A peep into the songs of Enthiran!

I run the risk of giving out a review on an album of Rahman on the very day of its release. A few days might be all that would take for my own self to contradict with whatever I feel now. Still I am continuing with it for two reasons:
1. I have got nothing else worthwhile to do at this time of the day.
2. I somehow feel this is one album which wouldn’t grow on the listener as well as the past ones as there is not much mesmerising/creative stuff which has the tendency to grow on the listener. The first impression would stay for Enthiran.

Off to the review after a look at the spiked-wig!

Pudhiya Manidhaa (SPB,AR Rahman)
This one begins slowly , gains tempo and some beats on the way and the ritual of SPB singing for Rajni happens – Only this time in a song that isn’t to appeal to the senses of the masses. The initial part of the song has all robot / machine sounds sprinkled all over it. You almost get to hear all sounds that are part of the Science Desktop theme of Windows 98! It gets better when SPB starts his show. He shows why he is still the Boss managing high pitch & low pitch stuff with absolute ease. There are a lot of filler lines though, and the lines go astray with respect to the tune – The song just passes muster. I can’t help thinking how so much of sophistication can still not win over Ilaiyaraja’s simple Vikram..Vikram which falls in the same category.

Kadhal Anukkal (Vijay Prakash,Shreya Ghoshal)
The guitar bit & organ have unmistakable resemblance to Rang De Basanti’s Luka Chuppi & Yuvvraaj’s Zindagi respectively. This kind of repetition is something I have not observed much with Rahman and it was disappointing. Some novel interludes and lively renditions from Vijay Prakash and Shreya Ghoshal save this song to make it fall in the ‘listenable’ category.

Irumbile Or Irudhayam (AR Rahman,Kash n Krissy)
This song falls in the genre of songs you get to listen to when you do shopping in one of those posh cloth stores! It is definitely a new kind for tamil songs and Rahman has pulled it off decently. Still, that kind of music doesn’t seem to go well with Tamil lyrics and there surely is a disconnect even though Rahman gives an invigorating rendition. I wish he doesn’t repeat attempts of this type.

Arima Arima (Hariharan, Sadhana Sargam)
My pick of this album. This song has grandeur written all over it. One could imagine how huge Shankar would have picturised this song singing praises of the hero. Hariharan’s vigorous singing, ably supported by Sadhana Sargam helps the song’s cause. The chorus portions add oomph to the minutes. This probably is the ‘Mudhalvane..vane’ of Enthiran.

Boom Boom Robo Da (Pradeep Vijay,Pravin Mani, Yogi B)
This is THAT song in the album where Rahman rules with his techno stuff. A rap, interspersed with violin & piano orchestrations and if that is not enough to bowl you over, there is a good dose of Jathis sung in Slumdog Millionaire’s Liquid Planes style.Thumbs high up! Credits to Pravin Mani as he is accredited to the additional arrangements in the album cover.

Boom Boom Robo Da (Yogi B, Keerthi,Swetha,Tanvi)
This one is distinct from the the other version of Boom Boom Robo. With some stylish beats, santour , latino sounds and heavy metal for support, the crooner carries the main portion in style. The sudden change in ragam in both the stanzas is a pleasing shocker. Yogi B does the rapping. I am not a big fan of his. He brings déjà vu and I would have preferred to listen to Blazee’s crooning of the rap anyday.

Kilimanjaro (Javed Ali,Chinmayi)
This one is a run-of-the-mill Rahman duet but the fact that an ordinary Rahman duet can be as enticing as the best of others stands testimony to the heights the man has scaled. One interesting thing in this song is the smartly rhymed verses. The humming is typical Psycho stuff Rahman brings now and again – the choice of hums being enjoyable & puzzling at the same time.

Rahman started 2010 stretching the limits of the romance genre like only he can with insanely versatile songs in Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya. He followed that up with a woods-centric album in Raavanan/Raavan that suited the film’s needs to a T. He is probably signing off the year with Enthiran and I can’t help feeling that he is doing it on a low considering the quality of the other two albums. Make no mistake, the tunes are commercially viable and will definitely be a rage among the audience.
While fans of Rajnikanth can rejoice, Rahmaniacs would be left wanting more!

Two line Reviews - #64

Movie: Sunset Boulevard (1950)



Claps:

• The narrative style employed.
• Gloria Swanson’s show as the insanely self-obsessive actress Norma Desmond.
• The elegance of Holden as the failed script-writer Joe Gillis & the supporting role of Max.

