The Lego Movie (2014)

To paraphrase Sheldon Lee Cooper, The Lego Movie is something that comes by, once in 3, perhaps 4 generations. That's how special this movie is. If you've been playing with Lego all your childhood, this movie is gonna touch a deep chord with you. And considering that all of us have, at one point or the other played with Lego, this movie is a blockbuster. Some of us may have even swallowed a few Lego bricks. But then again, everyone has fallen off the bicycle, at least once. But even after that, we never stop building the dream.

The Lego Movie is written by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Dan Hageman and Kevin Hageman, out of whom, Lord and Miller are also the directors. The Lord-Miller duo has also directed 21Jump Street (2012) prior to Lego Movie and have also written Cloudy With a Chance Of Meat Balls 1 and 2 (2009 and 2013). The Hageman bros are also not unknown. They've written Hotel Transylvania (2012), which happens to be one of my favourite animated movies.

Produced by Warner Bros Pictures, Warner Animation Group and Village Roadshow Pictures, this is the story of Emmet, who was supposedly the most ordinary Lego entity, has now become the prophesied "special one" who has to save Lego-land's residents from being glued in by The President or The Man Up There. He is being helped by Vitruvius, who was the one who had made the prophecy, while he was attempting to protect the 'Kragle', a super weapon, from Lord Business or The PResodent. The prophecy says that a person called 'special' will find a piece of resistance, which was capable of stopping the Kragle.

Yes, it's a kiddie movie. But, it's a kiddie movie for adults. Brilliantly written with much better spoofs than I've ever seen, this movie is a 100 minute roller-coaster ride of wit and humour! No moment is left alone. Right from the start, to the end. They don't even waste time in credits. At the start, we just have LEGO logos of Warner Bros Pictures, Warner Animation Group and Village Roadshow Pictures with the movie's name appearing right at the end.

A few quotes to justify my above statement.

"Vitruvius: The Special has arisen.

Gandalf: Have the young man step forward.

Vitruvius: As you wish, Dubbledore.

Gandalf: I'm Gandalf!

Dumbledore: It's pronounced Dumbledore.

Vitruvius: Dubbledore?

Dumbledore: No, Dumbledore.

Vitruvius: I thought you said Dubbledore.

Gandalf: Vitruvius!

Vitruvius: Ah, we gotta write all that down 'cause I'm not gonna remember any of it, but here we go. The Special will now give an eloquent speech."

"Batman: [while under attack] To the Batmobile!

[the Bad Guys shoot at the Batmobile, blowing it up]

Batman: Dang it...

Wonder Woman: To the Invisible Jet!

[the Bad Guys shoot at an empty space next to the Batmobile, causing an explosion]

Wonder Woman: Dang it..."

One thing very noticeable, was that the movie was not fine-tuned on purpose. The animation would appear as if it was made from actual LEGO, hence it was a bit rusty. Unlike other LEGO movies usually released to promote LEGO products.

Though great performances by everyone who has given their voice for the different characters, no offence, but I wasn't really paying attention to who was being voiced by who. The movie kept me so engrossed, that I could only recognise Morgan Freeman as Vitruvius and Liam Neeson as the Bad Cop. This was Freeman's first animated project. He should do more. So should Neeson. Maybe they should do a movie together.

I don't think I need to give you a reason to watch this movie. If you need a reason to watch it, you did your childhood all wrong. This movie will appeal to kids, adults and even the elders. It's actually a pointer that everyone is a child inside. We've just learned how to behave in public.

I was once sitting with 2 of my friends in McD's. (All three of us are MAs in English) Playing with our new toys (that came with the Happy Meal), I was wondering how it would be to get our kids to McD's, in the future. One friend answered, "Look kiddo. This is daddy's toy. You are not supposed to touch it. Maybe if you behave, you can get one the next time."

Yup. Everything's Awesome!

