AshokePrabha Reviews

The Mule (2018)

Could have been better.

[6/10 · 21 January 2023]

Clint Eastwood takes out a unique story inspired by a real life account where a 90 years old guy was arrested while working as a Mule, who carries drugs across borders, for the drug-lords.

He himself acted as that Mule driver. What was his compulsion to turn into a Mule at this old age, would be the question to everybody who would watch this film.

This question is not very well addressed.

Instead, Client Eastwood looks into what all things one would have missed with the family, when that person totally away from all family people throughout his life and finally regrets about them at the age of 90.

As a director he executed the script very well. The spontaneity of Earl even when he was taking millions of worth of drugs, interacting moments with his wife, daughter and grand daughter are usual emotional sequences. Dianne wiest gave some good performance as Eastwood's wife.

Photography, music are following Eastwood's directing tune and good. His favourite editor Joex Cox edited. Good as usual.

If the script focused on few other things along with Eastwood's spontaneous character, film would have become more of a classic.

I am his ardent fan. Considering his directing career, this is another watchable film of Eastwood.

At this age, his passion into good cinema is what is more amazing to me.

Joker (I) (2019)

Dark and compelling

[9/10 · 21 January 2020]

Joker is a comic book villain in one of the Batman movies. How did Joker, an aspiring comedy actor turned to become a gruesome villain ? This movie is written after the popularity of the Joker villain in batman movie, tracing back Joker's past life.

it's a psychological study of Joker's life.It narrates the identity confusion he gets around his thirties. His innocent, soft heart that wanted make people laugh throughout his life was continuously destroyed by people around him. Mother, Father and a Hero he admired in his life.

The movie revolves around Joaquin Phoenix, the Joker's efforts to become a successful stage act comedian, his loneliness, sufferings and how the reality laughs at him. At one moment, he stops trying to make people laugh through his stage act and starts living as a 'new-smiling-faced' Joker who paints a laughing face to the front and revenges out the entire society that laughed at him.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie about loneliness, pain and losing one's own identity.. Could not sleep through the night after watching it. Phoenix did a brilliant performance. He seemed like lived through those pains. Photography is conveying dark and sad emotions throughout perfectly. It's also about rich people getting more rich and poor people getting more poor. Hats off to the director who conceived the character completely.

Overall, It's a poor man's crazy revolution. 9 out of 10.

True Noon (2009)

nice drama.

[8/10 · 11 December 2011]

One of my friend who watched this film in a film festival got this film and I happen to see it now. It is a simple and beautiful movie dealing about 'border issue'.

It's a Tajik movie from Tajikistan. It came in 2009. But the movie talks about a period around 1992 when Tajkistan got separated from USSR as a separate country. I watched the film with subtitles.

The story revolves around a girl called Nilufar in a hill-side village and her planned wedding and about a Climate observatory. The back drop is with two villages on the hills where Nilufar lives and works in the Climate observatory. Her marriage gets fixed with a guy whom she loves for long and he lives in the up-side village.

When her marriage is about to happen suddenly the army comes in and puts up a long fence between two villages saying that one side belongs to another country. And nobody can trespass the fence and if they had to cross the fence they should go to the security post 50 miles around and get permission and go other side.

Initially, the people were oblivious about this warning asking 'we were transacting between hills and down for our day to day lives without anybody's permission so far. why now ?'. But the army persists. School was at one side and the students are from another side. Hospital is caught at one side. People suffer with similar sort of problems and try to trespass the security fence by cutting it. Then the Army comes and plants land mines and barbed wire to stop people from crossing.

Now what happened to Nilufar's wedding, her mother's labour pains and to the cows of the lady etc are seen in a more practical down to earth manner.

We may not cry at the end but the movie definitely makes its impact on us. To question ourselves about what a border is and means.

The film is nicely photographed, with beautiful locations; no unnecessary music choices. It shows self-fulfilling village people; concerned about each other; friendly and caring. There is no deliberate scene to make any point. There is no heavy drama play. But still our heart is there.

I enjoyed this film thoroughly. You would also enjoy it.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Benjamin button. Deliberately made-out classic.

[7/10 · 13 November 2011]

CCBB was a short story written by Scott Fitzgerald in 1922. Its about a boy who born with a rare disease called 'Progeria'. Progeria is a reverse aging disease. Simply said the boy was born as an old man and dies as an infant. This is what the short story spun about. The film is based on this short story mainly on its name and the reverse aging disease.

The story and happenings of a boy, Benjamin, born with such a disease has lots of curious things to handle in a single life. The original story dealt mostly that point. But this film's script completely deviates from this point and spins around an old-age home, sea voyage, pearl harbour (pathetic deliberate sequence), affairs of Benjamin, ballad dancing and a 95 years Titanic 'Rose' kind of memorabilia. The audience never had a chance to feel what Benjamin feels on various occasions on situations that arise with his aging problem.

The script is deliberately poetic but did not make the impact. In Few places it looks good though; the relationship between Benjamin and his original father, some dialogs 'nothing ever lasts.. it's a shame'...and some parts of the final sequence etc. Brad Pitt and other actors did their part well though. Benjamin's 'mama' started to be an interesting character and left out in the middle and then flattens. Photography, Sets and musical score are all good but stand out as flannel-mouth pieces.

