Tag Archives: A beautiful mind

The Man Who Knew Infinity (2015)

The Man Who Knew Infinity review

written by Souranath Banerjee

An important story of a legend that needed to be told for sure but at the same time could have been told in more style.   

My ratings: 3.9/5

From a poverty stricken village in Madras a young self-taught mathematical prodigy eventually becomes an elected fellow member of Trinity College, Cambridge!

Within a short life span of only 32 years this Indian math genius independently composed nearly 3,900 unique equations, most of
Srinivasa-Ramanujan-posterwhich are revered globally such as the ‘Ramanujan prime’ and the ‘Ramanujan theta function’.
 

But his hall of fame doesn’t end there; very recently (in 2012 to be exact) modern scientists have confirmed that in one of his precious (lost and found) notebook this legendary mind had scribbled certain intuitive notes that actually suggests the existence of black holes!

Srinivasa Ramanujan Iyengar – he is the man who indeed knew about infinity and much more.

The film The Man Who Knew Infinity directed by Matt Brown is the biographical tale of Ramanujan’s life; a bit of his personal life, his devotions and beliefs, his never ending quest for pure mathematics and mostly his unique collaboration with English mathematician G. H. Hardy.man-who-knew-infinity-poster2

First of all, let me acknowledge the fact that the very idea of making a film on Ramanujan’s life is impressive because no matter how legendary he was, but a biography on a Indian mathematician is always difficult to portray in an interesting and commercially viable manner.

But on the same note i must confess that the film could have been more innovative and appealing (specially when compared to some awesome biographies like A Beautiful Mind, The Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game); the script could have been woven in a more endearing way not only to show the mere facts of man-who-knew-infinity-poster1Ramanujan’s life but also to make the audience really feel the genius of this man.

Dev Patel as Ramanujan though has done a great job. He is such a talented and versatile actor and I am convinced that only because of his honest attempt to portray the iconic figure that the film The Man Who Knew Infinity holds it’s ground till the end.

Jeremy Irons as G. H. Hardy is also impressive, the professor who not only recognized Ramanujan’s immense potential and helped him achieve greatness but also used his talent till exhaustion (of course for the sake of a better future of mathematics).  

Toby Jones as Littlewood, Devika Bhise as Ramanujan’s wife, Stephen FryPadraic DelaneyRichard Cunningham and all the others did
man-who-knew-infinity-postertheir part to support the main cast.

Overall The Man Who Knew Infinity is a decent film based on the life of an extraordinary man to whom our modern science and mathematics will be indebted forever.

Compared internationally to the likes of Newton and Einstein, on Ramanujan’s 125th birth anniversary in 2011, our Indian Government have declared 22nd December as the National Mathematics Day which will be celebrated every year. 

Do watch the film and henceforth don’t forget to solve at least one math problem on every 22nd of December!

Poster courtesy: www.impawards.com

  • Share on Tumblr

Best Psychological Thrillers Part 2 (10+1list)

Best Psychological Thrillers (Part 2)

written by Souranath Banerjee

As mentioned in my earlier post ‘Best Psychological Thrillers (Part 1)‘, thrilling psychological dramas are way different from the ordinary suspense thriller flicks.

Psychological thrillers are twisted enough to make you believe into something that actually may not exist at all. They deliberately play tricks with our imagination and successfully blurs the audience’s perception of reality.

And here are some of the Best Psychological Thrillers ever made. So, let the countdown begin!

10. Frailty (2001)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW6TlPMHXgk

frailty-posterThis film is all about a man’s confession of a series of murders that his religious fanatic father forced him and his brother to be a part of.

Directed by Bill Paxton, a thriller at its best, with a few unexpected plot twists.

Superb performances, specially by the child actors, Bill Paxton himself and Matthew McConaughey.

9. The Skin I Live In (2011)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EolQSTTTpI4

Skin-I-live-in-poster1A weird tale of a plastic surgeon and his muse, a scientist and his experiment, an inventor and his creation.

Brilliant performances by Antonio Banderas and Elena Anaya and a twisted tale of passion and revenge.

Directed by renowned Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, this is one thriller that will keep you guessing till the end.

8. Goodnight Mommy (2014)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hisSd7qyY40

Goodnight-Mommy-posterIn an isolated countryside, nine-year-old twins wait for their mother’s return, but when she finally comes back she seems to be a completely different person.

Her face bandaged due to some surgery, it’s hard to tell if she is indeed their mother or are they both really her children!

Directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, this is one disturbing thriller for sure.

7. The Sixth Sense (1999)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG9AGf66tXM

sixth-sense-poster1A child psychologist (Bruce Willis) meets a boy (Haley Joel Osment) who has a sixth sense, who can communicate with spirits and claims to ‘see dead people’ all around him!

A film that is as impressive as the twist in the plot.

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, a film that successfully fools the audience from the very beginning!

6. Lost Highway (1997) 

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nKjO9QCSic

lost-highway-posterA world owned by David Lynch, who is the master of psychological thrillers.

Framed for the murder of his wife a man mysteriously escapes from the jail being morphed into another person – yes, one of the most weird story plot ever in film history.

And the best part is that the film (according to me) has no specific ending that explains it all!

5. Angel Heart (1987)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp0LXxkx7yA

Angel-heart-poster

Alan Parker directed this intense thriller starring Mickey Rourke and Robert De Niro.

A private investigator is hired by a mysterious man who wants him to track down a particular singer.

Though at first it all seemed like regular business but soon things turn nasty and people keep dying in strange circumstances. A mystery that holds up till the end.

4. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anF5XiN8QY8

A-tale-of-two-sisters-poster

As the title suggests, it’s the story of two sisters who returns home from the mental institution and desperately struggles to cope up with their lives.

A superbly intense film by Kim Jee-woon – suspense, horror or simply a nail-biting thriller, this one serves all your cravings.

This South Korean film will creep you out for sure.

3. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PewtQsgN5uo

rosemarys-baby-poster

Be aware: a new apartment always comes with mysterious neighbors.

A young couple moves to a new place and soon the wife becomes pregnant. Though the neighbors seem to be too caring, but the mother (Mia Farrow) fears about the safety of her unborn child.

Extreme paranoia that only a director of Roman Polanski‘s calibre can deliver!

2. Hour of the Wolf (1968)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7PWFiLkKG4

hour-of-the-wolf-posterIngmar Bergman‘s one and only psychological horror film, and undoubtedly a classic.

An artist shares his deepest desires and the most painful nightmares with his wife at the darkest hours of the night – ‘the hour of the wolf’.

His life turns out to be drowning in the very brink of dreams and reality, a state so surreal and dangerous and bizarre. A must watch.

1. The Shining (1980)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cb3ik6zP2I

the shining

Welcome Stanley Kubrick and that too on the first spot!

A film that set new bar in this genre, the chilling transformation of a hotel-caretaker (Jack Nicholson‘s character), the haunting isolation of the palatial hotel and the eerie never-ending maze. And also a kid who has the special talent of ‘Shining’!

Unique and scary, psychotic and intense, a film you will never forget.

and (The ‘+1′ film is not necessarily the best but certainly the most innovative one. A must watch)

+1. The Others (2001)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bMEGtUxajY

others-posterAnd finally another unique psychological thriller that plays with the human psyche to its best.

A protective mother (Nicole Kidman) with her two light-sensitive children believes that their house is haunted!

Directed by Alejandro Amenábar, this creepy, dark yet sensitive thriller has all the essential elements of being a memorable one.

Similar Interest: Best Psychological Thrillers (Part 1)

Poster courtesy: www.impawards.com

  • Share on Tumblr