The Game (1997)

The Game is a thriller directed by David Fincher. Fincher is best known for movies like The Social Network (2010), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Se7en (1995), Zodiac (2007), Panic Room (2002), his most appreciated work - Fight Club (1999) and his least-appreciated-but-equally-deserving Alien 3 (1992) which, also happens to be his debut. Each movie way different than the other. He has also dabbled with TV, directing the first 2 episodes of Season 1 of House Of Cards.  Interesting. The movie is written by Micheal Ferris and John D. Brancato, who have previously written movies like Terminator 3, Terminator Salvation and a host of other movies, which I refuse to quote here. So basically, The Game is their best work.

Nicholas Van Ortan (Micheal Douglas) is a San Francisco based financier, who is not on the best terms with his brother, Conrad (Sean Penn),mostly due to Conrad's wayward lifestyle and his issues with Nicholas. He has an estranged relationship with his former wife, who still loves him, but is disturbed by Conrad's increasing emotional distance with him. Nicholas was never too excited about birthdays, being a self-confessed loner. But his 48th birthday is an all-the-more damper, because his father had jumped off the roof at that age. The surprise for him is when Conrad turns up on his birthday, trying to straighten things out with him. As a 'peace-offering', Conrad gives Nicholas a pass to a live-action game.

Micheal Douglas is best known for Disclosure (1994), Fatal Attraction (1987), Basic Instinct (1992) and for being (successfully) married to Catherine Zeta-Jones, who happens to be 25 years younger to him. Sean Penn is a name I needn't introduce. One must've seen him in Casualties of War (1989), Bad Boys (1983), U Turn (1999), All The King's Men (2006), The Interpreter (2005), Mystic River(2003), Milk (2008) and my favourite 21 Grams (2005).

A little known fact is that, Conrad's character was initially Nicholas' sister, which was supposed to be essayed by Jodie Foster, but it later ran a dead end. But it would've been interesting to see Foster and Douglas as siblings. Penn plays the wayward dark brother with finesse while Douglas, convincingly manages to pull of the reclusive affluent elder brother. Fincher has used unrealistic-seeming real locations for the movie. For Ex., his house was actually the historic Filoli Mansion, 25 miles south of San Francisco in Woodside, California.

Fincher has mainly dabbled with thrillers, as evident from the list above. What sets a Fincher apart from other thrillers is mainly the references to different movies that he makes in his movies. In The Game, The scene in which Nicholas wakes up in a coffin in Mexico is a tribute to Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974), in which, the protagonist Bennie is buried alive in a Mexican cemetery and must claw his way out of a shallow grave. Nicholas' kidnappers even re-dress him in the very same suit that Bennie wears through the duration of that film.

Why to Watch? David Fincher's direction always manages to get the best out of actors. Along with Sean Penn and Micheal Douglas, who are seasoned actors, Fincher manages to pull off a very convincing, edge-of-the-seat, taut thriller. Deborah Kara Unger is still as hot as she was in 1997.

I'm open to experience a live-action game someday, provided they agree to not kill me. And give me Deborah Kara Unger.

Lord Of War (2005)

"There are over 550 million firearms in worldwide circulation. That's one firearm for every twelve people on the planet. The only question is: How do we arm the other 11?"

What can you possibly say about a movie that starts with those words? Amazed? You wanna know the last Words?

"You know who's going to inherit the Earth? Arms dealers. Because everyone else is too busy killing each other. That's the secret to survival. Never go to war. Especially with yourself."

Now, what do you do when the person saying those lines is Nicholas Cage? Yes, one actor I've truly admired, for the variety of roles he's attempted.  In a 33 year old career, he has acted in over 60 movies. That roughly works out to 2 movies a year. TWO? In ONE year? That's a lot of work, for just an actor. This movie is directed by Andrew Niccol, a brilliant writer-director, known for having directed S1mone (2002) The Host (2013), In Time(2011) and Gattaca (1997), apart of having written two other brilliant movies, The Steven Spielberg directed The Terminal (2004) starring Tom Hanks and the Jim Carrey starrer The Truman Show (1998). Okay... So, that's why the dialogues in this movie are so wonderful? Right. Got it.

