Aditya's Movie Blog

Steve Jobs ( February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011)

2011-10-07T05:41:00.001+05:30

Steven Paul Jobs( February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) the behind the most succesfull animation studios of the world PIXAR passed away last night after a prolong illness. Steve Jobs bought PIXAR in 1986. The Walt Disney Company bought Pixar in 2006 at a valuation of $7.4 billion; the transaction made Jobs the largest shareholder in Disney.The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide

Pixar has produced twelve feature films, beginning with Toy Story in 1995. It was followed by A Bug's Life in 1998, Toy Story 2 in 1999, Monsters, Inc. in 2001, Finding Nemo in 2003, The Incredibles in 2004, Cars in 2006, Ratatouille in 2007, WALL-E in 2008, Up in 2009, Toy Story 3 (to date, the highest-grossing animated film of all-time, grossing over $1 billion worldwide) in 2010, and Cars 2 in 2011. Eleven of the films have received critical and financial success, with the notable exception being Cars 2, which received substantially less praise than Pixar's previous films.^[2] The $602 million average gross of their films is by far the highest of any studio in the industry.^[3]

City Island (2009)

2011-07-24T21:53:00.001+05:30

Stars : Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies,
Steven Strait, Emily Mortimer ,
Dominik García-Lorido
Directed By: Raymond De Felitta
Written By: Raymond De Felitta

A light hearted movie is a term that most often people use with comedies, and I am not sure City Island should go in this genre. Its a subtle complex family drama that amuses and brings innocence of families trying to make it right. Its best like a week in the life of disjointed loving family, that is raveled and excited about the presence of a new person in the family.

Vince Rizzo ( Andy Garcia ) is correctional officer, born n brought up on the city island, a small island off New York. City Island where people born are inculcated a feel of contentment and belonging about the island. Vince lives with his wife Joyce ( Juliana Margulies), daughter Vivian ( Dominik Garcia) and a son. The dis- jointed , struggling family , where each member has a secret. Each of them tries to hide it from others, pretending all is fine. Enters a prisoner Tony who is the son of Vince, a son Vince walked out on before even he was born. Vince brings Tony home , and things become more complicated as the secret of each member finds a confidant in Tony. Equipped and frustrated on being the one with all the family secrets , finally he helps the family to confront the truth of their lives and let out their secrets to each other.

The story is simple and feels like a story taken out of dear diary pages. Its smart, its sensitive and its realistic. A family where the parents are going through their mid life crisis, a daughter struggling to find an identity and trying to stand on her own, a son who is practically trying to be a rebellion. The screenplay is a very fine example of how to combine small incidents to create a fine screen story. Its sharp, short and provides ample space for the audience to relate and fill in their stories with the movie. The characters are not all very well defined which provides the realistic feel and the vulnerability to them. Raymond has written and directed the movie which I think helped in making the movie so good. He actually knew how to treat each relation and each scene, he never goes overboard with drama or extends a scene to evoke a smile.

Andy Garcia as Vince Rizzo is good, he is supposed to wear several hats at the same time and he does pretty well at it. As a father and husband he is convincing and his innocence in scenes where he talks about being an actor and auditions with Molly, he is pretty good and real. The relationship between Vince and Molly(Emily Mortimer) is very neatly established and treated with innocence. The performance by Emily as Molly is a standout for me apart from Andy Garcia's performance. In a scene where Vince tells Molly about his audition, the emotions that flow on her face as she tries to conceal them is one of the best for me in the movie. The supporting artists have all contributed to making this movie a enjoyable one. Each one contributes a different set of emotions, which helps in making the movie more engaging.

Its a small family drama, that evokes smiles and provides a connection may be to a lot of people through small incidents and scenes. Its subtle comedy with fine blended emotions. A good watch.

Plus : Story, Screenplay and subtle performances.

Rating : 8.5 /10

The Sum of All Fears (2002)

2011-07-18T22:04:00.003+05:30

Stars : Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman, James Cromwell, Ken Jenkins, Liev Schreiber

Directed By: Phil Alden Robinson

Written By: Tom Clancy (Novel), Daniel Pyne, Paul Attanasio (Screenplay)

There are always some movies that may not be great but are pure fun and thrill to watch, they keep you hooked and entertained the entire time and I just love these kind of movies. The Sum of All Fears is one fantasy ride that I liked a lot. Its fun and probably only one of the rare movies that actually showed, fear of which a lot of movies have used as their story line. Based on the novel by Tom Clancy of the same name published in 1991.

The new Russian president promises to build a stronger Russia, which creates a fear of The Russians going back to the old cold-war era. Few created rumors help to fuel the fear. Rogue Russian generals and underground forces join hands to take advantage of such a situation. Jack Ryan ( Ben Affleck) is a analyst who has researched about the new Russian President and studied the man for long. William Cobart ( Morgan Freeman) is a trusted aid of the U.S President. Jack is brought on the team by William that's studying and analyzing the threats and rumors about Russia. A Nuclear explosion takes place in Baltimore which results in a looming nuclear war, which is aided by mis-understandings and wrong information. How Jack and William are able to avert a full grown nuclear war which threatens to destroy the nations and the world is the whole story.

The movie is a fun ride, its nothing surprise except that it actually showed a nuclear bomb going off, which I don't think I have seen before. Its almost on desired lines but still is fun and adventurous in short bursts. The negotiations , the back channel dialogues and protocols are fun to watch. The direction by Phil is credible, the pace of the scenarios and the situations created really kept me on toes and intrigued. The few action sequences are fine but for me the real fun was the co motion and prevalent tension that the actors did pull of well.

The lead cast does well, Ben Affleck is his usual, he may not be the best of the actors but yeah you give him something good,he does pulls it off quite credibly. His Jack is smart but still so not so over the board and he does brings that boyish charm to a character who is not sure if he is in the right place. Morgan Freeman, he is one actor you don't have to think about while casting in. Give him anything and he will sure raise it through his performance. Usual role of a CIA operative with full authority, control and he does it the way it should have been, cold and stern. The actors in supporting roles of President Fowler (James Cromwell) and President Nemerov (Ciaran Hinds) are two actors I felt did gave a mention able performance.

It may be nothing special but it does shows when all the worst we fear comes together its hard to maintain the mind under control. Its really a sum of all fears and did brought some fun and excitement for its running time.

Plus : Sum of all Fears on a screen, something may be not often seen

Rating : 7/10

Raising Arizona (1987)

2011-07-10T19:44:00.001+05:30

Stars :Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter , John Goodman, William Forsythe, William Forsythe
Directed By:Joel Coen
Written By: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

There are some directors and movie writers for whom their work is a trademark and when I look at their work all I can say is ,"yeah this is why I love movies" and the Coen Brothers is one such pair. Every work done by this duo is far more than brilliant and "Raising Arizona" is no different. Another classic linear yet twisted tale which just tickles every funny bone in the body and is still a supreme cinematic experience in the unique Coen Brothers brand. .

H.I.McDunnough a regular burglar for whom life is robbing convenient stores and getting back to one place where he knows people, jail. H.I meets officer Edwina 'Ed" who is responsible for taking mugshots, in of his trips to the jail ,falls in love and decides to change. Marries Ed and they plan on starting a family, but the doctor tells them they won't be able to. At the same time "Arizona Quints" are born, a rich couple are blessed with 5 children. H.I and Ed decide to kidnap one of their kids and that's when all the commotion starts which is aided by Glen and Evelle, two convicts who break out of the jail and are friends of H.I. McDunnough.

The story like in every Coen Brother movie is linear but the execution is highly twisted. The movie has its bizarre and super funny twists which are much aided by the unique direction of the brothers , which has now become a trademark of the duo. The movie just unfolds from one situation into another and never stops cracking you up. The pace of "Raising Arizona" is fast and never gives you a dull moment. The sequence where H.I tries to bust up another convenient store for diapers and is chased by police, gun slinging store clerk and a number of dogs is super funny. The sequences involving Gale and Evelle are another highlights to watch out for. The background score helps too in creating that super cool feel about the movie. The story just lets the characters takeover and bring colors to the whole experience.

Nicolas Cage as H.I. McDunnough lives one of his rare funny characters, which is still so tangled up inside. One of the early parts by Cage before who took up more complex and serious outlaw characters , he brings so much earnestness and honesty to it ,through his eyes, through the mannerism aided by the close up camera work. Holly as Edwina is sweet and true to her characters feeling and mood swings. John Goodman and William Forsythe add flavors to an already spiced up movie, the sequences involving them and the kid are super funny. Each artist just adds more to the movie and shines up the rugged characters with a superlative performance, which all adds up and brightens up the movie.

"Raising Arizona" is supremely hilarious and yet gently emotional. Its one of the craziest and funniest movie I saw in a very long time. Its a must watch , if you have been late like me on catching it up, and for others I am sure a re-run is great thought.

Plus : Performances, direction and super crazy sequences.

Rating : 9/10

An amazing and large discovery

2011-07-05T01:57:00.002+05:30

I was going through the usual activities at my blog when I saw this one link. I was eager to know ,so I clicked it and Phew! I landed up at movie blog called "http://worldsbestfilms.blogspot.com/" . Its an amazing and huge compilation. Its kind of a Catalog for the best movies in different languages and geographies. I was amazed by the amount of movies and the number of languages that were cataloged.

The blog contains all kinds of list, Best Movies from China, Hon Kong and Taiwan , Top Ranked movies from Japan, Best War movies and so on. Its truly amazing the kind of lists that were prepared , coz they were not just like Top films from Japan but the author actually puts in efforts to rank in his favorites out of them all.
May be I am just overwhelmed by the efforts and the time that might have gone into compiling such huge data but I felt that I should appreciate and thank the author for compiling such a huge database and sharing it with all the others. So to say Thank You, all or least I could do is write about his blog.

So if you are ever in doubt about searching for movies by language, genre or geography may be "The World's Best Films" could be one of the places you may wanna check out.

The Hangover 2 (2011)

2011-07-03T22:50:00.001+05:30

Stars : Bradley Cooper, Zack Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Ed Helms

Directed By: Todd Phillips

Written By: Scot Armstong, Craig Mazin, Todd Philips

Hangovers sometimes last more than they should and may ruin your next planned day or evening entirely. The Hangover 2 kinda does the same. The Hangover was a delightful fun nicely paced experience, while The Hangover 2 goes down as the extended Hangover that crumbles down under the pressure of expectations.

The wolf pack is back in action and this time its Thailand. Stu is getting married and learning from Doug's bachelor party decides not to organize one this time and even goes to the extend of not inviting the very notorious Alan but later on he does. This time guys decide to just cool it off with beer and bonfire by the sea. The next thing they know, the gang without Doug and with Teddy, Stu's brother- n-law and Chow wakes up in shoddy Bangkok room. This time, they wake up with few more shocks, Alan's head is shaved, Stu has a tattoo on his face , Chow is naked and a new member "monkey"joins them. Five minutes into all the screaming and shocking realisations they discover Teddy is missing as well. Next begins the mayhem as they try tracing their night and Teddy.

The Hangover 2 kinda lacks a lot if we compare to its prequel. In an attempt to make this one more funky and wild ,the writers try to put in more characters, more wild acts and even try exploiting the cramped locations. But too much ingredients sometimes do not lead to a better product. The predecessor was wild but still had a charm and likability to it. This though lacks the charm and simplicity which made The Hangover so much fun. Its not all lost in the sequel though, Chow with a better and longer role provides some funk to the movie and Alan does provides a few moments of charm.

Todd Phillips did great with The Hangover but may be this time around gets a bit carried away and with a lots of expectation just falls short. The dialogues too fail to help an already weak script. The locations could have added some points in its favour but were under utilized. The only saving grace and the fun part as in the first one were the clicks that were shown with the end credits.

I may be getting too carried away by comparing The Hangover2 with its prequel and just getting to negative but its just that I had so much expectations from this one. For me Zack Galifianakis and Ken Jeong were the two decent performers and yes there is one act involving Stu which is really funny. A car chase, when the gang tries to steal back the monkey is fun to watch as well. The Hangover 2 is not bad but its just that its not as good as I wanted and expected it to be. It can be a bit fun with a few friends and some hangover.

Plus : ZackGalifianakis, Ken Jeong and sporadic moments of laughter.

Rating: 6.5/10

Delhi Belly (2011)

2011-07-03T02:46:00.001+05:30

Stars : Imran Khan, Vir Das, Kunal Roy Kappor, Vijay Raj, Poorna Jagannnathan.

Directed By: Abhinay Deo.

Written By: Akshat Verma

Finally after so long went to watch a movie and glad that I did. Delhi Belly is a super fun watch with high humor quotient and probably is one of the very few out of all those A rated movie that deserves it. It got A from the censor for its content and definitely an A+ from me for the same.

Tashi (Imran Khan) , Arup(Vir Das) and Nitin ( Kunal Roy Kappor) are flat mates. Sonia (Shenaz Tyerwala) Tashi's girfriend asks Tashi to drop off a package somewhere and Tashi passes the responsibility to Nitin. Nitin goes down with "Delhi Belly" a stomach trouble and passes the responsibility to Arup. Nitin being down with stomach trouble gives Arup a stool sample as well to drop off at his doctor's clinic on his way to delivering the package. The packages get exchanged and that's when all the commotion starts.

One of the path breaking movies ,that I guess was so long due .The movie scores on its content, performances, music and its non apologetic free flowing screenplay and dialogues. A true situational comedy with hardly any moment to catch one's breath. Right from the first scene to the last disco number, the movie keeps you engaged and with a running time of around 96 minutes it doesn't drags at all. The director Abhinay Deo ,who's last release Game was highly panned , definitely shows the talent that led Aamir Khan showing faith in him. The cinematography is brilliant and so is the editing, the pace is brilliant and there is hardly any character or scene which feels out of context..The real location shooting also aids in keeping it real and adds flavors to the movie.

Performances wouldn't say are all exceptional or great but they all come together and create a good movie. Imran Khan who plays Tashi definitely deserves applause for improving so so much. He does something that I guess no actor would have been able to do for the character i.e. not to act. The supporting cast of Vir Das, Kunal Roy Kapoor have the best unwritten parts. I mean they feel like yeah that's what should have been done. The star of the movie for me was Vijay Raj, a brilliant actor ,who has done so well in the past, does it again. His character is wild and spins the story into top gear. The ladies ,Shenaz Tyerwala and Poorna Jagaanathan have small but very important character. Poorna as Menka gives a genuine performance. She looks naughty, confident and definitely gorgeous. Shenaz didn't had much to do but yeah she does well with her small part. The rest of the cast, the Landlord of the guys , the goons with Vijay Raj's character have all done a brilliant job, The coming together of all the small but brilliantly played parts makes "Delhi Belly" a delightful and fun movie.

Its a super fun movie and definitely worth spending the 96 minutes and few bucks.

Plus : Almost everything is good about it.

Rating : 9/10

Cinderella Man (2005)

2011-04-29T03:03:00.002+05:30

Stars : Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger, Paul Giamatti and Craig Bierko
Directed By: Ron Howard
Written By: Cliff Hollingsworth (screenplay), Akiva Goldsman

One of my favorite movies and another one from the super sport of Boxing. This sport I don't know how but it keeps churning out one extraordinary tale after another. May be its that ring ,which turns those fighters with iron fists into lion hearted gladiators who never quit. Cinderella Man is the story of James .J. Braddock one such gladiator who fought, never gave up , neither in the ring nor in life.

James .J.Braddock is the star of this movie and is our Cinderella Man. One time prime boxer , who lost everything when the "Great Depression " hit U.S in 1929, he lost his property ,his wealth and the one thing that brought him all that wealth ,his boxing licence after he breaks his right hand in a fight.Working up in the docks, fighting to even keep his kids warm in winter, he gets a grasp of respite after he is asked to step in the ring as a replacement boxer fighting that time No.2 contender. His win surprises everyone and one fight leads to another and takes him to the top. This extraordinary fight for survival by James.J.Braddock earns him the title of "Cinderella Man" inspiring a whole lot, everyone from people struggling for even basic meal to those fighting to move up.

The Real Cinderella Man

Another inspiring, extraordinary tale from the boxing ring. The story is one of the many highlights of this superb creation. The writers have adapted it brilliantly for the screen and Ron Howard with his unique ability to bring these real stories to life on the big screen creates a gem. With every scene the movie just keeps pulling you in and the attachment to the characters just grows. The work done in putting up those extraordinary fight sequences pays rich dividends as each one is like watching a fight from the ring side.

The cast is like perfect people at the right place. Russell Crowe one of the finest actors of his generation, gives another breath taking performance as James.J.Braddock. The body structure , the look , the expressions ,the punches everything is so perfect. Like with every character ,he makes this one his own as well. Looks every bit James.J.Braddock "The Bulldog from Bergen",from the fighting style to even the hair. He is great in every scene but the ones with his children and specially with his old friend and manager Joe are really brilliant. His eyes,the expression and the silence says it all for him. Paul Giamatti as Joe Gould plays very important and to perfection role. He is excited as an ordinary onlooker, concerned as a manager and just happy as a friend. Renee does a fine job as James wife Mae, providing the emotional support to her man as a wife and being concerned as a lover and mother of his kids.

Its an amazing movie , even if doesn't inspires you ,it will definitely give you a pleasant and wholesome experience as a movie goer. One of the best movies from Ron Howard and one the best performance among the long list of great performances by Russell Crowe. A must watch for every one.

Plus : Great story, superb direction and perfect performances.

Rating : 9.5 /10

The Fighter (2010)

2011-04-15T06:56:00.011+05:30

Stars : Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale ,Amy Adams and Melissa Leo
Directed By: David O. Russell
Written By: Scott Silver (screenplay), Paul Tamasy,

I don't know if its the sport or the people but its something special and terrific about this sport called "Boxing" ,that it always gives us stories that are not just inspiring but are very very humane. The Fighter is another story from the sport of Boxing. Its the story of Micky Ward and his brother Dicky. The movie really stands by its title , true story of true fighters.

Micky Ward a boxer ,generally seen as stepping stone for other boxers is trained by his crack addict boxer turned coach half brother Dicky. Micky's manager is his mother Alice , who feels its good to keep everything within the family. Somehow Micky feels that neither his brother nor his mother give his career the value and the attention that could really pull him up the ranks. So he decides to move out of his town and train with professionals .

Dicky once a boxer is now a crack addict, lives in a delusional world, and thinks the HBO team who contacts him is making a film on his comeback ,which is actually a film on addiction. Dicky gets arrested and the film is aired during his stay in jail. The actual reality of the movie breaks his delusional self and he decides to get back up on his feet. Meanwhile Micky starts making progress in his boxing career and is being pitched as the No.1 contender for the title. Micky asks Dicky to train him again for the title fight which he eventually wins and becomes the Light Welterweight Champion.

In a movie sometimes the characters are so strong that its difficult for the artists to live them on the screen , but in The Fighter the actors just made the characters their own and gave performances that were more powerful than the written characters. Specially Mr. Bale ,he kinda made the most amazing transformation I have seen in years. From Bruce Wayne to Dicky Ward is a mammoth transformation, the body , the accent , the body language is tremendous. There is no Christian Bale in the movie all I could see was scattered , drug addicted and struggling Dicky Ward. Mark Wahlberg who had been trying to make the story in a Motion picture for so long , gives a performance that was totally worthy of his Academy nomination and all the accolades . His dedication to the story and movie is reflected by his 4 years work on himself and the story. He doesn't even opts for stunt doubles during the fight scenes and takes all the punches.

The leading ladies of the movie Amy Adams n Melissa Leo match the men through out. Melissa as Alice , Micky n Dicky;s mother and manager gives the performance that was totally deserving the Academy award she earned. Alice's relationship and possessive nature about her boys ,is beautifully portrayed by Melissa. Amy Adams gives yet another brilliant performance. I have seen her work in Julie & Julia and Catch Me if you can and both were good and so is this. As the girlfriend of Micky who brings up the rift between the family and also Micky's realization to move on. The supporting cast also pitches in worthy performances that make the movie an experience worth remembering.

The story is real and so is the movie experience. David.O.Russell gives the movie so much reality with his direction. Some of the scenes in the movie hit you hard, specially the part where Dicky faces his reality. The moments between the brothers feel honest and real. David doesn't allows the movie to go commercial with the camera work, the movie stays to the core and the story just holds its own.

Its an extremely real movie with a lot of hard work put in which is reflected in every aspect of the movie. Its truly a movie that I would love to see again specially for the performances of the cast.

Plus : Brilliant performances, great direction and humane story.

Rating : 8.5/10

Glory (1989)

2011-01-27T01:25:00.002+05:30

Stars : Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington , Morgan Freeman

Directed By: Edward Zwick

Written By: Kevin Jarre (screenplay), Lincoln Kirstein , Peter Burchard  (book)

American civil war has given us a number of memorable movies,some of them have just brought the story back and some have created each and every moment for us and have etched a great impact on lot of minds. Glory is one of the rare and latter kind. It not just makes a point but also creates a space for itself and the tale it portrays. Its a remarkable movie which touches a part of history and touches a lot of hearts. Its a remarkable movie with astounding star cast and brilliant direction which keeps the delicate and fragile nature and subject of the movie intact.

The movie tells the story of unmatched , outstanding courage , unconquerable  spirit, unshakable belief and indomitable human strength. Glory tells the tale of the  54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first colored regiment that fought in the civil war. Its a story that is woven from the letters of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and plays from his view point. Shaw wrote about what he saw and what he felt while commanding the 54th regiment. The social and internal prejudice, the war within everyone involved deeply and committed to the cause but the choice these people made , brought peace and glory to them and to their country. Glory is like an essay about the untold heroes, brought to the big screen.

The cast of the movie is its biggest strength after the subject. An ensemble cast that includes Morgan Freeman, Danzel Washington and Matthew Broderick wow!. Danzel Washington has a screen presence which makes even the best of the pack look like newbie in movies where he is not even required to bring his A game, and he got an Oscar for his role in this one. So no guesses he really burns the screen with his performance as a black man filled with anger, passion and a desire to be remembered. There is a scene towards the end where the army stands ready for attack and if looked closely only Mr. Washington is the one who looks like ready to give it to the enemy. Morgan Freeman , a voice, a personality that easily shakes up every sense when on the screen, gives a splendid performance as first colored Sargent of the battalion  . There are moments between Mr. Washington and Mr. Freeman which just light up the screen. Even the silence in the presence of these two stars feels like a very well thought and written work. Matthew plays the guilt ridden, self doubting commander who is never sure of himself but when the time really comes he steps up and leads from the front. The story belongs to Matthew's Shaw and the moments where his inner expressions and dilemma's are revealed it gives a very human touch to the movie.

The direction by Edward gives Glory a lot of realistic touch. The dialogues are great and some are really heavy too. The emotional outbreak of its hardened characters provides moments of pure emotional glory. The subject is definitely about the experiences of Colonel Shaw but it provides an insight to the feelings of those who fought the war and their feelings about the reasons for it.  Glory moves beyond its subject and the way its been dealt with makes you stand up at moments. The Glory for Glory lies in the way the final product turned out , a magnificent classic which surely touches your heart but tells the really meaning of Glory.

