Rating: 75/100

Well the title does not need anything else. The names, Laila and Majnu, is enough for people of this region to understand the love and pain behind the story. But for the people unaware of it, let me break it down with the legend first.

The Legend.

The story acctually came from Arabia in 7th century, and it reolves around Qais ibn al-Mulawwah and Laila. But as they say about the travellers and their stories, it did not just stick to Arabia only. It traveled like any other story, and also reached South Asian literary traditions. The Persian poet "Nizami Ganjavi" tranformed the scattered Arabic anecdotes into his famous "Layli o Majnu" in 1188, and later poets including: Amir Khusrau, Jami and Fuzuli created their own versions.

And this way the legend followed, and it became as a symbol of pure and unconditional love. Well, there are conditions attached; but not of normal world.

The reason I gave the little bit of history is because: it is not a mere story. Though it may sound fictional, but being a love-bird, I can assure you. There is always possibility. Possibility such a beautiful word isn't it? There is always a chance to get away with stuff like that.

A note before I continue with the review x analysis. I was not going to write about a movie tonight. But, I saw the Youtube clip of the last 10 minutes, and man, believe me when I first saw it. I was so amazed! The actor really nailed it; it was pure cinema.

Anyways let us move forward with the story first.

The Story and Main Lead.

The movie takes place in modern-day Kashmir. Kashmir is already a declared heaven on Earth. So you can imagine the beauty it beholds. The character of Laila is played by Triptii Dimri; while Qais - the Majnu - is played by Avinash Tiwary. Qais comes from a wealthy and politically connexted family, while Laila belongs to another influential family. And unfortunately, their families are already caught up in a bitter dispute, which makes their love complicated even from the start.

In the beginning, Laila treats Qais almost like any other boy. She teases him and flirt with him. Qais, however, becomes genuinely fascinated by her. We can call it a "crush" thing, but slowly and surely, it turns into something deeper. And remember this, we are talking about Laila and Majnu, so there is no possibility of happiness in it.

Qais and Laila

Their families discover the relationship, and through formal ways, Qais father pay a visit to Laila's house. But it turned out to be the worst thing. And Laila is forced to marry with Ibban. Man I hate his character. It means he really lived to it. So Qais and Laila are seperated, and a misunderstanding makes the situation even more painful. From this point, the story shifts from being a usual romance to something beyond humanly understanding.

Now is the time for my analysis.

Laila was always Laila. It was Qais who became Majnu.

Majnu literally means someone who is madly in love. Because of this reason, the term Majnu is used for metaphorical purposes. It is a sort of obsession. And as the heading say: Majnu really had to go through something inexplainable. From being a charming person, he is known and remembered as a madman. I am not saying that Laila did not love, or did not sacrifize because she did. And it will be unjustice for both to compare their suffering. They both did; just in their own ways.

Majnu and Laila

The culture and ego.

Being a living creature of this culture, I can assure you almost every girl is a Laila in herself. Because they are not allowed to love, and turn that love into husband-wife relationship. The ego of patriarchy always come in between. This way a life is wasted, and person is merely a living being who is living on oxygen - nothing else.

Love has no boundary, but surely, there is society to hurt it. Wish it had some ego and some care of the worldly affairs. Maybe, no one would dare to love anymore. Because this whole unconditional thing makes it worse.

This is why at one point Qais says: "Do you know the best part about forest? There are no humans."

Humans are actually notorious beings. Yes, there are good people as well. But we are talking about the binary of good here.

The lust for property.

As Qais was in London, and people around Laila used to say that: he is partying there. But life humbled this understanding. As Qais's father dies, and he has to come back, which he did. Her mourning sister is there, and guess what? She is there for the property. Because Qais has to sign as he is one of the signatory in it. Lust is a good thing right? I mean this is a capitalist society. The dead person is gone, but let the living one enjoy it. This is a man worth. And we live here like we literally own everything. But just like life, there is always death standing in our way just to humble us lastly.

When Qais realises this lust, he uttered: "Log kia kahhain g; property kia kaha g (what will the society say; what will the property say." Yes he is mocking.

Laila = La-ilaha.

Now these are not Qais's words. Because he is a Majnu now. He is beyond our understanding. He is seeing Laila in everything, and everyone is scared and shouting at Qais. But little did they know that he is a Majnu. But wait, Laila is there to understand him.

Now pay special heed at this point: La-Illaha. It literally means "there is no diety except God." And, in his Majnu state, Qais uses this term for Laila. He has reached a state where nothing else matters to him - except Laila. And for him, Laila is a God.

This si the best I can tell about the phrase. But those who are aware of this literature and term will surely understand the depth this term has. Language, sometimes, really act as a boundary. Dah!

"He is just gone a little ahead." - Laila.

Little ahead? Sister, she is gone into another dimension. And when I said Laila understood, these words proved it. She understood the state Qais is in, and she says next is her turn. She kept her promise and died. Yes Laila died first. Leaving Majnu to follow her lead, and the madman did. Majnu died by accidentally tripping on her grave sign.

In the end, Nizami Ganjavi in his Persian couplet writes:

"لیلی بودم ولیکن اکنون

مجنون‌ترم از هزار مجنون"

"I was Laila, but now I am more mad than a thousand Majnuns."

My favorite scene:

By the way, every song of this movie is just pure love for me.

Peace 🕊️

Rating: 95/100

Hello everyone. Today I want to talk about a movie that made me cry and laugh. The movie's name is The Terminal. I watched it because Tom Hanks is in the main role and he is one of my favourites. The story Of the movie is very different. A man stuck inside an airport and cannot leave.

When I was watching the movie I did not know what to expect. There is no action, suspense, thrill, even the whole movie was filmed in one place. I thought it will be just a funny movie. But the story of the movie will hit you differently.

The Terminal is a 2004 movie directed by Steven Spielberg. Tom Hanks plays the main character Viktor Navorski. The movie also has Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci and some other actors. It is a comedy drama movie and the movie is around two hours long. The story mostly takes place inside an airport.

The story is about Viktor Navorski. He comes to New York from his country. But while he is travelling in the air, a revolution happens in his country and the government falls. Because of this he cannot enter America and he cannot go back home.

