Dev D (2009)

Director:   Anurag Kashyap
Writers:    Saratchandra Chatterjee (Novel), Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Abhay Deol (Concept)
Language: Hindi
Dev D is a landmark film in Indian film history with its breathtaking visuals, colors, use of songs and the greyness of its characters. This was my second watch and there were some flaws visible on second watch, but the flaws pales in comparison to the film's uniqueness.

There is a thanks given to Danny Boyle in the opening credits. It is there because Anurag Kashyap was struggling to film the high on drugs scenes because of the low budget of the film and it was Danny Boyle who suggested the use of stills to do it. There are many scenes which reminded me of Trainspotting and there is even a 'head in the closet' one thrown as a homage.

Rating: 4.5/5

Fantastic Mr.Fox (2009)

Director: Wes Anderson
Writers:  Roald Dahl (Novel), Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach
Voices:  George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman
Fantastic Mr.Fox is a stop motion animation film directed by the fantastic Mr. Wes Anderson. The voices for the main characters are given by George Clooney, Meryl Streep and other Anderson film regulars like Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman. George Clooney is excellent as the lead Fantastic Mr. Fox who likes to steal from the rich human neighbors. When they find out his house fox and his family are confined to the underground while Fat, Short and Lean businessmen lay siege to the area. How they escape forms the rest of the story.

The soundtrack is excellent and the wit is very good. It is a little high brow for children and maybe that's why it didn't do that well in box office grossing just 46 million on the 40 million dollar budget. I consider the film more suitable for adults.

Rating: 4.5/5

Samaria (Samaritan Girl) (2004)

Director:   Kim Ki-duk
Writer:      Kim Ki-duk
Language: Korean
2 school girls turn to prostitution to fund their trip to Europe. Yeo-Jin is the fixer while her best friend Jae-Young sleeps with the clients. During a police raid Jae-Young jumps from the window of a motel and dies. Yeo-Jin consumed by sadness and guilt decides to sleep with all the men Jae-Young had slept with and return the money to them. Her father who is a detective finds about it and starts following her from school. The film is about this chiefly and not about child prostitution in Korea. The events preceding this are shown in an over the top manner with respect to acting.

Rating: 4/5

Vivre Sa Vie (My Life to Live) (1962)

Director:   Jean-Luc Godard
Writers:    Jean-Luc Godard, Marcel Sacotte
Language: French
The film shows a Parisian woman's descent into prostitution in 12 unconnected chapters. Anna Karina, a fixture in Godard's earlier films and his wife at those times, plays Nana who leaves her husband and child to pursue a career as an actress. As she struggles working as a record store staff she begins life as a prostitute for money.

The characters in the film are quirky and there is no melodrama in the film. The novel like format with chapters is a regular feature in Tarantino's films. Tarantino's production company 'A Band Apart' is named after the Godard classic 'Bande a part'. Godard's playfulness with the camera and ideas reminds me of Tarantino and the impact of their films are also similar.

Rating: 4/5

Prometheus (2012)

Director: Ridley Scott
Writer:    Damon Lindelof, Jon Spaihts
Cast:      Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Noomi Rapace
Ridley Scott will be directing a side sequel to 1979 film Alien set in the same world. The cast looks excellent. I haven't seen Alien but heard only great things about it.

L'armée des ombres (Army of Shadows) (1969)

Director:   Jean-Pierre Melville
Writers:    Jean-Pierre Melville, Joseph Kessel (Novel)
Language: French
The film adaptation of Joseph Kessel's novel with the same about his own experiences as a member of French resistance against Nazi rule during world war 2 as well as fictionalized versions of  other resistance members. Film follows a group of resistance fighters as they move between safe houses, work with allied militaries, kill informers and attempt to evade capture and subsequent execution.

The great thing about the film is that it provides a bleak unromantic view of the resistance and often the characters are shown as fearful. The film was received badly because of the resistance during the Algerian war and Charles de Gaulle was rather unappreciated during those times.

Rating: 4/5

Lamb of God

Director: Diablo Cody
Oscar winning screenwriter of the film Juno is set to make her directorial debut with the film Lamb of God. Its a comedy about a young christian woman who loses her faith after a plane crash and decides to become a stripper in Vegas, but winds up rediscovering her love for Jesus.