Rush (2013)

James Hunt: I feel responsible for what happened.
Niki Lauda: You are... but trust me: watching you win those races, while I was fighting for my life, you were equally responsible for getting me back in the car.

In the last few weeks I hadn't updated my blog, I've seen a few good movies, but not good enough to raise me back from my laziness of updating this blog. I guess this is just what I was waiting for. To be honest, I had my doubts about the 8.3 IMDb rating when I didn't know much about the F-1 drivers in question here. Though as I progressed through the two hours, it took me back to the October of 2007, when Raikonnen (Ferrari) pulled off something similar against Hamilton (McLaren), though not as dramatic. I can still remember my brother messaging me the live updates of the game as I was travelling with colleagues on an official holiday in Goa.

Rush tells the story of the rivalry in the 1976 F-1 championship between James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth)- a carefree, brash driver for whom there is no tomorrow and Nicki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl)- a disciplined, arrogant genius who calculates the risk-return trade-off behind every move just like the businessman that his father so wanted him to be. While Hunt loves his women, champagne and living life on the edge, Lauda is the less expressive one who believes happiness can be your biggest enemy, since "suddenly you have something to lose".

The movie focuses on the character conflict that manifests itself in the form of open rivalry on the racing tracks. While they start off as bitter enemies, they still had respect for each other and one's win in the absence of the other was not something either of them would have cherished. What we get in the end is a thrilling, racy capturing of the story of two legends that doesn't just depend on the camera work but also delves deep into the characters to let the audience see where the rivalry is coming from. Although Daniel Bruhl is amazing in the role of Nicki Lauda while suppressing the demons inside his head, I never really thought Chris Hemsworth can act so well. Hemsworth does a brilliant job of the playboy act while fighting his insecurities after being deserted by the model Suzy Miller (Olivia Wilde).

One has to watch this to believe it. I don't know how I missed it on the big screen!

Rating: 8/10

50/50 (2011)

Adam: Look..thank you...but you're not trying to cheer me up. I'm actually really okay with it. Ok, I'm gonna die. You're gonna die..hopefully a lot later than I'm....that's what just happens and doesn't really mean anything anyway.
Katherine: .....I have to tell you what you're going through is completely normal for someone in your situation...
Adam: Sorry, I just have to call you on this...that's just bullshit. That's just what everybody has been saying, "you'll feel better", "don't worry, this is all fine"...I don't why everybody is just fucking scared to say, "you know, you're dying dude"...it makes it worse that no one will just say it
Katherine: Adam, I'm just trying to help you...I'm just trying...
Adam: Why? So thirty years from now you can say at a cocktail party how you helped your third patient feel normal right before he died?

Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cancer at the young age of 27 and his life seems to fall apart. When the news is disclosed to him by his doctor, the background number, High & Dry by Radiohead seems apt and gets one instantly hooked. He doesn't want his mother's (Angelica Houston) constant advice when she suggests she wants to move in with him. Nor does he like his best buddy Kyle's (Seth Rogen) casual outward appearance. He gives his girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas-Howard) the chance to bail out, yet deep inside he wants her to stay. And she says she wants to fight it out with him.

As time passes, Rachael has second thoughts about "mixing the two worlds" - the cheerful world outside and the grim world in a hospital that stinks of death. Kyle wants to cheer him up and gives an example of the actor Patrick Swayze, who apparently died of cancer. When Adam points that out, the best Kyle can do is ask him to look at the bright side. "What's the bright side here?", asks Adam. Kyle loves the new opportunity of hitting on gullible ladies who fall for a sad story where he has to live with a friend who'll eventually die of cancer. Rachael has already started cheating on him. And the fact that his counselor, Katherine (Anna Kendricks) is actually an intern on her third case, doesn't help to do things better either. He manages to make a few friends at the hospital who are all diagnosed with cancer. When Adam finally breaks up with Rachael, he yearns for someone to love when he watches his cancer-mate, Mitch, still going strong with his wife at one of their family meet-ups. Only to know the same evening that Mitch died too. His interactions with his counselor, Katherine, who is 3 years younger than him, starts off with the usual non-acceptance and moves on to one of trust and friendship.

The story is based on the real-life account of Will Reiser. The movie is well-balanced when it comes to comedy and drama, with a slight inclination towards the former - something that should be expected with Seth Rogen around. Director Jonathan Levine never lets the movie go haywire and it seems he has absolutely no confusion on how things should end, as is usually the case with movies on such topics. A great feel-good movie that is supported by great acting by everyone in the cast. The background songs selection for this movie is awesome too.

Rating - 7.5/10

Frozen River (2008)

Ray: I didn't know any other way to keep us together.....I mean he is a good dad...when he is not gambling
T.J.: Yeah...awesome Dad...robs us and takes off a week before Christmas.

So you want that last time to make some quick cash and promise to straighten up after that? Chances are Murphy's laws will catch up with you. Frozen River is a sad tale about two women's struggles set in the Mohawk reservation, an area in upstate New York and partly in Canada from where illegal aliens are smuggled into the territory.

When Ray Eddy's (Melissa Leo) husband disappears leaving her with her two kids, she finds herself strapped for cash to pay off her bills and keep her home. The promotion at the Yankee Dollar Store that has been due since two years also isn't going to happen. She doesn't want her 15 year old elder son to give up his studies and help in earning some income and so it's all left to her to find a way. When she meets Lila (Misty Upham), a native Indian who helps in smuggling people across the border, they partner up to get themselves out of their miseries.  The police wouldn't question Ray "since she is white" and they can carry people in the trunk of Ray's car. The relations between the native Indians and the whites become evident as Ray and Lila start off with mutual mistrust and slowly get to help each other out of their desperation. Even though Ray has her own opinions about the Chinese and the Pakistanis trying to smuggle across the border, she is just another embittered woman hardened by her struggles and poverty.

Courtney Hunt's movie on the lives of two women works brilliantly to show us many facets of the lives of people after the crisis and she is helped by some excellent performances from the two lead actors and the rest of the cast too. The weathered face, the creases on her forehead yet the resilience that doesn't want to give a hint of self-pity makes Ray's character as real as the people you'll find in the United States whose lives have been destroyed in recent times. A must-watch.

Rating: 7.5/10

Dorian Gray (2009)

Henry: See, I envy you. Everything's possible for you because you've the only two things worth having - Youth and beauty.....The moment's lost.
Dorian: That was probably her husband.
Henry: Yes, very sensible. People die of common sense, Dorian, one lost moment at a time. Life is a moment. There is no hereafter. So make it burn always with the hardest flame.

If you could trade your youth for your soul, would you? Don't even bother answering that 'cause we all know what we say. What we do when no-one's looking is who we really are. Dorian Gray is based on Oscar Wilde's only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. I remember having been quite influenced with those words when I read it during my undergrad years. Though I really don't remember much from the novel since it was ten years back. I only remember discussing with a friend who should play Dorian Gray if it's ever made into a movie. Leonardo DiCaprio is what we had agreed on since there were no other boyish faces around who could also act. Only yesterday I came to know it was indeed made into a movie. Although the choice for Henry Wotton's character can't be disputed, I'm not too sure about Dorian Gray's.  Well, any good actor could fit into Henry Wotton's role, but Colin Firth with his English accent definitely has an advantage while delivering witticisms after another  and corrupting the mind of his young companion, Dorian Gray (Ben Barnes). It's like watching the great Oscar Wilde himself in action.

Dorian Gray comes back to London and is introduced into the world of the upper echelons of society by his friend, Basil Hallward (Ben Chaplin). Basil warns Dorian about the company of the "charming" Henry while saying, "You shouldn't believe every word he says. He doesn't". Until it's too late. When Basil paints the portrait of Dorian, Dorian is awestruck on seeing his own beauty and hypothetically mentions to Henry that he would trade his soul to keep his youth. As he is introduced into the world of "pleasure", Dorian unknowingly pushes his one and only love, Sybil Vane (Rachel Hurd-Wood), to suicide. Perhaps broken after the incident, he is drawn into hedonistic tendencies and the corruption of his soul. As he commits crime after crime, we see his wish has been granted - the portrait ages while he gets to keep his youth.

