Hiatus

I guess have to officially take a hiatus from the blog seeing how I haven't really been updating it for a while. It's been fun while it lasted. Hopefully will take it up again once Im back in Bombay.

Still movies I've seen in the past 2 weeks

Across the Universe
3:10 to Yuma
Eastern Promises
Dirty Pretty Things
1900

Update

Been two weeks since the last update. Haven't been watching a lot of stuff anyways.
The films are

1) Exiled
2) 9th Company
3) Essex Boys
4) My Life without Me
5) Ghosts of the Civil Dead
6) Sylvia
7) Before Night Falls

All are great films by sheer blind luck despite their varying genres.

Fracture

Decent legal thriller. Bit bland though. Not Gosling's finest hour.

The Bourne Ultimatum - Paul Greengrass

Sweet Mother of God !!!!!
Drop whatevah u are doing and go watch this film right away.
Im going back tomm to watch it.

FUCKING BRILLIANTLY AWESOME.

The Score so Far

Ok in about 2 months I have reviewed about 40 films (short films and TV series are considered to be films as well. Thats not a bad score. Ive prob seen 10% more stuff but have forgotten or neglected to review it. Of course Im not even counting stuff I have seen previously.

Taking into consideration that the TV series are an hour each for every episode I guess Im doing pretty well. Also I have been shooting pretty much all the time since July. So I guess if by October I can hit anything between 80-100 that will be awesome but I dont think that's likely.

60-70 is a more sensible number given the shooting commitments I have lined up. Still it's been fun. :-)

Update

So many films....So litte time to write reviews

Anways

1) Love is the Devil (Awesome)
2) Of Freaks and Men (Awesome)
3) Lord Jim (Good)
4) Vidocq (Good)
5) Martin Scorsese's Journey through American Films (Fucking Awesome)
6) Cube (Good)

Next up will hopefully be the "Bourne Ultimatum" review.

Cheeni Kum

Cute little film. Could have been a classic though with some more work on the script.
Also the first half in London was great but the Delhi part was frankly boring and expositional.
Slick looking film though. The DI looked nice but I edit was quite choppy. I could feel the cuts which aint good news for a Romantic film. But a fine debut.

Aeon Flux

Piece of shit. Dunno what the guys who made this were smoking but I hope I never get to sample it. No redeeming factor at all. The script was so awful and the acting was the pits. What a waste of 90 mins. Still it was better than Ultra-violet though. God that was an awful film.

Sunshine - Danny Boyle

Pretty good film but the climax is kinda cheesy. Cinematography is exceptional though. I have to say though that the film is a bit bland. I think Danny tends to loose the plot when he gets huge budgets eg "The Beach". Cillian rocks as always.

Neo Noir Festival

Watched 3 cracking Neo-Noir Films back to back. Man I so love Film Noir with their femme fatales and twists in the tail. What was really great that none of the films were from America. 2 were slick procedurals while one was a snorter of a Brit Gangsta flick.

1) Tattoo (Germany) - My fav of the 3. Slick urban thriller with a fab climax.

2) Gangster No 1 - If you thought that Paul Bettany could only do romantic/comedy roles u gotta watch this film. He's amazing as the psychotic and ruthless gangster.

3) Tell Me Something (Korea) - Good film but would have been much better if half and hour had been chopped off. Too many indulgent and introspective shots. Still a worthy effort.

Update

Been busy shooting so havent had time to update the blog but I have been watching stuff on and off. Lotsa TV in fact.

1) 3lbs Season 1 (Good)

2) Rome Season 2 (Awesome)

3) Sex and Lucia (Awesome)

4) Flesh+Blood (Good)

5) Over There Season 1 (Good)

6) Split Second (Ok)

7) Ratatouille (Best Film of the Year)

The Salton Sea

Impressive and engrossing neo-noirish film starring Val Kilmer and a young Peter Saarsgard. Good acting all around and outstanding Cinematography by Amir Mokri. Though the dutch angles went a little overboard sometimes the film does boast of outstanding lighting and compositions throughout. Well worth a watch.

An American Rhapsody

Amazingly gorgeous sentimental film which treads a fine line between American indie and European arthouse cinema though it is completely European in its approach.

Highly thought provoking and evocative, it makes you realise the power of memories and when to let go of them. Also makes you realise what it really means to be a parent and the decisions you have to take which will affect your life forever.

