Looper

Finally - a sci-fi movie!! :D
Sad premise and quite illogical but engrossing nonetheless.
I am not a movie reviewer but I do like movies that make me write - this is one such movie.

The music was top-notch, the direction was oddly brilliant - had not heard of Rian Johnson until this movie, wonderful characters and it seems that Jason Levitt has a promising future.

As I was watching the movie, I thought of the mother and her kid and wondered if protection could be that strong; I thought of Willis' longing for his wife. I also thought of the plague that affects humans who are unable to focus on a good movie and then have to ask others for explanations for a simple story. I also thought of how cool that blunderbuss gun was!! And about how such a wicked kid could warrant affection...

I am a troubled little human being I am.

Barfi!

Ranbir Kapoor is one of the better mainstream actors in India today, it is because of him that the movie works, because his character is central to the movie. Yes, the movie is too long (thank you PVR for your soggy popcorn - it keeps me active) and one knew of Pritam because of those idiots playing some music while the movie played on.
Ranbir plays the role of Barfi effortlessly at times - the director did a good job with him and much appreciation for the director Anurag Basu for not making it an emotional drama with respect to the deaf and mute condition of the lead actor.
I liked Priyanka Chopra just because she had the nerve to dump her glamorous avatar and take up one of an autistic child who is also dyslexic, seems stupid, stutters and also has Freddie Mercury teeth.
Ileana D'Cruz is an Indian hottie and I like her Indian dressed-up avatar.
Saurabh Shukla is brilliant!!
Papon's Kyon is one of my favourite songs from the movie and so is the intro song of "Picture Shuru"

What I did not like - Chaplin copies, sure one could say, "We paid homage to Chaplin..."
Stuff from the Notebook - blatantly copied.
The entire love triangle and Ileana's inability to get over her love for a deaf-mute Barfi was unreasonable.

What I loved - I have already mentioned this but Ranbir's performance was quite awesome. I like the way he could dance, seem comical and non-sensical, comb his hair, make fun of others and act like a much loved much hated fiend of a small town in India. He always wanted to live a full life they said. The character could not have existed in real life, but one hopes that such a character one lived.

Barfi! is also India's official entry to the Oscars. This, for me, is disappointing. The movie is not exquisite and I believe it has been chosen as India's entry because of the selectors' perception of what an international audience would like. I believe that Indian movies are generally made for Indian audiences and hence an Indian entry should be one that speaks of India, not like a Salman Khan movie but like an Ab Tak Chappan which speaks of Indian society.

Titanic

When I first saw this movie I understood little and had an iota of patience. Saw this movie again recently on TV and damn - it's a brilliant movie. Add to that Leo is there and a red-head Kate Winslet in all her vulnerable, voluptuous glory.
"Gentlemen, it has been a privilege playing with you tonight." I loved the scene where the musicians played on while panic ensued around them. I had completely missed the grandeur of the movie when I saw it first; I never saw how strong a role Kate's was; the end of the movie where Rose and Jack try to escape towards the deck, the 'lower class' being discriminated against, the nouveau riche American lady hollering at the lack of humanity in her fellow travelers when aboard the boat, a group of people craving the word of the Lord when on the verge of dying, the fact that only 1 boat returned for survivors.
Old Rose says at the end of her narration, "A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets."

True Grit

I am fascinated by history. Ture Grit is a remake of a 1960s movie and I think also inspired by a novel. The story is simple - dude killed unfairly, his daughter is angry and wants to take some revenge; she hires an old marshall to find the killer in order to kill him.
The Wild Wild West was indeed wild. There was honour and animalistic behaviour. I liked the girl's performance and the Jeff was outstanding. Still don't know how he did a drunkard so well :)
The reason I had to write about this movie is that towards the end (because the end is simply cinematic awesomeness) I was peering into my laptop screen - took me a while to realise that I was literally drawn to the movie.
A particular scene right at the very end made me say, "Damn... no wonder this movie was named True Grit".

Ilhaam

Every thought is unique. Similar to how everyone who saw this play would have thought of different things.

