127 Hours : by Danny Boyle

Danny Boyle gave us the Oscar winning 'Slumdog' and all Indians were mirror-struck  seeing our reflection through the film.

127  Hours is another feather in his cap , a gritty biographical story about the real life adventurer  'Aron Ralston'.

This film is an adaption of the autobiography of Ralston himself.

Starring 'James Franco' as Aron is a biking fanatic and his passion is to cover the Utah terrain on his bike.

One fine day , he embarks on one such adventure , with all geared up accessories except his swiss knife ..

In the process he meets two girl hikers who have lost their way .. Aron makes their path far more interesting and fun , with crazy jumps into the underground canyon pools!

On resuming his trip , Aron climbs down one of the cliffs with boulders between the rocks. One of them is loose , and he falls down with the boulder trapping his arm in between the canyon walls.

127 Hours .... of

"toil , grit , suffering , pain , sorrow , joy , helplessness , resentment , strife , struggle , determination , hope"

James Franco is the next big thing to Hollywood & an extremely talented actor .. he will take the legacy of the Hanks and the De Niro's forward for sure.

An Overwhelming Tale of Courage , Spellbinding Cinematography , Haunting Music by Rahman , Franco is Mesmerizing , Boyle's Unique Film-Making.

Simply enough reasons to catch it !!!!!  70 minutes of true indomitable spirit.

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Requiem for a Dream : by Darren Aronofsky

Touted as one of the most disturbing and dangerous films of all time , I was intrigued to watch 'Requime for a Dream'

Darren has been an acclaimed director in Hollywood with movies like the Wrestler(2009) and the Black Swan (2010) to his credit.

Requiem' was his early work and it simply blows your mind with the maze of drug addiction ,sex and pinnacle of delusion.

Requiem for a Dream spans through seasons depicting 4 characters who are completely destroyed by into self-figmentation and fool's paradise.

The premise of the film is disturbing with scenes depicting pangs of desperation.

** Sara Goldfarb wants to be on television for a show and is so obsessed to be in shape , gives rein to slimming drugs.

** Harry , son of Sara , is a heroin addict , who with his friends Tyrone and Marion deals in drug trade illegaly.

** Marion is obsessed in love and drugs and go to any length to quench her anxiety.

** Tyrone is involved in drug gang and wants to make her mother proud.

Reel by reel , the anguish to attain depressant & drugs , results in hooking for more....


Darren is an exceptional talent and he uses a unique film making technique of rapid cuts , showcasing protagonists transition from reality to intoxication.

The final moments leave you with a sinking feeling caught in a whirlpool of addiction  .. No escapade!

Rating : 4.5/5.0

Dhobi Ghat : by Kiran Rao

Kiran Rao , makes her debut with an arty script with her husband Aamir at the helm of his acting prime and business acumen.

Dhobi Ghat is purely experimental cinema and a change for typical Hindi Film Milieu.

The film has primarily 5 characters :-

• Arun , the painter played by Aamir
• Shai , the banker played by Monica
• Munna , the dhobi played by Prateik
• Yasmin , the homemaker played by Kriti
• City Mumbai , played by the cinemascope

Its an interesting mix of people which creates magic on and off screen time of 90 minutes.

Moments which are noteworthy :-

1. Munna visits Shai's home for a cup of tea.
2. Shocking home video revelation of Yasmin which leaves Arun dazed.
3. Shai and Arun's vulnerable vibes
4. Munna's silence love for Shai and his modelling ambitions
5. Heart warming Climax

Dhobi Ghat will not appeal to all , as its slow and sluggish yet captures the essence of Mumbai beautifully.
Kudos to the cinematography of movie , picking the nuances of the city of dreams.

Special mention to the background score given by the renowned 2 Time Oscar Winner Gustavo.

Prateik is the next big thing and he had shown the spark in Jaane Tu... earlier. Monica has a photogenic quality about her and Kriti seems to be a natural. Aamir was the most disappoinitng of the lot.


Kiran's attempt is applause worthy but not everybody's cup of tea.


