The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

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Director : Stephen Chbosky

Adapted from : The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Actors : Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd and others...

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Overall : 8.5/10

Direction : 8.5/10

Acting : 8.0/10

Cinematography : 8.0/10

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I haven't read the book this flick's adapted from. What I have done is watched the movie, directed by the writer of the book - and for a newcomer, Stephen Chbosky has nailed it. Well, almost.

It is a story of innocence lost, found, and lost again, till it is finally regained for good at the end of the movie. Charlie (Logan Lerman) is a high school freshman, who is too introverted; his deep-seated insecurities are a source of his shyness. Unable to make friends easily, he ends up meeting Patrick, a senior, played beautifully by Ezra Miller, in his workshop class. Later they even run into each other during a football game. Patrick introduces Charlie to his step-sister, Sam (Emma Watson) and Charlie is smitten by her. Obviously, he keeps his feelings to himself, as per his nature.

Meanwhile, a "Oh Captain, My Captain" kind of relation is forged between Charlie and his English teacher (Paul Rudd), with the latter trying his best to bring out the writer in the talented boy. Even Charlie holds his educator in high esteem.

Charlie, as time progresses, develops quite the social reputation, although he sulks quietly in the harsh reality that Sam was with someone else. To add to his difficulties, he even learns that Patrick is gay, and proudly so. There is a lot of psychological drama that goes on till the very end - something unexpected about Charlie's past is also revealed. 

The acting is quite good. Undoubtedly, Ezra Miller is the star of the movie. The problem with acting gay is that actors tend to go quite over the top - acting homosexual often turns into a charade. But, with Ezra, it is a smooth flow. His character is the highlight of the movie.

There is a scene in the movie where Charlie says, "We accept the love we think we deserve." I think this movie deserves a lot.

To all my fellow Wallflowers out there, don't dare miss this!



PS : I'll read the book as soon as I can! You should do the same.

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Official Trailer

Argo (2012)

Argo

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Director : Ben Affleck

Adapted from : The Master of Disguise by Antonio J. Mendez and The Great Escape by Joshuah Bearman

Actors : Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman and others...

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Overall : 8.0/10

Direction : 8.0/10

Acting : 7.5/10

Cinematography : 9.0/10

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Ben Affleck is the man of the moment. Argo is has been nominated for a whooping 7 Oscars this year, including the Best Picture and Film Editing. The movie has already brought Affleck a Golden Globe for Best Director (Motion Picture).

Argo is not your simple edge-of-the-seat thriller. It is much more than that. It is a case study of nationalism, extremism and last, but not the least, the power of cinema (howsoever fake it gets). No wonder the Oscar committee loved it.

The movie revolves around the very famous escape of 6 American diplomats stuck in Iran and the out-of-the-freaking-world thinking behind the successful operation to rescue those six souls. For those of you who don't know much about this crisis, the gist is as follows : Iran overthrew the puppet Prince installed by the States, there was a revolution, the mob attacked the US Embassy in Iran and an unprecedented number of Americans were held hostage there. Only the six mentioned above could manage to escape to the Canadian Ambassador's house in Iran, living in fear and the constant threat of bloody deaths.

Affleck directs with honesty, capturing the tension between the two countries (America and Iran) in a very matter-of-fact way. There is something darkly comic about the entire movie - the shift from the extravagance of Hollywood to the public hanging of Americans in Iran is sudden; almost as if it's thrust in your face, to put you out of your comfort zone. The sweet contradiction between the two faces of the US, one, all shining and bright, and the other, at the mercy of revolutionaries, is smartly depicted.

The acting lets down the movie a bit. I can think of a number of actors who could have been perfect for some of the roles.

However, I won't be shocked if Argo ends up winning 'THE' Oscar. It's good enough for that coveted statuette.

Maybe that's how Affleck is compensated for not getting the much deserved Best Director nod by the judges. 

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Official Trailer

Bose IE 2 Earphones

BOSE IE 2 EARPHONES

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Rating : 8.5/10

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The Bose IE 2's are the cheapest Bose product available in the market. But this should not let you down. Their quality is top-notch and the sound is amazing. It has a perfect balance of the high's, the mid's and the low's. Also, it packs in an ample bass punch. The design of the earphones is unique but once you wear it, you'll understand how comfortable they are and how much important the ear supports are in the earphones. The earphones don't have active noise cancelling but cut out a huge chunk of background environment noise due the amazing in-ear design. A high quality leather carry pouch also comes in the box which is a good necessity for carrying around your earphones. Retailing at a price of Rs 5,175 in India, it is a great start to owning Bose products.

