Movies

Rating *****
(*: least, *****: highest)

Once in a while, in the midst of hundreds of movies talking about meaningless lives and pointless obsessions comes a movie that is far greater than just a masterpiece. Samsara falls in that category. I had heard a lot about this debut movie of Pan Nalin, the list of awards it was bestowed and critical acclaim it received. Frankly once the movie started nothing anyone had said mattered. The tag line of the movie is what will remain with you for a long time:

What is more important: satisfying one thousand desires or conquering just one…

The plot of the movie: (Samsara is) A spiritual love-story set in the majestic landscape of Ladakh, Himalayas. Samsara is a quest; one man’s struggle to find spiritual Enlightenment by renouncing the world. And one woman’s struggle to keep her enlightened love and life in the world. But their destiny turns, twists and comes to a surprise ending… (taken from IMDB)

The movie questions most beliefs of Buddhism and provides different points of view of the things the religion calls evil. There are questions posed and answers given… the true understanding of those answers are in the teachings and beliefs of the Buddhists. The last few scenes of the movie bring to focus a series of events that happened right through the movie and squeeze out meaning and direction from them.

I highly recommend this movie and think this is one movie people who question religion a lot should watch. The movie contains a lot of (sexually) graphic-scenes and viewer discreation is adviced.

I will discuss my theories about the end of the film below(under the link). Please put a [SPOILER WARNING] in your comment if you discuss the same. (I understand that the spoiler is not as great as some movies but its better if one watches the movie without knowing how it will end :) )

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Rating ****1/2
(*: least, *****: highest)

Gattaca is possibly one of the most inspiring movies I have ever seen. The movie is about a man, an ordinary man fighting for his dream in a world of Superhumans. The movie shows the victory of human spirit wrapped around a thriller which will make you love and hate the future and its possibilities. The tag line of the movie is simply brilliant… “There Is No Gene For The Human Spirit.”

The movie shows a possible future where new babies born into the world are genetically selected to produce almost perfect humans. Disease, Time of Death and capacity of the individual determined by a test at birth is like an id on each human. There is open discrimination not in race, color, caste, religion or creed but between the more able and the unfortunate and less able.

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Rating ***1/2
(*: least, *****: highest)

Your mission, if you choose of accept it, is to watch this movie and not be thrilled.
Its not mission difficult my dear friends its mission “nearly” impossible.
(sorry I just had to do that :P )

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is back and the past few years he has been walking away from what he does best. He is no longer a field man and is into training new IMF recruits. His social life has picked up and he his now engaged to be married to Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan).

On the night of his engagement party he is given a mission to rescue one of the trainees whome he had trained. Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is the ‘bad guy’ in the flick who has captured the IMF agent. (Dont worry, Im not telling more of the story… :) )

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