From Paris with Love (2010) (5/10)

Eiffel tower is shown a couple of times, a drive past Seine once but otherwise this movie could have been shot anywhere. I deplore the use of one of my favorite city's name in this fashion. The movie has elements of espionage and something like a plot but many holes. But clearly like many Hindi movies you are supposed to ignore that and just go gaga over the violence and the attendant nonchalance. Bottomline: if you like guns and shootings and brawls, this is for you. If not, perhaps you could give it a miss.

From Paris with Love (2010) (5/10)

The Color of Magic (2008) (6/10)

Had decided to watch this for my love of Terry Pratchett though from past experience I knew that movies don't live up to their print counterparts - and I had not read the book. I wasn't disappointed in what I had thought. The movie was complex enough and many of the usual characters were there - including a troll and the sentient luggage (knowing about diskworld is useful) but it is difficult to bring about the humour in the text. Did get to the see the circumfence and the rimbow though. A lot that should be left to imagination escapes like spells from book of magic and then is not as effective somehow. The tourist lives up to one and is by far the star, if unintendedly. I will leave the turtles be.

The Color of Magic (2008) (6/10)

Never Cry Wolf (1983) (7/10)

An unlikely lone ranger or rather a lonely biologist out in the arctic sent to locate the Canis Lupus Arctos. Hunt the caribou hunters, he is told. Crisp description, half in a report format, half in a diary format leaves a bit to be desired. Thankfully the no-nonsense natural surrounding left untouched makes up for it. Encounters with the Inuit, learning of their wolf tales, and understanding of their relationship with the Caribou gradually comes out. Interesting situations develop where the protagonist needs to assert himself in the lupine territory and when he discovers the caribou that the wolves actually eat and has to follow suit if only as an experiment to give credence to his observations. The bad human angle in the end seems overdone (though an equivalent is likely to be undoubtedly true).

Based on a book which is based on facts. Same name. By Farley Mowat.



Never Cry Wolf (1983) (7/10)

Peepli [Live] (2010) (6/10)

A movie dealing with the current problem of farmers being driven to suicide by dwindling resources and a nonexistent support system. It is a serious problem. The movie attempts to bring out the seriousness by showing it in a lighter vein by highlighting the apathy of the media and the politicians. That has come out very well. Two statements standout in the whole movie. One where an established journalist tells a novice what journalism is. Not very convincingly, but she clearly is happy that she could state it and definitely believes in it. The second is by the agricultural minister about promises and their implementation or unneed thereof.

One thing that was lacking from the whole mela was the NGOs. How could they not be there in the whole affair. The answer that two conversations brought out was that it is an NGO movie and you cannot make light of other NGOs.

Peepli [Live] (2010) (6/10)

haapus (2010) (6/10)

In haapus (Alphonso) they have tried to deal with a pertinent problem of the money not reaching the people who go produce as well as trying to dismantle, if only a little, the hold that astrology has on people. However its been mixed with comedy partly based on twins and with too fantastic a transition that comes about towards the end. Add to it the trauma of a past accident, a mother on the deathbed and so on. So, while it is not a masala movie in the usual sense, there is a lot of its own masala in it. To black and white in some sense.

haapus (2010) (6/10)

Following (1998) (8/10)

This short film (70 minutes) by Christopher Nolan is full of twists. Its more like one big twist. A cerebral movie like his other ones. It starts with someone following other people for fun and then the story unravels. Break-ins, murders, blackmail all feature here with less than half a dozen people involved in all the action. There seem to be a few loops ala memento and inception, so watch out, and enjoy.

Following (1998) (8/10)

Wake Up Sid (2009) (6/10)

A no-nonsense movie about growing up, companionship and may be maturity, or recognition of it. Doesn't glorify the typical tenets of today's society and lets its protagonists go with the flow. Everyone is quietly confident. Mistakes are made, but well, mistakes happen. Though the movie s about two people, they do not dominate it and so it is very natural and nice to watch. Finding the groove takes time, but one has to take deliberate steps towards it and be passionate about *something*. Excellent acting.

Wake Up Sid (2009) (6/10)