12 Monkeys****
A whacky film about a man traveling back and forth in time to trace a virus that wipes out most of earth's population. He ends up in a mental asylum in the wrong year, which incidentally holds the clue to the source of the deadly virus. Brad Pitt's role in the film was particularly intriguing, and a hard one to write. The film is essentially sci-fi, but is a social satire before it is anything else and is very "Brazil"esque in that way.

15***
An offbeat Singaporean film about a group of young teenage boys dealing with loneliness and despair. There is no real plot, except segments of episodes, some funny, some bizarre and some quite touching. The fast-paced editing, the techno-rap score, the animations and the humor are really what keep you going, not to mention the myriad of incidents relating to sex, drugs and relationships. The film starts to drag at some points in the later half, but being that it does not already conform to convention, it doesn't take anything away from the film.

2 Days in Paris****
Un Bon Film! Funny, conversational, in a Parisian setting. It's not the most positive perspective of the French, but brings out the ambiance of the city quite well. I like the "slug"gish relationship of the couple... it almost complements the slow pace of the film. There is no plot, just a series of interesting events that unfold slowly.

2046*****
A sequel to In the Mood for Love, 2046 in my mind rates highest in artistic expression of all Wong Kar Wai's films. 2046 is the hotel room in which the protagonists of In the Mood for Love meet. In this sequel, it is the year in Chow's sci-fi novel to which people travel through time looking for love. With four story arcs, the films explores Chow's love with four woman, three of whom move to room 2046, next to Chows room and one is an andriod whom Chow's fictional character meets on a train in the year 2046. As always, Wong Kar Wai creates the most fascinating future, and explores the subject of love in the most unexpected way possible.

21*****
Based on the true story of the MIT Blackjack Team, the film is about a group of students who travel to Vegas every weekend to play Blackjack using card-counting techniques that help them beat casinos at their own game. The protagonist in the film is in it to pay for all school-expenses at Harvard Med School, but what he gets is more than he bargained for when his own mentor, a professor at MIT who is the linchpin of the team deceives him and exposes his game to the casino managers after a clash. While the plot is suspenseful, it is fascinating to see geniuses at play (even if there are actors). The whole concept of the trade and the students idea to make money by outsmarting casinos is incredible and unbelievable.

27 Dresses***
A very cliche-ridden romantic comedy about a wedding-obsessed (eternal)-bridesmaid who is in love with her sister's fiance. Apart from the fact that it lacks any innovativeness, it is satisfactory.

3:10 to Yuma *****
Now, who's the real hero! =) There's a lot that can be said about this movie, but nothing is enough. Russell Crowe and Christian Bale took the words out of my mouth. :D This one's an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's short story, which was first adapted as a film in 1957. But this could very well be the original. I say that because, the powerful dynamic between the two "heroes" is what it is, only because of Bale and Crowe. But that's not to say the older version or the original have nothing worthy of imitating, in fact it could very well be otherwise. I'm not comparing. I'm just admiring this rendering.

5 Centimeters per Second*****
It's nice to see melancholy in anime. Makoto Shinkai has a beautiful way of bringing out innocence in thought and he does so even while making it seem so simplistic. The film oozes with contemplation and sentimentality. There are three segments arranged as short stories about close friends drifting into their own separate ways and reminiscing about the past. The narrative is poetic and leaves a lingering impression of longing. Even visually, this film is a work of art. With a lot to absorb, It's just overwhelmingly beautiful.

5 Children and It**
'It' was the the only thing that showed promise, everything else was a disappointment. What can be worse a bigger let down than a fantasy film lacking imagination?

50 First Dates***
A light-hearted comedy about a guy who falls in love with a woman suffering from short term memory. The story is refreshing and sweet, but lacks the type of slapsticky humor you would expect of an Adam Sandler film.

8 1/2 *****
A really bizarre and complex autobiographical film that is as exceptional as Fellini himself. The first time I watched 8 ½, I found the film disparagingly surreal. The second time however, I was awestruck but the same bizarre and unreal qualities that I disliked earlier. The film is a brilliant self-analysis of the auteur, and is a statement about the film world and the meaning of life.

84 Charing Cross Road *****
If my rating is indicative of how I feel about this film, then I will confess that as I was watching the film, I went from feeling like it was worthy of 2 stars and then 3 and then 4 and then 5. This has never happened with any other film. I fell in love with it with every passing sequence. As the relationship between the female protagonist in the US and her bookstore owner in UK became more and more personal, and as their own lives and tribulations were revealed, not to mention the relationships of the other store employees with the protagonist, the film turned out to be very affecting. There was a certain humanness to it that is rarely seen in films of this nature. The cliched dialogues and humor that I didn't dig in the beginning, I really enjoyed by the end of the film. Very unusual!

A Bug's Life ***
Entertaining and visually impressive, but easily forgettable.

A Clockwork Orange *****
This is one film with action and characterization that is exaggerated to such a ridiculous level that it leaves you feeling numb and incapable of reacting. Still there is so much to absorb and assimilate . It says a lot about one's morality, what he decides to focus on even while or with regards to commenting about the film's take on morality itself! Then again, on a purely cinematic level, the film is imaginative beyond description!

About a Boy ****
Like almost every Hugh Grant movie I have seen, this one is a pleasure to watch. The music is enjoyable, the humor enduring, and the characters absolutely delightful.

Adaptation *****
A fantastic Charlie Kaufman movie, with an intricate overlapping plot that is simply exceptional. It is a story about a story, a plot within a plot and a intrusion into an intrusion. As a rule Kaufman is not one to conform to the typical plotline. The dialogues are thought-provoking, and the characters are true to the story.

Adventureland**
A bit sappy.

Age of Innocence ****
The sights and smells of 19th century America is brought out so exquisitely and in such grandeur as to inspire awe. You can never have guessed it was a Scorcese film, even though it displays his genius like any of his other films. The story in itself was characterized by great sorrow or romantic pain, and bordered on melodrama, but I suppose that goes with the period. I am still undecided on how I feel about it. There is the cultural politics of the time to consider and the director's own interpretation of it, which I think may have been convincing if Cameron Diaz was replaced by a more winsome protagonist.

Akira****
This is one of the most visually flamboyant and fictionally dark action-packed animes I have seen in a long time. It has a very absorbing plot that deals with everything from government conspiracy to social unrest, superhuman powers to human evolution and from economic revival to impending doom. Powerful.

Akeelah and the Bee****
A very well-made film about a black kid from a crummy neighborhood who trains with a stern professor to compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The film is a good example of how a very predictable plot can be engrossing and thoroughly entertaining. It uses every cliche in the book and still masquerades that with strong performances.

All the King's Men**
This is an adaptation of Robert Penn Warren’s book with the same title. The film has the most muddled screenplay I have encountered, with a lot of things left unexplained. The subplots were bewildering. It almost felt like the scriptwriter read every alternate chapter in the book and decided to leave the unread chapters for the audience to imagine.

Along Came Polly**
This film will fill your stomach but won’t satisfy your palate. It’s enjoyable but not deserving of praise unless you count some comic moments that are expected of any Ben Stiller movie. For most part, it lacks imagination.

Amelie*****
This film has a terrific visual approach that evokes a sense of wonder. The intriguing meddlesome character of Amelie is persuasive and enchanting. Even considering the unhappy lives of most of the characters, the film overflows with a feeling of delight.

American Dreamz***
Very entertaining film with some fun performances from the “Arabs”. Everyone else was just tolerable.

Amores Perros****
This film is exceptional in the way it deals with moral consequences concerning a myriad of issues. Like any movie starring Gael Garcia Bernal, it is distinctive and layered with more than just a storyline and characters. The violence is deliberate and horrible but not without reason.

Annie Hall****
This is my least favorite Woody Allen film so far, but it still gets a four because I really like it. It has everything that you can expect of his films, fantastic performances, clever situations, funny dialogues, lots of chaos, lots of contemplation, a statement on everything from religion to relationships, from psychology to analysis, about film and film critics, about annie hall -the film. It's a miracle how much entertainment he fits into a one and a half hour slot. So what didn't I Like about it? Diane Keaton (not Annie Hall)!

Apocalypto***
This is one film I could give a 1 star or a 5 star to or any number of stars in between and still feel like they all make sense. First the one start part: Mel Gibson is sick. His obsession with gore, the violence and melodrama are plain sadistic. The Five star part: what kept me watching was the picturization. It is like nothing I have seen before. Beautifully shot, the sets and costumes too were rich and multi-hued, the chase scenes in the forest were spectacular. The three star part: The story about war in mayan civilization is intriguing, although not factually correct (i hear).

Appaloosa ****
Not a lot of gun play this time, but very engaging and funny dialogues from the sheriff and the deputy, whose understated confidence and chemistry was amusing to watch . The film had a very easy-going rhythm, and was shot spectacularly in this marvelous landscape. It was painful to watch a very constipated-looking Renee Zellweger, even though her multifaceted character in the film was quite intriguing.

At Land by Maya Deren*****
This is a brilliant experimental film that is full of symbolism- blending the conscious with the subconscious mind, eliminating boundaries of space and time and suggesting the voyeuristic tendencies of man and his desire.

Atonement***
I can talk endlessly about the haunting soundtrack, the pounding typewriter, the breathtaking visuals of the beautiful mansion and it's grounds, the five-minute long awe-inspiring tracking shot on the shore, the fantastic performance of Saoirse Ronan as the precocious Briony. These alone make the film worth watching. But, after she left the screen, the film lost the ability to bring out any emotion in me. It was almost like she left with the soul of the film. I couldn't see the love between Keira and Robbie. The war didn't affect me, the deaths didn't, their lives didn't. The only thing that did affect me was Briony's fate and the fact that she had to live with the guilt of her childhood blunder for the rest of her life.

August Rush**
Even Freddie Highmore's performance couldn't save this film. But, I enjoyed watching it because it reminded me of cliche-ridden Indian films. Coincidences, impossible feats, and lots of cliched dialogues pretty much sum up the content.

Austin Powers 1 & 2***
This is one series I hate to admit I like. I have a strong mental block against.. let me say it... shagedelic austin, but I have caught myself laughing out loud at a lot of scenes.

Avenue Montaigne****
A light-hearted film with interesting characters. The film is about a young girl who works as a waitress in a bistro right next to a theater, auction house and a concert hall. Through her work, she meets different celebrities who are all interesting people from various walks of life, each with their own story and their own aspirations. There's a lot of commentary about the life of celebrities and about art and artists, which is ok but not as interesting as it could have been. The best part of the film however is the music.

Babel****
Temporally unusual, the film has many isolated dramatic moments that eventually come together. It’s a gripping story with a lot of touching performances. Overall, it was a visual treat and did well in aesthetically separating all three regions. The only disappointment was in the way the film ended- perplexing in the case of the Japanese story and inadequate in the case of the Mexican story. Where did Garcia Bernal vanish?

Baby Mama****
Starts off slow, but quickly gathers momentum. There are some scenes in the film, especially with Angie - the Baby Mama that totally cracked me up. I It was interesting to see Tina Fey play a mellow corporate executive (unlike her routine in the Daily Show), but she looks great in the film and is very likeable...same with Greg Kinnear.

Bad Education*****
This is another remarkable multilayered Gael Garcia Bernal movie with competing narratives within an unpredictable plot. The film is provocative and disturbing in the way it projects the vicious outcome of lust and desire. A myriad of sensitive subjects are handled simultaneously with a lot of sensibility. No one could have played a cross-dresser as appealingly as Garcia Bernal. The movie is visually stunning.

Bambi*****
Before 1942 and since, there is no cartoon film that has come close to Bambi. It's a film full of innocence and growing up - perhaps with a little inescapable sadness, as Bambi learns life lessons, even while having fun with thumper and twitterpating when he grows up. Completing life's cycle comes with a price, and it's a price that he pays for man's follies. The theme song and the background score are very moving.

Bamboozled*****
This film will make you laugh and squirm at the same time. Spike Lee provokes you to think about all the deplorable things that we promote as entertainment, in this case human dignity. It’s a movie with a strong message about racism that is conveyed as dramatically and spectacularly as it should be.

Barnyard: The Original Party Animals****
This film was a pleasant surprise. It's about a calf growing up and taking responsibility after a huge blow in the form of the death of his father. It's a known story, a known moral, but it does a decent job of keeping you entertained.

Barton Fink****
This movie is horror and comedy but is more film-noir than horror-comedy. There are a myriad of undertones and overtones about the mind and emotions, brought forth with a ton of excellent odd-ball characters, the writer's experiences and very-Coen-like-weird-out-of-the-world scenes. At the fear of looking stupid, I think I may have missed something in the end or it may just be that the film ends abruptly with a very lame punch line.

Batman Begins*****
Finally, here is one superhero who is not unfathomable. Nolan delves deeply into the character of Wayne and brings out the audience’s empathy for a cold and resentful young man, who through sheer determination grows to become a spine-chilling Batman played excellently by Christian Bale. The dialogues are witty and perfectly understated. The action and special effects are brilliant and uncomplicated. Overall, it’s a great comeback.

Batman: Gotham Knight*****
This compilation of six anime shorts has the most creative interpretations of a superhero. Each film explores one aspect of Batman's psyche. Theres the darkness that you would expect of any Batman film, but what is interesting is in the way his shadowy nature is exaggerated to emphazise the mystery surrounding him. The films are also unusual because of the different physical interpretations of the Batman. All six films are unlike each other but still have a lot of common elements in terms of stylistic elements and the plot.

Battle of Chile *****
In one of greatest political documentary series of our times, Patricio Guzman chronicles the political unrest in Chile during the 1970s. The film records the developments leading to the military coup overthrowing the democratically elected President Salvador Allende. Guzman captures the fury of the dissenting citizens and brings out an overwhelming fear that shakes our faith in democracy, especially when the military bombs the Chilean Presidential Palace.

Battleship Potemkin*****
The film about the mutiny on the Battleship Potemkin that led to a large scale massacre on the Odessa steps by the Tsarist militia. It is Sergei Eisenstein’s best work and demonstrates his ground-breaking techniques of intellectual montage and symbolic counter-pointing, used to shock the audiences into political awareness.

Be Kind Rewind***
An excellent story idea with potential to make you laugh until you pee, but no, that doesn't happen. The film wasn't half as funny as it could have been. I suppose, the plot was a difficult one to execute. It is about two friends in charge of a video store, who remake hollywood films and rent them out in place of the originals because of a strange mishap that leads to all the original tapes getting erased. But, that's not all. The film's about gentrification, the loss of home, the destruction of the store, copyright infringement, a lie about a legendary singer.. it just takes on too much and doesn't deliver.

Being John Malkovich*****
Yet another movie masterminded by Charlie Kaufman. It is about a puppeteer discovering a portal into John Malkovich’s mind and making a museum out of it. The film gets insurmountable in the end when Malkovich gets into the portal to peep into his own mind. The ability to anticipate others thoughts is the cornerstone of human evolution, and Being John Malkovich kicks it up a notch by taking us into in the brain of another individual.

