SELMA (PG-13)

MoViews: SELMA (PG-13)         Year: 2014             Genres:  Drama                     Language: English           Runtime: 2 hours 8 mins.

Overall BAGEO Rating:  E

Direction:  Ava DuVerney  ;   Cinematography: Bradford Young

Written By:  Paul Webb

Production: Paramount Pictures

Producers:  Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt among others.

Key Actors: 

• David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr.
• Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon B Johnson
• Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King

Summary:   A wonderful movie based on the true incident in 1965 of the Selma march by Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK)  to secure basic voting rights for blacks from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama that resulted in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 signed by the then President Lyndon Johnson.  The movie starts with Martin Luther King (MLK) receiving the Nobel Peace Prize of 1964 and very nicely portrays the involvement of MLK for the Selma march of 1965 and how he was mentally torn with the situation and threat of violence.  Ultimately, he does succeed in getting the President Lyndon Johnson to sign an order to register the voting rights of all people including blacks. 

The movie shows some wonderful speeches of MLK and  many motivating quotes  from all the key characters including MLK, LBJ and other protestors.  The one that impressed me is when MLK declares to his people that  " I am here for what GOD wants" in his talk to the group of men who are with him in the protest.

Other interesting points: The movie Selma was screened for free at the Selma Walton Theater in Selma, Alabama (from iMDB)

Though the film is American, the key actors are all British. (iMDB)

Overall:  A very good movie to watch and learn the actual incidents from history - especially for teenage kids.    BAGEO Rating: Excellent.

Outsourced (2006)

MoViews:     Oursourced   Genres:  Comedy       Language:  English           Rating: PG-13 
Runtime: 1Hr 45Mins

BAGEO Rating:  E(xcellent)

Direction:    John Jeffcoat

Cinematography: Teodoro Maniaci

Key Actors: Josh Hamilton (as Todd Anderson), Ayesha Dharker (Asha), Asif Basra (Purohit)

Summary:   An enjoyable movie about a company that outsourced its call center to India and how its manager (Todd Anderson) sent for managing the India operations, gets used to life there. In the end, he learns to respect the traditions and culture in India and gets a lover girlfriend in bargain!  Shows some realistic and funny situations in the rural location outside of Mumbai (Bombay) where they have the operations, such as adjusting to the Indian style toilet,  renovating the office  building which never seems to be getting done,  floods inside the office,  managing taxi 'wallahs' (drivers) etc.  Has some poignant scenes where left over plate of food is passed over the wall to the other side for poor  'dhobis' (clothes washermen) and how they show their culture of magnanimity and altruism,  inspite of their meagre earnings and extremely low standard of living, by inviting Todd for lunch with their family, though they could not talk one word in English.  Of course no western movie about India goes without referring to the sex encyclopedia of India - the  Kama Sutra, which is lavishly referred here. There is also a good explanation of the significance of Shiva Lingam from a philosophical view point.  Ironically, the movie also ends showing the typical capitalist outlook of the organization, when the company moves its call center from India to China and Todd is enticed to move there, which he refuses.  A wonderful movie to watch.

Other interesting points: Movie shows how the new gen youngsters get adjusted to IT call center life, adopting artificial western names and learning to pronounce in the American way!

Overall:  Good for Story, Screenplay. Excellent for Cinematography, Direction