The Reel Thrill
Here are some memorable films which keep you hooked until the very end, revealing a thoroughly overwhelming and enjoyable climax.
Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock): This one’s a classic by Hitchcock, the auteur who redefined the genre of suspense and thrillers. Photographer L.B (Jeff) Jeffries (James Stewart) has an accident and is stranded in his apartment on a wheelchair with his leg in a cast. Jeff’s only source of entertainment is his rear window which looks out into the courtyard common to the entire neighborhood. He takes to watching his neighbors through his telephoto lens. He soon realizes that one of them may have murdered his wife. He sends his girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) to investigate for him, and tension of the moment hits a crescendo because he cannot go to help her when she is in danger
The dominant theme in the movie is voyeurism, and throughout the movie Hitchcock frames his shots in such a way, that the audience is watching the Rear Window through the same telephoto lens, and experiencing the same tension as Jeff. Like all Hitchcock classics, this film is marked by an intelligent plot, brilliant framing of shots, and a grand finale.
Other must watch Hitchcock classics: Rebecca, North by Northwest, and Psycho (but of course)
Memento (Christopher Nolan): Based on the short story Memento Mori by Jonathan Nolan, this is one of the most innovative and brilliantly edited suspense thrillers in recent times. It is refreshingly original, the audience is as perplexed as the lead Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) and Nolan deftly portrays Shelby’s dilemma with an extremely intricate plot. Shelby is looking for the man who raped and murdered his wife; However, since the incident he has developed a rare disorder and he cannot retain new memories, his memories are wiped out in a few minutes. He takes notes, Polaroid shots and tattoos himself to remind himself of events.
Nolan’s opening shot for the film is a Polaroid fading from a fully developed to a total blank. The opening sequence is the climax of the film, the following scenes narrates the story in a reverse order and progresses to the beginning. While the scenes are in sequence, they are ordered in reverse. There is a series of scenes in black-and-white that are shown chronologically, and a series of color sequences shown in reverse order. This confuses the audience and they fully understand Shelby’s dilemma as he is trying to search for the villain in spite of his memory loss. Watching Memento is an experience, and if you like suspense thrillers, then get a DVD today.
The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer):
Who is Keyser Soze?The title of the film is taken from the famous Casablanca dialogue, “Round up the usual suspects.’ The film follows the interrogation of Roger “Verbal” Kint (Kevin Spacey), the only survivor of a massacre and a fire on a ship docked at LA. Initially, five criminals are taken in by cops for questioning, and the plot thickens when they are approached by a spokesman for Keyser Soze who is a criminal mastermind.
Verbal narrates the entire story of heist to the cops in flashback sequences. The brilliantly disguised suspense results in a startling climax, and the audience is as overwhelmed as Agent Kujan after the revelations in the final sequence, and of course you would want to kick yourself for not seeing it earlier.
The film has some stellar performances by Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro and Kevin Pollak. Kevin Spacey is outstanding in his Oscar winning portrayal of Verbal, and the film manages to thoroughly entertain and baffle you.
Se7en (David Flincher):
Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) begin investigating murder crimes based on the Seven Sins by serial killer John Doe (Kevin Spacey.) This is a chilling murder mystery with a catastrophic climax, and it’s not for the faint hearted with its fair share of detailed crimes on film. Kevin Spacey’s performance as an arrogant mass murdering psycho is outstanding and his final smile in the film remains with you for some time.
The film has a dark noir lighting, which lends to the depressing tone. As the detectives begin chasing Spacey, the pace of the film quickens and the tension is brilliantly controlled. Gwyneth Paltrow puts in a great performance as Detective Mill’s wife. It’s a great suspense by Flincher who went on to make Fight Club after this; However, essentially this film is a tragedy. Detective Somerset signs off by quoting Hemingway,
‘”The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.’ I agree with the second part.”
Other must watch suspense thrillers: Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet,) The Sting (George Roy Hill,) The Maltese Falcon (John Huston,) Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino,) The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme,) The French Connection (William Friedkin.)
