FORREST GUMP

Why is there a common notion that only rich or intelligent people can only be successful in their personal lives? Shouldn't others also be given opportunities to succeed?

Forrest Gump is a tale adapted from the novel of the same name by Winston Groom published in 1986 told thru the innocent eyes of Forrest ( Tom Hanks) who recalls his journey thru life. The movie is literally a triumph of the human spirit. My fav scene is when Jenny asks Forrest about his experiences in Vietnam. One of the few movies i really cried my heart out especially when Jenny dies in the end. Robert Zemeckis ( credits include Back to the future , Cast away,What Lies Beneath) has employed a smart move by incorporating real life individuals into the reel like Lennon, Nixon. Another noteworthy and romantic scene i can never forget is when Jenny wades thru the water in order to meet Forrest who has just returned from the war in a ceremony to commemmorate the brave soldiers.Even the leaf at the end signifies life which goes thru ups and downs.

Is it really possible for one individual to achieve so much in a lifetime?Why not??? One of cinema's most unforgettable characters, Tom Hanks became only the second actor in movie history since Spencer Tracy who won back to back Oscars in 1938, is a delight who emotes his expressions thru his eyes.Hank's Performance is said to be inspired from that of the legendary Peter Sellers in Being There released in 1979.This is one movie which will make you cry and laugh at the same time. Another interesting aspect is the usage of the timeless Byrds track (Turn,Turn,Turn) in the movie's soundtrack video especially the shot of Forrest staring at the panaromic sunset and great one liners too like ( “Run Forrest,Run” ; “Life is like a box of chocolates,you never know what you are going to get”)

Released in 1994 , i was unhappy that The Shawshank Redemption lost out on the major Oscars to this movie, nevertheless Forrest Gump is a great movie in its own right. Actually John Travolta was first approached to play Forrest thank god he declined!!! Not only one of the best movies of all time but also one movie that can be watched repeatedly.

APOCALYPSE NOW

The definitive Vietnam movie.It describes the journey of Captain Willard ( Martin Sheen in his most famous role) who is sent on a mission to assassinate Colonel Kurtz ( Marlon Brando in an unforgettable cameo) who is presumed to have turned insane and rogue.


Jim Morrison and Francis Ford Coppola were friends at UCLA.The movie begins with Jim's immortal “The End” set to the imagery of blazing trees and explosions amidst gunshots and helicopters running amok juxtaposing with Willard lying on his bed dazing at the ceiling fan in confusion.One of the rare movies with scenes and dialogues that have burned themselves into popular conciousness like “ I love the smell of napalm in the morning” , “ Charlie,don't surf!!!” , and of course “The horror ,the horror”.. plus the usage of Richard Wagner's “Ride of the Valkyries” to indicate the mindset of evil soldiers who find it amusing..this famous scene even though is brilliantly shot has an ironical twist to it..

The thing that fascinated me the most about this movie is that even though Willard is astonished that a celebrated Colonel like Kurtz had gone over to the dark side,the more and more information he gathers about Kurtz the more he is in awe of Kurtz..these particular scenes with Willard talking to himself and going over Kurtz's files impressed me the most....even the river they go along on the way is a symbol for life...Life is like a river it is bound to be filled with obstacles, we should know how to handle them..

One of the most controversial movies of all time, it was also one of the most difficult movies to produce for Coppola..Shot in Phillipines it contains perhaps the most beautiful cinematography by Vittorio Storaro especially when the screen is filled with golden orange frames...the movie indicates the madness of war in a horrifying scene when an innocent young woman is killed mercilessly because she made the mistake of reaching out for her pet puppy..also the severed heads are sure to upset anyone's apetite...

which brings me to the astonishing climax where Kurtz is killed by Willard set to the final verse of “ the end”...i loved the slow camera work of Willard slowly rising from the mud and the scene where he just combs his hair in bedazzlement after the killing...even though the sight of a water buffalo getting slaughtered is hard to digest it blended perfectly within the scene...

Robbed at the Oscars..one of the last gems of the fantastic 1970's....Apocalypse Now is a visual delight...controlled direction...immortal performances from the lead actors..highly recommended....

LESTER BURNHAM

American Beauty.... a dramedy set in a suburb somewhere in middle america......directed by kate winslet's hubby (Sam Mendes) is a thought provoking movie.....when i first saw this movie i saw it from the middle( the plastic bag sequence).even after repeated viewings i am still in awe.the narration is given by lester ( kevin spacey is simply wonderful to watch).his wife is played by annette bening (carol) who is described by lester as gold digging female...this is not a typical family like the sugary brady bunch...they have their own problems which they slowly discover...


lester's character is rebellious,angry,frustrated,sarcastic,funny.....the colour red has been used effectively by the legendary cinematographer ( Conrad Hall : the man behind Butch cassidy and the sundance kid and cool hand luke).red depicts beauty,blood,the colour of their main door,roses....the other characters are col frank fitts played by chris cooper.even though he is a strict discplinarian dad in my opinion he is suffering from his own demons besides being a hypocrite.thora birch plays jane ( mamma mia she was smokin hot :-) ....newcomer wes bentley played the psychotic looking newcomer ricky fitts who is obssessed with jane.classic rock being my favourite is used effectively especially American woman by Guess who , all along the watchtower by bob dylan and the Seeker by the WHO...these 3 songs speak about lesters state of mind...the climax is simply poignant and something to ponder over.i am reminded of Martin luther king jr's quote "our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that really matter.the movie was released in 1999,,,,had tough competition from fight club,boys dont cry but went on to win 5 oscars....the opening sequence is inspired from sunset boulevard (1950) where the character speaks from beyond the grave..


