Move-ies

Movies that moved me, made me sit up, made me think, showed me new things, made a difference... Good movies, great movies, enjoyable movies, fun movies. Views, Reviews

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Monday, January 04, 2010

3 Idiots (Hindi)

3 Idiots:
Definite good watch. I think the movie definitely ranks 6 or even a 7 on 1to10 scale.
Though I might like to watch it more closely a few more times.
It seemed to me that the movie is multi-layered i.e. there is an obvious message and slightly layered messages below it too. So giving a rating maybe premature on first watch.

Just short of a classic... maybe?
If I were to compare it with say "Taare Zameen Par" I'd say it missed out on being a classic by just a few inches.
The movie is kind of like a stitched up sequence of good scenes.
As if the movie got stuck somewhere and then suddenly jumped to some not so related scene by skipping something in between. The ragging scene is one such. The scene ends and there's no more talk about it.
In one word - Discontinuous.

Spoiler warning for people who haven't seen the movie yet!!
Below para discusses the plot of the story to some extent so read only if you don't care about spoiling the surprise....









[The Message]

The movie works on the principle of mindset.
People are afraid to try something new because it involves getting out of their bad but now-habitual circumstances. They're afraid to stand out, be alone, to do what they fear!!
To BE themselves (and not the way world expects them to behave) or as told in the Gita - Sva-bhaav (Self+expression/emotion)

By the way did a search on the (pseudo) name of the hero character -
Ranchhod-daas Shyamlal Chhanchad
The fact that the Hero was given such a strange name made me think.
By coincidence I'd just read a book which mentioned this very same name in a totally different context.

Ranchhod means the one who's run away from the battlefield i.e. Ran = battle + Chhod = Runaway
This is one of the names of Shri Krishna mentioned in this book "Krishna - The Man and his Message" by Osho.
There is even a temple of Krishna with this name in Gujarat. The hero character is also from Gujarat...
So here Ranchhod-daas would mean the follower of Shri Krishna...
The same one who sang the Bhagvad-Gita to help people stuck in the coils of dharma and karma.

He fled from each of the 18 attacks of JaraSandh only to establish Dwarika as a fortified city and eventually defeated him on the 19th time. Hence the name.

Shri Chinmaya explains why the incarnation of the Lord Shri Vishnu would run away from a fight!!
Shri Krishna here is the symbolic sadhaka or seeker who is overwhelmed repeatedly by JaraSandha (the primordial energies of the body or past samskaras) i.e. the bodily weaknesses and can only hope to run away from them in order to not succumb.
Finally he gathers enough strength to overcome his own weakening tendencies.

If this **IS** the intended underlying message then I definitely feel that this movie is more than what it appears!!

By an even stranger "coincidence" Imran Khan in "Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa" comes from the Rathod family of Ranjhod!! Is this a coincidence or something thought up by Aamir Khan??!!

As I said this may just be a coincidence or my own interpretation of something not intended.

Either way....
Aaal Iiijj Waayl!!!

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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Rocket Singh - Salesman of the Year

Director: Shimit Amin (of Chak De India! fame) has come up with a understated, lowkey masterpiece "Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year".

A must watch for thoughtful insightful viewers.

In terms of the common underlying message two old classics come to mind:
"Do Aankhen Barah Haat"
and "Les Miserables".

Among the basic human drives are the need for acknowledgement, trust, acceptance and belief in us by others.
This is what drives most of us to compromise with the real us and adapt, twist and mould ourselves as we feel the world wants us.

Until we meet a man who sees right past the crud encrusting our exterior and sees the real person behind.

Like a mirror the film sheds light on dark recesses in the lives of "hardened dalaals (pimps)".
Despicable and distasteful until we glimpse the path that led them there.
Lighting up choking corners of shame, frustration, anger, misery, envy and claustrophobia.
All due to selling out of basic human integrity.

The salesmen who first need to sell their integrity, hopes, dreams and souls before they can sell anything else...
but then what they get in return in hind-sight is not really worth the price paid.
The inability to look oneself and others in the eye and say what is - without fear, without expectation, without anger.

A feeling of compromise and selling ones cleanliness and swachhata/svechha.
In exchange for crumbs of power and money and fear based wants.

