Michael Collins (Released in 1996) - Starring Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea, Alan Rickman, Julia Roberts

A historical biopic which was released in 1996, Michael Collins is based on the life and war efforts of the Irish Patriot and revolutionary, Michael Collins. Directed by Neil Jordan, the movie offers viewers a glimpse into the Irish Republican Army’s fight against the British Empire. The star cast includes Liam Neeson, who plays a very convincing Michael Collins, Aidan Quinn as Harry Boland (Michael’s closest friend and compatriot), Julia Roberts as Kitty Kiernan, the love interest of both Michael and Harry, Ian Hart as Joe O’Reilly and Alan Rickman, as Eamon de Valera, among others.
The movie opens in 1922, with Kitty Kiernan mourning the death of Michael Collins, and Joe O’Reilly attempting to console her. From there it flashes back to 1916, when Collins and his compatriots were captured by the British Army. The movie portrays Collins’ foresight and innovation as a leader, especially when he is shown to be telling Boland that next time they would not play by the British rules, but rather make up their own. The movie shows how Collins recognized the need for guerilla warfare and the pointlessness of conventional attacks.
However, de Valera strongly opposes his tactics and supports the conventional rules of fighting with the British. After Collins’ release from an internment camp, he is conducting a rally when it is attacked and he is injured. His friend Boland rescues him and together they hide out and recoup at a friend’s farm. That is where they meet the pretty Kitty, who begins a romance with Boland.




Their struggles continue, and soon Collins receives a tip that the British are going to arrest de Valera and the Cabinet. De Valera has other ideas which do not include going into hiding. He believes that if they are arrested there would be a huge outcry from the public, demanding their release. The Cabinet is arrested, but Boland and Collins manage to escape. However, de Valera sees it as a threat when he realizes that in spite of being arrested, there was no protest from the public, all because Collins was not imprisoned.
After Collins and Boland break Valera out of prison, he insists on meeting with Woodrow Wilson in US so as to seek recognition, and asserts that Boland should travel with him. Once Valera leaves for the United States, Collins is left in charge and he orders the IRA to carry out various surprise attacks, which put the IRA at an advantage. However, when Valera returns, he insists they go back to conventional formal military attacks. Collins advises him against it, but not heeding Collins advice, Valera goes ahead with an attack on The Custom House, which fails badly, with many IRA members killed and captured.
Worried that the IRA are on their last leg, Collins is surprised when the British call a cease fire. Valera then orders Collins to go as a negotiator to England, knowing fully that Collins is not one. And when Collins returns after having signed an Anglo-Irish Treaty (1921) Valera is enraged that he was not told of the terms of the Treaty before it was signed. Collins argues for the treaty, while Valera and his supporters are staunchly against it. Both the sides try hard to sway the Irish public in their favour.
When anti-Treaty Republicans attack Collins, he barely manages to escape. In the aftermath, he further solidifies his already blooming relationship with Kitty, who throughout the movie is shown to be torn between the two men. Collins asks her to marry him and she accepts. Finally the Irish people vote to approve the Treaty. However, Valera refuses to accept this and orders the IRA to fight against its former comrades. Collins who is now Chief of Staff of the National Army hates that he has to stand up against his fellow compatriots all because of Valera.
But the Treaty had been signed, and as a result, the Irish Free State Army is given an ultimatum to deal with IRA, or else the British Army will. Despite Collins attempts to capture his long standing friend and compatriot Boland, he gets killed while trying to escape. Distraught by his friend’s death, Collins tries to reach out to Valera to try and arrange a peace treaty. However, without the knowledge of de Valera, an arbitrator informs Collins that Valera is willing to meet. Collins walks right into a set up where he is killed. The film ends with Collins’ funeral.
While the movie shows Collins in a heroic light, it is de Valera’s character which is portrayed in a rather weak light. It may be true that he was responsible for some of the tragic events that took place, but to cast him as an enemy of the Irish state on equal footing with the British is a tad too controversial. However, overall, the movie and its focus on Collins throw some light on the Irish struggle. The movie also argues that if Collins had not died he might have succeeded in uniting Ireland and saving many lives.
The only area the movie falls short of expectations is the romantic angle or rather triangle between Collins, Kitty and Boland. The romantic scenes only serve as a break from the movie and not much else. But on the whole, the movie is well made, and worth a watch, especially to understand the heroism of Collins and his struggle for a united, liberated Ireland.

Dying Young (released in 1991) - Starring Julia Roberts, Campbell Scott and Vincent D'Onofrio

Based on a book of the same name, written by Marti Leimbach, Dying Young was directed by Joel Schumacher, and released in 1991. This romantic comedy, before its release, was pinned as one of the biggest blockbusters to release in the summer of 1991. However, after its release all it got was negative reviews. The star cast included Julia Roberts and Campbell Scott among others.
The movie opens with Hilary (played by Julia Roberts) making it plenty clear that she has next to no luck in the love and work department. Having broken up with her cheating boyfriend, Hilary, who now lives with her mother (played by Ellen Burstyn) decides to answer an ad in the papers, for an attractive woman with little (or no) work experience. Dressed in a red miniskirt, she decides to go try her luck for this job.
Without even an interview she gets selected to take care of a young man, who is shown to be battling leukemia. Donned with the duty of taking care of Victor Geddes (played by Campbell Scott) who is a 28 year old, rich and well educated man, Hilary becomes his live-in caretaker. However, she isn’t sure whether she is up for the task especially after having seen his reactions to chemotherapy. But, obviously she rises to the challenge, reads up on leukemia and tries to be a better homemaker/caretaker.
Over time, it is shown that Victor’s chemotherapy is complete and the two head down to the coast, where Victor has yet another home. All this while, Victor’s father hasn’t been given a strong role. He is shown to be indifferent at the most. The happy couple continues to live on the coast where their relationship evolves to love, all the while Victor doesn’t share with Hilary the fact that he has been taking morphine to hide the pain and that his chemo hasn’t actually been completed.




However, during one dinner party with friends, when Victor acts aggressively and later collapses on the floor, Hilary rummages through the garbage and finds the syringes. She confronts Victor and finds out the truth. She calls up Victor’s father and tells him everything. He promises to pick up Victor in the morning and take him to the hospital. Hilary and Victor have another talk, and Victor convinces Hilary that he will go back but wants to stay for one more party. Hilary agrees and goes to call Victor’s father to let him know, only to come back and find Victor packing his back in order to flee.
Yet another confrontation and “supposed to be” emotional declarations of how Victor has lost hope and Hilary loves Victor, take place. Hilary however finally convinces him to fight and get back to his chemotherapy. The movie closes with the two of them walking out of Victor’s house to go to the hospital.
Although nobody actually dies in the movie (young or old), the characters and their constant dribble of self-pity does make the audience die a little bit inside. The plot has a vague similarity to Pretty Woman, but without the fun elements or Julia Roberts contagious and vivacious attitude. While the movie is about a young man, his relation with his caretaker, and how they fall in love while he learns valuable life lessons from her; it fails to create the same warmth and humor as Pretty Woman.
Since Campbell Scott fails to generate any warmth or sympathy for his character, it would be wrong to blame Julia Roberts for lacking humor and vibrancy. The filmmaking itself is not too great, with dramatic effects being thrown in, without actually being seen through. Overall, the movie got negative reviews and after painfully sitting through more than one and half hours of this movie, one can understand why.