i can watch this movie over and over again ....no one is a loser....we all are good at something....imagine if the role had been done by chevy chase...disastrous consequences....we should never take life too seriously "its just a couch!!!!!!!!! "..mena suvari (angela)....who was going thru a lot of insecurity but projected a different image to the world...whatever people say this is a movie mendes will never match period.the movie also deals with loneliness,lust..a highly recommended movie for all to analyze..but my favourite scene is when lester punches the air in excitement after quitting his job....it is better to do something in which we get satisfaction than doing the same mundane things over and over again

Finally thomas newman (give this GENIUS A ROUND OF APPLAUSE)....SIMPLY MINDBLOWING SUBTLE MUSIC SCORE FOR THE AGES...."BEAUTY LIES IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER "

ANDY AND RED

The Shawshank Redemption......oh!!!!the tragedy of losing out to a movie like Forrest Gump...released in 1994 and nominated for 7 academy awards it ended up not winning one award also!!!!It is based on a novel by the horror guru Stephen King called " Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" published in 1982..In my personal opinion the shawshank redemption is the greatest film of the 1990's .....the story is about a banker who is convicted of murder and trials and tribulations he goes thru in prison.

The movie deals with friendship,hope,fear,integrity,survival,spirituality,morality,justice system et al. Tim robbins (Andy Dufresne)plays the accused banker: robbins gives us a sublime performance: who meets Red (Morgan Freeman in a understated brilliant performance)....the narration by red thru out the movie is the highlight of this masterpiece....whilst in prison he meets homosexuals,makes a friend for eternity,and also ends up dishing out sweet revenge for the pain and torture he suffered for almost 20 years..Thomas newman won his first academy award nomination(which he should have won!!!!!!) for his beautiful score.The climax is the most satisfying one i ever seen in my life...it is filled with tranqulity,happiness when red meets andy on an island...another favourite scene is when andy escapes from prison...ploughs his ways thru the sewage ...it indicates freedom from suppression when he raises his arms towards the sky...


i always felt i have been trapped just like andy i wish i could express my feelings like he did in that particular scene.........the usage of a classical song of Mozart depicts sooo much even though a single word is not spoken....that is the power of music!!!!!!the film may be long for some people's taste but Frank darabont has done the right thing in doing so...

PROJECT MAYHEM

Fight Club.....when it was initially released in 1999 it was a box office failure but today it is recognised as a cult film...the film is a black comedy which deals with multiple themes like....consumerism...anarchy....impact of pop culture on the sub conscious of the intellectual..attack against a set way of life et al....after the release of this film many underground fight clubs came into focus...the narrator/central protaganist is unnamed thru out the movie....the movie is taken from the 1996 novel by Chuck Palahnuik....

the story is about the narrator who is suffering from insomnia and goes thru life on a cruise control mode....he meets marla who he discovers is attending support groups for no reasons whatsoever...singer Meatloaf looks really intimidating even if its a small role...the narrator is infact fed up of his dead end job.....along the way he meets a guy named tyler durden who calls himself a soap salesman...their first physical exchange is grippingly shot....tyler tells the narrator that he is into fight clubs where candidates are chosen after thorough evaluation by tyler himself......the fight clubs themselves have rules which have to be followed and cannot be broken on any account...the fight clubs gather steam and develops into a phenomenon,,which gradually leads to pandemonium where property is vandalised,people are assaulted....at the same time tyler has a torrid affair with marla....after watching this movie the dialogues will remain etched in our minds like" If you wake up at a different time in a different place, could you wake up as a different person? ,"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything ","You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world ". the movie begins and ends with same scene,,i first saw this movie in college latenight around 1 a.m or so..acting is simply fantastic..

fincher outshines the work he did for se7en...brad pitt and edward norton share excellent chemistry...the twist in the plot will simply blow u away,especially when the narrator realises the truth about tyler...even though there are scenes of gore the movie is not that violent in my opinion...the fights are simply out of this world..right up there with raging bull...especially when edward bashes up a member mercilessly...the movie is disturbing in certain aspects..i especially loved when the hooligans go out of control and the drama that ensues...even helena bonham carter looks really alluring to the eyes :-)....this is one club everyone should visit atleast thru the medium of cinema :-)

TRAVIS BICKLE

Taxi driver...the magic combo of de niro/schrader/scorsese....released in 1976...the movie talks about urban alienation...loneliness felt by travis bickle ( robert de niro in one of the most chilling and tour de force performances on screen,academy rejected this performance for some unknown actor or whatever :( a taxi driver...who drives cabs in NYC at late nights picking up people from different stratas of society like hoodlums,pimps,poilticians,hookers,blue collar workers,regular joe's......

