INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS: Redefining cinema has become a habit for Tarantino

DIRECTOR: Quentin Tarantino
STARRING: Brad Pitt, Christopher Waltz, Daniel Bruhl, Eli Roth, Melanie Laurent, Til Schweiger.

REVIEW: As the credits of the film started to appear, I sat on my seat, spell-bound. And then, the applaud. The premiere of Inglourious Basterds ended with a standing ovation. A bubble of anticipation that had been building up inside me for the past four months, suddenly eased and snapped.

I had been through a top-class cinematic experience. After watching the film, I am compelled to proclaim that Quentin Tarantino still is the most innovative and entertaining director that Hollywood has to offer. Tarantino plays out his cards with sheer brilliance, and lo, we have a masterpiece on our hands! The ingenuity and passion with which the maestro delivers the film is truly remarkable. This time around, he has nailed it. The film is rock-steady enough to shut out the mouths of even the harshest of the critics. In each and every aspect of film-making, Inglourious... is the best QT movie ever. It has enough potential to be his career-defining film.

The film opens with the young Jewish girl Shoshanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent), narrowly evading massacre by German high command Hans Landa (Chris Waltz), who is know as the 'Jew Hunter' for his notorious inflictions on the Jews residing in France. In the meanwhile, a group of American-Jewish soldiers, led by the heavily accented Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), plans to drop into hostile Nazi territory and give them a taste of their own medicine by executing them on a massive scale.

Calling themselves the 'Inglourious Basterds', the group come across a plan to eliminate all the top personnel of the Nazi regime (including Hitler), all of whom would be attending a movie premiere in a Parisian theater. Coincidentally, the theater owner is none other than Shoshanna, who lives in Paris under a false identity, an has her own plans to extricate revenge for the slaughter of her family by the Nazis.

The majority of the German characters are stereotyped as bumbling idiots throughout the film, something I thoroughly enjoyed watching. However, the characterization of the sadistic 'Jew Hunter' Hans Landa has been cleverly carved out by Tarantino, and the execution by the actor Christopher Waltz is even better. This truly is one of the greatest character to come out of Tarantino's exquisitely imaginative mind.

The movie is an assortments of film styles, genres and sub-genres that Quentin pays homage to. Its not just a full-blown, mindless war flick. It has elements of a spaghetti-western too, something which Tarantino now specializes in. It also features a very spell-binding Mexican standoff, which is one of the highlights of the film. Though it is just pure entertainment, the dialogue is very rich and deeply drawn out. Its not just a screenplay: its a meticulous and detailed character thesis.

The director comes up with various interesting scenarios and puts the completely made-up characters into those settings. From then on, the characters act on their own, and QT just nudges them by suddenly changing the serene setting to a violent one, or vice-versa. Then we get to see a completely new dimension of the character, and this why Inglourious Basterds works. In short, this guy is a mobile warehouse of wildly imaginative ideas stashed together.

All the actors have done a fairly good job, Waltz being an exception. That is because his portrayal of the ruthless Hans Landa is out of this world. Brad Pitt and Eli Roth as the basterds are equally entertaining to watch.

Though some critics would be jumping to point out that the German characters, as shown in the film, are one-dimentional and are shown in a very misleading light, my answer to them would be that that's how its meant to be. The story is not shown from the Nazi view-point, it simply isn't their story. The story is about the Basterds. Had the characters of 'ze Germans' been detailed, then the story would have been completely different. All the German notoriety and cleverness has been compressed on the character of Hans Landa, who acts as a sort of representative of the whole German regime.

On the whole, this is audacious film-making at its best. Inglourious Basterds is a no-holds barred film which does not repent its on-screen cruelty. It is a gore-fest with a pinch of Black comedy to help keep tension at bay. It hits you smack on your face, and if you are not prepared, you might find yourself gaping at the sudden shift of mood. Watch it without further ado!

RATING: 4.5 out of 5 for film-making par excellence. Sheer beauty....

KAMINEY: Bhardwaj is India's new 'showman'

DIRECTOR: Vishal Bhardwaj
STARRING: Shahid Kapur, Amol Gupte, Priyanka Chopra, Chandan Roy, Tenzing Nima.

