Movie Marathon

It’s fun watching movies. And it’s more fun watching three movies at one go. Scouring the insti LAN for movies is fun too. But not so much as watching them.

This weekend, we decided to have a movie marathon. And I was the eventual winner (there was no one left in the end but me).

We started off with Heist(7) - a movie about gold and greed. Cross, double-cross, twists, turns and a powerful cast with the likes of Gene Hackman, Danny DeVito and Delroy Lindo make the movie worth watching. U will love the way Gene makes everyone a ..er..what’s the euphemism for a chutiya?

"What makes the world go 'round?"
"Gold."
"Thought it was love."
"Yes, it is love. Love of gold."

The next two movies were Before Sunset(8.5) and Before Sunrise(8). And this is where my fellow runners decided to call it quits. Now, one thing. I don’t like watching romantic comedies unless
a. it has Julia Roberts in the lead
b. it has a scene where the guy carries the girl away in a flying saucer.

As u see, I have to settle for the former most of the time.

I have always put off watching these two movies thinking they would be romantic comedies but was i to be surprised!! I started off with Before Sunset (a sequel to the other one). The movie captures the conversation between a guy and a girl as they stroll around the city - Paris - for a few hours before the guy leaves in a flight. For more than an hour in the 80 minute- movie, they talk about their experiences, their interests, their lives, environment and anything under the sun.

The two had first met nine years ago in a train in the movie Before Sunrise. Here, they spend a night at Vienna and here too, they talk, talk and talk.

I like movies with a beautiful ending - like a good novel or a game of chess - and the open endings are brilliant in both the movies. Though, the one in Before Sunset is better – as if their lives stop there, a moment in time. The characters are fuller, too, in Before Sunset.

I haven’t seen Ethan Hawke deliver a better performance in any of his other films, and Julie Delby impresses with a mature yet cute performance. I won’t be surprised to find people fall in love with the two characters.

Here are the 3-sentence reviews of some of the movies I watched/ rewatched this month.

The Hidden Fortress(8.3). Another Akira Kurosawa classic, it portrays royalty, loyalty, greed, treason in their finest and ugliest forms – all with a dash of humor. The movie apparently is the inspiration for the star wars. You will love the movie for the characters in it.

Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya(0.5). I laboured myself into watching 10 minutes of the film. It became too taxing and I gave up. This is the third sentence.

Yakeen(5). I’m sure the story of this movie must have been flicked from a Hollywood one, though I cant point out which. A good story loses way due to a crappy direction and acting. Watch it for Arjun Rampal if u have to.

Stealth.(6) A robotic stealth plane develops a mind of its own. Hey, don’t ask me for more. I was too busy trying to cross a score of 1300 in snake (which I couldn’t, finally).

Oh Brother where art thou(8.5). Inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, the movie narrates the story of three convicts who escape from the jail in search of a ‘treasure’. As the blind seer says, “You will find a fortune, though it will not be the one you seek. But first... first you must travel a long and difficult road, a road fraught with peril.” The musical score is one of the best I have heard.

Kung-fu Hustle(7.5). A movie watchable just for the characters. The dancing axe-gang leader, the barber with an exhibiting ass, the screaming land-lady, the mute candy-seller, and the rest make it worthwhile. All with a brilliant graphics and exquisite humor.

Schindler’s List(9). Liam Neeson should have beaten Tom Hanks (who got it for Philadelphia) to the Oscars for this one. Loved the scene where Schindler drops the ring given him in the end. Compelling performances by Kingsley and Fiennes too.

Man, a good half an hour wasted (or utilized?) for this post. Gotta run do some work now!!