Lord of War is the story of Yuri Orlov (Cage) who starts his journey as a local arms dealer along with brother Vitaly Orlov (Jared Leto) during the 1980s before moving on to international deals during the 90s. There's also a trophy wife-cum-ex model/actress Ava Fontaine (Bridget Moynahan) who just steals your heart, ever since her first appearance. Yuri Orlov is loosely based on Viktor Bout, a post-Soviet arms dealer, who was caught at Thailand in 2008 and is currently serving a life sentence of 25 years in the US.

What I admire about Andrew Niccol is that he succeeds in doing something that I've been dreaming of. Writing a story which is devoid of any emotions. Yuri starts trading arms after he sees a failed attack on a Russian mob-king. He lets go his parents, his brother, his wife and even his child during his journey from dealing arms locally to becoming the "Lord of War", a title given to him by Andre Baptiste Sr. (Eamonn Walker). On meeting his arch-enemy Simeon Weisz (Ian Holm), who once snubbed Yuri during his initial days, Yuri says, "I sell to leftists, and rightists. I sell to pacifists, but they're not the most regular customers. Of course, you're not a *true* internationalist until you've supplied weapons to kill your *own* countrymen." Here, we see the tip of the iceberg of emotionless-ness of Yuri's character. But the fact is, one absolutely cannot the deep abyss of emotionless-ness that is Yuri Orlov. And that's a character one has to be afraid of. To compare him to The Joker won't be wrong. The following conversation gives ample proof to the above claim:

"Ava Fontaine: We have enough. You can stop now.
Yuri Orlov: It's not about the money.
Ava Fontaine: What is it about?
Yuri Orlov: I'm good at it."


But, Yuri is just as witty as he is ruthless.

"I had a flair for languages. But I soon discovered that what talks best is dollars, dinars, drachmas, rubles, rupees and pounds fucking sterling."
"Borneo Officer: We're with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Yuri Orlov: Let me guess... this isn't about the alcohol or tobacco."

"I was an equal opportunity merchant of death. I supplied everyone but the Salvation Army. I sold Israeli-model Uzis to Muslims. I sold Communist-made bullets to Fascists... I even shipped cargo to Afghanistan when they were fighting my fellow Soviets. I never sold to Osama bin Laden. Not on any moral grounds: back then, he was always bouncing checks."

"In the most AIDS-infested region of the globe - where 1 in 4 is infected - Andy's idea of a joke was to put a young Iman and a young Naomi in my bed - and no condom within a hundred miles."

One thing I liked about Yuri is that he is organized, well-informed and no matter what, he always plays by his rules.

1. Never get shot with your own merchandise.
2. Always have a fool-proof way to get paid.
3. Never pick up a gun and join your customer.
4. Never go to war. Especially with yourself.

But you know the best part of this film? The events and characters shown in this movie are as close to real characters and events as possible. This might be fiction, but isn't it always a mirror to reality?

One thing that really stands out amidst the brilliant writing and the flawless performance is the cinematography. Amir Mokri is an Iran-born cinematographer best known for Transformers 3 and 4, Man of Steel, Bad Boys 2 and Coyote Ugly. The cinematography strikes you, right from the first second. The start credits are shown along with the journey of a bullet from the factory to an AK47. That itself, sets a huge bar for the whole movie, in terms of cinematography. Having done that, Mokri lives up to the standard set by him. The establishing shots of most scenes as well as aerial shots stand out, but one can't really pin-point to a scene as the best-shot scene of the movie, thus proving that Mokri maintains his level of work throughout the film.

Why to watch? The wonderful combo of Cage and Niccol makes this movie one of the best. Coming as close to reality as it can, while maintaining the flow of events, this movie is a proper representation of the illegal arms 'bazaar' present in the world. Coupled with witty dialogues and wonderful cinematography of the various war-ravaged locales of the world, this movie has it all.

We always see all the despicable events that happen around us, but do we know who is the puppet-master? There may be a master-mind in the public, but nobody knows who is standing behind the curtain, pulling the strings.

