THE FALL (2006)

Tagline: A Little Blessing In Disguise

Dir - Tarsem Singh
Genre - Fantasy, Drama
Cast - Catinca Untaru, Lee Pace, Justine Waddell
Production Budget - N/A

Here comes a movie which most of you wont believe exists. And even if you do, definitely wont believe that it is made by an Indian & most definitely wont believe that most of the film was shot in India!!! Well, to your defense, no one knew.

Wonderful things, sometimes, come in small packages. This package here, delivers a treat for all senses! The visuals (read Cinematography) are astounding breath-stealers, and combined with the music score, gives you goosebumps at many instances. And every other element, be it, the costumes, the props, the dialogues, etc. all add to the sumptuous cuisine that is served.

Tarsem Singh, previously directed J Lo starrer The Cell. Even that movie was appreciated for its stunning visuals, but failed to knock the doors of logic. This time around, the visuals have been taken to the next level, & so is the manner of story-telling and we all know, stories don't need hardcore logic. Yes, the movie has been narrated in terms of a story, intriguingly interweaving the reality & the fantasy. To really experience the movie, all you need to know is that its a Fantasy & then let the movie do the work for you.

The direction is a welcoming surprise. Delighted to know that an Indian can direct such movies. He chooses to make us aware of myriad feelings, with subtlety. The performances, well, the little child actor Catinca Untaru is going to blow you away with her cuteness & at the same time, maturity. As for the adults, little disappointed, i must say. But this disappointment does not play much of an obstacle.

In conclusion, something simple, experienced so ornately.

Upsides: The visuals, the way it interlaces different places of the world to form one canvas for the story. And the little child actor's performance.

Downsides: The acting could've really shot this movie up like anything.

Trivia: The movie has been shot at South Africa, India, United Kingdom, Bali, Fiji, Italy, Spain, Prague, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, China, Romania, Turkey, Egypt, Cambodia. (Phew)

The child actor is the first Romanian kid to have worked in an international film project.

The movie stills shown at the climax are actually stills from Charlie Chaplin & Buster Keaton movies.

Overall, a 4.25/5.0

Links for you:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460791/

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/140185965/
_The_Fall__2006__LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-NODLABS_.part01.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/140186371/
_The_Fall__2006__LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-NODLABS_.part02.rar
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_The_Fall__2006__LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-NODLABS_.part03.rar
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_The_Fall__2006__LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-NODLABS_.part04.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/140187399/
_The_Fall__2006__LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-NODLABS_.part05.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/140187795/
_The_Fall__2006__LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-NODLABS_.part06.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/140188211/
_The_Fall__2006__LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-NODLABS_.part07.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/140188587/
_The_Fall__2006__LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-NODLABS_.part08.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/140188944/
_The_Fall__2006__LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-NODLABS_.part09.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/140189344/
_The_Fall__2006__LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-NODLABS_.part10.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/140189754/
_The_Fall__2006__LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-NODLABS_.part11.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/140190140/
_The_Fall__2006__LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-NODLABS_.part12.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/140190555
/_The_Fall__2006__LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-NODLABS_.part13.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/140191096/
_The_Fall__2006__LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-NODLABS_.part14.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/140185619/
_The_Fall__2006__LiMiTED.DVDRip.XviD-NODLABS_.part15.rar

Subtitles:
Embedded in the download files.

DIARIOS DE MOTOCICLETA (2004)

AKA - The Motorcycle Diaries

Tagline: Before he changed the world the world changed him

Dir - Walter Salles
Genre - Adventure, Biography, Drama
Cast - Gael García Bernal, Rodrigo De la Serna
Production Budget - N/A (low-budget)

One thing you can learn from Walter Salles is how to make a good movie with a low-budget. Apart from Dark Water (2005), most of his movies have received good reviews and it won't do him any harm if he sticks with foreign films. Linha de Passe (2008), Abril Despedaçado (2001) and Primeiro Dia, O (1998) are some of his award-winning low-budget foreign films. Most of his films are romantics or dramas, and I'm not a huge fan of either.

But, this is one film worth watching. I'm a personal fan of Che Guevara and that's one of the reasons why I enjoyed the movie. Beautiful cinematography takes you back to 1952; the director has used the absence of a tripod, on purpose, to his advantage. The psychological aspect of young Che (Gael García Bernal) is shown with commendable clarity.

