Tag Archives: Simon Beaufoy
October 11, 2015 by Rohit Jagadeesan
Casa Grande (Brazil, 2014) [IMDB:7.2, Rotten Tomatoes: Not yet rated, My Rating: 7.5]
Brazil has a reputation for producing some of the best movies from Latin America with gems like 'Central Station' (1998) and 'Elite Squad' (2007). 'Casa Grande' is an addition to this proud tradition. The movie deals with the trials and tribulations of a once rich family as their fortunes take a nosedive. The theme is not a novel one. There are other recent examples like 'Tokyo Sonata' (2008). The difference here is that the story unfolds through the eyes of the young son of the family who suddenly finds things that he had taken for granted are no more available to him. The camera is an observer in the chaos that engulfs him and his painful disintegration. The story is told in a matter of fact way. Its somber and quiet tone only adds to the intensity of the story that unfolds onscreen.
Everest (2015) [ IMDB:7.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 7.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 75%, My Rating 7.5/10]
The movie is based on the well documented 1996 Mount Everest disaster. The disaster has been the subject of movies and books, most notably the NYT bestseller 'Into Thin Air' by Jon Krakauer who was part of the ill fated expedition. For this movie version the screenplay was penned by Simon Beaufoy who was also the man behind '127 hours', 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'The Full Monty'. The movie documents the ill fated expedition consisting of newbies and experts and is a study in human behaviour more than anything else. I saw the 3D version of the movie, which would have been fine in the 2D format as well. The good part about the movie is that it gives a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes in such an expedition. It is also deeply moving at a more humane level with examples of how decision making is influenced under stress. From the postman who wants to do the extraordinary to the guy who comes back from the dead, the characters in the movie are fascinating. It is one of the best movies of the year. Highly recommended.
The Visit (2015) [IMDB:6.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 62% My Rating: 6.5]
After reaching the nadir with 'The Last Airbender', 'After Earth' and 'The Happening', Manoj Night Shyamalan returns to form with 'The Visit'. Shot a on a small budget without the backing of any major studio, the film really comes to life in the second half. The use of 'found footage' type filming may have been more of a requirement because of the low budget than an option, but this does work for the premise of the movie. Two grandchildren go to visit their estranged grandparents for a week. As the days progress the children realize that they are into something they did not bargain for. For once, Shyamalan has a twist which is not phony like the one in 'The Village'. Surely, one of the better movies of the year.
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) [IMDB: 7.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 93%, My Rating: 7.0]
With a star studded cast of scientologist Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg, the new edition of the Mission Impossible is a virtual tour de force. Stretching from Belarus to Vienna and from London to Morocco, the good guys are again out to get the bad ones. Obviously they are there to save the world too. They do it on bikes in the streets of Casablanca, in cars in the streets of Vienna and on a runway in Belarus. Thematically not very different from any superhero movie, MI proceeds at a pace which gives little time for the audience to ponder over the inconsistencies in the plot. There are some nice touches though, like the assassins timing their kill at the precision of a musical note in an opera. There is also the mandatory 'mask removal' scene. Given the fatigue associated with movie franchises after the first or second sequel, MI stays fresh to a large extent. That alone may be a reason to watch this movie.
Black Mass (2015) [IMDB: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 75%, My Rating: 6.5]
In the early part of the movie there is a scene where the protagonist tells a child that the key to punching someone is to make sure that no one is watching. If no one saw it, it did not happen. The same guy then goes on to assist the authorities in fighting crime. Essentially, the movie is about crime but the main issue is that like many other such movies it tries to glorify some types of crime at the expense of the other types. For a genre which has been done to death in the last few decades, 'Black Mass' does not add anything substantial. Even in terms of the performances it can be safely said that Johnny Depp has seen better days. 'Black Mass' is your average flick trying to rise above the mediocrity of its script. If you are looking for a classic crime movie set in Boston, go for 'The Departed'.
