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Dune: Part Two (2024)
Utterly disappointed!
I have no grouse against the photography, direction, costumes, location selection and the casting, but I have a big bone to pick with the storytelling and editing. I am amongst a significant number of people who haven't read the book and I didn't appreciate the huge jumps made in the movie. It felt like I was watching the movie and had nodded off during certain parts and had missed them. Then I woke up and couldn't make the connections having missed significant portions. That was how the editing of the movie was like. It was like they had tried to pack in too much information into one movie that could have been made into two. Maybe the studio didn't greenlight it and Denis Villeneuve had to made do with what I just saw.
Kind of reminded me of Twilight: Breaking Dawn. Another film based on a book. The first part was long, indulgent and told so little and yet beautiful and the second part was hurried, hackneyed and trying to cram in too much information. The same here. I am a bit surprised to see the high rating as I am pretty sure not that many have either watched the older Dune or have read the long rambling book. The first one was great. This one had the potential but screwed up. Was utterly disappointed. I have to repeat that I am still very amazed by the high ratings. The young people of today must be very Zen as they seem to be very satisfied with little.
I am not! Sorry!
Shogun (2024)
Mesmerizing!
The storytelling, photography, direction, characters (supposedly based on real life historical figures) that are seamlessly woven into this tale of political intrigue, combine to create a show that is immaculate. Just two episodes in, I am dying to watch the next episode which will be excrutiatingly dropped one at a time. Every week!
Was already a fan of Hiroyuki Sanada after watching him play the heroic Ujio in The Last Samurai. I was elated when he was cast. The British actor I hadn't seen before but he's excellent. And I am learning a lot about the history of the far east. I hadn't known about the involvement of the Portuguese in there.
More of the same please! My mind is blown...
Koffee with Karan: Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol (2023)
An episode that brings back memories
I took it upon myself to write a review because I was a bit astounded by the low ratings. Then, it dawned on me that these ratings were given by little kids whose parents themselves were teenagers when these two used to rule the box office in India. They just don't get the nostalgia associated with watching Sunny and Bobby Deol discuss their careers and their personal lives and also the joy of seeing an elderly Dharamji speak about his sons. They just don't get the context, and yet they keep rating everything in sight. Case in point: crappy Marvel movies are in the IMDB Top-250 list displacing cinematic masterpieces. It's just sad that the internet allows little kids to rate things and ruin it for a lot of people. I have started to ignore ratings nowadays. Perfectly good things are badly rated, and utter mindless drivel ends up being highly rated. There is a reason kids are not allowed to vote in elections.
They don't know any better!
Baksa Badal (1970)
A Satyajit Ray written rom-com gem!!
When I encountered this one, I wasn't aware that the great Satyajit Ray was associated with it. I was surprised to find out that the screenplay was written was him but it was directed by somebody else. With his name associated and his discoveries Soumitra Chatterjee and Aparna Sen starring in it, you couldn't possibly lose.
This is a romantic comedy (one wouldn't usually associate this genre with Ray) which involves the accidental exchange of identical looking suitcases whilst on a train journey. The protagonists opens the suitcases and find out that it doesn't belong to them. After going through the contents they start wondering what the other person is like and start making assumptions based on its contents (who wouldn't?). Does it lead to the meeting of the two owners of the cases? Do they fall in love? You have to watch it to find out.
It is a rare person from West Bengal who hasn't watched this film and it is universally loved. The actors were very popular in that era and went on to star in many more films and are cinematic legends. I would, however, warn you about holding a high expectation from this film. It is an out and out commercial pot boiler and not one of those artsy and intellectual fare one expects from Satyajit Ray. But don't be too quick to judge and dismiss it. It is a thoroughly enjoyable and a memorable film, the premise of which it still relevant today and would make a successful film in the box-office if remade in this day and age. I am giving it an 8/10 for pure entertainment value.
24 (2013)
Good start but it remains to be seen if the other 23 can maintain the momentum.
The Indian edition of the super hit American Series '24' starring Anil Kapoor as Anti Terrorism Unit (ATU) chief Jai Singh Rathod starts pretty well. We learn about the season 1 plot and get acquainted with the principal characters. It all looks very promising with a lot of plot twists in the first episode and a lot character development taking place. At least the first episode made me feel that the 23 following episodes will be interesting. Let us hope the American producers make sure the quality is maintained as regards to script and direction. As we know that in India, TV programming tends to lean towards the farcical side due to poor quality writing and production values and also because the target audience tend to be housewives. What i mean is that there is a plethora of people who actually watched the original series starring Kiefer Sutherland and in one season it actually guest starred Anil Kapoor. Lets just hope that this Indianized version lives up to the high quality of the original. 1 down, 23 to go. 4/5 for this episode.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
Cheesy ending to a cheesy series!!!