This is one of the most brilliant tales on the corruption of a young soul and given my interest in such topics, I was under a spell when I had read the novel. And considering the time when this book was published, I can only understand the opposition the author might have faced from society. There goes the famous quote of Oscar Wilde -"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all." I can't remember the details and hence comment if the movie has been faithful to the book, but it is definitely entertaining. Ben Barnes, at times, lacks the ability to play such a dark character while keeping his facial innocence. But to be fair to him, I can't think of a single name among the current lot who could have been a good substitute ( though I can't help thinking a Aamir Khan with an English accent could be the answer. After all, remember the look on his face in the last scene of Earth - 1947? ) Anyway, the only thing on my mind right now is to get hold of the novel and start again. I was too young then to really understand the meaning of "corruption of a soul".

Rating: 7/10

5 X 2 (2004)

Gilles: Are you with anyone? Don't you miss it?
Marion: No. Actually it feels good to be alone.......This is hard for me, too.
Gilles: You seem to be holding up pretty well.
Marion: I'm just happy it's over with......What's the matter?
Gilles: I'm just saying you're strong......You get undressed, you get laid, and you're happy. Go get fucked by someone else.
Marion[ screaming]: Shut up!
Gilles: You won.
Marion: I didn't win or lose. It's just over.
Gilles: You're right, as always. It's over. Nothing left to say.........Marion?.....Do you want to try again?

5X2 takes us through the five stages of a couple's marriage and its disintegration in reverse chronological order. The final proceedings of Marion's (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) and Gilles' (Stephane Freiss) divorce are just done with in the opening scene of the movie and we are taken through the stages of their lives together to see how they got there.

The first scene is followed by a dinner party with Gilles' gay brother and his partner where we see the cracks starting to show. As they discuss about fidelity in a relationship, Gilles narrates in front of his guests about the only time he had cheated on Marion. The whole time his eyes are fixated on her, watching her every move as if to intentionally make her uncomfortable. The third stage is about the time when Marion is in labor due to complications in her delivery, and Gilles, suddenly confused about the arrival of a new member in the family, is nowhere to be seen. We see him sitting inside his car in the rain and finally calling her (after ignoring her mom's messages) when everything is over. The fourth scene takes us to the day of their marriage with all the merry-making and the happiness of two families coming together when two people seem very sure about each other when they say their "I do". And what sadly follows is Gilles falling fast asleep by the time Marion comes over to their bed. "Are you already bored with me?", she asks and takes a walk alone in the night down by the lake where she is almost tempted into adultery. We  don't know whether she goes for it or not, but for sure she seems relieved in the morning when she professes her love for Gilles. The final scene or the first stage of their relationship takes us through how they met at a resort where Gilles is slowly losing interest in his hard-to-impress girlfriend and Marion is spending some alone-time after her break-up four months back with her former Sicilian boyfriend.

The director, Francois Ozon, doesn't pin the blame on anyone for the failure of the relationship, but lets the viewers judge. As it seems, both played their parts, though Gilles would come across as the more self-serving type who can be prone to playing mind games. While Marion is just another ordinary girl who got into a relationship at the wrong time. At times she comes across as strong, but there's always that vulnerability that can break her. She is definitely not someone who can win a psychological game and all she wants is for things to fall into place on their own. We never get to see the fights that are so often imagined as the reason for a relationship's break-down. We also don't see what exactly is it about Marion that has turned Gilles so cold in the marriage. The movie makes a point by showing us a very ordinary couple and how they move from one stage to another with no hint as to what exactly drove them apart. Maybe, in a way, it tells us love and relationships are highly over-rated to start with?

Rating: 7.5/10

The Secret In Their Eyes (2009)

Benjamin: Was it worth it?
Morales: Forget about it. Forget it! Who cares? My wife is dead! Your friend is dead too! Gomez is dead! They're all dead! Stop dwelling on it! You'll start wondering if you could have stopped it. You'll have a thousand pasts and no future! Forget about it, trust me. You'll end up with only memories.

Benjamin Esposito (Ricardo Darin) is assigned a case in which a beautiful young woman has been brutally badgered to death. When Benjamin sees the naked body of the woman, he takes it personally and it's something that'll stay with him for the rest of his life. And then there's the young assistant to the judge, Irene (Soledad Villamil), to whom he reports. When two scapegoats are convicted to close the case, Benjamin requests Irene to reopen the case as he isn't convinced they had the right guy. As they work together on the case, Benjamin starts developing feelings for her even though she is about to get married. Even though Irene is his superior and much well paid than him, yet younger in age, she also keeps sending mixed signals to Benjamin.

25 years later they meet again - Benjamin is older, wiser, yet hasn't recovered from what hit them in that old case and although he has survived a broken marriage, he still hasn't managed to let go of neither the case nor Irene. Irene is mature too, happy with kids - though still living in an empty marriage.  25 years back when they had caught the real killer, Gomez (Javier Godino), he escaped the trial since he seemed to be some kind of a protected informant for the state police. Benjamin's partner and friend, Sandoval (Guillermo Francella) ends up brutally killed just hours after Gomez's release. When Benjamin makes sure Irene is sent away from the place to stay safe from the killer, he still isn't sure what kept the killer from getting back at him ever. Benjamin starts writing a memoir and revisits the case to make sense of what might have happened and also his short romance with Irene. As he is still searching for an ending for his book, there's one piece of the puzzle missing until then.

The director, Juan Jose Campanella, intentionally hasn't led the movie in a single direction to make it a tense thriller. By adding scenes of the lost love between Benjamin and Irene, it makes the story more real. As both Benjamin and Irene rue over the things that were left unsaid (Irene less visibly so), it shows us those wasted years as we can see Benjamin's cards turning from "temo" to "te amo". Overall a great movie and I'm not sure what all the fuss was about when it won the 2010 Academy award for best foreign film category. I can only watch The White Ribbon and then comment.

Rating: 7.5/10

Mystic River (2003)

Sean: So Jimmy, when was the last time you saw Dave?
Jimmy: Dave Boyle...
Sean: Yeah Jimmy, Dave Boyle.
Jimmy: That was twenty-five years ago, going up this street, in the back of that car.
.....
Sean: Sometimes I think all three of us got in that car......Reality is we're just 11-year old boys still locked in that car imagining what life would have been if we'd escaped.
Jimmy: Maybe you're right. Who the fuck knows?

Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins) is the dead man walking and he has never explained to anyone what happened to him in the cell when he was captured by two guys who were posing as cops. He comes back home, but he is just "damaged goods" and things are going to be very different. 25 years later, when Katie (Emmy Rossum) turns up dead in the woods, the three lost boys - Dave, Sean and Jimmy - are reunited again in very different circumstances that'd not make them call each other "friends" anymore. Jimmy (Sean Penn) is the father of the victim, Sean (Kevin Bacon) is the detective investigating the case and Dave is one of the guys who saw Katie last in a bar, and hence a suspect.

When Jimmy's thug friends start an investigation by themselves, even they sense something's not quite right about Dave. Who better to turn out as a pedophile or the killer of a 19-year old girl than a guy who has himself been a victim of child abuse and has so many secrets that his "mind doesn't work right anymore". Even though Sean can see it too, he doesn't want to believe it could be Dave and seems bent on redirecting the investigation towards Brendan (Tom Guiry), Katie's boyfriend. Somewhere in the mind of Sean lies the guilt of what he thinks he could have probably stopped from happening 25 years back. If only....

Clint Eastwood's Mystic River is as much a crime thriller as it is a drama centered on the lives of three kids from the same neighborhood brooding over lost innocence. While Dave relates to the werewolves and the vampires that he watches on TV to find meaning for what stirs inside him, we only get to know in the end what exactly he was trying to say all the time and never found anyone who'd understand. If only....

Rating: 8/10

Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)

Carl [to Hachi]: Look, you don't have to wait anymore. He's not coming back.

