Category: Movies Page 6 of 7

Released in 2021
Genre- Romance, Drama, Comedy
9/10
Main Cast: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn,
Tom Waits and Bradley Cooper
Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson
Direction- Paul Thomas Anderson

BRIEF INTRODUCTION Licorice Pizza is a romantic journey of a couple, various events in their relationship, and the ups and downs related to it followed by them realizing their feelings for each other.

The Movie Yes, it’s a romantic film but not a cliché, it’s very fresh and interesting with a bit of humor sometimes. The music of the film plays a key role in setting up the mood. The film received three Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.
Since the movie is set in the 70s, it gives a nostalgic feeling while watching, and the development in the relationship is slow-paced and very natural/organic, unlike today when romance has merely become a game of interacting on some kind of electronic media making relationships more synthetic and fragile.

P.S. The film is available on one of the leading OTTs, watch it, it’s a good film, it’s a young film, for young people.

Released in 1974
Genre- Musical, Rock, Horror
9/10
Main Cast: Paul Williams, William Finley, Jessica Harper
Screenplay: Brian De Palma
Music- Paul Williams
Direction- Brian De Palma

BRIEF INTRODUCTION The story starts with an innocent, talented singer/songwriter, Winslow Leech (played by Finley), trying to make his mark and get recognition in the music industry. And what happens next is, the wrong people recognize his talent and trick him into giving his best work to them, specifically Swan (played by Williams). The second half is formed by Leech returning as yes, you guessed it right, “The Phantom” for his due credit and his ladylove (played by Harper). The rest is for the audience to find out by watching the film…

The Movie A treat for all rock lovers, with a little bit of drama, a little bit of romance, a little bit of fight, and a whole lot of music. Being a fan of De Palma’s work, especially Scarface, I was a bit surprised at first when I got to know about Phantom…being a musical film but if we take a look at Palma’s work, his other films, with every new film he did something new, a new subject, a new genre so that justifies it.

Theme The novel, Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux served as the primary inspiration for the story of the film.

An interesting dialogue from the film
“I would never let my personal desires influence my aesthetic judgment”

P.S. The music of the film was nominated for both Academy Award and Golden Globe.

Released in 2013
Genre- Thriller, Psychological
9/10
Main Cast: Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska Matthew Goode
Screenplay: Wentworth Miller
Direction- Park Chan-wook

BRIEF INTRODUCTION Stoker is a story of mysterious characters in a family. The film opens up with the death and funeral of the lead character’s father and the arrival of her estranged uncle who never kept in touch with the family. Things start to get interesting with his stay and the subsequent disappearance of the people around him. The events that follow lead to a bigger mystery and truth related to the Stoker family.

The Movie Although the film is a thriller, the presentation of events, the silence in the expressions, with intense music in the background give a feeling of horror to the audience along with the thrill. Many elements of the mise-en-scène reminded me of Hitchcock films. While reading some articles about the film, I got to know about the inspirations for the screenplay. And as I thought, the writer has taken inspiration from some of the classic works of Hitchcock, the way of introducing doubt for a character or building up tension in the story.

Performances Nicole Kidman peaked in her performance as an unstable and complicated mother, she was more than perfect for the role.
Mia Wasikowska The intense look on her face and a reflection of rage and complexity in the eyes, her expressions delivered more than the dialogues.
Matthew Goode Subtle performance by Matthew Goode as the mysterious uncle, a characteristic dialogue delivery with a hint of evil intentions behind it. His personality suited the character well.

An interesting dialogue from the film
“Just as a flower does not choose its color…we are not responsible for what we have come to be. Only once you realize this do you become free, and to become adult, is to become free.“

P.S. DO NOT DISTURB THE FAMILY.

Released in 1992
Genre- Legal, Comedy
10/10
Main Cast: Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio, Mitchell Whitfield
Screenplay: Dale Launer
Direction- Jonathan Lynn

BRIEF INTRODUCTION A comic legal drama about two friends, framed for a crime they didn’t commit. Joe Pesci’s character is then appointed as their lawyer (Vinny) to defend them in court. His comic interactions with the judge, court, and the new city, with his girlfriend form the second half of the film.

The Movie One of the funniest movies of the 90s, very thoughtfully put together by the director and the writer, a legal drama with a comic tone backing it. The conversations in the film make sure that the audience doesn’t stop laughing till the end.

Performances Joe Pesci Being a huge fan of Pesci’s work in all the Scorsese movies, it was completely unexpected for me to see him in a role like this. Pesci’s image of being a tough guy in his previous films had no reflection on his character in this film except for his accent. To be honest, his performance amazed me till the end.
Marisa Tomei Tomei was the perfect choice for the character of Lisa. Her performance made the film very interesting, especially, the last part. Other than Pesci and Tomei, I found Fred Gwynne’s performance (who played Judge Haller in the film) quite impressive, intense, and comic at the same time.

P.S. Marisa Tomei received the Academy Award (1993) in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in the film.

