IN A LONELY PLACE (1950) - ENGLISH

I believe, there is peace in a black and white noir film. 

Humphrey Bogart as Dix Steele played one of the most complex characters of his career and he pulled it off menacingly well. Hats off to Humphrey Bogart for the portrayal of the character that has a sine-curve of emotions. It goes up and down every now and then and I could not so expect what Dix would do all through the film. Even at the end, it surprised me that he was quiet. 

This is a hypnotic film as per me. There is an attraction power that made me sit through the film and at the end I thought it was just a breeze. So much happened in the breeze and it's tough to understand each aspect of it, yet it made sense. 

Why does one act in one way or the other depends on many factors and it's all psychological. Human reaction I think is triggered primarily by how the action is perceived and not necessarily by judging if it's good or bad. Reaction time for brain is so less that to show that we are present we need to spontaneous. In quest for spontaneity we loose our volition, our judgement and more often than not our senses too. 

I can simply put that for many movie lovers in the world, this film is a must watch. Nicholas Ray has done a fine job and full marks to him. I am going with 4/5 for this classic. 

आह में

साया था मेरा यार ज़िन्दगी की चाह में 
हमसफ़र को पाऊ में चल पड़ा इसी चाह में 
मंज़िल करीब थी पर मैं था तन्हा वहां पर 
करू तो क्या करू, अब जी रहा हूँ आह में

उदासीपन का एहसास

उदासीपन का एहसास न होने देना 
दूरी कभी महसूस न होने देना 
पास न हो हम तुम्हारे 
पर मिलने का आस न खोने देना

ज़ालिम

ज़ालिम केहता है तुम्हे ज़माना तन्हा जो छोड़ दिया हमें 
इल्ज़ाम लगाती है क़त्ल कि, क़त्ल जो किया हमें 
पर मैं तो केहता हूँ मरगया मैं कब का 
ज़िन्दगी जो बिताया था कुछ पल तेरे साये में
अब कोई कुछ भी कहे, हम आराम करते है 
साथ लेकर वो यादें जो तुमने दिया हमें

ZODIAC (2007) - ENGLISH

Man is the most dangerous animal - A line in the film. 

All humans are perverts - David Fincher.

Oh did Fincher really say that? Well, I did hear him in a video saying this and I do second him on that. About the line in the film, it's a line in the cipher by Zodiac. OK, this film is not about zodiac signs in any which way but about a killer whose name is Zodiac. There existed an animal with  the name "Zodiac" and he did murder in 1960's and 70's. 

This is a scene by scene heart wrenching film where one scene is difficult to handle emotionally than the earlier one. It's a drama that's heart wrenching and a psycho thriller that's like slow poison. We are made to sit and savor the poison and actually it tests a lot of patience being 2 and half hours long before it actually kills us.

Performances by Jake Gylenhall and Robert Downey Jr. stand out while all other played their part well. Fincher has a way of extracting great performances and he shows his skill through the film. Music played a part in the film and music was driven by the characters. Cinematography and production design were good and set the mood well. The mood was terrific all through the film and the variations of camera angles, the music, the emotions, everything came together in nearly every scene of the film. 

Thanks to Fincher for giving me Zodiac and a 4/5 for a good thriller.

36 VAYADHINILE (2015) - TAMIL

An important film in today's times.

"Do dreams have an expiry date?" a question asked by Vasanthi (Jyothika) is an important one and worth revisiting each time in our lives.

The film touches upon issues like women empowerment, cut off age for jobs, organic farming and a few other. The connection of the issues is connected very well all across the film. Kudos the director Rosshan Andrews for maintaining consistency in characters and sticking to a theme and also touching upon various issues. That's a feat worth applauding.

Jyothika is superb as Vasanthi, she has delivered a subtle yet strong performance in this film. The other cast was apt and did their role well. The production design was something I wished was better. I felt like watching a TV serial at times.

A 3/5 for a film that deserves a clap if not a standing ovation.

THE GODFATHER (1972) - ENGLISH

This epic shall be one of the best ever films made for a very long time to come.

To sum it up, it has nuanced characters, universal plot, terrific mood setting and sublime performances. Thus, it makes it one of the best if not the best.