So Viktor slowly starts making a life there. He meets many people and some of them become his friends. I really enjoyed watching how he slowly learn to live there. He finds a place to sleep and finds many ways to get food. He can't speak english so he learns. Some parts made me laugh because of the way he was doing things.

Some of the other characters were good too. Amelia who works at the airport and Viktor becomes interested in her. Their relationship was simple and sometimes funny.

Frank Dixon was also an important character. He works at the airport and does not like Viktor staying there. His attitude towards Viktor made some parts more interesting.

I liked Viktor's airport friends. They help him in different ways and slowly become close to him. These small friendships made the movie feel warmer.

There are many funny moments in the movie. Viktor does not understand everything at first and sometimes his actions become funny. I liked these small moments because they did not feel too forced.

But the movie also has some emotional moments. Viktor is far away from his home and he really wants to go back. Some of his moments made me feel bad for him. Still he does not give up and keeps trying.

My favourite part was watching Viktor slowly make a life inside the airport. I liked how he started with almost nothing but still found ways to live there.

I liked the moments between Viktor and Amelia. They were simple but nice to watch. The friendship between Viktor and the airport workers was one of my favourite parts.

I really enjoyed the movie. It is a simple movie but it has funny moments and some good emotional parts. Tom Hanks did a very good acting as Viktor.

⭐ My Rating: 10/10

Rating: 100/100

I decided to watch Back in Action because I wanted to see Cameron Diaz on screen again, and I was also curious about what she and Jamie Foxx would bring to an action movie together. I wasn't expecting a perfect movie, but I knew watching these two in a spy-action story would be interesting.

The movie followed Emily Morgan (Cameron Diaz) and Matt Morgan (Jamie Foxx), a married couple who appeared to be living a quiet family life with their children. But there was something their children didn't know about them. Emily and Matt had once been highly trained CIA agents.

They left that dangerous life behind because they wanted to raise their family away from all the violence, secrets and danger that came with their former jobs. For years, they managed to live like an ordinary couple. But their past wasn't finished with them.

When their identities were eventually exposed, the peaceful life they had built began to fall apart. Suddenly, Emily and Matt were forced back into the world they had tried so hard to escape.

And this was where the fun really started.

Imagine discovering that your parents, whom you had always seen as ordinary mum and dad, were actually former CIA agents. That was basically the situation their children, Alice Morgan (McKenna Roberts) and Leo Morgan (Rylan Jackson), found themselves in.

Emily was especially impressive to watch. She played her role as a woman who knew exactly what she was capable of. She wasn't waiting for anyone to save her, and whenever danger appeared, she was ready to fight her way out of it.

Matt, brought more humour into the situation. His character wasn't only trying to survive the dangerous situations around him; he was also trying to deal with the madness that came with having his old life suddenly return.

I particularly enjoyed the chemistry between Emily and Matt. They had the kind of relationship where they could argue one minute and work perfectly together the next. Their history as former agents also meant they understood each other's abilities, which made their action scenes more interesting.

The movie also introduced characters such as Giselle (Glenn Close) and Baron (Kyle Chandler), who became connected to the dangerous situation Emily and Matt found themselves in.

There were plenty of fights, car chases, shootings, escapes and moments where things went completely wrong. Some of the scenes were predictable, but the comedy helped keep the movie from becoming too serious.

What I liked most was that the movie didn't completely forget the family side of the story. Emily and Matt weren't just trying to save themselves. They were also trying to protect their children while dealing with the consequences of the life they thought they had left behind.

And seeing Cameron Diaz return to an action role was definitely one of the things that made the movie interesting for me. She still carried herself well in the action scenes, while Jamie Foxx brought the humour that made their partnership enjoyable to watch.

Back in Action wasn't the type of movie I watched expecting a complicated storyline or a huge surprise at every turn. It was more about the action, the comedy, the family drama and watching two former spies get dragged back into a life they thought they had escaped.

But I wouldn't say everything about the movie worked for me.

The biggest problem was the predictability of the story. After a while, I could already guess where certain situations were heading. The movie followed a familiar action-comedy formula, so there weren't many moments that genuinely surprised me.

The villain and parts of the spy storyline could also have been developed better. I wanted to understand more about the conflict instead of simply moving from one action scene to another. At times, the movie seemed more interested in keeping the action going than giving the story enough depth.

The humour worked in some places, but there were also jokes that didn't land for me. Some scenes felt as though they were included mainly because the movie needed a funny moment, rather than because the humour naturally fitted the situation.

Overall, I enjoyed the chemistry between Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx. Their performances carried a lot of the movie, especially when the storyline itself became predictable.

I enjoyed the chaos, the funny moments and the chemistry between Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx. It was an easy movie to sit down with, watch and simply enjoy.

Rating: 80/100

(EN)

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After a long time, when I sat down to watch 'The Shawshank Redemption' again, I thought how a good movie can lighten people's minds in an instant! This movie has been ranked number 1 on IMDb for years - it is no coincidence. The great power of human desire to survive and 'hope' has been beautifully portrayed in this movie.

Today, I will talk about the story of this movie, released in 1994, the acting of the characters and the true events inside.

1. Background: Severe punishment for a crime not committed

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The story begins in 1947. The life of a quiet banker named Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is ruined without any crime. One day, due to his wife's affair with another man, they are both murdered. Although Andy is innocent, all the surrounding evidence goes against him. The court sentences him to two life sentences for double murder. The place is in Shawshank State Penitentiary, one of the toughest prisons in America.

The story of the movie continues with Andy's silence and stillness, who suddenly leaves the comforts of ordinary life and is imprisoned in prison.