Long time back when I was a kid, I had read a story in  the Around The World section of Times of India about a dog who never moved from the place where his master had left him even after 8 years. I immediately thought if this was the story. However, the incident on which this story is based actually happened in the late 1920s.

Parker Wilson (Richard Gere) is a Music professor who finds an abandoned puppy at the station when he is on his way back home. As there are no takers and he doesn't feel comfortable leaving him all alone, Parker takes him home temporarily until the rightful owners reach out to him. As days pass, no one comes to take Hachi back. As Parker's wife, Cate (Joan Allen), seems hesitant in adopting the dog, she also realizes the bond formed between her husband and Hachi  is unbreakable and she doesn't want to play spoilsport. As Hachi grows older, he follows Parker to work and then keeps waiting at the same place at the Bedridge Station to take him back home. Until one day when tragedy strikes.....

Directed by Lasse Hallstrom, Hachi is a heartbreaking story of a dog's devotion towards his master. It's a must-watch for all dog-lovers, and also for the ones who seem to prefer the company of cats. 'Cause the latter would never be able to come up with such a true story. It's a beautiful tribute to undying love and friendship. Be sure to have a few tissues around while you watch this.

Rating: 8/10

Caché (2005)

Georges: Know what, you're sick. You're sick like your father. I don't know what dumb obsessions he fed you. But I can tell you this...you'll never give me a bad conscience because your father's life was sad or a failure. I'm not to blame. Do you get that? If you ever try to hurt me or my family, you'll regret it. I can guarantee that.
Majid's son: Ah, yes. Threats...you're very good at those.
Georges: Do you expect me to apologize?
Majid's son: To whom? Me?
Georges: So what more do you want?
Majid's son: Nothing anymore. I wondered how it feels, a man's life on your conscience. That's all. Now I know.

Georges Laurent (Daniel Auteuil) is a TV book show host who has a successful and a happily married life. Anne Laurent (Juliette Binoche) is his equally successful wife and they have a teenager kid, Pierrot (Lester Makedonsky). What could be the story of the perfect family is interrupted after the couple start receiving video tapes to let them know they are being watched. As we move further and the plot thickens, we see those are not just surveillance tapes but they are also linked to Georges' childhood.

When Georges takes a trip back to his childhood days, he feels haunted by the thoughts of how he had wronged Majid, the adopted son of his parents. Having initially kept that part of his childhood from his wife, Georges is confronted by Anne when another tape arrives that has recorded the conversation between him and Majid (Maurice Benichou). Even though Georges is convinced Majid is out to take revenge, a look at the tapes and the behavior of Majid suggests nothing along those lines. When Anne isn't so sure about Majid's involvement and feels that Georges must have done something to rob Majid of his childhood, cracks appear in their marriage and also in their relationship with their son.

The movie's ending is highly debatable and the million dollar question remains who sent those tapes. Although just viewing it as a story on domestic trouble wouldn't give one enough reasons to sing praises of it, there are quite a few interesting explanations that only the French would know in more detail. One such explanation being that it talks about the history of the French-Arab relations in the country and how the wrongs once committed by the French are now coming back to haunt the country. Chickens coming home to roost? Well, I'm not sure if the chicken scene is itself a form of symbolism, but this explanation definitely sounds plausible. And as explained by one comment, the last scene showing a crowd of people is symbolically asking the viewers to look through the "noise" and concentrate on the details. And when you do, you get the message - Trust no one. The last part being just my interpretation and I'd love to discuss/argue my point on this.

Depending on what actually was the intention of the director, Michael Haneke, this could be pure genius....or not.

Rating - 7.5/10

Barfly (1987)

Wanda: Don't you hate cops?
Chinaski: No, but I seem to feel better when they're not around....I just wanna thank you for your hospitality
Wanda: Just one thing - I don't wanna fall in love. I don't wanna go through that. I can't.
Chinaski: Hey, don't worry. Nobody has ever loved me, yet.

Henry Chinaski (Mickey Rourke) is an unemployed alcoholic who doesn't want to fit in and "be somebody". He drinks in the morning when he gets up and then he drinks a little more. And then he frequents the bar where he loves to piss off the bartender, Eddie. He gets into a fight with Eddie every night where all the people in the bar love watching him beaten to a pulp. And then he gets up and has one last drink before crashing at his place. That's one day in the life of Henry Chinaski.

Enter Wanda (Faye Dunaway). She's a drunk, but not someone who'd fall to the depths that Chinaski does. No one sits besides her in the bar because she's known to be "crazy". When Wanda knows Chinaski has no money, she invites him to her place. Although they bond well, Wanda warns Chinaski she would always leave him if another man offers her a drink. When a publisher by the name of Tully (Alice Krige), a woman from the wealthier side of the town, offers Chinaski a contract for his beautiful prose and beds with him, Chinaski has to choose between the two women.

"Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead"

Barfly is a comedy/drama, directed by Barbet Schroeder, based on the short stories of Charles Bukowski. The central character is an autobiographical account of the author himself and it amazes to know that such a character could actually exist. Somebody had commented on IMDB.com something like, "I can't explain how much I liked this movie". To which a few people had replied how they exactly understood the character and how it feels to be a drunk like him. A friend had suggested the author, Charles Bukowski and was sure I'd like his writings. And this movie was among the top contenders in a list of movies on self-destruction. Combining these three factors, I had to watch the movie. And now that I have, I can't say "I get it". Although I'd agree to a lot of his rants on society, people, conventions, etc., the character's walk and his speech style (mimicking the ways of the author himself), much to my annoyance, reminded me of a batch-mate during my undergrad days! Only if I didn't have to see that walk, I could have said good things about the movie. No doubt the conversations between Chinaski and Wanda are very amusing, and his convictions about society (specially the classic dialogue -"Sometimes I just get tired of thinking of all the things that I don't wanna do. All the things that I don't wanna be. Places I don't wanna go, like India, like getting my teeth cleaned. Save the whale, all that, I don't understand that.") would make you question your own assumptions on who we are. Chinaski is the champion of all those who the rest would call as "losers".

The moments of brilliance in regards to the dialogues are thrown around in a random fashion - just like the trajectory of a drunkard. I'm not sure if it was intentional. I guess Mickey Rourke did such a great job of enacting the character of Chinaski that I went down a road I didn't want to visit. Or may be not. I really wouldn't know.

Rating: 6.5/10

The Edge Of Heaven (2007)

Nejat: God wanted to put Ibrahim's faith to the test, so he ordered him to sacrifice his son. Ibrahim took his son, Ismail, to the sacrificial mount. But just as he was about to kill him, his knife went blunt. God was satisfied and sent a sheep in place of his son. 
Susanne: We have the same story.
Nejat: I asked my dad if he would have sacrificed me too. I was afraid of this story as a child.
Susanne: And what did he say?
Nejat: That he would even make an enemy of God to protect me.

Nejat Aksu (Baki Davrak) is a Turkish immigrant in Germany who teaches German literature at a university and stays with his father, Ali (Tunsel Kurtiz). While Nejat is a shy guy, Ali frequents the streets for prostitutes and falls for a Turkish prostitute, Yeter (Nursel Kose). Ali offers Yeter to live with him forever and promises he'd pay her whatever she makes in her profession in exchange for her loyalty. While Nejat doesn't really approve of the arrangement, he adjusts after meeting Yeter and acquiesces for his father's wishes. After a certain turn of events in the first part (which is called "Yeter's Death"), Yeter dies in an accident.

The second part of the movie is named "Lotte's death". Nejat pays a visit to Istanbul to search for Yeter's daughter, Ayten (Nurgul Yesilcay), to whom Yeter always sent money for her tuition. As none of Yeter's family members know about Ayten's whereabouts, they do not even have a recent picture of her. Meanwhile we see Ayten as a member of an activist group that violently protests against the regime in Turkey. As she narrowly escapes getting caught by the police, she moves to Germany to search for her mother. While she visits a university campus to look for the cheapest food available, she happens to meet Lotte Staub (Patrycia Ziolkowska), who is sympathetic to her cause and befriends Ayten while feeling she finally has a "purpose in life". Again after a dramatic turn of events, we witness Lotte's death in the strangest of circumstances.

