Lives of Others - Germany - 2006

Lives of Others - German - 2006




I got to know about "Lives of Others" because Satyam theatres in Chennai screened it.
This film portrays the state of political affairs in Germany when it was under communist rule.
the Govt was so powerful that it listened to important peoples phone conversations to track their activities and to check whether
they were involved in anti-govt activities. Creative persons were the most hit by this. And this film portrays the story of
one such creative couple.

A good watch ..

Lives Of Others

IMDB has a rating of 8.5 for this movie, which means it has got very good reviews.

Lives of Others in IMDB

Kandahar

I have heard a lot about the Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. Recently he came to chennai to check out the Color correction facilities available in chennai. I was glad to hear that a great director like him has come to chennai for his films. Hence I wanted to see any of his film this weekend and got hold of Kandahar, which I wanted to see for a long time.

If not for anything , It would show Afghanistan as it is in reality.

The movie is told through the eyes of a Afghani woman settled in Canada who wishes to see her sister in afghanistan. The film is all about how she travels to Kandahar.
The film is rich in its depiction of landscape and the people.

A Must see.

The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption

http://imdb.com/title/tt0111161/

The Shawshank redemption is one hell of a movie.
The lead actor is not a well known actor but has done a great job.




The story is simple. A Millionaire banker is accused of killing his wife and is sent
to jail for lifeterm. He goes to shawshank,the jail and spends his time
making friends with the other jailmates and bringing about changes in the jail.




He does not rue over his imprisonment and starts a business from inside the jail in name of a benamy
for the jailwarden who has lot of black money. The banker helps him to convert his black money to white by starting a business
and thereby helps him.



Meanwhile it comes to jailers knowledge that banker is indeed innocent and kills another jailmate who the knowledge that the banker is innocent.
thereby ensuring that banker remains in jail to help him.

But in the meantime the banker digs a tunnel from his room for 20 long years and at the end of it, one fine day
finally escapes from the jail to mexico.



He also tells where he is going to his friend, the role played by Morgon freeman so that he can join him in mexico
when he is set free.

The film is indeed a mustwatch.



The tagline of the movie is "Feat can make you Prisoner. Hope can set you free." which the movie greatly displays by what is possible if one has the hope.

Mongol - 2008 - Kazakhsthan

If you would like to have a look at the vast landscapes of mongolia,and learn monogolian history , watch the movie Mongol.

The Movie is about the only Mongol, we all easily remember, Genghis Khan.
His life from Childhood to his unting Mongolia is depicted in this movie.

Have a look at the trailer here.

Cinema Paradiso - 1988 - Italian

This is a Italian film and is a tribute to the cinema industry itself.

A little boy without a father is bewitched by movies and befriends the cinema operator in his town. He sees all of the movies played in the theater and the cinema operator is godfather to him.

When the kid grows up to be a young man, his godfather asks hime never to return to his town and sends him to city for work. The kid grows up to be a big director and returns to his town for the funeral of his godfather. and reminisces about his childhood days.

A great movie.

The Pianist (2002)

The Pianist directed by Roman Polanski is a war movies based on the often repeated tale of jews surviving Nazi. The Hero is a Pianist in poland and works for the National radio and when Jews are being moved out of their homes and sent to ghettos, he alone escapes and stays in the deserted ghetto for sometime till the war ends.

A good movie to see.

Mulan(1998) - Movie (Animation)

Mulan from Walt Disney Pictures is the story of how a village girl in china saves the emperor and also defeating the Huns.

A good animation movie....

For more information on the movie, Mulan

The Motorcycle Diaries - 2004 - Spanish

Movie Review : The Motor Cycle Diaries :



When you look back the history of the world and try to pick a group of revolutionaires the world has produced, I am sure that Che Guevara would figure in that list.

Those who are not familiar with Che till now, should read the wikipedia entry on him.

Che Guevara

Though many would be happy to label Che as a Terrorist or a Guerilla, the truth is it depends on which side you are.

To say it in short,

Sidharthan,a prince, travelled wide, and became The Buddha, The Enlightened.
Ernesto,a well off doctor, travelled wide, and became "Che" Guevara, The Revolutionary.

What interests me in the above is the "travel" side to it and the Travels of Che Guevara have been made into a movie.

The Motorcycle Diaries

Anyone, who is even remotely interested in travelling should see this movie. You get to see the South America at its best and worst.

The gist of the movie is simple.

Che and his friend decide on a 6-month bike trip across the south american continent, do social work in a leper colony and settle down by 30.
At the end of the trip, one of them settles down but the other sets about changing the world.

This trip shapes the views and perspectives of Che and at the end of it as the movie poetically depicts, che decides that he will take the side of the underdog.