Most of you would have seen The Da Vinci Code. I would like you to cut back to the final scene wherein Robert Langdon is asked of by Sophie whether she should announce to the world that Jesus was only a human being. Langdon replies, “Would you rather add to the belief of a millions or break it”? A simple statement that leaves a lot of us thinking – at least I was.
Rise of the Guardians is based on this very simple concept of belief. Aptly summarized by a simple line again – Do you stop believing in the moon when the sun comes out? Or another one – Do you stop believing in the sun on a cloudy day? These are the very sentiments that keep The Guardians alive. Who are the Guardians? The answer would include Santa Claus aka North (Alec Baldwin), The Tooth Fairy or just Tooth (Isla Fisher) and The Easter Bunny or just Bunny (Hugh Jackman).
But that doesn’t apply to Jack Frost or just Frost (Chris Pine) who doesn’t really know who he is other than the fact that he has been sent down to earth by the moon. He has no recollection of what happens before he becomes Jack Frost. But he is fun to be with and wants most of the kids to have fun as well. But he would be known as anything but a guardian.
So when their arch rival – Pitch Black or just Pitch (Jude Law) decides to take over earth, the Guardians are quite surprised that The Man on The Moon didn’t ask them to take care of the problem at hand. Instead he asks the Guardian to recruit a new one into the fold. No points for guessing that the latest member is Jack Frost.
Director Peter Ramsey is better known for his involvement in the Art Department of movies like Batman Forever, AI and Shark Tale. The Rise of The Guardians would be his first feature film. An animation movie would have been a risky choice to get into mainstream cinema but Ramsey comes on tops thanks to a heart touching story. The quality of work could definitely have done with some improvement but one would tend to ignore it in light of the sweet story.
The voices are outstanding. Although Alec Baldwin seems just a bit over the top in his Scandinavian or Russian accent for Father Christmas. Jude Law in probably his first negative role is outstanding. But the pick of the voices is Hugh Jackman as the Bunny from down under – very distinctively Jackman.
This is the kind of movie that you need to take your kids to over a weekend. Just to re-emphasize their belief in those wonderful creations of mankind. After all isn’t it what we believe in that makes us who we are. 7 on 10 and definitely in the top 5 animation releases in India this year. Have a wonderful time watching.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2628363545/
Showing posts with label Jude Law. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jude Law. Show all posts
Friday, 4 January 2013
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
All The King's Men
Before you watch the movie, first watch this snippet of about 7 minutes. This is a speech that is given by Willie Stark (Sean Penn) when he first realizes that he is being played for, in the upcoming election. More importantly, he realizes somewhere in his head that he has what it takes to be Governor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw_uTjf6VPc&feature=related
Based on the 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warner of the same name, All The King’s Men tracks the life of Willie Stark who is married to a school teacher. An accident in his county where a school caves in due to poor construction moves him to take up the cause of ensuring standards. One thing leads to another and before you know it, he is running for governor.
But as mentioned earlier, he was only being played for the part to ensure that there is a vote split between the other chief competitors. The scheme fails thanks to some great campaigning by Stark and he wins the race. The rest of the story is Stark’s movement from being an up-country politics unfriendly person to one who climbs the learning curve of dirty politics at the speed of light. He moves into being a dark scheming character – continuing to fight for the deprived – but playing his cards like a pro.
The director, Steve Zaillian, is actually better known for his prowess in screenplay (Schindler’s List, Gangs of New York, Moneyball, The Millenium Trilogy) and has had several nominations in the category. But when it comes to direction, he had two, not so well known but decent movies to his credit before he made ATKM. Arguably, ATKM was his best effort to date. There are a lot of segments where you maybe a bit lost but the pieces fall together as the movie trudges along.
One can fault Zaillian for pace but as I have always said, there is a thin line between slow and intense and I thought Zaillian did a good job flirting with the line. What works for him are the right cuts that ensured that moves the unnecessary stuff out. And of course the screenplay that’s Zaillian’s forte anyways – rocks.
