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Heyy Babyy (2007)
This movie should have been called "3 Idiots"
I don't even know where to start this review. It baffles me how someone could come up with such a garbage film. There isn't a single department in which the film exceeds all expectations someone could possibly have...of how bad it is. The acting is worse than banal - the performance of the "Australian" extras, in particular, is so stomach-turning you have to question whether they were robots or the director simply lacks any understanding of how casual human interactions work. That's not to spare the soporific main characters and their pathetic attempts at displaying any sort of emotional complexity, humanity, or relatability. Fardeen Khan reads his lines like a stoned koala, while Akshay Kumar's facial expressions are probably what the filmmakers used to make the titular baby cry on demand. I don't think I need to waste any bytes on Riteish Deshmukh so let's forget about him.
Completely ignoring the fact that this movie replicates entire scenes from Three Men and a Baby almost exactly, it actually manages to take a ludicrous concept and "Bollywoodize" it into something ghastly. Scarcely a single decision made by anyone in the film makes any sense.
However, I won't disrecommend watching this movie. I had some fun watching it.
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Parenthood isn't easy, and people can be very kind.
Kramer vs Kramer is a powerful and believable drama. It certainly passes the acid test that a good work of art needs to pass: "the willing suspension of disbelief". I really appreciate how this film has no negative characters. In fact, the characters aren't even grey. The film's narration is in no way biased towards either mother or father who are fighting for their seven year old son's custody. I regard that as a big plus, the ability to present in front of the audience a story bereft of any prejudice. The father-son relationship is the chief highlight of this film, it's great to see it evolve so beautifully. When father and son set out to strengthen their bond around the film's start, they do so with trying out their hands at cooking some French toast. Their shoddy preparation doesn't lead them to getting any French toast cooked. Towards the film's end, there is another French toast scene. However, by now, they've mastered the recipe and become a wonderful team together. I'll always think of that scene when I think of this film.
But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
Satirical and heartfelt
But I'm A Cheerleader is a satire on a common notion that people seem to have about homosexuality being a disease of some sort. This movie is about the futile and hilarious attempts made at curing a bunch of teenage boys and girls from this 'malady'. I was surprised to see that this film wasn't rated above 7 on IMDb. Regardless, I couldn't find anything wrong with this film - the direction is good, the cast is a brilliant ensemble and the pivotal love story in this film and chemistry between the lesbian duo is sparkling. Short, crisp and entertaining, I know I can watch this film several times over and over again. Really glad to have found this slightly obscure film. It's also important to note that this film has a brilliant soundtrack; mostly a mix of 90s indie and pop.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Of suspicion and alienation
What makes you an alien? Who can you trust? Does having emotions make you a human? These are some of the big questions raised in the film. Invasion of Body Snatchers was released in 1956, a time when America experienced the McCarthy investigations. Everybody's integrity was questioned. Although the Americans had won the Second World War, the prizes of the victory were slipping away from their hands. A handful of European nations gave in to Socialism and Communism. Keeping in mind the history of this period, this film is an excellent representation of the feeling of fear predominant in the American society in the 1950s. Without any fancy special effects, the film does manage to bring home to the audience the feeling of alienation and horror. A lot of this had to do with the basic idea that prevails the film - your known one has been replaced by another that is exactly like him but still isn't him. The performances given by the actors are far from stellar, quite the opposite in fact, making the film very hilarious at times. The film deserves to be watched for its Twilight Zone-esque approach and riveting theme.
Paris, Texas (1984)
Riveting tale of reunion
Wim Wenders's Paris,Texas is a film that is narrated through road trips. An utterly lost man (in every sense of the word) is tracked down by his brother and reunited with his son. On discovering a part of his old self, the man takes on a journey to bring his son back with his estranged mother. What the viewer doesn't know till the very end of the movie is as to why this family had been separated in the first place. The film's pace is quite in contrast to that of the fast and frequent road trips on screen. Although the slowness and did get to my head at times, I found the film quite riveting on the whole. The barren roads of Texas contrasted against the busy highways of Houston is an interesting feature of this film. At heart, "Paris, Texas" is an intense film about human separation and more importantly, reunion.
