Temple Grandin...different, not less!

I wish it was not a TV movie. If released theatrically it would have surely won an Oscar.
The movie is an excellent biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who in the 1960’s through 1980’s revolutionized the stockyard / slaughterhouse industry.This movie places us inside Temple's brain and lets us view the rest of the world from her point of view. This film gave a different view of the character in a way many other films of this sort often fail to do, it enabled us to appreciate the fact that this person is an intelligent, nuanced human being who simply sees the world differently than a "normal" person. To see Temple battle her own inhibitions and logically formulate solutions to situations which might be simple for most people but which are tremendously challenging for her is both thrilling and intensely affecting. One of the most intriguing elements of the film is the manner in which it accentuates the fact that many problems those with autism have are generated by the often inconsistent, illogical, exasperating way in which "normal" individuals conduct themselves. It's both infuriating and mind-boggling to see the manner in which Temple's masterful mental processes are dismissed as goofy, weird, and stupid by so many of her peers.

Claire Danes plays the title character and I was amazed how well she acted, she did such a convincing job that I forgot I was watching Claire Danes on screen it was as if I could see/feel what Temple Grandin is going through, this is what we call getting into the character or being the character.
Mick Jackson’s direction is brilliant, he so amazingly shows us how Grandin is able to picture things in her mind. Catherine O’Hara is great as Aunt Ann and Julia Ormond is phenomenal as Temple’s mother who is sometimes frustrated, sometimes angry and sometimes helpless watching her offspring doing something strange and blaming herself for the child’s condition.
My only complain in the movie is that they should have focused a little bit more on her growing years and shown more about her sibling and her father rather than just mentioning them once. Still its a great watch.
Do yourself a favor go watch this movie.
Happy watching☺

Watch Temple granding receiving Emmy Award:


Emmys: Outstanding Made for Television Movie, Directing, Actress (Danes), Supporting Actor (Strathairn), Supporting Actress (Ormond). Golden Globe: Best Actress (Danes).

Groundhog Day is here...

What if you are stuck in one day?? Yes, thats what happens to a weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray), who finds himself living the same day over and over again.
He is a self-obsessed weatherman and imagine how painful it is for him to relive the same tedious Groundhog day in a lame small town Punxsutawney, PA.  He doesn't like anything about his job, isn't fond of his co-workers, and is forced to spend the night in the same town due to heavy snow. However, when he wakes up the next morning he finds its the Groundhog day again and the events of the previous day are happening all over again. The same thing happens the next day and the day after and so on.  The whole movie is how differently he lives each day.

You might think it would be boring to watch a movie which plays one day repetitively but Groundhog Day is full of ingenious ideas and successfully throws up new developments and delightful twists at every opportunity. The fill has some memorable dialogue. Its not just another comedy it has a much deeper meaning to it, it will make you think of some serious questions.

Even when i watch this movie today i enjoy it thoroughly, it is as fresh as it was in 1993 its only because the theme underlying the humor will never go out of fashion.




Watch this movie if you haven't already and please let me know whether you liked it or not.
Happy watching:)

Sunshine Cleaning: Two sisters and their messy lives.

SUNSHINE CLEANING shines all the way.

Wow! I avoided this movie while it was in theater based on certain negative reviews it received, but couldn't keep my eyes off from it. Watched it and realized how real reel life can be. From the producers of Little Miss Sunshine but except for the word "Sunshine" and presence of Alan Arkin there is no other similarity. 

Sunshine cleaning is a story about two sisters, Rose (Amy Adams) and Norah (Emily Blunt). Rose, whose life is not very rosy after her head-cheerleader days, now she is a single mom struggling to look after her troubled seven year old son, Oscar (Jason Spevack). She has a long-running-futile relation with her married high school sweetheart Mac (Steve Zahn). Norah is more or less a general screw-up, still living with her dad, a salesman with a lifelong history of ill-fated get-rich-quick schemes from selling Shrimps to selling Popcorns. After Mac's suggestion, they start a business cleaning crime scene for much bigger money. As they climb the ranks in this very dirty job, they find new respect for each other and he closeness they have always craved finally blossoms. By building their own improbable business they open the door to the joys and challenges of being there for one another-no matter what- while discovering personal healing in the most unexpected way. 

The Focal point of this movie is Rose and her crushing self-doubt. The portrayal of Rose by Amy Adams is brilliant. I cant imagine anyone else doing what Adams did to this character. Even Emily Blunt played Norah equally brilliantly. All other supporting casts are good. 

I wouldn't say this movie is for everyone, its not a sweet and cute movie, watch it only if you have a taste for movies whose dark and bittersweet coating hides a slightly gooey, feel-good soft centre. 

Happy Watching :)

Sliding Doors.

There have been times in life when we look back and think.."what if..?" Many filmmakers are fascinated by this concept of destiny, the road not taken. Sliding Doors is not the first movies which touches the concept of destiny, this issue has been fodder for several movies. But what makes it a special movie is the concept's treatment. It was rather a brave step for Peter Howitt to make his directorial debut in an uncharted territory in 1998, but paid him off well.



The movie hovers around two versions of Helen's life (Gwyneth Paltrow) after she catches/misses a train. How the destiny of two Helens unfolds is the movie plot. Paltrow, i would say is the heart of the movie and is a delight to watch. For me SLIDING DOORS is a quiet romance that entertains as well as makes you think. A lovely fable about fate, love and life. For me this movie has romance, humor and infinite possibilities.
Worth mentioning scenes are when she almost catches her boyfriend cheating, the boat scene and of course the climax.

