Jack Falls

2011 by Paul Tanter, Alexander Williams - English movie from UK

I am finding it really difficult to find time to comment on my daily movies, owing to the busy schedules because of work. Luckily my movie timing is late night, after work, are not affected yet.

Normally there is a kind of quality with British movies. They are much better than the English ones from the west of Atlantic in almost all aspects, barr the money spent on production and marketing. However, this one, is rather a poor movie, less than average by normal British standards.

Story of the revenge by an under cover cop.

It does have the plot to make a brilliant movie, but almost everything about the movie fails, I think. There are some moments, which were good, but overall it is disappointing. 

Page Eight

2011 by David Hare - English TV film from UK

In normal cases, I would have never watched it, just because it was made for TV. Add to it the presence of Bill Nighy in it. For some reason, I find it difficult to bear him. However, this turned out to be an experience.

Bill Nighy is an MI5 officer. When his boss dies of heart attack, he feels obliged to find the truth behind a secret document, which exposes his own super boss the Prime Minister.

It is a modern day spy film, devoid of all the typical action and cliches. However, it turns out to be an intelligent thriller in many ways. Except for the final couple of scenes, I felt like watching a real thriller.

I am forced to change my opinion on Bill Nighy with this one though. Normally acting involves the effective use of facial muscles and eyes. I dont know about any other actors, who can act without any kind of movements of his facial muscles. Bill Nighy looked so sterile for me always, but this role looks perfect for him and he impressed me with his own unique style. There is an important scene, when he need to interpret some important information to his minister (just by chance, normally he must not be talking at all) and that was a brilliant moment. One needs to watch it to believe it. It is incredible how he conveys all the feelings with a sterile looking face.

One other aspect which I appreciate, a lot, in this movie is actually really really important. As I always say, we never see a movie about the people suffering from the other side of the mainstream spectrum. Normally it is always the atrocities on Jews, or how terrorists targeted America or its allies or how Russia or China or Korea is doing something against America and such, that makes it into movie script. George Clooney's Syriana made some mentioning about American high hands in some ways. There are moments in this movie which talks about the atrocities committed by Israeli forces and about its occupation of West Bank, which is a first time, for me. It felt like a revolution to me. So that is a good change.

An intelligent, thriller with political overtones, well taken. A very good watch, overall. 

Ladies in Lavender

2004 by Charles Dance

Ageing is a real issue. I wonder how I would behave, for specific situations, once I am old and lonely. At the end of this movie, I spend quite a few minutes wondering about my future. This movie is not a classic to make me ponder about the future. But it does look at ageing, in a simple and funny way.

Two old sisters, living in a coastal village, have to welcome a very young Polish man to their villa. There is a subtle war between the sisters, trying to gather the affection of the young man. 

The movie is very simple and there is nothing in this movie, which cannot be easily predicted, including the climax. But what makes it a very special watch is the performances by the two leading ladies, Judie Dench and Maggie Smith. The former especially, for me, was brilliant. For, it is her character who really falls in for the young man, that she reaches a very special state, which is difficult to explain.

And what a brilliant performance. This movie is worth watching again, just to look at these two brilliant veteran actresses. It is like a text book of under playing emotions. More than anything, they perform it in such a way that we wonder the young man has arrived into the house of two young sisters.

Add to the performances, the brilliant music, which falls in through for almost the whole length of the movie, and Ladies in Lavender is an excellent watch. 

Cemetery Junction

2010 by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant - British movie

After watching some movies, we just think oh this could have been like this, like that and what not. But never we feel like it was good or it was ugly. A British movie to add to those kinds ...

Cemetery junction is a locality which mostly have low or middle income people, most depending on some industries for their living. Of the three friends, who are the major players in the movie, one really wants to break the mould from the locality of industrial workers and make it big in his career. He joins an insurance company and finds out that his boss's daughter is his adolescent friend.

The movie is set in the 70's and the beginning was allright, when it focused on the pranks played by the three friends, ending up in the police station on a daily basis. At this point it looked like it was going to be a comedy focusing on these youngsters. But later, it looks like a drama and in the final minutes is just another romantic comedy.

It is an allright watch, I would say. Never bohring, some touching moments in between and all. But it is mostly like, it is neither a satire or a drama or a romantic comedy. It is like watching a movie without a heart.

In between the 70's settings and the cinematography are two plus for this movie. 

Four Lions

2010 by Christopher Morris - British movie

How best to make a comedy movie using terrorism as a plot. I would say, most people would not even want to attempt something like that. Which is quite clear by the sheer absence of comedies based on terror. Well, not all movie makers are the same. Chris Morris is for sure a brave man to conceptualise and execute this plot.

