I went in with huge expectations, considering the last I’d seen of Christopher Nolan’s work was The Dark Knight (my review of which is still pending).  His body of work is small but very, very impactful.  If you’ve seen Memento, Insomnia, The Prestige or The Dark Knight, you know what I’m talking about.  (If you haven’t seen any of these, stop reading right now, and go get yourself the DVDs.) 

By the end of Inception, I was left with one overwhelming feeling – Nolan is a genius! 

Inception has a twisted storyline that takes some effort to grasp, but the journey is so worth the effort that the 2 hours and 22 minutes pass by in a flash.  I’m not going to bore you with the details of the plot and its main characters.  You can get all that on Wikipedia or on the Warner Bros’ official site.  What I’m here to tell you is this…

Inception is an incredible piece of work. 

Narrating a story that transcends multiple layers of the “dream state” is no easy task for any storyteller.  But, with Inception (and The Dark Knight), Nolan proves that he’s achieved artistry in his profession of choice.

Brilliant performances by DiCaprio and the rest of the cast, a huge canvas for Nolan to paint, spectacular special effects that add to the story, appropriate use of visual elements (and Hans Zimmer’s music) to heighten the drama and tension, and finally, enough science to make it all seem believable.  I especially liked the restraint shown by Nolan in his use of special fx and dramatic devices, so they don’t end up being overbearing, but instead, weave their place in the story as it progresses in complexity.

Don’t miss Inception.  It will blow your mind!!!

While I do not have the luxury of time that allows me to post critiques on every Indian and International movie I enjoy watching, I have decided to renew my posts on TV & Movies with occassional posts on stories that made an impression on me.  I may include a para or two on the broad plot, for the benefit of those who would like to know what the movie was about.  But, the essence of my posts in this category will be subjective opinions and constructive critiques based on my movie watching experience of over thousands of films.  This is the first of such posts, and feedback is welcome…

As the official website states, “Raavan is not a story, it is a world.”  Wikipedia adds:

The film is a modern-day version and a loose adaptation of the Indian epic Ramayana, in which Sita, the wife of Lord Rama, was abducted by the demon (R?kshasa) king of Lanka, Ravana.

Upon release, the film received mostly negative reviews from critics for its content, though its visual style and cinematography was praised by some of the critics.

Therein lies my problem.  I did go to the show with relatively high expectations of the quality work that Mani Ratnam has delivered in the past, and I was left more than satisfied! 

Raavan is a class act that is clearly not for the masses.  Yes, it has all the popular elements of a bollywood masala film – love angle, action, drama, etc., but the “treatment” is refreshingly unique. 

Fundamentally, it is a tale of good versus evil, and about the shades of good and evil that lie dormant within us all.  Raavan’s main characters are clearly not on any one side of the spectrum, and that’s what makes the story interesting (and also probably unappealing for the common man).

I was impressed with Abhishek’s ability to “get into character” by way of mannerisms and expressions that I thought were remarkably consistent with the persona that he was playing.  I especially enjoyed his character’s ability to deal with his inner conflicts, whether he’s coping with new-found jealousy or experiencing fear for the first time. 

I was also left impressed with the film’s canvas.  Almost the entire length of the movie has been shot in pouring rain – a feat that is not easy to pull off.  Yet, somehow, the green and grey palette works like a charm, helping the characters blend-in in places, and making them stand out in contrast, in other frames!  

The cinematography is truly exceptional, and among the best I have ever seen coming from Indian movie makers.  The makers of the film seem to have taken the trouble to scout some of the prettiest natural locales of the country in which to set the story.  I thought that many of the shots were visually stunning, giving the film a very artistic quality.  Unlike typical bollywood fare, I was also pleased that the nuances of the film were more-or-less in sync with the way of life of the story’s setting – whether it’s the food they eat, their mode of transport or their attire and living conditions.

If I had to nitpick, I’d probably drop Govinda (allegedly the “Hanuman” element) from the story altogether, since he did not seem to add too much value to the plot.  And, it would have helped to see a little more build-up to explain to audiences why the two key characters are hell bent on destroying each other from frame one. 

But, all said and done, Raavan is definitely a movie worth watching and represents Mani Ratnam’s best work till date.  Critics be damned!

Wired magazine wrote Avatar could change film forever:

With the language established, Cameron set about naming everything on his alien planet. Every animal and plant received Na’vi, Latin, and common names. As if that weren’t enough, Cameron hired Jodie Holt, chair of UC Riverside’s botany and plant sciences department, to write detailed scientific descriptions of dozens of plants he had created. She spent five weeks explaining how the flora of Pandora could glow with bioluminescence and have magnetic properties. When she was done, Cameron helped arrange the entries into a formal taxonomy.

This was work that would never appear onscreen, but Cameron loved it. He brought in more people, hiring an expert in astrophysics, a music professor, and an archaeologist. They calculated Pandora’s atmospheric density and established a tripartite scale structure for the alien music. When one of the experts brought in the Star Wars Encyclopedia, Cameron glanced at it and said, “We’ll do better.”

You may not agree with its politics, or its happy-ending storyline but you cannot deny that the world of Pandora is the most elaborate, most spellbinding, figment of imagination ever created on screen. Period.

