Dust to Gold

Bringing Out the Dead – (1999)

2010-04-25T23:17:00.000+05:30

Over the weekend I watched two movies, ‘Awakenings’ (Robert Di Nero and Robbin Williams) and ‘Bringing Out the Dead’ (Nicholas Cage). If you have been following my reviews in Satyam blogs then you’d be knowing that I am little biased towards Martin Scorsese’s movies, and this is the reason i’d review ‘Bringing Out the Dead’ first.Martin Scorsese tried to create another ‘Taxi Driver’ with ‘Bringing Out the Dead’ but, honestly speaking, failed at it. The movie is not that awesome but it is not bad either, rather it is a rare misstep for Scorsese. Unlike most Scorsese’s movies which have lot of bloodshed in them or are gangster movies this one is quite different although there are some scenes in movie which have blood in them. The movie revolves around Frank. Nicholas Cage plays paramedic Frank Pierce.Frank is in the midst of a serious downtime in his life. He hasn’t been able to save anybody from dying in several months and it’s starting to get to him. In fact it’s driving him crazy. Frank isn’t able to sleep well and when he’s awake he’s haunted by the face of Rose, a young homeless girl who died in his arms. Frank is at the brink and he is starting to lose his mind.Bringing Out The Dead does have it’s moments though and it isn’t a complete loss. The movie starts out really strong with a lot of dark humor and beautiful night time shots. Frank has a different partner each of the three nights in the movie and the differences between them are really interesting. John Goodman is the first partner and he has a really strong role here. Unfortunately he disappears and Ving Rhames (who is almost unrecognizable with his hair) steps in. I normally like Rhames but his character is so over the top in this movie that he just wasn’t very believable. Tom Sizemore, playing a psychotic paramedic, steps in to provide a little lift near the end of the film.‘Bringing Out The Dead’ really doesn’t try to be the same movie ‘Taxi Driver’ was and so comparisons between the two are probably unfair. Unfortunately for Scorsese, the comparisons will be made, mainly due to the similarities of the two film’s respective protagonists. I think this movie showed a lot of promise early on but ultimately falters in it’s delivery. Recommended if you are a Martin Scorsese or Nicholas Cage fan.

Blade Runner (1982)

2010-04-19T23:53:00.004+05:30

"Wake up, Its time to Die"
Welcome to Ridley Scott's lurid slither into sci-fi noir. Blade Runner was definitely ahead of its time with a post-industrial, seemingly post-apocalyptic future, reminiscent of George Orwell's 1984. Ridley Scott has made movies in almost all the genre be it war ( Black Hawk Down), epic (GLadiator, Kingdon of Heaven), thriller (Hannibal/American Gangster), drama (Matchstick Men) and sci-fi (Aliens, Blade Runner). Scott set the sci-fi banchmark with Aliens which many directors tried to imitate afterwards. And which he himself broke with Blade Runner. Set in a vast, vulcanized Los Angeles in the year 2019, complete with flying automobile and a neverending assault of rain, Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a "blade runner": a cop who's hired to "retire" androids. There are four dangerous androids who have escaped from an "off-world colony" and Deckard's duty is to track them down and kill them before they wreak havoc in this already dreary world. Blade Runner is not an easy film to like. It has little overt characterization, a slow pace and a lot of background information to absorb before the whole thing makes any sense. Although the plot is a simple manhunt, the story stopped explored many issues. Things like 'what makes us human,'is it morally right to exploit the human genome' and other classic science fiction themes are competently explored. The replicants are not just mindless killing machines. In fact, some of them were portraying more sympathetically than some of the human characters. The acting is a bit unnatural, but that's obviously because of the movie's subject. There's minimum dialogue and maximum expression through nuance and innuendo in this movie. This kind of acting style is very effective in a movie that successfully captures such a dark mood through its artistic direction. It's also fitting that all the characters have mechanical, robotic interactions with each other, signifying the often obscured line between humans and androids and the overall closetedness of emotional life in this bleak city. What I really appreciate about Blade Runner is its acuity in visual detail. Ridley Scott has taken a lot of pains to make this an intensely visual experience. I've never seen such a variety of styles in lighting technique in a movie. Blade Runner utilizes darkness to set the tone of the plot - a harsh, fluorescent kitchen light, the rays of sharp illumination through a broken skylight from a passing blimp, and the reddish sunset that permeates the sky like a layer of smoke. The movie also challenges us with some modern interpretations of genetic manipulation and human experimentations in being god. It serves as a horrible reminder of what could be and what is happening: a lot to deal with in the span of two hours, but of course Blade Runner accomplishes that feat expertly.In conclusion, this is one superb piece of filmmaking. It reached new heights in cinema in terms of its cinematography, its audacious storytelling and its pessimistic outlook. A true classic.

