'Gulaal': The Revolution Continues

Anurag Kashyap is a filmmaker who loves to provoke, and is too ambitious, however his ambition stems from creativity as well as his characteristic dynamism. He might not always fully realize his ambition on screen - yet he tries, relentlessly, and it is this very effort which makes us viewers sit up, and take note. We can never afford to be indifferent, we can never fail to respond to his kind of cinema!
'Gulaal' is a revolution, not so much because it has political elements dramatically placated in the narrative, but more for the manner in which Anurag Kashyap attempts to turn the age-old cinematic conventions on their head! He makes full use of the colors, the sights, the sounds, the locales, the characters, the realistic backdrop and the surreal images, and gets us involved in the violence-induced potpourri.
In his own admission, the director has said that he had been much angry and frustrated when his film 'Paanch' got banned! It was before 'Black Friday', and he wanted to say a lot at that time. The new states of Uttaranchal and Jharkhand were formed. The 27th and 28th state. He was upset as to why these new states were being formed. At that time, he was introduced to a part time model, Raja Chaudhary, who had written a story on college politics, which Anurag found to be 'a nice story but nothing more' and that eventually, after much research & meat being worked into it, 'Gulaal' was conceived. First it was supposed to be produced by Michael Arrakal, but after a small schedule, the film got shelved. He went on to make 'Black Friday' after that. Jhamu Sughand then stepped in to produce 'Gulaal' as the release of 'Black Friday' was stalled by the Court. However, the troubles weren't over; a new set of bottlenecks cropped up. 'Gulaal' was stopped midway alongwith 'Johnny Gaddar' and 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na', the two other films of Jhamu. The former was picked up by Adlabs and the latter by Aamir Khan. Nobody picked up 'Gulaal' because it lacked saleable names. Kashyap made 'No Smoking', 'Return Of Hanuman' and 'Dev.D'. Finally it was Zee Motion Pictures that bought the project and decided to complete and release it. 'Gulaal' now graces the screens just as Holi - the festival of colors - has just wrapped up, and as the success and acclaim are still being showered on Kashyap's 'Dev. D' that is still enjoying a good run at the city plexes.
'Gulaal' stars Raj Singh Choudhary, Jesse Randhawa, Abhimanyu Singh, Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastav, Mahie Gill, Deepak Dobriyal, Ayesha Mohan, Piyush Mishra and Pankaj Jha. The music & lyrics are by Piyush Mishra; Editing: Aarti Bajaj; Art direction: Wasiq Khan; Cinematography: Rajiv Ravi. I found it to be aptly continuing the revolution that Anurag Kashyap has started as he emblazons the screens with the powerful cinematic vehicles, and cements his position in Bollywood as a maverick scriptwriter-cum-director.

Happy 44th Birthday, Aamir!!!!

Aamir Khan, the most consummate lead actor in Hindi films today, never fails to create news and sometimes has had immense fan following all through. He has broken grounds with his films in the recent times, and some of his films have undoubtedly become trendsetters among the masses, while some of them will always remain the moot-point in the serious discussions on films. On this day, this star-actor turns a year older, and I salute his prowess & his proficiency!

Recently, Aamir Khan has been declared as the most powerful man in the Mumbai film industry, but Aamir, being Aamir, has commented:
“I am not really interested in power. I think it's important to know what one can really do with the power. According to me, power is how one uses it. I can be very powerful but if I can't use it for any good or can't contribute to the industry then I am actually powerless. I would like to use my power by working with new directors, giving new actors to the industry and making experimental films.” [Filmfare Power List, for the year gone by.]

Aamir loves to be the chameleon, playing diverse characters, in diverse get-ups, and here's doffing our hats to his latest avatar as an elderly Sardarji, for the Tata-Sky commercial.

Happy Birthday, Aamir! May all your dreams come true..... here's wishing you all the best for all your future endeavours!


[pics courtesy: indiatimes.com, google.com, Tata Sky, Titan Watches]

Vivek: The Fresh Face of Bangla Cinema

Vivek Trivedi is one of the new kids on the Bangla mainstream cinema scene, and one thing is certain - he is here to stay! Here is a heart-to-heart chat that the young hero had with me, and - for the first time on my blog - I am reproducing a candid conversation with a celebrity!!!!




