Dazed and Confused

I have watched this movie 6 times, now. It’s not a great movie with any great story or brilliant acting. It is just a simple movie that you will always love to watch again and again. The story just spans around half a day and it is like going through a compilation of great records with life happening around. This is one of the greatest high school films of all time for me. The events that happen just after the school closes for the summer form the basic plot of the movie. Well, nothing much happens, story wise, but at the end of the movie you will definitely want to watch more of those high school punks, jerks, stoners, geeks and freshmen and their talks. I mean, that is exactly what the people behind this wanted. This movie is neither a dramatic experience nor one in which you will be laughing your asses off but this movie will bring out some smiles and satisfaction. I will definitely rate this movie 10 on 10 and the director- writer guy, Linklater, is a brilliant storyteller.

All Work and No Play, Make Jack a Cautious boy...

This is short film i have made...
its around 2 minutes runtime...
watch it and do comment or let me know it is...
thanks...

Prism

                


This is a short film that I made... 

PRISM - the last 7 days of a wannabe director and a deserted camera

A boy finds a deserted handy cam in a classroom...

Fish Tank (2009)

A puzzled teenage girl’s life in a world which never gives her anything to smile about summarizes the story of the movie. She tries to live her life among various problems that include bad parenting, terrible sibling hood and even worse relationship with other kids of her same age. 

Fish Tank is movie that is well shot with some decent acting and great screenplay. This movie stands out as one of the all time good teenage movies which stick to reality. With simple and few characters each with its own distinction, the movie turns out to be an interesting watch throughout. Even the dialogues that do not go overboard at all and remains as realistic as possible helps the movie to remain clean.

The director has handled this movie in a very unique perspective and she has excelled in her work. Andrea Arnold, the director, is also the writer of the movie. The screenplay is the highlight of the pint which makes the movie flow ‘naturally’. 

Katie Jarvis who has played the lead has also given a wonderful debut performance. Rest of the cast also provides with decent acting especially the girl who plays the little sister.

Overall, this is not a usual teenage drama, a coming of tale. This movie does not fill you with hope and energizes you with positivity about the future. This is a well-written movie which portrays the life of a troubled, confused, ordinary adolescent in the most simple and realistic but a different way. This movie is ‘must-watch’.

Tirador (Slingshot) - 2007

Tirador is a good film in all aspects. The movie depicts the life of petty criminals and common folks in a colony in Manila who has immense faith in the local politicians. We see varied images of the colony from middle aged men, the youth and the teenage whose lives are intertwined with each other. What we see is not the jaded characters with exaggerated plot around them but realistic characters with ordinary problems surrounding them. 

The film opens late into the night and a raid is ongoing in search of illegal products in the colony and sometimes we can only see through the light from the flashlight. The director has cleverly used this entire opening sequence to show the various kinds of people in the society and their lives. And what ensues in the film is about these people tackling the tensions and troubles in the colony.

Another thing I have to mention about this movie is the cinematography. Not even in a single shot is steady and that is not a bad thing. It suits the movie in all respective. It is as if we are glancing through the lives of these people in the colony. I think, that is brilliant way of communicating with the viewer. I have seen several movies shot in similar way but it suits this movie the most.

Tirador is an interesting watch.

Inception

Inception is a movie that needs great attention while watching; just a moment’s distraction can make it hard for you to understand what is happening. But that is not a bad thing; the whole movie is like a cubical structure with blocks being inserted every minute. If Nolan had placed one block in a wrong way, the whole structure would have been destroyed. But Christopher Nolan had succeeded here in creating that structure with utmost seriousness and care. All the blocks are safe and at the right place. Here is a movie, with mind-boggling story, jaw-dropping visual effects, brilliance in stunt coordination and Nolan with superb skills of making a film. At the end of the movie, we are in a trance - wow - it has totally bowled us over and it is not the actions or effects that make this movie great but the STORY. Nolan has won again.

There was a Dark Knight, a few years back and the brilliance with which a batman movie was handled was greatly applauded and enjoyed. But Inception is better and has come out with double the perfection of Dark Knight. The idea for the latter is much greater. But with a great story and weak script we would have been disappointed. But that does not happen and the script is just awesome and must congratulate Nolan for developing such a fine script.