You can own this movie by buying it HERE

ARR concert, Pune

2009-06-01T00:29:00.001+05:30

Just returned from an ARR concert held in Balewadi sports complex, Pune and to tell you, it was just awesome as expected. It was a part of Jai Ho concert. Being an ardent fan of ARR it was unlikely i would have missed it but Id've loved it if it had gone for some more time. Although the concert started late at 7:45 instead of 7, it went on till 10:45. But after the closing song Jai Ho, i felt i was there for few mins only :-) ARR performed some of his best tracks among which were some tamil tracks also. He mesmirised the audiences with two back-to-back qawallis from Jodha Akbar and Dilli-6. Some of the noted singer who lent their voices were Blaze, Sadhna Sargam, Hariharan, Roop Kumar Rathod, Raja Hassan etc. The only flip side was the seating arrangements...But when ARR is playing who cares...... Hmm well here are some pics of the concert and don't curse me for poor photo quality, i went there with my digital cam but the security guys confisticated my batteries and I had to rely on my cell phone.

Play Misty for Me (1971)

2009-05-17T22:03:00.000+05:30

Clint Eastwood never fails to amaze me. I have not seen a resume like what he has for an actor, a producer, a composer, a screenplay writer and a director, considering the fact he started off as a mere extra. Made his debut in 1955 as an actor and later turned into a producer and a director and is still going strong and looks fit for his age (Million Dollar Baby).

The beginning of the 1970s found Clint Eastwood either at or near the front ranks of actors who were considered sure box office, right up there with actors as diverse as Paul Newman and John Wayne. What caught a lot of people off guard in 1971, however, was when Eastwood, armed with the expertise he had gained working with Sergio Leone and Don Siegel, got into the business of directing. No one could have predicted that the Man With No Name would soon become the Man With A Big Name behind the camera. But that is indeed what happened; and his first effort both in front of and behind the camera was a winner: PLAY MISTY FOR ME

Filmed in Carmel, California, 'Play Misty For Me' features Eastwood as a DJ at a local jazz radio station taking all-night requests.On a particular night he gets a call from a mysterious woman to "Play 'Misty' for me", referring to a classic Errol Garner song "Misty". As it turns out, that woman (Jessica Walter) has something of a fixation on Eastwood. Furthermore, when Eastwood meets back up with an old flame of his (Donna Mills), Walter's fixation takes a turn towards the psychotic.

At this time if you are thinking this sounds like Fatal Attraction starring Michael Douglas, you would be right. The plot is same somewhat but personally I like 'Play Misty For Me' more cause me being a huge fan of clint Eastwood.

'Play Misty For Me' was not a perfect movie when it was released. There are a couple of awkward sequences that simply don't work at all in the film, but Eastwood recovers from such scenes and makes some very good and mature directorial choices as the film progresses.

Featuring of a cameo role from Eastwood's mentor Don Siegel as his local bartender, 'Play Misty For Me', despite some slightly misogynistic overtones, is an incredibly suspenseful work of filmmaking and shows the first glimpse of just how good Clint Eastwood would become both in front of and behind the camera.

Double Indemnity (1944)- Re-review

2009-03-27T19:36:00.000+05:30

“I killed him for money and for a woman. I didn't get the money. And I didn't get the woman.”

Paramount Studio's 1944 release Double Indemnity is one of the best examples of true-to-form film noir. The plot of the film is straightforward. Fueled by greed, a wife decides to take out an insurance policy on her unsuspecting husband, with plans of murdering him for the proceeds. The policy contains a double indemnity clause, which will pay twice the policy amount in the event of death by accident. To make her plan succeed, she enlists the help of an accomplice to help murder her spouse and make it seem accidental.

Adapted from a novel by James M. Cain, Double Indemnity is loosely based on the real-life Snyder-Gray murder case of 1927, in which a New York housewife persuaded her young lover to commit murder. The woman had taken out a double indemnity life insurance policy on her husband without his knowledge. The murder succeeded but the killers were caught and executed the following year. Just as actual events influenced the making of this film, Double Indemnity has influenced numerous movies based on the same premise, the most notable of which are 1946's The Postman Always Rings Twice and 1981's Body Heat.

The film stars Fred MacMurray as Walter Neff, a fast-talking insurance salesman, attempting to pull the perfect fraud job. It is Fred MacMurray who is narratting the film. Of course he didn’t start out with that idea - it all stated when he met, and immediately fell for, Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck). From there the tale she spins of her unhappy marriage, complicated by a tempestuous relationship with stepdaughter Lola, takes him on the slippery slope to crime. With his extensive knowledge of the insurance business, nothing can stop Walter from covering his tracks ingeniously… except the analytical skills of his friend, the fraud investigator Barton Keyes.

Frequently told in flashbacks, this movie is utterly compelling from the word go. It’s interesting to ponder whether this film could have had the same impact if it had been shot in colour - but I don’t think so. The filming is spot on, the camera angles, use of shadow and perspectives on the actors all add to the tension of the film. The screen does sometimes get so dark as to be impossible to tell what’s going on in a couple of scenes, but this is done deliberately so as to add to the suspense.

The film is very wordy, as so many films of the era were and the dialogue is often brilliant. Billy Wilder’s direction is another part of the key to this film’s being in the IMDB Top 250 Movies of All Time list and also features in the Top 50 among the IMDB Film Noir list in fact at # 3 when I last saw it. There are moments of humour to lighten the mood and scenes of compelling drama / intrigue / emotion. With the excellent acting, awesome script and breathtaking art direction / cinematography it makes one of the best films of all time in a lot of peoples’ list - including mine.

