Drive

Who wouldn't like this film? I mean Drive is that film which is likeable from every aspect. First of all, Ryan Gosling! and If this was a facebook comment section, I'd say "Enough said" but then it's a movie blog so I gotta tell you all the good things about this one. Here we go:

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn ( A Danish film maker who won Best Director at Cannes 2011 for Drive) the film is about a driver; an almost pococurante, low profiled, unnamed driver. (Ryan Gosling). He seems to get by in life by driving for movie scenes in Hollywood and for illegal activities. Things seem to be going okay until he falls in love with this neighbour, Irene (Carey Mulligan). Irene has a son and lives next to Gosling in a low rent apartment because her husband is at prison.

Mulligan and Gosling have a sweet romance blooming when the husband gets out of jail and he comes home with a truck-load of problems. He owes protection money to the bad guys and they won't let him off the hook. So Gosling decides to help him out for obvious reasons. 

Things go wrong when the heist they're on get out of control and suddenly the bad guys start coming after Gosling, one by one. 

I've always been a fan of Ryan Gosling. Firstly because he's such a good looking lad and secondly because there's more to that face than just the look. I mean for example, one of my favourite movies of all time is Lars and the Real Girl. Gosling is one of those few actors who evolve with every movie.He's portrayed the protagonist with so much ease. If you watch carefully, you'll find the consistency of his facial expression throughout the film and for a character like that, It's required. He does that without amplifying himself. 

The film is adapted from the 2005 novel by James Sallis. The screen-play has been written to perfection by Hossein Amini. Also one thing I really liked about the film was the casting in the beginning. It has this pink font and the music from the 80's. It's just one of those few techniques that a film maker can use brilliantly to capture the audience's attention without making it look like a cacophonous carnival . Drive has successfully managed to do that. 

It's a shame, the film wasn't nominated at the 84th Academy Awards.....at least in the Best Adapted Screenplay...Just saying!

Tiny Furniture

Tiny Furniture is a film that takes an effort to describe. You can call it a low budget American comedy-drama. What struck me about the film was that It was made by some one my age. (And here I am...unemployed and writing blogs that god-knows-who-reads!)

The plot centers around Aura, a college graduate who returns to her New York home where her artistic photographer mother and poetically talented younger sister live. Aura is at that stage in life- that one where you've accomplished something (in her case, a college degree) and the phase where you need to get your career going. Things begin to get difficult for her because she's clueless, exhausted and whats to think clearly but the simple things in life don't allow her to that.

It's a story about the relationship women share with each other. Aura and her mother seem comfortably close. She shares the same relationship with her sister, Nadine. Yet, they all have an issue with each other regarding life. Aura meets two men that complicate her life a little more. A youtube semi-celeb and a hot chef. These men like Aura but neither of them share a defined relationship with her.

Aura is looking to define herself in the dramatic web of an ordinary life. Of course the film holds metaphors show-casing the philosophies of the great play we call, Life. It's a film that keeps you engaged because there isn't any sensational or over-the-top drama happening. That's the best part about the film. It has the ordinary plot yet It's able to keep you glued to the screen. 

Funny People

Of Course when I see the trailer of any Judd Appatow film, I know that I must not miss it. Funny People is a movie that I personally like because It is that one film that sticks with you and makes you want to contemplate your own life. It's one of those movies that you watch with a smile on your face but for some reason It makes your heart heavy.

The movie is about a famous stand-up comedian George Simmons (Adam Sandler) who's screwed up his romantic life when he was young but who's doing fine and earned good amount of money and gained fame. He's doing okay until he finds out that he's diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. What happens to a man who makes people laugh, suddenly realizes that It's a n arduous task to even put half a smile on his own face? He meets Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) a struggling comedian and takes some sort of liking towards him. Simmons hires Ira and they try to deal with his life and the disease together.

One of the things that Simmons asks Ira to do is, make amends with his ex flame Laura (Leslie Mann). The drama begins with Simmons meeting Laura and her daughters and the spark from the past igniting and opening up a whole avenue of trouble for them. The Husband, Clarke (Eric Bana) unexpectedly arrives, creating more confusion, humor and seriousness in a perfect balance.

The film also focuses on Ira's relationship with his flatmates, Mark (Jason Schwartzman) and Leo (Jonah Hill). The typical selfishness yet the concern for one another that people living together go through and deal with.

