Apur Sansar

Werner Herzog's Heart of Glass is a strange film. It has a premise that is just as strange as the absent minded characters. A film is a weird fantasy shot in style with some amazing visuals. The sequence of the glass being made is one of the most brilliantly visualized scenes I can remember in the film. Even when the film is set in historic times, the maker still manages to bring the red glass theory very convincingly. The simple premise, the odd performances and the strangest dialogues one can imagine of hearing makes this film rather unique.

Black book is a smart thriller from director Paul Verhoeven. Paul is the director of Basic Instinct and Hollow-man. Black book may be considered as a much more matured attempt at making a thriller. The canvas of the film is bigger and it is during the second world war. The film is erotic and violent yet the screenplay keeps the events ticking and there are lots of interesting characters. Carice van Houten in the lead manages to pull off the film very well. Her character though does not offer much surprises after the first plot point, she still manages to play her character very convincingly. The film may not be one of those serious films on holocaust but it is indeed one very entertaining film on the same.

Animation has indeed come a long way. And the styles inside it has not been discovered completely. The proof would be the film Waltz with Bashir which showcased a unique and highly innovative style of animation in the documentary film Waltz with Bashir. The film has a great visual appeal while dealing with a very hellish subject - war! Though the film has an interesting narration the film does become very docu-like and less cinematic as the end nears.

The White Ribbon reminded me of Manoj Night Shyamalan's highly underrated film, The Village. The film talks about the mysterious happenings in a village during the first world war. The film has been brilliantly shot. The film which is completely in black and white has a peculiar feel to it. The visuals kind of remind the films of Ingmar Bergman and other films of his times. The film takes its time to narrate its tale which has some terrifically written instances and fantastic performances.

The Lives of Others is a German movie with a very straight forward cinematic approach. The Lives of Others traces the life of Captain Gerd Wiesler, a highly skilled officer who works for the Stasi, East Germany's all-powerful secret police. It is a story set in the world where there is no justice! To be more specific, East Germany in 1984. The film shares two genres, namely that of a political thriller and the other of human drama. It should be added that at both these levels The Lives of Others almost sets a perfect example. The tense and tight atmosphere of the plot is transfered beautifully to the screen. Ulrich Muhe as Wiesler is top class. His face communicates with such ease that watching him alone would serve half the success of these Lives . It is good to note that the director and writer, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, even chose the perfect extras for his film. The basic colours of the film are mostly green, grey or brown. The director and production designer's ...