American History X (1998)

American History X is a 1998 crime drama wherein a former neo-nazi tries to protect his brother from destroying himself in the same way that he did, after realising his wrongs. Directed by Tony Kaye and David McKenna, who have done a wonderful job, considering this is their first movie. Tony Kaye's only other move that got a proper release was Detachment (2011). His other two movies, Black Water Transit (2008) and Snowblind (2004) have seen only limited releases. He has also directed a documentary called Lake Of Fire (2006), which deals with both the sides of Abortion and short films like This Is Not Sex (2008). David McKenna, on the other hand, has written some very famous movies like the Johnny Depp- Penélope Cruz starrer Blow (2001), Body Shots (1999), S.W.A.T. (2003), Bully (2001) and Get Carter (2000). Granted, that American History X is the film he's known for.

You might also know Edward Norton from somewhere. Obviously. Fight Club (1999), Red Dragon (2002), The Incredible Hulk (2008), The Painted Veil (2006), The Illusionist (2006) and his only negative character, The Italian Job (2003) along with a host of other wonderful movies. Also, an interesting co-incidence that the second lead in this movie is Edward Furlong. So, both the actors have the same name. In my defence, That was interesting and funny in my head. Moving on.

Derek Vineyard (Edward Norton) has just returned home after serving a 3 year sentence for killing a black guy. Any reason? Not really. Just because the kid was black, he deserved to die. Also, because the black kid was defeated by Derek at basketball, resulting in the basketball court's sole ownership and rigt to use being passed to the whites. Following the ideologies of Hitler, Derek wants to see a black-free America as he believes that Blacks don't deserve to be in America. To realise his vision, he joins a neo-nazi gang and commits racial crimes at their home, Venice Beach, California. After serving in prison, he realises how things actually are. On return, Derek sees his younger brother Danny (Edward Furlong) going down the same path (of self destruction) as he did. Determined to not spoil his siblings future, Derek severs all ties from the neo-nazi gang, which now, along with his brother, considers him a traitor. The film (brilliantly) follows non-linear narration. For those unfamiliar with the term, you can refer to Memento or Kill Bill or Pulp Fiction. Through events that happened before the murder and much much before the murder, the Vineyard family during happy times, we are shown how things in Derek and Danny's life changed, for good or bad.

Edward Norton is a brilliant actor. The fact that ones sees him in a movie like Fight Club, just after this, shows how versatile and hard-working Norton is. Edward Furlong, though not as well known as Norton, has done a wonderful job as the trouble kid brother. Avery Brooks as the school principal, is yet another brilliant character, one who faces chaos but instead of fighting it, tries to bring peace.

To laud the directorial abilities of Tony Kaye, I'd like to point out, that even though, he has used black-and-white for both flashbacks, one where Derek is sent to prison and one where Derek and Danny's father, Dennis, is killed, one can easily differentiate between both the narrations. Great use of Film Noire techniques, especially sequences inside the prison.

David McKenna, has gone on to dabble with other genres, with much ease and finesse. That's the mark of a writer. No matter what subject one takes, one does justice to it. He is an example for writers who refuse to step out of their comfort zone and experiment with different genres.

This film plays on the age-old paradigm of the elder brother being the protector of the family. While he was a racist, he was doing what he thought was right right for his family. After his realisation, he boldly tries to make amends and repent his misdeeds. This shows, that no matter how far you are on your route to damnation, you can still be saved. Everyone has hope. If God can forgive everyone, who are we to hold grudges against each other? If we can't forgive His creations, what right do we have to expect forgiveness from The Creator?

Why to watch? A stunning debut by Tony Kaye and David McKenna, American History X remains their most appreciated movie, till date. The brilliance of Edward Norton, who manages to amaze me (and hopefully, you too) with every movie he does. Great performances by all the main characters. The editing also does wonders to help make the film top-notch.

Racism is an evil, present everywhere (In India as communalism). This can be eradicated by the realisation that, no matter what the other person follows, he/she still breathes the same air and craps the same shit as everyone. Using colour or religion to differentiate, is the most stupid act one can ever do. This movie serves as an eye-opener. But, it is a futile attempt, unless it opens the locked hearts of people.

