tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63759423440728359002024-03-13T18:29:18.486+05:30First Day First ShowEnsuring you watch what is good and hope that you avoid what is bad in the world of cinemaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.comBlogger939125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-88598797455800999372018-02-10T15:57:00.002+05:302018-02-10T18:06:13.625+05:30Pad Man (2018) (Hindi)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Take a couple of
minutes before you read the review or at least watch the movie to read the
story of Arunachalam Muruganatham who is the real Pad Man (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arunachalam_Muruganantham">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arunachalam_Muruganantham</a>).
Heroes like these are basic fodder for film makers like R Balki who usually
treads the off beat path and this time he takes up an issue that most of us city
slickers will be unfamiliar with.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The penetration
of Sanitary Pads in India is lower than 20% - despite the efforts of Pad
Man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arunachalam has been at it for over
a decade now and if numbers from the movie are to be believed then it was as
low as 10% when our hero started his work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A big contribution to the growth has to be credited to Arunachalam, who
now has a network spread across 23 out of the 29 states in India.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WOW!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Laxmikant
Chauhan (Akshay Kumar) is a genuinely nice person who lives somewhere in Madhya
Pradesh (Central India).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gets married
to Gayatri (Radhika Apte) and makes for a perfect husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Balki has established the empathetic character
of The Pad Man through several quick shots like Laxmi building a back seat on
his cycle for his wife amongst others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Good work there I must say.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Laxmi soon realizes
the when Gayatri has her periods, she is forced to live outside the house and
more importantly uses a cloth to soak up the bleeding – probably the most unhygienic
way possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More importantly, the same
cloth is washed and used again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unable
to accept this, he first buys very expensive sanitary pads (₹55 a pack) and
when that doesn’t go down well, he embarks on a project to make cheaper pads
for his wife.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">But as always is
the case in India, anyone who tries to do some good will be pulled down by the
other millions – the perfect example of Crab Syndrome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Starting with the villagers and eventually
moving onto his family, one by one, Laxmi is ostracized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he doesn’t give up and keeps at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually to find success and acceptance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Some great
dialogues – as always with Balki.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
Pari (Sonam Kapoor) congratulates Laxmi on making such a cheap product he responds
by saying, “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">सस्ता</span><span lang="EN-US"> ? </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">कई</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">रातों</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">की</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">नींद</span><span lang="EN-US">, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">एक</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">बीवी</span><span lang="EN-US">, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">एक</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">माँ</span><span lang="EN-US">, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">एक</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">गांव</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">और</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">९०</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">हज़ार</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">का</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "nirmala ui" , sans-serif;">कर्ज़ा”
</span><span lang="EN-US">(cheap alright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just cost me several nights of sleep, a wife, a mother, a village and
about ₹90000 in debt).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Delivered genuinely
and from the heart from Akshay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are
a few other good ones but I will leave it to you to hear them when you watch
the movie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Stand out
performance from Radhika Apte and Akshay Kumar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some typical Amit Trivedi music provides the right garnish over the 140
minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The movie could have been
tighter for certain. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sonam Kapoor is
tolerable which is more than one can say for her at most times – but I definitely
would not have made her pretend to be a great tabla player.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too many coincidences again leave you with a
feeling of what could have been.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">The one thing that kept nagging me through the movie and even before - and it has nothing to do with me being a South Indian - is that the story is about someone from Tamil Nadu. Balki could have made the movie in Tamil with a Tamil Cast and maybe dubbed it in Hindi to make it work. Would have been brave and worth commending. I get the rationale of pandering to the masses but it would have made for so much better watching if they had stuck to the regional nuances.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">But the negatives
kept aside, Pad Man is a good watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Take your kids along because they need to know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One can only hope that the movie inspires many
others to do some pathbreaking work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>More importantly, it would make the remaining 400 million women of age
to take up more hygienic options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Because remember – “Woman Strong, Mother Strong, Sister Strong – Then Country
Strong”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>7 on 10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watch it!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Watch the actual
trailer on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKkyqBj_rQE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKkyqBj_rQE</a></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-91711180630321434352017-05-21T13:03:00.000+05:302017-05-21T13:03:25.187+05:30Hindi Medium (2017) (Hindi)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A good cast and
a good plot / storyline doesn’t necessarily make a good movie. No other movie in recent times can come close
to this adage as much as HINDI MEDIUM. The
movie has Irrfan Khan in it and therefore it must be good. Keep in mind that
Irrfan also have non-movies such as Jazbaa, Thank You and Acid Factory amongst
others to his credit. He is human. He makes mistakes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Hindi Medium
does everything that a standard Bollywood movie needs to do so that it can just
about qualify as watchable. It plays on
stereotypes to the maximum possible extent – and most of the audience laps it
up like an ice-cream that may melt too soon given the weather conditions
around.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It begins by
taking a topic that coincidentally (or is it? – let me not make a conspiracy
theory out of this) has been top of mind for most parents in the past few weeks
– with the fee hike controversy in April.
The timing is perfect again thanks to the same reason. That, it is a topic that hasn’t been covered
before gives it the freshness that has been lacking in Bollywood forever.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
However, that
and the exceptional promotional campaign for the movie is where it ends. A movie has several other aspects to be
considered other than just the broad storyline or premise. If the experts have to be believed that writing,
acting and direction are called as some of the more important aspects. Lets not forget technical aspects such as
editing, sound mixing etc. that is not visible to the lay person.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Hindi Medium
fails on most of the core aspects that define good cinema. The story (writing) is stale at best. It just picks up standard stereotypes that
have been portrayed in other movies about Delhi and maybe the typical Dilli
wala to define a rich family that stays in Chandni Chowk. The dialogue is
insipid and the humour forced.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The man of the
house, Raj (Irrfan Khan) cannot speak English to save his life. His wife, Mithali (Saba Qamar) is obsessed
with the language and wants to give her daughter Pia a good education (read English
education). Her arguments start with “Spelling
aati hai” (Can you spell) and finish with a hyper ventilating tirade about how
her daughter will get depressed and take to drugs if she is not educated in an high
end English school.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Director Saket
Choudhary (Shaadi / Pyaar ke Side Effects) successfully manages to get Irrfan
Khan to ham his dialogues and actually fail as an actor – yes, you read that
right. Even the otherwise super
effective Deepak Dobriyal is reduced to an overacted mess. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Saba Qamar is
gorgeous for certain and given a better set of dialogues could probably show
what she is really capable of. But for
now, even she fails to make the cut. Tillotama Shome is probably the only actor who holds her own in a role that is not really one that you may associate with her - but even her dialogues are superficial and seem really fake.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The technical
aspects are almost non-existent. Sound Mixing
and editing are all but thrown out of the window. But for one dialogue that stands out,
everything else is either boring or stale or just in bad taste. And of course there is no mid path in
India. There are only 2 types of schools
– Expensive English Medium ones or Government Schools.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Having said all
of that, if there is one take away from HINDI MEDIUM it is that one dialogue
that stands out, “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">बंदा</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">अगर</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">अच्छा</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">इंसान</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">नहीं</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">बन</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">सकता</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">है</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">तो</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">अच्छा</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">हज़्बंड</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">और</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">अच्छा</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">बाप</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">कैसे</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">बन</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">सकता</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif;">है”</span><span lang="EN-US">? (if a man cannot be a good human being then how will he be a good
husband or father). If you land up
watching this 4 on 10 movie then do take away this one line as a positive. The movie is terribly disappointing
otherwise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the actual
trailer on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjkFr48jk68">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjkFr48jk68</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-72425165553398446782017-05-19T12:22:00.005+05:302017-05-19T12:22:42.007+05:30Half Girlfriend (2017) (Hindi)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So if you haven’t
seen Fitoor Mishra's CommentArré on the Half Girlfriend Trailer then believe
me, the 2 minute narration by this man is definitely better than the 2+ hours
of Half Girlfriend – Damn I have to stop stating the obvious. Have a dekko at the Fitoor Mishra CommentArré
first <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMLg6s68HIc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMLg6s68HIc</a>. And for those who aren’t familiar, Shuturmurg
= Ostrich.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">For those who haven’t
read the book (and I haven’t on principle), Half Girlfriend tracks the story of
Madhav Jha (Arjun Kapoor) who comes from a village in Bihar called Simrao. More a town considering that it has its own
railway station which is long enough for a person to run on and complete a
speech at the same time – what stamina!!!! Or should I say what a station!!!!
Kharagpur – eat this!!!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The Sultan of
Simrao (apparently he is a big shot there) moves to the Dally Vich to study at
St. Stephen’s. Our hero cannot speak the
language of the Queen and the panelist – coincidentally – cannot speak our
National Language. I am sure Stephenians
can vouch for how far flung their institute is from reality – no?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Nevertheless,
thanks to basketball quota and a speech that is intended to inspire but falls
flat, Jha ji finds himself at the court.
