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Swades, a review by Tom

Title: Swades
Year: 2004
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 187 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: German: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Hindi: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: German

Stars:
Shah Rukh Khan
Gayatri Joshi
Kishori Ballal
Master Smith Seth
Lekh Tandon

Plot:
Set in modern day India, Swades is a film that tackles the issues that development throws up on a grass root level. It is to this India, which is colorful, heterogeneous and complex that Mohan Bhargava (Shah Rukh Khan), a bright young scientist working as a project manager in NASA, returns to on a quest to find his childhood nanny. The film uses the contrast between the highly developed world of NASA, which has been at the forefront of advances in space research, and this world back home in India, which is at the crossroads of development. Mohan's simple quest becomes the journey that every one of us goes through in search of that metaphysical and elusive place called 'home'.

Awards:

Filmfare Awards	2005	Won	Best Actor Award	Shah Rukh Khan
Filmfare Awards	2005	Won	Best Background Score Award	A. R. Rahman
Filmfare Awards	2005	Nominated	Best Director Award	Ashutosh Gowariker
Filmfare Awards	2005	Nominated	Best Movie Award
Filmfare Awards	2005	Nominated	Best Music Director Award	A. R. Rahman

Extras:
Scene Access

Mohan, a NRI (Non-Resident Indian) returns to India after living twelve years in America working for NASA. Here he is confronted with poverty, illiteracy, caste discrimination and even child marriage. But on the other hand he also experiences again the connection to his mother country. After trying to bring some change into a small villiage, where his childhood nanny now lives, he struggles with the decision if he should return to America or stay in India.
I enjoyed this movie. Shah Rukh Khan did a great job. This movie is a great insight into today's India outside the cities. I can also recommend this movie to those who do not like musicals. Even though there are some songs, there is hardly dancing and the songs are few and far between. They do not distract from the movie at all in my opinion.



Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on June 12th, 2010)

Arthur Christmas, a review by Danae Cassandra

Arthur Christmas

Year of Release:  2011
Starring: James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, Ashley Jenson
Directed By: Sarah Smith
Genre:  Comedy, Fantasy

Overview:
How CAN Santa deliver billions of presents to the whole world in just one night? With an army of one million combat-style Field Elves and a vast, state-of-the-art control center under the ice of the North Pole! So how could this incredible operation have MISSED one child?! To Santa's young son, Arthur, it threatens to end the magic of Christmas. With retired Grandsanta, a rebellious young elf, an old sleigh and some untrained reindeer, Arthur sets out in a crazy mission to deliver the last present! Deck the halls with excitement, fun and wonder in this new Christmas classic!

My Thoughts:
This was a great, fun movie for the season.  CGI animation keeps getting better every year.  The heart of the film is the relationships between the members of the Santa family, and the characters are pretty well fleshed for an animated film.  It has a good story and lots of humor to keep it going as well.  This will likely make my yearly rotation, and would be a good addition to the collection of any Christmas movie fan or any family with children.

My only complaint is that, like Prep & Landing, I didn't get to watch the blu-ray version because it wants me to update my player.  Which is a pain in the ass.

Bechdel Test:  Fail

Overall:  4/5

(From Danae's Yuletide Marathon on December 26th, 2012)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Blackadder 2 (1984/United Kingdom) IMDb | Wikipedia BBC Worldwide (United Kingdom) Length: 175 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 1 Subtitles: English

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Plot:
The Historic Second Series

England 1558-1603. The filthy genes of the Blackadder dynasty bubble back to the surface of the melting pot of history as Lord Edmund, arrogant peer-about-town, swaggers back with a big head and small beard in search of grace and favour from stark raving mad Queen Bess. Accompanied by a small rabble of be-ruffed riff-raff - bottom-breath Baldrick and pea-brained Percy - the serpentine Lord Blackadder lower the whole tone of England's Golden Age.

Black Adder
2.01 Bells
Writer: Richard Curtis (Writer), Ben Elton (Writer)
Director: Mandie Fletcher
Cast: Rowan Atkinson (Edmund Blackadder), Tim McInnerny (Lord Percy), Tony Robinson (Baldrick), Miranda Richardson (Queen Elizabeth I), Stephen Fry (Lord Melchett), Patsy Byrne (Nursie), Gabrielle Glaister (Kate), Rik Mayall (Flashheart), John Grillo (Dr. Leech), Edward Jewesbury (Kate's Father), Barbara Miller (Wisewoman), Sadie Shimmin (Young Crone)

At hasn't been that long ago that I have watched this episode, so I am just writing up a review now. With the second series, Blackadder got really great. I just love Queenie. And Blackadder is now really a fun character.
I also really like this first episode. Blackadder falling for "Bob" has some really great scenes.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on March 29th, 2011)