Bella *****
A beautiful film and I mean that in many ways. There was somehting very warm and effortless about Verastegui's role. He brings out a certain warmth and senstivity that trascends beyond his tragic past, making it less sorrowful and more moving.
It is one of the finest films made about redemption and oozes with sentimentality.

Bend it like Beckham***
Formulaic but entertaining. Typical of any Indian film, the music is very peppy and enjoyable.

Benny and Joon*****
True to its title, the film is about Benny and Joon and not so much about the story or the circumstances that shape the film. Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart fit their roles like a glove. They are extremely endearing in their portrayal of minor eccentricity.

Big Fish*****
A great script that’s high on imagination. The protagonist is a greater-than-life character who is very charming and lovable. He moves the story as much as the story moves him. The picturization is breathtaking.

Birdman of Alcatraz*****
Of all the biographical movies I have watched in recent times, this one affected me the most and for many reasons that I can pinpoint clearly - one being the pitiful fate of a man spending over fifty years of his life in solitary confinement at Alcatraz for unwarranted reasons; his admirable journey of learning that makes him a world authority in bird diseases despite lack of education and the brutal prison system; his marvelous relationship with the birds; his optimism and zest for life; and his wisdom and kindness at the end of it all. I don’t know what I love more, the real man, the actor, the story or the film.

Blackbeard's Ghost**
If you are into imaginative stories full of magical characters and dead pirates, this one will have made it to your list, but is extremely disappointing.

Blade Runner****
This is a sci-fi 101 film, basic (even though sophisticated for its time) but important. It's visually amazing with a phenomenal soundtrack and remarkable in the way it incorporates a dark film noir quality, and a lot of symbolic references that provide an interesting perspective on the development of humankind and the philosophy of existence in the context of life beyond earth and the addition of artificial humans. The final scenes were very suspenseful. There are still a lot of questions that need to be answered, but that doesn't make it less extraordinary..

Blood Diamond***
Five stars for the first half. The film has some powerful scenes, many horrifying and some enlightening. The acting and dialogues were exceptional, but the tight plot in the first half gave way to irrelevant scenes in the second.

Blue Vinyl*****
Whoever thought vinyl was dangerous! An inspiring documentary about a woman (the filmmaker) who single handedly sets out to fight the vinyl industry and reveal it’s deadly effects.

Bob Dylan: Don’t Look Back*****
A non-intrusive documentary for pop culture fans that gives an untainted insight into the life of Bob Dylan. It captures the mood of the period and more specifically the charming arrogance of the folk hero. The music of course is all-pervasive.

Bolt****
Very cute. Even thinking of Rhino and Bolt makes me smile.


Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan **
Great concept but executed terribly, also unnecessarily gross.


Born Free*****
A true story and one of the greatest animal films ever made, Born Free is a true story about a couple raising three orphaned lion cubs, two of which they give away, and one lioness Elsa lives with them longer becoming accustomed to living with humans, but when she is seen as a threat to they villagers, they are forced to send her back to the wild. The couple's parenting, their emotional attachment with Elsa, and their determination to retrain the lion to cope with the wild is truly extraordinary.


Born Into Brothels***
The film isn't as enlightening or insightful about life in the brothels as it is a admirable for sheer innovativeness. The life in Calcutta's red light area in documented by brothel-children who are given digital cameras by the filmmakers. The concept is interesting, but it barely scratches the surface of the life in brothels as it relates to children, or their interaction with their parents, or what the future holds for them. In the end, you become aware that the reality of their lives is a lot more complex than the film makes it out to be and feel shortchanged.

Boys Don’t Cry*****
To think that this is a true story that attests how violence ensues prejudice is disturbing beyond words… the film is horrifying and completely shakes your inner core. Hilary Swank plays Teena Brandon more convincingly than if Teena herself had to re-enact her tragic life.

Braveheart***
Entertaining but unnecessarily elaborate in it’s visual makeup. I’ve never been one to admire Gibson’s undeserving idol status. This is a very biased review.

Brazil*****
Set in a futuristic society, it starts of as a comedy of errors showing redtapism and bureaucracy problems typical of our times, and grows into a bizarre convulted political drama, much in the vain of 1984, except in this one it seems as though the protagonist overcomes submission to the system rather than succumb to it. The slapsticky humor, the apocalyptic scenes and Sam's foretelling fantasy-sequences and the labyrinthine plot are all way ahead of its time.

Breach****
A tense film with great acting and some suspenseful silent moments. It brings out a very unique sensitivity and is profound in the way it portrays actions, intentions and consequences.

Bride and Prejudice*
Poor script, poor acting. It retained the colorfulness of a typical bollywood film, and also incorporated some of the cliche melodrama and very shallow, narrow-minded way of looking at life and society.

Bridge To Terabithia***
Two extremely bright kids caught in a film that goes no where. The film gives you a glimpse of an imaginative world, but leaves you longing to see more. The message is lost in the thirst for more action.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason***
Funny in parts but mostly overly caricatured and sappy.

Bridget Jones's Diary****
Extremely hilarious and full of wit. Zellweger is endearing as Bridget Jones.

Bringing Down the House**
A bad choice of actors, a second-rate script and a shallow storyline.

Broken Flowers****
Bill Murray has always been brilliant with the kind of dead-pan humor that this film is high on. The atmosphere and the mind-set are perfectly understated. The setting resonates with a kind of amusing melancholy. The plot is second to the character and his journey to find his son. The film takes you through some of the most picturesque scenes in the country and is punctuated with catchy music.

Budapest Tales*****
In Hungary, post World War II, a group of refugees come across a derailed train and decide to put it back together and take it all the way to Budapest. The odd relationships that these quirkey characters form during the journey is hilarious.

Burn After Reading*****
I am yet to watch a Coen film that I dislike. This one "too" has a remarkably absurd plot, and is extremely funny! How the stories intertwine and come together is mind-boggling as hell! JK Simmons as the CIA Honcho was brilliant. He says the most remarkable things, and so remarkably!

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid****
This adventure western film spoof is based on the famous outlaws - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The film is witty, charming and full of hilarious clichés. Robert Redford and Paul Newman make the perfect pair.

By Brakhage: An Anthology*****
An experimental anthology that’s never been tried before and impossible to imagine. Brakhage takes film beyond its traditional narrative function and literally uses it as material for art. For instance, in Mothlight he sticks several dead moth wings directly to the film reel and creates an engaging montage that conveys the resurrection of the moths after they fly into the open flame, burning their wings and landing on the camera lens. The series is extremely unusual and deserving of attention.

By Dawn's Early Light***
The film is about the growing relationship between a grandson and a grandfather as they travel from colarado to LA on horseback. But for a few corny scenes, the film was very touching. The journeying scenes were beautiful to watch, both for the spectacular views and for providing a glimpse into the cowboy world. There were some humorous moments, but for most part corny defines the dialogue-style.

Cane Toads: An Unnatural History*****
Only humans are the odd mammals capable of causing an ecological blunder of this magnitude. This film about cane toads is hilarious and worth some thought.

Careful*****
This film is thought-provoking in a weird sort of way. It is about the inhabitants of Tolzbad who live an uncanny life, addressing all things taboo in the most artificial setting. It’s an insane film that’s steeped in symbolism as well as is ridiculously literal.

Cars***
Out-of-this-world graphics, but the screenplay is a total bummer. Drab, wishy-washy and not at all stimulating.

Central Station*****
A poignant story, with a subtle statement about the lack of things, be it money, family or morals. The film could have been too sentimental or too grim, but turned out to be ideal in every way. In a way, it’s a journey towards self-realization that is shot beautifully and moves slowly, but with the benefit of hindsight.

Charade*****
A light-hearted comedy thriller in which a woman solves a murder mystery, after her wealthy husband whom she barely knew was murdered on a train. The film has a ton of colorful characters, all of whom can be suspected of crime, but as bodies pile up the mystery gets more and more interesting. Audrey Hepburn who plays the lead, is an absolute joy to watch. There is no dull moment as long as she is on the screen. Cary Grant too is extremely charming. The movie is supposedly described as the "best hitchcock movie hitchcock never made". I agree!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory***
Other than showing Johnny Depp’s versatility as an actor and coming to pass as visual eye candy, the film was highly disappointing. The music was stale and the story uninspiring.

Charlie’s Angels: Series ***
Sassy “action” films for fun.

Cheaper by the Dozen***
This is one of those sappy comedies that hollywood comes up with every once in a while. It's watch-able and enjoyable if you don't expect anything out of it. The kids are cute and that's about it.

Chicago*****
A flamboyant musical. Dazzling and incredible. The rousing music is only bested by the glamorous performances.

Children of Heaven*****
This is the film I’ve most recommended. It is one of most heartwarming films I have seen that is high on purity and innocence. The plot is as saccharine as the relationships between the characters. The two kids are adorable, making their plight even more unfortunate. The parents are pitiable and so are the rest. It’s a funny film with an amusing story and an extremely subtle message about hardship and inequality.

Children of Men****
The film is incomplete, but is full of powerful scenes set in a very dismal future that shows the bleak eventuality of human existence. It’s not about hope as much as it is about consequences. Good concept and excellent camera work on the run. The end was slightly hopeful.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang*****
A fun children’s musical with a standard whimsical presentation. It has a quirky inventor with his amusing gadgets, some adorable kids, a silly plot and a cheesy love story.

Chocolat****
The film is abundant in atmosphere. I could taste Vianne’s luscious chocolate and trust that it was irresistible. It is visually enticing and has a succulent soul, but leaves you with an unsatisfactory aftertaste. What it lacks is a passable plot.

Chungking Express*****
A fun film with some gripping movements. For most part it is full of off-the-wall characters and scenarios, like the girl who keeps rearranging the belongings of the flight attendant she loves without his knowledge, the detective who is obsessed with the expiration date of canned food, and a clichéd drug story with wacky characters.

Cinema Paradiso*****
There are very few films that make you lose yourself completely to them. Cinema Paradiso, without exaggeration, is among those few films, and most definitely one of the greatest films ever made. If there are certain qualities that define a good film, Cinema Paradiso has them all. A very moving, sublime story and one that brings out a lot of powerful emotions, mostly dealing with relationships. I enjoyed the relationship between toto and alfredo, and more than that their performances. And such artful visuals! The story is supposed to be semi- autobiographical, in which case Cinema Paradiso was an enviable place, with the range of films it showed, covering everyone from Kurosawa to Charlie Chaplin.

Citizen Kane*****
This is a visual masterpiece and one to marvel at especially for the way the emotions and positions of characters is conveyed visually. The suspenseful narrative and thereby Kane’s life unfolds from different points of view and for different purposes. The film is everything from an investigative thriller to a newsreel, a biography to a heartrending story. It doesn’t seem to matter that the film has a simplistic ending considering it serves as a metaphor for something bigger, which is Kane’s life.

Class****
The movie is about a prep school kid's torrid affair with an older woman, who turns out to be his best friends mom. Although, this one is not popular with the critics and didn't get any rave reviews, I thought it was very well made and brought out the awkward teenage years, all the fun, immaturity and distress with it. The two friends were charming as hell. I cared less about the pitiful character of Helen, even though it was interesting to see how Jonathan reacted to her. Overall, a good one.

Clifford**
It's exasperatingly funny. It's not the kind of movie I would recommend, but definitely one that I would continue to watch once I've started, especially on a boring humdrum weekday at home with nothing to do.

Closer**
The whole ambience- that of betrayal and lack of character was revolting, especially since it was seemingly acceptable. The characters motives make you want to question the intentions and the ideals of the filmmaker.

Collateral****
A fast-paced suspenseful thriller with haunting performances from Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. Every moment in the film is intense and terrifying. The dynamic between the unemotional hitman focused on his mission and the tense cabdriver is frightening beyond description.

Control Room*****
One of the most insightful observational documentaries that provokes you to think about media objectivity and the extent to which governments will go to execute a sinister plan. One-sided for a good reason, owing to which we are now aware of the other side.

Crossroads****
This one is about a young prodigy who rescues a legendary bluesman who sold his soul to the devil. The movie has the most incredible music I've heard, and that's perhaps the only thing that makes this movie extraordinary and worth watching. The story is not new and it leaves a lot to desire. For one, the youth turned out to be more of a blessing for the old man than the old man for the youth. In fact, I don't see how the kid benefited for the bluesman at all. Now, this may not have been a problem if the film didn't start off with giving an impression that it was about the making of a genius. There was no character growth in both protagonists either. Jami Gertz role didn't amount to anything.

Dan in Real Life***
There is something very likable about Steve Carell in movies where he plays warm, sensitive roles. Except for him, there's nothing much to say about the movie in terms of emotional impact. But visually, the film is absolutely beautiful to look at.

Daredevil**
Fun movie with some good action sequences, but completely forgettable.

Death at a Funeral****
Quite funny. It had some surprises and the drug-induced chaos was well orchestrated. Still it wasn't mind-altering :-)

Definitely, Maybe****
An entertaining film about a mid-thirties dad who narrates what his life was like before marriage to his daughter, at the midst of a divorce with his current wife. It's a sweet story and Abigail Breslin is adorable as ever. There's some element of suspense on who the kid's mom is and whom he will end up with, as he narrates his love life with three women. Apart from some cliched scenes of a romantic comedy and the meandering pace, its a well-made film and has some fun moments. It also has some unrealistically beautiful apartments, for supposedly poor people... and some unrealistic shifts in career.

Dennis the Menace****
Entertaining. It’s not meant to be judged. Mr.Wilson was the cutest with his extra skin.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels*****
Hilarious. This one is a classic. The chemistry between Steve Martin and Michael Caine is fantastic. It’s swank and unrefined coming together in a contemporary comedy setting.

Dog Star Man ***
I was impressed by the critic reviews and the intent of the film, but couldn’t appreciate his vision. The film seemed like a strange collision of worlds, rather than the creation of the universe. His vision of inner cosmos is beyond my understanding.

Don Juan De Marco****
Johnny Depp is completely captivating and seductive as Don Juan, and in fact the only one who could have played the role. It’s beautifully poetic and full of desire. It ends almost enchantingly with an open-ended message about the consequence of belief.

Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who****
Not laugh-out-loud funny, but definitely humorous and enjoyable. It doesn't quite capture the spirit of Dr. Seuss' original, but that's somehow not disappointing. The movie has it's own charm going for it. Horton and the rest of the characters were all very cute.

Dreams*****
Very surreal. It's not like anything I have seen before. There are eight segments almost all of them exploring destruction or death in someway, but in a very "dream"like fashion. Some segments were just very profound and had an unbelievable level of clarity in message! Some just seemed "out there"! Artistically, it is the most dramatic and eye-catching of any film I have seen. It is almost like the kind of excitement for color that you might expect from a color blind man who just had full vision restored. I haven't seen anyone do justice to the visual aspect of cinema as much as Kurosawa. He's brilliant!

