himanshug1 Reviews

Kaksparsh (2012)

Brilliant

[8/10 · 28 December 2014]

I saw this film on Channel four. I found the narratives and story telling of this film very holding and engaging. It moved from scene to scene without dragging. As a non- maharastrian I fonud easy to follow the dialogues and subtitles. Cinematography filming has been sharp and clear. quality was excellent, adding to value of films. As a main protagonist Sachin Khedekar is simply brilliant. On IMDb there is only one critic review, who seems to be disappointed with the film. He claims to be missed opportunity. He seems to have read Usha Datar's book with the same name, and is implying that book has material, if filmed well, would have been mind blowing. I am not likely to read that book and will not be able to support or deny the claim that this film is a misopportunity. I personally found it to be a good film, worth seeing it.

PK (2014)

Enjoyable film needs thinking

[9/10 · 25 December 2014]

I saw this film on first day first show, was not sure what to expect. I found a very entertaining and absorbing film, raising question about India's illness. I do think it is important to have faith, but as Indian we are over dependent on faith and it is one of the biggest destructive industry in India. If all money go instead of religious establishment if it was to go for social well being of our fellow man would transform our society, This important question has been raise in this film.Please see it and think about it Most Indian films have weakness in storyline, particularly ending. This film, a struggle little, but done OK. performances in the films have been brilliant.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012)

The poorest amongst all of Yash Chopra's Film

[4/10 · 19 November 2012]

After Dil to Pagal Hai and Veer Zaara, one would expect better finale. What one found is disappointment and old Boolywood cliché. Film starts with interesting love story and after interval completely breaks down and goes into complete stupidity. A labourer/waiter in the first half becomes a electronic genius and a member of bomb squad in second half and London police lets him diffuse a bomb!! Amazing. What is a characterisation of Anususka's roll? Is she representing a modern Indian girl who is sexually liberated and wanting to have sex with men from all races? and same time emotionally immature that she falls in love with a man reading his story or biography? and they emotionally so mature that gives up her love for someone else love? this all ridicules to sublime. Shah Rukh has a better performance after some gaps. Katrina looks pretty, Anushka has a much better performance in a poorly thought out roll. Music is brilliant and songs are good. not a memorable movie.

OMG: Oh My God! (2012)

Good God

[8/10 · 30 September 2012]

For several years, I thought that way we Indians, way we practiced religion,the way it is sold, it has been our collective sickness. On the name of faith, logic disappears. This problem was verbalised in a play which I show in Detroilt last year, acted by Paresh Rawal. Although play was raising issues about organised religion in India, it had got lost in its own argument. When same play is transferred into screenplay it has iron out all confusion and presented problem in a systemic way without destroying the fundamental question. This comedy has a serious question and we need to change our behaviour. As film it was entertaining with brilliant performance from Paresh Rawal. He seems a bit tired. Enjoyed Akshay Kumar as God. .

Anna Karenina (I) (2012)

Stately building without the Ground

[7/10 · 24 September 2012]

Anna Karenina is a good film. It tells the story of a woman, who cannot contain her love (more likely passion), could not digest it and driven to her destruction. This film is like a stately building which has been removed from its landscape. Background story of Russian Aristocracy, political situation, forms a backdrop of Anna's story. To make it simple, most of the background has been minimised. Although the building is grand, it is difficult to fully appreciate without its landscape. So film is good but it is one-sided. In that sense Tom Stoppard has done a good job in a limited way. Both Keira Knightly and Jude Law entertain with their very good performance. A woman is able to digest or unable to digest her passion depends on her character, background and also time and space she lives. That's why I believe this film is incomplete.

In a Better World (2010)

Three Elements in the Story, very good film

[8/10 · 2 September 2012]

Susanne Bier has succeeded in placing Christian Principal or modern Gandhian thought of pacifism against violence in a Morden contemporary social context in a Danish society, equating parallel with an African society. Brier has created another good film with a good story which is well narrated. There are three elements of stories are intertwined. Loss of wife/mother resulting loss, grief, sadness and anger on one side and loss through divorce causing vulnerability in human experiences are well portrayed. Another element of the story is how you respond to anger/violence. The third element questions the difference between western world and third world. Film is well supported with their various actors. I strongly recommend this film to all thinking audience. I have become Susanne Bier Fan.

Son of Babylon (2009)

An important documentary fiction

[8/10 · 25 August 2012]

I saw this film on DVD at home, but when I saw the this film at the Cinema on a big screen, the impact was far more greater. The soundtrack of the film made it much more gritter in the cinema.

In this film we are taken across the Iraq, when young boy Ahmed with his grand mother is going to search his father who has left home 12 years ago, to join the Iraqi army. Their search starts just after fall of Saddam Hussein. We see distraction of Iraq, brought to us by the Director Mohamed Al Daradji, who has written story and script with Jennifer Norridge. Grand Mother speaks Kurdish, which is not understood by many in Iraq, and often Arabic conversations by Iraqi are not understood by Grand mother. These struggle is sharply portrayed.