PS: Something I forgot to mention. The title "American History X" may have been inspired by Malcolm X, a black American, who faced racism at the hands of white Christians, so much so that he, along with another friend of his, originated Nation Of Islam, an American-Islamic movement, which thrives even today in the USA. Try searching for Malcolm X and the Nation Of Islam movement. It's an interesting read, trust me.

The Machinist (2004)

The Machinist is a 2004 psychological drama directed by Brad Anderson, starring our very own Dark Knight, Christian Bale. Known for movies like The Prestige, Batman Trilogy, American Psycho and American Hustle, Bale has carved a wonderful niche for himself, where he is respected for his performances and known for choosing the best scripts. The Machinist is written by Scott Kosar, who has written movies like The Crazies (2010), The Amityville Horror (2005) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003). All movies have been well received. The movie also stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón and  John Sharian in pivotal roles. Brad Anderson is mostly known for his psychological thriller such as Vanishing on 7th Street (2010), Transsiberian (2008), The Call (2013), along with a lot of Television work. Anderson started off with comedies, for which he was well received.

Trevor Reznik is an machine operator (or a machinist) in a factory, who hasn't slept in a year, leading to his body being reduced to nothing. One day, due to distraction caused by a mysterious new co-worker, Ivan (John Sharian), an accident is caused which results in a co-worker of his losing a hand. He begins to find a mysterious Post-it on his fridge, with a hang-man puzzle on it (which eventually completes itself in the end). To calm himself down, he visits a prostitute called Stevie, with who, he shares a personal bond. Sometime later, he also strikes up a conversation with a female bartender at the airport lounge, which leads to him going out with her and her son to a theme park, where Reznik discovers that the kid is epileptic. All the while, he attempts to talk to Ivan, but in vain. Somewhere during the movie, he sees Ivan following him in a car. He notes down the number of the car, visits the DMV to find out more info about the car. The DMV clerk refuses to divulge information unless a crime has been committed. Reznik then throws himself in front of a vehicle in order to get info about Ivan. The result is pretty interesting.

The whole movie is based in an unreal setting. It's one of those movies which start at the end, like Fight Club. (Well, almost at the end, in this case). Another important aspect in this movie, is the repeation of the biblical paradigm of two ways, one leading to hell and the second leading to salvation. Reznik always ends up taking the left path, up until the climax, where he makes the right choice. In fact, after seeing the movie, I strongly recommend a visit to the IMDb page of the movie, in order to discover some wonderful aspects which might've slipped past during the initial viewing.

Another thing I must absolutely point out, is the amount of hard-work Christian Bale has put in for this role. Batman Trilogy and Prestige may be more well known, but this is one role he will be most remembered for. The Machinist is succeeded by Reign of Fire and Batman Begins, both action-oriented movies. The fact that Bale reduced himself from his normal weight to a frame wherein his bones were visible to normal back again, in a span of two years, shows the amount of commitment this actor has.

Another note-worthy mention is of the producer/distributor of this movie, Filmax entertainment, a Spanish production company, who would later go on to produce the Rec series of Spanish horror movies. Filmax, though very young, is known to produce ground-breaking cinema, both in Spain and world-over. So next time, if you see a movie made by Filmax, go for it!

Why to see? A great combo of Brad Anderson and Scott Kosar, which has resulted in a wonderful and gripping movie. Christian Bale's hard-work (both on-screen and off-screen) in order to put life in the character, is perhaps a role which can be counted with the likes of Heath Ledger's Joker. After the second point, I don't think there's anything else left to be said.

As William Golding in Lord Of The Flies says, Man has demons living inside him, bound by the locks of civilization. One of the demons he is referring to, is the conscience. One's conscience, is a life within ourselves. It is the single most powerful being, after God, which can make us do things we never thought we were capable of.

