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About me
I am from Calcutta, a city from India. I spend most of my free time watching movies with my wife.Occupation: credit analyst
MarriedAbout my collections
I love watching films with my wife who is also a listal member. I just love being in Listal where we can share our love for our interests to the whole world.Lists
22 votes
The Immortal Jewels of Hindi Cinema
(27 items)Movie list by santanu Published 12 years ago
2 comments
6 votes
Beauties In The Eye of The Beholder
(25 items)Person list by santanu Published 12 years, 1 month ago
38 votes
The Future Looks Promising...
(26 items)Person list by santanu Published 12 years, 2 months ago
15 comments
22 votes
Oh She is So Cute...
(8 items)Person list by santanu Published 12 years, 2 months ago
2 comments
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Recent reviews
A Great Theatrical Experience.....
Posted : 10 years, 11 months ago on 15 December 2013 05:10 (A review of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug)So this Christmas Peter Jackson comes back with the fifth installment of his middle earth fantasy drama and God it is so entertaining. Yes surely it is no LOTR as it clearly misses the large canvas of the LOTR trilogy and the darkness but who cares when the spectacle is breathtaking and the action being so mind blowing. I liked Martin Freeman as Bilbo and the Dwarfs surely made everyone smile once in a while.
So while The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a big improvement on An unexpected Journey, it falls way short of the LOTR. But that little glitch apart I loved those 160 minutes solid entertainment. A big thumbs up for the 3D version.
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Every Life Has a Silver Lining.....
Posted : 11 years ago on 5 November 2013 06:53 (A review of Silver Linings Playbook)Silver linings Playbook, directed by David O Russel of The Three Kings and The Fighter fame is a noteworthy effort with a simple yet powerful script and a very impressive cast. The narrative is so nicely paced that it peaks on its own and excels beautifully.
The cast is adorable. While Bradley cooper impresses, Jennifer Lowrence steals the show and watching Robert De Niro in a decent role ( after so long) is a real treat.
All in all Silver Linings Playbook is an impressive piece of cinema which is crazy yet so meaningful. It really made my night. Definitely a big thumbs up.
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The Ticket to Happiness
Posted : 11 years, 2 months ago on 22 September 2013 02:51 (A review of The Lunchbox)0 comments, Reply to this entry
Lootera review
Posted : 11 years, 2 months ago on 22 September 2013 09:14 (A review of Lootera)Now despite everything I have just said, Lootera is a commendable effort by Mr Motwane. He has created some poetic moments in this story which is so heart warming and I loved the last 10 minutes which to me is the best part in the film.The music is brilliantly done and cinematography is really breathtaking. The direction is matured and hats off to Motwane for not Bollywoodising the story. It is truly a vintage love story better than anything I have seen in a while from Bollywood,only thing I wish it had a little more heart in the lovestory.
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Madras Cafe review
Posted : 11 years, 2 months ago on 2 September 2013 04:35 (A review of Madras Cafe)Whenever I watch a fast paced political thriller it reminds me of the Bourne movies. The Bourne trilogy has really pioneered in the way these espionage films are to be made and truly I am happy to watch an Indian Political thriller to follow the same footsteps. The latest offering from Shoojit Sircar, Madras Cafe is an incredibly well paced and well written thriller which starts of a ridiculous note but really picks it up from there on.
Making a Political film in an Indian context is a herculean task and hats off to Shoojit for choosing such a bold and interesting theme. It has everything that an engaging thriller should have. To speak of some, the pace never really slackens creating such an intriguing finale, the plot is interesting and Shoojit’s direction is top notch, while the acting department has nothing special to add to, Siddartha Basu impresses in a debut performance.
Now not everything about Madras Cafe is impressive. As usual it is too painful to watch John putting up the same troubled expression throughout the film and honestly it did not feel that patriotic at the end. Now as stated earlier it felt ridiculous to watch Vikram Singh in his turmoil state caused by the assassination while the death of his wife did not feel that painful to him and it felt really naive the way the story started in a church.
Despite all these minor shortcomings, Madras Cafe entertains me with its honest approach. It is a very impressive effort by the director from Vicky Donor. Amidst our celebrated mediocre directors Shoojit Sircar is evolving as a real promising film maker and kudos to him for choosing such an interesting subject. This film really worth’s a watch, don’t miss it.
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A love story without a Chemistry
Posted : 11 years, 3 months ago on 25 August 2013 05:58 (A review of The Vow)The Vows suffers dwelling on a single line plot with nothing much happening around it. Based on a true yet oddly familiar story The Vow starts and ends well, but it is the middle part that does not fit in. The film is all about the moments of impact which unfortunately never comes. The narrative drags in many places and sadly barring one scene hardly there is anything stimulating.
So riding on a predictable story and even more predictable narrative The Vow relies too much on the lead pair to salvage some love and honestly Tatum and McAdums makes the movie really watchable however the story never allows them to generate some chemistry.
So all in all a decent Rom com with a charming lead, not a very encouraging material I know but probably you wont regret watching the happy go lucky story on a lazy afternoon.
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Kai Po Che
Posted : 11 years, 6 months ago on 12 May 2013 06:07 (A review of Kai po che!)0 comments, Reply to this entry
Kai po che! review
Posted : 11 years, 6 months ago on 12 May 2013 06:07 (A review of Kai po che!)0 comments, Reply to this entry
Golmal Hai Bhai Sab Golmal Hai
Posted : 12 years ago on 11 November 2012 01:31 (A review of Gol Maal)Even after the wear tear of 3 Decades of awful remakes and annoying references in multiple comedy films, Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 1979 cult classic Gol Maal stands even taller on the merit of its uncompromised story and pure and heartfelt comedy. The versatile director’s take on Comedy in Gol Maal is purely based on the faked identity and situational moments. There are certain scenes where the impromptu acts of the brilliant actors make it a hilarious experience. Gol Maal still remains to be one of the most revered comedy films in the history of Hindi film history.
