My small review of The Apartment Movie

The apartment comes under the category of one of the intelligent, dark drama, comedy, ever created. Brief plot is Jack Lemmon plays an office worker in a big insurance company in New York City, who desires to climb the corporate ladder. He trades his apartment (soul) for favor of promotions & his apartment becomes a love-nest for his married executives. He falls in love with his elevator operator girl & she has affair with his boss. Things get complicated when she attempts suicide in his apartment etc. As I stated before, the characters development was exceptional, little unclear, casts performances (Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine) was awesome. Another specialty of this movie is it was shot three simple sets yet it holds viewers interest until the end.

My small review of Bringing Up Baby Movie

Bringing up Baby is class screwball comedy with extreme absolutely absurd characters cracking faster dialogues & made for depression era audience only? This movie is about a paleontologist (Cary Grant) who is waiting for his new dinosaur bone to be delivered to him. With one million dollar donation to his museum in air, he goes to the golf course on a mission. Just coincidently, he meets this woman (Katharine Hepburn) and everything just seems to go wrong with him. Afterwards Katharine makes the situation such that he needs to travel with her to Connecticut with leopard namely Baby. After reaching, he loses his intercostals clavicle bone to a dog named George & rest of plot revolves around a leopard, a million dollars, a bone, a dog, a bad circus leopard with Cary, Katharine. Many scenes involving Cary, Katharine are hilarious. Grant saying "My future wife has always regarded me as a man of some dignity", "I am not myself today", "I am victim of your unbridled imagination" etc brings very good laugh’s. You will feel very funny half way but once very possible character starts doing the same thing, I felt it was annoying. Definitely a good movie but this is a classic? I don’t agree on this one. I will write more about dialogs & few favorite scenes later. Definitely it is good movie but it never sticks to your memory. May be I need to watch this movie again?

My small review of Memoirs of a Geisha Movie

gei·sha [gey-shuh, gee-]
–noun, plural -sha, -shas. a Japanese woman trained as a professional singer, dancer, and companion for men.

With late 1930’s Japanese setup, brief plot is about a long journey of a nine-year old Japanese girl, Chiyo, who is sold by her desperate father into slavery along with her older sister Satsu, in to world of geishas. As plot progresses we will see her struggle to unite with her sister by escaping from boardinghouse, simple incidents turns her empty life to life with hope and events leading to professional geisha etc. Plot wise really nothing really interests except some understanding about geisha's culture, their life styles. However with good acting & stunning visuals & very good background score, this movie engages you until the end. Again if you like good movies, you may like this one with following big mistakes. Despite good theme, maker made very big mistakes like casting popular Chinese actors for this Japanese movie & characters talks English instead of Japanese. {Japanese dialogs with English subtitles are most appropriate for this kind of movie.} Also like Last Samurai, Japanese cast is more appropriate for this kind of culture context movie. DVD comes with rich set of additional futures, in particular this movie is based on novel by Doug Wright, once she was a first American geisha & her guidance to this movie making & music composition & director Rob Marshall thought's etc.

Dialogs are very good in few scenes, One good scene.

Man: What’s you name?
Girl: No response
Man: Don’t be afraid to looks at me. Someone has been cruel to you or
Perhaps life has been cruel?
Girl: I don’t know
Man: None of us find much kindness in this world as we should
Do you like sweet plum?
Girl: You mean to eat?

Last weekend movies

Memoirs of a Geisha (8/10) {a nine year’s girls journey in to geisha world with great acting & stunning visuals & very good background score. Big mistake is usage of English language & using popular Chinese actress instead of local talent.}

Bringing Up Baby (8/10) {definitely entertains with its screwball comedy for first viewing but never creates any long lasting impact like city of Lights etc. A classic movie? Oh no. Solid time pass movie only.)


The Apartment (8.5/10) { Avoided for long time thinking it contains same old annoying battle of the sexes things but surprise to find very funny and superb charter study and nice little surprise ending.}

Brave one (7.5/10 Same old plot but engages you until the end. Good time pass thriller. Don’t expect too much.)

