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Highs And Lows Of A Movie Junkie!

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Archive for June, 2007

Indy IV

Posted by videowatch on June 29, 2007

Initially I was not going to write about this. I felt there were already more than enough blogs online that screamed about HIM coming back. But after watching “The Last Crusade” again last night, I simply couldn’t stop myself from scribbling this entry.

Yes…It’s true…One of the most beloved actions heroes, Indiana Jones, is coming back to kick some more asses. Steven Spielberg is directing Harrison Ford in the tentatively “The Fourth Installment Of The Indiana Jones Adventures“. The shooting began on June 16, 2007. Indy is supposed to reach the theatres on May 22, 2008. Here’s the first picture of Indy in over 18 years. The photo was taken by Steven Spielberg himself on the first day of shoot. Looks like the good ol’ times are just around the corner…

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The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

Posted by videowatch on June 26, 2007

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Director Jude Apatow’s “The 40 Year Old Virgin” is everything that a sex comedy should be. It’s raunchy, rude and profane. But above all this, the movie is pleasantly charming and sweet. When you look at the premise of this movie, comparisons with “American Pie” are inevitable. But this movie, with a far more mature approach and a charismatic lead actor, leaves “American Pie” far behind. This is undoubtedly THE best comedy of 2005. And it sure made way into my top 10 comedies of all time.

Andy (Steve Carell) is, as the title suggests, “The 40 Year Old Virgin”. He hasn’t dated for a looooong time. After a few sexual debacles early in life, he has simply stopped trying. Now he “respects” women so much that he completely stays away from them. He has gone into a shell where he is not looking for any relationship with the opposite sex and he doesn’t even want to think about sex. Instead, he spends his time painting tiny toy soldiers, playing video-games, collecting action figures of his favorite comic characters. His house is like a museum where all the action figures are stuffed up on the shelf. Andy works as a Stock Supervisor at Smart Tech, an electronic gadgets showroom. He is not exactly the most popular guy at office. His shyness has prevented him from getting along with his colleagues. In fact, one of his colleagues, Cal thinks that he might be a “serial murderer”. One day on a poker night, his colleagues, Cal (Seth Rogen), David (Paul Rudd), Jay (Romany Malco) discover about Andy’s “status” and they take it upon themselves to change it. Each of Andy’s buddies has a different advice for him. Jay wants him to “own” his instincts, use his “peripherals” and tackle the “gazelle”. Cal wants Andy to “plant” many seeds and wait till the seeds grow and then f**k the “plants”. David, who himself is struggling to recover from a broken relationship, hands Andy a huge box of porn that might open “the Pandora’s Box of love” for him. Needless to say that with different advice from each of his buddies, Andy gets into more and more embarrassing situations. But Andy also starts coming out of his shell slowly and meets Trish (Catherine Keener) with whom he feels that he has a connection. But she has 3 kids and one of her kids has a kid. So that makes Andy “the dude with a hot granny”. There is also Beth (Elizabeth Banks) and Andy’s boss Paula (Jane Lynch) who have got the hots for Andy.

First-time director Jude Apatow, who co-wrote the script with Steve Carell, handles the story with a deft hand. Not even once do we feel that this is the work of a new director. He has expertly guided the movie and keeps it a consistent laugh riot. The movie takes some time to find its feet. But when it hits its stride, there is simply no stopping it. The jokes just keeps coming. I don’t remember any movie in recent times that has delivered such a consistent flow of humour and there is hardly any misfire. The dialogues are not only profane, but also extremely witty. The movie is a little lengthy. But surprisingly, it does not drag on. Even though it feels at least half an hour longer, the jokes do not get boring and thankfully none of the jokes are repeated (except for the “You know how I know that you’re gay?”..bit). I laughed so hard the first time I watched this that my stomach was actually hurting. It cracked me just as much the second time (I watched this movie two nights in row) also.

Steve Carell has finally come into his own. I am not a very big “Office” fan. But from whatever random episodes I had seen, I knew that he could be a very effective comedian. But little did I know that he could provide so many LOL moments with a straight face. He doesn’t try too hard to make us laugh. The laughter comes quite naturally. Carell uses his low-key charisma to make the viewers feel comfortable and like Andy. His Andy is the perfect mix of geekness and sweetness. He proves that with a good script he can carry a movie. Catherine Keener is quite becoming as Andy’s love. Romany Malco and Seth Rogen shine in their respective roles.