The story revolves around Cobb who is the greatest extractor ever and to help him there is Arthur. They are literally thieves who steal ideas from others when they are dreaming in sleep. Then they get an assignment to do the exact opposite they are trained to do. This time they have to plant an idea not steal it. If Cobb does so what he is offered is what he wanted the most, to go back home to his country with no charges against him. Watch the movie to know exactly what happens and what it means to him to go back home.

We have seen the skills of Nolan as a director in Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins and Dark Knight and he has gone several steps ahead in Inception, creating an astounding movie. I think this is Nolan’s best work to date. He has created here a masterpiece that should be watched in the big screen only. He has easily converted a complex idea into a great script and has transported it into the silver screen with flawlessness.

There is a scene in which Cobb, the character played by Di Caprio, explains to the Ariadne, character played by Ellen Page on dreams and creating dreams when she suddenly realizes that she is inside a dream and everything explodes. The explosion is so slow and the scene gets us a close up of Ariadne, showing her realizing that she is inside a dream. In one word, I will say this scene is just brilliant. Then there was the action scene in zero gravity by Gordon-Lewitt, another wonderful piece of direction. The movie is about an idea and is full of vivid ideas that keep the viewer so gripped into the movie. The idea for this movie will be probably Nolan’s greatest idea for a movie.

Leonardo Di Caprio was good as Cobb and was the right choice. Ellen Page and Marion Cotillard also provide stand-out performances. Joseph Gordon-Lewitt as Arthur, the second-in-line to Cobb, has also given commendable performance. Tom Hardy and Ken Watanabe are good in their respective role. Michael Caine was just a hype not needed at all. He was just there for two scenes and I felt like he was cast just for being in every Nolan film.

Inception is a MUST-WATCH. It is so engrossing and interesting. Nolan has created one of the finest screenplays. The highlight of the movie is the well executed detailed script and Nolan’s excellence in crafting a movie.

The World Is Big and Salvation Lurks around the Corner

A young man who has lost his memories and parents in a car accident is guided by his charismatic grandfather to regain his memories by travelling around Europe, retracing the path the young man and his parents once took when they had illegally migrated from Bulgaria to Germany for a new life. This is the premise of this movie.

This movie was the Bulgaria’s official entry into Academy Awards 2009 and it was also shown in many film festivals winning many awards.

I simply loved this movie. With a wonderful and simple story this movie captivates the viewer with the brilliant acting by Miki Mnojlovic and his inducing dialogues. Stephen Komandarev is a wonderful director who knows how to visualize a story. But the story rises above all these and makes the movie a definite must watch.

The movie tells the story of the journey of Bai Dan and his Grandson Alex in search of the real self of the latter. In a parallel story line we witness the plight of the young Alex and his parents for a new life from Bulgaria to Germany. Both the stories go well simultaneously and do not make the viewer bored. This is because of an intelligent and well written screenplay.

I really liked the characterization of Bai Dan, an experienced man whose life is all about the game Backgammon and even his dialogues relate around the game. He once says to his grandson “life is like the dice in our hand, fate is determined by the skill and luck of the player.” He has a simple solution to all problems. He never pushes Alex to revoke his old self but with his own innovative techniques he tries to get back his old Alex. He realizes that sitting idly in the hospital can never make Alex any better and he takes him on a cross country trip across Europe and playing Backgammon occasionally.

But this is more than a tale of two people on the road to self-realism. The movie explores into the political situation of Bulgaria during the 1980s. Alex’ father, Vasko, gets into trouble with a local communist who wants him to spy on Bai Dan, his father-in-law. He refuses and worrying about the consequences he decides to leave Bulgaria and flee to Germany with his wife and son. We get to see the troubles that they face during their migration and the problems they and the other immigrants from different countries face in the refugee camp.

Backgammon had been given much importance throughout the movie. The movie starts with backgammon and ends with backgammon. Bai Dan’s life revolves around backgammon. In Vasko’s life also backgammon plays an important part. The game plays also an important role in bringing Alex back into his original life.

The movie talks about the hopes of a small family and their dreams of having a better life somewhere. It tells the forgotten memories, dreams and life of a young man who learns more things when he regains his memories. It tells about a grandfather with full of love for his grandson. It tells how a small game like backgammon can stir the life of people.

I strongly recommend this movie to everyone for the brilliant acting of Mr. Manojlovic, an interesting story, good direction. At the end, everyone wishes for a grandfather like Bai Dan and that’s the success of this movie.