Aruni Bhattacharya
Here are some memorable films which keep you hooked until the very end, revealing a thoroughly overwhelming and enjoyable climax.Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock): This one’s a classic by Hitchcock, the auteur who redefined the genre of suspense and thrillers. Photographer L.B (Jeff) Jeffries (James Stewart) has an accident and is stranded in his apartment on a wheelchair with his leg in a cast. Jeff’s only source of entertainment is his rear window which looks out into the courtyard common to the entire neighborhood. He takes to watching his neighbors through his telephoto lens. He soon realizes that one of them may have murdered his wife. He sends his girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) to investigate for him, and tension of the moment hits a crescendo because he cannot go to help her when she is in danger.The dominant theme in the movie is voyeurism, and throughout the movie Hitchcock frames his shots in such a way, that the audience is watching the Rear Window through the same telephoto lens, and experiencing the same tension as Jeff. Like all Hitchcock classics, this film is marked by an intelligent plot, brilliant framing of shots, and a grand finale.
Other must watch Hitchcock classics: Rebecca, North by Northwest, and Psycho (but of course)
Memento (Christopher Nolan): Based on the short story Memento Mori by Jonathan Nolan, this is one of the most innovative and brilliantly edited suspense thrillers in recent times. It is refreshingly original, the audience is as perplexed as the lead Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) and Nolan deftly portrays Shelby’s dilemma with an extremely intricate plot. Shelby is looking for the man who raped and murdered his wife; However, since the incident he has developed a rare disorder and he cannot retain new memories, his memories are wiped out in a few minutes. He takes notes, Polaroid shots and tattoos himself to remind himself of events. Nolan’s opening shot for the film is a Polaroid fading from a fully developed to a total blank. The opening sequence is the climax of the film, the following scenes narrates the story in a reverse order and progresses to the beginning. While the scenes are in sequence, they are ordered in reverse. There is a series of scenes in black-and-white that are shown chronologically, and a series of color sequences shown in reverse order. This confuses the audience and they fully understand Shelby’s dilemma as he is trying to search for the villain in spite of his memory loss. Watching Memento is an experience, and if you like suspense thrillers, then get a DVD today.
The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer): Who is Keyser Soze?The title of the film is taken from the famous Casablanca dialogue, “Round up the usual suspects.’ The film follows the interrogation of Roger “Verbal” Kint (Kevin Spacey), the only survivor of a massacre and a fire on a ship docked at LA. Initially, five criminals are taken in by cops for questioning, and the plot thickens when they are approached by a spokesman for Keyser Soze who is a criminal mastermind. Verbal narrates the entire story of heist to the cops in flashback sequences. The brilliantly disguised suspense results in a startling climax, and the audience is as overwhelmed as Agent Kujan after the revelations in the final sequence, and of course you would want to kick yourself for not seeing it earlier.
The film has some stellar performances by Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro and Kevin Pollak. Kevin Spacey is outstanding in his Oscar winning portrayal of Verbal, and the film manages to thoroughly entertain and baffle you.
Se7en (David Flincher): Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) begin investigating murder crimes based on the Seven Sins by serial killer John Doe (Kevin Spacey.) This is a chilling murder mystery with a catastrophic climax, and it’s not for the faint hearted with its fair share of detailed crimes on film. Kevin Spacey’s performance as an arrogant mass murdering psycho is outstanding and his final smile in the film remains with you for some time.The film has a dark noir lighting, which lends to the depressing tone. As the detectives begin chasing Spacey, the pace of the film quickens and the tension is brilliantly controlled. Gwyneth Paltrow puts in a great performance as Detective Mill’s wife. It’s a great suspense by Flincher who went on to make Fight Club after this; However, essentially this film is a tragedy. Detective Somerset signs off by quoting Hemingway, ‘”The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.’ I agree with the second part.”
Other must watch suspense thrillers: Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet,) The Sting (George Roy Hill,) The Maltese Falcon (John Huston,) Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino,) The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme,) The French Connection (William Friedkin.)
Meghna, Aditi and Meera of Indian Cinema
Adithya Srikrishna
The indie film revolution in Mumbai is not news anymore. It’s well alive and kicking, producing movies in different genres or more often than not, an amalgamation of genres. There is more subtlety in place of melodrama and more underplayed characters in place of boisterous performances. A bigger development is always a result of smaller successes, and one of them is the portrayal of women in what has now been classified as multiplex films.
The fact remains that our society had to go through these changes too. We needed a Raja Ram Mohun Roy to abolish practices like sati. A few parts of our country are still fighting female infanticide. There are still families that fatten up, literally or otherwise, the daughter only to be married off to a more wealthy-and chauvinistic- family as soon as the girl attains the marriageable age. Sometimes, cruelly, much before that. Dowry is still rampant albeit under the table with by products like domestic violence have grown in numbers.
