I have Richard from FS poking me for a top 10 so here's a quick skim of the 'Non-Hindi' films that left a positive impact with me in 2008 .. as with before, by no means are these the most successful or the best, it's entirely based on 'my' preference.. so here goes..

Bank Job, The - The true story of a heist gone wrong... in all the right ways. Set in the early 70's this caper is about a team of Londoners who manage to (to some degree by fluke) achieve things that they never would have dreamed of. It's a well put together flick with attention given to maintaining the feel of the era its set in.

Charlie Bartlett - Popularity is a state of mind. Well, that's something that Anton Yelchin will soon be, if he isn't already. He plays Kyle Reese in the new Terminator film, & I can already picture some of the audience turning back to see what else he's done & bumping into this under-rated gem. It's the story of a bored rich kid & how he deals with his boredom when transferred to a public school.

Charlie Wilson's War - Based on a true story. You think we could make all this up? To date, the only war film that I've considered watching again. Maybe because, it seemed apologetic to me, they felt sorry that they didn't do better & sooner, as well as the mess they left behind. Considering how ignorant I can be when it comes to sbjects outside of my forte', It was quite educational for me too. Backed with seasoned actors & a sense of humour, I have to say, it came as a total surprise, impressed & stuck with me.

Cloverfield - Some thing has found us. Some Godzilla style monster that we actually never see in detail. Why?! Because, it's not a traditional hero film where Will Smith or who have we saves the world with every government agency at his leisure, it's from a more real perspective. The man on the street flee-ing, trying to save his loved one. It had a unique novelty & buzz surrounding it & it delivered.

Cottage, The - I've said it time & again, I'm not a fan of horror. Add humour to the carnage & I'm sold. This one does just that. It's your typical-fare, out in the woods, crazy in-breds hunting down the outsider type stuff, but with humour. 2 men have kidnapped a girl for ransom & headed to the cottage. It's all the bickering & pre-carnage humour that cranks this up a notch.

Dark Knight, The - Why So Serious?! It was the god-damn Batman, it was amazing & it warrants being in the Top 10 films of the year, yet it's the one I was most reluctant about. It's an excellent follow-up to Batman Begins, with Heath Ledger stealing the show as The Joker, no doubt I will end up getting it on Blu-Ray soon enough, but it's definitely over-rated in the public eye.

Gone Baby Gone - Everyone Wants The Truth... Until They Find It. This film left me thinking, what would I have done in his place?! When a film has that level of power over you, they've done something right. It follows the investigation of a missing child, but leads to answers that are morally ambiguous, though tied up logically.

In Bruges - It's in Belgium. Shoot first, Sightsee later says the tagline as these assassins hide out, in Bruges. When one is instructed to dispose of the other & doesn't, the big boss is not happy. The most quotable film of the year, no doubt. Probably also one of the funniest. It's smart, witty & will leave you wondering about what it's like to be a 'dwarf'. With the exception of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, it's the one film this year that I've seen most times. It holds repeat watching value, and time after time it doesn't get any less funny.

Iron Man - Heroes Aren't Born, They're Built. When billionaire Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is kidnapped, under bad conditions, in some cave where he is imprisoned he builds a protective suit that allows him to escape unharmed. Mark 1. Upon his return to the USA, after having a Burger King he decides that he's Batman. I mean Iron Man & goes with it. In essence it's just another comic book character origins film, but it is great fun.

Rambo - People die. A lot. Every once in a while this is the sort of entertainment you need. Switch brain off, & watch one man take out an entire country with his bare hands, well a town & with guns & stuff, but you get what I'm saying. The only complaint I had with this film is that he spent too much time on that mini-gun. More archery would have been nice, but hey I still loved it.

A couple of International films I feel I should mention: Orfanato, El (Orphanage, The) - a horror without humour that I didn't mind, liked even. There is always something refreshing about seeing things from a child perspective. I'd recommend a rental of this at the very least.

The Good, The Bad, The Weird This one when I saw it a couple of months back was set for a December release, looking it up now it seems to have shifted to February, one worth keeping your eyes open for. Visually stunning, one of the best stylised films I saw this year, without a doubt, let down only by its story. If you've seen The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, you'll see exactly where it needs to go & the way this climax is reached, seemed a little forced.

Okay then, as the end of year approaches, let's have a brief (sarcasm - I rarely keep it brief) look at what was memorable. As a disclaimer of sorts, these are in no particular order of preference, in fact to avoid just that I have ordered them alphabetically. They are the 10 Bollywood films I most enjoyed this year & suggest you watch if you haven't already, this is not to suggest the others were crap, neither to suggest these are the best, after all, personal preference is too a factor, right? We're all allowed our guilty pleasures and I have knack for announcing mine proudly.

A factor I should point out is how I compile this list. I have a list of releases that I maintain on a weekly basis. I then pick out the films that I got the chance to see & then pick out 15-20 that I enjoyed, or rather remove all the stuff that I didn't and narrow down. At this stage it's tough, some flicks get pushed out though I enjoyed them & survival of the fittest takes cause, this said if I were to do it all over again, it would probably vary a little, so if you feel I'm doing injustice to something you loved by not having it here:
a) make your own list, I'm sure Richard would gladly publish it over at Filmstalker,
b) know that it's possible that it made the top 20, but that you'll NEVER know for sure unless you ask! :-P

Well here goes, I've tried to go by World-class production value & keep it fairly diverse:

Dostana - A love story with a twist is how they advertised this. I wouldn't have quite put it like that. I'd call it a comedy that pushes the envelope. The plot is basically that this gorgeous girl Neha (Priyanka Chopra) is seeking two 'female' flat-mates in her apartment. Enter Kunal (John Abraham) and Sameer (Abhishek Bachchan) who seek a flat quite urgently, they manage to convince her to take them on, despite her being apprehensive that there wouldn't be any awkwardness. How?! The guys pretend to be a gay couple. Mischief & mayhem ensue. They both try & make their advances towards her, while maintaining the public façade of being a couple, but in the end the film isn't really about that, it's about the fun ride and the friendship that forms between the three of them. Shot entirely in Miami, it's a fantastic feel-good entertainer..

Golmaal Returns - The Diwali film this year. A laugh-a-minute slapstick comedy sequel to Golmaal (which wasn't that great to be honest). Luckily, this is not a straight sequel, it has much of the same cast playing similar characters in a whole new story arc & backdrop. This means you don't have to have seen the original to get into it. This story arc is about a jealous wife (Kareena Kapoor), and a husband (Ajay Devgan) who realises the extent of her jealousy. He tries to spare the agony & repercussions of an event, by creating a fictional alibi. This goes terribly wrong, when a fictitious friend at a fictitious address actually happens to actually exist. All rather silly, but sometimes that's just what you need. The main strength here is that it's nothing short of hilarious.