"Courage is reflected in the choices we make and that's where lies all the Glory"

Plus : Great performance, brilliant direction.

Rating : 9/10

Dead Poets Society

2011-01-03T21:05:00.007+05:30

Stars:Robin Williams , Robert Sean Leonard ,
Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles , Dylan Kussman.

Directed By: Peter Weir

Written By: Tom Schulman

They say mere words cannot make a difference but the truth is that they do. Words and ideas can move mountains, they do have the power to change the world. If we look back in history, revolutions have been headed by people who knew how to deliver the right words. Poets have always had a say in every revolution. If great speeches ignite the fire of revolution , the poets and their works have worked as fuel for this fire. Dead Poets Society, is an inspirational movie that quotes from great poets, inspires and revolutionizes lives of few young men who were in it and many more who became a part of it .

John Keating joins back his Alma mater "The Welton Academy" as an English teacher. Welton Academy known as one of the top most preparatory schools, stands tall on its discipline and traditions. Keating teaches a class of seniors and tries to inspire them to think for their own. He believes education means thinking for yourself and that's what he tries to inculcate. He brings a spark of hope and ambition to lives of few in his class and is able to make a difference to their lives but ultimately as always with anyone trying to move away from the herd in the end Keating is disposed off by the Academy after one of Keating's student commits suicide.

John Keating played by Robin Williams is definitely a high light of the movie but the heart of the movie lies with the story and the students of the school played by a very talented cast that includes the incredible Ethan Hawke. Robin Williams in one of his few low profile high impact non comic roles gives a splendid performance. His Keating is very realistic. Its easy to relate to his character and the way he communicates with his students is what moves the heart. Being a part of an institute one knows what that institute can provide and i feel everyone has a wish if we could go back and change one thing or make a difference.Robin's Keating is very much interested in his students and wants them to believe in themselves. The way he listens up to Tod , understands Neel , it just makes the movie like a mirror for some, looking straight at our past.

The biggest asset of the movie apart from the story is its supporting cast. The young students played by various artists attach a lot of meaning and realism to the movie by adding a wide range of emotions and behavior to the plot. These are students that we all had in our classes a geek ,an extrovert , a introvert trying to fit in, the class laugh target, a bookworm and all those. Ethan Hawke plays Tod Anderson a shy kid , filled with potential but holding too much in. Keatings interactions with Tod and Neel give some memorable and short moments. The varied personalities of the students and the varied affect of what Keating tries to convey to them is a delight to watch. The last moments of Keating in class, I have to say are my favorite scenes in the movie and one of the best endings I have seen. Its not just moving but it has something more than that. It has a satisfaction, its has the feeling of accomplishment, the smile on Keatings face and the sparkle in the eyes of the boys , like saying so much to their teacher.

Story by Tom Schulman is endearing and also has subtle message that just not only fits in the movie scenario but every where else. The dialogues are definitely lasting and so is the impact. The movie is sensitive but also smart. The way it lays the points out is simple engaging and definitely not boring. Peter Weir's direction is also brilliant specially sequences in the latter half of the movie. I loved the quotes from various writers and the poems quoted in the movie.

Dead Poets Society has every thing that places it among the better movies of the past 25 years. Its simple , its high on emotions and most of all its high on senses. Dead Poets Society is incredible , it may not last forever but is does leaves its cast for sometime. Watch it for Robbin Williams, brilliant writing and most of all what it has achieved to say , reaching a point where a lot of movies aspire to reach but fail miserably. Dead Poets Society is like a poetry so watch it with pleasure and listen to it carefully. It will leave you refreshed and all I can say about Peter Weir and his incredible team is "Oh Captain My Captain"

Plus: Robin Williams, Brilliant writing and much more.

Rating : 9/10

SALT (2010)

2010-12-27T02:13:00.005+05:30

Stars : Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor

Directed By: Phillip Noyce

Written By: Kurt Wimmer

Everyone of us has been fascinated atleast once by one of the most glamors and most dangerous field of work in this world "Espionage". There have been a numerous movies about this field and only a few of them have really been able to leave a footprint . Movies like Spy Game , the Bourne series have been few and sporadic. Salt does not reaches that level but yes it does keeps you hooked for its 96 minutes of running time.

A Russian defector Orlov provides information to the CIA about a plot to assassinate the Russian President during the funeral service of the U.S vice-president which the Russian President plans to attend. Orlov names a CIA operative Evelyn Salt(Angelina Jolie) as the Russian agent who would be conducting this assassination. Salt has been a CIA operative for years and had spent two years in North Korean brutal captivity but she was still with CIA and working with her partner Ted(Liev Schreiber). After the allegations Salt is held for interrogation even though she pleads innocence. Before the intelligence could lay hands on her Evelyn manages to escape. The chase of Evelyn Salt, her true identity and her mission is what this movie is all about. Its an action packed typical Angelina Jolie movie, where its easy get distracted by her and lose the track of the plot.

Angelina Jolie has a hunger for action, and she has proven time and again that she is the actual action star of Hollywood, sometimes even giving complex to her male colleagues. She has a quality to take risks and biggest example is that she is never reluctant to look ugly. Drenched in blood, open wounds, distorted face , she has done it all. In Salt too she completes her task well. You can put her in any situation and she never disappoints, she is hot, she is fierce and she can handle guns even better than some men. She gives her all to the role , with looks like her its hard to notice her acting skills but in the scene where she has to watch her husband die, she had to express all her feelings through her face and eyes while trying to keep them inside as well. Her stone face , moist eyes and her cold stare give a clear example of how well an actress she is. There is a scene towards the end where the rawness and the energy of Angelina is shocking and awesome at the same time. Liev Schreiber plays Evelyn's CIA friend , Ted Winter and he does it very well. The story revolves around Evelyn so others didn't had too much to do but yes Liev tries to give decent enough performance towards the end.

Looking at the story of Salt, I felt it was somewhat similar to Anna Chapman episode. I really liked the sleeper cell part, a 20 year sleeper cover thats so fascinating. . The movie has a very deep and well woven script but all the spy movies have a cliche and I guess by now most of us are able to spot the mole or the real culprit during the first 15-20 minutes of a movie. The movie has a chase sequences that is good, a few action sequences impress in bits but on the whole the action of the movie disappoints.

Salt is a regular piece of work with an amazing woman we all love to watch. Its a decent movie, that is engaging for the most part where Angelina takes the anti hero image and brings her action packed A game.

Plus : A gun wielding Angelina Jolie.

Rating : 7/10

Amen. (2002)

2010-12-25T04:17:00.001+05:30

Stars : Ulrich Tukur , Mathieu Kassovitz , Ulrich Mühe ,

Directed By: Constantin Costa-Gavras

Written By: Costa-Gavras , Jean-Claude Grumberg and Rolf Hochhuth (Play)

There are some chapters in the human history that can never be forgotten, they have left their marks and scars on the life of millions. One such chapter is Holocaust, a scar , a wound that has and may never heal. Almost all of the humanity was affected by it and different people had different experiences. A lot of movies have touched it and a few of them have really left an impressions. Our filmmakers have depicted and tried to touch upon every aspect of it. Amen is again a movie that touches this subject but from a completely different side. Its a beautiful movie, which not just broadens the view but also somehow brings to light a new face of the people , nations involved and the religious institutions at time. Its based on a 1963 play by Rolf Hochhuth, The Deputy, a Christian Tragedy, about some real men and contains some arguable truths.

Kurt Gerstein a Lieutienant in the S.S and member of the Hygiene institute is responsible for designing and maintaining system for purification of water, lived in Berlin. At that time war had begun and it was widely believed Nazi's have started their evil plan to exterminate all the Jews, but people didn't believed it and neither did the church. Kurt is moved out to a camp to look up some purification process , unaware what was meant by context of purification in his new posting , Kurt becomes a witness to one of the extermination process. He decided the world should know about it and so do Vatican, so they could protest against exterminating the Jews and pressurize Germany to stop it.

Young Jesuit priest Riccardo Fontana hears Kurt and decides to help him out . Riccardo believes a lot in the holy father and his father being a count he had the access to his Holy father. This is the story of their efforts to prevent one of the worst genocides in the history and the relations between the church and the Nazi Germany. Its the story of ugly side of the allies and their politics and what could have been done.

The most impressive aspect of Hollywood movies has been their stories, they have always picked up subject and feelings that do form a connection. This time I couldn't find out what pulled me into this one but there was something about the characters and their efforts. May be it was my need to solidify belief in people. There were people in the Nazi ranks who did tried to bring an end to Nazi crimes by eliminating Hitler and failed but I never knew about the efforts by Kurt and Riccardo. Though the efforts by Kurt and Riccardo couldn't stop Hitler but they do establish that being human is more important and keeping that humanity alive is possible even in the worst of circumstances.

The movie is also about the role played by the Allies and the church during World War II but it also points about the power of belief. Some people are driven by their believes, even if its against their own country. Kurt is driven by his believes in human values and Riccardo in the power of his God but it also holds true for German officers and the Allied commanders. The role played by the church is similar to what it has been playing about various issues all through the history, for which it has been and is under severe criticism even today.

The performances of the leads in the movie are very commendable. Ulrich as Kurt Gerstien gives a very believable performance. The inner conflicts of Kurt and his struggle to keep his emotions to himself are very well depicted by Ulrich. The guilt of being part of the crime, horror of what he sees and fear for safety of his family are expressed beautifully by Ulrich. Mathieu as Riccardo plays the most important role and gives a heartfelt performance. His struggle to keep his shattering faith intact is a pitiable sight and Mathieu does well to make you feel that pain. The climax of the movie when Mathieu makes his decision is poignant and shocking. Towards the end the broken Riccardo brings out the best of Mathieu.

The subject of the movie is sensitive, specially depicting the role of church but credit should be given to Constantin Costa for dealing with it intelligently and not shying away from bringing the dark role of the church. The story itself is very engaging and a reason enough to watch the movie , the screenplay adds to the already fine movie. The script never lets you off and made me more curious to know what happened next , may be that's more because of the subject but still the screenplay makes an already great movie more engaging and some scenes in the movie just fill you up. Specially the last 15-20 minutes of the movie left me surprised and with a feeling of remorse about what could have been done.

The movie is different from a lot of the movies made on the subject of Holocaust but its still quite similar to lot of them in where it makes the connection. This movie does finds it place right up there with Schindler's List and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Definitely a must watch.

Plus : Heartfelt story and struggle. Brilliant direction.

Rating : 9/10

The Social Network (2010)

2010-12-24T06:42:00.003+05:30

Stars : Jesse Eisenberg , Andrew Garfield , Justin Timberlake ,Armie Hammer

Directed By: David Fincher

Written By: Aaron Sorkin (Screenplay) , Ben Mezrich (book "The Accidental Billionaires").

" I am not a monster" that's how everything that has been big or is big in the world justifies itself. The Social Network tracks the story of one such Biggie in the social world "Facebook", most successful start up of this decade. Everyone thought none would be able to compete against the success of "Google" leave alone going past it , out comes Facebook , now officially the most visited site in the world. The Social Network takes us from the start of Facebook to its current position in the cyber space.

They say behind every successful man their is a woman , knowingly or unknowingly. Mark Zukerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) a sophomore at Harvard University has a terrible break up with his girl friend and as in all such scenarios , booze and net(place being Harvard) comes to the aid. Intoxicated Mark writes about his break-up and develops on an idea by his friend to compare undergards at the university and ask people to rate them. The site gets almost 22000 hits in 4 hours after its upload and Mark is called up as the servers crash. This small incident is how the Facebook pre-production was done and rest as they say is history. The movie isn't about this incident its the story that germinates from here and moves on to what we now know as "Facebook" which i am sure will be a word in Oxford dictionary by the end of next year.

The movie scores in lots of areas. The biggest attraction being able to get a sneak peak into the real story behind the fascination and obsession the world has been made addict to "Facebook". The life of Sergey Brin and Larry Page still fascinates millions, we all have read about the story behind the birth of "Google" but to actually see it being enacted is completely different and I am sure would be an exhilarating experience. The background score and the production value of the movie are noticeable. The use of minimum and essential things is what makes this movie a fine n much real experience. There are no use of details which didn't counted, the movie never deviates from Facebook, as in such movies sometimes one tries to explore personal side of the characters.

The performances by the cast is another highlight of the movie. Its highly engaging and drives a lot form the splendid performances from the leads ,specially Jesse who plays Mark Zuckerberg. I don't know if I am correct but Jesse does looks a bit like Mark. To say how well does Jesse Eisenberg plays Mark is a tough task coz I don't know how Mark behaves but all the successful college dropouts who made big have few common traits and they are very well reflected by Jesse. The passion, the way search for excellence drives these guys nuts and most importantly when such guys meet their idols, the kind of expression during and after the meeting are all there. Andrew Garfield play Edurado , Marks friend and initial partner. Andrew does well and in few scenes where blank expressions were expected he provides them with ease. Few high emotional moments between Edurado and Mark do reflect on the personal side of Mark but I suppose they were intentionally subdued or underplayed. Justin Timberlake plays Sean Parker and quite sure the way he played Sean, he was very real.

The direction and screenplay provide the heart to this movie. The movie moves at a rapid pace and never does makes one loose interest. The movement between the present and the flashback is really nicely done. The only thing is one just cant miss any moment as it just not holds to a point for long enough. The direction by David Fincher is remarkable. It seemed to me whenever he went in to the flashback he uses subtle colors and present is shown in more bright colors. The movie is one of the best this year content wise. Its very much a don't miss it at any cost movie.

Every great men who has brought or led a revolution in this world has faced criticism, acquisitions and dilemma , so does Mark Zuckerberg. But what's important is like every other guy Mark wanted a general good life, like he says in the beginning, he was motivated but when he found something that became his obsession well what to say. Yes we do see betrayal and rest of other things and people will judge but he is a human. Like he says " I am not a monster".

Plus : Story, Performances, Direction almost all of it.

Rating : 9/10

Despicable me (2010)

2010-12-22T19:13:00.002+05:30

Stars : Steve Carell , Jason Segel , Julie Andrews ,Miranda Cosgrove , Dana Gaier, Elsie Fisher , Russell Brand.

Directed By: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud

Written By: Ken Daurio , Cinco Paul(screenplay), Sergio Pablos (story)

Over a considerable period of time movies that have left their mark ,have been intense and closer to reality. They have told unknown stories, brought various aspects of human relations and behavior to fore front, they do provide that endorphin buzz but have drifted a bit away from the term entertainment which was the original idea about movies. Animation has thus captured the entertainment side of movies, DESPICABLE ME one of the finest movies of this year brings back that fun, entertainment and the childish innocence on the screen. A wonderful and delightful creation that brings smile laughter and that feelin good feeling in the stomach.

In a world filled with super heroes, destroying all that is evil, the top spot among the super villains is a highly coveted seat. Gru is one of the super villains fighting for the top spot. Someone steals the pyramid of Giza which intimidates Gru and he decides to unveil his plan to steal the moon and make every other crime look like ****. Gru steals the Shrink Ray Gun but is ambushed by another young villain Vector who takes the gun away from him. Gru adopts three little girls and plans to steal the gun back through these little girls. What happens after these girls enter Gru's life is what the movie is all about. Its a simple story but incredible execution.

The movie is filled with highlights. The first is the voice over by the stars, specially Steve Carell who actually steals the show. The writing is superb , specially the screenplay, every scene and every dialogue is hilarious. Each character is so well carved that its hard to decide the favorite. Each characters has been provided with distinct behavior and each one has been given a story , which brings lot of charm to the movie. The animation is prefect, the physical appearance of the characters adds a lot to the over all character.

The voice over by the stars is superb. Steve Carell is splendid , his slightly French Gru made me laugh every time he spoke. His slight lisp and physical appearance makes him instantly likable. Every thing about him is very cute and adorable. Right from his awkward and scary looking dog, his travelling vehicle and best his working assistants minions. Minions yellow colored cute little creatures are just so cuddly, its hard not to wanna just grab one of them. The three little girls , Margo, Edith and Agnes bring innocence and more laughter to the screen. The scene where Gru reads to the little girls for the first time is really funny and very cute. Lovable dialogue's are made humorous by the way they are delivered by the artists. The character of Vector is beautiful voiced by Jason Segel. Dr, Nefario, Gru's friend and scientist adds to the fun experience of the movie. The movie is filled with scenes which are cute , funny and instantly likable.

The director duo Pierre and Chris are to be given credit for keeping in mind small details when creating magic on the screen. The moment when Gru brings the girls home and gives them instructions , he leaves them with with food , water and anther sheet for Pee Pee and Poo Poo. The director duo create scenes where if silence is prevalent but the expressions of the character make you laugh that moment. The directors have kept the current happenings in mind when developing the story. Like the Bank of Evils shown in the movie has this on its door "Bank of Evil formerly Lehman Brothers".

Its an extremely funny movie and is sure to give moments that tickle you long after the movie is over.

Plus : Excellent characters , funny dialogues , situations and excellent voice over.

Rating :9/10

October Sky

2010-10-28T22:54:00.002+05:30

  Stars : Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, Laura Dern, Chris Owen, William Lee Scott, Chad Lindberg, Natalie Canerday

  Directed By: Joe Johnston

Written By: Homer H. Hickam Jr. (book) , Lewis Colick (screenplay)

There have been hundreds of movies from Hollywood which are based on real lives and many of them have been truly inspirational. October Sky, belongs to that league of inspiring movies, based on real life of someone who not only changed his life but inspired a lot of other and is inspiring now through this movie. Based on autobiographical novel Rocket Boys: A Memoir  by Homer Hickman , October Sky takes you in the lives of 4 boys led by Homer, who not only chased their dreams but also were able to catch it and realize it.

Homer Hickman lives in the small mining town of Coalwood in west Virginia. His father John Hickman is the supervisor of the coal mine, and is a man who believes someday his son Homer will take his place. The story starts with the launch of Sputnik I (Telemetry from Sputnik I as it passed overhead ), the world's first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957 on October 4. Homer with the whole town saw the Sputnik pass over their town n decides that he is gonna make a rocket. After initial failed attempts Homer gets in touch with   Quentin the class geek. Homer , Quentin along with Roy Lee and O'Dell, Homer's friends start on their journey to space. The four boys encouraged by their teacher Miss Riley, helped by few at his fathers mine test their initial rockets, which actually are not able to take off. But boys do see success after using the correct fuel and putting in some fine metal in their rocket. John is against Homer's madness and they don't agree on anything. Homer and boyz receive a set back after they are charged with starting a fire by one of their missing rockets. John meets an accident in the mine and is bed ridden. Homer decides to work in mine for his father. After the recovery of his father Homer goes back to what he wanted and starts building rockets again. The group wins accolades for its hard work,by winning the National Science Fair. Homer and his father John are able to reach peace , when his father comes to see the launch of their final rocket. The boys were known as Rocket Boyz, for their efforts.

Effortless performances from the stars makes October Sky a pleasure to watch. Jake as delightful, strong minded Homer plays one of the best roles of his career. He is every bit Homer Hickman we can imagine. His smile has been his asset and the director makes good use of it at the right spots. Chris Cooper as John Homer, is a veteran of such intense characters. Most of the roles he has done are intense, strong willed and stubborn in nature and here also he delivers a superb performance in a role which he has relived in a lot of his movie.  The friends played by Chris, William and Chad provide the much needed support and humour through their performances. The family backgrounds of the boys were very nicely used by the writers to create sequences which made me laugh n shed a tear for them. This being a real story makes it all the more interesting and inspired. Laura Dern plays Miss Riley , the teacher who acts as the motivator and inspiration for the Rocket Boys. She plays the character with lot of heart and honesty. Her expressions in the later part of the movie speak a lot and bring in emotion of pride in the movie.

The genre of the movie is inspirational but the thing that makes it standout is not the achievement but the journey towards it, even though the achievement wasn't a big one. The screenplay of the movie makes it a engaging and delightful watch. The movie starts with Homer being just another teen from a small town and by the time movie ends the boy had turned into a man. This transition is very beautifully brought out by Joe Johnston. The background score is peppy as per the time period shown in the movie. The cinematography is also well done job, Fred Murphy is able to capture the beauty of the town and around it. With some intense scenes between John and Homer the director also tries to explore the father-son relationship, which has been a part of lot of movies. The intensity of the movie is very well helped by some fine dialogues. The bonds of friendship and respect are very strongly presented in the movie.

October Sky is a brilliant effort and is a must watch if one is looking for inspiration. The movie sincerely and with full conviction tells the story of four young boyz who fought for their dream and what they believed in..

Plus : Good Performance and an inspiring subject.

Rating : 8/10

The A-Team (2010)

2010-10-28T04:14:00.006+05:30

Stars: Liam Neeson ,Bradley Cooper ,
Jessica Biel ,Sharlto Copley,
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson,
Patrick Wilson

Directed By: Joe Carnahan

Written By: Joe Carnahan, Brian Bloom, Skip Woods , Frank Lupo (Television Series), Stephen J. Cannell (Television Series )

This was a highly popular action packed Television series during the 80's(1983-1987) and the big screen adaptation was released this year in July. I do like Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper and Miss Biel she is gorgeous but wasn't excited to see this one. Last week I got my hands on this big screen version and boy oh boy , its a mad house. Completely rocking and fun .

Col. Hannibal Smith , Lt Facemen Peck, B.A.Baracus, Captain H.M.Murdock are four Ranger men , who form the Alpha Team , i.e. The A-Team. A-Team is the outlawed arm of the law. The most unconventional team of the army, they have the most unconventional methods but always at the top. The men are given an operation which turns out to be a set up. The team is held responsible for the operation which did not had any written orders for its execution. The men are dishonourably discharged and sent to prison. CIA men Lynch the person who hired the men for the failed operation brings the team back together. The men want their records cleared and want revenge from the men who made the heroes into traitors. The movie is their revenge saga and its one hell of a revenge operation.

The stars of the movie Liam Nesson, Bradley, Quinton and Copley are fun to watch. I never thought of watching Liam Nesson in such a cool avatar, he is cool and really impressive as the leader of the pack. His voice is his biggest asset and as Col. Smith he uses it very effectively. Bradley Cooper took time to find the leading man roles but now as he has, he rocks. Hangover was fun but Cooper as Facemen is wild. He is totally buzzing with energy and for me, he is the one who takes the limelight with his sheer energy. Capt. H.M. Murdock is the craziest guy of the four, and he truly looks and acts crazy. He is just incredible and gets some of the craziest and funniest lines to work with. Quiton as Baracus , is the bull of the pack. Strong but afraid of flying , leads to some fun sequences with Mudrock. Beil always looks gorgeous and as Lt. Sosa she rocks.

