My Favorite Movies

An epic tale about three very different men on the same mission. The third and the final of the man with no name trilogy. Clint Eastwood is back as the 'Good', with yet another superb performance to his name. Eli Wallach does a masterful rendition of the sly thief 'Ugly' and Lee Van Cleef is back to his usual best, this time playing the 'Bad'. The cast couldn't have been any better and the film couldn't have been any better either. It's perfect. It's genre defying.

Absolutely phenomenal effort by Sergio Leone. Add to that Ennio Morricone's signature Western music, which makes the whole experience a lot better. He's definitely the best in this genre.

The score composed by Howard Shore is one of the finest ever and well fitting for a film as magnificent as this. Everything about this as well as the other two films in this trilogy is absolutely perfect.

12 May 2009 (extended edition)
# - theatrical cut also watched

And so I've watched it finally. All I can say is this is probably the single most charming film in the history of film making. It's even better than I thought it was going to be. And probably has the greatest cast ever assembled in a film. I just love Marlon Brando and Al Pacino's performances. Not saying the other's were bad or anything but they stood out for me. Almost everything was perfect, from the brilliant plot and directing to the excellent score, the phenomenal acting and dialogue.

This is without a doubt one of the greatest films ever made and a true masterpiece from Francis Ford Coppola.

6 December 2008

Jack Nicholson delivers the performance of a lifetime in this rare and amusing cult classic. The film with some of the greatest characters youl'll ever see on screen. Louise Fletcher in particular was impressive aside from Jack Nicholson with her Oscar winning performance, but that's to take nothing away from an almost flawless cast.

The ending was bit hard to take in even though it's not necessarrily a sad ending if you look at it from another point of view. It came right out of the blue but regardless of that, this is still one of the finest films ever made. I think the ending is meant to be metaphoric than anything else like much of the film itself. The possibilities of what the film tries to depict are endless and that's one of the things I like most about the film. To put it simply, this film has so much meaning in itself.

Oscars for the best actor, best actress, best director, best picture, best writing and screenplay!!! Five fucking Oscars and four more nominations!!!

It's a joy to watch when a film get's as good as this. Highly recommended for all you daydreamers!

One of the greatest films you'll ever watch. It's incredible how realistic it all looked and it really succeeds in delivering a powerful message. I wish they make more films like these. Highly recommended.

"Death is the road to awe."

Strangely beautiful and fascinating. One of the best films I've ever watched and I really mean it. The fact that I understood much of the symbolism depicted in the film - from the ancient Mayan cultures, the Spanish exploitation of their lands for riches and the myths about the tree of life - helped quite a lot I guess. Otherwise there's chances that you might feel a little bit overwhelmed and find it difficult to comprehend the story. Since I had pre existing general knowledge about the background behind the side stories, it was quite easy for me to fit in all the pieces and make some sense out of it. But there's no doubt that every one who's watched this will have his/her own explanation and to me it doesn't really matter since I loved it the way I interpreted it. Infact it's the very reason why this is such a great film. To make a film with so much meaning in itself, that ain't going to be an easy job by any means.

Darren Aronofsky is a genius and this film another one of his masterpieces. Beautiful music by the very talented composer that is Clint Mansell, brilliant acting from the likes of Hugh Jackman (who did a really impressive job in what must've been a difficult role), Rachel Weisz & Ellen Burstyn coupled with stunning visuals and an amazing storyline. The film had it all and I absolutely adore it.

Can't wait to get this on HD and watch it all again. You can bet I'm gonna get the director's cut as soon as it get's released as well. I rarely watch a film more than once but this, so far I've failed to get this out of my head. I've got my hands on the soundtrack as well and I'm loving it as much as the film. The only thing I regret is not having watched this at a cinema. That would've been quite an entrancing experience.

"Together we will live forever."

"All right, I'm coming out. Any man I see out there, I'm gonna shoot him. Any sumbitch takes a shot at me, I'm not only gonna kill him, but I'm gonna kill his wife, all his friends, and burn his damn house down. "

I've not watched "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" yet and I think that's the only film in this genre that could change my opinion on this being my favourite Western of all time and pretty much one of my all time absolute favourite films.

Clint Eastwood is the finest good guy in this genre I've seen and Gene Hackman it's finest villain. Morgan Freeman did excellent as well and that's something I take for granted from him. The four Oscars and the five nominations well deserved need I say.

This is the film that I'll always remember and I'll give credit for making me a film fanatic. It's been a really long time since I've watched it and I still remember almost all of it and that's something extremely rare for me. I forget about most movies except for their titles within a few months and sometimes even within a few weeks time. But not this. That ain't never gonna happen. In other words if you haven't figured it out yet, I absolutely love this film!

"It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have. "

Are you watching closely?

Absolutely fucking incredible cinematic experience. I loved every second of it. If ever you needed any proof as to how good cinema can be, this would do it nicely.

The music, the writing, the camera work, the acting, it was all perfect in a way. Audrey Tautou is such an amazing actress and Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a genius. Seriously, I'm still in awe.

19 August 2008

One of the greatest movies of all time. Truly brilliant in every aspect. Phenomenal performance by Russel Crowe and joaquin Phoenix. And you've gotta give credits to the score composed by Hans Zimmer. A true masterpiece. The track "Now we are free" (performed by Lisa Gerrard) at the end will probably make most people cry. You can never praise this movie enough.

I read this story as a kid and I loved it. So much that even now after all these years, I still remember it. That's the reason why I decided to watch and I'm really glad I did.

This is a real gem of a movie. Unappreciated and underrated. And the music is among the most breathtakingly beautiful I've ever heard in a movie. There's no way I'm not getting my hands on the soundtrack. To top it all off, there's Daniel Day-Lewis who happens to be one of my favourite actors. The chemistry between Daniel and Madeleine is quite amazing. She really is gorgeous in here as well as the other girl. Credits due to the other's in the cast as well, even though the acting wasn't always of the highest standards.

I'm really glad they made a movie worthy of the original book. This certainly is one of the greatest stories ever told on film.

Zhang Yimou's masterpiece. One of the greatest Asian films ever made. Ofcourse, not everyone would understand what's really going on here but those who do will know how brilliant the plot is. Add to that the stunning cinematography and the amazing martial arts scenes and you've got yourself a visual spectacle there.

14 May 2009 (extended edition)
# - theatrical cut also watched

Truly a brilliant achievement in film making. One of the greatest movies of all time and it's of surprisingly good quality considering what might've been a low budget production. I'll give five stars for everything from the cast, the camera work and the phenomenal performances given by pretty much everyone in the leading roles to the brilliantly written dialogue. Nearly flawless direction and execution from the beginning till the very end.

I doubt that everything depicted here is the absolute true though. Much of this is based on the accounts of people like Hitler's secretary who've claimed to have had very close relations with him. One thing I'll respect the film makers here is for the fact they never try to shove any political agenda down your throat, unlike most documentaries and films depicting these events. You're free to make of it what you will after watching it.

This will give you more than just a glimpse of Adolf Hitler and his henchmen like you've never seen or imagined before, raging with emotions in their very last moments watching their ideas, visions and basically their whole world collapse right infront of their own eyes. It's both an eye opening experience and sad at the very same time coz it felt so real and humane. Infact, I felt sympathy for some of them. I really do, however wrong it might seem to be.

13 May 2009 (extended edition)
# - theatrical cut also watched

A fucking epic visual orgasam and an unforgettable experience. Love the dialogue, the soundtrack by Tyler Bates, Gerard Butler's perfomance and a lot of other things about this movie. This is SPARTAAAA!!!

The wuxia genre at it's mesmerising best. One of the greatest Asian films ever made and I really really love it. Yun-Fat Chow, Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh delivers excellent performances and Tan Dun's well crafted score was a bonus. This is a real gem of a film, with a beautiful plot and cinematography as well as the graceful on screen choreography and martial arts scenes. Watch it and you'll understand why this is a true timeless masterpiece.

Shigeru Umebayashi's soundtrack is certainly the highlight here except for Zhang Ziyi's phenomenal perfomance and a few amazing scenes like the the echo game for example, which was amazing as hell. Ziyi deserves a nod here for her portrayal of the blind girl which was truly mesmerising. The film has it's flaws though like some way too unrealistic fight scnenes and below par acting and visuals in some scenes. But at the end of it all, the positives far outweigh the negatives. So hats off to Zhang Yimou for directing another memorable and brilliant movie.

Really loved the amazing fight scenes in this one. Too bad I watched a dvd rip without the subtitles. So I actually never understood much of what happened in this film. Yet I thought it was good. I'll definitely give this one another try with the subtitles. The unique and sad ending was quite a twist. Didn't really expect it.

Adrien Brody delivers a masterclass in performance and acting here in one of the best war related movies of all time. Brilliant!

B for Brilliant! One of 2006's best. Loved this movie. Very artistic and had a French feel to it for one reason or the other which I really love.

ps - This guy reminds me a lot about Robert Pires (France, former Arsenal FC player) who's one of my favourite footballers. :D

This film depicts very well what war is all about. The cast was excellent, but they could perhaps improve the visuals a bit more and depict the battle scenes a little bit better to make it perfect. Kind of heartbreaking to see the girl drown near the end of it. :(

But the plot was excellent nonetheless and the characters very much believeable.