I am happy to have understood this film early in my life (around 15 years back) and am also happy to have seen other films by this director and these actors. This film was made by a great bunch of people who went on to become great post release of the film.

The beginning is as spine chilling as the end. There are moments of surprise, jaw-drop and goosebumps. This is a pinnacle if I may say in elevating viewers emotions and making him involved along the journey.
If I can pick one scene that defines Godfather for me, it has to be the slow camera movement to the horse head. The screams, the cries, the vendetta still linger in front of my eyes for days after I finished my viewing.

Mario Puzo gave it in writing but Coppola took this book to another level. Francis Ford Coppola shall remain in the list of best directors just because of Godfather. Although, he made many movies later on, Godfather remains tall. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino shall be forever the gangster son and father duo that's impeccable.

I loved it and when I watch it again, perhaps for some 30th time, I will love it more. The pace, the style, the environment all are enviable. A 5/5 for this epic.

TOY STORY 3 (2010) - ENGLISH

I love these even today and I can play with them for long.

There is nostalgia in these toys, this was indeed my first animation film I can remember seeing in a theater. I adored them then and it was a WOW. Even now, the WOW factor is still there and it actually grew. 

Good becomes great at times and we start appreciating for being kids. We may be good as adults  but as kids we were more or less great. I loved it when I saw this in 2010 in a theater and when I saw this again, I loved it more. It has a flow and the characters are so brilliantly etched. From the cowboy Andy to the astronaut Buzz to the two potato heads, each one is very neat and actually have a role to play. There is a significance to each character and they come together as a team to achieve their objectives. There are many aspects I can learn from this film, should I take it seriously.  

Technically, as any PIXAR film this is brilliant. Toy Story was the first film made by PIXAR and even after 15 years in the third installment, the theme is still relevant. PIXAR had redefined the animation industry since Walt Disney started it. I would firmly put PIXAR and DISNEY side by side if ever I were to rate animation companies. PIXAR, although goes further in exploring universal themes, blending them with emotions that we as humans can relate to.  

I don't want to single out anyone be it the director, writer, animator or any actor in appreciating their work. This is team film and everyone did their job extremely well. This film will stand among one of the finest animation films ever made for a very long time to come. 

A 5/5 for this.

WAITING (2015) - HINDI

A gem that depicts a poignant issue.

It's a hopeful film on the hopeless state of many and eventually, everyone including me has to be part of at the end of our lives.

Life and death are just a second apart in each of our lives. Once we are termed dead, our names are forgotten, our memories are lost. We are termed as "body" and only the cremation/burial process will be on everyones mind. In such a cruel world, there are loved ones who love us and will miss us. This film is about such lovers.

Naseeruddin Shahs and Kalki Koechlin play the principal leads who wait for each of their respective spouses to be out of danger. They are full of hopelessness at the same they need to get over it and although with every passing day, hope fades away they fight. Also, commendable is Rajat Kapoor. The cast is superb and their performances are memorable.

The writing is apt and subtle. I feel that the director Anu Menon is one of the most sensitive directors we have. To touch upon this subject and execute it subtly is an achievement in itself. I thank her for making the viewers part of the journey and emotions by making them endure.

The two track of the film "Zara Zara" and "Tu Hai" will be on my playlist forever. "Zara Zara" is one of the best songs in recent times.

A 4/5 for a wonderful journey of emotions.

GAUTAMIPUTRA SATAKARNI (2017) - TELUGU

It could have been a terrific historical drama sans songs. Even now its worth watching.

I loved many aspects of the film. Director Krish put it all together very well and my salutations to him. To dig into history and get information is the job of a historian. To write history dramatically is the job of a writer. To translate the writing into a worthy celluloid film is the job of a director. He plays it all and he plays all these roles really well.

All through the film, I did not find a moment of boredom except for the songs. The editing and the writing were superb ans they gelled well. I loved even the production design too. In thw days of Vfx, we may see some glitches but those are fine. Since the content was commendable, I could easily forgive many technical aspects of the film.

If not for Balakrishna, the dialogues would not have created impact. If not for Director Krish, the movie would not have been made so quickly. So kudos to the team. The dialogues are terrific.