Brilliant film. Glad I watched it. Natassja Kinski and the little girl who played Zsuzu are incredible.

Renaissance

Without a doubt, the most perfect neo-noir film ever made. Might even be the greatest film noir ever made. And also one of the most stunning animated films that I have ever seen. Intrigued?
Watch "Renaissance". It has all the classic elements ie a hardbitten hero, femme fatales, perpetual rain, gorgeous shadows and lighting and a solid twist in the end.

FUCKING A amigos !!!!

The Young Americans

This film has like totally rocked my world. The plot and acting isnt something really innovative but the lighting. Oh mama the lighting. I will never look at mixed color temperatures the same way ever again.

Fucking Brilliant. Need to buy the DVD and study it all over.

Manga + City of Industry

Man, read 2 of the most fucked up bizzare and fucked up mangas ever in my life. And thats saying a lot coz Ive read Ichi the Killer before but on a plain out fucking insane quotient nothing can beat "Shamo" and "Crying Freeman".

Shamo was so disturbing I could only read the first volume. Freeman was visually spectacular but you had to like suspend all disbelief. Ikegami's artwork was superb as usual. Nobody can do action and sex scenes as well as him. I also loved the poetry that popped up periodically amidst the savage violence.

Also caught a little known flick called "City of Industry" on IFC. Nice little caper indie flick. Great cast, well shot and with some nice lighting.

All in all a good day.

Comic Book Update 2

Jesus Fucking Christ. Each one better than the rest. Ok not really. Midnight Nation is my fav but each one of em was so stunning and unique. Today was like I died and went to Comic Book heaven.

Without further ado the comics I perused today were

1) Planet Hulk

2) Midnight Nation

3) Lore

4) Demo

5) Fallen Angel


Salut !!!!!!

Comic Book Update 1

Hadnt really been reading comics for a while now. Got so much into work and watching films that they kinda slipped. Recently however I got kinda saturated with moving images and wanted to get back to my first love.

So here is the list of the Comics I have read since today morning

1) Scene of the Crime (Ed Brubaker) Fucking amazing film noir mini series. Perfect companion piece to Chinatown which Im sure is also a major influence. The denoument just leaves u gasping for breath. Brilliant. Would love to see a movie adaptation

2) Strain (Ikegama and Buronson) Fucking Hell. Fucking Bloody Hell. I would fucking kill to adapt this manga series into a film. Its so fucked up and insane that I love it. From the team that brought you "Sanctuary" here is another absolute masterpiece.

3) Blacksad Vols 2 & 3 - Sweet Jesus. One of the best written and most beautifully comic books ever. Sadly only three titles have been released. Would give anything for this to become a regular series. How can u not fall in love with a film noirish world poplulated by anthramorphic animals??? Fucking Amazing.


More soon.

Enduring Love

Intriguing and sensitive art house flick starring Daniel Craig and Samantha Morton, which is based on Ian McEwan's acclaimed book of the same name. Sensitively acted and thoughtfully shot, the film has one of the most memorable and surreal opening scenes that I have ever seen.

It's great to see where Craig got his acting chops from and I particulary like how the lighting and composition eluciadate his state of mind. The ending could have been better but all in all, quite a good film.

The Crimson Rivers - Matthieu Kassovitz

Taut, effective french policier helmed by the blessed Matthieu Kassovitz and starring two of my fav actors Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel. Some very interesting shot selections and groovy lighting. Perfect Saturday Night movie to digest all that Japanese food and Sake.

Chiquitita

As I was rushing to get to Penn Station in the morning today, I heard a busker play "Chiqutita" on a flute today inside the station. Now I was going for what might have turned out to be one of the most important interviews I have ever given but hearing the music stopped me dead in the tracks.

I sat down and listened to him play an extended 10 min version of the song. As I sat there breathless I was immediately transported to the fantastic African grasslands of my childhood.
Some sort of childhood memory was let loose and I could literally feel the wind blow on my face, the smell of the elephant grass and the never ending horizon. All this while sitting underground in a subway station in New York.

The power of music never ceases to amaze me.

Pathfinder

Hooray finally got to see Pathfinder. Had been lookin forward to is for almost a year. A very loose remake of one of my all time fav films , the mesmerizing 1987 Sami language "Pathfinder", the film is a mixed bag of delights.

It has numerous flaws starting with piss poor acting, atrocious dialog and lack of sufficient characterisation for any character.

