Interesting movie. A little confusing with all the back and forth and multiple cases.
But some good acting, good performances and interesting story.
Some may need to watch the movie twice to get the whole story because the plot lines are a little convoluted.
But its worth a watch for those who enjoy crime mysteries. This one has a nice 40's vibe.
Showing posts with label Movie Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movie Review. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Movie Reviews : Trade & Human Trafficking
By coincidence, I happened to watch 2 movies dealing with the same subject in 2 days. One a video rental, the other a Lifetime miniseries on Hallmark.
Both deal with the subject of women and young children being kidnapped and sold in a modern day form of slavery.
Trade is a movie seen from the eyes of a Mexican teenager following the trail of his 13 year old sister and her kidnappers across the border. Human Trafficking mostly follows from the point of view of an NYPD agent working with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In both movies, the women are brought from all over the world into Mexico and then into the US by walking across the Mexican border.
Both show Mexican cops hand in glove with the traders. In both movies there is a scene where the Mexican cops get to "sample the merchandise" when it is being en route.
In Trade, the group is caught by the border police in the US and placed in detention until they can be sent back to Mexico. And the American officials simply turn away when one of the women tries to explain that they have been kidnapped.
Both movies are very realistic without being sensational or titillating. The horrors the girls and children (little boys and girls) face are unimaginable.
In Human Trafficking an entire set of young children is sequestered in a container and sent on a ship bound for Saudi Arabia on a 10 day journey from Mexico when their pimp gets news that the cops are about to raid his den.
Trade introduces 2 new child actors who are absolutely brilliant in their roles. Kevin Kline is the only well known actor in that movie and is in more of a supporting role.
Human Trafficking has a star cast of Donald Sutherland, Mira Sorvino and Robert Carlyle (the Scottish guy from Full Monty) who turns out an amazingly chilly performance as a Eastern European Sex Trade boss.
The entire situation of Human Trafficking is summed up absolutely eloquently in Mira Sorvino's press statement at the end of that movie.
Worth a watch for the realistic view of a universal problem. As Sorvino said "It could be your daughter, your sister, your best friend next"
Also published on desicritics.org
Both deal with the subject of women and young children being kidnapped and sold in a modern day form of slavery.
Trade is a movie seen from the eyes of a Mexican teenager following the trail of his 13 year old sister and her kidnappers across the border. Human Trafficking mostly follows from the point of view of an NYPD agent working with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In both movies, the women are brought from all over the world into Mexico and then into the US by walking across the Mexican border.
Both show Mexican cops hand in glove with the traders. In both movies there is a scene where the Mexican cops get to "sample the merchandise" when it is being en route.
In Trade, the group is caught by the border police in the US and placed in detention until they can be sent back to Mexico. And the American officials simply turn away when one of the women tries to explain that they have been kidnapped.
Both movies are very realistic without being sensational or titillating. The horrors the girls and children (little boys and girls) face are unimaginable.
In Human Trafficking an entire set of young children is sequestered in a container and sent on a ship bound for Saudi Arabia on a 10 day journey from Mexico when their pimp gets news that the cops are about to raid his den.
Trade introduces 2 new child actors who are absolutely brilliant in their roles. Kevin Kline is the only well known actor in that movie and is in more of a supporting role.
Human Trafficking has a star cast of Donald Sutherland, Mira Sorvino and Robert Carlyle (the Scottish guy from Full Monty) who turns out an amazingly chilly performance as a Eastern European Sex Trade boss.
The entire situation of Human Trafficking is summed up absolutely eloquently in Mira Sorvino's press statement at the end of that movie.
Worth a watch for the realistic view of a universal problem. As Sorvino said "It could be your daughter, your sister, your best friend next"
Also published on desicritics.org
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Movie Review : Jab We Met
Light fun movie of Shahid and Kareena Kapoors in the pre-split-up days.
Excellent performance by both. One of the rare movies where Kareena played a believable role.
Light hearted movie, worth it when you are in a time pass mood.
Excellent performance by both. One of the rare movies where Kareena played a believable role.