On display is a girl who would be noticed more for the fact that she is
wearing a sports bra, a singlet and hot pants. The rest of the team obviously
plays for Stephen’s. How do I know? They
were wearing the Stephen’s jerseys man.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The basketball
hottie is Ria Somani (Shraddha Kapoor) who travels around the place in a Rolls
Royce (not kidding). Our hero, who is in
2 minds (to hell with Stephen’s, I am heading back to Simrao), finds his
purpose. Madam likes him but doesn’t want
to commit the whole nine yards. Some
weird arrangement of meeting halfway and therefore half girlfriend is struck.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US">The rest of the movie
is an absolute blur. A hotch potch of
all possible mad in love stories that shuttles between the capital, Patna,
Simrao and of course New York. A morphed
Bill Gates is put in because he has no better purpose in life but to donate a
crore (150K in today’s valuation) to build toilets for girls because that’s the
primary reason why girls don’t go to school – Die Suresh Kalmadi!!!! Die out of
shame!!! A crore for building 3 toilets for girls!!!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Names such as Kevin
Durant, LeBron James and Stephen Curry are thrown about at will. Tube top Skirts and high heels are standard
attire at Stephens for a 19 year old girl when she isn’t playing basketball. Of course, the sure test for finding out if a
girl is committed or not is if she comes with you to your hostel room. The armed guards at India Gate are asleep
most of the time and you can easily make your way to the top of the gate. Just some of the things Half Girlfriend
teaches us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Vikrant Massey’s
first half performance kept aside, Half Girlfriend just doesn’t make the
cut. Half-baked kisses between the
protagonists. Dialogue that is half
thought out – or probably not thought out at all. Actors that don’t even begin to act – including
the great Seema Biswas. This one was a
complete waste of time. 2 on 10.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the actual
trailer on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmlBnmyelHI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmlBnmyelHI</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-80392211432405322502017-04-28T13:40:00.000+05:302017-05-19T12:23:05.806+05:30Baahubali The Conclusion (2017) (Telegu Tamil Hindi)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Bijjaladeva
(Nasser) in Bhallaladeva’s (Rana Daggubati) presence, along with his cronies,
rants and raves about his wife Sivagami (Ramya Krishnan). He believes that they should kill her and
pave the way for Bhallal’s coronation. He
calls Katappa (Sathyaraj) a dog (kutta).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">As he calms
down, Katappa enters and over a few dialogues, he calls Bijjal a nitwit for
thinking of killing his wife. Bijjal is
shocked and says, “Tumne sun liya”? (you heard?). Katappa replies, “Nahin. Kutta hoon, Soongh liya” (No. I am a dog.
I smelt it – loose translation of course.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span><span lang="EN-US">Just one of the
few high points of probably the most awaited sequel in Indian cinema – EVER. Sadly, these high points are restricted to
just a few. And before you go ahead with
this blog, let me guarantee you that there are no spoilers. No. This write up doesn’t have the answer to
the most elusive question in people’s minds for nearly 2 years, “Katappa ne
Baahubali ko kyon maara”? (Why did Katappa kill Baahubali).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
S S Rajamouli
begins the concluding part of his magnum opus in continuation with where he
left off. With Katappa narrating the
story of Amarendra Baahubali. A few
stunts and not so great Special Effects (SFX / CG) with elephants, the story
moves towards what should be the official coronation of Amarendra as the
Emperor of Mahishmati.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">But before the
coronation, Sivagami orders Baahubali and Katappa to take a tour of the lands –
as a king should normally do – to get a feel of what the people have in
mind. Dressed as village bumpkins, the
two find their way to a small kingdom where you have the second high point of
the movie – The entry of Maharani Devasena (Anuskha Shetty).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
While it brings
back memories of Avanthika’s (Tamannah) entry in The Beginning, this one, I believe
– was much better. Rajamouli teases the
audience for at least a minute and a half before she storms into the
scene. Much like a Maharani (Empress)
should. Simply brilliant. Beautifully shot. Needless to say, they fall
in love.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The not so great
part though - ₹250 crores ($35 million or thereabouts) later and having
generated revenues of ₹500 crores ($70 million or thereabouts) - the effects of
Baahubali : The Conclusion are nowhere close to world class. In my review of Baahubali : The Beginning (<a href="http://kartikr.blogspot.in/2015/07/baahubali-beginning.html">http://kartikr.blogspot.in/2015/07/baahubali-beginning.html</a>),
I had quoted that it can only get better from here. Sadly I was wrong.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
While CG does
not form a major part of this installment (in comparison to the earlier part),
it exposes the lack of desire in India to take that risk and spend more in
making a great movie. It is definitely
better than what we see regularly but it doesn’t take the standards set by The
Beginning can move it to – in the immortal words of UB40 – higher ground.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The casting and
performances, however, more than make up for this gap in
Effects. Anushka as Maharani Devasena is
superb. And while Prabhas will hog the
limelight for being Baahubali, an epic without an equally epic villain is no
epic at all. Rana Daggubati and Nasser pass
this test with aplomb.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Without the cast
and without Rajamouli’s vision of making a GRAND movie, Baahubali would have
been just another average ordinary everyday run off the mill product. Instead, you get one that cannot be seen on
the small screen. IMAX it if you
can. And yes, you can take your kids
along as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For those who
missed the first part, it is available on hotstar. The link is given below</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.hotstar.com/movies/baahubali-the-beginning/1000074338/">http://www.hotstar.com/movies/baahubali-the-beginning/1000074338/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Happy viewing. 7
on 10.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer of The Conclusion on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1969010201">http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1969010201</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-51688220438278782432017-04-22T12:58:00.000+05:302017-05-19T12:23:21.467+05:30The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017) (English)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">I have never
been a fan of using English as a primary language of communication in a movie
that is set in a country where English is not a first language; even more so, in
a period drama. To me, that is where The
Zookeeper’s falls short. There is a dialogue
in the second half that made me cringe. When Antonina Zabinski (Jessica
Chastain) tells Urszula (Shira Haas), “I have always wanthed tu dhraw”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Mind you, I understand
the need to be able to connect with a vast majority of the audiences and surely
Polish (the language and not the product) is not widely spoken. But the nuances of a language cannot be done
justice to – even with the best of translators.
If you do want to make the movie in English, then please make it in
English by all means. Don’t force an
accent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Having said
that, The Zookeeper’s Wife makes the cut on almost all other counts. The aversion to the use of English is a
personal preference and may not be the case with most viewers. Antonina and Jan (Johan Heldenberg) are
keepers of the Warsaw Zoo which boasts of some of the best animals before Hitler
decided that Poland was up for grabs. They
lived there with their son Ryszard (Timothy Radford) when the Fuhrer made
himself feel at home.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
An air strike leaves
the Zoo in disarray. The keepers are in
shock but life has to go on. Disturbed
by the possibility of losing those that they have grown up with – Jews and Gentiles
alike – the couple decide to provide refuge to their closest friend Magda (Efrat
Dor).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US">However, with
the way things shape up, Jan and Antonina decide that they need to do much more
and that’s where the true story of the Zookeepers begins. Over a 5 year period,
Jan and Nina provided safe stay and passage to nearly 300 Jews for which they
received the gratitude of the Israeli government. A story that definitely
needed to be told – one of many, I am certain, that have not seen the light of
day yet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US">Like any movie that
touches upon the Holocaust, The Zookeeper’s Wife, will leave you poignant. I am sure that no one in our generation can
even imagine what it was like to be dragged out of your homes and shot for no
reason – and that’s if you were lucky.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US">Jessica Chastain
does as well as she possibly can. With
the limitations of the accent imposed by director Niki Caro, I guess it was as
good as she could get. Needless to say,
it was a far cry from Chastain’s best performances to date such as Interstellar,
ZD30 and of course The Help.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US">The stand out
performance though comes from Daniel Bruhl who I believe is one of THE most
underrated actors of our time. The
support cast is solid and the production quality is par excellence. Scenes such as the delivery of the Elephant
Calf or that of Adam (the camel) running after Nina during her morning rounds
are superbly shot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US">In all, The
Zookeeper’s Wife – and I wonder why it wasn’t just called The Zookeepers –
considering that Jan’s role in the effort of saving the Jews was as important
if not better – is a good watch for a Sunday afternoon at home. Would I spend hard earned money to walk into
a theatre? Probably not. 6 on 10. Worth a dekko.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2949821977?playlistId=tt1730768&ref_=tt_ov_vi">http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2949821977</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-17639945922672962852017-04-21T16:55:00.004+05:302017-05-19T12:23:34.555+05:30Maatr (Hindi) (2017)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The posters and
the reviews screamed out that it was Raveena’s magnum opus and no less. I would not say that it was far from the
truth but then again it was nowhere close to a power packed performance that
one would have expected from a role that offered so much. It was controlled in parts but more often
than not exposed the gaps that Raveena always had in her armoury (if she had
one that is).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">MAATR is the
story of Mrs. Vidya Chauhan (Raveena Tandon) who is a teacher at GT Memorial
High School (somewhere in the National Capital Region). Her daughter Tia (Alisha Khan) – around 15/16
years old – studies in the same school. Her
husband, Ravi, is a workaholic who has been spending lesser time at home. Vidya’s best friend is Ritu (Divya Jagdale)
who is an artist by profession.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the other
side, we have a bunch of goons led by Apurva Malik (Madhur Mittal) who also
happens to be the son of the Chief Minister.