Therefore it was inevitable that this fragmented development reflected in other art forms too. The phases of continuing emancipation of women can be derived from the changing portrayal of women in Indian films. A couple of decades ago the stronger women roles were restricted to what was then called art films. The kind of films that were screened only at festivals and were more critically acclaimed than being box office number grossers. The mainstream films only had a fleeting appearance centric roles for women. She was made to dance on shards of glasses, or amble around in a bikini, which shockingly, is a selling point even today with the changes notwithstanding, or played just another uninspiring college student.
But times, they are changing. Meera Pundit restores art and frescoes for a living in Love Aaj Kal. And she is even ready to break a relationship in pursuit of that passion. Aisha is the more responsible and career oriented individual who is ultimately the reason for the slacker Sid’s epiphany in Wake Up Sid. Rhea, in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, proclaims to her unsuccessful husband how she couldn’t be a mother because she had to be the father in more ways than one. And a cheerful applause wouldn’t have been inappropriate when Meghna, in Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Vaaranam Aayiram, insists that her grad studies in Berkley are more important than the besotted Surya in her life at that point of time. In fact it harks back to Kiran Vairale in Pallavi Anu Pallavi, Mani Ratnam’s debut film, when she goes away leaving Anil Kapoor to study MS in Biotechnology. It was 1983. And more recently, we had the sparkling Vidya Balan playing the femme fatale with every bit charm of a neo-noire siren in Ishqiya.
Even in the roles that are drawn in considerable broad strokes, without any hint of the independence of today’s Indian women, they are made to be endearing in a way never known to mainstream cinema before. Reena Joseph (Minnale) and Geet (Jab We Met) remind us of the kind of women most of us would fall for- a city bred, simplistic and affable woman who probably exists only in fairytales. Or films. The more realistic of these modern women was probably Meera from Aayitha Ezhuthu. Though the Hindi film industry has grown leaps and bounds with respect to female roles, other languages like Tamil/Telugu still continue practicing old habits of caricaturing women in either of the extremes.
The mainstream masala potboiler from the south is still dominated by men. Leaving out a few noteworthy established directors, there is an alarming trend of hypocrisy that refuses to leave these parts of the country. The morally upright hero has to bring in line the immoral heroine wearing skimpy tops and miniskirts. The tried and tested recipe always includes the diatribe the hero has to deliver to the heroine so that she acts according to his will and fancy hereon. But nevertheless, the song picturizations demand that the cinematographer spend more time on the heroine’s navel and other objects of interest without which it is believed to be impossible for the movie to rake in the collections. The heroine is no more than eye candy, strutting in and out of scenes that demand both her goodness and innocence to be sufficiently showcased if she plays a village belle, or her brazen slatternliness conveyed if she plays an ego maniacal bitch from the city.
It would take a while for the herd to realize that the path taken by the classy few is a more holistic approach. The fact remains that they know what they are doing, which probably makes the issue all the more delicate. Until then, we have to feel content and liberated with Sakthis(Alai Payuthey) and Mayas(Khaaka Khaaka) of the world.
Most Memorable Women in Movies
by Dhivya Arasappan
From the classic damsel in distress to a sword-wielding warrior, the patient mother to the powerful politician, movies have helped represent women, in all their different shades. Here, we look at some of the most memorable female characters that cinema has given us.
1. The little nun that could
Long before Whoopi Goldberg’s Sister Mary Clarence came along, another good-natured nun stole our hearts. She broke apart all our stereotypes about nuns- she was playful and mischievous; clumsy and troublesome. In the Sound of Music, Julie Andrews played Maria, a young nun-in training, who is employed as governess to the seven children of Captain von Trapp. As Maria sang her way into the hearts of the von Trapp family, she found her way into ours as well. Admittedly, the character was often too saccharine sweet, but who among us could resist Maria’s charm, as she happily went about, making clothes out of curtains and singing about her favorite things? Her child-like honesty and generosity of spirit won us over and made her one of our all-time favorite feel-good characters.
Best line(s)
Maria: I can’t seem to stop singing wherever I am. And what’s worse, I can’t seem to stop saying things – anything and everything I think and feel.
