Taxi Driver [Views]

Directed by Martin Scorsese
Imdb link -> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075314/

I believe that one should become a person like other people...

He's a lonely forgotten man desperate to prove that he's alive. This tagline very well sums up what the film is about.

Travis Bickle (Robert de Niro), a taxi driver lives in New York city. He suffers from insomnia and therefore spends spare time watching porn movies at a theatre or observing the city and its people. He gets obsessed with a girl Betsy (Cybill  Shepherd) working for a president campaign. When the dating with her doesn't work out, he starts following Iris (Jodie Foster) who is a prostitute and Travis wants to free her from a life he believes she is fed up of.

I love the way Scorsese narrates the story through the Point of View of Travis. The same thing he did in Goodfellas too, though I think in this film he did this in a larger extent.

The screenplay is intentionally kept slow, building the character of Travis who slowly is going to get insane and do some mad activities. That practice of shooting sequence, change in hairstyle, talking to a security person at President's place and the shoot sequence at Iris place were some of best moments in the film.

The dialogues are really good. All the observations that Travis has in the film, are connectable easily.

Robert de Niro is excellent, its my first film that I have seen of him. Certainly, a actor that should interest me a lot in more movies I watch of him. I love all the conversations he has with his family through those diary writing. And specially the way he observes people, or a ongoing conversation.. sometimes giving a expression of 'I am not sure how I am supposed to react'.

I didn't like this film that much when I saw it, then I love it now. The more I thought on it, the more I liked it. Certainly one of those films for me. Plus, the fact that I expected a fast paced film when I started watching it was also one of major reasons.

Though still Goodfellas and The Departed are above Taxi Driver for me. Repeated viewings could certainly change that in future, for sure I missed certain detailings that are there in the film. 

Moneyball [Views]

Directed by Bennett Miller 

Imdb link -> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1210166/

I hate losing. I 'hate' it. I hate losing more than I even wanna win. 

Baseball is one game that I got attached to while I was fond of video games. I used to love playing it, but I have never seen it on T.V or played in real. There are many rules or terms related to the game that I ain't aware of. Yet, very rarely in the film I get a problem with that, because of the kind of screenplay the film has chosen to have. 

Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) who didn't have a successful career as a baseball player, is now a General Manager of a club team 'Oakland A's'. Its a team that just lost the final game in the league series and has been on the low side. Three of its players have now shifted to different team, and Billy who is having a financial problem to trade big players has to re-build a new team. By the help of Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) who is good at handling statistics being a economics student, Billy aims to re-construct a new team on basis of computer stats of various players. A strategy that works, and yet doesn't work out for him. 

The screenplay is very well divided into two segments that runs parallely, one of Billy as a General Manager trying to survive and make his team become a winning team, while other is of Billy in his teenage who is about to chose between becoming a baseball player or doing his scholarship. 

The director never tries to narrate the film through baseball complete games, instead he uses montages of games, most of the times montages of 1-2 best moments or shots of a game. The focus always remains on the stats and the trading that goes behind the back. That's one of the main reasons why the film works, plus the ending which is very unlike a sports film you usually would see. 

The conversations between Peter and Billy, Billy's arguements with the club members and owner, and his emotional side when with his daughter, driving car thinking of his past un-successful career as a player, frustrated with Art/Grady for not believing in his strategies or his dilemna to watch/listen a game avoiding jinxing are some of best moments of the film. 

'The show' track lines are brilliantly used twice in the film, once directly and other time on Billy. 'I am just a little bit caught in the middle. Life is a maze, Love is a riddle. I don't know where to go,can't do it alone'. The dialogues are good. Nice editing, there are many extreme close up shots used in the film. 

Brad Pitt performance is very good as a coach. He is mostly seen as a humurous (mostly with Peter) and angry (with Art and Grady) person while having conversations with people. The emotional side is mostly shown in no dialogue sequences, especially the car driving shots at night. Though, there is a slight over-dose of the car sequences at a point. Plus, watch him feeling uneasy during every game, he won't see the game, won't listen commentary, because he believes he would jinx it.