REVIEW: Dhan Te Nan is the first phrase that comes into my mind on being asked about the film 'Kaminey'. I had a hell lot of expectations on this one, and this time around, Bhardwaj does not disappoint.

Forget the rustic locales of 'Omkara' and 'Maqbool', this is Mumbai meri jaan. Get ready for one of the wackiest and most original experiences in Indian film history. If not for anything else, Kaminey can at least be lauded for exploring a territory rarely dealt with in the past: caper thriller. I could see clear shades of Guy Ritchie's 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' and 'Snatch' in the two-hour long dark thriller. Bhardwaj single-handedly juggles around with the music, direction and dialogues of the film, which surely confirms that there is least chance that he mistakenly conveys what he does not want to.

The movie tells the story of two protagonists, twins Guddu and Charlie (enacted beautifully by Shahid Kapur), both of whom have very different ways of looking at life. Both, however, want to achieve the same goal in life: wealth and stability, but they have contradictory means of acieving them. Guddu is rather mild-mannered, and works as a social worker on the streets of Mumbai. His dreams come crashing down when he is forced to marry his girlfriend Sweety (Piggy Chops), after he accidentally impregnates her. Unfortunately, it turns out that Sweety is the dear sister of Bhope Bhau (Amol Gupte), a feared gangster-turned-politician, who has a deep-rooted loathing for North Indians residing in Mumbai. On the other hand, Charlie, who along with his friend Mikhail (Chandan Roy) dreams to be a successful bookie one day, and he manages to get meddled up with gangsters and corrupt policemen, after a twist of good luck brings him under the ownership of a lot of expensive drugs. The lives of both brothers collide when they are pitched against the rest of the underworld, and have no one except each other to bank upon.

The movie takes time to build-up itself and pick up a pace. The first half is riddled with short and racy action sequences, which are brilliantly choreographed and executed. These scintillating scenes are adorned with Vishal Dadlani crooning to Dhan Te Nan, creating an effect that does not fail to excite the audience. Hats off to Vishal Bhardwaj for using the catch-phrase in such a unique and intelligent manner.

However, what goes wrong with the film is its length, and its climax. The second-half droops into Bollywood masala cliches, which looks like a compensation from Bhardwaj to those viewers who still prefer over-the -top sequences and naach-gana routine, rather than innovative and inquisitive cinema. Kaminey is non-linear in its structure many a time, and has a unique style which does add to its offbeat-ness. Hence, the director strikes a balance of typical Bollywood formulae and offbeat elements, creating a huge window for viewership. I cannot stop myself from comparing this very quality of his with that of Subhash Ghai, who also came across as an intelligent, and at the same time, commercial film-maker. That justifies the titling of this review.

Kaminey is true to its emotions. The bhai-bhai relationship is very believable, and I could really relate with the characters of the twin brothers. The director simmers with the emotions throughout the length of the film, and bring them to center-stage in the climax. I found the climax to be over-loaded with visuals and somehow, a little over-the-top too. The excessive killings seemed random and out of context.

The music and background score is flawless. Its second only to Bhardwaj's previous works in 'No Smoking' and 'Omkara'. Some of the gems are Dhan Te Nan (but of course!), Raat Ke Dhai Baje, and the Kaminey track sung majestically by Vishal Bhardwaj. Its the multi-tasking of the man that stuns me. This guy is sure to take Bollywood places.

The dialogue, once again written by the man himself, is very witty and cleverly hilarious. Also the quirky cinematography works in the favor of the film, creating an amazing out-of-control feel. The acting ranges from brilliant to very good. Priyanka Chopra depicts the bold Marathi gal with great chutzpah. Amol Gupte as Bhope Bhau, Chandan Roy as Mikhail, and Shahid Kapur as the living-life-on-his-terms Charlie are all flawless. The characterization of Guddu by Shahid was not great, but I still found it better than almost all of Shahid's earlier acts.

To sum it up, if you are hungry for Tarantino and Guy Ritchie like stuff, this might be the seven-course meal you have been looking for.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 for witty and entertaining cinema.