Apurva and his gang are your usual, “Tu jaanta nahin hai main kaun hoon”
types that we are so familiar with. If
the film is to be believed, then people can survive on just alcohol, coke and a
little bit of starters throughout the day – absolutely nothing else. And drinking starts at 10 am even if the
party ended at 6 am.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US">Nevertheless,
Apurva and gang happen to be at the annual day function of GTM where the CM is the
Chief Guest. They follow Tia and Vidya
after the function. Vidya chooses to
take the shorter route as instructed by the GPS. With no civilization within
hearing distance, the goons crash their SUV into Vidya’s hatchback and kidnap
the 2. The rest of night is a blur of
debauchery at the end of which the goons dispose the “bodies”. Only, Vidya is still alive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had not seen
the trailer and my expectation was vastly different from what I saw. I was hoping to get a trial by the system but
at the end of the day MAATR was just another tale of revenge with a whole lot
of coincidences. The makers decided to
add 18.53 seconds of Vidya’s training schedule as an after-thought – lest someone
asked a question about a brutally beaten up woman taking on 7 men who are
probably much stronger than her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The average Indian
director / producer continues to use the shortcut of tacky film making by using
the country as a crutch. After all “India
mein sab kuch chalega”. And MAATR proves
that – hand over fist. Audiences will
lap it up because it is a hard hitting topic.
A few will know that it was just bad film making.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US">MAATR tries to
handle an extremely sensitive topic but no one from the cast and crew seem to
have the capability to do so. Other than
the gross gang rape scene, there is nothing quite hard hitting. There is nothing that makes you stand up and
take notice. It is just a bunch of
people making a buck at the expense of gullible movie goers through slick
marketing. Definitely not a must
watch. 4 on 10.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYiAY486QkI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYiAY486QkI</a></div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-71273460760308131742017-04-21T13:39:00.001+05:302017-05-19T12:23:48.226+05:30Noor (Hindi) (2017)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A mic was thrust
upon my face by a couple of rank rookies – much like Noor, in the movie – who were
obviously asked to survey people who had watched the first day first show of
Noor. It was a first for me and I was
caught off guard and all I could muster is, “Theek Thha”. Eh? Your 15 seconds of fame and all you could
do was say “Theek Thha”???</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">But then, I wasn’t
lying. I was off guard but not lying. Noor was just that kind of movie that will
make you say “OK, worth the ₹90 ticket for a morning show but I wouldn’t pay
more than that”. Just about “Theek”. Nothing that should make you jump off your
seat right away and run to the closest theatre.
Wait for the Televion release if you can. Hop across if you have nothing better to do.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Noor is adapted
from a book titled, “Karachi, You’re Killing Me” by a Pakistani writer – Saba Imtiaz.
Sacrilege!!!! Where are the bhakts and the shiv sainiks? Not a big budget movie
and so you couldn’t squeeze any money out of the poor director Sunhil Sippy who
returns to Bollywood after 17 years. The
Sainiks would have thought, “Nanga nahayega kya nichodega kya? We will save our
threats for the KJos of the world who have money”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Noor Roy
Chaudhary (Sonakshi Sinha) is an aspiring journalist with a self-deprecating view
about herself. She believes that she has
turned more into a joker than a journo.
But on her 28<sup>th</sup> birthday, ala Bridget Jones, she swears to
turn into a Tedhi Savitri (hip and happening) from a Seedhi Savitri (innocent /
naïve).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Her life
revolves around her best friends DJ Zara Patel (Shibani Dandekar) and restauranter
Saad Sehgal (Kanan Gill), her single father (she lost her mom when she was 4)
and her absentee maid Malti (Swati Tambe).
She wants to cover opinion shaping news but is relegated by her boss,
Shekhar (Manish Chaudhari) to covering stories like a woman who doesn’t remove
her helmet ever or a man who has sworn to walk on his hands for a year. Yay!!! Super exciting life she leads.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Enter Ayananka
Banerjee (Purab Kohli), an ace photographer who sweeps Noor off her feet in a
matter of minutes. And before you know
it, we find out the reason for Malti’s continuous absentism – and you thought
it was the regular MMS (Mumbai Maid Syndrome) eh? What was building up as a light,
coming of age movie turns into a clash of values that eventually ends in a rant
against Mumbai and eventually a super coincidental and happy ending.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Noor builds up reasonably
well (and I am being gracious here) over about 30 minutes. Sonakshi shows some flashes of acting as well.
I confess, that I have always thought there was potential there but never a
result. I was pleasantly surprised albeit for small while. Purab is probably the strongest in terms of
screen presences but sadly doesn’t have much screen time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
There is
definitely a reason why Sunhil Sippy took a sabbatical for 17 years after his
first movie Snip! (Why have I heard that name before? Still not able to place). And that reason is quite clearly visible in
Noor. He is unable to hold the story
together and adds some insipid dialogue to what could have been a decent story. Kanan Gill as Saad was probably petrified
because the only thought in his head would have been, “What if I am asked to do
a pretentious review about this one”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US">Noor has its
moments though. Some fun for about 30
minutes. Some decent acting I must say –
for just a bit though. And a very meek
attempt at a message to get Mumbai (and for that matter all of India) to wake
up. Sadly, it falls flat over the second
half. And will Sunhil please tell me why
you couldn’t use “Old Monk” and kept replacing it with “Old Rum”???? 4 on
10.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span><span lang="EN-US">Watch the
trailer on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHuM6C6EyXE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHuM6C6EyXE</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-78341139220384060622015-12-19T13:42:00.002+05:302015-12-19T13:42:24.272+05:30Bajirao Mastani (Hindi) (2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
At the outset,
let us first tip our hat or in fact give a standing ovation to a few people
involved in Bajirao Mastani. Fistly –
Sriram Kannan Iyengar, Sujeet Subhash Sawant, Yantra Design Studio and Saloni
Ankush Dhatrak for some breathtaking Production Design – probably the best we
have seen since Mughal-e-Azam!!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And secondly –
Maxima Basu & Anju Modi for giving us costumes that will leave a lasting
impression on the audiences. Without these names, Bajirao Mastani would not
have turned out as grand as you will see it.
Both teams have created a cinematic experience that is best enjoyed on
the big screen. I can watch it again
just for these two aspects.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Sanjay Leela
Bhansali once again shows that when he makes them he makes them big!!! I cannot
say that he spares no expense even though he has spent ₹120 crores in making Bajirao
Mastani. He could have definitely
improved upon the Visual Effects – remember that the benchmark now is a certain
S S Rajamouli or Bahubali fame.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Bajirao Mastani –
for those who are unaware – is the romantic epic of Peshwa (General / Prime
Minister) Bajirao Balla Bhat (aka Bajirao I) and his second wife Mastani. For those unaware of the legend here is some
quick reading that will put to rest some of the unnecessary controversy
surrounding the release - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajirao_I">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajirao_I</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The story traces
Bajirao’s (Ranvir Singh) ascent as a Peshwa to Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj (Mahesh
Manjrekar). His ascent as a general leads
to the famed battle of Bundelkhand where he meets Mastani (Deepika Padukone). Bajirao is already married to Kashibai
(Priyanka Chopra) but cannot help but fall for Mastani who follows him home to Pune. Society, however, doesn’t accept the
relationship at any cost.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Bhansali’s
recreation of the sets includes aspects such as the famed Aaina Mahal (Palace
of Mirrors), the Bundelkhand fort and of course Shaniwarwada. Apparently the costumes used weighed upwards
of 10 kgs at times – not much when you consider other records in Bollywood but a
compliment to the actors who carried them (literally).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This has to be
undoubtedly Ranvir Singh’s best performance to date. He has definitely immersed himself into the
character. The strong Maratha accent cannot
be missed. More importantly, he
maintains it throughout the movie.
Deepika and Priyanka are good for sure but the two performances which
stand out other than Ranvir would be those of Tanvi Azmi as Maa Saheb and ....
wait for it…. Milind Soman as Ambaji Panth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
While Bhansali
gets a lot right, Bajirao is not without flaws.
Unnecessary, over the top props like Mandolins in Deewani Mastani and of
course the most useless song in a long time – Pinga – leave you with a feeling
that Bhansali is probably as eccentric as they claim. There was just no reason to get these two eye
sores in. More importantly, Pinga,
completely dilutes what could have been a great scene between Mastani and
Kashibai.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A little over eight
years back, if memory serves, SLB and SRK had a stand-off which SRK won hands
down. Bhansali can now comfortably say
that the score has been settled. It’s
all even after Bajirao trumps a dud called Dilwale. I wish I had reviewed this 24 hours earlier,
could have saved some of you some more money.