Jonah Hill is simply hillarious throughout the movie. Specially his sequences with Billy in the film, when he first time has a conversation with him about it being his first job ever, or when Billy tells him how to tell a player about the trade happened, or the joy shown unlike Billy does when a very successful trade happens on phone. 

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Art Howe) is natural as always, a no nonsense guy who is stubborn about his beliefs. Seeing by his perspective, he isn't wrong yet if you go by the change Billy brings about, he was wrong. 

Special mention to the home run sequence, very funny it was. 

In the end, Moneyball is a very good sports film that talks about the the trading of players and statistics as means of buidling a good baseball team. The hardships faced by the coach with all the opposition from the club people he works for, and his own bad past of un-successful baseball player makes it a intriguing watch, and add to it the unusual finish to the film. 

The Woman in Black [Views]

Directed by : James Watkins
Imdb link -> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1596365/

Don't go chasing shadows, Arthur.

This movie is a perfect lesson for our Hindi films to learn how to make a good horror film. The ingredients are, short in length of time, mystery of the scary spirit till atleast final 15-20 mins of film, scary elements at right time without going overboard and fine performances by the leads.

The very first sequence of the film is bizarre, and creates the question 'What is happening and Why?'

Arthur (Daniel Radcliffe), a young lawyer goes to a village for a case of a house to be sold. But, very little does he know that he would be dealing with a unseen spirit that has been creating terror in that village in past, a woman in black.

The movie is kept very simple, a haunted house used to bring the scary moments into the narrative with some good unexpected scenes. Also, cinematography is excellent. Really, loved the sequence where Arthur travels to the house for first time with a horse ride.

The climax is very different and adds to the appeal of this horror film for me. Special mention to the graveyard scene, and the one where Arthur invites the woman to come.. best of the movie.

Danile Radcliffe delivers a very fine performance, the director never tries to focus on the sad lifestyle Arthur lives, and instead focusses on his new case that is very important for him in his professional career.

The guy who plays Arthur's friend meeting him in train, brings that mystery element into the narrative, one whom you feel to trust and yet wonder he could be someone linked with spirit.

In the end, 'The Woman in Black' works as a horror movie for me for the reason that it never tries too much, keeps it simple with good scary moments and a very different ending.

Movie Analysis : Ek Main Aur Ek Tu

Directed by Shakun Batra
Imdb link -> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1703958/

Are you Wild ? Yea, I am wild. Kitna wild ? Ab Sher se kya poochna kitni baar shikaar kiya hai .... 

Rahul (Imran Khan) is basically a guy who does whatever his parents i.e Boman Irani and Ratna Pathak ask him to do. Boman looks after his professional life, while Ratna to his diet and hairstyle, and his marriage with a rich socialite girl. But, things change for Rahul when he meets Raina (Kareena Kapoor), a hair stylist and they get over-drunk that they end up getting married. Both seek divorce now, but with time they become good friends, would it result in love too or not is, and will Rahul overcome the kind of stressful life he lives since childhood...

Shakun is the real star of the film, he gives the film a very fresh feel, be it the kind of narration (yes, its little dull in portions of 2nd half) and the ending of the film. He could so easily have made people say 'the same old story', but he avoids that with a good climax.

There is good humour kept due to the kind of life Rahul lives, obeying his parents always. Those car rituals, keeping silent, parents drink beer, he drinks juice. And the funny childhood photos on walls at his house. At places, the humour does fall flat like the Raina's mention of 'main tumhe woh lagti hoon kya' etc, but they are far and few.

Rahul's character does remind of 'Aarush' in Housefull only in terms of looks, the character sketch is totally different. Plus, his transformation towards latter part of film is justified. While Kareena Kapoor at places slips into Geet character, but its more to do with her role that slightly does things similar to Geet. Maybe, writers should be told to keep Geet character out of their mind while writing for Kareena Kapoor in future films.

Editing is good. Music by Amit Trivedi is very good once again, and all the songs are well used by Shakun in his narrative. The title track is specially my fav of all, while Aahatein, Gubbare and Aunty ji also make up for a good watch. And one additional track that aint in the album, is quite pleasant too.

Imran Khan as a actor does quite well, still not at his best but a good improvement. Specially, the 1st meet with Raina, or the dining table scene with parents, or the one where he realizes he is in love, and the one where he shouts at Raina at school place.