ATKM is otherwise an actor’s movie. Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Hopkins, Patricia Clarkson & James Gandolfini. All Zaillian had to do was not screw up. And these 7 names would have done the rest. That’s exactly what happened. You will not get bored for certain. But as warned earlier – slow. 7 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV_Yad1i36w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw_uTjf6VPc&feature=related
Based on the 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warner of the same name, All The King’s Men tracks the life of Willie Stark who is married to a school teacher. An accident in his county where a school caves in due to poor construction moves him to take up the cause of ensuring standards. One thing leads to another and before you know it, he is running for governor.
But as mentioned earlier, he was only being played for the part to ensure that there is a vote split between the other chief competitors. The scheme fails thanks to some great campaigning by Stark and he wins the race. The rest of the story is Stark’s movement from being an up-country politics unfriendly person to one who climbs the learning curve of dirty politics at the speed of light. He moves into being a dark scheming character – continuing to fight for the deprived – but playing his cards like a pro.
The director, Steve Zaillian, is actually better known for his prowess in screenplay (Schindler’s List, Gangs of New York, Moneyball, The Millenium Trilogy) and has had several nominations in the category. But when it comes to direction, he had two, not so well known but decent movies to his credit before he made ATKM. Arguably, ATKM was his best effort to date. There are a lot of segments where you maybe a bit lost but the pieces fall together as the movie trudges along.
One can fault Zaillian for pace but as I have always said, there is a thin line between slow and intense and I thought Zaillian did a good job flirting with the line. What works for him are the right cuts that ensured that moves the unnecessary stuff out. And of course the screenplay that’s Zaillian’s forte anyways – rocks.
ATKM is otherwise an actor’s movie. Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Hopkins, Patricia Clarkson & James Gandolfini. All Zaillian had to do was not screw up. And these 7 names would have done the rest. That’s exactly what happened. You will not get bored for certain. But as warned earlier – slow. 7 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV_Yad1i36w
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Hugo
Hugo is already @ 198 in imdb top 250. One of the movies that has entered this list in Calendar Year 2011. And it has been nominated for 11 Oscars. Yep. You heard me right. 11 Nominations. Which if my research serves me right, is the highest number this year after which we have The Artist. The categories are Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design, Directing, Editing, Motion Picture of the Year, Adapted Screenplay, Music Written for Motion Picture, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects. Once you have seen it, you would not be left with any questions in your head as for the reasons for the same.
Now I have always maintained that I have no clue in my head about Sound Mixing and Sound Editing – never had an ear for it I guess. And I cannot comment on the Screenplay bit since I have not read the book written by Brian Selznick – childrens book writer – The Invention of Hugo Cabret. But in the other 8 categories Hugo is definitely one of the front runners this year. Probably the only reason Hugo will not win the Motion Picture of the Year would be a the lack of a lead actor or support actor nomination. Although I seriously thought that Ben Kingsley did a fantastic job as George Milies. Hugo is as good if not better than either The Descendants or The Artist which undeniably are the favourites for this year’s Motion Picture of the Year but would miss it by a whisker.
It was only a matter of time before the likes of Martin Scorcese dabbled with the genre of Fantasia and The Invention of Hugo Cabret probably gave him the best platform to come up with one of his best movies to date. The thought process behind movies in the Fantasia genre just blows me to bits. There is just so much that you can assume to be possible under the genre but it does take great writing and better execution with the movie for it to be viewed as believable. Even if it means inanimate objects or robots such as the Automoton to be created using the basic principles of winding mechanisms as in a watch. Objects which then can become the object of affection for a 13-14 year old who has just lost his father and takes upon himself to get it working by stealing odd parts from the railway station in Paris. Simply stunning I say.
It does surprise me that the likes of Ben Kingsley, especially with his endearing performance, didn’t get a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Or for that matter Asa Butterfield or Chloë Grace Mortez who have both come up with such sincere and heart touching performances that they definitely deserve a strong mention. Hugo joins another endless list of movies which haven’t been considered by a bunch of morons to deserve a release along with the global release in India. 8 on 10 once again. I would think The Artist was just a tad better. Difficult call to take though.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2781978137/
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Sleuth
This has to definitely move to everyone’s watch list. I mean, how often would you get a movie that has exactly 4 actors. I am not kidding you. FOUR ACTORS. And now wait for more surprises. One of them doesn’t even have screen time. Carmel O’Sullivan’s role is just that of a voice on the phone. How cool is that? Just a voice on the phone. And Harold Pinter’s role of 33.285 seconds is a recorded version of some TV show. That’s it. In a little over 80 minutes the supremely talented Kenneth Branagh directs 2 of the finest actors of our time – Michael Caine and Jude Law – in a psychotic thriller of sorts.