As I had not read the book, I was eagerly awaiting the part II of Breaking Dawn. I wanted to know what happens to Vampire Bella and her newly adopted clan of Vampires. And find out I did!! I just ended up watching the long awaited sequel of the immensely funny parody called 'Vampires Suck'. But this was Breaking Dawn Part II I had just watched. Or am I confused? Are they one and the same or not? You decide.
In any case, Bella apparently had a baby and we had seen in the previous edition that Edward had turned her into a vampire to save her from almost certain death while delivering the half human half vampire baby. That apparently is a threat to the Volturi and this leads to an all out war with the Cullens. A lot of ham acting, silly incidents, and CGI mayhem later, we finally got to leave, thankful that there aren't any more of this farce to wait for (stupidly, I might add),in the future. And to quote from 'FRIENDS' "This is two hours of my life, I am never getting back".
PS - This is not a finale like that of the Lord of the Rings: The return of the King (or I have an egg on my face for comparing the two)! Kudos to both Stephanie Meyer and Kirsten Stewart for creating and acting the asinine character of Bella respectively. I am sure a whole bunch of Razzie nominations await!!
Skyfall (2012)
Definitely,way better than its (Daniel Craig) predecessors...
I had watched this movie at its midnight screening and oddly enough I found it to be better than the other two Daniel Craig rendition of the man with a license to kill. That might be because of its director Sam Mendes (Academy award winner for American Beauty-2000) who actually tries to tell a story instead of making a mishmash of action and chase sequences, putting in a couple of really beautiful women, and of course the inevitable and implausible bond villains. It still has all that but this time it seems to have a coherent story line. If you have followed the work of Mendes over his career, you will be aware that he is a consummate storyteller and thats where Skyfall is different from its predecessors. It actually tell a story. It has a very stylized cinematography and has been shot in exotic locales. It has some surprise elements which will affect future Bond films (I am trying very hard not to give away spoilers). It also sheds a lot of insight into the origin of the man we have come to love and admire.
My only concern was the misuse of Javier Bardem as the villain Raoul Silva. Make no mistake,he is a brilliant actor but he seems to be miscast. His attempts to portray a megalomania-cal villain fit for the Bond genre fall flat as I believe his part was not well written. He tries to do justice to it but ultimately fails. Its a pity, as he was one of the primary reasons I went to watch the movie. And Adele's version of the opening track reminds us of the Shirley Bassey songs of yore (Goldfinger anybody???). Overall its a very interesting watch and its value for money.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
The best ever MI...Beats the first one hands down..
Ghost Protocol-Whatever that means, has laid down the ghosts of MI-II and III. They were good but not this good. Brad Bird's directorial debut shows that he's equally comfortable in a live action movie as he is doing an animated feature. The script chosen is top notch and the audience really was kept guessing as to what happens next. The locales were exotic-Moscow,Dubai,& Mumbai.
This is a Tom Cruise vehicle through and through. He shows us why he is the biggest star in the world save perhaps a few. He still does his stunts (or so I am told-at this age)and stunts in an MI movie were aplenty. Humor is also thrown in a liberal doses, which makes it refreshing. Simon Pegg tickles your funny bones, Paula Patton brings in the oomph factor - never seen her before but she's hot. Renner as Brandt has some skeletons in the closet but he's the new member in team Hunt. Wonder why they did away with Ving Rhames - he was good. Micheal Nyquist - Those of you who know who he is (Dragon Tattoo anyone?) is good in his character. Wonder where he got his British accent from (He's Swedish)? Or did they do a voice-over? And Tom Cruise is immaculate. The best action movie of 2011 and I am glad they didn't go the Arab terrorist route. Its well worth the watch. Money and time well spent.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)
The most sober vampire movie ever made!!