My rating – 7 on 10 – which could have easily been more but for some
gaffes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the trailer
on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHOc-4D7MjY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHOc-4D7MjY</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-20380788176823687572015-12-18T16:12:00.000+05:302015-12-18T16:12:07.838+05:30Dilwale (Hindi) (2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Ever get a
feeling that you tried to do something differently but could not change who you
stand for and ultimately landed up making a big hash of everything? If the
answer is yes, then Rohit Shetty’s Dilwale will give you that sense of déjà vu. It would have definitely given Shetty that
feeling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Dilwale starts with
a flash of Karan Joharish top shot of a man at a piano before quickly giving
the Rohit Shetty fan some joy with the typical Goan house surrounded by Dilip
Chhabria cars. The cast is also
identical. Shetty goes with his trusted
team of Johnny Lever, Sanjay Mishra, Mukesh Tiwari, and Pankaj Tripathi in the
character roles.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In walks our
hero Raj … naam toh suna hoga…. (Shah Rukh) who is supposed to be the good guy
about town. He has a younger brother who
he dotes on – Veer (Varun Dhawan). They
run an auto modification shop that can put his highness Shri Chhabria to
shame. Of course, our hero’s brother has
to test drive it in a location that is not Goa to ensure Rohit Shetty gives his
audience some much needed consolation that it is not a Karan Johar movie.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The audience –
if its patient – will take about an hour or so to get accustomed to this new
style of direction that can be best described as Karan Shetty or Rohit Johar. But don’t get too ahead of yourself. Just as they get used to it, in walks Abbas
Mastan!!! What??? Yes, you heard me right!!! It now becomes Karan Shetty Mastan
or if you are good at Permutation and Combination, figure out the options.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In between this
khichdi that Rohit Shetty calls DILWALE there are some moments for the Shetty
fan like Sanjay Mishra and his cheesy one liners that only he can deliver with
such elan. Stuff like, “Tera kya vatt
hai!!! Domino’s Pizza Hut hai!!!” and if that doesn’t impress you then, “Aagaya
mera #1 chor. Boxer. Labrador”. Absolute nonsense but its Sanjay Mishra and he
can very rarely put a step wrong.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Of course Kajol
looks super stunning. Surely a lot of
work gone behind that look. The chemistry
between the best pair that India has known since the 1990s is still
intact. I don’t think we have seen a better
couple on screen in the past quarter of a century. In all, some good moments interspersed with
what us Mumbaikars call a “Falooda” of direction gives Dilwale 4 on 10 on my
scale.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the trailer
on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHuOo1DLcRc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHuOo1DLcRc</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-26011785831868633692015-11-28T10:22:00.001+05:302015-11-28T16:39:29.599+05:30Tamasha (2015) (Hindi)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
He started with
a very simple movie 10 years back. One
which would qualify to be a sleeper hit.
It was called Socha Na Tha and starred a certain relative of someone
with a 2.5 kg fist. He has released a
movie around every 2 years since. Jab We
Met (2007), Love Aaj Kal (2009), Rockstar (2011), Highway (2014) and now
Tamasha (2015). He is one of my
favourite writer directors in India today – Imtiaz Ali.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I have not found
a single Imtiaz Ali movie that I didn’t love (except maybe Jab We Met – for reasons
that have nothing to do with Imtiaz’s story telling capabilities). He may not be the best director in India
today and that is visible with those small bits and pieces that he misses out
on. But one cannot fault him for
story-telling and without those commercial bits and pieces, his movies may not do
well at the Box Office.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And one cannot
fault Imtiaz with not attempting to make things differently. He sticks to what he believes in (one can
only speculate and hope). With Tamasha
he forays into a topic that is not going to do well with the Indian audiences
because a simple reason – WE WILL NOT GET IT.
Even if we do, we will do nothing about it because we are at the end of
the day “adherence addicts” and love to be “MEDIOCRE”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And everytime anyone
comes along the way and asks us to look into ourselves, we either shoo them
away or brush them off under the excuse of “philosophy”. Some, however, do manage to break through the
cage that society has put around us and do something different. But many – more often than not – fall by the
side.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Tamasha starts
very well with Piyush Mishra (The storyteller) dovetailing the Ramayan into
Trojan Horses and justifying it by saying, “Kahaani Kahaani hoti hai. Iska Mazaa lo” (A story is a story. Enjoy it).
Set some 30 years back when our hero (Ranbir Kapoor) was a little boy,
the beginning cements our protagonist’s love for stories and his ability to
dream with his eyes wide open.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Cut to –
Corsica, France – our hero is now probably in his mid-twenties and bumps into a
damsel in distress (Deepika). He helps
her out and a very interesting relationship develops over a 7 day period. A no
strings and no sex attached friendship. Weird?
Not really when you watch how Imtiaz has shot it. Loads of fun later, the friendship abruptly
ends when the damsel in distress gets her passport.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But the damsel
cannot get our hero out of her head and spends the next 4 years in misery
before deciding to head out to a place where she can find our hero. She does find him but realizes that he isn’t a
shadow of the person from Corsica. What
now?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
At its heart,
Tamasha is a love story. The message of
following your heart kept aside, Imtiaz puts on display an actor who has made
the most of the gene pool that he comes from and an actress who is arguably the
most gorgeous looking in the industry today.
The Ranbir-Deepika chemistry is superb and lights up the screen more
often than not.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Imtiaz’s
narration is very different from what Indian audiences may have seen before. It is non-linear to begin with and shuttles
between past, present and most importantly fantasy. The average movie goer may not be able to
keep pace. The seasoned movie watcher
will love it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The use of the
mirror to depict Ranbir’s alter-ego (for lack of any other word) gets a bit
repetitive and some of the dialogue is really corny like, “What happens in
Corsica”…. You know the rest. But there are some dialogues especially those
delivered by Piyush Mishra and a monologue about a vicious poisonous snake
called childhood which will leave a mark. Rahman’s music is as always, quirky
and will grow on you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I will cap off this
review with credit to the cinematographer and editing team to have pulled off
Imtiaz’s vision. Great work there. Stay back after the credits start rolling for
a small mid credits scene. Do I think it
is the best movie of the year? Top 5 for sure.
Will people get it? Not so sure.
But I will still give it 8 on 10.
Watch it I say!!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN_qxutU_qc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN_qxutU_qc</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-85932629669668085122015-11-20T07:52:00.002+05:302015-11-20T07:53:44.561+05:30Spectre (2015) (James Bond)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Disclaimer –
This writer is a massive James Bond fan.
He has collected every single release of James Bond on DVD and plans to
convert the same (shortly) into an enviable Blue Ray collection before the
release of Bond 2017-18. He can rarely
find fault in a James Bond movie and therefore can be classified as a “classic
fanboy”. Read on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<span style="text-align: justify;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;">The camera pans
into the Day of The Dead celebrations in Mexico City where a man in a light
coloured jacket and tie, replete with a mask of a skull (which is a standard
accessory on the day) is making his way through the carnival. Another man in a dark jacket and tie that can
put a skeleton to shame watches him with girl in arm. His gaze follows him into the alley before he
takes the other road into a hotel – All in a single shot and we are 2 mins plus
into SPECTRE.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Dark skeleton
enters his hotel room (and even now, you think it is a single shot) before
relieving himself of the first layer of clothing and showing himself to the
audience as Bond (Daniel Craig). He
picks up one of his gizmos that enables his license to kill, looks at the girl
who is now all but waiting to be taken and says, “I will not be long” before
hopping onto the parapet of the hotel and making his way to his vantage point. The walk is shot in a manner that can make
you ever so slightly giddy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Bond’s target – Light
coloured jacket guy aka Marco Sciarra (Alessandro Cremona) who plans to blow up
a stadium. Of course Bond blows up the
building instead but Sciarra is not one to die easily. A chase through the carnival leads Bond and
Sciarra into a fist cuff in a helicopter followed by death defying stunts
before Bond all but crashes the chopper into a few thousand revelers…. Fade to –
Sam Smith crooning “Writing’s on the wall”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Spectre then
moves onto narrate a story (as always an unbelievable one) involving a nexus of
crime led by an unknown person who Bond has to eliminate. Only this time, he is not doing it under the
umbrella of MI6. He is doing it to
avenge his mentor and ex-boss, Old M (Judi Dench). His chase leads him to Sciarra first before
travelling to Rome, Austria, an exotic Alpine Health retreat, Tangiers, the
middle of the Sahara and back to London for the inevitable climax at the now
defunct MI6 HQ (blown up in Skyfall).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
En Route, he has
an encounter with a 50 year old sizzler Lucia Sciarra (Monica Belucci), a giant
called Mr. Hinx (Dave Bautista), a less than sensational car chase (by Bond
standards) through Rome in his new Aston Martin DB10 (which was meant for 009),
a less than romantic escapade with a daughter of an assassin (White – from Casino
Royale) Dr. Madeline Swann (Léa Seydoux), another encounter with Mr. Hinx in a
Trans Saharan Railway Carriage for good measure before blowing up the villains
lair.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Bond goes
through all of this in a manner that makes him look the least vulnerable
amongst all Daniel Craig Bond movies to date.
Sam Mendes has definitely nudged the character up the ladder in a
way. But unfortunately for Mendes, the
script / story doesn’t do absolute justice to Bond. It is not tight and meanders a little in bits
and parts leaving the audience a tad (in many cases very) disappointed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But don’t let
the critics dissuade you from enjoying the 24<sup>th</sup> Bond roller
coaster. The stunts are superbly
executed. The performances especially
the sinister one from Christoph Waltz is worth spending money on. Daniel Craig is as always awesome. A pity that our “Sanskari” Censor Board will
not let you see as much of Monica Belluci as Sam Mendes wanted us to see. Overall, not the best Bond movie ever made,
but definitely enjoyable and as much of a roller coaster as many of the good
ones. 7 on 10.</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-60093304048101191712015-11-14T17:53:00.001+05:302015-11-14T17:53:15.533+05:30Katyar Kaljat Ghusali (Marathi) (2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
To say that Marathi Cinema has come of age is
a stale statement these days. It is well
past the coming of age stage and is rapidly moving towards excellence. Subodh Bhave’s directorial debut is a
commendable one and an industry (that was otherwise considered a laggard) one
step forward.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Technically, one
cannot call Katya Kaljat Ghusali (A Dagger Through The Heart) a Marathi movie
because a big chunk of the dialogue is in Urdu.