It's Kind Of A Funny Story (2010)

It's Kind Of A Funny Story

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Directors : Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck

Adapted from : It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Actors : Keir Gilchrist, Emma Roberts, Viola Davis, Zach Galifianakis others...

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Overall : 8.0/10

Direction : 9.0/10

Acting : 8.0/10

Cinematography : 8.5/10

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Okay, I have a confession to make. I had watched this movie a year ago. I had started at 4 in the night, and despite the fact that I was dead tired, I couldn't stop.
You should also know that I was to take a very important science paper the following morning.

It's Kind Of A Funny Story is a feel-good movie. There is something here that every teenager can connect to : be it the pressure of the school assessments and projects, the suppressed feelings for your best friend's girlfriend (believe me, it happens to many) or the need to be the center of attention - this flick has it all.

People who love Zach, The Comedian, will be blown away by his performance in this movie. He plays the role of a depressed husband so well, that at times you feel he is catching emotions out of thin air. Really, he is THAT good. There is nothing but honesty to his performance.

Emma Roberts is quite the splitting image of her aunt. She is as raunchy as the Pretty Woman and as cute as the Runaway Bride. Emma's natural charm is a constant reminder of her talented gene pool. In a nutshell, she's a young Julia Roberts in the making.

But, it is Keir Gilchrist who steals the show with his solemn depiction of a troubled teenager.

The gist of the story is this : Craig Gilner (Keir) is a 16 year old boy, who feels like the all the weight of the world is upon his shoulders. Suffocated to the very core, this suicidal teen checks himself into a hospital, before he ends up doing something stupid. There, he meets Bobby (Zach) and Noelle (Emma), and the trio have some of the most normal experiences of their life in the most unorthodox of places.

The end to this story is sublimely filmed. Kudos to the directors for putting forward their best work since Half Nelson.


PS : This is more of a DISCLAIMER kind of thing. If you are a student, you might not wanna study for a long, long time after watching this movie. So, don't watch it just before you're about to take any exam. I had learnt it the hard way. 

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Official Trailer

Arrested Development

Arrested Development

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Created By : Mitchell Hurwitz

Genre : Comedy

Running Time : 22 minutes

Actors : Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, David Cross, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walter and others...

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Overall : 8.0/10

Story : 8.5/10

Acting : 8.5/10

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A dysfunctional family, a screwed-up family business and under-currents of disturbing romantic fantasies.

That's how I would sum up Arrested Development.

This sitcom will not be everyone's cup of tea - I can vouch for that. Perhaps, that may be an explanation as to why, inspite of collecting all the critical approval that the cast and crew of this show possibly could, it didn't go down well with the public.

From what I've noticed, people either love the show or hate it.

I, for one, loved it. This is nothing like your usual sitcom - starting from the characters and the idea behind the individual episodes, right upto the satirical narration of the story, this show changes your perception of comedy. It makes you laugh. Quietly.

Arrested Development is the story of the extravagant Bluth family, and the endeavours of the good son Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) to prevent the household from falling apart, especially after his father (Jeffrey Tambor) is put behind bars for committing fraud and using the money from his construction enterprise for unethical personal use. The mother, Lucille Bluth (Jessica Walter), ends up becoming the CEO, and is just about to drive the company into the ground, when Michael comes around to save it.

Michael's sister (Portia de Rossi), his sister's husband (David Cross) and their daughter (Alia Shawkat) make a wonderful trio of misfit clowns - they comprise the hilarious Fünke portion of the family tree . Michael's own son (Michael Cera) ends up having feelings for his cousin Maeby. The other two brothers in the family provide quite a lot of laughs as well - G.O.B. (Will Arnett) is a super-cheeky magician and Buster (Tony Hale) is a mamma's boy, whose pretentious stint at the army is a LOL moment. Charlize Theron also makes an appearance on the show as Michael's love interest.

Those who can't wrap their head around the Bermuda Triangle disappearances, should employ their mental faculties to figure out why this show lasted just the 3 seasons.

Three amazing seasons, at that!

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Sneak Peak

Birthdays

Birthdays

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I don't like birthdays. I never liked birthdays (since turning 14, that is).