Prior to this film, I loved "Aditya 369" and "Bhairava Dweepam" of Balakrishna and this is the 3rd film of his I loved. 

Historically we had some great war films. "Palmati Yuddham" was for me the finest war film made in Telugu. Now, this film falls in that league.

 

Here is a confession, I did not see "Bahubali" and I have no intention to watch it either. Simply because it did not attract me enough for watching. So technically, "Gutamiputra Satakarni" is the best visual effects film I have seen in Telugu.

"Saho" Director Krish you take all the credit. Thanks to you and your team. A 4/5 for giving us a piece of history and making it a great memory.

PHOBIA (2016) - HINDI

A good shot that was mistimed.

Till the climax there was curiosity and it was well built up. But the climax was so pale that more than a surprise it was a letdown for me.

Acting by Radhika Apte is superb and she has time and again proven her versatility and Phobia is a worthwhile cap in her feather. She seemed to be convinced about the role and the project and invested all her energy into the role.

I was happy to an extent to be seeing this but it I was not fully satisfied at the same time. There are big holes in the plot which came to the show by the end. There were questions that were raised as the movie concluded and those are not good questions either. 

All in all, its an average fare for me and if not for acting of Radhika Apte this movie would have been a forgetful one too. A 2/5 for this.

A AA (2016) - TELUGU

A simple tale told well with some excellent dialogues.

Two dialogues have stayed in my mind hours after I watched this film.

“Mee amma gurtundi cheppindi, mee naanna telsindi cheppaadu, nenu jarigindi cheppaanu.”

“Road widening lo sagam kottesina building laa ayipoyindhi naa bathuku. Vundataniki paniki raadhu. Vadalataniki manasu raadhu.”

The flow of the dialogues is trademark Trivikram. He is the real strength of the film.

The story is clichéd and many of the scenes or back-drop are actually watched in so many other films. 

But it is Trivikram who knit the elements well and put them in a new bottle making the old wine better.

Samantha is stealer in the film and this film truly belongs to her. She did justice to her role fully. Rao Ramesh is outstanding. Outstanding has become a kind of synonym with Rao Ramesh and he does is job superbly.

Above all, I give the credit to Trivikram for this film. A 3/5 for a good film. It’s too clichéd to go for a repeat watch that is all.

DANGAL (2016) - HINDI

An emotional journey for me as a film viewer.

I cannot say that I loved this film so much that I would watch it over and over again. But yes, I definitely liked it and would recommend this too. I was totally emotional while watching it. Each scene just raked up the emotion and took me to a high. Since Taare Zameen Par, I suppose this is Aamir Khan’s most emotional film. I did not see three of his other films and I did not like “3 Idiots” very much and he was very limited in “Dhobi Ghat”

I confess I did not see “Talaash”, “Dhoom 3” or “PK” and I pledged myself never to be watching these as neither the trailers nor the word of mouth of these films lured me enough to watching.

"Dangal" is not a film of Aamir Khan alone. It’s a film of a wrestler father, his daughters, his family’s struggles and their journey together.  would rather say this is a film of Mahavir Singh Phogat and his journey with his daughters. The film is inspirational for sure and though I came to know the story through Aamir Khan’s TV show “Satyamev Jayate”, the depiction of these real people is wonderful. Few scenes I must say are brilliant and touching that I could not hold myself back and let the tears roll in emotions. Eyes welled up quite a few times all through the film and that I believe is the true achievement of a director. Nitesh Tiwari translated a known story with authenticity to the screen. From the wrestling bouts to the home of Mahavir Singh including his office I thought the art direction and set design were superb. The choreography of the wrestling bouts awed me.

One scene that I would love to mention (I hope I am not spoiling the fun) is the bout between the daughter and father.

Aamir Khan for me is a true nationalist. He proved this time and again from “Safarosh” to “Lagaan” to “Mangal Pandey” to “Rang De Basanti” to “Taare Zameen Par” and he does it yet again. The performance of the daughters that is of the younger kids and the youthful girls is worth an applause.

A 4/5 for this film. There are overwhelming emotions.

HACKSAW RIDGE (2016) - ENGLISH

Terrific film about an incredible man. 