Breaking Dawn was the best novel in the Twilight series penned by Stephanie Mayer and as I found out a little while ago Twilight Sage - Breaking Dawn Part-I might be the best movie of the lot till date. The hallmark of Twilight series is the simplicity of the plot with a great emphasis on romance, and with generous bits of vampires and werewolves thrown in together. As a Harry Potter aficionado I at first didn't like the overtly simple tone of the novels (I still think Twilight would have turned into a work of art had a writer of J.K Rowling's caliber worked on it)but the intrigues of the Bella, Edward and Jacob trinity finally roped me in.
As any reader would know the movie starts with Bella and Edward getting married. I have seen a lot of movie weddings but I think this one would take the cake. The wedding scenes were simply spectacular and so was the locales selected for shooting. I could see the ladies in the theater practically drooling as the sight of such magnificence. Its a girl's dream come true - marrying the man of their dreams in a fantasy wedding and honeymoon and getting an awesome family too - At 18??. Which girl doesn't dream of it (or so my wife says).
Then the drama started. The kids did some acting for a change. I am not saying that I saw Brando,Pacino and Hepburn in action here but given the storyline and tween premise of the movie I would say they did well. Lets give them credit. They have been playing these characters for a while now. Anyway, I wouldn't give away the story as I am sure a lot of non-readers would be watching the movie so I ask them to go and find out for themselves. Anybody can sense that part two will be a lot more action packed as I think the book envisages a Deathly Hallows and The Return of the King kind of finale. Its not in the 'Godfather' category but I'm sure even non-fans will not begrudge some praise for this one. Its a couple of hours of solid entertainment(even in the mid-east with heavy editing). So go and watch it.
Noukadubi (2011)
Really stylishly and elegantly made!!!
A cinematic retelling of a Tagore classic where the predecessor (cinematic) boasted legends like Soumitra, Aparna Sen, Utpal Dutta & Rabi Ghosh is no mean feat. Rituporno Ghosh has attempted and succeeded in the hard task of presenting Tagore to a new generation of viewers bought up in this cyber era. Before you start watching you would wonder how a cast of Jishu Sengupta and the Sen sisters would hold up to the aforementioned cast. You would think that this endeavor would fall flat on its face due to the apparent inexperience of the present cast when compared to the old one but you would do well to trust the eccentric genius of Rituporno. Even though he has a habit of taking cinematic liberties (Chokher Bali for instance)this time he has stayed true to Tagore and interspersed the entire film with Tagore references and delightful selection of Rabindra sangeet. Its like a love song - a poetic tribute to our beloved bard. His knowledge of all things Tagore seems unparalleled. Its his effort that hides the acting inadequacies of this young cast. His presentation of this beloved tale makes you ignore that. You hardly even notice the lack of histrionic talent.
For a Tagore sophomore like me it was mesmerizing. And gut wrenching!! Tagore, through his work, had this ability to provide the entire spectrum of sheer joy and heart stopping pain. Such beauty! No wonder his work still outsells any modern work in Bengal. This movie combines the best of both world - Tagore's writing and Rituporno's direction. It should be watched by everybody who calls and thinks themselves Tagore lovers. This one linger long in your mind. Vintage Rituporno!! Feels like Tagore works are experiencing a renaissance....
Bhengeche Duaar, esheche jyotirmoy
Tomari hok joy!!!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011)
Very true to the book!! Excellent Finale!!
It was a very fitting finale for a saga that has endeared us to these three kids turned young adults. We literally watched the troika grow in front of our eyes, sharing their trials and tribulations, their joys and sorrows, their success and failure in equal measure. We now see them carry out the grand responsibilities entrusted on them and bring them to its logical conclusion. They suffer great losses while achieving it but they did manage to rid the wizarding world of its greatest scourge and in turn save us muggles (he-who-must-not-be-named had threatened to rid the world of muggles) as well.
Shot at great locales and powered by tour de force performances by our young thespians, aided by outstanding CGI effects the saga ends leaving an empty hollow in our chests. Whilst enjoying the cinematic journey in the theatre I was also overpowered by the sense of loss brought on by the realization that we wont be watching another one of these in the theatre again. I don't have any more to add as most of us know the books and so as a result knew what we were about to see. I had only one problem with this movie. There were some famous faces only seen in one or two scenes (Emma Thompson for instance). I wish they were given more screen time. All in all a great movie. Please go and watch it. Its a pity none of the HP films managed to gross over a billion. Some very pathetic ones did. Hope this one manages it aided by YOU.
Super 8 (2011)
Super 8 is superb!!!
