Frames And Angles

Not restricting myself to the movies that were released last year – here is my list of favourite movies that I watched last year.

The Motorcycle Diaries

Spanish – 2004

Movies can be interesting, intriguing, devastating or entertaining – but this one was exciting! Oh boy, I wanna go on such an exciting motorcycle ride after watching this movie! Adapted from the book by the same name, “The Motorcycle Diaries” is a picturesque account of Che’s life-changing motorcycle ride across South America. Che not only discovers his own country’s landscape, but himself! With a very subtle political tone, this movie can entertain everyone, whether you know Che or not. Brilliant cinematography and a delightful soundtrack add to the movie’s charm. And My favorite actor Gael García Bernal is as brilliant as always.

The Band’s Visit

Israel – 2007

A little gem! A band – group of old and young people – from the ‘Police Orchestra’ of Egypt, land at a deserted town in their rival nation Israel – thanks to the confusion between two similarly sounding town names. An interesting mix of people – they are forced to spend a day and night’s time till their embassy can help them. Generally, ‘plotlessness’ is a turn-off for me, but I simply loved this movie for its unexpectedly hilarious situations, amazing cast and some genuinely moving sequences. The leading lady just stole my heart And that Oscar would reject this submission, an interesting tale about languages/communication, because ‘it has more English dialogues than foreign language dialogues’, is just one more reason to hate the Academy!

12 Angry Men

English – 1957

12 distinguished gentlemen are requested by a uninspired judge to decide the fate of a young boy accused of killing his father. The general idea that ‘these-slum-boys-would-do-anything’ rules the minds of the jury, but a single man takes charge and leads the jury. Arguments, arguments and arguments is all the movie is about! At the macro level, this can be seen as a question against the judicial system as such, where as at the micro level it is all about how to influence a group of people. Simple and good method-acting, neat cinematography, great dialogues delivered brilliantly – you might love this movie or would just brush aside this as ‘verbal-diarrhea’

Tricks

Poland – 2007

Watching a good movie suggested by someone is one thing, discovering one by you is a different thing. I ‘discovered’ this little gem during my watching-foreign-films-submitted-for-2009-Oscars-spree and I am really glad I watched it. ‘As luck would have it’ or ‘As Kids see it’ could be an apt tag for the movie. Stefek, a 10 year old boy, tries to answer his unanswered questions about luck, fate, chances on his own and devices his own ‘tricks’. On one bright sunny lucky day, he uses his tricks to reunite his long lost dad with his mom. Would he succeed? Not everyone’s cups of tea as there are many digressions initially, but if you could get past that, you would be treated to a brilliant 40-minute finish. And Stefek’s play area is the not-so-active local railway station! Ah, what a lucky kid!

Poo

Tamil – 2008

A simple (short) story of love and loss adapted to a bit lazy screenplay, Poo is an absolutely honest work by Sasi. Poetic rather than cinematic, Poo progresses as a usual childhood-love story, but Parvathi Menon lives the role of Maari that you would actually pardon all its flaws. In spite of Good cinematography and a soundtrack with strong influences of vintage Raja (and so obviously likeable), it sank without any trace at the box office! And so I got this uneasy doubt - Do the welcome-change movies are running for their content or only the shock value?!

Three Colours – Red

Poland – 1994

What a genius could make such a stunning and befitting finale for an illustrious and influential film career? A Kieslowski like genius! This should be the only movie for which I have done so much of reading after watching it. In his familiar terrain of missed-encounters, double lives, luck and chances, Kieslowski would leave you in awe with this masterpiece. When I say Kieslowski’s name, it is very well implied that the film would have haunting score and some breath taking cinematography. This movie would be there in my final list of best movies ever seen!