Despite its rude and raunchy tone, the movie succeeds in coming across as extremely sweet. But this is definitely not a movie that everyone is going to enjoy. Some people might get offended by some of the stuff in the movie. As far as I am concerned, I totally loved the movie. I’m really looking forward to Jude Apatow’s “Knocked Up” now.

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Saw 2 (2005)

Posted by videowatch on June 22, 2007

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Saw” offered a great dose of some unadulterated guilty pleasure. There’s was something twistedly interesting in watching two characters struggle for their lives. That movie also gave birth to one of the most unique killers (though technically he hasn’t killed any) of all time, “The Jigsaw Killer”. The ever-increasing sense of dread, the unflinching gore and the mindbending, innovative games of Jigsaw was what made the original “Saw” click. Now in “Saw2″, Jigsaw has come back with a new set of victims. And he promises “There will be blood!” So I was expecting this movie to be somewhat similar to the original one, if not better. Unfortunately, this time around Jigsaw has gotten too damn predictable, too damn repetitive and too damn boring.

Leigh Whannell (who wrote the original “Saw”) has co-written “Saw 2″ with Darren Lynn Bousman (who also directed this sleeper). “Saw” was extremely innovative. So Whannell and Bousman have decided to cash in on the formula. And they tread the same territory. Instead of 2 people trapped in a room, we have 8 people locked up this time. Detective Eric Matthews (Donny Wahlberg) is a smartass cop whose life is not all hunky-dory. He is divorced, his son hates him and he’s been demoted recently. His son is also getting in trouble with the authorities. While he’s investigating a gruesome murder, Matthews sees a message on the wall taunting him. The message is from “The Jigsaw Killer”. So Matthews raids an old building and is able to capture “Jigsaw”. But he also discovers a set of monitors showing Jigsaw’s latest vicitms trapped in an unidentified room and one of them is his son. So now he has to play according to Jigsaw’s rules if he wants to see his son alive.

That’s the basic premise of the movie. The first “Saw” was an interesting plot with some sharp twists and some innovative booby traps. However this sequel only tries to mimic its predecessor and fails miserably at it. The plot is not only repetitive, but it’s also extremely dull. I found myself looking at the watch quite often while watching this movie. This movie totally fails to capture the essence of its predecessor. The first “Saw” toyed with the psychology of two individuals who are facing a life-threatening situation. Howsoever small, but there was always a way for their escape. The “Jigsaw” was only testing their survival instinct. However in this movie, the emphasis has shifted to pure bloodshed.

The original “Saw” built a hell lot of tension without actually showing “Jigsaw”. In this movie, “Jigsaw” has a bigger screen presence. However we have to sit and listen to his life story and why he is doing what he is doing, which obviously kills all the enigma about “Jigsaw” and reduces him to just another serial killer. Sure “Jigsaw” is still menacing. But he is not half as terrifying as he was in the first movie. Darren Lynn Bousman has created good atmosphere. But he has totally failed in building any sort of tension. Of course, in a horror movie, we root for the killer to scare us out of our pants and kill his victims in the nastiest manner. But the focus is also on creating a terror and fear. In this movie, there’s simply no sense of the impending dread. The inmates simply die one after the another. The booby traps are so dumb, that we simply wonder if “Jigsaw” has truly lost his edge(A pit full of syringes, a revolver triggered by a key, an oven? Please!). Most of the time the camera moves so lethargically that you are at danger of dozing off in between some scenes. Then there is the lame twist towards the end, the sole purpose of which is to extend the “Saw” franchise.

The “Jigsaw” had promised that there will be blood and there is blood. But there is NO fun. Sure a couple of scenes are worth watching. But rest of the movie simply drags on and on. To sit through this for 85 minutes is quite a pain in the arse. Only the die-hard “Saw” fans might enjoy this one. As far as I am concerned, I am seriously having second thoughts about watching “Saw 3″.

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Quote / Dialogue Of The Day

Posted by videowatch on June 20, 2007

Today’s memorable quote is from director Bryan Singer’s “The Usual Suspects“. Roger “Verbal” Klint (Kevin Spacey) is telling about the much-dreaded crime lord Keyser Soze.

