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Friday, January 09, 2009

2009: Film Log

Total # of films seen in 2009: 339

The total number includes films (fiction & docs) over a length of 60 minutes.

Film (Year, Country, Director): [optional rating out of 10], [optional comments]

Jan 2009

Slumdog Millionaire (2008, UK/USA, Danny Boyle/Loveleen Tandan): 8.5, repeat viewing
Ghajini (2008, India, A.R Murugadoss): 4.5
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008, India, Aditya Chopra): 6
Hostel Part II (2007, USA, Eli Roth): 5
Dil Kabaddi (2008, India, Anil Senior): 6.5
Comrades in Dreams (2004, Germany, Uli Gaulke): 7.5
Brand Upon the Brain (2006, Canada, Guy Maddin): 7
Valkyrie (2008, USA, Bryan Singer): 7.5
Meerabai Not Out (2008, India, Chandrakant Kulkarni): 2
Fires on the Plain (1959, Japan, Kon Ichikawa): 10
The Ballad of Narayama (1983, Japan, Shohei Imamura): 8
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008, USA, Guillermo del Toro): 6
Ghost Town (2008, USA, David Koepp): 7
Mongol (2007, Russia/Mongolia/co-prod, Sergei Bodrov): 8.5
Gran Torino (2008, USA, Clint Eastwood): 8
The Wrestler (2008, USA, Darren Aronofsky)
Diary of the Dead (2007, USA, George A. Romero):
Employee of the Month (2004, USA, Mitch Rouse): 7
Anger Management (2003, USA, Peter Segal): 6.5
Eagle Eye (2008, USA, D.J Caruso): 5
Bangkok Dangerous (2008, USA, Pang Brothers): 5.5
Sangre de mi Sangre (2007, Argentina/USA, Christopher Zalla): 6

Feb 2009

Rambo II (1985, USA, George P. Cosmatos): 4
Rambo III (1988, USA, Peter MacDonald): 5.5
Luck, by Chance (2008, India, Zoya Akhtar): 7
Chandini Chowk to China (2008, India, Nikhil Advani): 4
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006, India, Karan Johar): 2
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965, UK, Martin Ritt): 10
Victory (2009, India, Ajit Pal Mangat): 0
Billu Barber (2009, India, Priyadarshan): 5.5
Body of Lies (2008, USA, Ridley Scott): 8.5
MI-5, Season One (2002, UK, various): 7.5
The Namesake (2006, USA/India, Nair): 8.5
The International (2009, multiple, Tom Tykwer): 9
Pineapple Express (2008, USA, David Gordon Green): 3
Sicko (2007, USA, Michael Moore): 7.5
Ganja Queen (2007, Australia, Janine Hosking): 7.5
Chronicles of an Escape (2006, Argentina, Adrián Caetano): 9
Zidane (2006, France, Douglas Gordon/Philippe Parreno): 9.5
W. (2008, USA, Oliver Stone): 5

Mar 2009

Dev D (2009, India, Anurag Kashyup): 8.5
Delhi-6 (2009, India, Rakesh Omprakash Mehra): 3
Oh my God (2008, India, Sourabh Shrivastava): 7.5
Cargo 200 (2007, Russia, Aleksey Balabanov): 8
Che, part One (2008, USA, Steven Soderbergh): 8
I’m a Cyborg but that’s ok (2006, Korea, Chan-wook Park):
Refugees of the Blue Planet (2006, France/Canada, Hélène Choquette/Jean-Philippe Duval): 7
Delta (2008, Hungary, Kornél Mundruczó): 9
Guimba (1995, Mali/Burkina Faso/Germany, Cheick Oumar Sissoko): 5
Zack and Miri make a Porno (2008, USA, Kevin Smith): 7.5
Lakeview Terrace (2008, USA, Neil LaBute): 6
Erin Brokovich (2000, USA, Steven Soderbergh): 7.5
Young People F***ing (2008, Canada, Martin Gero): 6.5
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008, USA, Nicholas Stoller): 10, repeat viewing
Japanese Girls on the Harbor (1955, Japan, Hiroshi Shimizu): 8
Boarding Gate (2007, France, Olivier Assayas): 6.5
Che, part two (2008, USA, Steven Soderbergh): 9
Ashes of Time Redux (2008, Hong Kong, Wong Kar Wai): 6
Gulaal (2009, India, Anurag Kashyup): 8.5
Jugaad (2009, India, Anand Kumar): 3
It’s a Free World (2007, UK, Ken Loach): 7.5
Bombón: El Perro (2004, Argentina, Carlos Sorin): 8
Wendy and Lucy (2008, USA, Kelly Reichardt): 10
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928, France, Carl Theodor Dreyer): 9
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008, USA, Woody Allen): 9
Pontypool (2008, Canada, Bruce McDonald): 8.5