So don't go with high expectations when you watch this film about reverse aging because this film does not show anything about the problems or the process of reverse aging. But otherwise you would get a decent, flat, normal love story which is more than enough for most of us. So you may not get disappointed. My rating 7 out of 10.

The Hurt Locker (2008)

Brilliant Propaganda.

[5/10 · 31 October 2010]

This is a war movie that revolves around a small team of a bomb disposal unit which is disarming bombs in Iraq for 30 days. How they diffuse different types of bombs, kills people, get killed and save Iraquies by doing their 'job'.

It is a strange and sad fact that the very first woman director to get an Oscar is Kathryn Bigelow who at the same time did that movie as a US war propaganda. Shame.

Technically as a director Kathryn soars high. She excels many contemporaries by brilliantly captivating the moment of the scenes. Her visualization is perfect. Added with nice photography along with hand-held cam photography to pitch in journalism-editing. Many comments read that 'many technical aspects of bomb disposal unit operation' are inaccurate and flawed.

Politically Kathryn turns bad. But brilliant. The movie pretends that it does not deal about the Iraqi politics at all but at the same time sows its agenda that, US solders are 'servicing' in Iraq for their 'free country'. You want proof? The film is shot in Jordan, the neighbor country of Iraq and they actually used the Iraqi refugees as 'extras'. Hows that ? Compare this attempt with Michael Moore's Farenheit 9/11. You'll know what sort of delicate poltics Kathryn Bigelow is playing.

During the movie, the (American)audience would get a feel that Iraq is a Jungle full of animals in which US soldiers are fighting for their as well as their country's life. Lots and lots of scenes, shots placed delicately, dramatically to give one the effect of 'American Nationalism' and their 'Deterrent strikes' all over the world. B.S.

Soldier warning a terrorist who is about to switch the button in his cellphone while few hundred feet away his colleague is disarming a bomb... The car bomb diffusing American soldier (showing his brilliance and dedication over this life threatening condition) in the car bomb diffusion sequence... The Arab Kid who is selling DVDs. His relationship with the 'war thirsty' soldier (football playing friendliness.. wow) and what happens to him... All Iraqui terrorist enemies are faceless, ruthless. They were shown passively. No characters. The faces too gives you a creepy idea of 'you are in a dangerous place'... The enemies are so ruthless that they plant a bomb in a dead body so that it blows during an autopsy by American soldiers. There is also a scene where one guy tied a bomb with his body was rescued by an American soldier where the soldier finds that the bomb was 'locked' with chains and locks so that releasing him from the ticking bomb becomes impossible... The enemies are so cheating that an old man seeking help with loading rocks on to his cart on the roadside is in fact a lethal enemy... The Americans shooting snipers in the desert are so 'job' oriented such that in the event of a 'thirsty break' they do it systematically and drink for the sniper is also 'served' with a procedure because they are doing their 'jobs'... And indeed all these US soldiers do have a 'family home' somewhere in US. A remote place; surrounded by Meadows lawn and beautiful trees and natural surroundings. Having beautiful wives and small babies whom they have left at their 'family home'. And of course they long to go back but their 'call of duty' prevents them somehow...wow..

and so on..

In the Iraq war over 300000 Iraqi people were killed. 600000 Iraqi people left homeless. A few thousands of US soldiers died in Iraq and a 32 thousand got injured. All for what ? To own the oil mines by American companies. After the war everything is done. A pseudo govt setup that inquires Saddam Hussein and hangs him and put thousands of people in Jail. Who is the victim here ? Iraqi people ? or the US soldiers ? Whom would you want to portray in a film. Kathryn chooses the 'winning team', the American team. Find a story (It was found by James Cameron, her ex-husband)that fits into this American Nationalism structure. Make it with visually compelling shots and scenes. And one year later it gets Oscar in the name of an 'anti-war movie'. sure. Why not ?

I used to fall for such American propaganda films (e.g. First Blood.. Rambo) when I was young and only knew American Cinema. Now, I can see more than that and find out what American Cinema is.

I wanted to expose this film's cruelty shot by shot. But stops here as of now.

An Unfinished Life (2005)

Pleasant and involving.

[8/10 · 10 May 2010]

Its a story about forgiveness. Its about how Einar (Redford) tries to forgive his daughter-in-law Jean (Jennifer Lopez). The story happens in a hillside village where a bear that hit Einar's close friend Mitch (Morgan Freeman) once and wounded him badly. All these have something intertwined between them. Fate. Forgiveness.

I liked this movie's tone. It is not compelling anything to the audience. No overdone or dramatized emotions. No tear-filling performances. But different ones. Simple family emotions. To this simple story this gives a feeling that 'nothing happened' at all. But that's what life is for most of us. Nothing happened but everything is changed thereafter.

Morgan Freeman (e.g. moments before the bear),Robert Redford, Becca Gardner, Jennifer Lopez.. sorted order of likable performances. If you liked the Director's earlier movies then there is a good chance that you would like this movie. I liked the director's narration style. Its a very under-toned style. That makes it impossible to forget the characters for me. For you ? Watch and find out.

Hilary and Jackie (1998)

Powerful emotional drama.