In case you didn’t know (I didn’t), the term “Double Indemnity” refers to an insurance clause where a double payment is handed out if someone whose life is insured dies in an unusual manner. Theoretically of course the chances of this happening are remote, meaning little danger of them ever having to pay it out… and cases when someone has died in this manner shortly after taking out a life insurance policy would automatically be viewed as suspicious. The way Walter covers his tracks, and the way Barton uncovers them, are quite brilliant and show (to a layman at least) a deep knowledge of the insurance business.

Double Indemnity was nominated for no less that seven Oscars; sadly it didn’t win a single one. But from 1944, it's popularity has increased year after year and when you talk of noir movies DOuble Indemnity instantly come to ones mind.

Miller`s Crossing (1990)- Weekend Review

2009-03-27T19:25:00.000+05:30

Miller’s Crossing is one of those movies you may have to watch a few times to get the story straight. If you bother to do that, you will find it is a well plotted, well shot story that comes as close to a masterpiece as we are likely to get in this post modern age of instant gratification. It is a throwback to the film noir movies of the 1940s where everybody is guilty and there is no happy ending.

The plot deals with the war between Irish and Italian gangsters, caused by the Jewish crook Bernie. The crook's affectionate sister Verna is the mistress of Leo, who is the boss of the Irish gang, who consequently opposes to have him killed by the Italians. But Tom Reagan, the old mate of Leo, has different plans......

The story is extremely interesting, exciting, entertaining. There are no flaws in the development of the plot, despite its complications (a homage to the intricate classic film-noirs of the Golden Age). The script is sharp, cynical, sarcastic, full of memorable lines and of black sense of humor, with many delightful subtleties: the celebrated Coens wit at its best. The photography is magnificent and very original. The music is great. The action scenes are superbly filmed.Violence explodes suddenly and unexpectedly. The finale is perfect and splendidly crowns the movie.

In my modest opinion, this film is the Coen Brothers's greatest achievement to date, even greater than Fargo. Movie buffs are finally "discovering" Miller's Crossing, an underground masterpiece that has dwelt in obscurity for so many years.

The movie is probably not for those who want something with mile-a-minute pacing, crashes and explosions. I would say Miller's Crossing is the thinking person’s gangster movie. It needs repeated viewing and you continue to find more in it the more you watch it. If that describes you, I think you'll like it.

Happy Weekend!!!

Matchstick Men (2003)

2009-01-28T10:04:00.000+05:30

Matchstick Men engagingly mixes two seemingly incompatible cinematic genres, the family bonding pic and the heist movie. Director Ridley Scott adapts Eric Garcia's story of a quirky con artist (Nicolas Cage) whose relatively normal professional life is suddenly thrown off kilter by his introduction to his 14-year old daughter (Alison Lohman) and her desire to be a part of his con artist life.

The appeal of Matchstick Men is derived primarily from the appeal and solid work of its leads, Cage, Lohman and Sam Rockwell who is Cage's partner in crime. Akin to his role in 'Adaptation', Cage plays an idiosyncratic person who exhibits symptoms and tics similar to one with Tourette's Syndrome. He does this without succumbing to the temptation to overact, instead effectively melding it into his character.

Lohman, who was twenty-two at the time of shooting, remarkably blends her real-life maturity with the proper carriage of her 14-year old character, never giving an indication of the age gap.

Rockwell epitomizes an intelligent con man in his supporting role, oozing sliminess while maintaining a professional air. This trio creates a very likable set of characters that carry the film.

A braid of professionalism weaves through the technical aspects of the entire film as well, also contributing to its appeal. From the top down, every facet of production is well done, even though the picture is not typical fare for many of its participants. Usually behind the lens of big-budget movies like 'Black Hawk Down', Ridley Scott adjusts well to this smaller picture, utilizing his preference for few takes to get the most out of everyone involved. The editing of Dody Dorn (Memento)is noteworthy for its tone-matching flexibility.

The first ninety minutes proceed leisurely, gently telling the story of a father and daughter. As the last half hour hits the gas, it throws you back in your seat, disrupting the established pace and eliminating the majority of the humor that had marked the film. Much of the first ninety minutes could be classified as comedy, while the final scenes fall into the drama/thriller category.

When a film really doesn't need to be hyped, unfortunately it can get lost in the shuffle of those films that are released the same week but marketed more aggressively. Some of those other films may be far less worthy of viewer attention. That seems to have been the case with Matchstick Men. This film didn't do that well in theaters, it was virtually ignored by all the film awards and sneaked onto the video store shelves without being noticed. It's ended up on HBO where it finally got the viewership it deserves.

A solid four of five stars for Matchstick Men.

Trivia: If I am not mistaken the hindi movie Bluffmaster starring Abhishek Bachchan was a ripoff of this movie.

Dilli 6- Music Review

2009-01-28T10:00:00.000+05:30

Fresh from the Golden glory, A R Rahman has done it again. This creative titan seemingly holds the motto, that the sky is never the limit. Rahman has once again woven the musical web which captivates a listener. It is a real treat of all Rahmaniacs. The film's story maybe a well guarded secret right now, but after Rang De Basanti, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is trying hard to prove his metal again in form of Dilli 6. Keep in mind his first movie with AB senior was a disaster called 'AKS'.