It's the writing which works for this film. Judd Appatow does his best to bring the reality of pain. Whether you are a struggling young man trying to make it big, or you're a celebrity, when you go through pain, you can connect with each other. The irony of the film is that It's about people who are supposed to make the audience laugh narrating their fictitious chronicles, hiding their troubles and worry so that people watching them don't see the state of affliction. Appatow puts forth the truth everybody is looking for "Laughter"; some want to be the reason for it, while some want an object for their mirth.

Like I said, It isn't about brilliant cinematography or oscar-winning performances albeit  Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen do justice to their characters. I particularly like the scene where Simmon's doctor is talking to the two of them and they start throwing jokes on him about his European ethnicity. It isn't racist or anything. It is essentially funny!  It's the script that grips the audience watching the film. Watch It if you like a film that makes you laugh every now and then but makes you want to think and contemplate about life earnestly.

The Descendants

Alexander Payne, the acclaimed director of many films, such as Sideways, About Schmidt etc, has written the screen-play and directed the George Clooney starrer, The Descendants. Like most of his other films, this one's something between a comedy and a drama.

It tells the story of a man, Matt King (George Clooney) who is going through a troubled time when his wife, Elizabeth falls into coma, after a speed boat accident.  Matt is a lawyer in Honolulu and the sole trustee of a family trust that owns some thousand acres of land on the island of Kauai. With seven years in hand, before the trust expires, the King family must decide to sell it off to a worthy buyer. Matt is faced with this situation and his wife's coma, along with the responsibility of his two daughters, Alex and Scottie.

It is the story of a man, going through a a state of affliction while discovering the harsh realities of life that had been in hiding before his wife's accident. Of course, an actor like George Clooney never disappoints while portraying such a discomposed character. You cant help but empathize with the man, as he uncovers some truths that might make the situation worse. He is angry, he is confused, he is hurt and yet, he can't scream out and yell at the world for putting him in such a position.

The father-daughter relationship in the film has been handled very carefully. Whether it is his alcoholic elder daughter, Alex or the naive younger daughter, Scottie, Matt somehow seems to find the balance to guide them and lead them along. In fact, his relationship with Alex improves and the two team up together to face the ugly truth that Elizabeth left them to deal with. There are some parts in the movie that are funny, of course not like a total comedy where you'd be laughing till your stomach hurts but those scenes, which leave a smile on your face. At the same time, there are parts that wrench your heart and bring out tears in your eyes.

In simple words, the film is a perfect balance of drama and light hearted comedy. As usual, Clooney flawless and as usual, Alexander Payne gives you something to think about. 

50/50

Happy New Year All~ Okay first things, first! I know I've been super lazy but this year, things are going to be different! I figured out of the 6 billion people in this world, I do have a teeny-weeny bit of followers who love movies like me and who actually read my blog! So I've decided that now on, every month I am going to have at least FOUR movies reviewed! Yeah, that's right! One movie per week! So this I am starting this year with 50/50. Here we go:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Adam Lerner, a twenty-seven year old boy next door! He's the perfect man that most girls dream of! He obeys traffic rules, has a job and is in a relationship with a beautiful girl. His best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) is a a funny, opportunist yet charming-in-his-own-way kinda ordinary guy! Things are static but not boring for Adam and he goes on with his everyday chores, without complaints. However, one fine day, he discovers he has a rare kind of cancer.

That's when the real drama begins in the movie. It is the story of how Adam deals with this disease. Suddenly, there is that realization that he could be dead after a while. Dead and Gone! He begins to undergo chemo and  at the same time, seeks treatment from a therapist.

The film is based loosely on the life of the screen writer, Will Reiser and is directed by Jonathan Levine. Of course, what draws you to the film is not only good direction but just the right amount of reality portrayed by the lead character, Adam. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, does a fantastic job of depicting a poignant and helpless twenty something year old, without exaggerating or making his predicament seem unreal. Seth Rogen, as Kyle is so good in illustrating his character that he makes the audience believe that he could be that exact 'Kyle' in real life too! It's almost like he's not acting, he's just himself in the film. That's how smooth he is.