Happy watching :)

How many boxes of popcorn will you give this movie (out of 5)??

Priceless...an Enjoyable flick!

Ahh, I love french Comedies, even though the story is old and told many a times but French Cinema always presents it in a freshly manner. 

In this entrancing French comedy Audrey Tautou plays gold-digger, Irene who has a series of relationships with wealthy older men for the benefits, nice hotels, good food, and the gifts they give her. She has supreme self-confidence and makes no apologies for what she does. The other main lead, Jean (Gad Elmaleh) is just the opposite, meek and will capitulate in almost any circumstance. He works as a bartender in a Hotel. 

In one uncontrollable night Irene mistakes Jean for a wealthy man. They have a night of passion, but when her boyfriend finds out, he dumps her. Rejected by her ticket to financial security, she focuses instead on the hotel worker, unaware that he is as poor as she is. Poor Jean is deeply smitten with Irene, so much that even after she realizes he's poor and is angry at him for wasting her time, he continues to gladly bankrupt himself just to be with her. At one point he offers her a one-euro coin for 10 seconds of her time. He spends the 10 seconds gazing at her with huge love-struck eyes. ( isnt that Cute) . Now now Irene and Jean have an intense emotional and physical attraction for one another, but she needs more money to 'survive' than he can afford, and he needs the sponsorship of his own mistress to keep himself afloat. How they resolve the entanglements that tear them apart is both amusing and heartwarming.

 The plot twists and turns as the film progresses, but, since this is a romantic comedy, we have a fairly good idea of where things will end up - but it still is fun to watch this odd couple volleying back and forth. This isn't any kind of masterpiece, but is effortlessly crafted and thoroughly entertaining with spectacular locales.

Happy Watching..

How many boxes of popcorn will you give this movie (out of 5)??

Dil Chahta Hai....What the Heart Wants. Definitely(D) Captures(C) ur Heart(H)

I remember the last day of school so clearly, it seems like yesterday. All my friends and I were sitting outside the class in the sunshine, all of us speculating about where we would be years down the line and what would we be? (thanks to facebook we all are still in touch). But thinking of your school days makes you want to re-wind your life back to those days..

That’s the sort of thing you reminisce about when watching a film like "Dil Chahta Hai".

It is based on debutant director Farhan Akhtar's diaries of his trips to Goa, his 1996 month-and-a-half long stay at New York, and a storyline narrated to him by a friend. It tells the story of three friends graduating from college and transitioning into life as adults. Each individual has a different perspective of life and love in particular.

Sameer(Saif Ali khan) is a firm believer of love, always on the lookout for that special someone. The only problem is that he wears his heart on his sleeve and lets it get run down by ladies all the time. On the other hand Siddharth (Sid) is a mature sensitive guys, who is an introverted artist and still searching for the meaning of life, the most mature of the three, is not interested in trivial romances and is dedicated to his work.. but strikes a chord with a much older, alcoholic divorcee who shares his love of art. Aakash is a non-believer in hardwork and love. He thinks love makes a healthy relationship more complicated so all his relationships never last more than two weeks.

The story takes you forward in their lives and how things get complicated and difficult as life moves forward.

One of the highlights (and also less talked about) of the movie is its Cinematography by Ravi K. Chandran, who has done a brilliant job. Especially some scenes like breakdown of Aakash, song Tanhai and some scenes in Australia and Goa were just amazing.

As soon as I finished watching Dil Chahta Hai, a film that is a good three hours long, I wanted to hit play and watch it all over again. The feeling I had when it came to an end was like the one you sometimes get when you finish reading a good book - satisfied and sated, but regretful that you have to leave that perfectly created fictional world and the characters you have come to know and love so well, so soon.

I wanted to write some more about the movie, but decided against it! Instead i would ask you to rent it asap and enjoy the movie! Do watch this movie at least once. This movie is a toast to friendship and love.

Let me know whether you liked it or not.

Happy Watching!

you can find the whole movie on youtube with english subtitles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRKwagKd7Ls&feature=related

Love Me If You Dare! Wickedly Delicious.

Are You Game Or Not??

French film has always been more creative and offbeat than standard Hollywood fare (atleast i think so), and like all French movies,  this movie may not be for everyone. But if you like exploring different ideas, and complex characters, then you should give it a try. It's a very unconventional movie. 

I am a big fan of Marion Cortillard since I saw her in La môme, I am always on a look out for her movies. I came across this movie while browsing the French section from Netflix, and I'm glad I chose this one! This movie tells the story of Julien(Guillaume Canet) and Sophie (Cotillard), who meet in grade school and make a pact that binds them together for a lifetime. Their pact/game revolves around a little tin box, a toy painted to look like a merry-go-round. When one hands the other the box, along with it comes a dare. The other "Must" do what they've been dared to do. This begins as a childhood game and continues into adulthood, where it gathers dangerous and dark undertones.

The Dares that they play at times are very funny and other times it would make you think "what in the hell...", I would request to suspend your belief for once while watching this, just open your mind and heart.

The movie's first shot tells us something we don't understand at the time. The last scene explains it, and yes it's creepy for some people. But actually the beauty of the last scene is it leaves you with your imagination, so it all depends on your perception.

I am not sure whether you’ll like it or not but am sure of one thing, you won't get bored. And if you know French, I suggest you watch it in French, though it is available with English subtitles.

P.S: One of the highlights of the movie is its music. They have used Edith Piaf's "La Vie en Rose" as the sound track, which suits it to the core.