They make me feel old. 365 days - GONE. Just like that.

Now all the optimists out there would obviously point out the obvious (that's their thing) - going on a spree of inspirational anecdotes to highlight how the entire year, preceding the same, has been an amalgamation of myriad experiences.

Blah, blah, blah...

Truth be told, no one wants to die. I, for one, want to live a wholesome life. Till the very end.
And then, some more.

Also, no one wants to get old and wrinkled. I mean, who in their right mind would want to take the support of a cane to walk? Can't we always remain the same - sitting there reading books we've never read, playing games we've never played, enjoying music we've never heard and watching things we've never seen, unless it all dissolves in a sweet oblivion? Can't we decide for ourselves when we wanna let go?

But then, I guess, nature is kind of a Big Brother in that regard. It has a subtle way of saying - "you're done."

Bottom-line : I don't like birthdays. Huh... Nietzsche was right all along. Thoughts are indeed the shadows of our feelings - always darker, emptier and simpler.


PS : This article was written in a state of sleep-deprivation. So, it's cent percent solemn.

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Nokia Lumia 920

NOKIA LUMIA 920

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Rating : 9.5/10

Specifications:

Key features -

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Quad-band 3G with 42 Mbps HSDPA and 5.7 Mbps HSUPA support
• 4.5" 16M-color PureMotionHD+ IPS display with a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels
• 8 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, 1080p@30fps video recording
• Optical Image stabilization with floating lens technology
• 1.3MP front-facing camera
• Windows Phone 8 OS
• 1.5GHz dual-core Krait CPU, Adreno 225 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8960 chipset, 1GB of RAM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band
• GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS support
• Free lifetime voice-guided navigation
• 32GB of inbuilt storage
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
• Wireless charging with optional accessories
• Built-in accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• microUSB port
• Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP and EDR, file transfers
• SNS integration
• Xbox Live integration and Xbox management
• NFC support
• Digital compass
• Nokia Music

Main disadvantages -

• App catalog falls short of Android and iOS
• No microSD card
• No FM radio
• No system-wide file manager
• No lockscreen shortcuts
• Size and weight something to definitely consider before you buy
• Audio output not worthy of a flagship
• Non user-replaceable battery

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Nokia has finally let go of it's association with the outdated Symbian operating system. And it is the one of the best decisions that Nokia has ever taken. The Nokia Lumia 920 is the latest flagship Windows 8 offering of Nokia. Firstly it is a delight to see the vivid colours in which the handset comes in. The operating system is fresh and easy to use. And the biggest USP of this phone is it's 4.5 inch PUREMOTIONHD+IPS screen which is even bright in sunlight. The 8 MP camera comes with Floating lens technology, which in some conditions gives better photos even than the iPhone 5. On the app front side windows has less number of apps than it's rivals such as Android and iOS but it's catching up very fast. The innovative features such as wireless charging make this a future proof proposition to buy. In the end we can conclude that the NOKIA LUMIA 920 is the best Windows phone available in the market as of now. Retailing at a price of Rs. 38,990 in India, it's also completely worth it's money considering the features Nokia is providing. If you want something else than the usual Android or iOS powered smartphone, don't even think before buying this phone.

Suits (Season 1)

Suits

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Created By : Aaron Korsh

Genre : Legal Drama

Running Time : 42 minutes

Actors : Gabriel Macht , Patrick J. Adams, Rick Hoffman, Meghan Markle, Gina Torres, Sarah Rafferty and others...

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Overall : 8.5/10

Story : 8.0/10

Acting : 8.0/10

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Addictive.

That's the word which best describes Suits.

You are pulled into a gritty tale of a creature of circumstances - Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) - from the very first frame and it never lets you go. Mike takes the LSAT for others, employing his eidetic memory while he is at it, and somehow manages to make the two ends meet.

A twist of fate, and this talented fellow finds himself in the recruitment room of a legendary New York closer Harvey Specter (Macht). Harvey tests his knowledge of the law, and discovers that although he isn't from Harvard, he would make a brilliant associate : he sees a bit of himself in him.

From then on, it's a great mix of office politics and the looming threat of Mike's un-Harvard past being exposed. Rick Hoffman as Louis Litt is a character with whom you'll have a love-hate relationship.

