In my review of
Thor (http://kartikr.blogspot.in/2011/05/thor.html),
around 2.5 years back, I had gushed and gushed and if that wasn’t sufficient,
gushed even more about my love for Natalie Portman. I must say that she still makes me go weak in
my legs but the “love” has moved on.
Sorry Natalie – I couldn’t get myself to wait for you indefinitely ;).
Showing posts with label Natalie Portman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Natalie Portman. Show all posts
Friday, 8 November 2013
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Thor
When I first saw the trailer of THOR, what excited me more than the concept of yet another Marvel comic being converted to a movie was the fact that Natalie Portman was part of the movie. So here is probably my first disclaimer – I thought I was but now I am completely sure about this. I know I will be joining a very long queue of people in the world. I also know of a few friends in my life who are in the same boat as me chief amongst them being Sumantra Mukherjee (sorry Sumo – your competition just increased by 0.001%). I also know that one Benjamin Millepied is probably feeling insecure and yet smirking under that smile of his that he currently holds the principle rights to Ms. Portman. So without much ado here goes – I AM IN LOVE WITH NATALIE PORTMAN. So it is going to be extremely difficult to keep this movie review unbiased. However, I am trying my best to do so. In case there are any differences of opinion then it can be attributed to the state of mind that I am in currently which concerns one of the lead actors in the movie.
Now let me try and get you back to the review. Thor (Chris Helmsworth) is an arrogant young man. Along with his friends Volstagg (Ray Stevenson), Hogun (Tadanobu Asano), Fandrall (Josh Dallas) and Sir (Jaimie Alexander) have fought many a conquest to protect and to extend the rule of Asgard. He is the first born of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Frigga (Rene Russo) – The King and The Queen of Asgard. He believes that his father is not being fair when he refuses to attack their worn enemies – The Frost Giants of Yodenhime. He decides to take his father head on thanks to the instigation from his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) who secretly harbours the thought of becoming king after Odin. Thor attacks Yodenhime on his own and barely manages to get back alive. But Odin doesn’t take too kindly and banishes him to Earth and takes away all his powers. He also banishes Thor’s hammer along with him with a caveat that only a worthy person would be able to pick it up and then gain all of Thor’s powers. That’s when our hero crashes into astro physicist Jane Foster’s (Natalie Portman) car who is trying to investigate some strange but gorgeous Aurora which seem to be appearing at regular intervals of late.
I had no clue that Kenneth Branagh has a directing side to him as well. I have always known him to be a solid actor. In his first movie after Sleuth (starring Michael Caine and Jude Law) Branagh uses truck loads of special effects. Some action sequences especially the first attack on Yodenhime by Thor and Co are visual treats to say the least. I guess Branagh had to up the ante on that count. He must have tried his best to make Chris Hemsworth act. But the fine specimen of humanity that Hemsworth is, proves it once again that acting talent is inversely proportional to good looks. Long way to go for Hemsworth to make a mark of any sort. That he will continue to be Thor in the sequel i.e. The Avengers (stay till the end of the credits to have the first look) is good news for him I say. My inputs on Natalie Portman will obviously be coloured and hence I will refrain from any comment. So to round it off, Thor is an average superhero movie with great special effects and not too much acting on display. But its definitely a big screen movie and not one for the idiot box. So watch it on the big screen while it still lasts. I give it 5 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1431476761/
Now let me try and get you back to the review. Thor (Chris Helmsworth) is an arrogant young man. Along with his friends Volstagg (Ray Stevenson), Hogun (Tadanobu Asano), Fandrall (Josh Dallas) and Sir (Jaimie Alexander) have fought many a conquest to protect and to extend the rule of Asgard. He is the first born of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Frigga (Rene Russo) – The King and The Queen of Asgard. He believes that his father is not being fair when he refuses to attack their worn enemies – The Frost Giants of Yodenhime. He decides to take his father head on thanks to the instigation from his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) who secretly harbours the thought of becoming king after Odin. Thor attacks Yodenhime on his own and barely manages to get back alive. But Odin doesn’t take too kindly and banishes him to Earth and takes away all his powers. He also banishes Thor’s hammer along with him with a caveat that only a worthy person would be able to pick it up and then gain all of Thor’s powers. That’s when our hero crashes into astro physicist Jane Foster’s (Natalie Portman) car who is trying to investigate some strange but gorgeous Aurora which seem to be appearing at regular intervals of late.
