled past for whom there is no redemption. He deals in illegal hormones through mafia connections to raise cattle in his farm. However, one shady deal that he enters into opens up a can of worms and things start falling apart. Again.

 The rage, the pain, the sadness, all simmering underneath the stoic face of Jacky is a treat to watch. As a love interest from his childhood resurfaces, his emotions and obsessions play out silently, yet intensely. The movie is a great character study where we are shown the current state of a man and flashes from his childhood that'd explain his current state.


All my life known nothing else than beasts. I've always felt like those bulls. I never knew what it was to protect someone.......I don't have what should have been my nature. 

Great performances overall by all the actors, though the closing scenes could have been better handled with a darker twist to the tale. But again, great piece of work for a first timer.

Rating - 7/10

The Intouchables (2011)

Driss: Listen to this...where can you find a quadriplegic?
Philippe: I don't know...where can you?
Driss: Where you left him

And never shall the twain meet? Philippe (Francois Cluzet), a rich quadriplegic and Driss (Omar Sy), a hustler who's been in and out of prison, had nothing in common. At least on surface. Yet when Driss applies for the job of a caretaker along with a lot of other qualified candidates, Philippe instantly likes him as Driss shows no sympathy and doesn't care. In fact, Driss is only there to get his papers signed to show he hasn't been able to find a job. His only motivation in life is to avail government benefits and to live on welfare. (Though Philippe's assistant, Magalie (Audrey Fleurot), definitely provides him another sort of motivation).

After being hired, Driss shows resistance as he won't wipe another man's ass "on principle". He also ends up disciplining Philippe's daughter. However, the two set off on a friendship in no time. Through this friendship, the directors, Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, are able to show to the audience there's more to life than wealth, race and class. The relationship is based on mutual respect, understanding and acceptance. Of course, once the movie sets off, it's a little predictable in the way that Driss will help Philippe find love and change his outlook on life. Yet unlike most other somber movies that deal with such topics, this one's filled with some really funny, though politically incorrect, jokes that'd make you laugh out loud.

There's a Hollywood remake in the offing, though I'm not sure about the level of censorship that would be forced on the script to please the politically correct American ears. You have to watch this version to believe it. It's French humor at its best!

Rating - 8/10

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Set against the backdrop of World War II, Pan's Labyrinth is a brilliant work of imagination from Guillermo del Toro. Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is a young girl who lives in the world of books on fairies and mythical creatures. Upon arrival at a war camp where her stepfather is waiting for her pregnant mother (Ariadna Gil), she chances upon a labyrinth where she meets a faun. The faun recognizes her as Princess Moanna, the daughter of the king of the underworld. "You were not born of man. It was the moon that bore you". But in order to ensure she has not turned into a mortal, she must complete three tasks "before the moon is full". The faun hands her the Book of Crossroads that will show her the future and what must be done.

As she sets off on completing each of her tasks, we also get a glimpse into the horrors of war in the real world. As her mother's weakness grows, she finds strength and support in Mercedes (Maribel Verdu). As she comes towards the completion of her 3rd task, we get to know the parallel fantasy world of fauns and fairies is just a figment of Ofelia's imagination, created in order to find an escape from the harsh realities around her. For her final task, she is asked by the faun for the blood of an innocent - her little brother. She chooses to sacrifice her right over immortality to protect her brother.

In the last scene we see Mercedes sitting by her dead body singing her a lullaby, while Ofelia is united with her father in the underworld and appreciated for having chosen well. The heartbreaking ending of the movie beautifully manages to depict the ways in which humans deal with and process the pain and agony around them.

Rating - 8.5/10

A Better Life (2011)

Luis: You wanna be nice to this bitch? Huh? What about all that shit you said about movin' to a better neighborhood? To a better house? To a better school? How the hell are we gonna do it now?

Carlos (Demian Bichir), an illegal Mexican immigrant, would go to any extent to ensure his son gets all that he didn't. Already submerged in debt, and working even on Sundays to provide for his son, he needs that last chance where he can turn things around. Borrowing money from his sister, he buys that truck from his former employer and dreams of "growing it into something big". Only that fate doesn't always smile on poor people.

A series of events follow where his truck gets stolen, and the search for it holds the key to a way out  - and a better life. The movie takes a humane look at the daily struggles of illegal immigrants pitted against a hostile environment ("Too many Mexicans, too few bullets"). Director Chris Weitz, himself having Mexican roots, deals with the subject matter with great sensitivity.

Rating - 7/10

Monsieur Lazhar (2011)

My 2nd movie review is also another movie on teachers which was among the nominations for this year's Oscars in the Foreign language film category. Directed by Philippe Falardeau, Monsieur Lazhar tells the story of an Algerian immigrant, Bachir Lazhar (Mohammed Fellag), who is hired as a replacement following the suicide of Martine, a popular, yet troubled, teacher.

Bachir Lazhar passes himself off as a teacher with 19 years of experience and a permanent resident of Canada. While we later get to know he is dealing with his own troubles after the death of his wife and daughter and is actually a refugee seeking political asylum. As someone dealing with loss, he tries to reach out to his students and wants them to express their thoughts. However, this doesn't go down really well with the school administration and the parents of the children. The performances of the child actors, specially Alice (Sophie Nelisse) and Simon (Emilien Neron) are something to take note of. Alice comes across as a really mature kid for her age when she tries to question Martine's suicide inside the classroom as a message of violence.

We observe a few understated moments of a friendship between Bachir and his colleague, Ms Claire Martel. Ironically, even though Bachir encourages his students to express themselves, his own reluctance to talk about his feelings and the cultural gap never helps in his relationships taking off. The movie plays out in a very delicate manner and it is those small things here and there that make it quite a revelation. The movie ends with his status being found out and he being asked to leave. Though unlike Martine, he meets his students a final time and narrates a beautiful story, saying goodbye without ever explicitly stating it.

Rating - 8/10

Detachment (2011)

 

"It's easy to be careless, but it takes great courage and character to care"

With a great ensemble of actors, here comes another masterpiece from Tony Kaye, the director of American History X. We are taken to the world of teacher-student relations through the eyes of Henry Barthes (Adrien Brody), a substitute teacher who drifts from one school to another in order to avoid any connection with his students. He doesn't want to commit and believes his only responsibility is "to maintain order, to make sure no one kills anyone in your classroom and then make it to the next period". Yet this stint is unlike any other.

"I'm money, I change hands like dollar bills, that's been robbed by a lamp; then a Jeanie appeared and cried loudly, with volume; but the tears were all for myself and that's when it all went wrong"

As the movie progresses, we see flashes of the "faceless" man's childhood as deep-buried emotions are kindled  in him in the presence of two women - a street hooker and a student who doesn't fit in. Haunted by memories of his mother's death since he was just 7, he likes to believe he has gotten used to loss & failure. Yet something within him makes him stand up for the two lost souls as he understands too well how important it is for someone to have guidance, something he didn't have while growing up.

Released during a time of high unemployment and Occupy Wall Street movement,  this movie gives us a peek into the lives of teachers and their daily struggles in dealing with students' callousness and the high expectations of parents who are never really there for their kids.

Rating - 7.5/10