" Carancho "

Verdict: 7/10
Year: 2010
Directed by: Pablo Trapero

Starring: Ricardo Darin
Martina Gusman



"It is estimated that over 8000 people die in traffic accidents in Argentina every year. "
so begins the story of Sosa- played by Ricardo Darina and Lujan- played by
Martina Gusman.




Sosa is a bottom feeder, lowlife lawyer who seemed to care for the victims and relatives of those
affected by the accident but was actually the opposite of what he portrays.
He looks for clients who are in desperate need of help,
carefully choosing his potential victims, particularly in public hospitals.




On the other hand, a young newly recruited paramedic doctor named Lujan started her graveyard shift that night.
She stumbled upon Sosa, eyes met with a bit of spark, but with some hesitation as to whether this man was too good to be true.
Lujan was a woman who seemed tired of her monotonous life and has a partial addiction to drugs.
What happened that night was unbeknownst to her.
What she didn't know was all that was about to change.



Sadly, as in every tale where crime and gangs are involved,
a tragic ending was bound to happen.
Throughout the film the setting was mostly during the night,
the setting was in the real slums of the streets of Argentina.
There's a sense of crudeness as to how it was shot but in a good way.
It shows us the harsh reality of life.



Undoubtedly, Ricardo Darin's performance was stunning.
He can play tough and be romantic at the same time.
I find the ending a bit sad and disturbing esp. when Lujan was going mad.
She was acting all hysterical that her voice became a nuisance.



I also find some of the sub plots a bit off and redundant but nonetheless,
still an interesting film to watch and worth your time.

" Stanley Ka Dabba "

Year: 2011
Directed by: Amole Gupte
Verdict: 7/10




The story of Stanley may seem usual if not predictable about the life of a mere child living in India.
From the beginning, the film draws our attention in a classroom full of naughty and noisy kids.
A teacher who loves her job and always made them smile and laugh at their mischievousness or
Another, who's often too strict with a stern face, uninterested in his students and monotonous and
yet another teacher, who never appreciates his students, shuns a poor kid because he
doesn't have a tiffin box, he doesn't care about anything except his stomach, eats his students' lunch, to the point of
expelling a kid from school... talk about gluttony.



The school was run by a catholic and the students were well-off, they all seem to be except for this particular kid.



Stanley -
who was the main character of the film seems to be leading a jovial and youthful life,
but as always, what's seen on the outside was a camouflage of lies and pretensions.
Inside, he's a troubled kid who's confused, lost, exploited and sometimes bullied.
But despite all this, Stanley never give up, with a good heart and a dream of his own.
He strives for a better life and education.



A bit of sublimity and humour in the film.
It has beautiful script and a story that's thought provoking in the end.
I assure you, the last ten minutes can be life altering.
The soundtrack is a sore though, I like some of the soulful sound, but others were a bit too loud for my taste.
This film, clearly shows the harsh reality of life in India, the struggle to alleviate poverty,
esp. the youth where they're mostly exploited and used by adults for their own selfish reasons.
In the eyes of an innocent child, all they ever wanted was to play and be happy.
But the cruelty in his surroundings changes all that and as he gets older,
the once youthful, charming kid isn't the same anymore.



click here for more photos!

and watch the trailer here: