Oscar Movies

Watched two Oscar nominated movies today - Slumdog Millionaire and Frost/Nixon. They were both so brilliant that I do not know which one I liked better.

But I must add that Frank Langella did a stellar performance as President Nixon. His presence dwarfed everyone else in the movie.

Also, it's heartwarming that Rahman got his long overdue recognition in the international audience. Though a couple of his songs are simply fabulous in the movie, it's not his best work.

On life

From the movie Garden State, there is this line Natalie Portman says to Zach Braff -
"If you don’t laugh at yourself, life is going to seem a lot longer than you want it to."

Inspired.

Wall*E: Beyond the Ordinar*E

In the summer of 1994, there was a lunch. Me, John Lasseter, Pete Doctor, Joe Ranft, all sat down... Toy Story was almost complete... and we thought - Well, jeez, if we were gonna make another movie we gotta get started now! So at that lunch we knocked around a bunch of ideas that eventually became A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo... the last one we talked about that day was the story of a robot. Named Wall*E.

Andrew Stanton
Director of Finding Nemo

I have missed very few of animation movies on the big screen. And I have watched each of them at least three times. Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Toy Story, Cars, Monsters Inc. etc were works of staggering geniuses. Even the not so famous ones like Robots. And I am really really really looking forward to Wall*E.

Coming to a theater near me.
On June the 27th.

What if mankind had to leave Earth, and somebody forgot to turn the last robot off? After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, WALL*E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) discovers a new purpose in life (besides collecting knick-knacks) when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL*E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet’s future, and races back to space to report her findings to the humans (who have been eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return home). Meanwhile, WALL*E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of the most exciting and imaginative comedy adventures ever brought to the big screen. Joining WALL*E on his fantastic journey across a universe of never-before-imagined visions of the future, is a hilarious cast of characters including a pet cockroach, and a heroic team of malfunctioning misfit robots.

(Source)

There are two major trailers to the movie as embedded here (courtesy YouTube).

Wall*E: Trailer 1

Wall*E: Trailer 2

The PR and advertising of this in the US is great - they have shown it in several places including the superbowl this year as well! Disney has also released this other promotional clip on Wall-E, as if it were available in a store (Buy-n-Large, heh).

Disney Promotional Video (Wall*E)

I know I am not going to be disappointed when I watch the movie. And I love the way it says "Wall*E'.

The beauty of argument

That's the beauty of argument, if you argue correctly, you are never wrong.

One of my all time favorite movie has been and will remain "Thank you for smoking". I had seen it way back in 2006 and that movie is a big load of many-things-to-learn.
Nick Naylor, a lobbyist for a big tobacco firm has a tough job fronting an organization that kills 1200 people a day. But that does not make him a bad person - it's his job. To talk.
And in fact, this movie throws light on all those people who take the fall in place of others. While the world hates such people, there is something else in their lives which the mediocre brained do not see.
He fights for and teaches how to fight for one's dignity. He brings perspective to several things in life that are blindly taken as to be wrong. Here is the trailer - you must watch the movie if you have not seen it. For those who admire strong satire and good quality comedy, you will not be disappointed.

Trailer: Thank you for smoking

Here's my favorite scene from the movie - where Nick is describing the nuances of his job to his son. About how to be right, even if you are not necessarily right. All it takes to prove you are right, is to prove the other person is wrong. Even if it is on a different aspect. And you need to prove it to people watching, not to the person himself. Not the right thing to do, but unfortunately, that is how it works in the world.