There are many sequences that can be brought up, which are just too much fun but the standout sequence is Hercules being chased by Drones and the guys then trying to fly a tank. The return of Baracus during the climax was just so much about raw power and really incredible. With some large scale action and cool sequences A-Team is just slightly above from rest of no holds barred action movies.

The movie is awesome, its packed with action ,adrenalin and is totally a exciting journey for all its 1 hr and 53 mins running time. There is no need to bring the head in while watching this one. Its truly a fun ride and their is no dearth of excitement. Packed with outrageous action sequences, its never short of moments which just blow your mind. Its way cooler than few of the past movies which had a team of outlaws. The dialogues are cool and very much what one can expects from a movie that presents itself as cool and action adventure ride. The direction, I cannot say much about coz there is not much space for showing the calibre but some of the sequences are highly imaginative and well presented.

Fun watch, its a 2 hr action packed joy ride which is highly enjoyable, specially during its last part.

Plus : Nothing special but fun to watch.

Rating : 7/10

Bicentennial Man (1999)

2010-10-22T23:01:00.004+05:30

Stars : Robin Williams ,Sam Neill ,Embeth Davidtz ,Oliver Platt

Directed By: Chris Columbus

Written By: Isaac Asimov, Robert Silverberg, Nicholas Kazan

Its been feared by a lot , written about by a lot and dramatized by a lot and is one of the most thought upon question "what if robots take over ?". Bicentennial Man is a movie which does not answers this but gives us a view or a perspective. Its not great nor its ugly but its something I was very much intrigued by. Its a Robots journey across two centuries and is very much a tale of real rather than mechanical emotions.

Andrew an android is brought home into the Martin family by Richard Martin to assist in housekeeping and other daily household works. Andrew astonishes everybody by his capabilities to feel and react to emotions. Not only the Martin family but even the creators are surprised by Andrew's reactions and emotions. Martin's a family of four, husband and wife Richard Martin and Rachel Martin, two daughters Grace 9 yrs and Little Miss Amanda , present to Andrew with a wide a range of emotions. Grace hates Andrew, Amanda loves him, Richard respects Andrew and Rachel sees him as machine. Andrew becomes not just a housekeeper but a part of family and very close to Amanda and Richard.

The beginning of Andrew's journey with the Martin's is what arises curiosity and sets the tone for a very interesting movie. Andrew's creativity and emotions were indeed very surreal and made me wonder what's next. Robin Williams, plays Andrew but is in a Robotic suit and looks convincing. The few moments of laughter are provided by Andrew's innocent attempts at knowing the human nature and behaviour.

As time goes on ,Andrew's capabilities grow and the love of Amanda for him grows as well. Andrew now feels love and almost every emotion , he is more like a man inside a Robotic suit. Amanda loves Andrew and even thinks about him before getting married but after all Andrew is a machine. Andrew's quest to improve himself and be able to emote allows him an upgrade where he was able to reflect his emotions through his face. Andrew still serves the Martin family with all due respect and care but begins to feel the need to expand. As Amanda's family grows , so her innocent and pure relationship with Andrew. After Amanda's divorce Andrew becomes her sole companion. Andrew has been with the family for almost 20-25 yrs and has grown as a man but still a robot. He seeks his freedom from Mr. Richard Martin but wants to continue working for him.Mr Richard grants him his wish but on the condition that he has to leave the home. Andrew leaves the home and makes a new home for himself in a nearby place.

The emotions in the movie grow stronger with the growth in Andrew. The wast knowledge and experience Andrew gained through books and people makes him question, what he is and what's his destiny. Andrew becomes more human and the questions put forward through Andrew were indeed for every human. The movie slows down in pace with the movement of the story. Somethings still remain unanswered but I suppose the narration slacks because of the time length the movie had to show. It never really shows the family's real reactions but only the superficial emotions.

Its been sixteen years since Andrew left the Martin family. His relationship with Amanda still pure and innocent but in these past 16 yrs Andrew never saw Mr. Richard Martin. Andrew gets called by Mr. Martin during his last time, which raises another question for Andrew. Andrew leaves to seek his own kind and finds one in China with Mr. Rupert Burns, who was the creator of Android and a scientist at NDR, Andrew's birth place. Rupert Burn sets to help in making Andrew more human and research that will lead to Andrew's wish for love. After 20 yrs Andrew goes back to meet Amanda but with an upgrade. He has been able to get a skin , a human body from the outside. Amanda has grown into an old woman and has a grand daughter Portia , exactly like her. At Amanda's death Portia who disliked Andrew at first bonds well with him. The occasional company grows into fondness for each other, which makes Andrew more desperate and wish full. He decides to be a complete human with neural cells and human body parts, which will grow old. The change in Andrew , allows Portia the comfort of accepting him as her lover. To make her love for Portia real Andrew sets for the last path which would have made him complete , the recognition by the society, which he is only able to get at the age of 200 and lying in bed ,old and fragile with love of his last life Portia.

The movie grows with time and instead of taking a step forward , it goes backwards. The love of Portia and Andrew was like full circle. the quest of Andrew to be human does not raises anticipation but towards the end kind of bums one out. The story becomes very repetitive and instead of exploring the emotions, turns more into a physical quest of Andrew. The movie does gives few beautiful moments in its last 40-45 minutes but other than that its dragged on. The movie could have ended on few occasions and I feel would have been apt for the movie but its stretched for too long. The death of Amanda and Andrew taking in a homeless dog was one such place where it could have ended.

Robin Williams, one of the most gifted artists of our times, proves his tag again. He is meticulous as Robotic Andrew, he keeps in the character. It must have been very hard for him to be in that suit but still he lands the authenticity. The only sad part was , when the movie was exploring the emotions and true feelings Robin was missing and when he appeared the emotions were missing. They became more plastic and screen required towards the end. Sam Neill as Richard Martin was spot on, he looks elegant and does fairly well in couple of emotional scenes with Andrew. The only performer who had the screen presence as human was Embeth Davidtz, first as Amanda and then as Portia the granddaughter. She plays her part well, is able to emote through her eyes and provides the presence needed to hold the screen in absence of any human star in presence of Robotic Robin Williams.

The movie is based on the novel The Positronic Man, co-written by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg which is itself based on Asimov's original novella titled The Bicentennial Man. Chris Columbus, the man behind later blockbuster Harry Potter series is the director and one does see his brilliance here but only a glimpse. The handling and expressing every human emotion in 2 hrs is not an easy task but Chris does a fine work. The make-up team does deserves applause for its superlative work. Andrew the Robot does looks 100% real. The best part of the movie is it does not shows robotic capabilities of Andrew and thank god does not goes shallow looking for some humor out of Andrew's journey. There are some very fine dialogues through out, which also add to the Andrew's quest.

The movie isn't bad but its not good enough either. It started very well but somehow lost it in middle. The movie though stands for more than what Chris was able to show. Its an OK watch and may cause you a bit trouble with its slow pace in the second part of its running.

Plus : A new perspective .

Rating : 6/10

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008)

2010-10-18T04:46:00.005+05:30

Stars : Asa Butterfield , Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Jack Scanlon , David Hayman , Rupert Friend.

Directed By: Mark Herman

Written By: John Boyne (Novel) , Mark Herman (Screenplay)

There have been many many books and movies describing and telling about the horrors of the Holocaust , from the eyes of their survivors, people involved and some of them have really touched hearts but The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is different, very much different than the others I have seen or read. Its full of heart, innocence and hope. Its beautiful and pure to the core and makes you wonder why n where did we lost our innocence and became what we were and are , animals, fighting, killing and full of hate. It sees the period from the eyes of an eight year old. Its about friendship in the worst conditions and in shear adversity.

Bruno( Asa Butterfield ) is the son of a German commandant, living happily in Berlin .His father is moved to a remote village where a concentration camp is being setup. The villa Bruno and his family are stationed is very close by to the camp. Bruno like every eight year old is adventurous and an explorer. He is innocent and ignorant of what was happening in the world. He sneaks out one day and discovers the camp, which he thinks is a farm. Bruno meets Shmuel ( Jack Scanlon) another eight year old, who is also a prisoner at the camp. They become close friends and Shmuel is actually Bruno's only friend. Unaware of what's going on, the boys are happy in each others company. Its the eyes of an eight year old whose only source of happiness is his friend Shmuel, to whom he pops a question one day ." you know we are not supposed to be friends but enemy" and the boys don't know or care about. That's what this movie is about, which meets a sad end.

The first thing that touches you are the eyes of Bruno, full of innocence, life and curiosity about the world. The innocence of the boy and his pure heart is well crafted out in the dialogue "Its funny grown ups can't make their minds up about what they want to do" , the movie isn't about the war or its horrors, its about the lost innocence. A concentration camp is a farm for a boy who reads only adventure books but as he is taught about the world, he becomes skeptical and that's how we corrupt the pure souls. The first meeting of Bruno & Shmuel is so pure, its two different worlds wanting the same thing love, friendship and a chance to explore. The bright smile on Bruno's face when he meets Shmuel and knows he is also eight reminds us that we don't have to judge a person by who he is but whats inside.The daughter of the family Gartel is contrast and example of what how we do it. Shmuel adds to questions of the movie, which are a lot not just put forward but to be asked to ourselves. The guilt of Bruno letting his friend Shmuel down by not standing up for him , the wait to see him again and the forgiveness by Shmuel , does reminds us how simple the world could have been. Just want to say that its a movie from the heart and should be watched with heart.

The movie is based on a 2006 book by John Boyne. As far as the movies technicality go on, the cinematography by Benoît Delhomme is superb. He captures every color visible to perfection. The screenplay, since I haven't read the book was fine to me. The movie needed dialogues mostly from an eight years perspective and most of them were. The innocent questions were too many and were apt to the subject. The treatment of the movie by Mark Herman I felt is honest coz he never lets the adults takeover the movie. The movie never shows the horrors but does lets us know the happenings through Shmuel and Pavel. The movie is more like "Jacob the Liar" which only talks of hope and its power. I characters weren't that complicated and the stars perform well. I got to say though Bruno is our protagonist but Shmuel played by Jack Scanlon is the one that speaks more. Jack Scanlon performs his part to perfection and so Asa Butterfield. The movie is full of bright and pure moments.

The movie starts with a quote form John Betjeman "Childhood is measured out by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows.",which actually summarizes this movie. There may be people who may say the movie just polishes what happened during that war or may say it just shows the tragedy of a Nazi family with glossing up the horrors of the period but I would like to say to them, no one can tell or feel the horrors of that period expect who went through it but this movie is an attempt to just reach within and search , weren't we like this but what happened. The Boy in Striped Pyjamas is just an eight year old's world, who didn't knew how the adults are destroying his world, he just saw a soul. Its fruitless me just writing all this here but I really felt that the movie was much more than what meets the eye .

Its a heart felt story and told with a lot of heart, its not about the Holocaust neither about what was right and wrong but more about what we doing to world.

Plus : More heart than art.

Ratings : 9/10

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

2010-09-24T01:06:00.002+05:30

Stars : Jack Black , Dustin Hoffman , Jackie Chan , Angelina Jolie , Ian McShane , Seth Rogen , Lucy Liu , David Cross , Randall Duk Kim , James Hong .

Directed By:John Stevenson ,Mark Osborne

Written By: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger

In this decade with the advancement of technology there have been some amazing animation movies, with better animation , better story though the theme is still the same and high production values. Kung Fu Panda is an action packed comedy from the house of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc the studio that gave us some of the most memorable animation movie of all time such as Shrek, Madagascar and recently "How To Train Your Dragon". Kung Fu Panda i feel must be the first animation feature to be set in China and based on the ancient martial art of Kung Fu.

Its the story of a warrior so fierce that his opponents were blinded by over exposure to pure awesomeness. Its the story of the legendary giant Panda warrior who was so feared and loved that even the best in whole of China the Furious Five bowed in front of him. But as the furious five under the command of giant Panda were ready to face the army of 10000 devils from devil land a voice broke our Po's dream. Po (Jack Black ) a giant Panda is the son of a swan who owns a soup corner in the valley of Peace. Strange though but yes our Giant Panda was the son of a swan. Po dreams of being a Kung Fu master like his hero's the furious five. Master Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Master Crane (David Cross), Master Monkey (Jackie Chan), Master Viper (Lucy Liu ) and Master Mantis (Seth Rogen ) are the students of Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman ) a red Panda , who is a friend and student of Master Oogway(Randall Duk Kim) , the one who created the martial arts of Kung Fu. Oogway decides to select the Dragon Warrior coz he feels that Tai Lung (Ian McShane) will soon return and only the Dragon Warrior could stop him. Tai Lung was the prodigy of Shifu, for whom Tai Lung was not just a student, Shifu brought him up like his son. Shifu trained Tai Lung day in day out , he wanted him to be the Dragon Warrior but when Shifu brought Tai Lung in front of Oogway as the Dragon Warrior, Oogway saw arrogance, evil and rage, so he denied him the dragon scroll. Oogway's denial turned the obedient student against his master and Tai Lung created havoc in the city but before he could take the dragon scroll he was neutrialized by Oogway and sent to prison for life. Po decides to go n watch the Dragon Warrior being selected by Oogway, he tries all the measures and as the last attempt he puts himself in a chair and sets the attached fire crackers on fire. This does takes him up but as the crackers fuss out Po lands right in front of Oogway, who chooses him as the Dragon Warrior. Shifu is embarrassed and considers this to be an accident to which Oogway replies "there are no accidents my friend" . This is the story of Po getting over his personal doubts to become a Dragon Warrior, Shifu coming over his doubts about Po and making peace with his past and like every gorgeous animation making a very simple but true point that there is no secret ingredient, we just need to believe in something is special to make it special.

The usp of this movie are its characters, their characterization and closeness to real emotions on the animated faces. Giant Panda are no doubt one of the cutest animals ever but i guess this Panda beats all from his clan as far as cuteness is a parameter. A huge credit for the success of this movie goes to the animators at Pixar who have created awesome characters. Po is awesome and Jake Black deserves a huge praise for his voice over. Its not just correct expressions but perfect, he makes the scenes more enjoyable by delivering every dialogue with perfect ease and charm. Whether its the initial excitement of learning Kung Fu or the huffing and puffing Dragon Warrior ready to face Tai Lung towards the end. There are innumerable instances of pure delight through out the movie, specially the sweet innocent and enthusiastic childish expressions of Po whenever he got something new to learn. Master Shifu the sweet, strict and amazing red Panda voiced by the legendary Dustin Hoffman makes an impression not just on the movie but on its viewers. Master Shifu's relationship with Po is very honest and their interactions are the highlight. Everyone form Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chain, Lucy Liu or even the almost mute Seth Rogan have done a commendable job, special praise for Jolie who has done a number of action packed movies and I feel though Tigress is a fighter but Jolie had to lower her tone and never ever she is allowed to burst out.

The writers of the movie also deserve credit for turning a very simple story into a wonderful screenplay. Whats more worth mentioning are the action sequences of the movie, with some sequences being really high impact ones. As Po was lovable and cute, Tai Lung looked every bit a bad ass villain and the most ferocious fighter. Tai Lung's eyes could make any young child weep and be scared. The director duo has done an awesome job, through out the movie I never felt that the movie was being dragged or any sequence put in without purpose.

Kung Fu Panda is a highly enjoyable and fun movie. If one could remember Kung Fu Panda's moral then its much much better. Its definitely among the 10 best animation movies of the past 2 decades.

Plus : Superlative animation quality, brilliant performances.

Rating : 9/10

Toy Story 3

2010-09-20T17:25:00.003+05:30

Stars : Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Estelle Harris, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Jeff Pidgeon, Jodi Benson, R. Lee Ermey, John Morris, Laurie Metcalf , Ned Beatty, Timothy Dalton, Bonnie Hunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Jeff Garlin, and Michael Keaton.

Director : Lee Unkrich

Writers : John Lasseter , Andrew Stanton , Lee Unkrich

One of my favorite animation series came out with its third installation this summer "Toy Story 3 The Great Escape". I was very eager to get my hands on this adventure tale of a group of toys who come alive when no human is around them and finally i got to see it this weekend.

Our group of toys which comprises of a cowboy, inter-galaxy solder, a cowgirl, a T-Rex, potato head couple, slinky dog and few others, is sad and very dejected as it fears being thrown out as trash. Andy the boy who owned and played with the toys is all grown up now. He is 17 and leaving for college and the group thinks that they would be thrown out as its been years since Andy played with them. Woody the cowboy (Tom Hanks ) is still hopeful of being put in the attic rather than being thrown out but no one believes him. Andy starts to take out stuff and pack in what he will be taking to college. Andy packs all the toys except Woody in a trash bag but keeps Woody for college. As he takes the trash bag up the attic he is held back by his sister who asks him for help. Andy's mother seeing the bag out assumes it as trash and puts it out with the rest of the trash. Woody sees this and decided to help his friends and prevent them from being thrown out. But before he could reach down to help them the trash bag was taken away. The group with help from Buzz( Tim Allen ) and Rex (Wallace Shawn ) is able to burst out of the trash bag before being picked up. Woody tries to explain them that Andy wasn't throwing them away but was putting them into the attic but no one believes him and decides to go to a children's home with toys that Andy's mom was donating toys too . Woody Tries to talk the group out of their decision but in vain. As the group reached the Children's home, they were greeted by ecstatic old toys in the play room who were led by Lotso (Ned Beatty ) a Hug bear and his friends. Lotso talks the group through the children's home and very kindly and politely takes them into the children's playing area which was supposed to be their new home. The group was excited and rejects all the arguments by Woody, who decides to leave them and return to Andy. As the children rush in the group is terrified as the children who were suppose to play with them were very young n didn't knew how to play or handle them. They realise that Woody was right about the place and they should move out before anything bad happens. As Buzz tries to look for a way to escape out he is captured by Lotso and his group. They re-set Buzz to Demo mode and use him take all his friends as prisoners. While on his way back home Woody gets stuck in a tree just outside the children's home and is picked up by Bonnie, young girl and the daughter of the caretaker of childrens' home. At Bonnie's house Woody gets to meets Bonnie's other toys and Chuckles who knew Lotso and Lotso's chief enforcer the Big Baby. He tells Woody about the evil Lotso. How he tortures the new toys and tells him that his friends might be in danger. Woody being a true friend decides to rescue his friends from Evils Lotso and return back to Andy. How Woody and the gang fight's against Lotso and his group, savse Buzz and escape out form the Children's home back to Andy is the main highlight and action packed second half of the movie.

Right from the start of the series I have loved the idea of a separate world of toys where they interact, fight and do all that we do, and this thought coupled with very high quality writing, execution and superlative animation is treat for both the eyes and the heart. Toy Story 3 is not just the next step in this amazingly sweet and fun series but it also steps up 3-4 levels in terms of writing and with 3-D in animation. The characters are still the same sweet and funny, so is the spirit of the movie. Tom Hanks is again superb as Woody which I feel is an extension and mix of his past movie characters. Woody has got the sweetness and innocence of Forrest Gump,courage of Jim Lovell from Apollo 13, determination and loyalty of Captain John. H. Miller from Saving Private Ryan. Buzz voiced by Tim Allen has always been a buddy to Woody and the hero in crisis with all his gadgetry. But in this part though for a brief moment we do get to see a bit of Tim Allen in Buzz, when he in trying to reset Buzz back to normal Woody switches him into Spanish mode. The dance with Jessie and how tries to woo her is awesome and the funniest part of the movie. Joan Cusack as the wild cow girls Jessie is again amazing, every voice actor here gives a very noteworthy work. Its the perfect combination actually because almost every character created here had a little touch of the actor voicing it, which I feel helped the actors in really coming out with the right timing and tone for that character.

I don't know how is the experience of watching this movie would be in 3-D as I didn't saw it in 3-D. There is no doubt that watching a movie in 3-D is awesome but I didn't feel there was anything special that I would like to see in 3-D but its the in thing and every movie is coming out in it. John Lasseter the director of toy Story and co-director of Toy Story 2 is not the one directing this one but he takes up the full time producers role and is replaced by one of his co-directors from Toy Story -2 Lee Unkrich. Lee has worn various hats on some very amazing animation movies over the past 1-1/2 decade and his experience in various roles has contributed in making his maiden movie as solo director into a huge success.

Toy Story 3 is one of those 2 hrs joyrides that capture your heart and mind. Its very entertaining, sweet, is more action packed and emotional than its predecessors. A must watch if u do like animation and even if you don't like it there is no harm in good fun for a couple of hours.

Plus:Top class animation, nice story and newer sides of the characters are revealed.

Rating :8.5/10

Grown Ups (2010)

2010-09-13T19:56:00.093+05:30

Stars : Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider.

Directed By: Dennis Dugan

Written By: Adam Sandler , Fred Wolf

The genre of Hollywood comedy has a wide variety like black, romantic, n out n out full comedy but among these varied genre's I feel there is another genre which almost always stands out and that for me is Adam Sandler genre of comedy. Most of movies hardly need a bound script , some of them are like he is trying to live his past days again. Super to be able to do that even though its just for 2 hrs but not many get to do it even for a minute.

Five childhood buddies, members of junior high basketball championship tema are united after a very long time due to the demise of their beloved team coach Buzz. Coach always wanted the players of his team to live life the way they played the game that day.

Each one of them has found new career, family and they somehow lost touch as their responsibilities and work piled up. Lenny(Adam Sandler) has become a successful Hollywood agent, is married to a fashion designer Roxanne (Salma Hayek) and has three kids that are spoiled to the limit. Something that worries Lenny,watching his kids glued to the video games, texting the nanny for everything and never actually knowing whats like to play outside. Eric Lemonsoff (Kevin James) the big man of the junior high champion team is a co-owner of a lawn furniture firm, married to Sally (Maria Bello) has two kids , elder daughter and a son who still likes to drink his mommy's milk even though he is 48 months. Kurt McKenzie (Chris Rock) is a stay at home father who is married to Deanne (Maya Rudolph), the primary breadwinner of the family. They have two kids and Deanne is expecting again. The fourth friend Rob Hilliard (Rob Schneider) is a thrice divorced pacifist vegan married to Gloria (Joyce Van Patten), who is 30 years older than him and has 3 daughters out which two are extremely hot . Marcus Higgins (David Spade) the last of the five is still bachelor and lives life according to his rules. He is a womanizer and is the least bothered of them all. Though the guys haven't met for long, their bond is still as strong as it was back then. This is a story of these five friends and their family. How they are able to re-discover their lost friends, their inner child, the lost spark in relationships and the most important themselves.

The last movie by Adam Sandler was Funny People , which was also a subtle comedy if we compare it to the past standards set by Adam Sandler and so is this one. Though he has moved up to more dramatic and sensitive comedies but still the movies he makes give you the same sense of happiness as were his earlier works. There is never a really big story behind movies done by Adam ,except a few exceptions like, Fifty First Dates etc but still the movies are complete in their own way. The story here is some thing I feel very close to me and since Adam Sandler is the co-writer with Fred Wolf ,it must be close to him as well. He has taken up something that's very contemporary and given it the simplest of expressions rather than going for an dramatized version. The story is light hearted and just flows through . The dialogues are routine with some nice jokes added. Though most of the jokes or lines used are not new but they did took me back to the old college jokes, which was kind of good.

