Reviews

Aakrosh is perhaps the only movie after Sholey in which everything just is perfect. All actors are completely immersed in their roles. Unfortunately, in bollywood such movies don't get recognized and are often forgotten quickly. Although, Aakrosh managed to get 6 awards in film fare but that was it. TO my understanding Aakrosh is brilliantly directed movie. Naseeruddin's acting was in particular very impressive, but I do not discount other minor/major actors-they were are all perfect. Watch a distrust in the law at a tribal's face (Om Puri), watch a frustration of young idealist lawyer (Naseer), watch a confidence on seasoned lawyer (Ambrish Puri), watch a pain on destitute father and a sister. The movie ends in a very realistic manner and with a great message: in the land of law the truth is only what can be supported by evidence--rest are all lies or just words. Aakrosh has a only three songs and see the real street corner nautanki dance (Tu Aisa Mard...)--brilliantly done. A must watch movie and a text book for those who are learning to act or direct.

Bazaar is an excellent movie made in 1982. Sarju and Shabnam are in love but their love story end with such a tragedy that makes you think that socially acceptable and institutional ways of defining and allowing human relationship very often end up destroying the meaning of relationship itself.

Set up of the movie is typical lower class Indian society. Najma and Salim are also in platonic relationship. Salim is a writer and a thinker while Najma is a beautiful and young woman from a withered Nawab family. Due to bad financial situation her mother is asking her to trade her body to feed the family. Najma, who doesn't accept that, runs away with another man (Akhter) to Bombay. But her mental situation is never still since she loves her family but is not ready to sacrifice her youth for them. Although is a good man and he is also interested in marrying her and but his middle aged boss wants Najma and Akhter to look for a bride for him. In order to save his job and apartment Akhter persuades Najma to do something that leads to destruction of Sarju and Shabnam's love story.

Scenes from Hyderabad city in which poor parents are ready to do anything to get their daughter married are very impressive and well. All actors are very good, script, songs and costumes are fabulous. This movie was very advanced in its time of release. Even after 23 years since it release a large section of Indian society has not got the message of the movie. Western societies despite their own disadvantages are much much better systems in the perspective of this movie. Even today, girl child is seen as a burden in Indian society. Concept of single moms and even single parent is just not acceptable. Girls are identified either from the father's name or her husband's name. There is no third way. She doesn't have an identity on her own.

Najma, in the end, after a discussion with Salim, realizes that she has to have her own identity which doesn't have to come from either Akhter (her potential husband) or her parents (who want to sell her body to live!). So, she say goodbye to Akhter and goes with Salim, perhaps to find her ways to wash off her part of sins she committed in order to gain identity from Akhter.

A must see movie, If you want to understand worst part of Indian society and its solid institutional ways of doing things which are so fragile and delicate that they often get crushed.

A bunch of 7 melodious songs will haunt you forever.

I don't even think myself as someone who could write comment on Satyajit Ray's movie. But I have to tell people what I feel about this movie Pathar Panchali. Let me ask you a simple question have you ever been 'moved' emotionally? Well! If you have! Then you know what I am talking about, but you haven't been then I am sure you want try that out. Watch this movie and then you will know.

Pathar Panchali is a very different movie and is not about romance, wealth, beautiful faces, relationships, cars, computers and cellphones. Not about bombs, wars, jails, science, space and fiction or whatever. The movie is the first one in famous Apu Trilogy and is about a poor brahmin family in West Bengal (India). It is an story of a girl in this family, how she grew up among in a poverty stricken family and never had a chance to all things (garland of fake pearls, dolls, candies, bi-scope and hair oil) a girl kid deserves. She grew up a very good girl despite the fact she never went to school. Her brother was born when she was about 5-6 and she loved him a lot. Her plays with her villages girls were very well done. The scenes when one of her friend got married were wonderful and show that how mature she was in her thinking that she is never going to get married was more than a reality. The story captures real moments (hard to describe here!) from a typical poor family in India when (1955) it was not even a decade since India got independence. Poverty was a real issue in India during 1955 and it was Ray's vision to capture it in his movies for generations to see after hundreds of years later what India has come out of today when Bollywood makes $10bn budget movies and they fail to even break-even on box office.

Its amazing that Ray had a vision of making such movies when rest of the country was struggling to survive. These movies are really really low cost movies and are example of pure intellectual work. When I was one of the Italian movie "La Strada" then I thought that perhaps it is the only movie which comes close to Pathar Panchali.

I would say all three movies in Apu Trilogy (Pathar Panchali, Aparajito and Apu Sansar) are great jewels in Indian cinema and they will continue to amaze people for hundreds of years. If you haven't watch them then you will never know what a true will looks likes. It moves you! No kidding! Pathar Panchali is really a best human document ever produced.