The story is about a young Che Guevara, who goes on a road trip with his friend, Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna), before the last year of medical school. The trip presents Che with numerous examples of inequalities present in a democratic society, which ultimately helps him eliminate the uncertainty regarding the aim of his life. The trip reiterates his faith in socialism (his parents were leftists) and broadens his perspective pertaining to the use of guns to achieve a goal. The film starts with a youthful & care-free 'Fuser' and ends with a serious, matured and focused 'Che Guevara'.

Upsides: Realistic performances (especially Gael García Bernal), natural scenes and cinematography, sarcastic comedy

Downsides: Lack of light in dark scenes, invokes a bias held by the viewer (either for or against Guevara)

Tips: Read about Che Guevara before watching the movie

Trivia: When Ernesto and Alberto are at the Chuquicamata copper mine in Chile the foreman shouts that the mine isn't a tourist attraction. These days it is.

Overall, a 4.0/5.0

Links for you:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318462/

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/29924984/Dia.rios.De.Moto.cicleta.04.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/29928415/Dia.rios.De.Moto.cicleta.04.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/29929797/Dia.rios.De.Moto.cicleta.04.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/29931420/Dia.rios.De.Moto.cicleta.04.part4.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/29932989/Dia.rios.De.Moto.cicleta.04.part5.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/29934429/Dia.rios.De.Moto.cicleta.04.part6.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/29936470/Dia.rios.De.Moto.cicleta.04.part7.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/29934853/Dia.rios.De.Moto.cicleta.04.part8.rar

Subtitles:
http://rapidshare.com/files/29934496/Diarios.De.Motocicleta.2004.srt

A MOVIE QUIZ

http://quizzing-cowrouter.blogspot.com/2008/08/quiz-5.html

LEON (1994)

AKA - The Professional, The Cleaner

Tagline: If you want a job done well hire a professional.

Dir - Luc Besson

Genre - Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Cast - Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman

Production Budget - $16,000,000

This 1994 drama cum thriller by the director of Nikita (1990), Luc Besson, follows many of his other works; the build-up is beautiful, only to end in a way that leaves you a bit unsatisfied. The winner of a Cesar award for Best Director (The Fifth Element, 1997) and writer & producer of The Transporter (2002) uses his forte, of bringing the best out of his actors, to the max. The cream of the crop, Natalie Portman, puts up a stunning performance; hard to believe a 13 year old can act with such grace & ample maturity. Her debut film showed her potential, which she has justified in her other films like The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), V For Vendetta (2005) and in the Star Wars series as Padme Amidala. Jean Reno, is, as always; vintage Jean Reno. A special mention to Gary Oldman; great performance, his wicked persona literally brings the hatred, for his character, out of us.

Leon is about a man of the same name (Jean Reno), who works as a 'cleaner', a person who cleans up a murder, although Leon doubles up as a hitman too. At home, he lives a very sedate life with calisthenics, milk, his plant and his guns as his only interests, when one day, the family of a little girl living next door named Mathilda (Natalie Portman), gets murdered by CIA agents. Out of compassion for the little girl, Leon, reluctantly, saves her. Mathilda, bent on taking revenge for killing her little brother, implores Leon to teach her the trade of 'cleaning'. What transpires is for you to see.

Upsides: Exemplary performances, great script, subtle sarcasm

Downsides: Mathilda's training goes to waste (unlike Nikita), shoddy fight sequence

Trivia: During the filming involving all of the police cars on the street, a man ran from a store he had just robbed. When he encountered the movie set by accident, he saw all of the "police" and gave himself up to a bunch of uniformed extras.

Overall, a 3.75/5.0

Links for you:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110413/

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/22672741/LEON.BY.c0ckr0ach.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/22672709/LEON.BY.c0ckr0ach.part2.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/22672736/LEON.BY.c0ckr0ach.part3.rar
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http://rapidshare.com/files/22672671/LEON.BY.c0ckr0ach.part7.rar

Subtitles:

http://www.subtitles-divx.net/122525/Leon.html

UNTERGANG, DER (2004)

AKA - The Downfall

Tagline: April 1945, a nation awaits its...

Dir - Oliver Hirschbiegel
Genre - Drama, War, History, Biography
Cast: - Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Juliane Kohler, Heino Ferch
Production Budget - €13,500,000 ($20,270,000)

Downfall is a movie showcasing the end of the Hitler regime, including Hitler himself, in the perspective of his last secretary, Traudl Junge. The movie depicts the psychological state of the Fuhrer's mind during his last days, when it starts to dawn upon him that Germany is facing a downfall. Bruno Ganz (Hitler) performs brilliantly, one would not think that he is merely, acting as Hitler.

