Rags to riches

February 23rd, 2009

Even when you think of classical takes on this concept, you’ll probably be hard-pressed to find a movie as engaging as Slumdog Millionaire. Slumdog Millionaire revolves around the life of Jamal Malik, an orphan from the shantytown in Mumbai who pursued the love of his life, found her after many years, and won 20 million rupees in India’s version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

It’s a well presented movie – not once do you fell like you’re watching something trite or old. It’s so good, and the Academy agrees – awarding it with Picture of the Year in the 2009 Oscars While the film is British-made, there is an undeniable air of Bollywood around it – after all, the story IS about Indians and is set in India, so it should feel like one – to which the classic dance scene at the end serves as the perfect cap off to such cinematic excellence.

Disney vs. Pixar on Wall-E

August 16th, 2008


Image source: www.disneyswalle.com

The outline for Wall-E looks somewhat like this: “Disney and Pixar join forces for this computer-animated tale about a wide-eyed robot that travels to the deepest reaches of outer space in search of a newfound friend.” The year is 2700, and planet Earth has long been uninhabitable. For hundreds of years, WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) has been taking out the trash, and collecting precious knick-knacks in order to stave off the monotony of his dreary routine. Little does WALL-E realize that he has recently stumbled onto a secret that could save planet Earth, and once again make the ravaged planet safe for all humanity. When highly advanced search robot EVE makes friends with WALL-E and realizes the value of his remarkable discovery, she excitedly races back to let the humans know that there’s hope for their home planet after all. But after centuries alone in the world, WALL-E can’t stand the thought of losing the only friend he’s ever known, and eagerly follows her into the deepest reaches of space on the adventure of a lifetime. Along the way, the friendly trash-collecting robot who has always known what he was made for gradually begins to understand what he was meant for.

This is the most excellent film of 2008 so far, and if Wall-E doesn’t get listed for Best Picture (not just the cheap cop-out Best Animated Picture) then I’m going to throw a total fit. This is a beautiful, smart, touching, hilarious and damn cute movie that I’m going to see at least 4 more times in the theatre. It is the best film Pixar has ever made in my opinion… and the most complete one too. I appreciated this movie.

Serendipity, 2001

July 30th, 2008

You don’t just have the most incredible night of your life with a perfect stranger and leave it up to chance, do you?

Two total and complete strangers meet at the most unexpected time, moment and the wheels of fate start running from that point on. In the movie, Kate Beckinsale tries with all her might to push John Cusack away from her, thinking that if they were really meant to be, fate would find a way to get them together. Fate comes back each time, making them surer than ever that they really are destined to be with each other.

A very heart-warming movie, Serendipity will find its way into your heart and make you believe, that anything is possible if you let go of everything and just let it happen to you.