My small review of "High and Low" movie

Recently watched "High and Low" (1963) movie 2ed time & it is from my favorite directors, Akira Kurosawa. Brief plot is about kidnapping of a wealthy shoe magnate (Mifune)'s son & the kidnapper demands 30 million yen. However Mifune's money is tied up to buy the majority of shares to control the ownership of company. After intense struggle, at last he agrees to pay the money however another complication arises because kidnapper kidnaps his houseman’s son by mistake. Whatever may be the case, kidnapper demands the money. Here real struggle starts in Mifune's character i.e. destroy the financial stability of his home & his dreams of owning his company or to save in innocent boy's life? Unlike other Kurosawa movie, up to this point story,
story runs very fast. Finally Mifune agrees to drop the money & rest of story focus
of catching the kidnapper & his motives etc. Film works very well in terms of suspense,
brilliant action and tight screenplay. What makes the Kuroswa special is that he transformed a
simple kidnapping story in to a character study of self introspection, self loating,
self destruction to redumption. If you like suspense thriller, this fit the bill.
A must for Kurosawa fans.

Amazon's Unbox free downloads

Got an e-mail from friend about free movies & TV programs from Amazon website.
I downloaded few of them. Free & legal right. Give a shot.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?ie=UTF8&docId=1000128561

My small review of Garden State Movie

One day I saw a film forum discussing Garden state is as good as old classic The Graduate. So this movie is in my watch list for quiet sometime. Brief plot is a socially detached man ,Zach Braff,( written & acted & directed this movie), comes home to New Jersey for the first time in nine years to attend his mother funeral and he spends most of his time hanging out with old high school friends. The group of friends, centered on his best friend turned grave digger and inventor turned millionaire. He accidentally meets a girl, Natalie Portman’s & slowly fells in love with girl. Rest of story on his transformation. Braff and Portman have great on screen chemistry and both put up great performances. Overall it is a good movie with its excellent cinematography & brilliant background score & songs. Camera angles were very cool, well planned and executed, visually attractive. Don’t watch with high expectation. You will get disappointed.

My top Ten movies of 2006

Still I have to watch many 2006 movies.

At this moment, following are my top 10 movies for year 2006.

1) The lives of others
2) Pans Labyrinth
3) Babel
4) Blood Diamond
5) Little Miss Sunshine
6) Letters from Iwo Jima
7) Inside Man
8) Half Nelson
9) Prestige
10) The Departed

I will write more later

My small review of Tears of the Son movie

The evil that men are capable of doing to other men is something that can never be explained or understood. Movie Tears of the son is another one on the same theme. I am not big fan of director Antoine Fuqua but I enjoyed his earlier movie Training day.
So I brought Tears of the son movie DVD. Brief plot is US military sends navy seals to rescue an American doctor Dr. Kendricks played by Monica Belluci & few other Americans trapped in war torn Nigerian country & Bruce Willis heads the seals team in to action. His Mission will get complicated by the doctor who insists that they need to rescue 70 other refugees. Rest of the movie is about whether Bruce & his team save the doctor, refugees or not. With little or no plot, this movie holds viewers interest till the end. The acting is VERY good & intense, thrilling, and at times it is disturbing movie. There are many new African American actors in this movie that did amazing job in this movie & Bruce Willis is the man, He did fabulous job. Anyone looking for good military thriller, this movie fits in to bill.

Last weekend movies

Tears of the son (7.5/10)
{Solid movie. With little or no plot, movie holds viewers interest. Bruce Willis did good job. }

Duck soup ( 9.5/10)
{awesome movie.}

Garden State (2004) (7.5 /10)
{ A different love story.}

My small review of The Transporter (2002) Movie

If you are an action movie fan or looking for some popcorn movie, then this movie fits in to your bill. With no plot, this movie is about a former army specialist, who now transports anything anywhere with his own set of rules. They are
1) Never deviate from the plan.
2) Never look in the package
3) No names.
After breaking his own rules, he gets himself in to lot of trouble & rest of the movie on how he solves his problem in this non stop action packed movie. You will find good action scenes, car chases etc. in particular fighting in the bus terminal with the oil spill & opening car chase are really good. Keep your expectation low so that you y will enjoy. Jason Statham action was good. Final words: Don’t expect stuff like Bourne or Bond movies.