Apr 2009

RocknRolla (2008, UK, Guy Ritchie): 5.5
Rope (1948, USA, Alfred Hitchcock): 8
King of Bollywood (2004, India, Piyush Jha): 6.5
Sunshine Cleaning (2008, USA, Christine Jeffs): 7
Foreign Correspondent (1940, USA, Alfred Hitchcock): 7
Intolerence (1916, USA, D.W. Griffith): 6
Strangers on a Train (1951, USA, Alfred Hitchcock): 7.5
Saboteur (1942, USA, Alfred Hitchcock): 9
I’ve Loved you so Long (2008, France, Philippe Claudel): 8
Tokyo! (2008, co-production, Michel Gondry/Leos Carax/Bong Joon-ho): 8
Phantom India (1969, France, Louis Malle): 6.5
Calcutta (1969, France, Louis Malle): 7
Dans Paris (2006, France, Christophe Honoré): 7.5

May 2009

Aa Dekhen Zara (2009, India, Jehangir Surti): 3.5
Frozen River (2008, USA, Courtney Hunt): 7
Enough! (2006, Algeria, Djamila Sahraoui): 7
Aloo Chaat (2009, India, Robby Grewal): 6.5
Dry Summer (1964, Turkey, Metin Erksan): 7.5
Chop Shop (2008, USA, Ramin Bahrani): 8
When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950, USA, John Ford): 8
Up the River (1930, USA, John Ford): 5.5
Hangman’s House (1928, USA, John Ford): 5
Three Bad Men (1926, USA, John Ford): 6
The Housemaid (1960, South Korea, Kim Ki-young): 9
Iron Horse (1924, USA, John Ford): 6

June 2009

Taxi to the Dark Side (2007, USA, Alex Gibney): 8
99 (2009, India, Krishna D.K/Raj Nidimoru):
Born in Brothels (2006, USA, Zana Briski/Ross Kauffman): 5
Synedoche, New York (2008, USA, Charlie Kaufman): 9
Three Monkeys (2008, Turkey, Nuri Bilge Ceylan): 7
Achilles and the Tortoise (2007, Japan, Takashi Kitano)
April Showers (2009, Portugal, Iva Ferriera)
Be Calm and Count to Seven (2009, Iran, Ramtin Lavafipour)
Sorry, Thanks (2009, USA, Dia Sokol)
Three Wise Men (2007, Finland, Mika Kaurismäki)
What a Wonderful World (2007, France/Morocco, Faouzi Bensaïdi)
Stay the Same Never Change (2009, USA, Laurel Nakadate)
Because we were born (2008, France/Brazil, Jean-Pierre Duret/Andrea Santana)
Border (2009, Armenia/Holland, Harutyun Khachatryan)
Everyone Else (2009, Germany, Maren Ade)
Katia’s Sister (2008, Holland, Mijke de Jong)
Native Dancer (2008, Kazakhstan, Gulshat Omarova)
Vacation (2008, Japan, Hajime Kadoi)
Calimucho (2008, Holland, Eugenie Jansen)
Independencia (2009, Philippines, Raya Martin)
Our Beloved Month of August (2008, Portugal, Miguel Gomes)
Two Lines (2009, Turkey, Selim Evci)
Adela (2008, Philippines, Adolfo Jr.)
All Around Us (2008, Japan, Ryosuke Hashiguchi)
Bullet in the Head (2008, Spain, Jaime Rosales)
Mid-August Lunch (2008, Italy, Gianni Di Gregorio)
Milk (2008, Turkey, Semih Kaplanoglu)
Nucingen House (2008, France, Raoul Ruiz)
Pandora’s Box (2008, Turkey, Yesim Ustaoglu)
Peaceful Times (2008, Germany, Neele Leana Vollmar)
Still Walking (2008, Japan, Hirokazu Koreeda)

