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How many of you have seen a Buster Keaton movie? He’s not as well-known as Charlie Chaplin, but his comedic talents are no less prodigious. He was also an amazingly courageous stunt man – not only did he do his own stunts – some of them quite amazing – he even used to be a…
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My favourite Mani Rathnam movie of all time. Yes, even more than Mouna Raagam, Nayakan or the movie I just raved about in an earlier post – Kannathil Muthamittal. I can’t quite explain why. Iruvar is the story of two men, both destined to shape the future of Tamil Nadu politics. One is an actor,…
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One of the recurring themes in Mani Rathnam’s movies is that of an individual or a family caught in a social maelstrom. Kannathil Muthamittal is one such, depicting a little girl’s search for her biological mother in civil war-ravaged Sri Lanka. For the most part, the movie is, I think, pitch perfect. It overdoes it…
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There’s a reason why my choice for the best screen mom of all time is Jaya Bachchan in Fiza, and the reason is this scene. (Before you ask, no, I haven’t seen Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa, so I can’t comment on that one.) Her son was lost years ago during some communal riots in the…
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I was discussing Tamil and Telugu movies with my bro-in-law Goutham, and he told me that Siddharth is now one of the hottest properties in the Telugu film industry, thanks to two superhit movies where he plays the romantic lead (Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana and Bommarillu). Goutham’s way of describing it was: the guynow occupies the position…
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Watched Baabul yesterday night. Ravi Chopra seems to have made his choice of genre clear – the family melodramas of the eighties, the type that Visu used to be well-known for. (For a brilliant rant on the subject, check out this piece by dingchak). Now, while this may not be obvious from my earlier posts,…
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Kate Hudson won a richly deserved Oscar nomination for her part as Penny Lane in this movie. Penny is a free spirit – a groupie to the rest of the world, a “band-aid” in her own mind. She in love with Russell Hammond, the lead guitarist of Stillwater. William Miller, the boy reporter who follows…
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A movie with some very smart dialogue, delivered by actors who clearly relish the material. Standout examples include Will’s monologue about why he shouldn’t join the NSA, Sean’s speech about regret, the scene in the bar when Will blows away a cocky Harvard student… the list goes on. However, my two favourite moments from the…
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I just finished watching Vivah, Sooraj Barjatya’s latest venture into feel-good territory. It’s an interesting experience, sort of like watching The Princess Diaries – you figure there’s an audience for this kind of movie, but you have no idea what that is, or why such an audience would even exist. Vivah is, as the tagline…
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I was watching The American President on HBO tonight – a wonderful movie, by the way – and got to thinking about formulae. There are many well-known recipes in the film industry, none more often used, I think, than the romantic comedy. You get a man and a woman to meet cute, then spend the…
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