Blips:

• Gillis gets into Norma’s house easily, so easily even for an accident.
• The film is a bit over-dramatic - as much as its lead role player Norma is.

Overall Score – 9.1/10

Two line Reviews - #63

Movie: Little Miss Sunshine (2006)



Claps:

• A beauty pageant contestant kid,a dad who can't take failure, an hen-pecked mom,a brother who vows silence for his aspiration, a 'suicide-attempt case' uncle & a drug-addict grandfather on a ROAD TRIP to a beauty contest! That cannot be anything but interesting.
• The intermittent fun in the proceedings.
• Dwayne's dream-crash & the scene that ensues.

Blips:

• The climax, though it tries to make a mockery of the significance of such shows in the midst of harsh realities of life, looks unconvincing.

Overall Score - 9.2/10

Two line Reviews - #62

Movie: Marley & Me (2008)



Claps:

• I've not raised a pet dog,yet, this film shook me. I can only imagine how great an experience would this film be for someone who has raised a pet.
• The little one, the grown-up version & the old sick one - The dogs that play Marley-the labrador through all its stages.
• Owen Wilson - Marley bonding. Connects us to the film.
• The shattering yet poetic climax.
• The way the John family adores their prized possession - First the couple & then the kids.

Blips:

• It needed more than a change in hairstyle to show the Owen-Aniston couple grow older as the film progresses.

Overall Score - 9.3/10

Two line Reviews - #61

I'm back!
Movie: It's a Wonderful Life (1946)



Claps:

• It is a wonderful film; The fact that it released in 1946 makes me wonder if it were the inspiration for all those 'hero sacrifices his dreams for the good of ppl around him'films in all languages. But that story has been told beautifully - A shot of positive current is injected into the viewer when the film ends.
• The angel A C-2 connects with us instantly and that causes the impact when the screen shows "Remember,No man is a failure who has friends.Thanks for the wings!"
• The unusual turn-around after Bailey wishes to commit suicide.
• James Stewart's performance - That too when he vents his frustrations after breaking down.

Blips:

• Harry & Potter characters get hyped up and fall flat.

Overall Score - 9.4/10

That little tribute Muralitharan deserves!

The hustling run-up, inquisitive eyes, peculiar release, innumerable revolutions on the red cherry ,the crazy turn it undergoes on the pitch, the shake of the timber, a baffled batsman and an everlasting grin on the face of the architect will all be missed now that Muttiah Muralitharan has bid adieu to Test Cricket.

To be honest I was of the opinion that he would make the same mistake Kapil Dev did – Prolong his career for the sake of a record and get banged by debutants and lose the command over a glittering career. But that was not to be. Murali made a very good decision to quit setting an 800 in mind , an 8 in mind for his final test and conquering the frontier in fairytale style.

It made me feel happy to read the heaps of praises & tributes from the likes of Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Arjuna Ranatunga – The man who stood by Murali in the toughest of times. If there was only one guy who deserved all the praise – it was Muralitharan. To be the most prolific bowler in Test and ODI history is no mean feat. But he has bettered that reaching a tally that nobody feels would ever be conquered. So his records would stay for an eternity – atleast the tally of 800 in tests.

I have to agree that I have been a bigger fan of Warne than of Murali and have always chosen the Warne side of the Murali-Warne lunchtime debates for reasons that Warne had dominated quality oppositions;not that Murali had not. He had a bagful of wickets in the subcontinent and also against minnows like Bangladesh. He was second, but not a distant second in my list. But that list was just about skills.When it comes to a list on behavior on/off the field, Muralitharan would be right on top with no superstar cricketer staying anywhere close to him. People might say Kumble was humble. If Kumble was humble, Muralitharan was a saint! I have never seen him hold grudge against any batsman – even if it was very much justifiable for him to do so considering the kind of reception he received in Australia every time he was there after Darrell Hair called him for chucking. He enjoys his wickets very much but what he shows is just happiness, not the insane irate stuff we get to see off a Harbhajan Singh who too has had his share from the Aussies.

Even now he takes the decisions of umpires against his action in his stride and says
“You can’t say they did the wrong thing.In their minds, they thought what I did was wrong.There is a fair trial and I passed that”.
How well did he pass the embarrassing biometric tests that made it look Cricket belonged to Australia like how it belongs to India.

Muralitharan’s humility goes to a point of being faulty when he says
“At the end of the day it’s a game and people come and go.Someone will replace me and do something similar”.

