The Adjustment Bureau

Hmmm, this movie is a romantic thriller. Apparently. I just don't buy that a man will yearn and wait (for years) for a woman he happened to meet in a men's room. Granted, men are very often taken in by opinionated, spunky women, not realizing that the very same attributes will get on their nerves after the honeymoon ends.

Anyway, this has a very odd story that was adapted from a book. There are a group of men (likened to Angels) who wear hats and govern people, their emotions, decisions and the paths that their lives take. There is even someone who is called The Chairman (likened to God) who has the ultimate authority over human lives. I'm not sure if it includes other life forms. Or perhaps, only those with the 6th sense need some governing.

Matt Damon plays a politician who has a promising career that could lead him to the White House. He meets a woman (Emily Blunt) and falls in love with her. But, the men in hats don't approve and try to persuade him to give her up. Don't worry. True love will prevail.
Ok, I didn't enjoy this movie. I think Angels have better things to do than handcuff a man who is adamant to meet some woman. After all, life on earth flourishes due to procreation and higher beings cannot object to that.

The Whistleblower

I'd wanted to watch "The Whistleblower" which released this year, but I couldn't find a copy that included subtitles. There are some scenes where Bosnian and Serbian languages are spoken and I doubted that perhaps there were too many of those for me to follow. But, there are only a few such scenes and you can get by without understanding them fully.

Human trafficking. It is a reality, that I sometimes can't grasp because I live in a very safe world. But, there are places that are too dark and evil, and some people, even some very young, get caught in this unnatural world. Inspired by true events (read the news article), the movie goes on to show you what happened in Bosnia when a female police officer discovered sex trafficking and that the peace keeping forces were either playing blind or were directly involved.
When you read about human trafficking, one thing emerges commonly. The people you trust are almost always the people who get you involved in it. The people who are supposed to protect you, help you, are almost always the people who rip your life apart.
"The Whistleblower" is well done and explains to a small extent, the evil happening at large.

FROZEN

Frozen is a story of three young people, whose lives take a deadly swing when they decide to ski one last time before the snowy slopes close for the week. Just three actors and they are all that the movie requires to keep you frozen to your seat. The background score compliments their dire situation and everything that you see in the movie could happen to anyone in a cold place. The movie didn't make much at the box office but that does not indicate its ratings by any means.

Friends with Benefits (2011)

I should be doing things of consequence now (you know, utilize my time better) but this is what movie buffs do when they get some time. They watch movies! And so, I watched "Friends with Benefits" starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. This is another romantic comedy which does not deviate from the template that most romantic comedies follow. The concept of friends allowing each other to be unattached lovers is not new this year. It has already been explored in "No Strings Attached" which wasn't vastly entertaining either. There, I have slyly told you what my opinion on this movie is. Still, I am not unhappy at having watched it once.

I think a friend could make a great partner in a romantic relationship even if it turns out to be a fleeting romance. I think it's healthy for people to explore possibilities (i.e. relationships) with real friends. Because, if you don't experience, couldn't you end up on a long march towards "till death do us part"?

One Fine Day (1996)

One fine day, a man and a woman meet. At first, they dislike each other only to "like" each other very much, a few hours later. However, these aren't two single people as you usually see them in romantic comedies. Luckily for these characters, they are both recently divorced and have a child each. I think, this is a great package. Sure, they come with some emotional baggage. But, at least, they've learnt a thing or two from a previous marriage and are less likely to commit the same mistakes. Right?

Why is it that female protagonists are almost always written to be control freaks and men are depicted as carefree and childlike? Because, it is true? But, is this how couples always are in relationships? Opposites of each other, at least in certain matters? Anyway, I think this polar difference is quite annoying if you have to live with it. Why did God bring men from Mars and women from Venus? Why!
Coming back to the movie, it's a fine romantic comedy. Michelle Pfeiffer is beautiful and Clooney is extremely charming. I'd seen this movie a long time ago. But, I saw it through experienced eyes recently and hence, the review of this 1996 movie. If you haven't seen it before or if you are hunting for a virtual romance, try this one.

Norma Rae (1979)

I read the article "30 Must See Movies for B-School Student" on The Economic Times (6 August 2011) and I was intrigued. I thought "Wow, I can learn something from watching movies? Super!".

So, I'm starting with "Norma Rae", for which, Sally Field won the Academy award among others. You can learn that sometimes it takes one person such as Norma Rae, a young mother with two children and a string of bad boyfriends, to help form a union for the stressed workers of a textile company in a small town. It takes perseverance and grit to lead the way. Anyone can shake things up and be a leader if they had the stomach for it. It also helped that Norma had a supportive family behind her while she did what she felt was right (in the case of the union) and what she felt like she wanted (in the case of her relationships). This was a time when women were not considered quite equal and a (bad) reputation sticks for life. I like the scene when her tired dad tells her that he'd come over and take her for a nice dinner since they hadn't seen each other for a while. I like the scene when Norma tells her young children about her past and their respective dads knowing that tongues would wag after her night at jail. I like the scene when Norma's husband tells her that he is going to watch her grow old if she'd gotten herself in jail and had made her only call to somebody else.
The movie initially reminded me of "North County", which is about the happenings of a woman in a male dominated industry, but the subject was quite different. Norma Rae made a good movie on a quiet, rainy afternoon. Enjoy it, if you can.

DELHI BELLY (2011)

Because I'm not a fan of crude comedy, Delhi Belly didn't make me want to hit the theaters after its theatrical release. But, some good reviews from friends and my partner (who watches movies very selectively) prompted me to give it a watch. I pulled my cousin along, who being on a two-month long vacation, needs regular dozes of entertainment. Otherwise, he resorts to napping often during the day. He was skeptical about this Bollywood comedy and was unsure that it would suffice as entertainment on an already dull afternoon. So, we both sat down without high expectations for this 95-minute movie that has no intermission for a bathroom or a snack break.

Having watched the movie, I applaud this production from Aamir Khan. Delhi Belly reinforces one's belief that AK is a perfectionist who makes few but good movies. The movie grabs your attention right from its opening credits which start by showing you the squalid apartment of 3 bachelors who get entangled (by accident) in shady business as the movie progresses. What's interesting about this movie is that its makers have made it as vulgar as things sometimes are and yet, you can unabashedly laugh over this comedy of errors. For example, constipation can usually draw some laughs from the audience. Fart sounds are just extremely funny to us humans. But the movie makers pushed this a little further and didn't hesitate to show you a stool sample, as well. Heh! O.K. Before you decide that this is really dirty, stop! The story requires it and its all part of the comedy. I watched the movie in English and I wasn't disappointed with the dialogues. I wouldn't have understood its Hindi version, anyway. All the actors seem to have been carefully chosen for the movie. All of them, except Imran Khan are either fresh faces or character artists who've only done smaller, insignificant roles earlier. The soundtracks and the background scores are all very, very good, stimulating pieces of music, especially Saigal Blues. Love it!

My thumbs are all up for this movie! Hit it!