Of late, the traditional “Marathi” film maker is not shying away from
using the language that the character is supposed to be most comfortable
with. I wish other directors take note
and start following suit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
KKG is an
adaptation of a play of the same name from 1967. Set in what can safely be assumed as 19<sup>th</sup>
century India, KKG is a story based on “arrogance”. It is best summarized by a line from the
movie from Zarina (Amruta Khanvilkar) to her father Aftab Hussain Bareliwale
aka Khan Saheb (Sachin Pilgaonkar).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
She says, “Aapke
Shaagird ek raag mein doosra mila dete hain toh aap se bardaasht nahin
hota. Phir aapne Insaaniyat mein
Ahankaar kaise mila diya Abbu”? (You do not tolerate your protégés mixing one
Raag with another. How did you mix
humanity with arrogance my dear father).
A wonderful line both in the context of the movie at that moment as well
as for all those who believe in learning from cinema.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
KKG is about 2
musicians – 3 eventually – but 2 to begin with.
Panditji Bhanu Pratap Shastri (Shankar Mahadevan) and Khan Saheb. The former is revered by one and all and is
the Royal Musician in the court of the Maharaja of Vishrampur. In fact, Panditji is the one who bestows the
title of Khan Saheb on an otherwise unsuccessful but extremely talented singer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In the 14 years
that follows, while Panditji continues to appreciate Khan Saheb and his brand
of classical music, the sentiment is all but reciprocated. Khan Saheb’s attempts to oust Panditji as the
Royal singer fail repeatedly to the extent that he tries to commit suicide.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
He is saved but the
pride and arrogance he has about his “Gharana” (House of Music) finally meets
with success when Panditji mysteriously accepts defeat. While one would have
expected Khan Saheb to be humble in victory, the reaction is the exact
opposite. The story does take a turn when Sadashiv Gurav (Subodh Bhave) makes
an entry. Sadashiv is one of Panditji’s protégé’s from 14 years ago.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
While it is
centred around classical music of 2 Gharanas and you are never too far away
from a song, KKG is not just meant for the music aficionado. Of Course, they will appreciate the nuances
more than the ordinary everyday Joe like this writer. But the story is enough to keep you in the
cinema hall for the 160 odd minutes that Bhave chooses to narrate his story
over.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Could the movie
have been cut down to about 140 minutes? It does stretch a little bit in parts
to be honest but it doesn’t bore you to death unlike the family melodrama that
was released earlier this week. The movie retains some of the original
compositions by Jitendra Abhisheki and adds some contemporary stuff from
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The performances
are very theatric and that could have been another place for Bhave to take it
up a notch. One would have expected the
performances to be a bit more life like.
Those gaps being kept aside, KKG is definitely a better way to spend
₹200 than twice as much on Bhaijaan. Do
watch it. 7 on 10.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iTazEogwiY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iTazEogwiY</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-73290312125431301162015-11-12T12:51:00.002+05:302015-11-12T12:51:37.581+05:30Prem Ratan Dhan Payo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It has been nearly
2 months since I put the proverbial pen to paper. I have watched movies in the interim – they
are like the air that I breathe – but a combination of writer’s block and just
plain lethargy prevented me from writing.
Not that cinema of the likes of Pyar Ka Punchnama 2 or for that matter
Shandaar didn’t inspire me to overcome the lethargy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Having said
that, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (PRDP) hasn’t done much either. But, it was time to give myself a strong kick
on my arse and get down to writing. So,
with the least bit of hope I walked in for the 8:15 am (yes, you read that one
right – am not pm) show. I would have
been better off watching the All Stars game of TV but then work comes first
right?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
At the end of
165 minutes of corny and 40 minutes of advertising (squeeze out all you can from
a Bhaijaan release), I walked out feeling much less disappointed that what I should
have. For starters, Sooraj Barjatya has not
spared too much when it comes to art decoration. The sets are as glamourous as can be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
There are parts where
of course, the short cuts used in Bollywood stick out like a sore thumb. Like when Mr. Barjatya decided to “flower
decorate” only the side of the bogie that was towards the platform and not the other
side. Why was the shot taken from the
other side though? And why would the Princess Maithili (Sonam Kapoor) trundle
in on Indian Railways when she has a helicopter at her disposal?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Never mind those
minor errors I say. Lets focus on the
menu for our Yuvraaj Vijay Singh (Salman Khan) who has been advised by doctors
to eat boiled vegetables for the rest of his life – the yuvraaj has digestion
issues you see. He is, however, allowed
to have champagne and speak in French (my apologies to France). The Yuvraaj (Prince) is to be married to the
Princess shortly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The Yuvraaj
survives an attempt on his life that has been strategized by his younger
brother Ajay (Neil Nitin Mukesh) and a standing ovation to Uncle Chirag (Armaan
Kohli). He is left in coma of sorts
which is quite normal if you were to fall off a cliff into a lake. However, the Princess’ biggest fan – Prem Dilwala
(Salman Khan again) – makes an appearance and is recruited by Diwan Saheb
(Anupam Kher) to be a prince for 4 days.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The story is of
course ripped from the likes of many others in the past but the one movie that
comes to mind immediately is the 1993 Hollywood flick starting Kevin
Kline. The setting is however changed to
an Indian Royal family instead of the president of the United States and a Royal
Wedding is added for good measure.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Sonam Kapoor hasn’t
added much to her CV but proves undeniably that she is a natural diva. Bhai shuttles between the role of the stiff
upper lipped Yuvraaj and the street smart, fun loving Dilwale quite well. But for his 15 minute screen presence and
effortless essaying of Sita Mayya in a Ram Leela play, Deepak Dobriyal
outshines everyone else. Kudos to the
make-up team that made Dobriyal look like a woman in the first place.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The music is
very “Rajshri”ish. The dialogue is
absolute family melodrama type. The
jokes (if any) are quite flat. But at
the end of it all, it is a standard Rajshri family entertainer. Much better than the super soppy “Vivah”. Should do well at the Box Office. But not really worth investing your time and
precious money. 5 on 10.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd4iNPuRlx4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd4iNPuRlx4</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-32928022642103921622015-09-18T14:04:00.002+05:302015-09-18T14:04:35.847+05:30Katti Batti (Hindi) (2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Nikhil Advani is
definitely not known for brilliant movies with the one exception of D-Day where
he made his only genuine attempt to aid the effort of quality cinema in
Bollywood. Back to Back releases in a
week may indicate that Shri Advani over estimated his prowess in the field of
direction. Regretably he has botched up
both stories – one which was a classic and the other that had a lot of promise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Katti Batti
starts off with our famous hero with one expression being wheeled into an emergency
room because he drank phenyl – thinking it was beer. Apparently he was so drunk that his taste
buds refused to respond to the acrid taste of phenyl. All ye beer drinkers beware – apparently, too
much of beer in the shower leads you to consume phenyl to the point of being
rolled into an ER.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This is preceded
(I am sorry to have said it started with phenyl) by a mock wedding between Madhav aka
Maddy Kabra (Imran Khan) and Payal (Kangana Ranaut). The wedding is shot on a camcorder in a PoV
format – probably the only decent attempt at cinematography in the 2 and a
quarter hours that Advaniji tortures you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The story then
proceeds to flash back and forth between the current day and the good / horrid
days of the relationship between the freebird Payal and the desperate to commit
Maddy. The story is narrated in patches
with some really tacky screenplay and dialogue that was obviously written by
someone suffering from a terminal case of writer’s block.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Advani makes
meek attempts to spike the dead script with slapstick moments that involve the
ever dependable farting scene – probably the only moment where the audience
allowed themselves a snigger. Even peeing
on a ₹5 lac gold plated toilet with 5 massage streams (each worth ₹1 lac – or one
can only assume) did not elicit a response.
In fact the casualties had totaled to 3 out of 30 odd by the interval –
the ones I saw.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Imran Khan’s repertoire
has not received any boost whatsoever. Kangana Ranaut’s role is shockingly
limited. The weak script doesn’t help
her either. Advani has successfully
managed to make the exceptionally hot Manasvi Mamgai turn into someone you wouldn’t
give a second look. The only saving
grace is the kid that plays Maddy’s sister and has been conveniently left out
of the cast and crew on any website.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
If all of the
above doesn’t get to your nerves then you will definitely tear your hair apart –
one by one – after the introduction of Roger and his band called F.O.S.L.A. The
acronym expands into Frustrated One Sided Lover’s Association. The saving grace
is that breath of fresh air who goes by the name Sasha Chettri in real life and
appears in the new Airtel 4G commercial.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I could count
the high points in Katti Batti on one hand.