Sleeping with the Enemy (Released in 1991) - Starring Julia Roberts, Patrick Bergin and Kevin Anderson

Released in 1991, this psychological thriller is based on a novel of the same name, by Nancy Price. Directed by Joseph Ruben, the movie’s star cast includes Julia Roberts, Patrick Bergin and Kevin Anderson. Even though it was a box office success, the movie received many negative reviews. Especially since the beginning of the movie raises expectations of the viewer, only to make it come crashing down through the remaining one and a half hours of the movie.
The plot of the movie starts off with some hope. Laura Burney (played by Julia Roberts) is the wife of a millionaire investment counselor, Martin (played by Patrick Bergin). However, everything in their fancy beach house is not hunky-dory. Trapped in a marriage where she is used as a trophy wife, and then abused at home on account of Martin’s Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCDs) Laura is looking for a way out. She decides to fake her own death by pretending to have drowned in an accident, when the two of them go boating.
However, having made it known to Martin that she cannot swim, Laura pretends to have drowned and then heads home to grab her “go away” bag and flush her wedding ring down the toilet. She moves to Iowa, under a new name. She even had Martin believe her mother is dead, and then gets her shifted into a nursing home. In her new set up under a new name, she befriends her next door neighbour, Ben Woodward, who also happens to be a drama teacher at the University of Northern Iowa. But soon has to confide everything in Ben, since he finds out that her new identity is not real.
While her life seems to be gradually getting better, Martin gets a phone call at the office from the YWCA about Laura. From that phone call he learns that Laura had secretly been taking swimming lessons, and his doubts start to play up. He goes home and somehow finds the wedding ring in the toilet bowl. It apparently did not get flushed when it was supposed to. He then tracks down Laura’s “supposedly dead” mother and manages to pry information, about Laura’s current location, from her.



He then follows Laura who is seen with Ben to her home. But, before he does so, he visits Laura’s new home and in rearranges methodically Laura’s towels and kitchen shelves in a very “slasher-meets - obsessive compulsive behavior man” kind of way! Laura sees these rearrangements and begins to get worried. Martin having followed Laura and Ben home from a local fair, confronts her while brandishing a gun. What follows is typical, with Ben trying to intervene and getting knocked out in the process. Laura struggling with Martin, somehow managing to get the gun in her control and finally shooting him, after placing a call to 991 stating she has an intruder in the house.
Only Martin isn’t dead, and he tries to take the gun from Laura and shoots. But thankfully by then the bullets in the gun are exhausted along with the audience’s patience. Martin finally dies and Laura and the now revived Ben hug over Martin’s dead body which was holding Laura’s wedding ring.
Having started with some pretty impactful scenes, the movie raises the expectations of the viewer. But, soon it turns into a typical slasher movie. And halfway through, it goads the audience to do the one thing they should not do in such movies, and that is try to find logic. For example, why did that ring not flush itself? Or was that toilet left unused for so many days? Or why and how did the YWCA call up Martin on his office number? Or even what was the point of Martin tracking down Laura only to rearrange towels in her new home?
The movie seems watchable if one keeps their brains aside and doesn’t ask too many questions. But in complete fairness, all the actors have done a wonderful job, especially Julia Roberts as the battered wife looking for a way out. The movie could have been a lot better, and in the opening it feels like it probably is. However, it just seems to miss its mark and falls a bit short of expectations.

Flatliners (Released in 1990) - Medical and sci-fi thriller - Starring Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin and Oliver Platt

Directed by Joel Schumacher, Flatliners is a sci-fi thriller which was released in 1990. The movie is about 5 medical students who decide to play God, and find out what lies on the other side. Conducting dangerous experiments and trying to one up each other, the movie gradually shifts from sci-fi to drama. The 5 medical students are played by Kiefer Sutherland and his band of experimentalists, Kevin Bacon, Julia Roberts, Oliver Pratt and William Baldwin.
Being a medical student and learning to become a doctor, always leads to students trying to play God. After all, how can one look patients in the eye and tell them what to expect, if they themselves do not know. So, conducting an experiment to medically die and then be brought back to life sounds like an interesting theme for a movie.
The film begins with Nelson (Kiefer Sutherland) a medical student, toying with the concept of afterlife. Having heard stories and experiences of what the “other side” is all about, Nelson tries and successfully convinces 4 of his classmates (Randy, Joe, Dave and Rachel) to take part in an extremely tricky and tremendously dangerous experiment with him. They each decide to flatline for a minute or so to see for themselves what lies on the other side.
Nelson goes first. Once dead, he sees the image of Billy Mahoney, a child he had bullied as a kid. Within a minute, his friends resuscitate him, but he does not go into the details of what he saw. Next to flatline is Joe (William Baldwin) who has an erotic afterlife vision. After him is Dave (Kevin Bacon) who has a vision of a girl, Winnie Hicks, whom he had bullied and taunted as a child.
What follows next, are hauntings. All 3 of them are haunted by the visions they saw in the afterlife. And worse, Nelson seems to be getting cuts and bruises on himself after every episode of Billy haunting him. Joe who is supposed to be married soon is haunted by the home videos he had filmed of his sexual encounters with women. And Dave is also haunted by Winnie. He keeps seeing her everywhere, taunting him. However, none of them tell the other what exactly it is they saw.
Rachel (Julia Roberts) insists on flatlining next. And finally the group caves in and allows her. Once she flatlines, she sees her father who had committed suicide when she was younger. They barely manage to get her back, as the electricity goes out when she is under. Once she is brought back, she keeps seeing visions of her father and is haunted by them, just like the others.




Gradually they all start to open up about their visions with one another. And Dave decides it is time to make amends. He tracks down Winnie, and apologizes to her. She accepts his apology and he feels a lot better. Nelson, who had come with Dave and was waiting back in the car, sees Billy running across the road and then next to him in the car. He is attacked by Billy with a pickaxe and is saved just in time by Dave, who tells him he was having a hallucination and was actually attacking himself with the pickaxe.
Next, Joe’s fiancé turns up unexpectedly and finds out about the home videos. She leaves him and Joe feels as if a weight has been lifted off him. Finally Nelson decides to take Randy and Joe to a grave site, which turns out to be that of Billy, the kid Nelson and his friends had accidentally killed as children. Nelson leaves saying it’s time to set things right.
Meanwhile, Rachel sees her father and finds out he was addicted to heroin. He apologizes to her and she feels like she can let go. Later, they all get a phone call from Nelson saying he is going to flatline again to make things right. They rush to help him and talk him out of this fool hardy plan, but arrive nearly 9 minutes after the phone call.
On the other side Nelson replays the entire accident that took place and somehow trades places with Billy. Billy forgives him, and in a last desperate when attempt Dave tries to resuscitate Nelson, he regains consciousness.
While the basic theme of the movie starts out as something interesting, the constant death and resuscitation becomes somewhat boring. To add to this, the visions experienced by the med students convert the film from a thriller to a horror movie. All the stars have done a brilliant job, showcasing the right mix of foolhardiness, fear and intensity. But, where the movie starts out with loads of interest, it soon falls into a mundane pattern; making the viewer wish the screenplay had been just a tad bit more thrilling and suspenseful.