Bob started talking about the way cinema used to be a socio-cultural event, back in the ol’ days.  This was a time when a ticket cost less than 50 pence.  But, in exchange for that princely sum, the audience could enjoy two cartoon films, two short films, one news cast (usually covering the war), and two main feature films! 

Just going to see a movie in the theatre used to be a memorable family event in itself!

Then, slowly and steadily, movie owners and distributors discovered the extra income they could make from adopting an assembly-line approach where you fill a movie-hall with a packed audience, show them a movie show, and get them out as fast as possible, only to fill it up all over again.  The evolution of that thinking, eventually, led to the modern-day “multiplex” phenomenon where four or five screens would do the same thing, in one venue itself.  In fact, these days, the trend has reached new heights with even the snacks and drinks being served to you, in your seat, during the intermission!

Now, most of us born on the younger side of the ’70s would not have dreamt of such a phenomenon, were it not for stories like these handed-down from one generation to the next.  For all its conveniences, I’m sure, many people of Bob’s age would not be too pleased with the way modern cinema has “evolved”. 

What a wondrous experience it would be to go see “a movie” in the good ol’ days…

I am also among those who believe that the experience of a good movie can be made so much richer by evaluating it and discussing it with other, well-informed, movie enthusiasts! 

Throughout my adult life, I have been acutely aware of the disappointingly-low quality of journalism in this country.  In spite of the countless magazines and newspapers that exist on every conceivable subject you can think of, there are hardly a handful of people I would count as “good writers”.  Among that rare bunch, writing on movies hardly takes priority.

There’s so much more to evaluating the good and bad of a well-made movie than simply describing the storyline… Sometimes, it involves discussing a young director’s recent work, in the context of his entire career.  At other times, it may mean exploring how interchanging two of the cast members would have added so much zing to the story.  We don’t have to agree on every thing.  But, we should at least be left with the feeling that the time spent debating the nuances was well worth the effort, leaving both parties richer in the end.

Alas, until good quality movie-journalism arrives on the shores of India, I’ll have to make the most of interactions with family and friends…

‘Black’ is the story of a deaf-blind-mute child who’s on the verge of going insane because she cannot communicate with any one.  Then, an ageing, alcoholic teacher comes into her life.  And, he starts working with her, painstakingly and patiently teaching her words and their meanings… one word at a time.  

If you’ve ever known a physically- or mentally- challenged child at close quarters, you probably would have glimpsed how difficult the simplest task can become. But to overcome obstacles, and grow beyond the limitations that our circumstances impose on us, is the greatest achievement that man is capable.

This is not a subject that Bollywood often addresses. ‘Black’ does not have the usual song-and-dance routines found commonly in typical Indian films – in fact, the entire movie has not even a single song in it!  (And this, coming from a director whose last film (Devdas) was the most expensive Indian film ever made, with a production cost of 500 million!!!)  But, Black has a lot to offer in terms of international quality cinema : Award-worthy performances by almost the entire cast (75% of the movie is actually in English!), cinematography and production quality par excellence, and integrity.

Above all, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has integrity.  If the story requires glitz and glamour, it will have it.  If the story cannot accomodate a song, it won’t.  Whatever the story needs is of utmost importance… No more, no less.

‘Black’ is an exceptional film. Go see it.

What do these names have in common? Besides the fact that they are all music composers for Hollywood movies, and great ones at that?  Chances are that if there’s a movie for which one of these guys has written the score, it will be a movie worth watching.  And it turns out so, more than 90% of the times !

Which raises the question : How does this happen?

What is it about good talent that attracts other good talent?  I have come to regard the names of these composers as powerful “brands”. I trust these brands to deliver each time. And they do. Not only is the music in these movies great, but the story, the direction and the cast that accompanies it is often of very high standards.

Maybe it’s the wise director who chooses one of these gentlemen for the music, just like he handpicks the star cast to play his story’s characters. Maybe good actors only choose to work with good directors. Maybe it’s all a karma thing…

Either way, it all makes for one great evening by the screen…

Isn’t it great when things just work?!

In its first season, The West Wing garnered nine Emmys, a record for most won by a series in its first season. Each of its seven seasons earned a nomination for the award. With its 27 total awards, The West Wing ranks 4th all-time in number of Emmy Awards won by a series. It is the most honored program in the drama series categories.

To me, “The West Wing” offers much more than ‘good entertainment’, though. On one level, its cast and crew personify excellence in television drama, gripping the audience with their exceptional acting, direction, cinematography and story-writing abilities. But, on another level, the series also highlights what a team of professionals can be capable of.

The staff of “The West Wing” behaves like any great team should.

They know the things they ought to know to do their jobs well. They are honest to each other, and do not shy away from criticism where it is due. They never procrastinate and they always work towards the common goal. Not that they don’t make any mistakes ; when they do, they own up to it, as professionals.

They stand by their principles, and are not afraid to take a stance on any issue or make difficult decisions. They have integrity. And they always have sight of the larger picture. Always.

I cannot imagine how many organisations (private or public) can boast of access to such a treasure… But I do hope God has made more people like these.

In the meanwhile, I await the next episode of “The West Wing” to transport me back to my Camelot….