The performance's in the movie aren't awesome but the movie didn't required anyone to be awesome. Five friends out on a picnic with family was how I felt about it. Though most of the movie did look like just a video from an outing with friends but none the less it was enjoyable. The guys were good, specially I think Rob Schneider, as the highly emotional dramatized version which is not usually his style of comedy. Mostly I have seen him more physical than in Grown Ups. I specially liked the sequence where all the guys except Rob are staring at the hot ass of Rob's daughter and they take turn to stare, was really cool and funny.

If we do look at the movie it does lacks a proper screenplay and editing. The huge ensemble cast must have been hard to direct and control but I feel Dennis Dugan did an OK job but yes it could have been better. The movie is relaxing as most of Sandler genre of comedy movies are and with the inclusion of all the members with whom Adam Sandler generally works , the movie becomes more enjoyable and relaxed.
It may not make one realize what one is missing but yet does makes you feel you are missing something , if you haven't called up or been in touch of your friends and family for long.

Plus : Enjoyable and very relaxed movie. May be lead you into making some calls.

Rating :8/10

Prince Of Persia : The Sands Of Time (2010)

2010-09-11T07:46:00.060+05:30

Stars : Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Gemma Arterton,

Alfred Molina

Directed By: Mike Newell

Written By: Jordan Mechner, Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard

Action Adventure mixed with legends and myths is one of my favorite genre and with adaptations of popular computer games for big screen its moving up my list. Tomb Raider-Lara Croft, Resident Evil, Max-Payne etc to this long list of computer game adaptations another name was added this may "Prince Of Persia : The Sands Of Time". A large scale project from house of Jerry Buckheimer which should have been and should be seen on big screen for sure.

Dastan ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) is the youngest son of King Sharaman the ruler of the Persian empire but an adopted son. Dastan stands shoulder to shoulder with his two brothers Tus(Richard Coyle) and Garsiv (Toby Kebbell) and their uncle Nizam ( Ben Kingsley) brother of King Sharaman and the adviser to the kingdom along with Persian army led by Tus at the gates of the holy city of Alamut. King Sharaman had ordered that the city of Alamut should not be touched, so Tus summons his war council. In the war council Nizam pushes for attack on the city by presenting evidence of Alamut supplying the Persian enemies with deadly weapons and is able to get his way. Garsiv is given the honor of first attack at dawn. Dastan knows that an attack on the walled city of Alamut would be a massacre of the Persian troops, so he decides to break in with his band of solders.. Dastan and his men are able to break open the side doors of the walled city which makes it easier for the Persian troops to enter Alamut and taste victory. The princess of Alamut, Tamina(Gemma Arterton) is famous for her beauty and she is also a guardian of a secret dagger. As soon as she is informed about a Persian attack she asks one of her commanders to take the dagger to a safer location but the commander is intercepted by Dastan who is able to get hold of the Dagger. The King of Persia arrives at Alamut and questions the attack on Alamut, to which Tus promises his father to return with evidence of Alamut's treachery against Persia and leaves. Before leaving Tus gives Dastan a cape to be presnted to the King by him. King accepts Dastan's gift and wears it but soon his body starts to burn and he dies. Since Dastan presented the cape to the King everyone believes he is the one who poisoned it and Dastan has to run for his life in which he is assisted by princess Tamina who knows the city too well. How Dastan is able to prove his innocence, find the real culprit and able to uncover the secret and powers of the dagger is what the full on action adventure odyssey is all about.

In an action adventure movies like Prince of Persia the main attraction are the special effects and Prince of Persia has a lot. But yes the best view would be in the theater near you, not like me in bed on the laptop. The movie is highly entertaining , there is nothing new story wise for those who have played the game but yes there are few things picked up from the other two releases of the game. Few of the effects are fantastic specially the climax where whole of the city is pulled downwards. Parkour seems to be the in thing now days in action adventure movies and Prince of Persia has few highly entertaining sequences based on the sport. Though who can forget the Parkour sequence in Casino Royal but the sequences here are more entertaining because of narrow lanes and the amount of props in the way.

Jake Gyllenhaal as Dastan looks just fine but I could see the hard-work he must have put into getting ready for this character. The lanky boy from October Sky to the beefed up street smart , flying Persian prince Jake has definitely come a long way. There was no sincere attempt by any of the characters to adopt an accent , which i thought might have looked better. The fight sequences are fine specially the ones where the dreaded specialist killers Hassansins were involved. I feel it must have be the origin of our times dread killers assassins. Ben Kingsley is ok, not a note worthy performance from a seasoned actor. He just sleep walks through his role, since its an action adevnture movie anyone hardly cares and the actors don't have much to show for. But out of the whole cast only Alfred Molina as Sheik Amar a local ostrich racing-organizer and tax-averse entrepreneur standsout. He is funny and gives a lively performance. Gemma Arterton looked really beautiful. She lived up to her characters fame, as the real beauty. She is fine as Tamina, the princess of Alamut and the guardian of the dagger.

The highlights are definitely the special effects but I felt what kept the interest was the pace with which the movie plays through. Its a long movie with 115 minute running time but never once i felt bored. It keeps going and never slows down, so u don't need to put in any mind , just sit back n enjoy. A lot of credit goes to Mike Newell, someone with experience and such awesome movies like The Awakening, Donnie Brasco, Mona Lisa Smile tucked under his belt , he brings the game extremely well to the big canvas. Prince of Persia was a very big project and I feel the way Mike has done it , he might have out done the expectations of many, at least mine he did. I wasn't expecting the movie to be so much fun.

Prince of Persia is definitely a one time watch , its very energetic and 2 hours well spent.

Plus : Very entertaining

Rating : 7/10

P.S : watch it on the big screen.

Pretty Woman (1990)

2010-09-08T21:53:00.000+05:30

Stars : Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Hector Elizondo.

Directed By: Garry Marshall.

Written By: J.F Lawton

Romantic Comedy has been a genre that's been explored across decades and all over the world. There have been a large number of romantic comedies on screen over a long a period but only a few of them are remembered and Pretty Woman is definitely one of them.Its one of the highest grossing movies of this genre of all times.

Mr. Edward Louis (Richard Gere ) a very successful businessman, takes off from a party after a heated conversation with his girl friend in a brand new Lotus of his lawyer. Looking for his way to an hotel in Beverly Hills he stops at a corner to ask for directions. Vivian (Julia Roberts) a hooker reaches to Edward's car and offers direction to hotel for a payment of $5 . Vivian and Edward head towards the hotel, Vivian starts talking about the car , its engine and what it can do which amuses and surprises Edward. He invites her to stay with him for the night in the hotel. Thus begins a love story that takes the characters through a week long journey filled with moments of perfect romance, guilt, freedom and learning.

Its said that if you love someone you don't care who they are, where they from as long as you are in love, the Backstreet Boys made a song for the same. The social difference between Edward and Vivian is huge and plays a very important part in cementing the relationship. Vivian is looked down by the high socialites of Beverly Hill , something I think is not just restricted to Beverly Hill but is widespread. Edward is ultra rich and has the power to change that, which he does but what is impressive is the fashion he does it in. Though its a cliche " a rich guy, poor girl or vice-verse" but the freshness here is provided by the honesty maintained by both the characters. Though its a love story and Edward does treat Vivian with respect and dignity that a woman deserves but through out I felt Edward found peace, when he was alone and only when he really needed he went to Vivan, which I feel says that Edward never forgot that Vivian was a hooker. While Vivian initially enjoyed the treatment she was getting but as the days passed her respect for Edward turned into love and this is the honesty I am talking about. The movie is funny and filled with romantic moments. The Opera sequence is one of my favorite, where we see the romantic side during the course of Opera and as the Opera ends the funny side of it.

Julia Roberts, Oh boy ! isn't she pretty and her laughter is amazing. Its one of the roles that took Julia to stardom and I could see why. She is brilliant as Vivian, the soft , sweet corner girl who is intelligent and knows what to expect. Julia lends innocence to Vivian through her eyes and her gorgeous face while maintaining the no-bullshit attitude of her character. In and after the scene where Vivian harassed by Edwards partner, the way Julia holds herself was really good. Those eyes filled with tears and still bursting out at Edward was really something. She rightfully gained an Academy Award nomination for her performance as Vivian. Richard Gere is charming and gentlemen as usual. He must have been used to such roles by then so it was nothing special from him but yes was good as Edward and in holding one end of the string tight when the other end held by Vivian went through an emotional change. Hector Elizondo plays Barnard the hotel manager, my favorite character in the movie, always so understanding, helpful and graceful. I have seen him play the same kind of character in The Princess Diary movies and he is one character which brings a smile to your face.

The movie is very cute and of course romantic. I know its fairly tale mixed with some flavours of human emotions and was of course something that we have now seen a lot of times but still its a fun watch and if you have nothing much to do, its still a good watch with your girlfriend.

Plus : Julia Roberts

Ratings : 7.5/10

Wag The Dog (1997)

2010-09-06T22:19:00.000+05:30

Stars : Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche , Denis Leary , William H. Macy ,Willie Nelson .

Directed By: Barry Levinson

Written By: Hilary Henkin, David Mamet

There has always been a back story to every military action taken by United States of America and most of these stories have come into mass criticism across the globe. We have had a lot of movies that showed the angle presented by U.S.A for its action but hardly very few that revealed the actual back office happenings. Wag The God was like a fresh breeze that I believe came out with the real backstage stuff and commendably in a very hilarious fashion.

The President election is due in 11 days and just then the current president who is hoping for re-election is struck by a sexual harassment allegation by a 16 year scout girl. The case looks serious and can dampen the chances of re-election for the big man. A political planner Conrad Brean (Robert Di Nero) is called in by the current presidents election team to divert the public attention from the scandal. He is rightly called as Mr. Fix It by Winifred Ames (Anne Heche) the presidents advisor, since the scandal is big and involves a young teen. Mr Fix It thinks over and concludes that only a war can take peoples mind off the scandle. He is able to create an environment of a looming war with Albania, through a staged press conference and presenting fake video evidence of situation in Albania. To create the video evidence and mass concern he needs someone who can take it to big scale, that's where Stanley Motss(Dustin Hoffman) a big time Hollywood producer steps in and takes it upon himself to make sure that he gives to the public a war. How the team of Mr. Fix It , Miss Ames , Stanely and his team are able to fool the entire nation and bring the president back into office is what the story is.

Comedies, mostly which I have seen are either romantic ones or Adam Sandler genre of comedy, rarely I get to see black comedies. Dr. Strangelove was one of the last I had seen. and this one was my second. Superb writing. The series of events, the way they have been tied together is amazing, the screenplay writers deserve a huge applause for that. The dialogues were perfect sarcasm and so hilarious, that i cursed my self why it took me so long to watch this one. How even the biggest political scams and controversies are just pushed under the carpet by our beloved leaders, not just in USA but all over the world is brought out in the best possible way one could imagine. The writers are the actual heroes of this movie. Their work was supreme and should have been more applauded and recognised.

Robert Di Nero and Dustin Hoffman, Phew! what a team and when two of the greats come together its nothing short of legendary. The performances of either is brilliant, Mr.Di Nero is superb as Conrad Brean, one of his few comic roles in last century and Mr. Hoffman as Stanley, showcases one of the shades of his acting powers. Di Nero's character is cool , manipulative and highly impressive which I felt was a nothing unusual for Mr. Di Nero, as he is ultra cool very very impressive and when you hear him speak you are completely hooked. Most of Mr. Hoffman's characters have looked a bit on the edge or I may say they had this habit of constantly on move or going through things quickly or in a slightly odd manner and the same goes with Stanley. A high profile producer, who is kind of in awe of himself, wants recognition and see this opportunity to get his reward. Mr. Hoffman fits in perfectly and every time he uses the phrase "Oh ! this is nothing " I was hooked to see whats next. The expressions of both the actors are immaculate and whenever both the stars shared a frame it was awesome. One buzzing with energy enthusiasm and pride and the other cool, thinking over the impact while scratching his beard. Anne Heche is good and comes in perfect as a presidential advisor , always worried about what if the plan goes wrong, the first one to panic and the last one to calm down. Her scenes with Mr. Nero are really fun , coz our Mr Fix It always comes up with ideas which were hard to understand for her in first place and her confused questions and reactions were funny and cute. She looks beautiful through out in that smart suit of hers.

There is hardly anything that can be said which hasn't been already for the man Barry Levinson, the man behind brilliant movies like " Good Morning Vietnam", "Rain Man" and many others. He is superb in the way he lets the movie flow, the whole movie looks an effortless effort but hardly there is a moment where one may say that yeah this could have been better or the movie slacks a bit. Wag The Dog is funny from the start and maintains it till the very end but also leaves with something to thought, if you want to.

A superb movie, must watch specially in today's scenario with US military presence spreading into a lot of countries.A good laugh is always great and I assure of lot in this one.

Plus : Super writing, good performances and a whole lot of fun.

Rating : 8.5/10

The Karate Kid (2010)

2010-09-04T04:10:00.000+05:30

Stars : Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith, Taraji P. Henson

Directed By: Harald Zwart

Written By: Script: Christopher Murphey, Story: Robert Mark Kamen

Its a tough ask to re-make a hit and tougher when the original is a classic hit. Harald Zwart took upon this challenge and yes he did succeed to some extent. Since the original was set way back in 80's the freshness to the movie is brought by moving the whole setup to the birth place of Kung-Fu i.e. China.

Dre (Jaden Smith) along with his mother is forced to move to China from Detroit. As they move to Beijing Dre as any 12 yr old is curious and amazed by his new surroundings. He tries to make friends, plays basketball with his boys from the neighborhood and while playing notices a sweet girl Mei Ying practising violin. As he starts talking with her, Cheng a family friend of Mei and his friends start a fight and beat Dre up. Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) Dre's building's maintenance man comes to Dre's rescue when he is surrounded by Cheng and his friends. Han agrees to help Dre and train him in Kung Fu for an open tournament where Dre would face Cheng. Han first makes Dre realise the importance of discipline and then trains him in Kung Fu. While Han helps Dre in self-defense, Dre helps Han in getting over his personal tragedy. How Dre overcomes fear and wins fight and respect of his opponent Cheng with the help of Mr.Han is the whole story.

Like father like son, we saw the glimpse of Will Smith's prodigal son Jaden in "The Pursuit of Happyness" and here is the trailer of things to come. Jaden as Dre is brilliant, he lives upto the name. He is good in emotions, brilliant with his action and splendid with his expressions. As a 12 year old looks confused and broken when he is not accepted and ill- treated in the place which is scheduled to be his new home, Jaden is perfect. The scenes where he lets at out at his mother for moving to Beijing and specially the very emotional sequence where hears about Mr. Han's personal tragedy are couple of examples of the Jaden Smith's potential.
I have always seen Jackie Chan either fighting or making us laugh but this is one of few roles where he has to convey his thoughts through his facial expressions as Mr. Han hardly speaks. He is one of the best Kung Fu masters seen on screen but here he subdues his skills and brings in more calm and ease to them.

The action sequences are good with some really beautiful ones being shown during the tournament. The best actually is the last sequence where Jaden knocks out Cheng. Few dialogues are funny and sequences have been kept nice and simple. The spirit of the movie is kept intact as well, when Dre says to Han that he still wants to fight coz he is still afraid and wants to leave the tournament with his head held and not afraid. The writers have kept the spirit and feel of the original intact and have added few elements that make the movie likable and fresh.

Its nice movie which you can watch if you have some absolutely free time to spend. Not a bad effort, watch it for Jaden Smith and our good boy Jackie Chan.

Plus : Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan's performance.

Rating : 7/10

How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

2010-09-01T01:52:00.002+05:30

Stars :(Voices) Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse

Directed By: Chris Sanders ,Dean DeBlois

Written By: Adam F. Goldberg, Peter Tolan, Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders, Cressida Cowell (Story)

In the last decade or so we had animation movies about rats, toys, lions, aliens, monsters and even Ogre's but a very important mythical character was missing, How to Train Your Dragon completes the bloc. The movie is based on the books by the same title by Cressida Cowell published in 2003. The story of this movie is filled with compassion and lots of fun, a high flying joy ride.

Hiccup is a usual boy thin, good looking with tons of energy and this usual side of his is the most unusual coz he is a Viking. Hiccup is the son of Big mighty Viking Chief of this small island of Berk. The place is beautiful and prosperous, with few little problems that stikes it time and again, these problem are "Dragons" that raid the village at night, destroy houses and take the cattle and food away. Though the Vikings are strong and have tamed most of the dragon types but there is one they fear called "Night Fury " , a high flying death in sky, no one has ever seen it and whoever saw it never lived to talk about it. The most feared and most dangerous of all.

In one such raid Hiccup shoots down a Night Fury with his bolon canon but since the boy is young, different and is not taken seriously even by his own father no one believes him and makes fun of him. To prove himself Hiccup starts on the search for this dragon. Meanwhile the Viking chief is greatly disturbed by the acts and behavior of his son and finally decides to put his son into dragon training, something Hiccup always wanted but his father never. Hiccup goes deep into the forest and finds his hunt lying there on ground motionless, Hiccup draws his knife out and goes for the kill but could not and sets the dragon free. As soon as Hiccup releases the dragon it jumps onto Hiccup and almost slayed him but lets him go and flies off. The Viking chief and the warriors have decide to sail in search of the dragon nest to finish this nemesis once in for all. Hiccup joins the training school where he is taught that dragons always go for kill which makes him wonder why didn't that Night Fury. Hiccup returns in search of the fury and finds it in a Canyon. He notices that a wing on the fury's tail is missing, which holds it from flying. Hiccup makes contact with this dragon and finds that whatever he has been taught is completely false.He names his new friend, the Night Fury dragon as "Toothless". He makes an identical wing as the one still present on the tail which enables the Dragon to fly. This is story of Hiccup and his new found dragon friend Toothless. How Hiccup is able to tame all the dragons in training and save his village with the help of his new found friend and set of skills is what HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON is all about.

Generally all the animation movies are very predictable and its the presentation which draws us elders into watching them but i felt this one had a nice n sweet story too. The movie is funny and is very much helped by the voice over done by the artists. The main character of Hiccup is voiced by Canadian actor Jay Baruchel, whom we have seen movies like Knocked-Up, Million Dollar Baby, Tropical thunder and The Sorcerer's Apprentice and he does a fine job by keeping the voice such that the childishness and innocence is kept alive. Gerard Butler voice's Stoick, Hiccup's father and the Viking chief. Butler is in command, I felt it must not have been difficult for him, as it was a bit like Leonidas with voice and rage a million tones lighter.

What pulls people like me to an animation movie is the imagination of the people behind such wonderful work. The characters created by the animation team are very cute and all of them had a special and distinctive feature. May be the credit for it goes to the writers too but people who brought them on screen deserve a lot of it. Toothless the Night Fury dragon is so cute, with big eyes and the way those eyes are made to work by the team is incredible. The scenes between Hiccup and Toothless do remind me of those between Draco and Bowen from the movie Dragon Heart. There are some remarkable scenes, like the one where Hiccup takes the first controlled flight on Toothless, or the one where toothless offers Hiccup his food. The movie is soft to the eyes and bright to the heart. No doubt it must have been very well written but to adapt to big screen is a very different task and the writers did very well here. The movie is short, which helps to keeps the interest intact.

Its a wonderful movie, with a lot of spirit and a lots of fun. It will bring a big smile to your face and that's a bet. Watch it even if you don't like animation, I think it can change your perception.

Plus : Nice story, wonderful animation , brings joy and smiles.

Rating : 8.5/10

The Insider (1999)

2010-08-26T23:50:00.000+05:30

Stars : Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, Christopher Plummer, Bruce McGill, Diane Venora, Michael Gambon, Philip Baker Hall, Lindsay Crouse, Gina Gershon, Debi Mazar, Rip Torn, and Colm Feore.

Directed By: Michael Mann

Written By: Marie Brenner, Eric Roth, Michael Mann

When ordinary people come under extra-ordinary pressure it brings out the worst in most but only a few take it like a warrior and stand their ground. The Insider is a story inspired by true events and heroics of two individuals who stood their ground even when not just the tide but the whole ocean rose against them.

Jeffery Wigand (Russell Crowe ) is a Co-operate Director in a Tobacco powerhouse and he gets fired from his job for apparently no reason. Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino ) is a producer of CBS News's most popular and highest rated show 60 minutes. Lowell plans to do a show about cigarettes and needs someone who could translate some received documents into meaningful piece of information he can use in his show. Enters Jeffery, fired from his job, a man who has 2 daughters to look after, mortgages to pay and cover the cost of medical cover specially for one of his daughters who has asthma and is prone to sudden attacks. Jeffery is man of integrity who wants to honor his confidentiality agreement with his company which makes him a bit uncomfortable and paranoid. Lowell is a man who knows how to dig a story but also is a man of his words, when he gives his words to his source he backs it up with action. Lowell confides Jeffery to reveal the truth on air and Jeffery agrees half heartily. As Jeffery's last employers know about him talking to someone they threaten him and his family's life, which acts as a catalyst and enables him to make up his mind to go on air and reveal the truth. As CBS news prepares to air the show, to safeguard Jeffery they make him a key witness in a lawsuit "Mississippi Vs Tobacco Companies". As the date of airing the show approaches CBS corporation intervenes and holds the broadcast of the show. This leaves both Lowell and Jeffery high and dry. What happens to these two men and how does it changes them, specially Lowell who is not backed up by the host of his own show for 14 yrs Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer) is what makes the movie really compelling and a beautiful watch.

Uptill The Insider Russel Crowe was a known actor but not in the big league but after he not just entered the big league but ran past all who were running. As Jeffery Wigand a paranoid, ethical and a true family man Mr. Crowe gives a very commendable performance, a performance that earned him his first Academy Award nomination. As in words of Russell Crowe he gained weight for the role and his metabolism has never been the same, shows the commitment and effort put in by him which is very much visible on screen. He looks extremely vulnerable, plus the innocence and truthfulness in his eyes make him a character I sympathised with. There are few actors who can speak through their eyes and Mr. Crowe is one of them. There is a sequence where Jeffery is to testify in a case against the Tobacco companies but with a restraining order taken against him, he is in danger of going to jail if he testifies in court. Suddenly a sense of insecurity and fear for his family is visible on Mr. Crowe's face, then he moves out takes a stroll pondering over what to do and on return you can tell the decision taken by him just by looking at his face. One can see the calm and sense of peace in his eyes.

