a blog about a lot of things

As always, a giant list. The first 10 can be pretty much interchangeable depending on my mood but the ones below are pretty fixed. Open for debate, of course 31.  Udaan (2010) -   Directed by  Vikramaditya Motwane . Written by V ikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap.  A debut out of immense quality and a film that sticks with you long after you've seen it. The subject matter of father-son relationships could easily go into the overdone or heavily dramatic in a bad way. While remaining a serious and dramatic film, the control over the storyline without allowing any slippage into melodrama is magnificent. The story is not a new one, with the tale of an over-controlling father and a sensitive child, but the performances and the script make it possible to have a fresh feel. 32.  Nostalgia For the Light (2010) - Directed and written by  Patricio Guzman . A very poetic film telling a story about the past, both the recent past and the past so his...

With Woody Allen films, at least in recent times, the viewer either gets a movie that’s instantly forgettable ( Magic in the Moonlight, Irrational Man) or instant classics ( Midnight in Paris, Blue Jasmine). Café Society breaks the trend by falling between these two categories by being neither a classic nor unmemorable. Drenched in nostalgia like many of Allen’s best films the movie never really seems to come off as a film instead of incredibly well-crafted idea and so at times it’s possible to lose interest. The movie is theoretically about emotion and passionate love but surprisingly (considering the director) never really manages to find the right chord that makes it seem like this passion is felt. Jesse Eisenberg is the latest actor who seems to be playing the onscreen role of a young Woody Allen and easily nails the role. His scene with the prostitute may be the best Woody Allen scene not actually starring the man himself. The film is separated into two main arcs ...

So, I've been watching lots more movies than usual lately (which, is quite an achievement cause I love movies) due to a combination of finishing postgrad, being unemployed and breaking my foot (which has me very immobile for the next 5 weeks). So I made a list, as I usually do. Other than the top 5 the rankings are quite fluid and all the films are quite good. (Disclaimer: I haven't seen  Nebraska   which is why it's not on the list.) 25.  Spring Breakers -  USA- English. Directed by  Harmony Korine .  The entire cast is great but James Franco steals this show. Really didn't expect this to be good by the premise and trailer. I was wrong. Cause I expected wild and fun but this movie is much darker than that. Really it's a visual of not just the worst of youth but what you think the worst of youth is (which is so much worse), which sounds terribly depressing but luckily the film manages to just ride that line of satire. Like most good films, the good...

I've finally managed to see every film Woody Allen has directed and most of the ones he's acted in (easy enough because they're usually the same). So I've decided to make a list in order of my favourite ones in the sense of watch-ability. This might not be entirely in sync with excellent film-making exactly because I like comedy more than drama hence I might be biased toward Annie Hall over Interiors but maybe some people will agree with the order. Of course, my memory is flawed so the films I saw first might be slightly forgotten but then again if they were good they're memorable, right? Must watch - If you have other films you plan on watching and haven't see these, scrap the others and watch these instead. And if you have seen them, watch them again. 1. Manhattan  (1979) 2. Annie Hall (1977) 3. Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) 4.  Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) 5. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) 6. Midnight in Paris (2011) Try to w...

I've finally managed to see every film Woody Allen has directed and most of the ones he's acted in (easy enough because they're usually the same). So I've decided to make a list in order of my favourite ones in the sense of watch-ability. This might not be entirely in sync with excellent film-making exactly because I like comedy more than drama hence I might be biased toward  Annie Hall  over  Interiors  but maybe some people will agree with the order. Of course, my memory is flawed so the films I saw first might be slightly forgotten but then again if they were good they're memorable, right? Too much free time -  If you have time to kill, then you go for these 19. Sweet and Lowdown (1999) 20. Everyone Says I Love You (1995) 21. Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008) 22. Mighty Aphrodite (1995) 23. Another Woman (1988) 24. Interiors (1978) 25. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972) 26....