I'm left speechless after watching this one. It scared the shit outta me. No, it's not a horror flick, but it scared me coz it felt so realistic. And I kept on thinking how harsh and fucked up reality could be sometimes.

Combined with the phenomenal acting, the captivatingly psychdelic music, the haunting and heartbreaking story and the powerful message it delivers here, this is one of the best movies I've ever seen for sure.

Obsessions are a dangerous game to play. And sometimes, when you get addicted to a thing, there's no turning back. If there's one movie I'd recommend everyone in this world to see, this is probably it.

Here's a movie that could make you laugh and cry. Haven't enjoyed watching a movie this much for quite sometime. Jack Nicholson yet again proves he's one of the best ever to have set foot on Hollywood and Morgan Freeman delivers a superb performance as well. You should never underestimate either one of them. I really mean it when I say I enjoyed watching this and it felt good.

Perhaps the real super heroes here are Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale. They basically saved the batman series with this while it was in deep shit. But that's to take nothing away from the rest of the brlliant cast which included the likes of Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Katie Holmes, Morgan Freeman and Ken Watanabee to name a couple.

The Batman is supposed to be one of the darkest superheroes out there and this film does exactly that. Which is why it succeeds. I love it. Really love it.

Christian Bale depicts the character better than anyone ever did. And the cinematography is stunning and the plot fantastic. This film has everything going for it.

I really loved this. The story was twisted as hell and I always thought Josh Hartnett did very well in these kinds of roles. And Diane Kruger, who's been one of my favourite actors for a long time threw in a wonderful performance here. She was lovely and adorable. Rose Byrne did an excellent job as well. And yov've gotta give credits to the wonderful collection of indie rock songs which made up the soundtrack. Amazing stuff. Overall, one of the best romantic thriller's out there and one of my favourite movies ever.

Made in just over 17 days with a shoestring budget of 160K, shot mostly in real time utilizing natural lighting, improvised dialogue and with no professional actors whatsoever, this is truly a work of art which is beautiful, inspirational, and a joy to watch at the same time. Certainly well worth the acclaim and appraise it mustered at the Sundance and anywhere else. Love the duet they sing at the instrument shop titled "Falling Slowly" (nominated for an academy) and the one they record at the studio which by the way is titled "When Your Mind's Made Up". The soundtrack has even managed to notch two grammy nominations on top of the academy nomination. But it's not the music that makes this film special to me, it's the moving and humble depiction of how passionate both these musicians were and how much they loved doing what they did.

The only negatives probably were the bad accents of both the leads which were very evident when they spoke but didn't seem to have any effect on the singing at all and the acting wasn't of the highest standards which is understandable considering none of them were trained or professional actors.

Richard Roeper (of Ebert & Roeper show) referring to the film's recording studio scene: "More inspirational and uplifting than almost any number of Dreamgirls or
Chicago or any of those multi-zillion dollar musical showstopping films. In its own way, it will blow you away."

So true. A must watch for any one who appreciates music as a form of art.

Bloody, violent and intense, but brilliant film nonetheless with some fine characters and an excellent story. It's a Martin Scorsese film after all. Daniel Day-Lewis deserves to be mentioned specially for his portrayal of "The Butcher". Phenomenal performance. Leonardo was superb as well.

One of the most beautiful and awe isnpiring films I've watched recently. Witness the true story of one guys fight against materialism and his dedication to fulfill a purpose.

Never thought much of Emile Hirsch but he does rather well here and I'm begining to like Kristen Stewart. She looks like she has the potential to become a pretty good actress.

Five stars from me for for the cinematography as well as Eddie Vedder's (of Pearl Jam) soundtrack which was stunning.

Speaking of the real thing, I admire the guy's courage and his wild spirit, but what he did almost qualifies as suicide.

Alaskan Park Ranger Peter Christian: "...When you consider McCandless from my perspective, you quickly see that what he did wasn't even particularly daring, just stupid, tragic, and inconsiderate. First off, he spent very little time learning how to actually live in the wild. He arrived at the Stampede Trail without even a map of the area. If he had a good map he could have walked out of his predicament. Essentially, Chris McCandless committed suicide."

But to take anything away from this film for that would be most unfair.

Absolutely loved this. Cute, adorable and witty humor combined and executed to perfection, this is without a doubt, the sweetest movie of 2007 for me.

Ellen Page delivers a performance which absolutely demands an Oscar. She's so fuckin' adorable in here. And the cast as a whole was just perfect, like pretty much everything in this film.

The hype is well deserved need I say. Hell, I wouldn't mind this winning the best picture at the Oscars. I mean why not.

This is wicked. And really cool. Cool in a dark and violent way that is. It turns a bit chaotic with the twist nearing the end but the last scene was a total blast. It made the film even more the better.

Brad Pitt and Edward Norton both deliver superb performances and the dialogue was fucking awesome. Add to that a stunning soundtrack. This movie as a whole is pure genius.

Extraordinary film. Unbelieveable twist which made the whole thing pretty unique and mind-boggling. I love David Lynch's style. And Naomi Watts is such a fine actress. This film is nothing short of a masterpiece.

I still haven't seen the other two in the trilogy but I've heard this is quite different from the rest so it's only fair that I rate this on it's own. Frankly I'm surprised with some of the negative reviews. I mean this certainly is a masterpiece on it's own rights. Al Pacino as good as ever and Andy Garcia as usual and what a performance by Eli Wallach. Sofia Coppola ain't too bad in my opinion, she was ok. Even if she did bad, the film had more than enough in it for me to consider it one of the best ever.

David Fincher's masterpiece. An intense and disturbing experience, enhanced by the superb performances from Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey. One of the best movies ever without a doubt. This is perfection.

Leonard Shelby: [Running] Okay, what am I doing?
[Sees Dodd also running]
Leonard Shelby: I'm chasing this guy.
[Dodd has a gun, shoots at Leonard]
Leonard Shelby: Nope. He's chasing me.

Pure genious. That'is the best way to describe this Christopher Nolan masterpiece. A movie that runs backwards and play tricks with your mind. One of the most fascinating and thought provoking films ever. What more can you ask?

I love everything about this, from the cast, the acting, the script, the dialogue etc. Everything's just perfect.

It took a while to adjust my mind to the backward playback actually, but at the end of it all, I just realised how fucking awesome the film is, so I'm definitely gonna watch this one more time. And that's something I rarely do.

Tim Burton, the master of the dark arts comes back to deliver yet another outstanding masterpiece featuring some of his most faithful companions in Johnny Depp whom he worked with more than a couple of ocassions now and Helena Bonham Carter who's actually his partner in real life.

Almost everyone in the leading cast delivered brilliant performances with Johnyy Depp and Helena's characters being the most unique and interestng of all. Both characters exceptionally well made and acted, very much worthy of an Oscar nomination or two. The cinematography was breathtaking, even with all the blood and gore and the musical score accompanying the film was extremely well crafted.

Never thought I'd like a musical this much but this one has to be one of the best films of 2007 and one of Tim Burton's best.

To make it short, I fucking loved it. A very memorable experience.

The greatest sequel ever made and one of the best films ever. This is as close to perfect a movie can get. I love Al Pacino and Robert De Niro's performances. It can't get any better than this.

Pixar at it's very finest. Then again, they never ever disappoint. A delicious treat for everyone to enjoy indeed and without a doubt, a contender for the best animated film ever.

Daniel Day-Lewis once again moves up a dozen places in my all time favourite actor list with his phenomenal performance here. He's like a chameleon. He could do any role and convince you. I can't think of anyone else with so much versatility in terms of acting talent. I'll put him up there with the all time greats like Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson.

Great film with an excellent cast, superbly written dialogue and the soundtrack succeeds so well in building up the moods. Need I say that all the awards are very much deserved. This is the very best of 2007 without a doubt.

"Drainage! Drainage, Eli! Drained dry, you boy! If you have a milkshake and I have a milkshake and I have a straw and my straw reaches across the room and starts to drink your milkshake. I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!"

The superb trio of Ray Liotta, De Niro and Joe Pesci form part of an excellent cast in one of the greatest mob films of all time.

Fucking hell! This is amazing. Absolutely loved it. And that's coming from someone who's not even into the whole anime thing.

Let me get this off first. This is one of the most entertaining films I've ever watched. Really loved it. The acting, the cast, the soundtrack, the dialogue and the plot were all brilliant. It can't get any better than this.

This really let's you fly through a wide range of emotions and you could connect so well with the actors that it's almost like you're in the film itself. I love movies which manages the viewer to form a strong emotional bond with the onscreen actors. Halfway though, you'll really be hooked.

Do yourself a huge favour and go and watch this film if you haevn't already. This would please any film lover.

Had high expectations for this and it didn't disappoint me one bit. Frankly I should've watched this long back. Edward Norton's performance is terrific and badass! Well except the crying scene at the end which didn't go too well with me. The kid did pretty good as well. Great story, great film and it delivers a great message. It never shies away from dealing with an extremely controversial subject matter to it's very core.