Released in 1960
Genre– Drama, Musical
10/10
Main Cast: Leela Naidu, Balraj Sahni
Story/Screenplay: Sachin Bhowmick, Rajinder Singh Bedi
Music– Pandit Ravi Shankar (Lyrics by Shailendra)
Direction– Hrishida (Hrishikesh Mukherjee)

BRIEF INTRODUCTION The story revolves around a talented singer, played by Leela Naidu. First half of the film talks about Anuradha’s relationship with music and her marriage to Dr. Nirmal, played by Balraj Sahni. The second half deals with her isolation and her immense talent being wasted in fulfilling her duties as a homemaker. How Anuradha deals with this kind of life forms the rest of the story. Upon release, the film was nominated for numerous awards, winning the National Award (1960) in the Best Feature Film category.

THE THEME I feel very delighted and proud to write about this film. As early as the 60s when not even rarely, one thought about making films focusing on the individual life and struggles of a woman, Anuradha was released with such a strong women-centric theme. And not just the theme, but the film also speaks about so many important roles that a woman plays, sacrificing her happiness, her interests, her talent, and that too without even coming to the limelight, sometimes as a mother, sometimes as a wife, sometimes as a sister, sometimes as a friend. Anuradha is not specifically about one woman, it is about every woman, who has given a large part of her life for the betterment of someone else’s life without even expecting any appreciation or acknowledgment for it. I dedicate this post to all the wonderful women in the world.

My reaction after watching the film I was both shocked and happy when the film ended, especially after watching the last part of the film, to know that there were people in the industry (mainstream) in that era who cared to make films on such important subjects. I want to thank Sachin Bhowmick and Hrishida, for making Anuradha and coming up with this theme in the early 60s.

Performances Leela Naidu, with her soft speech and confident expressions, very subtly conveys the message as Anuradha. Balraj Sahni, as always, played his part very naturally.

Music Renowned Sitar Player, Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar composed the music for Anuradha and this was another interesting reason for me to watch the film. There are very few films that feature music composed by him and Anuradha is one of them. My favorite song from the film is, “Haye Re Wo Din Kyun Na Aaye” wonderfully performed by my favourite Lataji. “सूनी मेरी वीणा, संगीत बिना, सपनों की माला मुरझाए…हाय रे वो दिन क्यों ना आए…Shailendra exactly knew how to put the situation into words.

P.S. The star of the film Leela Naidu was also Miss India-1954 and was hugely considered one of the most beautiful women in the world.

Released in 1986
Genre- Thriller, Psychological, Mystery, Noir
10/10
Main Cast: Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern
Screenplay: David Lynch
Direction- David Lynch

BRIEF INTRODUCTION The story revolves around a troubled mysterious woman, and two friends, followed by an intense attempt by the two of them to rescue the woman from the clutches of evil. Many more mysteries roll out along the way. Not just a movie, it’s a fine piece of psychological thriller, blended with mystery with a noir backdrop in the story.

The Movie Blue Velvet combines multiple genres and that too with perfection, coming from the ace filmmaker, the master of surrealism, DAVID LYNCH. The film offers so much that it is not possible to tell everything in the brief introduction section.

Performances Honest and powerful performances by all the actors, Kyle and Laura played their parts flawlessly. Rossellini and Hopper, their performances were very instrumental in putting all the intensity into the film.

P.S. The title comes from “Blue Velvet” a very popular song by Bobby Vinton.

Released in 1989
Genre- Biographical/Drama
Beyond any critical rating
Main Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Brenda Fricker, Hugh O’Conor
Based on “My Left Foot”, the 1954 autobiography by Christy Brown
Screenplay: Shane Connaughton & Jim Sheridan
Direction- Jim Sheridan

This is a very special post and I feel very fortunate to write about this film.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION Based on a true story, the plot of the movie revolves around an extraordinary person with cerebral palsy, who later becomes an artist and a writer. Events in the film depict his experiences with his own self, his family, different people, and the world, and that he was not less than anyone in any aspect just because of a condition. It’s an inspiring journey to learn from.

The Element of Truth In a general way, it might not be very important for the audience to have the element of truth in the character or the film but for me, it becomes very important to have that element of truth in the film especially when it is based on an autobiography and My Left Foot fulfilled it for me. What is the Element of Truth, and where does it come from? Element of truth in a simple way means that the characters keep themselves true/honest to the story and the world they are portrayed in.

The Performances Very rarely, it happens that you see a truly honest performance, a performance straight from the heart. My Left Foot is a film in which all the actors, especially the ones who played Christy Brown, Hugh O’Connor who played young Christy Brown for a brief time in the film and Daniel Day-Leiws who played the adult Christy, both of them put their heart and soul into the character. And I am not just saying this because I am a huge fan of Lewis but it is so evident in the film that one can’t deny it.