The story highlights Adam's relationship with the people around him and how they change or don't change after the diagnosis. It is that frightening experience an individual feels when he is thrown that one thing he least expects to be thrown with! The film has humor, of course and the funny lines are artistically balanced with drama so that the film doesn't appear to be a joke! It might have been a difficult task, taking something as serious as cancer and playing it half with drama and half with comedy!

This is not a film to be missed and It's something that can appeal to anyone, any age! A little warning, your tear glands are going to have a difficult time towards the second half of the film! 

Mausam

I know I've been so damn lazy and not regular with my blog posts. I doubt anyone is reading it anymore. LOL. Anyway I am back with my post and this one is special cos It's a Hindi movie that I am reviewing and also It stars my hottie and favourite Shahid Kapoor and the film released on my birthday this year! So here we go:

Mausam starts on a very fresh and happy note as Harinder Singh aka Harry (Shahid Kapoor) and his group of friends are having fun and doing all the things that young boys in Punjab in 1992 did! After a few fun filled and humorous scenes with Harry and the gang, in walks Aayat(Sonam Kapoor) a vulnerably shy and pretty Muslim girl who has fled Kashmir and has come to Mallukot, Punjab, to live with her aunt. The first half an hour or almost forty-five minutes of the film has a very crisp feel to it and you find yourself smiling and feeling the lead characters of the film.

However the movie shifts time and place and then Harry and Aayat are in Scotland after some seven years. They meet, they have their moments and the unsaid words are said and love is finally declared. However before Harry can make it official with Aayat's family, he is called back to India to report for duty. War breaks on the border and Harry doesn't have the time to explain anything so he rushes back. Aayat is left, feeling rejected and time doesn't wait for the lovers.

The movie begins to drag from here and the problem with the film is that, the year is supposed to be 1999 but the entire look feels like post 2000! One major flaw of the film. Anyway, other than that, Harry looks delicious and to-die-for as Squadron Leader and that might keep the women going. The separation is not enough for the lovers. In-between, they try to meet each other or at least pass messages to each other but they seem to be out of luck. Nothing works out for them so they wait, as life passes them by.

It's not like Mausam is a bad film. It just feels like Pankaj Kapur had such brilliant ideas and he tried to incorporate the real life events into a romance story and that would have worked, if he hadn't tried to make it so complex. Shahid Kapoor as Harwinder Singh is so believable and awesome but you do find him taking his character very seriously. Sonam Kapoor is as pretty as a doll and her expressions have actually improved from Aisha but other than adding beauty to the look of the film, she does nothing to make the film some sort of art. It is Shahid Kapoor who does everything in his power to push the film to an aesthetic level and like i said before, at some point, he over does it.

The film runs for three hours and If you are not an avid Shahid Kapoor fan, you may even want to walk out of the theater. The movie has a typical Bollywood ending but not before the lovers find themselves in a compound situation and they still have to unravel and tackle some obstacles before they can be together.

I was disappointed by the movie and by that, I mean the script of the movie but I enjoyed watched Shahid Kapoor in half-sweaters, smiling, stalking, change to a serious man in uniform and aviators. He was the sole reason for me to watch this film. If you like him as much as I do then you have to watch it. else, you can wait until the cable airs it on some channel and save your penny!

Zatoichi

Zatoichi is one of the longest running series of films and television series in Japan. It is based on the character of a blind 'anma' or a masseur, who wanders around, gambles in the town and at the same time is a skilled swordsman. There are have been many movies made about this fictional character. However, the 2003 version of Zatoichi, written, directed, co-edited and starring Takeshi Kitano is the most popular in and outside Japan.

Set in the Edo period, a small town in Japan is caught in the conflict of Yakuza gangs, fighting among each other for supremacy. In between are people who have to nothing to do with violence or the need for authority. The rich, the middle-class, the poor, all, are attacked by the gangs and forced to pay protection money or worse, murdered in cold blood. In that same town, arrives a ronin,with his beautiful lady; Two geishas, who bewitch the men with their beauty and charm and steal their money.

The blind swordsman, the outcast samurai, the pretty women...all cross paths; But to tell you even anything about how and where and when, would be letting out the secret of the mystery. That, is how interestingly the story of the film has been woven.

The gore and the blood splashed all across the screen is one of the most beautiful aspect of it, not because a grisly, hematic action sequence helps sell movies; but because the whole blood-spilling has been converted into a creative piece of art.

