Wanted : Movie Review

Directed By-
Prabhudeva

Produced By-
Boney Kapoor

Featuring-
Salman Khan, Ayesha Takia, Mahesh Manjrekar..


If you were waiting for a good film from Salman Khan, your wait is certain to continue as Wanted turns out to be a below average watch. Directed by dance guru Prabhudeva, Wanted will fail to impress you on every level. Adapted from the original telugu flick Pokiri, Wanted is an out and out action film. The script of Wanted seems more like its made for the audience down south and implementing it with Salman Khan makes it all more interesting. Having proven his abilities with action flicks, Salman Khan looks to have gone that extra mile to give Wanted the classy touch.

Wanted's protagonist Radhe(Salman Khan) is a local thug who terminates people when offered the right price. He's seen shifting between two rival gangs to terminate one another who ever offered more money. Radhe takes no time eliminating people and is seen doing the same in every second scene and here's when he falls for the innocent-pretty girl Jhanvi(Ayesha Takia) who works in a call center. Not so impressed by his rough gangster looks, it takes a while before Jhanvi starts feeling for Radhe who helps her out from the hands of the corrupt crook inspector Talpade(Mahesh Manjrekar). On the other hand due to constant killings in both rival gangs, the top don Gani Bhai(Prakash Raj) is forced to visit mumbai to take over the underworld activities. Now is when the plot takes a unanticipated bizarre u-turn giving Wanted the much needed climax that you might end up liking. The abrupt unpredictable climax is for you to watch it yourself.

Wanted has hardly anything that you might want to look back at except for Salman Khan. The script is ordinary and the execution part makes it even more lousy. The dialogues are ineffective and fails to derive the energy necessary except for a few. Salman Khan has delivered a decent performance with some great action sequences which you are sure to enjoy. Not so impressive are the costumes which look awful in nicely shot backdrops especially in the songs- "Tose Pyar karte Hai" and "Dil Leke Darde Dil". The performances of Ayesha Takia and the rest of the crew is forgettable.

The music by Sajid-Wajid is again ordinary and is tolerable provided the violent theme of the movie. "Love me Love Me" being the most catchy of all.
Having seen the huge commercial success with the Tamil and Telugu versions, Wanted will have to literally run full shows to even compete with its counter parts.

I will go with 5 BOP's out of 10, for Prabhudeva's Wanted .




Go watch it if you are a Salman Khan Fan, and not really advisable for the rest.


Reviewed By,
Raghav Ramaiah


Originally posted @ TalkingPopcorns.com!

Kaminey: Music Review

Crossposted from Reviews etc by Bhargav Saikia

5 stars out of 5

Music by Vishal Bhardwaj with lyrics by Gulzar

Dhan Te Nan (4:41) - Vocals by Sukhwinder Singh, Vishal Dadlani, Robert Bob Omulo
Dhan Te Nan is one of the most cleverly composed songs in recent times. The energy of this track is phenomenal and Gulzar's smart choice of words makes it an incredible experience.

Fatak (5:30) - Vocals by Sukhwinder Singh, Kailash Kher
Fatak is a masterpiece. It's a fusion of sorts with wonderful poetry by Gulzar and brilliant vocals by Sukhwinder Singh and Kailash Kher. Only Gulzar can pen down top-notch lines such as: Sauda Kare Saheli Ka, Sarr Pe Tel Chameli Ka; Jitna Bhi Jhooth Bole Thoda Hai, Keero Ki Basti Ka Makoda Hai.
Not to forget the unusually brilliant makeover of the famous Aamir Khusro sher to convey the message of HIV/AIDS:

Yeh Ishq Nahin Aasaan  

Aji AIDS Ka Khatra Hai  

Patwaar Pehen Jaana  

Yeh Aag Ka Dariya Hai

Go Charlie Go (2:21) - Instrumental/Theme Song
Vishal Bhardwaj has finally cracked it! Go Charlie Go is Bollywood's answer to Henri Mancini's Pink Panther theme. Kudos!