I probably don't have words to describe what happened to me after having seen both versions of the movie. I was taken away so much. I wept and was real sad for a while. This movie is a closest thing to the perfection in movie making art. A beautiful story, perfect direction and acting. I loved the script so much. Lot of people differ on their opinion about original version Vs. shorter version. I watched both of them and I just want to say that their is no point in watching shorter version after all you have to see longer version anyway because you don't want to miss out even a bit of what this movie is about. The last conversation with grown up Toto and his old mother made me wept and it was so real and genuine it sends shivering in me. A movie has everything in it, Toto's kid life story that has school life, street life, home life and social life and as an adolescent everything around him has been shown and of course the grown up Toto is just awesome. Alfredo is another character in the movie who is so impressive and real. One thing I liked about the movie is that director has done a marvelously job of keeping thing connected. Every little scene has its impact on the movie. There are no vague things.

Movie is bit sad and sentimental in the end but in a beautiful way, no killings or rape or poverty kind of stuff. A rare natural sadness that emerges automatically, we don't see this thing in movies very often.

Little events in the movie are shown so beautifully, like the one -when Toto's collections of films (he stole from Alfredo's place) catches fire and his mother is trying to put it off to also consoling her little daughter- was so well done and directed. The movie is full of details and goes very smoothly and you will never want it to end.

Even if you hate watching movies, watch this one. Steal money to rent this movie if you need to. You will never forget this movie for your life time.

-Vishy

12 angry men was a unique movie I ever saw, it was such a simple plot and extremely low cost movie marvelously done. I was told that this movie is showed in most top business schools to teach MBA students the leadership skills and the power of discussion. Lot of people would think how boring a movie would be if the whole movie is all about the jury discussion but it isn't. It keeps you engaged and you never even get chance to think that you are bored. An Indian movie "Ek Ruka Hua Faisala" was also made on the same plot and inspiration. That was also a very popular movie. Henry Fonda's role is so impressive and he did it right. I would so watch it even if you don't like the kind of movies where you have to put yourself while you are watching them, watch this one. This one is very very good.

The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover, is the kind of movie I never understood the purpose of, I guess I am too new to the world of movies. I probably don't appreciate certain aspect of movie making art. This movie had all kinds of disgusting things which normally will make you pull out your DVD from the player and insert something else, but I couldn't do that. The disgust in this movie keeps you engaged and you actually see the whole movie. In the end it kind of started making sense too. I perhaps don't know if I liked the movie, but I certainly didn't "didn't like it." If you are OK with the most disgusting and awe inspiring scenes like two fully naked human lovers transported alive in a truckload of rotting meat, people's tongue, belly button being cut and fed to them; go for it. This was really a movie that left me a very different person from the one I was like before watching it. A permanent change. The people who I watched this movie with were like hypocrites for the movies they rent, said, "well there were good colors in the movie!" Give me a break!, if you can't find anything good in a movie then you start appreciating those disturbing colors. Anyway! Beware its not the usual movie which you could watch for recreation. Its very disturbing. Watch it when you are not looking for relaxing stuff.

Simply saying having seen this movie my interest and appreciation in shooting men has increased considerably. Now I tend to think that it more of an art! I just loved the way killing of men by a .45 revolver of Eastwood has been shown. Quite a story with fun, sorrow, danger, risk, climax. A real drama in popular Sergio's Westerner settings. I was told that the third of the "Dollar Trilogy", The Good, the bad and the ugly was the best among three but I find that we probably should not compare, each movie in the trilogy has an independent and different story. I wouldn't say that "A Fistful of Dollars" is any lesser then the most popular of dollar trilogy i.e. "The Good, the bad and the ugly" it is indeed a marvelous piece of movie making. I don't really know the reasoning behind the changing name of the movie but its hardly the name of the movie that matters. If you are interested in Western genre go for these movies first.

American beauty is my all time favorite movie. The movie takes its stand on issues that society faces everyday but will not accept that it does face them. Angela, Lester, Carolyn, Jane and Ricky are real characters. The movie actually goes pretty smoothly and takes you along. I was left thinking "huh!" when it ended. Its little sad towards the end but thats how American family life is the way it is seen and perceived in general. I particularly enjoyed the conversations between Lester and Carolyn. I liked the role of Lester so much; a true hero, especially when she makes Angela say that she is feeling so stupid! No wonder this movie won 5 Oscars.

-Vishy

I wasn't surprised that the movie was such a painful waste of 3 hours. What I don't understand is this! Why Bollywood movies take everything to emotional level and just make the whole thing a headache. Overpoured emotions in everything they do, every dialoge, every action is full of emotions even in a so called hi-fi action movie. Another thing I hate about Bollywood is that it has yet to come out of excessive and unnecessary use the computerization of actions and scenes. I just don't know why they unnecessarily put a loud music behind every scene which is done by one of those sentimental heroes and made the whole action modified by the computerization, it just makes it unbearable. I would rather keep the whole thing flow naturally and something people can relate to. I am sure lot of people like such a dreamy drama but at the end it just doesn't make sense at all. I can understand that they keep on making the stuff that sells, without worrying whether or not it makes sense. Good luck!

The movie is an absolutely junk and full of stupid ideas. I regret renting it out without any reviews. I am so off mood of that I am even talking time to write review so that other people are spared if they happened to read my review. I don't even know how people get this kind junk funded and actually make it happen released. This was awful. The DVD cover said, "what else you want in a movie!" they fooled me. This movie is not even a comedy as a comedy I couldn't keep my patience to finish the movie it just wasn't making any sense, forget sense of humor. God! save me from such junk. Guys! don't waste your time and mood.