Halla Bol - In sharp contrast to the above, this has Ajay Devgan play a fictional Bollywood Superstar, reminiscing his journey to achieve his stardom and the things he lost along the way. Things take a turn for the worse when a certain event triggers his conscience into gear. He realises that though he's been selfishly giving a blind eye to so many wrongs around him, these things have knock-on follow-ups that affect him & his own, even if indirectly. Taking a turn to try & fix his life, as always, is no easy battle. This film raises awareness into the more darker side of the film industry, but centrally is an entertainer about a hero & his righteous journey.

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na - To a degree, a generic-fare chick flick but there is a certain freshness in the actors & dialogue here that puts it up there as one of the most enjoyable films of the year. It's earned newcomer Imran Khan star-status practically over-night & I have to admit, though initially apprehensive, after seeing this I was pleasantly surprised to find it all the praise is well-deserved. A R Rehman's soundtrack was a definite plus too.

Jodhaa Akbar - This historical spectacle is about the Emperor Akbar (Hrithik Roshan) and his lady-love Jodhaa (Aishwarya Rai). It in a nutshell, it follows how they became a married couple & how she made a better man of him, but its strength lies in its moments. Though it has been criticised for skipping out on a lot of interesting history of the emperor, I'd say this was a necessary opportunity cost for the sake of having a coherent & linear story. There's no denying that much detail & effort has been put into the sets & costumes. Visually it pays of, it looks fantastic, epic even.

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - Shah Rukh Khan's only full-feature of 2008, it was bound to rake in the money, that was a given. Whether the film delivered the quality expected with such a name attached was in question. It has been getting mixed reviews, but from my point of view (SRK fan-boy bias aside), it's a well-structured film, one of the few this year that uses its songs as a narrative progress rather than promotional tool. Worth a watch if your expectations aren't sky high due to the director's prior works. Of the lot, I'd say if you're a recent Bollywood consumer, this is a traditional slice of what it's more commercial side offers.

Roadside Romeo - Disney teams up with Yashraj Films to give us this animation flick about a stray dog finding his way in the streets in true Bollywood style. It keeps the story relatively simple, almost generalising to the point it shows a lot of reflection to Hindi films of the 60's and 70's, but the main focus is the showcase of computer graphics & though it's not quite polished enough to be mistaken for Pixar, it's not far off. A healthy team-up in Productions for sure.I look forward to what they might conjure up next.

Rock On! - Perhaps a little stereo-typical here, but it's a story of a bunch of youngsters who had a Rock Band and parted ways under not-so-nice terms. Years later when fate brings them back together, they've all evolved but still have that unquenched desire to Rock On! If it wasn't for the supreme music of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy this could have sunk lower than the Titanic. Thankfully as well as an awesome soundtrack that it hinges on, the performances & direction too are convincing & te characters are difficult not get attached to, leaving us with a happy-go-lucky flick that inspires the artiste in us.

Sarkar Raj - This is a sequel to the 2005 film Sarkar, which was a re-imagination and an official tribute to The Godfather from Ram Gopal Varma. Though it almost mirrored the story, one large change was made. The Godfather lived. The sequel is no longer attached to the Godfather franchise, it simply follows on from where the first film left off & shows how the ruling of the Nagre family holds its footing and power. There are new characters in the form of allies & enemies. What will keep you engrossed is the on-going twists & turns that unravel in one of the smartest political thrillers I've seen to date.

U, Me aur Hum - This is the love story of Ajay and Pia (real life couple Ajay & Kajol Devgan), who meet on a ship. She works as a bar-maid, he gets served & he's already fallen in love. The duration of the cruise is spent with his numerous attempts to win her over. Eventually, she caves. They marry, have a family & then she falls ill. She starts forgetting things. I found this a very sensitive and emotional film, though there are similarities here with The Notebook & even 50 First dates to some point, it's in a whole different time frame. Its focusses shift away from both those inspirations and individually raise the question of whether sending patients to an institute is actually helping or is it giving up on them. I'll admit it, it's a tear-jerker, grab your tissues, lots of them.

Okay, though that wraps up the 10, I really need to mention that there are films that released this year that I didn't see and really really still want to. These definitely would have been considered for this list had I seen them. I feel very bad about this, since they didn't make it to an area where I could catch them (legally). The films are: A Wednesday!, Dasvidaniya, Mumbai Meri Jaan, Aamir, Tahaan and Fashion. It really is a shame that these more hard-hitting and non-commercial flicks don't get the exposure that they deserve.

Something to work on for sure, but how?! Ideas most welcome. My approach currently tends to be to try & raise awareness within crowds that I feel would appreciate them but otherwise never hear of them, such as a subset of the readers here, but I really hope to find a channel to do more than just that.

So, the fairy-tale story teller is back upto his tricks, directing again after an 8 year, 2 month hiatus. Let's go over the history here first for those that aren't in the know.

Diwali of 1995 came his directional debut: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. A story that expanded its audience-base by encompassing the NRI (Non-Residential Indian) within its central character base. At the time, this wasn't unheard of, but it wasn't a common occurence. It's only fair to say it was widely appreciated & accepted as the new hip approach to films. Many numerous films have followed from here. Yet, nobody had expected the epic success the film would become. If you ask me, I'll admit that though it is an amazing film to watch, the success attached to it got out of control. Way out of control. It wasn't 'that' great. The closest example I can think of in recent times is The Dark Knight. There's no denying it was pretty damned good, but should it be labelled one of the best films of all time within minutes of its release?

Now when you've made a debut that is one of the longest running films of all time in the country (India), with cinema halls dedicated to showing it 'many years' later, the people's expectations are going to weigh pretty heavily. So, what happened? 5 years later, as the DVD for DDLJ had finally released, In Diwali of 2000, he brought us Mohabbatein. To a large extent he played it safe here. As well as making a pretty good feel-good film, he had another card up his sleeve that guaranteed the success & ofcourse the moolah.

Amitabh Bachchan (or Big B as he's fondly referred to) has been the icon that labelled Bollywood since the 70's with nobody matching that level of star value, except, perhaps in the last decade or so, Shah Rukh Khan. So what's to happen if the arguably 2 most popular & publicised faces of the Bollywood film industry, were to be sharing space on-screen for the first time? Damned straight, that Diwali there were fireworks & it raked in the money just as anticipated.

Another 8 years pass. Diwali 2008 -- Nope. For some reason the film isn't ready for a Diwali release, maybe he's thinking he hasn't got a good enough film for a Diwali release, or maybe I'm reading into it too much & they simply don't want to clash with other films being released by the same distributor (Dostana & Roadside Romeo were out around Diwali). Hmm ..