There is a time when the world flows into you, when you can sense everything around you and understand all that there is; when that happens, things that used to matter, cease to matter in the same way. What would you do if you were to choose between moksha and bondage to human societal life?
/I can't be here and there at the same time... that is what humans want./
/Kya poori duniya aa kar tumse kehti hai... main hoon...?/

There is a joy in being a kid and there is regret in seeing that innocence in somebody else.
Someone weird is just someone who does not conform to accepted norms of human societal behaviour. Epilepsy was deemed madness, homosexuals are still not treated well, cross-dressers are not accepted, autistic people are scary, deformed faces are revolting. Odd people exist because of the categorization by other people who form the majority.

Moving to another point; what would you do if your loved one goes insane, i.e. you can't understand/ tolerate him/ her? What happens when that someone does not appreciate your presence?
What is the similarity between someone who treats you badly and someone who suffers from dementia or Alzheimer's? Are you liable to take care of a loved one more because of your love or because of society? What would you do if you realised you were losing control over your sanity?

Ilhaam is a play that I saw at Prithvi Theatre yesterday. One of the best I have seen in a while. A note to the buffoons who like to text and email while the play is on - one fine day, you might be shot or stabbed by someone like me.

Melt

Nick has a way of melting my innards. The saxophone, the flute, the bass, the guitar, the piano and his voice.

The Dark Knight Rises

Spoiler Alert - Stay Away from this post.

"I have buried enough members of the Wayne family." The agony on Bruce's face tears up the viewer. For me, this movie was not about the glorious action, but just like "The Dark Knight", it was about human behvaiour and emotions.
The first line above was said by Alfred while he is controlling his tears. Bruce could not move on after Rachel's demise and the ones who loved Bruce always hoped that he would leave things behind and move on. Alfred spoke of how he wished Bruce never came back to Gotham.
Christian Bale is one of the best young actors that Hollywood has.
Tom Hardy is a wonderful Bane and Bane is as good as he should be. Calculated and sturdy. 
Anne Hathaway is a wonderful, voluptuous, enticing Catwoman?
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a new kid on the block and does a fantastic Blake (Robin)
I was surprised at how gripping the movie was. Chicago is the perfect Gotham City; the action scenes are stupendous and the naysayers may say what they want to, but Hans Zimmer created outstanding music - especially towards the end and the music that usually accompanied Bane.
The plot was so-so but the idea was quite Shakespearen with the downfall of society.

How did the citizens feel when their city collapsed?
What did Alfred go through for 8 years after Rachel's loss and Bruce's degradation?
Why was Mr. Fox so loyal?
Did Commissioner Gordon really inspire Bruce so much?
What did people say when they found out about Harvey Dent's truth?
Why did Miranda do all she had to?
How did Bruce spend his years in pain?
What allowed him to escape the pit?

And the Batplane is fit for the 21st century!!! Wooohooooooo
Well done Christopher Nolan.
Side note: Anne Hathaway in stilettos (in the beginning of the movie) - oooooh laaaa laaaa

Kshay

Revolutionary Road meets Trainspotting in India. Not suggesting that the creators of this movie copied from any other movie - am just referring to how deeply thought-provoking, social, intense and terribly depressing this movie was.
An absolutely wonderful creation shot in black and white - good idea though because it focuses attention on the characters. I haven't heard such wonderful use of music in a while now and the story was simple yet filmed in a brilliant way. Even with the use of expressionism, the director didn't tire the audience as it happened in that god-awful movie: The Tree of Life.
Rasika Dugal was awesome and it was her movie through and through.

Thoughts:
Why was the sculptor kid such an angry boy?
Why was Chhaya obsessed with the stone?
Why did Laxmi always look at Chhaya?
Could losing a child during pregnancy be that disturbing?
Would Chhaya have been the same if she would not have cared for the neighbour's kid in the beginning of the movie?
Why was Arvind oblivious to everything?
Is India finally becoming like the West, where social support is difficult to find?
If life really is that difficult, why do people struggle through it?
Would a dead spouse be better than a dead self?

I went for this movie because a friend recommended it. I didn't know the meaning of Kshay until I came back home after the movie. The progression towards the end.
"Do you know what a woman goes through when her child has died and she will never know what it would be like to ever give birth to one of her own? Do you know what it's like when she is left all alone at home with nothing to do with her life?"