Natrang

2010 , by Ravi Jadhav

Guna a poor villager, loves theatre. When he and his friends lose their job their only option is to start a theatre of their own, to finally live doing their passion. Guna is a strong man, a body builder who is called a King, by his friends. He dreams about his royal role in his own drama, but realises that it is important to have a panzy character (an effeminate/ eunuch) which can draw more crowds for the show. After a lot of hesitation, he accepts the challenge. His theatre is a success, but he is treated as a Eunuch by everybody and his family and social life is affected. He gains recognition with his passion, but he lost a lot too.

For an Indian movie, this is a unique theme. And debutant director Ravi Jadhav has created an excellent script based on a novel and Natrang has turned out as an exceptional movie. Just thought director could have made it even better, but still. Some of the scenes where Guna is trained to be an Eunuch and the shot where he first walks, from the right side of the frame, like an Eunuch are all so beautiful.

Ever since I saw Chandni Bar, I have considered Atul Kulkarni as one of the best actors in India. He has got a life time roll here and he has excelled in it. His change from a strong body builder to a lean Eunuch is incredible, so are his varied emotions. This kind of transformation, like that of Robert De Nero in Raging Bull, is very new to Indian cinema. It is unpardonable that he was not credited with the National award.

This is an excellent Indian cinema from India.

Cache - Hidden

2005 by Michael Haneke

A brilliant film about a family being haunted by video tapes (send to them), which are simply surveillance tapes of their own life, and weird drawings.  Interestingly, it leaves the question open - who did that - for us to decide.This is a cent percent directors movie.

Juliet Binoche, ever since I saw her Chocolate is a favourite actress of mine, effortlessly plays the house wife Anne. Daniel Auteuil is his quite self, like in Le Placard. I wonder if he has ever played any different kind of roles. 

Harishchandrachi Factory

2009 by Paresh Mokashi

Story about how Dada Saheb Phalke made India's first cinema, Raja Harishchandra in 1913. The Adventure filled story about how a man (with a wife and 2 kids) , who has just lost his printing business come across motion picture, falls in love with it and sets out to make the first motion picture in India. Enroute, he is even taken to a mental hospital by his friends, on the day of outdoor shoot police arrest the whole crew and what not. But all this is told in simple and funny way, projecting the innocence of the man through out. His two boys and wife especially, is more than a support. I just wish the movie was rather named Phalke family or something like that. Actually I felt proud about this simple movie. Such a pity regional Indian movies are all terribly sidelined by Bollywood.

It is the cinematography which took me by surprise. Often in Indian movies we dont get to see such beautiful, but subtle work. The lighting is so soft and helps the mood of the film in big way. An off beat movie like this can produce such excellent camera work, is very surprising for me. Even most of the commercial movies who play with huge money haven't tried this kind of lighting.

Winter's Bone

2010 by Debra Granik

A 17 year old girl has to take care of her 2 younger siblings and a sick mother. Her father, was part of the local drug mafia, disappeared on Parole and has to show up in court, failing which she will lose her home too. Movie is about her search for her father putting herself in danger. Pace is slow, but one cant help feeling the pain and anger of this girl, which is why I think it is worth a good watch.

This movie is all about good performances, especially from Jennifer Lawrence. She could give us more.
An off beat movie from Hollywood. 

Der Tunnel - The Tunnel

2001 by Roland Suso Richter

Based on a true story of the escape of 29 people from East to West Germany, immediately after the Berlin Wall came in, this is a good watch. It is so well directed and nicely photographed. 

Aadukalam

2011 by Vetri maaran

What an improvement from a director, Pollaadhavan to Aadukalam, in a word is unbeleivable. Pollaathavan was a good entertainer, but Aadukalam is even more than a typical box office hit, with few cuts here and there it can be pure reality. A novel subject conceived around Rooster fights, characters which are ordinary humans, excellent script, editing and cinematography - may be among the best low light camera works I have seen in Indian movies - which could be a trend setter even and a brilliant director who has taken the movie out of its entertainment box and placed it so close to anything of what a movie should be. Surely the career high for Dhanush.

Anyone interested in real Indian cinema, this is a must watch.

Tamil movie industry should be proud, after Mynaa, within 2 months they have got another excellent film.

127 Hours

2010 by Danny Boyle

A good movie , which is based on a true story. The real life Aron Ramston thinks the movie is like a documentary of what happened. All credits to Danny Boyle for making this one a good watch. Trainspotting would remain my Boyle favourite.

For more - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1542344/

Black Swan

2010 by Darren Aronofsky

I am not sure if I can call this a master piece, but this movie can be interpreted in many ways and thats why I think it is brilliantly done by Aronofsky. What a theme for a movie. Inspite of all the questions you may have, the pace of the movie is in tact through out. And what an actress Natalie Portman is. She can be proud about this once in a life time role as a dedicated , often hallucinated, Ballerina. I couldnt help thinking about my dear wife, who too is a dedicated dancer. Will watch this again, with her.

For More - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947798/

Andrey Rublyov

Russian 1966 by Andrey Tarkovskiy - A Master piece from the master craftsman.

Probably has the best cinematography in Black and white classics. There are so many brilliantly done moments in this movie. It starts very slowly though, but the second part is simply brilliant. Many scenes can embarass the best technicians of modern days.

Andrei Rublev is set against the background of 15th Century Russia. Although the film is only loosely based on the life of Andrei Rublev, its depiction of medieval Russia is realistic. Tarkovsky created a film that shows the artist as "a world-historic figure" and "Christianity as an axiom of Russia’s historical identity" during a turbulent period of Russian History, that ultimately resulted in the Tsardom of Russia. The film is about the essence of art and the importance of faith and shows an artist who tries to find the appropriate response to the tragedies of his time. The film is also about artistic freedom and the possibility and necessity of making art for, and in the face of, a repressive authority and its hypocrisy, technology and empiricism, by which knowledge is acquired on one's own without reliance on authority, and the role of the individual, community, and government in the making of both spiritual and epic art.


For More- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Rublev_(film)

Les Salaire de las Peur - The Wages of Fear

French - 1953 by Henri Georges Clouzot - Excellent movie, a synonym for Road movie. If you like Black and White classics, this is a must watch.
Wish our Blessy watched this before claiming Bhramaram as a road movie.

In a dusty, hot South American mining town, European immigrants eke out a meagre existence, struggling to find work in an area of high unemployment.  A young French Corsican, Mario, strikes up a friendship with a new arrival in the town, Jo.  Their situation looks hopeless until, one day, an American oil company announces it is recruiting four truck drivers to carry out a dangerous mission.  The drivers have to transport two truckloads of the explosive nitroglycerine to an oilfield, to put out a raging fire.  The journey is 300 miles long, across some treacherous mountain terrain.  Mario, Jo, and two other men are selected for the job, enticed by the high salary offered.  Not long after setting out, the four men encounter the first in a series of nerve-wracking obstacles which threaten to obliterate them, but the greatest obstacle of all is fear... An ultimate Road movie, a thrilling watch.

For More - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046268/

Das Leben Der Anderren - The Lives of Others

German - 2006 - directed by Florain Henckel von Donnersmarck - this is a very good movie. 


In the early 1980s, Georg Dreyman (a successful dramatist) and his longtime companion Christa-Maria Sieland (a popular actress), were huge intellectual stars in (former) East Germany, although they secretly don't always toe the party line. One day, the Minister of Culture becomes interested in Christa, so the secret service agent Wiesler is instructed to observe and sound out the couple, but their life fascinates him more and more.


For More -  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405094/