Al Pacino as Lowell is totally in command. He is confident , emotional and manipulative all three qualities that make a perfect TV producer. Though the part had some variation for Pacino but still there was a lot of the old Pacino in the character. I strongly believe Mr. Pacino is one the Legends of Cinema and there is no one who can touch him but some how the same qualities or mannerism are seen in characters he has been playing in almost last 2 decades i.e. early 90's uptill now. This role was too a cake walk for Mr. Pacino who just does it so effortlessly and leaves the most impact. His character is aggressive, protective and man of his words which makes his character the star of the movie. Christopher Plummer takes up the role of Mike Wallace and delivers well. His scenes with Mr. Pacino are a delight to watch , specially the scene in where Mike Wallace reminds Pacino of the real world and how people remember you by last work.

The direction by Michael Mann is steady, he never lets the pace of the movie slip-off. Though movie is predictable but what makes the movie interesting is the screenplay, which keeps you engaged with the turmoil the characters go through. When Jeffery goes through his family issues I believed and wanted that everything will go back to normal. The depicts the difficulties and pressure the whistle blowers all over the world go through and keeping this in mind the director treats the subject with right amount of sensitivity and passion.
A nice movie with couple of brilliant performances, you can watch it if you are looking for a nice movie.

Plus : Brilliant Performances.

Rating : 8/10

Shutter Island (2010 )

2010-08-23T19:02:00.000+05:30

Stars :Leonardo DiCaprio , Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams , Emily Mortimer, Max von Sydow, Jackie Earle Haley^]

Directed By: Martin Scorsese

Written By: Laeta Kalogridis ,Steven Knight (uncredited), Dennis Lehane (novel)

In world of today where even the biggest name does not guarantees satisfaction , there is still one name that can guarantee 100% pure delight n satisfaction n that's Martin Scorsese. Each and every movie of his is a class apart and every time he is able to bring something fresh and new. With all the hype surrounding his new movie "Shutter Island" it was just the question of when I can get my hands on it and today I did. The film is based on Dennis Lehane's 2003 novel of the same name.

U.S. Marshal Edward "Teddy" Daniels (Leanardo DiCaprio) is assigned to a case where a prisoner escaped from shutter island a mental facility which houses the most dreaded criminal minds in U.S. He is accompanied by a fellow marshal, U.S. Marshal Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo ) and they are to investigate about this escape. The institution is headed by Dr. John Cawley(Ben Kingsley) who deeply believes in what he is trying to do out there, bringing some sanity to the insane criminal minds. The prisoner who has escaped is named Rachel Solando ( Emily Mortimer) and is convicted of murdering her three children by drowning them in the lake in her backyard. Teddy is suspicious about the facility right from the start and his suspicion becomes more strong after meeting a few staff members and patients. He is sure that something serious and hideous is being done at the facility may be medical experiments are being conducted on the patients. He starts looking for proof to support his claims, discover the truth and uncover the really happenings of the facility. What and how he discovers the truth is what the movie is all about. Just be patient and you are surely in for something special.

With the wide range of movie genre and roles DiCaprio has been doing for the last decade he has established himself as one of the top leading men of our times. He has proven his talent time and again in wide variety of roles but I feel while playing complex and slightly disturbed or paranoid characters is when he really lights up the screen. Characters that are haunted by their past or being tormented by their present. Here also DiCaprio showcases genuine emotions and brings out the conflicted self brilliantly on screen. As someone who is haunted by his memories and is torn between his motives and duties, its a pleasure to watch DiCaprio do something I feel he can file a copyright for.

Our leading men have the caliber to hold a movie on their own but with a able supporting cast the movie just rises to another level. The same happened with Shutter Island. Mark Ruffalo , Sir Ben Kingsley were the two main supporting characters and both were superb in their parts. Mark as US Marshal Chuk and partner of Teddy provides the right questions that help unravel the motives of DiCaprio and also helps in keeping the real truth in wraps. Ben Kingsley as Crowley keeps the mystery around him intact. With sheepish smiles and grins while smoking pipe made me believe there was something not right about the man. He has a heavy voice which accompanied with some interestingly written questions gives the air of suspicion around his real work a bit more weight. Emily has a small role as Mrs Solando but she adds to the mystery surrounding the Island.

A director can be good if and only if he makes his audience believe in what he is showing on the screen and Martins Scorsese as always does it here again. Through out the movie I believed in what was on screen and then he surprised me. Martin knows his craft too well and like every great director knows what the audience is thinking. Everytime I thought of a different possibility Scorsese came up with something that contradicted what I was thinking. I felt there were few scenes in the movie where the special effects were not up to the mark, I could clearly mark out that these are special effects but other than that the whole movie is very gripping and kept me on my toes.

I am sure the movie is going to get a few nominations at the Academy Awards. Though not the best from Martin Scorsese but its still good enough to make you feel thrilled and satisfied. A must watch for those who love psychological thrillers.

Highlights : Good script, Excellent performance, superb narration and direction.

Rating ; 8.5/10

Death Of a Salesman (1985)

2010-08-18T04:47:00.000+05:30

Stars : Dustin Hoffman, Kate Reid, John Malkovich, Stephen Lang, Charles Durning, Louis Zorich

Directed By: Volker Schlöndorff

Written By: Arthur Miller

Few days back I saw Dustin Hoffman with James Lipton in Inside Actors Studio getting very emotional while talking about this movie. No doubt Dustin Hoffman is one of the legends of acting and if he does a movie with so much heart then it becomes high priority to watch the movie and finally I was able to watch it this weekend

Willy Loman ( Dustin Hoffman ) a very old salesman, who has been working for the same firm for the last 35 years traveling across the cities has been struggling with his life. Though its nothing new but off lately things have turned worse. He has been working on commission basis for the last three months for the company he gave his entire life to and hasn't been able to put through the daily expenses as well. His lovely wife Linda Loman (Kate Reid) has been trying her best to make it better for her husband in what ever resources she is left with. Willy has two sons Biff (John Malkovich) and Harold (Stephen Lang) , both stars of Willy's eye and specially Biff. Biff is 34 yrs and hasn't been able to make something of himself , he is still unemployed and comes home after long intervals. Biff and his father don't share the same camaraderie anymore which they used to have 17 yrs ago. Willy lived for his sons, he always thought that Biff will achieve great success like Willy's elder brother Ben who was a diamond merchant and it pains him to see Biff's life in pieces. One day Willy gets fired from his job and hopes his sons will bring him good news after Biff decides to make an attempt at changing his relationship with his father and his life. But nothing turns the way Willy imagined so he decides to commit suicide so that his son and his beloved wife can have the insurance money and happiness which he struggled to provide them.

The day I heard Mr. Hoffman talking about Death of a Salesman I had to watch it. Mr. Hoffman as Willy Loman gives one of his best ever performance. In every character Mr. Hoffman has done he has given his best and brought tears n joy to millions but this was special. This character as he himself said was close to his heart and I could see the heart he has put in the role. His small steps which have been his characteristics, the grin almost everything about Willy Loman was so real that Mr. Dustin Hoffman was no where to be seen behind those wrinkles of Willy's face. One of the most heartfelt character from Mr. Hoffman's illustrious career even better than Raymond, one of Mr. Hoffman's most famous roles. The pain, remorse, joy and bitterness each emotion was brought up so beautifully by Mr. Hoffman that I felt he was not just playing it but he was living the character.

John Malkovich has played a lot of supporting roles and I have seen a few of his films and I always felt he was good to OK in them but as Biff a man who is struggling not just with his relationships , life but with his beliefs is amazing. He essays the young confident Biff with equal ease to the lost, bitter and fighting within 34 yr old Biff. In scenes with Mr. Hoffman specially in the last part he does extremely well to hold up in front of him. Kate Reid as loving and caring wife who is pained by the situation of the man she loves the most and a mother who is torn between the love of her son and husband does a wonderful job. She holds the character and provides the steady anchor to her husband even though she knows he has been trying to kill himself. There ain't many characters in the movie but all of them, Charles Durning as Charlie ,Stephen Lang as Harold all have done a brilliant job, which has made this movie such a touching tale.

The movie is a screen adaptation of a 1949 play by Arthur Miller by the same name "Death Of a Salesman (Play)" and its very well directed by Volker who keeps the story real and the emotional struggle within and between Willy and Biff so touching.One of the most poignant tales i have seen in a very long time. Best work from Mr. Hoffman to whom this movie was very very special and he has put in all his heart in it. Its a must watch for its amazing screenplay and performances from the cast.

Plus : Wonderful script , excellent performances.

Rating : 9 /10

Inception (2010)

2010-08-15T21:56:00.001+05:30

Stars : Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, and Cillian Murphy

Directed By: Christopher Nolan

Written By: Christopher Nolan

Few months back I saw a movie called "Avatar" and I was convinced that it was the limit to a man's imagination taking a physical shape but today after watching Inception I have to say it has made me rethink and challenge this conviction of mine .Inception belongs to that very exclusive class of movies which attained immortality and are even today admired, loved and studied.

I like writing about what I felt in and after a movie but this time I cannot write about how I felt when i was watching the movie coz the movie never gave me a chance to feel anything as it just kept pushing my mind all 2 hrs and 28 minutes of its run time. But yes I would like to write how I feel after I saw the movie. If you really keeping looking for movies that will blow your mind Inception is just the perfect watch for you.

Christopher Nolan known for awesome movies like Dark Knight, Memento, The Prestige has made a movie that will ease his flight from great directors to legendary director. Whatever I may write in praise of this movie will never be enough and appropriate for the level this movie has touched. Inception brings together an awesome cast which lives up to the expectation of not just the director but the story. The special effects of this movie are stunning and a few of them will leave you dumbstruck. The central theme of this movie is brilliant or better said is genius. One of the best I have ever seen and will ever see, its just like a Halley's Comet which is visible only after every 75-76 years, a rarity that comes only once in decades.

All I can say is that Inception is one of the best movies ever and will definitely find a way among the top 10 movies of all times. There is a saying "Aim for the moon and you will end up among the stars" the same thing happened with me as I went to watch this movie but with a little twist. I took off expecting at the maximum to reach the stars but I found myself on the moon after the movie ended. I can guarantee that Inception will amaze you beyond your expectation and I would be ready to take any backlash if it doesn't gives you that endocrine buzz that will give you a high you had never experienced before.Watch it, please watch it, don't miss it else you will regret it.

Plus : The concept of the movie, the effects, perfect performances and magical direction.

Minus : None for sure.

Rating : 10/10

Predators ( 2010)

2010-08-11T03:25:00.000+05:30

Stars : Adrian Broody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walton Goggins, Laurence Fishburne.

Directed By : Nimrod Antal

Written By : Alex Litvak, Micheal Finch.

Predators the name of the movie was a reason enough for me to go to the cinema hall. The earlier part of movies were though not very good but each one of them was very watchable, with some great action sequences specially part one and Alien Vs Predator. Predators are one of the best fictional characters created on screen and I have always liked their invisibility power and weapons.

The movie starts with Adrian Broody in a freefall and landing in an extremely dense forest. He meets another bunch of people who also found themselves being in a freefall and ending up in the same forest. The only thing everyone remembers was a flash of bright light and then when they woke up they found themselves falling. They decide to stick together and get a way out of the dense jungle. Initially they thought they were being tested or were part of a game. Soon they discover they weren't tested or were hunting but were being hunted by a mysterious creature who tracks them by their body heat on an alien planet. They meet a guy who has somehow survived in the jungle for 10 seasons but what they didn't knew was that man was just treating them as bait. He locks them in a room and as obvious the Predators come hunting. Then begins the struggle between the predator and prey.

The acting was an exception, I know it was a science fiction and a full on action movie but still you got to act. I have to say the performances were very disappointing specially Adrian Broody an Academy Award winner, never thought he could be this bad. What's really surprising is that Adrian Broody accepted this offer, although he did shape up well for the character but never really looked like one who could take on the mighty Predators. Laurence Fishburne , Morpheus of Matrix fame also plays a small role and never really understood what was the importance of his character, he showed them the way to survive the predators but I feel it would had been more interesting if the team figured that by itself. Highly disappointing performance from everyone involved.

The production value, I don't know what they spent on , coz the weapons carried by the team were very very shoddy. Adrian's gun looked like someone has just put a toy gun in a plastic case. Though I have to say the Predators did look deadly and mighty. The thought of a predator having a pet bird was very funny and the dog like creatures sent initially to hunt the team down just retreating on a whistle was hilarious. The end sequence where Adrian Broody tries to kill the Predator by creating a circle of fire I thought was another funny one. Though the thought was correct by not allowing the predator to distinguish the heat wave but Adrian Broody getting in the circle giving the Predator two three blows and running out without any problem was hard to digest. Though its not all lost, there are a couple of sequences that are really good, the fight sequence between two predators was good one and the sequence where the team was being attacked by some dog like creatures was nice one too. I have to say those dog like creatures did look like they could rip anything apart with one blow.

It might be that I had read and seen a couple of reviews and went with a mindset about the movie. It was a very big disappointment for me. and the movie fails to live upto any of its predecessors. I went to watch Predator thinking someone would be hunting them but little did I know that I was the one who was going to be hunted and haunted.

Plus : Couple of action sequences.

Minus : Movie lacks the thrill and action of a Predator movie.

Rating : 5/10

My Left Foot , The Story of Christy Brown (1989)

2010-08-07T08:06:00.056+05:30

Stars : Daniel Day Lewis, Brenda Fricker, Ray McAnally, Hugh O'Corner

Directed By : Jim Sheridan

Written By : Christy Brown (Book), Jim Sheridan, Shane Connaughton

They say where there is a will, there is a way , but I ask what if they way never appeared or if it was never built? That's where the human grit and determination fueled by love passion n dedication paves its own way. My Left Foot , The Story of Christy Brown is the screen adaptation of Christy Brown's autobiography by the same name.

Two white luxury cars arrive in a suburb of Dublin to take Christy Brown and his family to a fund raiser for people suffering from cerebral palsy. Christy Brown was born in the year 1932 with severe case of cerebral palsy and was essentially paralyzed except for one foot. While doctors and the boy’s father dismissed him as hopelessly retarded his mother never gave up on her son. Christy had 12 brother and sisters and his father was a bricklayer with meager salary but yet his mother taught him to read write and took care of him tirelessly. He rewarded her efforts and love by writing mother as his first full word with chalk on the floor. From their started the actual journey of Christy Brown, a journey that took him through heart break, pain, self pity and to success as a writer, painter and eventually to love and marriage.My Left Foot is the story about the inspirational and magnificent life of Christy Brown.

Daniel Day Lewis plays the title character of Christy Brown and boy what a performance. Daniel Day's resume is filled with awards for innumerable characters he has played on the screen but this one is special. Daniel always gives each of his character a unique image with his physicality and impressive dialogue delivery but both of his exceptional abilities were bounded in this character, though his character demanded a lot physical effort but he was just bound by the physical situation of the character and still gives Christy Brown a real life screen presence. He lives the character to perfection, always keeping the facial expression, never did he once let his face relax, through out kept the stiffness, with his the neck always titling and those hands tightly gripping his chair. He delivers a memorable performance which rightfully earned him his first Academy Award as best actor. This was Daniel Day Lewis best performance that I have seen.

Christy Brown with his mother

Brenda Fricker as Mrs Brown plays the legendary mom of Christy Brown. She was a surprise for me, I know Daniel Day Lewis is a great actor and to see someone hold her own in front of him was surely new for me. She play the the character to perfection, after looking at the pictures of Mrs Brown I have to say even resembled her quite a lot too. Her expressions were perfect, there were few scenes where she just made me emotional by bringing almost true emotions on the screen. When Christy writes his first word her eyes said a lot and her face just lights up. In almost every scene she brings those feelings, compassion and determination. Although her character was very strong, very passionate and extremely powerful but the honesty and innocence she brings to the character is just eternal. One of the best support acts I have ever seen.

A lot of credit also goes to Ray McAnally playin Mr. Paddy Brown Christy's father, a brickie and a man who likes to be obeyed and in command. His acting adds a lot of authenticity to the character. His performance in scenes of hatred for Christy and after being laid off are was really good. The whole cast actually did very well to keep the emotional factor of the movie intact. I feel Hugh O'Corner deserves special applause for his portrayal of Christy Browns childhood. He kept that pain through out on his face and every time he made an effort to drag or write it actually felt like he was in real pain, a highly commendable performance from him.

Jim Sheriden does a bloody good job by capturing the emotion of the charcters and keeping the sensitivity of the movie. There are some very poignant scenes in the movie and a lot of credit goes to Jim for shooting them so briliantly. He puts in hummour too in a very sentimental and emotional movie and which works very well for the movie. Jim also desrves credit for bringing out best from each of his artists and turning a wonderful script into an even more brilliant movie.

The movie is no doubt exceptional but whats more extraordinary is life of Christy Brown who lived through it,being struck in a wheelchair and limited by his physical condition all his life, Christy and Mrs Bridget Brown prove that if one can dream and aspire for it, its achievable. The movie was nominated for six Academy Awards with Daniel Day Lewis and Brenda Fricker winning it for their portrayal of Christy Brown and Bridget Brown respectively. A remarkable movie about an equally remarkable man, a must watch.

Plus : Daniel Day Lewis and Brenda Fricker's performance.

Minus : None

Rating : 9/10

Remember The Titans (2000)

2010-08-06T03:57:00.001+05:30

Stars : Danzel Washington, Will Patton, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst, Hayden Panettiere, Donald Faison, Ethan Suplee.

Directed By : Jerry Bruckheimer

Written By : Gregory Allen Howard.

If we look back at history we would find that every sport ever played in this world is filled with stories of human triumph over adversity, hostility, mental, physical and emotional barriers. Remember The Titans is another extraordinary movie that tells the story of a team of young men who stood together to face a society that was divided and not willing to see farther than the person's skin color.

Coach Herman Boone(Denzel Washington) joins T.C. Williams High School in Alexendria amidst the atmosphere of racial hatred and takes over as the head coach of the school's football team. He replaces coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton ) a favorite among the boys and the town. Coach Yoast chooses to quit rather than work under coach Boone initially but decides to stay back for the boys. The school is newly integrated and is still divided. Its hard for the white and black boys to stick together and work as a team. Gerry Bertier (Ryan Hurst) is the captain of the team and hates the idea of playing for anyone other than coach Yoast, a sentiment shared by the whole existing team. Coach Boone takes all the team probables for a training camp. The first and fore most hurdle in front of him is to get the guys to work as a team. Initially the camp is still divided but a run to Civil war battleground of Gettysburg gets the boys to realise that they would too be destroyed if they don't work as a team like all those who died at the battle of Gettysburg. The guys return from the camp as a team to the amazement of the town and parents of the lads. Julius (Wood Haris) and Gerry become best friends during the camp after initial hostility. The team had to face hostility of the town initially but as the season progresses the town turns into one color, color of the Titans from a divided black and white town. Coach Boone not just takes the team to the state championship but with the help of coach Yoast and the team helps a town look beyond the color of a person's skin.

Remember The Titans is a true and extraordinary story of a bunch of young boys who turned into men in a year. I have read about the racial hatred that was prevalent in USA during that time and to do something what the T.C. Williams High School team did was not an ordinary achievement in any sense. Gregory Allen does a fine job to pick this story and adapt it for the big screen. Each scene of the movie is highly commendable and beauty of each scene is enhanced by the dialogues. Dialogues that were hard hitting yet touched chords of my heart and brain. The writers kept the dialogues simple and meaningful rather than going over. The speech given by Denzel Washington at the battleground of Gettysburg is my favorite .

Performances lifted the movie to an ultimate high. Denzel Washington is always brilliant in serious and intense characters. As coach Boone he was exceptional, always kept the coach's ferocity, passion on his face while still keeping the struggle of a black coach to keep his job and boys intact. Although he was awesome when ever he put that Titan's shirt on but brilliant when realises that a black man's determination to prove himself has overtaken the coach's shirt that he wore. There is never a doubt about Denzel's acting abilities and this role was yet another addition to a long list of characters he has played brilliantly. The way he delivers a stirring speech at the battle ground of Gettysburg is exceptional and is one of the high points of the movie. I have always seen Will Patton in quiet and subtle roles and he plays the same kind of role here too. As he plays coach Yoast he keeps that silence of his and does most of his acting through his eyes and facial expressions.

Ryan Hust as Gerry Bertier plays the inspirational captain who leads his team with passion and courage. Ryan does a fine job and one scene between Gerry and Julius after one of the training sessions is an example of the movies brilliant dialogue writting and performances. The whole of the supporting cast did a superb job and proved that it was truly a team effort. In the moments of high passion and emotions none of the actors felt like was acting. It felt like they were indeed a team who were there to win.

Jerry Buckhiemer is no unknown name for anyone who is a fan of action movies. I was surprised when I saw his name as director coz his previous works were all action centric and this was a bit of subtle and emotional movie but none the less he does a fine job. Maintains the high energy in every shot and gives us a truly memorable movie.

One of my all time favorite and best sports movie, I had seen it a lot of times and every time I watch this extraordinary movie I just cannot take my mind of the fact that some guys actually did this , coz we always accept the world presented to us and to rise above not just the society but one's own emotions to see a what's right takes a lot of courage. The movie is undoubtedly brilliant and I always will " Remember The Titans".

Plus : Story , performances and dialogues.

Minus :Excused for such a brilliant story

Rating : 9/10

Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)

2010-08-04T03:54:00.000+05:30

Stars : George Clooney, David Strathairn, Robert Downey, Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Frank Langella, Jeff Daniels, Tate Donavon.

Directed By : George Clooney.

Written By : George Clooney, Grant Heslov.

Truth can be a burden and not many have the guts to shoulder that burden. Edward R Murrow one of the legendary presenters of American television along with his team headed by his co-producer Fred Friendly were few men who shouldered the burden of truth. A team which stood for what they believed in.

In 1950's Edward R Murrow and his team stood against Senator Joseph McCarthy during his crusade to root out Communist elements within the government. They put their career and their image at stake to let people know the other side of the coin. They brought to fore front the ugly tactics and policies used by Senator McCarthy and his men which resulted in a public feud between Murrow and senator McCarthy. They defied corporate and sponsorship pressures to bring down the reign of terror created by McCarthy and his men.

The 4-5 years of Edward's crusade against McCarthy's tactics presented in the movie are really a worth watch. The movie, although released in black and white, was filmed on color film stock but on a grayscale set, and was later color corrected to black and white during post-production. The movie is on the theme of media responsibility, and also addresses what occurs when the media offer a voice of dissent against the government.

David Strathairn plays Edward R Murrow, though I have seen just the pictures of Mr. Murrow but I feel he was a perfect choice for the role. The intensity on his face suited the character to perfection. In scenes with Dan a colleague and news presenter at the channel reflect the true depth of Murrow's character and Straithairn's acting powers. He is brilliant when he is on air , maintains that look and his eyes always spoke a lot. George Clooney as Friendly is good too and does a commendable job in the supporting role. This is one of the movies which reflect the Hollywood's belief of keeping the content above star power. George Clooney limiting himself in a small supporting role and letting Strathairn take the center stage in his own movie,I feel says a lot about the actor. Robert Downey, Jr. and Patricia Clarkson are part of small sub plot and both perform well. Actually the support cast , everyone did a fine job in their small role. Whether it was presenting terror, guilt, joy or courage they all brought it well on the screen.