[9/10 · 24 April 2010]

It is the almost-bio-pic of British Cellist Jacqueline Du Pre (1945-1987) and her elder sister Hilary (a Flutist). It's about the true love the sisters had for each other and how fate lifted Jacqueline to the top of fame while pushing Hilary to the bottom of it and how it affected their lives. Though the movie is about a great, talented musician Jacqueline, it is not a musical film.

I haven't seen such a good real-life-account for a long time. This one is very truthful and not deviating from real-life emotions. The movie is based on the book written by Hilary. There are controversies over this book raised by Jacqueline's fans about her depiction.

The movie is mostly the events, emotions and psychological account of its characters Jackie and Hilary. It's a bit of a musical too with some good sound tracks. Jackie (Emily Watson) is the star performer (even on the screen). Hilary comes next. The director has amazingly made this account. When we see Hilary's account we could feel a crushed musician's sadness and when we see Jackie's account we could feel the loneliness and the complex love of Jacqueline with her Cello as well as her sister Hilary.

If you are Jacqueline's fan you can watch it only if you don't expect any musical treats of her from the film. As I am not a classical music guy I do not know what I missed about her music.

Watch this powerful emotional tragic story.

Next (2007)

Nice idea.. Story could have been even better.

[7/10 · 23 April 2010]

Saw this film on TV. Chris (Nicholas Cage) can see 2 minutes ahead into the future that is connected with him somehow. That's a nice idea. Mix this with a bunch of terrorists(still Russians?!!) smuggling a nuclear bomb into the US and trying to blast it. An FBI boss trying to seek Chris's help to stop them while Chris is going after his dream girl and escaping from the FBI.

You can imagine the limits of this plot. Its just a thriller with some nice idea twists. That's all. Emotionally it could not touch you. There is no room for character development. Just cat-mouse chase. Ending is OK. nice twist.

Julianne Moore, Cage, Jessica plus the crew; Everybody's acting is to the limits of the plot. overall sequence is entertaining. You may watch it once.

Playing by Heart (1998)

Family Drama.

[8/10 · 17 April 2010]

A dialog based drama about 11 different unrelated characters. A snapshot in their course of life is 'Playing by Heart'. In the end, we realize all characters are related.

Mildred is coping with her son who is dieing young of a terminal disease, elderly couple Hannah and Paul having a row over Paul's affair 25 years back, depressed lad Keenan who fears to have a love affair and a girl Joan who tries to bring him into love, drama director Meredith struggles to accept her attraction towards Trent, Gracie thinking her husband does not have imagination, tries to compensate it with a blind date with a guy without sharing any identities and her husband trying to cope up with his imagination problem.

Best thing about the movie is the dialogs. Many thoughtful statements and emotional moments. All main characters acted without any hitches. Angelina Jolie and Gena Rowlands are noteworthy actors. I feel If one or two melody songs would have come during the sequence it would have been much better.

Watch it only if you like dialogs based drama.

Avatar (2009)

Emotionally charged Scifi with a political message.

[10/10 · 14 April 2010]

Avatar. A word of Indian origin means a new-body-life of God to save the people from a crisis. One of the vedic lords named Krishna said to have ten such Avatars, each occur in different occasions. Here Cameron's Sci-fi Avatar is of biotech.

Planets and Systems: In 2154, humans are able to travel to 'Alpha Centauri' a solar system closest (4.5 Light Years; Light travels 3 Lakh Km / sec. If Light travels for one year that distance traveled is called 'one Light Year'.) to our solar system. This solar system has two suns and Pandora is the fictional moon around a gas planet Polyphemus. As per the story this moon has earth-like ecosystem and inhabited by aliens called 'Navis' who look like humans but about 12 feet tall and have tails and bluish skin tones. Its atmosphere is not hostile to humans except that the air can be inhaled by humans using a mask that filters out the poisonous elements.

Bacground: A team of scientists and military security forces of a company called RDA, travel to Pandora to unearth a rare metal called 'Unobtaniam' that is very costlier than even Titanium because of its super-class properties. They travel for three years to reach Pandora. Build a ground-station there with all their giant earth excavating machinery plus helicopters weaponry, missile aircrafts. There they encounter the 12-feet tall local inhabitants(aliens) called 'Navis'. Navis are bluish people living greenish life i.e. they live blended with nature. Each Navi clan lives under a giant tree about 500 ft high. There are about 12 such trees in Pandora. The 'Unobtanium' reserve lies under these 'sacred trees'. Now humans want to drive these Navi tribes out of their trees so that they can excavate Unobtanium 'freely'.

The head of the Scientists group (Sigourney Weaver) says instead of using forces to tame Navis, humans should learn their language and ways and teach our ways to Navis and then make a cordial relationship. With this motive the scientists create 'Navi' bodies (called Avatars) by mixing the DNAs of Navi and humans and develop a way to teleport a human's consciousness into the 'Navi' and hope to make better contacts with 'Navi' people. Even some 'Navi' people learn and speak English but Navis are unaware of Human's actual intentions.

Story: A paraplegic marine (Sam Worthington) goes to Pandora to be an 'Avatar'. He goes as a Navi and gets a chance to live with them for about five months and learn their ways. He finally becomes one among them. However, the RDA determines that the scientist's efforts of 'peaceful acquisition' has become a failure and moves to straight attack of the Navi people. What happens next is the course of the movie.