Set in a completely dark background, Sleuth is about 2 men who have one thing in common and nothing else. Unfortunately, the one thing that they have in common is not the most pleasant thing that could probably be common between 2 men – and no you homophobics I am not talking about the same bed. I am talking about the same woman in their lives. To one – Andrew Wyke (Michael Caine) – she is the wife. To the other – Milo Tindle (Jude Law) – she is the mistress. Hows that for a lethal commonality to have. And hows that as a concept to take to the big screen?
And it took a Malaysian Airlines flight for me to figure out that something like this was not just thought of but actually executed. And the write up on the in flight card said nothing to excite me about the movie. The only reason I picked it up as a movie to watch was because it was a little over 80 minutes long and I have this fetish about finishing as many movies I can on a flight. I could well have missed it had it not been for the length of the movie.
The execution is almost like a 2 act play. Maybe that comes from Branagh’s known fetish for Shakespeare. Most of his directorial attempts have involved the Bard. So it is probably not surprising that Sleuth comes across the same way. Michael Caine’s performance as the gilted husband who is out to seek revenge personifies that old saying popularized by Quentin Tarantino – Revenge is a dish best served cold.
The detailed scheme that is put to action by Wyke is made even more eerie with the dark hue that is part of the movie all through. And then there are some superb camera angles such as shooting the first few minutes of Tindle’s entry from the top view. And the use of mirrors when Tindle and Wyke have their first drink together. Superb direction from Branagh who has adapted the play by Anthony Shaffer into a full length feature. And I should not take anything away from Jude Law’s performance either.
I am lucky to have caught up with Sleuth on an in-flight. I have promised myself to pick up a copy at the earliest. This one is a collectible. 7.5 on 10. Wonder why it didn’t make it to the Oscars for some category at least. I would have thought screenplay.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi4052222233/
Set in a completely dark background, Sleuth is about 2 men who have one thing in common and nothing else. Unfortunately, the one thing that they have in common is not the most pleasant thing that could probably be common between 2 men – and no you homophobics I am not talking about the same bed. I am talking about the same woman in their lives. To one – Andrew Wyke (Michael Caine) – she is the wife. To the other – Milo Tindle (Jude Law) – she is the mistress. Hows that for a lethal commonality to have. And hows that as a concept to take to the big screen?
And it took a Malaysian Airlines flight for me to figure out that something like this was not just thought of but actually executed. And the write up on the in flight card said nothing to excite me about the movie. The only reason I picked it up as a movie to watch was because it was a little over 80 minutes long and I have this fetish about finishing as many movies I can on a flight. I could well have missed it had it not been for the length of the movie.
The execution is almost like a 2 act play. Maybe that comes from Branagh’s known fetish for Shakespeare. Most of his directorial attempts have involved the Bard. So it is probably not surprising that Sleuth comes across the same way. Michael Caine’s performance as the gilted husband who is out to seek revenge personifies that old saying popularized by Quentin Tarantino – Revenge is a dish best served cold.
The detailed scheme that is put to action by Wyke is made even more eerie with the dark hue that is part of the movie all through. And then there are some superb camera angles such as shooting the first few minutes of Tindle’s entry from the top view. And the use of mirrors when Tindle and Wyke have their first drink together. Superb direction from Branagh who has adapted the play by Anthony Shaffer into a full length feature. And I should not take anything away from Jude Law’s performance either.
