Movie Junction

The premise of “Albert Nobbs” (2011) tells a touching tale of a woman, who has disguised herself as a man Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close) for the last thirty years.   Albert works as a hotel waiter in Dublin, Ireland and the film’s story is set in the 19 th century. Albert is saving money so that he can buy a shop. Meanwhile, Albert’s secret is revealed after a painter named Hubert Page (Janet McTeer) visits the hotel for minor paint work. Page tells Albert that his secret will not be disclosed to anyone and, during his visit, Page also shares his secret with Albert. In the same hotel where Albert works, a maid Helen Dawes (Mia Wasikowska) falls for a young man, Joe Mackins (Aaron Johnson). Things get complicated when Albert thinks that Helen would be the ideal wife to run a shop with and starts courting her. “Albert Nobbs” mainly highlights the struggles of the working-class people of Ireland. While we see many characters, the film devotes the majority of time to coverin...

Bollywood cinema has changed a lot for the better in the last decade or so, partly due to the arrival of new filmmakers willing to break the conventional Bollywood format and style for more substance and story. A recent Bollywood blockbuster movie, “Kahaani” (2012, “Story” in English), is a dazzling entertainer, not in the manner expected of a Bollywood hit. The film’s entertainment value is not boosted by featuring catchy dance numbers or by including elaborate action sequences. Even from a story line perspective, “Kahaani” is not another boy-meets-girl story--a subgenre in Bollywood that has become bread-and-butter for the industry. If you are looking for star power, then there are no “big” and “popular” actors in the film, either, to draw an audience to theaters. In spite of these elements stacked against the film, how did “Kahaani” succeed in becoming one of the biggest hits from Bollywood in recent years? In short, two reasons: the lead actress, Vidya Balan, and a twist end...

The opening shot of “Haywire” (2012) introduces us to the main protagonist, Mallory Kane (Gina Carano), in a laid-back manner. The camera stays firmly focused on Mallory as she tries to closely inspect her surroundings at a diner. She moves her eyes rapidly, looking for anything suspicious and swirling her tongue while waiting.   She is not bored and is expecting something unusual. Moments later, Mallory presents an exasperated look on her face, imbuing it with a “not again” moment. Soon after, the tone of the entire setup changes and the camerawork gets zappy, trying to capture the action happening at the diner. These opening minutes are critical in developing an action-oriented portrait of Mallory. We know Mallory is smart, receptive, sexy, aggressive, physically fit, and above all, doesn’t take anything for guaranteed. As the opening moments end, we are taken to Mallory’s world as a special agent caught in a web of deceit and double crossing. After es...

At one point in “12 Angry Men” (1957), one of the jurors asks another juror if he ever sweats.  It’s a critical juncture in the film, at which a few jurors have started to doubt their initial “guilty” vote.  At the start, the eleven jurors unanimously voted “guilty,” with the only juror #8, played by Henry Fonda, voting “not guilty.” The eleven men in the room think they can convince the juror #8 to change his vote. But, as the deliberations intensify, so do human emotions soar and the tables have turned with juror #8 trying to convince the remaining jurors. With consensus shifting gradually, we see the jury is at a crossroads regarding their verdict.  A juror looks outside the window and remarks about a looming storm--a deliberate reference to an unending impasse in the room. Sure enough, the jury room has now developed into a boiler room for heated discussions, as the perspiring jurors struggle to stave off climatic heat. Director Sydney Lumet brings in a dynam...