Kingsman: The Secret Service

I love Matthew Vaughn movies – Layer Cake, Stardust, Kick Ass, X Men – First Class and now Kingsman Secret Service.  I have seen them all and I have realy loved watching each and every one of them.  And therefore this review may just be a tad biased towards one of my favourite directors from Hollywood.

Gambit (2012)

Gambit released in the UK towards the end of 2012.  Apparently the makers didn’t think it worthwhile to release it in the US at all.  It released in India tomorrow (27^th September 2013) nearly 1 year after its UK release.  The US date is not yet fixed.  Now why would they keep an entertaining movie like Gambit away from the screens when they are fine with unleashing a whole load of other crap on us? Beats me.

Love Actually

How many of you guys remember this sequence from Love Actually where Mark (Andrew Lincoln) tells Juliet (Keira Knightley) what he truly feels about her.  It is titled – To Me You Are Perfect - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7u6bMBlCXw.  If you haven’t seen the movie, watch the clip and you will rush to the nearest store to get your hands on the DVD.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Did you know that Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (with commas) was a 1979 TV Series starring Alec Guiness? It ran for a full 7 episodes it would seem. I tried my best to get my hands on the book before I saw the movie but sadly could not find it . Will keep the search on for a while – not just for academic interest but because the movie is so heavy and slow that ironically you find it difficult to keep pace with it. Funny right. But one has to read the book before you can understand the movie completely. I guess you will experience it when you watch it. It is difficult to explain it in words. I will now add the mini-series search to the list of must watches as well.

Tomas Alfredson peels out the story layer by layer by layer and that too in a very disjointed manner. That’s what I would call giving exceptional credit to the audience’s intelligence. Sometimes it backfires like it did with Tree of Life. At other times it comes out exceptionally well like in the case of Pulp Fiction. And then there are really good movies such as TTSS which kind of lose it in an attempt to increase the intrigue.

TTSS is an espionage movie that forces you to concentrate. Despite its slow pace, you could actually miss the plot if you miss a few seconds – like I did. The good news though is that it allows you to catch up unlike a lot of other movies which don’t. It traces the story of British Intelligence which suspects a Russian mole in its highest ranks. The task of unearthing the same is given to George Smiley (Gary Oldman) who builds his own mini team of sorts and starts the arduous task of figuring out who is the actual culprit – Toby Esterhase (David Dencik) OR Bill Haydon (Colin Firth) OR Percy Alleline (Toby Jones) OR Roy Bland (Ciarán Hinds). They are code named – Tinker, Tailor, Soldier and Spy – not respectively.

TTSS has some really solid performances by the entire cast. Little known names such as David Dencik and the vastly under-rated Ciarán Hinds have come up with really solid performances. The movie has some outstanding editing and cinematography which is apparent within the first few frames. The use of light and colour is quite stunning. The only thing, if any, which could have been in doubt were the costumes. Not sure if there were some errors on that count – pardon me for not being familiar with the kind of clothes which were worn in the 70s. Cannot comment on the screenplay either because I haven’t read the book. However, independent of the book, the screenplay would be OK in my books. Overall, one of the better movies of the year. 7 on 10. Must watch again to be totally sure of the concept – willing to do it too.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3394673689/

Hope Springs

I have always passed up an opportunity to pick up the DVD of Hope Springs at almost every discount sale over the past 2 years or so. Somehow it never got me excited although it had Colin Firth and Minnie Driver on the cover along with that hottie called Heather Graham. Don’t know whether it was because of bad writing on the DVD cover either. Having said all of that, I am not terribly disappointed that I did not pick it up. But it wouldn’t mean that I would have been disappointed if I had picked it up. Hope Springs is exactly that kind of a movie which leaves you with a feeling of not being terribly happy or terribly sad about watching it. Its just about average I guess. Lets put it this way – there are better movies that could have been aired on Valentines Day – not to mention that Zee Studio had a black out (or should I say white out) in between to kind of ruin the experience as well.