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)
Overly ambitious and paced to compete with a sloth
The fact that the film's name contains the name of the ace Indian athlete Milkha Singh entitles it to have brought on screen a faithful representation of Milkha's life. However, this extremely long film only tries to bring the audience to tears or cheer for Milkha as he nears the finish line. A couple of such close finishes on the field would have been justified but I don't understand the point of including a dozen of such scenes. Farhan Akhtar's dedication towards this role is awe-inspiring and is deserving of accolades. Jabtej Singh's riveting performance as kid Milkha was just as good. Sadly, even several good performances fail to save this over-the-top and melodramatic film. The romance tracks needn't have been in the film at all. Waste of time.
Pingu (1980)
I am 20 and I love Pingu.
When I was 9, Pingu used to air on Cartoon Network. I found it quite meaningless back then and usually waited for it to get over (not a long wait, each episode is just five minutes long) before a show that I enjoyed watching was on air. Not a long while ago, I came across this meme on the internet regarding Pingu. It went along the lines of "Why does Pingu's dad always iron clothes when no one in his family wears clothes?" This meme really cracked me up and I felt like watching an episode of Pingu. This time around, I viewed it in a whole new light. I absolutely enjoy everything about this show now, especially how Pingu turns his beak into a horn and goes NOOT NOOT. Another interesting thing about this show is how the makers have smartly imbibed the qualities of clay in this claymation cartoon. It is a common sight to see Pingu roll about like a ball made out of clay. This show has a timeless feel to it, I can't seem to assign a time period to it. I think this must have to do with it being a clay animation. Most importantly, this show stands out for the fictional language that its characters speak. It's a remarkable approach to creating cartoons, making them equally appealing to every linguistic group.
Steve (2010)
It's trailer made me very curious, enjoyed it.
I was very intrigued about this film once I happened to watch its trailer because the trailer didn't give away anything at all about the film. It only showed Colin Firth sitting on a bed, fidgety. It was a good trailer indeed, it did its job of arousing my curiosity. The film works similarly. There is a feeling of anticipation and the unknown right from the point when Steve (Colin Firth) makes his first appearance in the home of a married couple (Keira Knightley and Tom Mison). It's obvious from Steve's rather early and desperate attempts at making friendly conversation ("Do you like picnics?" or "What are your top 5 favourite films?") that he is a lonely man. It's interesting to watch how Steve's lack of company and frustration play out together. The acting is very good, both Keira Knightley as well as Colin Firth. At times it feels as though Knightley is singing out her dialogues, I find that distracting. Steve has a (mildly) thrilling undertone, I enjoyed it.
A Single Man (2009)
Gorgeous men and brilliant performances
I'm going to remember this film for three things: A bevy of beautiful men, Colin Firth's touching performance as a mourning lover and thirdly for its beautiful depiction of love between George (Firth) and his partner of 16 years Jim (Matthew Goode), a manifestation of romance that could make anyone desirous.
Nicholas Hoult doesn't give a convincing performance in the role of Kenny. Another disappointment from the film was that it doesn't end on a high note, unlike its beginning which is crackling. The film definitely deserves viewing for Colin Firth soliloquies and its portrayal of love of the sweetest kind.
An Education (2009)
Gets rather stupid and irritating at times
I appreciated this film only in some parts. And these were very few to come by.
Since the storyline is adapted from a true story, I'd expected the dialogue to be less clichéd. The dialogue is done quite poorly and makes Jenny and her family sound excessively naive and stupid.
I'm giving this movie quite a low score because I didn't find myself warming up to the lead character played by Carey Mulligan, whereas I feel the movie intended me to do so. Alfred Molina surprised me with his performance, I'd previously seen him as Diego Rivera in Frida with a very different accent. This is a film that one could really miss out on.
