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Reviews
1000 Days for the Planet: The Human Adventure (2013)
A breathtaking journey
Not your typical preachy eyefest; although it is absolutely beautiful. The conservation message comes across visually, and through interviews with some of the humblest and most interesting people you will ever see on television. The first season is mostly set in Indonesia, a country I know much about. So I can safely vouch for the accuracy of the commentary, the enormity of the problems mentioned, and the jaw dropping beauty of the nature in this part of the world.
And it has perhaps the most haunting opening song ever written for a series.
Tokyo Trial (2016)
The past is not the past
Far less remembered than the Nuremberg trials, the Tokyo Trials were nonetheless a turning point in Asian history. This series brilliantly brings out the factors at play during the trial, not least the Colonial history of the Allies.
All characters are thoughtfully portrayed and excellently played, but it's Irrfan Khan as justice Pal who provides the philosophical backbone to the story. He's a last minute addition from India because the Allies wanted some (token) Asians, but ironically India was then still a British colony. The proud Philippine judge, the questioning Dutchman, the British judge who still has a case of colonial hangover: these traits are portrayed through nuance rather than caricature.
Asia still lives in the aftermath of the wounds that the war opened. While the trials drew a line under one traumatic incident, what has followed in the 80 years since almost directly follows those events.
I'm thankful for the show being made and for exploring dissenting opinions. In a time where infantile soaps like Stranger Things are the norm on Netflix, this series was a delight, and it should be to anyone interested in history in general, and Asian history in particular.
TVF Pitchers (2015)
Excellence on Indian TV(F)
This is a very important show for India. For years, in fact as far back as memory serves me, India has only coughed out cringe worthy shows, and a bunch of young people at TVF decided to do something about it.
The best thing about this mini series is that you don't have to pretend it's "good enough". It truly is good, in a thoroughly artistic way. It's funny, emotional, earthy, well scripted, well edited, well directed, tight, controlled, flowing at just the right pace.
In short, it achieves excellence, a word used commonly in India without much connect to reality. This series is excellent, and I use the word very sparingly. For me, excellence has only been used once before in television, with The Wire.
That said, the subtitling can use some help, it's good, but could be better. And TVF should pay attention to subtitling, given that non-Indian viewers are more likely to watch Pitchers than Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki.
But these minor criticisms should take nothing away from what has been created here - a show that lifts Indian TV from the cesspool of Saas-Bahu theme and elevates it into something truly world class.
Proud of these boys. Keep up the good work.
The Blues Brothers (1980)
a 10/10
I'm not surprised this movie is not on IMDb's Top 250 and I can't really argue with people who think it's no great shakes. It's their loss. For me, it's one of the most fun movies ever made.
I don't know what make movies great, but I think if I enjoy my 2 hours, it makes the cut. The Blues Brothers has a great 'repeat value', in the sense that it gets more fun to watch every single time. The soundtrack is great, the little cameos will keep you interested throughout and the shots of Chicago will make you want to be there.
But above all, it is the whole attitude of the movie that makes it so special. Fans of the movie know what I'm talking about. And for those of you who haven't seen it, I'm not giving away anything. You either get this attitude or you don't. But do watch it, you might just be lucky enough to pick it up and become a fan. Elwood asking a random girl to meet him 'if her date don't work out' and her actually showing up is exactly the attitude I'm referring to.
It's a longish movie and I've seen it a few hundred times. But still, on any given day, I am likely to fast forward to the bit when Jake and Elwood enter the arena for their final performance through the ladies' washroom and watch the movie down to a very exciting, exaggerated and thoroughly uplifting ending.
I think IMDb's top 10 is roughly accurate, I wouldn't debate. But none of those, and I do adore each one, is a movie that make me want to 'be' the main character. This movie does. I'd give up whatever I have going to be Jake or Elwood, any given day.
Valkyrie (2008)
Sharp, Crisp and Entertaining
Saw the movie yesterday and these are my first thoughts. Good acting all throughout and for once, a movie focused on a very different aspect of the Third Reich. That not everyone in the German ranks approved of Hitler, and wanted to do something about him so the world would view Germany differently.
This premise of the movie is believable. And what followed was an exciting story. Which says a lot about the movie because we know what happens in the end: but the movie still manages to create a sense of excitement, even giving audiences an admittedly false sense of triumph that maybe the good guys actually succeeded. For me it is this sense of thrill and optimism portrayed in the movie that makes it one of the better ones I've seen in a while.
And while the individual performances were OK-good, it's Bryan Singer's movie. One can see some of the elements of The Usual Suspects. I repeat again, while TUS was an out and out thriller with one of the best climaxes ever, this movie's ending was always known. I do believe that adding a clever twit in the end isn't THAT difficult (no offense to TUS) but to create a drama when the whole world knows what happened in the end needs master direction, and that's exactly what Singer did.
I'll be watching it again, and maybe I'll find some revealing mistakes, some scenes that don't quite add up. But it seemed like a really good movie to me the first time, and since once is about as many times I watch most movies, I'll remember this one.