2. Shawshank's hard life and friendship with Red

Andy's life was not easy at all after entering the prison. There, a perverted group called 'The Sisters' and the torture of the head prison guard Byron Hadley made it difficult for him to pass his days. But that's where Andy met Red (Morgan Freeman). Red is the person who secretly brings any necessary things inside the prison. Andy asks him for a small rock hammer and a large poster of actress Rita Hayworth. Image Source

Andy did not break down even after enduring the torture. He used his banking intelligence to show the head officer of the prison a legal way to save taxes. In return, Andy, without asking for anything for himself, arranges a bucket of ice-cold beer for his fellow prisoners. Watching the scene of them sitting on the roof of the prison in the hot sun and drinking beer, it seems that even though they are prisoners, they have found pure freedom for a moment. Image Source

3. Prison confinement and the tragic fate of old Brooks

The movie highlights a very real aspect - when people are stuck in prison for a long time, they start to fear the normal world outside. This is called 'institutionalization'.

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Take the case of old librarian Brooks. When he was released on parole after spending 50 years in prison, he could no longer adjust to the pace of the modern world outside. Brooks, who was respected in prison, is just a lonely old man when he comes out. Finally, unable to bear the pain, Brooks chose suicide, and wrote on the wooden board in the room - "Brooks was here." Seeing this scene really made my chest feel heavy.

4. Warden's Greed and Tommy's Tragic Death

Meanwhile, the greedy warden of the prison, Samuel Norton, takes advantage of Andy's intelligence. He uses Andy to launder all his bribe money and starts depositing it into the account of a fictional person named 'Randall Stevens'. Image Source

After almost 19 years, Andy finds out that he is completely innocent! A young prisoner named Tommy comes into the prison and says that another prisoner in the prison confessed to the real murder. When Andy goes to the warden with this, the warden is scared - if Andy is released, all his money laundering secrets will be exposed! So the warden cleverly shoots Tommy dead and locks Andy in a dark room for a month.

5. The real story of the release and that iconic scene

Tommy's death took away the last bit of goodwill from Andy. That incredible incident happened on a stormy night in 1966. In the morning, the guards came and found Andy's cell completely empty! Image Source

As soon as the poster on the wall was removed, a tunnel emerged. Andy had been building this tunnel by making holes in the wall little by little with that small rock-cutting hammer for 19 long years! On a stormy night, he broke the prison's sewage pipe to the sound of thunder and crawled through about 500 yards of toxic, stinking dirt to get out. The scene of Andy standing in the rain, taking off his shirt and raising his hands to the sky is one of the greatest moments in movie history. Image Source

Not only did Andy escape, he withdrew the warden's $370,000 from the bank under the fictitious identity of 'Randall Stevens' and sent the police evidence of all Norton's crimes. Warden Norton committed suicide in his office in fear. And Andy hid the hammer in his Bible, on the page of which was written - "Salvation lies within". Image Source

6. Reunion on the Pacific Coast

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When Red is finally paroled after 40 years in prison, he is just as scared of the outside world as Brooks. But a promise he made to Andy keeps him going. He goes under an oak tree in Buxton that Andy told him about and finds a letter under a rock with some money. (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/mediaviewer/rm725597954/)

Red breaks his promise and goes straight to Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Red meets Andy while repairing an old boat on the shore of the blue Pacific Ocean. The movie ends with the two old friends hugging.

7. Some real facts behind the scenes

• Red's character: In Stephen King's original book, Red was an Irishman (white). But the director cast Morgan Freeman in the role. In the movie, when Andy asks him the reason for the name, he jokingly says - "Maybe it's because I'm Irish," which was a reference to that information in the book.
• Chocolate Pipe: The 500-yard long dirty pipe that Andy escapes through was actually made of chocolate syrup, wood dust, and water during filming!
• Box Office Flop: This movie didn't play at all in theaters after its release in 1994! Because movies like 'Forrest Gump' and 'Pulp Fiction' were playing at the same time. Later, when it came out on TV and CD, people realized its true value.

8. Budget, Box Office, and Recognition

• Budget: The movie cost about 25 million US dollars to make.
• Box Office: After its first theatrical release in 1994, the movie only managed to earn 28.3 million dollars (which made the producers' expenses bearable). However, after its Oscar nomination and release, its total worldwide income stood at more than 73.3 million dollars.
• Oscars and Recognition (Awards): At the 67th Academy Awards (Oscars) in 1995, the movie received nominations in 7 categories - including 'Best Picture' (Best Picture), 'Best Actor' for Morgan Freeman, and 'Best Adapted Screenplay' (Best Adapted Screenplay). Although it did not win any Oscars that year because of 'Forrest Gump', it later became the best movie of all time.

'The Shawshank Redemption' reminds us that people can survive in any difficult situation without losing hope if they want to. I'll end with the famous dialogue from the movie-

"Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free."

Those who haven't seen the movie yet, take the time to watch it; it will give you a different kind of feel.

(BN)

অনেক দিন পর আবার যখন 'দ্য শশ্যাঙ্ক রিডেম্পশন' দেখতে বসলাম, মনে হলো একটা ভালো সিনেমা মানুষের মনটা কীভাবে এক মুহূর্তে হালকা করে দিতে পারে! আইএমডিবি (IMDb)-তে এই মুভিটা বছরের পর বছর ধরে ১ নম্বরে রয়েছে-এটা কোনো কাকতালীয় ব্যাপার নয়। মানুষের বেঁচে থাকার আকুতি আর 'আশা' জিনিসটা যে কত বড় শক্তি, সেটাই এত সুন্দর করে ফুটিয়ে তোলা হয়েছে এই সিনেমায়।

১৯৯৪ সালে মুক্তি পাওয়া এই মুভিটার গল্প, চরিত্রগুলোর অভিনয় আর ভেতরের সত্যি ঘটনাগুলো নিয়ে আজ কথা বলব।

১. প্রেক্ষাপট: না করা অপরাধের কঠিন শাস্তি

গল্পের শুরু ১৯৪৭ সালে। অ্যান্ডি ডুফ্রেন (টিম রবিন্স) নামের এক শান্ত-শিষ্ট ব্যাংকারের কোনো অপরাধ ছাড়াই জীবনটা তছনছ হয়ে যায়। তার স্ত্রীর সাথে অন্য এক পুরুষের সম্পর্কের জেরে একদিন তারা দুজনই খুন হন। অ্যান্ডি নির্দোষ হওয়া সত্ত্বেও সমস্ত পারিপার্শ্বিক প্রমাণ তার বিরুদ্ধে যায়। আদালত তাকে জোড়া খুনের দায়ে দুটি যাবজ্জীবন কারাদণ্ড দেয়। জায়গা হয় আমেরিকার অন্যতম কঠিন কারাগার 'শশ্যাঙ্ক State Penitentiary'-তে।

