The Way We Were

The first time I saw you
I fell head over heels for you
Smitten by your beauty and simplicity
I really wanted to be with you

Slowly, our bonding grew
As days passed by
I was sure; I was in love with you
So I said lets give it a try

We were so happy together
Talking, hugging, kissing, spending time with each other
I was so proud of us
We were the best couple ever

Nothing came in between us
We never fought
All we knew was to love each other
Happiness was all what it brought

As time passed by, we became busy
You had your studies, I had mine
We were growing apart slowly, like arsenic poisoning
I felt helpless, watching love fading away in due time

We started fighting over small issues
You couldn't stand my jokes
I couldn't stand your sentiments
I thought – was this due?

Kissing stopped, hugging stopped
We barely talk with each other
Is this why we fell in love?
Or is this the phase every relation goes through?
I don't know; I don't care
I just want to be with you - Just like The Way We Were

Top 10 under-rated Hindi films of the decade

After writing the 10 most under-rated English movies of the decade, it was quite obvious for me to write an article about the under-rated Hindi movies. More so since I felt it will be much easier to write. How wrong I was! Everytime I finished my list, another movie came in my mind out of nowhere and I had to insert it to the list. At a time I had some 35 movies and boy it was confusing. So after two days of pulling my hair out, the list below was formed. Just hope I didn't miss any serious contender.

All the films mentioned are selected on the basis that they did poorly at the Box Office.

Chronologically:

1. Haasil (2003)

Reasons:

Irrfan Khan alone makes this movie a must watch. What a performance!

A completely different landscape compared to regular Hindi films. Allahabad has not been used much as a Hindi cinema backdrop. Also the college politics in UP is not shown much on Hindi cinema. A very novel idea.

A talent called Tigmanshu Dhulia. What a debut for him! Such assured scripting and direction.
Although there isn’t much scope of music, still ‘Aankhen Bhi Hoti Hain Dil Ki Zuban’ is an awesome track.

The poignant moments captured between Tinnu Anand and Jimmy Shergill. Natural to the core.
Lastly, but most importantly, the hero is called Aniruddha. How can I not LOVE the movie?

2. Raincoat (2004)

Reasons:

Simplicity. Simple can be lyrical and beautiful. This movie proves it.
Career best performance of Aishwarya Rai. Superb performances by Ajay Devgan and Annu Kapoor.
Debojyoti Mishra’s brilliant soundtrack and background score elevates the movie.
Abhik Mukhopadhyay’s cinematography and how he plays with the light and shadow.
Lastly, the sensitivity and maturity with which Rituparno Ghosh directs the movie.


3. Naach (2004)

Reasons:

Ram Gopal Varma.
His most personal film till date. It is dark, moody and abstract.
Add to that brilliant performances by Antara Mali and Abhishek Bachchan.
Outstanding cinematography by Kiran Reddy.
Enough said. Move on.


4. Matribhoomi (2005)

Reasons:

Manish Jha. Just for the balls to make this film.
Venu Gopal’s cinematography. The bleak and dark look shows how the society is loveless and depraved.
The cast. Tulip Joshi, Sudhir Pandey, Sushant Singh and Piyush Mishra gives splendid performances.


5. Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2005)

Reasons:

The sheer innovation of the story, script. The locales.
Bavra Mann, one of the finest songs of the decade.
A genius called Sudhir Mishra. To create one of the finest love stories of Hindi cinema.
To bring the drop dead gorgeous Chitrangada Singh on celluloid. Add to that Kay Kay and Shiny’s performance.
A special thanks to Pritish and Rangita Nandy for giving me my favorite movie of the decade.


6. Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh (2005)

Reasons:

For probably the best and most natural climax of the decade.
To showcase the talent that Rajpal Yadav has.
Add to that great performances by Rituparna Sengupta, Kay Kay, Varun Badola and Vinod Nagpal.
Chandan Arora. For bringing back the Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterji style of romance and humor.


7. My Brother Nikhil (2005)

Reasons:

The best and most sensitive film on gay relationships and HIV+ patients in India till date.
Le Chale, one of the best songs I have heard.
Sanjay Suri. For producing a movie like this and giving the best performance of his life.
For Juhi Chawla, Victor Banerjee, Lilette Dubey and PurabKohli, each giving heartbreaking performances.
Lastly, Onir for making this film with so much sensitivity.


8. Sehar (2005)

Reasons:

Arshad Warsi’s best performance till date.
For once, the characters speak with proper dialect (UP-ite Hindi here).
The supporting cast comprising of Pankaj Kapoor, Suhashini Mulay and Sushant Singh.
The train-borne climax and its treatment.
Kabeer Kaushik’s superb direction.