Light hearted movie, worth it when you are in a time pass mood.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Movie Review : Munich
Director : Steven Spielberg
A brilliant, serious, hard hitting movie. It could almost be a documentary ! with the amount of facts that it feeds you. But its a very well presented, excellently told story which has you on the edge of your seat very often.
The movie is set on the backdrop of the Israeli athletes who were massacred during the Berlin Olympics in 1972 by Black September. Israel's secret service the Mossad, forms a squad to assassinate all the people who had a role in that massacre. Mossad gives this squad monetary resources & then disclaims knowing their existence. This squad painstakingly has to locate each target & neutralise him. A slow cat & mouse game is played out with international politics forming part of the intrigue. Spielberg gives you glimpses into the key protagonists family life to humanize the sacrifices & pressure faced by members of the squad.
The editing is really taut & this turns the movie from an excellent flick into a Brilliantly Outstanding Masterpiece. Spielberg handles international political intrigue much better than "Syriana". Why compare these 2 ? They both have terrorism at the core of the story. Both stories span continents, nations & races. Both are key elements of political masterplans. But "Munich" ends up far superior to "Syriana"
In Syriana, so much is tried to be conveyed in a short time that you can't really get into the skin of the characters, the movie keeps flitting about all over the place. Speilberg's characters are each well etched & you can really become one with each of them. You can feel each ones fears, you understand each ones motivations.
Especially when Avner is waiting for one of the targets to turn off the lights, you
actually empathise with him so much that you can feel what he is feeling, his nervousness, apprehension & fear since Spielberg makes you wait for the event & makes you want it to happen & happen quickly.
Munich moves you, Munich makes you empathise, Munich gives you logic, Munich makes you think. All qualities of a great movie.
Munich was nominated for 5 Academy Awards (Oscars) including Best Director for Spielberg, Best Movie, Best Editing and Best Writing, but sadly did not win in any of the categories.
A lot of Israelis have protested the movie saying that it portrays them in a bad light. I don't think so. I think the Israelis did what they had to do to protect their own.
Even if you are a non violent person, you can see the logic behind why Israel did what it had to do. And in the long run, it seems that they did the right thing, because no one wants to mess with Israel any longer. Maybe India can learn from this. When K Suryanarayan's beheaded body was flown back from Afghanisthan yesterday, there were a lot of cries for India to take a harder stance at terrorism against Indians, in & outside of India. Maybe there are some things other than those pertaining to agriculture that we can learn from the Israelis.
A brilliant, serious, hard hitting movie. It could almost be a documentary ! with the amount of facts that it feeds you. But its a very well presented, excellently told story which has you on the edge of your seat very often.
The movie is set on the backdrop of the Israeli athletes who were massacred during the Berlin Olympics in 1972 by Black September. Israel's secret service the Mossad, forms a squad to assassinate all the people who had a role in that massacre. Mossad gives this squad monetary resources & then disclaims knowing their existence. This squad painstakingly has to locate each target & neutralise him. A slow cat & mouse game is played out with international politics forming part of the intrigue. Spielberg gives you glimpses into the key protagonists family life to humanize the sacrifices & pressure faced by members of the squad.
The editing is really taut & this turns the movie from an excellent flick into a Brilliantly Outstanding Masterpiece. Spielberg handles international political intrigue much better than "Syriana". Why compare these 2 ? They both have terrorism at the core of the story. Both stories span continents, nations & races. Both are key elements of political masterplans. But "Munich" ends up far superior to "Syriana"
In Syriana, so much is tried to be conveyed in a short time that you can't really get into the skin of the characters, the movie keeps flitting about all over the place. Speilberg's characters are each well etched & you can really become one with each of them. You can feel each ones fears, you understand each ones motivations.
Especially when Avner is waiting for one of the targets to turn off the lights, you
actually empathise with him so much that you can feel what he is feeling, his nervousness, apprehension & fear since Spielberg makes you wait for the event & makes you want it to happen & happen quickly.
Munich moves you, Munich makes you empathise, Munich gives you logic, Munich makes you think. All qualities of a great movie.
