Hotel Mumbai

HOTEL MUMBAI is an exceptional dramatic thriller that is based on a true story. Dev Patel plays Arjun, a waiter at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, India. One night a group of terrorists raid the hotel and 11 other locations in Mumbai. Employees and guests are trapped in the hotel for several hours as they wait for special forces to arrive from New Delhi. The movie is intense and definitely keeps its audience on edge.

HOTEL MUMBAI also stars Armie Hammer as David, an American married to a Muslim Iranian-British heiress named Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi). The film ends by showing the actual people who endured the horrific events. They have reunited at the renovated Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.

I saw HOTEL MUMBAI at a theatre in April. Now you may watch the movie on various Web sites, including YouTube, Amazon Prime, Vudu, and Google Play.

Lion

LION is the incredible true story adapted from the book A LONG WAY HOME written by Saroo Brierley with Larry Buttrose. Sunny Pawar plays Saroo with natural finesse. It is compelling watching a five year old boy in India adapt to his unfortunate circumstances. His intention is to tag along on an out of town trip with his older brother Guddu, played by Abhishek Bharate.

Sadly, the two brothers are separated and Saroo is taken on a very long journey by train. The young boy is homeless and nearly taken advantage of, but manages to survive on his own. Thankfully Saroo meets someone decent who takes him to the police. Since his family cannot be located, he is sent to an orphanage. Sue Brierley (played by Nicole Kidman) and John Brierley (played by David Wenham) adopt Saroo, and he moves to Australia to live with them.

After twenty years, it makes sense that Saroo has a longing to be with his birth mother and searches for his real home. As an adult, Saroo is played by Dev Patel. Saroo's ability to remember his past and the sophisticated methods he uses to find his childhood home in India are intriguing. The process consumes him so much, Saroo is distanced from his parents and lady friend, Lucy, played by Rooney Mara.

The happy ending to this story fills its audience with so much joy that all shed tears. The final thought is that Saroo Brierley shares the most difficult experiences he ever had. The final feeling is gratifying because Saroo once again embraces his birth mother in India.

LION is currently playing in theatres. The official Web site is http://www.lionmovie.com.

The Man Who Knew Infinity

In THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY Dev Patel plays Srinivasa Ramanujan, a self-educated mathematician who grew up poor in Madras, India. Indian mathematicians quickly recognize Ramanujan's genius, but it takes longer for others to acknowledge it. The film is based on the 1991 biography novel titled The Man Who Knew Infinity by Robert Kanigel.

Eventually after writing letters with theorems, Ramanujan is accepted to Trinity College in Cambridge, England.  His professor, G.H. Hardy (played by Jeremy Irons)  guides him through the process of presenting theories academically. Unfortunately, Ramanujan faces discrimination in England. However, he is focused on uncovering proofs for his theories, and unaffected by the negative people.  The insults just make him stronger and more determined.

It is invigorating watching someone who has found his passion. It is even more pleasing when the person is willing to share and create something that will benefit others. THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY shows this, and individuals who watch the movie are likely inspired.

THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY is currently playing in theatres.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL is a movie about British retirees who move to India. The story shows how uncertain life is and the importance of just living.

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL has a talented cast: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel, Tom Wilkinson, and Maggie Smith. All of the actors know how to present a story well.

The film is currently playing in theatres, and being placed on even more screens faster than usual. For more information about this movie, visit http://www.foxsearchlight.com/thebestexoticmarigoldhotel/.

Slumdog Millionaire Wins Again!

Of course I was thrilled last night when SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE won a SAG Award for Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture! I especially liked how Freida Pinto took the time to acknowledge the young actors in the movie. They were stupendous and deserve recognition. Dev Patel also deserved his nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

In addition, I was excited that Richard Jenkins was nominated for Best Actor in THE VISITOR, but disappointed that he did not win. His performance was superb. See my December 10, 2008 entry to read more about THE VISITOR.

I want to see DOUBT and THE READER. These are two movies I have not seen yet that seem extremely intriguing. I like both Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet, so I know I will enjoy seeing them in their award winning performances. I am glad they were honored last night, just as I like seeing the very talented Sally Field win for her role in television’s “Brothers and Sisters” and James Earl Jones receive the life achievement award.

Unfortunately, Brad Pitt has not won an award for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. I think he was magnificent in the movie, and really hope he wins an award for it. Another movie that has not even received award recognition is GHOST TOWN. It is a comedy/fantasy that “marches to its own drummer,” if you will. The movie provides laughter and some romance. If you get a chance to see GHOST TOWN, do not pass it up. The movie is fun to watch and stars Greg Kinnear, Ricky Gervais, and Tea Leoni. To learn more about GHOST TOWN, visit the official Web site: http://www.ghosttownmovie.com/#/home.

Slumdog Millionaire

I saw the movie SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE last night. I thought it was a fun story. Everyone who worked on this movie did a great job.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is a very unique film, and is particularly refreshing because it has a mostly Indian cast and was made in India. The story is about two brothers, “Jamal” and “Salim,” who live in the slums of Mumbai. One day a group of men raid their community, killing many people, including “Jamal” and “Salim’s” mother. The two boys run away, and a young girl named “Latika” follows them. “Jamal” immediately makes a connection with “Latika.” As the result of some unfortunate events, “Latika” is separated from “Jamal” and “Salim.”

I am not going to tell you what happens next. Some of what I have already stated may explain the “slumdog” part of the title. As for the word “millionaire” being in the title, several years later “Jamal” goes onto the television game show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (Hindi version). He does not desire to be rich, but goes onto the show hoping “Latika” is watching and they can be together again. “Jamal,” played by Dev Patel, is charming in the game show scenes.

The movie is adapted from the novel, Q&A by Vikas Swarup. The cast is fantastic and I loved the music. I wish more movies like this were made.

There are predictions that Dev Patel may be nominated for a 2009 Academy Award for his performance, Danny Boyle may be nominated for directing, and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE may receive a nomination for Best Picture (along with the exceptional THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON). I sure hope it happens, as the recognition is deserved.