সাধারণ জীবনের সুখ-স্বাচ্ছন্দ্য ছেড়ে এক নিমেষে জেলের ভেতরে বন্দি হয়ে যাওয়া অ্যান্ডির সেই চুপচাপ আর স্থির থাকা দিয়ে মুভির গল্পটা এগোতে থাকে।

২. শশ্যাঙ্কের কঠিন জীবন আর রেড-এর সাথে বন্ধুত্ব

জেলে ঢুকে অ্যান্ডির জীবনটা একদমই সহজ ছিল না। সেখানে 'দ্য সিস্টার্স' নামের একটা বিকৃত স্বভাবের দল আর প্রধান কারারক্ষী বায়রন হ্যাডলির অত্যাচারে তার দিনগুলো পার হওয়া কঠিন হয়ে পড়ে। কিন্তু সেখানেই অ্যান্ডির সাথে দেখা হয় রেডের (মরগান ফ্রিম্যান)। জেলের ভেতরে দরকারি যেকোনো জিনিস গোপনে এনে দেওয়ার লোক হলো এই রেড। অ্যান্ডি তার কাছে একটা ছোট্ট পাথর কাটার হাতুড়ি (Rock hammer) আর অভিনেত্রী রিতা হেওয়ার্থের একটা বড় পোস্টার চায়।

অ্যান্ডি কিন্তু অত্যাচার সহ্য করেও ভেঙে পড়েনি। সে তার ব্যাংকিং বুদ্ধি কাজে লাগিয়ে জেলের প্রধান অফিসারকে ট্যাক্স বাঁচানোর আইনি পথ দেখিয়ে দেয়। বিনিময়ে অ্যান্ডি নিজের জন্য কিছু না চেয়ে তার সহ-কয়েদি বন্ধুদের জন্য এক বালতি বরফ-ঠান্ডা বিয়ারের ব্যবস্থা করে। কড়া রোদের মধ্যে জেলের ছাদে বসে বিয়ার খাওয়ার সেই দৃশ্যটা দেখলে মনে হয়, কয়েদি হয়েও তারা যেন এক মুহূর্তের জন্য খাঁটি স্বাধীনতা খুঁজে পেয়েছিল।

৩. জেলের বন্দিদশা আর বৃদ্ধ ব্রুকসের করুণ পরিণতি

মুভিতে একটা খুব বাস্তব দিক তুলে ধরা হয়েছে—মানুষ দীর্ঘ দিন জেলের ভেতর আটকে থাকলে বাইরের স্বাভাবিক পৃথিবীটাকে ভয় পেতে শুরু করে। এটাকে বলা হয়েছে 'ইনস্টিটিউশনালাইজড' হয়ে যাওয়া।

বৃদ্ধ লাইব্রেরিয়ান ব্রুকসের কথা ধরুন। ৫০ বছর জেলে কাটানোর পর তাকে যখন প্যারোলে ছেড়ে দেওয়া হলো, বাইরের আধুনিক পৃথিবীর গতির সাথে সে নিজেকে আর মেলাতে পারলো না। যে ব্রুকস জেলে সম্মান পেত, বাইরে এসে সে স্রেফ এক একাকী বৃদ্ধ। শেষ পর্যন্ত সেই যন্ত্রণা সহ্য করতে না পেরে ব্রুকস আত্মহত্যার পথ বেছে নেয়, আর ঘরের কাঠের বোর্ডে লিখে যায়- Brooks was here. এই দৃশ্যটা দেখলে সত্যি বুকটা ভারী হয়ে যায়।

৪. ওয়ার্ডেনের লোভ আর টমির করুণ মৃত্যু

এদিকে অ্যান্ডির বুদ্ধির ফায়দা তোলে জেলের লোভী ওয়ার্ডেন স্যামুয়েল নর্টন। সে অ্যান্ডিকে দিয়ে তার সব ঘুষের টাকা সাদা করায় এবং 'র‍্যান্ডাল স্টিভেন্স' নামের এক কাল্পনিক মানুষের অ্যাকাউন্টে জমা করতে থাকে।

প্রায় ১৯ বছর পর অ্যান্ডি জানতে পারে সে সম্পূর্ণ নির্দোষ! টমি নামের এক তরুণ কয়েদি জেলের ভেতরে এসে জানায়, অন্য একটা জেলের কয়েদি আসল খুনের কথা স্বীকার করেছিল। অ্যান্ডি যখন এই কথা নিয়ে ওয়ার্ডেনের কাছে যায়, তখন ওয়ার্ডেন ভয় পেয়ে যায়-অ্যান্ডি ছাড়া পেলে তো তার মানি লন্ডারিংয়ের সব গুমর ফাঁস হয়ে যাবে! তাই ওয়ার্ডেন সুকৌশলে টমিকে গুলি করে মেরে ফেলে এবং অ্যান্ডিকে এক মাসের জন্য অন্ধকার ঘরে আটকে রাখে।

৫. মুক্তির আসল গল্প ও সেই আইকনিক দৃশ্য

টমির মৃত্যু অ্যান্ডির ভেতরের শেষ সদ্বিচ্ছাটুকুও কেড়ে নেয়। ১৯৬৬ সালের এক ঝড়ের রাতে ঘটে সেই অবিশ্বাস্য ঘটনা। সকালে গার্ডরা এসে দেখে অ্যান্ডির সেল পুরো খালি!