I would say that is possible only if Christopher Nolan, with his Cobb, goes and plants this idea into the minds of everybody following cricket and makes someone hit the 801 in their dreams.

Two line Reviews - #60

Movie: Before Sunrise (1995)



Claps:
If romantic films can be this good, I'l definitely watch a lot more in that genre.
The lifelike performances of Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy - They make this one day ride absolutely believable.
The wonderful,wonderful dialogs - Terrific undercurrent of philosophy in most of the conversations.

Blips:
Nothing on the surface.

Overall Score - 9.0/10

Two line Reviews - #59

Movie: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)



Claps:
Another Nazi-Jew story; only this time it comes from the perspective of a kid - an interesting watch.
The innocence in the character of Bruno.Climax accentuates the effect.
The character & the looks of Schmuel - The boy in the striped pajama.

Blips:
The background music could and should have been better.

Overall Score - 9.4/10

Two line Reviews - #58

Movie: The Grapes of Wrath (1940)



Claps:
A moving family drama that depicts the struggles of a family in the era of US Depression while trying to move from Oklahoma to California in search of a job when forced to move off their land.
The family - a proud one at that, inspiring final words of Ma towards the end.
Henry Fonda - He plays his role of a responsible son turned rebel with aplomb.

Blips:
The film takes a detour just before it hits the climax. There is some drop in tempo.
The way Fonda arrives from penitentiary exactly on the day his family is california-bound is too much for a coincidence.

Overall Score: 9.3/10

Two line Reviews - #57

Movie: The Night of the Hunter (1955)



Claps:
The villainous role that Robert Mitchum plays as a preacher.
A kid again - Has a mature role to play and he does it at ease.
The touchy climax portions

Blips:
The chaser is efficient in pursuit but keeps falling at the final hurdle every single time.
The fuss was a bit too much for the treasure in pursuit.

Overall Score: 9.2/10

Two line Reviews - #56

Movie: Touch of Evil (1958)



Claps:
A gripping Mexico-USA border cop-story that involves murder,a drug racket & acts of police cover-up.
Orson Welles, the director. Simply brilliant.
Orson Welles, the actor - Heroism at its best! Namma so called 'mass' heroes can learn a lesson or two on the fact that Heroism on cinema is all about 'How you carry yourself on screen'.
The stylish mexican cop played by Charlton Heston.

Blips:
The climax was terrific. But could have been more clear. I think this confusion had to do with the different versions of the film as shown in the description in the opening slide.

Overall Score: 9.7/10

Two line Reviews - #55

Movie: Full Metal Jacket (1987)



Claps:
The 40 minute fun-filled showcase of the rigors of marines training camp.
The sniper ambush sequence towards the end- Haven't seen one like that before.Kudos to Kubrick.
The 'Born to kill for peace' climax.

Blips:
A drag just when we are taken into Vietnam.

Overall Score: 9.4/10

My debut film

Here comes the first of them. Hopefully not the last!

Watching a film, conceptualising one & making a film are on the three different x,y,z 3-d axes. This simple small film has made me understand that the hard way!

Anyway,working on the video clips post recording and making the film was an extremely interesting event.

Finally after 15 mins of area scouting,capturing(pardon the shakes-i was riding a cycle while capturing) & an hour of post-production , my first short video (wouldn't call this a film) is up and running at:

Nostalgia - Cycle school trips

Check it out.

Two line Reviews - #54

Movie: The Spy next door (2010)



Claps:
After quite a few heavy films,An exhilerating fun-action ride with Jackie Chan was great. The guy is old but still he is Jackie Chan!
Nice little stunts & the cuts shown when the credits roll.
The kids work well with Chan.

No negatives and scores for a Jackie Chan fun film. Watch it,get entertained.

Two line Reviews - #53

Movie: Old Boy (Korean,2003)



Claps:
The story of a revenge and the who? what? why? that gets answered one by one.
The last 30 minutes - Perplexing would be an understatement! This one beats ChinaTown there!
Smart screenplay & the heedful background score.
Performances of the actors who play Oh Dae-su,Mi-do & Lee Woo-jin.

Blips:
Dae-Su fights all his opponents in a predictable & unrealistic fashion. Even when in groups, they attack him one after another!