Munich was nominated for 5 Academy Awards (Oscars) including Best Director for Spielberg, Best Movie, Best Editing and Best Writing, but sadly did not win in any of the categories.
A lot of Israelis have protested the movie saying that it portrays them in a bad light. I don't think so. I think the Israelis did what they had to do to protect their own.
Even if you are a non violent person, you can see the logic behind why Israel did what it had to do. And in the long run, it seems that they did the right thing, because no one wants to mess with Israel any longer. Maybe India can learn from this. When K Suryanarayan's beheaded body was flown back from Afghanisthan yesterday, there were a lot of cries for India to take a harder stance at terrorism against Indians, in & outside of India. Maybe there are some things other than those pertaining to agriculture that we can learn from the Israelis.
Movie Review : Ice Age 2 : The Meltdown
Ice Age 2 : The Meltdown is a really good Sequel to the Original "Ice Age"
Its a really cute, funny, family movie. Take the kids & watch it in a theatre. No kids of your own ? take your siblings kids, or little cousins, or the neighbours kids. The reason being, kids enjoy the movie so thoroughly and laugh out loud that it simply enriches your own experience. No one trusts you with their kids ? Just enter a theatre. With summer holidays on in India, you can rest assured that at least half the audience comprises kids.
Take your parents if you like, they too will enjoy the movie. We saw office groups coming in together for some team bonding too.
Scrat has a larger role in this installment. He's still trying to get his acorn & his journey is even more painful than it was in Part 1. Scrat even reaches acorn paradise only to be rudely pulled away from it.
Manny (Ray Romano), Diego(Denis Leary) and Sid (John Leguizamo) have got down to a routine at the new settlement. But, the Ice is melting with the possibility of the entire basin flooding and Fast Tony (Jay Leno) a prophet of doom is trying his best to capitalise on it.
2 new villians...... 2 new brats (possums......) and a female Mammoth (Queen Latifah) to give Manny company. Only problem : She thinks she is a possum ! Right down to hanging from a branch by her tail when sleeping.
Lots of jokes relate to Americanisms, but even someone not familiar with this, has enough material to enjoy. The fat jokes had the kids laughing the loudest. Each time squirrel's acorn jumps out of reach yet again, the audience groaned & then laughed collectively.
I'd like to write more about the jokes & story line, but that would spoil your experience of the movie. I'll just let you know that, there's a nice suprise waiting for Manny in the end.
So, definitely watch this movie, preferably in a group & even better if there are some kids around.
Its a really cute, funny, family movie. Take the kids & watch it in a theatre. No kids of your own ? take your siblings kids, or little cousins, or the neighbours kids. The reason being, kids enjoy the movie so thoroughly and laugh out loud that it simply enriches your own experience. No one trusts you with their kids ? Just enter a theatre. With summer holidays on in India, you can rest assured that at least half the audience comprises kids.
Take your parents if you like, they too will enjoy the movie. We saw office groups coming in together for some team bonding too.
Scrat has a larger role in this installment. He's still trying to get his acorn & his journey is even more painful than it was in Part 1. Scrat even reaches acorn paradise only to be rudely pulled away from it.
Manny (Ray Romano), Diego(Denis Leary) and Sid (John Leguizamo) have got down to a routine at the new settlement. But, the Ice is melting with the possibility of the entire basin flooding and Fast Tony (Jay Leno) a prophet of doom is trying his best to capitalise on it.
2 new villians...... 2 new brats (possums......) and a female Mammoth (Queen Latifah) to give Manny company. Only problem : She thinks she is a possum ! Right down to hanging from a branch by her tail when sleeping.
Lots of jokes relate to Americanisms, but even someone not familiar with this, has enough material to enjoy. The fat jokes had the kids laughing the loudest. Each time squirrel's acorn jumps out of reach yet again, the audience groaned & then laughed collectively.
I'd like to write more about the jokes & story line, but that would spoil your experience of the movie. I'll just let you know that, there's a nice suprise waiting for Manny in the end.
So, definitely watch this movie, preferably in a group & even better if there are some kids around.
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