The is a film made on honorable Desmond Doss. An incredible person, who was a warrior without a weapon. A savior who did not trigger a bullet in a war. The story of the man is so terrific that it would have been great however it is made. I believe even an interview from Desmond would have been supremely interesting too. But here is a film made by another incredible director Mel Gibson.

Invariably, comparisons with many other World War 2 films will be coming into the mind as this follows the path trodden by those films in one way or other. Be it the background of the protagonist, the framing of war scenes. Glimpses of these are seen already in other war films. Yet, this is different. This is different in character and different in context. 

Desmond Doss won a war without holding a weapon and showed immense bravery on the war field to save lives of people. I did not feel there was melodrama in Desmond's ways of doing it but screenplay adds some chronology to the events and highlights the important events that have shaped his character. Perhaps some events are depicted to elevate the reasoning of the character and this is absolutely fine.

The cinematography is top notch and the background score is terrific. From bullets to screams and to silences, everything is extremely detailed and captured meticulously.

Kudos to all the actors and Andrew Garfield has come a long way since "Social Network". This was a revelation of Andrew for me. He is sure going to go a long way if he sticks to good content.

Mel Gibson, I suppose made the best movie yet of his life. I am giving a 4/5 for this terrific story of a terrific human being who is not fictitious but real. Guys, he was one amongst us.

PRISONERS (2013) - ENGLISH

An engaging thriller handling many twists.

Every time I was catching up with the plot, it threw me and took me into a different direction. It was tough to predict or analyze the next scene of the film, but at the end it was rewarding. The film tested my patience. I was impatient to know the truth while the movie took its own sweet time to unravel. 

Every now and then as suspicion built up and I was almost about to come to a conclusion of the culprit, I was proved wrong. All in all, 3 times I was proved wrong and it was shattering for myself. I could not resist but see through the end of the film and enjoy my mistakes. As I traveled along with the film  I enjoyed the journey and at times I was thrown into deep valleys along the path. The deep valleys are worth exploring as they kept giving newer details. 

Hugh Jackman was at his best as a father. He was a drunkard and a father and there was a vulnerability needed and he executed that. Jake Gylenhall as a police officer who has a blinking habit is terrific. I loved the composure, the poise and meticulousness of Jake in the film. Jake has a long way to go and though he is underrated than most of his peers, he is a great actor and as time moves on, everyone will get to know of his greatness I believe.

Dennis Villeneuve is someone I am now in love with. I look forward to watching all his other films and his future projects as well. Although this is his second feature film, he did the job with precision. The photography by Roger Deakins is inspiring. The shots are rightly paced all along the film. There is a shot in which the camera zooms in on a bark of a tree and there is a house out of focus in the background. This shot added a lot of tension and I loved the build up.

Kudos to all the actors involved because each one stood out and performed well. Dennis Villeneuve is a director to watch out for. A 4/5 for a superb thriller that is executed well.

MOANA (2016) - ENGLISH

A typical animated film that is a fable made as a musical.

This is for children only film is what I started feeling after the first 10 minutes and as the movie ended, I concluded that this film is made for kids up to 12 years specifically.

There are too many songs to my liking and the story is pretty juvenile. Although there are south pacific cultural elements added, the story is fable-like and in almost every folklore there shall be a hero who has done amazing things fighting against odds. In this film, the hero is the daughter of a chief. She is brave, dares against superstitions and goes all the way for her people to be happy and prosperous. Ah, how many times I have seen such themes and almost similar films. How to be a leader, a king. This plays the same theme in a different backdrop.

Looking at the trailer, the film seemed so different than it really is. The songs are too many and the editing is pretty ordinary. The graphics, the colors are as great as any other Walt Disney movie. Yes, Disney has set a stupendously high started in animated films which other studios can only emulate but hard to beat. I loved the richness of visuals but got pretty bored by many other aspects.

A 2/5 for this film. Though not so much of my taste, I suppose this will be loved by kids.

DEEPWATER HORIZON (2016) - ENGLISH

An engaging film filled with good action and acting.

This is a film based on true events of oil rig explosion in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2010, I was in Florida in 2010 April and I remember warnings in news channels to avoid beaches. Florida is a state known for its beaches and in June and July, we were told not to get into the sea as the oil spillage has done a lot of damage and it would be hazardous. This movie rekindled those memories.