দেয়ালের পোস্টারটা সরাতেই বেরিয়ে আসে এক সুড়ঙ্গ। অ্যান্ডি দীর্ঘ ১৯ বছর ধরে ওই ছোট্ট পাথর কাটার হাতুড়ি দিয়ে একটু একটু করে দেয়ালে গর্ত করে এই সুড়ঙ্গ বানিয়েছে! ঝড়ের রাতে বজ্রপাতের শব্দের সাথে তাল মিলিয়ে জেলের স্যুয়ারেজ পাইপ ভেঙে প্রায় ৫০০ গজ বিষাক্ত দুর্গন্ধময় ময়লার ভেতর দিয়ে হামাগুড়ি দিয়ে সে বাইরে আসে। বৃষ্টির মধ্যে শার্ট খুলে আকাশের দিকে হাত বাড়িয়ে অ্যান্ডির দাঁড়িয়ে থাকার দৃশ্যটা সিনেমার ইতিহাসের অন্যতম সেরা মুহূর্ত।

অ্যান্ডি শুধু পালায়নি, সে ওয়ার্ডেনের ৩ লাখ ৭০ হাজার ডলার কাল্পনিক 'র‍্যান্ডাল স্টিভেন্স' পরিচয়ে ব্যাঙ্ক থেকে তুলে নেয় আর পুলিশের কাছে নর্টনের সব অপরাধের প্রমাণ পাঠিয়ে দেয়। ভয়ে ওয়ার্ডেন নর্টন নিজের অফিসেই আত্মহত্যা করে। আর অ্যান্ডি তার বাইবেলের ভেতর সেই হাতুড়িটা লুকিয়ে রেখে যায়, যার পাতায় লেখা ছিল- (মুক্তি এর ভেতরেই নিহিত)।

৬. প্রশান্ত মহাসাগরের তীরে আবার দেখা

৪০ বছর জেলে থাকার পর রেড যখন অবশেষে প্যারোলে ছাড়া পায়, তারও বাইরের পৃথিবী দেখে ব্রুকসের মতো ভয় লাগছিল। কিন্তু অ্যান্ডিকে দেওয়া একটা কথা তাকে টিকিয়ে রাখে। সে অ্যান্ডির বলে যাওয়া বাক্সটন শহরের একটা ওক গাছের নিচে যায় এবং সেখানে পাথরের নিচে একটা চিঠির সাথে কিছু টাকা পায়।

রেড শর্ত ভেঙে সোজা মেক্সিকোর জিমুয়াতানেহো চলে যায়। প্রশান্ত মহাসাগরের নীল সমুদ্রের পাড়ে পুরোনো একটা বোট মেরামতের সময় অ্যান্ডির সাথে রেডের দেখা হয়। দুই পুরোনো বন্ধুর সেই জড়িয়ে ধরার দৃশ্য দিয়ে মুভিটা শেষ হয়।

৭. নেপথ্যের কিছু বাস্তব তথ্য

• রেডের চরিত্র: স্টিফেন কিংয়ের আসল বইয়ে রেড ছিল আইরিশ লোক (সাদা চামড়ার)। কিন্তু পরিচালক এই রোলে মরগান ফ্রিম্যানকে নেন। মুভিতে অ্যান্ডি যখন তাকে জিজ্ঞেস করে নামের কারণ, সে রসিকতা করে বলে- Maybe it's because I'm Irish, যা বইয়ের সেই তথ্যের প্রতিই একটা ইঙ্গিত ছিল।
• চকোলেট পাইপ: অ্যান্ডি যে ৫০০ গজ লম্বা নোংরা পাইপ দিয়ে পালায়, শুটিংয়ের সময় ওটা আসলে চকোলেট সিরাপ, কাঠের গুঁড়ো আর পানি দিয়ে তৈরি করা হয়েছিল!
• বক্স অফিসে ফ্লপ: ১৯৯৪ সালে মুক্তির পর এই মুভিটি সিনেমা হলে একদমই চলেনি! কারণ ঠিক একই সময়ে 'Forrest Gump' আর 'Pulp Fiction'-এর মতো মুভিগুলো চলছিল। পরে টিভিতে আর সিডিতে আসার পর মানুষ এর আসল মান বুঝতে পারে।

৮. বাজেট, বক্স অফিস ও স্বীকৃতি

• নির্মাণ ব্যয়: মুভিটি তৈরি করতে খরচ হয়েছিল প্রায় ২৫ মিলিয়ন মার্কিন ডলার।
• বক্স অফিস আয়: ১৯৯৪ সালে প্রথমবার প্রেক্ষাগৃহে মুক্তির পর মুভিটি মাত্র ২৮.৩ মিলিয়ন ডলার আয় করতে পেরেছিল (যে কারণে প্রযোজকদের খরচ ওঠাই দায় হয়ে পড়েছিল)। তবে পরবর্তীতে অস্কার নমিনেশন ও রিলিজের পর বিশ্বজুড়ে এর মোট আয় দাঁড়ায় প্রায় ৭৩.৩ মিলিয়ন ডলারের বেশি।
• অস্কার ও স্বীকৃতি: ১৯৯৫ সালের ৬৭তম একাডেমি অ্যাওয়ার্ডসে (অস্কার) মুভিটি ৭টি ক্যাটাগরিতে নমিনেশন লাভ করে-যার মধ্যে ছিল 'সেরা চলচ্চিত্র' , মরগান ফ্রিম্যানের 'সেরা অভিনেতা', এবং 'সেরা চিত্রনাট্য'। ওই বছর 'Forrest Gump'-এর কারণে কোনো অস্কার না জিতলেও পরবর্তীতে এটি সর্বকালের সেরা মুভির মর্যাদা পায়।

'The Shawshank Redemption' আমাদের এটাই মনে করিয়ে দেয় যে, মানুষ চাইলে যেকোনো কঠিন পরিস্থিতিতেও আশা হারিয়ে না ফেলে টিকে থাকতে পারে। মুভির সেই বিখ্যাত সংলাপটি দিয়ে শেষ করছি-

Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.

যারা এখনো মুভিটা দেখেননি, সময় সুযোগ করে দেখে নিতে পারেন; একটা অন্যরকম ভালো লাগা কাজ করবে।

Sources: I have collected and verified the box office reports and background information for this review from various trusted sources and created this post. The links to the sources are given below:

• IMDb - The Shawshank Redemption (Plot & Trivia)
• Box Office Mojo - The Shawshank Redemption (Budget & Revenue)
• Oscars.org - 67th Academy Awards (1995 Nominations)
• Wikipedia - The Shawshank Redemption

Note: Originally written in Bengali and translated into English using Google Translate.