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Verbal : Who is Keyser Soze?…He is supposed to be Turkish. Some say his father was German. Nobody believed he was real. Nobody ever saw him or knew anybody that ever worked directly for him. But to hear Kobayashi tell it, anybody could have worked for Soze. You never knew. That was his power…The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. And poof! Just like that, he’s gone.

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The Usual Suspects (1995)

Posted by videowatch on June 19, 2007

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“The Usual Suspects” is not an easy movie to follow. It’s a very demanding movie. It demands a very careful attention from its viewers lest they’d be lost. The movie plot is so convoluted that I simply didn’t know how they were going to tie up all the ends. I knew the direction in which the movie was heading…Or I thought I knew…”The Usual Suspects” is a heist movie. But it is not your standard heist movie. This is something much more than that. This is a wild ride through a labyrinth with sharp twists and dead ends that makes your head spin and makes you realise that no matter how hard you try the movie is always one step ahead of you. Director Bryan Singer and his team are giving the viewers a lot to think about. But at the same time they are also holding back a lot. With all due respect and an apology to Sir Neville Cardus, I’d say “This movie is like a bikini. What it reveals is interesting, but what it conceals is vital.”

“The Usual Suspects” is told in two different time frames; in the current time and in flashback. The movie begins with an explosion on a boat containing large amount of cocaine. Two men survive. One of them is hospitalised. While the other, “Verbal” Klint (Kevin Spacey), is detained by the cops. Verbal is a limping small time conaman. Agent Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) questions him about the explosion and at first Verbal denies having any knowledge about it. But soon he starts talking and tells the police about the series of events that happened six weeks ago that led to the explosion on the boat. In the flashback, we are introduced to five con-men who have been lined-up by the cops regarding a truckload of stolen guns. These con-men are Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne), an ex-cop; Michael McManus (Stephen Baldwin), Todd Hockney (Kevin Pollak), Fred Fenster (Benicio Del Toro) and Verbal Klint. Each of them possesses a special skill. While waiting to be released from the prison, they hatch a diamond heist which also leads to the arrest of many corrupt cops. Unfortunately they also get mixed with Keyser Soze’s business. Keyser Soze is the legendary cime lord whom no one has ever seen. But tales of his viciousness are well known. He’s almost like a myth. So when Keyser Soze wants them to do something for them, they have no option but to obey. And that’s how they land up on the boat to sabotage the cocaine deal that’s supposed to take place on the boat.

I know the story all sounds a little unintelligible. And believe me, it’s even more complicated than that. Director Bryan Singer’s approach takes enough time to let the characters develop. He also allows the viewers ample time to think about the different possible “truths”. It’s almost like he’s toying with the viewers. This can be a little annoying and some viewers might lose their way in the middle. But for those who stick around with Singer till the end, the movie turns out to be quite an experience. Nothing in this movie is what it seems. What Verbal is telling the detective may or may not have happened. He’s merely telling “his” truth. All his partners are dead. So no one else can vouch for his story. Then of course there’s the looming shadow of the ominous Keyser Soze of whom Klint is mortally afraid. When all the pieces of this puzzle fall together, the final picture is quite shocking. It turns out to be something that we never suspected.

Kevin Spacey won an Academy award for his portrayal of the crippled Verbal Klint. He is amazing as the man caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Gabriel Byrne is perfect as the steely Keaton who wants to give up the world of crime, but is forced to do one last job which may prove to be quite deadly. Benicio Del Toro mumbles indecipherably and provides some humour. Rest of the cast chips in beautifully.

Though it takes time to fully comprehend what’s happening in the movie, the watching experience is not without rewards. The non-linear approach and the twists in the script make sure that the viewer is glued to his seat. I found the movie a little annoying because I didn’t know what exactly was happening. But I can’t deny that I was extremely interested in what was going to happen next. That’s where the success of this movie lies. When you are watching this movie, you get the feeling that you are being taken for a ride. But when it’s over, all you’d say is “Whoa baby! What a ride! Let’s see that again.”

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Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Posted by videowatch on June 18, 2007

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A beauty pageant addict, chubby seven year old girl, a misanthrope brother, an irascible gradpa given to profane outbursts and a heroin addiction, a gay uncle with a failed suicide attempt, an over-optimistic father who keeps harping on about how winners don’t quit, and a practical mother trying desperately to hold them all together…Put all these oddballs together and you have the words “Dysfunctional Family” screaming at you. With all these peculiar characters, a well-written plot and fabulous performances from all the actors, “Little Miss Sunshine” delivers an extremely off-beat comedy that is goofy and dark at the same time.