So, in front of Dostana, I see this trailer for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, having only seen the 2 posters up to this point. The story here appeared to be as simple as: Middle-class geek has makeover to impress the girl in the backdrop of Punjab.

I took this away & had a real think about it, will the film really just be that? I mean sure, that can work, but what about the expectations attached to this. Then it hit me, this film in some ways is all about notching the expectation mark lower. I read somewhere the next day that the entire feature is shot in India, and it only took 4 months to shoot, & like an epiphany it all now makes sense.

To a degree having seen it now, I was right, but where I was wrong came as a surprise. I almost underestimated its content. So having banged on about everything but the film, I'll now get to it.

Kidnap'

Plot Outline:
When Dr. Mallika (Vidya Malvade) asks her daughter Sonia (Minissha Lamba) what she wants for her 18th birthday, Sonia tells her she wants her Dad. Mallika divorced Vikrant Raina (Sanjay Dutt) when Sonia was just 10. The bitter custody battle was settled in Mallika's favor and Sonia has not met her father for eight long years. Rebellious Sonia is hell-bent on meeting her dad, but Mallika does not want her to have anything to do with him. After a spat between mother and daughter, Sonia walks off in a huff and doesn't return.

Mallika panics when she gets a call from a stranger that he has kidnapped Sonia. The kidnapper, Kabir (Imran Khan), has only one demand - that he will negotiate with nobody but Sonia's father - Vikrant Raina. Reluctantly Mallika brings Vikrant back into their lives to save Sonia. Vikrant Raina, one of the richest Indians in the world, with a net worth of 51.7 billion dollars obliges without a second thought, after all his daughters' life is at stake, but he chokes at the thought of taking orders from a criminal.

Kabir holds the trump card though. His intentions & his plan are what form the crux of the story.

Pretty knackered in the lounge of the Picture House, I contemplate whether I should see this or not. On my twitter feed @filmstalker warns me to avoid it. I leave a message asking why and go in anyway. The curtain opens, the film begins, or does it?

In the City of Sylvia'
En la ciudad de Sylvia

Plot Outline:
A young man (Xavier Lafitte) arrives in Strasbourg and spends his days sitting at an outdoor café, sketching the figures of the women around him, patiently waiting for Sylvia, the woman that he fell in love with six years earlier, to appear.

He finally thinks he sees her in Ella (Pilar López de Ayala) and gives chase, but it turns out to be someone else. He resumes his quest for his lost love and the innocence he longs to regain. Sylvia's presence lingers, but it is impossible to return to the past.

Overall Impressions:
So, as I was saying above Mr. FilmStalker warned me about this. The film had begun but appeared to be very still. The guy in it was pencilling something. A couple of minutes later, things begin to kick off. Well, I say that but there was a lot of still camera following certain angles of streets.

UK Shorts 2'

Title: Home Time
Runtime: 6 mins
Directed by: Natalie Brady
Synopsis: D At the end of a school day there's one girl in the playground who doesn't want to go home.
Quite a subtle way of story telling through indicating rather than show & tell. I certainly think this should be practised more often in film, but I understand why it isn't seen too often, its a tough balance to set. Good to see it done well here.

Title: Breath
Runtime: 11 mins
Directed by: Mark Gillespie
Synopsis: Hard hitting drama based around the delivery of a donor organ.
Though it was emotionally balanced & encompassed well distinguished characters. The hero on the motorbike, the hopeful parents, the innocent child, the irresponsible driver. There were a limited umber of ways it could pan out & so I began looking more at the locations & background music used & this is what struck me as more impressive than the story. A good portfolio film I feel, execution above content would be my criticism for it, but that could be its strength if used/pitched accordingly..

Title: I Was Here
Runtime: 12 mins
Directed by: Richard Porter
Synopsis: The story of a man who decides not to go to work one day. He simply walks away, with no idea of where he will go or what he will encounter.
With absolutely no dialogue, again music came as a saviour for it. Though nearer the beginning I wondered if this is going anywhere, by the end I looked at the character with some envy. I wish I had more days like that. In the rut that becomes work/home routine, it is unfortunate to simply just not have the time to 'get away'. Even precious holidays (a measley 25 days or so) have to be managed carefully. Here I am using them up at film-festivals. *sighs* ..such is life.

Title: Home
Runtime: 11 mins
Directed by: Debs Gardner-Paterson
Synopsis: Sometimes leaving brings you back.
This was the mandatory grim one. There's always one. It deals well with handling past & present & I did take away some sort of message out of it. Which is where I feel depressing tales quite often fail. I find I want to receive some sort of small reward if I have to endure pain that these characters I invest in endure. Here I walked away with more than just 'home' being where the heart is, but that giving up, attempting suicide is just passing the misery on to another. Its quite irresponsible. Hopefully the idiots that keep dropping off at Surbiton might see this.

Title: Legion of Plotters
Runtime: 10 mins
Directed by: Tom Martin
Synopsis: Conspiracy or paranoia? Plagued by a deluge of aggravations, Mr Jasper draws a dark conclusion. Adapted from a short story by Richard Matheson.
Another befriended film-maker. I pretty much made the effort to come see this batch at 10:30 on a Saturday morning primarily because it was the only time I'd get the chance to see his film. On the corner of your mind you always have that concern that you might not like it. What then? How will you face this 'friend'?! Thankfully, it held up as the best of the lot. *phew*

It was very well edited, from the very opening, the credits impressed. Seeing Richard Mathesons' name stamped on it impressed even more & the dark humour worked a treat for me. If anyone follows me on twitter they'd probably see why this would appeal to somebody like me. Those plotters really are out there I tell you, in the form of cute & cuddly 'infants'. Grrrr

Even as the credits closed I was left with an additional unexpected chuckle.

Title: The Imaginary Girl
Runtime: 11 mins
Directed by: Richard Porter
Synopsis: Seven year old Amy, whose recently separated parents hold different views on her social development, is enthralled in her world of make-believe.
When writing comments for these films, some times this is the 1st time I have read the synopsis & it's interesting how some appeal more on paper & some don't feel quite what I saw. In this case, the film sells itself better than he synopsis. The 'mother' was so irritating I wanted to shoot her myself. Unfortunately she doesn't get shot in the film either, but she got close.

What we see the child going through is infuriating. It actually reflected an old memory a little too close to home to be honest, but I cant hold it against the guy. A job well done uncovering old wounds Richard!! :-P

Title: Crosswords
Runtime: 10 mins
Directed by: James Malcolm
Synopsis: Mrs Mitchell thinks people are sending her messages through crosswords. Her eccentric house, packed floor to ceiling with thousands of old puzzles, is about to be targeted by the Pristolux Homecore Company.Dark humour. Love it. A brilliant atmosphere for it. The ending too nailed it. Stupid Man. Stupid Hoover. lol

Thoughts Overall: I didn't dislike any. Not that many of you will get the chance, but these were the unmissable ones. Glad I missed the screening earlier in the week, else following batches would have had too much to live up to.