Picking up pieces from history can lead to a story but to put those bits and pieces into full movie need a really good mind. George Clooney and Grant Heslov have done a wonderful job with the screenplay and the story. They kept the thought of the movie intact but also brought in some poignant moments in between like the sub-plot of Don Hollenbeck and his struggle to come at terms with his broken marriage and published attacks from Jack O' Brian which ultimately led to him committing suicide.

George Clooney the actor had limited screen presence and impact but George Clooney the director had the most impact. The movie is very intense and George Clooney deserves credit for making the movie even more effective with his super fine direction. Sometimes movies of such intensity do tend to go slow and drag a bit but this movie never losses the pace. I think keeping the movie black and white also added to movie's depth. The movie was deservedly nominated for 6 Academy Awards including best picture , best actor and best director.

Its an excellent movie which deserves accolades for every aspect. Its a must watch from my side, so I hope someone will watch it after reading this and if anyone does please let me know how you felt till then "GOOD NIGHT, and GOOD LUCK".

Plus : Performance and direction.

Minus : None

Rating : 9/10

An Educaton (2009)

2010-07-27T01:47:00.001+05:30

Stars : Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Olivia Williams, Dominic Cooper, Cara Seymour.

Directed By : Lone Scherfig.

Written By : Lynn Barber(memoir)
Nick Hornby(Screenplay)

What is education? I guess a wrong question then answer this, Why do we need an education? I feel a lot of answers can be put for both the questions but how often have these questions been asked?. An education is not a documentary on education or its importance but its a story that does gives us something to think about even today though the movie is set in 1960's.

Jenny(Carey Mulligan) a 16 year old routine 1960's British girl who wants to see french movies, read books, smoke and listen to french music but she has just one hurdle to cross before she does what she dreams about, get into Oxford, fulfill her parents dream. Her father Jack (Alfred Molina), mother Marjorie(Cara Seymour) and teacher Miss Stubbs (Olivia Williams ) all want her to concentrate on her studies so that she can get into Oxford. Enters David (Peter Sarsgaard)a 30 something man with a sports car who meets Jenny on a rainy day and gives her lift to home. David sprays the missing colors in her life, he takes her to places she had only dreamed off and the best part is he is able to convince her parents too. David has never been to a university and he makes living by means not considered legal and Jenny finds this out but she is too much in love with David and her life with him. He even takes her to Paris with the approval of her parents who too are charmed by David as their daughter. Jenny's teacher Miss Stubbs is worried about Jenny drifting away from her goal of Oxford but Jenny sees only the colors David had filled her life with. David proposes to Jenny , Jenny consults her parents who too think that its a good idea, even though Jenny questions them what about Oxford? but still the family agrees to Jenny quitting studies and getting married to David. One night while going out for dinner after engagement Jenny finds out the truth that breaks her heart. David was a married man and Jenny had quit on her dreams for a married man even after being warned by Miss Stubbs. She is heartbroken and her parents are too. She looks back at what she went through and questions herself, her parents and everything she believed in, but still she re-groups her life and starts her education again with the help of Miss Stubbs and finally gets into Oxford.

An Education is an adaptation of Lynn Barber's memoir with the same name. The story is wonderful and is made even more beautifully. There are various Universities and schools to teach the important lessons but none better and effective as life. This lesson is straight from the library of life and has everything which will make this lesson one to be remembered. The movie is like a beautifully beaded pearl necklace. Each scene is beautifully put and what makes them more special is the performance from the stars.

Carey Mulligan got an Academy Award nomination for best actress in a leading role and very rightfully so. She is one of the reasons of the movie getting the acclaim it has. She is just delightful, her transformation from a school girl to a women who is able to sort her priorities out is good. She is very bright as the teenager in love with her life and is very good in the scenes with her parents. The part where Jenny put her arguments for marriage before her principal and Miss Stubbs is beautifully written, shot and performed. The dialogues I have to say are very well written.

The supporting cast did a very fine job with their parts. Alfred Molina was outstanding as Jack, Jenny's father. He has always been good with such roles but I think one of his better performances. He is brilliant as a conservative father with Jenny, a man who lives a little for her daughters sake and as the father who feels guilty after being made to stand in the box by her own daughter's questions. Peter Sarsgaard as David is charming as needed. Though a small scene but the scene where David has to share the truth with Jenny's parents is a very beautiful one, Jenny's expressions at that moment of wait while David is gathering the courage to face her parents are sober and very natural.

I haven't been through the book so don't know how well the movie has been adapted for big screen but I have to give credit to Nick Hornby for writing a wonderful screenplay which brought him an Academy Award nomination for best adapted screenplay. The movie though during some periods moves a little bit slow but yet it progresses from frame to frame keeping the innocence of the story and Jenny intact. The dialogues are really good and some conversations really put forward questions that teenagers around the globe still want answers for. Director Lone Scherfig has kept the movie very simple and shot it at very local and gorgeous locations which have made the movie more genuine and pleasing. The movie was nominated for three Academy Awards and was screened at 2009 Sundance Film Festival where it gained very high critical acclaim.

The lessons learnt by Jenny at the university of life make this movie really An Education. A very good movie with a simple theme and a marvelous bunch of people who have done a beautiful work.

Plus : A very sweet simple and well made movie.

Minus : Few but should let them go.

Rating : 8.5/10

Ed Wood (1994)

2010-07-25T08:32:00.002+05:30

Stars :Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Patricia Arquetta, Sarah Jessica Parker.

Directed By :Tim Burton.

Written By : Scott Anderson, Larry Karaszewski, Rudolph Grey (Nightmare of Ecstasy).

There is a very thin line between madness and extreme passion and sometimes its very very hard to distinguish the two. What drives passion to level of madness is hard to define but one thing is for sure madness propelled by passion always echos in history. Ed Wood is a movie about one such man Edward Davis Wood, Jr.(October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) who never thought about that thin line between passion and madness.

Ed Wood is the depiction of Edward Davis Wood's passion , zeal for movie making and his special relation with Bela Lugosi. Ed Wood talks about his absurd, non conventional style of movie making and his search for mainstream success. The passion and true love for movies that made Edward believe that movie making is not about tiny details but always about the big picture. His obsession with Orson Welles "Citizen Kane" brings his true and pure love for movies to light.

Who could have been a better choice to play Edward Wood than Johnny Depp, the actor whose varied body of work reflects his passion, love and respect for movies. I haven't seen the real Ed Wood but I feel Johnny Depp was exceptional as Edward Woods the expressions, voice tone and the mannerism, WOW!. The way he kept those eyes wide and those lips with a plastic smile just amazing. He brought Ed Wood's madness, passion, rustiness and desire to make movies splendidly onto the screen. The scene where Edward talks about his cross-dressing for the first time, sequence where he meets Lugosi for the first time, calls the studios for a job I mean in every scene Johnny Depp is brilliant. One of his best roles and performance. Depp received a Golden Globe Nomination and won London film critics award as the actor of the year for his portrayal of Edward Wood Jr.

Martin Landau plays Bela Lugosi and what a performance. The scene where he shoots the last sequence for the "Bride of the Atom" or his attempt at suicide are just a few mentions of the brilliant work done by Martin Landau which brought him the Academy Award for Best Actor in a supporting role. His slow walk, slightly bent back and those eyes really made me feel this guys was perfect for Dracula, a role that Mr. Bela Lugosi was famous for and probably that explains the brilliance of Martin Landau's performance. Rest of the supporting cast actually did very well, all of the actors looked a bit edgy on the screen and that's what was expected from them as Edwards crew wasn't a perfect group. I have to give special credit to make up team and production team of Ed Wood for keeping it so good and raw, which enhanced the beauty of this movie.

Edward D Wood Jr. was awarded the Golden Turkey Award as "Worst Director of All Time" and to make a movie about him, the director and producer had to be a genius or damn crazy and Tim Burton fits both shoes well. Tim Burton I feel now after seeing a few of his wide and diverse collection of movies was the only one who could have done this. He shares the same passion and love for movies as Edward Wood which is very evident from some of his non-conventional choices of movies. I haven't seen any of Ed Woods original work but I felt Tim Burton captured it all. Going Black-White for the movie gives it that realism, use of props and I felt the way the movie is shot keeps that erratic touch intact.

Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else's dreams? These are the words of Orson Welles to Edward Davis Wood Jr in the movie and I think Edward did lived to make his own dreams. Ed Wood is a brilliant movie, made with immense passion and I would say its a must watch for everyone.

Plus : Johnny Depp, Martin Landau's performances.

Minus : None at all.

Rating : 9/10

There Will Be Blood (2007)

2010-07-24T10:29:00.001+05:30

Stars : Daniel Day Lewis, Paul Dano.

Directed By : Paul Thomas Anderson.

Written By : Paul Thomas Anderson, Upton Sinclair (Novel)

Daniel Day Lewis is a rare artist and I am not just talking about his acting abilities but the fact that he is one of the most selective actors in Hollywood with only 5 films in last 13 years and when one of his movies is up for grab its not to be missed. The title of the movie does blends with Daniel's past work but its more than that. One of his best works and for sure an Academy Award worthy performance.

Daniel Plainview ( Daniel Day Lewis) who digs in for minerals in 1902 discovers oil in one of his digs and establishes a drilling company. Daniel adopts one of his workers orphaned son and names him H.W and makes him his only partner. He slowly grows his business by acquiring land with possibilities of oil. One day he is contacted by Paul Sunday( Paul Dano) who informs him about an opportunity of oil near his fathers ranch. Daniel travels to the location with his son in search of the promised oil, and meets Paul's family and his twin brother Eli a priest at the local church. Daniel discovers oil and acquires the whole of the land except a ranch owned by Bandy. Daniel starts his drilling without the blessings of the church and Eli, suddenly strange things start to happen, one of his workers dies during drilling, his son loses his hearing ability because of a blast at the site and a fully developed and in work drilling unit burns down. Daniel somehow is able to create wells in the area and needs a contract to supply oil to. He is offered a buyout by a larger oil firm but rejects the offer instead decides to build a 100 mile long pipeline to the ocean and make a deal with Union Oil. Though he almost hates the church run by Eli but agrees to be baptised to acquire the farm owned by Bandy to complete his dream project of creating the pipeline. He completes the project and in between Eli leaves on some mission. In the last part Daniel is shown living in his dream house and very wealthy. The movie ends in a sequence of Daniel again meeting Eli.

Its was one movie where I felt if watched by empathizing with one character will have a different feel or perspective than if I empathize with a different character. I felt the story had a lot of angles to be watched from. The movie is a screen adaptation of novel "Oil" by Upton Sinclair. As I said earlier the movie had a lot of angles to be watched from and I may be wrong but this how I saw it. The movie was about the age old struggle between human power to create his own destiny or make his own luck and faith. Faith in God created destinations or destiny. Its never easy to be the master of one's own destiny and one losses a lot in the journey just like Daniel who losses a lot, his sons hearing ability, a part of his wealth , his son, his peace of mind and at one point even himself but yes he gets what he thought and set out for.

Daniel Day Lewis what can one say about this highly gifted actor. I have seen only one of his previous works "Gangs of New York" and was enough to make me his fan. He rightfully won an Oscar for his performance as Daniel Plainview. His character had almost the full spectrum of emotions, a hard working starter, a cunning businessman, a loving father and an all conquering soldier who still feels something missing even after becoming the king. He actually lives the character as oilman Daniel this is evident from the fact as he grows old he still has that black tinge around his nails which he got as the oil driller. His expressions and voice is a deadly combination for characters like Daniel Plainview and The Butcher in Gangs of New York. Though as a personal choice I liked the character and his performance as The Butcher a lot more than Daniel Plainview.

Paul Dano plays twin brothers Paul and Eli Sunday. He was great in his introductory scene as Paul and maintains that as he takes the character of Eli. There was an innocence but always something strange about his character and a persistent doubt about Eli's intentions which Paul brings on screen quite well. The Baptism ceremony and the scene where Eli demands the remaining $5000 from Daniel are definitely the best scenes between the lead stars.

Paul Thomas wrote the screenplay for the screen, was one of the producers and the director which I felt should be one of the reason for the moving turning out to be so good as he always had everything in control. The movie though I felt just lacks a bit of pace sporadically but the movie is brilliant. I don't know what kind of camera was used or how did they do it but the initial scenes of the movie did looked like they were shot in 1900.

Its a movie that will need some patience to watch as it grows slowly. A nicely written and presented story and that's what cinema is all about, telling tales and stories.

Plus : Performance from Daniel Day Lewis and Paul Dano.

Minus : Just slows a bit for a very short time.

Ratings : 8/10

The Birdcage (1996)

2010-07-21T22:05:00.000+05:30

Stars : Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Weist, Dan Futterman.

Directed by : Mike Nichols

Written by :Jean Poiret Screenplay : Elaine May

An American gay story can be put in a lot of ways and had always had a lot of emotions but to put it as a comedy and that too a brilliant comedy is wonderful. I heard about it on a Robin Williams interview and with the title and being a gay story I thought would be a drama but it turned out to be an amazing comedy.

Armand Goldman (Robin Williams) owns a South Beach drag club "The Birdcage" and lives his domestic partner Albert(Nathan Lane) who also performs at the club as star "Starina". Armand has a son Val ( Dan Futterman) who is in love with Senator Kelly (Gene Hackman) a conservative man and president of "Coalition of Moral Order" and is seeking re-election. Val and his girl Barbara ( Calista Flockhart ) want their parents to meet but here is where the problem lies. Barbara hasn't told her parents the truth but has told them that Val's family is from Greece. The meeting of the two families and the commotion caused by the efforts made by Armand, Albert and Val to conceive the truth is the movie all about.

Robin Williams is one actor who can blow your mind with his performance and can out do any co-actor with his antics and superlative acting but this is one of those rare movies where Robin is outperformed by a co-star. Nathan Lane is the real hero of this extremely funny movie. Nathan Lane as Albert the star performer of the drag club was the standout performer for me in this movie. The way he walks, talks is completely awesome. His mannerism through out the movie were constant and he was always in the character. During one sequence he had to dress in a suit and act as a man which could be very discomforting for anyone like her character and I could see his discomfort while wearing that suit and act like a man. Robin William is good as always, I felt it was a routine character and performance for him. Nathan and Robin as a team really lifted the movie with their performance. Gene Hackman as the conservative senator does a fine job. He does well specially in the sequences at the Coleman house. There is one more actor who deserves a mention is Hank Azaria as Agador the housekeeper. His character is hilarious and the way he kept the ascent and mannerism intact is commendable.

The story is a screen adaptation of a stage play by the name "La Cage aux Folles" written by Jean Poiret. The screenplay for the movie is written by Elaine May. The comedy is largely situational so the writer gets a lot of credit for making the movie entertaining. Director Mike Nichols also does a good job by not going over the top with the character sketches.

It is one of the better comedies and is taken up a notch by the performances of Nathan Lane, Robin Williams and Hank Azaria. Its a very entertaining movie and is a definite watch if you like comedies.

Plus : Nathan Lane, Robbin Williams, Hank Azaria and wonderful situational writing.

Minus: Had a good laugh what more do I look for.

Rating: 8/10

The Truman Show (1998)

2010-07-20T14:39:00.002+05:30

Stars : Jim Carrey , Ed Harris, Laura Linny, Noeh Emmerich, Natascha McElhone.

Directed by : Peter Weir.

Written by : Andrew Niccole.

We all want to be someone , someone really powerful, be the one the world revolves around.Be the centre of the world, I know its sounds great to be the centre of the world but it will freak you out sooner or later. when everything works according to you, you will start missing the mistakes, the small things that make us who we are.

This is the story of Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey ) a human who actually is the centre of world.

A world called sevenheaven an entire island created for a television show "The Truman show" by Chritof (Ed Harris), a show that was truly a story of a lifetime. Life time of Truman Burbank who is unaware of his fake world and that his life is an entertainment show for the world, which was there with him he was born and since then has been with him 24 x 7 x 365. Though Truman had had a wonderful life till his 30th year except for the death of his father. He gets married to Meryl (Laura Linny ), has a true friend in Marlon (Neoh Emmerich ) and a fine job in an insurance firm. But as the show enters the 30th year of its running things start to change, Truman gets suspicious not because of things start to go a little odd at the show but why is his world so perfect. We all dream of a world which is free of all the crime hazards the world has but sometimes we get trapped in our worlds, we try our best to get out but the harder we try the more complicated things become. Truman has a perfect world, a secure safe and happy world but perfection sometimes becomes a burden and slowly Truman's perfect world becomes his burden, too much for him to bear, he feels chained wants to be liberated. This is the story of Truman's search and discovery of truth, discovery of himself and the journey of his liberation and realization.

The star of the movie for me was Andrew Niccole, the writer. I got to say one of the truly original and beautiful movies I have and will ever see, except those which I will create :). Remarkable script, can just wonder how did he came up with this idea. Its a magical story and I felt it said more than what was on screen. It wasn't just the story of Truman it was our story, every human beings story. At some point in life we all feel trapped , trapped in a cage sponsored by those running this world and our lives. We too want to move out, look for what's behind every door. We too look for answers and want to break free. Truman Show isn't just a story but one that poked and provoked me. Andrew Niccole rightfully got nominated for an Academy award for original screenplay and won a BAFTA.

Jim Carrey is awesome, in one of his rare serious roles he is brilliant. I would rate this as one of his top 3 performances ever. May be its just that the story was so brilliant that everything fits in but really in some sequences he just captured my mind with his expressions. He is a big comic star but in this movie it was more of Jim Carrey the actor rather than the super hilarious comic artist. He is exceptional in emotional scenes and specially one with Marlon just before he meets his father and the last sequence.

The supporting performances are good too. Laura Linny as Maryl Truman's wife is good, she cannot stand him but the way she keeps her smile on and delivers during the scenes of Truman's emotional outburst is real good. Neoh has always been in the shadows of bigger stars but I felt his character was very well written and was equally well played by him. He keeps the faith of Truman alive whenever he starts questioning it. Ed Harris as Christof the calm, composed and authoritarian man who pulls the strings of Truman's life. is good too and I felt during the last scenes of the movie he was brilliant. I could see not just the creator but a father who created this world for Truman, who has seen him grow and may be has lived a life through Truman.
I got to give credit to the director Peter for creating a masterpiece and his beautiful use of background score which I think was wonderful. This movie may be the one responsible for the rise of reality television.

An incredible movie which I feel is a must watch, Its a cinema the way it should be, grand, creative and still maintaining the human touch.

Plus : Superb script and superb performance from Jim Carrey.

Minus : Didn't find any.

Ratings : 9/10

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

2010-07-19T07:20:00.002+05:30

Stars : Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz , Daniel Bruhl, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, Melanie Laurent.

Directed By: Quentin Tarantino

Written By: Quentin Tarantino

Though the odd name itself was enough and Quentin Tarantino was like icing on the cake but day I heard Lieutenant Aldo Raine in the very first trailer I saw telling his men that each one of them owed him 100 Nazi scalps I was restless to get my hands on Inglorious Basterds.

Like every Tarantino movie, Inglourious Basterds (IB) had chapters, sub-plots and each one was better than the previous. The first sub plot is about a team of American Jews assembled by U.S.A into Nazi Occupied France. The team is commanded by Lieuenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and its purpose is not just kill Nazi's but to spread fear into the hearts of each and every Nazi who sees their victim or hears from him and for this they are bestowed with a name "The Basterds" by the Nazi army. The second one is an US operation KINO to eradicate the Nazi leadership in Nazi occupied France. The third one of a Jewish girl Shosansa's plan to avenge her family's murder which was shot dead by Colonel Hans Landa and his men during one of their hunt for Jews. A German movie about a soldier's heroics is scheduled for premier at her theater which was to be attended by the top brass of theThird Reich including the Furher Adolph Hitler and here is where operation KINO, The Basterds and Shosanna's revenge all come together . Its better if we watch the movie than me writing the story here coz the story is one of the hero's of this movie.

Colonel Hans Landa played by Christoph Waltz is an amazing character, of what I have read and seen about the Nazi S.S it was one of the most resembling Nazi character I have seen on the screen. The smile, sugar coated words before the assault, the ascent, cruel and evil mind were all present and Christoph looked every bit an S.S colonel. Christoph Waltz has given a brilliant performance and rightfully won an Oscar award as the best actor in a supporting role(male). Melanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus is able to live through the pain and anger of a victim of Nazi atrocities. Her performance is highly commendable specially her performance during the conversation with Landa at the Cafe. Her eyes were very expressive and she subdues her hate while talking to him. I had to admire the guts of her character. These were two outstanding performances among a group of high calibre performers. Brad Pitt is good as Lieutenant Aldo Raine, the coolest character in the movie. His weired ascent , that long scar on the neck and had the coolest and probably the best lines in the movie. Each character has enormously contributed to making this movie a brilliant one. Whether its the character of Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz ( Til Schweiger ), Private Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Bruhl ) or even the character of Adolph Hitler (Martin Wuttke), each one was brought alive by the spirited and commendable performance of the actors.

Quentin Tarantino I felt must have spent a long time in developing his characters, giving each one a specific look, a specific ascent and purpose. The story is a fictional so he has taken some liberties and a few of them are surprising but just too good. His direction as always leaves a mark and his use of background score has been spot on. The way a scene's impact can be increased by the use of background score is very much visible when Hans Landa arrives at Shosanna's table in the second chapter. As in each of his movies he does not hesitates to use blood and violence for elaborating and adding to the emotions and purpose of his characters and plot.

Quentin Tarantino is a name synonymous with fast paced and high on adrenaline movies that have gained cult status, delivers one of his best with Inglourious Basterds. A superb movie which kept me glued to my seat during its running time. All I could say after the movie was WOW!.

Plus : Story and performances.

Minus : Didn't got the time notice any.

Rating : 9/10

Moscow on the Hudson (1984)

2010-07-18T02:21:00.000+05:30

Stars :Robin Williams, Maria Conchita Alonso, Elya Baskin, Alejandro Ray, Saveli Kramarov.

Director : Paul Mazursky.

Written by : Paul Mazursky & Leon Capetanos.

Moscow on the Hudson a very interesting name and the first time heard it I was very much intrigued by it. The presence of Robin Williams was an added attraction to make me eager for watching it.

Vladimir Ivanov ( Robin Williams ) a saxophone player with Moscow Circus gets a chance to perform in New York with his circus troupe. One of the troupe members Anatoly ( Elya Baskin ) a clown with the troupe wants to defect but has been unsuccessful on his previous attempts because of two KGB agents Boris (Saveli Kramarov ) and his partner sent with the troupe to prevent anyone from defecting. On the last day of tour in Bloomingdales Anatoly tries to defect but isn't able to do so but Ivanov out of nowhere just decides to do so and is successful in his attempt with the help of a sales girl , the security guard and the police. Moscow on the Hudson is the story of Ivanov's first rendezvous with his freedom and New York. His journey from being a defector to a free man. He starts a relationship with the sales girl Lucia ( Maria Conchita Alonso ) an Italian immigrant who had helped him at Bloomingdales. He gets to work as a busboy , hot dog vendor and experiences all that New York had to offer happiness, freedom , friends, love and the ugly side of the city too when he gets mugged. As he goes through a breakup with Maria he starts questioning his decision to defect, his new found freedom and himself. But New York true to its name of being city of dreams which embraces everyone , slowly it embraces Ivanov and more important Ivanov embraces the city.