Hi Vivek, I am so glad that you have taken time out from your busy schedule to have this chat with me. First, I would like to know what keeps you busy these days. Your first film 'Prem' had released almost a couple a of years back, right?

Vivek: Ya, after 'Prem', that was released in May, 2007, I did a few more films but sadly only one more got released.

Which one was that?

It was called 'Bhalobashar Dibbi', and it was directed by Milan Bhowmik. It starred Roopa Ganguly, Mukesh Khanna in the cast too. The other films got stuck for several reasons. However, I am expecting the release of a slew of films in the months to come.

Wow! That's great news! You must be too busy with the shoots of late...

Vivek: Ya, you can say so. I am excited about the new films that I have been currently working on. Especially, 'Ronnie Aar Bonnie', 'Phire Pete Chaai'

Besides, shooting for the films, you have also been busy with shows...

Vivek: Yes, in winter - when it is supposed to be the peak season for us performers - we have to tour the rural districts. The small townships and the suburban centres are where the filmstars from Tollygunge are really adored.

The stage shows must be really hectic, aren't they?

Vivek: Yes, the travelling can be termed hectic, performing in these live shows isn't such a big problem though.

Is your eldest sister, Priyanka, who is a major draw for the audience in Bengal, also a part of the same touring troupe?

Vivek: Right. There's the Priyanka-Jeet duo, one of the bet loved pairs post-'Saathi', and I am paired with Shreya, who was my co-star in my debut film.

Okay, let me ask you something that is uppermost in my mind... what do you think of the so-called resurgence of Bangla cinema? Many of the Bangla films have had great success in the recent few years, do you feel buoyant?

Vivek: The entire scenario, thankfully, has been changing for the better. In fact, I consider 'Saathi' to be a major turnaround for Bangla commercial cinema. The general look of the films has improved by several notches. The scale of the films, their mounting and the production values are high. The films in spite of catering to the tastes of the regional audience are being given a polish and an edge that had been non-existent a few years back.

The makers, and even the stars, seem more confident when it comes to the style quotient booming up; what do you say?

Vivek: The song sequences of quite a few Bangla films are being shot overseas nowadays, be it in Singapore, Malayasia or other global scenic locales. So, I would agree that the things definitely look promising.

And what about the schism between the mainstream films and the so-called parallel or alternative cinema?

Vivek: See, I have till now been associated with only the mainstream or commercial films that has its own viewership. Largely, these films are in great demand in places like Midnapore, Birbhum and Bankura. Not that the mainstream films are viewed in the cities, they often get a bumper response in the single-screen theaters in and around Kolkata.

I am sure you are aware of the recent mainstream cult hits like 'Chirodini Tumi Je Aamar' and 'Mon Maane Na' which have opened in-roads for new makers, as well as launched several fresh faces....

Vivek: Very much so... the songs, the story-telling - even though many are remakes of cult-hits from the South- and the marketing have all been contributing factors.

After Mithun, Prosenjit & Jeet having been the crowd-pullers for a really long time, there are quite a few new heroes in Tollygunge who have been doing well, like Hiran, Dev, Soham, Rahul and even you...

Vivek: Well, I am counting a lot on the upcoming ventures of mine, Surajit Biswas's 'Tumi Jodi Aamar Hote', Tapan Banerjee's 'Rajdrohi', Mrityunjay Roy's 'Aamar Antare Tumi' are all films that are expected to augur well. Let's see if I'm lucky enough in becoming the people's favorite... a long way to go.

Luck plays a major role too in becoming successful in this tinsel world, no?

Vivek: It does, and I very much believe in luck. Film-making involves a lot of risk-taking, and the people working in films are naturally great-believers in the luck-factor!

On a different note, don't you rue the fact that still a large section of the city folks snub the Bangla mainstream films as being crass and downmarket? They do not even get released in the city's multiplexes!

Vivek: Look, you have to understand the ground reality.... the multiplexes in Kolkata, where the average price of a ticket is 150 bucks, is not where the average movie-goer, who's interested in Bangla films, goes to watch our films! The market for our films lying elsewhere, the release of our films in the city multiplexes is not yet feasible. It is all a question of realistc demands.

