All Talk and No Action Sunday, June 3, 2012

May 1 - Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl - A silly and pointless endeavour.

May 2 - Kambakht Ishq - Don't judge. I'm allowed to watch atrocious movies once in a while

May 5 - The secret in their eyes - A 2009 Argentine movie. Won an Oscar for the best foreign language film. I was unaware of such weighty credentials before watching the movie. But after having experienced the magic of such powerful cinema, I can safely call it the best I've seen this year and definitely one of the most compelling onscreen romances ever. On the face of it, the plot's about a legal thriller panning 3 decades, involving a brutal and unresolved  rape. That the movie is set in a class ridden, bureaucratic Argentinian society of the 70s adds to the atmosphere. Stylishly directed; as you peel further, the story offers strands of love, humour, hatred, hope, longing, loss and retribution. The romance is achingly unalloyed and ethereal. It is completely to the credit of the makers to have portrayed such raw and complex emotions so sincerely. Ricardo Darin and Soledad Villamil make for a superb lead and are pitch perfect in their performances. It is impossible to remain untouched by this story. 

May 11 - Hugo - A visual extravaganza and heartwarming performances. I'd give anything to inhabit such a beautiful Paris. Highly recommended for cinema lovers.

May 12 - Blue Valentine - So, my first Ryan Gosling movie. THE Ryan Gosling. Boy, was I stumped! The next I know, I'm watching his movies in a row for the entire month. This one's a well made film - a distressing story about the dissolution of a relationship. The film is difficult to watch due to its imminent melancholic climax. Yet, it works on several levels, especially the performances.  

May 16 - Before the devil knows you're dead - A Sidney Lumet thriller. A one time watch.

May 17 - Drive - Ryan Gosling. Superb music that I've been listening to almost everyday. An intense,  stylish thriller which re-enforces the thought that 'still waters run deep'.

May 18 - Lars and the real girl - Yeah, Ryan again. Though I'm yet to watch Half Nelson (a movie which won Gosling an Oscar nomination), this one's my favourite.  The movie has such unbelievably generous characters that I wished to meet them in person. If only the world was this kind. You've to see this movie to believe what Ryan is capable of.

May 19 - Ides of March - Ryan Gosling. A political thriller. A decent watch

May 20 - The Notebook - So, apparently this Ryan flick makes women lose all grey cells and act against their better judgement. Well, I hate saccharine filled movies about 'louuvve' and am just not into a Romeo-Juliet kind of saga. So, I found it trash. Don't get me wrong. This one too is about eternal love and the blah, but it just didn't work for me.

May 20 - Crazy, Stupid, Love - I enjoyed this romantic comedy. An uber cool performance by Ryan and an equally funny act by Steve Carell. For those of you who have seen it, I found the "Steve Jobs" scene hilarious.

May 22 - All good things - Tada! Ryan Gosling again. This one's based on a real life incident. I don't have much to say here apart from the usual "Ryan was good".

May 25 - Fracture - A rather boring Ryan movie. Supposedly a thriller.

May 26 - Vicky Donor - An ingenuous plot and neat performances.

May 27 - Keith - A random teen romance I picked which left me pleasantly surprised. Not your run of the mill stories. A different plot with commendable performances by the lead.

May 31 - The Artist - I had a wide smile plastered on my face throughout this one. Every single minute was a pleasure to watch. Every actor, perfect. It takes real skill and bucket loads of audacity to make a B&W, silent movie in this age. With all things doctored and cosmetic around us, The Artist comes an absolute delight  and confirms that great stories can still be told simply. And Jean Dujardin -  they don't make men like him anymore! What a handsome and expressive face! The tap dance at the end had me mesmerised. But, everything said and done, I'd still have a difficult time deciding the better performer between Juan Dujardin and Uggie. Wouldn't you?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Looks like someone was vellimax!