Drillbit Taylor**
When you start to watch an Owen Wilson film, you go with the intention of filling your head with mindless entertainment, but somehow mindless is all i got from this film, entertainment did not even begin to happen. It just was not funny even though it promised to be. One star for the film, and One star for Owen.

Duma - How it was with Dooms*****
A very sweet story about a young boy who travels alone through dangerous terrain in southern africa to return his pet cheetah Duma to the wild while enduring several hazards including the wild nature of his own animal friend. Although not a real story, it is based on a novel and feels very real. Nature - both the colorful wilderness and the barren unprotected land is captured captivatingly and leaves you feeling fear, respect and awe all at the same time. That the wild still exists seems unbelievable, but it really does!

Dumb and Dumber*****
This is one of the funniest films I have seen, about the misadventures of two friends traveling in search of a woman to return a suitcase full of cash. It's stupid hysterical.

Duplex***
The film is quite lame, although the plot showed signs of getting interesting. Ultimately, it never did.

Duplicity ***
A very Ocean's 11ish spy film, with funny dialogues and a complicated con with a lot of doubling, and a screwballish spy-spy romance angle in the middle of all this. 

Dying Young*
Bleh! It was meaning to be weepy (i think) and it wasn't even that!

Earth****
Do we really live on this planet! The film was awe-inspiringly beautiful to look at. It's a fantastic film for kids.
  
Eat Drink Man Woman*****
A very touching film that unwinds slowly and has a lot of surprises. Individually each story is quite moving, and together, the relationship of the three daughters with the father is handled sensitively and evolves in many unexpected ways. The film has the most fascinating cooking scenes I have seen and really compels you to take cuisine art seriously. I wonder if such skill in cooking still exists! Quite tragic if it really is dying.

Edward Scissorhands***
This film had every quality that would make it a masterpiece and yet it was dissatisfactory. It’s a dark fable with a touching story, but something about Edward “Scissorhands” made me feel very uneasy.

Elizabethtown****
Four stars for the delightful travel sequence.

Emma****
A very well adapted film. It's a delight to watch Gwyneth Paltrow play the role of Emma with the same genteel, obnoxious, amusing, manipulative, meddlesome characteristics as Austen's Emma. :-) The film has the right amount of humor and suspense as Emma goes about playing god, fixing matches and creating misunderstandings. The country too is so exquisitely recreated. You can feel yourself gliding through the settings as the camera tracks and follows Emma over very long shots in some of the scenes.

Enchanted***
This film was entertaining but could have been much more inventive. The cheerfully high and mighty Prince Edward brings the perfect Disney-feel to the movie with his amazing performance. Everyone else could have been better. The humor and the climax were disappointing.

Enough**
It's tense but not the "issue" drama that it was trying to be.

Entrapment***
A good old-fashioned caper, with a pretty Catherine Zeta Jones doing some tantalizing athletics and a very old Sean Connery playing "master-thief" in a nonsensical plot where they set-out to achieve the impossible!

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind*****
A stimulating film that is as fascinating as it is humorous and will provoke you to think about a myriad of things throughout the film. Very Clever.

Everyone Says I Love You****
Although the musical part of the film was annoying at times, for most part it was good, and the last dance of Woody Allen with his ex-wife was especially magical. While all character sketches are exaggerated, Woody Allen's relationship with his ex-wife and her husband, and their relationship with their kids is close to being ideal. Not the usual Allen fare, but the film is enjoyable even with its ups and downs. It's mostly about each character figuring out how they feel about the person they are supposed to be in love with. Read the four stars as a three and a half.

Festa da Moca*****
A documentary about the Nhambiquara tribes struggling to keep their identity and documenting their dying heritage for the future generations. It’s interesting to see how they view their culture from an objective standpoint. Especially when one group of tribe watches the rituals of another group on TV and is completely amused by the procedures they follow.

Fiddler on the Roof*****
This is the most entertaining musical I have seen. It is extremely humorous and heartbreaking at the same time. The music, the dances, the performances are all exceptional. Tevye is outstanding.

Finding Nemo*****
A film to watch again and again for the visuals and Dory.

Finding Neverland*****
Every scene is so memorable and beautifully performed. The final play is poignant and dreamlike and still uplifting in a weird sort of way. The youngest kid was brilliant.

First Contact*****
A rare documentary film about the Papuans who mistook the white men for gods as recently as 60 years ago. The film reveals the astonishing disparity in human evolution and thereby a difference in our perceptions of life. It’s offending and yet completely naïve.

Flushed Away ****
Very entertaining with lots of laugh-out-loud action and witty dialogues. The plot is cleverly written and is quite unexpected in the way some props were put to use. There are no strong personalities and the character growth is subtle. Whether this worked in favor of the movie or not is debatable.

Fly Away Home*****
A really inspiring film with some of the more spectacular flying scenes. The film is about a 13 year old girl and her aircraft designer father teaching 12 orphaned goslings to fly and migrate south overcoming insurmountable odds. The music is beautiful and complements the gorgeous landscapes and the subtle melancholy throughout the film. The film is based on real-life experiences of Bill Lishman, a Canadian inventor and ultralight aircraft hobbyist who successfully led a flock of Canada Geese on a winter migration from Ontario, Canada to Northern Virginia, U.S.A.

For a Few Dollars More****
In this one Clint Eastwood is the Rookie and Van Kleef is the pro and with great chemistry they add the right amount of style and attitude to each scene. That said, it’s a typical western with more melodrama than usual. It’s perfectly staged and is very stylized what with minimal dialogue written to perfection, Morricone’s music playing in the background setting the right tone, the importance to the most insignificant thing, the moments of silence emphasizing the sound of footsteps, squeeze of the trigger, the expansive landscape where a tiny man in plunked in the middle, the close up of a faces increasing anticipation, all create the desired impact. The plot too holds interest.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall****
It's starts off badly, but by the time you get to the 15-minute point, the film becomes very enjoyable. The nude scenes were the main minus point.

Forrest Gump****
It’s bursting with spirit and hopefulness. Superbly acted, this is a movie to watch just for Gump.

Frida**
Didn’t dig it. It was superficial and unoriginal. A very tedious watch and didn’t seem worth the effort.

Free Willy*** 1 & 2
The first is the only film worth watching. It's about the relationship between a young boy and a whale and how he rescues it from an adventure park. I loved watching the film as a kid and thought it was a very sweet story. Im not sure if I will like it as much now. In the sequel, he rescues the whale in the ocean after an oiler crashes and poisons the water. The family drama in was just unbearable.

Fried Green Tomatoes****
It's just the kind of life story you hope to listen to from an old lady. It's rich in contemplation, with all sorts of nuances and subtleties in personalities, relationships and events.

Friends with Money***
One of Jennifer Aniston's bluesy films about a woman whose life is not-so-rosey but she finds her place in the end and moves on. It's contemplative and has a sad lingering feel to it, but it is good film to watch if you are not looking to be entertained. Jennifer Aniston fits the role to the T. SHE is the film, not the story, or the plot. It's her.

Frost/Nixon *****
More real than fictional, the film was extremely well acted, and powerful especially in the second half of the movie, with the phone conversation and last interview, among other things. Nixon remains formidable and Presidential, and redemption eludes him even as he can't evade it. Only Frank Nangella could have brought out the complexity in Nixon's character. He can see he is affected and disgraced by his actions, and in lonely and reveals self doubt, even when he doesn't accept guilt. And in contrast to him was Frost, who beyond being charming, was absolutely appealing in character!

Gandhi****
A good movie about a great man. It's slightly theatrical and struggled with the task of rushing through many decades of tumultous events which encompass a good part of Indian colonial history, but Kingsley brought out the inner life of the Mahatma and the movie did well in capturing the spirit and the visual impression of India.

Garden State*****
Enjoyed the movie immensely. It hinged on melody and subtlety in story and performance.

Gattaca*****
Extremely convincing of what the future has to hold for humans and how exactly we might evolve. It’s quite daunting.

Ghost in the Shell 1 & 2****
This is the movie that is said to have inspired the matrix and the likes. It is an exceptional idea that’s executed beautifully. It’s complex for most part, but the stunning visuals and the overall innovative approach keeps you glued and thoroughly entertained.

Ghost Rider*
It went badly whenever it could.

Gladiator*****
Russell Crowe stole the show with his powerful performance in this film. The sets and the battle scenes are incredible and nothing like we’ve seen before.
The film transports you to a different world and makes you a part of that rousing pride.

God Grew Tired of Us ***
It is hard to judge a film about the harsh living conditions of young sudanese boys and their long struggle for survival - without land, food or family. It is heartbreaking. The lives and circumstances of the lost boys aside, the film could have been more rousing. The lives of the sudanese boys in the US helped put their standard of living in perspective, but it could have gone further in inspiring compassion. That being said, I would highly recommend this film, in order to learn about the tragedy and think about what humanity means to us.

God Said "Ha!"****
I couldn't help comparing Julia Sweeney with Ellen Degeneres and thinking that Ellen may have done a better job. Still, Sweeney does a beautiful job of telling her story in this 85 minute monologue. There are some touching moments, some that are very tragic and and some that are hysterical. And seeing that it is a one-woman show, written and performed by Sweeney, it is admirable. But, I did find some of her mimicking annoying and some of her statements pretentious. I can see where the filmmakers were going with the changing settings, the soft light above her hea and making the audience aware of the crew, but it was all very distracting.

Gone Baby Gone*****
A very unsettling film. It raises a lot of ethical questions about right and wrong, about abiding the law––How you interpret each person's motives is really a question of where you stand in your personal beliefs... perhaps that's the unsettling part of the film... the lack of closure.

Gone in 60 Seconds****
Enjoyed the fast-paced action and car chases. It’s mindless entertainment with an enjoyable background score.

Good Will Hunting*****
One of the most brilliant scripts I have come across, with a poignant and well thought story and unadulterated performances from Matt Damon and Robin Williams. Also liked Will’s relationship with his friends.

Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life*****
A vividly documented film that shows the astounding migration of 50,000 Persian Bakhtiari tribes with half a million animals over some of the most challenging terrains in the world. It’s a tearjerker but one with a compelling message about triumph against all odds.

Grave of the Fireflies****
And you thought animated films were all amusement! This film is a shocking story about kids traumatized by war. It was quite painful to watch and leaves you with a sense of loss and grieving.

Grindhouse**********
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! insane brilliant stuff! (10 stars 'cos it's two mindblowing movies in one)

Gulliver's Travels*****
A fantastic film that does justice to my all time favorite book. It aired as a television miniseries and is over three hours long, but I can see it again and again for it's rich and vivid picturization and satirical assessment of human nature and our many follies.

Guess Who***
If you watch it with one eye open, you’ll probably let it pass.

Hairspray****
Not a big fan of the music, but definitely like the movie. Nikki Blonsky as the plump and cheerful Tracy Turnbald was especially adorable. I really liked her relationship with her mom (played brilliantly by John Travolta!!!) and the black dancers. The racial climate of the 60s and the fight against discrimination was well handled and speaks for everyone who is nonconforming or "different".

Happy-Go-Lucky****
Some parts of the film were quite unexpectedly profound. I couldn't say if the protagonist was herself happy of if she felt the need to make everyone happy around her despite what she might be like. The film was beautiful to look at, and I certainly liked the protagonist. Some of the scenes were quite funny and intriguing.

Hana and Alice*****
This is one of the cutest films I have seen. :) The two girls and the guy were really adorable and the premise of the film itself was quite cute. It reminded me a lot of anime films in the way it was picturized and the dialogues were written. The ballet scenes were especially beautiful. There are some touching bits in the film, but on the whole it's the sweetness that comes through.

Hannah and Her Sisters****
The first thing that struck me in this film is the music. It is something that I will look forward to in all his films. That said, there are somethings to be expected of any Woody Allen film, clever dialogues that are often satirical and amusing, a statement on everything from love and relationships to religion and philosophy, Woody Allen's neurotic personality, and an interesting story that sets everything up but still plays second fiddle to the dialogues and characters. The best part of this film, is Woody Allen playing a hypochondriac searching for the meaning of life. Ironic, that it should be called Hannah and her Sisters, even though it is the main story. Personally, I think it should be called Hannah, Her Sisters and Her Husbands, or Hannah's Sisters Screw Her Husbands, since one is involved with her ex-husband and one with her current.

Happy Feet***
Stunning visuals and technically first-rate, but has nothing new to offer.

Harold and Maude*****
This is one of my all time favorite films, about the relationship between a cheerful old woman who believes in living life to the fullest and a young man who has given up on life. This is one of the funnier films I have seen, with not one dull moment. An enriching film that leaves a desire to LIVE.

Harold and Kumar go to White Castle****
A Riotious Film! I loved the relationship between the nergy Harold and the very spaced out Kumar. Perhaps one of the funniest road trip films I have seen about two asian med students wanting to go to White Castle for a burger and end up doing everything but... It is mad, raunchy and a total hoot.

Harold and Kumar go to Guantanamo Bay***
Harold was just the same, Kumar was rounder, the film was gross, and lacked the wit and the cuteness of the first. But the premise is brilliant and it had its moments.

Harry Potter Series****
An impressive adaptation of one of the most intricate modern classics with extraordinary visuals and a decent abridgement of the original.

Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix*****
I didn't want to review this separately, but it deserves it's own space because I appreciate the 5th book a lot more as a result of this movie. It was, until today, my least favorite of the six books, but now I can't wait to read the book again. It gave me a better understanding of harry's emotions, and now I see it as being more than just aggravating adolescent outbursts. Visually, it was as I had imagined it to be, and many times even better. The Order of The Phoenix is not just a transition to the 6th anymore, it marks the beginning of the end. Luna Lovegood as the dotty spaced-out kid was outstanding.

Hellboy*
Unimpressive and deficient in almost everything.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army*****
I am completely willing to rethink what I said about the first movie. Hell Boy 2: The Golden Army left me speechless. There is no adjective that qualifies to describe Guillermo Del Toro's endlessly inventive level of imagination. His visual fantasies, and some of the sequences are so bizzare and quirky that they defy all description. My favorite scene is the one where a drunk Abe and Hell Boy are singing a love song together. Still in all this unrealness, he brings a rare sensitivity thats so tender and moving.

Hero***
Extremely entertaining and cinematographically brilliant, with fun action sequences that transcend to art, but not unusual.

High Fidelity*****
This film was definitely made with John Cusack in mind. The dialogues and all the characters are to die for. The musical scholastism of a very obnoxious Jack Black and a slightly meek Todd Louiso and the monologues of a very adorable Cusack about all his failed relationships with the audience and scenes with his girlfriends are just brillaintly pathetic or super hilarious when they are not charming. But, more than anything I love his very cool apartment, his really awesome record store and that he gets drenched in the rain every now and then. The music and the cuts between completely unrelated conversations is brilliant.