James Cameron is a person of perfection. This movie reached great heights in motion capture graphics technology. They invented a new technique WETA for film-directing such a film with full of graphics images blended with characters. The Navis all are 3D graphic images. The story line is a very bold one. For e.g. see the dialog of the corporate's security colonel "We will fight terror with terror". It obviously was the statement of Bush on Iraq and Afghan war. Here it is Alien Tribes Vs Corporate Humans.

All the actors, editing, photography and music all were in place exactly. No place for great performances. But still the performances are all better. The wonderful thing is the idea and creation of the Pandora world, its people, its creatures and the territory. Very powerful imagination. Goto wikipedia page to find more elaborate details of this hard work http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_(2009_film).

This is another milestone in Hollywood Cinema laid by James Cameron. Imagine directing a scene of Pandora, a non-existing planet, visualizing it only in your mind. No original actors present! No surroundings exist! Too hard.

Breach (2007)

Nice Dialog drama + few powerful performances.

[8/10 · 13 March 2010]

Its a true story about an FBI senior official Robert Hannsen whose about to retire in a few months. He was a double crossing agent who worked for KGB for about 25 years. To catch him red-handed they plant a new person as his clerk. Without any training in FBI this new guy was put in to collect information about him secretively. And what happens in this process is the movie.

I liked the performances of both leading actors. They were perfect and keep you tensed every moment. Excellent photography. Dialogues were well placed and executed. Director Billy Murray did it well.

At the end credits they say the KGB executed as much as 50 'human sources'(Russians who acted as double crossing agents like Robert Hannsen in Russia). The lead character will say 'The 'why' doesn't matter. Isn't it. Or does it'.

Put off the patriotism stuff one would feel. What is it like being a spy ? Being a traitor ? May be the thrill of being it.

Blue Streak (1999)

I liked it.

[7/10 · 14 February 2010]

Before I saw this film I hadn't even know about Martin Lawrence. After watching this movie he made it as one of my favourites. I watched this movie many times after wards. Though I was not laughing like the first time, each time I enjoyed his acting as well as other costars. Its a mood-lifter for me always. He is having both slapstick and verbal comedy talents blended together.

The story is a very simple one. A diamond thief hides his valuable diamond in the air-duct of a building under construction. He was caught and jailed. After few years he comes back to get his jewel back from its hideout and finds out that the building has become a Police Department office. What does he do to get that diamond back ?...Yes.. You guessed it right.

Watch out for this Diamond Thief.

Gran Torino (2008)

Grandpa's missed gun-shot.

[6/10 · 16 September 2009]

I am an ardent fan of Clint. I like his 'casual' way of narrating a story in his Mystic River, Unforgiven, Letters from Iwo Jima and Million Dollar Baby. But he failed in his attempt in this hasty attempted made-up-classic. I particularly hate this film because of its 'anti-communist' odor. I figured it was deliberate though subtle. Almost all of 'Hollywood films' have a habit of portraying 'communism'='anti-social' right from their James Bonds to Rambo s. I grew up with these films from my childhood. And now.. sorry my respected grandpa... If every one of you say say it is 'evil' then something is terribly wrong.

Story: Walt(Clint) is a Vietnam war veteran in his 75s. He lives a lonely life confined only to his wife and two kids. Now his wife expires. Then he comes out of his 'family' shell of all these years; left alone at his home; his kids got married and moved away and particularly interested in Clint's house than himself. Now he begins to look around his neighbourhood which is fully occupied by Asians(Hmongs) irritatingly. Him seeing Hmongs whom he thinks as 'Chinks' he fought against in Vietnam and hates them (gooks). The generation gap of him being an old-timer who is very rude and demands high respect also separates him from the youngsters who are around. A teenage Hmong girl next door befriends him and his relationship with the Hmong neighbourhood flourishes as he plays accidentally the 'guardian' role of these people from a 'local-Hmong-Rowdy' gang. Before he starts to know them he takes a major life-threatening-risk to save them. The story ends abruptly here before it floats. Oh..The Gran Torino. It was the 1972 car he bought and kept it as a treasure of his own, which the local-gang plans to steal, and everything results from it.

Hmong people. One of the ill-fated people in history. They were tribes living in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The US used(hired ?) them as 'mercenaries' in Vietnam War against their own people. The ill-fate here is the usage of an ethnic group against their own. I suspect the ignorance/illiteracy of Hmong people easily trapped them into standing against their own people/freedom. Who trapped them ? The US. When US lost the war they just returned 'back to their land' leaving these people 'in their own land'. Hmong people were obviously the traitors and they might have been brutally killed in thousands. And they were killed after the war by the Laos Communist Govt. Several thousands of them migrated to California.

The movie is politically motivated and hence loses its 'story value' as a pure story. If those people whom Clint encounters were not Hmong people then story would have been better because it does not have anything to deal with any 'politics' in this story. Hmongs story plays a dirty politics of 'praising Hmongs as people who fought as allies of US for their freedom'(whose freedom in whose land ?). And that leads to Clint 'fighting for Hmongs freedom in the free country'. Alas..