The third part of the movie is called "Edge of Heaven". When Lotte's mother Susanne (Hannah Schygulla) visits Turkey to collect her daughter's body, she meets Nejat, in whose house Lotte was a short-term tenant. As Nejat and Susanne go over the events that brought them together, they both find a strange kind of inner peace instead of the anger that is so common when someone close is taken away in very unusual circumstances. The movie also depicts the longing for a place that one can call "home" while each of the characters is dealing with whatever life throws at him/her. The acting by the whole cast seems very natural while the friendship between Lotte and Ayten really stands out. This is the second movie of Faith Akin (director of Head-On) that I've watched and this again deals with people with divided identities in both Germany and Turkey, similar to that in Head-On.

Rating: 7/10

Another Earth (2011)

Rhoda: When early explorers first set out West across the Atlantic, most people thought the world was flat. Most people thought if you sailed far enough West, you would drop off a plane into nothing. Those vessels sailing out into the unknown, they weren't carrying noblemen or aristocrats, artists or merchants. They were crewed by people living on the edge of life: the madmen, orphans, ex-convicts, outcasts like myself. As a felon, I'm an unlikely candidate for most things. But perhaps not for this. Perhaps I am the most likely.

Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling) is a 17-year-old astrophysics student who has just been accepted into MIT and parties with friends to celebrate the occasion. As she drives back home drunk and stares at the sky, she gets involved in a tragic car accident in which she kills a pregnant woman and her son while leaving the woman's husband, John Borroughs (William Mapother) in a coma. After serving time, she returns back four years later and takes up a low-skilled job as a cleaner at a school - probably as a punishment unto herself and a reminder for what she had done.

In the meantime, a replica of our Earth has mysteriously appeared and it is believed that when both the Earths became visible to each other, the synchronicity of the lives of people on each planet broke. It was Earth 2 that Rhoda would have been staring at the time of her accident. Which means that what happened on our Earth might not have occurred on Earth 2. As she tries to make amends and goes up to the music professor John Borroughs to apologize, she doesn't find the strength anymore and concocts a story to enter his life. John Borroughs, having survived the tragedy, has turned into a bitter and a self-pitying person. As she enters his life, it leads to a heartening intimacy between the two. At the same time, when there's an essay contest for people to provide a reason as to why they should be provided an opportunity to travel to Earth 2, Rhoda writes a touching essay that wins her the escape she has been looking for ever since.

The movie is mostly a drama with a touch of science-fiction element in it. The ending of the story has various interpretations. The most obvious one seemed to me was when Rhoda gives up her privilege to allow John to make the trip where he could explore the possibility of being with his family again, she is assured by the visit of the other Rhoda from Earth 2 that everything was fine over there. The other Rhoda, as we see, has gone on the right path and has become more successful. There are quite a few other fascinating explanations out there and I feel even the director, Mike Cahill, has intentionally left the ending open to interpretations. The portrayal by both Brit Marling and William Mapother as damaged survivors of a tragedy  is excellent, and the story by Mike Cahill (and co-author Brit Marling herself) does well to keep the focus on the emotional drama than on the science-fiction. From what I feel, there isn't actually a science-fiction part to it, and Earth 2 is only a metaphor to refrain people from acts of despair when things don't go their way. Overall, a good one-time watch.

Rating: 7/10

Disconnect (2012)

Mike: Frye, do I look stupid to you? The way I look to Jason? Are you gonna tell me what you're doing in my office?
Frye: It was supposed to be a joke.
Mike: [to Jason] Now you shut up! [to Frye]: What did you say?
Frye: We were just trying to mess with him. It was supposed to be a joke. We didn't think he'd hurt himself.
Mike: What? Who were you messing with? Are you talking about that Boyd kid? You had something to do with that?
Jason: Yes
Mike: You wanna fuck with somebody, you do it to their face. You hear me tough guy?
Jason: Yeah, like you?
Mike: Like me? This is bad. You're in big trouble.
Jason: I'm sorry
Mike: You're sorry because I caught you or you're sorry because there's a father wondering if his son will ever wake up?

Ben (Jonah Bobo) is a school kid with no friends and he finds solace in his music until he is befriended by a Jessica Rhony, another lonely school kid with a similar taste in music and who seems to understand Ben. As Ben pours his heart out about his father, Rich Boyd (Jason Bateman), who thinks "music is a joke", Jessica starts to get intimate with Ben. There's just one catch. Everything happens online and Jessica is just a fake profile created by Jason (Colin Ford) and Frye (Aviard Bernstein).

Derek (Alexander Skarsgard) is a former marine who works in an office "just pushing papers" and is afraid he is becoming just a tool. As his marriage with Cindy (Paula Patton) starts to dissolve after the death of his son, Cindy starts an online relationship with a profile named "fearandloathing" who listens to her when Derek isn't around. As they start to feel the heavy burden of their mortgages, Derek starts gambling online to support the family. As their credit cards get maxed out, an investigator, Mike Dixon (Frank Gillo), suggests it could be the work of "fearandloathing".

 Kyle (Max Thieriot) is a young kid who works for a group that uses kids for online adult cam shows. When Nina (Andrea Riseborough) gets to know about Kyle, she feels she has a story for the news agency she works with. When Nina convinces Kyle to interview without leaking his identity, she is rewarded, but only to be contacted by the FBI to give her source or lose her job. As she gets suspended indefinitely, Nina tries to help Kyle but manages only to push him further and further away as Kyle's loyalty to the group is on the line.

The stories of all these characters are interwoven in a way to make you sympathize for some at one time and disgust later. If Jason is the kid who abuses Ben's trust, he is also the kid who has lost his mother and there's constant tension with his dad, Mike. If Mike is the guy who helps Derek to trace the guy who misused his credit card, he is also the guy who deletes all evidence from Frye's iPad that'd have the kids indicted in Ben's unfortunate incident. As we watch Ben's mother (Hope Davis) and his sister stricken with grief, Rich Boyd gets more and more unstable while trying to get justice for his son.

Disconnect doesn't try to draw a moral line between right and wrong by expecting teenagers to understand the repercussions of online bullying nor does it expect a father to turn in his own son to do the right thing for another man's son. It leaves you thinking for a long time after taking you down a dark road and showing you what could happen. Director Henry Alex Rubin manages to fit in the melodramatic scenes in a way to make it look like a thriller while the haunting background score reminds you of just what it is about. Thanks to the excellent acting by the whole cast, you'll never find a dull moment in the movie. Jason Bateman deserves a mention for his excellent portrayal of a father who wishes he could have seen things coming and while trying to fight the world, knows he is also to blame. Alexander Skarsgard is also someone to watch out for, as this is the second movie that I have seen him in and he doesn't fail to amaze.

Somebody had suggested this movie should be required viewing for teenagers and for anyone who is trying to do something stupid, just do what the title suggests. I couldn't agree more.

Rating: 7.5/10

Garden State (2004)

Andrew : I haven’t cried since I was a kid. I didn't even cry at my mother’s funeral. I tried, I thought of all the saddest things I could think of, like things in movies, there’s this image from Life magazine that has always haunted me…I focused on it, but nothing came. That may be actually sadder than anything. I felt so numb……

Thanks to the horrible direction in Satyagraha that I could leave the movie halfway and return back home to watch this beautiful movie, Garden State. Even though I absolutely hate movies that end in airports or railway stations where the characters suddenly realize true love and change their minds instantly, this is one of those that can be forgiven for taking the same route since there are quite a few great dialogues and that constant feel-good factor. And then there's Natalie Portman at her cutest.

Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) is a wannabe actor in L.A. who works at a Vietnamese restaurant to make ends meet. He returns back to New Jersey after a long time to attend his mother's funeral and meets some of his childhood friends. He has also discontinued his medication that his psychiatrist father (Ian Holmes) had prescribed him since his childhood and is having frequent headaches while adjusting to it.