travis is simply fed up by the scum of the city that he daily witnesses...he wants a real rain to come and wash off all the filth the city has to offer....He becomes fixated on a PYT Betsy (cybill sheperd looking stunning as usual)...from a distance and wants her very badly...and starts becoming possessive of her...he eventually gets the courage to ask her on a date but it turns disastrous as he takes her to a porno movie...when he meets the following day (its my favourite scene in the movie)...he asks her why dont you answer my calls??the burning anger and rejection by someone he loved is evident in de niro's eyes.He later meets a 13 yr old prostitute (jodie foster) and is adamant about rescuing her from the clutches of her pimp owner(harvey keitel)....the climax is not only controversial but something to ponder about,he guns down harvey and his cronies in a bloodbath of an encounter......the movie has been inspired from the john wayne classic the searchers (1956)....where the protagonist is determined to save the female character from all evils of society but in a more contemporary setting.....after travis fails in his attempt to assasinate a local politician palantine he grows a mohawk acquires weaponry..the training that he undergoes at the shooting gallery indicates the mayhem he wats to unfold on the society...even the noise made by the gun is powerful even now... the haunting score is by benard hermann (the genius behind psycho,cape fear,verigo,north by northwest)...camerawork (michael chapman)...of course the most famous dialogue ever (you talkin' to me?)....rendered by travis in front of a mirror....taxi driver is not only scorsese's gratest accomplishment(it lost to a nonsensical film rocky for best picture and best director!!!!!!!)taxi driver went on to win the Palm d'or at the Cannes film festival....the movie was also a driving factor for the attempted assasination of ronald reagan in 1981....john hickley jr. claimed he was obssessed with foster's character in the movie.....

Taxi driver is a violent masterpiece...the movie released at a time when the world was going thru a turmoil especially in the u.s when the vietnam war and watergate scandal had just ended...one of my favourite character actors peter boyle :-) has a small but effective cameo in the movie...each time i watch the new recut trailer of taxi driver i am literally stunned by the genius of scorsese....

THE FAMILY

The first time i read the Godfather novel i was not much impressed, i got bored and went to sleep???!!! the second time i read it i was simply blown away!!!!! written in 1969 the novel by the famous novelist Mario Puzo has achieved legendary status. Director Francis Ford Coppola was a well known face in Hollywood but was yet to get a deserved break...well the godfather movie changed his life forever...the main story revolves around the highs and lows of an American – Italian Mafia family headed by Don Vito Corleone ( Marlon Brando making a comeback nailed it bang on!!!!) and his 3 sons ...Santino (James Caan as the violent, eldest impatient brother)....Fredo (John Cazale as the weak middle sibling) and Michael ( Al Pacino in a career defining role that is still remembered even today.)

the story begins in 1945 with the return of Micheal for his younger sister's wedding Connie (Talia shire who played Rocky's long suffering wife)...what happens is that the don refuses to get involved in the trade of narcotics ( a common term nowadays)...and along the way makes a truckload of enemies. people who have read the novel will reveal that many story threads have been eliminated from the novel while writing the godfather screenplay including Johnny Fontaine's broken up marriage...this movie clocks 3 hours.....but is worth every penny....many memorable scenes flash before my mind when i recall this movie....the dead horse's head on the bed sheets....michael inflicting revenge on all enemies towards the climax....coppola does a masterstroke by juxtaposing the massacres with the baptism....on the acting front Brando and Pacino register the maximum impression with able support from others as well.

To begin with the famous Italian spaghetti director Sergio Leone was the first choice to direct the movie...even Robert Redford was to play micheal's role....imagine!!!!!!!! the godfather in my opinion is the greatest adaptation of a novel on screen...countless films have copied,imitated The Godfather including Analyze This (1999) ,Sarkar ( 2005) , Nayakan ( 1987) ,the Freshman ( 1990) but none have been able to match the original, the definitive mafia “gangster” movie. Another fact is that it was on Brando' s insistence that the actor brought a new dimension to the don's role especially the famous scratchy voice...the movie was criticized for the portrayal of Italians as gangsters for life...also how can i forget the famous score by Nina Rota......EXQUISITE..Suits the script to a T.the movie dwells on the American Dream many immigrants thought of achieving while entering the U.S .It also depicts the responsibilities a family expects its own children to undertake when they grow older . The film also boasts of memorable one liners like “"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" , “be close to your friends but be closer to your enemies”...beautiful cinematography shot in Sicily...grand cast...brilliant direction...superlative performances makes THE GODFATHER an EPIC!!!!!!!

SHATTERED DREAMS

Oh my god!!!!! this movie will give you nightmares for a life time , make you squirm every time you see it...adapted from a novel of the same name published in 1978 by Hubert Selby Jr. Consists of 4 main characters deals with drug abuse....it shows what happens when usage of drugs goes spiraling out of control...

The first 5 odd minutes are slow....but then it takes off like a rollercoaster ride...Harry (Jared Leto) , Marion ( Jennifer Connelly looking smoking hot hubba hubba), Tyrone ( Marlon Wayans) and Sarah ( Ellen Burstyn)... are the main characters. Harry and Marion are in a relationship while Tyrone is their close acquaintance and Sarah is Harry’s mom....while Harry, Marion and Tyrone are addicted to heroin, cocaine, Sarah is addicted to weight loss pills. Camera work and editing are something that has to be seen to be believed...in his second outing after Pi...Darren aronofsky employs shock techniques, the rolling, lighting et al...drugs consumed at break neck speed by the youngsters...but the star of the show is hands down Sarah ( ellen burstyn who played the little girl's mother in the original shocker The Exorcist: her transformation is brutal to say the least....another big blunder was when the academy insulted burstyn by giving the Oscar to Julia for erin brockovich (it was good but come on !!!!) the movie also shows the urge that people have in losing weight and the attack of the tele shopping networks....but the most powerful scene in my opinion is when harry reveals his arm to tyrone whilst in a vehicle.....

the final moments of the movie are psychotic, nightmarish, disturbing all of which is set to the haunting music of Clint Mansell's exemplary moody score...another notable scene is when Tyrone remembers the innocence of his childhood days spent in the loving arms of his mother...

the movie also talks about loneliness, self – delusion, the desperation that people will amount to get whatever they desire..another touching moment is when the director shows us what would have happened if either harry or sarah had not been consumed by drugs...they would enabled sarah's dream of going live on the television. This is what movie making should be all about....cut throat and honest!!!The final look by Ellen Burstyn after the shock treatment says it all...