“Little Miss Sunshine” is the tale of Hoover family for whom things are getting only worse. Richard (Greg Kinnear) is a motivational speaker who’s come out with a 9-step plan for success in life. He is so overwhelmed by the plan that he literally lives by it. He’s waiting to hear from his agent regarding a book deal that could change his life and the life of his family. Richard’s wife, Sheryl (Toni Collette), also shares her husband’s dream and supports it with all her heart. But they are struggling financially. Their elder son, Dwayne (Paul Dano) is a Friedrich Nietzsche-loving misanthrope who’s grown distant from his family and wants to be left alone. He wants to be a pilot and has taken a vow of silence till he fulfills his goal. His younger sister, Olive (Abigail Breslin), is totally fixated upon the beauty pageants. She’s coached by her grandpa (Alan Arkin). Grandpa was kicked out of a retirement community because his heroin addiction. Sheryl has also brought her brother, Frank (Steve Carrell) to stay with them after the latter tried to kill himself. When the winner of the local pageant gives up her crown, Olive is eligible to enter the “Little Miss Sunshine” pageant to be held in California. And that means a wild roadtrip and a bunch of obstacles for the entire family in an old VW bus.

First-time writer Michael Arndt has kept his screenplay amazingly tight. There aren’t any loose ends. And there are no forced laughter moments. For Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the husband-wife director team, also this is the first effort. They have kept the movie going at a brisk pace and created a brilliant mix of comedy and drama.There are plenty of solid hilarious moments. None of the comedy seems forced. The dialogues sparkle with intelligence and humour. The movie also takes a look at today’s culture. The climactic segment featuring the beauty pageant is not only hilarious but also quite discomforting. It shows how the seven-year old girls are trying to ape the adult beauty queens. It’s quite un-nerving to see these little girls ramp-walking in skimpy outfits. The movie takes a none-too-subtle jab at today’s decaying culture. It’s ironic that Olive is condemned for her uniqueness while all the other girls imitating the beauty queens are appreciated.

The performances in the movie are top-notch. Abigail Breslin could very well be the next Dakota Fanning. She shows tremendous maturity in playing her character and really breaks your heart when she asks her grandpa “Am I pretty?”. Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette have really transformed into the character and give a solid performance. Steve Carrell, playing it straight here, does not disappoint. He is extremely believable as a man who’s lost his will to live. Paul Dano turns out to be a real scene-stealer. Despite of having the least dialogues in the movie, he makes his presence felt. His eyes convey his frustration, depression and anger. And Alan Arkin is right at home playing the grandpa who is too hot for a retirement community.

The opening lines of the movie has Richard saying “There are two kinds of people in this world. The Winners and the Losers.” The Hoover family may not be a winner according to the societal standards. But they sure win your hearts. “Little Miss Sunshine” is a truly a gem of a movie. This is one roadtrip that you definitely can’t afford to miss.

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Quote / Dialogue Of The Day

Posted by videowatch on June 15, 2007

“Life Of Brian” is another typical Monty Python madness. Every single line of this movie is quotable. In this particular scene, Brian (Graham Chapman) and his mother Mandy (Terry Jones) are walking past a bunch of lepers when an Ex-Leper (Michael Palin) accosts them asking for alms. A lot of haggling takes place and then…

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EX-LEPER : Okay, sir. My final offer: half a shekel for an old ex-leper?
BRIAN : Did you say… “ex-leper”?
EX-LEPER : That’s right, sir. Sixteen years behind the veil and proud of it, sir.
BRIAN : Well, what happened?
EX-LEPER : Oh, cured, sir.
BRIAN : Cured?
EX-LEPER : Yes, sir, a bloody miracle, sir. Bless you!
BRIAN : Who cured you?
EX-LEPER : Jesus did, sir. I was hopping along, minding my own business. All of a sudden, up he comes, cures me! One minute I’m a leper with a trade, next minute my livelihood’s gone. Not so much as a ‘by-your-leave’!…”You’re cured mate”…Bloody do-gooder!
BRIAN : Well, why don’t you go and tell him you want to be a leper again?
EX-LEPER : Uh, I could do that sir, yeah. Yeah, I could do that, I suppose. What I was thinking was I was going to ask him if he could make me a bit lame in one leg during the middle of the week. You know, something beggable, but not leprosy, which is a pain in the arse, to be blunt. Excuse my French, sir.
MANDY : Brian! Come and clean your room out.
BRIAN : (gives him a coin) There you are!
EX-LEPER : Thank you, sir. Thanks…What? Half a dinare for me bloody life story?
BRIAN : There’s no pleasing some people.
EX-LEPER : That’s just what Jesus said, sir.

