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Thoda Desi, Thodi Bilaayati
24 May 2013
A group of seven English retirees visit Jaipur , India with diverse immediate purpose – ranging from searching for a long-lost-contact friend to getting a hip-bone surgery at an low cost- But all of them have a common longing.. search for a future of their choice, unlike their past. None of them is comfortable financially and so they check in into a not-so-prosperous hotel. Their initial unease slowly vanishes , as they discover undiluted pleasure at no cost. The best thing about the movie is that it is never dull. The pace is smooth. No sudden twists or turns. Humor and emotion blend in the equal measure. The performance of Judi Dench and Maggie Smith is flawless. They look as charming as their younger counterpart Tena Desae. Dev Patel , as the optimistic owner/manager is impressive. ( Definitely not ) The Best ( not so ) Exotic Marigold Hotel is an enjoyable movie for the entire family. For those who see Jaipur, India only through this movie, it may come as a surprise that Jaipur, despite its dusty busy streets ( as shown in the movie ), is one the most beautiful cities of India, fondly and rightly named "Pink City". It has beautiful landscapes, gardens, lakes, breathtaking palaces and many really "exotic" hotels in affordable prices. The food and hospitality have to be experienced to be appreciated. Shopping in this city can be memorable.
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Music is life. Life is music.
22 May 2013
A quartet of four classical musicians, who have been performing together for more than 25 years, face the sad news of one of them detected with Parkinson's.. They have to look for alternatives and move on.. They hesitate to experiment..

Unfolds stories of inter-personal relations, monotonous love, clash of egos.and the oppressive effect a perfectionist can have on others..

The movie is touching.. though the story is thin, pace of the movie is never dragging.. He cast is great. Christopher Walken impresses with his authenticity.Philip Seymour Hoffman are Catherine Keener are brilliant.
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7/10
A very enjoyable movie
17 April 2013
It is another good movie from Italian director Gabriele Muccino who gave great English-language movies like " The Pursuit of Happiness " and "Seven Pounds " in addition to some great Italian movies..

Gerard Butler is always handsome In this movie he has done some good acting too.. as a failed man, a good soccer ex-player and coach and news-caster, a husband who is still in love with his ex-wife, a charming man found irresistible by ladies, who are equally irresistible ( Catherine Zeta_Jones and Uma Thurman )--and above all a loving, caring ,trying father..

I have always found Jessica Beil attractive.. she has played the emotional role very effectively..

I feel both Gerard Butler and Jessica Beil are underrated, as is the movie.. Ignore the rating for 100 min and enjoy the romantic movie, which has interesting turns and twists ..

You will love it..
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Affliction (1997)
More of an emotional drama than a suspense thriller
22 November 2012
All along the movie. you know there is some mystery, something unexplained.. but you are still surprised at the end.. But that is only a part of the story.. the movie shows so truly some of the human emotions and sufferings, you feel it could be you in place of Wade.. Any of us could have done exactly what Wade did in his life.. any of us could be subject to the reactions Wade was subject to..from a wife, from a daughter, from a brother.. even from a lover.. emotions can run deeper , deeper and deeper.. The excellent photography of the forest, the snow, the snowfall is beautiful and bleak at the same time.. The movie once again shows that the anguish and angst of man can be same in a cool environs of a small town as it can be in a restless and explosive metropolis.. Nick Nolte is one those fine actors, who really gets into the skin of the character.. there are unforgettable scenes (like the tooth..ex..) Unfortunate that he did not win the Oscar.
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The Cooler (2003)
Sometimes being lucky in love can be more satisfying than being lucky in other things.
22 November 2012
Alec Baldwin and Maria Bello were RIGHTFULLY nominated for several awards,

but unfortunately did not win many..

What surprised me most was that William H.Macy was not even nominated for a single award, although I feel he has given an excellent performance in the tile role of "The Cooler"

The movie has a good pace and is not dull for a minute.

Excitement and anticipation are combined in the right proportion..The direction is smooth..

The movie should have done better at the box-office..