Joey: So, what happens when you're wrong?
Nick: Well, Joey, I'm never wrong.
Joey: But you can't always be right.
Nick: Well, if it's your job to be right, then you're never wrong.
Joey: But what if you are wrong?
Nick: Okay, let's say that you're defending chocolate and I'm defending vanilla. Now, if I were to say to you, "Vanilla's the best flavor ice cream", you'd say …?
Joey: "No, chocolate is."
Nick: Exactly. But you can't win that argument. So, I'll ask you: So you think chocolate is the end-all and be-all of ice cream, do you?
Joey: It's the best ice cream; I wouldn't order any other.
Nick: Oh. So it's all chocolate for you, is it?
Joey: Yes, chocolate is all I need.
Nick: Well, I need more than chocolate. And for that matter, I need more than vanilla. I believe that we need freedom and choice when it comes to our ice cream, and that, Joey Naylor, that is the definition of liberty.
Joey: But that's not what we're talking about.
Nick: Ah, but that's what I'm talking about.
Joey: But … you didn't prove that vanilla's the best.
Nick: I didn't have to. I proved that you're wrong, and if you're wrong, I'm right.
Joey: But you still didn't convince me.
Nick: Because I'm not after you. I'm after them. (points to a crowd of people)

Michael Jordan plays ball. Charles Manson kills people. I talk. Everyone has a talent.

**
Aside, I am trying to come up with a good voicemail message for my phone. I am not being very successful.

Movie Review: Beowulf

Spoiler alert: This movie will spoil your evening.

Angelina Jolie was the best part in the movie. But it had nothing to do with the movie.

This movie with 3D digital actors is about kings and heroes falling to the temptations of demon temptress based on the mythical plot of Beowulf. About monsters and dragons set upon those who do not keep their promises. About the wrath of a woman scorned. But apparently the plot did follow the actual story as Gaurav writes (read Beowulf: What the hell!!!!) .

Oh and yeah, no prizes for guessing that Angelina Jolie played the temptress. Anthony Hopkins plays King too, but his robe kept falling off. And all he kept announcing was "let's drink and be merry". He said something about a curse also...

The movie was hilarious too. Rolling on the floor laughing funny. But that was not the director's intention. For a greater amount of time, the hero was in the nude. Yes, there was nudity. Was there male frontal nudity? Yes. But his... er... *masculinity* on several occasionally was hidden by someone else's arm, helmet, sword, pole, smoke, fire, specter, dragon, a gold trumpet etc. For example, when Beowulf was being seduced by the temptress, his (raging) masculinity was masked by a long sword. (P)Unintended humor?

This movie was a giggle fest. The plus side? The animation was brilliant. And all the unintended humor.

YouTube Movie (1:52 min)

Rating: 5/10
Recommended? Only if you have nothing better to do. Or if you want to point and laugh at a movie probably intended to be serious.

Other movies reviewed in this blog

Movie Review: Martian Child

The story of a man becoming a father... and a boy becoming a son.

John Cusack plays a yet another amazing role in this 108 min movie, as a writer (David Gordon) adopting and adapting to a child, Dennis, with reclusive social tendencies. Played by Bobby Coleman, Dennis believes that he is from Mars sent on a mission to earth. Though difficult to communicate with, he is smart and a fast learner and happens to have a sense of humor.
However, due to unsociable characteristics of Dennis, the CPS (Child Protection Services) is skeptical of David's capabilities of fathering this child, and wants to have the child transfered to a "special needs" school. The movie sails through several elements of parenting and accepting the eccentric. It helps the audience empathize with the constant expectation to be "normal" in the society.

YouTube Video (2:30)

The character of David Gordon is based on the real life David Gerrold, author of "The Martian Child". The movie is based on the same book, and as a plot treat, involves the character of David Gordon penning the first draft of the very same. The movie has its funny moments for the greater time and is craftily written. Even if you don't make it to the theater, I would recommend renting it when the DVDs are out.

Movie rating: 8/10

Recommended (similar) movies:
I am Sam, K-PAX

Other movies (p)reviewed in this blog

Movie Review: The Darjeeling Limited

"I love the way this country smells. I'll never forget it. It's kind of spicy."

