In the last eight weeks, I’ve seen over a dozen films. For the gazillion diehard fans of Shunya’s Notes, I thought I’d share their names and rate them on a 5-star scale. I don’t watch a movie unless I’m reasonably sure it won’t insult my intelligence, so most turn out to be satisfying enough and worth seeing (at least 3 stars). Call me a snob but I stand with Shyam Benegal in calling mainstream Bollywood / Hollywood cinema “a form of retarded art” and I’ve largely avoided it for years (except the odd film I see for social or anthropological reasons, and that rare exception to the rule).

The Motorcycle Diaries *****

The Chess Players *****

Ankur *****

Cry Freedom *****

Nishaant *****

Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion ****1/2

An Inconvenient Truth ****1/2

Shadow Kill ****1/2

Who Killed the Electric Car? ****1/2

Fidel ****

Tsotsi ***1/2

Born into Brothels ***

Water *

More discussion based on reader comments, if any.