Now back to the music of DIlli 6.

The first track is rushing up the charts due to the excellent promos running all over the music channels and the web. “Masakalli” grabs you by the ear right away with the sweet accordion sounds of the keyboard and soft percussion, but what really gets it going is the excellent singing by Mohit Chauhan (of Indi-Pop band Silk Route) who is finally given a chance to shine. His rendition of the title word, masakalli, but also the way he inflects his accent really gives the track a Delhi flavor. Rahman wisely lets the singer’s voice take center stage and provides just the right supporting instrumentation. Prasoon Joshi should be given special attention for writing the smashing lyrics, as they are a living breathing part of the song. This one has to be played loud as you dance that goofy dance that we do when no one is around! Thums up on this one…. way up!

From there we move into the world of classical music, with “Bhor Bhaye”. One can picture a beautiful Sonam Kapoor performing a classical dance to this. Shreya Ghosal is in top form and she is able to handle the swerving lyrical vocal effects of the classical raga. Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan provides the masterji voice. The unique beginning of the track as if it’s being listened to on an old cassette deck adds a nice touch to it. Rahman backs the classical vocal styling with the traditional tabla and harmonium instrument combo. Fans of classical music will love this short but sweet track. Another thummmmmms up as classical dancers sway this way and that!

Amitabh Bachchan’s deep throated growl is the selling point of the next track, “Noor”, which is basically him talking over some celestial new age sounding music (think twinkling stars against the midnight sky). The shayeri styling is excellent. Short, sweet and to the point. Not really a song per se, but worth a listen.

Speaking of celestial music, the next song, “Tumre Bhavan Mein” is a beautiful aarti (prayer) song. Rekha Bhardwaj, Kishori Gowariker, Shraddha Pandit, and Sujata Majumder provide the angelic voices. The music is kept simple with the gentle strumming of sitar and ringing of bells to provide the calm atmosphere that one experiences during a religious ceremony or at the temple. A prayer to God and another thums up for this beautiful aarti!

Looped synth bass pervades the next song, “Genda Phool”, which is a traditional sounding track based on a family situation layered over a madman’s techno beat. It’s an interesting fusion by Rahman, and something that perhaps only a talented creator like him could carry off. It’s mad, it’s wild, and it’s strangely catchy. It’s cultured tradition for the techno crowd. Give it a listen, and you’ll be strangely captivated as your thumb slowly rises to say…thums up!

The next song breaks through that; however, as it’s what I feel the best track on the album. “Dil Gira Dafatan”, simply takes your breath away from the beginning. What with the opening lyrics eloquently sung by Ash King. Keyboards (keyboard violins) and the strumming of guitars in a very meditative style support King’s vocals. It’s almost gives the listener a feeling of riding a horse over the hills of the countryside, while the sun sets behind you and your heart pines away for the love of your life. The musical interludes are a pleasant fusion of Irish sounding flutes mixed with a bit of Chinese styling added in very subtly. Chinmayee provides the female counterpoint at just the right points.

After the breathtaking “Dil Gira Dafatan”, we are whisked to the present day with the “dance” track of the album, the quirkily titled “Hey Kaala Bander”. The title will leave you laughing and the rest of the song will put a smile on your face. It’s odd, and has a wandering techno beat, but the quirky lyrics and the interlude with the Arabic style singing adds a nice touch. Who knew that Prasoon Joshi had such a wicked sense of humor? Karthik, Naresh, and Bony Chakravarthy provide the aggressive singing that has a bit of rapping and a lot of attitude. Sometimes you don’t need a deep song to enjoy the music.

“Rehna Tu” starts out with a funky percussive beat with Rahman singing in a very jazzy style that immediately grabs your attention. The layered voices that support him include Rahman mainstay Benny Dayal and Tanvi. It’s jazzy, it’s funky, and it’s Rahman being playfully creative by combining different styles of music. The way Rahman enunciates…”Rahna Tu….hai jaisa tu” is very moving.

Yeh Delhi hai mere yaar…! You’ll be singing along to the next track “Delhi 6”. It’s funkedelic fun that will make you want to visit Dilli right away! The music is trip hopping with some mad guitar playing. Vocals by Rahman mainstays, Blaaze, Benny Dayal, Vivinenne Pocha, Tanvi, and Claire are suitably aggressive. The lyrics by Vivinenne Pocha and Claire fit the situation set up by the song.

What an amazing musical journey it has been so far with this soundtrack. Rahman has given us styles that range from the folksy “Massakalli” to the classical “Bhor Bhaye”, to the higher level aarti “Tumre Bhavan Mein”, to the funky yet traditional “Genda Phool”, to the absolutely masterful “Dil Gira Dafatan”, to the quirky “Hey Kaala Bander”, to the soul stirring “Rehna Tu”, to the urban funk of “Delhi 6”, and finally to a masterful end with an irresistible qawwali, “Arziyan”. Javed Ali and Kailash Kher bring the house down with this track. You will clap along with them as they sing the higher power lyrics written by Prasoon Joshi.

