The Fountain

The Fountain (2006)

Not that I couldn't think of a title for this blog. I couldn't zero down on what it would be! Because this is a movie of mixed bags. The three intertwined stories are absolutely well collabarated. Same people playing different characters with a similar tinge is an age old eye - catcher. And this movie is no different.

A very weird and original storyline. A man researching on monkeys with brain tumours so that he could save his wife from dying of the same illness. The wife, who is now hallucinating due to her tumour, is writing a book on a Spanish queen who sends a Man to fetch the elixer of life so that she could live forever with this man. She leaves the last chapter for her husband to finish. The last chapter is very vague - this man trying to enter a dying star through its nebula (in outer space) so he can make the tree immortal. (The tree is like the dying wife)

Metaphorically speaking, the film is very rich. Hugh Jackman does an allrite job but Rachel Weiz is stunning as the spanish queen.

Darren Aronofsky has done a masterful job of directing this film. Visually its very appealing, like Van Gogh!

Rate - 3/5

Here's lookin' at you kid...

Casablanca (1942)

Arguably the best romantic movie ever! I didn't think so. Maybe I've become a cynic.

Rick who owns a cafe in Casablanca has a misfortunate love affair in Paris, after which he becomes a cynic. Because a girl betrayed him, he would want to watch the world burn. But when the same girl walks into his cafe one night, accompanied by her husband, who is the leader of a freedom movement against the Nazis. Rick has an exit visa which could help Victor Lazlo go to America and countinue the freedom struggle. Our hero is caught in a dilemma, of revenge or of courage and strength.

Humphrey Bogart defines how a cool voice should sound and Ingrid Bergman looks a classic beauty. The movie has a gripping storyline. And the whole part of how Rick would / could / should react when he meets Ilsa again is played very well. It brings so many different feelings and interpretations in the minds of the viewer. That is what I think the tipping point of the movie is.

Without saying, the ending has Rick helping Ilsa and Victor getting on the plane to leave Casablanca. Rick sticking his neck out for the apparent love of his life. This brings me to another point. My friend came up with this line - Nice is not natural! This theory states that man needs to be taught and reminded how to be nice. Children in school are drilled with lessons of behaiour. Elders are there to remind us at every step. Movies and music inspire us to be a bigger man. Because, it's not natural to us. Being bad, rude, destructive, revengeful is all our natural instinct. Humans are more of a self destruct machines than block builders. Rick had the-whole-movie-of-an-internal-conflict so that he would do the right thing! Why are we any different! Make mistakes, but learn from them!

Rate - 3.5/5

Live free or die hard

Die Hard 4.0 (2007)

Its a very good work out movie! (That is if you're working out and you're as old as Bruce Willis OR you think that mentioning your working out schedule would get some honeys to this blog, nobody ever visits anyway!) Its like watching the latest Indiana Jones movie : Kingdom of crystal skull, with a worn out old man playing the lead paired with a young gun (who, thankfully, is not Bruce's son...his daughter falls for him though!) Atleast that was a Steven Speilberg movie!

This movie is only about action. No brainer, blasts of fire, choppers and car action. The scenes of the F-35 jet hovering around the flyovers and how a running car takes out a helicopter are very well done. But thats about it. There isn't much to talk about in this movie. The story is too predictable, the characters are too stereotypical.

I would rather suggest you go read the book "The fall of arms" from which this movie is inspired.

Rate - 1.5/5

Man with a heart

Invincible (2006)

You might think I'm targetting actors to diss - Mark Wahlberg and Jason Statham. But thats not true. Its a cosmic plan that I only watch movies by these actors and instead of saying bad things about them, I'd be rather impressed.

This is a football-inspirational-cinderella story. Boy, am I a sucker for those! But there is something different (And you think what do I look for in movies!) This movie is based on a true story. This movie is a Walt Disney movie (surprizing, as is Pirates of the Caribbean!) And thirdly, this cinderella story is a sort of mixed bag. (Unlike Goal, where everything happens to extremes. Rise and fall.)

A 30 year old bartender gets picked for a dying football team, but its really the new coach who revives the team. The protaganists' support system (friends) and new love interest character is/are very corny. The story is pretty predictable, but thats not what keeps you gripped.

Its the film making. The movie has a very nice sepia tone off the field and a very pastel tone in the football games and practice sessions. Detailing has been given a lot of emphasis and it shows.

Heart of a person can beat his talent. The movie is about a place where people trust others on a an instinct, believe in the goodness of people and do whatever they can to make the people you really care about, happy. Gosh! I just summarized the meaning of life in three lines!

Rate - 3/5

The true test of character is when you're up against it.

Absolutely lovely

Paris je T'Aime (2006)

It means Pari, I love you. Still love the person who taught me to say that. Je T'aime beancup.

And this movie is absolutely lovely. 18 short films by 18 strong directors from all over the world. And all of them have one thing in common - strong characterization. All stories are about the multiplicity of love in the city the defines, epitomizes and destroys love - Paris!

