Mahulbanir Sereng (Sekhar Das, Color/Bengali/2005)

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A commendable first attempt by Sekhar Das. Following up on Aranyer Din Ratri and Aabar Aranye, Mahulbanir Sereng goes back to the jungle. The jungle, where the oldest surviving civilization of the land still exists.

With a good cast comprising of Rupa Ganguly, Shilajit, Sabyasachi Chakraborty and the others, the movie touches on various themes. Never quite gets there though. The tribal ancestral lands, the government's exploitation, the backward customs ...... even a remark at the end ... something to the effect "they are better than before" .... what BS???? They are where they were when the British left India. The middle class driven Indian civil services, the corrupt (and criminal) politicians, the biggest thieves in India -- the cops and the morally degraded businessmen, they all continue to suck the blood of the downtrodden. At the bottom of the ladder are the tribals -- worse even than the so-called 'untouchables'.

But, I guess if you want to release such a movie in West Bengal, India, one must acknowledge the "contribution" of decades long mis-management of the communist government. Sekhar Das gets a 2.5 stars for sucking up!!!

I really liked Rupa Ganguly's restrained acting. The short role for Sabyasachi was a sleep walk. Shilajit was adequate. Chandreyi Ghosh was so-so. In some scenes she seemed very convincing and in others too urban a tribal girl. Was it because she supposedly should have some 'urban' genes passed on from her ''civilized" father from the city?

Little Children (Todd Field, Color/English/2006)

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Chokh (Utpalendu Chakrabarty, Color/Bengali,Hindi/1983)

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That year was bad, very baaaaaaad. Otherwise why should a sub-standard movie like Chokh get the national award for best movie in India? Ok, the theme was great, but the rest??

Come on, acknowledging Satyajit Ray at the begining of the movie does not

Good Will Hunting (Gus Van Sant, Color/English/1997)

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A revisit. Watched it again for nostalgia -- Robin Williams' restrained acting, a rarity these days.

Broken Flowers (Jim Jarmusch, Color/English/2005)

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A typical Bill Murray performance -- slow, gloomy and an interesting watch. Except for the restrained and laid back acting from Murray, didn't get anything else out of the movie.

Glad it was free on On-Demand .............

A History of Violence (David Cronenberg, Color/English/2005)

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Very thought provoking indeed. I found the characters very intriguing -- the father/husband, the wife and the son, all three characters are well developed. In the case of the wife and the son, the sudden change that makes their quiet life turbulent brings around changes that are starkly visible. The only character that shows little change, except for the grave concern towards his family, is the father/husband. His character, even though goes through so much, is shown to be utterly faithful to his family, but not much else. The killings are sudden and never planned on his part. They just happen, and he gets involved to save his own life or the lives of his close ones.

The movie has left me with several thoughts -- will the son and wife bring up the past? again and again? won't they? how can you live with this 'violent' person and forget his past? how can one also forget that this person is really a changed man who's dedicated (beyond doubt) towards his family. ???

Well directed -- there are no melodramatic scenes, the violence is short and brutal and the inter-personal relationships are highlighted without the need for extra dialogs or scenes. Overall, a pretty good movie.

Lawrence of Arabia (David Lean, Color/English/1962)

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This is the first time I watched LOA on big screen and every moment counted. Having watched the movie several times on video, I'd virtually memorized the scenes by heart. That didn't change the fact that the big screen screening took my breath away. I was able to see the close up of Sir Alec Guinness' face, Omar Sharif's intensity, the dessert, and all the other finer details that you miss on video.

A masterpiece of cinema, what else can I, a mere mortal, write about David Lean's best effort. Just one regret -- the movie ran for 3 hrs and 10 mins, 30 mins short of the full version. Well, better luck next time, I guess.

SS