Carancho (2010)

Director:   Pablo Trapero
Writers:    Pablo Trapero, Alejandro Fadel, Martin Mauregui
Language: Spanish
In Argentina over 8,000 people die in traffic accidents every year. Behind each of these tragedies is a flourishing industry founded on insurance payouts and legal loopholes. In the backdrop this Argentine film tells the story of the relationship that develops between an ambulance chasing vulture (Ricardo Darin) and a drug addicted doctor (Martina Gusman).

Films manages to capture the environment in a brutal and realistic manner. The film is essentially a cliched in the sense that it has the typical love smitten corrupt character doing his last job before coming clean but things go awry. Still its a good film that manages to capture the corrupt system in celluloid.

Rating: 3.5/5

Mean Streets (1973)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers:  Martin Scorsese, Mardik Martin
Cast:      Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, David Proval
A small-time hood struggles to succeed on the 'Mean Streets' of Little Italy.

This is Martin's first collaboration with De Niro and has a very raw feel to it which is very suitable. Up there with Scorsese's best.

Rating: 4.5/5

Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle (The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser) (1974)

Director:   Werner Herzog
Writer:      Werner Herzog
Language: German
Herzog's film is based upon the true and mysterious story of Kasper Hauser, a young man who suddenly appears in Nurenberg in 1828.

The film deals with Kasper's educational progress and his introduction into polite society. Its a good film but I didn't find it as Philosophically profound as its reputation would suggest.

Rating: 3.5/5

The English Patient (1996)

Director: Anthony Minghella
Writers:  Michael Ondaatje, Anthony Minghella
Cast:      Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Kristin Scott Thomas
At the close of World War 2, a young nurse tends to a badly-burned plane crash victim. His past is shown in flashbacks, revealing an involvement in a fateful love affair.

Its a good film and worth a watch. Great performances from Fiennes, Dafoe and Kristin Scott Thomas. Surprised to see Naveen Andrews in the film as well.

Rating: 3.5/5

Veep (2012)

Creators: Armando Ianucci, Simon Blackwell
Cast:       Julia Louis-Drefyus, Reid Scott, Ken Bulcroft, Justin Doescher
Centers on Senator Selina Meyerwho finds being Vice President of the United States is nothing like she expected and everything everyone ever warned about.

Show premieres on April 22nd and is an HBO show.

Looper (2012)

Director: Rian Johnson
Writer:    Rian Johnson
Cast:       Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt
A killer who works for the mob of the future recognizes one of his targets as his future self.

It is a well made sci-fi action thriller with good characters and a credible plot. The time travel stuff is not hard to understand as they are explained well without feeling cheesy. If you think about it there are some convoluted plot ideas (why the looper has to close his own loop and not by some other looper) but those won't get in your way while watching.

Rian Johnson had earlier directed the excellent 'Brick'.

Rating: 4/5

Into the Abyss (2011)

Director: Werner Herzog
Writer:    Werner Herzog
Conversations with death row inmate Michael Perry and those affected by his crime serve as an examination of why people and the state-kill.

Werner Herzog is against capital punishment and he argues his case without portraying the death row inmate as a victim or giving any blatant  justification for his actions. Reminded me of the film 'A short film about killing', whose only drawback is that its murder victim is shown as unsavory.

Rating: 4/5