Marriage not for everyone

Also watched another gem Rachel's Getting Married and am prone to say that Anne Hathway is a powerhouse of talent. She got into her role as addict on the rehab route with so much zest that you wonder how its all going to end. She's searingly honest in her performance and almost rivals Angelina Jolie in some of the gutsy emotional angst ridden scenes. Nice! The film too is a colorful take on marriage and multi-culturalism what with shades of Afro beats, punk rock, Indian tabla, Oriental chimes... Interesting I might add to see how it all comes together!

Nothing Cagey about this

I've always liked Nicholas Cage and always wondered why an actor of his calibre wasn't picking up the right scripts... But the other day I caught Bad Lieutenant and find it safe to say that Cage is back with a vengeance. He plays a bad cop riding on the edge, liberal with his fists and with a penchant for anything addictive. Though the film has its highs and lows, Cage is outstanding as man on the verge of desperation. Almost like Leaving Last Vegas but though the aforementioned film was a bit understated in terms of performance, this one was a no holds barred one. Not for the faint hearted of course since some of the degenerate scenes of Cage are really brutal. Almost unnecessarily so at times! But worth a watch anyday!

Murder charge

Kristin Scott Thomas is haunting in I've loved you so long. She plays a woman who gets out of prison after 15 years for a murder. The film is all Kristin even though she does not say much, but the lighting of her cigarette just stays with you. She's killed her six year old child, you realize along the way, and she's remorseless. You figure the whys in the end, so it's a must watch!
I loved the way the film built up though I didn't like the climax. The performance was excellent but I could not buy into the veracity of the last 15 minutes. It somehow robbed the film of its essence!

Clint in your eyes

Wow. How time flies! This year has rushed past and the sleigh bells are upon us once again. Had a a bad movies year. Just no time to catch the best! Did see a wonderful Clint Eastwood offering Gran Torino the other day. It just makes me envy those who tell the story of life and its relationships in a simple, untoward manner. The film was very powerful and covered an entire gamut of emotions ranging from rage to fear to isolation. Eastwood was devastating in his role as a old man with young fists. And the young priest was a complete surprise package. Must watch!

back!!

like they say, the show must go on, and so here i am back from a year and a half hiatus. back to watching the films lying around...
last 2 were slumdog millionaire and a wednesday.
the former was interesting, i loved the music and the kids and the pace. but i was shocked at the awards it picked up. it just didn't seem "that good". then again, the premise of the film makes for an outstanding storyline, so i am hoping the screenplay wins. and the score. about the rest, the direction was impressive, but best picture... i am not so sure!
a wednesday was simply OK. good plot, but it fell apart at times. good performances by the two stalwarts, kher and shah, other than that, it waxed and waned, just couldn't keep up the momentum...