"So I guess this is where I tell you what I learned - my conclusion, right? Well, my conclusion is: Hate is baggage. Life's too short to be pissed off all the time. It's just not worth it."

Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon, Terrence Dashon Howard, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillippe, Brendan Fraser among others in one star studded film, each doing their bit to make it a great film collectively. Love the fact it takes the argument on both sides.

9 April 2008

Yet another magnificent Asian martial arts tale of honour and loyalty. The choreography and cinematography was amazing to say the least and the story is very compelling and well balanced. Probably Jet Li's finest film other than Hero and one of the best martial arts movies ever.

ps. The dubbed English sounds very cheesy but still if you could get past that, you'll love this one. A better option would be to get the original Mandarin version with English subs. The acting looks much better when they speak in their own language.

I actually watched the second film (Before Sunset) way before I watched this and I'll have to say the second one was better in terms of acting and the cinematography. But still, this was great. I love Julie Delpy here. She does so well in these kinds of roles where all you need is just your natural acting talent. She makes it all look very real and convincing. In comparision, Ethan Hawke's performance was poor though and I didn't like it. But the movie is good enough for you to forget it and totally indulge in it, even though some of the conversations seemed a bit too philosophical, deep or far fetched. I'll have to think that the pseudo intellectual talking isn't for everyone though.

It's a very simple concept, however brilliantly it is executed here. An American man meets a European woman on his last night in Europe and they spend the night together talking about their lives and they fall for each other and it all get's very sentimental. How it all ends, it would be better if you watched it.

"Random thoughts for Valentine's day, 2004. Today is a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap."

This certainly is one of the most complex yet unique, beautiful and tragic storylines you'll ever come across in a film. Watch closely for you might get lost somewhere along the road.

I'l have to say this is the best from Jim Carey I've seen so far, even though it's a completely different role from what we are used to see him do all the time. As for Kate Winslet, she really is an amazing talent and she looks great with the tangerine tinted hair. A nod for Tom Wilkinson too who did great.

A masterfully done film that will play with your mind with all it's twists and turns and make your head spin.

"How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! / The world forgetting, by the world forgot / Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! / Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd. "

15 April 2008

It's performances like these that merit Al Pacino the title of one of the greatest actors of all time. There's no one who could've pulled it off as good as he did. John Cazale and Charles Durning excelled in their roles as well like pretty much everyone in the cast. Great film by Sidney Lumet.

The ending ain't your typical Hollywood everything falls into it's place type, but it's understandable given that this is based on a true story.

17 April 2008

Fascinatingly beautiful storyline, breathtaking visuals and animation and an impressive soundtrack. What more could you ask? It can't get any more unpredictable and original than this.

A masterpiece by the ever so wonderfully talented director Hayao Miyazaki.

A fine Western which showcases some of 2007's best performances in Christian Bale, Russel Crowe and Ben Foster who all did great jobs with their roles. It's been too long since I've watched a Western as good as this. Being a huge fan of the genre and all, I absolutely loved this.

A great score and some brilliant dialogue too, like with almost all good Western's.


Byron McElroy: If you're gonna kill me, just as soon get to it.
Ben Wade: I ain't gonna kill you. Not like this.
Byron McElroy: Won't change a thing, lettin' me live. I'll come for you.
Ben Wade: I'd be disappointed if you didn't.

Butterfield: Twenty-two robberies. Over four hundred thousand dollars in losses. More in delays. The Southern Pacific will have Ben Wade convicted in a federal court. Hanged in public. An example made. And we will pay to make it happen.
Ben Wade: Y'all notice he didn't mention any of the lives I've taken.

Dan Evans: I've been standin on one leg for three damn years waitin for God to do me a favor... and He ain't listenin.

Ben Wade: You know, squeezin' that watch won't stop time.

Ben Wade: Now, you see Dan, generally pretty much everyone wants to live. That means Butterfield, too. He's gonna walk out on you. He's gonna come back up here, and he's gonna walk out on you. Now, what you gotta figure is why you and your boy are gonna die. Because Butterfield's railroad lost some money?

Dan Evans: What did Doc Potter give his life for, William? McElroy...
Ben Wade: Little red ants on a hill.
Butterfield: I'll pay you the 200, Dan. Right now. And you can walk away.
Dan Evans: You know, this whole ride... it's been egging on me. That's what the government gave me for my leg - 198 dollars 36 cents and the funny thing is that... when you think about it, which I have been lately, is they weren't paying me to walk away, they were paying me so they could walk away.

A bit on the depressive side but this is one extremely well made, well directed and well acted independent film. Ryan Gosling once again shows us how talented an actor he is with a performance well worthy of an Oscar. Extraordinary!. The kid (Shareeka Epps) wasn't half as bad either, though her role seems a bit intellectual and depressive for a 13 year old.

The film doesn't quite pack an emotional punch that will blow you away but still, it works in it's own ways and at the end of the day, I'd say this is certainly one of the best films I've seen recently and though it's a small film, it delivers a big message. It's never too late to change.

More of Tim Burton's gothic magic. A nice blend of dark humour and romance. A fine animated film with style, substance, an equally impressive voice-cast and a score (by Danny Elfman) that is stunningly beautiful, specially the piano parts.

It felt a bit too short perhaps and that is my only complain. This is obviously not the best of Tim Burton, but still a cut above what most others could manage.

It's like peeking into the dark recesses of Tim Burton's wicked mind. Like watching a figment of his imagination and you get to see totally wierd but cool stuff.

Danny Elfman's music perfectly sets the mood in this fascinating, historic and influential piece of cinematic artwork.

A very compelling and beautiful plot, with two very seemingly different yet interconnected strories switching back and forth. One, a fairy tale as imagined by a little girl and the other, reality; which in here is a bloody struggle between facist Spanish troops and a guerilla uprising in a rural area up North in Spain, 1944. But it never get's too chaotic or confusing for the viewer and will keep your eyes glued to the screen from the beginning till the very end. It's absolutely magical.

This is too dark, violent and graphic to be a children's movie even though at first it looks a lot like one, which is a good thing in my book.

Disney and Dreamwork's take on the Exodus, the majestic story of Moses. While the historical accuracy of the whole thing is disputable one way or the other, they maintained the core elements of the storyline while at the same time trying out a couple of new things.

Beautiful animation for it's time, an excellent voice cast consisting the likes of Val Kilmer, Sandra Bullock, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ralph Fiennes etc and a beautiful soundtrack composed by Hans Zimmer to accompany one of the greatest stories ever told. Even though the songs were nothing special, the backgroung music was and greatly enhanced the viewers mood thoughout the film.

2 May 2009

I had a vague memory of watching this one as a kid. Back then I wasn't really into watching films, so I decided to give this another try a couple of days ago coz frankly I can't remember much about it other than the title and a couple of scenes. I'm glad I watched this one again.

The first part of the movie is fuckin' hilarious. A total riot. Kubrick then decides to twist the story and add some suspense. A complete u-turn from where it was heading at first. It's wierd. But I liked it. It's like making a movie with no limits, no boundaries. You just don't know where it's going and what's gonna happen next. It's amazing how he manages to keep you wanting for more.

I loved the Vietnam scenes as well. Fucking loved the camerawork. It felt so realistic. Some of the best depictions of the Vietnam war you'll probably see on film.

This film as a whole is pure fuckin' genius. The dialogue kicks so much ass.

This is where it all began for the man with no name. Undoubtedly one of the greatest Westerns of all time and the film that started it all.

Clint Eastwood is such a fine actor. The fact that he never understood Italian and worked with the great Italian director Sergio Leone who doesn't understand English must've meant that they faced a lot of difficulties with the language barrier. Yet he seems to have pulled off the role almost perfectly.

Kudos to Ennio Morricone for the great soundtrack as well. You just can't help but feel like whistling along to the theme tune.

The only thing that bothered me was the fact that the movie is dubbed. But I could understand it considering the time of filming and the fact this was a small budget Italian film with an almost all Italian crew who never spoke or understood any English. All the sound was added during post production and though it doesn't match at times, I got used to it quickly.

This is supposed to be based on the Japanese epic Yojimbo by the legendary Japanese director Kurosawa. I've not watched it yet but after seeing this, I've already made up my mind that I'll definitely be seeing it soon enough.

Goddammit! The man with no name is back and it's got even better than the first time around.

Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef form probably one of the greatest partnership in the entire history of film making. Fucking loved it. These guys are so fucking badass. It's like they could kill a guy just with those mysterious looks alone.

Loved the great soundtrack by Ennio Morricone, and Sergio Leone just got promoted to my favourite directors list.

Bow down to one of the greatest Westerns of all time. Never thought I'd see a Western as good as Unforgiven, but this is definitely as good if not even better.

Absolutely flawless work of art by the extremely talented Hayao Miyazaki. An incredible masterpiece which just blew me away. It's unbelieveable how beautiful and wild one's imagination can be.

Bloody fuckin' great. This is as good an action film will ever get. Absolutely loved it. Matt Damon does an excellent job and he's perfect for this role.

Quentin Tarantino at his very best. This stuff is wicked. Fuckin' loved it.

Trying to find flaws in a film like this is a waste of time. It still is and will always be one of the greatest films ever made.