RICK AND ILSA

Beloved by audiences and critics all over the world especially Sanjay Dutt and Katrina Kaif......even after 65 years of release it is still popular...it is much better than the over hyped and boring Citizen Kane.....Released on January 23rd 1943 the movie was about the decision one man had to take....love or virtue.....the movie was adapted from the play titled “Everybody comes to Ricks”....which is a cafe run by a cynical ex patriot Rick Blaine( Humphrey Bogart in perhaps the most memorable movie role of all time ) who comes across his former lover Ilsa( a luminous looking Ingrid Bergman) and her resistance leader husband Victor( Paul Henreid in an understated performance)....

often called as an accidental masterpiece...the script kept changing on a daily basis.....in my opinion IT IS/WAS/EVER THE GREATEST FILM THAT CAN NEVER CAN BE MATCHED FOR ETERNITY....the greatest script ever, the greatest supporting cast of all time ,the greatest screen couple, the greatest opening sequence, the greatest climax , the most romantic film, the most memorable one liners ( here's lookin' at you kid , of all the gin joints in all the towns and places in the world she walks into mine, we will always have Paris).....the color version pales in comparison to the beautiful black and white version.....perhaps the biggest blunders the academy ever committed till now and for eternity is by giving Casablanca only 3 academy awards ,rejecting bogie,bergman,max steiner,claude rains in their respective categories.

the movie is nostalgic,patriotic,funny,romantic...not many people know but former American president Ronald Reagan was considered for the part of Rick Blaine!!!!!!!may this movie continue to enthrall audiences for generations to come...

MEMORIES TO CHERISH

I was captivated the moment i saw it..the title is taken from a poem by Alexander Pope called Eloisa to Abelard. The movie is a favorite of current heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor ,the movie combines memory erasure...dabbles in science fiction...gives a whole new meaning to the term romance...Jim Carrey in yet another understated brilliant performance plays Joel who meets Clementine( Kate Winslet whose hair color keeps changing) one day on a train and thus begins their love affair...but all of a sudden the twist in the plot becomes evident...something is amiss...


when he snoops around he finds that Clementine had erased all her's as well as their moments spent together.....Carrey with his beard and monkey cap blends into the proceedings...the cinematography is simply awesome to behold....many scenes like Joel and Clementine lying down on the ice for the first time...Joel waking up on a bed near the sea shore.....recalling his childhood days by placing himself in it.......Charlie Kaufman you are a genius.....take a bow......another wonderful scene is when joel tells Clementine how and where he met his former fiancé simply refuse to fade away from my mind...this is one movie to be cherished for a long time to come...

the director has purposely used less lighting to depict fear,loneliness,hope and many more in many scenes....subtle performances....soothing music score....wonderful set designs.....lot of snow is seen on display...unrequited love....wanting to be loved....episodes from younger days....even the voice over by Carrey is effective...

ANGER

The definitive sport's movie....it shows what can happen when jealousy, anger, over confidence, frustration, guilt, pride, machoism, possesiveness takes over an individual...the movie opens with Jake la Motta (Robert De Niro looking totally unrecognizable mouthing Brando's immortal dialogue from On the Waterfront)...for this particular role De Niro lost a considerable amount of weight and even piled on the calories for the latter scenes.

The movie traces his humble beginnings from an unknown fighter to his glory days and his eventual self destruction...the fight scenes are bloody, violent and resemble barbaric rituals...not even the trash called rocky holds a candle to this movie called the greatest movie of the 1980's and one of the all time greats...the highlight of the movie is the final fight with the sugar ray Robinson...it is very difficult to tell which is better Taxi Driver or Raging Bull...the photography by Michael Chapman and editing by Thelma Schoonmaker are astounding,,,elegant use of black and white frames....rejecting Raging Bull and selecting Ordinary People ( even if it is a decent movie) speaks volumes about the double standards of the Academy.


Stupendous performances especially De niro , fantastic direction , Gorgeous photography, snappy editing, haunting music score ( chosen by Scorsese himself)...training help and advice from the real Jake La Motta makes this movie gem unparalleled in its genre.

UTOPIA

This movie is guaranteed to leave you in deep thoughts, it shows the impact that reality television can have on everyday life,,,Truman Burbank ( Jim Carrey in a once in a lifetime role ) plays an ordinary guy who is unaware of the surroundings around him...the movie deals with existentialism, utopia...right from his childhood his entire life has been developed into a television show for the entertainment of the global audience...

i always feel touched when i see the scene when Truman breaks down...and that of satisfaction when he exits the artificial world,,,,
outstanding performance from Jim Carrey,,,superb script...intelligent direction from Peter Weir ( Dead Poets Society)...when Truman cares for someone the most but he had to let go of the opportunity because of the artificial friend and future wife he was lured by has lot of sadness plus irony... a landmark performance by Carrey was ignored for an idiotic movie like “as good as it gets” was another in the long line of horrible decisions by the academy and the most overhyped movie ever titanic was rewarded instead of this gem.