A few muslims in UK, wants to be jihadists and do something for their religion. Except one, Omar, all the rest are absolute idiots, typical of the characters we come across many classic British comedies. Omar and a friend even enrolls for a training in Pakistan, before they can come back to Britain and bomb some UK targets.

First of all, I cant basically agree with the politics in this plot, which is typical of the western idea of Muslims. Anyways, lets just forget about that, just look at this as a movie, hoping this movie is not watched by any ordinary muslim who might feel sorry or insulted or what not. Anyways....

A real dark comedy. Classic British one too with its absolutely idiotic characters who make bloody hilarious comments. The 4 characters are synonyms of idiots, except for Omar who looks slightly better. But the best scene, the most hilarious one too, in this movie involves Omar, wherein Omar and his friend undergoing training in the Swat valley in Pakistan, decides to shoot down an American drown flight with a huge gun(a mini rocket launcher or something like that, I dont know). What a bloody funny scene it was. Couple of years back, when Maradona was coaching Argentina, during a World cup qualification match, after watching Messi make a marvellous run through the opposition defence he commented - if that ball had gone in, the whole stadium should have gone out and bought a new ticket for the rest of the match. Likewise this scene was so funny and brilliant, that it would have been ok for me to pay once again for the ticket(if I was watching it in a moviehouse).

And the movie has many similar hilarious scenes. And one such bloody brilliant scene, is shown during the end credits. I guess, the director might have edited out many such scenes, but wanted to include this one some how.

If we are ready to ignore all those untold background politics or stereotyping, this is a bloody brilliant comedy. Brave one too.

I just wonder what a normal Muslim would feel, watching this though.

About a Boy

2002 by Chris & Paul Weitz - British movie

For me, to know Hugh Grant is there in a movie is to know that there is guaranteed entertainment, in a different way. Even if his roles are always having a similar kind of style, he is excellent and entertaining. And now, when he plays a kind of different role, it must be even more different, right?

Hugh Grant plays Will, a spoiled 30 something man, who has regular income from his father's carole song and hence does not have to work at all. Nor does he get deep into any relationship. Just because he found single mothers are very nice for short term relationships, he thought about an odd way to meet single mothers and finally meets Marcus, a 12 year old boy. The movie is very different from then on. It is like Will is learning lot more about life through a 12 year old.

The movie nearly has the settings of a typical romantic comedy, but it isnt one. It is much more than that. Many of the moments between Marcus and Will are really brilliant. If not for the typical kind of drama in the end, the movie would have had a brilliant classy feeling to it.

It has lots of funny moments, but not like the ones from typical romantic comedies. Most of the fun here has a touch of elegance to it. Really, this is a serious and elegant comedy.

Hugh Grant was excellent, so was Nicholas Hoult as the 12 year old. 

Love Actually

2003 by Richard Curtis - British movie

This is quite different. Of course it is a romantic comedy too. But normally we have one or two pairs or some triangles in such comedies. In Indian movies, even a 3 hour long movie is not enough to describe the love of a couple. So this is quite different.

8 couples, from different walks of life, in London. This inlcude the British prime minister to an adolescent school boy.

It is absolutely brilliant how the script and the director manages to bring out the emotions between the characters through very few scenes. Most of these couples do not have any connection at all and the movie actually jumps between the couples. So actually there is very few time and space left for the script and the director to bring out a new love story or end an existing one. But the way this has been done is simply brilliant

As I said, when Indian movies take too long to describe just one love, this movie with few scenes takes us to so many couples. Each and every one is different and so are their situations. This is best explained by the character of the prime minister and of the school boy. But really, it is splendid. I especially adored the scenes between the typical British man in South of France having a Portugeese maid. Both do not understand anything from the other's language, but their love was really so nice. I liked all the situations, but this was really nice.

Towards the end, the movie takes almost a similar path of most romantic comedies and lose its brilliance, which was so well maintained till then. But it still ends as a brilliant entertainer. It still has some real touching and disturbing moments though. 

In the Loop

2009 by Armando Ianucci - English movie from UK

There were no movies for 2 days because of Champions League football and what a movie did I pick after all those football matches.

The British and American heads of the State would like to have a war in the middle East. But there are many senior officers on both sides of the Atlantic who do not want to enter into any war. And there are also supporters. A naive British minister accidently talks about war in an interview and then the real trouble starts. 

I couldn't believe it, when I was watching this movie. This is serious matter they are discussing, but the way it is presented, with a brilliant wrap of sarcasm and humour, it is bloody brilliant.