One would think that Rahman couldn’t raise the bar any higher.Just when you wonder how high he can go, he raises the bar even higher until one feels that he has attained true musical nirvana and we are lucky enough to be along for the ride. “Dilli 6” shows a Rahman that is at the top of his game. He is a league ahead of his contemporaries and an artist that transcends global boundaries to spread the joy of his music throughout the world. Do yourself a favor and listen to this one over and over. You won’t regret it as you let the music take you to the darkest and brightest parts of your soul. Rahmaniacs rejoice in the musical nirvana that is A.R. Rahman!

Track Listings:

1. Bhor Bhaye - (Shreya Ghosal, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Gujri Todi) - (3:19)
2. Masakali - (Mohit Chouhan) - (4:51)
3. Noor - (Amitabh Bachchan) - (0:50)
4. Aarti (Tumre Bhavan Mein) - (Rekha Bharadwaj, Kishori Gowariker, Shraddha Pandit, Sujata Majumdar) - (3:01)
5. Genda Phool - (Rekha Bharadwaj, Shraddha Pandit, Sujata Majumdar) -(2:50)
6. Dil Gira Dafatan - (Ash King, Backing Chinmayee) - (5:39)
7. Hey Kaala Bandar - (Karthik, Naresh, Srinivas, Bony Chakravarthy) - (5:43)
8. Rehna Tu - (A R Rahman, Benny Dayal, Tanvi) - (6:51)
9. Delhi 6 - (Blaaze, Benny Dayal, Vivinenne Pocha, Tanvi, Claire) - (3:36)
10. Arziyan - (Javed Ali, Kailash Kher) - (8:42)

Guide (1995)- Classic Review

2008-12-16T20:28:00.000+05:30

My all time fav movie. Reviewing a classic gives you a thrill and is an extremly challenging rather than reviewing some crap movie which are churned out today.

Navketan International have made some of the great movies like Jewel Thief,Jhonny Mera Naam, Hum Dono, Kala Bazar . But Guide is one of the biggest and most memorable movies under their banner. Based on R.K. Narayan's novel 'The Guide', the film is immortalized by director Vijay Anand's bold, unconventional strokes. Who would have dared to show a man and woman living together outside the sanctity of a marriage way

The movie revolves round Raju (Dev Anand), once a successful tourist guide who hesitates to return to his hometown of Udaipur after his release from jail and decides to search for his fortunes elsewhere. He ends up in a remote village temple wearing over his threadbare clothes a saffron scarf which had once belonged to some passing mendicant and finds himself suddenly elevated to the position of a holy man. Raju's mother and Rosie reach there and watch helplessly as Raju slowly drifts towards death due to the fasting.

The film is enhanced richly by the two central performances. Dev Anand gives perhaps his best shaded performance in the title role, playing him perfectly with just the right amount of grey and his perfectly nuanced performance won him his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Good as Dev Anand is, however, the life and soul of Guide is undoubtedly Waheeda Rehman. It was a daring role to play in those times, of a woman who leaves her stifling impotent husband and lives with her lover, a guide who helps her in her ambitions to become a famous dancer. Waheeda was in fact told she was committing professional suicide taking on this role.

The other big star of Guide was its musical score by S.D. Burman. The film represents perhaps Burman Dada's greatest work and he is aided tremendously by Shailendra's lyrics and the flawless rendering of the songs by Mohd. Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar and himself.

Initially Guide had a tough time being sold because of its so called bold theme but thanks to Production Controller Yash Johar's perseverance, the film was finally sold and released to great critical acclaim and was a big commercial success. R.K. Narayan was most unhappy with the final film as he felt it deviated too much from his novel. One of the major changes that Vijay Anand did was to change the setting of the film from Malgudi to Udaipur and while this did give the film an exotic, grand visual look, admittedly perhaps this took away from the ambiance of the small town of Narayan's novel. The ending too of the film was significantly different from that of the novel. But then Vijay Anand has always maintained that he was never interested in merely copying any work of art from one medium to another unless there was scope for value addition and to be fair to him, he has made Guide into a rich and unforgettable cinematic experience.

Guide was made in two versions simultaneously- an English version in collaboration with Pearl S Buck and directed by Ted Danielewski to introduce Dev Anand to western audiences and of course the Hindi version directed by Dev Anand's younger brother, Vijay Anand. The English version said to be closer to the novel and in spite of a nude scene using a duplicate instead of Waheeda Rehman, flopped miserably but the Hindi version remains a classic to this day.

Ace in the Hole (1951)

2008-11-02T21:10:00.000+05:30

Ace in the Hole is a movie which has been made in 1951 but after watching the movie I firmly believe that the movie still holds valid in the current mad mad Fourth Estate race.

Ace in the Hole is directed by Billy Wilder and was a flop when it opened in 1951 that too one year after Wilder had provided a real treat in 'Sunset Blvd.' in 1950.

With all the venom that Wilder spewed at Hollywood in 'Sunset Blvd.', he outdoes himself here. His teeth are clenched, his fists are up and he's out for blood but this time his target is mass media as represented by newspaperman Chuck Tatum played by Kirk Douglas (Michael Douglas's dad). The film opens as he's driving through Albuquerque, New Mexico. Tatum stops by the local paper, The Sun-Bulletin, to ask for a job.