9. Socha Na Tha (2005)

Reasons:

For giving us Abhay Deol.
The best film of Imtiyaz Ali (which he keeps on remaking).
Great soundtrack.
Original, energetic and vibrant Ayesha Takia, before she tried to be the next Pam Anderson.


10. Manorama Six Feet Under (2007)

Reasons:

The best homage ever to Chinatown.
For bringing back Noir to Hindi cinema.
The dry humor throughout the film.
Powerhouse performances from Abhay Deol, Gul Panag, Raima Sen and Vinay Pathak.
For stunning cinematography which creates the claustrophobic atmosphere apt for the film.
Lastly, Navdeep Singh’s deft direction.


There are lots of films for the number 11 spot, which I mention as an additional recommendation. Got confused! So am just listing the films which are all tied up for the 11th spot.

1. Yahaan
2. Phir Milenge
3. Chhal
4. Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon
5. Dhoop

10 most under-rated English films of the decade

The article on Film.com kind of inspired me to write my own list. The reason being that I really disagreed with the article. To me, Film.com made pathetic choices. That disagreement kind of acted like a catalyst making me write my own list for the most under-rated English movies of this decade.

Now I followed certain parameters (which is followed by Film.com) while selecting the movies.

1. The film can't have surpassed $30 million, either domestically or worldwide.
2. The film can't have been nominated for/won an Oscar.

Which basically means that the movie didn't get acclaim either from revenue or awards.

So here they are, my Top 10 most under-rated English films of the decade, chronologically.


1. High Fidelity (2000)

It is useless to review the movie as most of us have seen it. For those who haven’t, go watch it! Now let’s discuss why it is under-rated.

What a soundtrack! One of the best soundtracks of the decade, if not more. Then there is John Cusack in his prime form. Jack Black with this movie made his arrival into the big league of comedians. Moments that we remember: Top 5 break-ups of all time, Evil-dead bit, the Annie Hall type dissection of a failed romance.

Because of its quirky characters, smart dialogue, and occasional bursts of penetrating humor, High Fidelity stands tall. The movie is just like the DVD back cover says, ‘a bullet’.

2. Waking Life (2001)

Richard Linklater is a genius and this film once again proves it. The film deals with the idea of lucid dreams and the nature of our existence and many other philosophical questions. What struck me about the film was the way in which the superb animation was layered over the film. What this achieves is indeed a sense of a dreamlike viewing experience. The film highlights the idea of how intertwined our dream lives and our waking lives are. Memories that we once thought to be real often turn out to dreams and vice versa.

Waking Life is a unique, cerebral experience.


3. 25th Hour (2002)

'I tattooed 'survive' on my hand the night before I went away to prison. And I did. We do what we have to do to survive.'

The film deals with 24 hours of Monty's (Edward Norton) life before he heads for the maximum security prison for the next seven years being convicted for drug possession. Knowing that he has limited time, Monty tries to spend most of his time with two of his best friends Frank (Barry Pepper) and Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and with Naturelle (Rosario Dawson), his girlfriend.

It is also one of the first movies to show the New York post 9/11. There is a sequence where we see workers cleaning away the debris from Ground Zero while Frank and Jacob argue about the future of their friendship with Monty. It acts as a terrific metaphor, that Monty's future is as bleak as the ground below. Such moments stay on with you.

The movie has a terrific ensemble cast comprising of Edward Norton, Phil Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox. To Spike Lee's credit he extracts brilliant performances from every single person.

25th Hour lingers on your mind long after other movies have evaporated.


4. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

In my wildest dream, I never imagined to see Adam Sandler in a role like this and performing like this. But then this is a Paul Thomas Anderson movie. The person who made Boogie Nights and Magnolia.

Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch Drunk Love opens with his signature move: juxtaposition. Adam Sandler, handling a nice Nissan coffee mug in the early morning light on a backstreet in LA, watches as a speeding car comes carooming towards him, flips, flips again, and skids offscreen. And then in place of what ought to follow (continuity with the car accident), a cab appears, stops, and deposits an electric organ. It's the instrument with which he will learn the harmonies of love, and it arrives on the heels of trauma.

It is a joy to see the way the camera weaves around beautifully - such fluid photography and visually so elegant. There is not a lazy moment in Punch-Drunk, every frame executed to perfection.

Punch Drunk Love is a film that can easily overwhelm your senses and as the credits roll you may feel totally drained and bewildered - but wanting more.

