All Talk and No Action

April 8 - Housefull 2 - I liked it. Good, mindless, time pass.

April 15 - Midnight in Paris - I'd been meaning to watch this one for long as I've always been enamored by all things Parisian. I expected a beautiful looking movie with bowl-full of Allen'ish humour. Beautiful and sweetly nostalgic it is. But I found it too mild and not in the league of previous Allen movies. Give me a Bullets over Broadway any day.

April 16 - A Separation (Iranian) - One of the best movies I have seen in recent times. Highly nuanced and vivid characters - the movie is rich in its understanding of human emotions. I loved the detailing in the plot and the various shades to each character. I should also add, I was surprised to see a different side to the Iranian society and its social mores.

April 18 - Certified Copy (French) - The writing was clever and I couldn't help trying to make sense of the plot. Foolish me. This is one of those capers which will engage you, tease you and finally leave you baffled. And Juliette Binoche - Gorgeous doesn't begin to describe her!

April 25 - Saving Private Ryan - One of the most compelling opening sequences and possibly the most honest war movie I've ever seen. The entire experience was deeply moving and I haven't been able to get the performances out of my head. Every second day, I revisit scenes that most impacted me, which is actually most of the movie. Anything else I say will be a waste of your time. Just watch it.

April 28 - The Green Mile - The Green Mile refers to the last mile that a prisoner walks from his cell to the electric chair. The story is set in the 1930s and is an adaptation from a Stephen King novel. I've always been a King fan and hence had sky high expectations. I came back with more than I'd asked for. The movie offers some fabulous moments. I loved the smooth and slow build up and the delicate bonding that develops between the guards and prisoners. The supernatural elements are beautifully woven together and every actor gives a classy performance. Highly recommended.

April 29 - Cast Away - This month has been great as I've watched some of the most memorable movies of Tom Hanks. Again, this was a superb act. And I was glad for not being forced to suffer much philosophical drama. I mean, for god's sake! The guy is abandoned on an island and I'd die if they showed him deliberating on larger existential issues or the purpose of his life. I'm not saying that doesn't happen or there was no philosophy at play here - there was, but Hanks played it out subtly, mostly in his head. I say this because I was reminded of a few scenes from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara - especially Hritik's deep-sea diving experience. The point that had been ably made through his tears and Javed Akhtar's soulful poetry was rendered useless when Katrina's character asked him to spell out and describe his life altering experience. We are dodos when it comes to subtlety. I was mighty irritated with the scene and thought Zoya could have done better than that.