I'm back at reviewing and rating a good number of films that were recently watched. They're films of diverse genres, and two of them are genuine classics, which deserve to be seen by everyone who appreciates quality cinema
Exam: It's about eight candidates who have applied for a job in a mysterious company and who have reached the final stage of the selection procedure. They are given a sheet of paper and they need to answer a question correctly to pass the exam. The trouble is, the sheet is totally blank and they do not know what the question is! The first twenty minutes of the film were absolutely remarkable, and held my attention like hardly any other film did. The trouble was, the movie did not live up to the promise shown in the beginning. Furthermore, it kind of falls flat in the climax. It's still a decent watch thanks to a concept that is truly different and a plot full of bizarre elements.
Rating - 3/5
Paul: A harmlessly enjoyable film about two friends who encounter an alien on a road trip. Attempting a genre of comic science fiction, it's a fun ride from start to finish. Nothing more, nothing less
Rating - 3.25/5
Forgetting Sarah Marsall - About a guy whose girlfriend breaks up with him after a five-year long relationship and how he deals with it. Considering some of the decent reviews it garnered on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB, I had some high expectations from it, at least on the entertainment level. While watching it, I wondered what made some people like it so much. It was dull, flat and unfunny.
Rating - 2.5/5
Children of Heaven - Those who're not aware of this Iranian classic, it's a heartwarming film about a nine-year old boy belonging to a lower class family in Iran who loses his younger sister's pair of shoes. The film follows his attempts at getting a new pair for her while his family struggles to make ends meet. An excellent little film with several magical moments that's inherently sincere, with great performances from the lead actor and the little girl.
Rating - 4/5
Pan's Labyrinth - Have seen few films like this one. It's a Spanish film in which two stories run parallely - one talks about the grueseome reality of sadistic fascists in the Spain of 1944, while the other follows a girl's journey where she meets someone who convinces her that she's the daughter of a king of the Underworld, and must complete three tasks before she could retain her throne of the princess. A spectacularly narrated piece of film-making, that gives rise to a haunting feeling when it's over.
Rating - 4.5/5