Performances are truly worth watching.
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As relevant today as it was then
22 November 2012
Senselessness of crime is exhibited most convincingly in this great movie. ..It shows how a psychopath can be a bigger menace and danger than an ordinary criminal.. violence and crime may stem from many reasons, but when it is rises out of boredom and utter disregard of social values. It can be alarming.. YOU FEEL THE TERROR MORE THAN YOU VIEW IT… During the last few decades we are becoming increasingly aware of a close and ever-strengthening nexus between crime and politics and how they are becoming complimentary to each other.. This movie made so many years back has shown this aspect in a true, yet funny , manner. This is a great movie by Stanley Kubrick, who had earlier made another great movie "2001.A Space Odyssey". The movie is as relevant today as it was when it was made.. It was futuristic then.. It is futuristic even now, because the theme is timeless.. It is unfortunate that the move did not receive an Oscar or BAFTA award
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10/10
A Timeless Classic
22 November 2012
It is not for nothing that " 2001.A Space Odyssey " is one of the most viewed and reviewed movies of the last more than 40 years.. Watching the movie in 2012, it is nearly impossible to believe that a movie like this could be conceived and made way back in 1968.. The story line is as good as can be expected from Aurthur C Clarke.. Art and Science of movie- making have synthesised to make this great movie.. This movie is a vision, an experience and a philosophy ..after all the infallible 9000 series computer HAL is fallible, and man while creating a machine, should know the corruptivity of power ..or else..

Stanley Kubrick is no doubt one of the beat film makers of all times.. And "2001-A Space Odyssey" is his best creation, closely followed by " A Clockwork Orange"

Do yourself a favour .. watch the movie..possibly a second time
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Cracks (I) (2009)
Undercurrent of Love
18 October 2012
You will like the movie ..even if the film is rather thematic and arty..

Photography is good, particularly the diving shots of the girls in the pristine lake.. the freshness and quiet beauty of the country side..

the director certainly deserves credit for conveying very convincingly a particular aspect of love between two pairs of females - Miss G and Di and between Miss G. and Di - The suggestion of sexual attraction has been shown without indulging in crude nudity or crude language.. the loudest being " Don't make me beg."

Eva Green,as Miss G,looks ravishing and has given a superb performance.. Maria Valverde as Fiamma looks cute and has done justice to the role and so has Juno Temple as Di..

It is to be understood that movies with such themes cannot have a happy ending.. but the ending chosen by the director has reduced the weight of the otherwise artistic movie.. left open-ended, the appeal and effect would have been better ..I am not sure if the boarding school atmosphere is too bold at times..

Still a good movie, definitely for its precision
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Dan in Real Life (I) (2007)
7/10
A cute little movie
6 October 2012
Honestly, I always identified Steve Carell with " The 40 Year Old Virgin" (2005), which is not my favorite..though it has to be agreed that he had given a good performance in "The Office" (2005).. but all that till I watched this cute little movie..

A small interesting story.. one brother unknowingly falling in love with the girlfriend of another brother.. the brothers are attached to each other.. The girl in question is initially confused..

AND SHE IS JULIETTE BINOCHE AS MARIE..THE BREATHTAKING ANNA BARTON IN "DAMAGE" (1992)WHO COULD SEDUCE DR SEPHEN FLEMING SIMPLY WITH THE LOOK IN HER EYEs..IT WAS UNFORGETTABLE HERE SHE IS MORE MATURE AND SPONTANEOUS.. BUT EQUALLY GORGEOUS ..

One must watch the scene when all the family members are playing in the ground and Dan is trying to flirt with Marie ,under the misconception that nobody is noticing ..The response and small gestures of Marie are so natural..

Romantic feelings of Dan for Marie, his affection for his brother and his love and protective attitude for his growing daughters are filmed with good effect..

Not an outstanding movie.. ,but now a days we do not come across many cute little clean movies ..
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8/10
A deep look at LGBT relations
6 October 2012
The film definitely conveys effectively the message it has intended to..

It questions the society's cynicism of lesbianism.. Is the social stigma attached to lesbianism so fundamental that personal happiness has to be sacrificed, even though it does not harm any other individual, excepting for their beliefs.. A bond between two individuals have many facets, as have the personalities..

The movie is well made..The main theme of lesbianism is dealt with at greater length than other LGBT relation, which have been lightly touched upon.. The story line is thin, but cute.. Photography and music are great.. Performance by Shelly Conn as Nina is very good.. Laura Fraser is beautiful ..Veena Sood as Suman ( Nina's mother)is really gorgeous and has given another great performance..