Rating: 95/100

Plot

Why do people get married?

An obvious answer would be to live together and start a family with someone they have fallen in love.

In this movie, the lead actor (David Rosenberg, played by Ray Abruzzo) is an exception to this rule, as he is eager to find a woman to marry him, so that he can satisfy the last wish of his dying father (Phil Rosenberg, played by Michael Lerner).

If he manages to get married before his father dies, he will kill two birds with one stone, as he will also inherit the dying man’s extreme wealth, otherwise, those riches will go to his father’s latest wife, Stacy (played by Annie B. Compton).

Finding it hard to say: “I love you”

It is not that David Rosenberg hasn’t found yet the right person to ask her to marry him, because he has.

Even his dying father urges him to to marry Emily (played by Jen Dede), because she is the one for him.

Oh, poor Emily!

If she had to wait for David to propose to her, she would have to wait forever…

His father gives him the shock of his life, threatening to disinherit him, as an ultimatum to motivate him to make his move to Emily.

She only wants him to say to her: “I love you”.

Then, she will be willing to marry him.

But, he won’t say those magical words…

He prefers the family lawyer to put an online ad for him seeking a bride to marry her in 24 hours.

You don’t know what you got till it’s gone

And then, the toil of “interviewing” women that are total strangers to him starts.

Meeting one after another, he soon realizes that none of them would be even close to the bride that he had in mind.

They all demand him to follow their ways, not caring at all about what he might want from them.

And the cherry on the cake is Nastasia (played by Anya Monzikova), who has the looks of a model, and who uses a gun to rob him with the help of her husband and another robber.

Only the last one (Sarah, played by Leslie Murphy) seems to give him some hope, but she finally ends up falling in love with another David, namely, his father’s attending doctor (Dr. David Longhorn, played by Ben Begley), who is actually a vet (surprise, surprise, so David’s father was lying to him all along!).

All this fuss he went through makes him realize how stupid he was not to admit to Emily that he loved her.

So, when she pays a visit to his father to bring some flowers to him, David takes this chance to make up with her.

He is more than sure for his feelings now, and this time, he won’t let her go before telling her that he loves her.

Amen!

And they lived happily ever after!

Further sources:

Somebody Marry Me-Wikipedia-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somebody_Marry_Me

Somebody Marry Me-Full cast & crew-https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2749258/fullcredits

Rating: 73/100

It Follows (2014) | Personal Review

I had been wanting to review It Follows for a while to create a film-focused section on my blog—since this topic is new territory for me—and I finally took the time to watch it a couple of nights ago. Directed by David Robert Mitchell in 2014 and starring Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, and Daniel Zovatto, this film has earned its place as a benchmark in recent psychological horror cinema.

What drew me to choose this film was its premise—in real life, I have had partners who were followed by a spirit. I was looking for something that broke away from the genre's usual clichés, and honestly, the experience did not disappoint.

The story centers on Jay (Maika Monroe), a 19-year-old woman whose quiet routine changes drastically after an intimate encounter with her boyfriend, Hugh (Jake Weary). From that moment on, Jay discovers she has inherited a curse: a supernatural entity, capable of taking the form of any person, stalks her by walking slowly toward her without ever stopping.

The only way to get rid of it is to pass it on to someone else through sexual intercourse; however, if that person dies, the curse returns to the previous victim. With the help of her friends Greg (Daniel Zovatto) and Paul (Keir Gilchrist), Jay attempts to figure out how to survive something that never rests.

My analysis of the film

The tension of the inevitable

Unlike conventional horror films filled with cheap jump scares or grotesque monsters popping out of nowhere, It Follows relies on sustained unease. The fact that the entity walks slowly—never running or screaming—creates constant paranoia. You find yourself constantly scanning the background of the frame to see if one of the extras walking in the distance is actually the threat. That mounting anxiety is the film's greatest achievement—its hook.

Believable performances

Maika Monroe delivers a very solid performance as Jay. She effectively conveys the physical and mental exhaustion of someone feeling stalked 24 hours a day, without resorting to over-the-top screaming. Meanwhile, the group of friends feels authentic; the chemistry between them creates the impression of real kids trying to cope with an extraordinary problem.

Lighting, aesthetics, and soundtrack

The technical aspects were perhaps what I enjoyed most. The film has a distinct 1980s vibe—evident in the clothing, vehicles, and Mike Gioulakis’s cinematography—yet it is set in an indeterminate time period.

Complementing this is the soundtrack composed by Disasterpeace. The heavy use of synthesizers creates an unsettling, immersive atmosphere that fits perfectly with the eerie vibe of Detroit's suburbs.

Things to consider

It is worth noting that the film moves at a measured pace. If you are looking for non-stop action or detailed explanations regarding the entity's origins, you might find some parts a bit slow. Likewise, the ending is open-ended, leaving various elements up to the viewer's interpretation—something some people love and others find frustrating.

"It Follows" works because it taps into a primal fear:

the vulnerability of being pursued within your own daily routine with nowhere to run. It is a fresh concept, technically well-executed, and highly effective in its premise.

My rating: 8/10

Highly recommended if you enjoy slow-burn suspense and well-crafted atmospheres.

I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments. If you do watch it, a word of advice: if you're exhausted, you might fall asleep; try watching it when you want to be entertained and break up your routine.

Related topics #ItFollows #Horror #Cinema #ScrobbleLife #Hive #Review #Movie #PsychologicalHorror #ModernCinema

It Follows (2014) | Reseña Personal

Tenía tiempo con ganas de revisar "It Follows" (Te sigue) para crear un espacio de cine en mi blog, ya que para mí es nuevo este tema y finalmente me tomé el tiempo de verla hace un par de noches. Dirigida por David Robert Mitchell en 2014 y protagonizada por Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist y Daniel Zovatto, esta película se ha ganado su lugar como un referente del terror psicológico de los últimos años.