Home Alone Series***
The first one was extremely entertaining and McCaully Culkin was one of the most charming and talented kids in the industry. The second and third had nothing new to offer.

Hot Fuzz****
Mindless entertainment. With its absurd plot and completely ludicrous action scenes, this movie is jam-packed with all kinds of brilliant stuff.

Hotel Rwanda*****
A gut-wrenching film with a horrifying portrayal of a true courageous survival story. Beyond eye-opening, it was powerful and unsettling.

House Calls****
A bright, witty film with lots of very likeable characters and fine acting.

House of Flying Daggers***
Breathtaking visuals and the sleek actions do a lot but not enough to compensate for a weak pretentious story.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days***
Watchable. Enjoyable.

Howl's Moving Castle****
An inconceivable concept that beggars description. Miyazaki’s world is visually overwhelming and abundant in wonder and imagination down to it’s most intricate detail. I give the film four stars and not five because it’s delightfully absurd, but sometimes the character’s motivations aren’t clear.

Human Stain*
106 minutes of chinese torture, only with a white guy playing a black guy who wants to be white.

I Am Legend*****
An amazing concept, which has been done to death since it was first written by Richard Matheson in 1954, but considering this was the original concept, I can't but be amazed at how profound and unusual it is. Will smith's loneliness in the abandoned derelict of New York where a virus inflicted the city and perhaps the whole world either killing humans or turning them into vampiric zombies is daunting. Perhaps the best of all Will Smith's performances, he brings out the depression and pain of loneliness with such aching emotion that it is excruciating to watch. On the one end he seems hopeful of finding a cure, perhaps the only thing that gives meaning to his life, on the other hand he seems to have lost hope that there is a world out there and more people like him still alive. The human vampires are so scary and real somehow!

I Heart Huckabees*****
A quirky, intelligent film that is almost playful in its summation of different schools of thought related to existentialism.

I, Robot***
You’ll want to read the book after you watch the film, but other than that the film in itself wasn’t exciting or out of the ordinary.

Ice Age 1&2*****
Visually breathtaking with witty dialogues and touching performances, especially in the first. Overall, it’s very human.

I'm Not Scared (Io Non Ho Paura) *****
Beautifully picturized, the visual moves at an eloquent speed, giving you a sense of the town and the kid's bumpy ride every day through golden corn fields to get to the dark gloomy world of Fillipo. The interaction between the two kids and their mutual trust is very touching. The film blends desire with tragic melancholy almost seamlessly.

In America*****
The film embraces fantasy and realism in this whimsical immigrant story. There is a tragic thread running throughout the film, with haunting memories shadowing every character. The kids are the only ones whose lives transcend beyond remorse. In America is one of those rare films that evokes a lot of emotion as a result of the stylistic treatment rather than the actual story.

In Good Company****
A well-made film with honest portrayals that points to known but uneasy facts about corporate life. It’s funny and poignant.

In Her Shoes****
Full of endearing characters and mirthful circumstances, this film is lively and charming from beginning to end. Cameron Diaz was adorable.

In the Mood for Love*****
Typical Wong Kar-Wai movie that’s extremely stylish and seductive. It’s unconventional in the way it transforms a simple sequence of events into a complex multi-layered narrative.

Incognito*****
Love the feel of the movie and the idea of an intense artist imitating Rembrandt. The film lives up to our vision of art world, where artists seem mysterious and there craft awe-inspiring.

Indiana Jones Series*****
This is the funniest action-packed film series I have seen, perhaps more funny than adventurous. Steven Speilberg has a terrific sense of humor and Indiana Jones testifies to that. I especially like the relationship between Jones Sr. and Jr... not to mention the nazis, the soviet against, the tribes (including indians eating monkey brains) and the endless list of eccentric characters. The latest one is my least favorite, but my bias towards Indiana Jones means the rating will still remain at 5.

Independence Day***
An entertaining film, but not stimulating or exciting like one would hope for in a sci-fi film.

Inside Man****
Extremely engaging and very well acted. It didn’t seem like an overly ambitious script, considering some logistic imperfections, but on the whole, it was well crafted.

Intermission***
Entertaining film that does well in combining the sub plots. But, not very memorable.

Into the Wild*****
A very sad story. A heartbreaking one. The film is about a young man, who gives up everything to live a life in the wilderness in Alaska, only to die in the most tragic way. How one man and his misadventure can evoke so many emotions, of happiness, of concern, of hope, of utter sadness, is overwhelming. Just when you feel like he has triumphed against odds, you are hit with blizzard after blizzard of obstacles that finally take his life. He was just not meant to die. The film does a terrific job of portraying the loss of so many other people, who are directly or indirectly affected by their love for this man. There is always a question what really happened, and whether it was stupidity that drove him to this situation or just the pursuit of freedom , but that we will never know. The book talks about how easily he could have saved himself from dying, which makes it even more tragic.

Iron Man*****
How cool is that!!! Cool suit - tick, tight plot -tick, humor - tick, special effects - tick tick =)

Iron Monkey*****
Yuen Woo Ping makes some of the coolest martial arts films, and this one is not only my all time favorites, it also has Quentin Tarantino's seal of approval! Go figure! The film is about a secret iron monkey (robin hood equivalent) who saves the villagers from greedy government officials during the 19th century Qing Dynasty. A father and son combination get caught in the middle of all this monkey business and are forced to find the iron monkey to save their skins. The fight sequences and choreography were unbelievably extraordinary and wonderful. And the humor is very quaint and comical, typical of all Yuen Woo Ping movies, like Drunken Master and Snake in the Eagle's Shadow. I can't say enough of this film!

Jerry Maguire****
Possibly one of Tom Cruise’s most convincing performances in a slightly formulaic treatment about redemption. The film had a good share of funny touching moments. The little kid was adorable.

Jerry Seinfeld: I'm Telling You for the Last Time*****
He's a real charmer. He knows how to speak his mind and make it sound funny.

Johnny Stecchino*****
This film will make you collapse into hysterical laughter. Roberto Benigni has a great sense of comic timing and performs quite effortlessly in his dual character role.

Juno****
Very human, very witty and thoroughly enjoyable. Juno is smart-mouthed awright, and very impressive, what with taking responsibility and not playing victim. Paulie Bleeker's sweet but bewildered character and his role (or the lack of it) needs special mentioning. The parents are amazing and ideal. The adoptive parents have an interesting relationship and do well in providing the story arc. However, there is still a certain something lacking in that aspect. At the end of it all it's a teen-movie, even though not typical. It gives the genre much needed respect.

Jurrasic Park****
It was the most innovative movie I watched, with a ground-breaking subject and impressive graphics of dinosaurs that seemed as real and alive as it may have been - frightening, monstrous, dreadful living things. But now that I look back, I also see a lame storyline.

Kandahar*****
A completely hopeless state of affairs, in a country that’s haunting and overcast with misery and barrenness. You just can’t relate to the accepted bleak reality of the Afghanis. The ending is particularly unforgettable.

Kiki’s Delivery Service*****
Intriguing film from beginning to end. It’s unusual and fascinating. It’s a gentle film that moves sinuously with a kind of benevolent charm.

Kill Bill 1 & 2*****
My all time favorite film, every character was chiseled to perfection, the dialogues were perceptive and the action sequences were extraordinary. The music is harmonious with the film's theme and the ambience. Overall a landmark film worth studying.

King Kong*****
This film is one of the most thrilling and emotional films. It surpasses every other film made in the genre. I was heartbroken when king kong died. The fights sequences were sheer genius and the ice skating scene so charming. The greatest compliment to the movie is that it makes you forget that King Kong is not real.

Kingdom of Heaven*
This is an exercise in torture. The film is set in France, around the Third Crusade, where an orphaned blacksmith meets with his father, who is a Crusader, on the same day that his wife commits suicide after the death of their son. He is then made knight and goes on to fulfill his destiny, which is to recapture the holy land. Where's the torturous part, you ask! The whole thing is torturous. The treachery, the mindless violence, the religious aphorisms, the endless ramblings, the overnight acquisition of farming skills, the sudden valor.. I can go on.

Knocked Up****
Realistic comedy with tons of likeable characters and an expected amount of profanity. The parody of hollywood doublespeak with Alison's boss and assistant is especially hilarious. The story is quite clean and simple, the dialogues are frank and the plot is engaging.

Koyaanisqatsi - Life Out of Balance*****
A superb kaleidoscope of shots, that’s artistry at its best. It’s powerful and ingenious. Possibly the only film of it’s kind, where you can make of it what you want, but seem to end up with the same thing – a sense of awe. Possibly one of the most reflective films I have seen, about life and the natural world.

Kramer vs. Kramer ****
Quite good. The relationship between the dad and son was quite lovely. One couldn't have made a more sensitive film about divorce that is not weepy or aggresive!
 
Krull***
A very good fantasy film about a prince who embarks on a journey to find an evil beast who has kidnapped his princess and seized his kingdom. The beast is hard to find, for his kingdom changes position every day, and is never in the same place twice. Some cliched dialogues, bad acting and the feeling of disappointment with how much more it could have been make it less satisfactory.

Kung Fu Hustle*****
Highly imaginative crazy comedy-action film, with bizarre special effects and ridiculous characters. It’s insane.

Kung Fu Panda*****
In defiance of the kung fu teachings of mindfulness and serenity, I shall use superlatives to define this priceless awesomeness of Jack Black as the Master Panda. From great humor to great dialogue, to capturing the kung fu soul of the 36 chambers of shaolin and the noodle equivalent of jackie chan's drunken master, to the yoda equivalent in master oogvay and master shifu, to the quinessential son-like prize pupil going bad, it is two hundred billion stars of pure kickass awesomeness. Films don't get better than this.

La Strada*****
One of the most expressive films I have seen. It's full of rich meaning about the validity of emotions or the lack of it. Anthony Quinn's cold performance was especially brilliant. The way that the film ends is almost heartbreaking even though it seems like the perfect end. It does justice to the experiences of the characters and the consequences of their circumstances. Fellini has the knack of finding humor in sadness and does justice to both, especially the sadness.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life****
Entertaining.

Lars and the Real Girl****
An unusual story, about a young delusional man who falls in love with a a life-size sex toy (Bianca) and how his family and town cope with this new addition. The film is suspended between comedy and tragedy, and cannot decide on what state of mind it wants it audience to be in. The supportiveness of the town folk and employees is unrealistic, but considering that there is very little that's "realistic" anyway, it comes off as an idealistic setting that you wish was real.

Legend of Mulan****
A great Disney film, with attractive visuals and a strong female protagonist. The film has some brilliant action sequences and has an agreeable story, not novel but commendable.

License to Wed**
Rotten Tomatoes gives it 8%. Not as bad as all that! It's about a marriage counselor who puts a happy couple through quite an ordeal to help them figure out if they are really meant to be together. It's bearable.

Lilies of the Field*****
A humorous film that’s easy to watch and overwhelming with humbleness. It’s silently sucks you into the story, just in the same way that Homer gets sucked into helping the nuns. It’s got a likeable quality that’s hard to explain. It just flows quietly and humbly and even before you know you have begun to like it.

Lilo & Stitch****
A film full of funny destructive moments with one of the cutest cartoon pairs in recent years.

Linnea in Monet's Garden*****
This is a short animated film based on a book by the same name, in which Linnea and Mr. Bloom take you on a tour through Monet's Garden. Very nicely done. Linnea is really adorable. The animation style although old-schoolish, has a nice charm to it. The film mixes video footage of the garden and photographs of Monet and his family with the animation.

Little Miss Sunshine*****
A lovable dysfunctional family on a hilarious road trip to a highly amusing fashion competition. An enjoyable unpretentious film full of subtlety and fine nuances.

Live Free or Die Hard****
Leave your brains aside for this wonderful mindless romp. Only Mcclane is capable of driving a car under a tunnel at 100 mph and launching it at a helicopter high up in the air, escaping unscathed. erm.. the asian chick kicked serious ass too.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels*****
A violent action-packed brit film that’s clever and witty. A wholesome entertainment package.

Lonely Guy***
A really funny film with Steve Martin playing a lonely guy in New York. But, from the point where he becomes a successful writer after 2/3rds of the film, the story becomes boring. Steve Martin and Charles Grodin (also playing a lonely guy) were really good together and even looked alike!

Lord of the Rings: Series *****
A brilliantly adapted series that surpassed and outdistanced any book adaptation. Peter Jackson created an awe-inspiring world that pays true homage to Tolkien’s brilliant classic with humbling characters full of spirit and magic, who are real and yet transcendent, kingly and venerable. It’s the king of all classics.

Lost in Translation***
Thought it was too low-key and overly contemplative and displaced.

Love Actually*****
A warm Christmas film, with pleasant likeable characters and modest comedy. The film is high on charm.

Madagascar****
Half way through, it get's really funny. So bare with the first half.

Madagascar Escape 2 Africa **
A sappy mediocre plot, but quite funny.

Man with a Movie Camera*****
A groundbreaking experimental film that eliminates the boundaries of language. Taken from the camera’s point of view the film tells a story about the life in Russia from morning to night in the most revolutionary and imaginative way possible. The film carries powerful messages about Soviet Russia, man’s interaction with machines and the power of technology.

Manhattan*****
This has been done so many times before by Woody Allen, and yet each of his films is as fascinating as the other. Manhattan too is a portrait of lives and relationships in New York, about marriage and affairs, same-sex relationships, relationships between two people of different generations, about trust and maturity, pseudo-intellectualism... It is consistently funny, and sometimes sensitive and sometimes apathetic. This is the first movie I saw where I thought Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep looked absolutely stunning. The black and white picturization added a whole different level of artiness.

March of the Penguins*****
This is the most breathtaking wildlife films I have seen, that is as insightful as it is entertaining. How the film was shot is beyond my grasp. A must watch.

Mars Attacks!***
Brilliant stuff! Especially how they use music to kill the martians.

Mary Poppins*****
Love the songs.

Match Point****
Not necessarily the most entertaining film, but well made and engaging.

Matchstick Men****
Very well-acted. All characters are multilayered in an intuitive plot full of conning and cunning.

Meet the Fockers**
Two stars because it could have been worse.

Meet the Parents***
Every alternate scene was funny, when it was not mind numbing or squirmy.

Meet the Robinsons***
A great story, a great concept, some very funny lines, some touching moments, some surprises, but there's still one thing that animated films are just not willing to give up and it's that certain sappy-formulaic quality, which makes it painful to watch. I guess that's what makes it a "children's" film. Still I wish it just got rid of it. Not the best, visually.

Memento*****
An astounding plot with an inconceivable timeline progression, in which a mysterious murder puzzle is unraveled by one man with an unfortunate malady and an unbelievable determination. It’s suspenseful and touching.

Meshes of the Afternoon by Maya Deren*****
One of the most intelligent surreal films I have seen. It’s bizarre and profound, with an intricate look at life, existence and the subconscious mind in the most fanciful and artistic way.

