I like watching movies uninterrupted. no breaks every 15 minutes, no phones ringing, no kids crying …. Which pretty much rules out watching movies on TV or even at the multiplex. At one point in time I had a huge VHS collection – now I tend to buy DVD’s where i can, or watch it as a DIVX.
I acquired a Body of Lies sometime last year. I have always liked the work of Ridley Scott – and consider Blade Runner amongst my favorite films of all times.
Body of Lies is Ridley Scott’s adaptation of a novel by David Ignatius.The story is about the CIA’s war on terrorism – and how the lines get blurred between them and those they fight.
Di Caprio plays Roger Ferris a ground level operator – who hops across the Middle East trying to keep the world safe ! Russel Crowe plays his CIA controller Ed Hoffman – flabby, and with a God Complex – who pulls his strings like a puppeteer.
The one role that stood out was that of the Jordanian Intelligence Chief Hani – played by Mark Strong. He is alone worth the 2 odd hours you spend on the film.
If you suspend belief – which you must since this is a film – the film is plausible. The film contains the kitchen sink – Gizmos, satellite technology that can read a coke label from the skies, A Hero who can flit from country to country and take over spy operations, who speaks the language like a native, who along with one guy on a computer manages to create a terrorist organisation by him self, and a nice nurse whom he falls for – and for whose safety he hands himself over to the bad guys to face torture and possibly death. It makes you ask ek admi desh ke liye kya kya karega
In a way it was a nice Sunny Deol role for Di Caprio – the only thing missing was dancing in the desert.
Di Caprio is earnest as Roger Ferris – almost believable in what’s a Bond role without the suspension of disbelief. Crowe – his controller, and someone Di Caprio is in conversation all the time – has a seriously funny track. He controls intelligence while playing dad – in between taking his kids to the loo, football matches, dropping them off at school and the like. If intelligence is controlled this way – no wonder the US is losing the war on terror
This by no means was a bad film, but it is not something i will remember even next week !
Shefaly has a meme up here, on the A to Z of films that she liked, and has very generously asked readers to ‘steal it’ – and i needed something light to blog about — i have overdosed on ‘soapbox’. in fact at times i feel like a soapbox standing on a soapbox giving a lecture
when i began this meme, i thought it would be easy. I have watched zillions of films. And, then the debate began. Is it movies that you enjoyed technically, is it movies that you enjoyed cinematically, are they movies that i enjoyed intellectually … for example should it be A for Apu Sansar or A for Amar Akbar Anthony?
So finally i decided, that these are the equivalent of soul movies – just as dark chocoate, or playing with the dog, or getting a massage makes the world seem better, so do these films. These are movies that make me laugh even now. Movies that wave their magic wand and transport me for 3 hours into a world that is entertainment !
Here goes:
Amar Akbar Anthony – I love this film. Despite all its illogical inconsitencies. The opening sequence where Amar, Akbar Anthony are hooked up directly via tubes to Nirupa Roy, donating blood simultaneously right into the receipient; the classic inebriated Amitabh Bachchan having a conversation with his mirror image, Nirupa Roy as mother getting her sight back after a Sai Baba bhajan; and of course Anthony Gonzaves
Babe - ok, I am a sucker for fairy tales. Especially where you have stories ugly looking, clumsy animals trying to fit in. And no i don’t want pop psychology
Chupke Chupke – Take one ghas phoos waale botony teacher, one jijjaji who likes shudh hindi, a woman who wants both the men in her life (jijaji and husband) to like each other, an English professor who stands in to teach biology and a whole bunch of other craziness, and you have Chupke Chupke. I can watch this film any time and smile
Dumbo - An elephant with oversized ears is initially the laughing stock of the circus, but soon proves himself. Dumbo … can still make me sob like a baby in the nicest sense of the way . Here is a drunk Dumbo having a blast
E.T. – I was 22 and in London. I had tuberculosis and didn’t know it (till 3 months later). It was Christmas, i was broke, heart broken and ill. I was trying to be strong and brave and live in a state of denial. And, then I saw E.T. I saw the alien wanting to ‘phone home’ and something within me broke – i cried and in crying i healed. I phoned home, my heart mended, my body was healed … so this film is kind of special.
Field of Dreams – ‘if you make it, they will come’ says the voice in Ray’s head – setting the stage for web businesses from then on In this case the task is just as improbable – build a baseball pitch in the middle of a corn field – to allow a bunch of players who threw matches to redeem themselves. Yes, that is the other theme that i tend to like – redemption. And, i didn’t even study in a convent !
Golmaal – the story of little white lies that become huge big whoppers through which the entire Tank Corps can pass … Hrishikesh Mukherjee in top form. The silly stick on mustache rules
Hero - Subhash Ghai’s launch of Jackie Shroff as a response to the tantrums of star kids, and a star was born. Has a man ever looked more yummy ? I was a school kid when it came out, and had my first crush. How smile evoking is this film – they have a song called ‘Ding Dong Baby Sing Song”. seriously !
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade- great action, wonderful setups, two gorgeous men and some great banter. Not much that can ask for in a movie !
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron Can there be a movie nuttier than this. Do you remember the Draupadi Vastraharan scene ?
Kranti - this is in for completely the wrong reasons. every time i see Manoj Kumar with that big pendant i have this urge to laugh. Everytime, i see everyone from Prem Chopra to Dilip Kumar; Hema Malini to Sarika hamming it – i crack up. I see this movie, not as a patriotic film, but as an out and out comedy . Imagine a bunch of revolutionaries singing ‘channa chor garam ‘ before they blow up a fort !
Midnight Run – a film that seriosly makes me laugh. Robert de Niro and Charles Gordin in a film about a modern day bounty hunter and a con on the run. Great dialogues, great chemistry and a nice film.
Naked Gun – I really like the naked gun series, especially when i feel fried with the world. I love that 60′s feel and earnestness. Leslie Nielsen is a blast
Om Shanti Om – or OSO – mindless, silly, but supremely entertaining. SRK as the bhola and the brat work very well. a movie that has a song called ‘dard e disco’ is not taking itself seriously, why should you ?Leave you logic at home and smile !
Pretty Woman – she is a woman of negotiable affections, he is a man with non existent morals. And they meet, fall in love and live happily ever after. Richard Gere and Julia Roberts sizzle in this reimaging of Cinderella !
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak – not really but i couldn’t find anything else with Q – not even quantum of solace ! and, yes there is a whole bunch of silliness in the film that makes me smile – still worth watching for a young Aamir Khan and a bubbly Juhi Chawla
Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman – Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla – light up this one. I always saw it as a modern Shri 420
Singing in the Rain – just singing in the rain … Gene Kelly and a track that is magic. for best effect, watch when it is raining
and watch Donald o’Connor & Gene Kelly in Moses Supposes
To Have & Have Not - ‘you know how to whistle don’t you. Just put your lips together & blow.’ Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall sizzle in this studio production of romance, smuggling and war !
U – none
V – Not Really … Victoria no. 203 (the older version) but not really
Yalgaar - if the sight of Feroze Khan calling Mukesh Khanna pappa, or dad – cannot crack you up, then nothing can. Like Naked Gun, this should have been a parody – but ….
Z – not really.
We live in times, where it seems that there isn’t much to smile about. but, there is. People, events all manage to make us smile and understand that the bulk of the world is not just good but also good matured. so spread this meme
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