Kirk Douglas gives the fiercest performance of his career, an amoral newspaper reporter caught in dead end Albuquerque who happens upon the story of a lifetime, and will do anything to ensure he gets the scoop.

After months of living in a rut he finally stumbles upon the perfect story. Deep within some old Indian ruins, a treasure hunter has gotten himself stuck in a cave-in (Co-relate it with our own Prince story which bombarded our TVs couple of years back). Guy in a well. That'll sell papers, right? What follows is genius, as Tatum engineers the story to be far bigger than it really is. We watch as he manipulates the rescue engineers, the local sheriff, the victim's wife, all with the intent of prolonging the incident. He wants to keep the guy underground as long as possible. This gives Tatum time to write more stories, sell them at top dollar to other newspapers, become a major celebrity in his own right and land piles of cash.

When thousands gather outside the cave and a feverish media circus begins to grow, Tatum smells victory. But of course things go downhill from here.

Wilder has always been a master of tone and he continues that trend here. The film starts very funny in a dark, sadistic sort of way, but Wilder slowly lets the humor drain from the proceedings.Wilder often considered Ace in the Hole to be his greatest film and he'll get no argument from me. As of this writing, I can think of few films that are as timely and relevant as this one. It feels fresh and contemporary, and not dated in the least.

Kiss Me Deadly (1955) - Review

2008-10-26T12:59:00.001+05:30

Do me a favor, will you? Keep away from the windows. Somebody might... blow you a kiss.

'Kiss Me Deadly'' was ignored when first released but now seems to be a touchstone, a sacred object in the film world. 'Kiss Me Deadly' is the definitive, apocalyptic, nihilistic, science fiction film noir of all time at the close of the classic noir period. Being a huge fan of film noir I bet that this movie is a perfect example of this genre.

People always talk about good endings in film and a lot of these films stick in the mind. By comparison, the beginning of a film is rarely talked about or remembered.

The film opens with a striking pre-credits sequence. A pair of naked feet stumbles and runs down the middle of a lonely highway at night. A near-hysterical, panting, barely-clothed woman with closely-cropped hair who wears only a white trenchcoat, rasps and breathes heavily on the highly-amplified soundtrack as she helplessly tries to flag down passing cars that flash by her. Desperate to get one of the cars to stop she strategically positions herself in the middle of the road by standing and holding her arms out in a V as a two-seated Jaguar sports car/convertible approaches and blinds her in its high-beamed headlights. The driver swerves to avoid the apparition while applying his screeching brakes. His tires squeal as he pulls sharply off the road into a swirling cloud of dust and barely misses running her down. I consider it a perfect opening and the opening which is still talked about in the film circuits even today.

Hard-hitting detective Mike Hammer (Ralph Meeker) takes on thugs and atomic secrets in Robert Aldrich's fast-paced thriller 'Kiss Me Deadly', an adaptation of the Mickey Spillane novel. The night goes awry for Hammer soon after he picks up a scantily clad hitchhiker (Cloris Leachman). The next thing he knows, he's assaulted by a couple of goons and the sultry drifter turns up dead. As Hammer tracks down the murderers, he realizes he is involved in an international conspiracy .'Kiss Me Deadly' boasts nightmarish imagery, a careening, sinuous plot and an unforgettable shock ending.

Filmed in a scant three weeks, 'Kiss Me Deadly' was a late entry into the film noir genre, but it turned out to be one of the most memorable.It's pretty doubtful that anyone at the time realized how important Kiss Me Deadly would loom in coming years. It was lionized by French critics, hailed by French New Wave directors and went on to influence everyone from Martin Scorsese to Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh to countless up-and-coming directors. I recommend it to anybody who wants to understand just what the whole noir craze is about.

Raging Bull (1980)

2008-01-23T22:45:00.001+05:30

After a long time it gives an immense pleasure to do a review of Martin Scorsese's movie again. Well today being friday I picked one of his best movie "Raging Bull".

Raging Bull is a cinematic masterpiece which pulls no punches. Based on a true story, Robert De Niro stars as Jake La Motta, a middle-weight boxer from the late-1940s and early-1950s, who basically destroys himself and those around him because of an uncontrollable temper and poor decision-making. Instead of going down as one of the greatest boxers of all time, La Motta ruined his career because he was unable to see the bigger picture. He threw bouts, he got involved with low-life underworld crime figures, he beat his wife , he abused all those closest to him, and he had relationships with young girls who were still considered minors. Even his strongest tie, his younger brother, gets cut during the course of his untimely self-destruction.

The film is shot brilliantly, what Scorsese disliked about the previous boxing films he had seen was the way the fights were shown from ringside, adopting a spectator's view, which protected the audience from the brutality inside the ring. For Raging Bull, Scorsese was determined to get as close as possible to the raw violence of the fights. He filmed inside the ring and make the audience feel every punch. His plan was to shoot the fight scenes as if the viewers were the fighter, and their impressions were the fighter's, and never to insulate the audience from the violence in the ring. The viewers would think, feel, see and hear everything the boxers would.