The Conversation (1974)

The Conversation is a psychological thriller, written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, a name which requires no introduction. Best known for The Godfather series, Coppola has also been associated with Dracula (1992), Apocalypse Now (1979), Rumble Fish (1983) and The Rainmaker (1997). Not much active as a director now, he's passed on the chair to his daughter, himself continuing as a producer. Gene Hackman plays protagonist Harry Caul, the best surveillance expert that money can buy. Operating in San Francisco, he is known to design his own equipments and work in secrecy, so much so that it annoys his business partner Stan (John Cazale). Also, if you're a fan of the America's favourite on-screen President, you can see a much younger version of him in here. Harrison Ford as Martin Stett.

The movie revolves around a conversation between Mark (Frederic Forrest) and Ann (Cindy Williams) while walking at the Union Square (obviously crowded) in San Francisco, which is recorded by Harry Caul using various surveillance operatives located at strategical positions around the Square. The catch in this task is to record and isolate the actual conversation amidst various other noises and sounds. Using different equipments, Harry manages to make one tape of the whole conversation without any noises. But, on hearing the tape, Harry is intrigued by the conversation that takes place, especially a line that Ann spoke, "He'd kill us if he got the chance." Harry plays the conversation over and over again, disturbing not only his personal but also his professional life. The inability of Stan to comprehend Harry's interest in the conversation and Harry refusing to answer Stan's questions leads to them reaching an impasse and Stan deciding not to work with Harry anymore.

Obviously, this was just the tipping point. Stan had been uncomfortable since the beginning of his work tenure with Harry. Not allowing anyone into his apartment. Designing his own equipments. Calling clients from a pay-phone. But, nevertheless, he continued, out of respect and awe for the professional Harry was.

After hearing the conversation tapes multiple times and his conscience biting him every time he heard Ann's lines, Harry comes to the conclusion that, just like before, his tape has put two innocent human beings in harm's way. This is evident from a confession he makes at the church. The irony is, being in the career he was, one must not have such a conscience. There is no way of determining what value a surveillance tape has to a client. Moreover, he doesn't know the client in order to determine what his next move may be, after getting the tapes.

Coppola plays on the psyche of individuals who assume the role of messengers. A messenger's job is to take a message from someone and to deliver it to someone. He has no right over the message, nor any responsibility of the after-math of the message. But, the messenger unconsciously takes up the responsibility and invites guilt on his part, which is not really required. This is one of the reasons wise men advise us not to get involved with anything on the professional front. One should just concentrate on getting one's work done. The more involved one gets at the work place, the more doomed one becomes.

This movie can very well be categorised as what one calls "Absurd theatre". The only action that happens is related to the conversation between Mark and Ann and Harry's attempt to understand the meaning of the conversation and to avert any mishaps that may occur as a result of this conversation. The only revelation or turning point happens when Harry finally understands the real meaning of the conversation, which is like the only leaf that springs up on the barren tree in the play Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett.

Why to watch? Pure Genius of Francis Ford Coppola. No doubt he had already proved himself with The Godfather series, this was just another feather in his cap. Unfortunately, this film deserved The Best Film Oscar that year, but lost it to Godfather II, also a Coppola movie, which was equally deserving. The fact that Gene Hackman has over 90 credits to his name as an actor, says a lot about his calibre as an actor and his choice of movies. A young Harrison Ford in a ruthless character like Martin Stett is just the cherry on top of the cake called The Conversation.

The fact is, we can only be responsible for our own actions. But when we start feeling guilty of others' actions which are a result of our actions, what can stop us from losing our sanity? Maybe the fact that we cannot control anything in this world, apart of ourselves. Maybe the belief that we are not really responsible for others' actions. Or, are we?

The Immigrant (2013)

The Immigrant is a 2013 James Gray movie, which has had limited release, mostly at film festivals like Cannes (official selection), Munich, Miami, Lisbon and Estoril, Beirut, New York and the likes. It's written by Gray and Ric Menello. Starring  Joaquin Phoenix and Marion Cotillard. It is noteworthy that Gray has previously directed  Two Lovers (2008), We Own the Night (2007), The Yards (2000) and Little Odessa (1994). Out of these, except for his first movie, all the others star Joaquin Phoenix, along with Mark Wahlberg in The Yards and We Own The Night. In all probability, Phoenix is to Gray what Christian Bale and Micheal Caine are to Nolan. The Immigtant also has Marian Cotillard, displaying her acting prowess. Whether we see her in Inception or The Dark Knight rises or (the recent) Blood Ties or Public Enemies, she plays a different character and manages to enthrall us (read: ME) every time.  Whether it's her beautiful blue eyes or the foreign accent or the disarming smile, we will never know.