However since this review is mainly about the visual aspects of the film and not the inherent content, I will say this. PATHFINDER IS A FUCKING AWESOME FILM. It's been amazingly shot by one of my heroes Daniel Pearl. Pearl is the resident God / Genius of music video and commercial DP's. He eschewed features to make a mark on the short form and what a fucking mark it is.

Over the years he has shot most of my all time fav music videos including "November Rain" , "I Love You" and "Wrapped around your finger". He's done features intermittently but Im crazy bout his music video work and last year he won an honorary Golden Frog at Cameraimage.

This film has some spellbinding action sequences and jaw dropping cinematography throughout in Pearl's trademark pictorial style which is majorly influenced by the legendary "Blade Runner". Shot in a jungle with what seems to be available light most of the time, the film is a visual masterpiece. Lots of people didnt like the desaturated bleach bypass look but I think it's perfect. It gives the savage violence an almost poetic and balletic feel.

If only they had cut out the awful expositional dialog and made the entire film silent it would have an been an cult classic like "Quest for Fire". The visuals are powerful enough to tell the story.

Watch it if only for the Lighting if nothing else. Danny u rock mate !!!!

4th of July Fireworks

Saw the 4th of July Fireworks on the East River. As amazing a visual as I have ever seen. Just made me realise what a fucking stroke of genius Mark Romanek had when he shot "Cochise".
Even Anand Surapur's "Teri Deewani" was fucking awesome. Unforgettable dancing silhouette with the exploding fireworks.

Ghost in the Shell 2 : Innocence

Stunning. Just plain out fucking mindblowingly stunning. Had meant to see it for a long time but had been putting it off for a long time. What a fucking film !!!

Amazing Production Design , divine pictorial lighting , virtuso cinematography and a truly mindblowing plotline combine to make this one an Anime masterpiece. Showing the human side of Batou was absolute genius. I still can't get some of those angles out of my head. Need to watch it again just to study the composition.

Fav Moment - Batou bonding with his Basset hound. Sigh, I miss Silver......

Weekend Update

Well this has been a frutiful weekend. Though I was busy shooting I did find time to read and watch some truly virtuoso pieces of art.

In chronological order

1) Whiteout and Whiteout: Melt - Greg Rucka's brilliant graphic novel series about murder in the South Pole. Visually unique in the sense that its so awesome to construct a noir-ish story in black and white when the setting is Antartica. Fabulously cinematic and Im not surprised that the film version is out next year starring the yummy Kate Beckinsale. :-)

2) More - Gorgeous and profound stop motion short film with an extremely powerful yet personal message. It's amazing that despite being totally bereft of dialogs how the visuals and claymation characters were able to portray such vivid emotions and plot. Standing ovation for Mark Osborne.

3) Signal to Noise - Creative Superstar Comic book team of Neil Gaiman and Dave Mckean reunite to create this stunning tour de force. Ostensibly bout a filmmaking facing his mortality, the book goes much deeper. Gaiman is brilliant is usual but the real star here is Mckean with his sublime mixed media palette of visual storytelling. Maya Deren would approve.

4) Man on the Train - Perfect film. Roger Ebert in his film said that he cant find any flaws in this film and I totally concur. Gorgeously shot and beautifully acted, this film is the sort you dont find in abundance these days ie a an intimate character study about male friendship akin to "Sideways". Perfect Cinema........

The Place Promised in Our Early Days

Sob sob. Saw it again today. How can a film be so beautiful ???
Dappled sunlight just makes me melt.

Shinkai Forever.............

Zhest

Guess it was gonna happen sooner or later and it has. Welcome to the first film on this blog which I don't reccomend you watch. It's called Zhest and its a weird Russian film which was suggested to me by an online buddy whose taste in eclectic and off beat films I greatly admire and respect.

Sadly despite the glowing reccomendation of mon ami , this film is just weird. Part horror / Part thriller the film is all weird. A story of a feistly female journalist and her journey into hell on the worst day of her life. Populated by characters who make the hillbillies in "Deliverance" look warm and cuddly, the film is severely hamstrung by the abysmally bad acting and the incomprehensible storyline.

The film does have its good points though. It's been amazingly well shot in an pleasing pictorialistic manner and also boasts some stellar prouction design. Add to that one of the most exhilirating car chase scenes I have seen. Too bad all these elements weren't used in a better film rather than this one.