I just watched it this afternoon!It surpassed my expectations which was heightened by the trailer. The trailer made me curious as to whether this was a sci-fi movie or a monster flick. There might be a lot of holes in the storyline but cinematic-ally the script was awesome as it kept me riveted to my seat. J J Abrams is turning into one of the greats of the cinematic medium. The concept/premise of the movie is nothing new but its the treatment that makes it such a delight.
We have a bunch of youngsters who are student filmmakers. While shooting a scene from their "zombie flick" they witness a train crash(that much you might have garnered from the trailer). The rest i leave it for you to watch as i might give away the storyline...
The strength of the movie is the young cast who puts in a superb performance..I loved them especially because most of them are completely unknown and fresh. That made them totally believable. We all know the Fannings can act. This movie has something in it for both teenagers as well as adults. The teen romance, loss of loved one, horrifying disappearances, military cover up...the list goes on. Its a good film to study if you are a budding script writer. Its teaches you how to write a movie that satisfies everyone.
Anyway...Its one hell of a popcorn flick.. I assure you..your wont repent watching it..Go watch it.
Iron Man 2 (2010)
A great follow-up!!!!
I was bored today and wanted to catch a movie. It was quite a shock when i found out Ironman II was playing. I was under the impression it was going to release on the 7th of May. Great!!I queued up and saw it, blessing my lucky stars!
Wow!It's amazing to see the number of actors joining the directors club. We knew Jon Favreau was good when we saw 'Elf'. He just keeps on getting better. This is phenomenal. I am afraid this movie is not for 'artsy' type. Girls and refined folks! Advice for y'all! Keep away. This ain't your scene! This is a plain and simple hardcore action movie with a great story and even greater action. Mind blowing action! Both the movies have great scripts. Favreau is lucky with that one. And awesome actors playing them. I am not gonna give away the story. I recommend you see for yourself.
If ever there was a 'Phoenix' in Hollywood, its Robert Downey Jr. A decade ago he was convicted and imprisoned. The only thing going for him was Ally Macbeal. Hollywood had written him off. Now he's headlining two big franchises. Tony Stark and Sherlock Holmes. Speaks volumes about his quality. He rose from his ashes. The other 'Phoenix' being Micky Rourke. He's just awesome as 'Whiplash'. I think i will add some 'Vankoism' in my vocabulary when i criticize any software...'Thees sooftwer ees sheeet' in a Russian accent.
I know i didn't give much of a review because i don't want to prejudice any potential viewer. All i am going to say is 'You will not be disappointed'. I leave you with that note and let you judge for yourself....
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Its pretty damn good!!!!!!
I agree that Ritchie and his team of writers have taken a lot of liberties in this movie but i think thats good or else it would have turned into the same costume dramas of yore. Ritchie's brought in his unique Tarantino like style and feel to this movie about a character that has had umpteen interpretations since the dawn of the age of cinema. Its fresh (even though it has a feel of 'Snatch') and in a lot of ways very interesting as the story tries to catch the essence of Conan Doyle with modern Thomas Harris like leanings. I would be very much interested in a sequel and i would also be interested as to who might be cast as professor Moriarty (Tom Wilkinson/Gary Oldman comes to mind)...Kudos to Ritchie. The divorce didn't dampen his creative juices.
Deep Jweley Jai (1959)
A heartbreaker & tearjerker par excellence!!!
If you are a Hindi movie buff you will most probably have watched 'Khamoshi'. In case you didn't know, this is the movie 'khamoshi' was inspired from. In all fairness both are excellent!I challenge anybody (not those without a heart and a soul)to watch this and not cry!!It will take some doing! Suchitra Sen plays a nurse in an mental asylum who falls for her patient. That tells you that everything doesn't end up 'happily everafter' for her.Man!How much pain can one take! Suchitra as usual is simply superb. You should see her expressions when the song 'Ei raat tomar amar' plays. That says it all! I had tears in my eyes.Anil Chatterjee as the patient is also great. Both movies had excellent soundtracks. Again Hemanta Mukherjee (aka Hemant Kumar in bollywood)at his melodious best. I guarantee you'll hum these for a while after the movie.
As the expression goes 'They don't make them as they used to. Not anymore!'I wish movies like these were made now but i cant see anyone good enough to play these characters. You need a depth in your soul to penetrate the complexity of the characters but i guess nobody is that deep anymore.