Adrien Brody on India, as Peter Whitman in The Darjeeling Limited

Three brothers meet up a year after the demise of their father to make a journey that starts aboard a train named The Darjeeling Limited. The movie starts off looking like it's going to be a spiritual journey - but it's something else. It's not about emotions running high. Not about the typical epiphanies shown where brothers realize at the end of the movie that they are meant to be with each other.
This movie is of humor and wit. Of brotherhood and friendship. Of life, love and responsibilities. Made with style, fantastic cinematography and finesse. How seemingly meaningless events in ones life changes perspectives or strengthens them.

And a whole lot of India.

The use of humor is both a mix of fortunate accidents and witty lines. The movie is splashed with a lot of Hindi, so much that it feels like Wes Anderson targeted an Indian audience for this movie. My favorite scene in the movie is when the train they are going in stops for a long time in the middle of nowhere.

Francis: What's going on?
Brendan: I don't know, I guess the train's lost.
Jack: What did he say?
Peter: He said the train is lost
Jack: How can a train be lost? It's on rails.

Movie Trailer: The Darjeeling Limited (2:22 min)

The movie scenes are witty, and camera sequences are brilliant in terms of creativity and execution. While most of my friends said that there was no plot really and see that as a bad point in the film - I differ slightly on that aspect. While I agree that the film is slightly episodic in nature, with no moral to take home, the direction and treatment of various aspects of strained human emotions are tastefully done. On a sublime level, it deals with life, living life and death as well in a way that makes you be a part of the movie in the very same steps as the characters.

Natalie Portman, Bill Murray, Irrfan Khan and several others make cameo appearances. Bill Murray does not even talk in the movie! Some rural concepts and behavioral patterns in India have been beautifully portrayed. But what was not clear from the movie was which era of post-independence it was set in. While the iPod was shown to exist, India seemed to be in the 60s-70s in terms of technological and railways development. Though on a bus used in the movie, the symbol of "50 years of Independence" was painted (could have been a goof). The movie is shown to be shot in Jodhpur and nearby places, apart from Darjeeling. Several pristine locations in India have been used for shooting several scenes - the temples, the deserts and the tiny cities. The trains (The Darjeeling Limited, The Bengal Lancer) give the impression of today's Palace on Wheels. Used primarily by tourists and foreigners, the "stewards and stewardesses" applied kukkum to the passengers and offered lemon juice to them when they boarded. Like I said, great attention has been paid to the tiniest of details. There was a mix of local Indians who knew English and who didn't. The plot also accounted for emotions being lost between the characters because of the language barrier. A lot of the Hindi splashed in had humor, which were not shown in subtitles - which is OK for the Indian public - but the Americans would have benefited from subtitles. There were several occasions when the Indians in the cinema hall burst out laughing because the humor was in the local dialect, but the Americans didn't quite get it :-).

The soundtrack is excellent, with music borrowed from some of Satyajit Ray's movies (eg. Apur Sansar and Charulata) and several classical Indian composers. Among the other songs borrowed, The Kinks' (Strangers and This Time Tomorrow [in trailer]) and Peter Sarstedt's (Where do you go to my lovely) songs were the best.

On a whole, a wonderful treat from Wes Anderson, makes you think of his earlier movie - The Royal Tenenbaums.

The Darjeeling Limited: A must watch for appreciators of good cinema.
Rating: 9.5/10

Movie Preview: The Kite Runner (2007)

I had read Khaled Hosseini's best seller - The Kite Runner a couple of weeks back. What struck me most about the book was the author's style. It was not about the flair of fine literature. The sentences were simple, and they hit you hard. It was raw prose - that depicted every emotion in a crude way at face value. About the turmoil when one lives through with a horrible truth of cowardice all his life. About the frustration of trying to live up to another's expectations. About love. Lies. Destruction of one's land of birth. War. Humans treating other humans as animals.

About betrayal. About redemption.

From the director of Finding Neverland and Monster's Ball, comes this movie releasing next month. Looking forward to watching it.

Preview: The Kite Runner (1:54 min)