Though the ensemble is predominantly Asian-connected, the movie is not narrowed to Asian culture, but handles broader and deeper issues , relevant to all societies, more so to the western society..
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Compelling thought provoking Movie
5 October 2012
Out of many movies made on the theme of lesbianism, this stands out as one of the best..

It compels the viewers to think what after all is so very wrong with lesbianism,, what is so unpardonable in companionship and romantic relation between two grown up ladies.. Isn't physical contact between a male and a female about mutual satisfaction and procreation.. The present day society does not look with cynicism the capable couples who choose adaption to procreation .. In fact the society now encourages it and praises it..

The issue of course may not be so simple.. The importance of social and religious values have to be respected.. But love, as everybody agrees, is much more than sex..

The more famed Lisa Ray as Tala is definitely gorgeous.. But Sheetal Seth as Leyla is much more impressive .. Acting by both is good.. Intimate scenes by the ladies are well filmed and not overdone .. The emotional scenes are great.. the religious issues can hardly be handled properly, in a limited movie that is mainly meant to emphasize the relevance of woman-woman relation.. Photography is good.. Dialogues could have been better..

A must see for all people who either advocate or resent such relation..
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8/10
An extraordinary movie with 'ab'normal characters
3 September 2012
This is one of those few movies which does not take you to a climax, but leaves you completely and purely satisfied.. The movie flows like a river, quiet, serene.. but never permitting you to forget its turbulent agitated sources..

The movie shows many facets of unhappiness.. almost every character in the movie is unhappy..Tom, Sally, Lila, Savannah,Susan, Jason and even the very successful Herbert..Each one of them knows that he or she is unhappy, but does not know how to be happy.. It happens to most of us and that is what is appealing about the movie..

Nick Nolte is absolutely amazing as the unhappy 'Southerener' who does not cry over personal tragedies.. Performances of Blythe Danner and Kate Nelligan as Sallie and Lila respectively are commendable..

The movie certainly deserved better Oscar treatment..
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Flawless (2007)
7/10
Relax and enjoy the good thriller
26 August 2012
Michael Caine and Demi Moore are two veteran actors, who can fit into any kind of role—effortlessly. As can be expected, actors in thrillers do not often receive a lot of acclaim though their performances in this movie are flawless.

The plot is not too deep but well-knit, the direction is good, the movie moves at a steady pace..

This thriller does not have much of action, but has its own inbuilt surprise and mystery content..

You can relax and enjoy the movie, anytime without straining your brain or your eardrums or your eyes excepting for the millions worth of sparkling diamonds and the sparkling Demi Moore..
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8/10
Full of great performances
26 August 2012
I have always been a fan of Jeremy Irons and I am yet to find anybody who is not one of Meryl Streep.. They particularly excel if the roles are of serious tone and have a touch of melancholy.. the characters they play in this movie, are exactly that..

The stand out performance in the movie is that of Glenn Close , who has made the character come alive..

Winona Ryder looking stunning and could have been given more screen-time along with Antonio Banderas, both being versatile actors..

The story moves though three generation in just above two hours and you feel it..
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Damage (1992)
8/10
A Must Watch For all Adult Mature Viewer
26 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
"Getting to the top" seems the only immediate goal of Stephen Fleming, the middle -aged British politician. He has a grownup son Martyn, who works as an upcoming journalist and a younger daughter Sally. His wife Ingrid is lovely, intelligent and mature., though their conjugal life seems more like an effort.. This seemingly perfect life of Stephen suddenly changes when he meets Anna, his son Martyn's fiancée.. Their mutual attraction is magnetic and electric.. and becomes compulsive and consuming..

Other characters in the story step in one by one, Stephen's father, Anna's ex Peter, Anna's mother and the viewer is made to feel of the tension building till the secret spills out first to one , then to another and to another till the inevitable tragedy, strikes in the nature of an accident..

The story is great.. each character is built meticulously in the script and in the movie.. removal of even a single character / single frame would make the movie incomplete..

The erotic scenes between Stephen ( Jeremy Irons ) and Anna ( Juliette Binoche ) are graphic , but serve adequately to depict the obsessive nature of their love..