The acting is good and pretty casual I would say. It’s professional I must say to go out and play real people and be natural as oil rig workers and talk their language. From a Magenta warning to cutting the pipe, there are some layman words yet there are some technical words which would be understood better by those working on the oil rigs. Despite, the language, the action is so good that it kept me engaged till the end.

I knew this was a survivor story and also who would survive can be made out by the roles each actor plays and also if we know the story of Deepwater Horizon. Yet, the packaging was done well with respect to how it all began and how someone’s reckless attitude lead to a catastrophe.

The direction is good, the visual effects are great and the acting is terrific. I am not singling out anyone in acting as the ensemble cast did a great job together. The writing is precise and the editing is pretty decent cutting it to just 107 minutes with hardly any dull moments.

I liked it and it’s a decent watch. A 3/5 for this.

ARRIVAL (2016) - ENGLISH

A film that is designed for a debate.

The film tries to raise questions on many dimensions. The film questions the craft of screenplay and the technique of film writing on one level. At the same time,it questions the existential questions on death, our view of life and how loved are our loved ones. How important is communication and what are the difficulties in the case of an alien insurgence.

It pushed me to the edge by the end of the film without any rush, any big thing happening and even 4 days after watching it, it's keeping me in the "Arrival" zone. The name Arrival itself is deceptive for the film. It's not just about aliens or anything, it's deeply human and that's a great achievement.

The editing is done amazingly well. Though the film seems slow and literally nothing much happened in the 116 minutes, yet everything was connected superbly at the end. Actually, it was a shocker for me. What I expected and what I got was hugely different and yet it left me wanting for more.

Acting is superb by Amy Adams and by Jeremy Renner. There is poise and composure to their characters which is rare as compared to protagonists of a sci-fi film. Oops, I expected this to be a sci-fi film too, but it's a deliberately well made emotional drama in the guise of a sci-fi film.

Dennis Villeneuve who surprised me with "Prisoners" surprised me with "Arrival" too and I am in awe of this director now. Also, thanks to Ted Chiang, the author of "Story of Your Life". "Arrival" is an adaptation of "Story of Your Life"

A 4/5 for this wonderfully made movie.

SAAHASAM SWASAGAA SAAGIPO (2016) - TELUGU

A film that is plotless and pointless. A film so pointless that even the great master of music could not help.

I did not like the film for the following reasons:

1. The hero does not know how to pronounce Silhouette (he pronounces as like sil-hout). He has an SLR at home and does not know how to spell the photography term. Basically, he does not know either English or Telugu.
2. The hero does not know how to emote. He does not know how to give lip sync either.
3. There is nothing called cinematography, the faces are shot straight. Lazy photography.
4. I did not like the timing of songs especially, "Vellipomakey".
5. "Vellipomakey" is terrible in Telugu while "Thalli Pogathey" is awesome in Tamil.
6. The road trip is so convenient that I disliked the taken for granted writing of the trip.
7. Did not understand how the guy gets keys of an unknown Royal Enfield in the second half.
8. Actually, did not understand how could the hero stuff so many clothes in one bag for the road trip.
9. The plot, Theme, Characters, Action - Nothing is memorable but my dislike is so strong that it's hard to forget.

It's been more than a week since I saw this film, trusting some rave reviews by friends. But, I could not help myself from writing this review to vent my anger.

There is a reason why I am very afraid of watching films with A R Rahman music. In Hindi, they justify it much better than in Telugu or Tamil films. So sorry, ARR, you gave your best but others messed up everything else.

I love 3 songs
"Thalli Pogathey" - yes Tamil version only. Rap is Telugu is not apt.
"Chakkori" - lyrics in Telugu are decent.
"Taanu Nenu" - liked the lyrics.

A 0/5 for the film and 3/5 for the album. I seriously pledge never to watch a Naga Chaitanya film in the theater again.

THE GAME (1997) - ENGLISH

A film that is abstruse and absurd yet not so abstract.

There is no believability or factual presentation when surrealism is the theme. "The Game" goes by surrealism that boggled my mind at the end. The built up was great and the action was sleek yet the ending was not fulfilling. I was not fully satisfied as a viewer and a lot of expectations from Fincher got battered.

