ashvinkurian Reviews

The Meaning of Life (1983)

disappointing

[4/10 · 19 January 2002]

Skip this movie.

Holy Grail and even Life Of Brian were far superior.

I did not find it funny; and found the first "short feature" extremely unpleasant.I don't understand why others might see this as the best Python film. I guess there is no accounting for taste.

Such a Long Journey (1998)

well done

[8/10 · 28 April 2001]

A great film. The acting - from the doctor to the pavement artist to the head prostitute, with very few exceptions, was wonderful; i thought soni razdan(mrs.noble) and vrajesh hirjee(saurabh) were the best of the lesser known actors. Even Kurush Deboo (Tehmul), who might be accused of overacting, presented quite a believable and familiar character.

Another great thing was the camera work - and the way it captured the energy of bombay streets, the tranquility of gustad saying his prayers and life within the tiny apartments.

I liked the story of the wall that becomes a shrine and then gets broken down - and the artists philosophical take on it.

It's great to see good movies on indian themes.

You Can Count on Me (2000)

flawless acting

[9/10 · 1 April 2001]

This is the type of refreshingly character-driven movie that comes around just when you think that there are no good movies being made. Everything about this movie was fabulous, though there were times when it almost went down the road of sop. The story was totally unsensational but totally absorbing. It was also wonderful to have non-mtv-like camera work. The actors were uniformly brilliant - including little rory culkin.

3000 Miles to Graceland (2001)

not bad at all

[6/10 · 3 March 2001]

Despite the several bad reviews, the trailer was interesting enough for me to want to watch it. Not expecting much, i was pleasantly surprised.

The plot was fairly engaging, the costumes and locales were easy on the eyes, even the most violent scenes did not last too long and the acting and script were above average. It's a comedy that doesn't try to be funny.

Finding Forrester (2000)

above average; almost good

[11 February 2001]

Scent Of A Woman + Good Will Hunting = this movie

Still, it was quite engaging - pretty pictures, generally good-looking yet believable people and good acting; most remarkably by the unknown actors. Watch it without any expectations and you won't be disappointed.

A Force More Powerful (1999)

everybody should see this

[10/10 · 1 May 2000]

Watching this movie was quite an emotional experience for me. It made me realise what a truly brilliant man Gandhi was and the undeniable truth in his ideas. It also helped me appreciate how revolutionary these ideas were when they were first suggested, and how influential and relevant they are even today.

The film is about three non-violent 'revolutions' that occurred this century - in India in the 30s, Black America in the late 50s and South Africa in the 80s. The makers of this film have done a good job of choosing to reduce the temporal scope of the documentaries, resulting in a detailed study of the actual logistics of civil disobedience. They have managed to obtain some amazing footage, in each of the three cases, that i had not seen before - such as the reactions of white store-owners in tennessee, and the riots in the townships of south africa.

I had the pleasure of watching it on film, rather than on tv. If you are interested in watching it, it will be shown on PBS in (the summer? of) 2000. For exact dates, contact your local PBS affiliate.

The Whole Nine Yards (2000)

cheap laughs strung together

[16 March 2000]

This movie was not difficult to sit through; there were funny moments sprinkled through out it but at the end it left one feeling quite unsatisfied. The characters were hardly developed and the writing was often unsatisfactory. I don't understand why anybody might think this is a great film.

Secrets & Lies (1996)

excellent

[9/10 · 31 July 1999]

I saw this movie a couple of years ago and when i saw that the first customer review here (by some guy whose favorite movie is men in black(?!)) was so negative, i had to say something nice about it.

Well, this movie is a loving portrayal of working class people which will definitely not disappoint you.

Ordinary People (1980)

Why don't they make movies like this anymore ?

[9/10 · 27 June 1999]

I caught this movie on cable this weekend. What a great piece! About real relationships and real people. Excellent acting, casting, editing and use of sound. I especially liked the way the boating accident scenes were interspersed through the film, and the appropriate minimal use of sound/music in certain scenes. It's amazing how a film without high-adrenaline visual or sound effects can keep you so engrossed.

Thank you Mr.Redford.

Sphere (1998)

suspenseful, well-spent 2 hrs.

[9/10 · 5 June 1999]

I had not read the book and had heard almost nothing about the movie before I watched it. I walked in 20 min into this movie and was totally caught up in it. Samuel L Jackson does a great job and the others aren't bad either.

To those reviewers who have read the book and are complaining - well obviously you will be disappointed if you know the plot before hand (!)

The Simpsons (1989– )

strictly not for children

[20 May 1999]

Certainly the best show on TV. and certainly not a show for children.. (from another comment in this section i am surprised that someone might even suspect that). I wouldn't let my (hypothetical) children watch it before the age of 14 (at least).