Gray works in a rather grey area of film-making known as romantic thrillers. Most of his movies speak of unrequited love and the philosophy of "To have loved and lost". That's the background of The Immigrant. But the main issue is emigration to the US during World War 1. People from European countries migrated to US in large numbers, because US gave them hope of a better and peaceful (buzzinga!) future, better living conditions and employment opportunities.

Ewa Cybulski (Cotillard) is a Polish emigrant who arrives to US, along with her sister Magda, with hopes of a better future. Her parents are killed and hence, they flee Poland. Magda is separated from Ewa as the former is suffering from TB (a fatal and contagious disease back then) and being treated in the infirmary. Ewa is scooted off the docks by Bruno Weiss, who despite having a crush on her and wanting to help Ewa rescue her sister, pushes her into prostitution. Torn between the guilt of selling and ruining her body and her desire to help her sister, she spirals into a journey of self-loathing and misery, a phenomenon very common in today's world. One takes decisions one ought not to have taken and then, curses one's self to eternal damnation. Ewa finds some respite, after the sunday mass, when she makes a confession, pointing out that there is still hope for humanity after all.

Bruno, is flawlessly played by Joaquin Phoenix, best remembered for movies like Ladder 49 (2004), Gladiator (2000), Walk the Line (2005), Her (2013)and Signs (2002). Bruno is a conflicted personality. Working as a pimp, he has all the respect he wants in the society. His girls love him. He has issues with his cousin, Orlando the Magician, who develops a thing for Ewa the first time he sees her. All his girls love him, many of them have a crush on him as well. But Weiss falls for Ewa, since the moment he sets his eyes on her. Still, he pushes her into prostitution out of hope that a livelihood would make her wanna stay with him. Bruno, is another every-day character, who makes mistakes, but doesn't curse himself until he realises his mistakes. Contrary to Ewa who is aware of her mistakes.

Today's film-makers don't know where to draw the line between vulgarity and aestheticism when it comes to skin-show. Gray does it with finesse. The introduction of Ewa to Bruno's girls has all the girls bathing. Yet, even for a second, it doesn't seem cheap. Bruno is the conductor of a porn show at a local bar, which has women (some nude) parading themselves, with a guy who makes indecent gestures. Never, even for a second, while watching this scene does one feel disgusted. Instead, you don't notice the nudity, in both the scenes. That's the power of Gray.

Both Bruno and Ewa are disconnected from their families. This is a somewhat sarcastic take on today's generation. Almost a century ago, people lost their families and hence, were alone. Today, we isolate ourselves from our families as soon as we begin to stand up on our feet. During those times, despite the ravaging misery and dearth of emotional vacuum, there was, perhaps, a ray of hope for people, because they still believed in the institute of and the power of family.

Why to watch? Beautiful performances by each and every individual in the film (no wonder it was the official entry to Cannes!), even by actors who don't really have any lines or very less screen space. Gray's attempt at showcasing the plight of people displaced from their homelands.  This could very well be a case study in Diaspora. Gray plays a lot with visual depictions, especially of contrasting natures, as if trying to show that irony is inherent in this perfect world.

To be displaced from your homeland after having nobody to call as your family, is one of the gravest plights of mankind, resulting from the division of countries and the following monstrosity of this demon of demons called WAR. But the people who protect their homeland from unwanted migrants are also not entirely wrong. And in between these rights and wrongs, one's life passes away and on approaching death, one realises they haven't really lived. Not in totality. Not even, in the least bit.

