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[/amazon_link]– Lars And The Real Girl (2007, English, USA) : A guy buys a life-size doll over the internet, and pretends that she is his real-life, walking-talking girlfriend – that’s the premise of this lovely, fragile, heart-warming film. A rather chubby Ryan Gosling is Lars, an introverted shy guy who has difficulty making social connections. Gosling is fantastic and subtle as the awkward young man, so alone amid a sea of people, in his small town.
The magnificent Emily Mortimer is Karin, his rather worried sister-in-law. Just as brilliant is Patricia Clarkson, who plays Dagmar, the doctor/psychologist they bring Lars to, when he seems to be going nuts. A gorgeous, gorgeous film this one – highly recommended!
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[/amazon_link]- Ghanchakkar (2013, Hindi, India) : Bollywood seems to be coming of age now that it is actually producing films without the perennial love (i.e.; girl meets boy, and barring a couple of villains who fall by the wayside, it’s all hunky-dory after) storyline. Ghanchakkar is a crime comedy caper, a tale about a con-man who steals the loot, stashes it someplace safe and then has an accident which triggers a bout of amnesia; he can no longer remember where he put the booty. Ergo, chaos.
Emran Hashmi is the forgetful conman, and Vidya Balan delightfully essays the character of his style-challenged Punjabi wife. I’ve reviewed the film here.
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[/amazon_link]- The Decoy Bride (2012, English, UK) : I chanced seeing this film because it starred the excellent Scottish actress Kelly MacDonald; you might have seen her in “No Country For Old Men” and heard her in “Brave”, where she is the voice of the lead character, Princess Merida. And yes, it is a romance chick-flick but it is also fun and quirky.
– Love Actually (2003, English) : Possibly the most feel-good, romantic film known to (wo)man 🙂 this movie has a very large cast of characters, each caught up in their peculiar “love situation”. It also stars Hugh Grant and Colin Firth – Hugh Grant plays the British Prime Minister, and Firth plays a writer holidaying up in a Spanish town trying to get his writing mojo back. And then there is Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson . . . need one say more?
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[/amazon_link]- Perfect Host (2010, English, USA) : David Hyde Pierce is best know for his role as Dr. Niles Crane in the comedy series “Frasier”. In this movie he plays Warwick Wilson, who is preparing for a dinner party at his home, when his solitude is impinged upon by John Taylor, a young man in trouble. Wilson, ever the gentleman, invites the young man in and is all set to play the genial host, when Taylor lets him know of his true motives.
Pierce, well-suited to the character he plays here gives an impressive performance as methodical, meticulous Warwick Wilson. This is a very interesting, suspense-laden film and well worth the watch.