Kaminey (5:57) - Vocals by Vishal Bhardwaj
Gulzar's poetry about the protagonist's melancholic life is magnificent. Gulzar writes about lanterns in the night-sky, the moon in a birdcage, innocent pigeons and peacocks and what not. Absolutely absorbing stuff! Vishal's soul-drenched vocals complement the track perfectly. 

Raat Ke Dhai Baje (4:31) - Vocals by Rekha Bhardwaj, Sunidhi Chauhan, Suresh Wadkar, Kunal Ganjawala
Beedi and Namak singers, Sunidhi Chauhan and Rekha Bhardwaj, come together for this mischievous track. It's not your usual item number; the track has beautiful melody, ably supported by Suresh Wadkar and Kunal Ganjawala and with Priyanka Chopra in it, you can expect sizzling visuals. The remix version is even more fun!

Pehli Baar Mohabbat (5:24) - Vocals by Mohit Chauhan
Mohit Chauhan sounds refreshingly different in Pehli Baar Mohabbat. The composition is rich with superb music arrangements.

FINAL VERDICT:
Kaminey's OST is flawless. Vishal Bhardwaj and Gulzar have proved once again that they are second to none.

Mauja Hi Mauja - The Assamese Connection

We've all heard and loved Pritam's Mauja Hi Mauja from Jab We Met. Did you know that in addition to the Punjabi lyrics, it also has two or three lines from a popular Assamese song? The highlighted lines (see below) can be heard in Mauja Hi Mauja's background:

"Rodaali e' rod de
Aali kaati jaali dim
Bor pira paari dim
Taate bohi bohi rod de
Taate bohi bohi rod de"

Children, especially in villages, would sing this song when they are unable to go outdoors to play at the paddy fields due to incessant rain. They would try to 'please the Sun', hoping for some sunshine in return. This kind of a song is known as a Umala Geet in Assamese culture.

Mauja Hi Mauja is a brilliant blend of Punjabi and Assamese words for which credit must be given to the music arranger, Dhrubajyoti Phukan.

Surprisingly, when you search for Mauja Hi Mauja's lyrics on the internet, you don't find the Assamese lines anywhere. Click here for complete lyrics (missing lyrics added).

There are also songs known as Nichukoniya Geet which are the Assamese lullabies. One very popular lullaby is Aamare Moina Xuboe' (Our beautiful child will go to sleep). It appeared in one of the early Assamese films called Pioli Phukan in 1955 (composer: Dr. Bhupen Hazarika). You can listen to the original track below. Also check out a different version of the song composed by Dr. Bhupen Hazarika.

Aamare Moina
Version 1 from Pioli Phukan (1955):

Version 2:

Kal Kissne Dekha

Directed By,
Vivek Sharma

Produced By,
Vashu Bhagnani

Featuring,
Jacky Bhagnani, Vaishali Desai, Rishi Kapoor

Written and Directed by Vivek Sharma, Kal Kissne Dekha in one word is awful. Produced by Vashu Bhagnani KKD is so terribly written, that it could be a potential worst movie for this year. Vivek Sharma was pretty decent if not impressive with his previous venture Bhoothnath, but with KKD his skills seems to have gone absolutely hay-wire. Its obvious that not everyone expects a movie like KNPH to be their debut movie, but KKD is so terribly scripted that even debutants Jacky Bhagnani and Viashali Desai's sincere efforts in the movie are covered up. Its yet another Sc-Fi fiction.

Kal Kissne Dekha's protagonist Nihal Singh(Jacky Bhagnani) is a boy from a small village near Chandigarh who wishes to study science and dreams of making it big someday. Who is then seen convincing his mom to pursue his ambitions, moving into another city. Nihal being a gifted boy with a power of seeing the future is then seen comforting the college life when circumstances lead to Nihal falling in love with Meesha(Viashali Desai), a beautiful brat in college. Now the plot of the movie till this part is predictable and more of a 90's kinda college . But from the time they actually start executing the Sci-Fi bit of the movie is when it actually loses its plot.