I had gone in expecting a mish mash of “No Strings Attached” and “Friends
with Benefits”. I was treated to a mish
mash alright but one that included “inspiration” from “500 Days of Summer” and “Fault
in Our Stars”. Save yourselves the
trouble. I sacrificed ₹350 for the
tickets and another ₹250 for the popcorn and coffee (the only way I could
survive). I hope you don’t. 3 on 10.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a23GO0NXOtg">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a23GO0NXOtg</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-66807541216225315432015-08-21T13:30:00.004+05:302015-08-21T13:30:48.500+05:30All is Well (2015) (Hindi)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I have started
writing this review a little after the interval of All Is Well. It will
definitely be one of the corniest lines I have ever written in over 5 years of
reviewing but I am at a loss of words as of now. All is definitely not well.
There. I have said it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Half way down
the second half I am on the verge of pulling my hair out one by one. It may
actually be a more satisfying experience than what I am going through right
now. The dialogue or the absence of them is not helping. Right now I feel more
for the actors who I believe are going through the motions with little or no
interest in the end product.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Inder Bhalla
(Abhishek Bachchan) begins the excruciatingly painful narrative with some line
about 2 kinds of people - those who follow their dreams because it is their
dream and those who follow them because they are running away from
reality. Plato and the great Socrates
would be hanging their heads in shame now. How did they miss such deep
philosophy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
That sets the
tone for the next 2 hours that goes from bad to worse to rank horrible. Our hero doesn't believe in the institute of
marriage and does everything in his limitations to shun Nimmi (Asin). Nimmi on
the other hand doesn't let an opportunity of proposing marriage go by. She
gives up eventually and heads out to India to get married. Coincidentally our hero is on the same
flight. He has to settle some property dispute.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It is
disappointing that a director like Umesh Shukla who gave us a solid movie like
Oh My God, has delivered one of the most disorganized movies in the history of
Indian cinema. There is little or no
continuity. The story has no substance
whatsoever. The humour or the meek
attempt at it falls flat all through.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The
performances, as mentioned earlier, are
half hearted at best. Asin is awful from
start to finish. The usually dependable
Rishi Kapoor, Supriya Pathak and even Abhishek Bachchan (who I have always
believed in) are lacklustre. The music is average and will not be remembered
for too long despite the homage to Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
All is Well is a
very meek attempt to showcase a story of a relationship between a stubborn
father and an equally stubborn son. It never takes off and the fact that I have
finished my review before the end of the movie should indicate that it doesn't
hold an audience. A few left
midway. You could avoid that and save
money on the tickets. 2 on 10.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlyc0NxmRYs">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlyc0NxmRYs</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-19213759648574079242015-08-21T08:53:00.002+05:302015-08-21T08:53:17.683+05:30Fantastic Four (2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I can only guess
or speculate when I make this statement that even Hollywood seems to be running
out of good ideas for cinema. Why else
would one try and relaunch a superhero franchise that was not perceived as a
great one to begin with. More
importantly, why would someone try to narrate the same story again?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In my mind, it
may have made sense to extend the previous franchise with a renewed cast and tell
a new story. Starting from scratch seems
to be a meek / desperate attempt by director Josh Trank to say, “I can do this
better”. But seriously Josh – anyone
could have made a better version of The Fantastic Four. It is just magical that you have managed to make
a version that is worse. It beats me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This version
starts with a 10 year old Reed Richards (Owen Judge / Miles Teller). Reed submits a paper on “What do I want to be
when I grown up” as part of the school assignment and is laughed off the dais.
Why? Because he states in no unclear terms that he wants to be the first person
to teleport mass. The year is 2007.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Seven years
later, Reed finds himself with best friend Ben Grimm (Evan Hannemann / Jamie
Bell) at a science fair. He has now
built a more stable device that not only teleports but also brings back. For now, his experiments have been restricted
to objects. But that’s about to change.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Dr. Franklin
Storm (Reg E Cathey) is at the same science fair with his daughter Susan (Kate
Mara). Dr. Storm is the only person
amongst the visitors to be impressed with Reed’s work and offers him a full
scholarship to the Baxter foundation. The
next step is to build a full-fledged teleportation device that connects to an
alternate parallel universe.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Much like this
review that has gone on for 3 paragraphs before coming to the actual story, Josh
Trank’s Fantastic Four spends the better part of an hour before coming onto the
actual transformation of our heroes into superheroes / mutants. It demands the most of your patience and
eagerness to know what is in store.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Unfortunately,
the next 40 odd minutes involve no more than one sequence that introduces
Doom. Viktor Vonn Doom from Latveria was
left behind in Planet Zero after the unplanned mission goes a bit awry and a
year later has decided that 4 alphabets are enough to strike fear in the minds
of all in Mother Earth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Fantastic Four
disappoints on all fronts except maybe some special effects which have been
done well. The dialogue is weak. There is little or no humour. The
performances seem forced out of otherwise good actors who had no belief in the
script. All of this leading to a
disappointing Marvel movie. I guess Marvel
should be made only by Disney and no one else.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
One can only
hope that the sequel that is slotted for a June 2017 release is just
stupendously brilliant to erase all memories of this version. The only reason I can think of for Josh Trank
holding back something would have been the sequel. For now, I give a 4 on 10 to an avoidable
movie.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3166483225/">http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3166483225/</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-47087602948703315492015-07-31T07:31:00.001+05:302015-07-31T07:31:12.297+05:30Mr. Holmes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Sometime back, a
T Shirt featuring Sir Ian McKellen created a minor ripple (<a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/group/100286">http://weheartit.com/entry/group/100286</a>). It read, I AM GANDALF AND MAGNETO. GET OVER
IT. Sir I M can now change that T Shirt
to read – I AM GANDALF, MAGNETO AND SHERLOCK – BEAT THAT!!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It would not be
unfair to say that Sir I M has carried Mr. Holmes on his ever reliable
shoulders. A tremendous amount of
support from 2 other characters in the narration i.e. Mrs. Munro (Laura Linney)
and her son, Roger (Milo Parker) cannot be discounted for certain. They have both acted exceptionally well
indeed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
However, the
presence of Sir I M on screen and the absolute ease with which he essays the
role of the greatest detective of our times keeps you rooted to the screen
through this otherwise very slow narrative about the last days of Sherlock
Holmes and of course the one case that leaves him frustrated.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The story begins
with Holmes (Sir I M) in his country house.
Mrs. Munro is the caretaker and Roger is of course fascinated with the
opportunity of meeting the man in person.
So much that Roger keeps at him to give an exhibition of what Holmes is
so famous for – telling a person where he was the entire day just by observing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Holmes is in the
process of writing his last story – you read that one right – WRITING his last
story. He is of course aged and battling
with dementia every step of the way but keeps at it. The story thereby shuttles between the
attempt to write, his visit to Japan for sourcing Prickly Ash for his dementia
and of course his last case.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Award winning
screen writer Bill Condon (also known for directing The Fifth Estate and Dreamgirls) weaves a beautiful story that has
the right mix of intrigue, humour and drama that keeps you interested in the
story. Mind you, the pace can get
challenging at times but keep at it and you will not be disappointed at the end
of it all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Laura Linney has
to be mentioned for what could be her best performances to date. A simple but small role but very pivotal to
the story. Ditto for Milo Parker who has
held his own with some really big stars.
Kudos to the entire team overall for providing us with a wonderful story. Watch it for sure. 7.5 on 10.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi613658649/">http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi613658649/</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-16999196264151949282015-07-24T14:02:00.000+05:302015-07-24T14:02:00.286+05:30Ant Man<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The character of
Ant Man is over 50 years old – 53+ to be precise. It debuted in 1962 and about 17 years on, he
appeared on Saturday Night Live. Of
course, it wasn’t remotely popular as the other “mans” around that time which
would probably explain the 5 decades that we’ve had to wait for the big screen debut
of a character which will be part of the Avengers next year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But until then,
like any other Marvel movie, walk into the theatre, strap on your seat-belts
(hold onto the arm rests on your seat – they really need to provide seat belts
for a movie like this) and enjoy this recreation of a 50 year old comic
character. I had to ask myself at the
end of it all – When was the last time that Marvel actually disappointed you
with a movie? The answer was of course – NEVER.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Scott Lang (Paul
Rudd) is released from San Quentin prison, San Francisco for a high profile
burglary that he committed a while back.
He has a Masters in Electrical Engineering but has to settle for a job
at the local Baskin Robbins. All of this
to get visitation rights to his 5 year old daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But, as luck
would have it, Baskin Robbins finds everything and Scott is left without a
job. So he chooses to go back to commit
a heist that should sort him out for a bit.
All he finds at the house is a motorcycle suit. So much for the hi-tech stuff he uses to
break-in. Of course, his curiosity gets
the better of him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
He dons the suit
and voila! You have Ant Man – A human being who can shrink and expand at the
touch of a regulator button on the suit.
Why not shrink man or micro man? Because he uses his mind powers through
an ear piece to talk to ants of all varieties.