All Walt deals-with in this film are inter-personal-communal relationships; personal emotions; humanitarian views. I got very disappointed by this biased portrayal of American Nationalism, by my beloved director Clint Eastwood. I feel very sad that all his acting and narration have gone wasted because Walt so quickly convinced to a life-changing-decision for some people whose existence he never cared just a month back.

I hoped to give more higher rating until I heard the word Hmong.

Toy Story (1995)

Good entertainer for kids.

[9/10 · 25 January 2009]

It's a nice animation from Walt Disney. Saw this movie many times. Nowadays(25-01-2009) Jetix channel(India) airs this movie once in two months and dubbed in Tamil. I have seen the original English version many times and today this Tamil version. Felt both are equally good.

The story. For kids. Toys of a boy Andy can all 'talk' i.e. they live like human beings. And there enters a new toy into Andy's life as his birthday present. The current favourite 'Woody' and the new entry have a struggle to win Andy's favourite toy position. Things happening in this struggle is the movie.

This is definitely not an adult's movie. But if an adult could pretend to like toys that come 'alive' then no problem.

The things I like about this movie is imagination, plastic-feel art work of scenes and music. Its simple. The characters including woody(Tom Hanks) and 'Buzz Light year' (famous cartoon character) were voiced perfectly. Some emotional turns with Buzz who believes that he really is a 'space ranger'. The Disney people's art work is different, creative and innovative and making standards in animation films.

Disfiguring a toy is a behavior we can see in many children. I don't know about any reasons why some kids like it. On any account, the film just eases that mind, encourages confidence even if you are just a 'toy', and coordinating as a team. Randy Newman's music and songs are good.

Tamil version's translations not exact but equally funny.

It's a normal, good story still have eligibility for a classic.

Magonia (2001)

Good to watch.

[8/10 · 13 October 2008]

Recently watched this movie on world movies channel. It's a collection of three stories told by a father who is recovering in a mental health center, to his son who comes and visits him every week.

The first story was a simple one that gripped me into the movie. An announcer in an Islamic mosque is getting older and older and still he continues to shout the announcement of prayer time despite his hoarse voice. A young lad assists him on all his chores (including carrying the old man to the roof top for announcement). He and the old man's daughter are in love. Though nobody likes the old man's voice which turned horrible at old age, still they respect him and let him continue it. One day that young man went to the town and brought a sound system mike, speakers with an amplifier. Things happen after this emotional toils makes it a beautiful story.

The second story is about loneliness. It is not exactly a story, but an event that transformed all those who lived at that moment. It reads "It does not matter whether you travel everywhere or live alone on a hills top, loneliness can turn you mad".

The third story is about true love and false hopes. A woman with her son living in a small shore town hoping for her lover, a sailor who promised her that he will come back for her. All these years she lives a low life as kitchen maid in a small pub. Being abused by the pub owner constantly, she was also loved by a neighbor craftsman who asks her to get away with him to somewhere out of town. One day the sailor returns..and what happens then..

All the stories talks about human lives made into different styles of knots and the dream land Magonia. The ending is unexpected.

I followed the film through subtitles only. They are done very well. Since, I do not know the ethnic differences between different lands of people I could not know the ethnic difference between the faces. But that's OK. Actors, Photography and Music played perfectly.

You want compelling stories ? Watch this.

Mozhi (2007)

A nice drama.

[7/10 · 29 August 2008]

I watched this film after a month it got released. Indeed it was a very good entertainer with a handful of emotional jolts.

Story. Love story. Between a guy and a deaf-and-dumb girl. The girl is Jothika who played that part wonderfully. That guy is Prithwiraj who is a cinema music composer. He and Prakash Raj are friends and room mates. Swarnamalya comes as Jothika's friend.

Script. The script is quite a neat and decent one. Radha Mohan is known for this in his earlier movie 'Alzakiya Theeye'. Smells like a Malyalam script(He is a Malayalee). In the whole movie I felt tears on my eyes on one scene. His direction is good. Dialogs are written by Viji. They are humorous and make the characters lively. One of strengths of the movie is the dialogs. Another strength is the music. I could not believe Vidyasagar's music. Such a beautiful melodies (really original?.. sorry could not believe it..that much extraordinary). Balaram's voice on the main song along with the lyrics are one among the long lasting ones.

The actors all are good. In the top ranking order Jothika, Prakashraj, Prithwiraj, Wwarnamalya, the lost-out professor, the flat secretary etc. Prakashraj does this small work just like that. He is such a talented actor. Jothika has evolved into good acting with this movie. The dump character's sign language she mixes with her face expressions beautifully (no voices for her). I have my own DVD of this movie to watch it whenever I like to watch it. It surely is a classic. Especially the climax scenes between Jothika, Prithvi, Prakash and Swarna.

In 90s when I was in college we saw one movie 'The Children Of Lesser Gods'. I am pretty sure that Molzhi has 80% similar to that movie on story-line. Both the lead actors in that movie got Oscars for their performance. The actors learned sign language for about two years to act in that film. In that movie that guy works as a teacher in a deaf-and-dumb school. That girl works as a sweeper in that school who was also a deaf-and-dumb girl. That too is a love story. One thing Molzhi had additionally is the 'deaf girl feeling music'; which in my view is the artistic insight of the director into the humane nature. In this expression Molzhi crossed 'The Children Of Lesser Gods' a few steps ahead. Absolute feeling of an artiste as a deaf person. Alas, I heard this(deaf girl's feeling of music) too is from some other movie.

