IndyMansOldAccount

As a British born Indian, I wanted to see Boyle take on his version of a bollywood film with a good mix of his direction, all the charm that most of Indian films have. Result, a good directorial effort with an Indian version of City of God; far less brutal and replaces that sardonic hardship from City of God to the hopeful dreams of a young boy from the slums, very much a style common in Indian films today.

I've been to India before and seen what this film shows. It doesn't make it less dreary by sugar coating; that's not Boyle's style, he will show what is there and this film depicts India's culture, beauty, depression, poverty, lustre, greed, vengeance, corruption and all the moralities. You might be mistaken into thinking I'm being patriotic but the fact is Boyle has made a very good film, with keeping the actual Indian viewers of this film in mind. He has given it a love story like most Indian films while providing the action and tension that so many Indian-film lovers sitting on corner streets in Mumbai and Delhi will want to see.

I've lived in West London all my life and this is as close to showing India any European film has done in the last 20 years, that includes Bend it like Beckham, etc.

West-Londoner-born, like myself, Dev Patel made his debut on SKINS, and excellent UK drama series involving the life of College/Sixformer teens. A good choice since learning an language and accent is easier, but also a familiar face to those who watch Skins. The main focus is on him becoming more than he is, a subtle underdog story that doesn't boast of its pious superiority. He just wants to find the girl, Latika, he met when he was a boy, save her from poverty, prostitution and give her a life she deserves. Along with that, Dev's character known as Jamal Malik has a older brother Salim Malik who cares for money and the high-life, anyway he can get it. It's the Romulus and Remus tale with loads of morality. There are 3 actors per character of Jamal, Salim & Latika, each depicting the 3 main characters at different ages who are excellently cast, cute and innocent from the younger ages; to the older actors who play them as time and chance have made them into what they are now, with their knowledge of the world changing their day-to-day perceptions. Dev's character gets the chance to play on "Who wants to be a Millionaire" in India (Indian Version) with familiar host and legendary Indian actor Anil Kapoor. What could a slum-dog know of the world, more than most. He's graduating from the university of life.

Contrasting, political, brutal, and bitter-sweet. 8.5/10.

When "Six Feet Under" first aired in 2001, people were adamant about the idea of a Family- Run Funeral home, of which is supposed to make good television drama and with its satirical dark humour and very real characters. It seemed like a lot to gauge for a show that would constantly display death. Then again, death is a touchy subject to everyone, where do we go, what of the soul and more importantly, how we deal with it, and do we ever deal with it.

Funnily enough the idea for this show is original, who ever had the idea first wins in that respect; they get to clarify an unlooked upbringing of a Family Business and way of life for those who 'cater' the dearly departed.

Result; This great show has introduced us to the Fisher Family. A lovable, quirky, witty retort type of what can be called "dysfunctional" clique, which would evidently be used as a comparison for future generations of TV clans.

You may think it would be depressing, when in fact the show is surrounded in clairvoyance. The episodic structure follows that of some random loved (or unloved) person dying at the beginning of the episode through to the eventuality that the Fishers are the one who take care of the recently passed.

The Cast; An excellently played bunch of mishaps that are such a winning cliché with each other that they come together to depict an idea of family. Peter Krause plays older extroverted son Nate Fisher Jr., named after his dearly departed father who starts off the first series (season). Nate is not built for the job but finds that being drafted as funeral director may have its merits. Nate also introduces us to his on and off love of his life Brenda Chenowith (Rachel Griffiths) whom is an Australian actor with a killing worked state-side accent. She's a pious talking sexually inhibited deviant and we love her, and she develops into a wonderfully woven character.

Middle child now fully licensed Funeral Director David Fisher (Michael C. Hall) a character pushed into a business role vacated by a late father, but doesn't gloat and makes it worth something to him. He plays the in-closet Homosexual whom is seeing his supportive and well played character and partner to be Keith Charles (Mathew St. Patrick). The grieving mother and wife, quirky and lovable Ruth Fisher, played by Frances Conroy who's variety of theatre acting pays off every little bit. And finally the youngest Claire Fisher, played by the gorgeous Lauren Ambrose, who just about reflects teenage life without giving off the false sense of adolescence played by stereotypical teens in say The OC. The inevitable wild-child, whose dalliances with an array of class A substances give us a comedy and just all round fun experiences.

