Almost famous (2000)

There is a lot you don’t know about what you hear.

Rock and roll has changed the lives of many. 15 year old William Miller (Patrick Fugit) is about to discover it for himself, when his clandestine writings get recognized by The Rolling stones magazine, who want Miller to work for them. With some mentoring by legendary rock journalist Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Miller sets off on a road trip with the band Stillwater. Though he is the much-to-be-watched-out-for-enemy, he befriends the band members who take him for a ride in its true sense. And on this journey, he discovers how circumstances maketh both a man and his music.

Frances McDormand, as Elaine Miller, the mother of William Miller is remarkable as an over-protective mother and her insecurity over the influence of rock music on her children, though unreasonable is adorable. Anita Miller (Zooey Deschanel) as the rebellious elder sister strengthens the character of both her mother and her brother.
But the stars of the evening are Patrick Fugit as William Miller, Kate Hudson as Penny lane and Billy Crudup as Russell Hammond.

William Miller as the enthusiastic but naïve rock journalist is dazed by the happenings behind the scenes but is also very much the man with the mission, who carries his role with enviable ease. Miller becomes more perceptive to the new surroundings he is in, owing to his friendship with Penny Lane, a band-aide who is committed to the cause of music in her own dedicated way. Kate Hudson’s portrayal as the revolutionary groupie with a young and fiery spirit exudes charm on the screen. Russell Hammond, as the lead guitarist of Stillwater pretty much gives a true picture of a band’s sound and mind. A man with many moods, he holds the attention of the audience with his performance as the passionate musician, an impulsive guitarist and also a good friend.

Cameroon’s effortless way of portraying things for what they are brings out a genuineness that adds radiance to the film. Since this is also a role play of his life, the film rings of authenticity. And the seamless unfolding of events is beautifully strung together in the screenplay which is interspersed with soundtracks that makes moments in the movie memorable.

Like a breeze that gently ruffles your hair, making you hum a tune and putting a smile on your face, Almost Famous leaves you refreshed with that feeling.

The Game (1997)

Have you always wanted to give a birthday present that will last a life time!? The Game is what you are looking for.

Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) a wealthy investment banker is an embittered loner, having only himself to care for. His wayward brother Conrad (Sean Penn) gives him a one- of- a- kind gift on his 48 Th birthday, a day which brings back to him taunting memories of his father. The gift is intended to make Nicholas take a step outside his regular life and meet adventure eye to eye.

Nicholas walks into the Game without his knowledge and becomes an active player in the scheme of things. In the course of the game, he is merely a mute witness, as he watches things he valued the most tumble. Realization over his ways takes him over. But the game is yet to be played, and Nicholas has too many things that have to be salvaged out of this game.

Douglas lends the character the intensity it demands with nonchalance that gives Nicholas the air of arrogance mingled with shades of remorse. Deborah Kara Unger with her nimble portrayal as Christine leads Nicholas through the mind numbing chase of the unknown, ostensibly to help him. While Sean Penn as younger brother ‘Connie’ is ebullient and lights up the screen with his spiritedness. All characters lend the story the credibility to make the audience believe in the bizarre turn of events.

The film, treated in director David Fincher’s classic noir style where, despair, remorse and the will to rise above it all becomes the core of the film. The fact that the audience is as clueless as the protagonist about the game, gives you a feeling of being sucked in a whirlpool- helpless but having to swirl with the madness around, leaving you wondering about the way out.

In the 2 hours of the film, you‘ll find how a roll of dice, a pawn, a board with infinite boundaries, a lot of futile strategies and no rules to play by, lets you emerge a winner while showing you what you could’ve lost.