Graham Greene’s novel of the implications of cross-political involvements in 1950s Vietnam offered Mr Noyce a potential wealth of historical action for cinematic correlatives. However, Mr Noyce aimed at Mr Greene’s allegorical drama instead and told the symbolist story of the nonchalance of the French army, the complacence of the British journalist (Mr Caine), the manipulations of the American collaborator (Brendan Fraser), and the resigned ways of the colonized (the lovely Do Thi Hai Yen).

Despite its colorful metaphors, the emotional development of Quiet American is slow and the climactic resolution obvious. Mr Noyce spends so much time building up the relationship between the British and Vietnamese characters that the subsequent scenes appear rushed. I am not aware of the full breadth of Mr Caine’s acting canon, but the nuances of his performance here are exceptionally strong. Miss Yen ’s character does not allow her to show the conflicts of the colonized native; nevertheless, her screen presence is a statement to the nobility of the Southeast Asian. True to form, Mr Fraser’s acting is uninspired, but perhaps he is simply being a quiet American.

Pedro Almodóvar’s Hable con Ella tells the intense story of friendship and communication. Watching it was like playing the matadora role of Lydia. You are clothed in layers of garments, each one wrapping around you tight with patterns, colors, and textures until they blend into one full splendor of textile work. And then you face the thorny issues of the bull, swing to the dance, and meet an unexpected ending.

Few movies remain with me long after seeing them on wide screen: one of them is Roman Polanski’s The Pianist, whose simplicity and old-fashioned flavor of visuals are stunning, if not refreshing. For a movie about a Polish pianist’s escape from Nazi concentration camps, there is nothing nakedly petrifying beyond the occasional scenes of, say, someone being thrown out of a third-story balcony and such. In fact, with its lack of larger-than-life imagery, a perversely romantic feeling floats through the movie: to begin with, the heart-tugging music of Chopin (Polish, but of course!) presents itself in an environment of gloom. Even the clothes, the shop fronts, the living rooms, and the sunny Polish skies look so accessibly natural they become scary.

All you need to know from an Indian before settling in India . . . and before unlearning what you’ve learned!

Good layout, easy reading, fabulous photography, and a small size—this is a good introduction to the fun, frantic city called Mumbai.

The most handy survival guide to the streets of Mumbai.

British visual merchandiser Mary Portas’ recognition of the skill and artistry of the men and women behind window displays.

The first of a series of volumes highlighting successful store design and display projects around the world.

A documentation of diverse display projects around the world that proves why visual merchandising is the most challenging yet most playful of all creative endeavors.

What an entertaining, educational trip back to the era of the late Surrealists (1938-1942)! The stories of how exhibit displays startled and captivated the era provide lessons for today’s visual merchandisers and retail designers intent on creating attention, desire, and interest in a truly provocative manner.