English Vinglish

Its a story about an Indian housewife learning english and in the process learning her own worth. The great thing about the film is that it deals with families bringing each other down. Small comments, innocuous jokes, seemingly harmless yet incredibly painful. No one can really bring you down as your own family and no one but you can hurt them also. The thing I liked most about the movie was Sridevi, she can really act naturally. She played the beautiful insecure traditional housewife, that we all have in our minds to perfection. I know the moral of the movie isn't exactly what I am about to say, but its the only thing striking me. Don't settle for a normal Indian guy, you never know you might meet a hot French guy down the line :D. And may I add he is perfect!  :)

Verdict: Must watch atleast once.

Barfiiiiii !

I finally caught a movie while it is still running in the cinema halls and I am glad it is Barfi :). And yes I cried in the second half like a baby and yes I cursed the pretty female and rooted for priyanka and yes I got confused with the jumbled timeline and yes I am officially a Ranbir fan and Yes I finally got over my Saawariya shock (a truly blue movie I must say :D).

Verdict: It brought dreams to life and tears to my eyes.

Dev.D

I know watching Dev.D on independence day makes no sense and has no connection. Its just a movie I have kept since 2009 and tired to watch, but gave up in the first 15 mins the first time I tired to see it. Today I saw it fully and I just felt sorry for the guy and was hoping they turn it around in the end. And they did, giving me the happy ending but I got a feeling they ran out of time, so a car crash was used to jump start the transformation.

I think I will never understand the need some people have to drown themselves in alcohol and play the game of chicken with their lives. I am a kind of person that believes every action is done consciously. I dont get or believe people who say "ho gaya".... to those types I have only one thing to say, "yeah right!".

In the end of the movie, I was left with the feeling all this running around for love, is it worth it? In the end we all r too old, too tired... sometimes peace of mind wins over the chaos. I remember a lot of people going ga ga over the movie, but I found it ordinary. But yes Abhay Deol is special, he has charisma based on pure personality despite being ok ok in the looks department.

Verdict: dont know!

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

I know a little late for a review, but if you have not seen this movie and want to visit Spain, want to know what it feels like to have a trip with friends, face your fears and have fun while you are at it. This movie is for you. My favorite scene is the one below-

The Help

The first 30 mins of this movie, you might end-up praying that the friend you dragged to see the movie, doesnt dose off, but thats about all the praying you will do throughout the movie. It is amazing to see how it builds up, how they start of with slightly dull characters and bring it to life by introducing the soul of the film - Minny. When she comes in with her you cant mess with me, combined with heart of a kid, the movie takes flight. You learn something about how to tell a good story from this film, how to present the plainest layer first and then peal it down to show you all the colours possible. Like a beautiful cake, but its beauty lies inside out. Many reviewers of this movie felt it didnt address the civil rights issue, that it was too happy a film, but I say those people are idiots. This film never looses the plot, doesnt try to be a historical film, doesnt try to get confused with out and out bravery. It shows a subtle bravery and never looses the focus from the stories of the women in the film. It will make you laugh, it will make you clap and most importantly, you will come out with tears of joy.

Verdict: Bloody Brilliant!

Some of my favorite movies

I was trying to make this background of my blog... but the file size was too big... so decided to make it a post. This is not a complete list, these are the movies that come to my mind. I would like to add it is very difficult to make a collage on an imac!

Two Bits (1995)

A beautiful movie about a little boy and his grandfather set against the background of the great depression. The grandfather is played by Al Pacino, if that is still not good enough to remove all doubts about the movie, then read this summary. During the great depression there is shortage of everything from chicken to vegetables and obviously money. The little boy wants to watch a movie at La paloma for which he needs two bits. His family consists of a single mother and his grandfather. The grandfather promised to leave a quarter for his grandson when he dies, but the boy doesn't believe his grandfather will die anytime soon and decides to take matters into his own hands. He takes up odd jobs  which lands him into trouble. The movie doesn't paint a picture the world full of good people instead shows a variety of bitter and dark people but never fully explores it, focusing always from the kids perspective. The kid manages to navigate the complex and mangled world of adults without loosing his focus of seeing a movie at La paloma. The movie shows that sometime its better to be kid, their simplicity is more powerful in dealing with a world with limitations rather than the limited mind of an adult.

The most beautiful part of the movie is when the grandfather explains the difference between needs and wants -

He says "Your belly needs. Your heart wants. That's the difference"  


Never stop wanting.

How to train your dragon

Another really nice movie which released sometime back. The best part about the movies is the main idea - how to train your dragon, how many people could come up with that. The animation quality was amazing and as usual they got the characters bang on. The only letdown, its not as funny as Megamind or as cute as Tangled, but the idea is so unique, it makes up for it.

Verdict: Must watch at least twice!

Lets get Tangled up !

Ok I agree so the movie released sometime ago, but who cares people still do VCD reviews, no ? So lets get cracking, I must admit I was a little worried throughout the movie that I might have outgrown fairy tales. I mean I love kung Fu Panda and Madagascar, but those are not meant for children, they are just marketed like that to increase audience reach. That's a trade secret by the way... only available on sloth. So here I was watching a new spin on Rapunzel, I know she has to get the fellow in the end and get out of that tower and of course the witch had to go. But I loved the fact that not for a second could I figure out how. I mean a crime fighting horse and an all knowing chameleon make it a little tough, anything can happen:). This movie benefits a lot from the fact that stuff like shrek have been created, I mean in that movie the lead pair end-up ogred forever, happily of course. So I was worried they would kill the fellow and come up with a positive spin on it, something like Titanic did. When Leo died and Kate winslet promised to live a happy life and they show all those pics of her on a horse, planes etc. I mean the first time I saw Titanic the movie, I didn't even feel bad he died. Another bit of trivia have you noticed in how many movies Leonardo DiCaprio dies, I think Body of Lies and Inception are the only ones where the director didn't kill him. Coming back to Tangled, I am happy to report that he lives and they don't get ogred .

I really love the fact that there are people who can come up with such amazing stories, amazing imaginary worlds. Despite being surrounded by the ordinary, they come up with the extraordinary.

*The End*

Hung-over part deux

Don't ever take your mother to see this movie, even if you are the loneliest loooser on earth! What was I thinking, apparently not much. Mental note to myself must think things through. I should have known its set in Thailand and what is Thailand famous for?. Please don't say Thai food!. As for the movie, OK so you are making a sequel that doesn't mean you repeat everything from the first part and just change the place and the guy they lose again! Things that almost saved the movie - the bald hairy guy and the dentist :D.
Verdict: yuck :(