I am lucky to have caught up with Sleuth on an in-flight. I have promised myself to pick up a copy at the earliest. This one is a collectible. 7.5 on 10. Wonder why it didn’t make it to the Oscars for some category at least. I would have thought screenplay.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi4052222233/
Friday, 30 December 2011
Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows
We started last year (CY 2010) with the first Guy Ritchie version of Sherlock Holmes hitting the screens. I hadn’t started reviewing movies then but I can tell you it was a stunning version of Holmes. I have, am and will always be a huge Guy Ritchie fan. But most of us are used to seeing him in the Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels versions which he has achieved so much expertise over the years that there is no one that can build a sense of suspense and mystery along with acidic humour that has over the years become a trademark of Guy Ritchie. To me, it was a thought that would never have materialized in my wildest dreams. Guy Ritchie directing a Holmes movie??? But when you step back and take a look at the humour in Arthur Conan Doyle’s masterpieces, you figure out that this is probably up Guy Ritchie’s alley than anyone elses (no pun intended). Not only did he deliver the goods the first time around, he has set himself up for a genre of cinema which can be actually called “Holmes”
A Game of Shadows takes a look at one of the greatest rivalries that has ever existed in the fictional world. But Doyle’s build up and description of the rivalry is so superb that, someone who is not familiar with it could be easily taken for a ride. Some schools of thought do say that the rivalry was inspired from real life characters but it has remained an urban legend. We are talking about Sherlock Holmes v/s Prof. James Moriarty. A rivalry that closed with a “fist fight” of sorts at the scenic Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. Moriarty is believed by most, and rightfully I must say, to be Sherlock’s alter ego. Quite certainly, there could be no one else who is as gifted with respect to the powers of deduction. And Ritchie has bought Moriarty to life brilliantly to say the least. Not to take away anything from Jared Harris who has done the role absolute justice to say the least.
This part also gets to life the character of Mycroft (Stephen Fry) of whom Mary Watson (Kelly Reilly) so dryly says, “There’s 2 of you is it”? And Stephen Fry is brilliant right from his first appearance during the movie with the simple nuances of Mycroft such as not shaking hands and then walking around naked in his house despite being a diplomat of significant repute.
The purist Sherlock fans may not like the Guy Ritchie version and believe that Jeremy Brett is the quintessential Holmes. I take nothing away from Brett who is in the record books for having played Holmes the most times. But give credit to Robert Downey Jr. who gets in his own charm with a nonchalance that is admirable to say the least. I loved the first part for sure and A Game of Shadows came upto the same level if not better. They could have gone easy on the slow motion sequences – some of which were definitely over the top. But the overall package is a mouth watering treat for a Friday evening. 7.5 on 10. Don’t miss it!!!!
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1860541977/
A Game of Shadows takes a look at one of the greatest rivalries that has ever existed in the fictional world. But Doyle’s build up and description of the rivalry is so superb that, someone who is not familiar with it could be easily taken for a ride. Some schools of thought do say that the rivalry was inspired from real life characters but it has remained an urban legend. We are talking about Sherlock Holmes v/s Prof. James Moriarty. A rivalry that closed with a “fist fight” of sorts at the scenic Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. Moriarty is believed by most, and rightfully I must say, to be Sherlock’s alter ego. Quite certainly, there could be no one else who is as gifted with respect to the powers of deduction. And Ritchie has bought Moriarty to life brilliantly to say the least. Not to take away anything from Jared Harris who has done the role absolute justice to say the least.
This part also gets to life the character of Mycroft (Stephen Fry) of whom Mary Watson (Kelly Reilly) so dryly says, “There’s 2 of you is it”? And Stephen Fry is brilliant right from his first appearance during the movie with the simple nuances of Mycroft such as not shaking hands and then walking around naked in his house despite being a diplomat of significant repute.
The purist Sherlock fans may not like the Guy Ritchie version and believe that Jeremy Brett is the quintessential Holmes. I take nothing away from Brett who is in the record books for having played Holmes the most times. But give credit to Robert Downey Jr. who gets in his own charm with a nonchalance that is admirable to say the least. I loved the first part for sure and A Game of Shadows came upto the same level if not better. They could have gone easy on the slow motion sequences – some of which were definitely over the top. But the overall package is a mouth watering treat for a Friday evening. 7.5 on 10. Don’t miss it!!!!