I had no clue that Kenneth Branagh has a directing side to him as well. I have always known him to be a solid actor. In his first movie after Sleuth (starring Michael Caine and Jude Law) Branagh uses truck loads of special effects. Some action sequences especially the first attack on Yodenhime by Thor and Co are visual treats to say the least. I guess Branagh had to up the ante on that count. He must have tried his best to make Chris Hemsworth act. But the fine specimen of humanity that Hemsworth is, proves it once again that acting talent is inversely proportional to good looks. Long way to go for Hemsworth to make a mark of any sort. That he will continue to be Thor in the sequel i.e. The Avengers (stay till the end of the credits to have the first look) is good news for him I say. My inputs on Natalie Portman will obviously be coloured and hence I will refrain from any comment. So to round it off, Thor is an average superhero movie with great special effects and not too much acting on display. But its definitely a big screen movie and not one for the idiot box. So watch it on the big screen while it still lasts. I give it 5 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1431476761/
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Black Swan
Fame hits you square in the face. And before you know it you are a popular household name. I am not talking about Natalie Portman – who you would know by now as the winner of this year’s Oscar for the Best Performance in a Lead Role (Female) for her performance in this movie. I AM however talking about a gentleman who has suddenly gained popularity in Hollywood. His 3rd ballet – The Nutcracker was recently made into a 3D version. And his first one – the haunting Swan Lake – forms an intrinsic part of Black Swan. When are we going to see the movie version of Sleeping Beauty? I am putting my bets on Baz Luhrmann to be the best person to get it onto screen. That would definitely make Tchaikovsky a force to reckon with not just in Hollywood but also in the general music taste of people across the world.
Black Swan is the story of Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) who is in her late twenties and continues to stay with her protective mother Erica (Barbara Hershey), a failed ballet dancer who quit her passion for the art when she conceived Nina. However, her love for Nina and ballet lead her to monitor Nina’s every move. Almost like a guardian angel. Nina has been struggling over the years and is a perfectionist at the art. Nina’s only dream has been to get the lead role in The Swan Queen which is the flagship performance of the troupe. The current star of the show is Beth Macintyre (Winona Ryder) who has played the Swan Queen to date and is extremely popular. But all good things come to an end and its time to select the new lead. Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) – pronounced Toma – the owner of the theatre believes that Nina has perfection but doesn’t really have soul in her ballet – as in its not free spirited like the latest addition to the troupe – Lily (Mila Kunis). But Nina is not about to give up so easily and only throws herself even harder into practice. Thomas however lets her know before the final list is put up that he has chosen to go with one of the other dancers – Veronica (Ksenia Solo).
Darren Aronofsky is known for his previous works as the trailer proudly proclaims – A Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler (Mickey Rourke’s last attempt at an Oscar). But this one would probably be his best to date. Aronofsky converts a harmless sort of a fairy tale with equally harmless music into one that is not only dark but also eerie in parts and the music of Tchaikovsky suddenly starts sounding like it is from a horror flick. He also leaves a lot to the audience’s imagination and keeps the pace up throughout the movie. The cinematography coupled with the right cuts at the right places make Black Swan a complete treat to watch. An amazing talent we have here in the form of Aronofsky.
Coming to the acting part, I thought both Vincent Cassel deserved at least a nomination for this part. And Mila Kunis!!!! What happened to her??? She was that brainless bimbette last seen in That Seventies Show. Seems like Miss Kunis has come a long long way. I would not know both Cassel and Kunis performed better than the winners of the Oscar this year in the supporting role category but I am hoping to be able to reach a decision in a few hours from now. Natalie Portman’s execution of The Swan Queen deservedly got her the Oscar. Whether the talent was always there to be seen but not utilized to date is something only time will tell.
To me, the highlight of the movie was the metamorphosis of the White Swan into the Black Swan which is built up slowly but surely and explodes on screen towards the end. An exceptional movie to say the least. Wonder why people are not too excited about it. I completely loved it. As good as The King’s Speech if not better. The mystery surrounding the Oscars continues. 8.5 on 10 for The Black Swan. DON’T MISS IT!!!!
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3985807385/
Black Swan is the story of Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) who is in her late twenties and continues to stay with her protective mother Erica (Barbara Hershey), a failed ballet dancer who quit her passion for the art when she conceived Nina. However, her love for Nina and ballet lead her to monitor Nina’s every move. Almost like a guardian angel. Nina has been struggling over the years and is a perfectionist at the art. Nina’s only dream has been to get the lead role in The Swan Queen which is the flagship performance of the troupe. The current star of the show is Beth Macintyre (Winona Ryder) who has played the Swan Queen to date and is extremely popular. But all good things come to an end and its time to select the new lead. Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) – pronounced Toma – the owner of the theatre believes that Nina has perfection but doesn’t really have soul in her ballet – as in its not free spirited like the latest addition to the troupe – Lily (Mila Kunis). But Nina is not about to give up so easily and only throws herself even harder into practice. Thomas however lets her know before the final list is put up that he has chosen to go with one of the other dancers – Veronica (Ksenia Solo).
Darren Aronofsky is known for his previous works as the trailer proudly proclaims – A Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler (Mickey Rourke’s last attempt at an Oscar). But this one would probably be his best to date. Aronofsky converts a harmless sort of a fairy tale with equally harmless music into one that is not only dark but also eerie in parts and the music of Tchaikovsky suddenly starts sounding like it is from a horror flick. He also leaves a lot to the audience’s imagination and keeps the pace up throughout the movie. The cinematography coupled with the right cuts at the right places make Black Swan a complete treat to watch. An amazing talent we have here in the form of Aronofsky.