The season one finale leaves you on a cliffhanger, desperately wanting to see what becomes of Specter and his favourite associate.

If you like style and substance, this show is your thing. Don't miss it.


PS : The second half of the second season re-commences this January, on the 17th. Make sure you have seen the previous season by then.

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Season 1 - RECAP

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Silver Linings Playbook

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Director : David O. Russell

Adapted from : Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

Actors : Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Anupam Kher and others...

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Overall : 8.5/10

Direction : 8.5/10

Acting : 8.5/10

Cinematography : 9.0/10

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Generally, when two very hot Hollywood stars get together for a movie, it's either an out-and-out comedy or a point-blank action flick.
Silver Linings Playbook is none.

Those who think Bradley Cooper can't act and gets away with his looks, should REALLY watch this movie ASAP! He is a revelation!

The movie is about a mentally unstable Pat Solitano (Cooper's character), who, after a brief stint of 8 months at the Karel Psychiatric Facility, is allowed to get back to his life, and his family. Upon his arrival back home, he discovers that his wife (who had cheated on him with the history teacher at the school where he taught) has left him. He learns that she was scared by his outburst when he had found her in the shower with another man, and almost beaten the guy to death.

Pat digests the news with some pain and tries his best to get in contact with her, to show her that he is a changed man.

Then, he meets a recovering sex-addict Tiffany, (played by Jennifer Lawrence) whose husband had just died. She vows to get his letters to Nikki (his wife) if he could only do her one small favour : be her partner in a dance competition. Pat agrees reluctantly.

The other characters in the movie are beautifully drawn up, with everyone having his or her own idiosyncrasies, not to mention Pat's dysfunctional family. Pat's father (Robert De Niro) suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Pat's friend at the Facility, who is later discharged (Chris Tucker), was a drug addict, his brother, who is an egotist, and his mother, who remains surprisingly submissive throughout the movie.

Coming to the camera work - it's quite innovative, and the way it's thrust into the face of the actors (at times) makes you feel like you're watching the movie through their eyes. The chaotic nature of this quirky cinema is, therefore, captured well.

Jennifer Lawrence is almost as good as she was in Winter's Bone; she makes you cry and detest her at the same time. De Niro, it goes without saying, is commendable.

Watch the movie to see for yourself how Cooper has left his Hangover days behind him.



PS : People who feel it shouldn't have been nominated for 8 Oscars can go f*** themselves!

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Official Trailer

Django Unchained (2012)

Django Unchained

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Director : Quentin Tarantino

Writer : Quentin Tarantino

Actors : Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson others...

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Overall : 7.5/10

Direction : 8.5/10

Acting : 9.0/10

Cinematography : 9.0/10

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Django Unchained is the best Tarantino movie till date. Period.

Pulp Fiction had a better cast. Reservoir Dogs had a better plot. Inglorious Basterds and Kill Bill boasted better cultural fusion.

But Django Unchained is a movie that scores on all fronts. Direction is brilliant, although it gets a tad bit slow towards the end (which, people who have watched the other Tarantino movies, would know is a given). The way the camera zooms in and out of focus is quintessentially Tarantino and it's an authentic Spaghetti Western experience.

The movie traces the journey of a black slave Django (played by Jamie Foxx), who is gifted his freedom by Christoph Waltz's character Dr. King Schultz - a German who claims to be a dentist but actually is a bounty hunter. Schultz wants Django to aid him in identifying the Brittle Brothers, who had a bounty on their heads.

Once the task is done, Schultz realises that Django is a natural shooter and therefore, takes him under his tutelage. The duo spend an entire winter collecting bounties. In the process, they discover that Broomhilda (Django's wife, played by Kerry Washington) has been working in Candyland, Mississippi. The plantation owner is some Calvin Candie (DiCaprio). They formulate a plan to buy a Mandingo fighter from Candie and hence conceal their true purpose - i.e., buying Broomhilda in the process.

But, Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson), Candie's yes man and a loyal head slave, senses something off and ends up discovering the visitors' aim. There is a lot of fighting (blah, blah, blah), people die, and the end is somewhat close to a happily ever after.

Waltz is resplendent as Dr. King. His sophisticated dialogues and refined mannerisms contrast ever so tastefully with his job description - the man should win an Oscar for this one. DiCaprio is, as usual, awesome. Jamie Foxx executes his role with a cool shrug.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (of Inception fame) has said of the film -

"#DJANGO features perhaps the greatest shoot-out scene in the history of american cinema."