Mother Abbess: Some people would call that honesty.
Maria: Oh, but it’s terrible, Reverend Mother.
2. Avenging Angels
Tarantino’s women have always kicked ass but two, in particular, stand out: The Bride from Kill Bill and Shosanna Dreyfus from Inglourious Basterds. The Bride (played by Uma Thurman) is a professionally trained killer, who upon waking from her coma, goes on a violent rampage to take revenge on those who tried to kill her. Shosanna Dreyfus (played by Melanie Laurent) is, however, more of a femme-fatale. She is a young Jewish woman, living in France during World War II. Having watched her family murdered by the Nazis, she plans to destroy the entire Third Reich leadership when they attend an event at her cinema. Both women are sexy and powerful, but they are also emotional and tragic. This makes them more human and this juxtaposition makes them memorable.
Best scenes:
The Bride: The fight scene at the House of Blue Leaves.
Shosanna Dreyfus: Years after Coln Hans Landa murders her family, Shosanna comes face to face with him at a restaurant. She suppresses her emotions during their conversation, but bursts out into tears soon after he leaves.
3. Ex-Karate kid becomes champion boxer
Maggie Fitzgerald, the protagonist of Million Dollar Baby (played by Hillary Swank) is a strong-willed 30-something waitress whose only dream is to become a Professional Boxer. She comes out of a poverty-stricken life to Los Angeles and convinces the curmudgeon Frankie Dunn to train her. With his help, she begins winning championships untile she is left paralyzed from a boxing accident. If there were ever a character with a never give- up spirit, it is Maggie. Whether in the ring or on the hospital bed, she amazed us with her strength and courage. Through all her ups and downs, this was one woman we always rooted for.
Best line(s) :
When deciding on transport for her next boxing match,
Maggie Fitzgerald: We’re flying?
Frankie Dunn: Would you rather drive?
Maggie Fitzgerald: You’re askin’ me?
Frankie Dunn: Would you rather fly or would you rather drive?
Maggie Fitzgerald: So, I finally get to decide something?
Frankie Dunn: That’s what I’m saying.
Maggie Fitzgerald: Fine. Fly there, drive back.
Frankie Dunn: That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard of. How the hell we gonna do that?
Maggie Fitzgerald: You said it was up to me.
After she injures herself in the match
Maggie Fitzgerald: [in the ambulance] Fly there, drive back.
4. Surprise in Neverland
Finding Neverland is a movie about the whimsical author of Peter Pan, J.M.Barrie. So, we expected to be taken by Barrie’s role or even the 4 Davies boys – the inspiration behind Peter Pan. But the character that left us truly moved was actually Slyvia Davies, a recent widow and the mother of these children (played by Kate Winslet). When Barrie befriends the 4 Davies boys, he finds an unlikely friend in Slyvia as well. When Slyvia finds out that she is gravely ill, the bond between the family and Barrie thickens. Slyvia is a wonderful mother, flying kites and setting off on pirate adventures with her boys. She is strong but soft-spoken. What makes her special is this restraint- feelings aren’t spewed over in long speeches, they are just understood. She deals with her difficulties with incrdebile strength and grace and leaves us more moved than any long melodramatic mother-on-deathbed speech ever has.
Say Anything This Love Affair Stays
Somewhere deep underground, there exists a secret brotherhood. It’s known by many different names, but so far no name has stuck. But what’s in a name? These are strong men, in body and mind, with the ability to maintain a straight face at the choicest of Yash Chopra and Karan Johar moments. It’s an altogether different story when it comes to Hollywood romantic comedies. Here’s to breaking rule #1 of Fight Club. Well not really, but the rule is somewhat the same. I am an unabashed member of this club, but, to sound like a distant observer, I am going to talk in third person. You can send the hate mails to my ID.
Almost every man on the street is a card-carrying (albeit invisible) member of this fellowship. They talk about summer action blockbusters, science fiction fantasies, Spanish film directors, and the Sundance film festival entrants. But silently, they are rooting for the romantic comedy superhero who manages to get the girl in the end. They won’t agree to go first-day, first-show for this genre, but the Wednesday night 9 pm movie would be religiously watched, and if it’s cult, there would be a DVD lying somewhere safe.
