The Hustler

What is the point in giving up after just one failure...we have to move forward in life and not look back...this is the movie which in my opinion catapulted my favorite actor Paul Newman to super stardom...It is an adaptation from the novel of the same name by Walter Tevis which was published in 1959...the movie begins and ends with a game of pool...at the beginning we can observe that Eddie Felson ( Paul Newman) is a brash,over confident individual who wants to make a fast buck...he has a  showdown with Minnesota Fats ( Jackie Gleason) a seasoned professional who is calm and collected ,who teaches him a lesson or two in humility by soundly thrashing him during a game of pool...He befriends Sarah Packard ( Piper Laurie) who is dealing with her own demons...one thing i noticed about Eddie is that in spite of losing so much money he never gave up hope, he just kept soldiering on...the movie is also significant for Bert ( George C. Scott) ; three years before his hilarious turn in Doctor Strangelove...

 the cinematography is simply a treat to watch...when one watches it looks as if we are watching a noir movie of the 40's...the best part of the screenplay is that even after suffering a personal tragedy Eddie returned to the pool and vanquishes his former enemy... the movie portrays the human side of sportsmen,they too have feelings and are vulnerable to emotions...life is not about winning or losing,it is the process that takes place and what valuable lessons we have learnt after committing mistakes...

Paul Newman delivers a  landmark performance...Piper Laurie gives a performance that will be remembered for years to come...flawless direction... great background score...highly underrated and humiliated at the 1962 Oscars!!! this one is for the ages!!!

Cool Hand Luke

Why are criminals reluctant to conform to the rules of the society? Well in my view some people are unwilling to learn from their past mistakes...Cool Hand Luke is the definitive chain gang movie of all time...I always wonder why we never get to see movies about chain gangs anymore...rather puzzling...it is really harsh on them,they have to toil for long hours under the harsh sun...wearing those cool but heavy denims... the movie was also a mirror of the times...people wanted their voices to be heard and where fed up of the inefficient government.

First and foremost Cool Hand Luke was released in 1967, a very prominent year for movies and pop culture...it is what we call a “guys movie”...Luke is one of cinema's enduring anti – heroes... it is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Donn Pearce...it begins with Lukas "the war hero" Jackson ( Paul Newman) who in a drunken haze gets arrested by the local police for cutting off parking meters... at that very moment Luke  flashes a wry smile indicating that he does not care about anything...Luke is a non – conformist... he believes in anti – establishment...

Cool Hand Luke is filled with immortal scenes like the sequence when Luke consumes 50 hard boiled eggs....plastic Jesus...Captain ( Strother Martin) as the sadistic superior telling Luke “ what we 've got here is failure to communicate”,the entire sequence involving the car washing with “Lucille”...Paul Newman delivers an immortal performance where he lets his eyes do all the talking...treated with disrespect at the 1968 Oscars....beautifully photographed by legendary Conrad Hall ( credits include Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,In Cold Blood and American Beauty)this is one movie which we can watch again and again...

The Last Picture Show

There is something about black and white movies that mesmerizes me ...perhaps the emotions are better captured...The Last Picture Show even though released in 1971 was shot in black and white...it is one of the most beautiful movies i have ever seen..it is the coming of age story of a small dusty town in Texas,or it is a microscopic look at the lives of the citizens...set in 1951..the Last Picture Show consists of one the finest ensemble casts ever put together on screen...it includes future stars ( Ellen Burstyn,Jeff Bridges and a gorgeous Cybill Sheperd in her film debut...the movie is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Larry Mcmurty published in 1966...

We are witness to friends bonding,betrayal between them,Loneliness which creeps in middle aged women...being recognized among peers...virginity issues...progression...Sam the Lion ( played by Ben Johnson) represents the traditional values of the sleepy town...while on the other hand Sonny and Duane represent the modern generation...but the character i loved the most was Ruth Popper ( in a beautifully rendered performance) as the neglected wife of the high school football coach who has an affair with Sonny ( Timothy Bottoms in an Oscar winning role)...

The Last Picture Show is the portrait of an era gone by...Peter Bogdanovich's best work to date...the entire cast is fabulous including Ellen Burstyn ( credits include The Exorcist,Requiem for a dream)...winner of two Oscars...again humiliated at the 1972 Oscars...one of the greatest movies of all time...

A Clockwork Orange

Can hoodlums be reformed??? will they ever learn the error of their ways???what are the drastic measures one can utilize in order to change them???Anthony Burgess published the novel in 1962...A Clockwork Orange answers all these questions...it is about Alex( Malcolm McDowell in his finest role) and his droogs whose main activities are beating up beggars,raping women and wreaking havoc on unsuspecting citizens...the movie is set in futuristic Britain where law and order are a thing of the past...we can say that this movie is a front runner to the cult classic Fight Club...Alex is a sadistic hoodlum ho derives pleasure after committing atrocious crimes...in a sense he is also an anti – hero...in fact Heath Ledger was inspired by this particular character when portraying The Joker in The Dark Knight... 