Lo que me llamó la atención para elegirla fue su referencia pues en la vida real he tenido parejas que son seguidas por un espiritu: buscaba una propuesta que se saliera de los clichés habituales del género y, sinceramente, la experiencia no me decepcionó.

La historia se centra en Jay (Maika Monroe), una joven de 19 años cuya rutina tranquila cambia drásticamente tras una salida íntima con su novio Hugh (Jake Weary). A partir de ese momento, Jay descubre que ha heredado una maldición: una entidad sobrenatural, capaz de tomar la forma de cualquier persona, la persigue caminando lentamente hacia ella sin detenerse jamás.

La única manera de quitársela de encima es pasándosela a alguien más mediante el acto sexual, aunque si esa persona muere, la maldición regresa al anterior. Con la ayuda de sus amigos Greg (Daniel Zovatto) y Paul (Keir Gilchrist), Jay intentará descifrar cómo sobrevivir a algo que no descansa.

Mi análisis sobre la película

La tensión de lo inevitable

A diferencia del terror convencional repleto de sustos fáciles (jump scares) o monstruos grotescos saliendo de la nada, "It Follows" trabaja con la incomodidad prolongada. El hecho de que la entidad camine despacio sin correr ni gritar genera una paranoia constante. Estás todo el tiempo mirando el fondo de la pantalla para ver si alguno de los extras que camina al fondo es en realidad la amenaza. Esa ansiedad progresiva es el gran logro de la película su gancho.

Actuaciones creíbles

Maika Monroe logra una interpretación muy sólida como Jay. Refleja muy bien el agotamiento físico y mental de quien se siente acosado las 24 horas del día, sin caer en el grito exagerado. Por su parte, el grupo de amigos se siente auténtico; la química entre ellos da la sensación de ver a muchachos reales tratando de lidiar con un problema insólito.

Iluminación, estética y banda sonora

El apartado técnico es quizás lo que más disfruté. Tiene una ambientación marcadamente ochentera —en la ropa, los vehículos y la fotografía de Mike Gioulakis— pero ambientada en un tiempo indeterminado.

A esto se le suma la banda sonora compuesta por Disasterpeace. El uso intensivo de sintetizadores crea un ambiente perturbador y envolvente que encaja perfecto con la atmósfera enrarecida de los suburbios de Detroit.

Aspectos a considerar

Hay que mencionar que la película maneja un ritmo pausado. Si estás buscando acción sin pausa o explicaciones detalladas sobre el origen de la entidad, puede que sientas partes algo lentas. De igual forma, el final es abierto y deja varios elementos a la libre interpretación del espectador, algo que a algunos les encanta y a otros les frustra.

"It Follows" funciona porque apela a un miedo

básico: la vulnerabilidad de sentirte perseguido en tu propia rutina sin tener a dónde huir. Es una propuesta fresca, bien ejecutada técnicamente y muy efectiva en su premisa.

Mi calificación: 8/10

Totalmente recomendada si disfrutas del suspenso de ritmo lento y las atmósferas bien trabajadas .

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Me gustaría leer tu opinión en los comentarios. Si logras verla, te dijo que si estás muy cansado te vas a dormir, trata de verla cuando desees entretenerte y salir de la rutina.

Rating: 8/100

I chose a soccer film as my first post on Scrobble.life, as soccer films and games are among my favorites.

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Santiago Munez is a young boy who grows up with one big dream in his heart. He wants to become a professional football player. But his life is not easy. He lives in Los Angeles and works with his father. He also works at a restaurant to help his family. Football is the one thing that makes him feel truly alive.

Santiago Munez es un joven que crece con un gran sueño en su corazón. Quiere convertirse en un jugador de fútbol profesional. Pero su vida no es fácil. Vive en Los Ángeles y trabaja con su padre. También trabaja en un restaurante para ayudar a su familia. El fútbol es lo único que realmente le hace sentirse vivo.

One day a former football player named Glen Foy sees Santiago playing. Glen immediately notices that Santiago has something special. He tells him about a chance to attend a trial for Newcastle United in England. For Santiago this feels like a dream that is almost impossible to reach. He has no money and his father does not believe that football can give him a real future. Still Santiago refuses to give up. His grandmother secretly helps him by selling her jewellery so he can travel to England. Santiago finally leaves America and arrives in a completely new world.

Un día un exjugador de fútbol llamado Glen Foy ve a Santiago jugando. Glen nota inmediatamente que Santiago tiene algo especial. Le cuenta sobre una oportunidad para asistir a una prueba con el Newcastle United en Inglaterra. Para Santiago esto parece un sueño que es casi imposible de alcanzar. No tiene dinero y su padre no cree que el fútbol pueda darle un futuro de verdad. Aun así Santiago se niega a rendirse. Su abuela lo ayuda en secreto vendiendo sus joyas para que pueda viajar a Inglaterra. Finalmente Santiago deja Estados Unidos y llega a un mundo completamente nuevo.

His first trial at Newcastle does not go well. He is nervous and the pressure is huge. Everyone around him seems more experienced. Santiago also hides the fact that he has asthma because he is afraid that the club will reject him. During one training session his asthma becomes serious. He struggles to breathe and cannot show what he is really capable of. The club decides that he is not good enough and Santiago thinks his dream is already over.

Su primera prueba en el Newcastle no sale bien. Está nervioso y la presión es enorme. Todos a su alrededor parecen tener más experiencia. Santiago también oculta que tiene asma porque teme que el club lo rechace. Durante una sesión de entrenamiento su asma empeora. Tiene dificultades para respirar y no puede demostrar de lo que realmente es capaz. El club decide que no es lo suficientemente bueno y Santiago piensa que su sueño ya ha terminado.

But Glen Foy does not give up on him. Santiago gets another chance and slowly starts proving himself. He works harder than before. He begins to understand that talent alone is not enough. He needs discipline and he needs to trust the players around him. Santiago eventually gets closer to the first team. His biggest opportunity comes when he is selected to play for Newcastle. At first he is nervous but he slowly finds his confidence. He helps the team win a penalty and finally feels that his childhood dream is becoming real.