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Quote / Dialogue Of The Day

Posted by videowatch on June 14, 2007

Today’s quote comes from director Andrew Niccol’s fabulous satire “Lord Of War”. In the opening sequence of the movie, Yuri Orlov (Nicholas Cage), an international arms-dealer, makes this chilling statement.

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Yuri Orlov : There are over 550 million firearms in worldwide circulation. That’s one firearm for every twelve people on the planet. The only question is : How do we arm the other 11?

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The Ladykillers (2004)

Posted by videowatch on June 13, 2007

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“The Ladykillers” is a Coen Brothers’ movie. But it does not FEEL like a Coen Brothers’ movie. Everything that one has come to expect from the Brothers’ movies is here. There is a caper; there are quirky characters; there is dry humour and a lot of witty dialogues; there is violence. But everything has been toned down. It doesn’t have the raw energy and force of the other Coen movies. Everything seems polished up and refined for a mainstream acceptability. This is a departure from the Coen style which did not go well with the die-hard Brothers fans. In fact, the movie received quite a lot of flak to the point of being called “mediocre”. So is it really that bad? Au contraire, I’d say that it’s an extremely entertaining movie. It may not be the best movie of the Brothers. It may not be THE defining movie of their illustrious carreer. But it sure is an engaging and a very funny movie.

The movie is a Hollywood adaptation of a 1955 British movie of the same name. Maybe that’s why it doesn’t have the raw originality that we find in the scripts of other Coen movies. Anyway, the setting has been shifted from London to Mississippi. I haven’t seen the original movie. But from what I’ve heard, the Coen Brothers have retained the basic premise and tweaked it with a few subtle changes to suit today’s period. A bunch of thugs plan to rob a riverboat casino in the sleepy town of Saucier. Professor G.H. Dorr, Ph.D (Tom Hanks) is the mastermind of this plan. He has gathered a variety of thugs to help him in his plan. There is Garth Pancake (J.K. Simmons), an animal trainer and an explosive expert. There is The General (Tzi Ma), a cold-blooded killer and a tunnel expert. There is the “Inside Man”, Gawain MacSam (Marlon Wayans), who’s secured a job for himself on the boat. There is also the “Muscle Man” Lump Hudson (Ryan Hurst), who is all brawn-no brains. The plan is to dig a tunnel from the cellar of a house, reach the underground vault of the casino and make away with the money. Prof. Dorr rents a room in the house of an old widow, Marva Munson (Irma P. Hall). He sweet-talks her into believing that he is a musician and would like to practise devotional music along with his friends in her root cellar, where actually he plans to dig a tunnel.

The movie could be divided into three parts. The first part is where we are introduced to the main characters of the movie. In the second part, the caper takes place. The third part deals with the aftermath of the caper and is really the core of the movie. This is where the Coen Brothers have restrained themselves and toned down the violence keeping in tune with the rest of the movie. The tone of the movie is quite light. So the violence here does not shock you as it does in the other Coen movies. The absurd death situations come across as pretty hilarious. Also Keeping in tradition with the Coen movies, this movie has some really quirky characters. Professor G.H.Dorr is the Edgar Allan Poe-quoting, silver-tongued southern dandy. Garth Pancake suffers from Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Lump is plain stupid. Mrs. Munson speaks to her dead husband’s portrait. The exchanges between these characters are quite hilarious. The movie keeps you chuckling constantly and also provides some really hilarious LOL moments. One particular scene in the Waffle Hut is totally side-splitting. The dialogues are extremely witty and hilarious (“You, madam, are addressing a man, who is in fact quiet… and yet, not quite, if I may offer to you a riddle.”). Technically the movie is outstanding. Everything from cinematography, the editing, the soundtrack is brilliant.

Tom Hanks is in a top form playing Prof. Dorr. After a very long time, he is playing a funny character and he is right at home as the southern gentleman. But Hanks is overshadowed by Irma Hall. The big momma exudes such a fine mixture of grace and sweetness that she steals every scene she’s in. J.K.Simmons is brilliant as Garth “Easiest-Thing-In-The-World” Pancake. Rest of the cast chips in wonderfully.