Kareena Kapoor is lively, had it not been the Geet effect it would had been even better. Still, a very good performance, plus she looks very beautiful, good costumes as well as the hairstyle.

Boman Irani is good, though not much scope for his character. Ratna Pathak Shah has some scenes to shine off, be it the one where she meets Raina for first time or the dining table ending dialogue.

Ram Kapoor was good in that Pizza sequence, otherwise he doesn't have much role.


Overall, Ek Main Aur Ek Tu is a good fresh rom-com film which appeals for the Shakun's vision and treatment, plus the fact that its just 1hr 50 mins film. If you don't like Imran and Kareena, you should watch it for Shakun's direction, chances are you won't be dissappointed.


Verdict : Nice 

War Horse [Views]

Directed by Steven Speilberg
Imdb link -> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568911/

I might hate you more, but I will never love you less.

Ted (Peter Mullan) goes to buy a plough horse, and ends up coming back with a fancy horse that too at a high price of 30 guinees, only because he couldn't see the landlord win. Angry with his husband's deed, Rose (Emily Watson) orders him to make this horse plough field sooner or she would send it back. Their son, Albert (Jeremy Irvine) who had seen the same horse in the opening sequence of the film, takes it on himself to train the horse, and he does succeed, also names him Joey. But, due to rains, the harvest gets destroyed resulting in Ted taking the horse to sell and gain money needed for family. Joey has a journey of meeting different people, who would treat him differently, he travels from British Cavalry to lifting gun machines from German camp, to a small girl Emilie (Celine Buckens) joy for a while.

I could feel the pain Joey had, when he was improperly used by some people in the name of just a animal. How he tried to keep the black horse going, helping it from getting killed thanks to all the training given by Albert.

Some of the best moments from the film would be, Albert making Joey plough the field, Emilie trying her best to make Joey jump.. it was such a funny sequence, and cute she looks when Joey fails. Joey helps the black horse put a tyre into his neck, which Albert taught him once.The English and German men on war, decide to hault for a brief time just to help Joey who is all wired up. For me this was the best scene of the film, and so brilliantly written and directed, it just takes your breath away to see two people on war helping each other to get Joey standing, and while doing so they have a nice conversation going too. The whistle by Albert to Joey in the penultimate sequence. And the good luck ribbon he finally hands over to his father, he once promised he would at right time.

The film is 2 hr 25 mins long, but that would worry you only if you fail to connect to the movie, which in turn means if you cant connect to the suffering of Joey, and the seperation Joey has from Albert for all the time.

Apart from Albert-Joey relationship, Joey goes on to have good relation with the British guy who boughts him from Ted. Later, he is served well by Emilie, and also a good guy on german gun machine tanks. There's one sequence where Joey runs from everything happening around him, all the gun-shots, fire, soldiers, he blindly runs, mainly for the loss of his friend black horse, the only one after Albert he was more close to.

The cinematography is superb, and special mention to that final scene, beautiful it is.

Jeremy Irvine as Albert is very good as a kid who wants Joey with him always, who trains him and makes him good enough to survive without him. Love all the sequences he has with Joey in the film.

Peter Mullan plays a grey shade role very well, he is essentially not a bad peson as his wife Rose says in one scene of the film. He just does things that would help the family survive.

Emily Watson was decent, with her dialogue sequences forming a major part of what the film is about, mainly the one where she discloses the real side of Ted to Albert.

Niels Arestrup was very good as Emilie grandfather, especially the scene where he tells how brave he is or isnt. And the final scene with Albert.

The rest of the cast gave decent performances, as there were a plenty of sub-plots in the film, whoever Joey went next to would become a new story to watch for, it may last for long or end quickly, as the destiny has planned for Joey.

Overall, War Horse works for me only of one reason, the way I could connect with Joey's sufferings. Speilberg keeps a war going in the backdrop, but in real the story keeps linked to the horse Joey, who gets named 'War Horse' later.

The Ides of March [Views]

Directed by George Clooney

Imdb link -> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1124035/

All the reporters love you. Even the reporters that hate you still love you.