Technically, it is good in all aspects. But what good are all the embellishments when the dish is too dried up. The script was just too dry to make me engage or perhaps, the screenplay was not provocative enough. There is a missing element in the film is what I felt.

My heart went to Sean Penn whom I thought was totally wasted. Michael Douglas was gracious in suits and cars but his body language was not good enough. I felt like Michael was told to be too casual in the film and he was just there without any passion.

A 2/5 for an average showing and take on surrealism.

PINK (2016) - HINDI

An impactful film that lingered long after I came home from the theater.

I have seen this movie twice in 2 days and I cannot get over it yet. It's a tough film to let go. Each moment is progressive and takes the story forward. It's a case that is fought well and proves a point. The film takes up not one but multiple issues and handles them extremely well.

The issues which are highlighted in the film as I saw are

1) Forcing women into non-consensual acts
2) Objectification of women by society
3) Judging women by their looks and habits by society
4) Treatment of North East Indians
5) Pollution in India
6) Corruption in Police
7) High handedness of politicians
8) Headstrong attitude of rich and powerful
9) Modesty of sincere lawyers

I can write cliched lines as "Performance are supreme and writing is terrific". Let me cut the technicalities out and say that it's a film we needed in our times. It's poignant and indeed the most relevant films of the year.

In performances, I loved Amitabh Bachchan, Piyush Mishra and a special mention to Taapsee who stood out. The song "Kaari Kaari" will be on my playlist for a long time to come.

Thanks to the makers and all those involved in bringing this film out. I loved it despite its obvious result and its preachiness. Yes, mind you the film is preachy yet sticks to the point.

A 4/5 for one of the best stories and films of the year.

AZHAR (2016) - HINDI

A worthless film that is clichéd and is manipulative.

It’s like a film made by a biased fan of the cricketer Azharuddin to show him in good light and to tell the world that he is innocent. I did not buy the ticket myself for the film and did not want to see this. Having said that, to kill some time, I went to this film. The result was on the lines of my expectation. I expected that the film would not focus much on the betting or match-fixing and so it happened. The film was about Azharuddin's Love Affairs and his relationship with his grandfather than about his cricket affairs. It tried hard to bring out reality but is too biased to be appreciated.

What a waste of time and money. A 0/5 for this.

UDTA PUNJAB (2016) - HINDI

So there comes a powerful film on drugs in India.

It is powerful because it addresses the issue right from the core. The political nexus is seen, how youth are inspired by wrong icons is seen and a lot more is seen. The script is terrific on paper. Having said that the direction could have been better as the screenplay was slow and also spoon fed.
Abhishek Chaubey made "Ishqiya"  and "Dedh Ishqiya" but this is much better than those films. This film has a purpose and depicts a real issue.

Performances are great and they hold the film well. Alia Bhatt as Bihari worker stands out. Shahid tried his best but overplayed a bit. Kareena Kapoor looked composed at most places and in few scenes her unnecessary reaction came out. Diljit Dosanjh was good in his role and I loved his screen presence.

The intent to make the film is noble but at times it became preachy. Shahid Kapoor as "Tommy Singh" goes gaga over the ills of drugs and I did not like that part. Perhaps, it could have been edited out. So editing could have been much sharper.

The film is shot well as the camera is handled by Rajeev Ravi, a master of cinematography. The music has its place and is well done.

A 3/5 for a good film. Just a word that there were few unnecessary deaths which did not add any value to the film. 

REVIEW OF ISHQIYA

http://braddugg.blogspot.in/2011/08/ishqiya-2009-hindi.html

REVIEW OF DEDH ISHQIYA

http://braddugg.blogspot.in/2014/01/dedh-ishqiya-2014-urdu.html

THE JUNGLE BOOK (2016) - ENGLISH

A good book has transpired into a wonderful film.

Filled with graphics and visual effects created animals and one human who stands out, this is an adventure that's made extremely well. The book is adapted into a film or TV series several times and this is a great adaptation of the book.

I loved Shere Khan and his voice over. Idris Elba is terrific in voice over for Shere Khan. Also, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera came into his own realm and nailed the character. Neel Sethi as Mowgli is a surprise and a good find.

