Four Weddings & A Funeral - Super Eulogy & Prose by W.H Auden

Fell in love with this brilliant Eulogy that was delivered with so much passion in the movie 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'. The Eulogy is mostly a piece by W.H. Auden which is bound to move even the most hard hearted individual. Brilliant...

Oh...and By the Way, this is one of the super romantic comedies that i have seen Hugh Grant and the rest of the British Cast (Most having been seen in the more renowned 'Notting Hill') mouthing the most awesome dialogues in a very realistic setting make it one of my favourite British comedies.

Matthew talking about Gareth:
"The most splendid, replete, big-hearted, weak-hearted as it turned out, and jolly bugger most of us ever met. As for me, you may ask how I will remember him, what I thought of him.

Unfortunately there I run out of words. Perhaps you will forgive me if I turn from my own feelings to the words of another splendid bugger: W.H. Auden. This is actually what I want to say: "Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bonel, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come. Let the aeroplanes circle, moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky the message 'He is Dead'. Put crepe bows 'round the white necks of the public doves, Let traffic policemen wear black, cotton gloves. He was my North, my South, my East, and West. My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong. The stars are not wanted now; put out every one, Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun, Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood; For nothing now can ever come to any good. "

Signs - A must watch Short Film

SIGNS is a must watch film for all lovers of movies and all lovers! ;-)

It is a film made by Patrick Hughes and was one of the 2009 Cannes film festival winners. The subject matter is Communications and there is not even one dialogue. Beautifully made, the film has a superb emotional & visual appeal and really brings home the message that sometimes Words are just meaningless...

Note: YouTube link can be reached by clicking on the title.

London Dreams - Its not Amadeus but then so what!?

I have heard a lot of noise about this movie having 'borrowed' heavily from the great classic Amadeus. Though i do not support plagiarism, i still would like to see Indian film makers remake classics and give due to the original. Also while doing so, make sure that the soul of the movie is 'Indianized' or else it will not have an appeal.

When we look at London Dreams, it is not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination. However, it has got its heart in the right place. Its a movie decently made with one superb piece of acting and remaining cast pretty solid. It conveys what should be conveyed on the 35 mm and does it without proving either too boring, sentimental or loud.

The main reason why this movie comes alive is because of Salman Khan. The earthy character is really brought to life by this King Khan. The scene on the flight is slightly on the crass side but sallu still makes it fun to watch. Ajay Devgan is back to his angry young man and does a solid job while Asin is easy on the eyes but has nothing much to do. The same goes for Ranvijay. However, his brother in the film Aditya Roy Kapoor looks very promising in the short role. Big things might beckon.

The story is a simple one about musical dreams of two best friends and their fallout with each other, something that seems to come naturally to Rock bands, and their final reunion. There is love, friendship, betrayal and loyalty in good doses like any Bollywood flick but it seems well managed and well mixed.

This is not as good a movie as Amadeus, heck it does not even come close to our very own Rock On but that does not mean it is a bad film. It is a highly watchable film, more so because of the sheer genius of Salman-the king-Khan!!

Wake Up Sid - Damn Refreshing!!

The one thing about this movie that really tugs at you is - What parts of the character of Sid or Ayesha is common to me. Is it just the carefree one or the one where i am craving for my independence or does it also include the one where i am rude to everyone i love. It did question my sense of reality and my sense of freedom today.

Anyways director Ayaan Mukherjee is spot on with this film about basically...growing up. And thankfully there are no cliches involved. Its really a very realistic portrayal of growing up in a upper middle class family and stumbling about till you find your own direction. A.K.A Dil Chahta Hai?...maybe in a certain sense but it looks at issues more deeply and there is no forced sentimentality. Which is what in my opinion makes the film so refreshing!

