Dev.D (2009)

Dev D is a modern-day interpretation of the classic novel "Devdas" by Sarat Chandra. Dev (Abhay Deol), Paro (Mahi Gill) and Chanda (Kalki Koechlin) of Dev D reflect the sensibilities, conflicts aggression, and independence. Free thought, exuberance and recklessness of the youth of today. A generation that is jammed between eastern roots and western sensibilities. Dev D is set in the rustic and colorful Punjab and also explores the dingy, morbid, dark underbelly of Delhi. From sprawling mustard fields to a riot of neon. Now we have come through various versions of the novel "Devdas", but "Dev. D" is way different than all the others. It's not actually the remake of Devdas, yet it can be said as it has been just inspired by it. There are minor similarities yet the characters are similar in a way. The new Devdas likes to have his vodka with Coke, asks Paro for some nude pictures of herself, chats with Paro through IM, likes to have sex, smokes even during pissing after waking up in the morning & does other various stuffs according to the current trend of Indian Youth. There are so many reasons why "Dev. D" strikes hard on it's viewers.It's a coming of an age cinema of Bollywood. Bollywood never did witnessed any stuff like Dev. D ever before. The soul of the movie lies within it's characters, specially "Dev.D" along with Paro, Chanda & Chunni. The movie also depicts Delhi in a superior way.It isn't banal or prudish ..the dialogs are witty and minimalist.The ensemble has done a worthy job . Newcomer : Mahie Gill easily transitions from a vulnerable lover girl to a mature responsible lady , Kalki Koechlin epitomizes the naivity of a teenage girl whose social stigmata con-volutes her essence of life into an awry ordeal which she readily accepts and moralizes as a state of "Trying to move on .." And Abhay is purely a treat to watch ..the way he triumphs in being a sole loser who worships Vodka and doesn't chastise himself rather acclimatizes himself to the corner of the world called "SELF" -- the virility shown by his hairy bod -- a pungent antonym to chest waxed embellishments.All of this with a maverick Director's surreal vision ( trademarks being his liking for water and snow .. he uses them as props and landscaper's to unearth the beauty of the far .. No Smoking had loads of it) is a cinematic milestone in itself .If your above 18 then watch with a heart of redemption, lust , despair striving to the ultimate nemesis with oneself --- you shall be a winner !!!4.5/5

Chung Hing sam lam (1994)

this is a film about love that is mired in reality (though shot through the lens of alchemist - truly a visual experience to be savored)though not gritty reality, just every day boring life and love, the sort of love we go through each day ourselves, the kinda incomplete love where two people touch each other briefly and spend more time dreaming of what could be rather than it actually taking place.
The narrative of the film is simple, once you get over the fact that it is divided into two parts. The first half of the film, starring Brigitte Lin and Takeshi Kaneshiro, is perhaps the most overtly post-modern, referencing both film noir and the British handover to China heavily. It is also perhaps the most visually startling, with DP Christopher Doyle pioneering some astonishing camera techniques, which bend, stretch and distort the film, creating an almost hallucinatory effect; it is disorienting, dizzying, and utterly exhilarating. The second half is the most widely-discussed story, and stars Tony Leung and the absolutely adorable Faye Wong. It is a more straightforward romantic comedy, its style more Godardian than the first.In fact, Godard is a useful reference point, particularly A Bout de Soufflé, which Chungking Express essentially separates in half, into film noir and romance. This can be seen in the contrast between Brigitte Lin's femme fatale in the first half, her blond wig and sunglasses reminiscent of Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity, and Faye Wong's strong resemblance to Jean Seberg, the female lead in Godard's film, in the second half.
Wong shot the film in Hong Kong's Chungking Mansions, a densely populated market area, so the flood of neon logos for Western products is ever-present, at times saturating the screen. The way in which Wong brings these logos to the fore suggests a love of Western culture, and a desire to maintain this, under threat of Chinese rule, and the eventual abandonment of Capitalism. This love is reflected in the soundtrack, which is hugely eclectic, incorporating Vangelis-style-Blade-Runneresque synths, mellow, soft-porn-style jazz, ska, bhangra and Western pop, including Faye Wong's Canto-Pop rendition of 'Dreams', by the Cranberries and, most memorably, the Mamas and the Papas West Coast classic, 'California Dreamin''. The song not only alludes to Faye's desire to escape to California; it is representative of the overall 'catchiness' of Chungking Express. This is a film that captures the exuberance and spontaneity of youth.
4/5