This is one of the very best political satires I have ever watched. What makes it special even on that level is the topic which is discussed. Such a serious matter and the movie clearly and intelligently takes a poke at all manipulations, what lead to the Iraq occupation.

Whatever you feel towards the end of the movie, as this movie goes on, during all those diplomatic meetings and build ups, its unbelievably brilliant. Incredible.

For anybody interested in International politics, this is a must watch. 

Snatch

2000 by Guy Ritchie - English movie from UK

When I talk to any Indians about English movies, the talk is always around American movies. It is like British movies does not exist at all. I am yet to find one person who have suggested me good British movies. Everybody comes up with some American names, except for a rare mention about the Monty Python or something like that. It is such a pity that British movies do not get their due in India. They do have that European quality in them and except for that production values and marketing strategies, they are much better than the Hollywood ones. And there is lot of entertainment too.

Some people are after a large diamond. So illegal betters, illegal boxing (bare knuckle boxing) brokers, amateur robbers, diamond merchants all are involved in the hunt, in the back streets of London. 

There were so many movies like this from Hollywood. But this is quite a British one and Guy Ritchie proves that they can challenge Hollywood. Guy Ritchie has got good financial backup here that he presents an assortment of stars from Brad Pitt to Jason Statham to Benicio Del Torro. Such a pity and am even angry at him that the character of Benicio Del Torro, an amazing actor, was so short lived. I cant help thinking that this is a typical western ploy to bring in great actors from other countries to announce that - see we recognise you - but then use them in a poor way. May be not.

The movie has lots and lots of hilarious moments and many of those moments carry that classic British touch to it. Lots of humour in the dialogues between the many characters, for example like between the broker played by Jason Statham and his friend, were really English. The kind of ones which I could recall from Faulty Towers or Withnail and I. And yes, there are so many characters in this movie, but there is something attractive about all. Really funny.

Now, Brad Pitt has always impressed whenever he plays such roles. He is brilliant in such weird roles and it looks so natural for him to play them. But the actor who really surprised me and impressed me here is Jason Statham. Even if there were couple of movies otherways, I really thought about him like a modern Stallon. I must apologise. He is really good. I am definitely going to look for the previous movies of Guy Ritchie, which also had Mr. Statham in it. It must be after these movies, Hollywood started using Jason Statham and used him only as an action hero, may be.

An excellent entertainer it is. Watch this movie for some hilarious moments and good performances.

London to Brighton

2006 by Paul Andrew Williams - British movie

To my knowledge, there must be only a few films which have dealt with the terrible theme of child prostitution. I dont remember seeing any serious movie actually. This is quite a serious topic and it does definitely have a ' handle with care' sticker, may be the reason, why there is hardly any movies on this topic. Mr. Williams, definitely wanted to make a thriller, but puts in the issue of children being used, in a brilliant way. Gem of a movie, for sure.

Joanne a 11+ years old girl runs away from her home, to escape from her father, and is met by Kelly, a prostitute, who has been asked by Derek, a pimp, to find a little girl for a pedophile millionaire. Kelly and Joanne, then have to run for their lives. 

That's how I would look at this plot, but it is told quite differently in the movie. It begins with Kelly and Joanne, Kelly injured and Joanne petrified, trying to run away from London to Brighton. We might even take them for a mother and daughter escaping from some crazy father or villains. And only through brilliantly placed flash backs, does the whole story come into light and that was brilliantly structured. The script, I must say was extremely brilliant. The whole drama is done within about 24 - 48 hours, I think, inlcuding all the flashbacks and we feel like we have lived through the whole period.

Towards the climax, we do get some feeling about the intentions of the millionaire's son, but the climax still is brilliant. Because, even if the movie is like a thriller, it is actually looking at the mind sets of two females. One a grown up who is already a prostitute, and one a 11 year old who just tried to attempt the job for some money. Their relationship is brilliant in the movie. Kelly is quite aware about the dirt behind her job, but is still forced to do it, but she tries hard for the girl, inlcuding selling herselves a couple of times to make some money for their expenses. And one of those scenes, which is edited so fast, makes us really feel sorry for her.
Joanne, being interviewed by Derek, pushing her into the job  is one of the best scenes in this movie. We can only watch it with a deep fear, knowing that a little girl is about to be thrown into prostitution. This scene alone sends in a lot of messages against child prostitution. I think, I was watching most of this movie with an open mouth, with a kind of fear in my eyes and mind. It is definitely a hard watch. But it is a gem of a movie. Very successful in crossing the bridge, from the script to the viewer.