Best of ..
Screen East
Digital Shorts'

To coincide with the launch of the 2009 scheme, a selection of films from past years will be screened followed by a Q&A session with a past writer director and Sam Burton, Executive Producer of the scheme.

The Lineup:
THE TECHNICAL HITCH Director: Jon Dunleavy. 2006. Written by Luke Wright
MONOCULTURE Director: Jason Cuddy. 2007. Written by Simon Edmondson
BILLY'S DAY OUT Director: Iain B Macdonald. 2005. Written by Antony Mann
BLASTED ANGELS Director: Ian Claxton. 2006. Written by Paul Burke
BLOOD ON HIS HANDS Director: Justin Coleman. 2007. Written by Justin Coleman

"The Technical Hitch" was a refreshing little animation with poetic narration, that used some profanities when I least expected, humorously I might add. It came across as symbolic of chaos being a part of the larger order & somewhat also the butterfly effect of cause & effect. It was pleasant to watch visually too. Worth seeing if you see it on show anywhere.

"Billy's Day Out" and "Blasted Angels" with a lack of synopsis *shame on you Screen-East people* .. I can't actually recall at the moment. I'll edit if it comes to me. Blatantly they didn't leave too much of an impression. This is probably due to the above & below being the standout ones.

2 of these badgers I'd seen last year, my thoughts towards them haven't differed:

Title: Blood on his Hands
Runtime: 9 mins
Directed by: Justin Coleman
Synopsis: James must make a decision about his brothers killer....
A drug addict, should he be allowed he chance to be rehabilitated or should he get the harshest of all penalties through the law? A thought provoking little short, that leaves the resolution open to the individual.

Title: Monoculture
Runtime: 9 mins
Directed by: Jason Cuddy
Synopsis: Harry grows a magical plant and finds happiness, but can he keep it?
By far the best short I have seen here so far. In black & white we see the monotonous lie of a young man, late o work, day & night at work, ending up home, only to rise another day to a similar routine. Until he gets his hands on some seeds that he decides to plant. As the plant flourishes it brings colour to his life & everything that he allows.

He finds himself, living the colourful life with a partner, decorating every aspect of hs life, until the plant itself gets neglected and wilts. Slowly he ends back into the monotone that he originally began in. There is a message here. It's the little things in life that make itcolourful & worth living. It's crucial to remember that these roots need watering, whatever they are.

Thoughts Overall: I think I'm confident enough now, maybe I should apply for this scheme.

International Shorts 2: Lost and Found'

Title: Dear Fatty
Runtime: 7 mins
Directed by: Hsin-I Tseng<
Synopsis: In this stop-motion animation,a little girl is writing a letter to her runaway hamster "Fatty" and wondering about its experiences in the outside world.
My thoughts as I saw this & afterwards was largely envy. Children have a certain innocence that is enviable. The animation was fitting, but what grasped me was the voice-over of a child. It made the film come to life. Wondering about thins that realistically would be far more harsh. I found it touching.
You can see 30 seconds of it here:

Title: The Back Room
Runtime: 17 mins
Directed by: Greg Ivan Smith
Synopsis: Two utter strangers uncover astonishing connections as they search for a mysterious Renaissance painting.
A man trying to close up a book store 10 minutes earlier than closing time was somebody you were sympathetic to. Enter the conflict, the big hefty guy that 'may' be a problem. The common ground they find was believable. The fairy-tale ending they go for not-so-much. It ruined it a little for me. Had they simply left together, this would have been okay.

Title: For You My People
Runtime: 5 mins
Directed by: Jose Pablo Gonzalez
Synopsis: An animated short film that tells the compelling story of a senator who must confront his secret deeds of corruption.
I think the message here was Corrupt Politician pays for this that & the other being covered up, and parallel to this greets all the victims of such as equal individuals publicly. Either that or I missed the plot. Interesting use of animation though. Would be interesting to see what else this guy has done.

Title: Radu and Ana
Runtime: 8 mins
Directed by: Paul Negoescu
Synopsis: Radu is the unluckiest guy on earth. Things might change. Or not.
The pick of the lot for being the stand-out comedic one. The escalation of things that went wrong for the poor guy, really were rather amusing as well as making him a character you wanted things to go better for. When a motion of events that look like its looking up for him finally, I did find myself wanting that for him. Does it happen? Well Yes & No. Definitely worth checking out f you see it screening anywhere.

Title: Amma (Mother)
Runtime: 5 mins
Directed by: Aparna Kapur
Synopsis: After receiving a ball of yarn at her grandmother's deathbed, Mia diligently begins to knit a weave that will eventually reunite the two of them.
The use of animation showing progression of one life to the next, how generations & legacies evolve (if I interpreted that right), has been done a number of times, but the music really had be involved in this one. It was pretty amazing. Another person I'll be keeping my eye open for. I've been listing to the Maa (Mother) song from Taare Zameen Par on repeat since I saw this yesterday.

Title: Girl in Red Sarong
Runtime: 13 mins
Directed by: Jeremy Sing
Synopsis: A spoof of a Singapore national icon, told through a day-in-the-life tale of Leng, a waitress who is simply, trying to survive.
The maker of this one had flown in from Singapore & I kinda felt bad for him, for I didn't understand the film. I saw him around later, but didn't mention the film. I feel kinda bad now, I probably should have pressed him for an explanation of some sort, but I think that it was quite a cultural thing. A woman struggling to pay her rent manages to find work by her traditional garments or something?! It was well-shot, at least I can say that

Thoughts Overall: This has been the best set of shorts I've seen yet. Either that or my attention span is getting worse & worse. Though I wouldn't say I liked them all, I do feel I took away more from these than I did prior screenings. All of them had something for me.

International Shorts 1: Sensitive Souls'

Title: Punch
Runtime: 10 mins
Directed by: Sotiris Dounoukos
Synopsis: In a city of beauty and noise, a broken man tries to escape his pain and loneliness by playing the clown he feels like...
I didn't see it as hugely original, yet it engaged me emotionally. It reminded me of a scene from Mera Naam Joker (My Name is Joker) which covered 3 acts, as 3 different time periods in the life of a clown, but what differed was that this clown was only a clown to us as a viewer, to the surrounding people on-screen he was being treated as just another person seeking some attention, which I'd say was its hook.