The movie I felt wasn't just Ivanov's story, it was story of every immigrant around the world. Everyone who had left his or her country in search of greener pastures must have been through almost the same experience as our main protagonist. The movie spoke to everyone and whats more touching and humanizing about the movie is that its never goes over the top and always keeps the emotions real. The first 20 - 25 mins the only language spoken is Russian, which actually adds to its charm and innocence.

Robin Williams as Vladimir Ivanov is brilliant. This is one performance where the stand up Robin was absent and I got to see the actor Robin Williams. His expressions were brilliant through out , whether its the struggling but contended Russian, the innocent amazed kid like Ivanov on the city tour of New York or frightened immigrant trying to defect. I felt the whole sequence of his attempt to defect is brilliantly written ,shot and acted. The expressions on Robin's face and his performance is brilliant in this sequence. The supporting cast played a big hand in making the movie a truly delightful experience. Specially Saveli as the Russian agent accompanying the troupe is totaly a class act, Antoly played by Elya Baskin and Maria Conchita as Lucia, Ivanovs love interest are just brilliant. For me it was one of the best performance by an ensemble cast.

I have to give some credit to the writer Paul Mazursky and Leon Capetanos who came up with a simple , realistic and brilliant script. They took up a global phenomena and made it into a beautiful script. I give Paul Mazursky credit for dealing exceptionally well with a sensitive subject , touching a lot of people and yet keeping the lighter side of it intact. The movie has some really funny moments that aren't created by antics of the artists but evolve though the script.

A beautiful movie, exceptional performances and a delightful experience that will make you laugh and yet touch you in a very humane way.

Plus : Excellent script , brilliant performance from every actor.

Minus : There isn't any.

Rating : 9/10

Good Morning Vietnam (1987)

2010-07-17T08:49:00.001+05:30

Stars : Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, Bruno Kirby , J. T. Walsh

Director : Barry Levinson.

Written by : Mitch Markowitz

Robin Williams is a name synonymous with comedy and this one is no different except for one reason, this is solely his movie. He is not just the character but you do see Robin Williams the stand up comic.

United States Air Force Airman Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams ) a DJ with the forces is transferred to Armed forces Radio Station Saigon from Crete. Adrian is a flamboyant man with a free soul , an incredible sense of humour and really good comic talent. His work responsibilities include broadcasting approved and doctored news, general entertainment and playing music for the soldiers in field , all this while adhering to the rules and code set up by his superiors. Adrian likes to stretch the limits a bit , starts his broadcast with a lively and positive phrase "GOOD MORNING VIETNAM " slightly odd for his superiors and colleagues initially, does not hesitates to impersonate characters while reading the news or create entirely fictitious character as his correspondents or guest. All his antics become a little too much for his superiors. This is his tale, story of his short stay in Saigon where he falls for a girl named Trinh , chases her , befriends her brother Tuan. Almost gets killed in a bomb blast , defies his superiors, lets out the truth through his radio broadcast and gets suspended for it. On recall , he is set up by his superior officer and almost gets lost inside the enemy territory, to be rescued by Tuan, who latter turns out to be an enemy operative and responsible for the blast. This is the story of transformation of a clown to a comic with a purpose.

Robin Williams is one of the most gifted comic artist ever and it is a loss that hardly we get to see him use his talent to full. Good Morning Vietnam may be one of very few rare movies where Robin gets a chance to show and use may be not the complete spectrum but some of his talents and skills. One of the finest performances of Robin's career, he brings life to the character of Adrian with his simplistic charm , his remarkable talent and his commendable acting. It seemed like the director gave him full freedom to let loose and do which ever way he wanted to. The impersonation , the different characters created, Phew!. He is unbelievable. He deservedly got an Academy Award nomination for best actor in leading role. Forest Whitaker in one of his earliest movies performs well in a small but important part of Private first class Edward Garlick. The other performance i really liked in the movie was from Bruno Kirby who plays Lieutenant Steven Hauk. A self declared comic, slightly paranoid and always seeking a salute from his junior officers. He is one character that stood out from the rest, specially while holding the radio show during Adrian's absences due to suspension.

The whole movie is just filled with energy and the mainstay is Robin Williams. A brilliant performance ,accompanied with some fine writing. The movie never had a dull moment.I got to appreciate the director too for bring the best out Robin and all his characters. The one interesting and most important fact about his movie is that its based on a real life character.

Good Morning Vietnam is truly a wonderful movie and is as fresh as a real good morning.

Plus : Robin Williams unleashed.

Minus : Can be ignored if any for Robin Williams superlative performance.

Rating : 8/10

Patch Adams ( 1998)

2010-07-14T00:08:00.002+05:30

Stars : Robin Williams, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Monica Potter.

Director : Tom Shadyac.

Is it necessary for a movie to be studded with great performances, writing or screenplay to be appreciated or enjoyed? Why can't a movie be appreciated for what it was trying to tell or bring to focus?. Patch Adams is a light hearted comedy based on a true story of a remarkable man who manages to touch and improve the life of many and bring about a change in the century old rules dictating the noble profession of Medicine.

A bus enters the first shot and one of the passengers on the bus was Hunter Patch Adams(Robin William), who is on his way to an asylum on psychiatric suggestion for attempting suicide after the death of his father. Patch shares room with Ruddy,who is a paranoid case and is scared of squirrels. Ruddy hardly gets down from his bed coz of his paranoia. One night Adam helps Ruddy to the toilet and realises that he is able to forget his grief and problem while helping others. The very next day he leaves the asylum with a goal of helping people, listening to their problems, attempting to solve them and a new found meaning to life.

Two years after leaving the asylum Adam joins Virginia Medical University to be a medical doctor, he is the odd man out as he is the oldest among the students. Hunter gets into trouble with the Dean of the university Dean Wallcot(Rob Gunton) very early in the session. There is clash of beliefs between the Dean and Adam, the Dean believes that there should be no personal relations between a patient and a doctor while Adam believes in treating the patient with compassion and not just treat him but to improve the living condition of the patient. Medical students are not supposed to enter the Hospital till the third year but Adam makes it a habit of meeting patients ,making them laugh and improve their conditions. Dean wallcot notices this and rusticates Adam after Adam plays a prank while organizing the conference of Gynecologists but later Adam is re instigated.

Adam meets a girl Corin Fisher(Monica Potter) and falls in love with her. While spending time with the patients despite of warnings by the dean Adam visualizes a dream of creating a Hospital where patients will be treated not just by medicine but with compassion and love. Where there will be a relationship between the doctor and the patient beyond that. He starts a small clinic which was later to shape up as the Gesundheit Institute with the help of Cornie and one of his colleagues Truman Schiff (Daniel London)at a land owned by Arthur Mendelson, a wealthy man he met at the asylum. He still continues to study at the university while running the clinic where people start to pour in not just to get treated but also to help. A new patient Larry(Douglas Roberts) comes to the clinic, Cornie finds something discomforting about him but Adam admits him and the work goes on as usual. One night Larry calls the clinic and Cornie being alone decides to go to Larry's house. Next morning she is found dead , killed by Larry. This incident leaves Adam heart broken and filled with guilt. He decides to leave everything and almost goes back to where he came from. He goes to commit suicide but somehow stops with a feeling that Cornie is around somewhere and wants him to continue with his pursuit. But before he completes what he started out to achieve he is again questioned and put in front of committee for his methods and practising medicine without proper qualification and a license. Hunter Patch Adam makes a statement in front of the committee which makes them believe that whether Adam has a license or not but what he has done has actually improved the life of the patients. The committee dismisses the charges by applauding his efforts to improve the quality of life around him and his efforts in expanding the frontiers of medical theories. It also suggests the dean to practise a little more of "Excessive Happiness" a charge Adam was charged with by the Dean Wallcot.

Robin Williams has been a part of Happy go lucky movies all through out his career but I felt this movie had a purpose to fulfill and William gives his full effort to bring the character of Hunter Adams to life on screen. Though he is let down by the screenplay and the dialogues. The only other credible performance other than Robin Williams has been from Rob Gonton as Dean Wallcot. He has been strict and you are forced to hate him because of his relentless pursuit of getting Adam out of the university. Monica Potter was supposed to look gorgeous and provide that love and emotional angle though its not true in real life. In case of real Hunter Patch Adam the close friend who was killed was a man.

The story though tells a true real life story but what it lacks is that feel which could have made the movie a real classic. The screenplay and editing could have been better. The movie tells about 7 years of a man's life, so it had a lot to show but in order to capture the whole it looses on the impact. In spite of being a really brilliant real life story Patch Adam falls short. But yes it can be categorized as one of the movies which speak much more than what they were able to represent on the screen.

Plus : Robin Williams and few moments of real compassion.

Minus : Screenplay and editing which make the movie a bit hasty.

Rating :6.5/10

A Few Good Men (1992)

2010-07-10T05:50:00.002+05:30

Stars : Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Pollak, Wolfgang Bodison.

Director : Rob Reiner.

One of my favorite Jack Nicholson dialogues "You Can't Handle the Truth" and one of many exceptional monologues by Jack Nicholson is from this brilliant and hard hitting courtroom drama. I have seen it a few times before and saw it again yesterday.

Lance Corporal(LCpl) Harold Dawson and Private First Class(Pfc) Lauden Dwoney are charged with the murder of Pfc William Santiago at the GITMO(Guantanamo Bay Naval BaseCuba). The division appoints Leuitenant Juinor Grade(LtJG) Daniel Kaffee(Tom Cruise) as the defense councillor in the court-martial of the two Marines. Kaffee has a reputation of settling cases without even entering the court through plea bargains.

Naval investigator and lawyer Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway wants to take charge as the defense council, she believes the two accused were ordered a "Code Red" a common practice of punishing Marines for offenses such as late for training, falling back in the pack etc. by their seniors but Kaffee is chosen over her for his reputation, as the Commanding officer at GITMO Colonel Nathan. R. Jessep is a very decorated officer, soon to take a very important post at the National Security Council and the higher authorities want the case to be a very low key and quick affair. The way Kaffee and Joanne are able to unearth the truth, the courtroom trial form the core of the story and it would be unfair to reveal the whole story.

Whenever a story involves men in uniform its bound to be a tale of honour, justice, sacrifice and passion. A Few Good Men is no difference. The plot forms the crust of this movie's brilliance which is nicely decorated by brilliant performances and dialogues. Jack Nicholson as always is psychic and brilliant. His portrayal of Colonel Jessep is fabulous, he is strong, arrogant and a man with purpose. There is never a question about his dialogue delivery but in the last section of this movie he delivers one of his best monologues and some of his best lines. When his methods are questioned, I could actually see the hatred in his heart for the civilians or men who work behind a desk. He wasn't Jack anymore, he was Colonel Jessep and that has always been his hallmark.

Tom Cruise gets the biggest share of screen space and had one of his best roles in the movie. He is good but I felt he lacked something through out, may be it was that he was working with actors better than him, I am not sure but he did good. I also felt may be his character required him not be perfect, a little bit of vulnerability was demanded and in that case he scores high very high. He is extremely good in the latter part of the movie, specially in the courtroom. Its very hard for any actor to hold his own in front of Jack Nicholson and more so significant if he is in a mood like this one but Tom Cruise really shows his strength as an actor. Demi Moore always looks sexy in a uniform. Whether it was G.I Jane or this movie , whenever she has worn a uniform she has looked good and an officer. She gives a fine performance but is lost under the shadows of performances of her male co-stars. Kevin Pollak plays the subtle LtJG Sam Weinberg who lends a bit of calm to the team of our three investigators Kaffee, Joanne and third one himself. His confrontations with Joanne and Kaffee towards the end are quite beautiful sequences with very few dialogues.

This movie deserved actors of high caliber and it had but what it also needed was some fine writing. and there were really strong, beautiful dialogues and sequences in the movie. The movie is a screen adaptation of the play with same name by Aaron Sorkin. Even before the first show of the play Aaaron was contacted by studio to adapt his play for big screen. I think the director Rob Reiner also deserves as much credit as writer Aaron Sorkin for maintaining that tight hold over every scene which makes this a delight.The editing is sharp which makes the movie very engaging.

The movie was deservedly nominated for 4 Academy Awards and 5 Golden Globe including the best movie in both. Its one of the best courtroom dramas I have seen and its a must watch for all.

Plus : The plot, Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise and the dialogues.
Minus : May be none
Rating : 9/10

Chocolat (2000)

2010-07-04T03:48:00.008+05:30

Stars : Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench , Alfred Molina, Lina Olin , Johnny Depp, Victoire Thivisol.

Director :Lesse Hallstrom.

It happens sometimes that when we are in a bad mood and suddenly out of nowhere we get a pleasant surprise and everything is back on track. I was heart broken by Argentina's loss in the world cup and had gone for an early nap ,but just woke up in time to watch Spain win but it wasn't enough to cheer me up. After the match I was just channel surfing, was halted by a beautiful face on Zee Studios, got hooked for the next two hours and the flavor of the movie just got me.

Vianne Rocher(Juliette Binoche) has a gift which has a side effect attached to it. She travels across France with her daughter Anouk(Victoire Thivisol) following the northern winds. She has a gift of creating magic with chocolate. Her creations don't just melt in mouth but it also melts the inhibitions in the heart. She reaches an old and classical village in her journey. The village has a devout mayor, Comte Paul de Reynaud (Alfred Molina) who almost guides the village. Vianne opens a chocolaterie in the village during the period of Lent. The mayor considers Vianne as a bad influence on the people and tries to oppose her. Vianne's chocolaterie starts changing the life of the village. Soon her creation brings back the spice in married life of a couple, she manages to bring cheers into an ailing old lady Armande Voizin(Judi Dench) life, reunites her with her grandson Luc. Vianne is also able to help Josephine(Lena Olin) who has been living with her cruel and chauvinistic husband all her life. She is able to make Josephine believe, that her life can be much better. But the Comte is still after her and stands against her. He even uses the priest and the church to push Vianne to the corner.

The things worsen when a group of Gypsy's anchor at their river bank. The mayor and the whole village is against this group led by Roux(Johnny Depp) staying in the village and according to the mayors ruling boycott's the whole group. Vianne helps Roux ,towards whom she is attracted physically and I feel emotionally too as both were almost outlaws for the village and had the same kind of life, a wandering one. The story revolves around these characters and their fight within.

I got to say Vianne's character was so delightful and was so soothing that it had to be played by someone who had to be extremely beautiful, should be able to light up the screen with just her presence and smile. The warmth within had to be reflected on the screen and I feel casting Juliette Binoche as Vianne was perfect. She is beautiful, her smile just melts the heart. I haven't seen or may be I have seen her work before but I got to say she was perfect. She was charming with her words, her physicality, softness and was calm on outside even though her character had many wars within. Judi Dench, her transformation from Madam M to grandma Armande was graceful and had that love in those eyes. Scenes between Luc and Armande were beautiful and always had the appropriate amount of innocence and tenderness.

Johnny Depp, big big fan and when he came into the picture , though had a small role but man you give him a minutes role and he will carve a mark in your mind for his guest appearance even. He is so good. He was brilliant again, though had nothing much to do but was really important for the story. Mr.Alfred Molina is a versatile artist and has always been good. He plays the mayor to perfection. He lets his character's ego overpower the man and that kind of gives the idea of how good he was.

The script is a screen adaption of novel with the same name by Joanne Harris. Director Lesse Hallstrom does captures the sweetness of not just the chocolate but of the people. I don't know if it's him or the artists but every actor is invisible in the movie, only the characters are visible.

There have been a lots and lots of movies where a central character affects and changes the life of people but I felt this was a bit different because of it wasn't just the character of Vianne but it was the people affected that came out and changed their lives.

I had a great time watching this movie and I hope u do too. A good watch.

Plus :Simplicity of the story, characters and the performances.

Minus :Didn't noticed.

Rating :8.5/10

Jakob The Liar (1999)

2010-06-25T07:05:00.005+05:30

Stars : Robbin Williams , Liev Schreiber, Alan Arkin.

Director :Peter Kassovitz.

There have been numerous movies about the Holocaust and each one had a tale to tell, each one touched the heart. I got the opportunity to see another one yesterday and as others this one also had a story to tell , though fictional .

Jakob a shop owner is brought in front of the officer for violating the curfew in the ghettos, the movie is set in 1944. Jakob overhears a office radio broadcast about the advancement of Russian troops in the battle and leaks this news to one of his friends, telling him that he heard this on radio. The news slowly spreads that Jakob has a radio and suddenly the life in ghettos starts to change. The hope brought along by his news brings the smiles back on the face of people, there is a hope of survival and as a result the number of suicide reduces in the ghettos. Jakob starts building up stories on seeing what his little story has done to their lives. Jakob also has a secret, he hides a little Jewish girl who had escaped from one of the trains going to the camps. Jakob has no family except this little girl, whom he loves so much and wants to protect at any cost .The Germans get a tip off that someone is hiding a radio in ghettos and the start looking for it.They take hostages and ask the man with radio to surrender else they will kill the hostages. Jakob gives himself to the Germans but never tells the people the real truth.

Robbin Williams is known as one of the best comic artists in Hollywood, but whenever he is given an opportunity to play a character with varied colors of emotions he still stands out in those roles. Here also he does what he does best , he is splendid as Jakob keeping the emotions always tucked under that smile of his. He is brilliant as the hope spreading Jakob and worried guardian of little girl who stays with him. The Supporting cast is brilliant too , Liev Schreiber as Mischa and specially Bob Balaban as Jakob's closest friend in the ghettos.

The movie is full of moments that may leave a lump in the throat as in all the movies about the holocaust. The movie is an adaptation from a novel by Jurek Becker titled "Jakob der Lügner(1969)". I haven't read the book so I don't know how much the movie actually adheres to it. I liked the story of the movie a lot and was forced to wonder, if actually there was Jakob. What a remarkable man he must have been. The brilliance of Robbin Williams, Bob Balaban and the power of hope shown in the movie is what makes it so good. I loved it and was just amazed by the way the movie ended.

Plus : Story , Robbin Williams , Bob Balaban.

Minus : May be the direction, lighting and the sound.

Rating : 8/10

The Last Song (2010)

2010-06-22T21:09:00.004+05:30

Stars :Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear, Liam Hemsworth.

Director : Julie anne Robinson.

There is always an attraction in movies which deal a father-son or a father-daughter relationships at least for me. Its one of the toughest subject to handle and though there have been 1000 attempts at this genre but hardly a few make it to their actual place, "The audiences heart" . I have always liked the work Greg Kinnear and the subject of the movie were the two reasons of my excitement towards the movie.

The story begins with Ronnie and her younger brother Jonah being dropped off at their father's house for summer. Jonah is young and enthusiastic at the chance of meeting his father but Ronnie has issues about the divorce between her father and mother, she still hasn't been able to forget and forgive her father about what had happened. Ronnie is an exceptional talent and used play Piano, she even got into Julliard but doesn't plays anymore.

Things start to brighten up for Ronnie as she meets Will and her summer also brightens up as meeting Will also leads to her coming closer to her father. One day the Ronnie finds out that her father is dying due to cancer. Her mother takes Jonah away after the summer but Ronnie stays to take care of her dad.

With thousands of attempt made at handling the complex and often fragile father-son or father daughter relationships its very hard for a director or a screenwriter to get away from Cliche's and bring about something new. The Last Song did had a couple of new things but mostly was the same old story. Miley is cute and as far as her acting goes she is OK. She does falters and is not very convincing in emotional scenes though looks good in few romantic sequences with Liam Hemsworth. The stand out performer for me in the movie was Jonah played by Bobby Coleman. He is able to bring out the joy, laughter, love, pain and innocent tears almost the full spectrum of emotions quite well on to the screen. Greg Has some decent scenes but I felt didn't had much to do. He is still good and lifts the movie a bit by his performance.

Director Julie and the screen writer should be given some credit for creating a new way for girls and guys to meet during summers. The sequence of the tortoise eggs was beautiful and had the appropriate amount of charm to make me fall for that. Rest everything was plain, very simple and nothing new I haven't seen before. Its not a good movie but yes a decent one to watch once if you do have some time to spare and nothing else to do.

Plus : A new sequence for summer hook-up of couples.

Minus : Nothing new .

Rating :6/10

Remember Me(2010)

2010-06-18T18:58:00.006+05:30

Stars :Robert Pattinson, Emilie de Ravin, Chris Cooper, Pierce Brosnan, Ruby Jerins.

Director : Allen Coulter

There are some movies that really draw us towards them, sometimes due to the cast, due to the music,legend attached or sometime just the trailers are amazing. Since I first saw the trailer of Remember Me I was eager to watch this one and after all the hype I did laid my hands on it and have to say wasn't disappointed.

The story revolves around colors of human emotion that we all have but always are either ashamed or afraid to admit i.e. fear of the world, fear of the past. Tyler Hawkins son of a rich businessman Charles Hawkins played by Pierce Brosnan, big brother to a creatively bright and socially aloof younger sister Caroline,played by Ruby Jerins and a guy who lives in and with books and according to his friends a guy the chicks dig. He believes in justice, believes in human capability, strength to revolutionize and bring a mass change. He meets a girl Ally who is a cops daughter and a witness to her own mothers murder on a subway 10 years ago. The movie is a fight between emotions of guilt, fear and love.

After watching Robert Pattinson as Edward in Twilight series I had high expectations from him and he didn't disappoint. He is great as Tyler Hawkins, a somewhat extension n a more humane expansion of Edward inTwilight. He brings that intensity of Tyler with ease on to the screen. We all have that rebellion inside us but a few are able to bring him out and Robert does extremely well here doing so. The relationship he shares with his sister Caroline is very beautiful n pure. The scenes between Robert n Ruby are so genuine and were a high point of this movie. Emilie plays Ally a girl who stays with her overprotective father and somewhere falls in love with Tyler. Its a small track which I didn't felt had an impact on the movie. Pierce Brosnan plays Tyler and Caroline's father who has time only for his work and that's what pains Tyler who blames his father for the suicide of his brother Micheal.

The script is simple and we have seen such complex relationship stories but what makes this movie stand out is the performance from Robert Pattinson , Ruby Jerins , direction and treatment of the subject. I will have to give credit to Allen Coulter for dealing scenes between Caroline and Tyler with the sensitivity and sweetness that was required. The scene between Tyler and his father, in his father's office is also brilliantly shot and the dialogues in spite being simple are effective. I liked the ending of the movie and the way it justifies the title of the movie.