As far as the acting is concerned, Ranbir is par excellence. I have never seen a better portrayal of a confused individual in bollywood. Hrithik tried it in Lakshya but it came across as a caricature. Just watch the scene where he puts his face through the sunroof and feels the wind on his face. Its that raw feeling of understanding what is actually being portrayed and feeling the same in your senses too that gives any film the power to captivate people. WUS does that in most places. Again Konkona is brilliant. Superlatives can hardly convey the excellence that she showcases. And strangely enough, they look like a cute pair! The support cast is also good except Supriya Pathak who strangely underplays her role too much.

Coming to the music, Take a bow Amit Triwedi for the song Iktara. I have been a fan of this guy since the brilliant 'Aamir' and he again delivers a superb score. Keep an eye out for this guy. He sure is going places. And obviously Shankar Ehsaan Loy are superb as usual. The music complements the pace very well and at no time does it interfere with the narrative. In fact it enhances it quite a bit.

Finally Bombay - sorry Mumbai!! - has been beautifully showcased. You slowly start understanding what it is about the city that enchants so many people. Its a charming city in a lot many ways and that charm really come across on screen in WUS...Great work!

Love Aaj Kal - I liked it, now go 'un - like' that!!!

Well, i liked this movie and before i give my short and sweet version of why that is, i just like to mention that I have become a big fan of Imtiaz Ali after 'Socha Na Tha' and 'Jab We Met'; two delightful movies which kept me really entertained. Also, these movies had that special quality to make you feel all warm and smiley inside which gives them additional charm. Hence i was anyways partial to ' Love Aaj Kal' before i even saw it.

Nevertheless i believe that there will be a wide divide between people who like this movie and others who hate it completely. Much more than most other movies. Anyways my take is that the acting was superb particularly by Rishi Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. Mira is seriously a work of art according to me and she really makes the character look natural. Compared to a Kareena of JWM, she has not played it over the top and this might put some viewers off but i think she is what defines THE character of the movie. Saif is good without being brilliant and rest of the star cast is decent. I really enjoyed the music too, particularly the ballads.

So here are my 5 reasons for liking the film:

1. Seeing a brazilian model (Giselle Monteiro) who cannot speak Hindi and dance, enact Harleen - Take a bow Gisellle.
2. Saif showing us dance steps that people like 'ME' also can follow!!
3. Deepika Padukone.
4. Rahul Khanna's Gay act (??) & Neetu and Rishi Kapoor's couple act at the end... Awesome cinematic moment.
5. I am an incurable romantic!! :P

Overall a slightly better than average movie, and a definite if you are on a romantic date :)

The Runaway Bride - "...And when I ride off into the sunset, I want my own horse"

I don't think this is the greatest romantic comedy ever made but i do know this. It tugs at heartstrings....and i simply adore the last 5 minutes of the film. In fact no one should miss the part when the end credits start to roll...it is really hilarious.

Anyways Richard Gere and Julia Roberts (My all time Favourite actress) make a fine pair and this actually looks like a Pretty Woman part 2 in reality. The chemistry is there and even a really weak script make this a very enjoyable watch. The rest of the ensemble cast manages well and some of the jokes/ pun cast are really good.

The one thing i really love about this movie is one dialogue that Maggie says to Ike at the end. Damn good line - and something i hope to use in person ;-)...The way she says it is so...so beautiful....

"Look, I guarantee there'll be tough times. I guarantee that at some point, one or both of us is gonna want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life, because I know, in my heart, you're the only one for me"

Overall a nice weekend watch with your sweetheart!

3 pieces of dialogue from 'The Holiday'

I am a sucker for romantic comedies and love super lines from such movies. Here are a few gems from one such movie that i watched today and absolutely fell in love with. Why do i like it....well i can identify with some of them ;-)