The performances of Loraine Stanley as Kelly and Georgia Groome as Joanne were truly brilliant. There is not a moment when you dont feel for them. But towards the end, they really touch us deep.

A brilliant plot, brilliantly scripted and directed. A real thriller, with a message.

I would rate this as one of the best British movies, I have seen.

Seconds Apart

2011 by Antonio Negret - British movie

I am not really fond of science fiction or those horror movies which mix ridiculous science aided thoughts onto it. But somebody guided me to this one as a must watch. Well its different, or as British would say, Interesting.

Some prominent Football players of the University have used a gun to kill themselves, while at a party. The detective is dragged towards the presence of twin brothers, Seth and Jonah who looks special.

The beginning of this movie, the scene where the players kills themselves, was brilliant. In fact the basic idea behind the plot, twins with some special powers, who can induce their thoughts onto somebody else's mind telephathically is brilliant too, as a novel idea. And the structure of the movie, how everything happens and how things turn out are all nice as well. But , but, it still didnt make me think oh this is very good or excellent or something like that.

Together with other things, I was not especially impressed by how a drift was created in the twins using a girl in between. And even before, the moment the twins appear, they do not look normal at all. There is something too straight or manipulative with them and even with their parents. So the suspense created is not really that good.

Yes, it is a different kind of thought for a movie and it has its moments. But overall, it ended as pretty average for me.

The best thing about this movie was its cinematography, which was really brilliant. And then the performances, especially of the twins were really good. . To find real life twins for this role and getting such a performance out of them, definitely has to be appreciated. 

The Bank Job

2008 by Roger Donaldson - British movie

Normally, to know that Jason Statham leads a movie cast deters me from watching that movie. The only hope here was that this is a British movie and so there must be some difference.

An old time friend and model offers Terry an opportunity to make some money by robbing a bank. Martine is actually set up by the secret agencies as they would like to seize some photographs that can defame some royal personalities. Only once the job is done does Terry is aware about the waves of troubles he is to be engulfed with . 

Now, this is a true story from the 70's. And hence we really cannot blame that there are lots of typical cliches in this movie. So that means, extra ordinary drama in real life too is full of cliches.

However, the movie is a good one time watch with lots of 'allright' thrills through out except towards the end when it looks a bit clumsy. But still I must admit, there is a kind of difference to British movies. I mean this is a plot which is always fit for the Hollywood. But British talents have made better scenes of a script, which Hollywood would have exaggerated and blown off. The team has managed to make it an ok heist movie.

And for the first time, for me, I think Jason Statham seems to have acted. He does have scenes where he has to have some expressions on his face rather than on his physique. I cant remember him in a better role.

Dead Man's Shoes

2004 by Shane Meadows - British movie

From the few British movies I got recently, this definitely sounded the best and so far it looks so.

Richard comes back to his home town with a clear plan. He wants to take on a local gang who abused his mentally impaired brother Anthony. 

Basically it is a revenge story, which could have been a run of the mill revenge story. But it isnt. It is definitely much classier than most revenge movies we have seen for some excellent reasons.

- The way the plot unfolds, the reasons for which Richard is after this local thugs. An excellent script it is.

- Though it is a revenge story, majority of the scenes are dedicated for the thugs, who know there are reasons to be scared about. This I found quite brilliant and novel.

- The unique climax, which is completely different from any revenge movies I have seen. The final reason for the revenge is quite a shock and surprise and the final revenge method itself is a result of a very different way of thinking

- and finally it establishes an excellent love story between two brothers with minimal scenes.

Wonderfully directed and shot, cinematography is brilliant, with some beautiful music, this movie has some really good realistic performances too. The one who really impressed me was actually Toby Kebbell, who played Anthony. From the subtle body language even in long shots to facial expressions, I thought, he stole the show even if he has only few scenes.

An excellent sophisticated entertainer, with a classic touch, a must watch for anybody who like revenge dramas. I was just wondering, how this movie would have been shot by Hollywood or by our own Bollywood.

God will forgive them and let them into heaven, I can't let that happen.... brilliant. 

Travellers

2011 by Kris McManus - English movie from UK

Yet another case of a beautiful synopsis, but..

Four young guys take a motorbike ride to the country side and enjoy a night of camping. Then they come across an abandoned looking caravan and a prank by one of them puts them into real danger, a run for survival. 

There have been some movies like this before too and still I was misled by the synopsis. But to be frank it is not something to be like Ken Park. Once the group meets the country gang and the real thrill starts, the movie definitely is a thriller. But still it fails to really get us engaged. For me, I really did not understand the group who is against the bikers and especially their bare knuckle fight game, involving an injured nobody. The most interesting aspect of the movie definitely was about the real villain. That was quite interesting though.