BLACK FRIDAY: A fearlessly truthful and powerful movie...

DIRECTOR: Anurag Kashyap
STARRING: Kay Kay Menon, Pavan Malhotra, Aditya Srivastava, Dibyendu Bhattacharya.

REVIEW: Over the years, I have developed a strong liking for Anurag Kashyap's unique and enjoyable movie line-up, and what started merely as a bleak interest, has now snow-balled into full-fledged fanaticism. I am actually researching Kashyap's career in reverse, because it was not until 'Gulaal' that I took this guy seriously. After that, however, I enlightened myself with his previous works like 'No Smoking', 'Black Friday' and more recently, 'Dev.D'.

Coming to the film at hand, first of all, I'd applaud the sheer courage and intelligence of the director to translate the real-life happenings to the 70mm screen with great intensity and flair. Passion for anything always brings out the best men in that field. Kashyap is one of them. He does his job with remarkable romance and commitment towards what he is trying to achieve.

The film basically follows the various characters who were involved in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. It tells about the meticulous planning and training that went on underway to make the attacks successful. The film is sub-divided into various chapters, each having a different perspective from the former. The whole incident lies bare for the audience to gasp and bewilder on. Black Friday is one of the most breath-taking depictions of a real-life incidence in the history of Indian cinema.

The acting put forward by the ensemble cast, including veterans like Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, and Pavan Malhotra is flawless. The actors never seemed to be acting, they seemed to be living out their reel-life counterparts to the core. Its a pity to mention that these amazing actors act as mere props in high-budget flicks, sidelined away to make way for the 'star-kids' to hold forte. This truly shows how immature our audience is. There is no scope for commercial success for anyone who tries and experiment with unconventional themes.

The dialogue of the film is worth mentioning, and a chill ran down my spine every time a character shrieked with anger. The editing is one of the best that we have ever seen in Indian cinema. The chapter-wise story-telling had till now been left alone by our film-makers. The music score by Indian Ocean is very beautiful, and one I liked very much. The lyrics are also something that I found thought-out.

This is purely a director's movie, and I find it safe to conclude that it would act as a perfect lesson in film-making for all the aspiring directors out there. The overall experience is sure to give the viewers goosebumps, and a lot of food for thought on the subject tossed by the director. I also found the no-nonsense narration and raw feel of the movie very attractive. It conveys its message without being too loud or over-the-top, and subtly makes the audience believe what it wants them to. This indeed is a remarkable feat for a 2 and a half hour movie, and that is why its one of my favorite movies of all time. Let's hope Bollywood is adorned by such masterpieces in the coming future.

RATING: 4.5/5 for top-notch output in all departments. Hats off!!

NO SMOKING: An abstract masterpiece with limitless interpretations

DIRECTOR: Anurag Kashyap

STARRING: John Abraham, Ayesha Takia, Paresh Rawal, Ranvir Shorey.

REVIEW: Anurag Kashyap came under my immediate attention when he made this movie back in 2007. Panned by critics and rejected by the audience, 'No Smoking' failed to create a stir at the box-office, and was eventually forgotten by the audience and the critics alike. What I felt was that the critics responded to the movie way too early, and tagged it as 'nonsense' without giving a second thought of what the director wanted to convey through the movie. In India, the audience have been so accoustomed to cinematic spoon-feeding (read Yash Raj movies) that anything even slightly abstract or open-ended is hard to digest. What people here see in a movie are their favorite stars, melodious songs, and some over-the-top action sequences. Anything out of this protocol spells nothing but failure for the movie and the people involved in its making.

Moving on to the plot, the movie covers the exploits of the protagonist, K (John Abraham), an arrogant and enormously rich man, who is ever-nagged by his wife Anjali (Ayesha Takia) becuase of his habit of always keeping a cigarette burning in his mouth, be it in day or night, bathroom or bedroom. Anjali becomes so ticked off of his cigarette-smoking that she decides to divorce him. Learning this, K, on the consultation of his friend Abbas (Ranvir Shorey), agrees to give up smoking by joining a rehab center called 'Prayogshala'. On going to Prayogshala, K meets a fiendish person called Baba Bengali (Paresh Rawal), who forces him not to smoke by warning that if he were to smoke, he would take some seriously heinous and horrendous steps, which would put his and his near ones' life in danger. The rest of the movie is how K deals with the situation. 