July/August 2009

The Headless Woman (2008, Argentina, Lucrecia Martel)
Rough Cut (2008, Korea, Hun Jang)
The Reader (2008, USA, Stephen Daldry): 6
Frost/Nixon (2008, USA, Ron Howard): 8
Waltz with Bashir (2008, Israel, Ari Folman): 8.5
Two Lovers (2008, USA, James Gray): 8
Khela (2008, India, Rituparno Ghosh): 6.5
Ryna (2005, Romania, Ruxandra Zenide):
X Files: I Want to Believe (2008, USA, Chris Carter): 4
Doubt (2008, USA, John Patrick Shanley): 8
Nishijapon (2005, India, Sandip Ray): 8
Revolutionary Road (2008, USA, Sam Mendes): 8.5
The Hurt Locker (2008, USA, Kathryn Bigelow): 9.5
Love Aaj Kal (2009, India, Imtiaz Ali): 5
Short Kut (2009, India, Neeraj Vora): 3
Public Enemies (2009, USA, Michael Mann): 8.5
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008, USA, David Fincher): 6
Push (2009, USA co-production, Paul McGuigan): 3
Coraline (2009, USA, Henry Selick): 8
Bright Future (2003, Japan, Kiyoshi Kurosawa):
District 9 (2009, South Africa/New Zealand, Neill Blomkamp): 10
Kambakkht Ishq (2009, India, Sabir Khan): 0
Inglourious Basterds (2009, USA, Quentin Tarantino): 7.5
(500) Days of Summer (2009, USA, Marc Webb): 8
Detective Naani (2009, India, Romilla Mukherjee): 3
Religulous (2008, USA, Larry Charles): 8
Kabluey (2007, USA, Scott Prendergast): 7

September 2009

12 (2008, Russia, Nikita Mikhalkov): 8.5
Last Year at Marienbad (1961, France, Alain Resnais):
The Night of Truth (2004, Burkina Faso, Fanta Régina Nacro):
Insolação (2009, Brazil, Felipe Hirsch/Daniela Thomas): 4
White Material (2009, France, Claire Denis): 7
The Proposal (2009, USA, Anne Fletcher): 4
Star Trek (2009, USA, J.J. Abrams): 7
The Spirit (2008, USA, Frank Miller): 3
Knowing (2009, USA/UK, Alex Proyas): 7.5
I Served the King of England (2006, Czech Republic, Jirí Menzel): 8
Siberiade (1979, Russia, Andrei Konchalovsky)

Birdsong (2008, Spain, Albert Serra)
Can go Through Skin (2009, Holland, Esther Rots)
My Only Sunshine (2009, Turkey co-production, Reha Erdem)

The Way I Spent the End of the World (2006, Romania/France, Catalin Mitulescu)
Katalin Varga (2009, Romania co-production, Peter Strickland): 9
White Night Wedding (2009, Iceland, Baltasar Kormákur): 7.5
Tetro (2009, USA, Francis Ford Coppola): 8

Fish Eyes (2009, Korea/China, Zheng Wei)


Houston, We have a problem (2008, USA, Nicole Torre): 7.5
The White Ribbon (2009, co-production, Michael Haneke): 8.5
Crackie (2009, Canada, Sherry White): 8

Call if you need me (2009, Malaysia, James Lee)
Daytime Drinking (2008, Korea, Young-Seok Noh)

Revache (2008, Austria, Goetz Spielmann): 9
Police, Adjective (2009, Romania, Corneliu Porumboiu): 10
The Happiest Girl in the World (2009, Romania co-production, Radu Jude): 9.5
The Last Lullaby (2008, USA, Jeffrey Goodman): 8.5

Amreeka (2009, USA/Canada, Cherien Dabis)
Karaoke (2009, Malaysia, Chris Chong Chan Fui)

St. Nick (2009, USA, David Lowery): 8
Juntos (2009, Canada/Mexico, Nicolás Pereda): 7