Don’t believe him. He felt crushed when Lloyd Dobler cried into the phone in Say Anything, mincing, “I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen.” He completely understood Anna Scott when she gave him the plain “I am just a girl” look in Notting Hill. He knew that the whole idea behind Serendipity was so cheesy that it would work. Moreover, he absolutely adored Kate Beckinsale, even when she played vampires. And long before that, Woody Allen caught every man’s imagination when he invented words like “luuurve” and “loave” because Alvy Singer thought love was too weak a word to describe his feelings for the iconic Annie Hall. So don’t ever believe him when he tells you he is not for romantic comedies. Or romance.
And this is where it stops sounding like one big disclaimer.
Annie Hall set the benchmark for everything that followed. Beginning with Alvy Singer’s monologue, it had some of the best lines ever written, perfect chemistry between the lead actors, and a sharp screenplay by Woody Allen. Over the years, a number of films tried the same recipe for a romantic comedy, some failing and some meeting with moderate success but never quite achieving a passionate following like Annie Hall. The genre required a major revitalization and a then unknown director named Cameron Crowe did exactly that in the late 1980s. Selling point? He went back to high school.
At the time of its release, no one had seen such disarming innocence and charm for a very long time. Say Anything, not a comedy by any means, brought young romance back to Hollywood, and Lloyd Dobler was the man every high school kid wanted to be. The film is replete with lines intended to win over the ladies, and the freshness of the lead pair, played by John Cusack and Ione Skye, made sure that the movie remained a cult classic not only to those who grew up in the 80s, but also to the generations that followed. 2009 saw the release of the 20th anniversary edition DVD of Say Anything, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s publicity team had its publicists dress as Lloyd Dobler and reenact the boombox scene on the streets of Manhattan. Now if that’s not one for the ages, what is?
In Annie Hall, Diane Keaton exclaims, “No, I can’t go into a movie that’s already started, because I’m anal,” at which Woody Allen comments that anal is too polite a word for her. Since then, romantic comedies have come full circle. There was a hint of a passing reference in 2009’s (500) Days of Summer when Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) says, “They used to call me anal girl because I was neat and organized.” It has paved way for the cynicism of this generation to show its ugly face in romcoms, for Summer is a girl who doesn’t believe in love while Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the hapless romantic, is head-over-heels in love with her.
And so are these countless men belonging to the club. Men who have good reasons to hate Sex and the City and Grey’s Anatomy, but are dumbstruck when it comes to typical romcoms. They can be found at the movies, at restaurants, in the supermarket, in the parking lot, in hotel lobbies, between concourses, at the gym, at the temple or the church, in college and at work. They’ll have no credentials on them and will be ready to live in complete denial as long as possible. When you spot one, do not point and laugh. Just remind them of this gem from Lloyd Dobler’s love story:
D.C.: Lloyd, why do you have to be like this?
Lloyd: ‘Cause I am a guy. I have pride.
D.C.: You’re not a guy.
Lloyd: I am.
Corey Flood: No. The world is full of guys. Be a man. Don’t be a guy.
-Adithya Shrikrishna
What to watch in 2010?
Kanaka Sathasivan
No matter if you are an action buff or a die-hard “Twihard,” 2010 delivers. On the big screen in the New Year, expect movies from visionary directors Martin Scorsese, M. Night Shyamalan and Tim Burton, adaptations of beloved children’s series, and some very long-awaited sequels.
Legion – January 22nd (ACTION)
Watch out for Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, and Paul Bettany as the Archangel Michael in this Biblical good-versus-evil showdown.
Shutter Island – February 9th (THRILLER)
Martin Scorsese directs this suspenseful thriller about two agents (Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo) who investigate the mysterious disappearance of a patient from a mental hospital for the criminally insane.
Alice in Wonderland – March 5th (FANTASY)
This reimagining of a classic tale from eclectic director Tim Burton shows us what happens when a grown-up Alice returns to the Wonderland—featuring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Anne Hathaway.
Nightmare on Elm Street – April 30th (HORROR)
This remake of the 1984 Wes Craven classic stars Jackie Earle Haley as the nightmare-inducing Freddie Kruger.
Iron Man 2 – May 7th (SUPERHERO)
Robert Downey Jr. once again plays the titular superhero in this highly-anticipated sequel to the 2008 film which set a new bar for the genre.
Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time – May 28th (ACTION)
Based off of the award-winning video game, this Mike Newell film stars Jake Gyllenhall as the time-bending prince.