Michael Clayton***
The film did well in setting the mood, and creating tension in the way the scenes were shot, through the ambience and the music in the background. But, the story as such leaves a lot to desire. There were a lot of gaping holes in the plot, not to mention some needless subplots, and a very lame ending. Also, there was no real growth in Clayton's character. George Clooney didn't look like he needed to act. As always, he did his one-expression thing and it worked well for the role. Three stars for style!

Mickey & Minnie's Sweetheart Stories****
Classic, timeless cartoons with their sweet old-style charm.

Mickey Blue Eyes***
Hilarious mob comedy with fun portrayals of culture clash.

Mighty Aphrodite****
Woody Allen's films in general are incisive and funny with some of the most interesting conversations. This one, based on the myth of Pygmalion is particularly engaging. The dynamic between Lenny and Linda and their contrasting personalities, the Greek chorus in the background out of Lenny's imagination all work well and make it very enjoyable. Knowing Allen's films, it's kind of obvious how it ends, even though this one is a little too optimistic thus deserving one less star.

Milk *
One of the most disjointed and unappealing political films I have seem, that had absolutely nothing to offer. The movie never picked up momentum, did not project gay people in positive light, except (ironicaly) to make them seem stereotypical and different, and Sean Penn as Milk was neither likeable nor inspiring.

Miss Congeniality****
Sandra Bullock as a tough cop disguised as a beauty pageant contestant was a lot of fun to watch. She is very likeable in this film, and makes an otherwise insipid film very very enjoyable.

Missing*****
Very sad. Very very shocking. Although this film is based on a true story, it is ultimately fictional, but you forget that fictional element completely (which arguably is the intention of all films based on true stories). The film affected me like none other, as a father and a daughter-in-law look for a missing young man in south america during the chilean coup that deposed Pres. Allende. There is a certain sorrow or irony embellishing every statement or occurrence, be it political or situational.

Mississippi Masala**
It’s full of good performances, but the story lacks focus and is too intense and over the top for comfort.

Modern Times*****
A terrific satirical masterpiece, that’s sidesplitting and heartbreaking at the same time. It’s the most fascinating silent film of this century.

Mona Lisa Smile***
It had all the signs of brilliance and virtuosity but just didn’t seem to cut it. It was acceptably stereotypical, the dialogues were sharp, the performances were impressive, it wasn’t fluffy, the visuals were fantastic. I suppose it just wasn’t original or convincing enough.

Mongol***
A very picturesque film that starts off well by showing the relationship of young Genghis Khan with his father, and them picking a non-Merkit bride, the cause for Khan's downfall. Eventually he is betrayed by his own people, and we see Khan continually fleeing and abandoning his family to protect himself and find his bride, with the help of his childhood friend Jamuka who later turns enemy due to power clash. Jamuka is the most colorful in the film. Second act onwards he was the most entertaining and multi-layered, for he was a good friend and now an enemy, both as a result of Genghis Khan's doings.

Monsieur Ibrahim****
Slightly tragic but manages to avoid melodrama. It is mainly a story about a relationship between a jewish boy and a muslim storekeeper, notwithstanding some empathetic bystanders, all in their own adverse circumstances. The film presents glimpses of people's everyday lives in an esthetic way through a very subtle and evocative plot.

Monsoon Wedding***
Colorful and entertaining with peppy music. Sappy at times, but that is to be expected of Indian films.

Monsters, Inc.*****
This is the warmest Pixar movie made so far, with the most adorable characters and an extremely funny premise. It’s visually mesmerizing and flawless in it’s creation of an illusory monster world. Boo is the cutest baby ever.

Monsters vs. Aliens**
It went for cute, but turned out to be neither slapstick nor emotionally engaging!

Monty Python Series *****
Ridiculously insane, absurdly hilarious and almost historically relevant. It is unsurpassed in comedy and wit.

Mrs. Doubtfire***
Robin Williams is exceptional in his role as Mrs. Doubtfire. But for his virtuoso performance, the film has little to offer.

Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor****
Love the action. Stunning effects. Total entertainment.

Muriel's Wedding****
If there is such a genre as tragic-comedy, this has to be it. It is really about one woman, Muriel, with a very low self-esteem whose compulsive lies lead to grave consequences. Over the period of the film, she transforms into a pathetic person, as do the rest of her family, if they aren't pathetic already. Even though it arouses a feeling of miserable dejection, it is not without its light moments. After all, Muriel is an ABBA loving, vibrant girl with an equally energetic friend.

Music and Lyrics****
An easy to watch film that will leave you feeling happy and satisfied. The dialogues are witty and the characters with their own amusing quirks are very likeable. Haley Bennett takes the cake, with her performance as the delectable Cora Corman. Overall, the film is convincing. The music is peppy.

My Fair Lady *****
A lively and elegant musical full of good humor and great music.

My Left Foot*****
A biographical film about a very admirable man. How he lives with just one left foot (the rest of his body paralyzed) and paints and writes and moves and fights with it is not just incredible but beyond anything I can fathom. The actors (young and old Christy) too did a fantastic job. You would think they suffered from cerebral palsy too!

My Super Ex-Girlfriend ****
Perfect case of "Impressed thanks to low expectations" The effects came as a pleasant surprise. Luke Wilson was funny. Uma Thuurman was too crazy for comfort.

Mystic River ***
A cold film that unfolds slowly and is a little too painful to watch. The actors are outstanding and bring out the humanness in the characters. It is a story about a miserable journey of life that is full of loss and tragedy.

Nanook of the North*****
The first documentary ever made pits man against nature, in the story of an Inuit hunter Nanook and his adorable family. Their daily life in the harsh Tundra is heartbreaking and yet admirable. A lot of the footage was re-shot. Sadly Nanook died of hunger two years after the film’s release.

Napoleon Dynamite****
The story of a nerdy oddball is hilarious and as wry and awkward as the teen himself. The dialogues are written well and the plot is suitably unwieldy and the performance is authentic and convincing enough that it can even be sold as an autobiography.

Night and Fog****
A documentary about the holocaust and our bloodcurdling extent of inhumanity. It’s revolting, nightmarish and haunting. It’s a testimonial of human viciousness that’s needs to be watched.

Night at the Museum**
Waste of good graphics on a bad script. The crude humor and the drama have been done to death... monkey peeing on ben stiller, no can do.

Nine Months***
Enjoyable if there is nothing else to do, and nothing more interesting on TV. Three stars because I like Hugh Grant.

No Country for Old Men*****
This movie really showcases "expected tension". You expect the murder to happen in a scene, but it is only a question of not knowing when within those few seconds. It's hard to tell what was more brilliant: the dialogues, the story, the performances, the contrasting character sketches, the visual feel or the overall stylized quality. However, the end still leaves more to desire.

No Reservations**
A very pretentious, predictable plot, that could have been very good if it turned off the intensity and the "plastic"ness, and allowed the characters to form meaningful relationships. There was no chemistry between the characters, no good dialogues. Catherine Zeta Jones was especially unbearable with her one-expression face.

North By Northwest*****
This is one of the most stylistic suspense thrillers I have seen, and also one of the most memorable ones. Without revealing much, it's about mistaken identity and deception (and if I may add, relative morality). There are some scenes that will leave you gripping the edges of your seat, and some that will leave you gaping in disbelief, but on the whole, this film is definitely one of the more light-hearted and funny hitchcock thrillers there is.


Not Without My Daughter*****
This film deserves "the most underated film of the decade" award. It is one of the most fear-provoking films I have seen. Just the thought of a woman and child stuck in an unknown repressive country with a husband who turned overnight from Jekyll to Hyde is scary beyond description. And to think that it is a real story and there are many more stuck in the same situation…

Notting Hill****
A typical funny, romantic Hugh Grant film, that’s capricious and charming and completely satisfying.

Ocean's Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen****
Dazzling sleek, fast-speed entertainment with sparks of wit and sharpness. Considering the number of protagonists and their goal, the execution of each film is outstanding.

Oldboy*****
Some filmmakers just know how to take film to a different level and Chan Wook Park is definitely one of them. This has to be the most disturbing film I have seen by far and nothing even comes close. Just saying that it is a film about revenge or about a man who is locked up for fifteen years, tortured and abused without knowing why and when released he journeys to find the captor is saying nothing about the film. Do i dare say it is brilliant?

Once*****
This movie is beautiful and pleasurable on so many levels... the way the music, story and the visuals affect you is undefinable. The experience is simple and idealist. When I left the theatre it almost felt like I was leaving a part of myself behind.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico**
Intentionally and unintentionally silly and chaotic.

One Fine Day*****
Sweet, satisfying romantic comedy, that was a pleasure to watch. The kids are adorable.

On Golden Pond*****
A very touching film about an aging couple reconciling with life as it will be for them and has been for their daughter. Henry Fonda does a great job as an aged man learning to deal with his fears. The couples relationship gives rise to a lot of tense and touching moments. Their wishes, anxieties and aspirations become the viewers. The story flows naturally, with lots of silent moments and time to contemplate over situations and characters. Overall, brilliant peformances by everyone.

Only You**
Robert Downey downed and wasted in a lame cliché-ridden cinderella tale.

Open Season***
Not the first film about domesticated animals returning to the wild, or the first about two very different animals coming together, but all predictability apart, it is definitely entertaining and quite funny.

Outsourced*****
A DCBA film , if I can call it that - it is about an American who is forced to come to India to train a call center team. The film portrays both the american and Indian points of view with a lot of sensitivity and humor. This is the only film I have seen that shows India as it is. It felt like a travelogue that takes you through the backroads of India, showing you a vast array of life. Very realistic.

By the way, DCBA is the reverse of ABCD - the set of films about Indians in the US that had been done to death in the last five years. The reverse was really refreshing.

Over the Hedge***
Dreamworks is always good but never exceptional. This one too is quite amusing, and keeps you entertained but doesn't go beyond a level. Story-wise, it's again animals threatened by humans, which is one of the most common themes in animated films, but it's quite entertaining if you know not to expect much out of it.

P.S. I Love You*****
The film did well in bringing out Holly's sharp sense of pain. It was very poignant and stirred a lot of emotions. Her distress over her lost husband, her love for him, her relationship with Daniel and her mother were all handled well.

Pan’s Labyrinth*****
An unusual film that brings two diametrically opposed plots together in an uncanny-gruesome-fascinating-fantasy drama. That’s enough adjectives already.

Paprika*****
A really bizarre film that brings dreams and reality together. The way the plot ties all the different story elements and then separates them again is brilliant. Every scene builds towards the concept of deja vu or the submerged mind in such a way that the real life scenes replicated in the dream create and add meaning to the plot. Therefore, a scene in the beginning of the film providing conflict also becomes the scene that resolves conflict by either providing or becoming the solution. The film has stunning imagery, and mixes different styles of animation in each shot providing a lot of dimension to the visual and complementing the very complex and penetrative story.

Paycheck****
How did he buy a lottery ticket of the future in the present? This is the kind of mindless entertainment that only John Woo voodoo (would do). The film is a wonderful muddly mess of a lot of half-baked sci-fi concepts in a bollywood style action flick. It's so bad that it's good.

Paris, Je t'aime *****
A mixed bag of very interesting short films that provide glimpses into various neighborhoods in Paris and the varied lives of individuals grappling with the meaning of life, love and relationships. Although the uniting thread is Paris, the sense of oneness comes from the stylish aesthetic design and the music that remains the same in all the 18 short vignettes, even though each fragment is varied in its narrative style, where some are very relatable and some are quite bizarre.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop ***
Quite funny. Kevin James as the goofy cop on his segway is hard not to like.

Penelope****
Very well done. Certainly one of the more sensitively handled "fairy tales" I have seen in a while, with a sweet endearing story. I especially liked how all characters' points of view were relatable, including the mom's, the dad's, the tabloid photographer's and the butler's.

Persepolis *****
It was exciting to see Marjane Satrapi's comic books come to life. It truly is a work of art. Unlike the books I read, the film is in french and has to be the most difficult stories to make a movie out of. It is so revealing of the dreadful 8 years of tyranny in Iran and is very affecting. The film transcends beyond animation, just in the same way that the book transcends beyond its comic form. I cant stop marveling at how well Satrapi managed to pack in her rich life into this illustrative form. There is so much to take in, it's overwhelming, intoxicating. On the one hand there is the horrific story of the repressive islamic government, on the other hand there is the story of her own life with all it's ups and downs, her confused identity, her relationships with so many other wonderful characters. She even manages to keep us laughing through all this.

Persona*****
Persona was enjoyable on so many levels. Perhaps the best way to put it is to say that the film is essentially psychoanalytical. It delves into aspects of human nature relating to rejection and guilt, betrayal, longing for acceptance.. There are so many ways to read the film, one is to look at both characters as one or as becoming one, and the other is to see how silence of one person and the openness of another speaks for and affects their states of mind. I also like the way Bergman juxtaposes different shots in ways that you would never imagine, not to mention the quick montages in between acts that add to the artistic flavor of the film. I don't think my review does justice to the film and its complexity.

Phone Booth*****
Close to flawless, the concept is brilliant and the plot is gripping. Overall, a fantastic film to watch.

Pi: Faith in Chaos*****
Very stylistically done. This film shot in black and white, is about a genius obsessed with finding pattern in pi to understand the order of the universe, only to find company among hasidic jews and wall street guys who are searching for a 216-digit number hidden within it, the former for financial reasons and the latter to bring about the Messianic Age. Even when there were parts where you didnt know what was going on, during Max's manic headaches and his hallucinations, the film kept your attention. Some interesting elements were the go game, the ants destroying euclid - supposedly symbolizing the destruction of mayan civilization, little things like use of the the rotary phone, the indian neighbor, etc... There was just a lot going on.

Pillow Talk***
Good film with very good production values. The screenplay was well written with lots of clever lines. The acting was entertaining, but the story could have been better.

Pink Panther Cartoon Collection: Jet Pink*****
A great collection that must be celebrated for it’s minimalist approach to classic humor.

Pirates of the Carribean 1 , 2 & 3 ***
The first is an honestly dishonest pirate film that’s fun and quotable. The second is only a dazzling foretaste for the third. The third, is dreadfully disappointing, characterized by chaos and confusion and flaunting an inscrutable plot. The visual effects in all three are outstanding.

Pocahontas***
A good quality Disney film with it’s expected standard of likeability.

Pretty Woman*****
A classic in the romantic comedy genre with an appealing fairytale story and charming protagonists.

Priceless*****
Romantic Comedies usually tend to be anything but comedic even if they are very enjoyable. But in Priceless, the humor is very refreshing and keeps you laughing throughout the film. There is no dull moment, some touching ones maybe, but never dull. There is a certain sweetness to Gad Elmaleh that comes out very well in his role as a love smitten waiter who will go to any length to get his woman. There is somehting that's extremely appealing about him. Audrey Tautou of course is a fantastic actress, who is no doubt beautiful to look at but also does well in portraying a mixture of innocence and meanness that makes her very likable. The film is predictable but who said romatic comedies were not. You go to the movie expecting that.