Finally, let me say that I love the fact that you are so amiable and down-to-earth, in spite of having had a grooming in the US.. you are the youngest in the family, right? You do seem very confident and poised..

Vivek: Thank you... I was born here in Kolkata, I am the youngest - my sisters Priyanka and Apsara, both having had their share of limelight. We had shifted to the US during my childhood. I have also been to Singapore and have stayed in Mumbai for a while too. I consider myself to be a thoroughbred Kolkatan and it is here that I have been working. So, there!

The chat does come to a close..... but let me convey my earnest good wishes to you, Vivek. I hope you make a big name for yourself and make all of us proud too.
[Pics courtesy: The Telegraph; seen from top:Vivek with Ferdous & Rituparna Sengupta, and Vivek with co-star Shreya]

Making Cricket a Casualty!

Who had expected that even cricketers' lives would be at stake as they travelled to an international venue for playing the game for fostering goodwill & peace? Well, terrorism, or rather the politics of terror is such an anathema that it spares none!
For us, that is all the sane, rational people of the world, regardless of nationality or divisive entities that define us, it is indeed appalling that anybody should have targeted a sporting team in such a brutal manner, it is far too shameful than words can describe.
Though it is still early to talk review the incident in detail, as the reports that have already flooded the media are sketchy & brief, as expected, it can be affirmed that around a dozen heavily armed assailants attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team's bus and a police escort as they had been driving to the Gaddafi stadium in the Pakistani city of Lahore. The attackers are believed to be holed up in the area itself, that is how the media have been briefed, as I write this very post. The terror attack is also believed to have been patterned in the same way as that of the Mumbai attack on 26th November, 2008.
Six members of the Sri Lankan cricket squad were reportedly wounded in the attack wherein the gunfire seems to have lasted for about half an hour. The unidentified gunmen, two of whom were even seen in the footage shown on television, fired AK 47s and rockets and hurled grenades as the team bus was about to reach the venue for the on-going Test Match. It must be mentioned that after the dastardly attacks on Mumbai, India had cancelled the proposed five-week series in Pakistan, having been critical of the country's role in indulging terror outfits, thereafter Sri Lanka came ahead with its offer of touring Pakistan in place of India. The head of Sri Lankan cricket, Arjuna Ranatunga had himself said that they had a duty as a friendly neighbour in the region to help Pakistan when it was needed the most.
And this is how the goodwill ambassadors were rewarded!!!!!!!!!!

India has blamed the attack on Pakistan-trained militants and the incident has sharply raised the tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Sri Lanka has immediately cancelled the rest of the tour.
Among the Sri Lankan cricketers who have sustained injuries, Thilan Samaraweera has reportedly been the worst hit. Mahela Jayawardena has a cut in his ankle, Kumar Sangakkara has had a shrapnel cut to shoulder, Ajantha Mendis has had a shrapnel wound to his back, Tharanga Paranavithana has suffered a shrapnel wound to his chest. Paul Farbrace - the assistant coach - has suffered a shrapnel wound in his arm. Former Pakistan Test cricketer Ahsan Raza, who was the reserve umpire for the Pakistan-Sri Lanka series, was critically injured.
It is believed that the threat perception for the Sri Lankan cricket team that had already been there, was not handled effectively by the Intelligence Agencies. However, the team-bus did take a different route today, the usual practice of going through the road along the canal, was replaced by going through the Liberty market. The attack could still not be thwarted. According to reports, the gunmen were carrying weapons in sacks and were dressed like college students. It seems that the mad rampage of the terrorists will see more such lay casualties, until & unless the politics of terror that the terror outfits worldwide keep stemming from gets uprooted. May more power prevail to the voice of sanity & reason, may the lights of hope be rekindled.

'Dev. D' - A Revolution on Screen!

SaratChandra Chattopadhyay's classical romantic hero, Devdas, was a drunken escapist, a doomed lover, a Bengali protagonist who reflected his failure in coming to terms with his own emotional scruples & that of others, but he can hardly be called a rebel. However, Anurag Kashyap has given Devdas a new spin. Dev, the hero, is still the loser in love, but it is his angst that burns the screen. It is the rebellious director himself who has taken ample liberties with the story and the characters, using his imagination & creativity to infuse life in each of the characters in a modern setting, and using crisp & witty dialogues, real-life situations lifted straight from the newspapers, mind-boggling cinenatography, stylized editing, catchy musical score, psychedelic surrealism, and wonderfully amoral sexuality as powerful tools. It is a trailblazer of a movie; unsettling, provoking, unconventional, and thoroughly irreverent. Abhay Deol, as the titular protagonist, has put in a power-packed performance, and so have the apparent fresh faces - Mahi Gill (as Parminder/Paro), Kalki Koechlin (Lenny/Chanda) & Dibyendu Bhattacharya (Chunni).