Watch this movie. Its an unforgettable experience!
Harano Sur (1957)
One of the Uttam-Suchitra classics!!
The plot of this one might have been played and rehashed over & over again in various Indian movies (bollywood & elsewhere). 'Sadma' starring Kamal Hassan & Sridevi comes to mind. One of the characters develops amnesia because of some kind of accident.Meanwhile they fall in love with each other.Then bang!The memory comes back and all hell breaks lose!!My point is that we have seen similar plots or variations of it many a times but this is one that started it all and it had Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen at their very best. That and that alone gives one the reason to pick out 2 hours from their busy lives to watch Uttam & Suchitra paint the screen red. The acting is gooood and you feel it(the love) inside you. Uttam doesn't have much of an opportunity to display his thespian talent as he is the one who loses his memory but Suchitra does. She's the one who went through all of that pain. Overall this is a fantastic movie. Watch it and i guess you wont regret!
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Fallacy (2003)
Transgender issues!!!!
I am a very big fan of this show and this is one of the most unusual episodes i have ever seen. I personally haven't encountered any person with a gender identity crisis but going by this episode i guess most people in an advanced and open minded country like the USA haven't either. I am not ashamed to say this but i sympathized with the character of Cheryl Avery 100% in-spite of what or who she is. Portrayed very delicately and beautifully by actress Katherine Moennig (oscar winner Gywneth Paltrow's cousin)i understood first hand what issues (mostly problems)people like Cheryl Avery goes through in their lives. Its sad enough that she is who she is because of hormonal imbalances in her body(unfortunately beyond her control) but society seems to have a huge problem accepting the fact that she is at peace with her problem and just cant let her be. People are virulently xenophobic and paranoid to even have an open mind about things they don't know and understand like the situation with Cheryl Avery. Its the truth. I am afraid i cant reveal much about Cheryl's problem without giving away a lot of the story (spoilers) so i must continue referring to her problem by being vague about it. I will certainly be kind and understanding to the Cheryl's i meet in life. This episode has done that to me. And it has a lot to do with the fact that i have fallen in love with Katherine Moennig. She was just incredible.Bravo! SVU. Hope for more episodes like this one.I became an even bigger fan of SVU because of this episode. Keep up the good work!!!
Hannibal Rising (2007)
Now we know why!!
On my recent Visit to the States I caught 'Hannibal Rising' with a movie critic friend of mine. Whenever I hear the word 'Hannibal' which by the way has dug deep into our psyche as a pop culture phenomenon, I am reminded of the red, blink less eyes of Sir Antony Hopkins toying with Clarice. 'Well! Hello! Clarice!' .But here we have no Clarice Starling and Antony Hopkins. This is about 'the making of Hannibal'. It's about how a young Hannibal becomes Hannibal 'The cannibal'. It's a prequel. Hollywood has had a tremendous amount of success with prequels in recent times. I even heard of the idea of creating a prequel of 'The Lord of the Rings' doing rounds in the Hollywood circles (Tolkien must be churning in his grave). And no wonder Mr. Thomas Harris (novelist) was also tempted and the funny thing is the book also comes out at the same time the movie does. So we don't have any way that we can compare. That's good strategy.
In any case let's talk about the movie. Any actor trying to fill Sir Hopkins's shoe will find it impossible but the producers did the smart thing by hiring an unknown French actor to play young Hannibal. That way we will have no expectations and this was set in a time when Lecter was yet to become who he was. We watch with awe and horror what happened in the early part of his life. We now know (from 'Hannibal' the book and this one) that Mischa and what happened to her played a very important role in turning Hannibal to the 'dark side' (sorry! Star wars).And he searches, finds and unleashes terrible revenge on those responsible. He slowly and inevitably becomes Hannibal 'the cannibal'. We watch the transformation with interest even though it feeds a lot on serial killer clichés. We also get to see a tender relationship with him and Lady Murasaki (China's Gong Li).
If you come to watch this movie my advice is to forget that the other 3 movies even exists. Or else you will inevitably start comparisons which this movie will not be able to withstand. I will rank this one inferior to 'Silence of the Lambs', at par with 'Red Dragon' and of course superior to 'Hannibal'. People who always wondered why and how Dr. Lecter was created will have their answers. Hopefully to their satisfaction! But I'm sure a lot of the critics are 'sharpening the pen' for a scathing attack on this movie but I advice you to ignore them. Go and watch it. Its fun. I give it 4.5/5
Disneyland: The Young Runaways (1978)
Good old kiddie movie!!!