While visiting the local hospital, he meets Sam (Natalie Portman), a bubbly, talkative girl who is also a pathological liar. As they get to know each other, Sam takes Andrew to meet her family and their discussions are almost like a competition on whose family is weirder. We get to know the story behind Andrew's antidepressant pills and how his father has blamed him for a freak accident involving his mother even though he was just a 9-year old kid then. Meanwhile, Andrew also meets his childhood buddy Mark (Peter Sarsgaard) who works at graveyards and has a habit of collecting valuables from the dead bodies that he buries. As the three of them set out on an adventure in the hinterlands of New Jersey to "explore the infinite abyss", Andrew and Sam also realize they are just made for each other. While Sam gives him the idea of what it feels like to be "at home" and "safe", Andrew's presence has refrained Sam from "even lying in the last two days".

Written and directed by Zach Braff himself, Garden State explores the twenty-something years when you're out on your own away from the people you grew up with and you wish you had enjoyed your childhood more while you had the chance. The movie could be compared to Safety Not Guaranteed amongst the new releases with it's touchy yet hilarious moments.

Rating: 7.5/10

25th Hour (2002)

Agent Flood: You don't read the papers much, do you smart guy? We've a wonderful thing called the Rockefeller laws. Let me educate you. You had a kilo in your sofa. That kind of weight makes it an A1 felony. 15 years to life minimum for a first offense. Now with that much spread in the sentencing guidelines, the judges take their cues from the prosecutors. So if the prosecutors wife busted his chops that morning, you're fucked. You're gone for good. If you get lucky? Really lucky? And let's say he got some good trim the night before. Maybe he'll plea you off to an A2. But that's still 3 to 8 for first time, minimum. How much of that stretch you pull is all up to the mood of the prosecutor. And he's gonna ask us, "Did he play ball?" So, why don't you tell us about your friend, Nikolai? Let us make it easy on you.
Monty Brogan: [to Agent Cunningham] Can I ask you one question?
Agent Cunningham: Sure.
Monty Brogan: When you have your dick in his mouth, does he just keep talking like that? Cause it seems to me he just never shuts up. I'm just curious does that get annoying? You know, you're fucking a guy in the mouth and he just won't shut up?

One could borrow a few lines from Monty while dealing with stupid people, say for example, in an exit interview? Just kidding :) Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) is about to spend the last 24 hours of his freedom before going away to serve a 7-year sentence in prison for drug-dealing. He wants to spend those last few hours with his girlfriend, Naturelle (Rosario Dawson), his dad (Brian Cox), and his two best friends, Slaughtery (Barry Pepper) and Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman).

When Monty is with his girlfriend at home, the DEA pays a visit and it seems they already had the information about where he stacks the drugs and his illegally-earned money. While Naturelle looks uncomfortable during the whole scene at his place, Monty starts suspecting if she could have blown his cover. As much as he doesn't want to believe it, his friends, including Slaughtery, also suggest the same. While trying to seem unruffled by the events that have led him up to then, he excuses himself from a conversation with his dad and what follows is an epic monologue -

Knowing the kind of trouble someone with boyish looks can face in a prison, Monty asks his best friend Slaughtery for one last favor.

The opening scene of the movie where we see Monty helping an injured stray dog and his friend mistakenly suggesting "Doyle's laws" when he actually means "Murphy's laws" sets the path for the movie - Anything that can go wrong, will. The movie shows us about the various reactions that we go through when something bad happens to us - anger, blame and finally acceptance of our fate. It's a brilliant study on the inevitability of life's fuck-ups and the effect it has on one's view of the world around him and his relationships. The scene where we see both Jacob and Slaughtery discussing what's in store for Monty and how it would finally affect their long-standing friendship shows the harsh truth. At the same time, the movie ends without making a definitive statement on Monty's fate and leaves it with a glimmer of hope depending on the choices Monty would make.

Rating: 7.5/10

Fallen Angels (1995)

Wong: She's become a part of my life these past few years. But things always change. I desperately want to tell her that I want to quit, but I don't know how to start. So I've devised another way. [Speaking to someone]: "A woman may come asking for me in the next few days. Give her this coin. Tell her 1818 is my lucky number". 1818 - the number of one of the songs in the jukebox. When she hears the song, she'll understand my message.
.....
[Song in the background]: Forget him, and it's like forgetting everything. All sense of direction seems lost, like losing oneself. Forget him, and it's like forgetting the joy of life. It's like a stab in the heart, bleeding and in agony.......

Fallen Angels has two parallel stories where few of the characters from both stories would cross paths. Wong (Leon Lai) is a contract killer who works with his partner (Michelle Reis) for the past three years without having ever really met. She feels emotionally involved but doesn't want to get too close to him as she is afraid she might know too much and thus lose interest. In another part of the city, He Zhiwu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is a mute young guy who leads an irresponsible lifestyle, breaking into other peoples' shops and working during the night when no one else does. He still lives with his father in a one bedroom apartment and falls in love with the effervescent and weird Cherry (Charlie Young), only to be forgotten when she finds someone else.

I'm not sure what draws me to Wong Kar Wai's movies anymore. After In The Mood For Love and Chungking Express (still my favorites amongst all his works), there hasn't been a real plot in his works. It was almost absent in Chungking Express too, unless we consider the disappointments in love as his constant recurring themes. May be it reminds me of Sin city in some ways on those boring nights when I'm sitting at home staring at my screen for long. Or may be it's the visual experience that you start missing only once it's over. The smoke drifting aimlessly just like those nights in the all too familiar green, yellow and red lights in the background, the close-up shots and the hazy distant shots too moving in tandem. The stunning cinematography, the random thoughts in the voice-overs with the lack of real human conversations are what carry his works and the experience is almost like watching Haruki Murakami's words painted in action. The loneliness of his characters are almost forced upon you to move you into a world of melancholy that becomes an addiction you so wish you didn't have. May be I don't know what I'm talking about anymore. May be I shouldn't have watched it. May be I will keep coming back for more.

Rating: 7/10

What Maisie Knew (2012)

Susanna: I'm sorry baby, I don't want you to be scared of me.....Can I tell you something? Long time ago I was just like you....You know who your mother is, right?

What Maisie Knew is a contemporary adaptation of Henry James' novel that would remind one of Kramer vs Kramer, but only that this story is told through the eyes of a 6 year-old. Maisie (Onata Aprile) is a 6 year-old who seems very mature for her age, and for sure more mature than her bickering parents. When Beale (Steven Coogan) and Susanna (Julianne Moore) seem to have come to the end of the rope, Maisie witnesses the dissolution of their marriage and takes it in her stride. Her nanny, Margo (Joanna Vanderham), tries to protect her from the bad influence even as she prepares to get married to Beale once the divorce goes through.

Beale is an art dealer and Susanna a rockstar, and both are going through their mid-life crisis as their careers have plateaued. While Beale is away on international trips, Margo keeps taking care of Maisie while still being treated as a nanny and not as someone who has a say in the relationship. Meanwhile, Susanna gets married to a bartender, Lincoln (Alexander Skarsgard) who could take care of Maisie on the days she visits her mom. When the selfishness and irresponsibility of both the actual parents take on epic proportions, it's the step-dad and the step-mom who seem to be the only ones concerned about Maisie's well-being.

Directors Scot McGhee and David Siegel have adapted the novel in a contemporary setting in New York to reveal it could be any child's story. With the rising importance of careers for both parents, equally ambitious and understandably so, the upbringing of kids takes a back-seat.  There's no one to blame even though the parents can be extremely careless. And the Maisies of the world know it. Julianne Moore is brilliant in the role of an ageing rockstar who doesn't want to fade away and yet wants to hold on to her child. The chemistry between Alexander Skarsgard and Onata Aprile is great and looks as real as if they are father and child. Joanna Vanderham is also amazing as she feels the pain of a child lost between warring parents while wanting to have something for herself too. The movie is extremely sensitive and at times disturbing. A little gem that should be watched by everyone.

