Movies

In lieu of writing a real post, I just wanted to share some movies I enjoyed over the past couple of months. One of the perks of having a job is that I can now indulge my love of cinema. I've been watching movies ever since I can remember and even now, after what must be thousands of films and many countless hours of misspent youth, they continue to fascinate me. Some of the more recent ones I've seen are:

• Away We Go: Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition) is someone who is good at capturing emotional trauma and watching it ripen into tragedy. His films are usually bleak studies of human despair with unhappy people and grim endings. This movie is the exact opposite. It is tender-hearted and luminous, a work of art so lovely you want to take it home with you. Please watch it.

• Rocket Singh - Salesman of the Year: understated and elegant, this one has charming performances from a quiet Ranbir Kapoor as well as a very smart, sharply written supporting cast. Naveen Kaushik is amazing.
  

• Paa: I didn't want to watch this film simply because of Amitabh Bachchan. I remember him as an actor, someone who did Chupke Chupke and Zanjeer and Anand, and I hate the franchise he's now become. Thankfully, this film is not about Amitabh Bachchan. Paa is a simple tale told exceedingly well, without much artifice or cynicism, but sensitive to small details. I wish I had seen it in the cinema, if only to be delighted once again by the opening credits. (Incidentally, for those who've seen Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Bawarchi, Amitabh Bachchan does the same thing there.)

• Paromitar Ek Din: a friend brought this one back from India for me. Aparna Sen's film about the enduring relationship between a woman and her daughter-in-law is a sharp contrast to both the villainous caricatures from 80's Hindi cinema as well as the self-righteous saccharine toadies on Star TV.

• Everybody's Fine: I know Robert De Niro is supposed to be this great American actor and Mean Streets, Cape Fear and Raging Bull are frequently cited as classics but to my mind the best De Niro film is Stanley and Iris. The second best film is probably Everybody's Fine. It's about parents and children, about loneliness and crying in the dark. I think everyone should watch it.