Title: Hello, Goodbye
Runtime: 16 mins
Directed by: Antoine Bourges
Synopsis: A short drama that depicts the first and last day of a foreign student in Vancouver, from his initial observations to his last farewells.
Discussing with one of the other film-makers, there was more to read in here than I initially anticipated. It follows an interns beginning & end at a school for architecture, which was engaging enough in itself. However there was something larger her in his actual project. I'd be interested in seeing it again to see if my thoughts change on how I interpreted this part.

Title: Puppies & Pickup Trucks
Runtime: 18 mins
Directed by: Vincent Biron
Synopsis: The chronicle of a dying childhood.
Absolutely hated it. Something terrible happens & I empathised with the boy, however this was simply it. Very little followed events-wise, lamentation which didn't suffice for me as a resolution to what we'd been put through as a viewer.

Title: Dreamers
Runtime: 14 mins
Directed by: Vlamyr Vizcaya
Synopsis: A tender coming of age story in a crude world!
Another dud for me I'm afraid. The fact t hat only the next day I can't even remember this short shows how much of an impact it left on me.

Title: Man
Runtime: 15 mins
Directed by: Myna Joseph
Synopsis: Maggie and her sister form an unusual bond during an encounter with a young man.
This one was interesting. I'm not sure how often this sort of thing happens in real life, where an online relationship comes to life when a boy & girl finally meet & decide to fornicate on that first meeting, but having the sister there in this instance made it odd & interesting. On the one hand the one sister was the cause & on the other she was trying to protect her sister. There was also a sense of envy here. The mix of emotions is what made this believable & engaging.

Title: Legacy
Runtime: 15 mins
Directed by: Grant Sputore
Synopsis: A coming of age story - an account of innocence lost and a life saved in Australia during World War ll.
I befriended the maker of this a few days earlier, so I'm a little conflicted about reviewing it, but I will anyway. The World War setting put me off a little, just as its a genre I don't tend to get on too well with. This said, the message of the story (even relayed in its title) was clear & well portrayed. It leaves us with he question of whether our duty to our own outweighs the progression of oneself.

In this instance, it is a story of a War Veteran drunk father, a young soldier son who is seeing himself becoming his father, while trying to convince the younger son, his brother, to 'not' follow in his own or his fathers' footsteps. The resolution being left quite open though hinting towards a specific angle.

Thoughts Overall: Bar the two films that I found pretty dull, this was a good batch. I did have concerns about them because they were largely over 10 minutes, which means they need to be good to not bore me, but they panned out quite well. Rather impressed.

This film I'll admit, I saw for Sarah Connor. I feel quite like Linda Hamilton, a label is being attached to Lena Headey although it's also allowing her an emergence to a larger audience. Provided she keeps doing roles outside of Terminator, I feel she has scope for larger things. It obviously helps that she's far from bad looking. ;-)

The Brøken'

Plot Outline:
Having premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival as a part of the 8 Films to Die For theme, this film follows the story of a woman in London.

Gina (Lena Headey) wakes up in the hospital following an encounter with a mysterious doppelganger. Her life begins to turn sour & ridden with nightmares as she tries to come to grips with the incident.

In the process of trying to make sense of her repressed memories of the incident, she thinks she sees herself drive past in her own car. Stunned by this strange event, Gina follows the mystery woman up to her apartment.

From here, events take an unexpected turn for the worse, to the point where Gina's awareness slides from solid reality into a world that will haunt more than just her nightmares.

UK Shorts 3'

Title: Speechless
Runtime: 8 mins
Directed by: James Cooper
Synopsis: D has plenty of time on his hands. He could be doing all sorts of things.... but generally he isn't doing very much. Disillusioned with just about everything around him, he takes solace in gangsta rap, bags of family sized crisps, chips, sausages... and 'texting'.
By far, the funniest of the lot. I'd actually like to get hold of this at some point to show a few friends, where its all at. Conveying takes skill. Conveying without words is a good way of practising this. Which was in part what I was going for when I wrote 'Building Character'. Kudos for pulling it off with numerous laughs.

Title: Time Out
Runtime: 8 mins
Directed by: Angus Gafraidh
Synopsis: What would you do if you could see twenty four hours into the future?
This was humorous & well executed, but it it did have a dash of familiarity about it. The concept is not all-that original. Numerous TV shows through the years have been based upon it. Though technically this doesn't affect the end-product, it did notch it down a bit in my liking of it.

Title: Terrafarmer
Runtime: 2 mins
Directed by: Will Adams
Synopsis: A lone astronaut attempts to terraform a hostile planet with a malfunctioning robot as his only companion.
This felt like a showcase of 3d Animation. Humerous yes, but perhaps too short to actually get into. Perhaps an impressive series lies ahead?

Title: Blunder
Runtime: 8 mins
Directed by: Simon J Riley
Synopsis: A sales rep, witnesses the kidnapping of a female jogger whilst driving to meet a client. After following the kidnapper to his house and trying to save the jogger, Jack realises things aren't quite what they seem.
This went well for its first half, the setup & tension were working well upto a point. Once the story unfolded, it lost steam & became predictable.

Title: The Legend of Ol' Goldie
Runtime: 8 mins
Directed by: Matthew Snyman
Synopsis: A fairytale about a boy and his only friend... his pet goldfish. The thing is, Goldie isn't your average Goldfish.
The clichéd arguing parents annoyed, but the story of a boy with a pet & how it became a lasting friendship was engaging. Overall, I felt sort of neutral about it.

Title: And The Man is Born
Runtime: 9 mins
Directed by: Pravel Prokopic and Marie Morgan
Synopsis: A comedy of life's disappointments for one young woman. Realising her dreams never felt so bad.
Just plain weird & not in a good way. I don't have much else to say.

Title: Sun in the Night
Runtime: 4 mins
Directed by: Anne Wilkins
Synopsis: A mother hopelessly waits for her lost son to return, whilst her young daughter plays with a strange imaginary friend.
You can actually watch it yourself here:

Title: 21 Seconds
Runtime: 9 mins
Directed by: Ru McArdle
Synopsis: A gritty romantic tragedy. Maddie is looking for a place to commit suicide; security guard Keith is out to save her. Fairytale ending? Definitely not.
This felt too silent. It had an interesting use of motion to encompass the business surround the principal characters, however the story for me fell flat. 2 self-absorbed, self-pitying losers whine about how their life sucks. I must admit I wanted them to meet & suddenly be happy, even though it wouldn't be realistic, but instead it ends with more moping. Boo hoo. Die already! Sound too harsh?

Title: Charon
Runtime: 13 mins
Directed by: Chiara Ambrosio
Synopsis: Charon, the mythic ferryman over the river Styx, sails off on a journey to recover his childhood and mortality. This is a film about loss, mortality and time.
The use of puppets impressed, but it ran too slow in showing off this very skill. I did feel for the old chap working so hard for a little bit of peace & rest. I think it was supposed to be a deep & meaningful portrayal of the generations before us, which does come through, just too slowly.