I only knew 3 directors from the bunch - Gurinder Chaddha (Quais de Seine, of the Bend it like Beckham fame), Gus van Sant (Le Marais, of the Good will hunting and Finding Forrestor fame) and The Coen brothers (Tuileries, of No country for old men fame) But the best of the short films came from directors that I'd never heard of...

1st - Sylvain Chomet (Tour Eiffel) : how a small boy recollects how their parents meet, in a prison, who are mimic artists!

2nd - Tom Tykwer (Faubourg Saint-Denis) : a blind young man falls in love with an aspiring actor. slick wicked editing. fantastic music.

3rd - Oliver Smitchz (Place des Fetes) : How a black woman tries to save a black sweeper whom is knifed, whom she had recently encountered and events led up to him dying.

There are interestingly awesome concepts like vampires, street walking conversations, Oscar Wilde's ghost, gay flirting, asain hair cutting salons, muslim women and many many more. Watching something like this makes your mind wonder at the creative collage people can put up. Wonder, fascinate and ponder at these awe-striking storylines. Their simplicity and weirdness make them so believable. I was blown away, mentally. Physically, I was a little bored. I would've much rather enjoyed these movies independently then watching them back to back. But none-the-less, the movie is like a bunch of flowers. Fresh. Fragrant. Independently beautiful.

Please watch it with someone you love. Or atleast don't hate!

Rate - 3.5/5

P.S.:This is the first french movie I've seen with no mention of the Tour de France! But then again, how many french films have I seen?

I cant remember to forget you!

Memento (2000)

All though I've seen this movie before, I wanted to watch it again because - a. its fuckin amazing and b. Amir Khan is coming out with a Memento rip off called Ghajini which is going to suck. I hate Amir and I hope he reads this!

Christopher Nolan is one of the best directors that I've seen in my time. With other movies like The Prestige, The Dark Knight and Batman Begins attached to his name, his shot to fame was this very movie which made the whole "time - skewed movies" very cool. Movies like Pulp Fiction, Memento and Irreversible totally changed the idea of how to make a movie, the unconventional time concept way, kinda like how Albert Einstein would make a movie. I wonder if he would ever work with Hitchcock, thats a movie I'd be dying to see.

Coming back to Memento, this movie has an weird concept but, to accompany it, impecable storyline. I've seen movies in which the concept is really nice but the story lacks substance, characters lack credibilty or there plain simple no story at all. This movie has all the elements required. Except an unquestionable storyline. The plotline essentially leaves loopholes for inumerable questions - Was there really a Sammy Jenkins? (Yes) How did Lenny get out of the mental institution? (Run away, probably) Was Teddy a faker? (Yes) What about Natalie? (She killed his wife) But thats the beauty of it, it leaves it all to your imagination. Everybody who has seen the movie can have their own, mystifying interpretation of this film. And thats a pretty hard thing to do, trust me. So where people think the storyline lacks truth, I feel thats one of the greatest upsides of the film - the veiwer can write his own ending!

So here mine - I think Natalie killed Leonard's wife. I think they were having an affair to begin with. But Natalie was a drug junkie in search of only one thing - money. Sometimes Dodi, sometimes someone else. This time Leonard. Things got a little out of hand the night she tried to steal from Lenny house so she hit him on the head. She got lucky with Lenny having this memory condition. Sammy Jenkins was real and John G was not. Pretty far fetched, but I've heard much intricate versions of different plotline from my friends.

About the filming, the director makes no special efforts making it slick or colour toned. The movie speaks for itself. The reverse chronological order is done magnificently. And Guy Pearce, who I haven't seen much of and I don't have to guess why, has been potrayed very well by the director. Yes, I would've preferred a better actor, but not someone whose aura would take over the storyline. Maybe thats why this Guy fits the role well.

Maybe the best Memento that Leonard could have of his wife was the insulin needle that he used to make tatoos!!!

Rate - 4.5/5

Trivia : Christopher Nolan's directoral debut? Following.

kya aapne RAB ko dekha hai??

Rab ne bana di jodi (2008)

Another Shah Rukh Khan masala fantasy fillum. As much I am a fan of this guy, I think he is starting to loose it. And Aditya Chopra does a fare job in his comeback after Mohobattein.

I think the uber cool Shah Rukh was very irritating. I loved the character of Mr. Suri, the plain simple paplu Shah Rukh, who doesn't know much about things in life...but knows enough about things that really matter. Anushkha Sharma is very hot and an extremely cool dancer. Vinay Shukla does very well in his short role.

The filming, I must say, is very crisp and clear. Bright loud colours and pastel tones that make characters stand out of their skin. The stunning innocence of Suri, the gorgeous Punjabi-ness of Taaniji and the irritating Raj! But the background music is the same old tune that plays every 20 seconds (the same deal with all Chopra-Johar films) Aditya Chopra tries to make a new age comedy but gets caught in his age old addage of senti crap in between for all the saas - bahu type females. And if I had a penny for every time they said RAB in the movie, I'd be rich enough to a translator for myself so I'd sit and watch the film with her! (Read punjabi)

I wish this film was director by Dibaker Banerjee (Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye and Khosla ka ghosla) Atleast we would've had a lot less RAB and a lot more laughs!

Rate - 2/5