The MogBlog

Ok, so if the number of awards and Oscar’s this one got doesn’t prove to you how much the hype is worth about this movie – well, just believe me when I say it really is. It’s a very powerful story following Jamal, a ’slumdog’ from Mumbai and his life as a child. The movie begins where he is being tortured into admitting whether he cheated in a game of the indian version of ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’. As the episode of the programme is played back to us, each question asked has a story relative to Jamal’s life.

This movie has probably the most confusing storyline I have ever come across in my lifetime of watching movies. Full of corruption, love, crime, family – the whole thing portrays the life of a police officer as he goes from college into adulthood, and, eventually, death (whoops, just given away a spoiler there – but it’s very predicable anyway!). All the actors have brilliant roles and the whole thing just works well.

Probably the most controversial movie in recent times, Brokeback Mountain was a fantastic movie. The movie follows the lives of two friends in a gay relationship over a 20 year relationship. Granted, it’s not everyones cup of tea – but the movie comes to an incredibly moving and sad close – definitely worth a watch, whoever you are.

Currently the #1 highest rated movie on IMDb, it’s easy to see why. The movie is the life of Andy Dufresne, an innocent man sent to Shawshank prison, for a crime we are led to believe he never committed. He serves 20 years, and on the day he arrives, his soon-to-be best friend, Red (played by Morgan Freeman) completes his first 20 years of prison life. I can’t give to much more away, but the movie uncovers the corruption and life of Shawshank right up until the day he leaves. An amazing film.

A french film now, which you’ll have to watch with subtitles, is all about the ‘fabulous life of Amélie Poulain’ as translated from the french title. Starting at the opening credits with her birth, her alone childhood, moving onto her early life, and then onto the young woman she is now. The film is almost in a sense a diary or documentary (for example, the convention of using a narration) of her life in a matter of days where she uncovers the lives of others that relate around her. While sad and moving in places, it’s funny and feel-good in others.

I would strongly recommend you read the book first, then the movie. What people say about how the story of Scout and Jem being the children of Atticus, the only white lawyer ever to try defending a black man in a fair trail in 40’s deep-south America – is a fantastic setting for the film. The old black and white movie may not be up to specs on effects or quality – the life from the viewpoint of Scout is certainly very interesting.