But it is surely produced with a minimum possible budget. In that ways, it deserves some appreciation.

Just a watch. Nothing extra special, nothing extra bad too. 

Cashback

2006 by Sean Ellis

Some people would say, when they go for a movie with the least expectations, it turns out really good. This wasn't the case exactly yesterday. From the synopsis, I thought I was going to watch a kind of very serious movie, which sounded different. But it turned out as one of the most funny and sweet romantic comedy of a college student - a small master piece. Youngsters I know, always talk about American Pie and those kinds of movie as the most hilarious ones, which spoke about young minds. I simply wish, they watch Cashback. Since its British, they might not. What a miss for them actually.

Ben broke up with his girl friend and develops insomnia. To manage the extra 8 hours, he starts working in super market at night. As he is also an artist, finding beauty in still life, he imagines freezing time and observes the frozen world, him being the only mobile person. He is also attracted to Sharon a coworker in the store. 

Ben narrates the whole movie and the narration, I found, quite nice. Ben has inborn talent as a painter and from a very young age he found the female form charming. He was shocked and desperate about his break up and takes up his new job. Every worker in the store had their own ways of killing time and its natural Ben chose his own way of killing time, but pausing the time. This enables him to undress the females present and sketch them. He sketch Sharon even otherwise. I loved the character of Ben so much. In fact all his past is shown through some carefully placed flash backs and to be honest and frank, it was very nostalgic. How every boy has a crush on some girl in the neighborhood or in the class and even to a teacher and imagines wonders with them and cravings of a young boy to imagine and find what is beautifully covered up by the females, all , is so wonderfully told. Of course, in India, there will never be a girl in the neighborhood who would give a sneak peak for a 50 pence, but I would be lying if I said I had never wished for somebody like that.

The movie has many hilarious moments and it can make even a very serious person to laugh like an idiot, when one least expects it. May it be the two guys at the store, their store supervisor, that bloody funny football match or the strip teaser at the supervisors birth day party who actually turned out to be the Natalie from their child hood, Cashback is brilliant fun. Simply brilliant.

A brilliant director is the major reason why Cashback ends up as no ordinary romantic comedy. It has lots of fun, but it is not just an ordinary comedy too.The scenes involving Ben's walk through the frozen characters, sketching them were extra ordinarily brilliant. I would consider it as a more serious movie about a budding artists imagination and fascination for the female form and curiosity for love, which is told in a brilliant but funny way. It has elements of fantasy in it, but is really realistic. It is not filled with any formulae (from both enterntainment or artistic scales) but still turns out seriously entertaining. There is some nudity here, but what a nice way to capture it. It is not explicit or over done, its very subtle with some simple exotic touches. May be after La Belle Noiseuse, this is that one out of the ordinary movie, which has nude female forms but doesnt invoke any sexual feelings around. Salutes to the director for making it into a different movie, than ending it as another college romance and sex movie.  


Wonderful Cinematography too. And Sean Biggerstaff as Ben really impressed. He has a great charm. 


Sean Ellis, had actually made a short movie by the same name in 2004, which was much acclaimed, he just pre and post fixed some scenes to make it a full length film. I can only appreciate the movie even more, knowing this. 

Naked

1993 by Mike Leigh

Mike Leigh must have done something in his life to understand human behaviour so well. How he creates, prepares and depicts his characters, I am afraid, is beyond any imagination for most directors or artists. It is unbelievable how he creates his strange plots, looking strange and unique but these sort of things are happening around, and brings life into it with extra ordinary characters. Naked, is yet another example of this amazing anthropologist director. I dont know if Mr. Leigh had anything to do with Anthropology, but for me he has studied human beings better than anybody I know.

Johnny flees from Manchester to London, to avoid getting beaten by the husband of a lady when his sex with her turns out to rape. He arrives in the shared flat of his girl friend, Louise, shared with Sophie and Sandra. Sandra is out on a trip to Zimbabwe, which means there is space in the flat. Its Johnny's tryst with Sophie, Sandra and couple of other London characters, what make out this brilliant movie. 

Johnny is bloody intelligent actually, but like many Leigh characters, he speaks out loud against many problems of this world and its existentialism and cliches. And he does this in the most brutal and unsophisticated manner, ruthless, brutal, sadistic and cruelly sarcastic. At the same time, he needs only few seconds to charm anybody, man or woman, and to seduce them. But then its his after conduct that brings out his ruthlessness and kind of dictatorial nature.