Insomnia (1997)

this is an excellent psychological drama about a cooly repressed detective unable to own up to causing the accidental death of his partner, at the same time he is pursuing an author suspected of killing his young girlfriend. The detective story isn't important here - the detective has no trouble locating the killer, understanding his motives, or "solving" the crime. What is interesting is the detective's inability to deal with his problems and face life truthfully, metaphorically illustrated by his inability to block out the sunlight and sleep.
Stellan Skarsgard gives a very good performance as the detective struggling to keep control of himself and the situation. As he becomes more and more tired, his life and his desires race out of control, and his need to maintain his facade causes him to make decisions that take him to the edge of catastrophe.
Usually, when a director wants to set a dark mood, he or she relies on shadows and gloom in the camera frame. Here the exact opposite has been achieved through the perpetual midnight sun which throws the descent of Jonas Engstrom into madness all too clearly. At first the effect is subtle, but as the picture continues and there is never any nightfall one begins to feel the same bone-deep weariness and lethargy experienced by the protagonist.Most of the action takes place in non-descript rooms, suffused with the cold grey light of the arctic sun. The film is engrossing from beginning to end.
3.5/5

Trzy kolory: Bialy (1994)

Ostensibly Kieslowski chose white of the French flag to make a movie on equality.Kieslowski's treatise on equality is based on marriage as a great leveler. There are aspects of the film that are obviously unrealistic. Putting a grown man in a suitcase and letting the suitcase go through airport security is not feasible. Moreover, the director shows the heavy suitcase perched precariously on a luggage cart. Impossible to believe all these details.
At the beginning Karol is 'erased' from society. He has been whited out because he could not consummate his marriage. There is a gun fired, but it only has blanks. Dominique is a woman with a white-hot, destructive personality. White doves come into a scene where Mikolaj, an angel of sorts, saves Karol from a grim destiny, and the angelic face of love is the white bust that survives most of the film as Karol begins his plans to move against Dominique.Unfortunately, "White" has acquired a reputation as the weakest entry in the series. I think it's the odd one out, but certainly not the worst. It's the only one of the three that regularly stretches credibility (the plot twists are really wild), and the only one with a male protagonist, but it's also the most exciting of the films and, ultimately, the most disturbing. The ending in particular is a killer.
3.5/5

Primeval (2007)

"Primeval" is no work of genius, and like most mainstream films, is loaded with clichéd moments that we've seen in better movies.this movie contains the most offensive line in the history of films(in my opinion):"I wouldn't say this in front of white people, but at least the slave trade got people out of Africa. I would do anything to get out of here."(a black character)
the actual story details an American news team (the brooding male leader, the hot female sidekick, and of course, the token black guy who serves mostly as comic relief) traveling to the war-torn Burundi to film and hopefully capture Gustave, an enormous crocodile who has eaten hundreds of people. Naturally, things go wrong, and the river soon runs red. An interesting aspect of the movie is the inclusion of a warlord in the plot, adding a second threat to the protagonists (Gustave is, of course, their first threat). when the movie more-or-less forgets about one of it's main stars - The Crocodile - it slips into a boring movie about a group of people being attacked by angry African soldiers rather than being a movie about a group of people being killed off by a big nasty croc.
The characters are completely boring and the only character who I'd say is likable in the movie is Orlando Jones' character as he provides a quick couple of laughs. Every other character is just dull and unlikeable.
either buy some alcohol with it or watch it really late...cause it is one boring flick and you'll probably fall asleep due to it's slowness. Not recommended, and disappointing.
1.5/5