MICHEAL

The movie is a sequel to the inimitable “The Godfather”.....critics have been divided till now as which is better movie the original or the sequel...i will go for the successor even though I love both the movies equally...the movie recalls the Don's arrival in the U.S from Sicily, Italy and his subsequent rise to power....the young Vito “Don” Corleone is played by the then upcoming legend Robert De Niro ( in an award winning subtle role)...after the Don's death Michael ( Al Pacino in a legendary flawless tour de force for which he was robbed by the Academy) takes over the mantle of the Don.....

Just like its predecessor this also clocks in close to three hours but each every minute is well spent....those who are familiar with the novel will notice that Vito Corleone's earlier life was a part of the original novel, which was not mentioned in the original is showcased

Here. the movie has ample doses of Italy especially during the flashback sequences....here also the massacre at the climax is scintillating when michael realizes who are the real culprits...however the scene which impacted me the most had no dialogue in it...i am talking about the penultimate scene when Michael stares in to the camera,,,wow subtle yet powerful...


i have always admired the lifestyle of the Godfather movies...the wardrobe...luxury living with gangsters in dapper and power dressing to boot!!! What I loved about the movie was the way in which Coppola shot the scenes in which Michael attends the meetings, the picturesque country side et al...and the subsequent hearing which takes place accusing him of murder and corruption...and of course ( I knew it was you Fredo , you broke my heart plus when Michael loses his cool when the assassination on him and his family fails and the manner in which he vents his anger...magnifique!!!!!! )

kudos to coppola for making a genuine masterpiece from the 70's...top notch performances...elegant score...unique script...brilliant star cast especially Tom Hagen( Robert Duvall)...this is the definitive “sequel”...rather than the trash we are accustomed to today...

POETRY IN MOTION

this movie will leave you gasping for more and more of the same....released in 1984 alongside The Terminator, This is Spinal Tap it went on to bag 8 Academy Awards...i cannot stop heaping praise on this movie which is a MASTERPIECE...

The storyline talks about the friendship between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri...their friendship has a irony to it...Mozart is renowned the world over as a child prodigy and musical genius (notice the scene when an older Salieri asks the priests has he heard the following compositions: this indicates the popularity that Mozart achieved in a short span of time...)

The movie opens with Salieri being questioned on Mozart's alleged murder ...in a series of flashbacks Salieri recalls his first encounter of Mozart...initially he thinks of Mozart to be nothing more than a bumbling fool...but all that changes when he hear's his compositions...the irony is that on the one hand he is jealous of Mozart' talent and god given gift at the same time he is ashamed by his philandering and playful behavior...

I recommend this movie to all people who are beginners or fans of western classical music...the film is filled with lavish costumes...acting, script and direction by Milos Forman ( one flew over the cuckoo's nest) is of the highest order, plus how can i forget the unforgettable music played throughout the movie...another haunting sequence is when Salieri wears a mask and visits Mozart at his home .the set designs transported me back in time as if the movie characters where in front of my eyes in the grand court rooms...

Mozart died because of his misdeeds in a way...but i feel even in suffering he persevered day and night...that is the hall mark of a remarkable human being...the movie is quite long but i cannot deny its lasting impact on me...

SCARFACE

The first thing i noticed about this movie is the menacing look of the poster in all its black and white entirety...it is one of those movies which after being criticized upon release is now hailed as a cult classic...released in 1983 the story deals with the rise and fall of a gangster....i noticed certain similarities between this movie and the Johnny Depp starrer Blow...

the title role is played by Al Pacino ( Tony Montana) who comes to Florida in 1980 as a result of the Mariel Boatlift...he starts with the small fish like marijuana and gradually graduates to cocaine...he becomes drunk with power...the film is replete with 80's music plus the gaudy clothes which includes bright and colorful clothes especially Hawaiian Tropical dresses from that decade...one scene i immensely enjoyed is when Tony loses his cool because he discovers he has been deceived by people whom he considered as friends...

Michelle Pfeiffer had a small but effective role as Montana's suffering and neglected wife...finally i come to the immortal climax when Montana faces off with his enemies and the legendary dialogue (Say hello to my little friend !!!) and ends with his dead body floating in a pool of blood along with a gazillion bullets...

The movie is in fact a copy of the original Howard Hawks gangster classic( 1932) of the same name. Scarface was later copied into the pathetic and horrible movie Agneepath (1990) for which Amitabh Bachan received the National Award....oh the humanity!!!!! The film may be a tad too long but it’s okay I guess...Tony Montana is one of the most parodied movie characters of all time...the movie talks about how power can drive a sane person mad...but it was wonderful to see the shots picturised in a disco and Tony's mansion after he strikes the jackpot!!!oh boy talk about luxury living!!!

the movie is filled with expletives and violent...an epic performance from Pacino( at times Over The Top) ...expert direction from Brian De Palma ( Carrie , The Untouchables ),explosive script by future Oscar winning director Oliver Stone (Platoon,Wall Street),snazzy action...a movie to be watched again and again...

RAIN

Released in 1952 the movie in my opinion is the GREATEST MUSICAL OF ALL TIME...it is much better than the overrated the sound of music,my fair lady,west side story...the inmitible Gene Kelly plays Don Lockwood a silent film superstar....with his pompous co – star ( Jean hagen in a hilarious cameo)...

the movie traces the pressures the movie studios faced in adapting to the first talkies in the late 1920's...the masala potboiler Om Shanti Om (2007) paid tribute to the very first scene of singin in the rain when the stars of the movie come for the movie premiere...Gene Kelly is such a treat to watch...even today Bollywood uses all of his dance moves,his pairing with Donald O' Connor is amazing especially the tap dancing scenes...the highlight of the movie is the rendition of the title track by Gene himself drenched in rain...the single greatest musical sequence ever committed to a film!!!!!!

another legendary sequence is when Gene teams with Cyd Charisse ( who performs like a rubber band )..sigh why are there no musicals like this movie these days instead of the innumerable trashy street numbers...and to think this movie was not even nominated for best picture which went to the The Greatest Show On Earth...pathetic decision by the Academy yet again...romantic,charming,entertaining...the show must go on!!!