To be frank, this is an unbelievable movie. It is no action, no comedy or drama or anything like that. But just through one character, which is unpretentious and ruthless, it portrays a different side of human nature. May be that is why it is named as Naked, as human mind is left open without any pretensions here.

We get to see a different side of Johnny through all the characters he come across, all of them unique in their own ways, may it be Louise, Sophie, the security man, the young couple on street, the young waitress who throws him out of her apartment, the aged woman across the building or finally Sandra the nurse coming back from Zimbabwe. I wish, I could recollect and write down some of the dialogues of Johnny that anybody reading this, who have already not watched this movie, will understand what I am trying to say. It is a pity I cant write. I could write and write and write about this for long. Brilliant.

Truly out of the world performances by everybody, typical of Leigh movies, especially David Thewlis as Johnny. How can a man with blood and flesh understand this kind of a character and live as that person on celluloid. Unbelievable. I am told, Mr. Spielberg was so amused that he requested for a meeting with Mr. Thewlis. Speilberg, Martin Scorcese and Brian de Palma had spend a whole night arguing on this character before.

And what to say about Leigh, nothing more than what I have already. This man is a genius. It is towards the end that he really surprise us. The final 20 minutes or so turns out literally to be a laugh riot actually, even if it is not what might have been intended. Especially since the arrival of Sandra, the movie takes a very different turn for the viewer with lots of laughs. All credit to this genius director.

I dont have anything more to say actually, my salutes to Mr. Leigh and his team.  This is the best of raw cinema. Most uncompromising effort on celluloid, to my experience.

There is a way of saying in Malayalam - I live in Kochi - and I can tell to my friend, if I need to get beaten, I can get it done in Kochi, why go all the way up to Mumbai to get beaten.. In someways, this is how it works for the major character in Naked. 

Happy go Lucky

2008 by Mike Leigh

Imagine an award committee requesting for the written script of a movie, which they consider as probable winner and the director watching the movie again to write a script. This should happen often with Mike Leigh, who just explains the plot and the scene to his actors, who have to improvise it with many rehearsals and even further on the shoot. That is a terrific, but brilliant way of film making. I have heard that Priyadarshan is able to shot adverts without even a story board. But will he be able to do a whole film? I doubt it,especially if that movie has to be comparable with the ones of Mr. Leigh, impossible. This man is incredible. He picks so out of the ordinary themes and brings out the real human reactions on those themes. Mostly his themes are so not that easy ones, like in Secrets and Lies and Another Year. In Happy go lucky, he has chosen a simpler topic, more light hearted one and have still given us another out of this world kind of light hearted movie.

Poppy is 30, single, lives with her best friend and is working in a primary school as teacher. What makes her special is her attitude to life and everything around her. She is so pleasing, looking at everything and everybody in a nice and good way, that she doesnt mind her to look stupid even, to give a nice feeling to the other. The movie is all done with some of her interactions with her friends, her sister and family, her cynical driving teacher and a new boy friend.

Well thats it. There is nothing more happening in the movie. But, what we are in is actually a treat. A wonderful character, Poppy, takes us through some really touching moments and through other characters. From her close friend, Zoe, to her Flemenco teacher to her student to her sister and partner to the cynical driving instructor Scott and a gentle boy friend. All this characters are very different from Poppy and actually almost quite opposite to what Poppy represents. But with the interaction of Poppy, we actually understands how more nice it would be if all could react with the easiness of Poppy. This is no better explained than through the scenes at her Sisters home and also the ones with her driving instructor Scott. Scott actually can create a lot of hatred, but towards the end, we could really feel for the man. And yes, even Poppy feel sorry for him at that stage. That scene, the confrontation between Poppy and Scott is a master piece I would say.

Sally Hawkins plays Poppy brilliantly. An out of this world character actually and played with unimaginable perfection. The only comparison, to my knowledge, for this kind of character is Amelie played by Audrey Tautou in the Le Fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain. But Amelie is a completely different movie. I would consider Sally's performance even better for the very simple and primary reason for not working on a basic script. For eg, that scenes of driving lessons, when she comments about the happenings around, which are spontaneous are really wonderful. The single scene which made me think she should get an award was the beginning of her Flemenco class.The shot of her popping sidewards for keeping away her sunglass was brilliant and more than funny.

Definitely, this is light hearted, but there is of course an underlining of sadness, not just on the character of Poppy, but on Zoe, the husband of her sister and of course Scott. I was still thinking about all these people, long after the movie finished.

Here is a unique director with a distinct style that can be picked up from even a thousand works. 