I do not understand, Why a Sci-Fi flavor to a love story? When its not executed the way its meant to be. Kal Kissne Dekha might have done the trick if not wonders had Vivek Sharma made KKD a simple love story. However, with so many negative aspects about the movie and so many things that has not worked for KKD, the debut leads are definitely good even with such poorly written characters. Both Jacky Bhagnani and Viashali Desai have shown off their acting skills well and it definitely looks like they have a lot more potential than what they have been shown on screen. Rishi Kapoor who plays a Scientist/Professor is above average and looks like he wants to seriously contribute but what can one do when the whole script is so faulty. The actors like Rietesh Deshmukh and Juhi Chawla are seen on guest appearances that makes you feel even more frustrated as the movie sails along. When Vashu Bhagnani can produce a decent debut movie like Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai for Tusshar Kapoor, why couldnt he do the same for his own son?

The music of KKD is close to ordinary and again not impressive.

I will go with 3 out of 10, for Vivek Sharma's Kal Kissne Dekha.

Raghav
Movie Critic,
Writers Lounge

P.S: I seriously apologize for being inactive on the Lounge all these days.

A Haunting In Connecticut

A perfect time to share this Discovery Channel documentary about a haunting in a funeral home in Connecticut. Give it a watch with your lights switched off! It might just scare the hell out of you! Trust me on that.

We all love that creepy feeling, don't we!?

Bhargav 

Reviews etc by Bhargav Saikia

WL Movie Caption Contest!

Hi folks,

I'm planning to organise a MOVIE CAPTION CONTEST soon at The Writers' Lounge (the contest will also be open to readers of my blog and possibly Raghav's blog too/I'll confirm this when I hear from him, so the competition could be 'fierce'!). The best two entries will win a DVD each (DVD titles to be decided soon). The best part of it, five best entries will be chosen by you, TWL members, through votes! And then the final two winners from the 5, will be chosen by me and Raghav through a final round.

But before going ahead with it, I wanted an opinion poll, whether you would prefer Bollywood or Hollywood movies? Please cast your vote in the poll below. Also any suggestions are welcome in the comments section.

And...for a warm-up round, here's a picture for you to form any number of captions! (No prizes for this one!)

Thanks!

Bhargav

P.S. Please cast your vote by 24 May..you have time!

Sunday Special: Sita Sings The Blues!

Originally posted at Reviews etc by Bhargav Saikia

Enjoy the movie folks!

*****

Nina Paley's Sita Sings The Blues is one of the most absorbing and compelling animated feature films you will ever come across. 

A still from Sita Sings The Blues (In picture: Lord Ram, Hanuman and Sita)

In Sita Sings The Blues, Paley cleverly synchronises Valmiki's Ramayana with jazz vocals from the 1920s to depict two parallel stories; first The Ramayana itself and second, an autobiography about her separation from her husband. She backs it up with excellent 2D animation and attractive sketches which are visually spectacular to say the least. The Indonesian shadow puppets as narrators further enhance the film, casually questioning the validity of Valmiki's epic. I must urge you to watch Sita Sings The Blues. It's a riot of creativity that you wouldn't want to miss at any cost!

Watch Sita Sings The Blues (full film in HD) below:

To watch in full screen mode, click the button next to the volume control bar.

Please note: Nina Paley has released the film under a Creative Common Attribution Sharealike license. So it is perfectly legal to view it online for free!

8 X 10 Tasveer : Movie Review

Written and Directed by
Nagesh Kukunoor

Produced by
Percept Picture Company

Featuring
Akshay Kumar, Ayesha Takia, Sharmila Tagore..

8 X 10 Tasveer, written and Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor is another Sci-Fi-Suspense-Thriller releasing this week. After the disastrous blow with Bombay to Bangkok, Nagesh Kukunoor tries his hand at thriller this time and succeeds to some extent. 8 X 10 Tasveer is entertaining and dumb too. Its a fairly new concept executed in a convincing way but doesn't really impress you much.

8 X 10 Tasveer's protagonist Jai Puri(Akshay Kumar) an officer with the Environmental Protection Society is gifted with a stupendous power of going back in time through photographs and watch the last few minutes of a person's life moments after the photograph is clicked replayed in his mind. But he can stay inside the photograph upto a maximum of 1 min after which he finds himself fighting for life. He's seen helping out people find their loved ones using this power of his. His dad's untimely death which is suspected as a murder by the funny detective Happi(Javed Jafri) is when Jai actually feels the necessity to find the events that lead to his dad's death through the photograph clicked moments before his death. The quest of Jai along with his fiance Sheela(Ayesha Takia) to find the actual reason behind his dad's murder is something that cannot be revealed and is left to you to watch out for yourself.