Watching the first half made me think that it was a fantastic thriller with a flair of originality. I couldn't think why it has gathered so many haters. However, the movie slipped into surrealism minutes after the second half started, thus explaining why it was hated by many. When the screening ended abruptly, I sat with a gaping mouth, wondering 'what the f***???' Where are the explanations to the oddities that took place in the movie? However, when I gave it a second thought, I just couldn't get the movie out of my mind. It made complete sense, the only thing is that you have to search for the explanations yourself. In the end, there is no official account of any of the happenings of the movie by any of the characters. Look deeper, and you know what the answers are. 

Then again, if you search for answers based on substancial logic, or want everything to be explained by scientific mediums, then I highly doubt that you will be successful. You have to have an open mind and understand the symbolic meanings of the characters and elements introduces in the film. That is the true essence of the film. It is open-ended and free for hundreds of interpretations and explanations, based on the type of viewers and their different understandings and opinions about different topics. If you ask me to tell the story scene by scene, exprssing the abstract logic behind it simultaneously, I hardly believe that it will match the explanaion put forward by the director himself! 

In a nutshell, the film has different things to offer for different viewers, making it an interactive experience. My expression of the movie treads somewhat into religious beliefs, and I hope my interpretation provides the space to understand what message Kashyap wants to deliver. However, posting my interpretation without giving away the movie is next to impossible, so I am not doing that.

As for technicalities, the cinematography is way too good for regular Bollywood stuff, and bears striking resemlance to that of the film 'Aamir'. The movie has a dark feel about it, but does not pass as a film-noir. Its a cut between noir and regular stuff. The music is awesome, and the songs, though only a few, are pitched in at all the right places. The background score by Vishal Bhardwaj elevates the dark and brooding feel of the movie, and contains many technical sounds. 

The screenplay is top-notch.

The cast has acted unusually well. I didn't expect John Abraham to portray the character of the angst-ridden K as perfectly as he has done. A word of praise also goes out for both Ayesha Takia and Paresh Rawal, who have performed exceptionally well in their characters.

Ending this review, I want to point out the one and only flaw in the reasoning of Kashyap's otherwise fertile mind, which is, how did he expect that such complex a movie would ever go down well with the orthodox Indian audience? Let alone Bollywood, it is puzzling and confusing even by Hollywood standards. Did he really believe that the average audience would get all that he wanted to convey?

RATING: A 4/5 for an amazing abstract plot, a meaningful underlying message, good acting, and likeable music.

SCHOOL OF ROCK: The ultimate comedy movie, courtesy Jack ‘King of Comedy’ Black

DIRECTOR: Richard Linklater
STARRING: Jack Black, Mike White, Miranda Cosgrove, Joan Cusack, Sarah Silverman.
REVIEW: On hearing the name of the movie for the first time, I couldn’t help but feel uninterested. I just could not get myself to sit down for a couple of hours and watch the movie, even after hours of persuasion from my friend. But once I started the movie, I no longer could budge off from my seat. The comedy is seriously very funny and highly addictive. The movie truly and wholly belongs to and is fuelled by Jack Black. Its one of those performances which you would watch for any given number of times. I know some of you won’t be able to digest this, but as far as my opinion goes, Black’s act can be compared to that of Heath Ledger in ‘The Dark knight’.

The story is sweet and simple, and minus any complex entanglements or mind –rattling twists (read pure entertainment). Dewey Finn (Black), a singer and guitarist of a promising hard rock band, is kicked out by his fellow members. He is compelled to start selling –off his belongings, so that he can pay the house-rent to his land-lord and also his life-long friend Ned Schneebly (Mike White), who, along with his overly-dominating girlfriend Patty (Sarah Silverman), shares his house with him. One day, due to a stroke of good luck, he lands himself a job of a substitute teacher in a preparatory school named Horace Green.