Plus : Robert Pattinson , Ruby Jerins performances and some scenes between them.

Minus : Old story, the dialogues could have been better.

Rating : 7/10

Wall-E

2010-03-21T03:24:00.005+05:30

Stars : Ben Burtt , Elisa Knight ,Jeff Garlin.

Director : Andrew Stanton.

There are not many movies that just fill your heart with a wonderful feeling of amazement and all you can do is marvel about the creative aspect of the movie long after watching it . For me Wall-E was one such creation and all I could end up doing after the movie was just feel a sense of amazement about the people behind it .

By the year 2105 Earth has turned into a garbage bin, all of human race and forms of life have almost vanished from the face of the earth. Only things visible are sky high towers of compressed garbage. Amongst this world of garbage is Wall-E, a robot who is last surviving among millions like it, designed to compress the garbage and make the earth cleaner and greener. Wall-E is a robot with somewhat artificial intelligence. Wall-E can feel, is excited when he sees bright light and loves to watch an old tape with people dancing and singing. He has a cockroach for company and lives in beautifully decorated Garbage bin. He has a fixed routine of getting out in the morning for work i.e to compress the garbage and in the evening watch the videotape.

On one such day a spaceship lands on earth and leaves behind another robot named "Eva",which is supposed to scan the earth for life forms, mainly plants. Actually due to over pollution of the earth surface the human race were forced to move to space, though it was supposed to be temporary arrangement but its been more than 700 years now. The moment Wall-E gets a glimpse of Eva, he falls in love with this beautiful robot. Eva scan's the area for the whole day and Wall-E keeps following her. At the end of the day as the sun sets Eva shuts down her power and waits for the spaceship to return. Wall-E though sacred of Eva initially decided to take her with him to the garbage bin. The rest of the movie revolves around the quest of Wall-E for his love Eva and the return of humankind to earth.

I have seen leading men doing various heroics, playing melodies and creating the most romantic sequences to woo their lady love but have never seen anyone follow their love into outer space. The idea of a robot's love story isn't that new but the thought of taking the love story beyond earth is superb. The story is fairly better than the normal animation movies and the background score I felt was probably one of the best. Each sound was so distinct and so accurate that I can only imagine of the hard work, time put behind it and salute the master Ben Burtt, the genius behind masterpieces as Star War series, E.T , Indian Jones and numerous others.

The director also deserves accolades, as the characters in this movie don't communicate through voices as in usual animations but only through robotic sounds and body movements and the way Stanton has handled it is just brilliant. I could not stop smiling through out the movie and even after it ended that smile lasted for hours. Wall-E is a masterpiece, arguably one of the best animation movies ever. The movie is filled with moments of cinematic and animation brilliance. There is a specific scene in space where Wall-E uses a fire-extinguisher to move around, for me in that sequence the background score, the animation effects together create one of the most romantic and visually appealing sequence in animations.

I would give full marks to Andrew Stanton and his team for creating such beautiful movie.

Plus : Everything about the movie is great.

Minus : Probably nothing

Rating : 9.5/10

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)

2010-03-18T01:09:00.008+05:30

Stars : Dustin Hoffman , Natalie Portman ,Jason Bateman , Zach Mills.

Director : Zach Helm

Why is it that we have lost that sense of being illogical or rather not looking for a rational explanation for everything ? where are those days when we used to believe in magic , thought everything is possible ?.When something new always aroused that curiosity? This movie is the one that takes you back to those golden days for sometime .

Mr.Magorium is a toy maker ,who has created a magical toy store where every toy actually moves . Mr.Magorium according to him is 204 yrs old and has made toys for the various elite of the society. Molly Mahoney once considered a child prodigy in piano is his store manager .She is burdened by the expectations the world had from her and the regret of not fulfilling her potential.The store has one regular customer Eric ,who has no friends except Mahoney . Mahoney and Eric both are like family to Mr.Magorium.

Suddenly one day Mr.Magorium announces that its time he should leave the world and hires an accountant Henry Weston ,who is a total workaholic and that's why a bit unpopular initially among the customers ,Mahoney and Eric to value his assets and put his paperwork in right shape before he handovers the store to Mahoney. The last few days of Mr.Magorium , Mahoney's struggle with herself and the discovery of self belief in her is what the story is all about.

There is not a single doubt about the acting powers of Mr.Hoffman and in this one is he reiterates why he is such a respected performer.The way he speaks that lisp , the way he walks and the way he literally lights up the screen ever time he is in the frame is beautiful .His character is lovable ,adorable and so so cute ,that you are bound to like it.I certainly did ,that innocence of his character is really poignant .Natalie Portman I believe one of the most beautiful looking ladies on screen is good as Molly Mahoney. Her character is soft , sometimes broken within and very adorable and Natalie actually imparts that innocence of hers to the character which makes it utter pleasure to watch . The real star for me in the movie is the character of Eric played by Zach Mills , he is cute ,sweet and has so much belief in the everything that's there in the emporium. He is the one whose strong belief still brings that hope even when everything looks bleak. Zach as Eric is great ,those expressive eyes of his made me feel so really happy within and really don't know why.

The movie is written with some very pure heart and innocence by Zach Helm and he maintains that innocence and purity in his direction as well .The movie is loaded with beautiful moments and fine writing . There some scenes that took me back to my childhood and made me think where have I lost that belief "that everything is possible" ,those days when I never used to think twice before attempting something new . There is a mention of Shakespeare's King Lear towards the end which i felt was a high point .The timing and the way Mr.Hoffman delivers those lines is just awesome . I have to say ,its a great job done by Mr.Zach Helm , first of all for thinking about such a sweet ,innocent and beautiful script and then living to it through his direction.

A must watch ,I loved it and hope you do too.Believe in magic once and sure you wont be disappointed.

Plus : Sweet story , very cute performances and just the shear delight of loosing that rationality once in a while .

Minus : The end could have been a bit better but its just fine.

Rating :8.5/10

Up in the Air (2009)

2010-02-09T19:46:00.007+05:30

Stars : George Clooney ,Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick.

Director : Jason Reitman.

There are so many things in life that are so sad ,that the moment you hear about it happening to a person you feel sorry for him.Being fired from the job is one of them and to make a movie loosely based around the life of someone who's profession is to fire people I feel is amazing .

Ryan Bingham has a fast track life ,lives out of his suitcase and loves flying.He works as a downsizing professional,travels around the country laying off employees for corporations where the bosses don't have the balls to do it themselves. Ryan loves his life ,with no strings attached ,has a personal goal of flying 10 million miles and on one such trip he meets a fellow frequent flier Alex.The two instantly hit it off ,start enjoying each others company.Natalie a young colleague of Ryan has a plan to downsize the company expenditure by doing the layoffs via Internet.Ryan is very disturbed by the idea but accepts it to be put into testing.Natalie accompanies Ryan on one of his field trips .Ryan guides her about how to conduct oneself and how to keep the personal out of professional.Natalie is sensitive and highly disapproves of Ryan's philosophy of life.They meet Alex at one of their stopovers and the three have a good time .That's where Natalie question's Ryan about being in a relation with Alex ,which actually kindles the thought about settling in Ryan's head .What happens next and in between is the story all about.

George Clooney's performance as Ryan and Anna Kendrick's portrayal of Natalie are the highlights of the movie. Mr.Clooney looks fresh and charming while doing one of the toughest jobs on earth. He is diplomatic, manipulative and yet comes out as the character I felt a sympathy for. He is workaholic and suave but the way he is left alone by the time movie ends ,kind of resembles a life that most of the people are living today .Anna as Natalie a young, dynamic ,goal oriented yet a 21 year old girl is cute and gives that hard outside and soft within performance brilliantly. She is someone who resembles the youth ,ambitious ,hard working but still young who have a life to live and a world to discover.

The script writer is the unsung hero of the movie .The way the movie flows from one aspect of human relations and emotions to another is meticulous .The credit for me also goes to Mr. Reitman for dealing sensibly with a sensitive topic ,specially in a time like this.He neither went overboard nor underplayed it .The last scene in the movie actually sums up the whole idea and the movie when Ryan standing at the airport looking for his next destination ,subtly lets us know that ,that the journey never ends ,keep walking you will find a destination.

A perfectly timed movie with some excellent writing and brilliant performances.

Plus : Script,George Clooney and Anna Kendrick.

Minus : Couldn't find one but if there are can be ignored

Rating :8.5/10

Serpico (1973)

2010-02-01T21:03:00.005+05:30

Stars : Al Pacino.

Director : Sidney Lumet.

Al Pacino and Sidney Lumet pair has given some remarkable movies and Serpico is surely one of the best from the pair.

Frank Serpico a new patrolman in the New York City Police Department(NYPD) is unable to stand the corruption prevailing in the department ,he is frustrated and highly disturbed by it. He wants to stop this practice and decides to act by going to authorities.The movie is about Serpico's quest and struggle to bring this widespread corruption front and wipe it out.He becomes an undercover agent and fights for the truth to be revealed even if it involves putting his own life at stake.

Al Pacino is one of the very few actors who does not acts in a movie, actually he lives that character he becomes the character.The same is visible in Serpico, he is not Al Pacino in the movie but actually every inch Serpico.The way he walks ,the way he talks ,his clothing style everything makes him just perfect.Al Pacino is brilliant in every scene ,specially the scenes where he takes out is frustrations and anguish.The supporting actors have played a very important role too.The whole set up looks great and the tension between Serpico and rest of the department can be felt throughout.Whats more interesting is the way the characters have been etched out,each distinctive and having a different view on the corruption.

Presenting a real life character on screen is tough and Sidney Lumet is one of the rare kinds who make it look easy every time.Story in itself is appealing ,and the presentation makes it more appealing . I feel this one is a movie but thinking about the guts ,integrity ,the humiliation and the frustration in real life that Frank Serpico had to face gives me real bumps .

Overall the movie is very beautifully directed ,beautifully written and superbly enacted.You just have to be patient to really get a sense of the movie.Must watch if you are an AlPacino fan.

Plus :Story,Al Pacino's performance and Sidney Lumet's direction.

Minus :Since its a real life story so it would not be right to comment on it.

Rating :8/10

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

2010-01-29T21:29:00.008+05:30

Stars : Robert Downey Jr. ,Jude Law,Rachel McAdams,Mark Strong.

Director : Guy Ritchie.

The famous Arthur Conon Doyle character Sherlock Holmes is brought to screen by Guy Ritchie and with a lot of hype surrounding it I was a bit sacred to watch it.But the movie is fantastic and very high on entertainment value.

Lord Blackwood is planning on something big ,that's predicted to change the face of the world and our Sherlock Holmes with Dr.Watson is destined to stop him.That's the crux of the story ,I guess there is no point in detailing the story of a detective movie.

Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes is brilliant.He looks great and acts superbly.I was apprehensive about his casting before watching the movie but now I am almost certain that he was just perfect as Sherlock Holmes.He has done some amazing action sequences and looks every bit Sherlock. He lends a raw look to the character and his styling also adds to the charm .Jude Law looks great as Dr.Watson and performs brilliantly.I think the on screen chemistry of Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr. works quite well in favor of the movie.Mark Strong looks every inch evil and is almost the perfect villain.He does his part exceptionally well and convinces as the dark Lord.The supporting actors too do their bit to make the movie a highly enjoyable experience.But the star of the movie is for sure Robert Downey Jr. who never falters as Sherlock Holmes.

One of the first things that drew me in favor of the movie was the camera work and the production value. The sets have been designed to almost perfection and impress a lot.

There are some amazing fight sequences in the movie which are bound to draw attention.The movie is very well shot and the direction is brilliant.There is that characteristic impression of Guy Ritchie ,the movie is tightly scripted ,very well edited, never lacks pace and always full of excitement .The slow motion sequences and the way a sequence is first shown and then what actually happens is great and makes it more enjoyable.The music is likable and the timing is also apt.

All in all a very highly entertaining movie which does not gives you anytime to lean back and put your mind to something else.I loved it and hope you like it too.

Plus :Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law,Fine direction ,pace of the movie and some fine action sequences.

Minus :I didnt find any.

Rating :8.5/10

As Good as It Gets (1997)

2010-01-27T18:41:00.007+05:30

Stars : Jack Nicholson,Helen Hunt,Greg Kinnear.

Director : James L. Brooks.

As Good as It Gets is a simple predictable romantic comedy but what up lifts the movie are the performances and some fine writing.

Melvin Udall is a successful romantic writer but contrary to his work he is more of a racist misanthrope in real life, who lives all alone .He has a gay artist Simon for a neighbor and Melvin hates Simon's dog Vendall.Melvin has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder(OCD) which coupled with with his misanthropic lifestyle makes him a pain for the general public.Melvin has a habit of having lunch in a nearby cafe and every person who either eats there or works hates Melvin except one Carol Connelly a waitress.Carol not only tolerates Melvin's behavior but Melvin also develops an interest in Carol.Carol is a single mother who's son Spencer is suffering from acute case of Asthma.One day Simon is beaten up by his male model and friends which forces Melvin to keep Simon's dog with him for a while.Slowly Melvin develops a liking for the dog.Melvin also takes care of Spencer's ailment by sending a doctor to Carol's house so that she can work at the cafe n Melvin can have his lunch.Slowly the presence of Simon and Carol starts a change in Melvin and what happens between Melvin Carol and Simon is what the movie is all about.

The first impression of the movie is yet another freak movie where a guy finds a girl and the girl's love changes the man.But "As Good as It Gets" was different,the story is almost the same n predictable but the treatment by director,superb performances and some very fine dialogues make the movie a stand out from the rest.I have to say the dialogues were simply amazing and were largely responsible for me liking the movie so much.The situations created by the writer were almost as seen in every other romantic comedy but the dialogues coupled with some brilliant acting display by the leads make it a more memorable movie.

Performances from Jack Nicholson ,Helen Hunt are fantastic.Jack Nicholson has always been known for playing these psycho characters but the touch of comedy and romance make this one special.His performance as a man suffering from OCD is quite a good one.Small -small things such as his walk on the way to cafe ,his habit of locking the door ,wearing his shoes all sum up to help the character look very real.Jack's performance was brilliant and his timing and expressions in the romantic moments are just superb.This sure was an Oscar worthy performance from him.

Helen Hunt looks equally brilliant and stunning as Carol.Her expressions in almost every situation in the movie are nearly perfect.Her struggle with her life is beautifully brought out by Helen Hunt in the scene where Carol breaks down while writing a thank you note for Melvin.I felt her eyes spoke a lot in the romantic sequences specially two of them.The one in the hotel and the other at the end of the movie.Greg Kinnear in his supporting role does a fine job ,he actually plays a subtle character but has a big impact on the way the movie moves forward and really brings more depth to character of not only Simon but Melvin too.

The dialogues specially whenever Melvin expresses his love for Carol as compliments are brilliant.There are two moments in the movie that felt magical to me and each one had Jack Nicholson paying a compliment to Carol.The movie was fabulous for me because of those two moments.The movie is predictable but is highly enjoyable.The movie is very romantic in its own silly and funny way.

Plus :Performance by the leads,great dialogues .

Minus :Predictable Story

Rating :8/10

Goal (2005)

2010-01-22T20:30:00.005+05:30

Stars : Kuno Beckar, Alessandro Nivola, Stephen Dillane, Marcel Iuress.

Director : Danny Cannon.

Being a sports buff, sports movies have always been on my high priority must watch list. "Goal" had been there for sometime and finally I was able to see it. A very sincere and highly appreciable effort that made me very happy. It was really a pleasure to watch a football movie atlast.

Santiago Munez a Mexican immigrant who lives in America with his father brother and grandmother.Football is his life and he dreams of playing for a professional club one day. A dream that is highly disapproved by his father who runs a small business and wants Santi to take care off.On one local match day Santi meets Glen a former Newcastle United Football Club star and scout ,who feels Santi has got the skills and talent to make it big in the game.He arranges a trial for him with Newcastle and asks Santi to fly to England to take a shot at it. Despite his father's disaproval Santi flies to England and what unfolds next is what the story is about.

The highlight of the movie is the direction and the camera work. The movie had the support of International Federation of Association Football (FIFA)so to see some greats of the game on screen was great too.The way the movie has been shot is really great ,the atmosphere ,the tension and the game all have been captured brilliantly ,feels like you are actually watching a game.The way football has touched millions and improved life of thousands is very much visible through the story. The story is predictable but the essence lies in the way story is woven around the game.Here the best part is the game is not just a part of the story but the story is a small reflection of the power of this game.

The performances are fine and so are the dialogues ,some of them old cliche's but their timing is almost perfect.Kuno Beckar as Santiago Munez looks good ,he has the physique of a footballer and seems pretty convincing.The star performer for me was Alessandro Nivola as Gevin Harris a star footballer at the club. Nivola is great in his part and brings that rich spoil sports star almost alive on the screen. He is high on energy ,never lacks that enthusiasm and helps the movies pace with his performance.Marcel Iuress as the manager of the club does a fine job. He looks considerate ,strict at times and suits perfectly to the character .He has some decent lines and scenes with Santi which really play an important role in bringing the real feel of the movies out.

Overall a nice movie with some brilliant scenes and decent performances.If you are a football fanatic as me then its a must watch for you.I am a football fanatic so I loved it ,hope you like it as well.

Plus :Love the game then you will love it.Nice direction and camerawork.

Minus :A bit slow in parts .

Rating :8/10

Raging Bull (1980)

2010-01-19T21:23:00.006+05:30

Stars : Robert De Niro, Joey Pesci, Cathy Moriarty.

Director : Martin Scorsese.

I have heard a lot about "Raging Bull" and with trio of Robert De Niro, Joey Pesci and Martin Scorsese I truly believed in the movie being a great one but what I saw exceeded my imagination.Based on the memoir "Raging Bull: My Story" by Jake LaMotta a former world middleweight champion ,"Raging Bull" is an emotional tale of the man's life both within and outside the ring.

Jake LaMotta is a fearless middleweight boxer ,who has won over the critics and the public .He is savage and an unstoppable force when inside the ring.His attitude and boxing style has earned him the title of "Bronx Bull". LaMotta is managed by his brother Joey Pesci ,who also trains with him and is very close to Jake. Jake has a temper that's uncontrollable which often results in confrontation between Jake and his wife.Jake meets a 15 year girl Vicki and decides to marry her even thought he was married. Jake is making great progress in the ring and his popularity and stature grows with every fight. As Jake's fame grows he starts becoming paranoid about his wife and everyone surrounding him. This delusion gets to him and he starts getting more aggressive with each passing day .He is still making progress in the ring but outside his home is cracking up .The self destructive delusion and the struggle of a champion is what the movie is all about.

There have been movies about boxing before and one that comes to mind is "Rocky" an all time hit but I feel comparing or including "Raging Bull " in the same genre as "Rocky" is not appropriate."Raging Bull " is different ,"Rocky" was inspiring while this one is about the self destruction of a champion. Robert De Niro one of the greatest actors ever to grace the silver screen just draws you in as Jake LaMotta. His transformations in the movie from a Raging Jake LaMotta of the ring to a big fat struggling Jake is phenomenal. I felt pity for his character as the movie progress.He is just superb and in every situation he is able to convince of the characters real emotions.For me one of the best performances by Robert De Niro .Joey Pesci is one of my favorite actors and when he teams up with Robert and Martin Scorsese its always magic. He has always played these moody and temperamental characters and he is always brilliant. The chemistry between Robert De Niro and Joey Pesci is brilliant. The intensity of both the actors just lifts up the shear experience to a higher levels.

It would be highly inappropriate to comment on the direction as I feel "Raging Bull " could be put among the Top three works by Martin Scorsese ,as I haven't seen all his work. He is superb with his tight direction and timing. The fight sequences are just tremendous ,every punch looks real and the way each fight progresses and ends is just mind boggling. I haven't seen any movie that has shot boxing matches with such precision and class. The last fight of Jake against Sugar Ray Robinson is a fine example of Martin's direction skills. A fine narration and great editing has also helped the movie. Excellently written dialogues , high octane performances make some memorable scenes. The scene between Pesci and De Niro where De Niro questions Pesci about his relationship with Jake's wife is truly amazing .The intensity and expressions by each actor just lights up the screen.

Excellent direction coupled with brilliant performance based on a magnificent story is all what it takes to make a truly classic movie and "Raging Bull " is overflowing with these components.Watch it coz it may not be "Rocky" but its sure one of the best ever.

Plus :Robert De Niro and Joey Pesci 's fine performances, great story and brilliant direction.

Minus :Just have some patience ,coz the somewhere in middle part the movie may make u a bit uncomfortable or restless.

Rating :8.5+/10

L.A.Confidential (1997)

2010-01-15T21:39:00.007+05:30

Stars :Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, Danny De Vito.

Director : Curtis Hanson.

After watching a lot of romantic comedies and sci-fi movies I was looking for some crime drama and "L.A.Confidential" was almost the perfect one I was looking for.The movie is based on novel of the same name title "L.A.Confidential" by James Ellory.

The story is set in L.A. and revolves around the corruption, glamor and politics in the Los Anegles Police Department(LAPD).The main characters in the movie are three cops ,each depicting a different face of the LAPD.There is Det. Lt. Edmund Jennings "Ed" Exley who is honest to his duty and lives by the rules ,Officer Wendell "Bud" White a strong willed and slightly hot headed officer who has his integrity intact but is aware of the games of the department .The third is Det. Sgt. Jack Vincennes a glamor struck cop who looks for stories and is fully aware of political games and the corruption.The three are involved in an investigation case of multiple murder at the Nite Owl coffee shop which includes a cop among the dead.What is the secret and how are they able to untangle the whole story is what the movie is all about.

A crime drama needs high intensity from its actors and "L.A.Confidential" is high on intensity and performances.The characters are well etched out and their portrayal is equally brilliant .Russell Crowe for me was the standout performer ,may be it was more coz of his character but his performance was a high impact one.Russell Crowe as an emotional cop Bud ,highly motivated by his past experience comes out sharp and the pain in Bud's heart is brought out well by Crowe. Kevin Spacey is great as Jack Vincennes and the cunningness in the character was evidently visible through his subtle grins.Danny De Vito had a small but important role and I felt he was superb.His character was shrewd and highly money minded ,Danny gives the character the look and expressions required.Guy as Exley was good ,he was intense and brought the feeling of honest cop well to the screen.The movie gets able support from other artists who are equaly good in their small roles.

A crime drama is highly dependent on a tight script and "L.A.Confidential " had a really well written script.The movie is never short on drama and keeps you tied to the seat.Some accurate direction and few nice twists keep you to the edge.The movie never lacks pace and not even once it leaks out the whole plot.The script is aided by some fine dialogues and sharp editing.

The plot is the star and is ably supported by the cast.If you are looking for a high octane crime drama "L.A.Confidential" is the perfect one,don't miss it ,its one of the best in the genre.

Plus :Excellent Script ,tight direction and brilliant performance.

Minus :Probably None.

Rating :9/10