don't Bogart that sandwich my friend....

Win Win (2011)

Rating 4.75/5.00
Where 5.00 is a cowboy poem called the Searchers

Its not about how brilliant this film is...its about Thomas McCarthy's ability to make three amazing films in a row -  HOW DOES HE DO IT? WHY DOES HE NEVER DISAPPOINT? Here's his current directorial repertoire -

1. The Station Agent (2003) - IMDb Plot summary: When his only friend dies, a man born with dwarfism moves to rural New Jersey to live a life of solitude, only to meet a chatty hot dog vendor and a woman dealing with her own personal loss.
2. The Visitor (2007) - IMDb Plot Summary: A college professor travels to New York City to attend a conference and finds a young couple living in his apartment.
3. Win Win (2011) - IMDb Plot summary - A struggling lawyer and volunteer wrestling coach's chicanery comes back to haunt him when the teenage grandson of the client he's double-crossed comes into his life.

All three films have unique story lines, well developed, endearing characters and emotional depth that never ceases to amaze. Do watch Win Win - it will leave you with a lot to think about while you laugh at it.

That's not what  I can recommend for Rockstar (2011). When I walk into the cinema hall expecting a good film because its made by Imtiaz Ali, I should get exactly that! Should I have gone with lower expectations? Many would think I should but I just can't - I'm not throwing my time and money at a film because I have nothing better to do - I'm watching it because I want to and I expect it to be good.  Unfortunately, Ali is just going down the drain - Jab We Met (Sheer poetry), Love Aaj Kal (good in parts) and now Rockstar (a big piece of shit after the first 30 minutes!!!) - a classic case of reverse evolution. Rediff and TOI critics have given it 4 stars out of 5 and to that there can be only two interpretations

1. They got paid to rate the film
2. Their intellectual wavelength matches with Imtiaz Ali's and they could understand the depth of his vision where I was dumb enough not to

I would choose 2 because I can't possibly question their integrity, can I?

Imdb Link here

You're looking for something that does not, has not, will not, might not or must not exist ...... but you're always welcome to search for it.

Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

Rating 4.25/5.0
Where 5.0 is a stunning Humphrey Bogart film

Imdb's succinct plot description - A delusional young guy strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he finds on the Internet. 

My poetic plot description -

One day in the midst of winters
Pink sweatered Lars goes bonkers
Living in a garage, lonely and sad
Lars orders a sex doll, and what's worse

What's worse? (chorus here please)

Lars think she's his one true girl!
The whole town is shaken and stirred
So they elect the doll to the local school board
And so the story goes, my friends and foes

There are two scenes in Lars and the Real Girl that make you fall in love with movies all over again. The first is the bowling alley scene with Margo and Lars - you can feel Lars' attraction for Margo and not a single word is said, its just shown by the way Lars looks at her and how he bowls badly in the beginning of the scene and how he tries really hard to bowl well at the end of it. How much thought would have gone into making this scene and how quickly would the audience miss it! The second scene is when Lars is talking to his brother Gus (wonderfully enacted by Paul Schneider)...here it goes (thanks to Imdb)


Lars: How'd you know? 
Gus: How'd I know what? 
Lars: That you were a man 
Gus: Ahhh. I couldn't tell ya. 
Lars: Was it... okay, was it sex? 
Gus: Um. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's uh, yeah, yeah it's kind of - it's uh - no. Well, it's kind of sex but it's not uh, you know? I don't know. I don't know. It's - uh - good question, good question. 
Lars: Yeah, but I have to know 
Gus: [dryer buzzes] Hold that thought. 
Gus: [in basement] You know, you should ask Dagmar 
Lars: I did ask Dagmar. And she said that I should ask you. 
Gus: Okay, you know I can only give you my opinion. 
Lars: That's what we want 
Gus: Well, it's not like you're one thing or the other, okay? There's still a kid inside but you grow up when you decide to do right, okay, and not what's right for you, what's right for everybody, even when it hurts. 
Lars: Okay, like what? 
Gus: Like, you know, like, you don't jerk people around, you know, and you don't cheat on your woman, and you take care of your family, you know, and you admit when you're wrong, or you try to, anyways. That's all I can think of, you know - it sound like it's easy and for some reason it's not.

Its true. That's when you know you're a man. Highly recommended but not for people who can't stand a slow, moody film.

Imdb link here

Dawn Stupek: It's getting harder, isn't it? | Henry Poole: What's that? | Dawn Stupek: To pretend this isn't happening.

Henry Poole is here (2008)

Rating: 2.00/5.00
where 5 is one of the best American indie film of all time

That particular dialogue in the movie sums up how I feel about it. It starts of with a promise, builds up with some wise dialogues and some decent acting and then collapses with a lame middle and a terrible end. I like Luke Wilson but he can't make this one stand on its feet. This does remind me of Half Nelson but there are some key differences which makes Half Nelson one of the best American Indie movies of all times...(1) a great story, (2) interesting characterisation and (3) some great acting. Henry Poole is nowhere close....and I can't believe because they want me to.

The soundtrack is great....it has "the old and still doing the same thing" Dylan and this wonderful one man band called the Eels. So download the music and skip the movie.


IMdb link where they talk about religion and stuff...