The score composed by James Horner is breathtaking and totally worthy of a film as epic as this.

Excellent film making. The use of dramatic classical music and lighting here is remarkable.

Juliette Binoche was exceptional in her role as well. Dark, mysterious and sexy, as it says on the cover. One fine film that was well worth watching.

Rated here:
http://www.flixster.com/movie/grindhouseX

Stunning animation, great music (reminds me of Braveheart) and an equally impressive storyline to accompany it. The fighting scenes in particular were really well done but quite graphic in nature with all the blood and gore.

Highly recommended for anyone who finds the heroic and legendary tales of Japanese samurai's fascinating.

Hannibal Lecter may well be the most sophisticated and charming villain of all time.

5 October 2008

Dark and wierd are the right words I guess. It's even scary in a way. But I loved it coz it's not only wierd, but it all kinda makes sense and is very original. I mean it's not just some random wierd trippy shit. The entire plot is extremely well thought out and all the pieces fit in at the end.

Jake Gyllenhaal was great. Probbaly the best I've seen from him.

Hilarious!

Standup comedy at it's very best. If you really wanna have a good time watching something really funny, try this.

A wonderful video journal about a young woman's fight against terminal cancer and her road to recovery. Inspiring and uplifting!

Loved watching it coz she's got such a great personality and the film is extremely well made. Highly recommended!

Mr. Pink: You kill anybody?
Mr. White: A few cops.
Mr. Pink: No real people?
Mr. White: Just cops.

Fuckin' badass! Absolutely love the dialogue. This film is what Quentin Tarantino is all about.

Mr. Pink: I don't wanna kill anybody. But if I gotta get out that door, and you're standing in my way, one way or the other, you're gettin' outta my way.

Fuckin hilarious. You'll basically laugh your ass off watching this. :D

Pretty cool concept of combining & collaborating on the two full length horror/gore movies by Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodriguez.

Never thought I'd say I really loved a gore movie coz it's never been my thing, but this one's an exception. Maybe it's the hilarious take on everything which made me like this one. It's cheesy, funny as shit, thrilling at times and it's got lots of sick as fuck scenes with blood and gore aplenty.

This movie is badass.

Phenomenal and iconic!

You wanna fuck with me? Okay. You wanna play rough? Okay. Say hello to my little friend!

Absolutely wonderful film set in the most beautiful and amazing of places. The mansion really helps in building up the chilling atmosphere and the scenes at the beach near the lighthouse were nothing short of breathtaking. This film to me is everything a true horror should be. The tension and suspense some of the scenes build up is unbelieveable. If you can really get into it, you're in for a real spine chilling experience. There's little violence and blood in it yet it's more engaging and scary than the majority of horror flicks out there today. The fact that the film's blessed with an amazing cast who all threw in terrific performances helps a lot as well I guess. Kudo's t Belen Rueda specially for a memorable performance.

Contrary to many people, I even liked the ending. It packs quite the bittersweet emotional punch. I can't think of any other way to end it all which would have been say as much satisfying and realistic.

The film's real beauty to me lies in the ambiguity of it all. It's up to you to decide what it all meant. Very much like Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. Infact this film has del Torro written all over it. I'm quite surprised that it wasn't him who directed this. But it's original and different enough for me to say that this is definitely one of 2008's finest films. A true masterpiece. Hell I wouldn't even mind an Oscar.

p.s. People who don't like reading subtitles have absolutely no idea how many amazing films they're actually missing out on. Seriously.

It took him a little while to get going but once he got comfortable with the audience, this stuff was fuckin' hilarious. It started real slow so don't be discouraged if it's not that funny at the beginning. The guy's got incredible stamina and energy on stage that it's impossible for you to lose interest once the speed picks up. It's the funniest thing I've seen in a while and he really has the guts to take on the audience with his crude and vulgar language, his own political beliefs and jokes borderlining on being offensive and racist. A lot like Dave Chappelle. The best thing is almost all of what he said is kind of like the truth though he presents them as jokes.

Always been a fan of Chris Rock but this made me an even bigger fan of him. A must watch for anyone who loves standup comedy.

Chris Rock's second best show perhaps. Pretty fuckin' hilarious. Had a good time watching this. The best thing about Chris is probably not his jokes but how he presents them.

Sergeant Howie: And what of the TRUE God? Whose glory, churches and monasteries have been built on these islands for generations past? Now sir, what of him?
Lord Summerisle: He's dead. Can't complain, had his chance and in modern parlance, blew it.

I've always been fascinated with ancient cultures, mythology and the likes hence it's no real surprise that I found this very amusing. It certainly isn't scary in a conventional sense - hence I'll not call it a horror - but it is bizarre indeed with all the Pagan rituals and all and it's highly thought provoking. More so than any other film I've watched in recent times and I've watched my fair share of films. That is the very reason why I liked it as much I'd guess.

Contrary to a lot of people, I don't think you can so easily say for sure whether it's anti or pro Christian or relegion in general coz the film is way too clever than that. While the main theme might suggest that it is Christianity and the man's belief in it that brings him to his own demise, the other side of it might well be suggesting that it is the man's belief and morale that seperates him from barbaric practices like human sacrifice and all. Or it might even be suggesting that organised relegion is futile one way or the other and at the end of the day morality comes down to the way you were raised, if that makes sense for you. I think that's more than enough of my philosophical babbling.

Paul Giovanni's Celtic folk inspired soundtrack is a masterpiece in itself and part of the reason that made the film as good. The track "Willow's Song" sure is lovely.

A true cult classic if there is one. Glad I got to watch the Director's cut.

(will review soon)

The story of Jesse James or rather the end of it, like you've never seen before.

Stunning cinematography and brilliant acting all around makes this one of 2007's finest films. Casey Affleck in particular was real impressive playing Robert Ford's role and Brad Pitt did an outstanding rendition of Jesse James himself.

This film really should've been up there with the best film Oscar nominations for 2007. Instead of Michael Clayton, if you ask me. One thing I'd tell you though is not to watch it unless you've got the time for it coz it's almost two and a half hours long. Probably a little more than that actually.

I loved the ending though it's a tragic one. I'm not really spoiling it coz you already know that from the title itself.

...There would be no eulogies for Bob, no photographs of his body would be sold in sundries stores, no people would crowd the streets in the rain to see his funeral cortege, no biographies would be written about him, no children named after him, no one would ever pay twenty-five cents to stand in the rooms he grew up in. The shotgun would ignite, and Ella Mae would scream, but Robert Ford would only lay on the floor and look at the ceiling, the light going out of his eyes before he could find the right words.

Serves him right I say. At the end of the day, Robert Ford was just a coward who betrayed them all for the money and fame none of which he deserved.

...About this time, someone is telling you to get on the plane. "Get on the plane. Get on the plane." I say, "fuck you, I'm getting IN the plane! IN the plane! Let Evil Knievel get ON the plane! I'll be in here with you folks in uniform! There seems to be less WIND in here!"

...The next sentence I hear is full of things that piss me off. "Before leaving the aircraft, please check around your immediate seating area for any personal belongings you might have brought on board." Well, let's start with "immediate seating area." SEAT! It's a god damn seat! Check around your seat! "For any personal belongings..." Well, what other kinds of belongings are there besides personal? PUBLIC belongings? Do these people honestly believe I might be traveling with a fountain I stole from the park? "... you might have brought on board." Well... I MIGHT have brought my arrowhead collection! I didn't. SO I'M NOT GOING TO LOOK FOR IT! I'm going to look for things I BROUGHT on board! It would seem to increase the likelihood of my finding something, wouldn't you say?

As far as standup comedy is concerned, this guy is a fucking genius. A legend if you ask me.

Quentin Tarantino comes back after a four year break with another one of his stylish kick ass films. This time around it's based on a Japanese anime character and the film sure does kick some major ass. Loved how he uses the music as well as the animated sequences and all to give an amazing feel to it.

This one's quite different from Volume 1 but it's still pretty awesome. Perhaps even better. This is actually more like the real story behind the first film as well as the ending.

Favourite scenes? There were too many but I really enjoyed the little talk about the gold fish and also the scenes with the crazy monk. Quite funny. Then there's the scene were Uma get's buried alive. That would be pretty memorable as well along with the eyeball squish. Kinda scary coz it was quite realistic.

When it comes to great films about the World War II, this is one of those films that sit right at the very top. The D-day landing scenes surely are some of the most memorable scenes in any war film. Truly incredible film in every aspect.

Beautifully animated. One of the best in my opinion from the nominated short films for the 80th Annual Academey Awards. Love the gothic/horror feel of it and the perplexing storyline.

The animation is pretty outdated and it's understandable since this came out in 1985 but it's nonetheless quite good for it's time. Even now worth the watch for the storyline.

Not to be confused with Vampire Hunter D - Bloodlust which came out in 2000 and is quite a big improvement on this.

14 August 2008

Fucking great! And like everyone else says, the ending is pretty awesome. I kinda had the feeling it was him for like a moment or so around halfway through the film and near the end of it actually. I think it's most probably coz I already knew that there was going to be a twist in the ending - from having looked at a couple of reviews - hence I was kind of expecting something wicked. Still, I'll have to say it's one amazing film. Everything from the cast and the stellar acting, the dialogue to the plot, it was all quite brilliant. Genius might be a better word perhaps.