Steel Magnolias (Released in 1989) - Starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, Julia Roberts

A 1989 drama/comedy movie, Steel Magnolias is a film about 6 women who take life’s troubles and hardships in their stride. Directed by Herbert Ross, the movie is an adaptation of Robert Harling’s 1987 play of the same name. It is a woman centric movie, displaying the dainty and delicate flower like women to be tough as steel.
The star cast includes Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Shirley McLaine, Olympia Dukakis and Daryl Hannah as the 6 women who share the limelight in the movie. The inconsequential yet present male star cast includes Dylan McDermott, Sam Shepard, Tom Skerritt and Kevin J. O’Connor.
The movie opens with a beauty salon, run by Truvy Jones (played by Dolly Parton), who hired Annelle Dupuy (played by Daryl Hannah), a beauty school graduate. M’Lynn Eatenton (played by Sally Field) and her daughter Shelby (played by Julia Roberts) come into the salon to get themselves ready for Shelby’s wedding. One look at herself in the mirror, and Shelby faints. However, it is only because she has Type 1 diabetes. With a little orange juice in her system Shelby recovers. It is then that M’Lynn voices her concerns about how the doctors believe Shelby’s body will not be able to handle pregnancy.
Around afternoon, in walks Ouiser Boudreaux, (played by Shirley McLaine), who confronts Annelle about her past. Annelle confesses that her husband is a dangerous criminal and on the run from the police. Feeling sorry for her, Shelby invites her to the wedding, where Annelle lands up meeting Sam, who she later goes on to marry.




The movie skips a few months, and refocuses on these 6 women at Christmas time. M’Lynn and Shelby are back in town to celebrate Christmas and the news of Shelby’s pregnancy. However, M’Lynn is worried that this will only harm Shelby. Finally, convinced by everyone to relax and live happily in the moment, M’Lynn looks forward to Shelby’s delivery, which goes off smoothly.
However, a few months later, Shelby lands up in the hospital on account of kidney failure. M’Lynn donates one of her kidneys and Shelby’s operation is a success. Later, Annelle is to get married to Sam, who she had met at Shelby’s wedding. All the ladies plan a wedding shower for Annelle. Only Shelby can’t make it because of her job. But, after the shower, they find Shelby unconscious on her porch.
Rushed to the hospital, M’Lynn finds out that Shelby’s body rejected the kidney and Shelby has gone into a coma, from which she could never wake up. The family decides to pull Shelby off from Life Support. At Shelby’s funeral, M’Lynn breaks down and is consoled by the other women. Later, she somehow pulls herself together and focuses her energy in taking care of her grandson, Shelby’s child. A few months later, Annelle announces she is pregnant and requests M’Lynn to let her name her baby after Shelby. The movie ends with the birth of Annelle’s child on Easter.
While the male characters don’t really have much to do in the movie, the female leads shine through. This is essentially a woman’s movie, tracing their ups and downs. And even though there is a big tragedy in the end, the entire screenplay is filled with humorous one-liners, and showcases 6 women who are constantly funny and sarcastic. The tragic ending adds drama to the movie, especially with Sally Field’s heart wrenching monologue, where she feels a great injustice has been done. But, those tears soon change to laughter, with some predictable dramatic tricks.
While the movie is not super impactful, it does have its moments and overall is enjoyable. All the women perform brilliantly and that is the main focus of the movie. They all come together to create a world where they are always there for each other, through the good times and bad.

Satisfaction (Released in 1988) - Drama film - Starring Justine Bateman, Julia Roberts and Liam Neeson

This 1988 drama movie is about a nearly “all-girl” band and their exploits over one summer. Satisfaction is directed by Joan Freeman, and stars Justine Bateman, Liam Neeson and Julia Roberts among other actors. The movie traces the highs and lows of one summer high school graduation of an all-girl band named The Mystery, in Baltimore.
Jennie Lee (Justine Bateman) is the lead singer for the band. After their graduation ceremony, where Jennie was Valedictorian, the band plans to head to Florida, to audition for a gig where they could perform all summer at the beach. The other members of the band include Daryle (Julia Roberts) as bass guitarist, Mooch (Trini Alvarado) as the drummer, Billie (Britta Phillips) as guitarist, and Nicky (Scott Coffey) is taken on as the keyboardist after their original keyboardist takes off on them.
But, even before they can head to Florida, the band encounters troubles in the form of Jennie’s older brother, who is their caretaker. He refuses to take them to Florida, since he does not want Jennie to change her mind about college. Then, the band’s keyboardist ditches them last minute, after which they hire Nicky. Just as they sort things out and are about to leave, Mooch goes and insults a Gang member who in turn destroys the band’s van. So Mooch with Billie’s help steal the gang member’s personal van and claim that they borrowed a friend’s van.
After all the confusion is sorted (with the gang members still looking for their van), the band heads down to Florida. They arrive late at night to the nightclub where the auditions were to take place, and fear that they might be too late. Not wanting to call it quits, they head to the private residence of the nightclub owner, Martin Falcon (Liam Neeson). However, Falcon is nowhere to be seen. Instead they run into Hamlet, Falcon’s pet dog. A little comedy ensues, and Billie gets the dog to be friends with them.
When Falcon arrives home, there is a whole load of mis-communication, with Falcon mistaking them for thieves and the band pleading him to hear them out. Confusion cleared, Falcon figures out who they are, and the band realize that the auditions are in fact the following evening. Nowhere to stay and not a lot of money, the band manages to get Falcon to let them stay at the “room” which was to be kept for the winners of the audition.




After a crown pleasing audition, they manage to land the summer gig. However, instead of a happily ever after (at least for the summer) the band is faced with more troubles, ranging from not fitting in with the beach crowd to Billie feeling outside her comfort zone and Mooch refusing to take off her black leather jacket even though it is summer on the beach! The movie finds a romantic angle as each member in the band finds someone.
Falcon introduces Jennie to some agents, who could help the band expand their base, by letting them perform across Europe. Meanwhile, relations start to tense for all the band members. The night off the audition for the European agents things go array once again. While Jennie runs off after the performance, Mooch has to face the gang members, whose car she had stolen, as they finally track her down. Eventually, with a little help from Hamlet, the gang members are chased away and the band catches up with Jennie to find out what the European agents thought of them.
Jennie implies that they liked the band, but she turned down the offer. Miscommunication ensues and the band gets upset with her for turning down such an offer. However, they find out later through Nicky that the agents in fact only wanted Jennie, and she turned them down for the band. After a summer of fun and drama, the band finally heads back home. Overall, the movie is a typical teen drama with decent music and good actors. It is interesting for one watch, but quite predictable none the less.

Mystic Pizza (Released in 1988) - A coming of age movie - Starring Annabeth Gish, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon and Lili Taylor

Released in 1988, Mystic Pizza is a coming of age film directed by Donald Pitrie. The movie follows the life of 3 girls, in the short span of time between high school and college. Even though life after high school and the movies made on it are more than a dozen, Mystic Pizza captures the spirit of anticipation and finding oneself so as to prepare for life ahead, with complete ease.
The 3 girls who steal the spotlight in the movie are 2 Portuguese-American sisters and friends, Kat and Daisy (played by Annabeth Gish and Julia Roberts), and their friend Jojo (played by Lili Taylor). The movie opens in a small resort town by the name of Mystic, Connecticut. We start the movie to find Jojo leaving her fiancé - Bill, (played by Vincent D’Onofrio) at the altar. She gets back with Bill, but is not ready to commit to marriage. Bill however puts his foot down and decides he does not believe in sex before marriage, leaving Jojo in a conundrum about whether her feelings are truly deep or just superficial.
Jojo, and Kat and Daisy are all shown to be working at a Pizzeria run by Leona, (played by Conchata Farrell) who is famous for her secret sauce. Meanwhile, Kat and Daisy may be sisters, but are quite opposite in every regard. While Kat has aspirations of perusing astronomy and will be going to Yale on a partial scholarship in the fall, Daisy is more laid back and wants to find love, through any means possible. Kat is the apple of her mother’s eye, while Daisy is more the black sheep.
Each of the girls gets their “temporary” Mr. Right only to have love blow up in their faces. While Kat maybe goal oriented, she is also naïve when it comes to love and idealism. She goes to babysit for 30 year old Tim (played by William Moses) an Anglo-American Yale graduate. Kat is mighty impressed by him, and starts to take a fancy to him, even though she knows he has a wife and child. She convinces herself that he would leave his wife.