Ghostbusters (1984)
Very quotable and funny
I was a fan of the cartoon series on The Ghostbusters and the movie hasn't disappointed me one bit.
It's very funny right from the start. Evergreen humour is this film's USP. Actor Bill Murray essays the role of Dr. Venkman and is highly entertaining as a source of nonchalant humour. The sci-fi special effects are overall quite impressive for the 80's but even those lack a ghoulish air. Every single minute of the film is light and comical. Any discussion about this film would be incomplete without the mention of its fabulous and catchy theme song created by Ray Parker Jr. That's how good it is.
Festen (1998)
Intense and engrossing drama
A man's entire family gets together on a holiday to celebrate his 60th birthday. However, we soon learn that appearances are deceptive and the entire party is a facade, there is little to celebrate. The family comprises of an interesting and heterogeneous mix of personalities. I found the interaction between all of them very natural and particularly enjoyed the scenes that emphasized on the sibling rivalry between Helene and Michael. The film obeys the Dogme 95, a set of rules according to which filmmakers must use traditional methods of filmmaking, forbidding them from using special effects and technology. These ample restrictions lend a distinctive quality to the film and bridge the gap between viewer and the film setting. The film doesn't seem very dark on viewing but its moral effect on the mind is depressing.
Clerks (1994)
Smart humour.
Clerks, shot entirely in black and white, obeys the Aristotelian unities of time, place and action in the sense that it captures the lives of Dante and his friend Randall (who are two store clerks) during the duration of a single day, concerned mainly with their interactions with the store customers.
The dialogue is smart, rather too smart for normal conversation. Clerks is a smart comedy, the kind that requires you to pay good attention to. Rather big words were shown against a black backdrop at regular intervals during the film. I found this a tad annoying as I didn't really know what half of these words meant.
The movie showed me that handling customers is not an easy job. It's a decent low-budget film, is deserving of the cult-following that it has.
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
Loved the film right from the very start
Bridget Jone's Diary definitely ranks top on the list of romantic comedies I have watched. It is a hilarious adaptation of the "Pride and Prejudice" romance. I can't think of anything I found irksome about the film, just can't find a downside considering the genre it belongs to. This film has introduced me to the charm of Colin Firth and I'm glad about that. Renee Zelwegger did wonders and seemed every bit British. Kudos to Grant too for playing a scoundrel type role, not something he usually essays. Although the movie's basic plot is predictable (this is intentional or else Colin Firth's character wouldn't have been named Darcy) pretty much from the start, the same cannot be said for the film's scene or dialogue. Not surprised that this film has been directed by a woman, Sharon Maguire, because the film captures the nitty-gritty aspects of a woman's life.
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Funny characters but the film isn't too hilarious
Napoleon Dynamite is the oddest name I've come across. The character lives up to his name. So does his brother Kip. Everyone in the film is borderline eccentric. The film doesn't have a plot, it's a sequence of events in high schooler Napoleon's Dynamite's world. A students election is inevitable from the film's high school theme. Jon Heder and Aaron Ruell who play the two Dynamite brothers (Napoleon and Kip respectively) can take a bow for their crackling performances. One of the reasons I found this film lacklustre was because of the slow and sing-song delivery of dialogue almost every person in the film did. My favourite part about the film was the innovative title sequence that included Napoleon's drawings and items of food.
Malèna (2000)
Not a forgettable film by any means
One of the strong reasons for watching "Malena" is to be able to sense the true depth of the narrator's final dialogue (translated below to English), "Time has passed and I have loved many women. And as they've held he close... and asked if I'll remember them, I believed in my heart that I would. But the only one I've never forgotten is the one who never asked, Malena." An equally important excuse for watching this tale of obsession that crosses all bounds is to witness the beauty of the Goddess-like Monica Bellucci. (I'm finding it a little hard to appreciate other women after this, I hope this is just a tiny phase.) The film starts out quite funny, the humour coming from 12 year old Renato's (Giuseppe Sulfaro) lewd imagination about Malena (Monica Bellucci) and the consequences of this that he faces at home.