A Wednesday & Aamir

Hindi – 2008

Two small films from bollywood last year, with striking similarities and interesting differences in execution (one has a lovable soundtrack; the other has none), are definitely in my list. ‘Aamir’ got into a controversy that it’s a complete rip off from an unheard movie, but the director brushed it aside as ‘just a coincidence’. Nevertheless, both of them are absolute crackers. And Naseeruddin is one gem of an actor. (Incidentally, I watched another naseer-anupam kher(-shabana) starrer – Pestonjee – an old Hindi film – and I just loved it)

Edge Of Heaven

Turkish – 2007

Possibly the best of what all I watched in 2008. I don’t remember how I was initiated to watch this one, but now all I remember are those beautiful montages of a car running at full speed with a haunting song in the background in those endlessly long roads; those redundant shots of coffins moving in and out of planes at the airports; the brilliant screenplay which traverses through the lives of three parents and their children across two rival countries and the serenity that hold me back from skipping even the (marvelously shot) end credits. Fatih Akin, the director, has arrived.

Ore Kadal

Malayalam – 2007

Random quotes from my old review – ““Ore Kadal” is like a whirl of a turbulent current of water. Before you realize, you are taken into it. It is so familiar, intimate and intense that, from the word go, you start grieving as though you are continuing from where you left it last time.” “The complete visual black-out that you often witness elevates the movie watching experience to the task of reading a novel, chapter wise.” ”Half way through “Ore Kadal” (The sea within), anyone who is unaware that it is an adaptation of novel might think of such a possibility. With an intensity that can be achieved only by a well written novel, “Ore Kadal” is a soul stirring movie experience that you feel lost between the pages helplessly flipping in a strong gush of air.”

Spring Summer Winter Fall and Spring

Korean – 2003

Set in a floating Buddhist monastery on an isolated lake, this brilliant film has five chapters, named after each season in the title. The film traces the relationship between a monk and his child disciple, goes through different stages of their relationship and ends on a striking redundant note. For every chapter, an animal is used symbolizing the most prominent emotion of that stage – dog, chicken, cat and snake. With minimal dialogues and stunning visuals – the movie often conveys more than what you ‘see’. Meditative experience

The Class

French – 2008

The winner of the Palme D’Or at Cannes and the surprise finalist at this year’s best foreign films of academy, The Class is a movie from a true auteur – he wrote the book based on his experiences, he adapted it to the screen, directed it and acted in the lead role too! To put it plain, it would be shocking that there is absolutely no drama in this 2 hour long movie but what is more shocking is that the movie is absolutely absorbing. Being a teacher is a tough job man! Watch it for its terrific acting. And yeah, the ‘quasi-documentary’ style can be a turn off though!

This is the second installment of Take 5 and I make a huge jump from Kollywood to World Cinema. This time, the list is – five world cinema directors whom I would like recommend. I haven’t watched all of world cinema, but I am not able to stop myself from doing it now!

#1 Majid Majidi (Iran) – He is a safe bet. His movies are simple, straight from the heart and heart warming. No complicated layered narratives, no symbolisms & no metaphysical elements. ‘Children of Heaven’ is a delicious little refreshing film and you will love children more, after watching it. ‘Colour of Paradise’, is a breathtaking fairy tale kinda experience and it opens up a never seen before paradise – Iran is such an exciting landscape! ‘Baran’ is next on my list but I have been already assured my many people that it is sheer poetry. One of the most noted Iranian directors.

#2 Krzysztof Kieślowski (Poland) – He is the man. Undoubtedly, he is the most influential movie maker of this century. People write loads and loads on him, they discuss his movies rather ‘decipher’ them! They way ended is career with a fitting trilogy (Three Colours) stands as a testimony to his brilliance. I just love the cinematography and the music of his films. His ‘Three Colors – Red’ is one of my all time favourites. The more I read about the movie, I more I admired him! “Double life of Veronique’ was equally compelling and captivating. His themes mostly deal with chances, probabilities and misses. And some of his scenes are really erotic! I am waiting to watch his Decalogue. (You can catch some his movies at in UTV world movies at really odd hours)

#3 Pedro Almodavor (Spain) – The craziest of the lot. The one and only accomplished director of Spain. His characters are usually transdressers, queers, pimps, transgenders, HIV positive nuns and what not? The way he weaves his script around them is really astonishing. Moral and cultural contradictions are his themes. He is the God father of Antonio Banderas and Penelope Curz and he gifted their big tickets to Hollywood through his movies. He is openly Gay and he proclaims ‘Bad Education’ , the Gay thriller, is semi-auto biographical. I liked ‘Talk to Her’, a very complex piece of art. ‘All about my mother’ was quite moving too. ‘Women on the Verge of nervous breakdown’ was not rib tickling but I enjoyed watching it (it won an Oscar!). I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Volver’, the most accessible of his works. The music of his movies simply sizzles.