It has something to say on how valuable yet taken for granted (even held in contempt) are things like simplicity, truth, honesty, innocence and incredulity.

"Jab main naya ayaa tha naa... tere jaisa thaa..... phir dhire dhire seekh gaya...".
The story of loss of innocence, trust, belief and faith.
An awe of cleverness, short-cuts, artifice, sophistication, hardness, power-politics.
All hiding the fear of failing... and falling in other peoples' eyes.

Rising in others eyes but falling in one's own gaze.

How the hero battles this situation and comes out of it... is the story.

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Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Stub: 12 Angry Men (English)

trial by jury
fonda
logic
prejudice
callousness
empathy
thinking
psychology

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Stub: The Mexican (English)

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While You Were Sleeping (English)

A light romantic comedy of errors and the longing for belonging in every person....
Starring Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman in a Story of an lonely train ticket-lady who misses her family and has very few friends.
She's got a crush on a regular passenger whom she saves from an accident.
He goes into a coma and how she gets confused for his fiance by the family....
I've watched this movie so many times... but enjoy it like new every single time...

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Monday, March 19, 2007

Lakshya (Hindi)

Hritik Roshan shines with his comic portrayal of a rich dad's son who doesn't know what he wants to do in life. Till he finds his Lakshya... (aim/goal).... His dancing is simply amazing.... like a lithe leopard --- without spots!! :-)

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Chit-Chor (Hindi)

A superb classic with playback by Yesudas it's the "gori tera gaon bada pyara" movie.... Simple plot (a love triangle) great music, superb direction by Basu Chatterjee.
Zareena Wahab is a doe-eyed beauty with a poor Amol Palekar and a rich Vijayendra Ghatge vying for her attention.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitchor

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Anand (Hindi)

Tragi-comedy... it's a heart warmer with some of the most memorable songs in Hindi cinema.
It's the story of a terminal case who finds meaning in his waning life by spreading fun and laughter with everyone he meets.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anand_%28film%29

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Golmaal (Hindi)

A Hrishikesh Mukherjee comedy starring Amol Palekar, Utpal Dutt it has some of the best songs in Hindi cinema. "Rim Jhim gire sawan" and many more. It has so many twists and turns that you eagerly wait for the punch-line and twist EVERY time you see this classic

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Stub: Ek Doctor Ki Maut (Hindi)

Stub: Sooraj Ka Saatvan Ghoda (Hindi)

Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (Hindi)

A hilarious Herbie types comedy to say the least....
Great songs with the delectable pastry like Madhubala and the hyper crazy Kishore Kumar....

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Droh-Kaal (Hindi)

A film about the people caught in the web of terrorism shows the human side of police, terrorists and common people as the "game" of terror plays on....

A very tense and shaking movie by Govind Nihlani

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Saraansh (Hindi)

A very touching story of a retired couples fight to get back the ashes of their only son through customs and then their sheltering of a single mother from the attacks of her lovers political might.

Excellent movie. 10/10 rating. Anupam Kher's acting is awe-inspiring.

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Khosla-Ka-Ghosla (Hindi)

Excellent movie.
A big realtor is muscling in on a retired pensioner. How does he fight back?!!

Reminded me a lot of the movie "Saraansh" with Anupam Kher in it. Reaaallly good.

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Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Ice-Age 2

Hilarious animation at its best..... with punchlines just round the corner.
Esp the crazy compulsive disorder squirrel(?) who's nuts for nuts... Must watch!!

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Saturday, July 29, 2006

GalaxyQuest (SciFi Comedy)

Starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman.
SciFi Comedy based on the StarTrek TV Series.

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Sunday, July 23, 2006

My Cousin Vinny (English)

A Gem of a movie. I never tire of seeing it!!
A comedy with a twist.

2 boys from NewYork are just going through Southern US. They buy supplies for the journey from a store. Later they find that they've not paid for a tin of caviar. They think of heading back and paying for it, only the police is already after them. They end up in jail arrested for murdering the store-clerk!! They end up admitting to a crime they didn't commit.

This is where "My cousin Vinny" enters the scene.
Vinny and his saucy waify girlfriend come over from New York to defend the confused duo.
Only problem is he's just finished lawschool and he's very "popular" with the Judge.

A comedy of errors, chance happenings and great story-telling.
Watch it!!.

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