After the first few minutes, the film tends to get repetitive, a lot of wishful thinking on part of the protagonist is on display. It is only after the first half hour that the film appears to have some trajectory. The film's vision sobers quite gradually to the stage of being heart-breaking.
Hypocrisy and jealousy in the Italian society - men and women alike as well as the ill-effects of the war on the mental health of people are some of the themes explored in the film. One example of this would be the synchronicity of Italy's liberalization from it's Fascist dictatorship and Renato's newly-found liberty from fantasizing about Malena.
At a mere age of 16, Sulfaro delivers a strong and ferocious performance of portraying extreme sexual excitement, almost to the extent of an ailment. The Sicilian piazzas are picturesque. The musical score is top-notch, absolutely splendid and worthy of all appraisal possible. Malena is not a film that conveys strong emotions but its strength lies in its evocative visuals.
English Vinglish (2012)
An uplifting film
"English Vinglish" is a film that only a woman could have made. Gauri Shindi lends her feminine sensibilities to the film which is why it is a big success. She captures the nuances in a typical Indian housewife's tryst with her kids and husband.
Although there is no true villainous character in the film, it is painful to see the leading lady Shashi (Sridevi) suffer unintentional humiliation at the hands of her teenage daughter and husband because of her inability to converse in English.
It is very satisfying to see her grasp the basics of the English language and thereby gain self-confidence. Her English class has an interesting mix of students from across the world including a Frenchman who is besotted with her.
The feel-good nature of the film can be attributed to the final scene in particular in which Shashi delivers a thoughtful speech in English. Loved the film but didn't think too much of the soundtrack, especially the track "Manhattan". Also felt that her experiences with people in America were sugar-coated.
Nonetheless, the film was worth its time. I'm looking forward to introducing my mother to this film.
Ivanovo detstvo (1962)
A war-inflicted childhood
Ivan is seen as a feisty little 12-year old, placing orders and delivering ripostes to Russian Army officials with authority. It doesn't take long to conclude that the solemn looking Ivan is mature beyond his years. But this is a fallacy, Ivan is just like any other child. He yearns to be with his mother, it is obvious from the numerous poetic dream sequences that we are subjected to. The film revolves around Ivan, an orphaned boy who works as a spy for the Russian army against the Nazi troops during the WWII, and officials of the army who don't wish for him to endanger his life as a spy anymore. The film is in black and white and has some beautiful visual imagery. The cast comprises of a bunch of very good looking people. There's an interesting love triangle in the film - between two Army officials (Kholin and Ghaltsev) and a demure medical officer (Masha). War movies never engross me too much, but Ivan's Childhood has been an exception. Perhaps so because of the element of innocence brought to the film because of a child, Ivan.
Chhoti Si Baat (1976)
Light and sweet comedy
"Chhoti Si Baat", set in 1975, delivers a believable and realistic portrayal of the urban Indian working class. Basu Chatterjee, the film's director achieves the very same in his previous venture, the slightly more serious "Rajnigandha"(1974). Both films are quite similar in their basic aspects. They are love triangles and have the same lead pair playing almost identical characters - Amol Palekar (Arun) plays a mousy man whereas Vidya Sinha (Prabha) shines (even more so in Rajnigandha) as the girl next door as well as Arun's love interest. The film's music should be lauded for it adds to the endearing quality of the film. The picturization of Mumbai is all done in good taste. Asrani steals the show with his performance as Naagesh, the big thorn in Arun's path to Prabha's heart. Although certain aspects of Arun's training to court women are a tad too silly, these may be overlooked on account of the film's sheer charm. It's a classic tale of courtship with an generous helping of comedy.