All the King's Men (1949)

Director : Robert Rossen
Cast : Broderick Crawford,John Ireland.Joanne Dru
Genre: Drama

Plot: You will vote for the Devil itself, if Willie Stark asks for it!

Willie Stark is an honest Southern Populist (Pro Farmer and rural) politician who is ultimately consumed by power. This movie is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Robert Penn Warren.

Broderick Crawford won an Academy Award for his performance as Willie Stark, a small-town lawyer who wins the hearts of constituents by battling government corruption. Warren modeled Willie Stark on Huey Long, who served as governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and United States Senator from 1930 to 1935.

The film is an in-depth, genius showcase of character deterioration. Stark becomes more and more corrupt as he rises through the ranks of government. He becomes governor, has a couple of extramarital affairs, and is finally assassinated by one of his friend-turned-foe.

The film also won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Mercedes McCambridge as Sadie Burke.

Anybody who wants to be a leader of some sort, especially a politician, must watch it.The way Crawford delivers his hard hitting 'Pro-Hicks'. speeches is pure mesmerizing.
Ireland also puts on a better than good show but sadly gets overshadowed by ever so vivacious Willie Stark.
And Joanne Dru is a beauty!

8.6/10

You Can't Take It With You (1938)

Director: Frank Capra
Cast: Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart, Edward Arnold, Jean Arthur
Genre: Comedy
IMDB : "The stenographer Alice Sycamore is in love with her boss Tony Kirby, who is the vice-president of the powerful company owned by his greedy father Anthony P. Kirby. Kirby Sr. is dealing a monopoly in the trade of weapons, and needs to buy one last house in a twelve block area owned by Alice's grandparent Martin Vanderhof. However, Martin is the patriarch of an anarchic and eccentric family where the members do not care for money but for having fun and making friends. When Tony proposes Alice, she states that it would be mandatory to introduce her simple and lunatic family to the snobbish Kirbys, and Tone decides to visit Alice with his parents one day before the scheduled. There is an inevitable clash of classes and lifestyles, the Kirbys spurn the Sycamores and Alice breaks with Tony, changing the lives of the Kirby family".

Yes it doesn't sound like a "never-before" plot! However, it is the treatment of the subject by director and actors alike that won the movie sheer accolades in the bygone era and holds it in good stead even today.
Grandpa Martin Vanderhof comes across as one of the most lovable and friendly character till date and Kirby senior as hell-bent snobbish. And it is the climax scene, when finally Kirby senior lets go of his cloak of superiority and plays the harmonica with the universal grandpa, that gives your soul an ultimate cinematic high.


8.1/10

How Green Was My Valley (1941)

Director : John Ford
Cast : Walter Pidgeon,Maureen O'Hara,Anna Lee,Donald Crisp,Huw Morgan
Genre: Drama

This classic revolves around a tightly knitted mining family residing in a beautiful Welsh valley (though actual shooting took place in US only). Strength of the movie lies in it's touching voice-over narration.

The times are changing and the pastoral countryside has to deal with the advent of modern industrialization.
Sons have to move out of their families, a once peaceful neighborhood is brewing with tensions, fathers have to take tough decisions, and so on. But among all this the love--within families--and harmony--with thy neighbor--still prevail, showing a way to live in a changing world.

Donald Crisp, as a proud father of six siblings and a revered leader among miners delivers a power packed performance.


Wholesome cinema.

8.3/10

The Damned United (2009)

Director: Tom Hooper

Cast: Michael Sheen, Colm Meaney, Timothy Spall

Genre: Drama, Biography

Plot: True story of England's most successful national football manager, Brian Clough.

The Damned United tells of Brian Clough's rise to fame with the qualification of his native club Derby to 1st division, against all odds. Then, a trip down the dungeon as manager of  the then Champion, Leeds United, for a horrendous 44 days. And finally winning the back-to-back European Cups with Derby. A feat unmatched even today.

There is genuine depth and meaning in this film. A powerful script is supported by superb direction and spot on chemistry among actors. Film atmosphere is further charged with timely flashbacks, clashes of heavy weights, rivalry among best mates, and pumping adrenalin. Emotions are running real high.

Among all this drama, actors have done a fantastic job. Colm Meaney is justly arrogant as Don Revie. Timothy Spall is a superb best buddy as Taylor. Michael Sheen as Clough is simply stellar.

Might I say an underrated masterpiece..

8/10

The Warlords (Chinese, 2007)

Director: Peter Chan
Cast: Jet Lee,Takeshi Kaneshiro,Andy Lau
Genre: War 


Plot: The most dreaded war in the history of mankind.

Set in the 1860s, movie depicts the story of an imperial general Pang who loses all of his army in the Taiping rebellion of Chinese civil war. More than 70 million people died in this war. Pang survives by playing dead. He later joins some bandits, forms an army, and makes two blood brothers in the bandit leaders: Jiang (Takeshi) and Erhu (Lau).

It's a very well told movie about a gruesome and lengthy war and it's consequence. There is death, killing, betrayal, frustration, starvation; every possible aspect/effect of war has been blended with the story beautifully. The three blood brothers Pang, Erhu, and Jiang have been very special. Their love for each other is undying.

City of Suzhou is under seize by the brothers for years. Both sides are hoping there is food with the others but there is none. Erhu ventures alone in the city of Suzhou and the ruler of city dies deliberately in a fight with him but also asks him to promise his people and army won't be harmed. Erhu delivered a power packed performance in a scene where some 4000 Suzhou POWs are killed due to shortage of food.

Pang aims for universal peace and fights for it but imperial leaders won't let it happen. The climax scene where Jiang and Pang die is quite touching.

The brothers eventually conquer imperial city of Nanking too and are on top of the world. The imperial politics ultimately spell their doom, though the brothers keep the Blood oath alive--even in death.

7/10