Boon? Bane?

Often it is so confusing for me to decide if I am being pampered with a boon, or if I am being punished with a bane!!!!!!!!!
Based on what I have been experiencing lately, and also based on my gut feeling, it could well be either!!!!!!!
I could very well be entering the most powerful period of your life... one that could make this a potentially life-changing period!
I find myself in a near-ideal position to take charge of my destiny -- if that can really happen in perfunctory terms at least -- perhaps even transform my entire future! But what is it that I really look forward to? Wealth, love, success, happiness........... a more satisfactory life than I have ever dreamt of?
But, aren't those all terms illusory?
My one concern is whether I'll be ready to reap the maximum advantage from every single moment of this extraordinary period..... and what if my perceptions & my aspirations appear to be a mirage-like falsification of my desperate goals?

I want to share with you in this very space my dilemma: to do or not to do, to act or to withdraw, to accept or to decline...
Because of the very unusual nature of these vibrations, I decided to cast aspersion to my weighing of opportunities against threats, strengths against weaknesses, may be this helps me gain greater insight and clarity on what I have been sensing.
Now let me throw some prudence, your way, as well as mine, I haven't been exactly waiting for my dreams to unfold into tangible pursuits, one by one, in random succession. I haven't been so desperate to live a life of my dreams. But sometimes, I have waited too eagerly for a an abundant feeling of joy, rejuvenation, and relief from all burdens that weigh heavily on my soul.
However, what if I fail to use foresight in my decisions and fail to protect myself from the negative energies? What if I fail to display my wisdom, foresight and vigilance which could have been instrumental in transforming discordant energies into positive outcomes, then I am sure to languish in more pain, terminal discomfort, stifling rage & a never-ending vacuum! Then it is just a bane for me, no?
The best way to let all my concerns be taken care of... is to stop thinking too much, to stop reading between the lines, but won't that prevent me from grasping opportunity with both hands?

I believe that everyone deserves to live their life free from stress, strain and worry. Life is too precious to waste on lost opportunities
and bad mistakes. Many a times we do not pay close attention, we do not take heed of the signals and the alarms, and thus we fail in our responsibilities even being in the driver's seat. I wish we never be subject to the whims of fate. But can one really take care of every situation that arises when we are guaranteed to be in a commanding position?

There are many major decisions that we all have to face, sometimes more than once in our lives. And every single day of our lives brings a fresh new batch of choices, some of which, as you no doubt have already discovered, have the power to alter the shape of our entire future.

Should I take that job?
Move to a new home?
Invest money in a new business?
Can this new friend be trusted?
Will this person make me happy?
Should I change my career?
And how many times have you been torn between two decisions? Your head tells you one thing, your heart says another... but how can you know which choice is the right one?

The questions cited above aren't exhaustive, just illustrative, yet just these are enough to make one's head spin... We can't exactly shape our future on the toss of a coin, can we? We need to guide our souls by a very determined soul-searching, every single moment, and that presumably leads us to the answer of 'Just what to do?'!

Just think of it! we all wish to be steered in the right course, to comfortably breeze through a situation, to ooze confidence in whatever we do.......... yet it is possible to reach, by some magic, the correct solution to every problem or dilemma or crisis. It is we who have to contemplate, decipher, decode and act, act we must; even if it is to act to remain passive, to let go!!!!
I think our subconscious mind, or higher knowledge, can and do show us precisely what we need to know about our present situation, the circumstances that may have led to it, the best action we can take at a certain moment in time, as well as the most likely outcome.

