surit87 Reviews

U2: Zoo TV Live from Sydney (1994)

The concert of the '90s

[10/10 · 4 October 2012]

This is arguably U2's best concert ever. The band deserves a 10/10 rating for bold creativity and scintillating performances. Complete with loads of video screens of all sizes and blinding lights designed to inflict sensory overload, U2 move through their setlist with raw passion. Having just released their 'Zooropa' album, they combine songs from 'Achtung Baby' - arguably the most influential album of the 90s - with 'Zooropa' and their 80s stuff and they take you on a magical thrill-ride reminiscent of a sci- fi/fantasy movie.

This was a time when the band was considering breaking up due to exhaustion and the band members themselves felt that the Sydney concert would be their last. Hence, Bono, Larry Mullen, Adam Clayton and The Edge pull out all the emotion to deliver their most memorable performance in years. They simply set the stage for today's concerts of all genres.

The Dark Knight (2008)

The 'Darkest' of all Knights

[10/10 · 7 July 2012]

This is a very dark movie and Heath Ledger's Joker is the darkest it gets. The entire movie is like an eerie roller coaster ride.

There's not much CGI here, only a truly haunting score and dashes of the Joker's mesmerizing lines. The action is kept from being overblown and that's really encouraging in this era of mindless CGI-driven summer blockbusters.

More importantly, the story of Bruce Wayne is taken to new high (or low). This is unlike any comic book movie you have ever seen, one that you'll keep coming back to. All of the actors deserve their kudos, but Ledger overshadows them all.

Aparajito (1956)

Haunting and Unvanquished

[10/10 · 7 July 2012]

I truly believe that there cannot be a better film that describes life in one hour and forty minutes. Life is sorrow, despair, pain and loss. Then there are moments of celebration, these moments renew hope. 'Aparajito' blends all these emotions and create a haunting story - one that will refuse to leave your thoughts.

Apu is a small boy who lives in poverty with his parents. We watch him grow into a dreamy teenager and we sympathize with him and his mother. There is hope for him, but hope draws him further and further away from his mother and then we are moved by his mother's loneliness. Simple as it may seem, there is much complexity underneath. That is the sheer genius of Satyajit Ray who directed this movie on a thin budget.

In my opinion this is the best film in 'The Apu Trilogy' and Mr. Satyajit Ray's most powerful work. The actors, especially Karuna Banerjee (who plays Apu's mother) deserve applause.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

A tribute to Arthur Conan Doyle's work

[8/10 · 7 July 2012]

This was a very enjoyable movie with breath-taking action sequences. The 'chase through the woods' scene was spectacularly done through slow-motion but it isn't until "Little Hansel" is unleashed when the viewer is left truly awestruck.

The scenes between Holmes (Downey Jr.) and Moriarty (Jared Harris), greatly done, are the focal points of much of the movie's plot. The chemistry between Downey Jr. and Jude Law are also further developed from the first movie. My only complaint about this sequel is that Mycroft Holmes' character was dismissed as utter garbage.

Hans Zimmer's score deserves a worthy mention. All in all a thrilling movie that conveys Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes to our more 'adrenaline hungry' generation.