The comedy that fills-up the first-half of the movie reminds me of the kind of comedy that Charlie Chaplin showcased. The comedy lies in the tragedy of a struggling man’s life. I don’t want to go into details, but that is exactly how I felt at most of the places.

Moving on, the movie is not all comedy and no sense. Its a big tribute to rock, and the way by which it does so is very interesting. Through comedy, the director conveys deep thoughts and teachings about rock music. One of the most heart-touching lessons the movie teaches is: Rock music is not about getting straight A’s. The director sandwiches many of such thoughts along with some jaw-paining comedy, and the result is entertainment at its best.

The characters are cut out in remarkable detail, especially those of the wannabe rocker Dewey Finn and the tight-collared school principal Roz Mullins, who is portrayed adorably well by Joan Cusak. As I already mentioned, Jack Black proves by his act that he is the undisputed king of comedy, and he is here to stay. His expressions, eye movements and body language throughout the movie are thoroughly funny and uncannily impossible to ape (I tried to make some of the facial expressions in front of the mirror, but to no avail!). He seems to act his heart out on the camera. Hats off.

Also, the kids of the school are very endearing and adorable in their own right, and their innocence completely melts your heart away. If you haven’t seen this movie, you have missed out too much. Do yourself a big favor: watch School of Rock now!

RATING: A 4/5 for excellent acting, great comedy, and a very fitting tribute to rock music as a whole.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE: A modern day fairy-tale in a bad, bad world

DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle
STARRING: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Saurabh Shukla.

REVIEW: Having sat through the roughly two-hour long screening of Slumdog Millionaire, I felt as if I had been through an exciting roller-coaster ride of emotions. Danny Boyle pitches out 'Slumdog Millionaire' with remarkable intensity, and the narrative is so engrossing that one seems lost in the addictive plot.
Jamal Malik (Dev Patel, also portrayed by Tanay Chheda and Ayush Khedekar) an illiterate slum-inhabitant, is just one question away from winning the Indian version of the famous game-show 'Who Wants to Be A Millionaire'. He is arrested and interrogated by the police on the ground that he is cheating. When interrogated, he tells the cops about how he knew each and every question that the celebrity judge (Anil Kapoor) of the show asked him, drawing instances from his life. He tells them how he, his brother Salim (Madhur Mittal, Azharuddin Mohammad Ismail, Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala), and his love-interest, Latika (Freida Pinto, Rubina Ali, Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar) spearheaded their way through the hardships of life.
The movie showcases a very pessimistic view towards life. Every character that the protagonists meet throughout the movie, turn out to be twisted minded or a sadist. The fact that the movie is full of ever-plotting and greyish characters ensures that the viewers stay glued to their seats until and unless the hero finally walks away with the heroine contently. The director transforms a typical Bollywood plot into a magical and gripping movie with fantastic screenplay and swift camera-work.
Also, what assists in enhancing the cinematic experience is the Oscar-nominated music of A.R. Rehman, which is, in the true sense of the word, electrifying. It's a great soundtrack with peppy soundtracks splashed all over it.
The acting was decent by each and every member of the cast, be it the innocent-looking Dev Patel, or the charming and fairly beautiful Freida Pinto. Also, the child artists have acted wonderfully well, and their innocence really gets imprinted on the audience's mind. Anil Kapoor is also memorable as the host of the show.
In a nutshell, it would be suitable to declare that "Slumdog..." is an extra-ordinary survival movie, and young Jamal's story is truly inspiring and moving in every frame. Jamal's never-say-die attitude acts as a bleak ray of hope even in the darkest of the situations. It is tremendously inspiring at places, and at other places it is particularly demoralizing, so much so that the whole experience gets cancelled out, if you know what I mean.

RATING: I'm coming out with 3.5/5 for gripping narration and plausible acting.

THE DARK KNIGHT: An edge-of-the-seat thriller

DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan

STARRING: Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Micheal Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Maggie Gyllenhaal.