The direction is superb and brings a connection from beginning to end. There is not a dull moment in this adventure. I have seen the film twice in the theater and both the times, I fell in love with it. This is a book I loved as a childhood. Sure, Rudyard Kipling gave us an adventure that will last for centuries.

Technically, the film is brilliant. The visual effects are stunning and the whole landscape and animals are real that actually there are some frightening moments. The one scene in which "Kaa" (voice given by Scarlett Johannson) comes to talk with Mowgli is creepy and haunting.

I am going with 4/5 for this. A memorable adventure that's worth the money and time.

JAWS (1975) -ENGLISH

Truly, one of the greatest pictures ever made.

The film is about capturing a killer shark that feeds on humans. It's a spectacle to be seen on the big screen. The first half or three-fourth of the film is about planning how to go about capturing the shark. The last part is all in the sea. It's an amazing film because the way it traverses from scene to scene. The film involves a lot of character build up and a basis for the shark to be killed. It also keeps minimalistic in sound and gets loud only when needed.

The sound design and the music by John Williams is a study in itself. The editing is precise and keeps the movie gripping. To be fair, there are hardly any dull moments in the film, even though the end is known. The journey is so interesting that the destination feels like a by-product of the journey.

Steven Spielberg grew in stature with this film. I am told by my uncle who saw the film in theatre  1970's when it got released that it was indeed a phenomenon and one of his friends does not enter into the water even today that is 40 years after seeing the film he is still afraid of sharks. Though funny, it is indeed true and confirmed by the person itself.

It's impactful and must be revered for the change it brought about in mindset and understanding of the sea the nature of sharks.

Acting is stupendous and though I don't know any of the cast, they played their roles superbly and are heroic in their own ways.

A 4/5 for one the great films ever made, though it lost it's aura a bit as technology got updated, it must be seen for the content.

BLOOD DIAMOND (2006) - ENGLISH

A powerful film on the diamond trade and exploitation of people in Africa.

This is a film based on True Events and is made realistically. The film's strong points are writing, directing and acting. This film seems to be shot in real locations with real people. There are many points in the film which I liked technically. The shot composition, the capture of African Landscape is amazing. The music is something I liked and felt it went with the flow of the film.

The writing of dialogues is simple and yet stood out. The relationship between "Danny Archer" (Leonardo DiCaprio) and "Solomon Vandy" (Djimon Hounsou) is well established and concluded beautifully.

In 2006, there were two memorable films which came out about exploitation in Africa. One is this one and the other is "Last King of Scotland". While both are historical films and based on True Events, I thought "Blood Diamond" was better in drama.

I loved the performance of Leonardo DiCaprio and he was terrific in the role. Watch it if you are a Leo fan, or if interested in the history of Africa. Others, watch if interested in good cinema.

A 3/5 for a good film.

DHANAK (2016) - HINDI

A film that moved me not by sympathy but with humor.

When I watch films of underprivileged people, I feel blessed and privileged. To be sane and healthy and everything working fine in the body is a great blessing which I value much more than many other things. Dhanak is a film that made me feel blessed and privileged.

The nuances like the turn of a coin to play either Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan or dreaming a house build of sweets were simply amazing. I must say Nagesh Kukunoor is still an original director. There are elements of genuine originality in his films which are rare in Indian films. He is one of the few directors who sticks to his subject and puts it across well.

With this film, he is back to the landscape of Rajasthan where he shot few of his films. I loved his DOR. So the sand dunes, the dry lands are part of the backdrop and they are wonderful.

There are few moments I loved in the film. The song of "Dam-a-Dam Mast Qalandar", the "Maatha" moment and the letters to Shah Rukh.

Krrish Chhabria as Chotu is superb and this film belongs to him. Hetal Gadda as Pari is memorable. It's the kids who brought so much life to the film and for me as a viewer.

A 3/5 for a good film. Kudos to Nagesh Kukunoor who keeps churning good movies despite many constraints.

THE VIRTUOUS BURGLAR (A PLAY) - ENGLISH

Dramanon Presents Dario Fo's 'The Virtuous Burglar'

About The Play: A burglar enters a house that he has been studying from the outside for days. Thinking he knows everything there is to know, he enters with absolute confidence, only to find out how wrong he was! Being on the inside, error-filled encounters with and among strangers unravels so much more than he can handle.