8 X 10 Tasveer is engaging and keeps you guessing almost till the end. The climax is where you feel you were let down and let down big time. I guess Nagesh Kukunoor totally forgot what he was making when he scripted the climax of 8 X 10 Tasveer. Its yet another movie that spoils the fun right at the end. But its definitely a good watch. Akshay Kumar is finally seen in something that's far from his usual slapstick comedy. He looks convincing after a long time. Ayesha Takia, Sharmila Tagore, Girish Karnad and the others are ordinary. 8 X 10 Tasveer's script could have better had it been looked into more seriously. CC2C proved that only Akshay Kumar cannot run a movie with his charm and its holds good with 8 X 10 Tasveer as well. The marketing factor could also hit Nagesh Kukunoor's ambitions with 8 X 10 Tasveer. Had Nagesh done the climax well, it could have done the trick for him.

The music by Salim Sulaiman is ordinary. Remix version of "Nazaara Hai" being the most catchy one. The background music is impressive and goes well with the suspense part of the movie.

I will go with 7 out of 10 for Nagesh Kukunoor's 8 X 10 Tasveer.

Raghav
Movie Critic,
Writer's Lounge

More Reviews on:
www.raghavthecritic.blogspot.com

Aa Dekhen Zara : Movie Review

Directed By:
Jehangir Surti

Produced By:
Eros Pictures Pvt.Ltd

Featuring:
Neil Nitin Mukesh, Bipasha Basu, Rahul Dev..

Aa Dekhen Zara, a Sci-fi action thriller first of its kind in Bollywood released this week with no other competitors at the box office. Directed by debutant director Jehangir Surti, Aa Dekhen Zara is a good watch with every ingredient rightly added.
The script is good not great. Being Neil Nitin Mukesh's second movie, ADZ is not a Johnny Gaddar and doesn't even come close. First half is absolutely engaging and keeps you on your toes right till the intermission. As a few previous flicks,the script of ADZ too is let loose as the passing second half.

Aa Dekhen Zara's, protagonist Ray(Neil Nitin Mukesh) a photographer finds himself a camera left off by his dead grandfather which quite amusingly clicks photos, when developed shows the future of the people in the photos. During one such camera encounter is when he accidentally runs into Simi(Bipasha Basu) a DJ at a club. Ray adds color to his struggling life by the aid of the camera to win bucks through Lottery, Horse Racing and various other sources. He then starts living a polished life with Simi when fate strikes. He finds himself chased by both cops and Captain(Rahul Dev) to get hold of the camera. To add to Ray's agony is when, he finds out that he's going to be dead in a week's time and all he has is 7 days to find a safe place both for the camera and Simi. The events that lead upto the climax is for you to see it youself.

Aa Dekhen Zara is fresh and feels good. Second half of the movie is more of the typical Bollywood chases and makes you feel restless as it seems never ending.
All the actors are pretty decent and nothing appreciable. Neil Nitin Mukesh and Bipasha Basu both look good together and their screen presence is felt right away.
Rahul Dev with his age old trademark negative role is spot on.

Music of ADZ is composed by Pritam and its average. Though nothing remarkable is seen in the Music Department, the album of ADZ is not a bad one.
Though being an above average watch, the trick that is going to work for ADZ, is the marketing factor which was done quite superbly and that is going to pull people to the theaters.

I will go with 7 out of 10 for Jehangir Surti's Aa Dekhen Zara.

A good watch for this weekend.

Raghav
Movie Critic,
Writer's Lounge

More reviews on:
www.raghavthecritic.blogspot.com

Barah Aana : Movie Review

Produced & Directed by: Raja Menon
Featuring: Nasseruddin Shah, Vijay Raaz, Arjun Mathur

6/10

Firstly, extremely sorry for reviewing the movie so late.