Highly recommended. I've just one thing to tell you though. Watch out for the ending. It's gonna hit you hard and you ain't guessing it.

Had it's flaws but it's simply one of the best vampire flicks I've ever seen be it animated or live action. Hands down. Love the whole story or the idea and the dark art is brilliant. The ending could've been better though perhaps.

One of Hayao Miyazaki's more underrated gems. A beautiful film by any means which once again showcases the incredible talent and imagination the guy possesses. This one's in a way quite similar to Princess Mononoke in the sense both carry a strong ecological message.

After watching the highly coveted Hellsing anime tv series, I was quite disappointed. It just wasn't good enough for me. It had a great storyline but the screenplay based on 13 episodes just had way too many plot holes and it was too short & unsatisfying, but I always thought the story had so much untapped potential.

This is where that potential finally comes to fruition. This is the original video adaptation (commonly reffered to as OVA) of the Hellsing story and from what I hear it's more faithful to the manga on which the series is based on. I don't read manga and honestly don't know if it's true or not and I'm not really bothered by that either way though. The only thing that matters to me is the fact that this kicks so much ass. One of the best Vampire stories out there I'd say without a doubt.

The quality of animation is simply stunning when compared to the tv series or even most other anime's for that matter. The Tarantino-esque music utilised in the tv series isn't there any more as well and is replaced by a more classical European orchesrtra inspired approach which works quite fine as well. Another big change is the story is no longer told from the veiwpoint of Seras and I like it a lot more now. The original voice cast is retained though and it's a good thing.

It still has some flaws though, atleast in the first film, which I could live with. For one thing, this first film of the new series has almost like a half of the 13 episodes (around 20 minutes or so each) from the original series compacted into one 50 minute film. So basically a lot happens in a very short amount of time and anyone new to it might find it a bit overwhelming. So even though the original series isn't too good, I'd probably recommend you to watch it before trying this out. A good thing though is there's a lot more comic relief in here and the characters all have much more depth in them and the quality of characters I think is one of the things that really makes this so good.

How a story could work with such a badass protagonist - an almost immortal vampire with a fine sense of dark humour, sarcasm and a craving for bloodshed - it's hard to imagine but believe me, this is brilliant. I fucking love that evil grin on his face. So far, upto Hellsing IV has been released and it's just getting better and better. I can't wait for more.

"It belongs on any list of the greatest war films ever made" - Roger Ebert

I concur. A masterpiece for sure that is incredibly moving and unlike many others, show the harsh realities of war from the view point of the innocent. A war film where the civilian takes the center stage rather than the soldier. It's sad but then again, war isn't supposed to be happy.

Best superhero flick ever. There's just no competition. I just fucking loved watching this at the cinema. It surely is one of the best experiences I've had at a cinema.

Jack Nicholson may be a better actor but Heath pulls off the Joker's role better than anyone else had done before and the film is just brilliant. A masterpiece.

It more than deserves the hype.

( will probably add a couple more lines here later. )

Another one of Frank Millers graphic novel adaptations on the big screen which came of pretty great. It's stylish, badass and sexy. Jessica Alba and Britanny Murphy in particular are seriously so fuckin' hot here. :P

My Favourite character still has to be Marv though. The guy kicked so much ass and threw in hilarious one liners. Loved it.

Priest: ...ask yourself if that corpse of a slut is worth dying for.
Marv: Worth dying for.
[shoots priest]
Marv: Worth killing for.
[shoots him again]
Marv: Worth going to hell for.
[shoots him again]
Marv: Amen.

Of all the post apocalyptic films I've seen in recent times, this has to be by far one of the best I've come across. The cinematography surely is one of it's strongest points and the atmosphere rendered is quite incredible. Great storyline as well with excellent performances from Clive Owen & Michael Caine. The others were decent as well I guess though nothing special. For me the film works coz it sucessfully recreates a very realistic looking and dramatic world where the story just fits in perfectly. Simply brilliant.

p.s. Nice Pink Floyd reference with that Flying Pig thing.

Moments of absolute brilliance get some what clouded by unnecessary pretentiousness. It's still very much worth the watch and I really enjoyed it however pretentious some scenes actually were. Afterall, the film had so much going for itself with that stunning soundtrack, great writing and an amazing cast.The writing is perhaps not very realistic but it was good nonetheless.

For me, Miranda July and Brandon Ratcliff steals the show here. The kid in particular did a pretty damn good job with his role in what truly is an adorable performance.

))<>(( . Forever. Even thinking about that scene makes me crack up. Surely that has to be one of the funniest and most memorable scenes in any film I've ever watched.

A truly magnificent remake of the 1922 Nosferatu film. However influential and innovative the original film maybe, you have to understand the fact that some things just weren't possible back then so I'd say this is actually better than the original. It's definitely one of the best remakes I've ever seen and quite possibly the best vampire film of all time as well.

Klaus Kinski's performance as Count Dracula is one of the film's strongest points and it's nothing short of phenomenal. As memorable as they come. Isabelle Adjani was perfect for the role as well. She's stunning and it's impossible to keep your eyes off her. As for Bruno Ganz, he did a fine job. Renfield's character on the other hand I think was played better in the original.

Above all, the one thing that got me instantly hooked is perhaps the haunting and evocative atmosphere which owes much to the cinematography and the bleak ambient music which was played throughout the film. It works like a charm. This film also has one of the best opening sequences I've ever seen and it really set the mood for what is to come and make no mistake, it's all about the mood here. You need to be in a right mood to appreciate this.

I'll have to say the only thing that even slightly disappointed me was perhaps the ending, but it's no deal breaker. Lastly I've gotta give credits to the writers. It was quite poetic writing without being over done and I really liked it. I think the film is well ahead of it's time and unappreciated much.

Jean Reno is super cool as a hitman. Gary Oldman throws in a pretty fuckin' badass performance. A very young Natalie Portman playing a troubled young girl is really sweet. Great acting for her age and she proves the fact that she's not just a pretty face. She's got a lot more than that.

I've gotta mention the soundtrack too. Pretty sweet. There's not much else to talk here coz I liked pretty much everything about this film. This is how action films are supposed to be made. Call me a big fan.

Ken: Your girlfriend's very pretty.
Jimmy: She's ain't my girlfriend. She's a prostitute I just picked up.

British dark comedy at it's very finest. Totally amusing and fun filled flick which came off as a real surprise. It does get brutal at times but manages to keep you totally indulged in the story with some prety great conversations which had me laughing the whole fuckin' time. I really really enjoyed this.

Two thumbs up for the writers and the cast for a job very well done!

"You talkin' to me? Then who the hell else are you talking... you talking to me? Well I'm the only one here. Who the fuck do you think you're talking to? Oh yeah?"

A Scorsese and De Niro masterpiece. De Niro's acting is just phenomenal. He looks real badass with that mohwak thing.

Since the ending is a bit ambiguous and left open, I'm interpreting it as more of a dream than it being literal. I think it works better that way. It surely is one of the greatest character studies on film and perfectly portrays the psychotic nature of what some would call a mad man. I on the other hand found myself quite empathising with De Niro's character.

Watched: 9 Aug 2008

"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone."

You couldn't guess where this was heading if you life depended on it. It just throws in surprise after surprise at you. It's disturbing ofcourse and you could definitely use the word 'wierd' as well here but the fact is, above all it's a fucking good film. Absolutely amazing I must say. One of the finest offerings from Asian cinema.

ps. That Octopus scene was gut wrenching. I've seen people do that before on tv but never such a big one.

11 August 2008

Funniest film of 2007 and one of the best teen comdies to have come out in recent times. Loved it.

Now this is what I call a hilarious movie. Kept me laughing the whole time. It's funny, it's stupid, it's sweet and romantic. It's basically got everything a romantic comedy ever needs. One of the funniest, if not the funniest of 2005.

The story of two seriously hot chicks (Kristen Bell & Mila Kunis) and a flashing dude (Jason Segel). I guess this has done what Ben Stiller's Heart Break Kid tried to do but failed at. A good mix of a rom com and a chick flick focused mainly around a vacation. It's from the same guys who brought us Knocked Up and 40 Year Old Virgin and I gotta say these people know their comedy. The writing is top notch and there's some really really funny scenes in here which totally covers up any of the film's shortcomings. Had a great time watching this and it had me laughing pretty much the whole time.

The unrated version had Jason Segel flashing his package like three or four times. That was unexpected. I thought it was kind of unnecessary but the scenes were silly enough that it shouldn't be a big problem for most people I guess.

12 August 2008

It started out just like any other comedy but the characters developed well after a while and you could see this was a more mature attempt. This here is a good comedy which is actually quite meaningful. One of the funniest of 2007 and a must-watch for anyone who loves comedy.

ps- Katherine Heigl is hot and needs to appear in more movies.

A wonderful remake of the 1934 film of the same name. The acting is outstanding and the cinematography and the story are equally impressive. One of 2006's finest, that is both emotional and engaging.

A film with Edward Norton and Naomi Watts as the leads can't possibly go wrong now can it?

