Gone Girl

Once in a blue moon comes a movie which makes you sit out and watch it closely. I am not talking about those giant studio movie like Lord of the Rings or Marvel ones, but rather the ones with such an awesome storyline, a writer’s film.

I heard of the reviews that the movie is nice but after watching I realise how great it is, One friend summed it up perfectly , watching it was like “blessing in disguise”. The twists and turns were splendid, but from my point of view what I liked in the movie was the female character of Amy Elliott-Dunne, played by Rosamund Pike , I have never seen any other of her movies in which she has acted this well.  I actually felt vindicated when I saw this movie, the assumption of a woman as pure, non-violent , non- twisted, naive, a doormat in a relationship, sufferer etc is trashed completely here (Do I sound misogynistic , well that is for the reader to judge and not for me to comment )  . This movie’s story does puts marriage in a perfect prospective and who is capable of controlling whom in it.

 

The husband Nick Dunne (played by Ben Affleck) in the movie is accused of killing his wife who has disappeared  and is shown as a psychopath, as he lack empathy towards his wife (not knowing who her friends are , even her blood type) when quizzed by officers on her wife and then that Search photograph which is taken of him in which he is smiling. I accept that he is not the “perfect husband”, he cheats on his wife with a hot young girl but what he gets in return, I don’t think any man will want. The wife twists the entire investigation and makes it appear that he is the reason for her death, in fact he drives her to death. The thing which stands out in the movie is narration done from wife’s angle , how she wants to make him “feel” the pain.

I read somewhere that the author was a feminist (catch that ! ) and wondered that she killed feminism by writing the book , which was transformed into movie. I think she has done a good job , where she has shown the Anti-hero behavior a woman is also capable of , not the domain of men only. Plus, what is with feminist and women suffering issue, this movie proves the extend a woman will go to make her man suffer.   It is also said that the Gone Girl is based on Agatha Christie ‘s real life, when she went missing.  The Author Gillian Flynn is a fan of Agatha Christie.  In one interview the writer talks about such unhappy ending, stating that they are truth (to which I agree, we should address in books and movies which is real , not always fantasy stuff ). I really liked such an unhappy ending she gave to the book and then the movie, after all life is never sugar coated. The best are those movies which are adapted from good books and has shades of grey in it, in Hollywood they do it more often , in Bollywood however , there are very few people who do it well, Vishal Bhardwaj, Gulzar and Anurag Kashyap are ones which I remember and know currently (in 1960s and 1970s there were many) .

I loved the movie and watched it thrice at home, after watching it on cinema hall for the first time, I think I might give a go to the book also, when I have free time.

There are two line which his lawyer and the investigating offices says to him in the end, which stand out.

1. You two fucked up people are made for each other
2. Just don’t piss her off

The movie from the viewpoint of young people is a total nightmare, in which you may walk in unsuspectingly i.e a “fucked up Marriage” with a total psychopath. No wonder, you would question the futility of marriage as they are doing world over after watching the movie, the movies which make you question are the movie worth watching, just like some books are worth reading, since time is way to precious to be spent on no-brainers (like they make these days in Bollywood and which earn millions).

 

Box Office:

The movie was released on 3 October 2014, made at a cost of $61 Million  and has grossed $331 Million, now that is success both financially and critically.

 

 

 

The Wrestler – Movie review

I was browsing over IMBD database and had a look at this movie. In the interviews with the actors which airs at set pix channel, I saw Mickey Rourke having conversation with the host of  Inside the Actors Studio (James Lipton). The James Lipton talked about Mickey’s life and this movie, well the whole interview was good and it did bring an insight about the Mickey’s life and personality but this movie was  the main drawing point. It is directed by the acclaimed director of Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky which got nominated for five Oscars. (He also directed Requiem for a Dream).

Therefore I  decided to watch it. The movie basically revolves around Mickey Rourke as a wrestler past his prime in 1980s  living his life presently.

He has a strained relationship with his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood)  and pretty much is up with  some specified wrestler friends for company. He befriends a stripper,Cassidy ( also past her prime) played by Marisa Tomei. She has a son but wishes to not talk about it.

The movie was  intense just like all the other movies of Darren Aronofsky. The camera work was also good. When the movie starts you are rarely able to see the actors face for like 4 mins. All the shots are from back of his head.  I think those who have seen Requiem for a Dream would be able to see relation in the intensity of the camera work. The movie depicts the Randy (Mickey) taking steroids before fights which leads him to have a heart attack. The doctors say that he cannot fight anymore. He quits fighting only to return later as one fan recognized him serving at a food joint.

