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Failure to Launch (2006)
Abysmal comedy romance fare.
This is a "How not to make a romantic comedy" guide film. Failure to Launch fails at more than just launching. It fails at romance and comedy. It fails to make the lead characters interesting and their love affair believable. And it fails to develop a consistent tone that would enable viewers to suspend their disbelief and be carried away by a simple tale of two people falling for each other. It's difficult to say whether the leads are miscast or whether the parts are badly written (likely a combination of both), but the pairing of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew McConaughey generates as many sparks as a soaked match in a rainstorm. Not only are these two unromantic, but their characters are self-absorbed and dull. So it's left to the supporting characters to provide Failure to Launch's few, occasional pleasures.
Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
Jeremiah Johnson is a film to admire.
This film about a man leaving behind society to live in the wild is apt today when young men are getting disillusioned with society. In 1972 Robert Redford was at the height of his star power and he decided to make a film very close to his heart- Jeremiah Johnson is shot in his native Utah, in the wilderness and based on a real historical figure by the moniker of "liver eating" Johnson. Directed by his close friend Sydney Pollack this is a good film and it features one of my favorite fight sequences between the Indian gangs and Jeremiah. It is raw, realistic and very well edited. Redford is good as the titular character and the pacing is pretty good, if not a bit uneven.
Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
Pretty underrated Carpenter film.
Based on a novel which channels HG Wells's invisible man, Memoirs of an invisible man is briskly paced and well acted by Chevy Chase as the titular character who becomes invisible after a rogue accident at a lab facility. Sam Neill plays the bad guy and Daryll Hannah is the love interest. John Carpenter is a great filmmaker and this film is a testimony that he can handle any project- provided he adds his taste to the final product. I think this film deserves more than a viewing. It is the definition of cult.
Tape (2001)
One of the best one location films out there.
Tape is a good "movie in a single location" movie which focuses on dialogue to hold our sway. It's filmed in real time and the acting is solid from all involved- Ethan Hawke especially. Many critics have compared it to a play and it feels so. Richard Linklater is both an auteur and a risk taker- similar to Steven Soderberg and this is another film where he showcases his talent.
L.A. Takedown (1989)
Earlier version of Heat.
It is great to see a low budget version of a great film. Michael Mann's 1995 masterpiece Heat was actually conceived way back in the 80s by the director Michael Mann. He decided to make it then with the limited budget he had. The scenes and even dialogues are verbatim but it is great to see what a bigger budget can get- from better thespians of the class of Pacino and Deniro to some amazing locations. This is a good film for film students to sit and analyze.
Swades: We, the People (2004)
Great Bollywood film worth a watch.
Swades is a good film and the writer-director Ashutosh Gowarikar does a handy job of somehow making a long film not only watchable but also endearing. An Indian scientist returns back home and rediscovers his roots- this is the basic synopsis but the film is a lot more nuanced and features some good performances. The lead actor Shah Rukh Khan is a big star in India but here he plays it subtle which is what the performance desires. Gayatri Joshi doesn't have much to do but she is ravishing. This is one of the rare Bollywood films that makes one sit and ponder.
The Notebook (2004)
Bring your hanker chef
Probably after Titanic the movie most adored by young girls- just a guess but I am probably correct. It is melodramatic, sentimental and even cliched but Gosling and McAdam's (who were an item whilst filming) are too good actors to let all that become obvious.