There are lots of movies that has some inspirational movies behind them. Molzhi is one such a movie but still I can be OK with it. My wishes to Radha Mohan, Viji, Baradwaj and Jothika who played the keys for this beautiful 'sign language'(even though it is an imitation).

WALL·E (2008)

Another Animation Classic...

[10/10 · 26 July 2008]

Lots of good things to talk about.

First of all, realistic images... that I could not believe this is an animation film. Andrew Stanton has done it well again, like his earlier ones starting from Bugs Life. The memorable one being Finding Nemo. Wall-e couldn't just be an entertainment; may be due to the reason the plot lies in our irresponsible environmental attitude.

The story. It's a love story and a science fiction told in animation. And it is beautifully told. It gets more interesting as the story unfolding with unexpected journeys into this endless universe. I wondered, in a century when even small kids turning into rigid hearts, this movie comes with a knock and says 'Hey..Think outside of you too'.

I saw many people here sulking about the 'environmental warning' in the reviews. This story does not take a lesson to you about 'global warning'. It just has the story evolved from it. Worth of romance is not more than the fact "we can't live safely anymore".

About the technique. It is very difficult to bring emotions like love, anger in a faceless, emotionless robot. In 'Cars' it was the headlights those make to eyes. Here Pixar guys found the way by drawing digital-eyes for Eva and robotic eyes for the face of Wall-e. Robots are made of metal faces; They don't change emotions. Here they overcome this restriction by changing the camera eyes of Wall-e and the eyes of Eva drawn in different digital shapes according to different emotions. My friend (an artiste) told they made the characters alive by giving jerks/bends and some flexibility in motion of the rigid robots. Tireless work behind this perfection is to be honoured. The robots talk with synthesized voice. How much emotion could be captured in a synthetic voice? The dialogs of the main characters are not much. They are simple sentences mostly single or double words. They made the emotions possible with these one or two word dialogs;poetically.

And Imagination. Behind each and every scene I could see the imagination of the director probing into all directions and making it perfect and more interesting. The junk yard images of the New york city, the space, the robotic parts, its choice of movements, the wheels, the axiom space ship, people's life style there, characterization of Eva as a modern girlish robot and Wall-e as a old-styled male robot who gets love-at-first-sight. The initial no-dialog moments of the movie gives some meaning into the lonely-dry life of the Wall-e. As I try to make meanings out of this movie I keep on stumbling into new meanings. Are we living like the Axiom ship's captain?

For kids, A definite watch. As the world nearing its end of prosperity and fertility, we let out such movies to at least have some awareness of where we are going.

My best wishes to Andrew Stanton; Plus the artists crew who just moved us to live 700 years after.

The Happening (2008)

Happenings.

[8/10 · 19 July 2008]

I saw this movie today and read some of the comments. Most of the comments seem to be on the negative side..(his career suicide). I wondered whether most of the people are made of wooden hearts or what.

The story is about an unknown phenomenon happening in north east part of USAmerica. It affects the whole population of people and a family is running away from it. If I say a single sentence more then it would become a spoiler. But the story line is very thin and that is one of the reasons lot people criticizing about.

Assume you are watching this as Shyamalan's first movie then I bet everybody would enjoy it 100%. Being his 7th(or more) film audience get a better hint of Shyamaln's style. That takes off some % of interest built up in this movie.

In spite of all of these still the movie could scare you; if it is well-written and well-made. But here Shyamalan kept the standard in perfection but the script and dialogs are not impressive enough. The theme about nature producing toxins is a good notion and kind of making people to think about nature. But it did not threaten them enough.. Watching people committing suicide just before you is not scary for the audience who grew out of blood curling murders and ghosts all over these Hollywood years. I could see the audience don't even feel for the dying too.

I did not expect Shyamlan to scare me when I started watching the film. And hence I enjoyed it 90% because it is full of events make you involved till the end.

If dialogs and depth-of-scenes would have been concentrated then this movie would have made a great difference. otherwise acting, photography, editing and music all are fitting. I could remember a dialog in Signs till now ("Is it possible that there are no coincidences?"). Such a depth in dialogs and scenes would make a film memorable.

Otherwise it is one among the Shyamalan's entertaining movies. About the critics I feel that similar to Shyamalan these critics have been blocked by a critic-wall that make them to not enjoy a movie.

Watch it once. Don't expect a sixth sense feel. Just go for the simple mystery of the story. You might like it.

The Tracey Fragments (2007)

Splitting into fragments..

[6/10 · 11 July 2008]

Recently saw this film on net. Story is a simple one liner. A teenage girl suffering with anxiety, depression dwells in deeply into her imaginary dream world creating her own characters inside and living with them and her younger brother. The end twist is a bit awkward..but looks like no other go to make it to end.

The movie is an odd visual effort playing with the screen slices. i.e. Almost 95% of the scenes have split screens on the screen. The title itself says about Tracey's 'fragments'. Mostly different angles of the same scene are played on the split screens. The pattern of the splits is like one half is the main scene and the other half of the screen will be split into sub squares. The film was shot in 14 days and was edited for nine months. You'll know why when you watch the film. In my view the effort was overdone to some extent that disturbed the movie's concentration.