Pride and Prejudice****
A well adapted classic that’s engaging and true to the times. It captured the ambience and the spirit of the story. The clichés may go unappreciated, the humor may be unacknowledged, but at the time that the book was written they were all perfectly original. That said the film just delivered well but lacks a certain spirit and distinguishing/stand-alone factor.

Princess Mononoke*****
Miyazaki alone can create an unimaginable world with superhuman characters woven into an intriguing devious narrative of many layers. Princess Mononoke is a story that weaves myth with real and metaphorical undertones.

Pulp Fiction*****
Quentin Tarantino should get all awards for twisted storytelling. Pulp Fiction is clearly the most stylized of his twisted genre, and brilliant in how much dialogue - both the monologues and conversations can accomplish that purpose. Some of the dialogues are almost enlightening, and so revealing of human nature - like our need to keep a conversation going to avoid uncomfortable silences, the Ezekiel 25:17 quote on the path to a righteous man. Then there are things like the dance sequence of Uma Thurman and john travolta, which was as suave as stylistic as it gets. Despite all the bloody shooting, it is not one bit gory. The music is out of this world.

Quantum of Solace*****
Easily, the most sensitive and gritty bond films ever. And unlike the previous ones, it is also sans sophisticated gadgets and the cheesy glamorous suaveness. The action sequences were fantastic! Craig's still the sexiest bond ever! Camille Montes was hot too.

Rachel Getting Married*****
One of the most honest-to-god films I have seen. It interweaves a whole lot of drama and complex characters into a colorful celebratory plot, making it heart-rending and disturbing at the same time. There is something very real and relatable about the sequence of events and the subjective reactions of all the characters. A difficult film to make, and an even more difficult film to watch. Amid all the chaos, the film managed to packs in a whole lot of festivities and music.

Radio Bikini*****
After watching this film, I am sincerely ashamed and disgusted at our level of inhumanness. Our hunger for supremacy has stooped down to a mortifying level. See if this film does not change how you feel about political decisions that “do not concern you” .

Rashomon*****
The archetype of point-of-view narratives. It’s layered with deceit and sinister exploits all carrying great weight in determining the objectivity of the crime in question. One of the most profound and multifaceted films I have seen. It's also the first film that comes ot my mind when i think of long tracking shots, a close to impossible feat for that time.

Ratatouille*****
Superbly animated, realistically edited, visually marvelous, delightfully funny, and has the most uniquely chiseled characters right from the way they look to their personalities. No adjectives can do justice to describe the layers of aha moments and the unique surprises sprinkled throughout this film. What struck me most was the attention to detail in every aspect. The lighting was especially superb. And the dialogues were very well written. There's a lot to take in.

Ray*****
Jamie Foxx to me is the real Ray Charles and that says everything.

Rennaisance*****
When the visuals are far beyond what is usually considered outstanding, it's hard to talk about anything but that. The retro-black and white animation, is like nothing I have seen before, and there's nothing that has blown my mind so much. The story, isn't half as dazzling as the visuals but is definitely interesting and suspenseful. The movie is a lot more futuristic-cyberpunkish in its visual artistry than the actual story. The "reflection" shots are all I can think about.

Restoration***
A good, flamboyant period piece, almost successfully attempting a "moral" message and makes a messiah out of a "gifted" (in every way) pleasure-indulging physician. Meg Ryan didn't seem to fit in well and her dialogues were hard to follow.

Ringu**
It showed signs of getting sinister and unsettling, but nothing happened.

Road to Perdition****
Cold, silent and violent. It’s a mobster-victim story, with the clichéd “blood relations outweigh mission and lifework and all other feelings of indebtedness” theme. It’s well acted well shot and well delivered.

RocknRolla ***
Not quite on par with Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but there is a lot of mayhem, witty dialogues in a very convoluted plot to keep you occupied. The ending however was a bit puzzling!

Roman Holiday*****
Two of the most charming actors come together in THE romantic comedy. Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn share a great chemistry in this film about the love between a princess and a newspaper man. It's mostly quirky and amusing with some poignant moments. Good entertainment.

Run, Fat Boy, Run****
There are moments in this film that are boisterously funny, especially during the training sessions as the flabby protagonist prepares for the marathon with the help of his Indian neighbor {spanking him with a spatula) and his befuddled best friend. But most of the most part, the film is predictable 'r'omedy with the cliched silly and sentimental bits.

Run Lola Run***
It seemed needlessly chaotic.

Rushmore****
It has it’s own peculiar humor, that’s not relatable but disturbingly funny. Interesting theme!

Salesman*****
Here is a keen look at bible salesmen, in this disturbing fly-on-the-wall documentary, layered with tribulations of their everyday reality. It is one of the most distressing documentaries that brings you up close with their frustrations. A movie that goes beyond salesmen and into our attitude towards consumerism.

Saving Private Ryan***
It’s just another war film.

Scent of a Woman***
Fantastic multifaceted characterization, and a splendid performance by Al Pacino. The story was lengthy and saturating, and O’ Donell’s subplot was deficient in intensity.

School of Rock*****
This is an uproarious film with a real likeability quality. It’s filled with a ton of memorable moments and is abundant in talent. Every actor was born to play their role. One of my all time favorites that I can watch over and over again.

Scoop****
A well-shot light-hearted mystery-comedy, with well-timed humor that keeps you amused throughout. Woody Allen is back after some hyphenation. :-) The actors fit perfectly in their roles. Scarlett Johansson and Woody Allen made a fantastic twosome. Good ending that’s quite unpredictable.

Seabiscuit***
An inspiring film that I hear does some justice to the real story and conveys the spirit and the anticipation of victory. It is made beautifully but suffers slightly from the cliché syndrome.

Semipro**
Some parts of it were funny and some unexpected, but on the whole this Will Ferrell movie was a big let down.

Serenity***
Modestly entertaining. It seemed like an elongated version of a firefly episode. The visual feel didn't seem consistent with that of the series and there wasn't enough room for plot or character development. Some parts of the story didn't make sense either. But, if there was a second season of Firefly, you can tell how fantastic the plot would have been just by watching the movie.

Seven*****
An intense thriller that conveys the unsettling elements through disturbing camera movements and quick editing. The two detectives are powerful personalities, completely contrasting and complementary to each other.
It’s probably the most horrifying serial killer movies I have seen.

Sex And the City - The Movie*****
Really good. I liked it better than the TV series. It was about two and a half hours long, but it had a steady pace throughout and didn't seem to drag at all. The dialogues were cleverly written and charmingly stylish as ever, and surprisingly tender too. The second half of the movie especially was quite moving.

Sex, Lies and videotape****
A potent film full of intelligence and depth that goes way beyond sex, lies and videotape. It’s beset with intrigue and an unpretentious appeal. It’s probably the most sensibly handled films, and it does it with ease.

Shaolin: Wheel of Life*****
I knew this was a play about Shaolin Kung Fu, but nothing could have prepared for the jaw-dropping feats by the monks. I didn't quite expect it to arouse so much awe or reverential respect for the art. The story of the king's cruel betrayal of the monks who protected him was quite saddening, but it obviously gave way to the message about "wheel of life", which I thought was inspiring.

Sharkwater*****
What started of as a beautiful film about life underwater, turns into a heartbreaking story about the (near)extinction of a species that has been here for over 400 million years, longer than any other species on the planet, and even before the times of the dinosaur. Why isn't the damage we inflict on this planet causing us any remorse? Maybe, knowing that the end of this particular species translates exactly to the end of all life on earth will. I'm not exaggerating. It is true.

Shark Tale***
Technically magnificent, and overall on par with the recent animated movies, but it has nothing new to offer.

Shoot 'Em Up*****
I dont think I've enjoyed any action film as much as this one. This is "serious" mindless entertainment. Action flicks dont get better than this.

Shrek 1, 2 & 3***
Lame fairytale. The humor just didn’t appeal to me.

Sicko****
Moore's look at the American health insurance system is scary as hell. Funny and poignant may describe his general style, but scary describes what it really is. He compares health care in the US to that in Canada, Cuba, UK and France and throws in medical horror stories of Americans dying or losing their loved ones because they've been cheated by their insurance companies. One-sided or not, the documentary is definitely convincing and will make you wonder how safe you are from becoming bankrupt when you are hit with a deadly disease, even with the most incredible insurance policy.

Sideways****
Example of how humor can be meaningful. The dialogues are very reflective and the visuals are evocative and full of meaning. It’s a film about the characters, of circumstances, a way of life and even grief. Sideways is a well-rounded film with an excellent soundtrack. It really stirred my interest in wines.

Signs**
A hollow film with an unremarkable story, a pretentious feel and a very lame ending. It was entertaining and intriguing till the aliens appeared.

Sin City*****
Frank Miller’s high without a joint. This is a groundbreaking film-noir comic book on steroids. I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s a film where adaptation is not just about faithfully replicating a genre, but also about making it indisputably more thrilling. The screenplay is extraordinary. Even visually, it’s a work of art.

Sin Nombre****
A solidly grounded film, a bit wrenching. It could have been more suspenseful and kicked up the feeling of despair and anxious uncertainty a bit more.

Six Days Seven Nights**
Nothing to rave about.

Slumdog Millionaire****
The film does a great job of presenting the incidents that shaped the protagonists life in the slums in India with the questions in the game show. It takes on a lot of issues but handles them all sensitively, with a bit of humor and a lot of sensibility.

Smart People****
It is delightful to see good performances, even if the story is not unusual. The treatment of the script is what makes this film a winner. There is a certain unhappiness in the film, with each protagonist dealing with their share of discontent and grief. Still, they seem to get by. The relationship between the uncle and the niece was really special with some subdued humor in all their scenes together. The dad was outstanding his role as a self-involved (even though not wanting to be) professor dealing with the loss of his wife and the complexities of such things as "dating" and showing commitment. The film and the characters seemed very real, which to me made it very special.

Something's Gotta Give****
It had a lot of funny and endearing moments, but sometimes felt too chatty and syrupy. Quite unintentionally, the mood swings with periods of euphoria and depression almost worked like a metaphor for menopause.

Son of Rambow****
Not withstanding some stereotypical portrayals (like the french kid), it was very funny and touching too.

Song of Ceylon*****
Visually remarkable and also revolutionary in the way it uses sound creatively to enhance the atmosphere. Way back then, even putting a soundtrack together was technically challenging. The film clearly promotes the tea estates, implying the coexistence of native tradition and modernity. That may have worked back then, but now it’s not convincing.

Spanglish***
It has a little bit of everything but is just not enough.

Spiderman Series*****
These films have a lot of thrilling special effects and take you on a smooth spine-tingling ride. Spiderman is one of the first few superheros of the new century with a four dimensional character - two dimensions of swinging action, one dimension of time and space and another that sheds light on a not-so-enviable, complex, multi-sided character. You even transition into the sequels smoothly and quickly get into the swing of things. Great entertainment!

Spirited Away*****
Spirited Away is a bizarre fantasy-like twisted story that’s visually fashioned in the most spectacular and mystifying way possible, down to the minutest detail. It’s overwhelming.

Star Wars: Series*****
Bravura sci-fi epic series that’s the timeless archetype for all science fantasy films. It’s scope transcends beyond speculative fiction to a work that’s crammed with beliefs and connotations.

Stardust*****
Fantasy can never can boring! If the book is magical, the film is that and more. A spectacular fantasy-adventure film, with the right amount of charm and enchantment, romance and sweetness and the perfect amount evilness. The Charlie Cox is a heart stealer, especially when machoed-up and with hair enhancements (watch the film and you'll see why this statement is ironic... or... come to think of it, ideal. He is a heart stealer after all, isn't he! )

Starsky and Hutch***
Wilson and Stiller have an amazing chemistry and do very well in playing clichéd roles with their wacky comedy. They are a delightful duo.

State of Play**
Blech! They had nothing new to offer!

Step Up 2 The Streets****
The dance sequences totally blew my mind. You have to see it to believe it. I am in awe!

Stepmom****
This film is good exercise of emotions. There's a dying mom, a stepmom trying to fill in her shoes, two very cute kids dealing with big changes, ... it's a real tearjerker, with sweet moments that make you smile. The relationship between Susan Sarandon, Julia Roberts the kids is brought out wonderfully.

Superbad****
A fun film about two high-school buddies who want to get laid before they go off to college. Their awkwardness, their fear of humiliation was brought out very humorously. And despite having two horning teenagers and sex playing such a big part of the film, it's not at all obscene as a lot of movies in this genre are.

Superman Returns****
And he does. Better than ever before. Brandon Routh was born to be Superman. I won’t be surprised if he is. The film has some spectacular flying scenes that will sweep you off your feet and transcend you to a world beyond the imaginable. The narrative has a certain moving quality but lacks the action beyond all the breathtaking flying scenes, which you don’t realize until you’ve walked out of the theatre. But what it has it has in abundance.

Sunshine***
A very intriguing sci-fi mission/adventure in the first half of the movie meets horrible psycho-drama in the second half. The premise of the eight space travelers traveling to the sun to restart it is interesting, but the threat to the plan was a let down. The ending was especially disappointing. There are some scenes that were mind-blowing, like the one where the Captain and Capa climb on the outerdeck to check the panels. I wont say more! =)

Sunshine Cleaning**
Very uninteresting.

Surf's Up***
While there are tons of animated films about penguins, this one definitely stands out because of its unique documentary-narrative style, not to mention the whole sports spoof. There are some funny dialogues but leaves more to desire. The characters and their growth could have been developed better, especially that of Big Z, Lani and Reggie.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
I tell ya! This Tim Burton dude is a whacko genius! He's the only one i know who can bring bizarre, romantic, grimy, funny, and beauty all together. Only Burton can do what he did with Sweeney Todd. As a musical, it is my all time favorite with the most luscious music I've heard in a while.. and so poetic, so caustic, so witty... as far as Johnny Depp is concerned he adds another incredible talent-feather to his cap (how he fits into every role so perfectly is beyond me). All that blood spewing out is.. what about you call it.. elegantly spooky?

Syriana***
It’s a great concept with a powerful message that hits home. Inspite of that, the narrative was full of twists and turns, involving a ton of issues and convoluted global transactions that was hard to grasp. Overall, it’s a very demanding movie.

Talk to Her***
Unusual film full of relationships of every kind, that is whimsical even when it is melodramatic, absurd when meaning to be romantic and preposterous when intending to be comical. It is very rich in scope and has moments of greatness, but on the whole it is incongruous.

Taste of Cherry****
A very poetic film, that takes you on a long meandering drive in Tehran's hilly outskirts, with lots of brown rocks, rubble and sand, and is bereft of any greenery. The protagonist is a man who is in a look out for someone who can help him commit suicide. It is a very thought-provoking theme, not just beucase it raises questions about the meaning of life, but also how we see suicide in the light of other beliefs. Irony is the theme of the film. At any given point, there is only one main talker, either the protagonist making his sales-pitch like effort to convince a silent listener or a silent protagonist listening to a talking dissuader. Whether they talk or listen, each person conveys a lot about the matter in question and about the justification of our beliefs.