Overall Score: 9.6/10

Two line Reviews - #52

Movie: Nuovo Cinema Paradiso - Italian(1988)



Claps:
Must be the mother of all nostalgia-inducing films. Watching this film made me cry. The director Tornatore makes you believe you are the lead-role player and that makes the climax so emotional.
Ennio Morricone's soul-stirring music. Huge reason for sending you into cries.
The child who plays little Toto. He is charming & acts like a dream.
The impact the character of Alfredo leaves & his little soldier story!
The notable characters of Toto's mother, church father, some theatre characters & the 'square is mine' lunatic.
Excellent photography work.

Blips:
The love portion of Salvatore-Elena didn't create much impact in me. That part was sagging.

Overall Score: 9.8/10

Madrasapattinam - Nostalgic!

The trip to Madrasapattinam is A trip worth taking!

Right from when the title credits appear showing the names of the technicians marked as places in a map to the end credits where the locations of Madras in 1990 & 2010 are juxtaposed, Madrasapattinam is aesthetically pleasing. Besides this, there is a beautiful narration of a love story of a local Dhobi & a British general’s daughter.



The narrative style takes cue from Titanic with an old lady going from London to Chennai in search of her lost love in Madrasapattinam. The 1900s and the 2010s are seamlessly intertwined and this makes for an interesting watch. The answer for the question ‘Is the story cliché ridden ?’ would be a Yes. But, what makes it an interesting film is the setup of the story. Set in a pre-independence India, there are scenes taken in famous landmarks of the old Madras & there is a scene that focuses on the lovers on the day of Indian Independence – There is a touch of brilliance in it.The director definitely scores with his creative imagination. He has been successful in giving a love story woven in a domain untouched.

At close to three hours, the film is lengthy but never does it sag thanks to the partly gripping & partly light-hearted line the film tows. Some of the lesser shown characters are used effectively for this purpose. Having said that, there has certainly been some build up for some characters but they fizzle out having not much scope in the end – Those of Nasser & Haneefa in particular.



Arya, once again, scores with his choice of films. It is disappointing that he isn’t getting success & acclaim. Hope Madrasapattinam gives him that. With his chiseled body & rocky expressions he passes with flying colors. He has limited dialogs but has ample scope for performance which he grabs to the fullest. He emotes well - the scene where he finds back Amy at Central station & moists his eyes being a typical example. He deserves a big break. He has performed the stunts very well, them being realistic – Credits to the stunt director.

Amy Jackson, the heroine, has done a neat job. This film doesn’t show the heroine a puppet who dances for songs. She has a role of substance and has done well. Her lip movements for the dubbing is much better than most of the Indian actresses’! The other important characters in the film are of the old Amy, Nasser, Cochin Haneefa (his absence will definitely be felt), Omar (of Poi solla porom), Travel agent ‘Eli’ and they have done their parts decently. There are some small but noteworthy roles – Those of the English teacher,the guy in eternal hibernation etc that tickle our funny bones effectively.

Editing by Antony is good with the mix and match of the two eras. Selvakumar’s art work deserves ample praise. We get to see the Madras which we might have only come across in framed photos – The central station,Cooum River,Elphinstone theatre and other such places. The attention to details shown deserves applause. Nirav Shah’s photography work is neat as it usually is. The SFX are pretty good as the graphics used for showing the Old Madras are not glaring. Infact, they make it look realistic.

One big plus is G.V.Prakash’s music. He has come of age and this film will definitely be a landmark in his career. ‘Pookal Pookum’ & ‘Aaruyire’ are ear pleasing songs. The Love theme that resembles (in style & not the tune) Nino Rota’s The Godfather Love theme lingers in the mind for long. It was satisfying to see that the director had not butchered the long songs. The picturisation of the songs were brilliant too with those of ‘Megame’ & ‘Vaama duraiamma’ taking the cake. The background score is pleasing & honest inducing nostalgia at moments.

On the flip side are some of the momentum breaking long scenes towards the end & the sudden appearance of a ‘Duraiamma trust’ which seems logically unfathomable. Also a heavy build-up is given for the search of the old Arya which ends rather inadequately.



To sum things up, Madrasapattinam is a nostalgic trip down memory lane for anyone related to Madras or Love in any small way. I could relate to it the Madras way! Vijay has been a promising prospect giving two good films in Kreedom and Poi Solla Porom. They were remakes and he had to break the shackles and come up with an original and he does that in style with Madrasapattinam.