There is no concrete fourth and fifth, because am not confident of them but their movies are indeed intriguing.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet (France) – His Amelie is my all time favourites, I can watch it anytime. It is refreshing, simple and captivating. But my second pick of his, ‘A very long engagement’ was tiresome.

Ingmar Bergman(Sweden) – You would call me mad if I deny that he is a great director. He is the most celebrated director, but something is not working for me! I feel very stupid and small before the understanding he expects. I liked his ‘Wild Strawberries’, it was easy to understand but I still feel there is something big which I simple don’t get. His ‘Cries and Whispers’ had terrific acting and cinematography but again was incomplete for me.

Abbas Kiarostmi(Iran) – Considered to be the best among Iranian film makers, but err, I lack the patience to sit through his films. ‘Taste of Cherry’ was tiring and boring. I slept half way through ‘The Wind will carry us’. But I liked ‘Ten’ a docu-feature, and was really surprised on knowing the way it was shot.

Fatih Akin(Turkey) – It is too early to include him, but I really liked his ‘Edge of Heaven’. One montage in that movie is enough for me to expect more from him! ‘Head on’ is also discussed in many forums. I have hopes on him.

C U!

I know I am very late on this, thanks to my inability to follow the language. I had to wait patiently to lay my hands on the original DVD, and after watching it I couldn’t stop myself from writing about it.

“Aamir” is a spectacular delicious little film, outstandingly made on a shoe string budget. It is probably one of the brilliant directorial debuts (Raj Kumar Gupta, a one time associate of Anurag Kashyap) of Bollywood in recent times.

The opening scene at the airport gives you a clear picture of the unwanted suspicion clouding around a particular community of people. And that sets the mood right for the ensuing drama. Aamir, a doctor returning from London, becomes a victim of bizarre turn of events. The lives of his family members are at stake and he is literally stranded in the streets of Mumbai, with a mobile which keeps ringing all the time. What Aamir is supposed to do is to follow blindly the orders that he receives via the mobile.

It is a thrilling journey, “enlightening” Aamir about the social status of the people belonging to his own community. The rich-poor divide, the holy “war” and the lower class of Mumbai – everything has been handled with clarity and maturity. This is no amateur’s work. Thankfully, there are no sermons on what is right and what is not. The director avoids any kind of verbal duel, and presents a visually enriching depiction.

The narrative is highly cohesive and focused. If you are one viewer who expects commercial distractions, check out this movie. It proves more than one point by hitting you hard in your face with its engaging narrative.

And the cinematography(Alphonse Roy) is the work of a man, who is a master of its craft and who is passionate about his work. The flavour of Mumbai is radiant and intact through his lens. The art direction deserves a special mention too.

Rajiv Khandelwal, a small screen actor, makes optimum use of his big ticket to bollywood. He plays Aamir with brilliant sensibility & sensitivity. A worthy addition to the art house talent list. The rest of the acting ensemble is natural and believable.

The music, surprisingly, is as appealing as any commercial film album and in fact better than many of them. Long time since we heard a simple theme music which resonates the feel of the movie. The background score is clever and interesting, seldom a bit overdone.

The best thing about “Aamir” is that it is amazingly genuine and stays honest to the intention and motive behind its making. As a result, you empathize pretty much well with the Aamir. You move to tears when he cries, you smile when he smiles and you feel like Aamir himself. That is a great success, given that this is a debut. And it is inspiring indeed, for it has brought out the best from every individual involved in this project.

I don’t want to classify this as a multiplex fare – “Aamir” has everything, and more, that is required for an engaging watch. A must watch.

Wow!: Almost everything – direction, performances, cinematography and music.

Awwwwwww!: Nothing, really.

Verdict: Recommended.