Written, produced and directed by Raja Menon, Barah Aana is a below average watch. The movie that claims to be a comic flick doesn't even come close to making you laugh and the maximum that you can probably do is to smile at a few scenes. I cannot believe the fact that an actor like Nasserudin Shah is wasted in this movie. Barah Aana's script is extremely ordinary and execution of it is where Raja Menon goes wrong. His way of story telling doesn't impress and it is sure to make you bored. This movie doesn't engage you for more than a stretch of 5 minutes at a time.

Barah Aana is a story of three poor and simple individuals Shukla (Nasseruddin Shah), a car driver, Yadav (Vijay Raaz), a watchman in a housing society and Aman (Arjun Mathur), a waiter at a restaurant. All their lives change when they involve themselves into a crime accidentally committed by Yadav. Both Aman and Shukla find their reasons for committing the crime, may it be Shukla's grudge against the owner's wife or Aman's attempt to save his love. And how things lead up to the climax is for you to watch.

Barah Aana is definitely a light comedy. A light comedy that makes you smile and nothing else. Barah Aana's soul are the actors in it. Vijay Raaz is the most impressive of the lot. He recreates the magic created by in him in Raghu Romeo (2003) that had him in the lead. He's funny and emotional. Arjun Mathur after petty roles in movies like Luck By Chance etc, gets a slightly important role in Barah Aana and he does justice to the role completely showing his potential. He's good in every part of the movie. The setback of Barah Aana is the execution of the script. It's way too ordinary to make an impact. Nasseruddin Shah goes totally unnoticed which is quite rare for the actor of his caliber.

Barah Aana is a below average watch but not that bad after all.

I'll go with 6 out of 10 for Raja Menon's Barah Aana.
Thumbs down for wasting Nasseruddin Shah in the movie.

Raghav
Movie Critic,
Writer's Lounge

More Reviews on:
www.raghavthecritic.blogspot.com

13B - Movie Review

13B, produced by Big Pictures and directed by Vikram Kumar is more of a thriller with a slight hint of horror, is an average movie. 13B lacks the energy that a thriller movie needs to carry right till the end. Again this movie is engaging and makes you cling on to your seats only in parts. The script is let loose on most of the occasions.
However 13B doesn't disappoint once you're done watching it.

13B's protagonist Manohar(Madhavan)an civil engineer moves in to a new flat 13B with his family. Strange events follow, after their entrance into the building. Every event makes Manohar aware of the presence of something that's very unusual like the camera in his phone or the lift in the building. Till one day when he finds out that a daily soap on TV which starts siring at exactly 13:00 p.m resembles the story of his own family and how the family's future is dependent on the Daily Soap. A series of unpleasant incidents follow, making Manohar desperate to solve the mystery about the Soap and characters in it. He goes on to find out, how a family was brutally murdered in 1977 in their home which marked the same house number and address as his own apartment. The uncanny events that follow are something to seriously watch out for.

13B is an sincere attempt by the debutant director Vikram Kumar to give the audience a good movie but he just manages to make it a average watch. 13B's main highlight are the actors, who have done a stupendous job. Madhavan is absolutely spot on with a very good performance supported well by the rest of the cast. Not impressive but certainly good are the old creepy sound scares. 13B could have been better had there been no songs.

Music of 13B is by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and is nothing to be talked about. The music is ordinary and totally unnecessary provided the theme of the movie.
Background Scores by Tubby and Parik are definitely good.

At the end of the day, 13B is an average movie.
Go with no expectations and you may well like it.

I will go with 7 out of 10 for Vikram Kumar's 13B.

Raghav
Movie Critic,
Writer's Lounge.

For more reviews:
www.raghavthecritic.blogspot.com

Delhi 6 : Movie Review

Delhi 6, a release from the UTV Movies and ROM Productions released today the 20th February worldwide. Directed by Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, Delhi 6 is a good film but it slightly leans towards being an average watch. Rakesh Omprakash Mehra fails to recreate the magic that RDB created 3 years ago. But again, he continues to point out the hard hitting reality and this time with Delhi 6 goes on to script a movie about the most common social- religious issue told in a very unique and special way.