I keep mentioning in all Martin Scorsese movie reviews that he was again and again robbed of the Oscar awards for eg. for Taxi Driver, Goodfellas and later for Aviator, Gangs of New York. This film was also criminally robbed of 1980's Best Picture and Best Director Academy Awards, by "Ordinary People", another one of those dysfunctional family drama's.

For all those who have not seen, see it. The legendary Mohammed Ali may be boxing's biggest name, but his recent biopic, 'Ali,' falls way short of the high standards set by Raging Bull.

Johnny Gaddaar [2007]- Review

2008-01-23T22:36:00.000+05:30

Recently saw this movie when one of my friend told me that it is an adaptation of James Hadley Chase's novel. I have read most of the JHC books and will vouch for it that if you read all of his books and act on them you'll one day end up a big fraud. There are so many innovative ways which JHC come up with to con people. Now being an ardent fan of JHC, I made it a point to see this movie but had some apprehensions at first because some years ago even Ketan Mehta tried to adapt a JHC novel, 'The Sucker Punch' into AAR YA PAAR, even some of the dialouges were lifted from the book but i guess he failed in the script. He went too far from what was there in the novel.

Comming back to Johnny Gaddaar I found the story is not lifted from any of JHC's novels, it does follow a somewhat similar plot though. I feel it is Sriram Raghavan's (Of 'Ek Haseena Thi' fame) tribute to many personalities, Vijay Anand, R K Narayan (Rimi Sen is reading 'Guide' in the film), Rama Gopal Verma (Sriram was RGV's assistant), Hitchcock etc. In the opening credits he mentions some of the names like JHC and Vijay Anand.

The movie features the grandson of the legendary singer Mukesh, Neil Nitin Mukesh and what a debut!!!!! I was amazed by the way he has carried out his role. Flawless. Also another brilliant performance by Vinay Pathak after Bheja Fry.

The movie is about a gang whose members are involved in some kind of shady deals. One such deal promises the gang a lot of money, but one member of the gang is lured by the 'Whiff of Money' (Another JHC novel which Neil Mukesh is reading in the train) and began to hatch his own secret plans, leading to unforseen situations for the group. The things go wrong when his plans goes astray. The movie is a relentlessly rigorous take on the wages of crime and what evil men do to their conscience for the sake of money.

Johnny Gaddaar is not a compelling thriller but its witty direction and sincere performances make it a fine thriller, among the best in recent years. It is a much needed respite from song and dance type of movies which are being churned out these days. The soundtrack is groovy, Vishal-Shekhar has done justice to some old song references by mixing them well. Even the songs are a tribute to the olden era (Read Navketan Productions) of thrillers. Songs like Johnny Breakbeat Mera Naam aka 'Johnny Mera Naam', 'Bhule Bisre Geet', 'Revenge of the 70's', are well done.

It is sad that the movie didn't got its due share commercially. But after the movie was well received by the critics, it mustered some figures commercially. I feel it was the most underrated movies of 2007.

Get High with Nusrat

2007-06-28T17:33:00.000+05:30

"You, my sweetheart, are my heart, my life." This is an English translation of how the new Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Michael Brook collaboration, Night Song, begins. Night Song is the sequel to their classic previous collaboration, Mustt Mustt (released in 1990, it was voted one of this decade's top 100 albums by Alternative Press). However, while Mustt Mustt was the product of the artists' separated efforts, Night Song was written collaboratively.
The serene, moving Qawwali vocals of classically-trained Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, combined with the music of Canadian ambient composer Michael Brook produces an aural experience perhaps only paralleled by the eyewitnessing of a faith healer at work, a miracle birth, or a natural disaster in this present-day world.
The mood of Night Song swings wildly from track to track. "Longing" is basically a slow ballad beginning with a slide guitar's sweet melody and ending with strangled pleas (In English, "my dear longing for you is killing me."). "Lament" is plodding, desolate and dark, with Nusrat droning "without you there is gloominess--come back home sweetheart" as mellow background guitar sounds soar and slowly drift to the depths of one's soul. "Intoxicated" is a more upbeat tune featuring unexpected outbursts of Nusrat's rapid-fire, metaphorical vocals about obsession.
One could draw certain parallels between this album and many of Brian Eno's works and productions (of course, Brook has done extensive work with Eno in the past), and the music of Brook's 4AD-mates Lisa Gerrard and Dead Can Dance, who often times also fuse traditional foreign (or pseudo-foreign) vocals and rhythm with modern ambient music and, on occasion, technological sound. This makes traditional music somewhat more accessible to the listener while adding diversity to the elements of ambient
- which is, to begin with, an eccentric form of music with a devoted following.
Nusrat has recorded over 60 albums so far, not to mention collaborations. He has worked with artists such as Real World Records founder Peter Gabriel (_Passion: the soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Christ) to Eddie Vedder (_Dead Man Walking Soundtrack). Brook has recorded several albums and has collaborated with various ambient and other musicians. Night Song shows Brook at his best--the richness of his imagination really shows.
Night Song makes a great companion to either sudden revelation or a simple evening in the forest, under the stars. Despite the down-to-earth lyrics about relationships and spiritual cleanliness, the two artists make an obvious, pronounced effort to lead one down a path of pure spiritual ecstasy. It is certainly one of the best collaborative albums of the decade.

