Monday, April 16, 2007

Movies of the Week - I

Last year, I realized that though I have seen a lot of Hindi Movies but over the years I have seriously lacked watching good English Movies.
So initially unintentionally, then later intentionally I started concentrating on good Hollywood stuff.
It was through recommendations from friends first, and then the reference changed to the IMDB Top 250 List.
When first time I looked at the list I had hardly seen 8 of the 250 movies. So I started a journey which I am still continuing.
Every week I see plenty of movies courtesy my friends Manish, Ashish and cousin Anuj.
So I thought of starting a ‘Movies of the Week’ series which will constitute the movies which I saw in the previous week. The success of the series depends on the flow of the movies I manage to get from friends.
So starting with last week movies.
P.S: In no way these are the reviews of the movies. Just a line or two about each one of them entirely from my point of view.


1. 300
The week started with 300. A movie based on a Novel by Frank Miller. This film is based on a war where 300 Spartans fight against the gargantuan Persion Army.
I could relate to our own J.P Dutta’s Border. The visuals are magnificent and it’s a story about fighting and dying in glory for your nation. I liked the movie for its brutal war scenes, grotesque killings and the visual effects.

2. Kill Bill Vol 1
Directed by Master director Quentin Tarantino in his typical chapter style which are not always in chorological order. Explicit killing scenes with blood oozing out like shower makes this movie clearly ‘different’ from others. The movie’s 10 chapters were made in one go but released with a gap of 6 months. Both volumes contain 5 chapters each. And when you finish with Volume 1, its tough to resist double clicking on “Kill Bill Volume2.avi”

3. Kill Bill Vol 2
Chapters 6 – 10. Brings the unfinished movie to a conclusion. Less of deadly fights and more of story in this part.

4. The Notebook
Has an impressive rating of 8.0 in IMDB. A typical romantic movie. Evokes a bit of suspense about the end but a person who has been fed on Hindi Cinema can easily figure out what the ending would be. Only die hard romantics should watch this movie.

5. Goal
A movie about a Boy with a dream of making it Big in the World of Football. Many Hollywood movies have been made on the same theme. We even had our own Iqbal vying for the Blue T Shirt. The USP of the movie is the guest appearances of many football stars – Beckham, Zidane, Raul, Alan Shearer, Gerrard, Lampard to name a few. Plus the football matches which have been beautifully shot.
The movie also has a sequel Goal: Living the Dream which was released this year and even Goal 3 is in the pipeline. Okay movie – one time watch.

6. Equilibrium
A sci-fi futuristic movie where 3rd World War has taken place and to prevent another war, various steps are being taken. And what is the step? Using drugs and medicines, people are being forced to remove all traces of emotion in them – emotions of love, hatred, jealousy etc etc. There is a section of people who live underground and form a resistance (something like matrix). The movie moves showing conflict between having emotions or not having them, through the eyes of the protagonist (Christian Bale). An Okay movie.

7. United 93
The true events of what happened on 11 Sept, 2001 in the plane United 93 which was allegedly planned to be crashed on the White House but in which the passengers displayed heroism in fighting the hijackers, resulting in a ultimate crash in a field in Pennsylvania. Many Real persons performed their roles in the movie. Though I had scene a similar documentary on Discovery but the movie magnificently portrayed the tension, the lack of co ordination in the FAA headquarters, Military Area, Air traffic Control Towers and of course the flight United 93. A Must watch movie.

11 comments:

Cuckoo said...

Good going... you are going to hit 'a movie a day' avg. :P. Do you know my avg. ? Max. four movies per year.

Well, I am not into movies.. just don't get time/company etc. Remember I haven't seen RDB till now ? Yes, it has even come on TV many times, have seen in bits & pieces but with ppl around, channel keeps shuffling. Nice excuse, right ? ;)

Noted the contents & movies which I would like to watch..
Nice start. Would watch this space for more.

SiD said...

@cuckoo: Ya there was a dvd full of movies available last week. So managed to average 1 a day.
Moreover this will reduce drastically after a month or so..
so I am making merry while the sun is shining..

4/year and No RDB.. well.what can I say.. I am speechless..

Amey said...

"300" followed by "Kill Bill"s? Your week was too bloody :D

BTW, 300 is based on a "graphic novel", i.e. a comic book. Read it, Frank Miller is bloody, but a nice writer...

SiD said...

@fleiger: It indeed was bloody !!
A sneak preview of the next week blog It will belong to the Lord.. Lord of the Rings... ;)

Anonymous said...

300 was indeed good. If you liked it, then I'd definitely recommend Sin City.. Frank Miller at his bloody best... ;)

Just finished with Donnie Brasco. Al Pacino, Johnny Depp in a mafia movie based on a true story.. just too good..

Enjoy!

SiD said...

@sukhjot: I have already seen Sin City... and really like it.. Sin City Part 2 is also coming this year..

Donnie Brasco - noted !!

Amey said...

Aah... That is a nice trilogy to watch.

And do not watch Harry Potter movies till you read the books. Have you started yet?

Anonymous said...

bedi.. a blog on Bheja Fry yaar...

its a must...do it for me

SiD said...

@fleiger: After watching LoTR, my interest in harry potter like movies/novels has DECREASED further..


@Tarun: Not a full feldged blog but will include a short write up in the next week's MOW's.. :)

Fleiger said...

That would be like saying after watching "Border", your interest in watching RDB has decreased...

Fantasy genre doesn't mean the books are alike in any respect...

SiD said...

@fleiger: hmm... Point noted...