October 2009

Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009, USA, Damien Chazelle): 7.5
Wrong Rosary (2009, Turkey, Mahmut Fazil Coskun): 9
Cyborg, She (2008, Japan, Jae-young Kwak): 6
I Killed My Mother (2009, Canada, Xavier Dolan): 10
Gigantic (2008, USA, Matt Aselton): 7
Cooking History (2008, co-production, Peter Kerekes): 8.5
Breathless (2009, South Korea, Yang Ik-June): 10
Seven Minutes in Heaven (2008, Israel, Omri Givon): 5/10
Daybreakers (2009, Australia, the Spierig brothers): 7
The Prophet (2009, France, Jacques Audiard): 10
Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009, USA, P.J. Hogan): 5
Sin Nombre (2009, Mexico/USA, Cary Fukunaga): 8
O Sangue (1989, Portugal, Pedro Costa): 10
Goodbye Solo (2009, USA, Ramin Bahrani): 8
State of Play (2009, USA co-production, Kevin Macdonald): 5
Encounters at the End of the World (2007, USA, Werner Herzog): 9
Days and Clouds (2007, Italy co-production, Silvio Soldini): 9
Kaos (1984, Italy, Paolo Taviani/Vittorio Taviani):
Chacun con Cinema (2007, France, various directors)
Wake up Sid (2009, India, Ayan Mukherjee): 5
Where Does Your Hidden Smile Lie? (2001, Portugal/France, Pedro Costa): 9
Rachida (2002, Algeria/France, Yamina Bachir): 7
Law Abiding Citizen (2009, USA, John Maybury): 4
Sugar (2008, USA, Anna Boden/Ryan Fleck): 8
Bye Bye Money (1974, Italy/France, Marco Ferreri)
Adventureland (2009, USA, Greg Mottola): 7.5
The Edge of Love (2009, UK, John Maybury)
Watchmen (2009, USA, Zack Snyder): 6
Falafel (2004, Lebanon/France, Michel Kammoun): 8
Close-up (1990, Iran, Abbas Kiarostami): 7.5
It’s Winter (2006, Iran, Rafi Pitts): 10
Salt of This Sea (2007, Palestine co-production, Annemarie Jacir): 8.5
Love Khichdi (2009, India, Srinivas Bhashyam): 3
Rudo y Cursi (2009, Mexico/USA, Carlos Cuarón): 7
Dil Bola Hadippa! (2009, India, Anurag Singh): 2
Shadow Kill (2002, India, Adoor Gopalakrishnan): 8, repeat viewing
The Orphange (2007, Mexico/Spain, Juan Antonio Bayona): 6
The Romance of Astrea and Celadon (2007, France co-production, Eric Rohmer): 7
The Mirror (1972, Soviet Union, Andrei Tarkovsky)

Nov 2009

Kaminey (2009, India, Vishal Bhardwaj): 6
Ali Zaoua (2000, Morocco co-production, Nabil Ayouch): 8
Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977, India, Satyajit Ray): 8.5
Be Good (2009, France, Juliette Garcias)
Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis (2008, France, Dany Boon): 8.5
Gabbeh (1996, Iran, Mohsen Makhmalbaf): 8
The Mirror (1997, Iran, Jafar Panahi): 9
The Kite (2003, Lebanon co-production, Randa Chahal Sabag): 7
Delbaran (2001, Iran co-production, Abolfazl Jalili): 8.5
The Fish Fall in Love (2005, Iran, Ali Raffi): 8
Aagey se Right (2009, India, Indrajit Nattooji): 0
The Class (2008, France, Laurent Cantet): 10
Duplicity (2008, USA, Tony Gilroy): 6.5
Beaufort (2007, Israel, Joseph Cedar): 8
Aladin (2009, India, Sujoy Ghosh): 1
My Suicide (2009, USA, David Lee Miller)
Khamosh Pani (2003, Pakistan co-production, Sabiha Sumar): 9
Do Knot Disturb (2009, India, David Dhawan): 0
Unmade Beds (2009, UK, Alexis Dos Santos)
Bombay 405 Miles (1980, India, Brij)
Trouble the Water (2008, USA, Carl Deal/Tia Lessin): 8
Love Exposure (2008, Japan, Shion Sono)
In the Loop (2009, UK, Armando Iannucci): 10
Dead Snow (2009, Norway, Tommy Wirkola): 3
Man on Wire (2008, UK/USA, James Marsh): 9
The Pear Tree (1998, Iran, Dariush Mehrjui): 6.5
Chéri (2009, UK/France/Germany, Stephen Frears): 7.5
Polytechnique (2009, Canada, Denis Villeneuve): 8
Boy A (2007, UK, John Crowley): 8
Firaaq (2008, India, Nandita Das): 9
Le Circle Rouge (1972, France, Jean-Pierre Melville): 10
The Cyclist (1987, Iran, Mohsen Makhmalbaf): 8
The Damned United (2009, UK/USA, Tom Hooper): 9
Away We Go (2009, USA/UK, Sam Mendes): 7.5
The Cow (1969, Iran, Dariush Mehrjui): 8
The Suitors (1989, Iran, Ghasem Ebrahimian): 6
Absurdistan (2007, Germany, Veit Helmer): 7
The Taking of Phelam 123 (2009, USA, Tony Scott): 6.5