Rating: 7.5/10

The Iceman (2012)

Mr. Freezy: Who's the girl?
Kuklinski: I don't know
Mr. Freezy: And you let her go?
Kuklinski: I don't kill women or children
Mr. Freezy: It'll kill your reputation
Kuklinski: What are you doing?
Mr. Freezy: She saw my face....
[Kuklinski pointing a gun at Freezy]
Mr. Freezy: What the fuck are you doing?
Kuklinski: Gotta keep my reputation.

Based on a true story, The Iceman depicts the life of Richard Kuklinski, a guy who started out as a porn film lab operator to become one of the most notorious contract killers in the history of U.S. The story takes us back to 1964 when we see a tongue-tied Richard (Michael Shannon) trying to woo Deborah (Winona Ryder) in a coffee shop in New Jersey city. Even though he has no charm when it comes to women, Deb is taken with his cool demeanor which she probably mistakes for signs of a nice guy.  We see his first victim at a snooker bar when the guy playing opposite him tries to insult Deb and ends up with a slit throat in his own car.

A year later, they are married when Richard's boss Roy (Ray Liotta) insists that he join him as a contract killer and to watch his back all the time. When tested by his boss to see whether he has it in him, Richard shows no hesitation in killing a street bum with three shots to his chest to end the bum's "misery". This starts out a career in contract killing that would go on till 1986 by when he would have killed over 100 men as per his recollections. What was surprising is the fact that he was a devoted husband and father to two daughters who had absolutely no idea what he did for a living. His wife thought till the end he was working in the foreign exchange markets where he used to make a "killing" to provide his family a very luxurious living.

There are quite a few documentaries out there and a few interviews with Kuklinski that provide more details of his killings and the role his father had in turning him into such a cold, ruthless killer. In one of the interviews he mentions about a time when he gave one of his victims half an hour to pray to God to come down and change the circumstances. When God seemed to be busy, he shot the man. Michael Shannon is superb in the lead role as he plays it to perfection. However, if we watch the documentaries, Richard Kuklinski appears to be more self-aggrandizing as he clearly loves to talk about the killings and also smiles once in a while, unlike what we see in the movie. Ray Liotta as a mob boss once again looks quite threatening when he does his talking with his menacing eyes.  The movie reminded me of another mafia movie, Kill The Irishman, only that the protagonist in that one seemed more human. Richard, on the contrary, deserved his reputation of being the most dangerous man ever as all one had to do to meet his death was to annoy the Iceman. And the Iceman nickname was not earned from his cold demeanor, but for the fact that he used to deep-freeze his victims' bodies for months before disposing them. Beat that.

Rating: 7/10

Good Bye Lenin! (2003)

Alex: We never talked about father again. From this moment on, my mother got married to our socialist Fatherland. My mother became the promoter of the progress of society. A passionate activist for the simple needs of the people and against the small injustices of Life.

After her husband apparently abandons her and their kids to move to the West, Christine (Katrin Saß) enters into a severe depression and re-emerges to devote her life to the Socialist party in East Berlin. During the last few days before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Christine sees her son, Alex (Daniel Brühl), being beaten up by the police while he was participating in a protest against the regime. She suffers a heart attack and goes into a coma.

Eight months later when she wakes up, the doctor advises that any shock can lead to fatal consequences and she'd be better off in the hospital. However, Alex realizes that the biggest shock that can come to her would be the fall of East Germany which she'd learn of sooner or later if she continues in the hospital. Alex devises a scheme to create a world around Christine that'd would give her no clues to all that happened in the eight months she was asleep. He brings in his sister, Ariane (Maria Simon), to help him in continuing a make-believe world where the socialists are still in power. That'd take him to the extent of scavenging garbage cans to bring back his mother's favorite consumer products. He also makes trips across the city, breaking into abandoned houses to find the containers of pickles, Mocca fix gold, Globus green peas, etc that have all vanished from the local stores due to the competition from the capitalistic West. He also takes the help of his friend to record videos of "news" that'd keep the truth from her every time she switches on the TV. In the meantime, he also develops a relationship with the nurse, Lara (Chulpan Khamatova), who spends most of her time with Alex and his mother.

Good Bye Lenin! is a comedy with its serious dramatic moments that depicts the love of a son for his mother which would take him to unimaginable extents to protect her from harm's way. Daniel Brühl with his boyish looks is absolutely brilliant in the lead role while the character of Lara provides the perfect match as his love interest. Chulpan Khamatova in the role of Lara is as sweet as anyone can be. Katrin Saß as the righteous Christine does a great act too as we see the genuine happiness she feels while helping others or the slight disturb on her face when she sees the Nazi swastika painted in the lift of her building. Director Wolfgang Becker has provided the little details in the movie that makes it a joyous experience. It could probably mean a lot more to the Germans since so much of their history is embedded in the events that took place in the October of 1989. But it'll be equally savored by the rest too who were not a part of that history and are only looking in from the outside.

Rating: 7.5/10

Inside Job (2010)

Henry Paulson (in Feb 2008): We're gonna keep growing. Okay? And, obviously, I'll say it: 'If you're growing, you're not in recession, right? I mean, we all know that.'

I have always hated documentaries with a self-serving purpose and a data selection bias that pretend to say, post-crisis, "Oh, we already knew this. How didn't you?" When a friend first suggested this documentary, Inside Job, I was quite predictably dismissive of it as I knew what it would have to say - blame it all on the bankers. However, I watched this today for the second time, and I can quite confidently say I haven't watched a better, well-researched documentary that exposes the conflicts of interest of the academics in their association with the financial services firms.

Inside Job presents a series of interviews with some of the big shots at the banks and business school professors and also mentions all those who declined to be interviewed for very obvious reasons. Presented by Matt Damon and directed by Charles Ferguson, the documentary is divided into four parts that details the history of deregulation and where it has got us all today. It starts with the deregulation process started by the government in Iceland that led to the privatization of Iceland's 3 largest banks and goes on to contrast Iceland's GDP of $13 billion against the bank losses of over $100 billion. As one Iceland film maker says, "Nothing comes without consequences".

We see a series of reactions from various people, most notable being Singapore's Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong who remarks, "When you start creating something out of nothing, it's very difficult to resist", an obvious reference to derivatives. When NYU Professor Nouriel Roubini is asked why hasn't there been a more systematic investigation into the 2008 financial crisis, his response, "because then you'll find the culprits", will leave you slightly disturbed.

Some of the funniest scenes include a Goldman Sachs top executive saying, "That's very unfortunate to have on email", when he is quizzed on why a particular security was sold to a client when their analysts called it "crap" on email. Until then I was still a little skeptical since it was portraying Alan Greenspan in a particular light and I personally feel he is a man whose integrity can't be questioned. The issue Alan had against regulation was more from an ideological perspective as he is so famously known to be from the Ayn Rand school of thought. However, the icing on the cake is the interview with former Fed Reserve governor and current Columbia Business School professor, Frederic Mishkin. When he is quizzed by Matt Damon on why he resigned in August of 2008 (a month before Lehman's collapse) when there were so many issues to be taken care of, he very nonchalantly mentions he had to revise a text book he was writing. Even better, he is first asked about an academic paper that he wrote about Iceland, "Financial Stability in Iceland", and was paid $124,000 by the Iceland govt. to write it. Very conveniently, his current resume mentions the title of the published paper to be "Financial Instability in Iceland" and he justifies the error by calling it a "typo". Awesome.

With the trial of Fabrice Tourre recently coming to an end, I'd agree with what a columnist had described the trial as - "They just got the foot soldier. The big fish are still out there". Charles Ferguson doesn't recommend how these financial crimes can be stopped but suggests more underlings should come forward and expose the truth. The documentary is very informative and I'd highly recommend this to anyone with an interest on this subject. And guess what, the full version is freely available on Youtube!

