The thrills seem to have evaporated from Kamaleswar Mukherjee's handsome, slow-moving adaptation of a classic Bengali novel.
Mountains of the Moon
2013 · 2h 29m · NOT RATED
Adventure, Mystery
Directed by
Kamaleswar Mukherjee
Overview
Chander Pahar follows Shankar Choudhury, a 20 year-old that takes a job working for the Uganda Railway, and winds up quitting his job in search of diamonds and the Kenya's Mountain of the Moon. Based on the popular Bengali adventure novel of the same name.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
Painfully awkward in execution, from the stiff dialogue to the time-padding slo-mo sequences and glaring CGI.
The many misspellings in the film's subtitles do liven things up, even if the film's patchwork use of Bengali, Swahili, Portuguese and English make them somewhat inevitable.
One reason "Chander Pahar" seems so plodding is that Mr. Mukherjee has a habit of telling us what he doesn't know how to show.
The source material ends up shoehorned between splashy images of springboks and hippos, and any gaps are filled with CGI. But when adapting an acclaimed book, it's probably smart to let the plot steal the show.
More films
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Action · Adventure · Fantasy · PG-13
Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can...
- Runtime
- 2h 59m
- Director
- Peter Jackson
- Cast
- Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen
The English Patient (1996)
Drama · Romance · War · R
In the 1930s, Count Almásy is a Hungarian map maker employed by the Royal Geographical Society to chart the vast expanses of the Sahara Desert along with several other prominent explorers. As World War II unfolds, Almásy enters into a world of love, betrayal, and politics.
- Runtime
- 2h 42m
- Director
- Anthony Minghella
- Cast
- Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe
You Only Live Twice (1967)
Action · Adventure · Thriller · PG
A mysterious spacecraft captures Russian and American space capsules and brings the two superpowers to the brink of war. James Bond investigates the case in Japan and comes face to face with his archenemy Blofeld.
- Runtime
- 1h 57m
- Director
- Lewis Gilbert
- Cast
- Sean Connery, Akiko Wakabayashi, Mie Hama
Blood Diamond (2006)
Action · Drama · Thriller · R
An ex-mercenary turned smuggler. A Mende fisherman. Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed ...
- Runtime
- 2h 23m
- Director
- Edward Zwick
- Cast
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly
One Million Years B.C. (1966)
Adventure · Fantasy · Not Rated
As the Earth wrestles with its agonizing birth, the peoples of this barren and desolate world struggle to survive. Driven by animal instinct they compete against the harsh conditions, their giant predators, and warring tribes. When two people from opposing clans fall in love, existing conventions are shattered forever as each tribe str...
- Runtime
- 1h 40m
- Director
- Don Chaffey
- Cast
- Raquel Welch, John Richardson, Percy Herbert
The Lorax (2012)
Animation · Family · PG
A 12-year-old boy searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.
- Runtime
- 1h 26m
- Director
- Kyle Balda, Chris Renaud
- Cast
- Danny DeVito, Zac Efron, Ed Helms
Home Makeover (2010)
Animation · Comedy · Family · N/A
When a social worker visits Gru’s house to assess its suitability for children, chaos ensues. Margo, Edith, and Agnes, along with the ever-mischievous Minions, scramble to give the home a makeover in record time. Their attempts to create a warm and inviting environment quickly spiral into hilarity as the Minions’ unorthodox methods lea...
- Runtime
- 5m
- Director
- Kyle Balda, Samuel Tourneux
- Cast
- Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Kate Fisher
Orientation Day (2010)
Animation · Comedy · Family · N/A
The Minions embark on their first day of work, eager to prove themselves in their new roles. After watching a hilariously outdated 'Initiation Video,' three rookie Minions take on bomb-carrying duty. Predictably, their enthusiasm quickly spirals into chaos as they bungle the simplest of tasks. Packed with slapstick comedy and the Minio...
- Runtime
- 4m
- Director
- Kyle Balda, Samuel Tourneux
- Cast
- Pierre Coffin, Rob Huebel



Comments
Talk about the film with other members