During the last scene,  Cassidy approaches him not to fight as she had shrugged him away earlier, when Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey’s character) approaches with a proposal. She asks him not fight as his heart condition will deteriorate and he will die. She says that she is here for him. He goes ahead with his fight saying that the fans are his real family and this is all he has got, they listen to him. That he is heard somewhere.

While fighting, Randy’s heart starts to give way. The movie ends when Randy begins his signature finishing move, a diving head butt called “The Ram Jam”. He climbs the top rope and stands up. In tears, he salutes the crowd and leaps as the screen abruptly cuts to black and the movie ends.

It is a good movie but those with a stomach to watch intense stuff should have a go, for others it will be a tough ride. As far I go, well I find intense movie better and more real in addressing human relationships. So my advice would be one should give it a shot, it is a very good movie.

Native american movies

Alright, so in continuation with the last post of mine about native americans in movies, I wanted to add some points. I forgot to mention that there are indeed some great movies which are based on native americans. They are beautifully pictured and were in an era from 1990-1996. Some followed few years after but it was these 6 years that set the tone for classic native american movies.

This includes one anime movie which girls in particular love and the latest of all was the biggest grosser in the world till date (which didn’t get the Oscar for the obvious political reasons). The names are pocahontas and Avatar.

(Avatar is an Indian name meaning though some insecure Indians (Indians in south asia,near China) due their inferiority complex among white people choose to pronounce it “Awataur” which is how a British or an American pronounces it.when an Indian chooses to correct the fellow mispronouncing Indian,then they would use their “educated” speech,about how educated they are and that they come from a family of “educated” Indian people, in short they will still pronounce it “Awataur’. No wonder they still consider themselves inferior.)

.

The list of the movies which came and those I liked are as follows ( I have seen all of them and found each one worthy of a recommendation)

• Legends of the fall (1994)
• The last of the Mohicans (1992)
• Dance with wolves (1990)
• Geronimo (1993 )
• pocahontas (1995)  ( This was based on life story of Pocahontas )
• Smoke signals (1998)
• Hidalgo (2004) ( This is a lovely movie of a man’s relationship with his horse)
• Avatar (2009) ( The underlining political movie, banned by china, It was made more in terms of the European settlers removing the “barbarians” for the precious “resource” )
• Apocalypto (2006) (Some say that it includes native americans also along with the Mexicans, a history when spanish expedition ships landed on american soil, therefore I included here)

I have been able to find a website that offers the best native american movies, though the biggest problem is downloading them. Many of these movies are unavailable in form of torrents so that does cause some problems.

The site is http://www.bluecorncomics.com/namovies.htm, It provides a good detailed insight of movies and TV show of the native american culture.

The site also offers some native american TV shows, again they are tough to be located on net as there is no torrent for them and are not seeded.

Road to sangam

The film begins with a slow start with a journey of ashes taken from a state bank locker by an individual. On the other side of the film where to stories are running side by side we are introduced with Hasmat Bhai (Paresh Rawal), general secretary to the local Mosque Committee in Allahabad (UP seems to be the flavour of the week at the movies). He’s a mechanical engineer, also called a `mistry’ in Hindi, as he informs someone. Passionate about his work, Hasmat is excited to receive an old Ford car engine for  repairing work. The machine has been sent by the government; the city museum to be precise. The work is near impossible given the state of the machine, but Hasmat is all the more ready for it. The deadline too is demanding, and he gears up his small team to get o with the work.

Around that time, bomb blasts rock the city, causing the police to pick up random suspects. That these suspects are all Muslim and many with no criminal background angers the community. The mosque committee initiates a protest march during which  a young member of the community dies. Om Puri who plays the head honcho of this outfit speaks with a command egged  by his maulvi assistant (Pawan Malhotra, fabulous and Unknowable due to his makeup ). They decide that all Muslims in the area shut shop until they hear an apology from the government. Members who fear for their livelihood, didn’t dare protest.

Halfway done repairing the Ford engine, Hasmat is in two minds whether to pursue or give the work up. While he wishes to be with the committee, his professionalism doesn’t let him break the commitment easily. The twist comes when a TV reporter informs him of the stature of the car engine. This was the very same motor that had carried Gandhi’s ashes right after his death in 1948. If repaired, this engine would make the same trip that it had made with the Mahatma’s ashes to the Sangam River where Yamuna and Ganga meet. Now, on discovering that the government had forgotten about this last container of his ashes, this yatra to the Sangam has been organised. Alarmed and honoured, Hasmat’s dilemma deepens.