Daniel Day-Lewis There are very less actors in the world, who go to that extent, psychologically and emotionally, to get under the skin of the character because, sometimes it even gets difficult to return from there and its too expensive psychologically but Daniel Day-Lewis is one actor, who in every performance, proved that he goes to that extent, that far, to bring the perfection, that edge in front of the camera. The way he portrayed Christy Brown, changed my whole perception of acting. All the expressions, actions, and even the smallest attention to detail, no wonder he won the Academy Award for his performance in this role. Along with Lewis, Brenda Fricker, who played mother Brown in the film, also won the Academy Award for her role in the film. The cast and the film won several accolades, including Academy Award and BAFTA.

P.S. Don’t miss this one, it truly is a masterpiece, a rare gem.

Released in 2020
Genre- Drama
10/10
Main Cast: Frances McDormand
Screenplay: Chloé Zhao
(Based on the book “Nomadland” by Jessica Bruder)
Direction- Chloé Zhao

BRIEF INTRODUCTION Story about a woman, who after losing her husband, decides to spend her life as a lone traveler, eventually becoming a nomad along with the journey.

My comments A stellar performance by Frances McDormand, the powerhouse of acting, the secondary cast also acted well. The simplicity of the screenplay and dialogues attracts one to become a part of the movie, the script values the character study very well. It gives the feeling of nostalgic completeness at points when Fern is reciting the poem or revisiting her husband’s workplace or her old residence. The background music soothes the feeling of isolation that you feel for the character as a nomad while watching the film. A quality picture that gives you a deep view of actual nomad life experience, how they really spend their life van dwelling from one place to another.

P.S. Nomadland won several accolades, including three Academy Awards (2021), best actress for McDormand, best director for Zhao, and best film.

Released in 1960
Genre- Drama, Realistic
10/10
Main Cast: Supriya Choudhury, Anil Chatterjee, Bijon Bhattacharya, Gita Dey, Gita Ghatak, Niranjan Ray, Dwiju Bhawal.
Screenplay: Ritwik Ghatak
(Based on “Meghe Dhaka Tara”, the novel by Shaktipada Rajguru)
Music- Jyotirindra Moitra
Direction- Ritwik Ghatak

BRIEF INTRODUCTION The story revolves around the life and struggles of a selfless young girl whose sacrifices are taken for granted by everyone around her. Like a lifeless thing, she is just treated like a working machine, even by her family.

Notes on the film One of the finest films that I have seen. Meghe Dhaka Tara is not just a film, it’s an experience of how the so-called practicality in the world has taken over love, warmth, relationships, and values. Nothing matters to the world more than selfish objectives. It never even acknowledges or values the contributions and sacrifices of a person, an innocent, selfless girl in this film, not even her own family. The sound of whiplash in the background music is used very uniquely by Ghatak, to describe the emotional damage done to Nita.

Nita The only people who care about Nita are her father and brother. The father (portrayed by Bijon Bhattacharya), due to an accident, is not able to do much for her daughter or the financial condition of his family. And Nita’s almost absent brother (played by Anil Chatterjee) is often lost in his world of music.

Ritwik Ghatak The Extraordinaire This was my first interaction with Ritwik Ghatak’s work. Before this, I didn’t know much about Ghatak’s work except that he wrote the popular and acclaimed 1958 film Madhumati’s screenplay and after watching Meghe Dhaka Tara, I realized that Ritwik Ghatak is one gem that our industry should be immensely proud of. His style of telling a story is very simple but the way he uses themes, sub-themes, cinematography, and music in his screenplay is something worth appreciating.

P.S. The film also features a song by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

Released in 1955
Genre- Drama, Family
10/10
Main Cast: Balraj Sahni, Nirupa Roy, Jayant
Screenplay: Rajinder Singh Bedi
Music- Pandit Amarnath
Direction- Amar Kumar

BRIEF INTRODUCTION Another tale showcasing the loss of human values and warmth. The story revolves around a family struggling to meet their daily needs and how fate pushes the protagonist to the edge of sanity.

Notes on the film The story of Garam Coat is based on the master novelist Nikolai Gogol’s widely acclaimed short story “The Overcoat”, although the end of the film is quite different from the original story. Yes, you read it right, the same “Nikolai Gogol”, mentioned in “The Namesake (2006)” by Mira Nair.

Music and songs Memorable music given by Pandit Amarnath, with almost all the songs beautifully sung by Lataji. My favorites are, Kahiyo roye dukhiya re and Zulfon wale ko kya pata hai.

Special mentions There is something about Balraj Sahni that makes him so unique. He used to become the character, one of the earliest actors to follow method acting.

The Evergreen Jodi We often talk about jodis in the film industry, Balraj Sahni-Nirupa Roy jodi, whenever appeared on the screen together, created magic, starting right from Do Bigha Zamin (1953), Garam Coat to Ghar Ghar ki Kahani (1970).

P.S. One of the episodes from Katha Sagar (1986) was also based on “The Overcoat”. It was directed by the National Award Winning filmmaker Shyam Benegal.