About Schmidt is all about Nicholson. But Nicholson like you've never seen before. I could spot an eyebrow arch a couple of times, but that was it. None of the over the top aggression and mannerisms that one has come to associate with Nicholson over the years. A brilliant performance, mainly because he wasn't playing himself after a long while.

The movie is directed by Alexander Payne, he of Election and Sideways fame. The guy is good, worth tracking.

Revenge of the Sith had the corniest dialogue you can imagine. If you can sit through that and remain awake for the first 100 minutes, then you'll enjoy some of the snazziest action ever seen on screen. Starting with Obi-Wan doing Greivous harm, moving on to Anakin getting converted to the Dark Side and winding up with the fantastic duel over lava, the last 45 minutes made it all worthwhile. If you are someone who hasn't watched a single Star Wars film, I recommend skipping the first two episodes and walking in halfway into the third.

Ho hum ha ha ha. He's blind, he cuts people. Oh wait a minute, he's not really blind. Oh no, he is. Why do all these folks queue up to get slaughtered anyway? Why is this a cult classic? Why do I keep watching these new wave Japanese/Chinese movies?

Considered the black sheep of the trilogy, this movie isn't all that bad really. A bit darker, fewer jokes and a mite too confusing. You can't avoid watching it though.

Hmm. Did they change it recently? I always thought this was a hilarious rip-roaring adventure yarn. Anything but, when you watch it now.

Another repeat. Good, rollicking fun. The soundtrack isn't half bad either.

Again. And again. Never get tired of watching it, never get tired of reading it. Almost perfect.

Wicked. Not a movie to watch with your significant other. Or hold on, maybe it is.

Yawn. Overrated, sentimental 'classic'. The more I see of Tornatore, the less I like him.

Wonderful, wonderful movie. The characters are - pardon the obvious pun - very well drawn and the dialogue is top-notch. Pixar is incredible!

Gets under your skin, this film. The plot's quite stupid and the acting sucks. The saving grace is of course Sharon Stone - and I don't mean just the famous legs-crossing scene.

My second Miyazaki. Quite nice, really. Interesting story, cute characters. I must remember to watch the others from Studio Ghibli.

Before Sunset

All they do is talk the whole day, but I found it absolutely gripping. Romantic and intelligent, sexy and funny. A must see. And oh, I need to watch Before Sunrise now.

Meet the Fockers

The worst movie I've seen so far this year. An incredibly bad waste of talent; Robert de Niro never looked more uncomfortable. Stay away.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

What can I say? Charlie Kaufman is a genius. I bow before him.

Black

Black is beautiful. The best Hindi movie I've seen on screen since Dil Chahta Hai. The film belongs to Sanjay Leela Bhansali - well on his way to becoming one of India's few auteurs. Good or bad, an auteur nevertheless.

Once Upon A Time In The West

Typical Sergio Leone western about the coming of the railroad and one man's revenge. Much more mature than the Dollar trilogy but not as much fun. Henry Fonda rocks.

Princess Mononoke

Convoluted storyline, but a good watch nevertheless. Good visuals, action, drama - you know how it goes.

Udayananu Thaaram

Phew, Mohan Lal hasn't forgotten how to act. The movie is no great shakes, but I liked the way Lal's character was etched. A few laughs, Sreenivasan doing what he does best and Lal playing a believable, realistic character for a change.

Sideways

Delectable. Brilliant acting and direction, coupled with a silken smooth script. Tight enough to keep you engrossed, smooth enough to let you walk around with the characters, glass of wine in hand.

Cellular

Good thriller-cum-advertisement on Nokia cell phones. Ideal for a Hong Kong-Singapore flight. No, seriously, it's worth a watch. Or a cell.

I "Heart" Huckabees

Tries a bit too hard to be clever. Metaphysical codswallop, but fun nevertheless. Jason Schwartzman is excellent.

elf

Oh cho chweet and christmassy. Har har, he acts like a kid. Har de har, he's wearing tights in New York! Oh, they are singing Santa Claus is coming to town, isn't that cute, Ebenezer?

Jesus Christ Superstar

Lovely music. A direct translation of the musical to the screen, or so I'm told. Judas walks away with the film, of course.

Love Actually

Love is all around us, or so the story goes. Cameos by every Brit on earth. A bit of fluff, but endearing.