Rating: 9/10

Talk To Her (2002)

Benigno [relating the story of "Shrinking Lover" to Alicia]: But time went by. Despite her efforts, Amparo couldn't find the antidote and poor Alfredo was shrinking daily. To stop her suffering Alfredo left and went back to his mother....A lot of things happen in the film. But what's important is that after years of remorse and study Amparo finds the address of Alfredo's mother and she turns up there......And Alfredo stays inside her forever.

Benigno (Javier Camara) is a well-intentioned but naive male nurse who spends his days and nights taking care of Alicia (Leonor Watling), who is in a state of coma for the past four years. Marco Zuluaga (Dario Grandinetti) is a travel writer leading a lonely life after separating from his girlfriend. They are seated next to each other at the theater during a screening of "Cafe Muller", and Benigno notices Marco is crying while Marco is oblivious of anyone else's presence.

Marco meets Lydia (Rosario Flores) to write an article on her and her profession of bullfighting. He mentions he doesn't know anything about the sport but knows quite a lot about "desperate" women. A few events follow and they start seeing each other when Lydia has an accident during one of her fights and enters into a coma. Marco spends his days too at the hospital besides Lydia and Benigno is taking care of Alicia, and they eventually become friends out of their shared miseries.

When Marco learns from Lydia's ex-boyfriend that she was about to dump Marco just before her accident to get back with him, Marco leaves Madrid. A few months later Marco learns of Lydia's death and that Benigno doesn't work at the same hospital anymore. He returns back when he learns that Benigno has been convicted of a crime that he probably didn't commit. The crime that we come to learn of in the movie could seem really perverted from a conventional sense, specially when we are unaware of the circumstances. However, the movie treads on a very thin line between what is accepted in society and what was done out of pure love even though it'd seem morally wrong. It's here that the importance of the story of the silent movie within the movie, "Shrinking Lover" becomes apparent.

Talk To Her is well played and it's only in the last half hour where one would start to make sense of everything that has been going on till then. Having said that, the complexity of the movie with crying men and the bonding of men over a love that won't be returned is a little off for my taste. It might very well deserve all the praises and could deserve the 8/10 rating on IMDB, but I could have spent the time in much better ways. For some reason, Pedro Almodovar has never struck me with his so-called brilliance probably because of the way the relationships are portrayed and I can't reveal more without sounding politically incorrect (it's only the 2nd that I've watched, and could very well be the last). To each his own. It definitely doesn't deserve the space on my hard disk anymore.

Rating: 6.5/10

Control (2007)

Ian: Existence. Well, what does it matter? I exist on the best terms I can. The past is now part of my future. The present is well out of hand.

Would Ian Curtis really stand a chance to be counted among the likes of Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain? After all, he killed himself at 23 when the other two lasted four years longer. Do these movies create a myth about people who probably weren't that great when they were alive? When I first watched this biopic on Ian Curtis, I must admit I could understand a little of what he was going through and how it feels to be not able to relate to anyone. 'Trapped' is the word that would best describe it.

Initially we see Ian as a lean, tall teenager who doesn't quite mix with the other kids in his neighborhood. He dabbles in poetry and quotes Wordsworth while having an affair with his friend's girlfriend, Debbie (Samantha Morton). After they get married and are about to have a baby, Ian doesn't find any spark in the relationship. It's not much of a fault of Debbie, but rather Ian's own problems in expressing himself. His songs are his only release. Until, of course, the enigmatic Annik (Alexandra Lara) comes along. While Debbie raises their daughter, Ian starts an affair with Annik, with whom he feels much at ease. Even though Ian loves Debbie, she will never be able to get into his head, the way Annik does. When Ian is confronted by Debbie about his affair, his guilt would also set off a reaction that would soon go on to consume Ian inside out. The conversations between Ian and Annik and Ian's monologues give this movie a deeper and darker feeling.

Over the years, I have forced myself to listen to Joy Division but couldn't get myself to really like them. Some of the songs like Isolation, She's Lost Control, Transmission, Love Will Tear Us Apart, Closer are quite good though. The band definitely had a lot of promise, before being cut short by Ian's suicide. Director Anton Corbijn manages to portray Ian's character with great understanding and builds the movie without going much into Ian's past or dramatizing his epileptic condition that played a role in the deterioration of his health.  Based on Deborah Curtis' memoirs, the movie focuses on the inner conflicts of Ian, his songs and his love for both Annik and Debbie. In the end, it was love that tore him apart.

Sam Riley (as Ian Curtis) probably has played the best role of his life and it'll be hard for him to surpass himself. And when he plays Transmission on screen, you'll forget for a moment what the original song sounded like. From whatever video footage I have seen of Ian Curtis and his live performances, Sam Riley makes it look even more real than Ian Curtis. Sam Riley is Ian Curtis. Samantha Morton deserves the accolades for playing the role of Debbie, a simple lass with an almost-famous husband. Toby Kebbell also plays a brilliant role as Rob Gretton, Joy Division's kick-ass manager. For people who love biopics, this is a must-watch, even if you are not much into Joy Division's music.

Rating: 7.5/10

Once (2006)

Guy: Where are you going? I wanted to give these CDs that I made for you....
Girl: [no response]
Guy: I'm just lonely...and you're gorgeous...I fucked up. ...there's not much to say....Sorry, it won't happen again

Once, a musical directed by John Carney, is as simple as it can get. Boy meets Girl. The guy (Glen Hansard -who quite resembles Hugh Laurie) works as a vacuum-cleaner repairman and also plays songs on the street to earn some extra income. The girl (Marketa Irglova), who also happens to be a talented pianist, is a Czech immigrant selling flowers during the day to make ends meet.

When the girl hears him sing a song of his own during the evening time, she is quite taken with his talent and she strikes up a conversation. When she learns he can fix vacuum cleaners too, she gets her own for repair in exchange for playing him the piano. As they become friends and learn about each other's pain in their respective relationships, they also form a pair when it comes to their music. They record an album together that would lead them on to their respective paths.

Their own stories are told through their songs that are written by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova themselves.  And I find it extremely difficult to decide which one among those songs is my favorite. I'd go for When Your Mind's Made up, Falling Slowly, Lies, Leave in no particular order. The lyrics are brilliant and alluring as they will cast a spell on you for quite some time after you have watched it. A must-watch.

Rating: 8/10

Amores Perros (Love's A Bitch) (2000)

Susanna (to Octavio): You and your plans. You know what my grandmother used to say? If you want to make God laugh... tell Him your plans.

Three lives are connected to a car crash in Mexico- which means the end of dreams for two of them, while a fresh start for the third. The movie is set in three acts: Octavio & Susanna; Daniel & Valeria; El Chivo & Maru.

The first act is about Octavio (Gael Garcia Bernal), who lives with his brother, Ramiro, and sister-in-law, Susanna. Octavio falls in love with Susanna and on witnessing the abusive treatment of Susanna in the hands of his brother, he plans to run away with Susanna. He uses his dog, Cofi, in underground dog fights and wins big, and lets Susanna keep all his money safely away from Ramiro. When another street thug loses all his fights to Octavio's dog, he shoots Cofi, and violence breaks out between the two. While Octavio is chased by those gang men in a car, Cofi lies bleeding in his car, just before the accident.

Daniel and Valeria (Goya Toledo) are about to get married soon after Daniel divorces his wife. They have already taken a beautiful apartment that overlooks the big ad banner on the street picturing Valeria at her sexiest. When Valeria leaves the apartment, she becomes the other party involved in the accident. She gets temporarily crippled in the accident, but a day of neglect makes her condition worse and her leg is amputated. As she looks out of the window consumed with self-pity, she sees the ad has been removed, only to confirm the transient nature of her beauty.

El Chivo (Emilio Echeverria) is a hit-man who also works as a trash picker while staying among stray dogs in a mess. Separated from his wife and daughter a long time ago, he spies on his grown-up daughter, Maru, but never gathers the courage to walk up to her to reveal his identity. Long time back when he was a guerilla, he had left his family to "set the world right", but wound up in jail and has now accepted his fate.  On the day of the accident, he is at the site to carry out a hit. Amidst the confusion at the scene, he manages to collect all of Octavio's money and also takes away Cofi. After straightening a few things out, he leaves all the money to Maru and leaves her a message on her answering machine, and finally finds closure.