Toy Story 3 – June 18th (ANIMATED)
It’s been ten years since Toy Story 2, and this newest addition to a now classic universe promises to be a worthwhile wait—starring original voice actors Tom Hanks and Tim Allen.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – June 30th (FANTASY)
The continuation of Stephanie Meyer’s best-selling series, Eclipse is guaranteed to be one of the biggest grossers of the year thanks to teen heartthrobs Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner.
The Last Airbender – July 2nd (FANTASY)
Based off the Emmy-winning Nickelodeon cartoon, this live-action M. Night Shyamalan introduces Noah Ringer as the Avatar, who can control all four elements and must bring peace to a warring world.
Ramona and Beezus – August 13th (CHILDREN’S)
Like 2009��s Where the Wild Things Are, this adaptation of Beveley Clearly’s beloved book about a rowdy child and her older sister may be more for nostalgic adults than children.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 – November 19th (FANTASY)
The beginning of the end for a phenomenon that defined a generation, the seventh Harry Potter film starts Harry on his journey to finally defeating Voldemort.
Tron Legacy – Dec 17th (SCI-FI)
One of the staples of 80s’ film, Tron was denied a Oscar nomination for special effects as the Academy felt they cheated by using a computer; oh, how the times have changed. Expect greatness in 3D from this Disney film.
Other anticipated films: MacGruber, April 23rd (based off the Will Forte SNL sketch); Little Fockers, July 20th (third in the Ben Stiller series); Chronicles of Naria: the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Dec 10th (continuation of the C. S. Lewis tale); and Green Hornet, Dec 22nd (adapted from the popular radio show and comic book character). 
Yeh Dil Maange More
Kapil Dev, on the occasion of 20 years of Sachin’s reign in cricket, in a column in The Asian Age, said that Sachin is an underachiever. Kapil categorically claimed that the master blaster seldom played to his true potential. In a statement completely devoid of logic, he expressed how ideally, Sachin should go from 30 to 50 in three overs, 50 to 80 in five overs on any pitch, and comfortably get to 100. If only life was so easy, and geniuses were able to teleport!
Or maybe it was just the schoolboy enthusiasm and imagination running wild in Kapil Dev’s head. So how would it really be if we let that schoolboy rule over our heads? How will the geniuses who push their limits every time they are on a field or on a screen, perform in our minds and have their own glory days, much superior-which itself is a staggering thought- than what we see in reality? There is as much fiction as we can spin!
Sachin Tendulkar:
Surely, we can ask for twenty more years of cricket from this great man? Kapil Dev may want him scoring a century in less than eight overs every time he takes the field but some pragmatism is required here. Sachin’s target, for now, seems to be the World Cup, where in the past, his individual brilliance has shone through more than once, and a 1983 encore still eludes him. And that is something we would all love to see in his kitty. In our kitty. And there is that very plausible 100 centuries in ODIs and Tests put together. But then with India playing very few Tests till the World Cup in 2011, it may happen only if he is more than just consistent in ODIs. The recent ODI between India and Australia in Hyderabad was expected to deliver comeuppance to Sachin in a way it would have, to all those naysayers. Every fan gushed that, finally all those cynics can be silenced and be done with. And the fact remains, that it didn’t happen. Now a repeat of that evening, I am sure, is something everyone would wish for.
Roger Federer:
Roger Federer had some of his career best moments in 2009. But then he was reduced to tears on the podium in Australian Open and got killed in the finals at Flushing Meadows. Now that’s the level of tennis we have seen this decade and it takes more than just talent and will to remain No. 1. But who wouldn’t love to have more? Federer, with 15 Grand Slams and a career Slam, has still got more than just a couple of years in tennis. Now where he goes from here, and what he wins is just pure gravy. A Calendar Year Grand Slam would probably bring David Foster Wallace back from the dead to write an epic piece on him once again. And we don’t have a number to count the throng of fans waiting for the current Holy Grail in tennis – to defeat Rafael Nadal in Roland Garros. And if it’s in the finals, it’ll be the best day of the year. But for that to happen, we need to wish for one more thing. Rafael Nadal’s return to his 2007-08 form with the kind of agility, a Jedi knight would envy.