Families on TV, especially American TV could learn much from this, and have. It's easy to spot the similarities in shows like "Dirty Sexy Money", "Dexter" and "Brothers & Sisters". TV drama found a mark that explored more boundaries than Scott Bakula did in Quantum Leap, more frontiers than Star Trek. It's hard to go back to the atypical TV-centred families of so called modern life. A dark satirical backdrop of a Family-Run Funeral home opens up a more accurate approximation of current life and all its density.

Verdict:

Short but sweet, stays with you like the memory of a loved one. 10/10. Six Feet Under, you will be sadly and forever missed.

The Caped Crusader returns (Bale) with the help of District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and Police Commissioner Gordon (Oldman) who join forces to combat the menace known only as the 'Joker' played by late actor Heath Ledger, from there the lines of the law, rules and good and evil blur to startling effect.

My Review:

Three years later, that's how long we've waited for the sequel that we were never fully sure would come to the re-invented comic book hero film Batman Begins, a interpretation that showed the darkest parts of the vigilante's attempts at justice. Here director Christopher Nolan injects some venom so to speak, in the form of the dark knight's nemesis, the villain, the Joker.

All former characters, apart from the deceased make an appearance including Gordon (Oldman) who takes a twisted turn of fate, he becomes more involved in Batman's dealing with the help of Harvey Dent, whom all form part of a trio of do-gooders. Whereas Harvey (Eckhart) seems reluctant to follow the Dark Knight's methods, his incredulity still lingers, but eventually his short lived morale takes a starling one-hundred and eighty degree spin when the Joker gives him a few home- truths; in drag, you'll understand later.

Everyone is wondering how well does Heath Ledger's portrayal rival that of the comic books interpretation, of which had help with novelists like Frank Miller on 'The Dark Knight Returns' and Alan Moore's 'The Killing Joke' which are renounced as some of the best comic books in existence, and of whom Nolan and Nolan took their source material.

Truth is it goes beyond physical and metaphysical interpretation; Heath gives an amazingly profound performance of which will have lint lickers and comic book nerds in withdrawal twitters. The Joker is badass, to quote our American neighbours. He is the most likable unlikable out there on screen, true to that fact that Nolan's direction and Ledgers acting go hand in hand to produce a monumental performance. He does steal the show, as much as Batman; and he should, all fans and readers have been waiting for a performance of one of the most depraving maniacal villains to make a re-appearance. He plays the sides with sporadic sense of humour, and punches his way in like of a force of f'cking nature. His quick wit, cynicism, depravity and humour all provide a catalyst to this amazing roller-coaster ride of 152 minutes of amazingly executed action scenes that work well because of the fact they integrate into the plot as plot rather plot devices, the characters make the plot, even if it leads to hospitals being blown up.

Maggie Gyllenhaal has made the replacement of Katie Holmes-Cruise character as Rachel Dawes, all we know is that Mrs Cruise was not interested in playing the part as she seems to be too busy playing Tom Cruise's wife. Watching Gyllenhaal, she makes the character wholesome and the fact that she bears a resemblance to the former actor of the character is merely of consequence, she also happens to play the love interest of both Batman and Harvey Dent (Eckhart); whom all know makes the brutal transformation to Two-Face. Interesting to note that Gyllenhaal happens to bring a stronger personality of the Dawes character and serves up her own moral compass when the revelation comes that Batman will one day retire to the likes of people like Harvey Dent, whom provides as much justice with a face as Batman whom wears a mask.

All in all this is startlingly action-stocked blockbuster with a hysterically twisted sense of villainy, with the lines of good and evil blurred to unrecognisable locality.

Verdict:

Summer's here and so is Batman, course the Joker gets his share, the bigger half. Watch out for the magical disappearing – pencil trick. 10/10.