Miranda Richardson rightfully won Oscar nomination and BAFTA award for her role as Ingrid. But unfortunately Jeremy Irons and Julitte Binoche did not get any awards ,despite their strong performances..Julitte Binoche is breath-taking and has given a killer performance and Jeremy Irons is done full justice to the character and role.. Both have spoken much more through their face and eyes than through their lips..
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The Joneses (2009)
8/10
Much More Than A Comedy
25 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
After watching this movie, I felt that in the genre of movies, we should add one more category--- " humor ".. because "The Joneses" is certainly more than a comedy.. The story idea is original, the pace of the movie is good from beginning to end, the settings, as required by the story, are really suave, Demi Moore is forever elegant in all her outfits..Amber Heard as Jenn Jones and Ben Hollingsworth as Mick Jones are cute .. And, more than all else, David Duchovny could have carried off the entire movie on his smart and slender shoulders.. He is a matured man and a matured actor playing the role of a matured man and of a matured actor ( the latter being the demand of the story )And he has done it in a very matured way, excepting when Steve Jones loses his cool during Summer's tragedy.. A very good drama covering priorities and uncertainties of life, vulnerability of the middle class , primacy of money and supremacy of love..

David Duchovny and Demi Moore have not disappointed their fans like me
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8/10
An Excellent Movie
25 August 2012
It starts as a simple romantic movie between Fielding Pierce ( Billy Crudup ) and Sarah Williams ( Jennifer Connelly ) then moves on smoothly into the complexities of politics ( domestic and international ).. the strength of honesty against power of incumbency.. the pain of loss of a dear one is reflected in a very authentic way..the direction is mature .. Jennifer Connelly is as beautiful as ever.. she expresses the conviction of Sarah in a very natural way.. Above all it is Billy Crudup..

I am surprised that he got no recognition for the movie, though I found his acting in this movie one of the best I have seen by any actor.. he has done justice to the various roles he had to play in the movie--- the lover boy, the man in love, the family man, a good son, a good brother ( both to his brother and to his sister ), the confident Naval Office to the aspiring politician, from a near-nervous wreck to making an awe- inspiring short speech, a winner one moment and the man who bares his heart completely to his family members in the next moment...

The forwards and rewinds in the time-line is bit too frequent, but all the same it is an excellent movie..
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Now and Then (1995)
7/10
excellent and clean
21 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
When you watch this 1995 movie in 2012, you wish all children grow up in small towns with the simplicity and innocence that comes with it.. it has its own share of maturity, " it is normal when things are shitty ".. the movie shows that real understanding can lead to a life-long friendship among four characteristically different kids..one having a tragic past, another having quarrelling parents, yet another being given unreal sex education by an embarrassed, yet caring mother..

The kids have done excellent acting.. the pace is smooth.. the biggest lesson comes from from a mysterious man who visits a particular grave in a cemetery..

A must-see for all parents and also for all children who want to avoid loneliness
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Puncture (2011)
7/10
Gripping movie..commendable performances
16 June 2012
Movies based on true stories can sometimes be dull and dragging, unless they are well-directed and this one is more than well-made.. the first hour which goes into building of the story is slightly slow-paced.

But as the story unfolds, we come face to face the complicated deceit at mega-corporate levels - This movie shows how some of the large health service manufacturers stonewall any change affecting their profits - even if a million lives could be saved, dangerous diseases like AIDS and Hepatitis C could be reduced.. financial power, legal manipulation and finally criminal intentions..

Performance of Chris Evans both as a young righteous lawyer and also as a drug addict is authentic..and Brett Cullen as the suave high-profile lawyer is effective..

The movie at some level moves in the lines of "Erin Brokovich" another very good true-story-movie dealing the corporates, legal profession, health hazards and the strength of purpose
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Cat Run (2011)
7/10
Excellent.. deserving better than the 5.2
16 June 2012
The movie has everything to keep you engrossed for its 100 min..

the right amount of comedy by the amateur detectives(the actors are authentic in their roles), the overall thrill,the good pace,good visuals..The editing has taken care that you don't have to suffer even a single dull moment And outstanding performance by Janet McTeer as one of the coolest and most efficient killers I have seen in such kind of movies..

The beauty and glamor of Paz Vega could have been handled more effectively..

After all, it is not very often we across thrillers/actions which have right amount of comedy and entertainment
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