Ten Questions for the Dalai Lama***
Quite ok. I was a little disappointed with the questions given the current tibetan situation and the universality of buddhist philosophy. I thought the answers too could have been more inspiring. It doesn't do justice to Dalai Lama's cheerful personality or even his speeches as we've heard them outside of this film.

Thank You for Smoking***
A great premise, full of potential, but lacks a certain sharpness.

The Animatrix*****
This is possibly the most stimulating classic sci-fi films I have seen. Animatrix is a work of genius. Every story is an intelligent thesis on the matrix. With it’s breathtaking visual quality and out-of-this-world action, it is animation at its peak.

The Ant and the Aardvark*****
My favorite cartoon ever. Aardvark’s dialogues are uproarious and full of wit. Never heard anything like him before.

The Apostle****
Extremely well acted and definitely one of the most difficult roles to play. The script too was well written, with a deep understanding of what goes on in an inspired (if not inspiring) mind. It's definitely realistic and engaging, but more than that, Duvall's performance is complex, three-dimensional and provocative. It's Duvall, Duvall and Duvall all the way through and incidentally is also the writer and director of the film. Brilliant!

The Associate**
In one word, unconvincing. In two, unconvincing and shallow. In three, unconvincing, shallow and blah.

The Band's Visit****
A circumstantial comedy about a Police Orchestra's trip from Egypt to Israel to perform in the Arab Cultural Center, only to find themselves stranded in a desert town far away from their destination. Tired and hungry they find shelter at a restaurant, where they spend the night. The movie is about what happens during the few hours that they stay there. Although lighthearted for most part, there are some really moving moments and some sad stories. The subtlely, the non-verbal communication, the lack of closure, or sometimes even the lack of explanation make the visual articulation about their plight as well as their loneliness very heartfelt. The melancholy in humor or the humor is melancholy is brought out very well.

The Bear*****
A very touching story about the relationship between an orphaned bear cub still recovering from the loss of his mom in an accident and an adult bear being hunted by the "humans". The film with real animals is told from the bears' point of view as well as the humans' point of view and is tender and poignant, causing both a sharp sense of sadness and amazement at how humanlike and protective the bears are of each other. I also like that the humans are portrayed sensitively, not as evil beasts hunting mindlessly. Most other films tend to draw sympathy for animals by reversing the roles of humans with them.

The Bicycle Thief*****
The movie hits you on the head with a hammer and fills your heart with love. The bicycle thief is about hardship and desperation in a sweet realistic story that’s funny and compelling. Vittorio De Sica is a master at getting his point across through simplistic stories.

The Birdcage*****
Robin William and Nathan Lane make a great pair. They share a chemistry that’s to be envious of. The performances are natural and funny.

The Birds*****
The chaos as a result of seagulls going amok in a small town, is of a kind that only Alfred Hitchcock can envision. A terrific film which brings out a sense of helplessness and wonder. Its the only film I can think of where the reason for the unfortunate occurrences aren't as important as the occurrences themselves. You become so involved in the NOW, in the plight of the victims, the suspense of what might come next, and how this will all end, that nothing else matters.

The Bourne Identity/ Supremacy****
It’s unfair to beat up an action spy movie with expectations of originality. This one is a fresh, crisply baked, fast-paced product, the gourmet food for a refined palate.

The Break-up***
A good one, about how a mismatched but contented couple break up after fights over petty issues.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe****
It’s a very enjoyable adaptation and is beautiful to look at, but it either seems to lack the vision or the intention. Because you enjoy the movie immensely and are fascinated with what you see, but it seems to still lack something. The good thing is it’s not preachy.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian***
Terrific war scenes and fight sequences and great imagery too, but the actors were disappointing and their role in the film seemed unclear. They were all quite passive and lacked personality. A lot of things were left unexplained. My guess is that the book does a better job of narrating the story.

The Chronicles of Riddick***
This film is just wrong. It’s an example of what happens when visuals alone are stunning and there is nothing else to hold ground.

The Class*****
I can’t remember the last time I watched a film that really blew my mind. The Class was one of the most reflective films I’ve watched, and leaves so much to think about. There is a lot implied, a lot left unsaid and a lot revealed. Each character leaves a huge imprint in your mind, it’s impossible to put them behind you and move on. Perhaps, the most realistic films ever made! Not enough can be said about this film.

The Corporation****
Scary thing this corporation! The movie is definitely one-sided, although factual. It's full of insightful information that innervates the brain to think, although at the expense of painting a hopeless situation.

The Da Vinci Code**
Despite my love for puzzle-solving films, this one was one of the most excruciating films to watch. I haven't read the book, so I can't say if it's just that the story does not render itself well to a movie adaptation or if it was just badly made. I cant even comment on the film's nefarious plot, because I went in knowing very well what to expect, so if it upsets your sentiments, it's best not to sit through it and complain. What I expected was for the film to keep me on tenterhooks and that it did not do.

The Darjeeling Limited****
The film was quite enjoyable. I like the dynamic between the three brothers. Owen Wilson, and the two brothers reactions to him were especially funny. India in bright yellow hue was quite a treat to watch. Still, the part of the film that was supposed to bring out the "spiritual journey" went off the rails.

The Dark Knight*****
If there is such as thing as dark psychological humor, this one is highly representative of it. Easily one of the greatest superhero films I have seen that explores heroism as relating to the mind much more than anything else. Christopher Nolan is the only director I know who brings a realness to superheroes and "super"villians (if such a thing exists), which makes it raw and chilling in a way that only he is capable of bringing out. Health Ledger's performance as Joker is nightmarish and brilliant. The film unlike the other superhero films does not flaunt special effects but it is all there, is as much magnificence as in any other.

The Departed*****
An extremely suspenseful action-packed mobster-crime thriller, that's gripping until the very end. The acting and the pace in general crackles with high energy. Although a remake of a Hong Kong film that I haven't seen, the strong performances of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson make it uniquely hollywood, allowing it to stand on its own merit.

The Devil Wears Prada*****
Meryll Streep single-handedly brings out the dazzling texture and ambiance of the story with her officious performance. You leave the theatre with high regard for the galactic fashion empires. The costumes are naturally trendy and magnificent. The environment is intimidating.

The Diary of Anne Frank****
For a change, it’s a film not so much about the dreadfulness of the holocaust as much as it is about the lives of the Jews and their optimism. That too is important.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly*****
This is a true story about the editor of French ELLE magazine, who loses all body functionality as a result of an inexplicable condition called locked-in syndrome, and learns to communicate to the outside world by blinking his right eye. With this implausible skill he authors a book about his life. Mathieu Amalric is brilliant in portraying the character of this unbelievable man with a horrific destiny. The film is shot with so much style and beauty that not only conveys the progragonist' point of view but also the beauty of his vivid imagination. There are some scenes in the film that are truly heartbreaking.

The Doctor***
It's about an uncaring doctor who becomes a patient with a malignant tumor, and is forced to deal with the frustrating medical process. The good part was William Hurt's acting, other than that the film was mostly long and dragging.

The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain*****
An extremely hilarious film about two cartographers who go to a Welsh village to measure their local "mountain", but end up being held hostage by the villagers for declaring it hill, because of being 15 feet too short to quality as a mountain. The villages honor is in question and they will do anything to defend it!

The Fifth Element****
The film's got the "it's-so-cool" feel to it. The cityscape with it's myriad of skyways and levels is just fascinating. The future is as imaginable or realistically possible as we perceive it to be. The gadgets are awesome. The story has the right amount of humor and pizzazz, although not unusual. Leeloo is more than just flawless.

The Ex**
The film didn't seem to go anywhere and the ending especially didn't make a lot of sense. The cast made the film tolerable.

The Fog of War*****
Here is an imposing ex-politician, narrating his story, admitting his flaws, his many transgressions, and yet he doesn’t seem very remorseful. For that reason, his point of view is believable (not reliable). This film is an important history lesson, especially because you don’t empathize with the narrator.

The Forbidden Kingdom*****
With Jet Li and Jackie Chan in the same movie, it could have been a HISTORICAL moment. Still the film was extremely entertaining. There were lots of good fight sequences, a good plot, some very essential cheesy elements, cliched dialogues, lots of humor. But, when you think of two martial arts gods coming together, you expect a lot more spectacular fight sequences and would want them to team up and kick serious ass, instead of playing supportive roles to a disappointing juvenile hero.

The Fountain*****
A beautiful film of enlightenment, of unbearable sadness or possibly of realization. The change of story in each lifetime and the development of the three narratives, culminating into one symbolizes the protagonists own journey as he understands the meaning of life. As the narrative goes back and forth between the past, present and future, they build meaning into each other, and we begin to see the present through the stories of the past and the future, the past through the present and the future and the future through the past and present. I am not sure how else to describe it.

The Gleaners and I*****
It’s probably the first documentaries that I thoroughly enjoyed, while learning a lot and being amused by what I saw.

The Godfather*****
This work of genius transcended to become an epitome of mafiosa movies and it’s crimelord grew to become an icon. The Godfather is cinema at it’s best, one where every part comes together and gives shape to a magnum opus.

The Gods Must be Crazy*****
A screaming funny film. Not a documentary, so it’s not realistic but hey! Fictional film. Not offensive.

The Golden Compass ****
Even as I have just begun reading the book and realize that the movie doesn't cover half as much, it was certainly "fantas"tic. There are a lot of stories set in parallel universes, or the "other word", but very few have explored the spiritual aspect of it, especially with respect to the purity of soul, in the way that the Golden Compass has. That being said, there is some comfort in knowing what to expect from a fantasy film, and The Golden Compass caters to that expectation as well. Nicole Kidman as the the cold suave villain was extraordinarily good.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly*****
I should have watched this film on the big screen to take in the surrealistic shots of vistas and get a full dramatic feel of the close ups. Just in terms of story, this one has so much to offer... and without the melodrama of the previous Leone film except for one very long torture scene. All three can be as bad as the other is, only they choose to be The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach together are such a treat to watch. Their bond is really amusing. You can see that they respect each other professionally, but the money comes in the way of trust or liking. Lee Van Cleef is brilliant as a merciless bounty hunter, but we don't get to see as much of his talent in this one as we do in For a Few Dollars More. Morricone's music as always is the soul of the film.

The Great Train Robbery*****
The first narrative film ever made and admirable just because it was the first ever, and still had a lot of detail, many innovative editing techniques and possibly one of the few films of that time with camera movement and a lengthy outdoor shoot.

The Green Mile*
Unforgiveably slow and draining.

The Happening*****
I have no idea why this film didn't do well. Every bit of it was haunting and eerie. There's a disturbing quality to it. It is surrealistic in a way that's unique to Shyamalan's films. It is beautiful and unnerving, because you don't know what to expect, and forbidding because you don't understand why, and that's what makes him a great storyteller. He is really good at telling stories that are governed by inexplicability.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy****
It’s a hard book to adapt, but the result is astonishing. The humor is not conventionally suited for the visual medium but Jennings manages to pull it off. It’s retains the inquiring, mystical feel of the book, but perhaps the whimsical nature is better left as literature and to our imagination. After all, text still seems like the ideal medium of choice for this guide.

The Housekeeper****
A nice film about a middle-aged man's relationship with his young housekeeper. There is nothing unusual thats happens in the film, no strong emotions, no real plot. It's just everyday life, where things happen at their own pace. There is the underlying theme of loneliness, and perhaps even betrayal, but apart from that it is nice and uneventful. The viewer is just a fly on the wall, observing the lives of the two people as their relationship transforms from one to another to another.

The Illusionist *****
Absolutely magical, with stunning performances from one of the most charming actors of this century. Edward Norton was brilliant as the illusionist. The imagery was surreal and the story was as mesmerizing and beautifully crafted as Herr Eisenham’s illusions.

The Incredibles*****
A superbly entertaining animated film with great depth and a new perspective on the dilemmas and moral responsibilities of a superhero. It’s visually and intellectually of astounding quality. A must watch!

The Interpreter **
It is one of those films that pretends to be something that it is not. It touches on a lot of interesting political themes from UNs role in international politics, to the delicate role of interpreters in translating inter-governmental deliberations, to the aftermath of genocide in a country with a tyrannical government (it is believed that it even draws parallels to zimbabwe's political situation), apart from dealing with the themes of revenge and vengeance of a typical thriller film. But despite its potential, it doesn't even begin to deliver suspense or raise interest.

The Italian Job****
A fun mindless ride. It’s thoroughly entertaining and has some good fast-paced action.

The King and I****
Uproarious classic with some poignant moments. The king and the royal family were adorable.

The Kite Runner****
Not comparing it with the book, the movie was independently very affecting. It handles the tragic subject of betrayal with utmost sensitivity. The colorful kite-flying scenes, the wonderful relationship of the two friends was brought out very well, as were the scenes of their separation, the grim scenes of afghanistan, some horrific (although not repelling). I would have liked to see less of Amir's life in the US and more of his challenges in bringing the kid to the US. But, that I say with the knowledge of what the book offered.

The Last King of Scotland***
Nerve-racking without doubt, but not thought-provoking or illuminating. It could have avoided the stereotypes in imagery, as well as with the portrayal of a white man in a third world country, the rosy beginning, adultery and sexual magnetism of african women, some unnecessarily gory scenes that are repulsive, although possibly realistic but don't do much to contribute to better understanding of the reality. Amin's character was powerful.

The Last Kiss***
The film has some interesting bits and does well in projecting a slightly ethically flawed Michael's (Braff) fear of commitment, amongst other equally messed up relationships. What it lacks is depth.

The Life And Times Of Rosie The Riveter*****
The eye-opening stories of millions of women after the second world war and how they were manipulated into playing roles that suited men.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou***
Even for a Bill Murray film, it’s slow moving but rich in backdrop.

The Lives of Others*****
Fantastically written and very well shot! The film was suspenseful from the beginning to the end. It's debatable if the actor's performances were stirring or the roles themselves. It was all good.

The Louisiana Story****
Visually magnificent, the filmmaker cleverly conveys a message that’s quite the opposite of what Standard Oil intended when it commissioned the film.

The Man of the Year**
Forgettable. An unrealistic portrayal of the political system. The script was not well thought out. The comedy was dull.

The Manchurian Candidate***
It’s an “unexceptional” film, with an expected amount of good acting and composition. The film suffers from having all the elements but not enough to make it stand out.

The Matrix Series****
A movie to take seriously. It’s stimulating and has that truth-seeking quality that allows it to transcend beyond pure entertainment. The effects are ground-breaking and the perspective is deep.

The McCarthy Years*****
Edward Murrow is a journalist to remember. An icon of broadcast tv and a presenter of sorts. McCarthy Years is a gripping account that meets head-on with McCarthy’s political misrepresentation and abuse of power.