The D Train (2015) [ IMDB: 5.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 47%, My Rating: 5]
Jack Black, one of the original members of the 'frat pack', stars as a middle aged man who has nothing remarkable about him except his lack of friends and a general ability to be ill behaved. He also happens to be in-charge of organizing a high school alumni reunion. In his over enthusiasm he tries to warm up to one of his schoolmates. What follows is not according to the script he has in mind when he ventures on his misadventures. The movie starts on an interesting note but loses track somewhere. Though Jack Black comes off as a fine actor, the movie may be a disappointment to his core audience who expect him to be funny. Unfortunately there isn't a single scene in the movie which can be called funny. It is one of those movies where it is difficult to pinpoint what exactly is wrong with it. In the end it will be lost in a pile of trash that comes out of Hollywood every year.
Z for Zachariah (2015) [ IMDB: 6.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 77%, My Rating: 5.5]
In a post apocalyptic world a woman finds that the only others remaining are two men. As they live in isolation, the complex dynamics that come into play is beyond her initial anticipation. This movie is a character study more than anything else. Though delightful in spurts with scenes that make you ponder over relationships, the movie's ultimate undoing is the snail's pace at which the story is told. Margot Robbie proves that she can be competent but the movie belongs to Chiwetel Ejiofer who steals the show. Overall, a one time watch for the limited audiences who have the blessing of patience in their character.
Cartel Land (2015) [IMDB: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 91%, My Rating: 7.5]
A story on the war on drugs in Mexico. Informative and honest.
Eagerly waiting for: 'Bridge Of Spies' because it is a Steven Spielberg movie with Tom Hanks.
Did you know: Large parts of movies like 'Kundun' amd 'Kingdom of Heaven' were shot in Ouarzazate, Morocco.
Tagged Ang Phula Sherpa, Baltasar Kormákur, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Chris Pine, Christopher McQuarrie, Dakota Johnson, Deanna Dunagan, Ed Oxenbould, Fellipe Barbosa, Jason Clarke, Jeremy Renner, Johnny Depp, Karen Sztajnberg, M. Night Shyamalan, Marcello Novaes, Margot Robbie, Matthew Heineman, Olivia DeJonge, Rebecca Ferguson, Scott Cooper, Simon Beaufoy, Suzana Pires, Thales Cavalcanti, Thomas M. Wright, Tom Cruise
October 5, 2013 by Rohit Jagadeesan
Silver Week Edition
We are reaching a numerical milestone of 25 continuous weeks of publication. I would like to thank each and every one from the 49 countries across 6 continents who found something interesting to read here. This edition is a celebration of love and features 25 of the most romantic movies I have ever seen.
25. The Yellow Handkerchief (Japan, 1977) [ IMDB: 7.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 79%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAOl7Ii-TKI
The Best Line: Too many to mention. Not really. I don't know Japanese.
The Plot: Three unrelated people take a road trip, one of them an ex convict who is on his way to meet his wife for the first time after his release from the prison.
Where is the romance: Some endings are truly sensational. This is one such ending.
24. Roman Holiday (1953) [ IMDB: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIFo0txAvuE
The Best Line: "Tell you what. Why don't we do all those things, together?"
The Plot: A princess enjoys her day in anonymity with an American newsman and falls for him.
Where is the romance: Everywhere, except in the end.
23. Atonement (2007) [ IMDB: 7.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 83%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWPZDi723Eo
The Best Line: "Had they let me, every day, I would have been there every day."
The Plot: A young girl changes the love story of her sister.
Where is the romance: In the book in the movie.
22. An Affair to Remember (1957) [ IMDB: 7.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 87%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFWwFfRvClM
The Best Line: "There must be something between us, even if it's only an ocean."
The Plot: A playboy meets the love of his life on a ship. They decide to meet six months later at the Empire State building.
Where is the romance: When you want Cary Grant to know what you know, in the last scene of the film.
21. Titanic (1997) [ IMDB: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCy5WQ9S4c0
The Best Line: "Where to, Miss?" "To the stars!"
The Plot: An aristocrat lady falls in love with a poor artist on the doomed maiden voyage of the Titanic.
Where is the romance: In the tragedy.