Quote 1: I've found almost everything ever written about love to be true. Shakespeare said "Journeys end in lovers meeting." What an extraordinary thought. Personally, I have not experienced anything remotely close to that, but I am more than willing to believe Shakespeare had. I suppose I think about love more than anyone really should. I am constantly amazed by its sheer power to alter and define our lives. It was Shakespeare who also said "love is blind". Now that is something I know to be true. For some quite inexplicably, love fades; for others love is simply lost. But then of course love can also be found, even if just for the night. And then, there's another kind of love: the cruelest kind. The one that almost kills its victims. Its called unrequited love. Of that I am an expert. Most love stories are about people who fall in love with each other. But what about the rest of us? What about our stories, those of us who fall in love alone? We are the victims of the one sided affair. We are the cursed of the loved ones. We are the unloved ones, the walking wounded. The handicapped without the advantage of a great parking space! Yes, you are looking at one such individual. And I have willingly loved that man for over three miserable years! The absolute worst years of my life! The worst Christmas', the worst Birthday's, New Years Eve's brought in by tears and valium. These years that I have been in love have been the darkest days of my life. All because I've been cursed by being in love with a man who does not and will not love me back. Oh god, just the sight of him! Heart pounding! Throat thickening! Absolutely can't swallow! All the usual symptoms.

Quote 2: I understand feeling as small and as insignificant as humanly possible. And how it can actually ache in places you didn't know you had inside you. And it doesn't matter how many new haircuts you get, or gyms you join, or how many glasses of chardonnay you drink with your girlfriends... you still go to bed every night going over every detail and wonder what you did wrong or how you could have misunderstood. And how in the hell for that brief moment you could think that you were that happy. And sometimes you can even convince yourself that he'll see the light and show up at your door. And after all that, however long all that may be, you'll go somewhere new. And you'll meet people who make you feel worthwhile again. And little pieces of your soul will finally come back. And all that fuzzy stuff, those years of your life that you wasted, that will eventually begin to fade.

Quote 3: I have another scenario for you - I'm in love with you. I apologize for the blunt delivery, but as problematic as this fact may be, I'm in love... with YOU. I'm not feeling this because you're leaving, and not because it feels good to feel this way... which, by the way, it does, or did before you went off like that. I can't figure out the mathematics of this, I just know I love you. I can't believe how many times I'm saying it! And I never thought I'd feel this way again, so that's pretty phenomenal. And I realize that I come as a package deal: 3 for the price of 1. I know my package, perhaps in the light of day, isn't all that wonderful, but I finally know what I want and that, in itself, is a miracle. And what I want is YOU.

Khushi - My Top Pick for the Razzies

How can people make such movies...such utter s***...and how can distributors showcase such movies. Simple economics please, how do people make money...

Now the reason for my rant. Let me explain the basic premise of the movie...It's about a Navel, Kareena's navel, a bare (very sexy!) stomach and the navel there which because of a gust of wind is seen by her 'kinda' boyfriend - they look more like asexual mental cases, primates anyone?? - Fardeen Khan and then the proverbial 'hell breaks loose'...on everyone, more so the audience which by this time is tearing its head - cause no hair is left anyways. Kareena from then onwards starts fighting with Fardeen for 'very obviously' looking at the navel. This continues for 60% of the movie and our supposedly virile Hero is made to feel ashamed of his behaviour.

The rest of the movie is an interplay on extremely regressive themes on women studying beyond a point and having been bethroted even when they did not know about the guy - you see the movie needs action scenes with the hero finally using his pent up sexual frustration in bashing up the poor villanous sod and finally claiming his queen -and heroes doing something for their own country.

Coming to the most hilarious part of the movie, the narration is done by Amitabh Bachhan. Without saying anything about this really great icon of Indian Cinema, lets just focus on the dialogues at the very end narrated by the great man...which mention something about Khushi (Kareena) and Karan (Fardeen) getting married and having kids every year for 12 years...13 kids in all. Question is why 13? (still part of the narration)...Answer is: you see one year they had twins!!

The worst movie...ever!!

Sorry Bhai - Watch it for Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani and Shabana Azmi

What a considerable waste of talent!!