A lovely trip this - from Madras to Madrasapattinam on a near smooth road with a few potholes

Two line Reviews - #51

Movie: Diarios de Motocicleta - Argentina,Spanish (2004)



Claps:
The Motorcycle diaries - A film on Ernesto Che Guevera's formative years;What begins as an adventure ride slowly gets into you and shakes your emotions.
The Ernesto-Alberto characters. The fun,the feelings & the motives they share.
Wonderful picturisation of the scenic beauty of Latin America.
The san pablo scenes that give the viewer a shudder.
The final slideshow showing workers to symbolically show that an Ernesto driven revolution is at the end of the tunnel.

Blips:
Nothing at all.

Overall Score: 10/10

Two line Reviews - #50!!

This little work of me reaches a small milestone.
Time for some thanksgiving. Thanks to the two Anands,Kaushik,Manikandan,Satish for the comments & feedback on these films and these reviews. And thanks to all other anonymous patrons who have made the hit stats counter hit this big a number(1788 as i record this).

I hope to keep going and thank a few more guys when I hit the turn with the stone showing a 100. Let's see.

Movie: Fight Club (1999)

I hand-picked this film for my 50th review for the reason that I didn't want to spoil the occasion reviewing a bad film. I have heard this one is very good, rated so high & for some strange reason, I hadn't seen it before.



Claps:
Edward Norton - The electrifying persona of his.
The cool, kick-ass stuff from Brad Pitt.
That little twist in the end - Was worth the wait.
The narrative offered by Norton. Funny,hard-hitting and enthralling.
In the end,I would say "I am Jack,the happy film-watcher"

Blips:
The idea of Tyler Durden to bring the city to level terms.

Overall Score: 9.5/10

Two line Reviews - #49

Movie: Jacob's Ladder (1990)



Claps:
The sequence in which the events are shown. The viewer is wrong-footed every single time. That makes this film an interesting watch.
Tim Robbins as the War veteran (?) has convincingly represented his case.
The subtle biblical references

Blips:
The explanation offered by the chemist about the ladder doesn't fit. Where does he say this? Does he say it at all?
Why does he see devils chasing him in car? An explanation is offered but is not convincing.

Overall Score: 9.2/10

Two line Reviews - #48

Movie: Repulsion (1965)



Claps:
Catherine Deneuve who plays a young girl losing out her senses to fear of loneliness & sexual assault(even when no such things happen) and then to the loneliness itself,thereby becoming a psychotic case. You only end up feeling for that poor thing.
The peculiar sounds & music, usage of symbolic stuff like the spoiling vegetable,meat & cracking of the walls to show she is cracking are things to appreciate.
There is a sense of eeriness to the whole show - All credits to Roman Polanski. Could qualify as the best Psycho thriller I have seen!

Blips:
Nothing. Could have been a bit lengthier!

Overall Score: 9.7/10

Two line Reviews - #47

Movie: Green Zone (2010)



Claps:
The gutsy dig at the USA's claim on the Saddam governed Iraq's possession of WMD.
Matt Damon - The guy definitely has an aura about him.
The honest dialogues of the local who plays Freddy.
Art work.

Blips:
How I wish the climax chase sequences were shot in broad daylight!
Was the real conspiracy this big>? or was it a reel justice? I am not sure..

Overall Score: 9.1/10

Two line Reviews - #46

Movie: Lantana (2001)



Claps:
Taut screenplay with the carefully knitted & purposeful characters.
The presentation of a story on infidelity & relationships hanging in the balance in an unusual but tasteful sense.

Blips:
Some powerful dialogs could have lifted the film even higher.

Overall Score: 9.3/10

Two line Reviews - #45

Movie: Trainspotting (1996)



Claps:
The style of narration employed by Danny Boyle.
Ewan McGregor does a commendable work playing the role of a drug addict trying his very best for rehabilitation.He is ably supported by the guys who play his friends.
The hallucination sequence when he is locked up helplessly for recovery.

Blips:
There are no twists. The screenplay is flat as a pancake.
The first hour is all about drugs,drugs and more drugs. Makes one feel like he/she is watching a documentary feature on drugs!

Overall Score: 8.6/10

Kalavaani - Surprise, surprise!

Kalavaani - When Aan Paavam met Paruthiveeran.

When my friend called me for this film, I thought its name was ‘Kalaivani’ & assumed it would be a film on a woman. Such was the extent to which I knew about ‘Kalavaani’ when I reached the theatre. Another displeasure struck me when I saw the poster there. The hero was the guy who romanced Soppikannu in Pasanga. He was one of the primary reasons why I didn’t like Pasanga as well as many others liked it. So, I went into Kalavaani guessing that I would get a head ache after the watch and hoping against that. After three hours, I realized my guess was wrong and my hope had won. The film was a thorough entertainer and was neatly packaged with less ridiculous content.