Another Year

2010 by Mike Leigh

After watching any movie, I would rarely find that the casting was allright. I would say at least a few characters could have been better with some other artists or some negative thoughts like that. For the first time, I think, I watch a film and feel the casting is 110% perfect and all the more the performances are 200%, more than perfect, actually its unbelievable. I had seen Secrets & Lies by Mr. Leigh and was impressed. But to be frank, it didnt impress me as much to just go and find more movies from him. I watch Another Year, his latest movie and I have to say, I am impressed, no am bloody impressed, that I am going to watch all his other movies.  To make beautiful movies on human life without any script is an unbelievable art.

Tom and Gerri is an old, working couple. They have more than a content life and does not have any real issues at this point of life. Some of their friends and family including their son, Joe, visits them and the conversations are mostly about the difficulties of the visitor.

In one sentence Another Year is a beautiful movie about ageing and loneliness. Fun at times and sad at times.

The movie is told through four seasons in the life of Tom and Gerri and the different characters who need them or the characters through whom they pass their time at home. There are Mary, working together with Gerri, Ken an old friend, Ronnie who is the elder brother of Tom who just lost his wife. All these three characters are quite uncertain about their future, getting old and being alone. T&G seems to be their only solace as they patiently listen to all their grievances and show some compassion, which is lacking elsewhere. At the same time, at least in the beginning we do feel that T&G also needs somebody around in their bohring life, just to talk to or listen to. As their son is not with them and they are also feeling a kind of loneliness, even if they are a happy couple. However, they look more than pleased when Joe, their son, finds a girl friend who seems to enjoy  their company.

What is very appreciative about the movie is, even if the whole movie is centered around T&G, it is nearly a story about the life of this hapless woman Mary. Mary who is divorced and cant find any new friend, at one point is seen almost seducing (not really but) Joe. She is so narrow minded (she knows Joe as a child) to think that since Joe is into his 30's and is not having a girl friend, he must be finding it difficult and might like her. Well, she is terribly shocked, when Joe brings his girl friend to the home. Mary is a perfect example of an almost attractive woman, who has to remain single after 40's, starved of love and sex, who can never be really independant, and turning really mean and selfish. She has two sides, one of an adolescent where she is almost innocent and the other of a really selfish and mean woman. Since I knew somebody like this, I was actually very surprised by the portraiture of Mary in this movie. Unbelievable.

And the best feature about this movie is, it could have been easily made into a drama, but it still appeals to us as a movie. It is full of dialogues between all this characters, who are all normal working class people. Everything comes out through the chats between the characters, but it is like cent percent natural talks. Not a single moment does it turns dramatic or even cinematic. Well, the reason is Mr. Leigh is famous for never using a script. He just gives some outlines to characters and the rest is upto them. The advantages are there to see. As I said, each and every dialogue and expression is natural, bloody natural. It offers some brilliant laughs in a minute and in the very next moment make us feel really sad.  It is like a camera is placed in the living room in a family and the movie exactly is like taking out few pages from the lives of few English men and women.

All these characters, Tom, Gerri, Mary, Ken, Ronnie, Jo and his girl friend Katie, they all were shot from their real lives, or I would say, performances are 200%. Not a single frame is there to point to and say  - see you could have bettered it. And what happens is that all this people really grow into us, even Katie who is there only for a couple of scenes has done wonderfully well. But the real star is Leslie Manville who does Mary. Amazing performance. Each and every shot of her's was brilliant.

Anybody who is single should definitely find a partner. Thats what this movie will teach you. You may find it allright to be alone at your 30's or 40's, may be. But after, there could be a time when being alone could be the worst thing to happen to a human being.

Following

1998 by Christopher Nolan

An unemployed youth, aspiring to be a writer, start following strangers on the street. He has set forth his own rules for following, which he starts breaking too. He is confronted by a man, who understood he was being followed, who introduces as Cobb. Cobb is a different kind of burglar, who just breaks into others apartments or flats, not really to steal anything valuable, but just to intrude into the private life's of the house owner. He would drink their wine, misplace objects and may be take with him private objects, invaluable for others or even the owner, even womens under clothes etc. He wants to make the owner realise what they had, when they lose it. Our aspiring writer is some what thrilled by this and he is nearly like an apprentice for Cobb. He even attempts his own Cobb style house breaking. He meets a woman in a bar, who seems to be obliged to be the girl friend of a local gangster. He realises that they have broken to her apartment earlier. Cobb gives him a credit card with the name Daniel Loyd for his use. The woman wants him to steal some photographs from the Gangster, as she is being black mailed, which he promptly does. But he ends up attacking a man who arrives, just when he is ready to leave the place. He also finds that the photographs he has stolen are nothing special to be worried about. When he confronts her, he realises that she and Cobb have set him up. Cobb had to kill somebody during one of his burglar attempts and wanted to share the doubts upon him with somebody else. When our writer recognises that he has been cheated by the woman and Cobb he goes to the police and confesses everything. Cobb kills the woman, as she was a witness to one murder committed by the gangster. After the confession to the police, the young man is perplexed by the truth that the whole thing was a drama , scripted by Cobb, as he is now responsible also for the death of the woman, another murder by Cobb.

