Movie Recommendations

kristinm

OK - what about the others - the regional and Bollywood ones, any good ones there?

jyotirmoy

Dharm

brishti

pather panchali just got to be your first tryst with ray kristinm
after which you can watch any other ray's films.

as for them other films...
Tingya is supposed to be very good... must watch as well.
its gut wrenching - basically about relationships.

bollywood films... umm - i'm a total there.



:brishti

jyotirmoy

I agree with Brishti regarding Pather panchali and if possible watch Apur sansar after that. If the order of screening is the same as you have written tell the organisers to screen Pather panchali first.

capt_mahajan

Pratidwandi before the others.

A provocative thinking persons film.

theyyamdancer

Surely if they will be screening Pather Panchali and Apur Sansar they should also show Aparajito?


Captain: The interview scene in Pratidwandi where they all turn into skeletons as they wait in the corridor is totally incredible.

brishti

its not even on the list of films to be screened... uuufff!


:brishti
<<<< >>>> as always

Khak

watched No Direction Home.......great documentary......

__________________
~Khak~

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

theyyamdancer

Back to world cinema, the other day I was fortunate enough to see "The Yacoubian Building", an Egyptian film directed by Marawan Hamed. Made in 2006, it is the director's first full-length film, running at three hours in length, but it keeps you gripped to the story - that of the inhabitants of the Art Deco building in Cairo (the eponymous Yacoubian building). A kind of "Short Cuts" in Arabic. At turns funny, tragic, scathing, politically acute, romantic. The whole of life is there.

brishti

sounds good yyam - will keep it on my list.
thanks



:brishti

anarkali

kristinm, I wrote a reply to you last night and mistyped and lost it all. Argh! I don't know any of Ray's work (might try and catch some as we will have the same festival in Melbourne), but as far as the bollywood titles go, I'm your movie tragic!

Synopses below. In summary, suggest if you can, see Om Shanti Om and Jodha Akbar on the big screen. The rest you can pick up a copy of at the Indian grocery and watch at home.

Om Shanti Om: Ghost love story with Shah Rukh Khan (SRK). Love! Death! Rebirth! Movie in-jokes! Great music & songs. Very entertaining. Two big thumbs up. Even better after you've seen your first 30 or so bollywood movies and start to understand the in-jokes.

Jab we met: Just like a Kareena Kapoor movie, only with good script, nice costumes, likeable characters and really good performances. Great chemistry with her former love, Shahid Kapur (no relation). (Kareena is one of the recent generation of the massive Kapoor family - four generations now in Bollywood. Tended previously to do the ditzy, tarty roles with micro minis. Growing up now? Hope so)

Jodha Akbar: Bigger than ben hur historical romance between the Emperor Akbar and his favourite wife, Jodha, a Rajput (ie Hindu) princess. She must have been his favourite because the other several hundred wives that were standard for a Mughal emperor didn't even get a look in in this story! Stars Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan. Gorgeous costumes, and a bit of shirt off action for Hrithik. Eye candy always a bonus!

Taare zameen par: A young dyslexic boy with other learning difficulties lands up at a boarding school because his parents can't handle him any more. He languishes there till he meets Aamir Khan's character, a jolly young art teacher who recognises the young hero's potential, and understands his issues. Quite lovely and heartwarming. Beautiful performancefrom the young boy. I think he won awards, deservedly so.

Jaane tu ya jaane na: Young bollywood story, more realism, made largely with an unknown cast. Interesting framing narrative. I enjoyed.

THoda pyaar: Didn't submit self to this one, apparently rot-your-teeth sweet. Stars Rani Mukherji as a Mary Poppins knockoff. I plan to avoid it.

Scandojazzbuff

Keep an eye out for a Mexican film called 'The Violin'. Just watched it on DVD. Excellent and in B&W. A gem.

Watched Ray's 'The Chess Players' last night. Not one of my favorites but nice to watch. He has to be one of the most intelligent filmmakers ever. All of his movies, the great and not so great, so far, have made an impression on me and can definitely list him in the top 10 of all time. You are right when you equate Mitra with Ray's greatest films. His cinematography is indispensable. I was noticeably annoyed with the lighting in The Chess Players. Actors lit in the wrong angle.

theyyamdancer

Scando, thanks for the recommendation of 'The Violin'.

Just watched an oldie but goodie by Jules Dassin, "Rififi", set in 1950s Paris, black and white heist movie. Great stuff. That was pre-Melina Mercouri era.

I am so happy you like Satyajit Ray's films! A whole new world of cinema on your doorstep. Magic. It's like opening Pandora's Box. I cannot comment on the technical aspects of The Chess Players (lighting) - will have to watch it again. What's next?

Scandojazzbuff

I think I saw Rafifi in the theatre when I was a kid.

My local DVDwallah has not copied the rest of the Ray collection yet so I am left with only Agantuk, Chiriakhana, Sonar Kella, and Joi Baba Fallunati to watch. Not bad, eh?

Try to get a hold of the Scorcese 'Mi Viaggio a Italia' 2 disc documentary. Truly great and informative. Scorcese is a living master and this is his testament to his roots.

theyyamdancer

I will look out for Scorsese's Italian journey, sounds interesting.

I can recommend "The Blues, A musical journey", which is a collection of seven films on DVD :

(a) "Feel Like Going Home" directed by Martin Scorsese
(b) "The Soul of a Man" directed by Wim Wenders
(c) "The Road to Memphis" directed by Richard Pearce
(d) "Warming by the Devil's Fire" directed by Charles Burnett
(e) "Godfathers and Sons" directed by Marc Levin
(f) "Red, White and Blues" directed by Mike Figgis
(g) "Piano Blues" directed by Clint Eastwood