My small review of CACHE movie

I enjoyed Michael Haneke earlier movie The Piano Teacher. This is the reason, I brought CACHE DVD. Brief plot is Georges (Daniel Auteuil) and Anne (Juliette Binoche) are being watched and filmed as the movie opens. Georges feels he knows exactly who it is which is why he is reluctant to call a private investigator & while Anne in complete shock & surprise. Georges tells his childhood stories in pieces to his wife as movie progresses. When Georges was a small boy his parents adopt an Algerian boy whose parents were killed. Georges was very jealous of Majid and by a few mean tricks managed to get him sent away. After few video tapes Georges visits Majid in a poor flat in contrast to his wealthy life style & threatens him. In a sub plot you will see Anne son’s strange & suspicious behavior i.e. he suspects mom having an affair with her publisher. Film abruptly ends with five minutes long shot on a collage campus entrance doors {as viewer will focus on George's son talking to Majid’s son) Film ending leads to a lot of discussion. After movie, I watched director’s thoughts on the movie. Basically what he want to convey with this kind of movie. In summary it is about, with guilt, how a man lives his rest of life. In terms of acting, Juliette did very job. Rest all OK. As I said, movie ending leads to lot of discussion and viewers have to figure out who sent the tapes etc. If you looking for some verity movie, not a typical Hollywood formula movie, Cache is one of them.

My small review of V for Vendetta (2006) Movie

Story is old one (i.e. revenge on corrupt government.) I watched so many movies on this theme, for this is the reason, I skipped this movie during initial release. Recently I picked this DVD from library to see Natalie Portman action. I watched few of her earlier movies. (From Leon to Garden state.) Basically I thought “V” is fun character but i was wrong. I found the movie entertaining and the cinematography was really top- notch & the cast was superb in particular Natalie Portman did very commandable job. Hugo Weaving(V) once again shines with some brilliant lines. Few of them on top my head is

V: People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

V - beneath this mask there is more than flesh, beneath this mask there is an idea
mr.creedy and ideas are bullerproof

I felt romance between Natalie Portman and V is not unnecessary & not nedded. V is not only solid movie but its brilliant satires on current governments, subplots on home sexual stuff and church scandals, too deep involvements of governments in to people life’s makes highly thought provoking. V for vendetta is a must see for anybody who enjoy's a good movies.

Last weekend movies

The Five People You Meet in Heaven { 7.5/10}
The Transporter (2002) {7.5/10}
Thirteen {7/10}
The Tuxedo {4/10 What a waste of time}

My top ten 90's movies Top 1) My small review of Pulp Fiction(1994)

Pulp Fiction(1994)

Written & directed by Quentin Tarantino

Pulp Fiction tells three mini stories on following characters:Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson);Vincent and Mia (Uma Thurman);Butch (Bruce Willis) and Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). Plot: Jules and Vincent are two hit men who are out to retrieve a suitcase stolen from their employer Wallace. Also Wallace asks Vincent to take his wife Mia out a few days. Butch is an old boxer who is paid by Wallace to lose his next fight. But Butch has his own plans. The lives of these seemingly unrelated people are clubbed together comprising of a series of funny, bizarre and uncalled for incidents. Dialogs drives the whole plot. Most of characters end with redemption at the end. Nowadays Pulp Fiction looks like a cool film for many but a decade back, it is one of the best movie in 90’s for it's a masterpiece of dialog writing, sound, and entertainment and best performances from John John Travolta And
Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman and Bruce.

