One flew over the cuckoo's nest
(Reviewed Sep 25, 2004). Jack Nicholson is undoubtedly one of the best actors that hollywood cinema has ever seen. His acting is extremely versatile and he has done many different kind of roles while not getting stereotyped and doing justice to every role that he has done.Without giving many details out, this movie revolves around Jack Nicholson arriving at a mental institution and his observations while in the institution. He apparently has arrived from a jail on a pretext and finds out how the caretakers of the institution actually perform their duties.
This movie is partly funny, partly exciting, somewhat sad and a little inspiring. Highly recommended.
Amadeus
(Reviewed Oct 4, 2004) The movie is about the story of the musical genius Mozart. Like many other talented artists, Mozart, even though a genius when it came to music, was a very impractical man. He could not understand people and why their ego would come into play as far as music was concerned. A piece of music was either perfect or it was not. If it was, irrespective of your ego, you had to appreciate it. Unfortunately for him, his rivals did not share his view. This story deals with such rivalary and the sad demise of Mozart. The story becomes very interesting because you can see the conflict in his rival. The conflict that he really appreciates Mozart's music but does not want to admit it and how it is really tearing him apart.I once read a story in one of my books in high school. I think it was called "Man in the gray mask". Anyway, it dealt with a fantasy story where death itself comes to Mozart wearing a gray mask and asks him to write a musical piece on death. Mozart starts on the piece but does not feel compelled to finish it. Eventually, the death comes to claim Mozart and he asks for a little more time to finish his composition. Death makes the statement that it does not wait for anyone and takes him. The last composition of Mozart thus remains unfinished... If you have an appreciation for fine art and music there is a very good chance that you will end up liking it. Highly recommended
The Cell
(Reviewed on Oct 4, 2004) Well, I saw this movie on TV some time back but what the heck. This movie is about a serial killer who was mistreated in his childhood and grows up to be, er, a serial killer. I would say, this is one of Jennifer Lopez's better movies.So, the story starts off by showing us a trail of women that the serial killer has killed and a woman that has been abducted. The police is racing agains time to save this woman. They catch the killer in time but he has been paralyzed by a sudden attack when they catch him. Jennifer Lopez works in an institution which can connect people on a brain activity level aka she can enter other people's mind and probe. Well so the story goes...
Actually, the movie is fascinating. The vision that the director has regarding what goes in the mind of a serial killer, hmm, makes you think for a while. The effects are quite good. But overall the movie is just so so. If you don't have anything better to do, you might give it a shot
Spiderman-2
(Reviewed Oct 4, 2004) OK, now this movie, I watched really long time ago but I found it very touching. Everyone knows what and who spiderman is and about his dual life. It is a basically an action movie but it has its other side too. Don't become judgemental from the name.What I really like about the movie (and I believe that spiderman 2 has really left spiderman-I far behind) is the way that the director has successfully portrayed the conflict in the character of spiderman. The only superhero who is shunned and criticized, but has no choice but to continue to save those very people who hate him. A girl who he loves but cannot profess his love to. Forced to live a life of ridicule and poverty...
So, I liked the action, but what I liked more than the action was the emotional content of the movie. This is far by the best Tobey Maguire move that I have seen to date (and that includes seabiscuit). Highly recommended, though you might think otherwise
K-PAX
(Reviewed on Oct 4, 2004) Well, well, well I would say you might have watched a lot of movies like this, there is a twist in the story but pretty much rest of it is not so novel. A guy (Kevin Spacey) appears out of nowhere in an airport and claims to be from a distant planet called K-PAX. Obviously, he is sent to the mental institution where he does many wondrous things for the patients. The doctor is thoroughly confounded but nevertheless attempts to unravel his mystery.So anyway, despite a somewhat weak story line, the movie has been well directed and is watchable at least once. Above average, worth spending the blockbuster fee on
The Last of the Mohicans
(Reviewed on Oct 5, 2004) The movie deals with the war between the British and French (with help from Red Indians) and a love story that forms in the midst of all the war and misery. The story revolves around a British army commander, a Red Indian, his adopted white son and the daughters of the british commander.The movie has been directed really well, the scenery shown is really awesome and the concept of the movie is also quite good. Any given day you can watch it and feel good and a bit sad. Highly Recommended
Requiem for a Dream (Yr. 2000)
(Reviewed on Oct 5, 2004) Let me start by saying that by the end of this movie you will be gloomy and if you ever get blues, well this will be the time. The movie is disturbing. It deals with the lives of four people who get into the habit of drugs. It deals with the loneliness that old people detached from their families incur and what drugs can make you do.Well if you are adventurous and you can take it, this movie is for you. The movie has a different style of presentation. Through repetition with slight variations and bombarding you with somewhat random snapshots of people's life the impact of the movie has been heightened. Recommended. Don't watch alone. Don't watch when gloomy. Don't watch at 3:00am in morning.
Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai, Yr. 1954)
This movie reminded me of the movies made in 60's and 70's in India. The dacoits would come and pillage the village. Eventually, with the help of someone or the other, the villagers would repel the dacoits and everything would be good again.So, in a remote village in Japan, the villagers lose everything because a band of 40 bandits raids them everytime the crops are ready. So they go the city to hire samurai to protect them. Unfortunately, they are so poor that they cannot provide any financial incentive. The only thing they can provide is food for the samurai. Finally, the manage to pursuade seven samurai to come to their village... Recommended. Lengthy and made in Black and White
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind (2004)
"Hmmmm, interesting!", is what I exclaimed when I watched this movie. This movie even though based basically on the time tested concept of "understanding-what-you-have-when-you-lose-it" has been presented in a totally different and mind blowing way.The story revolves around two people who, when the tough times in the relationship arrive decide to go to a clinic which erases memory and have their memory modified. Of course when the memory is getting erased is when they realize what they are losing. The name of the movie comes from a quote by Alexander Pope:
How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!Highly recommended
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;
Miracle
(Reviewed Nov 1, 2004) This movie is placed about the time of 13th Olympic games. It was the time of cold war and Soviet Russia had been winning the ice hockey in Olympics for many consecutive times. This is the story of Herb Brooks (the coach) and the team he formed. This is the story of their relentless pursuit of the olympic gold.From a symbolic point of view, this movie depicts a sort of "win" of America over Russia. Guess, it would appeal to the American crowd more than to me. Nevertheless, the emotional content of the movie alone makes it worth watching. People who have achieved in their life-time, at any point of time, the pinnacle of what they could achieve, when they have put all that they could, always remember that period. This is such a story.
I think it is a very nice movie and definitely worth watching. Highly Recommended
Election (1999)
I watched this movie from halfway through and I think it is an interesting movie. The movie revolves around a couple of high-school kids and their personalities. As with all schools and groups of people, it shows the various personalities that you come across. Some are generous and helpful, others are selfish and downright immoral.I watched the movie with a bit of nostalgia as I remembered the days of old when I was in high school. What type of character was I? What memories did I leave on my fellow students...
Maybe you should watch it. Who knows, you might get nostalgic too
Before Sunset (2004)
For a review see my weblog entryHighly Recommended
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
This is a comedy, apparently the spoof of an old-time movie, Dawn of the Dead. While "Dawn of the Dead" was a dead bore for me, this movie was kind of funny and quite watchable. The core concept of the movie is that due to some #$^#$* phenomenon, dead people become alive and start eating live people. Shaun, the lead character, who lives an extremely bland life with his unemployed friend, has just had a breakup with his girlfriend and is trying to win her back and at the same time trying to save his friend and mom from the zombies.Watchable if you have the temparament for such movies
Meet the Fockers (2004)
This is the sequel to "Meet the parents" and is funny in the american sense. What I mean is that it is funny for the American taste. I laughed aloud in a couple of places.The prequel of the movie shows us a guy who wants to marry a girl, going to meet her parents. Her dad is an Ex-CIA operative and extremely judgemental of any guy that she meets up. Desperate to impress her dad, and having extreme bad luck with certain things, the guy eventually is thrown out of the house, but since it was a romantic comedy, he is brought back when both the girl and her mom turn against the dad.
In this movie, the girls parents go to meet the guy's parents. The comedy that ensues when the girl's dad again gets suspicous is quite watchable in this movie.
Recommended: Warning-American Comedy