All the characters in the movie seem authentic. There is not a single character that has been forced into the story awkwardly. Every figure has its importance, be it the protagonist or the neighbour's son, who is a little loose in the head and runs all around the farmer's house, dressed only in his undergarments, carrying a war flag and pretending to be a samurai. Obviously, the tone of the movie is serious but then, many instances in the film have a comic relief. For eg: The scene where the farmer's nephew, Shinkichi is teaching three boys in the village how to fight like a samurai and the boys end up beating the teacher in the process. The film also has very touching scenes, where O-Sei and O-Kinu, the sibling geishas narrate their childhood tale.

Takeshi Kitano has crafted the entire film in such a way that after watching it, anyone and everyone will have only praises for it. He uses 'Rain'  as an important element throughout the film, along with 'Dance.' In the final sequence of the film, the well known Japanese tap dance troupe, The Stripes have performed, thus ending the film on an interesting, musical note.

The film has won many international awards and was the winner of the prestigious Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival 2003. 

Sikkim

The legendary Satyajit Ray made a documentary about the nation of Sikkim in 1971. Sikkim, then was under the rule of the Chogyal (The King) and was a separate kingdom. In 1975, Sikkim was merged with India and It became the 22nd state of the country. Some people call this film "Ray's Lost Film." Ray was trying to show the sovereignty of Sikkim through his work and around the early to mid 70's, Sikkim was experiencing a political turmoil with threats from China and India. The movie was made but then, as fate would have it, the political unrest got stronger and was banned by the government of India. The government feared that If the public viewed the film, sentiments would be stirred and the newly merged state would be torn apart.

The Ministry of External Affairs lifted the ban from the film in 2010 and with the Art and Culture Trust of Sikkim having the copyrights of the film, some of us got extremely lucky on the 6th of April 2010 when the film was screened for the first time in the world at Gangtok, Sikkim.

The film starts slowly... Images of people, the flora and fauna of the land cover the screen for more than five long minutes and no, I am not complaining. It's beautiful. It's like as if the images are telling you stories and Ray has managed to capture that poetic ambience whether It's a shot of the ropeway or the flowers or the Sikkimese people just staring right into the camera, expressionless.

Ray shows the simple life of the Sikkimese people in the 70's. The market scene, the schools, the agricultural life etc. One would find it hard to imagine that around the time when the film was being made, Sikkim was facing political differences and threats from other nations because the people in the film, the real people seem so calm and without a hint of despair!

The Pang Lhabsol (a festival celebrated by the Sikkimese to commemorate the conservation of Mount Kanchendzonga, which is unique to her people and who is also her guardian deity)  celebration at the Palace Ground has been captured with patience. Right from the preparation to the events of the day, starting with singing the nation's anthem and hoisting the Sikkimese flag, to the parade and cultural activities have been captured elaborately. The common people busy in their activities and celebration while the ***Achar (masked dancers who move and jump around comically) are so real that at times when you are watching the film, you are likely to feel that time hasn't moved.

One striking fact that Ray has managed to capture about Sikkim is the reality of the land. No CGIs or edited images...exact images of the beautiful waterfalls, the lush vegetation, the simple people, the tolerant people, who watch a Christian preacher giving sermons on a Sunday in a market place with much amusement and respect at the same time! Ray has somehow captured it all in that 60 minute clip. Truly, he is the Master of such poetic cinema!

This documentary may seem boring and irrelevant to many people but for every Sikkimese like me, this film is something that traces our origin, gives us an identity and something that we all should be grateful to Satyajit Ray for creating it because It is about our land; It is of our people; It is for our people! This power of Cinema that crosses borders and brings people together to tell a story is the amazing power that can change the world.

In the closing scenes, Ray captures the smiling faces of happy children, amused at the camera, giggling, laughing and smoking. When the film finishes and the end credit rolls, every Sikkimese watching it will feel a sense of pride, sweeping over like a strong gust of wind, making you a completely new person, making you a blessed child of the land.

NOTE:***Achar: The term actually originated from the word, Acharays who tried to preach and spread Hindusim in Sikkim and Tibet. However, Hinduism did not gain the same popularity as Buddhism. This form of dance was introduced to actually poke fun at the Acharayas.  [from "The Sacred Summit" by Pema Wangchuk and Mita Zulca]