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The Godfather (1972)
An Epic!
There are some movies which cannot be reviewed. We can all have our opinions, but we cannot rate them. These are the movies which go beyond the ratings and awards. The Godfather (1 and 2) is one such movie(s). To give a rating to these two movies would be an insult to its creators and I am not making any attempt to do so. These are two legendary movies, each an epic, a magnum opus for all other 'Don' movies.
Thus, I present here some of my views and scenes from the two movies that touched my heart.
Right movie from the beginning of the movie, the music is haunting. It pulls you towards itself, like the fatal attraction of parvana to the shama. Marlon Brando is characteristic. There has never been another Don in history so charming, honorable and one who is also a true family man. A Don who respects his friends and never forgets a favor.
The transformation of Al Pacino from the distant lad who says "That's my father, Kate, not me" to the emotional son beside his father in the hospital ensuring him "I am with you now" to ultimately the unprecedented words pronounced by him "I am working for my father now" underlines the storyline.
Some of my favorite dialogues by the movie are: "A man who doesn't spend time with his family, can never be a real man." "I never ask for a second favor when I have been refused the first." "Don't tell me you're innocent, because it exhausts my intelligence." "Don't ever take sides with anyone against your family." "Women and children can be careless but not men." The distress look on Brandon's face when he finds out his war hero son is invariably pulled into the underworld business, the silent tears of acknowledgement when he hears the news of his other son's murder and simply says "I want no acts of vengeance" shows that some actors don't need big dialogues to act.
The final stages between father and son are beautifully portrayed. A concerned father advising his son, the last person he thought would be his successor. And the dutiful son consoling his dad that "We'll get there".
The music is not just background score but also underlines the essence of the movie. Attentions to details like the steady flow of water, chirping of the birds, are hard to ignore.
The climax of the movie where he lies with so much conviction to his beloved wife completes the transformation of Al from a civilian to the head of the Corleone family.
The Godfather Part II (1974)
The Epic part 2
As stated in my review of Godfather 1 , There are some movies which cannot be reviewed. We can all have our opinions, but we cannot rate them. These are the movies which go beyond the ratings and awards. The Godfather (1 and 2) is one such movie(s). To give a rating to these two movies would be an insult to its creators and I am not making any attempt to do so. These are two legendary movies, each an epic, a magnum opus for all other 'Don' movies.
Thus, I present here some of my views and scenes from the two movies that touched my heart.
The first scene of the movie, the traditional kissing of the hand of the Don, shows Michael taking over his father's place. Subsequent scenes show you that though he has taken over his father's seat, he is nothing like the old Don. The charismatic supremo is replaced by an angry, impatient man.
The movie touches upon the life of immigrants to the new blooming world America wherein begins our former godfather's story. The story of young Vito Corleone runs parallel to the present day Don. The story of the great man is unfolded beautifully and entwined well with the present.
In one scene, the relationship with present Don and his kid is intercepted by the young Vito Corleone, a young and handsome R. De Niro, playing with his little son, which enhances the contrast lifestyle of the two leading men.
Attention to detail has been given the utmost importance and the scene in which the lead actor watches a play, which though irrelevant to the story is heart touching, is a proof for this.
There are times when you just can't take your eyes off the well chiseled face of Robert De Niro and long for him to come back on screen.
As the movie unfolds, we see how the Don junior tries hard to keep his personal life & business in place, something which the senior had done with ease. In one scene, the new don's anger at his wife for having aborted their to be boy child vis-à-vis the distress troubled look on old don's face while seeing his young son treated by a nurse shows the disparity in the way the two men handled their families.
While Don Vito was as much a family man as he was a Godfather, his son, Michael fails to keep his family together. Like the icy cold winter snow, the relationship between the husband and wife is harsh and dry. True to his words, the "Times were changing ".
As the movie progresses, we see how the once well built, tightly held family by De Niro is slowly losing its strength and grip under his son.
The love for his wife and kids in Niro's eyes in contrast to the anger in Michael's eyes for his wife underlines the entire movie.
The story ends similar to the first movie, where all the Don's enemies are killed, whether they are part of family or not.
Climax of movie sums up the life of Michael and the drastic changes over the years about his views and relationship he had with his father.
12 Angry Men (1957)
Amazingly Brilliant
There are very few movies that make you go speechless, remain awestruck due to their sheer concept and execution. This is one such movie.
12 men, each from a different background, different views and opinions, strangers to one another, come together, along with their personal prejudices, to reach a decision acceptable to all. This line itself shows the magnitude of complexity involved, and to make a movie out of it is a work of true genius and a one that leaves you spellbound.
Right from the first shot, till the final one, you are so engrossed that you would even forget to breathe. If the background sound track, screenplay, script, direction are the cake, then the roles enacted by the characters (I say characters here, not the actors, because you believe they are truly the 12 angry men) are the icing on top of the cake.
Surprisingly it was only after the movie, did I realize that it was a black and white movie. The movie shows that to make a good movie, you don't need exotic locations or high drama, or superstars. All you need is a good story and good actors who make you forget they are merely playing their parts in the play.