We go through struggles and disappointments with Ahmed and His grandmother. When we arrive to final scenes, I found myself, not affected by the piece of major history portrayed by Daradji. If I force myself to sympathise with Ahmed, I can appreciate his pain, but I had to put myself in him, rather he pulling me in him.

More I thought about this point, I think Doradji present the Mass graves, Wailing Iraqi women as dead images, and also not created any meaningful images to audience, about Ahmed's father as a real person. This whole part appears as a documentary presentation.

Never the less it is a good film. It should be widely seen.

A Simple Life (2011)

An account of warm, tender final journey

[7/10 · 18 August 2012]

A very pleasant film, with droll humour, takes us through a final journey of Al Tao. She has been a servant in a household in Hongkong, serving three generations. As she suffers from stroke, she asks her employer, who has been a successful film producer, to retire her to a nursing home. This film explores human relationships from many angels. Gives a warm and positive massages. In a different forum I would go through each character and analyse interactions. Beauty of this film is in the simple way narrated various interpersonal interactions. Deannie Yip has given award winning performance, and I understand that she has one many awards for the role of Al Tao. Some of subtitles are difficult to read because of white subtitles in white background.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Pleasant, fun film

[8/10 · 8 August 2012]

I saw this film with my daughter. I did no know what to expect. The titles were in details and colourful. Titles were beyond sensibility, in a sense was establishing the mood of film. Film was set in 70#s in New England. Initial introduction is quaint, suggesting light heart subject matter. We learn Sam is missing from the scout camp, he has eloped with his young love Suzy. Search party is out to find Sam ans Suzy. Rumpus follows. Kara Hayward as Suzy and Jared Gilman as Sam were brilliant, in their performance, particularly keeping it innocence, while coming of age is taking place. I found certain points in story interesting. Particularly Weather becomes bad when story requires a resolution and Following year, very heavy produce. Senior cast were not stealing performance, so film remained balance.

Go and Enjoy the film.

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Timeless film

[9/10 · 14 July 2012]

I saw this film about 22years after it was made. I do not think the appeal of this film has slightly deteriorated with passing time. It tells several stories. First and foremost portrays the magic of Cinema, which is one of the cheapest entertainers. With advent of television, fall of Cinema. Human story is about a fatherless boy who develops an attachment to a projectionist who becomes his father figure and helps building his character. There is a love story of first love. I find this story is a Morden transformation of a fairy tale with immense presence of reality. The projectionist Alfredo's character is that of a wise man, who does not demand anything of Toto, but continually feels him with signpost. Amazingly he does not demand to see Toto before he dies. I am now keen to see extended version, which may have expansion in love story. If you have not seen this film, I thoroughly recommend it.

After the Wedding (2006)

Exciting Thriller

[9/10 · 10 July 2012]

I was interrupted while I was seeing this film. Normally I do not mind interruption. But I was irritated and I wanted to beck with film. I found the incredible story and brilliantly acted. I found Mads Mikkelsen incredible. What really interest me is that poverty was redefined in this film in a cultural context. Initially young lad wanted to go to Denmark. But he had opportunity to go he chose his own social environment over financial wealth. Although I enjoyed earlier part of twist and dying men's generosity, I thought it had some element of Indian Film industry. I must say I admired Susanne Bier both for her story writing and gripping way of unfolding the story. I must arrange to see other work as well. I recommend this film.

Get the Gringo (2012)

Waste of time to watch ugliness

[3/10 · 30 May 2012]

Although I am Mel Gibson's fan, I found this film difficult to see. Large part of the film is shot in an ugly environment. I kept asking myself, why should I endure this filthy background? Is a story of a clever criminal, who beats the system and succeed. It is not a story which will make a impact on me. Was an attempt to make it extra ordinarily ugly that liver is taken out and being put back. Why he could not be half an hour early to stop surgical procedure or half hour late, so everything is over. Is this stretching the limits and creating new horizon? I was wondering, what is the point of the story? If a criminal succeeds, why I would be affected or be pleased for him. In order to find success, everything else around him is destroyed, why that should become an interesting story? In the midst of ugliness, I enjoyed Mel Gibson's performance. Infect there is nothing but Mel Gibson in this film. It is a film, which was difficult to see once. Not likely to want to see more times. If you miss this film, you have not miss anything.

Dark Shadows (2012)

Mediocre horror

[5/10 · 28 May 2012]

Predictable and mediocre, but watchable horror. It starts interesting, but midway it looses its way, I suppose if it needed to include ugly, violent sexual scene, it had to loose its way. Dramatic violence at the end of film was somewhat overdone. In parts Johnny Depp was enjoyable. Michelle Pfeiffer was tolerable. I did not understand the storyline of presence of Dr. Julia Hoffman. Helena Bonham Carter did well. I expected some more development of storyline for Victoria Winters. But she remained passive victim lover.

If you do not see this film, you do not miss anything, except saving your time and money.