Delhi 6's protagonist Roshan(Abhishek Bachchan) is an American born Indian residing in the city of New York. He decides on coming to India with his grandmother(Waheeda Rahman)following her bad health who desires to stay in Chandni Chowk of Delhi in her last years of her life. Here is where he meets Bittu(Sonam Kapoor) the daughter of an old family acquaintance who simply is the typical bubbly-traditional chandni chowk gal. Roshan goes on to experience warmth of the people of Chandni Chowk and the whole new culture. He too comes across the whole news saga regarding the "Kaala Bandar" or the "Black Monkey" that has become the talk of the town after the attacks killing people and injuring a few.
Now, the above few events are the only things that take up the whole first half of the movie making it engaging in very few parts.

The movie goes on to show, how the lives of the people in Chandni Chowk are disrupted due to the communal violence following a Sadhu's advice of building a temple in place of a Masjid claiming that a temple existed in the same place as the Masjid years ago. During these events is when, Roshan falls for Bittu. The whole set of events following the violence that leads up to the climax is certainly something that cannot be explained just because of the unnecessary things that's added on to the movie. Just when you feel the movie is getting better with the flowing second half, climax hits you and hits you quite hard. The climax of the movie is something that Rakesh Ompraksh Mehra will be asked and re-asked from the numerous people in the film fraternity about why he chose on such a weak climax which is really dramatic and that is more of a thing,that's hard to digest following climax of RDB.

Rakesh Omprakash Mehra though has chosen an unique way to convey the message to the masses through the whole "Kaala Bandar" thing but again annoys the audience with the too much of "Kaala Bandar" in the first half and the whole "news flash" about it.
Though Abhishek Bachchan occupies most of the screen time does a good job. But the highlight is Sonam Kapoor, and she's delivered sincere honest acting which every viewer is sure to like. Waheeda Rahman too does justice to her character. Om Puri, Vijay Raaz, Pawan Malhotra and Divya Dutta are quite exceptional in the movie providing some humorous scenes in the movie. Atul Kulkarni is the one actor who is certainly not used to his best potential after his flawless performance in RDB.

The music of Delhi 6 is very good.
A.R.Rahman again scores, with an amazing album. "Masakali" being the most liked and hummed one.

Delhi 6 is definitely an average watch after all the expectations from Rakesh Omprakash Mehra. He fails to reach to the level of his own best RDB.

I will go with 7 out of 10 for Rakesh Omprakash Mehra's Delhi 6.
Could be your movie for the weekend.

Raghav
Movie Critic,
Writer's Lounge

Find more reviews here:
www.raghavthecritic.blogspot.com

Best Picture: Oscars 09

Hey everyone, I'm new to The Writers' Lounge. This is my first post!

Also wishing a very Happy Valentine's Day to all :)

**********

by Bhargav Saikia

I've finally watched the five films nominated for Best Picture at this year's Oscars and here's my ranking of the films (in order of preference). Although Slumdog Millionaire will most likely win, I feel The Curious Case of Benjamin Button andMilk are more deserving. And why isn't WALL-E on the list? A pathbreaking film in all respects, WALL-E by far deserves much more than a Best Animated Feature nomination.

#1 THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

I was absolutely stunned by this beautiful moving film. If I had the authority to vote for the Best Picture of 2008, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button would have been my instant choice. This film deserves the Best Picture trophy because it excels in every aspect of filmmaking, from David Fincher's ambitious imaginative storytelling to Claudio Miranda's sweeping cinematography. It has it all. Brad Pitt is stupendous as Benjamin Button, a man who is born old, ages backwards and dies as a newborn baby. It's surprising to see Pitt perform with such conviction. Cate Blanchett as Daisy is not only picture perfect but she also essays every nuance of her character flawlessly. Tilda Swinton is brilliant in a short yet smartly written role and I must mention Taraji P. Henson's fantastic portrayal of Queenie. This is no easy film to make but David Fincher (director of films like Fight Cluband Zodiac) effortlessly makes use of Eric Roth's superb screenplay to treat us to a feast of fantasy and emotions. The film is also a major achievement in terms of its remarkable cinematography, excellent make-up and costume design, and Alexandre Desplat's perfectly synchronised music score. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is one of the most memorable films in recent times and for me this is undoubtedly the Best Picture of 2008.