5. Shattered Glass (2003)

Probably the most under-rated movie of this decade, this gem tells the story of Stephen Glass, one of the top reporters for The New Republic in the 1990's, whose confession about fabricating his stories created a huge splash in the media world. The movie plays like a Greek tragedy showcasing the rise and fall of Glass.

Integrity is one of the cornerstones upon which journalism is based, and, when it is called into question, we begin to doubt everything we read in newspapers and magazines and see on television. Which makes it a very topical subject, since we in India do question the integrity of our media.

Hayden Christensen gives a superb performance and it does come as a surprise since we are used watching him in movies which only highlight his physicality. Peter Sarsgaard, Chloe Sevigny, Hank Azaria and Steve Zahn also adds perfect support.

6. Garden State (2004)

This is my personal favorite in this list. I never expected the 'guy' from Scrubs to deliver a movie which would be so touching, funny and poignant at the same time. This movie is just like a slice of life.

Zach Braff plays Andrew Largeman, a struggling actor in Los Angeles who earns his living being a waiter. The movie is about his homecoming almost after a decade since his mother has passed away. The movie is about how he deals with his grief and how he deals with his father with whom he shares a very cold, distant relationship.

Back home he meets Sam (Natalie Portman) and re-unites with his school best friend Mark (Peter Sarsgaard). The movie is about the coming of age of Andrew while Sam and Mark act as catalysts.

Natalie Portman nails the role. She is just phenomenal as Sam, the dream girl of Andrew. The movie also has a killer soundtrack which enhances the movie to another level.

The movie defines the current generation. Garden State is Indie cinema at its very best.

7. Serenity (2005)

Rarely does this happen that a show which is taken off TV (read canceled) becomes such a cult hit that the producers make a motion picture of it.

Being a huge fan of Firefly, I enjoyed Serenity even more. But that does not mean those who haven't seen Firefly will be disappointed. Serenity stands tall with all its merits as an independent Sci Fi. The characterization and the circumstances reminds me of Blake's 7. For a Sci Fi film, Serenity is pretty verbose. But of the fantastic script and its interlaced humor, it works big time.

Serenity is one of the best Sci Fi of the decade.

8. The Proposition (2005)

If we look carefully, this decade hardly saw the release of good Western movies. I only recall Open Range and 3:10 to Yuma. Even then there is a gap of 5 years between them. Western as a genre was almost non-existent. The Proposition revived it with its release.

Following the rape and murder of a colonial family, outlaw brothers Charlie (Guy Pearce) and Mike Burns (Richard Wilson) are captured by ruthless local lawman, Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone). Rather than imprisoning both fugitives, Stanley presents Charlie with a proposition (though it's really a demand) that Charlie kill his older brother, and gang leader, Arthur (Danny Huston) or else Mikey will meet his demise at the end of a hangman's noose. It is a proposition which will have karmic repercussions for all involved.

It has a stellar cast comprising Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, John Hurt and Emily Watson. Evryone performs brilliantly. The film has some of the most gorgeous photography of the Australian outback ever committed to film, showcasing it's unique desolate beauty in it's dust, flies and exquisite sunsets.

The Proposition, to me is the best Western of the decade.

9. Inland Empire (2006)

David Lynch. Another mind bender of a movie. Surreal experience. Laura Dern in the performance of her life. Do I need to say anything more? I don't think so. Experience it!

10. Rescue Dawn (2006)

Werner Herzog is one crazy genius! Rescue Dawn proves that.

After getting shot down in Laos, Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) is captured, tortured, and eventually transported to a remote POW camp where he is united with fellow American pilots with the same problem. The film tells the story of how Dieter along with Duane (Steve Zahn) escapes from the camp. Herzog makes no attempt to pump this story up into a thrilling adventure. There is nothing thrilling about dysentery, starvation, insect bites and despair. Rescue Dawn isn't about heroism. It is about something deeper, more primitive: survival instinct.

This movie has the career best performances of Christian Bale and Steve Zahn. Rescue Dawn is one of the finest POW movies ever made in the history of cinema.

Although I have finished naming the 10 most under-rated English movies of decade, I cannot help but add one more film as recommendation.

11. The Fall (2008)

A lot of things are being told about Avatar. That James Cameron has created a new world which is breathtaking. It is rightly said so. Avatar is indeed breathtaking. But is it real? No. It is a virtual world.

How about looking at what we have and try to see if that is equally breathtaking or not? The Fall is the answer for that. This is the most gorgeous looking film in the history of cinema and that too devoid of a single frame of special effects. The Fall is what we call 'passion' - passion for cinema. Tarsem Singh shot the movie all over the world. The movie is only worth a look just for its cinematography. The colors, the framing, costumes, lighting, the backdrops, all are gorgeous; seems like a dream.