REVIEW: 'The Dark Knight', the latest offering of director Christopher Nolan, justifies the hype it had been given, and is one of the best superhero flicks of all time.
Firstly, I would like to pay my tribute to the legendary portrayal of The Joker by the late Heath Ledger, which, I am sure, will act as a text-book act for the generations of actors to come. The performance is brilliant, and the energy with which the actor portrays the character really comes through the 70mm screen, and leaves the audience spell-bound.
The movie carries the Batman saga forward from where its predecessor, 'Batman Begins', had left it. This time around, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), the "spoilt" heir of the multi-billionaire corporation 'Wayne Enterprises', has a schizophrenic terrorist, The Joker (Heath Ledger), to save Gotham from. The Joker teams up with the mob family of Gotham, and offers to kill The Batman in return of money. He takes the city on ransom when he warns the people that if Batman does not show his real face to the public, he would kill-off one citizen of Gotham everyday. The police department, led by the honest cop James Gordon (Gary Oldman), teams up with the recently elected District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), and the Batman, to bring an end to the Joker menace.
'The Dark Knight' is quite similar to 'Batman Begins' in terms of its tension and darkness, only that both these factors are exponentially higher in the sequel. The film has much more deeper characters, and the settings are also darker and more disturbing. The feeling of tension is prevalent throughout the running time of the movie, and the viewer cannot help but end up with a satisfied grin at the end of the movie, when the bubble of tension finally bursts.
Christian Bale carries-off his act as the extravagant billonaire in pure genleman-ish style, and is surely a good choice for Bruce Wayne. Aaron Eckhart is also a natural actor, and does full justice to the character of Harvey Dent.
But the real show-stealer is Heath Ledger, who walks away with all the accolades. His act as the Joker is a milestone in acting history, and almost touches perfection. Both his facial expressions as well as his voice-modulation are excellent, so much so that it disturbs the hell out of the viewer. His body language is so very casual, that you get the goosebumps every time he walks or acts weird. He turns out to be scary, funny and awfully entertaining, all at the same time. The audience relishes every moment that he spends on-screen, and yearns for more when the credits start rolling. His sarcastically humorous antics have you laughing in splits in many scenes.
Thanks to the gritty camera-work and the powerful backgroung score, the film creates quality tension-filled scenes, which one yearns to see once more.
This film is a complete package of top-notch acting, out-of-the-world direction, and a very gripping storyline. I end this review by mourning the loss of one of the most promising actors of recent times: Heath Ledger.
Don't miss this one.

RATING: A deserving 4.5/5, for great acting, good music score, and exceptional story-telling.

FOLLOWING: A definitive Film-noir

DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan
STARRING: Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw, Lucy Russell, John Nolan.

REVIEW:'Following', the first full-length movie by Christopher Nolan, blows away the viewer completely, and by the end of this just-over-an-hour movie, you are completely convinced that this director is over-flowing with talent. The movie proves that one does not need to have an extravagant budget or a famous celebrity to create an intelligent and entertaining movie.
The story is of a writer (Jeremy Theobald), who hunts for his story's characters by following people whom he finds interesting. He sets rules for himself so as to prevent this habit from becoming an obsession. One day, when he breaches his own rules, he finds a man, with whom he shares his queer habit.
Calling himself Cobb (Alex Haw), the man teams up with him, and the duo break into people's houses, and rob them not of money, but of their personal belongings, just to let them know that someone had broken in, and has had a good look through their personal items. In one of their escapades, they infiltrate the house of a blond woman (Lucy Russell), and the protagonist gets obsessed with her life. He starts following her, which leads to him getting meddled up with gangsters.
Astonishingly clever, and very sadistic in nature, the film gets full marks for the gripping use of fragmented story-telling and a flawless script. The director puts the black-and-white effect to his full advantage, and delivers a film noir which surprises the audience with its intelligence.
Also mention-worthy is the music score, which fits in at all the right moments, and give an essential sense of suspense to the film. Kudos to the music director for the innovative background music.
The only minus point, as I see it, is in the acting department. Jeremy Theobald and Alex Haw's acting is acceptable, but not entirely mesmerizing. At some places, the dialogue delivery is just not natural. Lucy Russell also falls just fine.
Overall, this movie is a visual treat for suspense-seeking gluttons and those who like intelligent and sophisticated thrillers. Go for it.

RATING: A well-deserved 4/5 for intelligent plot, enthralling film-noir feel, and clever direction.