The rage, but at the same time, the helplessness that Hitler felt, when his own Generals ignored his orders is shown with immaculate perfection. The other characters, although supportive, dont shine out and only render help for the script to continue.

The war scenes are graphic and at par with Saving Private Ryan. The settings & scenes of the underground tunnel where Hitler and his Generals took shelter portray an authenticity to the whole canvas of the ongoing war.

Upsides: The authenticity that is conjured up by the combination of peformance, direction, screenplay & dialogues is something to look forward too.

Downsides: The movie somehwere loses the interest of the viewer when it moves away from the main character, i.e., Hitler. Moreover, the not-so-hot performances of the other characters add to this ordeal.

Trivia: (Pertaining to actual events) During the war, the majority of the cyanide capsules produced were made in the concentration camps, which made sabotage a real problem. This is one of the reasons why many Germans who committed suicide by cyanide also shot themselves to make sure they would die. This is also the reason why Hitler's beloved dog Blondi was poisoned; he wanted to make sure his batch of cyanide was not fake.

Rating: 3.25/5.0

Links for you:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363163/

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/23004284/Der.Untergang.part01.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/23005322/Der.Untergang.part02.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/23006154/Der.Untergang.part03.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/23007409/Der.Untergang.part04.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/23008547/Der.Untergang.part05.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/23009698/Der.Untergang.part06.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/23010699/Der.Untergang.part07.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/23011622/Der.Untergang.part08.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/23012859/Der.Untergang.part09.rar
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http://rapidshare.com/files/23015184/Der.Untergang.part12.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/23015473/Der.Untergang.part13.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/23015742/Der.Untergang.part14.rar

Subtitles:

http://www.subtitles-divx.net/d/189431/Der+untergang+%28The+Downfall%29.html

THE KITE RUNNER (2007)

Tagline: There is a way to be good again.

Dir - Marc Forster
Genre - Drama
Cast - Khalid Abdalla, Atossa Leoni, Shaun Toub, Homayoun Ershadi
Production Budget - $20,000,000

Here comes another one from Marc Forster. After watching the movie, you would understand how diverse the Director can get. He's not sticking to any sort of Genre for his films, instead, he's willing to experiment, explore his own potential & ultimately provide us with his multifarious talent.

Anyway, The Kite Runner is an adaptation from a best-selling novel of the same name, by Khaled Hosseini. The movie is set in both America and Afghanistan, during it's Soviet invasion era. It deals with the lives of two friends, Amir & Hassan, one is the master's son and the other is the servant's son. The future turns bleak for their friendship when Amir starts feeling jealous of Hassan, and unwillingly betrays Hassan's trust. Life moves on, but memories don't fade. The movie revolves around how Amir manages to make good out of what he had done as a child.

This is an Epic movie, i.e., travelling through different time spans. The story touches the soul, and forces us to think about our loved-ones. Sometimes, one would also feel the eeriness of being alone in a world full of people. And how the protagonist of the film, Amir, gathers up courage to fight this feeling & do what's right.

Upsides: The movie is brilliantly shot, capturing the beauty of the cold-desert region & the kite flying scenes are out of this world. In different time spans & in different countries, the indigenous quality of the movie remains intact throughout.

Downsides: The movie always seems to be going a little slower than usual.

Trivia: The four child actors, who worked for this movie, belong to Afghanistan, but had to move out of the country post this film, since they had a fear of being kidnapped by the Taliban due to their new found fame & wealth. Paramount has taken the responsibility to provide financial assistance to the Kids' upbringing until they reach their adulthood.

Rating: 3.5/5

Links for you:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419887/

Download:

CD1
http://rapidshare.com/files/97770735/dmd-kiterunner-cd1.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/97770556/dmd-kiterunner-cd1.part2.rar
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http://rapidshare.com/files/97771214/dmd-kiterunner-cd1.part7.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/97770222/dmd-kiterunner-cd1.part8.rar

CD2
http://rapidshare.com/files/97771259/dmd-kiterunner-cd2.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/97771258/dmd-kiterunner-cd2.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/97771237/dmd-kiterunner-cd2.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/97770617/dmd-kiterunner-cd2.part4.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/97770632/dmd-kiterunner-cd2.part5.rar
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http://rapidshare.com/files/97770674/dmd-kiterunner-cd2.part7.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/97770211/dmd-kiterunner-cd2.part8.rar

Subtitle:
http://www.subtitlesource.org/subs/16099/The.Kite.Runner.DVDRip.XviD-DiAMOND

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)

Tagline: Why So Serious?

