Re: Movies
Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2024 8:40 am
395 - Vanaprastham (1999) - 7/10 - Kunhikuttan is a well known Kathakali dancer in the 1950s. He is poor and lives with his wife from an arranged marriage and his young daughter, though he is often on the road with his troupe. A wealthy woman falls for the character that he plays, but only wants to see him while he is in costume. This leads to a son, but she will not let him see the boy. It's an interesting film with a good performance from the lead.
396 - Kanchivaram (2008) - 7.5/10 - Vengadam is a poor silk weaver who dreams of making a silk sari for his bride. The silk weavers of this era (1920s India) are kept in poverty by the men who control the product and amass fortunes at the expense of the weavers. Vengadam and some of the other weavers eventually fall under the spell of a communist organizer with hope that communism will bring them greater prosperity. Vengadam's life isn't easy, which is clear from the start as he is on a 2 day parole from prison with much of the story told in flashback. Prakash Raj gives a good performance as Vengadam.
397 - Kabuliwala (1957) - 5/10 - A nut seller from Afghanistan arrives in India to make some money to take back home. He becomes very fond of a little girl who reminds him of his young daughter back home. He gives her lots of free samples and seems to neglect his job to spend time with her. The acting isn't really all that great.
398 - Mrigayaa (1977) - 6.5/10 - In the 1920s, tribal villagers are taken advantage of in a number of ways by the Indians in charge of their area. One talented hunter befriends the new British administrator through his prowess at catching big game. This doesn't keep his wife from being a target. Mithun Chakraborty is pretty good in his film debut, but the film as a whole is only okay, though it has some nice moments.
399 - Seemabaddha / Company Limited (1971) - 7.5/10 - Shyamalendu is an executive for a British fan company based in India. He wants to keep moving up the corporate ladder and expects a promotion soon. However, a problem with a major shipment arises that threatens his position. To solve the problem, he may need to resort to unethical means. Complicating matters are his wife's younger sister visiting for a few days. This was good, but I'd rate it around middle of the pack for the Ray films that I've seen.
400 - The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) - 8/10 - Basil Rathbone stars as Sherlock Holmes with Nigel Bruce as Watson in this nice adaptation of the Arthur Conan Doyle story.
401 - Scream of Fear (1961) - 8/10 - Penny Appleby is confined to a wheelchair due to an accident years earlier. She has been away in Switzerland for some time, but returns home to her father's estate after receiving a letter from him. She meets her stepmother for the first time and is told that her father is away, but she starts seeing his dead body in different places on the estate. This was nicely done and pretty entertaining.
402 - The Tomb of Ligeia (1964) - 5/10 - Vincent Price stars as a man whose wife has died. At the funeral, a black cat jumps on the coffin. Price marries again, but his first wife's spirit seems to haunt them and that black cat hangs around, too. I couldn't really get into this one. It was pretty dull.