Stephen (Ryan Gosling) works as a campaign manager for Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney). Stephen believes in his idealistic ways of working, and he believes in Morris a lot, therefore wants him to be President at any cost. Stephen gets a call from opponent campaign manager, plus something else goes wrong in Morris campaign and the girl Molly (Evan Rachel Wood) he was having romance with, has a secret that would shake every bit out of him. 

The film goes into exploiting the behind the scene activities in Politics, lots of manipulation and scripting of speeches, plus how much your loyalty is questioned irrevalent of what kind of person you are who is questioning it. 

I like how well the framing and lighting is done in the film, and some great camera-work too. Ryan Gosling is excellent in a character who despite believing in his morals commits few mistakes to be made to question, he has to chose between his job, and the morals he prefers to have while working. And, he does make a right choice. 

George Clooney is more of a supporting actor in the film, and very efficient. The kind of greyness his character holds is so invisibile (as most of his scenes are to enact the speeches written for him by Stephen's team), that one has to applaud the writing of his character especially for this result. Infact, the writing as a whole is pretty impressive, never getting preachy which a plot like this would easily do. (One of the reasons I felt Raajneeti looks so small in front of this film)

Almost every actor in the film has got that one big scene to get noticed, Duffy (Paul Giamatti) has that one scene with Stephen where he tells why he can't hire him now when he was interested to do so before. Its a scene where you have to agree with the reasons the opponent campaigner Duffy gives to Stephen. 

Evan Rachel Wood brings some of the light romantic moments in the film, especially the two sequences, both with Stephens, one in his cabin as he tries to ask her out or she makes him ask her out, and other when they are in a restaurant. 

Paul (Phillip Hoffman) is very good in a supporting role, especially the sequence where he questions the loyalty of Stephens, or the silent sequence with Morris in car. 

Ida (Marisa Tomei) and Ben (Max Minghella) were good in their small roles.

Overall, The Ides of March is a very good film for the way it portrays behind the activities of politics without getting over-board, and how a single person's life gets affected through some of his own wrong steps taken, and the rest by his own colleagues, yet he finds his way through in a place he has learned is very dirty and his idealistic approach won't help him no longer. 

Breakfast at Tiffanys [Views]

Directed by Blake Edwards

Imdb link -> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054698/

Okay, Life's a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other, because that's the only chance anybody's got for real happiness. 

The film appealed to me more in the 2nd half than the 1st one. Its story of a call girl, Holly (Audrey Hepburn) who lives in a New York apartment. The person living a floor up always gets irritated by the disturbance caused by the social parties Holly is always engaged in. A new person Paul (George Peppard) comes to live in a apartment next to her. Paul and Holly despite having very less in common, happen to bond well, and eventually fall in love. But Holly ain't ready to marry someone who isn't rich. She has some reservations against marriage.

I like the fact that the director keeps the film non-vulgar. Audrey's performance specially is very good, a talkative girl who shares what she actually is mainly with Paul, whom she finds so close and similar in appearance to her brother Fred. She is not ready to accept that she can actually love someone, and someone can actually love her a lot. She has more or less taken herself as a girl who would just use the rich customers to her own benefit and lead a luxury life, even if deep inside she knows that won't really give her the real happiness, that's why she repeatedly says 'At Tiffanys you never feel low, you can't feel sad here. Its just so good here'. The story is more of her self-realization that takes place by Paul as the story goes forward.

 The conversation between Holly and Paul when they meet for 1st time,, the hillarious party sequence, the tiffany steal scene and the climax are the best scenes of the film. Also special mention to the opening credits, I like the work of DOP, very good camera angles too. And, the cat references throughout the movie telling how similar the life of Holly is to the cat whom she isnt willing to give any name. And, the final sequence is again related to the cat, making her realize some hard-truths she was running away from.

George Peppard is just about fine in his performance. He excels in the climax scene though. While I loved that guy whom Paul asks for help when in jail, his small cameo was nice and funny.

The person living in upper apartment of Holly, was just irritating.. what was that lamp doing above his bed, a total waste of character.

Overall, despite a low 1st half, the 2nd half so much makes up for it that its among the movies I may like to watch again too. Its mainly to do with good direction and audrey's great performance.