There are some films that perhaps may not be of much value in terms of contribution to the evolution of cinema, but they are simply great because they make the writing on the wall more prominent than ever before. A Wednesday is one such thought provoking film that is bound to make the common man think – to purge ourselves of the habits of making compromises, surrendering to our fates and giving up on ourselves as the initiators or drivers of a change badly needed.

The king of all theater festivals is back! Giving its golden touch to Chennai every year, this festival embarks upon an eclectic range of plays from India and abroad. Of the seven plays to be held this year in Sri Mutha Subbarao Concert Hall, two have international origins - one from Korea’s theater group Yohangza, with its mix adaptation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, showcasing a midsummer night with the mischievous Dobeki…

American underground cinema has undoubtedly been boosted by the arrival of John Cassavetes whose freedom and fluidity of characters and their emotions felt as a lease of oxygen in a studio driven defunct industry. However, not everyone has able to accept his works with arms wide open. It seems as though the whole of Cassavetes film can be summed up in the term – self-indulgence. What is self indulgence? Is Cassavetes work so alien that one is not able to accept them?

Arguably Truffaut’s most audacious and experimental work, it is a loving homage to and a fascinating pastiche of American genre movies, especially but not limited to, film noirs, gangster films and B-movies. The story of a washed out protagonist trying to escape his past, comical shady thugs, and love on the run might be straightforward; but the array memorable dialogues, brilliant comical interludes, moments of heart-touching delight and humanism, unabashed self parody, and marvelous turns by the leads, truly makes this a great cinematic achievement…

The land of China is ruled by six different dynasties that are embroiled in never ending conflicts with each other. Out of these the Qin dynasty, ruled by Emperor Qin Shi Huang, is the most powerful. However, constant attempts are made to assassinate Qin, who is spending sleepless nights fretting over his life. Among all the assassins, Qin is particularly mortified of Broken Sword, Flying Snow and Long Sky (Cheesy names, I know!), who are supposedly the best warriors (and I really mean best – they are oblivious to concept of gravity or physical constraints)…

An oddly lovable film about a subject as somber as transexuality, Alain Berliner’s Ma Vie En Rose (My Life in Pink) is an engrossing fairy tale like movie about Ludovic , (Georges DuFresne ) a seven year old delectable boy, who wishes to swap from the blue for boy, to the pink for princess way of life. A gleaming casket of first-rate performances, picture-perfect cinematography and realistic circumstances, My Life in Pink is a cinematic must watch and a heartfelt directorial debut by Berliner.

Aastha Bahl, the young emerging designer of Lakme Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2008 launched her label Mistletoe in 2004, and gives fashion freaks a collection of contemporary, off the rack western and indo-western clothes to choose from. This inspiring designer believes in creating ready to wear, fresh, and comfortable clothing that centers on simplicity and elegant style. An insightful interview with this vibrant woman tells us more about her experiences as a new comer, her future plans and a lot more…

What is more surprising than the fact that Ray’s films are universally accepted with open arms and considered timeless is the fact that a large part of the west is able to relate only to Satyajit Ray whenever cinema of India is discussed. Similar to how Satyajit Ray’s phenomenal body of work eclipses all other commendable efforts from the country, his own Apu trilogy overwhelms his other worthy films. Case in point – Mahanagar (1963). Mahanagar is a decidedly contemporary story of a middle class couple

The Killing Joke is arguably the greatest Joker story ever told. It traces the history of Joker – how a simple-minded, innocent looking, God-fearing, struggling family man with a beautiful and loving wife turns into Batman’s greatest and most iconic foe. The theme propounded here is brilliant. The Joker believes that one really bad day can turn even the sanest person into the very reincarnation of devil and horror, since that’s all it took for him. And he is convinced that the same happened for Batman as well.