16 August 2008

The first of Chan-woo Park's Vengeance trilogy. Each one crafted almost to perfection. This guy really knows how to make a good film that will dazzle most who give it a chance, but there'll be some who simply can't stomach the violence. It's very realistic. A cinematic experience that you'll remember for a long time to come.

16 August 2008

A Takashi Miike masterpiece. Hollywood could learn a thing or two about making a real horror from this film. More than half the film is used to develop the characters and the plot before it all comes crashing down. Like someone hitting you with a sledgehammer.

The toture scene at the end is like one of the most disturbing things I've seen in a film. You can just feel your skin crawling and you'll feel like throwing up. It works so well coz the director spent a long time building up likeable characters and when things go wrong for them, you actually care about it unlike the pointless killings in gore films. I love the music, and the acting is superb. This film is pure artistry in the most dark and demented ways imaginable. Not for the faint hearted though.

The only thing that disappointed me was the direct word to word translation in the subtitles.

17 August 2008

The plot is not this is not the easiest to follow at the beginning but this is probably the most artistic of the Vengeance trilogy from Chan-wook Park. His ideas just don't seem to run out and you wonder what he'll come up with next. I love the music used here as well and it worked really well. My favourite scene is probably the scene where the parents are shown the videos of the kids before they were murdered. The whole thing was pure genius. Quite disturbing though.

To craft three incredible films like these in a row is one hell of a feat and by no means an easy task, even for the most talented of directors. Each of these films deserve a standing ovation on it's own.

17 August 2008

Simple and subtle yet it's beautiful. A fascinating insight into love and relationships in general as well as living in modern day Japan from a western perspective. The Japanese folks, they really are crazy people whichever way you look at it.

The film's just a little bit overrated but I thought it was exceptionally well done and I specially loved the ending as well as the cinematography and how good the film captures the moods of the characters. It's got quite the urban-esque feel to it and it's most appropriate given the film's setting of Tokyo, Japan.

Part of the reason why this turned out to be such a good film accounts much to the stuning performance from Scarlett. The best she's done so far I'd say and all those who doubt the fact that she's got good acting talent should probably look here. Bill Murray was great as well but for one reason or the other, I've never been a big fan of Bill. Maybe it's time I change my opinions regarding him coz he obviously ain't bad at acting.

20 August 2008

What makes the film special is the casting more than anything else but that's not to take anything away from an amazing plot. It's much much more than a simple remake.

Well worth the hype. It's so good that you almost forget it's an animated film.

24 August 2008

Almost makes 'Crash' look lame in comparison. The interconnected storyline works so well here and this definitely is one of the best films exploring racial issues.

3 September 2008

Not really your conventional love story but it's nonetheless one of the greatest of all time.

3 September 2008

As far as American classics go, this one's among the greatest of all time. Don't think I need to say anymore.

7 September 2008

The soundtrack really adds so much to this adrenaline rush of a film. Sean Connery and Ed Harris more than makes up for Nicholas Cage's corny acting. I love this film.

1 October 2008

An intelligent action flick with De Niro and Jean Reno. What more could you ask for?

1 october 2008

Outstanding job from Ron Howard on this. That's one powerful and emotional ending there. Infact the whole film is just brilliant.

4 October 2008

A very thought provoking film which follows quite a different approach to what we've seen from most Holocaust films.

An Oscar well deserved for the best foreign film at the 80th Annual Academy Awards.

4 October 2008

Drama at it's very finest with Nicholson and Shirley MacLaine running the show. Sadly underrated film that deserves a lot more praise than it gets.

2 January 2008

Very original and artistic flick with some astonishing camera work. It was actually quite funny at times and there's a lot of nudity in it as well but it's tastefully done.

Definitely one of the best romantic comedies I've seen in recent times and a real surprise to be honest.

9 October 2008

Rocco: Fuckin'- What the fuckin'. Fuck. Who the fuck fucked this fucking... How did you two fucking fucks...
Rocco: Fuck!
Connor: Well, that certainly illustrates the diversity of the word.

Bloody fuckin good entertainment!. The music puts you in a mood for some high octane action and thats exactly what the film delivers. I love this stuff.

Connor, Murphy, Il Duce: And shepherds we shall be, for Thee, my Lord, for Thee. Power hath descended forth from Thy hand, that our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command. So we shall flow a river forth to Thee, and teeming with souls shall it ever be.
Il Duce: In nomine Patri.
Connor: Et Fili.
Murphy: Spiritus Sancti.

10 October 2008

Trippy, violent and chaotic as hell but amidst all the mayhem, there's a great love story and sadly, some people just don't get the satire or the film itself.

Originally written by Tarantino but Oliver Stone modified the script to an extent and Tarantino ended up not really appreciating the outcome but I think this film is phenomenal in a lot of aspects includng the acting, the cinematography and the soundtrack to name a few.Absolutely loved the experience.

20 october 2008

Guy Ritchie is a genius and this is one fuckin' amazing film. Brit humour is great when done properly.

23 October 2008

Stylized action flicks don't get any better than this. The script is amazing and some of the characters are just brilliant. Top notch film making from Guy Richie who's easily become one of my new favourites.

25 October 2008

Look out for a ton of tributes to classic films, some amazing fight scenes and some really wacky humour which had me laughing so much at times. Very entertaining and one of the better flicks in it's genre. Stephen Chow is one of East Asia's finest film makers.

25 october 2008

"When your life is defined by a single action, it changes the concept of time."

Ever watched a film that at first looks and has the feel of a direct to dvd title but takes you completely by surprise? This is one of them. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. This is an absolutely brilliant film exploring wrongful incarceratons and injustice in prison systems. It looks extremely realistic and the story is very well written and compelling, as is the acting from Stephen Dorff and Val Kilmer.

Highly recomended.

"Usually I'm quoting someone else's words. The least I can do is give you some John Smith originals. They won't be poetic. But they'll be the truth. Yes, prison desensitizes you. But it also forces you to see what's most important. Family. And loyalty. Because a con like you knows neither exists in this place. So don't run from who you've become, felon. Embrace it. Grow from it. And you'll never lose sight of what truly matters. That's my final piece of advice, Wade Porter. You protect your family at all costs. Even if you're forced to kill again. Because if i had to, I?d wipe out the whole planet to get mine back. So long, friend."

27 October 2008

A bunch of gangsters steal Buddha's head from a village shrine and a Muay Thai warrior from the village accepts the task of recovering it as his responsibility. That's basically the story here and it's average at best but what seperates this from a whole range of mediocre action films is the quality of the fight scenes. Tony Jaa's fighting skills are unbelieveably good at times and a real treat for anyone who loves martial arts. Highly entertaining flick with non stop ass kicking.

27 October 2008

A knockout punch aimed right at your heart. Truly inspiring and heartfelt story with flawless direction and acting. Hilary Swank gives a phenomenal performance along with Eastwood and Freeman who both did wonderful jobs as usual. It's so much more than a boxing film.

Oscars for best picture, best director, best female performance and best supporting actor. Well deserved.

28 October 2008

One of Miyazaki's earliest works. For a film made in 1986, the animation still looks remarkably good and it's more or less the usual Hayao Miyazaki magic. A wonderful treat for all ages.

29 October 2008

Miyazaki never disappoints and I love that cat. So adorable.

31 October 2008

Pure cinematic bliss. An absolutely breathtaking experience that left me speechless.

An hd version was released on blueray quite recently (28th October 2008) and I can't wait to get my hands on it. Also a sequel titled 'Samsara' is in production (likely to be out in 2009) and I'm really looking forward to that as well.

1 November 2008

"Love's a bitch"

I think it might be fair to say that Alejandro González Iñárritu is the best modern latin film maker. Incredible film with some amazing performances. It felt so real and is painful to watch at times. Gael García Bernal steals the show with a stunning performance.

3 November 2008

I've never been a big fan of the Star Wars franchise but quite recently I gave in out of curiosity and decided to watch the whole series. I think now I understand why so many people hold the films in such high regard. It's iconic, revolutionary for it's time and the story more than makes up for any shortcomings.

3 November 2008

Revolutionary for it's time and a highly enjoyable ride.

3 October 2008

The plot thickens. Anakins transformation is spectacular. I liked this one a lot more than the first two episodes.

3 October 2008

It seems Pixar can do no wrong whatever direction they take, be it a fantasy or a scifi as in this case. The cutest so far from pixar perhaps and there's actually a strong message here which is delivered superbly along with the brilliant animation.

5 November 2008

Sean Penn got nominated for the best actor and won it for Mystic River the same year. This also got nominated for the best picture but it went to 'Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King' and along with it Peter Jackson took the best director nod, so how much ever I like this film, I can't really complain about those two but I'd say Naomi Watts should've won the best actress nod and Benicio Del Toro should've won the best supporting actor nod since he was even more impressive than Sean Penn here and that's saying a lot. Both of them did get nominated but their performances here deserved a lot more.

At the beginning of the film, the extremely non linear, kind of all over the place plot does make it confusing but this is for sure one of the best and most compelling film's I've ever had the pleasure of watching. It's also perhaps one of the most depressing film's I've come across along with Requiem for a Dream. I can't say for sure whether I liked this more than either Babel or Amores Perros but what I can say is that each film is a masterpiece on it's own. Alejandro González Iñárritu deserves a standing ovation for this fine piece of cinema that is extremely powerful and moving.