My top ten 90's movies Top 2) Goodfellas(1990)

Goodfellas(1990)

"Goodfellas" is another brilliant gangster movie featuring Italian-American mobsters possesses many similarities with mid 70’s "The Godfather". In brief, Goodfellas tells the story of Henry Hill (Liotta), who from childhood had aspirations of being a gangster, his rise & fall in the mafia world. Henry starts out small and slowly and steadily eventually works his way up to top of the chain. By the time he is 21, he has more money than anyone else, a girlfriend, and the respect of the mob. Hendry closely works with characters such as Jimmy Conway (Robert DeNiro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci). But after Henry gets married to Karen (Lorraine Bracco), things will change & his fall. Everything about this movie is absolutely perfect with great script, direction and acting this is one the best films from 90’s, Overall, this movie is a must see for any Scorsese fan. It's my next favorite movie of his and I think it is stand next to his earlier best movies Taxi Driver & Ragging Bull. People say the Godfather is the greatest crime movie ever and perhaps they are right. But for me 'Goodfellas' is more energetic & engaging movie than Godfather. For this is the reason; it sits at no 2 position in my list.

My top Ten 90's movies Top 3) The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
There was lot of hype around the Silence of lamb’s release in my home country. ( i.e. it was released after its Oscars etc. in particular it was the first horror movie to win Oscars & won many awards after long gap.) Brief plot is Foster (a junior FBI recruit) is asked by his boss to meat another serial killer Hannibal in prison to get insights in the latest killer Bill. However Hannibal is too clear to give up information. In exchanges he asks so much about Forster’ personal life & in particular her childhood etc. Ending was creepy. While FBI catches Bill, Hannibal escapes. You will see lot of gore and blood on the screen. What amaze the end viewer are superb performances by Anthony Hopkins (as Hannibal) and Jodi Foster and engaging & tight screenplay & flawless & solid direction. Definitely on of the best thriller of all time.

My top Ten 90's movies Top 4) The Sixth Sense (1999)

The Sixth Sense (1999)
Sixth sense is another suspenseful drama thriller from young writer/director M. Night Shyamalan. Movie starts in a promising note i.e. Child psychologist Malcolm was shot in own house in front of his wife by his former patient. A year later Malcolm tries to help another troubled boy Cole (Haley Joel Osment) Issue with Cole is he see's dead people and ghosts visit him for his help to solve their unsettle matters. In a separate track, At home front we will see, Malcolm has his own trouble in connecting with his wife. As a confused & puzzled boy, Osment performance engages viewer for whole movie. He is one of the most promising discoveries by Shyamalan. As a Malcolm, Bruce Willis, delivered one of the finest performances in his carrier. This film is also famous for his twisted ending & truly a complex emotional classic and it is one the biggest grosser for year 1999.

My top Ten 90's movies Top 5) Schindler's List (1993) My Take

Schindler's List (1993)

I have watched numerous PBS documentaries about the Holocaust & many are truly moving. However I consider Spielberg Schindler’s List is most powerful movie on this subject. The actors’ performances were superb and the direction was breathtaking & the frank presentation of the violence and indifference of the Nazi officers is amazing. Perhaps the most intense scene is when the Schindler's Female workers are sent to Auschwitz instead of his camp. Again acting is fantastic; in particular I find Ralph Fiennes' portrayal of Nazi Camp commandant is truly stunning. The black & white cinematography is apt for this kind of violence movie & it is truly spectacular. Overall, this is a must see movie for all people interested in history. Some people say it is manipulative movie but for me it is one prospective of a Holocaust subject and truth.

My top Ten 90's movies Top 6) The Shawshank Redemption (1994) My take

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Brief plot of the movie is young banker was sent to prison for the murder of his cheating wife & her lover. While there in the prison, he slowly build friendship with another long term convict Morgoan Free Man. With Morgan’s help, he slowly settles down the prison system & understands & analyzes how it works. He also wins the prison head & other prison employees respect & trust by offering free tax returns & other investing banking advice etc. Whatever he does he always thinks for his freedom & getting out the prison. Whether he escapes the prison or not the rest of the story. A dramatic tale of a man efforts to get his freedom & perfect action from Freeman & Robbins and smart one liners dialogs (For ex: Get busy living, or get busy dying. ) & intelligent screenplay & direction by Frank Darabont engages the viewer for whole movie. A must see movie. I watched this movie after Frank ‘s The Green Mile. Shawshank is a good & pleasant surprise.