Jacob's Ladder (1990)

Jacob's Ladder is a 1990 movie by Adrian Lyne, who is known for works like Fatal Attraction and Indecent Proposal. His best known work, is Lolita. If one observes all the movies he's directed, one will see that every film has a psychological background. So does Jacob's Ladder. Tim Robbins plays Jacob Singer, an ex-soldier who served at Vietnam and was given leave on psychological grounds. Robbins may not have been a big name in 1990, but he later went on to play the most historic character in movies. Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption (1994). Another face you'll notice is Macaulay Culkin. His role as Gabe Singer, the 2nd most important role in the movie, is uncredited, surprisingly.

Jacob's Ladder starts off with Robins waking in an almost empty subway car. He was seeing flashes of his last day at Vietnam, where some unfortunate incidents happened. He thinks he has missed his station and hence, asks an Armenian-looking lady. The lady is too horrified to answer. As the station arrives, he's about to get down when he notices a snake crawling around the legs of a man who's probably asleep. As he tries to get out of the station, he sees that both the exits on his side, are locked. Taking a chance, he tries to cross the tracks to get out of the other side when he is almost run over by a train, which has these demon-beings aboard, with their head covered. He's finally able to cross but alas, the exit on the other side is also closed. The next moment, we see him entering his home, waking up his lover (also his co-worker at The US Post Office), Jezebel "Jezzie" Pipkin (Elizabeth Peña). Things start going downhill since that night for Jacob. Seeing visions everywhere, being run over by people, falling sick. Determined that the US Government did something in Vietnam, which they wanna hide, Jacob starts his journey towards the truth. During his search, he comes in contact with his fellow comrades of Vietnam, who also experience similar hallucinations.

The interaction between Jezzie and Jacob is almost unreal, as if it's taken out of an erotica, probably because Jacob has a thing for Jezzie. Very little of Jacob's interaction with his other two children and wife is shown, most probably because, like most marriages in today's world, this one had also slipped into the existential phase. The director concentrates a lot on Jacob's interaction with Gabe, the son who died before Jacob left for Vietnam. Mostly due to Jacob's longing to see Gabe, again. Jacob has a note written by Gabe, in which Gabe asks his father to return home soon. That's one of Jacob's treasured possessions along with his dog-tag and a few other memorabilia.


Danny Aiello as Louis Denardo, is in all probability, Jacob's savior. His role is along the lines of The Lord, who's the savior of Jacob, in Bible. Louis is a chiropractor who is visited by Jacob due to his back ailments. All that we see of Louis is when he's setting Jacob's bones right. Yet, his relationship with Louis is more intimate than one can fathom. Louis is also friends with Jacob's ex wife.

That's not the only biblical reference. Lyne has also used the parable of Jacob's well to show us how Jacob thinks of hell. During a dream that he gets after jumping out of a car, Jacob goes through a hospital supposedly for the mentally ill. The setting then changes to a run-down building where he sees Gabe's cycle, exactly as the last time he saw it. He's being operated by Jezzie. Another man claims that he's already dead. A direct reference to Jacob's meeting with Satan, after which Louis storms into the hospital and takes him out of there.

While Louis is treating Jacob's dislocated back, he quotes 14th-century Christian mystic Meister Eckhart:

"Eckhart saw Hell too. He said: "The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of life, your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you", he said. "They're freeing your soul. So, if you're frightened of dying and... you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth."

This movie, could easily be called the fore-runner to Inception. Dreamy locales. Scenes ending abruptly. Biblical references. Jacob dreams twice, within the film, after his jump out of the car and once when he's burning with fever and is put into a tub with cold water and ice. Jezzie even mentions his dream to him when he wakes up.

Why to watch? The Genius of Adrian Lyne, coupled with the Brilliance of Tim Robbins and the wonder of Bruce Joel Rubin, who later went on to write the superhit 1991 American movie, Ghost. Another worthy mention, this movie is inspired from real-life events where the US government actually used hallucination drugs on soldiers in Vietnam, a cruel truth which was unabashedly denied by the Pentagon.

That war is a demon, we all know. But countless soldiers suffer, even after war. Not everyone is as unlucky as Jacob Singer to have been given such vicious drugs, but most soldiers after a war, are emotionally and mentally raped, after having seen such grotesque sights. Even though Jacob's ladder is fiction, it's as real as fiction gets.