2003 sure is one hell of a year for cinema!

5 November 2008

One of Ben Stiller's finest and also one of 2008's funniest comedies. Great concept and they executed it amazingly well. I was sceptical about this at first but Ben Stiller and Downey Jr. in particular has proven me wrong big time.

6 November 2008

The kind of film that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole time. The chase scene around the half way point was brilliantly done I thought. The film had a great score as well but the soundtrack was awful and didn't fit in at all for me.

The film's like a huge puzzle and all the pieces does fit in eventually. The ending is perhaps a bit too tightly wound but this is one exhilarating French action/thriller with a great cast.

Guillaume Canet proves here that he's not only a brilliant actor, but he's got some great film making potential in him as well.

7 November 2008

To say that style and pace is abundant would be a huge understatement and Franka Potente's tangerine hair is uber cool. Highly original concept that get's you pumped and the techno soundtrack was a wonderful choice. Loved this film.

8 November 2008

"I think I can hear my heartbeat. I tell myself it's a butterfly's wings."

A film that might make you appreciate life a whole lot more. The cinematography is of transcnedental beauty and the poetic writing is equally impressive and so is the acting. Hugely inspiring (though not uplifting) flick but unfortunately I don't think it's for everyone coz it's quite slow paced and that tends to bore your average cinema goer.

"Like a sailor seeing the shore disappear, I watch my past recede, reduced to the ashes of memory."

11 November 2008

The suspence is killer and it's really hard to believe this actually came out in 1979. This film is so ahead of it's time and is definitely a genre defining flick.

The remastered high def version is a real treat.

13 November 2008

The first film was a scifi suspense/horror whereas this is more of a scifi action & adventure and has James Cameron written all over it. Totally reminds me of the Terminator series. The ending is a bit ridiculous but it's great fun nonetheless with that huge fucking Alien queen.

15 November 2008

Chris Rock: [on John McCain talking about being in a POW camp] I don't wanna vote for nobody who got captured, I wanna vote for the motherfucker that got away!

Probably the best of Chris Rock so far. He does run out of steam nearing the end but this is really great fun to watch and so much of what he says is actually true even though these are all jokes.

The editing sucked but I eventually got used to the whole seamless jumpcuts showing him in London, NY and Johannesburg, which from what I heard is an attempt to show the varying crowd reaction to certain jokes in different places. Nice concept but it's rather distracting.

The guy totally deserves much more recognition and as far as black comedians are concerned, for me he's up there with all time greats like Chappelle, Cosby etc.

15 November 2008

The whole idea of mythical floating landscapes was quite incredible and the quality of animation is pretty amazing. It's rather cute as well and I absolutely loved the score. There are actually two versions of the film, an English and a French version. I think the English version is superior coz it has a better voice cast. If only the script was better! This is still my favourite animated flick of 2008 apart from Wall-E and the sad thing is this is hugely underrated.

If you're looking for the music from that one particular breathtaking scene somewhere around the last quarter of the film, it's from a Japanese band called Jalan Jalan who performs Indonesian ethnic music, hence the Indonesian band name. They make mostly ambient / chillout pieces. The song is titled Lotus and comes from an album titled Bali.

20 November 2008

Hilarious!

29 November 2008

Profound and extremely realistic. An emotional roller coaster with some pretty stunning performances. When the Yann Tiersen track Rue des Cascades kicked in at the end in what has become one of my favourite cinematic moments, I really felt like I understood what the film was all about and I think I totally got the message. It's highly thought provoking and for sure one of the best films I've watched in recent times.

1 December 2008

Perhaps the best horror of all time and Jack Nicholson is in my opinion, the best actor of all time.

-Rating for uncut version-

8 December 2008

One of 2008's best comedies.

14 December 2008

I'm so glad I didn't turn it off within the first thirty minutes or so coz it looked pretty bad at the beginning but the engrossing storyline got me hooked within no time and made me completely ignore it's many flaws, most of which could be forgiven since this was a film made for tv. The acting was mostly weak, the dialogue was laughable at times, no spectacular special effects, yet I stayed up till almost five in the morning to finish this three hour epic that I regret not having watched earlier.

The myth of the Nibelung gold is a story that has inspired countless fantasy tales including even Tolkein's infamous Lord of the Rings. If you love great fantasy adventures like the Lord of the Rings, you'll be in for a pleasant surprise.

p.s. Kristanna Loken looks like a goddess in this film. That had to be said.

18 December 2008

"I've just finished ballasting the corpse, see? That means you fill it with certain things because...You may not be aware that a corpse under water swells up with air, see? So it tends to float to the surface. You have to load it with ballast so it sinks. You weight it down with stones and other heavy stuff.

There's a ballast ratio for corpses... Three times body weight for an average adult
like this victim. But for children and midgets it's different. Kids are lighter. So it's four times body weight.

What? Never had problems?

No. Midgets are heavier,so you double the weight. Midgets have denser bones so you double the weight. For old people, multiply by five. Old bones are porous."

You know what you're in for when a film starts with a scene of someone being strangled to death with a cord. This sure lives up to it's reputation as one of the most disturbing films out there. There's tons of people being shot, murdered, there's a graphic rape scene, theres a scene with a child being suffocated to death and all sorts of other nasty shit in here but what makes it watchable is the brilliant concotion of dark comedy and satire which it so well delivers and with Benoit Poelvoorde throwing in one hell of a performance, it actually turned out to be a surprisingly great film.

Thing with dark comedy though is not everyone gets it and furthermore, the gritty violence is going to turn off most people from seeing it so it's likely to remain a cult hit but I for one enjoyed watching it though I'm not really into sick stuff.

18 December 2008

Very similar storyline with that of Twilight Samurai but I consider that to be the better film though this comes close. I think there's no modern director who does a better job at depicting the life of Samurai warriors at the end of the Shogun era than Yoji Yamada. It's so realistic, truly fascinating and insightful.

19 December 2008

A poignant story of two orphaned and homeless siblings, one a streetwise young boy and the other, his rather naive older sister; both hustling to make a living in rather harsh conditions.

It's sad that a film as good and engaging as this is so underrated. Definitely one of 2007's best films for me.

20 December 2008

Freakin hilarious slapstick comedy. Crazy idea for a crazy film really. I love how original it is and there's not a single boring moment. Loosen up and enjoy some good old wacky fun.

Think I might end up even watching this one more time. I rarely do that.

23 December 2008

"Would I have been better off
knowing nothing?"

The last film of Yamada's Samurai trilogy ends up being the least impressive in my opinion but it still is an excellent film telling the tale of a blind samurai. Too bad he won't be directing any more samurai flicks. I hope he changes his mind coz I have really enjoyed watching these.

26 December 2008

27 December 2008

Pacino, De Niro and Val Kilmer in one fine crime flick with a great storyline and some kickass shootout scenes. Brilliant!

29 December 2008

Crowe and Edward Woodall steal the show in this underrated 18th century naval affair.

1 January 2009

I'm always up for a good cop flick and this surely delivers. Superb acting from Ray Liotta and Jason Patric and with an excellent storyline, it kept me intrigued the whole time.

8 January 2009

I'm not really a big fan of Woody but this is a pretty great script from him and the film doesn't disappoint if you're in the mood for something like this. Also Diane Keaton was wonderful here.

8 January 2009

Kevin Smith is a genius really for making this. A classic comedy that is as witty as it is funny.

14 January 2009

On it's own it's a brilliant film but City of God really is on a league of it's own if you compare the two. Though it's not fair to compare, it's impossible not to. The themes are similar in way and some of the actors are the same but it's not a sequel in any other way even though it's marketed as one.

I've yet to see the tv series based on this and from what I've heard it's quite good so I think I'll try getting my hands on it.

13 January 2009

Dante was over acting, Randall wasn't subtle enough either in too many scenes and Bob was much better in the first film but still it was nice to see more of Bob and Jay for sure and Jay did really rock. Had a good time watching this. One of the best comedies for sure.

15 January 2009

Kurosawa's adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Stunning for it's time with a surreal feel to it and a story full of metaphors. A masterpiece.

17 January 2009

On par with Goodfellas as one of the best mob films ever.

19 January 2009

I was pretty sceptical about this at first considering it's a film about the Sabra and Shatila Massacre from an Israeli point of view. Was expecting major propaganda but it turns out it's more of an anti war flick (talk about good timing!) and it doesn't try too much to lay the blame on anyone. But at the end though, my initial thoughts were proved right in a way coz apart from Ariel Sharon, every other Israeli was portrayed as naive and having no clue at all even though they themselves helped the Lebanese Christian Phalangist army massacre over 3500 Palestinian refugees, most of 'em helpless kids, women and elderly.

Still, it's a powerful war film that will probably move most to tears. The story is told as a memoir from the director who after an encounter with an old friend starts having nightmares about his involvement in the whole thing and decides to take a stroll down the memory lane. The result is a harrowing tale of war and the toll it takes. Add to that a brilliant score and some of the best animation ever and it really is a film worthy of praise. At the end of the day though, one must wonder, will we ever learn from the past. Doesn't seem like so given the current situation in the region.

