Frozen

This is the first film from director Shivajee Chandrabhushan, but you wouldn't know it was his first film. According to the Q&A at the London Film Festival, most of his crew were first-timers as well. But the film is jaw-droppingly beautiful, shot in stark black and white, which perfectly captures the cold, unrelenting hostility of the Himalayas (the film is set in Ladakh, which is in the frozen north east of India, on the border with China).

It's not a particularly plot-driven film, so I needn't go into details, but the film basically revolves around a small family living an almost hand-to-mouth existence up in the mountains. Their lives are changed when the army sets up camp next door.

I thought the film was as good as the similarly brilliant "Kekexili: Mountain Patrol" in its depiction of the bleak cruelty of life in the mountains. I really can't imagine anyone not enjoying "Frozen", it's truly wonderful.

I heard about Frozen when it was winning awards all over the world and I was curious to watch the film.

Few years later I got the chance to see the film and realized it was nowhere near to all the hype it had generated.

The only good thing about the film was Danny's acting and his voice with heavy baritone and its cinematography by Shankar Raman.

The story it appears has been lifted from the Bimal Roy's film "Do Bigha Zameen" and is given a different twist.

An apricot Jam seller finds himself in the middle of a conundrum when his house falls in the way of army operations and they want him to leave the house and move somewhere else.

The story was good but the treatment was so boring that I slept twice during the film.

The film moves with the speed of snail pace.

Something I guess festival people loves. They love slow pace and films with metaphors and hidden meanings.

This film didn't have any.

I didn't like the film at all.

In the end the director tries to do a Schindler list while bring a color in the film and no one understands it why.

Not recommended.

I avoided this movie for almost a year, as it was in my collection, not because I fear realistic films but it's synopsis did not impressed me much. I liked this movie in parts specially first 15 minutes where almost all the story has been told. Cinematography is brilliant, Direction is good but movie seems nothing more than a semi-documentary. Shivajee Chandrabhushan has made this film for himself, he must have some idea in his mind and he let it untold, the simple story looked more pseudo intellectual than a real story, most of the new directors are trapped in this selection. Certainly this film is made for International market not for Indian taste and that may be the reason this film did not got proper release in India. Danny Denzongpa was brilliant in his role and he hits the bull's eye with his subdued performance, but the show stealer was Gauri who looks so real and girl next door that it never appears that she is sharing space with stalwarts like Danny and yashpal Sharma. I give this film 5 Votes out of 10 for Cinematography and acting skills but this film do not impress me.

I had the chance to watch this film at DIFF, and it turned out to be a bad chance. Be it a Black and white film doesn't make it look great or add any value when the script is so vague and boring. The philosophy behind it isn't interesting at all. The director, who turned out to have a hobby in photography and knows the place where the shot it very well, included in his first feature film a whole lot of childhood memories without even having a clear narrative story, a well built character or a good premise. It's crystal clear that he wanted to communicate all his feelings, which I totally understand, but it turned out to be a complete beautifully done disaster. I personally don't invite anyone to watch it, but maybe 20 minutes will be enough to watch some stunning B&W photography, and beautiful cast.

I saw this movie on a DVD. Initially i was expecting something adventurous , but as the movie goes on it reveals that its a realistic kind of dreamy harsh cinema which focuses on the hard lifestyle of persons(who lived in mountains). it also shows that its really hard to maintain the balance between our inner thoughts and outer world. "FROZEN" that's what the title is!! completely fits in that word. the best part in this was cinematography, Shanker Raman had beautifully captured the emotions and moods of nature as well as humans. everybody had good presence on screen except Gauri - Lasya. but may be we can compromise because it is completely a cinematographer's cinema. story and screenplay are just average. If you want to experience the life on an Indian mountain, then simply go for it.. really a good work in Indian cinema...!!!!