The movie teaches you how an analytical mind and logical thinking can make a difference of life and death. It teaches you to be the most responsible when you have a person's life at stake. It shows how our personal prejudices and upbringing can affect our reasoning, how our senses play with our sense of judgment, how we let our emotions take over, at a time when it is required to be fair and impartial, how we tend to be a part of the crowd because we scared to be the odd – man-out. How one man, one true, sensible and empathetic man, it takes to make a difference. How important it is to have an objective and open mind, at any point of decision-making - in life/ death matters. How we are so stuck upon the facts and what we see, that we forget to use our mind, the ultimate powerful tool that we have. And that all it takes is sense and reason to convince someone, not decibels.
There are movies that make you laugh, or cry. There are movies that make you wonder and then there are movies that make you think, force you to ponder upon it, understand it, and learn from it (if possible). This is one such movie and a must – watch for one and all.
Philadelphia (1993)
a path breaking movie
For a dying man, to fight for his rights requires a lot of courage. And there could be no one better than Tom Hanks to portray this. He is undoubtedly the best actor in today's age.
Denzel Washington's first reaction when he learns about Tom's disease and cautiously scrutinizes every item touched by Tom, exposes the prejudices of literate, educated people, mainly due to their own ignorance. Unfortunately, even today these prejudices exist. And the helpless, distraught look on Tom's face after being let down for the tenth time by another prejudiced lawyer is heart wrenching.
The court room scenes are the highlight of the movie. The cruel, cold-hearted treatment Tom Hanks is subjected to is a lesson for all of us on the need to be sensitive to others state of mind. But even today, even when we all know who is guilty and who is innocent, we still need to prove it in the court of law. Having a supportive family is good, but we live in a society and we also need them to accept us for our distinct nature and individualism. Slowly, Denzel realizes that he is not just fighting for a law that has been broken, a lot more than the law has been broken and that is what he is fighting for.
The songs at the beginning and ending of the movie are aptly worded and sung to perfection.
All in all a beautiful, sensitive movie and a path breaking one too.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Work of a Genius
For someone who loves writing reviews, of books and movies, every now and then, to be spellbound and speechless after watching a movie says a lot.
Generally, as my experience suggests, you can figure if a movie is good, great or extraordinary within the first 15 minutes, and 'A Beautiful Mind' goes beyond these categories. It is truly a work of genius.
To have friends who always stand by you, to have a family who believes in you, protects you and supports you, the movie in a way brings back the faith in love and relationship.
And to know the entire movie is based on a true story makes it even more special!
Agneepath (2012)
Agneepath
One of the most awaited movie of this year, is a good blend of action and emotion, where every actor fits into his character perfectly. The new generation Chavan is intense and deep, even if it is quite impossible to make Hrithik, with his chiseled body and erupting muscles, look poor.:) The popular Munna bhai will from now on be remembered as the terrifying Kancha Cheena though Rauf Lala too will be a strong contender for the 'Best Villain' award this year. Despite the fact that Piggy Chops doesn't have much role in the movie, she is fresh and lively. I just couldn't help admiring her in the beautiful maharashtrian bridal ware.:) Though chikni chameli was not as sizzling as excepted, the other songs in the movie, especially the romantic Saiyyan and the emotional Abhi Mujh Main Kahin made up for it.
The famous dialog said by shehenshah of bollywood in the original, sounds equally enthralling when the new Vijay Deenanath Chavan says it during the Deva shree ganesha song. Though a few of my friends felt the movie dragged a bit ,for me, there was never a dull moment in the entire movie.
Last but not the least, as one of my friend said, this movie is not for weak souls. ENJOY!
Barfi! (2012)
Barfi – Effect and After Effects
After a long time has a movie touched my heart so deeply that even after days of watching it, each time I think of the movie, I find myself smiling. Everyday, as I listen to the songs from this amazingly beautiful movie, on the translucent screen of rain drops, I can see the whole movie in front of me and am in love again!
Despite the fact that 80% of the movie is exclusive of dialogs, you will never for a moment feel you are missing something. The music, the screenplay and the expressions by the actors, especially Ranbhir, are enough to keep you engaged for the whole 3 hours. You will find yourself laughing at his silly-sweet antics, smiling at Priyanka's innocence and silently admiring the sheer beauty of the director's caliber of story-telling. And don't be surprised to find a tear trickle down your cheeks every now and then.
And though there could have other better movies to send for the Oscar, this one's definitely worth a watch, maybe even two! :)
Wake Up Sid (2009)
Simplicity at its best!
If I had to summarize Wake up, Sid in one line I would say it's Simplicity at its best! It's simple, and yet so beautifully written. I just loved the movie. Well, it's something like love at first sight. There are no logical reasons; you love it because you love it, no questions asked.
The simplicity of story, devoid of any big filmy dialogues and mushy mushy love, the ordinary, mundane dresses and style helps you relate to the characters and the movie as a whole. All this combined with some decent acting, situational songs and impressive background score is what makes the film worth watching.
Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
who was abiding by the law?
Sometimes I wonder why people make movies which glorify citizens taking the law into their hands. Your loved ones are brutally murdered, the convicts are let off lightly and you spend ten years preparing to kill everyone involved for the unfortunate incident. Is this a viable logic? Though the film tries to present an intellectual, innovative and well planned scheme behind the killings, all our hero does is vent out his revenge on others in the same gruesome manner (worse at times) the way his loved ones were killed. Some parts of the movie reminded me of the epic Shawshank Redemptions.
And by the time the veil was lifted and our smart hero's execution of the massacre explained, I wasn't the least bit interested, although considering the fact that the movie was less than 2 hours. Frankly, I really failed to understand who in the entire movie was abiding by the law!