21 January 2009

A real gem of a film from Germany. Ulrich Mühe (1953-2007, RIP) with one of my all time favourite performances in a film that is just wonderful in so many ways. Quite easily a firm favourite of mine and the same goes for the soundtrack.

8 February 2009

One of the best prision flicks I've had the pleasure of watching. Considering the structure of the film and the way it's edited, it's really remarkable how well it maintains the suspense and infact I found myself glued to the seat anticipating what is about to happen in like every scene. Superb acting, a very well written script and some really good music all makes this a real surprise hit.

9 February 2009

"If there is a war on drugs, then many of our family members are the enemy. And I don't know how you wage war on your own family."

Perhaps they over did the part about using a star studded cast but none of them disappoints. The real star of the film however is Benicio Del Toro who even won an Oscar for his performance here.

Steven Soderberg's best and a must watch.

11 February 2009

You can't hope for a better ending to a film given it's content. I absolutely loved this film. It's so underrated.

17 February 2009

Brillliant political comedy from Germany that deals with the unification of East and West Germany in a totally unique and clever way. Then there's Yann Tiersen's wonderful soundtrack which I really love and is probably the reason why I even watched this film in the first place.

18 February 2009

It's very sympathetic towards Che and his legacy as well as Marxism in general and that ultimately is the very reason why many will refuse to acknowledge how great a film Soderberg has come up with. Benicio del Toro was absolutely phenomenal, yet again. I'm no communist but this here is a real tribute to the legend that is Che Guevara. A man who's misunderstood by many, including even the very people who adore him.

19 February 2009

Too many great characters and way too little screen time for most of them but this is one of the ultimate 90's action/romance flicks. I specially loved Walken in that one scene with him being a badass gangster. Fucking great dialogue as you'd expect from something written by Tarantino.

20 February 2009

A Dutch psychological thriller/horrorthat is quite unsettling but brilliantly done.

1 March 2009

Perhaps one too many concidences at the end for a film as gritty and realistic as this but I loved it. Great performances from both Emanuelle Devos and Vincent Cassel.

3 March 2009

Perhaps one too many concidences at the end for a film as gritty and realistic as this but I loved it. Great performances from both Emanuelle Devos and Vincent Cassel.

3 March 2009

One of the most bleak and depressing films I've seen yet but it's beautifully done.

4 March 2009

Almost perfect. My favourite romantic thriller.

I've actually seen the American remake of the film (Wicker Park) before watching this but I only realised it halfway through and I thought it might ruin the experience since I already knew what was going to happen but I was proven wrong coz this has very different ending. This definitely is a superior film even though Wicker Park ain't bad at all.

Monica Bellucci will always be better than Diane Kruger whether you compare the acting or the looks. Josh Hartnet isn't even half the actor that Vincent Cassel is but I like Rose Bryne a lot more than Romane Bohringer.

5 March 2009

There are a few flaws in it that you could label as potential plot holes but it's a great heist film with a great cast. Very entertaining.

6 March 2009

I'd have loved this movie a lot if not for the final 15 to 20 minutes or so. It didn't end when I wanted it to end. It just lingered on and the whole after the rain segment nearly ruined it for me. Also there's the lip syncing song scene which I really didn't like.

Still, the performances were incredible, specially from Tom Cruise and Julianne Moore, the story was brilliant and it's a film that would be hard to forget. Pt Anderson's best perhaps.

9 March 2009

Based on the incredible true story of James J Braddock, starring Russel Crowe, Paul Giamatti and Renee Zellweger - all with magnificent performances. It's a film well worth watching.

14 March 2009

Beautiful film from New Zealand but I think the story it tries to tell is better than what the film manages to capture.

20 March 2009

Brilliant!. It's quite funny and will probably be easily relatable for a lot of people these days. Using the internet for dating and all that. The reference to PostSecret (and The Lost Shoe Project but I've never heard of that one before) was pretty cool I think.

There are actually two versions of this. A black and white film as it was originally intended to be and a colour version which I haven't seen but I think is gonna make the film look cheaper as it was shot on a low budget.

21 March 2009

Steampunk in silhouette animation. Wicked!

26 March 2009

Probably my second favourite Brazilian film as of now.

27 March 2009

Indian cinema as a whole could learn a thing or two from this. I'm glad this did so well at the Oscars coz a film like this definitely deserves it.

29 March 2009

It appears that some parts of the real story of John Nash have been omitted for the sake of the film and that is a bit disappointing coz now I kind of doubt the real story would've been as emotional and touching as this. Russel Crowe and Jennifer Connelly were brilliant though.

30 March 2009

One of Pixar's best shorts.

1 April 2009

My favourite from the original Indiana Jones trilogy.

3 April 2009

Indiana Jones is stupid as fuck in this but when a film is as entertaining as this, it really doesn't matter.

2 April 2009

An exotic and exhilarating ride as any other I've come across. It's highly exagerrated but that's all part of the fun.

1 April 2009

Breathtaking. Presto was much more entertaining but also more conventional hence this probably deserved the Oscar for the best animated short of 2008.

4 April 2009

Really enjoyed watching this.

4 April 2009

A very fitting finale to an amazing trilogy and a tribute to the great Jules Verne and Clint Eastwood.

5 April 2009

As enjoyable as the first.

5 April 2009

A gem from Iranian/Iraqi (Kurdish) cinema. Highly recommended.

7 April 2009

If you were expecting a generic scifi action flick after seeing the posters or the trailers, you can't be more wrong. This here is a film that deserves so much more. Easily one of my favourite scifi films and Nyman's score is really a thing of beauty. Makes a great film special.

"You want to know how I did it? This is how I did it, Anton: I never saved anything for the swim back."

17 April 2009

16 April 2009

Two hours and not a single bad or boring moment. That is good film making. It's absolutely one of the greatest crime flicks of all time.

19 April 2009

19 April 2009

21 April 2009

I have a feeling this will stand the test of time much better than Braveheart will do. Great film.

1 May 2009

Mickey got robbed of an Oscar and Marissa is still too good.

7 May 2009

aka The Duchess and the Devil.

From what I've watched so far, this is the best chapter of Horatio's seafaring adventures.

21 May 2009

20 May 2009

The cinematography was just so good.

24 May 2009

Pretty amazing gangster flick from South Africa. Tsotsi has nothing on this. It's a shame so few people know about this but I guess that's to be expected given the very weak distribution.

28 May 2009

Funniest film I've seen in a while. Goofy but the jokes work so well.

31 May 2009

Probably my favourite episode of the series.

24 June 2009

A classic!

6 June 2009

7 June 2009

Hilarious!

9 June 2009

Didn't think I'd enjoy it much but after a while, it turned out to be pretty great. One of the finest dark comedies!

10 June 2009

Epic!

11 June 2009

Fantastic animation and a pretty great story to go along with it. Surprisingly good!

13 June 2009

Cop flicks don't get any better than this.

14 June 2009

Charles Bronson will never be as cool as Clint Eastwood. Heck, no one will ever be but this is a great effort nonetheless from Leone.

12 June 2009

Kurosawa's take on King Lear.

20 June 2009

Disappointed with the ending but the rest is great. A stellar performance from Denzel.

21 June 2009

#
23 June 2009

Spectacular in every way. Fincher has done it yet again.

24 June 2009

Pacino and Russel Crowe takes on the Big Tobacco. Spectacular acting from the leads make it an intense film. Based on true events.

30 June 2009

Breathtaking cinematography and a score that is as good. The film is beautiful to watch but the ending left me a bit disappointed.

30 June 2009

Val Kilmer as Doc was pretty fucking cool. Didn't like Kurt Russell much though.

1 July 2009

Gene Hackman is the man! and who can forget the spectaculr chase scenes.

2 July 2009

My second Shane Meadows film. It turned out to be a top notch film with a great story and an amazing soundtrack.

3 July 2009

A real life action movie.

10 August 2009

"Look, we don't have to go to Arsenal every time I'm in London, do we? I thought we'd be beyond that stage now. "

"We'll never be beyond that stage. "

As a huge Arsenal fan, this is a film I could absolutely relate to. Excellent adaptation of Nick Hornby's bestseller.

9 July 2009

My favourite Wong Kar Wai film.

7 July 2009

Underrated.

11 July 2009.

Brilliant! Absolutely. John Cusack at his very best probably.

13 July 2009.

Another adaptation of a Nick Hornby novel. Another incredible film. Just doesn't disappoint at all.

13 July 2009

A Werner Herzog masterpiece.

14 July 2009

14 July 2009

The perfect anti war film.

15 July 2009

19 July 2009

The quality of cinematography in this film is unreal. One of my absolute favourites along with some of Herzog's works.

25 July 2009

23 July 2009

#extended cut

24 July 2009

26 July 2009

30 July 2009

Underrated.

2 August 2009

Surprisingly good. Was expecting more of a comedy as it was marketed but it's more of a coming of age drama. I'm impressed and I think it's very underrated.

6 August 2009

The best scifi flick in recent times.

4 September 2009