Sorry, this movie sucks

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Rarely balanced and mind and heart challenging.The two characters seem like playing Gods games. Starting in 19c HE - a robber a thief and a chief of a gang. SHE - came from nowhere without belly button, destined to stay and love HIM. Constantly going against their predestination and fate. Going against the gods stealing and robbing spiritual gems to live and keep the love they have. Finally immortality brakes them apart and gathers them for the final realization of the movie. I would be interested to know more about the associative pictures and symbols in the movie and would appreciate if someone more familiar with that particular culture to reveal to us some part of that reality.Very good movie indeed.

Yesterday I had an opportunity to attend the private screening of integral version of Valley of Flowers (155minutes!!) in the "chick" Planet Hollywood on Champs-Elysees in Paris. The film made huge impact on me. A week earlier I saw The Fountain (2006) by Darren Aronofsky. I liked the Fountain as well but it is Valley of Flowers sent my brain spinning.The reason I mentioned the Fountain is because I was struck by the similarities of the theme in these two movies –love across ages, death and immortality, man's fight against time… Human beings in constant state of seeking equilibrium in love, life, nature and human nature.Both Aronofsky and Nalin are known for invading the unknown realms of the real and surreal world. Though Valley is just a second feature of Pan Nalin, but the maturity he displays in handling of his subject matter is truly astounding. Valley of Flowers is truly an independent film compare to giant 35million dollar Fountain with star cast. Fountain is witnessing a vast release worldwide. Meanwhile Valley might not even make it to our domestic screen here in US. However, It is Nalin's film, which stirred me so deep, I felt a true sense of unearthing and that made me write, my very first comment on IMDb. I know nothing about Buddhism or Yeti or Tibet or Himalaya. But that did not matter; the film gave me enough to chew. Of course the Himalayan parts are breathtaking, like in his earlier Samsara (2001), but here the "landscapes of faces" of Bandits are awesome. Costume and Production design are top-notch, aesthetics better and higher than many multi-million dollar Hollywood blockbusters.Nalin's cinematic sense, and certain trance like camera movements are evocative; his girls are divine (even though they are playing demon). Again like in Samsara, Nalin discovers Mylene Jampanoi; a French Chinese actress gets a break to do her first feature. Nalin auditioned several hundreds across the world before discovering Mylene. Indian actor Milind Soman is less impressive but Naseeruddin Shah again proves his talent as one of the greatest actor of Asian cinema in his brilliant interpretation of yeti.Nalin also proves his talent as an extraordinary screenwriter, he wrote both Samsara and Valley of Flowers. His cinematic structures do not follow any recognizable genre or style. His dialogs and editing is constantly breaking rules –must mention an amazing scene of hero's "time walk" in Valley of Flowers with simple cuts on pair of feet walking from early 19th century to modern day Tokyo. This scene in itself is a cinematic poetry in the realms of Rilke or Rumi.I've been professor of Japanese Culture and society and dealt with many of the themes of Pan Nalin's movies. Nalin's portrayal of modern day Tokyo makes keen observation about existence of superstitions, demon and notion of death in Japan. Nalin manages to penetrate the layers of modern day Japanese life very effectively. Unfortunately, in the Fountain, Aronofsky fails to display similar command in scenes of ancient Spain and modern day medicine episode.Again it is amazing coincidence how Aronofsky and Pan Nalin, both these young filmmakers chose their hero in modern times to be a Doctor. Controversial Dr. Zinelli of Dignitas of Zurich who assisted several people in their voluntary death inspires Nalin's modern day hero. Meanwhile Aronofsky's hero researches to fight cancer. Again Nalin's episode in modern day Tokyo leads to a sublime conclusion of the story where many twists are revealed, love and lovers are sacrificed -in some of the most poetic and memorable scenes in history of modern-Asian cinema.I ask this question several times to myself why the festivals like Cannes, Venice, Berlin or Pusan have failed to highlight this talented filmmaker from India. I've been huge fan of Satyaji Ray but now nearly 50 years later there is a filmmaker emerging from India with a new voice and new style new energy - a truly modern and universal filmmaker. I am sorry to say there have been many others in between like Mira Nair or Shyam Benegal or Das Gupta –but Pan Nalin is beyond, he is in another league all together. With his two features, I have this intuition that there is something churning within this filmmaker like a volcano. The day that volcano finds voice we will witness an existence and acknowledgment of a brilliant filmmaker. Is anyone listening in Hollywood?

I watched this film at its international premiere in Delhi a month or so back. the hall was packed as it was the opening film of the Asian film festival.. and expectations ran high. i was personally very excited at the thought of a pan-Asian cast, a storyline that ran through centuries, a mix of Indian sensibilities with an international aesthetic...by the middle of the film, i couldn't wait to get out of the hall! and i wasn't alone, practically the whole hall was in a tearing rush to leave.. not sure of why this completely uninspiring and flawed film had been picked to open the festival! the acting is atrocious (although the women are hot!), the plot is far-fetched and unconvincing, and the film has every stereotype imaginable as far as depiction of the spiritual side of India is concerned! it doesn't miss out on anything... there are levitating sadhus, abominable snowmen (well, almost), bandits and huurrs. yet, somehow despite all the razzmatazz and the seemingly honest intentions of the director... this is a film that fails to hold your interest beyond the excellent production design.i haven't watched samsara.. but hear that it is a major international success, which explains how pan nalin managed to raise money for this mammoth production.. but really after watching VOF, i couldn't care less! and oh yeah, milind soman should go back to modeling... acting is just not his thing!

A fantastic film to enjoy and inspire. Valley of Flowers has gorgeous male lead and two lovely leading ladies. On their trail is Yeti, played by famous star Naseeruddin Shah. Pan Nalin has a talent for discovering talent; in Valley of Flowers he gives a break to French-Chinese Mylene Jampanoi (watch out Zhang Zyi and Sophie Marceau!!) and Japanese Eri.Vertigenous landscapes and skyscrapers, superb casting, sublime costumes, subtle lighting and mysterious music makes Valley of Flowers an exceptional cinematic experience.The story, warning -stay awake! Nalin does not give you all answers, he tells you his story in riddles. The film is a great long saga running full 2 hours and 35 minutes, from early 19th century to contemporary Japan. Allow your mind to be open to feel this mind blowing film.It successfully encompasses themes of love and sacrifice, mortality and karma. It starts like an "Eastern" (a Western from the East) and towards the end drifts into poetic Asian images.Given the length and the content of the movie, it is likely to suffer distribution problem. Besides Valley of Flowers invents its own "genre" -thus it is non-classifiable.It is not often that such films are made, slightly ahead of its time -Valley of Flowers will neither be commercial enough for Hollywood nor "arty" enough for auteur driven festivals.But Valley of Flowers, personally speaking, will have an important role to play in evolution of Indian and Asian cinema.Don't miss it!