A BEAUTIFUL MIND

Okay I admit Denzel Washington was menacing as a rowdy cop in Training day (2001) but Russell Crowe as John Forbes Nash the brilliant nobel prize winning mathematician was one of the greatest potrayals of all time...

right from the beginning we are an audience to his genius...being innundated with a barrage of mathematical equations thrown at us at breakneck speed...the film's most engaging scene is when a schizophrenic Nash gets the shock treatment ... it always brings a tear to my eye this scene bears a resemblance to the Milos Forman classic One Flew The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)...another disturbing sequence was paid as a tribute in the Kajol starrer ( U,Me aur Hum) when a distracted Nash leaves his new born child at the mercy of water...

Jennifer Connelly (looking smokin' hot as usual) who looks stunning even in her old age,in continuation with her superb performance from Requiem for a dream delivers the goods once again as Nash's wife and winning the oscar along the way proving the theory that behind every successful man there is a woman :-)...adapted from Sylvia Nasar's pulitzer prize nominated novel,many felt there are many differences from the novel when the movie was released...the best adage suited for this movie is that where there is a will there is a way...if we try our best we can do anything we want to do...one very interesting scene is when Nash uses mathematics to explain the theory of dating...an illness can happen to anyone,but only those with a steely grit can recover from it

embellished with a towering and unforgettable performance from Crowe and marvelous dialogues...heart breaking scenes...fine direction from veteran Ron Howard (Apollo 13)....triumphant climax (the pen sequence) and how can i forget the sequence when Nash pays tribute to his wife during the speech ceremony??? He survived everything because of the wonderful support from his wife and no one else...this one is a keeper!!!!!!

KEYSER SOZE

The movie has a superb start with a man being murdered by a faceless stranger albeit with a huge explosion at a port to boot...one of the survivors is Roger “Verbal” (lol) Kint...special agent Dave Kujan (has done a neat job) persuades Roger to tell him what happened that night...

From here on the movie shoots off like a rollercoaster of emotions,suspense,comedy,revenge,fear,mystery...the movie itself is difficult to follow because of the innumerable twists and turns,we cannot guess what will happen next...but at the same time the script in my opinion is one of the greatest of all time...the score only adds to the existing tension...Alexander Mcquarrie truly deserved an oscar for original screenplay for this MASTERPIECE .My favourite scene is when Roger explains to the cop the persona behind KEYSER SOZE who resembles a mythical being with his long locks and myterious appearance the lighting and photography plus editing in this scene is simply dazzling ,he lays aside his principles and murders his own family,this is the same scene where Roger utters the infamous dialogue (the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that did not exist)... the ridiculous hindi remake Choclate was so horrible that I felt like crying lol...what a shame...but on the other hand Kaante (2002) paid a decent tribute by incorporating the scene where the five hoodlums meet for the first time in jail...

which brings me to the highlight of the movie,the climax!!!it is unexpected and totally unpredictable which is how the climaxes should be...again people have criticized and praised the movie in equal measure...the first time I saw the climax me and my friends where watching the movie together...among all of us only guy was able to interpret what was actually happening...this movie really supports the adage “Script is king”...love it or hate it..u cannot forget it or ignore it...Mcquarrie take a bow...

VERTIGO

We all fear something or the other.different phobias have different names to it...this movie captures the fear of heights...the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock justifies the fact that it is not necessary to show blood thirsty ghosts, murderers,revenge thirsty psychopaths to induce a sense of fear in the mindset of the audience...The movie depicts to what level obssession can be reached by an individual...reicarnation to a certain extent has been tackled brilliantly in this movie by hitchcock...

John “scottie” Ferguson ( played memorably by the eternal James Stewart ) is a detective who suffers from Vertigo after an untoward incident in the beginning...later on rescuing Madeliene ( ravishing Kim Novak in a double avatar, who looks va va voom in the second half redhead ) he falls in love with her at first sight....but in the middle he loses her...the second is even better than the first half with one exceptional sequence of scottie being totally frightened and waking up in his bed scared as hell!!!

Nightmarish,romantic,spectacular photography of SAN FRANCISCO,Plus the legendary score by none other than Bernard Herrmann ( Taxi Driver )Vertigo( 1958 ) was adapted from the French novel Sueurs froides : d' entre les morts by Pierre boileau and Thomas Narcejac....Was a failure upon release and yet again was humiliated when the academy awarded the inferior Gigi for best picture,plus not honoring hitchcock,stewart,novak and hermann!!!!!however VERTIGO is still hitchcock's greatest achievement as a director and MASTERPIECE with an unforgettable bell tower sequence at the end which still haunts me even now....

PHIALDELPHIA

When we first hear of AIDS we shudder, feel afraid and feel disgusted altogether...but after watching this touching movie from 1993 i had a different viewpoint...why should an AIDS patient be treated differently from the others...don't they have the same rights and privileges as we do ?