Kat and Tim have intellectual conversations and both are impressed by the other, their idealism gradually turning to “love”, as Tim starts taking a liking to her, more because she is young and fresh, than because of her intellect. Meanwhile, Daisy is out one evening with her friends for a few drinks, when in walks Mr. Right. She is immediately attracted to his rich bad boy attitude, all the more, when he throws bulls eyes on the dart board after tequila shots. They start talking and she starts dating him.
The movie follows the 3 girls in their budding romance over a few months. Each love story turns sour, and teaches the girls a hard lesson. But, instead of making it preachy and overdramatic, the movie seems light and effortless. It does not try to force a point across but subtly keeps moving ahead. With the help of their “love interests”, the girls discover a lot about themselves and what they want in life. Rather than being a movie about girls in love, the movie is about how these girls discover their standards for love through the mistakes they make.
It is interesting to watch Annabeth Gish, Julia Roberts and Lili Taylor work their magic in the movie. Even though the setting is that of a small resort town, the characters created are smart and react in wonderfully unexpected ways. The movie is refreshing and well executed, not leaving room for clichés.  While Mystic Pizza did not do very well in the box office when it released, it started getting a sort of cult following over the years, with a lot of other movies, sitcoms and songs making references to Mystic Pizza.

Closer (Released in 2004) - A romantic drama - Starring Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen

Based on an award winning play of the same name, Closer is a romantic drama film directed by Mike Nicholas. The movie and the play are both modern day tragic versions of Mozart’s play Cosi fan tutte. With 4 central characters, played by Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen, the movie received many awards and accolades including Oscar nominations and Golden Globe wins. The movie plot follows the lives of 4 adults-Dan (played by Jude Law), Alice (played by Natalie Portman), Anna (played by Julia Roberts) and Larry (played by Clive Owen). The story outlines their relationships and the fascination they feel towards the game of “love”. They do not have any real love for their respective partners, and confess to cheating not because they feel guilty of it, but more so to hurt the other person. The story follows their “attempts” at sincere truthful relationships.
The movie starts with Dan and Alice walking across each other and catching each other’s eye. Harmless flirting follows, only to result in Alice getting knocked over by a taxi right in front of Dan. He rushes to help her and from there on, begins their relationship. Alice is shown to be a stripper from New York, who has come to England to get away from that life, and Dan is a struggling British Author. Cut to a year later, Dan has now written a book based on Alice, and has begun straying from their relationship. He meets Anna who is photographing Dan and his novel for publicity. He then goes about trying to convince Anna to get involved with him; she however turns down his advances after being confronted by Alice, who breaks down in front of Anna telling her she knows what Dan has been trying to do. Anna photographs Alice’s break down, to use it in her gallery opening later.




Some more time passes and Dan, who has been trying in vain to get Anna out of his head, now pretends to be her and starts a conversation online with a man named Larry. He makes Larry turn up at a place he knows Anna to frequent. Larry and Anna meet and Anna tells Larry he has been made a fool of, and that the man who must have hooked them up is Dan. Sometime later, Larry meets Alice at Anna’s photo exhibition. He recognizes her from one of the photos on the wall and knows she is with Dan. At the same venue, Dan convinces Anna to have an affair with him, in spite of both of them already having partners. She agrees, but half way through this affair, Larry and Anna marry. What follows is Dan’s and Anna’s submission of guilt to their respective partners.
Both couples break up as a result of this. Alice goes back to being a stripper, where she meets Larry. She goes by another name and no matter how many times Larry asks Alice her real name, she maintains that it is Jane Jones. Larry by then is all for revenge, he decides to get back at Dan, by making both - his present and ex-partner cheat on him. The end is all rather confusing, with total loss on all sides with regards to love and relationships. But, it leaves us wondering how much of their real selves did the four of them give in their respective relationships? Especially at the very end, when Dan is shown to be crossing the very street he did in the beginning of the movie, and he happens to see a name on a tile  dedicated to “Alice Ayers” who had saved 3 kids at the cost of her own life. And when Alice returns to the U.S, her passport shows her name as Jane Rachel Jones.  
It helps that all 4 speak articulately and enunciate well, especially in an era where actors tend to garble their dialogues. While they may be trying their hand at love and failing miserably (what with all the deception going around their private lives), their appearances and attitudes are sharp and classy. The movie is unique in its own way, especially in today’s insincere times. What makes it unique is how the characters go about pretending to be in love and talking about love, when they truly do not know what that is. Neither do they understand each other, nor do they understand who they are or what they want.

Mona Lisa Smile (released in 2003) - Trying to empower women - Starring Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles and Maggie Gyllenhaal

Directed by Mark Newell, Mona Lisa Smile is a 2003 drama film. With the title referring to Leonardo da Vinci’s work - The Mona Lisa, the movie is about a progressive feminist teacher, by the name of Katherine Ann Watson (played by Julia Roberts) who leaves behind California and Berkley to teach “History of Art” at Wellesley College in 1953.
Wellesley College is shown to be a conservative woman’s liberal arts college in Massachusetts, where women are taught one thing and one thing only, and that is, how to stand behind her husband and be the perfect wife and mother. Among the students are Betty (played by Kirsten Dunst) whose mother is a trustee and has instilled ideas in Betty, of marrying any upward bound man no matter how morally corrupt he may be. Betty through her editorials in the college newspaper tries hard to discredit Katherine and claims that because of Katherine they are all heading towards communism.
Then there is Joan (played by Julia Styles) a girl who is smart enough to be accepted into Yale Law College, but perhaps not smart enough as she chooses marrying over going to study law. Giselle (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) is known to be sexually advanced, and rumours claim she had slept with their young Italian professor. Lastly there is Constance (played by Ginnifer Goodwin) who is only concerned about her looks.




Amongst all this is Watson’s complicated love life as well. But, the movie is not about romance and each actor’s love angles. It’s more about each of the supporting star cast trying to find a way out of the gender mould created in that era. It is about Julia Roberts as Katherine and how even though she is the main lead, she does not over shadow any of the other characters, but merely acts as a conductor of change which takes place in the other actors.
The movie is about how free spirited young girls live and behave in a closed system, which with the arrival of Roberts is challenged and thrown open gradually. The girls begin find themselves, with Roberts’ guidance and beliefs. As a viewer you can’t help but identify with Katherine Watson and her students. Not for any other reason, but the fact that they are smart brave women.
Katherine is compelling as a teacher, to the extent that eventually all the girls look up to her and consider her their role model. She forces the students to look at the world through her eyes, and converts even the most difficult of them. She has been asked to return for the next term, because her course has gained immense popularity. But, she can only return if she promises to keep with the schools rules and regulations, which among other things prohibits her from having anything more than classroom subject related conversations with the girls.
In the end, Katherine is shown to have resigned and packed her bags, to travel through Europe. An enjoyable movie all in all, with vivid descriptions of what the 1950’s and 60’s were like in such conservative schools.