The story, screenplay could have been better. That is the reason I am keeping it at number 11 as a special mention.

Broken Wings

My first short film...

Broken Wings from Aniruddha Chatterjee on Vimeo.

15th Kolkata Film Festival 2009 – Day 5

On Sunday, they had the worst films scheduled. It was pretty hard to decide which ones to watch as most films were similar, all equally unimpressive.

Katalin Varga was playing at noon. Since it had won a couple of awards at MAMI recently, thought of giving it a try.

All the movies I watched had one common theme. They all dealt with abuse on women be it rape, murder or both. Of course the treatment were different as chalk and cheese, which differentiated the movies from being good or crap.




Katalin Varga
Dir: Peter Strickland
Romania/ 82 min

I honestly didn’t expect a clichéd storyline like this to be treated so differently. The movie tells the story of Katalin (Hilda Peter), who was raped by Antal (Tibor Palffy), looking for vengeance.

What also helps the movie to seem so different is the setting. It is a completely different world. So secluded. Where people still travel using horse drawn carts. Yet folks use mobile phones. Also using forests as backgrounds rather than landscapes give the movie a certain eeriness that goes perfectly with the theme of the movie.

The cinematography and the shot composition is something else. Almost the entire movie is shot in low, diffused light as most of the time it is either early morning or night. It looks so surreal. Hilda Peter gives a very nuanced performance.


I’m Tired of Killing Your Lovers
Dir: Nikos Panayotopoulos
Greece/ 105 min

This is first movie I watched of Nikos Panayotopoulos. It will probably be the last. What a pathetic waste of time I had! The movie made no sense whatsoever.

The movie tells the story of Theofilos (Nicos Arvanitis), who is a book publisher and his obsession towards Sia (Theofania Papathoma), a performer. Then there is Theofilos’ rich aunt who is suddenly killed by her young lover. Theofilos steals some jewelry from his dead aunt’s place. Later he gets framed for the murder and lots of chaos happens.

The movie is exactly as chaotic as the storyline seems. Except for Theofania Papathoma who looks hot, there is nothing redeemable in the movie.

Wastage!



Backyard
Dir: Carlos Carrera
Mexico/ 120 min

Now Carlos Carrera is one director I admire a lot. Especially after I watched The Crime of Padre Amaro. So I really wanted to watch Backyard. Thankfully, it didn’t disappoint.

Backyard tells the story of rape and murder of women in the rural areas of Mexico near the US border. It also tells about the corruption in the Mexican administration.

Borderland (2006), a movie starring Jennifer Lopez and Antonio Banderas had a similar storyline. But since it was a Hollywood film, the execution was very superficial rather than showing the actual problem.

Thankfully Backyard goes deep into the core issue. The rural Mexico is so drastically different to look at. Sometimes the entire frame seems like a desert storm. It makes one feel claustrophobic to stay in such places.

The ending is very pessimistic but that is the actual reality. It is an important film that tells a powerful story which needs to be lauded.

15th Kolkata Film Festival 2009 – Day 4

It just gets better and better. All the 3 movies that I saw today were impressive to say the least. This year German movies are taking all the honors. I have seen 3 German movies and those 3 movies impressed me the most till now.

Now Andrzej Wajda is coming to Kolkata tomorrow from what I have heard. If it’s true, tomorrow is going to be special.



Made in Hungaria
Dir: Gergely Fonyo
Hungary/ 109 min

Finally a musical! Such a refreshing change from the other movies till now.

The film is about a small town in Hungary set in the early 1960s. Miki (Tamás Szabó Kimmel) along with his family returns from US and tries to make his own band and play music influenced by American artists. Being a communist country, Miki along with his band-mates faces objection from the authorities for playing American music.

First of all, the soundtrack (especially the songs) is phenomenal. That itself elevates the movie a few notches than average. There isn’t much to write about the story, as it is fairly predictable. But the movie is very enjoyable and pretty humorous. Since it is a commercial, mainstream film, several cinematic liberties are taken and in certain sequences the songs seem forced and doesn’t quite gel. Still even with those flaws, it is a good watch.




Cherry Blossoms – Hanami
Dir: Doris Dorrie
Germany/ 127 min

Sometimes one is dumbfounded after watching a movie. That is exactly what happened to me after I watch the movie.

The movie is about an elderly couple Rudi (Elmar Wepper) and Trudi (Hannelore Elsner) and what happens when suddenly Trudi dies. Rudi visits his son in Japan, as it was Trudi’s unfulfilled dream to visit Japan, watch Mt. Fuji, cherry blossoms and Butoh, a dance form of Japan. Rudi befriends Yu (Aya Irizuki), a Butoh dancer, while in Japan. The movie then becomes about their journey.