20. When Harry Met Sally (1989) [ IMDB: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8DgDmUHVto
The Best Line: "When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."
The Plot: Harry and Sally have been friends for a long time. It takes time for them to realize that they were meant to be together.
Where is the romance: For such an out and out sugary romance, the most memorable scene is the one in the restaurant.
19. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (India, 1995) [ IMDB: 7.8, Rotten Tomatoes 94%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U9SpwJ9TCs
The Best Line: " Iss ladke se zyaada pyar tujhe koi aur nahi kar sakta" (No one can love you more than this boy).
The Plot: After Raj met Simran, love was never the same.
Where is the romance: Mustard fields got the biggest makeover in terms of reputation. After Raj met Simran, mustard fields were never the same.
18. The Apartment (1960) [ IMDB: 8.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 93%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4OXm9-E8OQ
The Best Line: "That's the way it crumbles.. cookie-wise."
The Plot: The girl of his dreams is seeing his married boss.
Where is the romance: It is about finding true love and the triumph of the underdog.
17. Gone With the Wind (1939) [ IMDB: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mM8iNarcRc
The Best Line: "You should be kissed and often; and by someone who knows how."
The Plot: A woman loves someone so blindly that she is not able to see the man who loves her the most.
Where is the romance: In the roughness.
16. Doctor Zhivago (1965) [IMDB: 7.9, IMDB: 85%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAWrXTn5Www
The Best Line: "There's an extraordinary girl at this party." "I know. I'm dancing with her."
The Plot: Doctor Zhivago is in love with two women and in the background is the Russian Revolution.
Where is the romance: All the scenes at railway stations, especially the last one.
15. Annie Hall (1977) [IMDB: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBzHphcc2Jw
The Best Line: "That is the most fun I've ever had without laughing."
The Plot: The compelling romance of a comedian and a singer.
Where is the romance: Love fades but the idea of love is intact.
14. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) [ IMDB: 8.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 94%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIzbwV7on6Q
The Best Line: "I knew you'd be watching."
The Plot: A game show is his only hope for finding his long lost love.
Where is the romance: Every question brings him close to his love.
13. Before Sunrise (1995) [IMDB: 8.0, Rotten Tomatoes; 100%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v6X-Dytlko
The Best Line: "Isn't everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?"
The Plot: A man and woman meet on a train and spend an evening together in Vienna.
Where is the romance: If they did not make 'Before Sunset', you would still be thinking about the possibilities.
12. Breathless (France, 1960) [ IMDB: 7.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJFFy3soy9Y
The Best Line: "Informers inform, burglars burgle, murderers murder, lovers love."
The Plot: A murderer and a girl escape and hide in Italy.
Where is the romance: In the ambiguity.
11. Wall-E (2008) [ IMDB: 8.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alIq_wG9FNk
The Best Line: "Computer, define 'dancing'."
The Plot: A robot goes in search of his love.
Where is the romance: The moment when WALL-E falls in love with Eve.
10. Notting Hill (1999) [ IMDB: 6.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 83%]
The Best Line: " I'm also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her."
The Plot: The unlikely romance of a superstar and a bookseller.
Where is the romance: In the park.
9. Lost in Translation (2003) [ IMDB: 7.8, Rotten Tomatoes: 95%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYAS92XPvIM
The Best Line: "Can you keep a secret? I'm trying to organize a prison break. I'm looking for, like, an accomplice"
The Plot: Two lonely people bond in Tokyo.
Where is the romance: You can feel it. You can only feel it.
8. The English Patient (1993) [ IMDB: 7.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 84%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPKpU14Kqqw
The Best Line: "This… this, the hollow at the base of a woman's throat, does it have an official name?"
The Plot: A spy and a married woman have a passionate affair.
Where is the romance: In the cave.
7. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (France, 1964) [ IMDB: 7.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7bhJkQd1T4
The Best Line: "People only die of love in the movies."
The Plot: The tragedy of lovers separated by war which leads them to take life altering decisions.
Where is the romance: The most practical film on love.
