The 2-week break sure hit the right spot. Not only did I get to spent quality time with the family, but I also got to indulge in one of my hobbies: Movies! I used my Netflix account to the maximum and in the process did put a lot of strain on my poor eyes 🙂

I categorize the movies into 3 sections: “Loved It!”, “Whatever …” and “Water-Boarding Alert!”.

For the comments below, I am ignoring “Whatever …” section, for obvious reasons.

(A) Loved It! —————————————————————————

Derailed – Quite interesting. It was nice to see Jennifer Aniston in a non-“Friends” type role. I respect Clive Owen for picking movies which are “different” …

The Pursuit of Happiness – I have a low threshold for “watering eyes during emotional scenes syndrome” 🙂 (I hate to admit it). Having said that, the movie did evoke quite a lot of emotions. And to think that this is based on a true story. I sure respect Chris Gardner.

Aamir – A very interesting Hindi movie. I surely recommend it. Superb acting by Rajeev Khandelwal. A great story.

Fargo – I did not care for the violence. The story was interesting and I understand why Frances McDormand won an Oscar for the role.

Glengarry Glen Ross – I loved this movie about a run-down real estate firm and its sorry employees. And the bit with Alec Baldwin … Fantastic! He sure gave it his all in that scene. The movie is worth just for this scene.

Breakdown – Having driven through a lot of USA and liking the “Desert” type landscape, I found the 1st half very very interesting.

The Insider – Though I had watched this movie before, I felt the urge to watch it again. Russell Crowe is superb in this movie. And it is also loosely based on a true story.

The Wrestler – An interesting story about a sad sad person. Though it is probably a bit exagerrated, it does give a good peek into the world of Professional Wrestling.

Gran Torino – I personally do not care much for Eastwood’s old “Western” movies. But man, is he a great movie maker over the psat decade! This is one of my favorite movies of all time. Though there is a tragic element to the ending, it is overall a feel-good movie.

The Game – Though I had watched this movie before, I felt the urge to watch it again. One of my favorite all-time movies, starring my favorite all-time Actor.

A Simple Plan – Though I had watched this movie before, I felt the urge to watch it again because I had forgotten the ending. An interesting plot which brings out the greed that hides in all of us.

A Wednesday – A superb Hindi movie. I would say, this is one of my all-time favorites. Naseeruddin Shah is superb in this movie. I applaud the person who wrote the story/script.

Memento – Finally got to watch this movie. I did not like the Indianized version Ghajini (Hindi or Tamil) very much. But this one, I loved it. It is like working on a puzzle. After viewing it 3 times and reading/reviewing the plot analysis on the Internet, I still cannot claim to understand the overall plot a 100%. But I sure get it 95% 🙂

Disclosure – Though I had watched this movie before, I felt the urge to watch it again. One of my favorite all-time movies, starring my favorite all-time Actor.

The Talented Mr. Ripley – Though I had watched this movie before, I felt the urge to watch it again. Matt Damon is a great actor. I believe there should not be much argument about that. He also knows how to choose his movies. I think it is just a matter of time before he wins his first Best Actor Oscar.

Million Dollar Baby – Finally got to watch this movie. My tear glands did work full-time 🙂 Hillary Swank is great in this movie. Very well-deserved Oscar, in my opinion.

Diabolique – Though I had watched this movie before, I felt the urge to watch it again because I had forgotten the ending. Complicated, but interesting plot. I notice that the web reviews are not that great for this movie.

American Beauty – Finally got to watch this movie. A complex story. Kevin Spacey was, well, Kevin Spacey. Very well-deserved Oscar, in my opinion.

Traffic – Finally got to watch this movie. With two small kids of my own, the desert scene made me feel miserable 🙁 I personally would not call this movie great, but it was quite good.

Babel – Finally got to watch this movie. I only liked the sub-story involving Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett and the one involving the Morrocco natives.

(B) Water-Boarding Alert!

Night Train – I have only myself to blame for this one. I am probably the only one to watch it through NetFlix 🙂 For example, they could not afford to shoot using a real train and ends up using a really bad 1980s animation …

Knowing – I have only one question. What has happened to Nicholas Cage of the “Leaving Las Vegas” fame? His recent portfolio of movies are top contenders for Razzies!

The Taking of Pelham 123 – Had great hopes for this one. But considering the calibre of the leads in this movie, I felt it was disappointing.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop – I like Kevin James (“King of Queens”) and think he is a funny guy. But this movie – The pits!

Quantum of Solace – Had very high hopes after the superb “Casino Royale”. But ended up getting a lot of meaningless action …

The Day the Earth Stood Still – No comments!