America's Sweethearts (Released in 2001) - Starring Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, John Cusack and Catherine Zeta-Jones

Directed by Joe Roth, America’s Sweetheart is a romantic comedy which feels like a recycled version of the 1952 hit – Singin’ in the Rain. The movie isn’t all bad, but since it has taken its inspiration from a classic, it falls short in comparison. Where Singin’ in the Rain was an effortless comedy, America’s Sweethearts lacks conviction and confidence. It side steps from cynicism and comedy, and attempts to give insights and truth.
With that said, one must applaud the acting skills of all the actors. Kiki and Gwen (played by Julia Roberts and Catherine Zita-Jones respectively) are shown to be sisters. Where Kiki is dumpy and overweight, Gwen is a Hollywood actress. Kiki has always played second fiddle to Gwen by being her assistant. The film is about movie publicist Lee Phillips (played by Billy Crystal) trying desperately to organize a press conference for a movie directed by the eccentric Hal Weidmann (played by Christopher Walker) who has refused to show Lee a single shot of the film, claiming he will do so directly at the Press Junket. The actors of this movie included Gwen and her now estranged partner Eddie.
With no idea what the movie is about, Lee sets out trying to reconcile Gwen and Eddie so that they attend the Junket and he can focus the conference on them rather than the movie. He tries to convince both to attend, which isn’t an easy task, considering the reason they hate each other is that Gwen was having an affair with Hector (played by Azaria) and Eddie has an emotional breakdown when he realizes this, thus landing himself in a “retreat”.




Finally when the two do agree to attend the Junket, what ensues is confusion and drama. Gwen forces Kiki to be the intermediary between herself and Eddie. Kiki is attracted to Eddie, and when Eddie sees how much weight Kiki has lost and how lovely she now looks, he takes to her. Eventually he realizes that it is Kiki and not Gwen who he has loved always.
Realizing this Lee tells Eddie to go ahead and tell Kiki, and end his relationship with Gwen. When Gwen finds out she tries to save her pride and career by manipulating Kiki and Eddie. However, Eddie sees through her behavior. Amidst all this, the mysterious movie directed by Weidmann is aired at the Junket and everyone realizes that the movie isn’t a movie but a reality film. In the film, Gwen is seen as a conniving manipulative selfish person who is having an affair with Hector. Eddie is the nice guy who starts getting paranoid about his wife.
Gwen is livid at this reality movie and tries to salvage what little pride she has left by announcing that she and Eddie are reconciling. However, Eddie stands up and declares his love for Kiki, who also stands up against her sister. The end is a bit feeble, with Eddie and Kiki leaving together after Kiki has been fired by Gwen, and Gwen trying to put up a brave front.
With a great star cast and amazing acting skills presented by each of them, where the story falls short is the storyline and screenplay which is all over the place. The end could and should have been rewritten. There are some amazing scenes. But they feel a little forced when you watch the movie as a whole.

Victory - Movie about soccer match and escape during Nazi rule - released in 1981 - Starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael Cane and Pele

Based on the Hungarian drama Two Half Times in Hell by Zoltan Fabri, Escape to Victory (or simply 'Victory' in North America), was released in 1981, starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael Cane, Max Von Sydow and Daniel Massey and was directed by John Huston. However, the USP of the film were the football players who starred in it, including the legend Pele. A rare film with an international ensemble cast.

The story is about the Allied POWs in a German war camp. Major Karl von Steiner (Max Von Sydow) is the camp commander, a former member of the German National Football team. Nazi big wigs order the Major to set up an exhibition match between the prisoners and cream of the German team, in Paris. Captain John Colby (Michael Caine) is the man coaching the POWs; he was part of the West Ham United, before the war broke out. The team is unaware that they being used as pawns in a Nazi Propaganda bid.

Captain Robert Hatch (Sylvester Stallone) insists that the opportunity should be utilized to plan an escape, though Colby insists that the plan would be doomed from the start, taking precious lives. Initially Colby had not included Hatch in the team, and after much pleading, he gets to be a part of it - as a trainer. In on the plan are a bunch of Brit officers who encourage the whole deal, even the French Resistance is out to help them. Colby’s superiors weigh in on his decision, using their influence to change his mind - succeeding in the end.

Hatch makes a risky attempt to escape first, he contacts the Resistance, knowing full well that they will not refuse; the French chalk out an escape route, through tunnels below the Colombes Stadium in Paris, which will lead to the showers in the locker rooms.

Robert Hatch will have to allow himself to be recaptured, so that once he’s back in the war camp, he can share the details with the others. As luck would have it, Robert is put into solitary confinement, this ruins his chances of sharing the details with his fellow prisoners; Colby rises to the occasion and tells Steiner that they need Hatch back (he is also the stand-in goalkeeper) in the team, since the first goalkeeper in the lineup has fractured his arm - the poor man has to undergo a forced fracture to prove the story right.

When the day of the match arrives, a group led by Robert is ready to escape during half time, but the others are taken up by the spirit of the moment, and insist that they finish the match and then leave, even though they are trailing by three goals. Although the bias towards the Germans and prejudice towards the Allies is evident, for all to see, yet the Allied players persevere, and the match ends in a draw. The penalty kick goal by the POWs is disqualified, and yet they manage to win the game. In the confusion following the game -  all the men escape.

However in reality, the 11 Ukrainian members who played the game during the Second World War had multiple games and defeated the Germans in all of them, and were recaptured, sent to camps where 4 of them died. These are the words inscribed on the memorial for the eleven footballers on whose lives the story of the film Escape to Victory is based:

“For our beautiful presence

They fell in a fight…

For ages your glory won’t fade,

The fearless hero-athletes.”

Remarkable movie highlighting the spirit of mankind to achieve the seemingly impossible. Must watch, classic!

The Way West (released in 1967) - Starring Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum and Sally Field

A truly epic movie directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, sourced from the novel of the same name by A.B Guthrie Jr. With stirring performances from all the actors, The Way West is a heartrending and touching story of the early Pioneers.
1843. US Senator William Tadlock (played by Kirk Douglas) is following the Oregon Trail with his family from Missouri, and to help him get there safely - is Dick Summers (played by Robert Mitchum), a scout. His son and help are also accompanying Tadlock. Although Summers advises William not  to go ‘especially if you’ve never been there’- the Senator thinks otherwise, he tells Dick he knows that he is grieving for his dead Indian wife, he asks William to leave. Tadlock, also a widower, thinks that the scout’s grief has corrupted his guts.
Meanwhile, the others accompanying William on the trail are a peasant couple from Pennsylvania, Lije Evans and Rebecca (played by Richard Widmark, Lola Albright). Becky isn’t happy about the move, though. They have a sixteen year old son Brownie (Michael McGreevy), who is funny and brimming with the joie de vivre of youth - impressing young Mercy McBee with a red fox kitten. Others include a newlywed couple, the Fairmand and the McBee family.
That day, when Summers suggests they camp for the night, William notices another wagon trail, and insists they keep moving. The trail races into the creek, and everyone puts their back into making it first. A fist fight ensues when Tadlock tells the rival trail members that his trail will cross first - considering it might rain that night. Summers breaks up the fight and points out that Tadlock knew all along that the rivals weren’t travelers, but part of a cattle train - offended, William asks him not to gall him with his ‘truthful  opinions’ - he is paid after all, to only point the way. (Cattle may drown if the rain-filled river were to overflow).
Meanwhile they welcome a stowaway - Brother Weatherbee - slave to the Holy Ghost, who has only the spirit of Christ and the shirt on his back in lieu of supplies! The others are happy with the decision, for a preacher ‘will overcome the calamities of human nature - such as weddings, babies…’ ‘…funerals…’  Dick Summers volunteers to look after him, much to Tadlock’s chagrin and consternation.