Dec 2009

Of Time and the City (2008, UK, Terence Davies)
The Brothers Bloom (2008, USA, Rian Johnson): 5
A Serious Man (2009, USA, Coen Brothers): 8
In the Pit (2006, Mexico, Juan Carlos Rulfo)
Atanarjuat (2001, Canada, Zacharias Kunuk): 7
The Journals of Knud Rasmussen (2006, Canada/Denmark, Norman Cohn/Zacharias Kunuk): 5
Henri Langlois: The Phantom of the Cinémathèque (2004, France, Jacques Richard): 8
Whatever Works (2009, USA, Woody Allen)
Jeanne Dielman....(1975, France/Belgium, Chantal Akerman): 8
Up (2009, USA, Pete Docter/Bob Peterson): 5
The Gleaners and I (2000, France, Agnes Varda)
Spirited Away (2001, Japan, Hayao Miyazaki)
Roadside Romeo (2008, India, Jugal Hansraj)
Tulpan (2008, Kazakhstan co-production,Sergei Dvortsevoy): 8.5
35 Shots of Rum (2008, France, Claire Denis): 9
Il Divo (2009, Italy/France, Paolo Sorrentino)
Paper Heart (2009, USA, Nicholas Jasenovec)
What’s Your Raashee? (2009, India, Ashutosh Gowariker): 3
Saraband (2003, Sweden co-production, Ingmar Bergman): 7.5
Wings of Desire (1987, West Germany/France, Wim Wenders): 7
Jerichow (2008, Germany, Christian Petzold): 6
Antichrist (2009, Denmark co-production, Lars von Trier): 7
Flash of Genius (2009, USA/Canada, Marc Abraham): 7.5
The Box (2009, USA, Richard Kelly): 8
Funny People (2009, USA, Judd Apatow): 7.5
Ballast (2008, USA, Lance Hammer)
Lifeboat (1944, USA, Alfred Hitchcock)
Rocket Singh (2009, India, Shimit Amin): 7.5
Paraguayan Hammock (2006, Paraguay co-production, Paz Encina)
Scarface (1932, USA, Howard Hawks)
Up in the Air (2009, USA, Jason Reitman): 8
The Human Condition, Part I (1959, Japan, Masaki Kobayashi)
Avatar (2009, USA/UK, James Cameron): 8
The Limits of Control (2009, USA, Jim Jarmusch): 9.5
The Girlfriend Experience (2008, USA, Steven Soderbergh): 6
3 Idiots (2009, India, Rajkumar Hirani): 7.5
The New World (2005, USA/UK, Terrence Malick): 9

2 comments:

nitesh said...

Slumdog was in every bit heart warming and inspiring that we Indians can possibly do something more with our own clichés and achieve things cinematically.

Hoping our filmmakers or producers learn something, other than giving us more 100 Slumdog kinda film. It’s strange that while watching this movie, I realized how much our films lack real sense of colors- Other then stylized use of DI. Here one could feel the blue, the yellow part of the space and the subject. Something that is so hard to see or feel in mainstream cinema.

Looking forward to watch Fires on the Plain soon on DVD

Sachin said...

Yes Slumdog.. captured the vibrant colors perfectly. In fact, I think the film's look and feel had a lot to do with it winning as it immediately stands out from the other films. Even though I have not seen any of the other films nominated for best film against it, going by the trailers Slumdog. feels more alive.

I am not sure how much positive action is going to come from Indian film-makers as most of them are good are copying ideas but most commercial directors can't understand that a film's story demands a unique look to it and that a look is not a gimmick tool to throw around. I think quite a few Ram Gopal Varma proteges have figured out how to give films a dark palette but that is the extent of it.

Yeah watch Fires on the Plain soon. It is a haunting film. Still with me almost a week later...