The film then explores Hasmat’s struggle to follow his chosen path; a decision that proves to be harder than he imagined. The film creates an emotion in which patriotism is main forth above any religion using Mahatma Gandhi as core value of the movie. First time director-writer Amit Rai  pulls up a great act and this film is definitely to watch out for with a power pack actors in the film ,the important subject and well furnished writing ,I give it 4 out of 5.

• Paresh Rawal – Hasmat Ullah
• Om Puri – Mohammad Ali Kasuri
• Pawan Malhotra – Maulana Qureshi
• Javed Shaikh – Dr. Banerjee
• Swati Chitnis – Aara
• Masood Akhtar – Zulfikar
• Yusuf Hussain – Gaffar

Writer and director – Amit Rai

Producer –Amit Chheda, sunil sharma

The role of a soft power : India

One has always been amazed by the awe that Americans and their culture command over the world, the fact most of us in the east aspire to become like the Americans “the cool westerners “. Is there no short coming in that nation , is it plain picture perfect ?

Well answers to those questions  will surely be given by politicians and sociologist but something which one knows and had a personal experience is the influence of american movies and its show and adding to the toping is its music industry. Americans have been able to pursue themselves as the loved ones at least that is what most of us think, unaware of the politics.

The american dream is reinforced by the movies , it is always cool to watch an american movie or either to catch in the new happening show ” The Big Bang Theory“, ” Prison Break” or the all time favorite of all youngsters  “F.R.I.E.N.D.S ” .

US apart from the invasion spree does some how hold out as a country to be a part of , even thought the adults in the rest of the world might think otherwise (especially middle east) , it is the ability to be a “SOFT POWER”  which stands out. People want to buy products which are available there , love their movie stars , even God worship them and their President Obama is more famous than our own president Mrs.Patil.

So how was it made possible what no amount of Imperialist ways could do, well simple love or soft power ?

Now India if it truly wishes to become  a superpower then apart from the seat in United Nations Security Council, they need to export their culture so that the way the youth of today in our country identify and aspire the culture of US someday the youth of the world would want to aspire our culture and that aspiration will be a key step towards a global superpower.

Vishal Bhardwaj and his movies

Vishal Bhardwaj is the name to reckon with these days in Hindi cinema. His movies are always successful but there is an uncannily similarity in the the place where the movie is set up or the characters in the movie , most of them are Brahmins and that too from the state of Uttar Pradesh may be because he is also from there. Be it be the Omkara of Omkara , Guduu of kaminey or the Krishna Verma of Ishqiya

One feels that he is on a quest to make Brahmins of Uttar Pradesh to be cool though many could argue that these have been just the recent movies where his characters have been such, but in reality wherever his role was as director he has always done so.

His recent movie kaminey touches upon the migration issue in India which is very sensitive where a boy from Uttar Pradesh brahmin family marries a marathi girl and all hell breaks lose and his twin brother is into earning money the wrong way.

Then comes his movie Omkara which has been a smashing success , it was again focused on the the Brahmin character where the main protagonist is Half Brahmin and not to mention the film is based in Bhardwaj’s homeland Uttar Pradesh.

Then his latest release Ishqiya deals with another brahmin protagonist but this time it was a female and she is searching for her “dead ” husband but has two lovers for her who are Muslims. Probably Mr Bhardwaj was trying to do always with the “Brahmin chauvinism ” where his characters were male and they got away doing almost everything. His wife rekha Bhardwaj too is an exceptional singer and provides deeply melodious songs for his movies varying from naina and beedi in omkara. Her voice is classic and the singing style very spiritual, the recent song in movie Raavan name “ranjha ranjha” is also sung by her.

Certainly when you have got everything in your house ranging from writer to director to composer to singer to producer you can make movie as per your choice which is a done deal but one would  feel that an able director and writer like Vishal Bhardwaj must not confine himself  and his characters to certain communities or regions.