The godfather trilogy is an exclusive set of movies that will continue to live with humanity, every generation will see them to say, "Oh that was 10 out of 10." If you watch them you will know that the world that lives inside the underworld is same as the one we live in except that people in underworld are so smart, in fact smartness is the only thing that can keep them there. Don Vito Caroleone's early life shown in part-II is very well done to show the Don in making, how a kid who couldn't even tell his name went on becoming a underworld don who keep most senators, judges and lawyers in his pocket. Meeting of don with the so call five families are among most impressive scenes.

A saga that goes on for 9 continuous hours takes you around various walks in life of Mike (Don's younger son who become Don later), his school days, love life, personal life, family life, business life, political life and religious life. How all of these different roles Mike plays in his life and how intertwined these are.

I enjoyed watching these movies so much, I wish I had seen them much before then I did. Its amazing to see how the Part-III was made 18 years later the part-I was made and everything looks so continuous if watch them together.

I need not say much! The Godfather father trilogy been around for a while and everyone knows that they are great set of movies, its just the matter of when you actually get to see them.

Watch them! Kudos to Francis Ford Coppola! -Vishy

Rudaali is one of the haunting movie that comes from remote villages in Rajasthan. Shanichari is a beautiful girl born in lower cast and her life is full of sufferings because of lower cast, poor finances, lost parents, drunken husband, mischievous son. In her old age, she has become like a stone which doesn't complain and doesn't weep. Even a sharp eye drop that brings artificial tears in the eyes of a Rudaali (a rented mourner) cannot bring tears in her eyes. Her mother (A old professional Rudalli) lives with her for couple of days but doesn't tell her that she is her mom. She suggests her to become a fellow Rudaali with her. But the problem is that Shanichari can't weep.

After Shanichari's mom dies and she comes to know that she was her mother, Shanichari's tears come back to her eyes after long years and she becomes a famous Rudaali taking over her mother's profession.

The movie along with sadness of Shanichari's life also contains a story of platonic love between village landlord and Shanichari. The movie also ridicules the practice of renting mourners by rich class in the village who are so bad that they even rent mourner for show at the time of their deaths.

The movie also has 8 haunting melodies in Hindi. Best ever songs.

I use my library to check out DVDs, Gone with the wind was on my list for a year, and this DVD was always checked out to others. Until yesterday, I never got a chance to see it. Fortune arrived yesterday and I watched this movie. Its a 4 hour movie but trust me you don't get bored/tired in these 4 hours. The epic goes continuously and smoothly and takes you along. An amazing creation I would say. I regret that I could have watched this movie around a year back (when I got taste in Hollywood movie) by renting it out, but I waited for library DVD. There is a dialog in this movie 'Don't squnder time, this is the stuff life is made of !!' I loved it. I would say don't squander time, watch this long saga about a girl how she survived the long period of troubles and lack of love in her life. Acting, dialog, script, music, screenplay, costume, choreography, story, scenic beauty in the background etc. everything is so marvlously chosen/created/directed and the whole movie turns out to be a master peace in the movie making history. It is impressive to see that back in 1939 people could make movie like this, when there were no computers/sophisticated cameras and technology. Real stuff. Watch it.

There are around 662 comments on this movie in IMDb database, I am not sure what difference I will make through my comments. Nevertheless, I am going to write one, just to quench my thirst to praise this movie. La Vita e Bella is truly the finest movie (along with Shawshank Redemtion) I have ever seen. I used to believe that movies can't make me imotional (crying) while I am watching them. Not any more. This movie made me cry, such a beautiful combination of comedy, imotions, romance, life-realities, life-hardships, relationships. Never seen before. A-must-see-movie. I have not been able to come out of it after watching it yesterday night. I didn't even know that such a beautiful movie was made like 7 years back which I had not seen yet. Go ahead watch it! Watch it again!

Vishy

One of the best movie I have seen. Really really good stuff.

Movies related to Hollywood careers and young people's passion for it is often portrayed in movies, but this one is totally awesome. Movie start a little slowly and takes up a gradual progress and eventually becomes really interesting. There is something in this movie that keep you interested. Script and Dialogues are well written and best played. Apart from enjoyment there is something to learn also. Careers in glamor world aren't a piece of cake. There are all about guts you got other than your talent, and thats All about Eve. Watch it fellas!!

Also see this Movie 'Todo Sabre Mi Madre' if you like this one.

-Vishy

Dude!

What the hell was that? How do people cook such stuff that sucks like anything? Unless I missed the point there is no point watching this movie. I was left troubled after the movie ended. This typewriter stuff and unnecessary exotic things and unwanted mystery and overpoured weirdness made the whole movie unbearable. I watched the movie with patiencly with subtitles on so that I don't miss the point. But it turned out that there was no point anyway. I have seen weird movies and stuff but this was little too much. People who want to see dirty and exotic and things might want to give it a shot.

-Vishy