The storyline itself is the highlight of the film. Very few films deal with love between an elderly couple. But the trump card is the relationship between Rudi and Yu. The bonding they share becomes special.

I didn’t find a single flaw in the movie. Every scene felt like poetry. The cinematography and editing are just phenomenal. Aya Irizuki and Elmar Wepper are just outstanding. What performances!

The climax is one of the most fascinating climaxes I have seen in my lifetime. It provides one of the most exquisite unions of souls in the history of cinema.

Very highly recommended.



Moscow, Belgium
Dir: Christophe Van Rompaey
Belgium/ 102 min

Now this movie had the best reviews among the movies being played in the festival. So I expected a lot from it. Maybe that is why I was a tad disappointed.

The movie is about Matty (Barbara Sarafian), a mother of three, who is going through her separation with her husband and how she meets a truck driver Johnny (Jurgen Delnaet). Matty and Johnny starts to like each other but their relationship is opposed by her teenage daughter Vera (Anemone Valcke). Matty thus faces a dilemma between choosing Johnny and her husband.

The storyline is predictable, but what really makes the movie standout is the treatment. It seems very real. Of course the performances help. Barbara Sarafian is really good as the worn out, confused Matty. But to me, Anemone Valcke nailed it as Vera, the teenage daughter. There is not a single wrong expression. The movie is pretty funny too which makes it enjoyable.

Moscow, Belgium is a good film to watch mainly because of the treatment. However, its better if the expectations are low.

15th Kolkata Film Festival 2009 – Day 3

Day 2 was much better than Day 1. So I hoped it continues with Day 3 too. It did. I did a couple of changes to the schedule and it worked again.



Zift
Dir: Javor Gardev
Bulgaria/ 92 min

A neo-noir with a narrative style like Tarantino and Ritchie is what I was told about Zift. I didn’t think twice.

It tells the story of Moth (Zahary Baharov) who is out on parole after being imprisoned for 15 years for a heist. It is his journey to find his wife. There is also another track involving Moth’s old partner trying to find him to settle old score.

The film was nothing new. Technically however it was superb. Cinematography, editing were top notch and so was the background score. However, a lot of scenes were just unnecessary and stood like a sore thumb. Few of the comedy tracks seemed forced. Also too much philosophy during voice-over spoiled the flow. It became a tad tedious.



Sweet Rush
Dir: Andrzej Wajda
Poland/ 85 min

This was the first time I watched any movie of the Polish auteur. He delivered and how!

Sweet Rush is about an elderly woman, Marta (Krystyna Janda) who is married to a doctor. It is about how she wants to be young all over again after she meets a guy (Pawel Szajda) who’s much younger. There is also a parallel track where Krystyna Janda plays herself and tells about her life. The movie is about how both the reel and real life becomes one.

After watching this movie, I am a fan of Wajda. I just loved every single frame of it. The setting, the locations, the cinematography, the performances, everything is perfect. There is a monologue about 10 minutes long where Krystyna Janda plays herself and talks. It is just out of this world. The way that scene is lit up, shot and the way Krystyna Janda performed gave me goose bumps.

Phenomenal!

Landscape No. 2
Dir: Vinko Modernorfer
Slovenia/ 90 min

This one surprised me completely. Didn’t expect the movie to be this good.

Landscape No. 2 tells the story of two burglars, Sergej (Marko Mandic) and Polde (Janez Hocevar) who steal a painting from a retired general’s house. Along with the painting, Serjej by mistake steals an important document of World War 2 which if leaked might create huge uproar in the country. The movie is about the consequences the burglars face when the general hires someone to get the document back.

Although a few cinematic liberties are taken, still Landscape No. 2 works big time. The movie is highly entertaining, crisply cut, has great cinematography and a super background score.

Hilde
Dir: Kai Wessel
Germany/ 136 min

Day 3 ended with a bang. What a movie it was! And what a performance! Speechless.

Hilde is a biopic on Hildegard Knef, one of Germany’s biggest post World War 2 stars.

What a life this lady had. From being an actress in West Germany, to being a soldier during World War 2, going to Hollywood to be a star and being able to do nothing, being super successful in Germany after coming back and then leaving it all to do what she loved most, singing. Just not singing, but to be one of the most popular singers ever.

All of the above would not have been possible had Heike Makatsch not played Hilde. She nails it. The movie covers 30 years span and what a performance she gives. It deserves standing ovation.

Everything in the movie is pitch perfect. The sets, cinematography, editing – which is just awesome. One of the best biopic I have seen in a long time.