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1860541977/
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Contagion
Back to back movies after a really long time and I had no clue about what was in store for me when I walked in to watch Contagion. My super hectic schedules ensured that I had not seen even the hint of a poster and had no idea about the “Power-Packed” cast that was waiting for me. Starting with Beth Emhoff (Gwenyth Paltrow) who is somewhere in Hong Kong apparently having a super duper time in the casinos. But little does she know that she is going to live for only the next 48 hours. She comes back to her home in Minnesota and her husband Mitch Emhoff (Matt Damon) – only to collapse in a heap like an epileptic would but for no apparent reason. The only thing worrisome was the high fever she had by the time she got back home from Hong Kong. She is rushed to the hospital but survives only for a few minutes more before the docs give up. They request for an autopsy so that they can find what actually happened.
Meanwhile, several such cases are being reported across the globe for the same kind of illness. A Japanese businessman on his way home. A girl in London. A waiter from a casino in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Someone in San Francisco. And the chain reaction has just about started. In what seems to be an Outbreak (Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo) kind of movie, Steven Soderbergh uses the power of his star cast to weave a story line that is littered with exceptionally heavy medical terms. Most of which go flying past you like a jet plane would. But the star cast does manage to hold the movie together for what its worth. Ignore the unpronounceable and you can watch Contagion purely on the merit of performances. Matt Damon has the biggest role other than Laurence Fishburne and both get out the intensity of their characters beautifully. Damon is in the role of a father whose only objective is to save his daughter after the loss of his wife and son to the “Contagion”. Fishburne plays the role of a committed doctor at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and is torn between a commitment to his role and that towards his wife to be. And then there is probably the most beautiful woman in Hollywood today – the ethereal and immensely talented Marion Cotillard in the role of a French doctor who is kidnapped and develops a case of Stockholm Syndrome. Jude Law as the over obsesses blogger is also very good. And Kate Winslet – what can I say – effortless is the word that always comes to mind. Superb all round performances in short.
Cannot say the same thing about Soderbergh though. For a director as superb as Soderbergh, he is unable to hold the movie together. The trademark cinematography, music and cuts are conspicuously missing for no apparent reason. The story seems to meander around endlessly around some random population figures across unrelated cities. Soderbergh is unable to build the suspense factor too well – another talent that he has always had but seems to have suddenly taken a leave of absence. Also, the fact that there are too many stories within a story doesn’t help. Worth a dekko for certain but don’t expect too much. 6 on 10 is what I would give.
The trailer can be viewed on http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3924270105/
Meanwhile, several such cases are being reported across the globe for the same kind of illness. A Japanese businessman on his way home. A girl in London. A waiter from a casino in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Someone in San Francisco. And the chain reaction has just about started. In what seems to be an Outbreak (Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo) kind of movie, Steven Soderbergh uses the power of his star cast to weave a story line that is littered with exceptionally heavy medical terms. Most of which go flying past you like a jet plane would. But the star cast does manage to hold the movie together for what its worth. Ignore the unpronounceable and you can watch Contagion purely on the merit of performances. Matt Damon has the biggest role other than Laurence Fishburne and both get out the intensity of their characters beautifully. Damon is in the role of a father whose only objective is to save his daughter after the loss of his wife and son to the “Contagion”. Fishburne plays the role of a committed doctor at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and is torn between a commitment to his role and that towards his wife to be. And then there is probably the most beautiful woman in Hollywood today – the ethereal and immensely talented Marion Cotillard in the role of a French doctor who is kidnapped and develops a case of Stockholm Syndrome. Jude Law as the over obsesses blogger is also very good. And Kate Winslet – what can I say – effortless is the word that always comes to mind. Superb all round performances in short.
Cannot say the same thing about Soderbergh though. For a director as superb as Soderbergh, he is unable to hold the movie together. The trademark cinematography, music and cuts are conspicuously missing for no apparent reason. The story seems to meander around endlessly around some random population figures across unrelated cities. Soderbergh is unable to build the suspense factor too well – another talent that he has always had but seems to have suddenly taken a leave of absence. Also, the fact that there are too many stories within a story doesn’t help. Worth a dekko for certain but don’t expect too much. 6 on 10 is what I would give.
The trailer can be viewed on http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3924270105/
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