Dir - Christopher Nolan
Cast - Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart
Genre - Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Production Budget - $180,000,000
Release Date - 18 July 2008

It's already been over three weeks and I rarely like writing a review for mainstream cinema, but I just couldn't stop myself.

Wow, what a movie! It's a testament to the fact that mainstream 'superhero' cinema is concentrating more on the mental aspects of the protagonist. Films based on comics are becoming more graphic (read Sin City (2005) and Hellboy II (2008)) and although The Dark Knight hasn't reached that point, it has all the characteristics it requires to reach out to a mature audience. Christopher Nolan has delivered... AGAIN, easily surpassing Batman Begins (2005) and matching the brilliance he showed in The Prestige (2006) and Memento (2000), and I've made a mental note to watch Following (1998).

Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is Gotham City's DA and with Batman's (Christian Bale) help, brings over 500 criminals to trial, making him an overnight superstar. The Joker (Heath Ledger) is hell bent on destroying the city's faith in law and order and is sick of the hypocritical minds which people conceal with moralistic masks.

The metier of this movie lies in The Joker's villainous intentions. It's not about money, not about pride or fame or any other physical gains. He just hates people. He hates them for being whited sepulchers and his urge to show this side of seemingly moralistic people drives him in his evil-doings. In a comparatively much more moderate way, you find it hard not to relate to him.

The script is excellent and the lack of non-sarcastic humor keeps the tension from breaking.

Upsides: Great action, superb performances (especially from Heath Ledger who, unfortunately, never got to see the movie) and subtle occurrences and dialog which all secure profound meaning

Downsides: No info on The Joker's past, Harvey Dent's slightly unconvincing transformation to Two-Face and the fact that the civilians didn't press the trigger (you'll know what I'm talking about if you've seen the movie; I felt Joker needed a psychological victory for all his efforts).

Trivia: Director Christopher Nolan and co-writers Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer decided not to explore the origins of The Joker, in order to portray the character as 'absolute'.

Overall, a 4.5/5.0

Links for you:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/138368047/tdn-bb4life.part1.rar.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/138372155/tdn-bb4life.part2.rar.html
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http://rapidshare.com/files/138393484/tdn-bb4life.part8.rar.html

STAY (2005)

Tagline: You Can't Stay Between the Living and the Dead.

Dir - Marc Forster
Cast - Ewan McGregor, Ryan Gosling, Naomi Watts
Genre - Thriller, Mystery, Drama

Production Budget - $50,000,000

This movie will take you for the ride you were not expecting. & whilst on the ride, you wouldn't be able to distinguish the Real from the Unreal. The film is a classic effort from a director known for his eccentric way of thought about film making. He will definitely give you something which is expected, i.e. The Unexpected. After this movie, i am eager to watch his other films as well, The Kite-Runner (2007), Stranger Than Fiction (2006), Monster's Ball (2001) and the long awaited Quantum Of Solace (2008 p.p.) - James Bond Flick.

Well, enough praise for the director, back to the movie - its about a Psychiatrist, his Artist GF, & his new Patient who is in a highly disturbed stage of his life. How everything starts mixing up, so fast and so unexpected, is for you to see. The cinematography is perfect, especially when you think about it in retrospect.

Regarding the performances, well... the actors are self established ones, and their performances live up to the public's expectations. Forgive me if I'm jumping to conclusions, but I see the next Joker in Ryan Gosling. I think he can take up the mantle after the mind - boggling performance by Heath Ledger (may god rest his soul) in The Dark Knight (2008).

Upsides: Dramatic scenes, ingenious scene transitions

Downsides: Requires too much concentration, inherent message remains lost

Trivia: Many extras in this film are showed doubled, even tripled in the background. Many a times, you can see two or three people walking side by side wearing the same clothes and carrying the same things.

Overall, a 3.5/5.0

Links for you:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371257/

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/31654646/Stay.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/31660581/Stay.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/31666065/Stay.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/31681601/Stay.part4.rar
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http://rapidshare.com/files/31692872/Stay.part6.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/31697818/Stay.part7.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/31698325/Stay.part8.rar

Subtitles:
http://www.allsubs.org/subs-download/stay-2005-english-vite/277646/1/

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