Debutant director Alexandro Gonzalez makes all these characters real. There is a constant theme underlying the three stories where a dog (Spanish: perros) plays a central role in each and they are all longing for a love that is elusive. The brutality of life is symbolically portrayed in the dog fights, which also in a way suggests it's really no one's fault the way some things turn out. Everybody plays his/her roles while hoping for the best and having no control on external factors. The scenes are raw and intriguing, and the two and a half hour's length is well justified in the end.

Rating: 7.5/10

Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai Diaries) (2010)

Yasmin: Look Imran, Marine Drive....People throng this place everyday to eat bhel puri, pav bhaji...I think people come here more for fresh air...which is in short supply. The sea air is so different, it smells of people's desires....

After a drinking session with friends at a pub, the conversation more often than not veers towards movies. As I was telling my friend about my 3rd unsuccessful attempt at watching Ranjhaana (and his assurance that I need to reach till the point where the characters start showing darker shades), for some reason I was reminded of Dhobi Ghat - not your typical Bollywood love story. And I had to come home and watch it again, for the third time.

Dhobi Ghat is the story of a city with four different lives and their aspirations and subsequent disappointments. Shai (Monica Dogra) is an investment banker from NY who is on a sabbatical in Mumbai and has combined her research project with her hobby in photography to get a new perspective. While attending an art exhibition of painter Arun (Aamir Khan), they meet and strike a chord. After a few drinks that night, the inevitable happens and Arun is not quite sure the next morning if he really wanted it. As he makes it clear to Shai about he being a loner and not really a relationship kind of a guy, they drift apart for a while. Shai meets Munna (Prateek), the dhobi, and again starts feeling excited at knowing that Munna is a common point of contact between her and Arun. As they become friends, Shai unknowingly leads Munna on to believing that they could be a pair while all she really wants is to get closer to Arun through him.

Meanwhile Arun moves to a new place where he finds a few videotapes that belonged to the previous tenant, Yasmin (Kriti Malhotra). When curiosity gets the better of him, Arun slowly starts delving more and more into Yasmin's life through those tapes which are in the form of letters to her brother. Shai yearns for Arun's attention while going on with her life; Yasmin longs for her brother as her marriage seems to be heading into trouble; Munna dreams of a life with Shai, which he knows is not even a distant possibility; Arun finally gets to experience the ending of her mystery woman from the tapes. Disappointment awaits everyone.

Writer and director Kiran Rao makes a great debut with a beautiful story on unrequited love. Within the slow pace of the story, the details about social status in Indian society are beautifully woven in every scene. And quite ironically, the slow pace depicts the ordinary lives of people in a supposedly extraordinary fast-paced city. While not much needs to be written about Aamir Khan's performance, the other three characters are quite a surprise. Monica Dogra is the girl-next-door that you'd fall in love with, while Kriti Malhotra plays the role of a shy, repressed woman with ease. Prateek has a charming innocence about him that quite fits the role of the naive dhobi he is playing. This is a movie I'd strongly recommend to anyone who says Bollywood lacks originality.

Rating: 7.5/10

Rust and Bone (2012)

Ali: Did you have a lot of guys?
Stephanie: Before? I was with Simon.
Ali: Is that all?
Stephanie: No, there were others. But not many. I was....I liked it when men looked at me. I liked to feel seductive. That I excited them. Later it bored me, actually. 
Ali: And now?
Stephanie: Nothing. I forgot what it looks like.

Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) works different jobs to make ends meet, and he has just arrived from Belgium at his sister's place in France when he is entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of his five year-old son. He takes up a job as a bouncer at a night club, The Annexe, where he meets Stephanie (Marion Cotillard) and helps her out of a scuffle with a guy.

Stephanie is a Orca trainer at the Sea World and she also lives with her boyfriend, Simon. After the incident at the night club, Ali drives her home safe and invites himself to her place with the pretext of needing ice for his hands after the scuffle. As Simon is not too amused, Ali leaves his number with Stephanie for anytime she might need him in the future. A few months pass, and Stephanie meets with a tragic accident which leaves her crippled and alone. As she fights to get out of her depression and thoughts of suicide, she finally gives Ali a call. In the meantime, Ali has moved from his job at the night club to security at a supermarket and also helps a friend in fitting illegal surveillance cameras in the supermarkets than can provide the managers a reason to fire people.

When they meet again, Ali takes her out back into the world and helps her come to terms with her condition. When Stephanie confides in him about her unfulfilled sexual desires, Ali makes himself available on the condition of being "OP" or operational, without having any emotional attachments. While Stephanie is slowly feeling attracted to Ali, Ali seems completely oblivious to it and he couldn't care less about who he sleeps with. Ali also takes up underground fights for money and seems to be doing pretty well at it while Stephanie follows him around for his fights. For a woman, she seems very understanding towards his vocation. When things start to look steady between them, a few events follow that would test their relationship.

Jacques Audiard (A Prophet, The Beat that my Heart Skipped) delivers another brilliant story in the form of a romance and as usual, builds the characters with great detail. Schoenaert portrays the bull-headed Ali pretty well that will actually make you feel like wanting to put a little bit of sense in Ali's head. Marion Cotillard also gives an award-winning performance. Though, like always with Audiard's movies, you'll need a little patience with the pace, which is well worth it.

Rating: 7.5/10

Tyrannosaur (2011)

Hannah: I prayed for you last night.
Joseph: Yeah, well, it didn't fucking work.
Hannah: Why did you come here?
Joseph: I was just passing.
Hannah: There must be a reason. Do you want God to forgive you for something?
Joseph: [laughing] I don't want anything from that fuck.
Hannah: God loves you. You're a child of God.
Joseph: God ain't my fucking daddy. My daddy was a cunt, but he knew he was a cunt. God still thinks he's God. Nobody's told him otherwise. 
Hannah: Why are you so angry at God?
Joseph: Why are you so fucking stupid? I've met people like you all my fucking life. Goodie goodies. Make a charity record. Bake a cake. Save a fucking soul! You've never eaten shit. Don't know what it's like out there. Don't have a fucking clue.

Joseph (Peter Mullan) is a self-pitying widower with a history of violence. Hatred is all he has to offer to the rest of the world and he is always taking it out on someone weaker. When he kills his dog in a fit of rage, his world becomes only lonelier. One day he wanders off into Hannah's (Olivia Colman) store, and thus starts a friendship from mutual respect and understanding that is formed out of misery in their respective lives. Only that Joseph thinks he is the only one in the world who is hurting and insults Hannah for what he thinks are her petty troubles in a privileged life.

When he learns about Hannah's abusive husband, James (Eddie Marsan), he slowly starts to mend his own ways too. His need to save Hannah and his hesitation in doing so suggests about his own violent behavior when it came to his dead wife since it takes him on a trip down memory lane. And when Hannah finally leaves her husband to temporarily take shelter at Joseph's place, he again starts losing it as he finds it difficult to cope with the arrival of someone in his otherwise lonely life.

Meanwhile, we also meet Joseph's little friend, Sam (Samuel Bottomley), who lives down the street. Joseph is protective about Sam, who lives with his mom and her abusive boyfriend. Things take an ugly turn between Sam and his mom's boyfriend that makes Joseph feel responsible. When Sam is attacked by the dog that belongs to Sam's mom's  boyfriend, Joseph describes the incident with the dog to Hannah by saying, "an animal can take only so much punishment and humiliation before it snaps, and fights back". It's almost as if he is describing his own change of ways, and the chain of events that follow that made him veer off his track and back to his previous self.

Debutant director, Paddy Considine, gives us a tense drama about the hopelessness of some people's miserable lives. Violence begets violence, unhappiness begets unhappiness. Excellent acting from both Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman makes these characters so real, it will stay in your head for a long time. A must-watch.

Rating: 8/10