The following are his movies list :

2011	Saat Khoon Maaf	Director
2010	Ishqiya	Composer, Writer, Producer
2009	Kaminey	Composer, Director	Nominated Star Screen Award For Best Director & Star Screen Award For Best Music Director
2008	Haal-e-dil	Composer
	U, Me Aur Hum	Composer
2007	No Smoking	Composer, Producer
	Nishabd	Composer
	Dus Kahaniyaan	Writer (Dialogue & Screenplay)
	Blood Brothers	Director, Writer (Dialogue)
	Migration	Writer(dialogue)
2006	Omkara	Composer, Director, Writer (Dialogue & Screemplay	Won the Special Jury Silver Lotus Award of the National Film Awards, India Nominated Filmfare Award for Best Director Won Cairo International Film Festival, Best Artistic Contribution in Cinema of a Director Won Kara Film Festival Best Music Director Nominated International Indian Film Academy‘s Popular Award for Best Dialogue, Best Director, Best Music Director, Best Screenplay(shared) & Best Story Nominated for Star Screen Awards for Best Director Omkara
2005	The Blue Umbrella a.k.a Chhatri Chor	Composer, Director, Producer	Won the Golden Lotus Award for Best Children’s Film at the National Film Awards, India. Shared with Ronnie Screwvala
	Ramji Londonwale	Composer
	Bhagmati	Composer
2003	Maqbool	Composer, Director, Producer, Writer (dialogue & screenplay)	Won International Indian Film Academy‘s Technical excellence award for Best Dialogue & Best Screenplay(shared withAbbas Tyrewala)[14] Nominated for the Golden Kinnaree Award for Best Film at Bangkok International Film Festival Won the Zee Cine technical Award for Best Dialogue and Best Screenplay Nominated for the Zee Cine Award for Best Director & Best Story
	Paanch	Composer
	Chupke Se	Composer
	Danav	Composer
	Kagaar: Life on the Edge	Composer
2002	Makdee	Composer, Director, Producer, Writer (Story & Dialogue)	Won 2nd Place, the Adults Jury Award, at the Chicago Children’s Film Festival in the ‘Live-Action Feature Film or Video’ category
	Mulaqat	Composer
2001	Love ke liye kuch bhi karega	Composer
	Choo Lenge Akash	Composer
2000	Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar	Composer
1999	Hu Tu Tu	Composer
	Godmother	Composer	Won the Silver Lotus Award for Best Music Director, part of the National Film Awards, India
	Jahan Tum Le Chalo	Composer
1998	Daya	Composer	Malayalam film
	Chachi 420	Composer
	Satya	Composer
	Sham Ghansham	Composer
1997	Betaabi	Composer
	Tunnu Ki Tina	Composer
1996	Maachis	Composer	Won R D Burman Award for New Music Talent
	Sanshodhan	Composer
1995	Fauji	Composer

Love ,sex aur dhoka (LSD)

Love, sex aur dhoka is a 3 story film which has been for one gained critical acclimation from all the people perhaps because it is “path breaking”  movie not to say that that it “inspires” it from movie look , UDAAN ,DPS MMS scandel, Jat honour killings and yes shakti kapoor casting couch ways. I wonder is it ekta kapoor’ s way of getting back to her critics or people she doesn’t like.

Story 1 :

The most importantly the 1st story about “upper caste” girl and “lower caste” boy is essentially about jat girl and quota boy.  The girls name is “Shruti Dahiya” , Dahiya is jat clan in Haryana and sonipat district and why not make a film out on the atrocities after all the topic is high on Indian population’s imagination, recent honour killings ( Good for business of the movie, any way the whole world seems to think that jats have a shitty culture, not to mention “not allowing” their women to sleep (sic) sorry make love with whom they want; that is sooooo Medieval not to mention ancient and CHEAP )

Now all girls of JATs can take notice of it and fight for their “love” as India is with them, f*** these big ego highly sexual chauvinistic Jat men (look at poor Mallika sherawat she wanted to run naked and they didnot allow her, so backward, cheap and ancient. Now since she is “strong” and “emancipated” she cannot be found with much clothes on), F*** them.

STORY 2:

The second story revolves around the MMS scandel that rocked DPS and the nation with it. At least the promoters of movie are certainly into it. This time two new comers are there, the girl who is pictured here is some attendant at a shop and is lured on the pretext of the bet between two friends.The story is average but certainly a seen was “exceptional” which people want to see. The female in real life says that her parents never watch movie and it was on behest of her neighbors that her family got to know about her little adventure , the shocking story director wanted people to see might not be able to shock others or  but certainly Miss Chauhan’s parent will be shocked after watching this movie !

Story 3 :

The story three is about shakti kapoor simply !

Watch it yourself and tell that it is NOT a copy of Movie LOOK, though Miss Ekta Kapoor might not agree and neither will her director who had this brilliant “innovative” and “creative” idea upon watching thousands of short movies in the “competition” they organized. Nice seems like mahesh bhatt has competition now.