Don’t mistake him to be weak because he can pack quite a punch.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A slow start
notwithstanding, Ant Man picks up pace in about 20 minutes but one has to wait
till the 2<sup>nd</sup> half to really enjoy the roller coaster ride. Director Peyton Reed is not really associated
with the superhero genre but seems to be a really quick learner. He keeps it crisp and delays the tempo till
just the right point. Any longer and you
would have lost interest.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Paul Rudd as Ant
Man and Evangeline Lilly (Tauriel from Hobbit) form a great pair but it is the
evergreen, charismatic, septuagenarian known as Michael Kirk Douglas who steals
the show. Douglas plays the scientist Dr. Hank Pym who invents the Pym Particle
that allows Ant Man to come into existence. Douglas’ presence is actually a tad
unfair to the rest of the cast who get completely overshadowed but all to a
good end.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
There is a lot
of technical mumbo jumbo through the movie so pay attention to the
dialogue. And of course, as always, wait
for the post credit revelations and this time there are 2 of them so be patient
till all credits finish rolling. 7.5 on
10. I genuinely cannot remember if a
Marvel movie ever disappointed me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3829444633/">http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3829444633/</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-58481846232685435602015-07-24T09:00:00.003+05:302015-07-24T09:00:41.757+05:30Masaan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For the better
part of the first half of 2015, a permanent fixture of weekly updates from most
sites has been that of Masaan and its success across every available platform
in the world. Needless to say, I was
mighty excited to get an opportunity to watch one of the most acclaimed movies
in recent times, earlier this week.
Unfortunately, it is probably the hype around the movie that did it in –
for me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
If there were
any negative articles about Masaan then I have probably missed them. While the movie didn’t have a shortage of
high points – especially with respect to acting – the story and narration failed
to impress. It is therefore, with a
tinge of disappointment, that I say – Masaan was an above average movie but I
am not sure what the hullabaloo is all about.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Set in the on
the Harishchandra Ghaat in Kaashi, Masaan is apparently a synonym of Shmashaan
(Cremation Grounds). It revolves around
the stories of Devi Pathak (Richa Chadda) and Deepak Chaudhary (Vicky Kaushal). The former is the daughter of a pujari at the
ghat – Vidyadhar Pathak (Sanjay Mishra).
The latter is the son of a Cremation Ghat Worker and does his bit to
help out in the family business.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Devi works at a
local computer centre and is in love with one of the students - Piyush. They decide to explore their sexuality in an hotel
– one that charges by the hour. But
their “joy” is short lived as the police barge into their room. They force Devi to confess on camera (cell
phone). Piyush, however, locks himself
up in the bathroom and commits suicide.
The cop – Mishra (Bhagwan Tiwari) goes on to blackmail Devi and her
father.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Deepak is a
student of civil engineering. He sees Shaalu Gupta (Shweta Tripathi) purely by
chance but falls head over heels in no time.
Couple of words are exchanged over further interactions. Of course a facebook friend request follows
and slowly but surely even Shaalu begins to reciprocate. But Shaalu is an upper caste girl and Deepak
cannot really go lower on the caste ladder.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The treatment of
both relationships and the performances surrounding them are definitely amongst
the best in recent times. But there are
a lot of loose ends left that I thought deserved some explanation. Neeraj Ghaywan was lucky enough to have a
cast that can act out of its skin. Without
them, I am not sure Masaan would have been anything but a movie that qualifies as
“art for arts sake”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Ghaywan also
does well to throw in enough humour through especially in the story involving
Deepak. That goes a long way towards
keeping the audience engaged for the 109 minute narration. Not sure if what we saw was with cuts because
there are too many loose ends for my comfort.
As such, worth watching for the performances but will take a lot of your
patience overall – 7 on 10.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVZzYa0MxM8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVZzYa0MxM8</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-52696666034586164262015-07-18T08:27:00.002+05:302015-07-18T08:27:35.580+05:30Baahubali : The Beginning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
S S Rajamouli’s
effort to be a household name in parts of the country other than South India
received a huge boost through Eega aka Eecha aka Makkhi. Bahubali : The Beginning will bridge any gap
that was left over for certain. Not only
does it claim to be India’s most expensive movie on record at 250 crores ($40
Million or so) – It feels like there has been an effort worth 250 crores put
in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Rajamouli can
probably be blamed for execution in comparison to his counterparts a couple of
oceans away to the west, but he cannot be blamed for lack of creativity. Rajamouli
has created a fascinating fictional epic of the nation called Mahishmati. He defines each aspect of the geography before
moving towards even creating a new language for the movie called Kilikili (take
that Tolkien and Star Trek!!!).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The movie begins
with a woman – who will later be identified as the Great Queen Sivagami (Ramya
Krishnan) – who is running for her life with an infant child. While she loses her life in the bargain, she
ensures the child stays alive in dramatic fashion. The child is found by the local villagers who
then bring him up as Sivu (Prabhas).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Much to his
mother’s chagrin, Sivu’s relationship with the local waterfall (Mahishmati is
on the other side, over the waterfall) is a combination of curiosity and
fascination. After several attempts, he
finally finds inspiration (like most men do) in a woman – an apparition. Needless to say, love follows. The good part is that of a back story leading
to the revelation that our Shivu is actually the rightful heir of Mahishmati
i.e. Bahubali!!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Rajamouli gets
most of the CGI right but what exasperates you is that a great effort on one
frame is followed by a less than mediocre effort in the immediately succeeding
one. One can attribute that to the just $40 million that he had at his disposal
because even below par movies from Hollywood, such as Pompeii (2014) are made at
a minimum of twice the budget that Rajamouli had.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
There are enough
high points such as the war with Kalkeya, Shivu single handedly lifting up the
Shiva Lingam or if you are the more romantic kind, chasing Avantika (Tamannah)
up an unscalable waterfall. The
performances are not too bad in themselves but I thought Ramya Kirshnan has
delivered her best to date. Prabhas is
solid as the lead and so is Rana as the villain. Tamannah could do with some toning down
though.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Make no mistakes
– Bahubali is a defining moment in Indian cinema. It may not be brilliant in comparison to
products that we are exposed to from Hollywood but it marks a moment in Indian
Cinema where a film maker has taken the first step towards quality special
effects and an entire movie that depends on CGI. It can only get better from here. 7 on 10.
Take a bow S S Rajamouli!!!! I for one cannot wait for Bahubali : The Conclusion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOEg_YZQsTI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOEg_YZQsTI</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-18589564689362926512015-07-17T13:28:00.002+05:302015-07-17T13:28:31.795+05:30Bajrangi Bhaijaan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The magnitude of
Salman Khan and an Eid release is indicated by the fear in the minds of all
other production houses. Not a single
release other than Bajrangi Bhaijaan this weekend in India. In fact there were a couple of withdrawals as
well at the last minute. But at the end
of 2 hours and 25 minutes I would risk sticking my neck out and say this, “It
has to be the end of the Eid Monopoly for Bhai”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The last half
decent movie from Salman Khan on Eid was probably Ek Thha Tiger (2012) which
was preceded by Dabangg (2010). It has
just not been working out for the biggest Khan (in terms of popular opinion) and
I think it is time for him to move aside.
Age has definitely caught up and the lack of reasonable scripts should
be enough to tell him that its over.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Bajrangi
Bhaijaan is Salman’s 2<sup>nd</sup> with Kabir Khan (Ek Thha Tiger) who is hell
bent on proving that Kabul Express was nothing more than a flash in the pan or
beginner’s luck. I say this not because he has made an emotional tear jerker with
a smattering of masala. I say this
because he has made a bad emotional tear jerker with a smattering of masala and
action (which is the hallmark of bhai) that is reduced to the status of a special
mention.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Shahida
(Harshaali Malhotra) is about 6 years old and from Sultanpur, Pakistan. She is born mute and her parents decide to
make the long trip to Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi, India. En route back, Shahida decides to step off
the train at the border. Predicatbly the train chugs off without Shahida on
board. The kid gets onto an oncoming
goods train only to be pulled the other way and wakes up at Kurukshetra.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
At Kurukshetra,
she meets Pavan Kumar Chaturvedi aka Bajrangi (Salman Khan). Bajrangi has just finished the selfie song
for the bigger Bajrangi (Hanumanji). He
has made the trip to Kurukshetra for no other apparent reason. Shahida decides to follow him wherever he
goes leaving our hero with no other choice but take her to his would-be in-law’s
place at Chandni Chowk, New Delhi.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Needless to say,
the mute girl is unable to communicate where she is from and the home she has
walked into is one that doesn’t have much tolerance towards even the
neighbouring muslims – the ones from across the border may just be
quartered. But of course true colours are
revealed over a cricket match that our friendly neighbours win. Bajrangi of course swears to get her across
the border – with paperwork or otherwise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The story
meanders through some meaningless and less than believeable antics like crossing
the border through a tunnel. Then there
is the convenience of switching between principles such as speaking only the
truth and lying under the pretext of the Mahabharat which our neighbours have
apparently never heard of. Of course the
border is depicted to be around 20 feet wide and with barbed wire that seems
like an excuse.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The essence of
the movie and the objective may not have been ill-placed thanks to a few messages
such as “Borders are man made”, “Hate is easier to sell than love” etc. But the
execution is crappy – a plague that has infested Bollywood for ages now. Of course, before I forget, it takes an
unknown reported from the remotest part of Pakistan to communicate the power of
the internet – us Indians in Dally Vich of course haven’t heard of the
phenomenon. 3 on 10 for a less than
impressive movie.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyX4toD395U">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyX4toD395U</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-77586782336008456822015-07-14T12:03:00.001+05:302015-07-14T12:03:13.699+05:30Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Elizabeth Banks
moves from her position in front of the camera in Pitch Perfect (2012) to an
additional responsibility that she is not too unfamiliar with per se. She gets behind the camera. Banks’ acting
skills have been impressive albeit over the top (including Pitch Perfect) and
her direction seems to be headed the same way.