Andrew Beckett ( Tom hanks in tour de force performance much better than in Forrest Gump :-) ) is a respectable lawyer who is fired from his post because he has the symptoms of the illness which he hid from all of them for so long plus allegedly bungling up the most important case of the firm...he seeks the help of an personal injury lawyer Joe Miller( Denzel Washington superb as usual) who ignores him at first...

one scene that mirrors the facet of our modern society is the library sequence when people start ignoring Andrew and the librarian asking him to retire...any normal person would have done the same thing...this is the turning point of the movie...joe goes all out and finally wins the case for andrew...the final scene of andrew lying in his deathbed waiting for his impending doom is sure to melt the heart of anyone....this is one scene i always bawl my eyes out crying....

directed by Jonathan Demme ( the creepy silent of the lambs )...PHILADELPHIA is heartbreaking,powerful,message driven,inspiring,poetic and an oscar winning song by THE BOSS Bruce Springsteen ( Streets of philadelphia ) to add to it...go watch it if u haven't!!!!!

A JOURNEY

In addition to being to a versatile actor Sean Penn is a bright, promising and super talented director also...and this evident in this movie!!!!the movie brings to my mind Castaway, Robinson Crusoe how people or rather a single individual is capable of surviving the odds especially against mother nature....based on a true story on Christopher Mccandless and converted into a novel by Jack Krakauer and released in 1996 the movie traces the journey of Christopher ( Emile Hirsch shedding off his tag as the lovesick teenager from another favorite movie of mine The girl next door :-) performs with elan and the future mature role in milk) who fed up of the materialistic,selfish,unfufilling world he is living decides to go to Alaska on a quest...

the photography in this movie is simply mind blowing...my favourite scene is when Christopher climbs on top of the mountain and raises his arms towards the heavens( he just feels happy that he is doing that without a care in the world, like he has no tensions to take care of that moment...the movie also features a splendid soundtrack courtesy of Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder whose voice and lyrics perfectly blends in with the script...

the movie shows the dreams,adventurous spirit,aspirations,heated arguments,frustrations,the pressure of achieving the dreams of our parents that we see in our daily lives...the final image of the real life Christopher is heartbreaking...Sean Penn u rule!!!!! We need more movies like this!!!

WAR IS MERCILESS

No doubt about it this is my all time favourite war movie...i still get Goosebumps when I watch this movie...the movie is the culmination of Oliver Stone's experiences during the dreadful and horrific Vietnam war...The movie reiterates the fact that the rest of the world even now feels that the only job of the U.S army Is to exploit and destroy other countries in their favor...the anger that is written on the faces of the U.S soldiers when they attack an unsuspecting village because their fellow comrades have been victims of meticulously planned booby traps and land mines is shocking but at the same time brilliantly shot...

But the image and scene that we remember even today is the killing of Sergeant Elias ( William “the green goblin” Dafoe ) who raises his arms towards the sky after being shot by enemies( inspired from a 1968 war photograph) there is something about this scene which I feel is ironic....a man is being shot but this remains one of cinemas’ most iconic and defining images...future superstar Johnny Depp plays a small role in it too...interestingly the movie was first titled Break and was first offered to my favourite rebel James Douglas Morrison!!!Notice the change in Pvt Chris Taylor's ( Charlie Sheen in his breakthrough performance, well done!!!) behaviour and expressions when he first reaches Vietnam and sees the dead soldiers and in the climax when he breaks down and starts crying...

Winner Of 4 Academy awards, Platoon remains in my opinion Oliver Stone's MASTERWORK...Filled with stupendous war sequences and deft direction this one is for the ages...War is bloody...literally hell!!!!!as evident from the famous tagline of the film “the first casualty of war is innocence”...if we do not react fast then one day we also would end up mourning as chris's character does...

SE7EN

The first thing i noticed about this movie is the way seven ( se7en) is written...the atmosphere is gloomy, dark and an unnamed city constantly inundated with rain...2 cops William Somerset(Morgan Freeman is brilliant as always) and David Mills (Brad Pitt ) are on the look out for a serial killer John Doe( a sinister and creepy looking Kevin Spacey ) who murders each of his victims according to the seven deadly sins i.e greed,wrath,lust,pride,gluttony,sloth and envy...


the way the killer kills each of his seven victims is very interesting...each murder has an interesting story(even though horrifying) and motive to it...the dead bodies are not a pretty sight to behold, one might even feel like vomiting...what i liked the most was that the killer was an intellectual and not the stereotypical type...he is well read...the scene where William visits the library and studies books like The Bible and mythological stories to interlink the murders is fascinating..but the climax later copied by the Tamil film starring Surya ( Kaaka Kaaka ) is guaranteed to send a shiver down anyone's spine..

Intelligent script...good acting...fabulous direction..thought inducing dialogues...this movie delves deep into the mindset of psychopaths...Mr. Fincher please make more movies like these rather than the bizarre and illogical trash called The Curious Case of Benjamin Button!!!

MEMOIRS FROM THE OVERLOOK HOTEL

I was first recommended to watch this movie in my 12th standard by my class mate Tom...No other movie of Kubrick ( my fav director ) has been thrashed as much as The Shining...but i still say that the Shining is a MASTERPIECE, even Stephen King himself was not happy with Kubrick's adaptation...


adapted from the Stephen King bestseller of the same name released in 1977 i read the novel during my undergraduate days....i still get the creeps thinking about it...the story revolves around Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson even though over the top sometimes is simply outstanding in a landmark performance), his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall who would later appear in the inconsequential Popeye) and their young son Danny (Danny Lloyd) who arrive at the Overlook Hotel...