There is nothing special with the story. It was just another ‘street-smart irresponsible hero loves a school heroine’ subject. Where it scores is the way the film is presented. The debutant director Sarkunam definitely deserves some appreciation. His first film is definitely a promising work. He goes the commercial way, but not in an inane sense. Another area where he scores is the casting. The only known artistes are probably the hero’s mother (Saranya) and father (Ilavarasu) & of course, Kanja karuppu. The three show how good a screen presence actors can garner with unsophisticated realistic performances.

The film isn’t exactly original. It has traces of films such as Paruthi Veeran and Subramaniapuram but the director has understood the limits to which he can follow these films and hasn’t crossed that. Some of the scenes were novel. For example, the scenes involving Kanja karuppu are conceptually the same as those that show him in Paruthiveeran but the way they are shown impresses the viewer, the net result being a scream from the audience. Another screamer was the scene where the friends of the hero show a cut-out made on him to his father.

The hero has performed very well, providing ample humor & fun. The heroine too has done a pretty good job. The witty dialogues are another plus to this fun film. Cinematography was neat, simple with no gimmicks and that was a relief. There are a very few properly placed songs in Kalavaani with no duets and that is another big respite. Background score was decent but everybody tries to be Yuvan Shankar Raja. Such is the impact he seems to have created with his films set in the rural milieu.

The villain is a big joke. He doesn’t seem to understand what he ought to do. He keeps chasing the hero whenever he gets screen time. He is your stereotype ‘Heroine Annan’ you get to see in tamil films.

The climax of the film is a long winding thing but is a definite delight and reminds one of the classic ‘Aan Paavam’. Kalavaani is not exactly a new age Aan Paavam but the fact that it reminds us of that film is an achievement in itself. If you want to have some good fun and if you are ready to try out a new unfamiliar film, Kalavaani is a safe bet!

Good entertainment guaranteed

Two line Reviews - #44

Movie: Mulholland Dr. (2001)



Claps:
The weird,weird plot. I never knew what was coming.
Naomi Watts. She has tremendous screen presence.
David Lynch's intelligent screen-writing and the myriad of loops running around.

Blips:
I was expecting the loops to fit properly into the jig-saw and bowl me over. But, the way it fell flat at the end was quite disappointing. It is OK to end the film giving a choice to the viewer in terms of the end he wants to conceptualize but it is too much to let the viewer interpret a whole film.

Overall Score: 9.2/10

Two line Reviews - #43

Movie: Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)



Claps:
7.7 in ImDB?! ImDB is flawed!A marvelous family drama this. Ideal for an entire family to sit,watch and appreciate.
Dustin Hoffman - I have only heard of this actor before. First time,watching a film of his. He is brilliant. He looks like Al Pacino of the Dog day afternoon days and he acts as well as Al can.
The kid who plays Billy - It surprises me how they make small kids act so wonderfully!

Blips:
Mrs. Kramer doesn't have a big role in the film.It is a father-son show. For all the show she puts up in the few minutes on screen, i feel that an extended role to Meryl Streep would have done the film more good.

Overall Score: 9.7/10

Two line Reviews - #42

Movie: Sexy Beast(2000)



Claps:
Racy,crisp narration - Traces of Guy Ritchie style.
Ben Kingsley as the fiery Don.He displays tremendous persuasion techniques.
The roles of the stoic Stan and cool Mr.Gal.

Blips:
The irrelevant title of the film!
The don's power comes under the scanner with a dubious climax.

Overall Score: 8.9/10

Two line Reviews - #41

Movie: Into the Wild (2007)



Claps:
A big ovation to Sean Penn and his crew for taking me 'Into the wild'. Watching this film was a terrific experience. It straightaway joins my 10/10 list that already has films like 'Forrest Gump','October Sky' in it.
A lesser known Emile Hirsch gets the role of a lifetime and has toiled hard but I'm sure he must have been proud of his work.
Cinematography,Locations and the philosophical dialogues and lines in tracks are huge pluses too. To quote a few:

• "There is a pleasure in the pathless woods;There is a rapture on the lonely shore;There is society where none intrudes;By the deep sea and music in its roar:I love not man the less but nature more..."
• "If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason,the possibility of life is destroyed"

Blips:
The complex non-linear narrative could have been avoided. The film didn t need that in my honest opinion.

Overall Score: 10/10