The SHkati kapoor scandal has already played it part but still it seems that dibakar banerjee was more inclined to catch on the “voyeuristic ” nature of Indian audience but yes it is all “real” and experimental to say and not “copied” but “refreshing“. Some critics went on to give them 4/5 rating some even gave 4.5/5 , after all why NOT ?

These very critics seem to have got bored watching lovely-dovely movies and wanted something to” shocks” them , not to say “amuse them”. The fact that the movie gives “a message” that is Indians are voyeuristic but certainly are helping in the very lines they accuse others of ( Hypocrite, nooo they are just movie makers trying to make a living , “shocking” people) . Not to mention that they are paid to watch these movies and most importantly sometime (paid under the table, sorry for the bureaucratic word) supported in finding true cinema, after all it is India ( Everyone has got a right).

A BBC series that you are more likely to enjoy than the movie and is certainly MORE realistic !

The cast are as follows :

• Anshuman Jha ( The Uday chopra oh sorry adi chopra Fan, need i say more)
• Shruti aka Miss Braocha ( Shruti is not her real name, probaly walking on mallika sehrawat‘s footsteps)
• Raj Kumar Yadav ( Trying to make his mark using MMS)
• Neha Chauhan ( her family reportedly doesn’t watch movies, surely them will be in for a shocker watching her banged)
• Amit Sial ( Trying to make his mark using sting operation)
• Arya ( The girl who got Aaaooouuuu )
• Harry Tangdi ( aaaaooouuuu, yes guessed it RIGHT !)

and the director : Dibakar Baneerje ( fame of Oye lucky lucky oye, Khosla ka ghosla, probably feeling the direct “offbeat cinema” via LSD or i guess Ekta Kapoor syndrome getting to him)

Freedom writers

One the most remarkable movies depicting gang violence and racial tension in US . The way it is written and shown states the fact that how writing does bring a revolution changing perceptions and how a good teacher could really make a difference in students’  life if she/ he has a desire to do so.

What the movie also emphasis is that how much “RESPECT” is important in day to day life activities and why individuals fall back to their respective groups and communities.

It is reflection of human behavior and violence and how kids deal with it.

I loved the movie , hope u too.

Movies : art of story telling !

Movies in India by the contemporary masses is watched a lot but the subject or the data it is made on makes it a topic of debate.

The other day one was having discussion with an old friend that movies are so educating and so realistic, but he laughed off the idea citing reasons that stupidity subjected in Indian and Hollywood cinema can never be classified as intelligence.

One didn`t debated much on the topic because he was partially correct, the movies that hit market on a daily basis are “commercial “oriented and is made to delight the consumer and allow her/him to wander in dreams to places where her/his pocket cannot take and think about the fantasy man/woman she/ he might never be able talk to or be with.

In the lines on Raj Kapoor : I sell dreams….

 

Though present day directors, notably Anurag Kashayp , Vishal Bharadwaj , Imtayaz Ali and Farhan Akhtar are trying to experiment , alot needs to be done so that more in the likes of my friend could appreciate the art of story telling, which has had a special place in our culture instilling correct values and morals.

It may be the 60`s of Manoj Kumar, 70`s and 80`s of Amitabh Bachchan,90`s and 2000`s of shahrukh khan films have been good with some “blunders” going side by side.

• Mother India : A film on distress faced by the farmer and his family. A story of a poverty-stricken village woman, who in the absence of her husband, struggles to raise her sons and survive against a shrewd and machiavellian money-lender among many troubles. She sets a goddess-like moral example of an ideal Indian woman. 

• Upkar : Manoj kumar fim is still acclaimed and respected across previous generations. It is a movie showing contrast between two brothers and their ideals. It showed Pran in an iconic character.

• Sholay : Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, hema malni…. the film was an epic.

• Chak de and Swades : These were movies with good concept and trying to rake in good emotions.

• Taree Zameen pe : directorial debut of Aamir Khan was a good reflection of a dyslexic child and his parents inability and reluctance to accept his problem.

• Dev D A remarkable make over of modern youth, his fight with his self destructive nature and his journey in finding himself and true love.

• Libaas a very hard hitting movie of its time, focusing on womans` desires where in her husband is in extra marital affair featuring shabana azmi and raj babbar.

Movies have been a source of education and representation of weak, complex,searching unvoiced masses.

Though some movie do become a tool for propaganda also due to directors` or producers` past experiences, they might try to hit at certain communities more than other due their deep vengeful behavior though citing the reasons that the are exploring it, but rather exploiting it.

but yes with a the big but :the quality of content is a cause of concern getting item songs in movie and no good script will lead to erosion of respect among the movie goers. Hope the makers have a sense of that.