This is a brilliant movie. Simply brilliant. I actually wanted to watch the 3rd El Classico - the semi final of Champions league - between Barcelona and Real Madrid and wanted to see the pre match discussions as always. So had thought, ok no movie today, but just played the file to check if it was allright and from the very first shots - in black and white - I got hooked. Luckily for me, the movie is only a little more than one hour, it finished a few minutes before the kick off. But I have to confess, I got involved so much that I completely forgot about my match, this is a big credit for this movie.

The movie is told through the confession of the young man to the police and its brilliant. Only towards the end do we realise this but then the final surprise is still not completed. The surprise, that Cobb had set him up to be responsible for the murders, comes out through the final talks between the young man and the police officer, talks which are very brief and precise, is an intelligent master stroke. It is so brilliant that it is a revelation not just for the young man but for the viewers too. There might be some viewers, who might have guessed this, but not me. I was so involved with the writer that I forgot to think about anything else. It is very seldom that you feel yourselves in the shoes of the character. I felt admiring Cobb, I felt falling for the woman and wanted to emulate Cobb and so and so, and the last revelation was stunning. Brilliant.

A brilliant script supported by a brilliant director. Kudos also to the camera work, which is classic in black and white. We never think about the camera actually. But this is not a simple work, I would say.

I dont know if anybody considers this movie as a master piece of Mr. Nolan. But I surely will.

I remember seeing Nolan's Memento some time back. I want to see it once again. Just like that. 

Les Miserables - The Miserables

1998 by Bille August

Jean Valjean, a young man is arrested for stealing bread, and spends 20 years in a jail. While on Parole he promises to change to a new man, because of the kindness of a Bishop. 9 years later, he turns up as a wealthy industrialist and mayor of a small town. The new police officer to the town, Javert, had earlier worked in the jail and has doubts about the Mayor and has pledged to bring out the truth. Javert, though sincere, is too uptight and performs as a perfect employee for the system, without any kindness for even the suffering. Valjean promises to take care of the young daughter of a poor woman,who had worked in his factory. When an innocent man is arrested as Jean Valjean, mayor himself announces in the court that the man is innocent and the court should be checking on him. Valjean leaves the town with all his savings, finds the daughter of the dead woman, Cocette, and sneaks into Paris, where he works in a Convent and brings up his daughter. Javert is always on the look out of Valjean, who actually will not leave the convent at all and protects Cocette like his own daughter. In 10 years, when Cocette grows up into a beautiful young woman, she falls in love with a young revolutionary, Marius, whose group has big plans against the King. Javert is working to thwart their attempts, but still has plans to find out Valjean and through his informers finds all about Cocette and Valjean. Valjean wants to leave to England with Cocette, who actually is worried for Marius. Valjean goes to the riot site and asks Marius to return to Cocette, but is finally caught by Javert. Valjean pleads to Javert to arrest him and leave Marius. He promises to Javert to come back to him, after taking the injured Marius to safety. When Valjean returns, Javert is impressed by his honesty, lets him free and then kills himself. Valjean walks back as a happy man.

Based on the famous Victor Hugo novel, I am not really sure if the movie turned out great. Of course, I havent read the original novel. But I was sure that something was missing, when Javert commits suicide after letting Valjean free. That scene lacked any backing of the story or script. I was thinking, why should he do that. He is still a great police officer and by leaving him free, he finally show some kindness, can pretend nothing has happened, letting Valjean and daughter to escape to England etc. After all the mistake of Valjean is not a big crime, just stealing bread, and nobody other than him shows any interest in finding Valjean. But he kills himself. But then, this is the failure of the movie may be. Sure this must have been well explained in the novel.

Having said that, Les Miserables is still very good, excellent settings, photography and some beautiful acting, especially by Jeoffrey Rush as Javert and Liam Neeson as Valjean. Jeoffrey Rush is so good that we really start hating his character. Excellent performance. But Uma Thurman, as the mother of Cocette, was a poor choice.

However, I got really curious about this story and hence did some search and understand now, that there are many changes on the script from the original novel. Anyways, Les Miserables is a good watch.