Jack is a recovering alcoholic and a wife beater to boot...the scene when the hallway is overflowing with blood is spine chilling...another interesting sequence i admired when Jack meets the ghostly bartender...plus the scene when Wendy discovers that Jack has been typing the same line again and again on his typewriter...I have observed that Jack Nicholson's eyes resembles that of a cat...that is why his eyes in this particular scene is so damn scary!!!! Which brings me to the immortal scene of Jack plunging an axe through the door and saying “HERE’S JOHNNY!!!!!!!!”

the movie indicates what can happen to an individual in case of extremely loneliness which turn into madness, writers block... how one can develop hallucinations...the final image of Jack looking for his son with rage in his eyes is also creepy!!!! Now regarded as a classic, The Shining released in 1980 is filled with excellent direction, creepy score, great editing and photography!!!

A HOLLYWOOD SATIRE

No other movie has portrayed Hollywood in this fashion like Sunset Boulevard does...it shows how a star of the silent era is feeling isolated from the society and how she seeks shelter in a gaudy mansion... a promising writer ( William Holden in a understated performance) meets Norma ( Gloria Swanson in a role of a lifetime ) and is forced to hide in her mansion because of financial difficulties...


Another MASTERPIECE which in my opinion is the Indian Sunset Boulevard is Kaagaz Ke Phool ( 1959 starring the immortal Guru Dutt)...all movies these days which are about showbiz is in one way or the other is inspired by Sunset Boulevard...the movie consists of beautiful black and white photography...a wonderful screenplay...one liners which have found their way into popular culture ( All right Mr. DeMille, i am ready for my close – up, I am big it's the pictures that got small)...

Noirish,satiric,funny,it was sad to see a famous personality reduced to a has been...a movie star lost in her past, her heydays, a butler who takes up the opportunity to look after his wife out of true love and compassion and devotion but i guess that's the way the cookie crumbles!!!!Released in 1950 this movie was snubbed by the Oscars for All about Eve (nothing new here !!!!) wilder wish you were alive today!!!

I AM SAM

To be retarded is not a crime...we have to accept people who are retarded as they are and not discriminate them...we are all equal in the eyes of the society...I am sometimes amazed that people who are not well endowed like us are more hardworking than us in diverse fields...

Sam Dawson (Sean Penn in an Oscar nominated performance simply lives and breathes the role, now I understand why he is one of the most versatile actors of the current generation) has the mentality of a seven year old...in fact his daughter Lucy (adorable looking Dakota Fanning) is more smarter than him as years goes by...but when he loses custody of his daughter he enlists the help of Rita (Michelle Pfeiffer stunning as always) to help him fight his case...

We see the entire world thru the main protagonist's eyes...his innocence...his unending love and devotion for his daughter...the scene when Sam loses custody rights in the courtroom is sure to bring a tear to anyone's eyes...We see his desire to be a perfectionist in whatever he undertakes...his eccentricity...by the climax i realized that a daughter needs her father the most, because she will never be able to love her foster parents that much...Bollywood tried its best to replicate this movie (Main Aisa hi hoon) with Ajay Devgan as Sam but was not up to the mark
The relationship between father and daughter is beautifully portrayed especially when Sam is with Lucy on a swing is so beautiful and poignant...go watch this movie with your loved ones!!!!

MYSTIC RIVER

How on earth did an overrated and boring movie like Lord of the rings: Return of the King win so many Oscars??? Are you telling me it is better than Mystic River?? No way man!!!!!! I dont think so!!!

One incident can turn our lives upside down... this is shown in this movie...three childhood friends Sean (Kevin Bacon), Dave (Tim Robbins is perfect for the part) and Jimmy (Sean Penn take a bow) are seen playing on the streets....everything is hunky dory until Jimmy is taken by “cops”...years later Jimmy’s daughter is found brutally murdered and all fingers point to Dave..

Clint Eastwood (credits include Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby) was 73 when he made this MASTERPIECE, he has created a memorable set of characters: one of them (Dave) who is living in his own world, isolated from his friends, and aloof from his own wife...the scene in which Jimmy discovers that his daughter has been killed and the way he says (is that my daughter!!!!!!!!!!!) oh god what acting!!!!! another thing i noticed how three different individuals grow up to be three different personalities as they grow up...people want to forget their murky past and simply get on with their lives...the movie basically talks about various personal relationships including friendship plus guilty feelings...

Power packed acting, marvelous direction, moody cinematography, plus a climax so haunting...and to think when this movie first released in 2005 in India i ignored it!!! Oh the tragedy...goes see it now if u haven't!!!!

BEN AND SARA

It is a known fact that alcoholism is far more dangerous than smoking...In fact shows what can happen if one goes on a binge drinking...it definitely leads to disastrous consequences...

Ben (Nicholas Cage in one of the greatest performances ever committed to film) and Sara ( Elisabeth Shue looking hubba hubba is surprisingly effective as a perfect counterfoil to Ben ) as the prostitute with a heart of gold ( sounds typical but much better than the trashy Pretty Woman ) ...when they first meet in the “ sin city” Las Vegas they decide that they will not change each other...

The movie is hard hitting and realistic....when i first saw it i felt really depressed...many scenes linger on in my mind even now like Ben collapsing in the casino , Ben proposing to Sara , Sara being raped by three teenagers and Ben's death at the end...

Adapted from a novel of the same name by John O' Brien who actually committed suicide before the movie released, the movie is not for everyone but i cannot deny the movie's lasting impact on me.....Especially the final image of Sara after Ben has died