This movie may not be as dark as a Coen fan might expect. It may not be as twisted and violent as some of the Brothers’ previous ventures. But there’s no denying that this is a brilliant motion picture. The die-hard Coen Brother’s fan may differ with me. But the rest would agree with me, I guess. Watch this movie…You won’t be disappointed!

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Deliver Us From Evil (2006)

Posted by videowatch on June 13, 2007

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Child Sexual Abuse is perhaps the most vile and heinous crime. The very nature of it is so despicable that it seems impossible that anyone might even dream about it. Yet, it is one of the most common offences in this world making you wonder just how “civilised” we are. Such a crime can not only cause a great deal of trauma to the victims of the abuse, but also scar them for a lifetime. Director Amy Berg’s documentary “Deliver Us From Evil” deals with the trauma of Child Sex Abuse and shows how bruised the vicitms’ lives have become. And that the perpetrator of such crime is a Priest, is even more shocking and revolting. This documentary raises the curtain on the sexual abuse scandal that rocked the Catholic Church in Central California in the ’80s and the ’90s.

Perhaps the most unique thing about this documentary is the interview with the pedophile priest in a confessional mode. The chilling and matter-of-fact confessions of Father Oliver O’Grady are the high points of this documentary that truly make you wonder about the beast that lurks within people. O’Grady’s outwardly appearance is that of a genteel and homely person. It does not seem possible that such a nice, affable fellow would commit such unspeakable crime. However O’Grady confesses his crime and suggests that the Church knew about it. Father O’Grady, in his 30 years’ service to the Catholic Church, molested and abused hundreds of kids, both male and female. His youngest victim was only 9 months old. He seduced a mother to gain access to her son. All thorugh the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s he continued preying upon unsuspecting children to satisfy his vile needs. At first, the Church was not aware of this. But soon reports had been made against O’Grady to the Church. And the Church, instead of punishing him, kept shifting him from parish to parish hoping to save its own image. Roger Mahoney, who is now the Archbishop of Los Angeles, denied the knowledge of any mishap on Father O’Grady’s part, even when he was completely aware of it. It leaves us with a suspicion of the rot in the Vatican.

This documentary also introduces us to a bunch of O’Grady’s victims and their families. The vicitms, who are extremely brave to appear on screen, are all adults now. The days when O’Grady abused them are behind them, yet they remember it like it was yesterday. All thorugh the years growing up they have carried the burden of the trauma that O’Grady inflicted on them. Not only are their lives scarred, but their families have also gone through immense suffering. The father of one victim is so devastated by the monstrosity of O’Grady who abused his daughter that he claims that there is NO God in this world. He has lost his faith forever. I don’t think there is anything more heart-wrenching than seeing a father break down.

Though O’Grady confesses his sins, he does it with a mischievous smile. That makes us wonder if he has fully comprehended the kind of suffering and pain that he has inflicted upon his victims and their families. He writes a letter of apology to his victims and invites them to meet him as if a mere letter would erase the years of torment they have suffered. Today, O’Grady lives as a free man in Ireland. He served seven years of prison term and then was deported to Ireland. The thought that he still roams free there and the Irish locals have no knowledge of his past is sickening. It was in Ireland that director Amy Berg found him and managed to get his interview.

Amy Berg must be congratulated for taking up this project. Her style is neutral. She lets O’Grady and his victims speak for themselves. There is nothing sensationalistic or cheap here. In fact, Amy Berg has worked hard to provide us a complete picture. She uses O’Grady’s interviews and the interviews of his victims. She also uses the interview of Father Tom Doyle, an activist for the victims, to shed more light on the system of the Church. Berg had also invited the Church authorities to speak for themselves in the documentary, however they refused to give any interview. She uses the archival footage of interviews and testimony of Cardinal Mahoney and other Church authorities. The overall impact of this ensemble piece is quite gut-wrenching.

It goes without saying that not all priests are bad. For thousands of them, life is all about devotion to god and service to the people. But then there are priests who misuse their positions and there are Bishops who try to cover up such acts. So Amy Berg leaves us with the most inmportant question : Who is more guilty : the Priest who commits the foul act or the Bishop who tries to cover it up and hush it all? A Must-Watch for everyone!

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