OK!I agree that Disney has come up with family entertainers aplenty but there are some movies which may not be famous but can be very entertaining and may contain a hidden social messages that may not dawn on a lot of marble heads.This is one such movie.
The plot is fairly simple. Irresponsible parents have a bunch of children(4). They cant afford to take care of them so they place 2 of the middle ones under foster care. The other 2 kids masterminded by the eldest kid(a girl named Rosebud) give the parents the slip and go in search of kids placed in the foster home. Then starts the circus!Cops, media and bank robbers start looking for the kids, all for different reasons.A fun movie with a very happy ending.
In the beginning i have mentioned that this movie contains a bunch of social messages that should serve well to young people if they can decipher it.First and foremost, if you think you don't have the capacity ,necessary resources and skills to become a parent.Don't BE ONE!!Its better to be childless than putting your flesh and blood up for adoption.The Americans have a great foster care system but mistakes do happen.Some of these children get abused and eventually grow up to be emotional wrecks and even criminals. Teenagers should be careful cus 'doing it' can have a chain reaction of disasters.Unwanted pregnancies,16 year old mothers,and eventually foster care for the kid (though not in all cases). Anyway i didn't mean to scare y'all but it is never too late to take responsibility for your actions.
Ooh! And enjoy this movie!
War and Love (1985)
A touching love story amidst the horror of 'The holocaust'
I saw this one when i was young and right about the time i was beginning to have some of my teenage crushes. It taught me about how it felt when you lose something you cherish-your loved ones.I saw it again recently and i felt the pain of the characters in this movie again(proving that i wasn't a mushy teenager).
This may not be a very famous movie but i feel its like 'Titanic',both movies being love stories set amidst a backdrop of disaster.Here the backdrop being the second world war.It tells us the story of a youthful romance much like that of Jack and Rose in the Titanic.Here Jacek and Halina's love story is rudely interrupted by the German invasion of Poland(the story is set in Poland). Most of the incidents in this movie are true like the main characters joining a band of fighters fighting 2 whole German divisions in Warsaw and would have defeated them had their numbers were more. Then comes the inevitable concentration camp for our heroes. (I was not that aware of the horrors that the Nazis unleashed until i saw this movie and Schindler's List later that year)They really do go through hell after that and finds(i feel) shadows of each other.The war and the devilish concentration camps take their toll on them.I don't want to give away the story but this movie really captivates us from start till end. The fresh faced Kyra Sedgwick made me fall in love with Halina(who sadly suffers a lot because she is a Jew). This is a movie for romantics(i'm one) and is a thorough tear jerker.Watch the movie to find what happens to them.I am sure you will be haunted for a long time after this experience and you will and should stop taking your loved ones for granted.Love them cus they are here now and maybe gone tomorrow because of unexpected and uncontrollable events like what happened to Jacek & Halina.
Casino Royale (2006)
Best Bond since Connery
Bond is back and with a bang. I admit in the beginning i was very sceptical about Daniel Craig being Bond. He did not look the part.I thought Hugh Jackman would have made a very suave Bond. Brosnan was suave but i was tired of the one line double entendres that were written into the scripts. Sean Connery was the definitive Bond as he had that presence and the raw menace of a person with a "license to kill". Daniel Craig brings that back.He is lean and physically fit and is already a proved actor.And he also brings a Steve McQueen 'coolness' to the role.His introduction to the audience with an Honey Ryder style emergence from the sea in a bathing trunk is a great way to pay tribute to Dr.No - Where the legend/legacy was created. I was hoping that the series doesn't go back to the 'action-comedy-farce' era of Roger Moore (very good in his aristocratic demeanor but a secret agent-NO WAY).
The story is not overtly complicated. It goes back to the beginning-where it all started.That's refreshing for a change-a prequel.It has extremely gorgeous women. Eva Green(Benardo Bertalucci had remarked that she is so beautiful that its obscene) takes my breath away(most French actresses do). One thing i am grateful for is the lack of CGI. Its good old stunt work just like the old days. I'm no sexist but in the old films i was used to seeing Bernard Lee as M and since it is about the beginning where M was a man, Judi Dench (fabulous actress though)is a tad miscast.The villain wasn't villainous enough (remember Goldfinger,Blofeld?). All in all a great 'Craig' experience. Hope the next 2 installments with him are as good. Bravo!! Encore!!