The wagon trail’s first tragedy strikes, when Tadlock in his quest for speed, forces the oldest member of the group to cross the creek - he loses his life by drowning. Things get worse when William holds the old man responsible for his end, to which Lije vehemently puts up a denial, saying it was speed that killed him. The Senator even asks McBee to hurry with the burial and not bother with a Christian funeral - a waste of time. His apathy shocks the trail. But William proves his point that greed was responsible for the tragedy - the man had a heavy belt with money tied to his waist, which prevented him from coming to the surface. He asks if anyone cares to have a share of ‘dead man’s money’ - he flings the belt back into the creek.
The Prairie gives way to the inhospitable and hot desert terrain, but the love lorn lads sing ballads for Mercy McBee - whilst Johnnie and Amanda Mack (played by Michael Witney, Katherine Justice) unsuccessfully try consummating their marriage in a crowded train. This distresses Amanda, who does not want to get pregnant on the train - and frustrates her young husband. Whilst the members cast their cares to the wind and enjoy a morning of revelry, Tadlock shows Rebecca Evans the map of a city – yet to be built in Oregon. He tells her he might’ve been president, save for the fact that he fell in love with a woman, married her, but she died. William goes onto tell her that none in the present company would understand her vision - save for Becky. Disturbed by the depth of his emotions, Rebecca leaves his tent in a hurry.
Elsewhere, young Brownie has wandered far from the train, he stands on an outcrop - carving his name and Mercy’s - when unbeknownst to him - Sioux Indians hiding beneath the rock - take him captive. Dick Summers comes to his rescue - speaking to the men in their native tongue. The Sioux escort them back to the train. Summers offers them supplies - they ask for whiskey, instead!
That night, while the Sioux are in a state of drunken partying, Mercy and Mack find an opportunity to bond- he eventually seeks solace in Mercy’s willing arms - who tells him she does not regret what has happened. He asks her to return to her parents. Hearing a rustle in the bushes, he looks up to see a wolf - without preamble, Mack shoots it down. When he inspects to see what it is - he runs.
Meanwhile, Summers and Tadlock discover that the wolf was actually a little boy - the Chief’s son. They have no clue who is responsible. The next day, Dick and Lije distract the Sioux, leading them on a wild goose chase - so that the train can move ahead smoothly, through a herd of bison. Mercy, deeply in love with Mack, is saddened by his refusal to reciprocate the same for her.
The Sioux come again to the camp - this time, bearing the dead child on horseback - hungry for the blood of the murder. Tadlock tells him that he will fulfill their wishes, if they let the train go free. William tells the people present that if the perpetrator does not give himself up - Brownie Evans will be hanged, for it was he who brought this calamity today. However, he asks all the men who own shotguns - to step up and own up. Just then Johnnie Mack confesses - his wife lies on his behalf, saying he was with her all that night. But Mack sticks to his story - and is hung. A grief stricken Mercy flings herself off of her wagon, Brownie saves her, and he asks her to marry him - she refuses at first, because she doesn’t love him, however agrees since she is pregnant.
Tadlock and Summers labor on, and one day, he loses his son in a mad stampede. He buries him in the wilderness, as wagons drive over the burial mound, so that wolves and Indians find no trace of the grave. So sad and distraught is the man, that he asks his slave to whip him. The wagon train finally reaches the periphery of Fort Hall, Oregon, where other pioneers welcome them, they stop for the night - and Brownie and Mercy get married. One last hurdle is the soldiers who try and stall them at the Fort, bribing them with money and animals - William tells them to let them go, since a woman has been infected with small pox. The colonel orders them out.
Winter falls upon them, and the travelers face many hardships. Lije Evans turns on Tadlock, wanting charge of the train. When William tries shooting Evans, the mob falls upon him - as Becky shouts out to them that he ought to be hanged like Mack. Tadlock jeers at them, saying they lack the courage to do so - meanwhile, Becky shares Tadlock’s vision, when the train hits a ravine, as Evans contemplates turning back. Summers tells them that if they cross the gorge - they’ll be closer to Oregon. And so, they devise a pulley to lower people down the gorge, with success; however, as Tadlock rappels down - Becky cuts away the rope - he falls to his death: Captain William Tadlock, who led the Oregon Liberty Company.

Reunion At Fairborough (released in 1985) - Starring Robert Mitchum, Deborah Kerr and Judi Trott

The  bitter sweet emotions of star crossed lovers, the sentimentality lent to celluloid by the script, backdrops and background score - makes you want to grab a handkerchief and a bowl of popcorn. Many movies of the war-romance genre have been made through the ages, the return of the war veteran, a recurrent and beloved theme in Hollywood is extended to the much latter part of the veterans lives as well - they seem to be in a constant search for fellow comrades-in-arms, and seeking lost loves of their lives on distant shores.
WWII saw some of the worst atrocities that mankind would ever witness, and the Allies suffered many setbacks before the White Cliffs of Dover and the sandy beaches along the seas were truly free. And whilst they were at the bidding of their respective motherlands, officers and men alike would remember lovers and wives, carry faded pictures of their sweethearts, drown their sorrows in wine and rekindle romance in the arms of exotic foreign beauties.
Casablanca was undoubtedly the most memorable movie in this genre, A Farewell to Arms, sourced from Hemingway’s book of the same name starring Rock Hudson was also a real tear jerker. And then there is Reunion at Fairborough (1985), directed by Herbert Wise and written by Albert Ruben, this is the story of Carl Hostrup (played by Robert Mitchum). Carl is a WWII veteran, who flew with an Air Force Squadron as Captain of a fleet. He is currently leading an apparently cushy life as a high level executive, however, beneath the surface of success are the remnants of a bitter divorce and unrequited love.




Misery and loneliness drive him almost to the point of suicide, when fortunately, his macabre decision is stalled by a phone call from his old crew mate from the War Nathan Barsky (Barry Morse), who is now a professor and has organized a reunion for the 8th Air Force, 323rd Bombardment Squadron, in Fairborough, England where the old base was.
Carl is hesitant to go, but eventually agrees, and when they reach Fairborough, memories of an old love, from forty years ago. Sally Wells Grant (Deborah Kerr) is a shopkeeper is not pleasantly surprised to find Carl at her doorstep, memories of yesteryear flood her mind, and she is vocally bitter about how she was left by him, and how it has taken her years to become emotionally stronger, despite the heartbreak.
Sally also confronts Carl with two shockers - one, he is the father of a daughter, and two - he is grandfather to a granddaughter. Stunned by the revelations, and hurt by her caginess, Carl decides to make headway with the youngest woman in his life: Sheila, his grandchild. The film follows the relationships of the three, Sally and Carl light up the moments with their easy charm and panache, so readily on hand for older stars. Sheila is the young rebel with a cause, whom Carl has to tame.
Mitchum and Kerr deliver one of the most touching performances, her quiet dismissal in the face of reality - at conflict with the love she has secretly harbored for Carl - are easily portrayed by Kerr, whereas the American businessman with nothing–to-look-forward-to-in-life war veteran Carl is convincingly real.
A poignant, emotive and sweet movie – about how love can change lives, and remains alive no matter what the distances in space or time.