The Mexican***
A typical fun mob film about a career thief who wants to quit the mob to please his girlfriend, only to get entangled in a life-threatening situation during his last gig. There are a few surprises, but for the most part it goes as anticipated. Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts are eye candy (especially the former) and the film does well in providing mindless entertainment, but there is always the disappointment given what the film could have been. A real shame!

The Mist*****
Horror Movies are rarely scary, but this one although not a typical "horror" film causes a lot of intense nervous fear because you dont really know what to expect and when. How it ends is especially tragic and heartbreaking.

The Motorcycle Diaries*****
An inspiring film shot breathtakingly, exposing a hero (Che Guevera) in his journey towards greatness. The film is a travelogue of sorts and the most picturesque film I have seen. It’s idealistic in vision, both in terms of what you see and what you take from it.

The Movies Begin, Vol. I*****
It’s humbling to see the first films ever made. With nothing to go by, it’s astounding what the filmmakers came up with. Some of the films are hilarious.

The Namesake**
I cried for the book. Substandard is not the word. Transgression. While reading the Namesake I saw a lot of myself in Ashima, with the movie I felt like I lost that part of me, and with that I lost the relatability.

The Natural History of the Chicken*****
The most entertaining documentary I have seen, that’s funny, disgusting, remarkable, astounding and generally eye-opening. It’s just the most fascinating film I have seen, considering its peculiar subject.

The Ninth Gate****
It’s powered by performance and appearance. The story is secondary to the overall feel.

The Orphanage (Orphanato)****
I only watched the last 40 minutes of this film, but what little I saw was definitely spooky. You feel for the protagonist and her fear of losing her son even after she has lost him, which really is the heart and soul of the film. The darkness and sudden appearance of the kids from behind is terrifying, not to mention the creaking doors and the sudden slamming. The overall stylistic approach of the film, the sprawling mansion by the beach with dark hallways and hidden passages adds to the grimness of the story and the emotional tension.

The Pianist****
You feel the type of sadness that’s mournful and yet comforting. The music speaks for the story.

The Pink Panther 2 *
Lacks plot, humor, good acting and they didn't get Clouseau right!

The Place Promised in Our Early Days****
Anime films are getting more and more ambitious these days. It's not enough to make a film about a love story set in the future or in a surreal world. It has to be a love story based in a hypothetical post war scenario during the late 90s (in an alternate timeline), where a political storm is brewing as a result of parallel universes overriding physical land-mass owing to one girl's quantum dreams due to promises left incomplete in the real world. Moreover, the two geniuses in the film, had to be teenage kids building their own planes and working as physicists with the national security agency.

The Plow that Broke the Plains*****
An illuminating film with a powerful background score that demonstrates the awful consequences of land abuse.

The Prestige***
The story is about neverending misery and was quite miserable to watch. It had the most uninvolving plot, notwithstanding some curious twists and strong statements about the purpose of life, the fuzzy line between ambition and sacrifice, and the science of magic. For most part it was predictable. I suppose the film didn’t intend to be suspenseful, but there was nothing to encourage me to see how well Nolan handled the closing moments. Quite as predicted, in the end Borden only explains what we all know. The tricks were unnecessarily elaborate. Overall, the film is not one to rave about.

The Queen*****
Here is a perfectly humanized sketch of Elizabeth II in this very revealing film about Britain’s social fabric that amalgamates the Monarchy with the elected government. It effortlessly veers you away from “story” to reality and before you know it, you see things from Blair’s very objective point of view.

The Race to Witch Mountain**
While the two alien kids were endearing as hell, the film was unimaginative as hell.

The Reader*****
One of the most absorbing films I have seen, where a lot is implied by saying very little. Everything about the film, and especially the morality or the lack of it is unashamedly "it-is-what-it-is". Kate Winslet was especially exceptional. While her actions remain unjustifiable, she still demands sensititivity.

The Science of Sleep****
A bizarre idea and very innovative in the way it presents imagination as a collection of emotions and puts the audience right in the middle of the dream-state. But it just didn't make sense after one point. And possibly, that's the point of the film, that dreams are borrowed reality in a fascinating, messy, telling, absorbing, chaotic way. Beautifully executed.

The Searchers*****
A complex multilayered Western that takes on subjects like violence, racism, loss and coming together in a heroic journey. The characters are all purposely flawed and the message is open-ended, making it unlike the typical Westerns with one-dimensional heroes and adversaries.

The Secret of Nimh****
The film seemed to have ended abruptly. There was suspense building out throughout the first and second acts that suddenly went kaput. But, what it was, it was stirring. The premise was interesting and the characters were adorable. The style was classic disney, old school and very artistic.

The Silence of the Lambs*****
A chilling, unsettling, cold-blooded psychological thriller that’s affecting and intelligent. I sleep with the lights on.

The Simpsons Movie***
Satisfying, but not unusual. It's a treat to watch such bright colors on screen.

The Sixth Sense*****
Haley Osment is a gifted actor. The film had a vaporous feel with an intense uncanny ambience surrounding a peculiar kid. Overall, eerie and suspenseful.

The Sound of Music*****
Despite it’s political undercurrent and moral consequences, the film stands out as a family musical with endearing kids and a romantic story.

The Spiderwick Chronicles****
Just when you think fantasy films can't get any more imaginative, Spiderwick Chronicles swooped in with a whimsical tale full of magical creatures, perfectly rendered in a beautiful setting with an enchanted mansion full of evil goblins and one sinister ogre. Freedie Highmore gets better and better with each film. His double role in this film was especially brilliant because of the subtle differences in the characters of both brothers. I would have liked to see more of Mulgarath's evil wrath or the Spiderwicks life in the other world, but that was not to be!

The Triplets of Belleville*****
Finally a popular animated film that is its own genre. Colorful, eccentric, delightful and enjoyable. It has the most off the wall vibrancy of any films in the recent past. It’s intelligent and innovative.

The Vanishing***
A psychological thriller, which is suspenseful for most part, but becomes unconvincing after the murderer shows himself. The original dutch version of this film is supposed to be quite chilling. Critics call it a flawless masterpiece.

The Village*****
A very unusual and intriguing story that is suspenseful as hell. Shyamalan is quite the story teller, who manages to weave drama and insight together so beautifully, with powerful dialogue and emotions as the binding factors. The Village is one of his more riveting stories, with many enlightening elements and a morality message knit deeply into the plot. There's a certain sadness in the message, one as a consequence of a choice made in the past with good intentions, and another as a result of possessiveness.

The Wedding Banquet****
Very funny film about a gay Taiwanese American who marries a Chinese woman with his partners consent to please his parents. As the film progresses, the charade becomes increasingly elaborate, and difficult on everyone. The second half of the film is unexpectedly poignant, as each individuals heartache becomes more and more relatable. The wedding banquet itself was hysterical.

The Wedding Date*
What is wrong with Debra Messing's hair!!! That is all I could think about during the entire film. Her hair roots badly needed coloring! Of course, there was nothing else the film had to offer. Dermot was cute. But, the film could have used some humor and some life! It was really dull. Again, another romantic comedy with potential but done badly.

There's Something About Mary****
There's some offensive (read: raunchy, gross) humor, but it's funny for the most part. Not my type usually, but I liked this one.

There Will Be Blood ****
A good one. Some of the scenes after the son's accident were quite powerful. Daniel Day-Lewis as the devilish oil-man Plainview was superb. Everyone else and Everything else was just ok. There was something missing. It wasnt as impactful as it could have been, or dark, or suspenseful. It lacks soul.

Titanic***
A visual spectacle with grandiose sets and marvelous graphics. The story was sappy and uninspiring, but it had other visual qualities and isolated scenes worth admiring.

To Kill a Mockingbird*****
My favorite book translated into my favorite movie, delicately handled and full of purity, with admirable characters who are honest and innocent. It’s perfectly balanced in every possible way.

Tom & Viv****
Tragic and troublesome. There is a graceful, understated elegance in all the portrayals. You feel the lack of direct involvement and yet sense their pain and dilemma. It is left unknown who is most guilty or who has suffered more or who is misunderstood. All things considered, it’s a film about unfortunate lives and circumstances.

Tongues Untied****
This revealing poetic documentary is full of feeling and touching moments. It has a beautiful structure with many stunning images and takes on many important radical issues.

Transformers***
This film desperately needs to be redone, keeping the same mind-blowing transformers, the kick-ass action sequences, and the brilliant graphics... but with a different story-line and plot.

Triumph of the Will*****
Plainly from a propaganda point of view this film is astonishing - be it the scale of the production, the line of attack, the formidable rendering of Hitler and the Nazi Party, the fanatic response of the citizens… this film is propaganda at it’s best.

Tropic Thunder**
It had all my favorite comedians and it sucked! A total bummer!

Troy*****
Not entirely true to the epic, nevertheless admirable for it’s completeness. To me the film is about the humbling and unblemished character of Hector. Every actor performed evocatively and seemed born to play their role. Hector was awe-inspiring and upright even as he met his tragic end, Achilles was as gallant as he was unforgiving, Paris was defensible and Priam’s final appeal was heartbreaking.

Truman Show*****
It's a very funny film, but more than that it's profoundly moving and tender. It's hard not to put yourself in the protagonists shoes and feel violated. The film is about a reality tv series that goes too far, and a man is seriously wronged. It raises a lot of questions, but more than that it leaves you with a feeling of helplessness even though the film ends on a happy note.

Twilight *
This is just wrong!

Umberto D.*****
One of the most touching films I have seen. It is extremely subtle in the way it evokes emotions. It’s heartbreaking and yet remarkable. For many reasons this is the most realistic portrayal of postwar troubles and from an old man’s point of view it is the story of his dismal reality.

Under the Same Moon*****
A touching film about a 9 year old boy traveling alone from Mexico to LA in search of his mother. Throughout the film, we see the kid in distressing situations among many Mexicans struggling to keep alive and make a living in the US and then we see a distraught mother going through the same predicament, in addition to the fact that she is guilty of living away from her son.

V for Vendetta*****
This is a superbly written poetic thriller, full of intelligence, wit and drama. V is an awe-inspiring supervillian who will grab your attention, stun you with his foresight and shake your conscience with his philosophy delivered in the most unimaginable way possible.

Vicky Christina Barcelona****
The film is both wittily and fitfully good, as are all of Woody Allen's really good films.  :) The tangle of impetuous relationships and the honest openness of the characters and their lifestyles is an absolute delight to watch! It is warm, light and amusing, with as much rationalily as they is irrationality. All four lead characters - the three women and the man in their life are charmign as hell, and live an almost idyllic although not enviable lifestyle :)

Vodka Lemon****
The film provides us a glimpse into a world full of hardship and poverty in a touching Armenian setup. You are always reminded always that the film is about poverty, but sometimes forget that you are feeling sad.

Wait Until Dark*****
It's about a blind woman terrorized by three men who secretly stuffed a doll in her apartment with heroin. This film is easily one of the most terrifying films I have watched and showcases Audrey Hepburn's versatility as an actress. The final climatic scenes are hard to forget. Chilling even as I think of it.

Waitress*****
A beautiful film full of heartfelt, poignant moments, funny when they had to be, and touching throughout. The relationships were very well handled and the characters never went overboard. The sad moments particularly were even more heartbreaking because of the subtleness with which they were handled. Overall, the film didn't seem overambitious or have to work hard to please. The dialogues were particularly brilliant.

Waking Ned Devine*****
A hearty film with a hilarious premise involving a dead old man, a close-knit town and lots of money to be made.

Wall-e****
The film brings out a certain emotional melancholy like we've never seen in any other. There's Wall-e, a curious lonely robot in a forlorn landscape conveying all his emotions through his actions and from behind his binocular glasses. His unconditional love for Eva, is brought out in the most poetic way possible. The world in the spaceship too has so many elements that will leave you feeling awed.
And together, they speak of more than just a love story. There is a planet damaged by mankind, there are robots with human consciousness, there are levels of robots - some authoritarian ones that even override human commands, some that follow instructions and meticulously go about their jobs, and some that defy commands to do the right thing or to protect a loved one, and there are human who are living in a lap of luxury, losing all sense of reality. There is nothing so far that is any less than genius. Still somehow in the final act, and more so in the last 15 mins of the film, the resolution starts to disappoint. The solution is too simplistic. That the humans easily starts to walk is the worst of it all.

Wallace and Gromit Series*****
Wallace and Gromit is all about witty dialogues and implied sarcasm. It is one of the most ingeniously written animations. It is full of mishaps leading to adventure and is great fun to watch.

Watchmen*****
The film remains bald-facedly faithful to the book and that is where it is both audacious and exceptional, given the complexity of the storyline and of the characters themselves. Dr. Manhattan was brilliantly orgasmic :)

Weekend by Jean-Luc Godard***
The movie has everything on it, with fascinating incidents and unforgettable scenes. However, they are all exceptional in isolation. I’m sort of undecided on it’s standing as a whole.

What the #$*! Do We Know!?****
A thought-provoking film, full of fascinating conjectures and profound philosophies, some convincing and some not. It’s an interesting medley of genres.

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape*****
A very poignant film, also one of most sincere, heartfelt stories I have come across. It unfolds as subtly and skillfully as possible considering the sensitive issues and circumstances that is the story. Very well acted.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?***
Very innovative but didn’t dig it.

Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock?*****
The film is stupefying on so many levels. It is a testimony to a great life and a great spirit, to determination, to values, the support of friends and family, the snobbish attitude of some art critics, the value of garbage. It's a detective documentary at its best, only the victims here are a 73 year old woman truck driver, the great painter Jackson Pollack and art.

Why We Fight - War Comes to America *****
A great film on America’s many triumphs and failures, provoking some contemplation on the ideology of the nation and the attitude towards war and it’s many consequences.

Wide Awake ***
Not a great story, but it has some really affecting scenes and some sensitively written dialogues.

Wild Strawberries ****
My first Ingmar Bergman film. A very deeply contemplative one that's rich in meaning about life, self-awareness and reconciliation. I understand Bergman's films in general deal with existential questions about life, loneliness and faith. This film too takes on the same theme with an introspective view of an old man dealing with loss and loneliness and coming to terms with his past. Still, it is quite simplistic and manages to be well-grounded instead of being intellectually vague. The ending seemed a little abrupt.

Wuthering Heights**
I picked the worst movie version of the classic. The oldest one I hear is a timeless masterpiece. The one I watched was excruciating.

X-men series****
Great effects. The last one was a bit of a disappointment in terms of the plot not adding up, but it was extremely entertaining and deserves credit for that.

You Don't Mess with the Zohan*****
I would totally mess with the Zohan ;) Being hairdresser is cool, but I hope he doesn't forget how to fight. The dialogues and action sequences were hysterically funny and very "silky smooth"! One of the funniest films I have seen in a while.

Z***
Dull but slowly and steadily unwinds a multilayered political murder mystery.

Zoolander*****
Should be watched just for Ben Stiller's expressions. Great performances and great fun.