Now how many movies can you think of where the lead character’s name is the same as her / his off screen name. This was a first for me in the form of an Englishman by the name of Colin Ware (Colin Firth) who is an aspiring artist – the painting / sketching variety. He has recently been dumped by his half Welsh half bitch fiancée, Vera Edwards (Minnie Driver). The unsuspecting Colin receives an invitation in the mail which is for the wedding of Vera with some random guy who Colin has never heard of. Now our hero doesn’t have the better sense to check with his girl friend first but instead he is distraught and takes off across the Atlantic to some remote town with a population of a little over 18000 people. Its called Hope. Yep. There are several towns called Hope – you can look it up on google maps as well. Anyways, he lands up into Hope, jet lagged and checks into the only hotel available there run by Joanie Fisher (Mary Steenburgen) and her husband (Frank Collison). Joanie recommends that Colin meet the local healer of sorts, a girl by the name Mandy (Heather Graham). One thing leads to another and very soon Mandy and Colin become good friends and eventually lovers. So they should live happily ever after right? Wrong. Vera has other plans of her own. Turns out the wedding invitation was a joke that she was playing on Colin (I told you Colin, you should have checked with your girl friend before taking off). A subtle hint for Colin to ask her to marry him – which our daft hero could not get. Now she wants him back. But Colin is in love with Mandy. Sorry Vera you seem to have missed the bus .

Hope Springs comes from the table of unknown director (unknown to me at least) Mark Herman whose 7 full length features to date haven’t ruffled any feathers at the BO I guess. Never heard of any of his movies. And it isn’t too difficult to understand why. There is an element of direction that is required in most movies and Herman falls woefully short at the basics itself. There are inconsistencies galore. And the attempt to make it funny also falls flat more often than not. Colin Firth’s sincerity is a saving grace but he plays what he used to be stereotyped as for a long time – a gilted lover. Minnie Driver is effective and Heather Graham is furniture as always. The support cast other than Oliver Platt do not inspire any confidence as the movie trundles along its 92 minutes (thankfully!!!!). As called out earlier – average movie. You will be quite indifferent at the end of it all. 5 on 10 is my verdict.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi4128113433/

The English Patient

It is extremely difficult to make a choice between 2 movies involving Anthony Minghella. Nine – which had the screenplay written by Minghella and the other was a winner of 9 academy awards in 1997 including best director for Minghella. I have never gotten around to seeing The English Patient fully for some inexplicable reason. Probably the same inexplicable reason why I managed to see Deewar only in 2003 (OK now that’s no reason to beat me up… I did manage to see it right). So Nine had to wait for a different date. I am anyways getting a copy of the movie in a bit. For those who have not seen TEP yet (the unfortunate few like me) I would exhort you to not delay any further. One of the best movies made that year as well as to date and why it doesn’t feature in the imdb Top 250 is beyond me.


Geoffrey Clifton (Colin Firth) and Katherine Clifton (Kirstin Scott Thomas) are a happily married couple. They know each other since they were 3. Almost like brother and sister as Geoffrey says. They both find themselves in Egypt in the late 1930s to help out an expedition that is being led by Count Laszlo de Almásy (Ralph Fiennes) a Hungarian cartographer who has been contracted by the Royal Geographical Society along with Madox (Julian Wadham). That Katherine is the only woman in the entire group which does put most men at a lot of discomfort. But Almasy more so who finds himself attracted to her like never before. One cannot say that the feelings are not reciprocated but they take a while to surface and then there is no looking back as the two find themselves spiraling into a whirlpool of intense love that pretty much blinds them towards everything around them.

TEP is shuttles between the late 1930s / early 1940s and the mid 1940s where the war is about to finish. It is narrated by Almasy who, towards the end of the war is struggling to stay alive after his charred body is recovered by arabs from a plane crash and he is being taken care of by Hana (Juliette Binoche). Hana is a Canadian nurse who believes that she is cursed because everyone who she gets close to dies in the war. When she loses one of her closest friends on a mine field, she deicdes to stay back at a monastery and take care of Almasy.

Very few movies are able to create such clear character sketches like TEP has managed to. Yes it was helped by that Sri Lankan born Canadian writer called Michael Ondaatje and now I have to read to book to figure out if the movie did justice to it. If there is any flaw that I can find with the movie it would be the pace but that is more that offset by the award winning direction and the strong performances from every single person in the cast. Juliete Binoche went on to win the Oscar for the Best Supporting Actress. Ralph Fiennes and Kirstin Scott Thomas were nominated in the lead roles. And Anthony Minghella went on to win the Oscar for the Best Director for his best work to date. A nomination in almost every important category and wins in 8 of them would be indication of the fact that in the 9th and the most important of them all, The English Patient was an obvious choice. This one is definitely course material for schools that deal with Cinematography, Costume Design, Art Direction, Editing and Sound. I give it 8.5 on 10.

Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFdGAHjaOcM

What a Girl Wants

Several years ago (I am guessing nearly 50 of them), someone by the name of William Douglas-Home, made a play that was called “The Reluctant Debutante”. This was then made into a movie of the same name starring Rex Harrison in the lead role. A little after the turn of the century, a lady by the name of Dennie Gordon, whose claims to fame include directing a few episodes of Ally McBeal, Chicago Hope and The Practice decided to remake this movie – now that most people would have forgotten it – very smart I must say Ms. Gordon. But Ms.Gordon’s experience in making TV serials didn’t get her too long a way in the directing department per se and the output that we see is an extremely average or maybe even below average movie which I can only classify as a RomCom because of a lack of any other term. It has Romance and it has a meek attempt at comedy but never together like you would expect in quality RomComs. A solid concept that would have definitely been directed well in the original by the great Vincente Minnelli but one which has not been done justice in the 2nd coming thanks to Dennie Gordon’s mediocre capabilities.


Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth – why?) has all the ingredients to be a front runner for the Prime Minister of Great Britain. He is 40+, still single but about to be married to Glynnis Payne (Anna Chancellor), daughter of the scheming Alistair Payne (Jonathan Pryce). Alistair’s only aim in life has been to be in the political limelight and his daughter is no different and neither is his grand-daughter Clarissa (Christina Cole). The three are quite determined to get into the places that matter and right now the only place that matters in 10 Downing Street. Much to the disappointment and against the wishes of Henry’s mother, Lady Jocelyn Dashwood (Eileen Atkins). But the Payne’s delight at the announcement of the engagement between Henry and Glynnis is not going to last too long. Enter Daphne Reynolds (Amanda Bynes) daughter of Libby Reynolds (Kelly Preston). 17 year back Henry had gotten a bit naughty with Libby when they were in Morocco. Actually he was not planning on being only naughty. In fact they get married with help from a Bedouin priest. But when his Lordship returns, people at home aren’t too pleased with the idea of a Lord getting married to a singer. Henry has almost convinced his parents when Alistair gets Libby to leave without reason but not without a baby in her belly who grows up in the US without a father. After 17 Daphne cannot hold back any more and makes the trip across the Atlantic to meet her father.

Playing on Zee Studio these days (I think :P) What a Girl Wants is tolerable but nothing you would miss. I didn’t have much of an option and saw it as I was typing out my more important reviews. Those were the days when Colin Firth was given only RomComs or mushy British movies where he was portrayed as a loser father or gilted lover. But Colin has always given his best no matter what the role. Something that has held him in good stead all they way to date where he is definitely the Oscar winner in my books. The rest of the cast is quite average. At the end of the day, watch it only if you don’t have any other choice per se. 4 on 10 for this one.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi954335513/

The King's Speech

There are so many movies that just don’t see the light of the day in India. Sadly, some of them are works of sheer brilliance. And I am not sure if it is sheer coincidence but most of these movies are British. I had the good fortune of seeing one such movie 2 days back – The King’s Speech.

Prince Albert Fredrick Arthur Geroge (Colin Firth) in 1925 goes onto become King George VI in the late 30s. But he has a problem of public speaking and stammering in general. Something that cannot get him a long way if he has to lead a country. His first attempt at speaking in public ends in a complete disaster when he is supposed to speak at the closing ceremony of the Annual Empire Exhibition – the first time any public address was to be broadcast on radio. Quite an embarrassing situation to be in and something that forces him and Princess Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) to seek medical help. A variety of doctors try their best to make things work but the Prince’s temper and inability to cope with the weird methods don’t really help. Nine years go by.

