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life, death and coma

Recently saw two movies. somehow similar. dont move and talk to her. one spanish, the other italian.

am not big fan of those hi-fi, sci-fi, mind-blowing, mind-fucking movies. just give me a good story. human drama where characters involve me in such a way that i just want to listen to them, be part of their stories for next 2hours. these two films turn about to be the same. there is no joy like discovering a good movie. And if its during the weekend, you cant ask for more.

Talk to her. Its Hable con ella in spanish by pedro almodovar. to be honest, whatever i have seen, m not big fan of his films. in my dictionary, i call them “kinky” films. m big follower of all kind of kinky movies but dont connect with them always. may be its the stories or those settings or the problems that his characters face in their world. the “not so straight” movies with not so straight characters…..not talking about only sexual orientation but in every sense. i thought this will be one of those. but i was completely wrong.

in one line, its about two people whose girlfriends are in coma. they start interacting with each other, things starts moving in first right and then wrong direction connecting their present n future. no doubt, the plot is unique. if u havent seen the film, u will wonder how is it possible to engage the viewer when only person is talking n the other is in coma. even one of the protaganist also goes thru the same dilemma. the other hero is male nurse in the same hospital. the amazing thing is he falls in love with his comatose patient and how. the film uses lot of symbolics n some great ones. there is one sequence of charlie chaplin style old film…..felt it was superbly done. can bet that anyone will like it. the film starts with a play where the two lead actors meet for the first time. the play in a way says all about their life n the story.

the other is dont move. its Non ti muovere in italian. directed by actor sergio castellitto who plays the lead role as well. figured out that he is in paris jetamie also. penelope cruz make up has been done in a way to make her look ugly and destitute. n wow she perfectly looks one. the film starts with the accident of sergio’s daughter. sergio is surgeon himself but he decides to wait outside the operation theatre. from there the story moves to his past, his torrid affair with penelope, a love story which starts with rape(by invitation…can say) its his past story in his present situation.

like talk to her, this movie also starts slowly and then gain momentum. the past and the present is connected and everything opens up at the end. writing any bit much about the films will reveal a lot about the story. there is no drama like human relationship. If you are sucker for drama genrae, dont miss these two movies.

8 Responses to “life, death and coma”

  1. ShawshankRedemption on June 28th, 2007 6:25 am

    I watched a Movie last weekend “Lucky number Slevin”, liked it. Can somebody review it on PFC, please.

    I guess this can be adapted in Hindi movie easily.

  2. Phoenixnu on June 28th, 2007 6:33 am

    shawshank why dont u only do it ? n mail it 2 pfc thru pfc-i-view.

  3. anupam on June 28th, 2007 7:36 am

    well i am a doc whose work hinges upon treating critically ill in icu…and the movie “talk to her” essentially underlines some vital cogs in the wheel of therapeutics.
    i remember,the first lesson in icu i was taught by my consultant to approach the paralysed,sedated helpless icu patients on ventilators was to treat them as a bundle of living protoplasm who have just lost the ability to communicate by words. so there i was telling the sedated,paralysed patients that i was about to examine them,about to take blood samples, about how their loved ones where praying for them. initially i thought this was crap, jus a trick by consultant to have my ass grinded in already morbid schema of icu matters.
    but with experience,trials n errors n wid every patient i see there lying,breathing,wordless…i have come to respect life..the need for words..the soothing touch..
    as a doc, i have only this to say that though i have not done a controlled trial of improvement in morbidity of my comatose patients on talking to them..these (n on the face of it..foolish.). simple acts have definitely made me a better human being..

  4. Amit Singh on June 28th, 2007 9:25 am

    I`m a huge fan of pedro almodovar films and would never label him kinky- his films which is almost a true representation of underground culture of spain - may be it involves pimps ,whores, transvestites, homosexuals, drug addicts but with his poetic narration and complex human emotions , he develops a story which is sympathetic towards all these usual and unusual characters and merges them in one society . He`s himself gay and probably the suppression and beating that these subcultures took during franco regime inspired him to make films about these people- one may like it or one may just look away but his films are surely not kinky.
    i loved his “ALL about mother”, “Bad education” infact so far liked all his films i`ve seen. I liked “talk to her” but it`s one of my least favourite.

  5. Kartick Sitaraman on June 28th, 2007 10:12 pm

    Dear folks,

    Wanted to know where I could find these movies, i.e. can someone tell me of the dvd rental stores in bombay where I can find non-American films? Thanks

  6. kartik krishnan on June 28th, 2007 10:15 pm

    Kartick- If ur in mumbai, try searching for them at

    Sarvodaya Video Centre
    21 Dr Ambedkar Road, Khar (W)
    2648-0066

    Open: 10:30am to 10:30pm

    They have an amazing collection of DVD’s and VCD’s in different languages.

  7. aditi on June 29th, 2007 12:05 am

    I, too, saw two good French movies — both on globalisation and its impact on jobs — don’t miss them — WorK Kard, Play hard and Costa Gavras’s The Ax –.

  8. Phoenixnu on June 29th, 2007 1:32 am

    kartick,will mail u the number of a dvd guy. for 150 bucks,u will get good copy. hail piracy!!!

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