They say when a great rock is dislodged, the worms come to light. Vaguely, when someone’s mobility is restricted, the TV flashes some best movies – this time the old ones. Yes, with just a day left for my Physiotherapist to pronounce, “Now I set you free, sir; you are on your own - with or without walking stick”, here are some old movies that stood by me.
A time to Kill. (Netflix) Based on John Grisham’s novel by the same title, this is an old classic that keeps you engaged all through. With a star-studded cast – Sandra Bullock, Mathew McConaughey, Samuel Jackson, Kevin Spacy, Donald Sutherland….., the movie was worth a second watch with each one playing his role to a T. In the prelude or somewhere I heard that originally Brad Pitt was picked to play the lead, but Mathew McConaughey bumped into the studio and requested the powers-be to give him the role, or something like that. Yes, someone’s loss is someone else’s gain. What Dev Anand and later Dharmendra declined to play the hero in Zanjeer, Amitabh Bacchhan grabbed, and the rest is history.
Scent of a Woman (Netflix). After seeing this movie, I was in two minds whether Al Pacino is at his best in this or in Godfather 2. Very absorbing movie. At this second viewing, I felt the pace was a little slow in the initial stages, but the final scene more than compensated for everything.
His Highness Abdullah (Malayalam), You Tube. I am wary of watching movies in You Tube for their print-quality. But sometimes luck favours the brave, and so it did when I took a chance. A very fulfilling movie – wholesome entertainment, plot, Carnatic music at its best, and, above all Mohanlal’s acting. No wonder there was a WhatsApp message floating around when he got the Dadasaheb Phlake award as to why he deserved it in full. One of the scenes the originator had picked up was Mohanlal’s lip movement, action and near-original rendering in the Carnatic music competition in this movie. “Old is gold” I felt after watching it. This is not to say some of the present day offerings, more so, TV series, are any less.
Delhi Crime, season 2. Featuring Shefali Shah, Huma Quereshi and others, this was inspired by true events, modified not to get into legal entanglements. Shefali would seem cut out for the role, as the late Ifthikar was for the police officer’s role in the old Hindi movies.
No One Saw Us Leave. This is a modified version of a true story where the husband does not want his wife, now in an open relationship with his sister’s husband, to have custody of his children. He runs from place to place, country to country with his children, but is chased everywhere.
The Beast in Me. (Netflix). If the first two episodes that we watched so far are anything to go by, we are in for some edge-of-the-seat moments, each character trying to outwit the other. Thankfully, it is recommended by my friend Viswanathan, 3161. It has to be good.
Last but not the least, Jolly LLB, 3 featuring Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi, Saurabh Shukla, Huma Quereshi. An entertaining movie with a good storyline and message. Should do well commercially.
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