Gol Maal is based on a superbly written script. It’s a story of Ramprasad a recent college graduate who finds a job with a finicky man Bhavani Shankar, who believes that a man without a mustache is a man without a character. As the story further unfolds Ramprakash finds himself tangled in complex web of lies. He starts making stories to cover up his lies and finally his every lie compels him to lie further. The story unplugs pure and simple humour and entertains us to the fullest extent.
Gol Maal proves it again that humour can be created with a very simple story and some brilliant acting and one need not to be sleazy or mucky in order to bring smile into the viewers’ faces. The acting department of Gol Maal is so enriched having the likes of Utpal Dutta, Amol Palekar, Bindiya Goswami, Deven Verma and Dina Pathak. Just about everyone contributes to this brilliant sitcom. But the duo of Utpal Dutta and Amol Palekar were just too good. The comic timing of Utpal Dutta was so immaculate that certain scenes have become immortal in our heart. The direction of the master is flawless and the music is outstanding.
All in all Gol Maal is a perfect example of how a comedy film should be made. This is one of my all time favourites and without any doubt this is the best comedy film in the history of Hindi films. I am going with 8 out of 10 for Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 1979 classic Gol Maal, even after watching it for so many times I still get glued on to the screen every time it is broadcasted.
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Kolkata Unplugged...
Posted : 12 years ago on 11 November 2012 06:45 (A review of Kahaani)Watching Kolkata on screen is always a real turn on but an entire story set on the back drop of the city is more than a visual treat for me. Now add a smart script and an ably handled execution and I feel we are talking about an unknown phenomenon in Hindi cinema. Honestly after a long time I have enjoyed a good Hindi film which concentrates on the tight screenplay rather than lingering on to the other unimportant aspects of masala ingredients of Indian cinema.
Now before going any more deep into it I have to confess upfront that Kahaani is all the way a Vidya balan film. She is undoubtedly the best Indian actress of present time and she grabs this author backed performance opportunity with both hands and does full justice to it. The supporting cast is enriched with talented Bengali actors and all of them are really good.
The story despite being heavily influenced from Taking Lives is well handled and the smart and tight screenplay keeps the interest alive till the suspense unfolds at the end. The direction by Sujoy Ghosh is more than competent.
Now despite all the good things there are a few minor glitches in the story that really annoyed me. Believe me Kolkata cannot be this dull during Durga Puja when the story is set. Besides the climax on Dashami it hardly looked like Puja time. Also the fact that our IB looked so dumb seemed a little far fledged, I admit that Indian intelligence bureau has a remarkable history of non intelligence failures but they can’t be this dumb. A bereaved woman finds a criminal with such ease whereas the agency entirely depends upon her for the job is shear unbelievable. Moreover the twist ending seemed little half backed. After a superb first half, the last few moments completely looses its tight grip on the story.
All in all after a long time our own Bollywood gives us a good thriller to enjoy. I liked this one and why not I don’t get to see Kolkata everyday on screen. I am going 7 out of 10 for Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani, it is really a good example that even we can produce good cinema without being sleazy.
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"I Missed to vote for your list last time. So it is never late to rectify your mistake I suppose."
"I Missed to vote for your list last time. So it is never late to rectify your mistake I suppose."
"Ahhhh I am not sure about the choices of films, but still well done."
"Interesting choices I must say...."
"Well some great selection considering the number of entries. Well done...."
"Emily Blunt yes I agree but for the rest I am not so sure..."
"Nice, so it took you 10 days to atleast like 2 of them from none."
"Swadesh, Tare Zameen Par, Sarfarosh are among the few ones that I would have added. Nice list idea though."
"@Very Dark are you certain about that? Nice to know that they can't act. I thought my whole life that they were good actors. Just kidding, you are welcome with your views."
"Totally agree with The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day it was a big let down"
"Thanks for the suggestion, I really liked him in The Adjustment Bureau, I am including him."
Here are a various list of lists I made recently , and I would really appreciate your vote on it :
www.listal.com/list/tv-shows-got-way-worse
www.listal.com/list/-adamatc
www.listal.com/list/if-those-movies-were-made
www.listal.com/list/our-favourite-fictional-us-president
www.listal.com/list/50-impossibly-awesome-facts-about
www.listal.com/list/playlist-25-best-comedies
www.listal.com/list/playlist-25-best-scifi
www.listal.com/list/best-worst-best-pictures
www.listal.com/list/bill-hader-lists-200-movies
www.listal.com/list/cast-got-their-first-gigs
www.listal.com/list/most-realistic-movies-about-addiction
Also, feel free to take a deeper look into my profile :)
Thank you, I owe you one !!!
www.listal.com/list/happy-new-year-babes
Check the list : www.listal.com/list/most-valuable-listal-players-sorted
...and of course Merry Christmas!!!!
www.listal.com/list/lists-i-like
Will definitely add Taare Zaamen Par when i next update the List.
This is my new Project on some of the finest Indian Movies.
www.listal.com/list/hindi-movies-id-recommend-foreigner
Hope these movies get your attention.
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on my 'amazing kids' list