Promises to keep (released in 1985) - Starring 3 generations of Mitchums - Robert, Christopher and Bentley

Directed by Noel Black, the film stars three generations of Mitchums - Robert, Christopher and Bentley. Jack Palmer (Robert Mitchum) is the patriarch who abandoned his family three decades ago, a true blue roustabout, who ends up being a foreman at a Wyoming ranch. His son Tom Palmer (played by Christopher Mitchum) resents his father for having walked out on them. Going through a difficult time, Tom is the captain of a boat called the Genoa. A fisherman by trade, he is having an engine problem, which threatens to shut down the Genoa. To make matters worse, the catch that season has been dismally low - top it with having wages to pay, its no surprise that Tom is having a harrowing time. Staying abreast of the other competition in Santa Barbara is now an impossible feat he somehow must accomplish. Meanwhile, the father Jack Palmer discovers he is terminally and like most people who discover the end is near - he is inevitably drawn to his roots, back home in Santa Barbara, delaying his treatment by a week or so in Wyoming.
“There he was, the mystery man, he’d come back.”
As he would already have anticipated, Jack’s homecoming is met with cool indifference and extreme scorn by Tom; his wife Sally (Claire Bloom) retains her dignified composure, though she still gets misty eyed thinking of him. Tom has many other demons to battle, the worst being the fact that Gwen (Tess Harper), his wife, is forced to put their home up for sale. Johnny is in rebel mode, a typical teenager who wants to have to do nothing with an old grandparent; he doesn’t realize how he has in common with Jack. He has undoubtedly inherited his streak for adventure and wanderlust -Tom has a difficult time reining in his son’s wild dreams.




Their adversities seem to get the better of them, as their relationships are compromised at the altar of the past. Jack’s decisions of yesteryear haunt the present, and he sees his family’s fabric disintegrate before him - united only in their resentment and scorn. Tom refuses to reconcile with the father he hardly knows, and would rather hold his son close to him - trying hard to keep him from following his dream. Johnny is at loggerheads with his father and girlfriend for wanting to harness him with the cares of the world.
All in all it is the usual family pot boiler, with the mundane frustrations of three generations of Palmers reflecting what most people in life have to face. The ‘blood is thicker than water’ message of the film is obvious, a tear jerker through and through, it is a true blue HBO TV movie, melodramatic and sentimental.
Robert Mitchum is known for his cameo characters, although ‘The Ambassador’ and ‘Promises to Keep’ are two films in which we see him assay the lead roles. Although Mitchum is believed to have commented on the actual purpose of making the film because he ‘…thought it would be good for the family bank account.’ Caring not for the business of the film, but the moolah it rakes in for him and his - Mitchum, in known for his characteristic forthrightness – just believed in the fun he had with the film, that and the er.., bank account bit, of course!

Maria's Lovers (released in 1984) - Starring Robert Mitchum, Natassja Kinski, and John Savage

Directed by a Russian, scripted by a Franco-Russian team, brilliantly photographed by a Spaniard, brought alive on celluloid by a breathtaking German beauty - they all come together in  the critically acclaimed 1984 period romance ‘Maria’s Lovers’. Starring Robert Mitchum, the beautiful Natassja Kinski, John Savage and Keith Carradine in major roles, the film is set in a small town in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1946, portraying ethnic Yugoslavian life during WWII.
Ivan Bibic (played by John Savage), a soldier, returns home from the War, where he was a imprisoned in a Japanese POW camp; it has left him physically and mentally blemished for life. The veteran had always hoped for a calm and loving life with his childhood sweetheart and fiancée Maria Bosic (Natassja Kinski), instead, his war experiences, coupled with post-traumatic stress – area dark clouds that hover above his horizon. “You dreamed about her too long. She lives in your dreams, not your body.”
His father (Robert Mitchum) wants him to labor on, regardless, believing that his peasant lifestyle and hard work will one day help him forget his travails in War. One day, when Ivan goes to meet Maria, who is living with her deaf grandmother, he is pained to see her in the arms of Al Griselli (Vincent Spano), a captain in the army. Mitchum advises Ian to forget about Maria, she’s ‘out of his league’, and tries to set him up with the eager Mrs.Wynic. Although rendered ‘psychologically impotent’ by the War, he is able to consummate his relationship with Mrs. Wynic, an act that remains unaccomplished with his lady love-Maria.
Al is fond of Maria, but has a roving eye, which Ian chooses to make use of to his advantage. Whilst the Captain is romancing a friend of Maria’s, Ian takes the opportunity to woo Maria - this angers Al, who shuns her. At long last, Ian marries the woman of his dreams.




Maria, her head full of a young bride’s dreams, seeks love and children - but Ian, overwhelmed with having met his dream, now tarnishes reality with the fear that he isn’t good enough for her - thus unable to consummate his marriage. This leaves Maria frustrated, and she is soon embroiled in an extra marital affair with the charming and slick Clarence Butts (Keith Carradine); though despite his love for her, Ian is on the lookout for another relationship as well.
And just like that, Ian leaves for another city, leaving Maria to fend for herself. She has a rendezvous with Clarence, who leaves her pregnant, and she rejects her lover. When Maria tells Ian of her state, he is cold and unresponsive. She is all alone now, even her grandmother is dead. On one of his drunken sprees, Clarence boasts of his prowess and tells of how he seduced Maria, who later left him. Unbeknownst to him, Ian is privy to this information, and at once lashes out at Clarence, who hasn’t recognized him.
Ian’s father is dying and persuades him to come back to Maria - realizing he can’t stop loving her no matter what- the two reunite. Once the two see each other’s foibles, they accept the human side of each other as well - and finally, in a beautiful scene, they consummate their emotional and physical love.
Maria’s Lovers is Andrei Konchalovsky’s maiden foray into Hollywood; he plays it safe by further exploring the clichéd sub genre of the return of the war veteran. However, what is new about the perspective Andrei offers is that there is a separation of the sexual aspect of love, from the emotion-love. Perhaps, its Maria’s quiet plea which highlights the mainstay of the film – ‘You should love me less.’

Corvette K-225 (released in 1943) - Starring Randolph Scott, Ella Raines and Barry Fitzgerald

Corvette K 225, a war-drama film, is directed by Richard Rosson. Tt features a story bound ship HMCS Donnacona, of the Royal Canadian Navy. It stars Randolph Scott (other movies: 7th Cavalry, Comanche Station) as Lt. Cdr McLain and Ella Raines (it was her debut film in 1943). During the War, MacLain has to return to his native Canada, after having suffered a terrible setback - his ship, a Corvette, is blown apart by a German torpedo whilst escorting a convoy.
Seething, the Lt. Cdr is determined to take vengeance for deaths of those men who were mercilessly gunned down by a German U-boat. He refuses the Admiral’s offer for leave, and decides instead to wait until a new ship is commissioned. Whilst he’s on standby, he befriends Joyce Cartwright, played by Ella Raines, the sibling of Dick Cartwright, an officer who lost his life on the ship under McLain’s command.
Quite naturally disturbed by the loss of her brother, Joyce pins the blame for his tragic and untimely death on Mac; she is heartbroken and believes that if it weren’t for him - Dick would still be alive. However, time heals the ugliest wounds, and gradually, her animosity towards Mac fades, and is replaced with love.
In the meantime, the HMCS Donnacona, a Corvette K 225 is commissioned with a crew of sixty five men, which includes Joyce’s  young sibling - Lt. Paul Cartwright, a typical youngster who complains about what a hard act to follow and please MacLain is. The ship is bound for Europe, under the command of Commodore Ramsay, tasked with the duty of carrying cargo such as airplanes, gasoline and tanks. The Germans are stationed off the coast of Newfoundland, at Ethel, when another ship is torpedoed - the HMCS Donnacona sights the remnants – dead soldiers who have been thrown to the surface from the bowels of the ocean.