But at two specific scenes(her-interview-with-doctor and the-final-run) and some minor scenes, I could see the real use of such images. The final scene in fact simulated the exact shocking mental mind-images of the girl in panic and the meaning they derive by the (male)images. This type of video-editing, in my view, is 'convenient' to the eyes at certain combinations. Naturally our mind is set to concentrate primarily on the bigger image among a collection of images...and if minute details related to the bigger image run in the smaller images our 'eyes' could follow them. All other combinations would 'distract' the viewer's viewing patience. This distraction happens at many places throughout the movie.

About the acting, photography and music; They all good and watchable. The girl who is the center of the movie did really good in her part. And other supporting casts too. It is not scary or thrilling or pulling the edge of the seat suspense. Just a psychological view. But surely you'll get something out of it.

I liked this film for some of its aspects. If you are not allergic to video-edit kind of split screen viewing for a long time then you may even enjoy it.

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

A heart moving make.

[9/10 · 2 July 2008]

Saw this movie today. I heard about this movie a long time back. With those high praises about this movie and the outline story in mind I started watching the movie. Until the half I was not moved much inside the movie. But when Paul tore off his shirt and tie it started feeling like real world. Excellent performance by Don Cheadle.

History: The historical genocide (3 million people) of 'tutsi' race people by 'Hutu' race people in Rwanda happened in 1994. This happened becos the President who was a Hutu was assassinated by the 'tutsi' militia which triggered this genocide. The wikipedia history page on Rwandan 'tutsi' and 'Hutu' race division reads that this racial difference was a long existing one for centuries. Both people look same. Both race people are genetically from Africa. i.e. the two races are not as contrasting as blacks and whites in South Africa. The racial conflict was enforced becos the Belgium rulers picked the highly skilled, fair skinned, long nosed Rwandan people among them and classified them as 'tutsi's in order to have a good subordinates in their rule of Rwanda. This overrode the original racial differences. This divide and rule tactics of Belgium led to the ever lasting struggles between these classifications.

The story is based on the true events happened in 1994 in Rwanda. True story of an high class Hotel Manager in Rwanda who fought all odds and saved many 'tutsi' and 'hutu' people's lives (about 1200) during this genocide by giving them shelter at his hotel. How he tried to wade of the surrounding dangers of Militia attack.. How he managed..and what happened..etc.

The movie gave me lot of insights into the life of people in tough times. How third world countries like Rwanda are similar to my country India in many aspects.. How as simple and as silly as a 'long nose' and 'fair color' is enough to cultivate a differentiation and hatred among people. The technical part of the movie is flawless. Photography, music, editing(the van returning-on-morning-frost scene). Above all the direction. There should definitely be some motive behind the news that this movie did not get to any Oscars.

I was much moved by the great deeds of Paul on behalf of humanity. Please watch this movie and show it to your children. It is true that people born into different races. But it is also true that race is just skin deep; and underneath, every human is having the same blood, heart and mind. When people start to realize it someday then will there come a change.

Haunted Forest (2007)

Horror movie that could have gone more than that.

[8/10 · 28 June 2008]

I saw this movie recently. It seemed to be a typical scream-scare horror movie. But the underlying meaning could have meant something else if crafted with more nuances.

The story is about a Forrest which is haunted by a tree that hunts humans for a reason. A group of students came in search of such a legendary tree. One among them was the guy who has intentions to find it out though nobody knows about it's whereabouts. And what happens in their search is the story.

The special effects and other cheap scares are there in the movie. The director also uses the cut-in-the-middle of a scene tactics to increase the anxiety of the audience about what happened. The flash back story has to be more effective and could have been even lengthier to tell the tale of green peace. But the director slightly touches over it "the arrogance of man in killing trees".

If we see it in reality our human life is bound into trees. If there are not enough trees in this world to reduce the co2 the humans pollute in various ways, then the world is like a hell. We already see the global warming effects all over the world. The arctic and Antarctic zones are no more cold. The ice at the poles started melting and filling the ocean all over the world raising the sea levels. That is another cause for all these cyclones, climate changes, season changes. Even coastal cities would submerge into water in 50-100 years. Basically, the root cause is as we humans tend to live a planned life and we break the natural life cycle which was there for millions of years. Anybody who could have read this paragraph would have been horrified ? I bet not.

But watching this movie does scare you to some extent. And if you are able to correlate how human treats trees and what if the trees start to flare back at humans, then you could be scared morally. Becos we humans have no ethics towards non-human beings. But if things turned around? The last but one shot of the film at the end will show an empty wide open space where at one end the Forrest will be there and at the other end there will be a bull-dozer that destroys trees. The humans by destroying the Forrest, make the space empty and they 'go towards' that trend(the characters walking towards the bull-dozer direction). The trees on the other hand give them life by 'embedding them' inside like an pregnant mother. This is a correlation of the opposite natures where the loving mom becomes a monster.

Keep this in mind and start watching this movie. Probably you could realize the horror in trees killing humans ( which is the reverse of humans killing trees). If the film was able to contrast this difference strikingly then it would have been a never-before told moral-horror classic story.