Language : English
Cast : Saurabh Sensharma, Vaishali Bisht, Rahul Premchander, Richa Jain, Shayontoni Ghosh, Adnan Hararwala, RK Shenoy
Director : Harika Vedula
Length : 1 hour
Writer : Dario Fo

VENUE : RTTC AUDITORIUM, HYDERABAD
DATE : 28th AUGUST 2016

My Review:

The play is about a burglar who comes to steal and is entangled in a cat and mouse game of husband and wives. Infidelity took the centre-stage and all others played their part.The first 15 minutes of dialogues were missed out by noise. I could not hear what was being spoken on stage properly. I owe this to the bad sound arrangement. Also, one of the lights was directly onto my face and I could not take that. So it was tough for me to sit through the play.

Of all, Saurabh Sensharma as Burglar impressed me. Others did their bit. I would be cautious going forward in going with hype and friends words. My friend hyped the play as if it is one of their best plays. To be fair, I have seen much better plays than this. I would rather forget this play. An average one. I could take nothing back.

The best part of everything about the play is the sketch of The Virtuous Burglar (as shown in the poster above) by RK Shenoy.

DONT BREATHE (2016) - ENGLISH

A big waste of time. Neither horrifying nor memorable.

This was hyped as one of the best horror films and I fell into the trap of hype and went for it. I came back with curses and complaints than liking it even one bit. My wife loves horror films and she is the driving force and I hope I would be enjoying my first horror film in the theater along with her and that was not to be. To be fair enough, it was a boring experience.

Until the time, the antagonist did not open his mouth, there was some eerie feeling. But once his dialogues began, the essence was lost and it became dull and the interest it generated was fizzled out.

The good thing is sound. Yes, horror films bank on sound and this film is no different that way. Also, acting was good especially by Stephen Lang. The climax was pretty horrible, to say the least, and the reason behind the antagonist's work was just too lame. I felt like they created a lazy character as a villain and tried to sell him to the audience.

It's set up well only to fizzle out at the end. This left me with a bad memory. The movie is forgettable and I am going with a generous 1/5.

THE POWER OF HABIT

AUTHOR: CHARLES DUHIGG
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

A book that overwhelmingly talks about the power of a habit.

There are numerous examples of people who have a habit and what did they accomplish with that habit. Also, there are stories of people who have a less valuable life because of their habits.

Habit is defined in English as below

Habit(n): an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary

Now with that definition of habit, it's a pattern. Habits are consistent as consistent as doing brush daily. Our life is actually consumer by habits for 70-80% what we do for the remaining part is actually a luxury. So if we have good habits, then we shall be successful and we have bad habits we shall be a failure in life.

This book did not tell about how to correct bad habits in detail and almost followed a similar pattern for each of habit that was explained. Be it drinking a coffee, eating a choco chip or brushing teeth. Also, organizations mentioned in the book are told to have benefitted with habits. The examples given in the book depict reality and I appreciate the author Charles Duhigg for his research work.

After reading through the first two chapters I got a hang of the context of the book and started skimming through the pages. I did not find any great value add I must say by the end. Although,
in Appendix I found something of huge value, I thought the rest of 250 odd pages were filled with stories that were reasoning more on habit formation and sustenance.

The book though gives a scientific explanation, it evolves from stories and studies. It's like trying to sell a thought process providing examples. That's one of the main reasons, which did not make me involve as a reader. I cannot buy or read through books whose intent is to sell a thought. Those are preachy books and this book I felt is preachy too. I am not sure if I can call it self-help too coz I could not get any great help from the book.

Yet, I got to know an understanding of habit and the cue-routine-reward loop.

Also, the framework for reshaping a habit was well put.

Identify the Routine
Experiment with Rewards
Isolate the Cue
Have a Plan

Though for me it was an average read, I got some insights and am thankful for that.
The best paragraph for me in the book was actually a quote of William James.

"All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits - practical, emotional, and intellectual - systematically organized for our weal or woe, and bearing us irresistibly toward our destiny, whatever the latter may be"