6. Before Sunset (2004) [ IMDB: 8.0, Rotten Tomaotes: 95%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvFosXeqmDg
The Best Line: "You can never replace anyone because everyone is made up of such beautiful specific details."
The Plot: They meet again after nine years, this time in Paris.
Where is the romance: Everywhere.
5. It Happened One Night (1934) [ IMDB: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALmnUBqbhuo
The Best Line: "I don't know very much about him, except that I love him."
The Plot: The mother and father of every romantic comedy ever made.
Where is the romance: In it and in all the movies made later using the same template.
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) [ IMDB: 8.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 93%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0ywpOFLHMY
The Best Line: "I've never felt that before."
The Plot: A couple undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories when their relationship turns sour, but it is only through the process of loss that they discover what they had to begin with. (From IMDB)
Where is the romance: When you know that some things are meant to be.
3. Cinema Paradiso (Italy,1988) [ IMDB: 8.4, Rotten Tomatoes:96%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2-GX0Tltgw
The Best Line: "Whatever you end up doing, love it."
The Plot: Love and heartbreak in post war Italy.
Where is the romance: In the music.
2. Brief Encounter (1945) [ IMDB: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 90%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGDCTlVWduk
The Best Line: "This misery can't last… Not even life lasts very long."
The Plot: They meet by chance, they fall in love and ……
Where is the romance: Too many to mention.
1. Casablanca (1942) [IMDB: 8.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 97%]
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLU41jUnWM4
The Best Line: "We'll always have Paris."
The Plot: Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into his.
Where is the romance: Whenever Ingrid Bergman is on screen.
Tagged Aditya Chopra, Amrish Puri, An Affair to Remember, Andrea Eckert, Anne Vernon, Annie Hall, Anthony Minghella, Antonella Attili, Atonement, Audrey Hepburn, À bout de souffle, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Ben Burtt, Bill Murray, Billy Crystal, Billy Zane, Brenda Blethyn, Brief Encounter, Carrie Fisher, Cary Grant, Casablanca, Catherine Deneuve, Celia Johnson, Charlie Kaufman, Chieko Baishô, Cinema Paradiso, Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Daniel Boulanger, Danny Boyle, David Lean, Deborah Kerr, Dev Patel, Diane Keaton, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Doctor Zhivago, Eddie Albert, Elissa Knight, Enzo Cannavale, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Ethan Hawke, François Truffaut, Frank Capra, Fred MacMurray, Freida Pinto, George Cukor, Geraldine Chaplin, Giovanni Ribisi, Giuseppe Tornatore, Gone with the Wind, Gregory Peck, Hugh Grant, Humphrey Bogart, Ian McEwan, Ingrid Bergman, It Happened One Night, Jack Lemmon, James McAvoy, Jean Seberg, Jean-Luc Godard, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jeff Garlin, Jim Carrey, Julia Roberts, Julie Christie, Julie Delpy, Juliette Binoche, Kajol, Kate Winslet, Keira Knightley, Ken Takakura, Leonardo DiCaprio, Les parapluies de Cherbourg, Lost in Translation, Loveleen Tandan, Meg Ryan, Michael Curtiz, Michel Gondry, Most Romantic Movies, Nino Castelnuovo, Nora Ephron, Notting Hill, Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, Omar Sharif, Paul Henreid, Philippe Noiret, Ralph Fiennes, Richard Denning, Richard Linklater, Richard McCabe, Rob Reiner, Roman Holiday, Romance, Romantic Movies, Saurabh Shukla, Scarlett Johansson, Shah Rukh Khan, Shiawase no kiiroi hankachi, Shirley MacLaine, Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire, Sofia Coppola, Stanley Holloway, Tetsuya Takeda, The Apartment, The English Patient, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Thomas Mitchell, Titanic, Tom Wilkinson, Tony Roberts, Trevor Howard, Victor Fleming, Vivien Leigh, WALL·E, Walter Connolly, When Harry Met Sally, Willem Dafoe, William Wyler, Woody Allen, Yôji Yamada