A Streetcar Named Desire

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) ......... I was expecting to see some silly old bollywood style movie. Instead it surprise me with its play type settings and then it surprised me more......

Movie is a depiction of internal fight everyone faces everyday about their lives. Blanche (Vivien Leigh) arrives to her sister place for the refuge and its all about how she and everyone around her are trying to live up to the lives they have got into of their choice or not. Her brother-in-law Stan(Marlon Brando) is an uncultured and unsuitable suitor to her sister. These emotional battles are to be seen all throughout the movie and at different levels too. You are bound to be fascinated by one character or the other and seriously you will never forget them.

A Streetcar Named Desire is more of symbolic name which is what the movie is all about "Human Desires". Vivien Leigh (Gone with the wind famed) and Marlon Brando (Godfather famed) are simply stunning. I could completely picture our own Big B pulling off that role. Its so loud and intense that not many could have pulled it off. This movie has a distinction for winning 3 of top 4 major acting Oscars for the first time in the history. Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter (Stella - The sister) and Karl Malden (Mitch - The guy who loves blanche) got the awards for best actress, supporting actress and supporting actor. Only Marlon Brando missed out on Best actor award. I will certainly like see the performance of the guy who beat him to it.

In fun trivia i read, that the director made sets with moving walls so that during scenes he can move the walls to show the mental state of the characters. Pretty cool i say.

A streetcar named desire......ends with a famous line by Blanche " I have always depended on the kindness of strangers". Which actually is always right. We are more tolerant towards strangers that our near and dear ones. Something which i think is a social norm.

The best part about the film is that despite being thought about half a century back; It is still relevant. Our lives do follow " A Streetcar Named Desire".

Seabiscuit: Letters from Iwo Jima

Seabiscuit: Letters from Iwo Jima: "Letter from Iwo Jima (2007)........ Frankly i never even heard of the movie let alone seen it. When I was compiling the list of movies th..."

Letters from Iwo Jima

Letter from Iwo Jima (2007)........ Frankly i never even heard of the movie let alone seen it. When I was compiling the list of movies that I have to watch in my quest; this movie caught my eye. Its directed by Clint Eastwood and it was nominated for best picture and i have not even heard of it. that got me curious. So thanks to torrents i was able to get hold of this movie. What struck me first about the movie is that its in Japanese and Clint Eastwood being on the other side of the war certainly get an applause for shear choice and handling of the topic.

The movie is a simple story of bravery. There is this island " Iwo Jima" which is strategical important for japan during world war II. This important island if lost would have given America direct base to attack Japan mainland. Nice setting for horrific war movie. It addresses all the issues of Japanese war stories right from civilians dragged to war, unequipped for war, strategically unaware and whole lot. The hidden bunkers created by these soldiers with all human effort is what made the island of Iwo Jima so special. It is more over a symbol of position of Imperial Japan in the world war II, great courage in the face of defeat.

Our protagonist General Kuribayashi ( Kane watanbe, Famous Chairman from "Memoirs of Geisha" ) is a visionary and well aware of what lies in store for him. Fighting a loosing battle does not balk him from doing brave and humane acts. Eccentric and unconventional is what best explains him. Still in the end you do feel for these soldiers. Human element of military operations are also captured very well.

Clint Eastwood has done a great job on this film. As usual his background scores are rather moving. I see a great pattern in all the films that i have seen of him. Fight against adversity; But it inevitably has a sad ending. Some day definitely i would like to ask him why he creates 99% positive movie just to end it in sadness. But i must say, I am yet to see more humane war film.

Clint Eastwood has definitely done better work according to me. This movie at times failed me holding my interest, may be it was due to language.

If you are a war film fan .......Please go ahead download and see the movie. It will make you think of Japanese in better light. It certainly made me visit those historic events on Wiki.

If you are not a war film fan but appreciate good foreign language cinema. Seriously have a look at it. recommended.

The Queen

I began my "quest of lifetime" by watching this movie. Surprisingly this movie went under my radar over the years. Just could not manage to see it. Frankly i never thought it will be any interesting either.

I have this habit of not reading anything about the movie before seeing it. Not even the genre. I believe knowing the movie what is about kills half of the unexpected experience of movie watching. It has worked for me over the years. It certainly worked for "The Queen"

"The Queen" is directed by Stephen Frears; the director of "High fidelity", "Dangerous Liasons", "Mary Raily". This is the movie for which Helen Mirren got her Oscar. She plays HM Queen Elizabeth in the tumultuous time of princess Diana's death. First 5 mins i thought it will be a very dry and boring. I Mean what interesting about Diana's death worth making into a motion picture?..... right? ........wrong.......

It's a well crafted tussle between public life and personal life of celebraties. More over like a classic case of "they have to take decisions which does not bother us". Movie also take us through the emotional state of various members involved point in time. Overall the movie does connect and appeal to us at various levels. Emotionally as well as cinematically.

Performances by Helen Mirren and Michael Sheen are scorchers. Brillient!!! Movie is beautifully shot and builds a certain whats next about itself.

On flip side the movie is rather slow. Uses lot of metaphors to depict state of mind of The Queen and you need to understand them. Patience is the key to enjoy something like this. Give it a shot. "The Queen" will educate you if not entertain you.

Watching this film did make me say "Now thats why we watch films" ...........

Quest of a lifetime

Oscar - Nominations for " Best picture" of the year....

to watch all oscar "best picture" nominated movies is what i want to do in next one year. ofcourse i must have watched close to half of them already. so i will be watching the remaining ones.

i was searching a purpose to write a blog for really long time and just like that i have found it. Oscar taste is tuned up in my movie senses. most of the oscar nominations i agree with and they stir a strange affection in me. So this is some serious fun and something that really matters to me.

along this journey i will be describing those movies which i will be watching and i will try and mix things up with watching movies at random and not in chronological order. whats the fun in that ...dah....

Some of my friends still tease me that i did bring devastation upon them by dragging them to movies just because they were oscar nominated. This is something that will remind them of those crazy times.

First movie ..............The Queen .........2007......thats tomorrow ......