I would say he is not completely wrong.

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Official Trailer

Skyfall (2012)

Skyfall

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Director : Sam Mendes

Writer : Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan

Actors : Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Bérénice Marlohe and others...

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Overall : 6.5/10

Direction : 7.0/10

Acting : 8.0/10

Cinematography : 7.5/10

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Skyfall begins with a B.A.N.G. - the traditional Bond-movie way. After that, it's a ride downhill...

People who grew up admiring Roger Moore and Sean Connery as the 'original' Bond stars, will find it difficult to associate with this movie. The primary reason being that 007 has actually been portrayed here as a shadow of the agent he used to be. His strength is waning and so is the deftness with which he disposed off his enemies. Like any other Bond flick, he surely comes to save the day - however, you can't help but wonder how much more your beloved hero can take.

The action sequences, which are a very integral part of such movies, are quite satisfying. Weirdly enough, in that bike chase at the start of the film, Bond looks a lot like Tintin going after a treasure.

Judi Dench as M is brilliant as ever. She and Ralph Fiennes (Gareth Mallory), as the new Intelligence And Security Committee Chairman, add a lot of depth to the cast.

The best scene in the movie is surely the first encounter between the so-called villain Silva (an ex-agent, played by Javier Bardem) and Bond. Javier brings a little of Anton Chigurh to his character - his mere presence is enough to keep you glued to the screen.

You must be wondering if all the actors played their parts well, then why the hell did I rate the movie 6.5 out of 10?

Simply because of the plot. It borders on atrocious. Mendes tries his best to lift an average script and make it worthy of a movie that honours the 50th anniversary of Bond films. But he is let down by a thinly-connected narrative.

I kid you not here, but the last scenes of the movie remind you of Home Alone!

Also, it's worth noticing that Mendes tries to make Silva The Joker to his Bond's Dark Knight. But it will be a long time before anyone can even come near to Ledger's phenomenal performance.
A long, long time.

When Silva and Bond meet for the first time in the movie, the latter notes that "Everybody needs a hobby," and then the former goes on to inquire of a captured Bond, what was his. Bond replies - RESURRECTION.

I think the franchise can do with a bit of resurrection now.

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Official Trailer

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The Blair Witch Project

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Directors : Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez

Writers : Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez

Actors : Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, Joshua Leonard and others...

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Overall : 8.5/10

Direction : 9.0/10

Acting : 7.5/10

Cinematography : 9.5/10

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For all you Grudge and Saw fans out there, this movie will be boring as hell. Watch it at your own risk.

However, for people who enjoy a good horror flick (read : people with some intellect) and can do without the unnecessary blood and gore, The Blair Witch Project will be an exhilarating cinematographic experience.

First things first. The movie has been shot with a handy-cam. Yes, you read it right. A freaking handy-cam! It is this deliberate amateur recording that adds to the movie's eeriness. The directors are careful not to make it too disorienting. The balance is just perfect.

This horror ride is about 3 film students - Heather, Michael and Joshua - who set out to make a documentary on the alleged haunting of the woods north of Burkittsville, Maryland (formerly, Blair) by the "Blair Witch," who, as they came to discover from the locals, had apparently coaxed a certain Rustin Parr to murder 7 innocent children. Or so the man had pleaded.

Hence, an impending sense of doom is established pretty early on.

The trio commence with their adventure. They camp on Coffin Rock, where 5 men had been murdered, in the 19th century, for the first night. The next day, they move deeper into the woods and camp near a cemetery. Gradually, an unknown force starts following them, triggered by what I believe is to the Mike's fault : he had accidentally disturbed a cairn at the cemetery.

The fiercely uncanny and frightening howls they hear the second night prompt them to abandon the project. Thus begins the race for survival...

The novice actors do justice to the script. Their performances are smart, crisp and very much real. You don't feel for a second that they are faking their fear.

I will reveal no further. The end is as good as they come. It leaves you all cramped up, trying to shake off those goosebumps you didn't even realise you had.

Watch it for the direction and the dedication of the actors involved. Not many independent films have a cult following.

PS : Don't mind that Heather received a Razzie nomination (and won) that year. She was decent enough in the movie. Screw those who want a dumb blonde in every horror flick! The genre deserves (and needs) more movies like this.