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)
A complete ripoff!
This is one movie that i was forced to watch and i had to comply as Karan Johar's films are not bad. I was sorrily mistaken. I felt that it is a complete ripoff in two ways. One - it is a 75% copy of 'Falling in Love' starring Robert DeNiro and Meryl Streep with a lot of bollywoodesque melodrama thrown in and two - i got ripped off (i got parted with my money which i could have put to a better use). Some of the scenes were so badly acted ,i felt the footage of the 1st rehearsals was edited into the movie (maybe because of Amitji's illness or maybe to save money). The story sometimes is very incoherent and its too darned long. Except for Amitji (superb as always) the acting was uneven. The only redeeming factor i think is the music which merits the purchase of the album. My advice is that if you have something valuable to do skip this movie and and don't make Karan rich.
Joi Baba Felunath (1979)
Another great Feluda caper!
Feluda, The Bengali Sherlock Holmes comes alive on screen again in this highly entertaining film. Based on the book and characters written by Ray himself he did a great job in creating a good follow up to the highly successful and intriguing 'Sonar Kella The Golden fort '. Just like in the previous movie this one also contains a bunch of colorful characters played by the Crème de la crème of Bengali cinema most notably Mr. Utpal Dutta who plays a shady businessman involved in smuggling antiquities. This one is about a theft of a very valuable antique gold statue. So in comes Feluda accompanied by his faithful Topshe and the very hilarious Jatayu (Santosh Dutta at his comic best) and he is asked to investigate the theft by the owner and if possible retrieve the invaluable statue. The entire movie is set in the holy city of Varanasi and we get to witness a lot of the religious ceremonies associated with Hinduism and how the crime has intertwined itself with it. A lot of suspense and some very funny segments(especially the one with Jatayu and the knife thrower) make this movie totally worth the watch. It may not be a Sonar Kella but it definitely is in a class of its own. I recommend this film very highly. You will not be disappointed.
Goopy Bagha Phire Elo (1991)
Gupi and Bagha returns to dazzle again!
Gupi and Bagha have long since taken their place in the annals of Bengali cinema and of course, folklore! With two brilliant Gugababa movies already in the cans Ray owed his audience some more of that magic. This genre of films have enthralled young and old alike. So when this one came out it was difficult to get tickets. And wow! He's done it again. Gupi's singing and Bagha's playing and their magical shoes like before kept us spellbound. This story is about a evil wizard who was afraid of a boy who's supposed to be his nemesis but he doesn't know who(reminds one of Harry Potter.Doesn't it?Maybe she was inspired by it! Who knows?ET sure in hell was lifted off Ray's script that he had submitted to Universal in the 70's). So he kills/imprisons all boys in his 'kingdom'. The soundtrack and songs all composed by Ray (or is it?) himself was very good. Even though it doesn't compare well with the previous two this one is quite good. This is a good wholesome entertainer for the family and while you are at it catch the other two and you will have something to remember. Long live Satyajit Ray!
Shakha Proshakha (1990)
A great one from the master
This is one of Satyajit Ray's movies shot and released just before he died. Starring Ray regulars who I can say are the Brandos and Pacinos of Bengali cinema this film is one of a kind Deep and intellectual. It is a story of a family who was hastily assembled together in a colonial mansion by the deathbed of its patriarch who has suffered from a heart attack. The father is an idealist who was a freedom fighter and still is active in politics hoping that something could be done to correct the path the country (India) has taken (post independence) and stem the rot that had set in society. Gathered by his side are his sons who have all carved a distinct path through the maze we call society. Yes! They are successful. But his sense of failure comes from the fact his ideals and values have not seeped into the conscience of his off springs. The film shows the audience why and how that happened. Ultimately it's all about the rot that has set in the moral fabric of his family and his feeling how can he correct the society if he can't instill the same values in his family? This ultimately contributes to his sorrow, frustration and finally his death.
Had this film been a Hollywood project helmed by a A listed director and starring A listed actors this surely would have dominated the Oscars that year. The development of the story is brilliant and so is the direction (its Ray for crissakes) but people who don't like slow moving artsy movies won't share my sentiments. That's for sure. But for connoisseurs of Ray it's a classy picture. Do yourself a favor. Watch it!