1408 (2007)

Want to stay in 1408?

[9/10 · 28 June 2008]

Usually horror movies depend mostly on haunting music ,cheap tricks, horrific makeup faces and horror striking voices. This movie stands out from that category and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

1408 is a room in a high-posh hotel which was supposed to be haunted. And a para-normal investigator enters it. Rest is the story. The screenplay is good. For e.g. that long dreamy sequence. Cusack's acting is very natural.

The thing I liked was the determination of John Cusack's character to find out the truth and even in deceiving times his strong sense of mind to record the happenings as he goes on to analyze it. It is a very tough mind that can still be able to analyze even in an extremely hallucinated situation. He never gives up which matches the words his dad would say " I used to be... You will be..".

If you watch this movie expecting blood curling ghost images with horrific noises or scarring things with long finger nails eating human flesh or blood etc.. then you will be disappointed. Instead it can be matched with a psychological thriller. Then you will certainly enjoy the moment.

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Best after the Nemo.

[9/10 · 28 June 2008]

Saw this movie today. It was both entertaining and imbibing good values. For kids a definite watch. For adults too.

The story is a well known moral story of don't judge by the appearance. It is about a Chinese town in the valley where a kung-fu rule is about to be seized by a evil spirited tiger who wants to become The Dragon Warrior, the great. And a Panda comes in his way to achieve it.

The script is very good. Dream works artwork team has proved one more time. It was very funny from the beginning to the end. And some philosophical moments too. The music and colors used in the movie reminds Chinese in every aspect and mainly kung-fu. It no way is lesser than ordinary kung-fu film. Kung-fu fight scenes drawn with such a clarity. Colors used are mostly red and yellow. Some flash back and magical related scenes have been drawn to bluish grey. The effects came out were extremely good. My credit goes to directors who could imagine the whole thing in their minds to make this film.

Animation films have been reaching new dimensions. Though this one did not create any new dimension but will be still one among the classics. Liked a few 'Zen'nish philosophical lines of the Master Turtle character such as 'there are no accidents'.. "i am the big Panda'..'past is history... future is mystery... and present is the only gift you have that is why they call it as 'present'...they have most profound meanings which the film could casually spill it on its way.

Ver good movie. A must watch.

Kaidan Shin Mimibukuro: Yûrei manshon (2005)

Scarry one.

[8/10 · 22 June 2008]

I started liking Japanese horrors from 'the grudge'.. I have seen the ring in the English version but still like to see the original 'ringu'. Since the language is Japanese you have to follow the story by the subtitles. But that did not deviate me much.

In those good Japanese horror lists this haunted apartment can surely be added. It is not as horrific as Grudge. But different. No great special effects, no cheap tricks to jump you out of the seat. But certainly the story does as it unfolds into the apartments.

One teen girl Aimi, and her father move in to an apartment after the girl's mother was dead in a car accident. The apartment complex they moved in is the haunted one by a girl's ghost who died of the same age. And the curse that surrounds the apartment and the mystery behind it. The script is the best thing that makes the movie stand. Acting, photography, music and direction are all supporting the script and brought to a good level.

There are no unnecessary gore into the scenes. But the script is good and thrilling until the end. Even the music is played not to scare but to aid the story. The ending was an unexpected shock which I could not guess it at all. If you are a fan of horror stories and is OK with not much of gory effects then you'll definitely like it.

30 Days of Night (2007)

Nice effort.

[7/10 · 15 June 2008]

Vampires myth is there in western world for centuries. In Hollywood cinema too they came to existence right from the beginning. In most of the movies the vampires would be seductively attractive ones and seduce their prey and in the time of making love they will bite. Sex and horror mix was there which is an effective thrill.

Off late few movies tried to view the vampires myth in different perspectives. Some viewed them as a sect / race. Interview with a vampire even talked about a good hearted Vampire who never killed humans for centuries. John carpenter's vampires moved in a different direction by treating them as just creatures and mainly concentrated on hunting.

This movie goes in creatures way. Vampires are not seducing demons but they act like violent were wolfs. They don't do magic. Don't fly. Incapable of acting as innocents. But they make noises as animals, speak some language, even their teeth too just grown enough like an animal, they are strong and effective like a strong wild animal, and they are violent. They live and hunt in groups. Bit cunning in catching their prey. And they are believably effective.

The story line is interesting. In the north most Alaskan town sun will not rise for one whole month. Which is a very lovely spot for vampires to live. They come by a ship and start hunting the entire town. One group of people try to survive among these creatures.

With this story plot, the movie does not have time to explain character formation etc. Just packed events which were enough for us to be thrilled till the end. There are some painful emotional moments too. The photography was excellent. Acting and music were enough to fit. The sheriff had major part of role in the movie which he does it for good. In the whole movie we see just one sunset at the beginning and one sun rise at the end. The rest is just snow and ice and grayish darkness. It also shows how human will can raise at odds by sacrificing one's self for the sake of the others to survive.

If you watch it expecting to see a Vampire similar to the one of a Bram Stoker's Dracula then you get disappointed. It is not horror but thrilling to the end with some gory scenes. It's not a stylish vampire but a raw animal-like vampire that you can enjoy it. Cannot come into a classic list. but a good entertainment.