'Luck by Chance'

Lucky us.... I mean us viewers.... that movies like 'Luck by Chance' are being made! Zoya Akhtar seems extremely confident of the material and she has done a superb job as the director of the film that takes us on a ride, not too cerebral but engaging to the fullest, of the bylanes and alleyways of the Mumbai film industry. Experienced largely through the travails of the two protagonists, Sona (Konkona SenSharma) & Vikram (Farhan Akhtar), we are game to many an insider's tale of the shimmering-from-outisde & black-from-outside tinsel town. The premise does not have much newness, but the treatment surely does. The smart, stylish screenplay is sure to hook us, even though the flow seems a little self-indulgent at times. The 'filmy types' that have been done to death in umpteen movies haven't thankfully been rolled through overtly cliched routines. The cameo appearances by the high-profile celebs of Bollywood (from Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, John Abraham to the likes of Manish Malhotra, Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap, it has a whole gang of A-listers!) do boost the film's marketability and also do rescue it from any possible dullness on account of predictability. Rishi kapoor, Dimple Kapadia & Isha Sharvani have been perfectly cast in the supporting roles. Last, but not the least, one must pat Hrithik Roshan in the back for a role that few stars would have risked taking up. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are impressive with their original score yet again, and so are all the crew-members of the film, who have put their best efforts to add to the film's ambience.

The Oscar Fever Is Here Again!

It's that time of the year again when cine-buffs from around the world look forward to the biggest annual cine-event- The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars. Well, not all cine-buffs have good things to say about it..... nor are they expected to. The Oscars are as much about the marketing blitzkrieg as they are about celebrating quality cinematic offerings. So, for many it is a time to pinpoint at the vagueness behind the claims of superlative content; however, for others, it is a vindication of their own choices matching with the Academy's prize-winners.

This time, the film 'Slumdog Millionaire' has created the maximum buzz at the nominations, and many an Indian has been keeping the fingers crossed - the film already having won top honors at the Golden Globes this year - believing that the Danny Boyle film winning Oscars will in a way be a boost for the Indian films and the diaspora, sadly they are mistaken. 'Slumdog Millionaire', though technically brilliant, is a typical offering from British director Danny Boyle who has woven a modern-day fantasy out of the Third World horrors of low-life. It is a pastiche of colors-and-images-and-sounds that works as a great hook for the Western audience. It is kitsch being passed off as a contemporary classic.

'Slumdog Millionaire' is one of the most watched films, from the list of films in the Oscar nominations list, in this sub-continent. I too haven't seen many of the other apparently interesting films that I got to know only from the news reports about the nominations. I hope to see them but I doubt if I really be able to, as most of these are unlikely to be released in theaters in Kolkata! However, here I am taking a nod to all the films I have seen from this year's Oscar nominations - in whatever category or categories.














From top to bottom, scenes from the following:
Presto
Changeling
The Dark Knight
Kung Fu Panda
Iron Man
Australia
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
Wanted
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Courtesy: www.oscar.com

New Beginnings..... 2009

This is my first post for the year 2009...
I know, it was long over-due, couldn't avoid the delay..... for a number of reasons.
I would like to greet all my readers at first - a new year means new beginnings - no matter what! Maybe things weren't too happy for many of us. Maybe things were bleaker than the usual even as this year began. Nevertheless life is a celebration. And as I celebrate my life with this blog of mine, which is but a small effort to remain vibrant as life pulsates in its own way, I must say that the past year has been most wonderful in the personal field. Love finds its way, but it never felt so great, so blessed to have an exact replication of love (if not a manifold magnification) in the loved one's heart. May all be blessed with such sublime love; may love spread all the more in our frail hearts, which only assume such a magical splendour of joyous vigour when drenched in the hues of love.

Here's a not-so-original, and much replicated love story that I found truly inspiring which I want to share with my readers. It has been forwarded to me by a friend. As it is apparently anonymous in its umpteen re-tellings on the Net, sadly I cannot credit the original author. But here it is for the reading pleasure of all who haven't read it before:

An Amazing Love Story

He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, so many guys chasing after her; while he was so normal that nobody paid attention to him. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised, but, being polite, she agreed.
They sat in a nice coffee shop, and ordered for coffee. He was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable.... the silence was almost gnawing. Suddenly, as the coffee arrived, he asked the waiter, 'Would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee.' Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red, but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, 'Why did you do that?'
He replied: 'When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea. I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, I think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there'. While saying these words, tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. Then she also started to speak, spoke about her far-away hometown, her childhood, and her family. That was a really nice talk, and it was also a beautiful beginning of their love story.
They continued to date. She found that he was a very sweet person, he was tolerant, kind-hearted, warm & caring. She would have almost derided him for the salty coffee, had she not known all about him! They soon got married, and lived a happy life.....
And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that's the way he liked it. After 40 years, he passed away. He left her a letter which said: 'My Dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life which has been a lie. But trust me, our love was not a lie. To be very honest with you, the only lie that I have subjected you to, till date, is that about my preference for salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. You liked the story that I instantly concocted in defense of that incredible stuff, and it was hard to change it. I just went ahead with the lie.... without thinking about the far-reaching consequences. Later, however, I tried to tell you the truth many times, but I was too afraid..... I wasn't sure if that would be a sensible thing.
Well, the salty coffee has such a strange, bad taste! But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life! I could have done anything for you.... so, it was nothing! Having you with me has been my biggest happiness, for my whole life. If I could live again, I'd still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even if I am compelled by circumstances to drink the salty coffee - again!'
As she finished reading the letter, she found that her tears had made the letter totally wet, and, yes, it must be salty too, she reasoned.

Someday, someone asked her: What's the taste of salty coffee?
'It's sweet!' -she replied.

Best Movies, 2008

Movie viewing has indeed been exciting for me this year as I have had the opportunity of watching some of the best new films and also of visiting some classics for the first time, after having waited for long. I am particularly indebted to the UTV World Movies channel on television, that has showcased some of the finest films from around the world, especially from Europe and South-east Asia. This year also saw the theatrical releases in languages like Spanish, German, Turkish and others as NDTV Lumiere distributed them at the multiplexes of the major Indian cities, including Kolkata.

Here is a listing of the ten best films seen this year, albeit listed on the basis of personal preference:

1. Into the Wild (2007)

2. Atonement (2007)

3. Persepolis (2007)

4. My Blueberry Nights (2007)

5. Solino (2002)

6. Todo Sobre Me Madre/ All About My Mother (1999)

7. The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

8. Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na (2008)

9. Aamir (2008)

10. I'm Not There (2007)


[Beyond the aforementioned Top 10, there were plenty more seen this year that got me mesmerized or hooked to the screen, small or big, like... naming a few of them, randomly,
'Michael Clayton', 'Changeling', 'Igby Goes Down', 'Rendition', 'October Sky', 'Chapter 27', 'Black Snake Moan', 'Southland Tales', 'Secrets & Lies', 'Lost in Yonkers', 'The Merchant of Venice', 'Eastern Promises', 'Memoirs of a Geisha', 'No Country for Old Men', 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford', 'A Mighty Heart', 'Juno', 'Letters from Iwo Jima', 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street', 'The Lookout', 'Scaphandre et le Papillon'/ 'The Diving Bell & the Butterfly', 'Iluminados por el fuego'/ 'Blessed by Fire', 'American Gangster', 'Ladre di Biciclette/ The Bicycle Thief', 'The Jane Austen Book Club', 'A Good Year', 'Hostel', 'The Hottest State' 'When Niezstche Wept', 'December Boys', 'Lions for Lambs', 'Cassandra's Dream', 'Eyes Wide Shut', 'The Machinist', 'Lords of Dogtown', 'The Tracey Fragments', 'Leatherheads', 'Young People F***ing', 'Invisible Waves', 'Riri Shushu no subete'/ 'All About Lily Chou-Chou', 'Rendez-vous', 'Cadillac Records', 'Caramel', 'Rock On!!', 'A Wednesday', 'Magonia', 'Fa Yeung Nin Wa/ In the Mood for Love', 'Bacheha-Ye Aseman/ Children of Heaven', 'Amores Perros/ Love's a Bitch', 'Janghwa, Hongryeon/ A Tale of Two Sisters', 'Das Leben der Anderen/ The Lives of Others', 'Le Dernier Métro/ The Last Metro', 'There Will Be Blood', 'Khuda Kay Liye', 'Ramchand Pakistani', 'Body of Lies', 'The Happening', 'Day Night Day Night', 'Mumbai Meri Jaan', 'Wanted', 'Kung Fu Panda', and 'Wall-E'.]

'There Will Be Blood'