In 1934, On the advise of an acquaintance, the Princess, posing as a Mrs. Johnson (the name used by the Prince during the First World War) contacts Lionel Logue (Sir Geoffrey Rush), a speech therapist of high repute. Lionel works in a place which is definitely not suited for royalty and that too without a receptionist – sacrilegious!!! He is an Australian by birth but moves to England post the war to make the most of his skill to get people over speech defects. He is willing to take on the assignment but wants “The patient” to come over to his clinic. Even after knowing, quite embarrassingly, that he is conversing with the Duchess of York and the would be Queen of England. My Castle, My Rules as he proudly proclaims. After a bit of deliberation and much against his wishes, the Prince agrees to go through one final attempt at therapy. The attempt doesn’t have a great start but Logue does hand over a recording of a paragraph from Hamlet that he gets the Prince to read while he is listening to loud music over headphones – the latest technology at that time. It is only much later, after yet another debacle that the Prince actually listens to the recording and is quite shocked to hear himself speak so well. He returns to Logue to be treated.

The King’s Speech traces the friendship that King George VI and Lionel Logue build over their experience of ridding the King of his disability. It is garnished with fabulous British humour and most importantly, splendid performances from Colin Firth, Sir Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter – all three of which are in line for nominations at this year’s Oscars. Even the piece meal performances from Jennifer Ehle as the wife of Lionel Logue and Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill are absolutely outstanding. This one is a movie for demonstrating acting talent from some of the best known names in the industry. Director Tom Hooper must be a very fortunate man to have worked with some of the most natural actors possible. Also notable is the outstanding effort in editing from Tariq Anwar. All in all one of the best movies of the year. Hope it releases in India soon – I hadn’t seen the trailers before I left. 8 on 10 for sure.

Mamma Mia!

I wonder how Mamma Mia! did when it was launched a couple of years back in India. I thought I was one of the few people who was unable to watch it then. But I am guessing it should have. I mean it is as good as a Bollywood love story – only much bolder, much more slickly made, much much much much better acting talent on display and much more ABBA thrown in for good measure.


Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is all of 20 (and I challenge someone to believe that!!!! With her face she doesn’t look a day over 15 – but in the real world she will be 25 in a month). She has been bought up on a Greek island by her single mother, Donna (Meryl Streep). She is about to get married in a few days to Sky (Dominic Cooper – who is also her boyfriend in the real world). But she is a confused soul. She feels a void in her life. She is troubled with a question – Who will walk her down the aisle? Who will give her away? The worry is not that she doesn’t have a father. The worry is she doesn’t know who her father is. Its Donna’s well kept secret all these years.

But the wily Sophie digs around and finds her mother’s old diary – coincidentally of course. She traces the diary back to 20 years ago and is now even more confused. She could have been fathered by one of 3 possible men that her mother was seeing at that time. Now Donna was not promiscuous in any manner. She just moved out of failed relationships much quicker than anyone else. So now, Sophie has zeroed down to one of 3 possibilities – Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) – an adventurous writer, Sam (Pierce Brosnan) – an architect & Harry (Colin Firth) – a extremely successful financial advisor of sorts. Obviously her mother will not hear any of it an so without a choice, Sophie – to the background of “I have a dream” – sends across invitations on her mother’s behalf to all of them – What’s to lose anyways?

The movie unfolds at a really solid pace after this. Mind you, I have only written about the first 10-15 mins till now. Mamma Mia! is a beautifully made movie, with a generous dressing of ABBA. Almost every ABBA number worth its salt and even not worth its salt finds a place either through normal dialogues or full fledged songs. And mind you – all songs are not the studio versions but covered by the actors themselves. Simply amazing I say!!! I picked up the soundtrack much before the movie (a quizzer’s habit) and was floored with the voices of Streep, Walters, Seyfried and Brosnan. Thanks to DVD – I have seen the movie as well now.

No point in waxing eloquent about the seasoned Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, Stellan Skarsgard, Pierce Brosnan or Colin Firth, all of who have very rarely or never disappointed on screen. Who stands out is Amanda Seyfried. She seems to have come a really long way from her days of portraying the bimbo Karen Smith in Mean Girls. Mental note made to watch Letters to Juliet which is her latest flick. She seems to be very comfortable on screen and most importantly not over awed by the really huge stars. Direction was pretty much spot on with very little loose ends towards the second half. Phyllida Lloyd comes on tops in her first serious attempt to date. Overall a 7 on 10. Must must watch.