Pero Glen Foy no se rinde con él. Santiago recibe otra oportunidad y poco a poco comienza a demostrar su capacidad. Trabaja más duro que antes. Empieza a entender que el talento por sí solo no es suficiente. Necesita disciplina y también necesita confiar en los jugadores que lo rodean. Santiago finalmente se acerca al primer equipo. Su mayor oportunidad llega cuando es seleccionado para jugar con el Newcastle. Al principio está nervioso pero poco a poco recupera la confianza. Ayuda al equipo a conseguir un penalti y finalmente siente que su sueño de la infancia se está haciendo realidad.

But just when everything seems to be going well Santiago receives terrible news. His father dies suddenly. Santiago is completely broken. His father never truly supported his football dream and Santiago feels that he should return home. He goes to the airport and prepares to leave England. For a moment it looks like his journey is over.

Pero justo cuando todo parece ir bien Santiago recibe una terrible noticia. Su padre muere de repente. Santiago queda completamente destrozado. Su padre nunca apoyó realmente su sueño de ser futbolista y Santiago siente que debería volver a casa. Va al aeropuerto y se prepara para dejar Inglaterra. Por un momento parece que su viaje ha terminado.

Then Santiago remembers everything he has gone through. He remembers his grandmother's sacrifice. He remembers Glen believing in him. Most importantly he remembers how much he wanted this life. He decides to stay. The biggest moment comes when Newcastle faces Liverpool. The match becomes extremely intense. Newcastle takes the lead but Liverpool fights back and goes 2-1 ahead. Time is running out and Newcastle needs something special. Santiago finally understands what his manager has been trying to teach him. Football is not only about showing your own talent. Sometimes you have to trust someone else. He passes the ball to Gavin Harris and Gavin scores to make it 2-2.

Entonces Santiago recuerda todo por lo que ha pasado. Recuerda el sacrificio de su abuela. Recuerda que Glen creyó en él. Y sobre todo recuerda cuánto deseaba esta vida. Decide quedarse. El momento más importante llega cuando el Newcastle se enfrenta al Liverpool. El partido se vuelve muy intenso. El Newcastle se pone por delante pero el Liverpool lucha y consigue ponerse 2-1. El tiempo se está acabando y el Newcastle necesita algo especial. Santiago finalmente entiende lo que su entrenador ha estado tratando de enseñarle. El fútbol no se trata solo de mostrar tu propio talento. A veces tienes que confiar en otra persona. Pasa el balón a Gavin Harris y Gavin marca para poner el partido 2-2.

Then Newcastle gets a free kick near the end of the match. This is Santiago's moment. He steps up and takes the shot. The ball flies past the goalkeeper and hits the back of the net. GOALLLLLLLLL! Newcastle wins the match 3-2.

Entonces el Newcastle consigue un tiro libre cerca del final del partido. Este es el momento de Santiago. Da un paso al frente y realiza el disparo. El balón pasa por encima del portero y golpea el fondo de la red. ¡GOOOOOOOOOOOL! El Newcastle gana el partido 3-2.

Santiago stands on the pitch with tears in his eyes. This is not just a goal. It is the result of everything he has sacrificed for. The fear. The hard work. The failures. The distance from home. The loss of his father. Everything has led him to this moment. Later Santiago learns that his father had actually watched his earlier first-team match on television. Even though his father never fully understood his dream he had still seen his son achieve something special. That moment makes the victory even more emotional.

Santiago se queda en el campo con lágrimas en los ojos. Esto no es solo un gol. Es el resultado de todo por lo que ha tenido que sacrificarse. El miedo. El esfuerzo. Los fracasos. La distancia de su hogar. La pérdida de su padre. Todo lo ha llevado hasta este momento. Más tarde Santiago descubre que su padre en realidad había visto por televisión su anterior partido con el primer equipo. Aunque su padre nunca llegó a comprender completamente su sueño todavía había visto a su hijo lograr algo especial. Ese momento hace que la victoria sea aún más emocionante.

Do let me know your opinion on the film.

Déjame saber tu opinión sobre la película.

Rating: 83/100

Rating: 70/100

Two girls raised by undercover operatives of a dark organisation that abducts or negotiates with parents for their children to be trained rigorously in the act of killing will later go on a mission together with the parent who raised them while they were little to kill the master mind of the organisation called the Red Room.

Black Widow is a Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero, action, adventure, spy fiction movie of 2021, directed by Cate Shortland, written by Eric Pearson, story by Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson and produced by Kevin Feige for Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and the 24th film in the series.

Starring Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff, also known as the black widow, alongside Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov, the Red Guardian, O-T Fagbenle, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross, Ray Winstone as Dreykov, and Rachel Weisz as Melina Vostokoff.

After the events in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Romanoff, who was part of the Avengers who violated the Sokovia Accords, was on the run. Her estranged sister, Yelena Belova, who had just broken free from the mind-control protocol of the Red Room, got the antidotes from the widow who had set her free so she could do the same for the rest of the widows in bondage.

To achieve this, she reaches out to her sister, who was in the big leagues as well as an Avenger, hoping to get her help to save the other girls from the Red Room, a shadow organisation that abducts young girls and trains them into deadly weapons.

Natasha and Yelena will have to break out Alexis, who has been in prison for a long time, to find the location of the Red Room. It becomes a family reunion when Alexis says he was not aware of the location. Still, their mother, who was the scientific mind behind Dreykov’s enterprises, will be aware of the location.

Scarlet and Florence shared a lovely bond of sisterhood; their foster family provides the emotional anchor of the movie. The movie is full of action, having a grounded intensifies hand to hand fight scenes. The movie shows a little of Natasha’s background story before her time with the Avengers.

The death of Dreykov in an explosive crash was straightforward, simple and fell short; a villain responsible for decades of abuse and stolen lives would have resulted in a maximum prison sentence with maximum and hard labour, so he lives to suffer the things he had done rather than an immediate death.

The movie succeeds as a farewell to Scarlett Johansson’s character, “Black Widow”, adding to the Natasha Legacy and striking a balance between emotional depth and action.

Images from IMDb

Rating: 90/100

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Rating: 80/100