Kamal Haasan:
If there is someone who has made it a practice to push limits in Indian cinema, it’s Kamal Haasan. It boggles our mind to even think of “What’s next?” This is not sports. The boundaries of cinematic achievement are more or less nonexistent so we can only think on the lines of past momentous achievements. Though Kamal has given us movies to be proud of in the past decade, he hasn’t repeated the glory decade of the 90s. A film worthy of being up there with a masterpiece like Thevar Magan is not too much to ask for. Or a Mahandhi and a Kuruthipunal. The Kamal Haasan who can work with contemporary scripts, relevant stories and one with the ability to turn time tested themes over their heads like Michael Madana Kamarajan or Aboorva Sagodharargal with his writing. We would give anything to see Kamal Haasan firing in all cylinders – the writing, the acting, the storytelling and the fan following. But knowing the man for the past 50 years, we all know, he will do it.
Michael Schumacher:
Yes, he has retired, but remember we are talking fiction? But maybe we are not. If the talk among Formula 1 circles is to be believed, Schumi could very well be making a comeback next year. And then we can allow all the punters to predict everything from the obvious to the outrageous. Schumi doing a Minardi race after race? Or Schumi winning race after race at his swashbuckling best, leaving the likes of Hamilton, Button and Alonso wondering what hit them? The difference would be that he won’t be sitting behind the wheel of a Ferrari. And that’s a challenge we’d love to see him take on for the sheer excitement to witness what he does with it. We know what is more desirable in this case and the only question that remains to be asked is –Can he do it? Yes he can!
Aditya Shrikrishna
Coffee and Cigarettes
Jim Jarmusch is an American independent filmmaker; most of his films tend to deviate away from the traditional Hollywood narrative structure, focusing more on moods and characters. Other must watch films by Jim Jarmusch include, Dead Man and Down by Law.
Coffee and Cigarettes consists of 11 shorts sequences of conversations over coffee and cigarettes, the latter being the only coherent theme through the narrative. Shot entirely in black and white, the film starts off with the original sequence of ‘Strange to meet you.’
The entire space is minimalistic and simple consisting of a table, chairs, coffee and cigarettes, facilitating the chance encounter of two strangers (Roberto Benigni and Steven Wright) and their conversation. The sequence leaves one amused and intrigued about the rest of the film. From here onwards, Jarmusch proceeds to narrate ten such incidents where strangers, close friends and family meet over coffee at various bars and the unique chemistry and atmosphere in each situation.
The plot of the film is within the various little sketches of characters and conversations. The rich and famous cousin (Cate Blanchett playing herself) catches up with her non famous cousin (played by Blanchett again.) Jack White launches in to a passionate monologue about Tesla’s brilliant ideas and how ‘Nikola Tesla perceived the earth to be a conductor of acoustic resonance.’ Apart from these, there are the memorable sequences with Bill Murray and members of the Wu Tang Clan, Iggy Pop and Tom Waits, and Alfred Molina and Steve Coogan.
The film makes you reflect upon the presumptions we make about strangers and close friends, about chance encounters and small details in expressions we tend to overlook. It’s a pencil sketch of events we dismiss as trivial, and the sketch makes short tales out of these moments.
By Aruni
Pearls Among Swine
“There has been tremendous growth in the Hindi film industry over the last decade. Not only are new subjects discovered but often repeated subjects find new treatment and come across fresh. “
With a bunch of adventurous production houses willing to experiment with new directors, the Indie culture is here to stay. Not all of them succeed and not all of them deserve the brickbat meted out to them. Some of them, indeed brilliant are misunderstood by the audience or seem Greek and Latin to them. Here we see five underrated movies from the year that is drawing to a close and why they should have got their due.
Delhi 6
An ensemble performance cruelly reduced to a nonstarter thanks to a shoddily done climax. Delhi-6, at first look, had a lot riding for it. After the success and cult status attained by Rang De Basanti, the expectations from Rakesh Omprakash Mehra grew to skyrocketing levels. And added to that the music of AR Rahman, that was his finest in a long time, knocking itself into the library of his best records like Roja, Thiruda Thiruda and Rangeela. A script written with almost perfect precision and some brilliant sequences that move the characters towards that unification of principles (not story or plot, mind you) that turned out to be both the best and the worst aspect of Delhi-6. With the pushing-down-your-throat message climax being its only gripe, Delhi-6 was wee bit less than the sum of its parts. What was needed here was little justice and appreciation for a breezy two hours or so, with some of the best and subtle performances of the year. And Delhi-6 deserved that much.