On the ninth day, the HMCS Donnacona is caught in the midst of a raging storm, as a result of which, it strays from the convoy and is lost. When the ship is about three hundred miles away from the Irish Coast, MacLain realizes there are more ships like the HMCS Donnacona which have strayed away from their convoys, he meets the Captain of the tanker Egyptian Star, who conveys dire warnings and fears to MacLain, believing that his ship is being followed and is under surveillance of German submarines.
Just as the Captain warned, they come under German fire from a squadron of bombers, but one of the convoy’s fighter planes comes to its rescue. In the fighting that ensues, the Egyptian Star is sunk by a torpedo, while the HMCS Donnacona takes on the submarines. Using a depth charge, one of the submarines is eliminated, however, the HMCS Donnacona comes under attack from a U-boat in a surface battle that disables it, Mac is also injured. Lt. Paul Cartwright with Seaman Stooky O’Meara move underwater to dispose the depth charges, which strike the submarine.
When it’s destroyed, MacLain recognizes the U-boat as the one which was responsible for the death of his men. The HMCS Donnacona arrives safely in Ireland with another six merchant ships. As a mark of respect, before it anchors the Corvette K 225 sails past the other docked ships, which salute the crew for its unsurpassed courage in the face of the enemy. A film which has a tragic beginning, but a triumphant end; an easy watch if you’re a WWII movie buff!

Film - Face Off (starring John Travolta and Nicholas Cage) - Action thriller - Released in 1997

“There is no art to find the mind’s construction in the face.”
Face /Off is an out and out thriller, throw in sentiment for good measure, a few teary eyed moments and voila - a full thriller where you don’t have to think too much. The cops and robbers routine is taken to the next level when FBI Special Agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) loses his son to Castor Troy’s (Nicholas Cage) bullet - one which was meant for him.
Castor’s Achilles’ Heel is his brother Pollux Troy (Alessandro Nivola); they are both planning a bomb blast in LA -  whilst Castor is severely wounded in the gun battle that ensues, Pollux, the only guy who knows the location of the bomb, is taken captive.
Meanwhile, the vegetated state of Castor ensures there’s no way he’s disclosing the whereabouts of the bomb, so it’s now left to Archer to step up to the moment.
In a bizarre proposal, doctors tell Archer he can take on Castor’s identity – by way of a ‘Face/Off’. He has so much at stake but mainly the memory of Michael, his son, needs to be laid to rest. And so agrees to get a new face, a new identity. After the operation, Archer (as Troy) is incarcerated in the same prison as Pollux, and manages to get the location of where the bomb is planted. The tricky part now is getting out unscathed from Erewhon prison.
Castor Troy, now faceless, arises like phoenix from the ashes, and manages to get a face for himself - that of his rival Archer. And along with the new identity he has certain perks – a lovely wife, a beautiful home and a whole lot of ways to make sure that he uses the FBI to get rid of Archer once and for all. In order to earn the trust and praise of the department, Castor defuses the bomb - and becomes a hero. He takes to his new role like a fish to water, while the actual Archer faces near death in a prison riot, but manages to escape; once out, his aim is to get in touch with all of Castor’s network - his buddies and girlfriend, included.
Déjà vu when Castor (actually Archer) sees Adam, Sasha’s son (Castor’s ex) - and memories of Michael come flooding back. On the other hand Archer (actually Troy) is making inroads with Jamie - the daughter, who says she can never bring herself to forgive her father for what happened to her brother Michael. Having climbed the upper echelons of the Department ladder, Archer now takes matters into his own hands after he kills an FBI big gun and is himself promoted to Assistant Director In charge - virtually untouchable AND hopping mad because Cage killed his brother Pollux.



Meanwhile the actual Archer (in guise of Troy, played by Cage) approaches Eve, his wife and convinces her that the man in her home is the impostor Castor Troy; she tells him that Troy will be attending the funeral of the official he’d killed. But Castor, a veteran to cat and mouse games, is a step ahead, and he takes Eve hostage. In the gun fu that ensues Castor manages to escape in a speed boat, only to be brought down by Archer, who wins back his family and self respect, with a second chance at caring for the child Adam, whose mother Sasha was killed in the crossfire.
John Woo is known for bringing the Asian character to his films - they may be a little over the top, however, audiences love them. Both Travolta and Cage were two actors he had worked with earlier in Broken Arrow and Windtalkers. An excellent play is conducted by Woo on the words and names in the Film. For instance, Castor and Troy, according to ancient Greek Mythology - are brothers who make up the constellation Gemini, the prison Erewhon is the word “nowhere” written backwards.
With a rousing musical score by Hans Zimmer, the Movie was well received by audiences and critics alike - it was nominated for the Academy Award for Sound Editing (70th Academy Awards, 1998), losing to the Titanic. It won the Best Action Scene in the MTV Movie Awards and the Best Directing and Writing in the Saturn Awards.

Film - Moonstruck - A hit romantic comedy starring Nicolas Cage and Cher (released in 1987)

Moonstruck was a romantic comedy released in 1987, and was very well received by critics and by the audience, becoming a bit hit. This was in the 1980's, when movies really did not make above $100 million that they so easily make nowadays (heck, movies nowadays cost more than that to make, with production and marketing costs making them significantly more expensive), so at that time, for Moonstruck to make a total of around $80 million on a budget of $15 million was great. In addition, the movie wowed critics and earned a number of Oscar nominations:

Won:

Best Actress - Cher

Best Supporting Actress - Olympia Dukakis

Original Screenplay - John Patrick Shanley

Nominated but did not win:

Best Picture

Best Supporting Actor - Vincent Gardenia

Best Director - Norman Jewison

The movie also did pretty well in being recognized as being among the top 100 comedies and some of the top 10 romantic comedies.

The movies starred Cher, Nicolas Cage, Vincent Gardenia, Danny Aiello, and Olympia Dukakis, with Cher and Nicolas Cage in the lead roles.

The movie is about this lady and her relationship with her would-be brother-in-law and how it turns into a romantic relationship between them, and the problems it causes emotionally for them. Loretta Castorini (played by Cher) is an Italian widow whose husband had died after being hit by a bus. She believes, somewhat strangely, that he died because they did not have a proper marriage, in church, with flowers and the whole arrangement. And why did they not have a proper marriage, well it was because her father Cosmo (Vincent Gardenia) did not approve of the marriage and hence they had to get married at City Hall rather than at church. This time, she is determined that she will get married properly, and insists that her fiancee, Johnny Cammareri (played by Danny Aiello) propose to her with a ring and on his knees. However, he has to leave soon for Sicily since his mother is dying and he has to be there for her. However, he wants Loretta to invite his estranged brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage), younger to Johnny, to come to the wedding.
The next morning, Loretta talks to Johnny but when she finds out that he has not told her about the wedding, urges Johnny to tell her about the wedding before she is dead. In turn, Johnny asks her whether she has spoken to Ronny, which was also not done. So, Loretta visits Ronny at his bakery and learns why they do not speak to each other. It turned out that some time earlier, Ronny was engaged and once when Johnny had visited him, Ronny hand got cut in the slicer and his fiancee left him as a result. Ronny blames Johnny for that accident. She tries to console him since he has got emotional, and they go to his apartment where she cooks for him and they drink, and you know it, they have sex. At night, there is a bright moon - hence Moonstruck. In the morning, Loretta feels the guilt and does not want to meet Ronny again, but he persuades her to come to the opera with him in the evening. Does she go ? What happens to their relationship and her engagement ? Watch this delightful movie and find out.