Title: Sundays
Runtime: 6 mins
Directed by: Sarah Bick
Synopsis: A visual study of spending Sundays in make-believe. Because six bad days is bearable. Seven is not.
A visual study yes. A film no.

Thoughts Overall: As a set of shorts, a better ratio of good stuff to so-so stuff compared to the 'UK Shorts 1' programme, largely I assume this is because of the humour factor. What can I say? I like to be entertained.

This film is a large production, you'll probably see posters for it if you keep your eyes open. This thought it was a great film to watch was a bit of a mistake on my part, as I would certainly have had a chance to see it again in a few weeks time, plus, the alternative "The Man from London" I hear is fantastic, but isn't getting the deserved attention (ie; Limited showings worldwide & hence no 'wide' release).

I've Loved You So Long'
Il y a longtemps que je t'aime

Plot Outline:
In this gentle yet suspenseful drama, two sisters attempt to
reconstruct their relationship after a long separation, as haunting family secrets slowly emerge.

Juliette (Kristin Scott Thomas) has been abroad for fifteen years for mysterious reasons and is outcast by her family. On her return, only her sister Léa (Elsa Zylberstein) is willing to take her in, but Juliette's presence disturbs the household, as Léa's husband is deeply suspicious of her sudden reappearance in their lives.

This is the story of her gradually finding acceptance within a family now alien to her & in the process finding her own capacity to heal from the past that haunts her.

UK Shorts 1'

Title: Hand Gum
Runtime: 9 mins
Directed by: James Farrant
Synopsis: A poetic study on the cruelty and innocence of youth in modern society.
Interesting representation of when kids just aren't innocent any more. Like with plants, they should be grown under controlled conditions & given a lot of attention, else hey're just weeds!

Title: Trip
Runtime: 9 mins
Directed by: Harry Wootliff
Synopsis: An emotional tale of what happens when a father tries to do the right thing by his two daughters but chooses the worst way to go about it.
The synopsis pretty much sums up what I thought of it. You see it from the outset that it can't end well, but he 'tries', bless him.

Title: K
Runtime: 20 mins
Directed by: Piers Thompson
Synopsis: 15-year-old Kaylee encounters an enigmatic stranger who compels her to re-evaluate her future.
This was pretty slow, pretty long & pretty boring to be honest. Largely I think a lack of background score, really didn't help it here, but I just found it a bit pointless, which is okay for a short short, not for something greater than 10 minutes

Title: Ripple
Runtime: 18 mins
Directed by: Paul Gowers - Official Site
Synopsis: A black comedy. One small random act of malice forces an ordinary man off the safe road and on to a dark journey that he'll never forget.
This was pretty funny, the over-use of profanities may not be comfortable for 'everyone', but the concept & execution otherwise is pretty good. it's a simple story of a bad day escalating for a man. Nicely done. When a short film is over 10 minutes long & doesn't make me want it to end, they've done well. This one I could have watched as even longer, the escalation was engaging, the music suited it too.
I managed to find a trailer for it:

Title: Veils
Runtime: 13 mins
Directed by: Dan Susman
Synopsis: Veils is a story about a Jewish girl and a Palestinian guy on their wedding day. But this is not a standard Romeo and Juliet story of forbidden love..
This was looking predictable, but interesting none-the-less, but they then ruined it by putting in a twist for the sake of having one. Easily done I suppose. I wonder if my next short will have a twist?!

Title: Tide
Runtime: 4 mins
Directed by: Felix Wiedemann
Synopsis: He kisses her. Is this the beginning of a great love - or the end ? A short film which plays with the audience's perception - backwards.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, its short (like shorts should be) & captures you unaware. It took me a moment to realise it was backwards (which you do eventually). However the way it plays with perception was quite smart. Interestingly, my friend didn't pick up what was going on until I explained.

Thoughts Overall: As a set of shorts, with the exception of Ripple, they were a little serious for my liking, but a decent compilation that improved within its duration. I take away Ripple as most humorous, but Tide left me most moved.

The concept of this film had me intrigued at the very outset, I suppose this is a good sign. From a mere synopsis, if you're already intrigued, compelled to see it, something definitely went right.

Lufbusiness'

Plot Outline:
Looking for some easy money, three young homeless drop-outs are introduced to the idea of auctioning over the internet (eBay). Considering they have no real material possessions, they think hard about the potential things they could attempt to sell. They think overnight as to what they possess, which they could do without & decide to auction parts of their lives.

One of the kids sells his future, one sells his past (his childhood). The third sells his soul. What begins as a simple joke gets a little more serious once the bidding begins.

When the auctions complete and they come to discover that they've sold their very existences, the effects upon them are intense & unpredictable. Naturally at this stage, there are no refunds...

They say the first film you watch at a film festival stays with you for the life of the festival. They don't actually say that at all, but maybe they should. Last year I saw 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' & it did become the most memorable film of the festival, the year before I only saw the one programme so it still holds for that year. This year, its early days, ask me on the 29th :)

Gomorrah'

Plot Outline:
Winner of the Cannes Grand Prix this summer for its ground-breaking adaptation of Robert Saviano's best-selling book (The non-fiction book that has raised mob threats that in turn have forced Saviano into hiding.)

In a nutshell, it's a reality-based depiction of the destructive and pervasive impact of organised crime on ordinary people. It focuses on five almost independent groups of people, that have one thing in common besides being in the working-class suburbs of Naples. They're all on some level involved with the mob.

The film journeys into a nightmarish landscape of crumbling concrete housing blocks and polluted wastelands to show us everyday lives corrupted by crime.

Pineapple Express'

Plot Outline:
Dale Denton (Seth Rogan) is a slacker. He appreciates his job as a process server because it gives him plenty of time to smoke marijuana. His dream is to be a radio talk show host, and he frequently calls into talk shows to talk about how marijuana should be legal. He also is dating a high school senior, Angie (Amber Heard). She wants him to meet her parents but he is afraid to.

Dale has only one reason to visit his dealer Saul Silver (James Franco) & that is 'to purchase weed'. After a small fight with Angie, Dale visits him. Saul sells him a rare new strain called Pineapple Express.

When Dale becomes witness to a murder by a crooked cop and the city's most dangerous drug lord, he panics and dumps his roach of Pineapple Express at the scene. Dale now has another reason to visit Saul: to find out if the weed is in fact so rare that it can be traced back to him -- and it is.

As Dale and Saul run for their lives, they quickly discover that they're not just suffering from weed-fuelled paranoia: incredibly, the bad guys really are hot on their trail and trying to figure out the fastest way to kill them both.

Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The'

Plot Outline:
Set during World War II, this is a story seen through the innocent eyes of Bruno (Asa Butterfield), the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp. Unaware of the reason behind the War, he becomes friends with a Jewish boy, named Shmuel, who has been put in the camp at the bottom of Bruno's garden. This forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and unexpected consequences.

Overall Impressions:
You know there's not all that much to say. It was a simple sad story, that was conveyed well. Rather predictable in its content, I still found it shocking at a couple of particular points. From what I saw here I'm tempted to have a read of the novel its based on, so it certainly left an impact, but it's the child perspective that sells this rather than the events. There was some great acting from every one of the cast, but the 2 children can be singled out as the stars of the show.

It was perhaps a little odd to find the Germans speaking in British accents, but you know the score, if you sound British, you're either Hugh Grant or you're 'evil'. Here obviously this equates to the latter, (if you see them as different entities).

Overall, a decent period drama from the refreshing perspective of the naive & young. I wouldn't recommend it for the faint-hearted, but if you're looking for an engaging drama, it pulls at the right strings to get those emotions rolling.

Step Brothers'

Plot Outline:
Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) is a thirty-nine-year-old who has never left home and lives with his divorced mother, Nancy Huff (Mary Steenburgen). Dale Doback (John C. Reilly) is a forty-year-old who is quite similar in many respects. He too has never left home and lives with his widower father, Dr. Robert Doback (Richard Jenkins).

Both of them are unemployed and have been living off the goodness of their parents their whole lives. When Nancy meets Robert; they instantly fall in love. They marry, and move into Robert's home. The two sons are forced to live together in the same room as step brothers.

Initially they hate each other, but it doesn't take too loong for them to discover that they are not all that different. They are both practically 12-year-olds trapped in adult bodies living with their parents totally dependant upon them.

They become best of friends, and when everything is finally going well for them, their parents decide to kick them out, because they are getting a divorce. Their lives are about to change, and they must finally grow up if they're going to be able to survive in the big bad world.

Bangkok Dangerous'

The Pang Brothers have remade one of their own earlier works here going by the same title. I haven't seen it, have added it to my rental list now though. An interesting difference was that the Hitman in the original was deaf & dumb (with probably a better suited haircut).

Plot Outline:
Hitman Joe (Nicolas Cage) goes to Bangkok on an assignment to kill four people. He collects his resources & hires a local pickpocket Kong (Shahkrit Yamnarm) as his disposable errand boy, so that he has a medium between himself & his employer. As their relationship develops, Kong becomes Joe's student instead of one of his victims.

He begins enquiring and commenting on Joe's victims being bad people. Though he answers that it doesn't matter, that they're "bad for someone", it does awaken his conscience. When his fourth and final target turns out to be a politician beloved to the local people, including Kong, Joe hesitates to kill him. In the world of hired guns, hesitation has dire consequences.

Babylon A.D'

Plot Outline:
Veteran-turned-mercenary Toorop (Vin Diesel) takes the high-risk job of escorting a woman from Russia to America. 'Little does he know' that she is host to an organism that a cult wants to harvest in order to produce a genetically modified Messiah.

Overall Impressions:
Okay, here's the deal. Based on a French novel called Babylon Babies by Maurice G. Dantec which I haven't read & can't hence comment on, the film seems stuck in the 90's. Remember the 90's? when Vin Diesel was showing much potential as the *news* action star for the new millennium coming?! Yep. Whatever happened? I'll say this about what I think, Diesel's been plain unlucky. It's not that his career choices have been wrong, but rather the timing has been a bit 'off'. He's not bad in any of his films & this one is no different. The culprit here is the story. It semi-resembles Children of Men, which too was set in the future, however a more grim future, (with less technology & advertising prospects -- seriously, the product placement in this is total madness), however it lacks the fine-tuning that is key to any decent screenplay.

Rock 'N' Rolla'

Plot Outline:
Set in London, when a Russian mobster sets up a real estate scam that generates millions of pounds, naturally it catches the attention of some of the city's various members of London's criminal underworld, who'll pursue their share/opportunity of the fortune at any cost.

Prelude:
Lock Stock I saw quite late on, I found it a unique & decent film, but nothing too special. Snatch on the other hand was a masterpiece. Sure, there were similarities, but both films did hold their own as individual films. With Revolver, it lost this strength. It felt to me like a cross-breed of a number of films that had impressed me over the previous decade, shoved in a blender & not really mixing well due to the blender being full.

In the end, I was confused more than anything else. I have yet to see it again with the directors' commentary. Either the film was 'too' clever for the audience, or just really not. Though I'm leaning towards the latter, I am still hopeful that it may just click together upon the re-watch.

I knew not to expect a masterpiece, It had to be a downward dip, which it was, but it was overly so. It was no patch on either previous films. What happened? Well he had the guts to try out something different & stylistically it was pretty cool.

Space Chimps'

Plot Outline:
When a $5 billion NASA probe disappears into an intergalactic wormhole, the agency recruits Ham III (Andy Samberg), grandson of the the first chimpanzee in space, to help retrieve the wayward craft. However, Ham is a free-spirited circus performer more interested in zero-gravity hijinks than living up to his illustrious heritage.

The simian slacker becomes a reluctant hero and learns the true meaning of courage as he and his crewmates, Luna (Cheryl Hines) and Commander Titan (Patrick Warburton) risk everything in an effort to save the peaceful inhabitants of a distant planet from the evil dictator Zartog (Jeff Daniels).

Overall Impressions:
I got bored. It was well held together okay structurally. It was 'okay' for what it was, but not much more. Infants will probably love it, if they haven't got used to the better products available yet, but I really felt it could've done with more than just cheap chimp puns, it felt like a skeleton script. The treadmill scene from the trailer standalone was 'not' worth it, which is a shame, I was hopeful.

The animation & voice acting was great, but it still lacked emotional involvement & I'd say that needed to go in at the script level, setups & payoffs as Bill would say.
If it's for anyone, it's the kids & even for them, there is ample else to see. I'd call this the last resort. If all the other ones have sold out & the kids aren't swayed to wait a couple of hours or easily blackmailed by ice-cream, then maybe.

Singh is Kinng'

Plot Outline:
Lakhan Singh (Sonu Sood) is the "king" of the Australian underworld, accompanied by numerous associates. Far away in a small village in Punjab where Lucky was born there is someone more notorious than him - Happy Singh (Akshay Kumar).

The village is fed up of his magnanimity which has resulted in a number of disastrous situations. Out of desperation they decide to send him on a long trip to bring the gangster Lucky back to Punjab, under the false pretence of a dying sick parent who wants to see his son again.