Best Scene: Most of the Ram Leela sequences that parallel Roshan’s visit to India.
Luck By Chance:
Thanks maybe to her illustrious brother, Zoya Akhtar generated a lot of buzz for Luck By Chance, a seminal look at the Indian film factory with its myriad of characters, cartoons and buffoons. From a single viewing, we can be pretty sure that when Zoya started shooting the movie, she had a perfectly bound script in hand. If that was not the case, we wouldn’t have watched one of the most endearing character
based movies without squirming in our seats, slowly losing patience. Beginning with the year’s best opening credits, almost every tiny detail, including the name of the movie within the movie is etched with care. Zoya does a huge favor by not resorting to Madhur Bhandarkar sensationalism and “realism”, but rather takes us through a journey where we observe every aspect of the movie making industry in a way that manages to break the fourth wall. It’s tough to gauge why this movie failed the way it did, but it surely ranks as one of the top five movies of year.
Best Scene: Zoya managed to rope in a number of actors for special appearances. One appearance that stands out is that of Shah Rukh Khan, mainly because of the importance of the lesson he imparts to Vikram, the new star in the making. Spoken with the charm that’s Shah Rukh’s own, it’s a scene that triggers Vikram’s
Gulaal:
If I had got an opportunity to watch a preview of Gulaal, I would have implored the makers to give it a wider release. For reasons best known to them, Gulaal did not even get a release in Chennai. Neither did it get a release at major theaters in New Jersey, USA. An ambitious effort from Anurag Kashyap following the success of Dev D, with lesser known faces but with some of the most powerful performances of the year, Gulaal truly deserved better. Taking up a topic seldom dealt with – student politics – Gulaal had some amazingly written scenes with a different story and a radically different treatment. With the quest for power as it’s main theme throughout, with able characters failing and seemingly powerless characters outwitting the former, Gulaal was as surprisingly good as it gets. With a great background score, references to John Lennon, The Gita, and some nice directorial touches, Gulaal is a film I, personally, loved more than Dev D.
Best Scene: As Ransa and Dileep amble back after getting a beating by Jadwal and his gang, you hear a very different version of Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna performed by Prithvi Bana (sung by the actor who plays Prithvi Bana – Piyush Mishra – himself). The timing and the song befitting the situation was quite understated but marvelous.
Sankat City:
A few years ago, Kamal Haasan made one of his numerous comic capers, called Mumbai Express. As extremely misunderstood as it was, it was also one of Kamal Haasan’s best scripts. Sankat City, maybe not as great, falls into a similar league. It isn’t a comedy of errors or the traditional comic flick we are all so used to. The characters in Sankat City are funny without trying to be so. The sequences, most of them, are funny without trying to be so. As in the whole sequence of events are funny on screen but not inherently so for the characters that are part of them. And that’s one of the main reasons why Sankat City failed much the way Mumbai Express did. Most of the set pieces quite cleverly created, Sankat City had the stamp of The New Indie Movie from Mumbai.
Best Scene: In the beginning, a radio announcer gives out a warning about an expected earthquake. It’s not the main focus of the scene and is in fact, completely offhand at first. And towards the end of the movie, this event sets up a finale that though not entirely unexpected, comes as an ingenious touch when you see how it alters the fortune of the main characters.
Kaminey:
Though declared a semi-hit, Kaminey finds itself in this list because of the appreciation that it never got. Judging only by the quality of film making and plot device, Kaminey is the kind of movie that Guy Ritchie or maybe even the Coen Brothers, would have been proud of. Kaminey spoke of a number of factors in its favor – quirky characters, intelligent set-pieces, great original performances and some of the best lines uttered – the stuff that cult cinema are made of. Vishal Bharadwaj’s gorgeous soundtrack and dialogues lend itself to the kind of film seldom seen on the Indian screens – a film that instead of spoon feeding you leaves it for you to figure it out. And when you do, things do fall into place admirably well. That’s the kind of cinema you watch with your thinking
cap on.
Best Scene: That scene in Charlie’s makeshift cabin, with Bhope Bhau and his thugs; small talk over vada pav and the best Mexican standoff ever filmed in Hindi cinema
Aditya Shrikrishna