Rating : 3.0/5.0

Amélie : by Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Amelie , Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain , is the 2001 French romantic comedy.

The protagonist , 'Amelie' is a demure waitress who has one mission to change lives of people around her

with the inner demons of her own loneliness.

It is a mischievous tale of Parisian life with Amelie at the center of it all played by Audrey Tautou.

The film kicks of when the 23 year old finds memorabilia behind a bathroom tile in her apartment.

Her discovery is a a metal box of childhood memories of a boy who must have lived some decades ago in the very same place.

Amelie embarks on a trail to find the rightful owner of the 

box and return it.

In the process in her daily routine she pledges to act as a matchmaker and spread happiness all around.

The audience is drafted into the dreams & aspirations of Amelie for belongingness and love.

The movie is charming and a funny series of events which make laugh and cry at the same instance.

Audrey Tautou played Amelie to the 'T' with her expressive eyes and charming smile.

No wonder , it is ranked at no. 45 in IMDB elite list.

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Udaan : by Vikramaditya Motwane

Udaan , a film I was longing to see since its release. The world was going ga-ga over Inception from Nolan , and a movie in our den was getting critical acclaim but no box office luck.

Udaan , a film of chasing your dreams and living each day to attain it.

Udaan is about a 17 year old Rohan who is expelled from his boarding school , caught red-handed by the warden watching sleaze in a theater outside the campus.

Udaan is about a strict & abusive father played by Ronit Roy who lives with a six year old boy , the half brother of Rohan.

Udaan is about the bonding between the 2 siblings and the cocoon created by their father , trapping them under his vigilance , his rules and his unfair ideals.

Udaan & its screenplay genius ...

• Rohan's plight on leaving the boarding school and missing his friends on the way back to his home.
• Father's indifference and anger on his son's notorious actions , quashing his 'to be a writer' ambitions.
• Rohan's outburst towards his father at his uncle's place.
• The undercurrent between Arjun and Rohan and their initial non-comfort.
• Face off between the father and son on his low engineering grades.
• Hospital sequences , where in Rohan impresses all with his writings
• An apology from the father and his unapologetic instructions to Rohan & Arjun.
• The early morning juggernaut , & its climatic photo finish.

and ... much much more ...

Udaan is simplistic cinema at its best with so much soul into the script , provin it yet again , writing is key to a film.

Udaan has seen the rising of Motwani , the talented director and Rajat Barmecha , the expressive young actor

Udaan , the Best Hindi Flick of 2010. Period.


Rating : 4.5/5.0

The Green Mile : by Frank Darabont

The Green Mile is an adapted screenplay of the novel by the same name from Stephen King.

The film traverses the story of Paul ,  a prison warder who guards a cell block called as 'the Green Mile'  , the last mile which the prisoners walk at the time of their execution.

One fine day , John Coffey , played magnificently by Michael Duncan arrives into the death row. He is a giant negro convicted of rape and murder of two little girls.

John's extraordinary healing powers were brought forth , when he cured Paul's infection and bringing a mouse back to life.

The prison premises has its share of dark moments , with demented serial killers and murders & sadistic guards like Percy adding to the drama.

Some of the Key Moments:-

1. Percy sabotages an execution , is spine-chilling
2. Coffey healing the mouse 'Mr Jingles'
3. Coffey's revelation to Paul about the scene of the crime as-is
4. Entry of notorious serial murderer , 'Wild Bill'
5. The climax is a tear-jerker.

Performances in the film are noteworthy , specifically Michael playing Coffey with gamut of emotions.

The vicarious suffering of Coffey leaves the audience sympathize with his plight & is mark of a good actor.

Tom Hanks playing Paul , is again at his best , showing determination and grit and at the same time in awe seeing the super natural proceedings at the prison.

A Hollywood flick stretching beyond the 3 hour mark was a first for me , but it was seriously uplifting and emotionally draining experience.

Full justification to the book , in words of Stephen King ... 

Watch the "The Green Mile" for a otherworldly journey.

Rating : 4.0/5.0