Chitrangada Singh who enthralled us in Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi delivers such a dud that i was left wondering if it was really the same actress. Sure she looks stunning...infact extremely gorgeous..but thats it. The nuances that needed to be brought out by Aaliyah as the tormented bride to be is simply missing...and its disheartening. Same goes for Sanjay Suri. He looks like he is bored throughout the movie. Where is the Sanjay of My Brother Nikhil and Jhankar Beats and Pinjar and numerous other similar stellar performances.

The premise of the movie is as the name suggests - Brother falls in love with the elder brother's wife to be and the story begins. The movie is actually very funny and will kepp you in splits at most times. The music is ho hum while the direction is taut.

What lifts the film is its story - lighthearted but meaningful, and just the very very good performance of Sharman Joshi. He makes his Siddharth's character look older, mature and likeable while at the same time retains his youthful boyishness. Add to that the spice provided by Shabana and Boman - brilliant as a loving and very natural husband & wife pair - and you have a movie which is eminently watchable but which could have been so much more if only the leading protagonists had put in just a bit more effort...

Watch it for Sharman....

Kannathil Muthamittal - A Kiss on the Cheek

Just finished watching a movie which should be rated as one of the best i have seen till date. Kannathil Muthamittal - A kiss on the cheek

What an apt name for the movie. Probably one of the finest Mani Ratnam movies ever made. This guy needs to be saluted for his sheer genius. A tamil movie made about the Srilankan strife where no sides have been taken is a great sign of courage by the director.

The premise is relatively simple. An adopted girl in search of her biological mother and idealistic parents who help her in every step to grant her this wish. But what keeps this movie head and shoulders above anything else you have ever seen is that this is not about that girl - thats there just to keep the story moving - this is about a world where human life is reduced to nothing. Its about a world where the success is measured by the number of graves i was able to provide my brother who is now my enemy - hopefully that number is greater than mine. Where people fight for an ideology which ruins not just their lives but the lives of everyone who did not even wish to be part of it but are sucked into it. Where sometimes even ideology has died because it was given to a 10 year old who shot at its heart with his kalashnikov.

The story of the girl and her travels to the emerald island to find her mother is a moving one which has been handled brilliantly without any melodrama. The movie is a slightly long one at around 3 hrs but it probably needed this time. The best part about this movie is how natural it looks. The family life shown is like any other indian family and the romance so subtle. Something that will bring a smile to your lips is a great love song shot at scenic beaches and ragged ships on great salt farms but not between the lead pair but between the mother and the adopted daughter. Brilliant!!

The cinematography is excellent. Sri Lanka's beauty is captured in its raw essence. Its actually eerie to see beautiful parks and forests and amongst them just the shell of buildings. School Girls on cycles laughing like they do not have a care in the world and the next minute a gunfight at exactly the same place that looks so real that mentally you pary for their safety even though you know that its not real (or maybe it is!!!). Even the indian scenes are well captured. There is a scene where the young girl is running around in circles with her father in the centre and suddenly the father tells her that she is not their biological daughter. On hearing this she still keeps running around her father but now her happy carefree expression changes slowly as realization dawns on her. You go to movies to watch this...

Which brings us to the acting. Needless to say, Ratnam extracts superb performances from the various actors. Madhavan as the dad and Keerthana as the child are brilliant in the movie. Nandita Das in her small role potrays a great amount of character as the biological mother. She really looks the part as the Sri Lankan Tamil girl who goes through great turmoil in life. But the greatest of my applause is reserved for the fantastic Simran. The role essayed by her is really tough as that of a mother caught between wishing for her daughters happiness but at the sametime apprehensive of the steps that they have taken. Caught between the love for her adopted daughter while longing for her own sons too. This is one superlative performance.

And before i forget....the music...It seems that AR Rahman and Mani Ratnam are brothers. The music just knows how to follow the story and vice versa. The background score 'Vellai Pookal Ulagam' is haunting while the rest of the songs just simply fall into place.

A great movie which hopefully should make you wonder why do we fight when all we need to sort everything is to just kiss on the cheek...after all he is just your brother.