After Alex is captured by the police he is sent to a correctional facility where discipline is of the highest order...he is shown video footages of the same sins he committed and also from concentration camps...the most shocking thing was that his eyes where wide open...he was not allowed to shut them!!! once he is sent back to society after his stint in the prison he does not have an easy time...politicians use him for their own personal growth...the irony was that it is well known that he is a rapist and other things, after his treatment he is subjected to a naked woman and is forced to lick an individual's shoes!!!! i loved all the scenes which included music by Ludwig Van Beethoven...

A Clockwork Orange is a MASTERPIECE...you may either love it or hate it but you will never forget it that's for sure...visually stunning!!! highly controversial for its time,Kubrick did a clever thing by infusing western classical and electronic music...the climax is an unforgettable image with Alex frolicking in sex!!!! what an imagery!!!!forget what others think,you watch it and then you decide!!!

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is one of the rare sequels which is better than the first part...the most interesting thing is that the decision is unanimous,..ask anyone about the film and they will tell you two words “The Joker”...the last time i remember seeing a perfect villain was Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs...an interesting fact to note is that Bob Kane created the persona of The Joker after watching the 1928 silent movie classic "the man who laughs"...The Joker can easily be summed up the following quote rendered by Batman's faithful Butler ( Michael Caine)

"Some men aren't looking for anything logical.
They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with.
Some men just want to watch the world burn."

Christopher Nolan ( credits include Memento,Batman Begins) presents Gotham City as a place as a city never seen before filled with constant dangers...it looks completely authentic...it's like any other city in the world today..sadly Batman played by Christian Bale hardly gets a scope :-)....technically the film is a delight to watch...sure there are many loop holes...who cares!!! the most astonishing thing was that why the hell was The Dark Knight not nominated for Best Picture???

filled with unforgettable scenes including “why so serious?”,the thrilling encounter between Batman and The Joker,Joker's meeting with the mob including the pencil trick sequence,the Joker gatecrashing the party,the final scenes of the Joker,the adrenaline arousing soundtrack...i actually felt sad for Harvey Dent ( Aaron Eckhart; outstanding!!!!) because of the way he was betrayed by the commissioner!!!

Finally Heath Ledger you will be always missed!!!! the DARK KNIGHT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

ALMOST FAMOUS

The best aspect of Almost Famous that i enjoyed the most was the way classic rock has been woven into the script at critical junctures.The time line the movie presents to us is 1969 to 1973. The movie deals with the journey of William Miller ( Patrick Fugit) as the wide eyed teenager whose dream job is to be a successful rock journalist. His family comprises of a strict and conservative mother ( Frances Mcdormand : simply brilliant as the overprotective mother ) and Anita ( a cute looking Zooey Deschanel) : who is the complete opposite of her mother.


Anita encourages William to follow his heart. With the help of Lester Bangs ( Philip Seymour Hoffman : memorable cameo) he joins the band Stillwater. He meets Penny Lane ( Kate Hudson in a star making role) who helps him along the way. During the early 70's there was a lot of turmoil going on like the Vietnam war, Civil Rights Movements and thus the songs written during this period also reflects the sentiments of the people. As wel all know the 1970's was the greatest decade for rock music and this fact is very much evident in the movie.My secret wish was to be born in the early sixties so that i could also experience the golden age of classic rock.

I found many scenes in the movie to be magical like Russell ( Billy Crudup ) raising his arms towards the heavens and screaming “ I am a Golden God!!!!!!” from the top of a house,the entire sequence when the gang sings Tiny Dancer by Elton John,Penny Lane saying to William “ You are home”,the band aides or rather groupies prancing around William,the eye contact between William and Penny Lane in this particular scene sigh :-) a young William glancing thru LP'S of Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys,Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan,Blue by Joni Mitchell and of course Tommy by The WHO and also when he says the “the letter u!!!”


I loved the innocence and vulnerability of the characters and how they evolve at the end of the movie. I also loved the way the lifestyle of the 70's was shown with its hippies,protest through songs...the film does have a laid back charm to it..this is one movie that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face...

The story itself is autobiographical in nature. Cameron Crowe ( credits include Jerry Maguire,Vanilla Sky) himself was a rock journalist at Rolling Stones Magazine and toured with the Allman Brothers Band ,The Eagles and Led Zeppelin.Heartfelt characters,rollicking soundtrack,memorable one liners ( “I dig music”),controlled direction... Almost Famous is one of the best movies about rock and roll...