There are high points (literally) in PP2 but overall lands up barely meeting
expectations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I really liked
PP (2012) and I had made it a point to watch it before I saw PP2. I have always been extremely fascinated with
various genres of music and Acapella was just that refreshing change that needed
to be made into a movie. It was
creative, it was different, it was funny in most parts and definitely qualified
as entertaining. It was, however, borderline
slapstick and that’s the part that PP2 gets a bit wrong.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
PP2 takes the
slapstick further instead of keeping it within the limits that proved
entertaining in the first part. PP2
instead starts with what many would call a blooper but I just thought it was
pushing too hard to pander to a certain segment of the audience that has a different
version of humour than I do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
PP2 begins with
the Barden Bellas performing for POTUS on his birthday. Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) – the adventurous one
that she is – decides that she is good enough to be part of Cirque de
Soleil. Of course the results are
nothing short of a disaster. Literally a
ripper as they would say where Rebel Wilson comes from. At the end of it all,
inexplicably, the Bellas are banned from campus Acapella.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But,
inexplicably again, they are allowed to participate in the World Acapella
Championships by virtue of being defending champions of the ICCA. Of course they have to now go on a fresh
recruitment spree because some of the Bellas have graduated. And a whole new bunch comes in – each with
their own eccentricities – and that makes it a bit more fun.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Not much of a
story very honestly but some more than decent Acapella. And if you liked PP (2012) then you should be
able to stand PP2 despite the less than impressive dialogue and the more than
required slapstick. There are fun
moments and highs that make it worthwhile to wait through the 2 hours. 6 on 10 for a movie that has apparently raked
in more than its predecessor and is all set for a 3<sup>rd</sup> part.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4034440729/">http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4034440729/</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-26497193914349805542015-07-02T18:09:00.001+05:302015-07-02T18:09:09.177+05:30Pitch Perfect (2012)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I decided to watch Pitch Perfect only because
the sequel releases tomorrow. Surprisingly
– pleasantly at that – I didn’t regret it.
I tread with caution but within a few minutes I was hooked. It is probably the only movie to date (I haven’t
seen the sequel yet) that is centered on the acapella scene in the United
States – at least it is the only one that I have seen to date.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Pitch Perfect is
actually based on a non-fiction piece of work titled - Pitch Perfect: The Quest
for Collegiate A Cappella Glory by Mickey Rapkin. Now that gives enough reason to research
further (makes a mental note to find out fictional movies that are based on
non-fictional writing). There is
actually a competition called ICCA – International Championship of College A
Cappella.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Set in the Louisiana
State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, it begins with Beca (Anna Kendrick)
who wants to be anywhere but Barden University.
The only reason she is there is coz her father is faculty and tuition is
waived off. She would much rather be in
LA, creating music. Because that’s what she wants to be some day – a music
producer. She also creates mixes and DJs on the side – and she is pretty good
at it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The routine
college drafts begin and Beca finds herself at the college radio station but
after Chloe (Brittany Snow), without clothes on, convinces her, she decides to
take a shot at the auditions for the Barden Bellas – the all-girls acapella
group on campus. BBs are at loggerheads
with the Treble Makers to the extent that their pledge includes never to sleep
with one. The TMs are the only ones
standing between BBs are greatness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Pitch Perfect is
peppered with some great acapella music.
And great would actually be an understatement. Homages to the Breakfast Club soundtrack kept
aside, it introduces you to a genre of music that is simblee sensational. Not my first experience with this form of
remixed acapella but I enjoyed every bit of it (look for <b>VA - Ultimate Pitch Perfect (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2015)
(320) – CD</b>) on kat.cr.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
What makes PP
even better is the casting. While the
actors have also tried their hand at singing, it is the fact that each one is
as Perfect as it could have been – so kudos to the casting team. The stage performances are mighty cool. In fact, except for some cheesy dialogue and
the scenes that involve disgusting puke, there is nothing too wrong with the
movie. Download at kat.cr for this 7 on
10.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3780682265/">http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3780682265/</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-27749414982505846162015-06-26T11:41:00.003+05:302015-06-26T11:41:39.166+05:30Insidious : Chapter 3 (2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
James Wan, after
the hugely successful Conjuring, had mentioned in an interview that he will not
be directing any more horror movies (except the sequel to Conjuring). A decision that I would request, beg,
beseech, plead Wan to reconsider. There
are not enough half decent directors in this genre. Not much left to be desired if the one great
director in the past decade decides to call it quits.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Do you remember
Specs (Leigh Whannell) – the dorky bespectacled ghost hunter from Insidious 2
and 1? One half of the duo called Spectral Sightings – with the other half
being the bearded Tucker (Angust Sampson)? Well, after 2 movies in front of the
camera, Whannell has taken his first step to get behind it. He actually shuttles between the 2.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The prequel to
Lambert Haunting – a few years before it – begins with Quinn Brenner (Stefanie
Scott) visiting Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) at her eerie house. Elise is mourning the loss of her husband who
decided to end his life not so long ago.
She has decided to not get involved in matters with the other side but
agrees to Quinn’s request as an exception – only to stop midway and ask Quinn
to leave.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Quinn, however, has
already managed to get a demon from the dark side to the living world. This demon is in the form of a Man who cannot
breathe (Michael Reid MacKay). He
decides to haunt the pants off Quinn, first with just voices and then in
physical form that leads to a serious accident.
The cheap demon that MWCB is, doesn’t spare a teenage girl with two
broken legs either.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
That’s around
the time when Specs and Tucker aka Spectral Sightings make their entry and that’s
around the time when the movie goes all downhill. There were gaps in the first half too but not
too stark to be picked up by the average ordinary everyday Joe. The horror more than made up for it. Some scenes actually made you jump out of
your socks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Whannell is
unable to handle the movie as soon as he comes in front of the camera. Clearly, double hatting is not something he
is good at right now. Maybe over time
but I would strongly recommend that he stays behind the camera because there is
very little that he gets to the table when he is in front of it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The dialogue in
the 2<sup>nd</sup> half, the narration, the horror – everything disappears and
makes way to the likes of “Not tonight bitch” and extremely funny scenes that don’t
come remotely close to even the first half.
The performances are overall below par.
There could not have been a bigger injustice done to Wan’s legacy. A pity that it happened even with his role as
a producer. 4 on 10 for some glimpses of
fear. Avoidable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3521294617/">http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3521294617/</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375942344072835900.post-59685268243033663422015-06-26T10:22:00.000+05:302015-06-26T10:22:07.922+05:30Inside Out (Animation) (2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Disney Pixar,
should do something really special for Pete Docter and Ronaldo Del Carmen for
coming up with a concept like Inside Out – something like a lifetime retainer. Docter made Up in 2009 but first time
director, Carmen, does not have too much to catch up with from the looks of it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Inside Out is by
far, the animation movie of the year 2015 – unless we have something more
dramatic in store for us in the 6 months to come. As always, Pixar precedes the
movie with an animated short called LAVA that makes you go “Awwww”. It is just the beginning of several such “Awwww”
moments over the 90 minutes that follow.
LAVA just adds 7 minutes of “Awwww”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Inside Out
personifies five emotions that are experienced by children – Joy (Amy Poehler),
Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust
(Mindy Kaling). Come to think of it, aren’t
all of our emotions, offshoots of these core emotions? Never really thought of
it that way but I guess it isn’t too far from the truth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So Joy is the
first emotion in Riley’s (Kaitlyn Dias) mind – at birth. Over the next few days, the epicenter of
emotions i.e. Headquarters, the other 4 manifest themselves. No points for guessing that Joy is the
defacto leader of the pack (it’s a Disney movie – you have to be happy). And so long as she is in command – all will
be well. But when she gets sucked out of
HQ with Riley’s “Core Memories”, all hell breaks loose.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I predict that
Inside Out will be used as an essential learning tool in schools for
children. I have never seen a better
break down of the human brain and how things work inside. I can guarantee that every single one of the
40 odd reviewers who were part of the P Show had a smile on their faces when
they left the auditorium.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Docter and
Carmen get awesome new characters such as Bing Bong (Richard Kind) which is a
cross between an elephant, a cat and a dolphin – I guarantee that merchandise sales
for Bing Bong will surpass all previous records. If the characters don’t strike a chord, there
are some fabulous dialogues and weaving in exciting concepts like DEFCON 2 and
personification of a Train of thought.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
There is enough
and more to look forward to with Inside Out.
And it is not just meant for the kids.
The end credits sign off with a dedication – Dedicated to our kids.
Please don’t grow up – Nothing can capture the spirit of Inside Out better. For
those who thought that Frozen was the best Disney could get – welcome to the
wonderful world of Inside Out. 8.5 on
10. DO NOT MISS. DON’T FORGET TO TAKE
ALL AT HOME WITH YOU.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Watch the
trailer on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRUAzGQ3nSY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRUAzGQ3nSY</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15243309307843192096noreply@blogger.com0