Reel To Real

2007-06-27T11:25:00.000+05:30

Most of the time I talk about the films. But it is high time I do some reality check. Not concerned with the movies but the real life situations which affect the real people.

The monsoon have hit the Indian coast. Poor people were waiting for the rain gods to shower their 'blessings'. Indian crops heavily depend on the monsoon rains and if these fail, there would be drought and people might even starve.

Now India is a 'developed' nation. Software companies are comming up from everywhere. In Bangalore in every nook and corner you'll find at least 5 software companies. India has become the back office to the world. BPO are everywhere. The retail is booming as well. Walmart has hit the Indian retail sector. Target is planning a tie-up. News channels have become a disease spreading like a cancer. People don't watch movies unless it is a multiplex.

Amidst all this the moonsoon has hit India!!!!

And the scene is very different. The commercial capital of India, Bombay is submerged if it rains continously. Its satelite city Pune is a chaos. In Silicon Valley Bangalore any time during rains you have threat of falling into a pothole which is not visible due to water logging. Air traffic is disrupted. Rail netwrok in shambles.

What is the cause? It has been now 60 years since India was independent. What has it achieved. We can say it is a nature's fury. But nature's fury hit at other countires also. The basic thing is that we are not ready. Indian people/politicians only think of short term benefits. When nature hit hard they'll take action. There is no long-term planning. No disaster management teams. You'll find lot of commisiions set up for ridiculous cases.

Tax payers pay so much money. Where is it gone? Pre-monsoon they built the roads, which will be destroyed before the next year's monsoon. So the road contractors can send their tenders again the next year.

People don't complain. It is not their job. It is the job of government. Ah come on ...wake up. The government is taking you for a ride and you don't even know about it.

This is India my dear. It'll remain like it is no matter what.

A perfect film for a rainy, cold day

2007-05-17T22:42:00.000+05:30

I can't quite understand how anyone can dislike Alfred Hitchcock's films. Personally, he's one of the few old school talents I find interesting and watchable, even if his work is dated and set in its era (the era when most sets were hopelessly phony). I guess you have to appreciate his themes - dysfunctional relationships between a man and his mother, flawed by essentially innocent men caught up in a web of intrigue, beautiful blonds, comments of authority figures, black humor, etc - to really appreciate Hitchcock.

Interestingly, James Stewart was Hitchcock's original choice for the role of Roger Thornhill, the hapless ad man who is mistaken for a spy who doesn't even exist to begin with and is chased half way across the country by villains and authorities for a murder he didn't commit. For one reason or another, Stewart was unavailable and the part went to Cary Grant instead. Grant seems better suited to the character and the situation than Stewart would have been, but I can easily picture Stewart being chased in the cornfield by the crop duster.

Like all Hitchcock films, there are hundreds of things that aren't realistic though set in the real world and lots of highly improbable stuff going on everywhere, but if you give it a chance you'll enjoy it and won't care. Don't miss Eva Marie Saint having to dub over a then lewd line about love, a full stomach and sex. The use of a crop duster may not be the most practical way to kill a man, but it's a great visual representation of the great Hitchcockian examination of "nowhere to run, nowhere to hide". The music and clinging to Mount Rushmore is also memorable. Did I mention the innuendo?

10/10

Amir Khan- The Complete Package

2007-04-11T22:05:00.000+05:30

Last Sunday I watched 1947 Earth. Again. Wow what a movie!! I had watched it earlier when it was running in the theatres. I watched it with MAPS in Galaxy theatre off Brigade Road in Bangalore. That time i liked the movie but maybe i didn't understood it completely. I didn't completely felt the role of Dilnawaz (Played by Amir Khan) . Man O Man!!!!! This time I was completed awestruck by Dilnawaz. What an intense role it is. And I feel nobody could have played it sans Amir. I have seen Amir's so many movies but watching him in 1947 Earth is a delight. The intensity he has put into the already intense role is awesome.

Not too many movies live up to their hype but this movies lives beyond the hype.
The movie blows away all such pretensions. It is a good, well-made, entirely believable film. And it belongs totally to the director. For example, though Aamir is considered a very fine actor, in most movies Aamir still comes across as Aamir performing a role - the actor / role differentiation does not blur and Aamir still remains larger than life compared to the role. In 1947-Earth, the role envelopes Aamir completely - As I said earlier, I didn't see Aamir, I just saw Dilnawaz all through the film. And this is the film's strength. The other actors are perfectly cast. And for a director to be able to do this with Bollywood actors and actresses speaks volumes for her abilities. This movie belongs to Deepa Mehta through and through. And to Dilnawaz.

Befor Earth, I had seen Fire but I wasn't much impressed with that movie. Now after watching Earth again, i want to see Water.

Here I am This is Me........

2007-04-04T23:36:00.000+05:30

Well well well after a long time I am back. Well from last year was really stuck up with one thing or the other. And now finally i got time to blog. I'll try to post as many post as possible. Sometimes you become lazy and can't even type a page.

I have changed my previous blogs so they won't be visible, but at the same time started this one. There would be no specific topics to be dealt with just day to day experiences. Won't bore you either. :-)

Now i am feeling lazy and feeling sleepy now. Will go to sleep and try to post tomorrow