Happy takes this mission quite seriously and embarks on his journey accompanied by his friend Rangeela (Om Puri). Things don't go as smoothly as planned ofcourse, for he takes his fumbling wth him. He is fortunate to find warmth and affection in a elderly lady (Kirron Kher) who helps him meet Lucky.

In a strange turn of events Lucky is saved from a life threatening attack by Happy risking his own life. Inspite of this, Lucky is paralyzed and Happy becomes the new 'King'. The series of chaos, shocks and misunderstandings result in the crux of the plot.

The Mummy:
Tomb of the Dragon Emperor'

Plot Outline:
It's been 2,000 years since China's merciless Emperor Han (Jet Li) and his formidable army were entombed in terra cotta clay by a double-dealing sorceress (Michelle Yeoh), but now, after centuries in suspended animation, an ancient curse is about to be broken.

Thanks to his childhood adventures alongside father Rick (Brendan Fraser) and mother Evelyn (Maria Bello), dashing young archeologist Alex O'Connell (Luke Ford) is more than familiar with the dangers & powers of the supernatural.

With a surprise visit from his parents at his first large archaeological find, he finds they're re-union to be quite a life changing experience, as they are tricked into unleashing the Emperor and his army who are are determined to stop at nothing but World domination. The family & the old bumbling team member Jonathan (John Hannah) must work together to save civilisation once again.

The X Files: I Want to Believe'

Plot Outline:
Six years after the events of The X-Files series finale, a young woman is fighting against an abduction at her rural home in West Virginia. In conjunction with this we also follows a large number of FBI investigators following a long-haired, bespectacled man (Billy Connolly) in a snowy field, where they uncover a buried human arm. Sound like the familiar & confusing opening of a TV Series you once watched? Yes. It's an X File. With inexplicable events surrounding the disappearances of several women with little time on their hands, it's time to round up the experienced professionals, well at least the 'one' that wanted to believe.

Former FBI agent, Doctor Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) is now a staff physician at a Catholic hospital, treating children with rare diseases. The FBI arrives to ask Scully's help in locating Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), the believer, the former head of the X-Files division turned wanted fugitive. They say they will call off the manhunt for him if he will help investigate this one case. Mulder is initially resistant but quite easily convinced. Scully takes some coercing.

The investigation ensues...

Dark Knight, The'

Plot Outline:
One year ago, a man became more than just a man to battle injustice as a symbol. He became the symbol that criminals learned to fear, he became a legend that the people of Gotham could rely on, a legend that is known as 'The Batman', however this was just a beginning, all is not well in the city of Gotham, far from it, in fact.

Bruce Wayne (Patrick Bateman) and his vigilante alter-ego the Batman (Christian Bale), continue the seemingly-endless effort to bring order to Gotham. With the aid of Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and newly appointed District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), they attempt to hit the criminal mobs where it hurts, who in their desperation turn to someone they don't really understand.

The mysterious Joker (Heath Ledger) willingly takes a stand against Batman, he stands for disorder, the equal & opposite to the very symbol that Batman is. Unpredictable behaviour & ruthlessness being key to his methods, he brings the city to chaos & madness, but in the end-game he has a card of his own up his sleeve. It's all part of the plan.

Mere Baap, Pehle Aap'
(My Father, After You)

Plot Outline:
Janaradhan Wishvanbhar Rane (Paresh Rawal) is a widower who has spent his life bringing up his son. He has done everything to ensure the upbringing has gone in the best possible manner. Now that the son is all grown up, Gaurav (Akshaye Khanna) takes up the responsibility of his father. They both manage the household chores and their business to the best of their abilities.

Though he is the young son, he treats his father as though he were the elder in the family. With the vigilance of a disciplined parent. He shouts, threatens, fights - even locks up his father occasionally so that his friend Madhav (Om Puri) does not spoil him.

He does this with good reason. Madhav is a divorcee, desperate to re-marry, On the sly, Madhav and Janaradhan are always sneaking off in search of a bride for Madhav, but they forever land up in trouble, and every time this happens Gaurav has to bail them out and face the embarrassment, until he one day comes to realise that maybe his father needs a bride too.

Happening, The'

Plot Outline:
Originally titled 'The Green Effect' the film opens in New York. People in Central Park, start to get confused, repeating their words, standing still and some begin walking backwards. We hear a few screams. A woman reading on a bench takes her silver chopstick-style hair pin out of her hair and stabs herself in the neck with it.

Enter, science teacher Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg). He talks about an event science can't explain about thousands of disappearing bees, no bodies left, no trace. A natural event that was never fully understood or explained scientifically. While speculating on this phenomenon, Elliot is called out of class to a staff meeting warning about an apparent "terrorist attack" in New York in which some kind of gas has been released in Central Park, and that school is cancelled so that people can make get out of town, in case of further attacks.

As Elliot and his estranged wife (Zooey Deschanel) pack their things and join their friends at the train station, we learn that it begins in parks, and quickly spreads to nearby populations. Though initially believed to be a bio-terrorist attack, this is soon ruled out as the events increase in frequency and target lesser populated areas.

Something is certainly happening..

The Incredible Hulk'

Plot Outline:
This sequel to Ang Lee's Hulk (that is almost ignoring it) tells the story of Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton), who seeks a cure to his unique condition, which causes him to turn into a giant green monster under emotional stress. We find Bruce, living in shadows, scouring the planet for an antidote, whilst constantly on the run from military which seeks his capture.

The warmongers who dream of abusing his powers won't leave him alone, nor will his need to be with the only woman he has ever loved, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler). Upon returning to civilization following a lead to an antidote, Banner is ruthlessly pursued by a drugged super soldier, Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth).

As his situation escalates he becomes a nightmarish beast of pure adrenaline and aggression whose powers match The Hulk's own -- The Abomination. A fight of comic-book proportions ensues as Banner must call upon the hero within to rescue New York City from total destruction.

Sarkar Raj'
Ruling of the Government

Plot Outline:
When Anita Rajan (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), the CEO of an international power plant company, brings a proposal to set up a power plant in rural Maharashtra, she is told that she has to get the permission & blessing of the Nagre family, as this is their area of ruling.

When she brings the proposal before the Nagres, insightful Shankar (Abhishek Bachchan) is quick to realize the benefits the power plant can bring to the people. After convincing Sarkar (Amitabh Bachchan) who is initially against it, Shankar undertakes a journey along with Anita to the villages of Maharashtra to mobilize support from the masses.

However, things are not what they seem to be and Shankar's dream project gradually becomes a political minefield. It is in this backdrop that evil forces mightier than ever, mushroom and gang up to bring down the regime of Sarkar and obliterate Shankar's name from the political horizon.