If you really wanna see contemporary big budget russian cinema or are simply enthralled by slick filmmaking then u could have a dekko. Otherwise just watch "Nightwatch"instead.

PS - Sorry

Sorry for the stupid spelling mistakes. I cant find a way to go back and edit my posts.

Rescue Dawn - Werner Herzog

Ok its been a week since my last update. Been swamped with editing my thesis, graduating and getting drunk. I'll try to make up for lost time.

Saw "Rescue Dawn" today at a free preview. Hail the return of Werner Herzog, arugably the most insane director ever. Great film, performances, cinematography and music.

I really dont think its ethical to reveal much about a film which has't been released yet esp an arthouse independent film. Suffice to say Christian Bale rocks and the film is a must see.

I think my new slogan is "Little Mithun needs to fly"

Voices from a Distant Star - Makoto Shinkai

I have a new hero and his name is Makoto Shinkai. Just finished watching one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful romantic films I have ever seen. And what's really astonishing that it's a 25 min OVA anime film.

Oh my god I was crying like a baby at the end of the film and my eyes are still wet as I write this. To think that Makoto made the entire film all by himself on his Mac with his wife helping him. It just makes me filled with awe. I swear at times I was wondering to myself whether Kieslowski himself didn't make this film.

Im not going to spoil the plot for anyone but its a really simple one. I really love the gender reversals where the girl is the warrior fighting and it's the boy who stayed back.

I really can't praise the film enough. Hauntingly poetic visuals and supercharged emotions bound in this masterpiece. Can't wait to see the rest of Makoto's films. The last scene in space reminds me so much of one of all my time fav climaxes ie "The Big Blue".

Oh man those images of the messages travelling through space gave me goosepimples. As one reviewer said and I wholeheartedly agree "Shinkai could direct traffic and I'd pay to watch".

The fact that I can be so affected is perhaps an indication that despite all my hard bitten ways. I am a old fashioned romantic after all.

Fav Moment - The last scene in space.......... Im still crying.

Photographer - Anne Liebovitz

Ok just managed to watch a documentary today but it was pretty good although it just skimmed the surface. It was about one of my fav photographers ie Annie Liebovitz aka the high priestess of Vanity Fair. Though the docu was quite dated circa 1994 it still had enough tidbits and insight to keep me engrossed during its short 50 min span.

Annie discussed her childhood, influences, techniques and her problem with drugs in a quite candid fashion which is very refreshing. What was an absolute bonus was a totally unexpected cameo by the now deceased legendary and reclusive Hunter S.Thompson of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" fame. Add to that bytes from Mick Jagger and the neo-hippie in me was delirious with excitement.

My problem with the docu was that it was too short, too dated and didnt really illuminate much on her artistic and aesthetic philosophy that much. But maybe Im asking for too much. Still waiting for the definitive film on the life and times of Annie Liebovitz.

Fav Moment- Hunter S. Thompson admitting that his brain is fried from having too many drugs in the 70's and can't remember much of his association with Annie.

Ghost in the Shell : Solid State Society

Was planning to watch "Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" but caught Solid State while flipping through TV while looking for South Park. Whopeeee.

I've always been a huge and vocal fan of the "Ghost in the Shell" universe ever since I saw the original film years ago. Used to watch Stand Alone Complesx back in Bombay on Animax.

Boy does this film fucking rock or what. Visually stunning as ever and with enough philosiphical underpinnings to delight any cyberpunk fan, this film is a must see. Add to that the return of the Major to Section 9 and the pulsating electronic / hip hop soundtrack, I was a happily mesmerized otaku for the entire running time.

The Cinematography was gorgeous as is normally the case but the shot selection was truly inspired esp during the action sequences. I think Im gonna put it on my Netflix

Fav Moment - Batou jumping of a huge tower trying to catch a renegade sniper.

The Charter

Ok this is bout my 5th and probably last attempt to blog.
I normally get lazy to blog regularly but this time I will attempt to update daily.

My motive for this blog is simple. For the next 120 days or roughly the time Im gonna be in New York, I shall watch at least one film daily and review it in my own inimitable fashion. Naturally I shall be extremely partisan and vocal in my likes and dislikes.

The reason I want to do this is to analyze my viewing patterns and systematically breakdown the visual design and patterns of the films I see.

So let's see till how long I can keep this up without getting bored.

Allez up !!!!!