#2 MILK

Milk is a very powerful political drama. The film is about the rise and fall of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to the public office in the United States, who was assassinated by a person called Dan White in 1978. Sean Penn plays Harvey Milk and this is undoubtedly one of the finest performances I've come across in a very long time. His body language and attention to the smallest details to bring this popular character alive is phenomenal. For me, Sean Penn is the Best Actor of 2008, no second thoughts. James Franco (he played Harry Osborne in Spider-Man) and Emile Hirsch are flawless. The director, Gus Van Sant, has not only made a brilliant film but also one that is socially relevant. Milk is an important film regardless of sexual preference and needs to be seen and heard across the world. It could teach a thing or two about various aspects of human rights. I wouldn't be surprised if Milk bags the Best Picture trophy. Number #2 on my Best Picture list.

#3 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Slumdog Millionaire has turned out to be the dark horse in many award ceremonies this year and bagging that Best Picture Oscar statuette shouldn't be too tough for this Danny Boyle film. It has an extraordinary backdrop of the Mumbai slums with Simon Beaufoy's smart, appealing screenplay and this should work as a big advantage over the other four nominated films. I personally enjoyed every bit of the film and my 4.5 star rating says it all. From my review - "Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire is full of surprises. It's like a fable. This rags to riches tale about a boy called Jamal is so vibrant, fresh and high on emotions that you can't help but fall in love with it. And there are many reasons to celebrate this film, AR Rahman, the Indian cast and crew and Mumbai to name just a few...I loved every bit of Slumdog Millionaire and I don't see any reason why you wouldn't do the same. Go to the cinemas and enjoy this joy ride." Read more. Number #3 on my Best Picture list.

#4 FROST/NIXON

Ron Howard has an impressive list of films in his filmography; A Beautiful Mind, Apollo-13 and Cinderella Man to name a few. I believe with Frost/Nixon, he has delivered his career-best film. This is completely an actor's film where Frank Langella (Richard Nixon) and Michael Sheen (David Frost) are impeccable in their respective roles. Frank Langella's portrayal of President Nixon reminded me of Daniel Day Lewis' powerhouse performance inThere Will Be Blood, for which he was awarded an Oscar for Best Actor. Michael Sheen as the British TV host is just too good. An intelligent script and crisp editing largely support Ron Howard's vision and he is immensely successful in creating a thoroughly engaging film. Frost/Nixon is an adaptation of a play of the same name and it tells the story of a series of interviews between President Richard Nixon, a controversial political figure who had resigned from the Presidency as a result of the Watergate scandal (more info here), and David Frost, a television talk-show host. I highly recommend Frost/Nixon and even if you aren't familiar with the Watergate controversy, the film will still engage you. It's that brilliant. Number #4 on my Best Picture list.

#5 THE READER

In The Reader, Kate Winslet is phenomenal as Hanna Schmitz, an imprisoned war criminal who is accused of murdering 300 Jewish women by letting them die in a church fire while she was recruited as a guard to the SS (Schutzstaffel), one of Hitler's Nazi organisations. This is Stephen Daldry's adaptation of Bernhard Schlink's German novel, Der Vorleser (The Reader). I haven't read the novel, so it would be very difficult to note whether the film adaptation is faithful to the original text. But on the whole the film is effective in portraying the two episodes of Hanna's life, her sexual relationship with 15-year old Michael Berg (played very convincingly by David Kross) and her life after she is sentenced to life imprisonment. The film is much more complex than it looks and I definitely need another viewing to understand its deeper meanings. Maybe I'll read the book first. (Note that this film contains generous amount of nudity; infact it was fascinating to watch Kate Winslet and David Kross acting their parts without any inhibitions considering the age-difference between the two actors). Number #5 on my Best Picture list. 

Best Picture Rankings:

#1 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

#2 Milk

#3 Slumdog Millionaire

#4 Frost/Nixon

#5 The Reader

Oscar Nominations List - Link

I blog at www.bhargavsaikia.com