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Official Trailer

The Interpretation Of Murder (2006)

The Interpretation Of Murder

by Jed Rubenfeld

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Genre : Thriller, Psycho-analysis

Author : Jed Rubenfeld

Published in : 2006

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Overall : 8.5/10

Prose : 8.0/10

Characters : 9.5/10

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The Interpretation Of Murder has everything that I demand from a crime thriller. The narrative is very fluid and the description of New York at the turn of the century (1909) is simply riveting. For a debut novel, this is of a very high standard.

The author, who is the Robert R. Slaughter Professor of Law at Yale Law School, obviously has an eye for detail. He is able to describe the transformation of New York, and by some extension, America, with great accuracy, without over-powering the plot.

The book is centered around the famous Sigmund Freud's visit to America and the ramifications of the same on the psychoanalyst's life. Whilst a major part of the book deals with the story of Freud's American disciple Stratham Younger and their concentrated efforts to expose a sadistic killer on the loose, it also throws light on the dormant animosity between Carl Jung and Freud, which explodes towards the end of the book.

The characters are beautifully drawn out. Miss Nora Acton, the victim, and Younger, the doctor, who is assigned to help recover her memory after the gruesome attack on her life, have some incredible chemistry between them. Jimmy Littlemore, the outlaw detective of the NYPD, is the unsung hero. His devil-may-care attitude and caustic honesty is, at times, a refreshing change from the multi-layered meaning of things thrown at the readers by Freud's entourage. 

It goes without saying how well the author has sketched out Freud's persona; for anyone who knows anything about him or psycho-analysis, this novel will be a relishing experience.

Younger's apprehension of Freud's advocation of the Oedipus Complex and his desire to solve the brain-twister from Shakespeare's Hamlet - "To be, or not to be, that is the question:" without employing Freud's theory, adds an extra dimension to the book.

Despite the rumours floating around, this book is definitely not the best in its genre. I'll admit that. But, in case of pyscho-thrillers, only few can make the cut.

This is one of those.

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Jed Rubenfeld

Lost In Translation (2003)

Lost In Translation

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Director : Sofia Coppola

Writer : Sofia Coppola

Actors : Bill Murray, Scar-Jo and others...

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Overall : 9.5/10

Direction : 9.0/10

Acting : 9.0/10

Cinematography : 9.5/10

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Talent runs in the Coppola family. There is no doubt about that. None at all.

Lost in Translation is a quietly beautiful movie - challenging in it's implications and yet, it manages to be subdued and relaxed at the same time. Bill Murray is excellent as Bob Harris - he delivers with ease a performance that sums up his life's regrets, his fading career as an actor and a superficial relation with his wife.

Enter Scar-Jo, a psychology graduate, who too has doubts of her own : whether her young marriage was a correct decision? Has she "bound" herself? Where is she to go from here onward? What is she to do in life?

So, it ain't a surprise that these two 'lost' souls hit it off instantly.

The scenes at the hotel bar are some of the best in the movie - Sofia Coppola brilliantly captures the deep-seated insecurities of the central characters. Towards the end of the movie, she even manages to convert the unromantic skyline of Tokyo into something humane. Something that evoked hope.

The Scar-Jo - Murray chemistry is simply amazing. I haven't seen anything better since or prior. The magic of their relationship lies in the fact that it isn't carnal, but just a healthy (and rather rarely found) companionship in a foreign land. When Murray sings "More Than This" in that karaoke bar with his eyes fixed on Jo, it hints at something playful, but nothing creepy that can put the audience off.

Ultimately, Murray has to return to America. His trip is over. And with it, the promise of a budding relationship. This is what makes the last scene all the more special.

As serendipity would have it, they meet again. He comes out of the limo that is to take him to the airport, chases down Jo and kisses her. Then, he whispers something in her ear. Sofia Coppola's stroke of genius is this : whatever he says is overpowered by the buzz of the Asian markets. Jo smiles, Murray returns to his limo, and I'm still left wondering what he could have possibly said to her.

Then, I realise what Coppola has done : I guess she knew that we never wanted to know what had conspired in those few seconds afterall. Like those two, I found it fulfilling to remain suspended in that moment. Neither inquiring nor over-thinking.

This movie is like poetry in motion. It'll be sometime before it can be displaced from my top 10 list. In all probability, it'll never be.

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Official Trailer