Coming to the acting part, I thought both Vincent Cassel deserved at least a nomination for this part. And Mila Kunis!!!! What happened to her??? She was that brainless bimbette last seen in That Seventies Show. Seems like Miss Kunis has come a long long way. I would not know both Cassel and Kunis performed better than the winners of the Oscar this year in the supporting role category but I am hoping to be able to reach a decision in a few hours from now. Natalie Portman’s execution of The Swan Queen deservedly got her the Oscar. Whether the talent was always there to be seen but not utilized to date is something only time will tell.
To me, the highlight of the movie was the metamorphosis of the White Swan into the Black Swan which is built up slowly but surely and explodes on screen towards the end. An exceptional movie to say the least. Wonder why people are not too excited about it. I completely loved it. As good as The King’s Speech if not better. The mystery surrounding the Oscars continues. 8.5 on 10 for The Black Swan. DON’T MISS IT!!!!
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3985807385/
Sunday, 13 February 2011
No Strings Attached
This one has been made for the die hard RomCom hater. Even if you are one, you are bound to love No Strings Attached (NSA) for its slick direction, brilliant dialogues and superb acting by almost everyone in the cast. I saw the trailer first over a couple of months back and was quite certain that it would be entertaining. That it would turn out to be a great balance between quality comedy and great romance was something that I had not expected really. And a personal word of advise to my friend Sumantra Mukherjee, a die hard Natalie Portman fan – Don’t watch this before you are placed my friend lest you die of a heart attack – Portman looks delectable to say the least.
Adam (Ashton Kutcher) is all of 14 years old and a reluctant member of a summer camp – thanks to his parents getting divorced – when he meets Emmaa (Natalie Portman). He uses the sympathy vote to try and get a feel of Emmaa but our lady is one up on him. She is not one to be swayed by the sympathy vote factor and just lends him a shoulder to cry. Poor Adam. 10 years down the road, Adam and Emmaa meet up once again at a sorority party which is getting really ferrel as she walks in. She doesn’t look too thrilled to be there as such but tries to settle in when she finds Adam having a blast with a couple of chicks – or should we say that Adam finds her. Doesn’t really matter. Emmaa is now @ MIT studying medicine and asks Adam over to her place the next day for “doing something”. Turns out to be Emmaa’s dad’s funeral and Adam is the only person dressed in yellow in a sea of black. Sounds quite morbid right. Not really when you watch it. It is quite funny actually. Fast forward 4 years more and Adam’s friend Eli (Jake Johnson) bumps into an old acquaintance, Patrice (Greta Gerwig). And what do you know? Patrice is doing her internship at the local hospital and is sharing a place with – ta dah – Emmaa. Looks like there is not turning back for this couple considering that they keep bumping into each other once every few years. This time however, it seems to be for good. After a few embarrassing moments for Adam though.
Adam’s dad, Alvin (Kevin Kline) decides to drop a bomb onto him one fine day by informing him that he is actually dating Adam’s ex girl friend. Depressed with the thought, Adam decides to get drunk and call up all the girls on his phone to get laid and eventually wakes up the next morning @ Emmaa’s place. Nope they haven’t done it yet. But they will in a few minutes post which Adam is not able to get her out of his head. Funnily enough Emmaa seems to be all non chalant about it and continues to go on with life one day at a time. She really doesn’t believe in getting emotionally tied down and much to Adam’s happiness proposes to continue seeing each other purely for sexual purposes – a man’s dream come true one would assume. But not if you were to so obviously fall in love with the woman of your dreams.
A predictable flick but very well made. You will kept laughing all through the movie and leave the hall quite satisfied with the way you spent the previous 2 hours. Natalie Portman is fabulous as the girl who doesn’t believe in love and believes that the weight of the world is on her shoulders and that she can go through life alone. Ashton Kutcher is his normal playboy self and the support cast is also quite good. Kevin Kline seems to have settled into playing the role of a father of the lead actor very well and hasn’t lost his comic touch one bit. Ivan Rietman has given us a very compact modern day RomCom with very little wastage of time or anything that can clearly be called unnecessary. One of the better RomComs made. 6.5 on 10. Must watch this Valentines.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1902549273/
Adam (Ashton Kutcher) is all of 14 years old and a reluctant member of a summer camp – thanks to his parents getting divorced – when he meets Emmaa (Natalie Portman). He uses the sympathy vote to try and get a feel of Emmaa but our lady is one up on him. She is not one to be swayed by the sympathy vote factor and just lends him a shoulder to cry. Poor Adam. 10 years down the road, Adam and Emmaa meet up once again at a sorority party which is getting really ferrel as she walks in. She doesn’t look too thrilled to be there as such but tries to settle in when she finds Adam having a blast with a couple of chicks – or should we say that Adam finds her. Doesn’t really matter. Emmaa is now @ MIT studying medicine and asks Adam over to her place the next day for “doing something”. Turns out to be Emmaa’s dad’s funeral and Adam is the only person dressed in yellow in a sea of black. Sounds quite morbid right. Not really when you watch it. It is quite funny actually. Fast forward 4 years more and Adam’s friend Eli (Jake Johnson) bumps into an old acquaintance, Patrice (Greta Gerwig). And what do you know? Patrice is doing her internship at the local hospital and is sharing a place with – ta dah – Emmaa. Looks like there is not turning back for this couple considering that they keep bumping into each other once every few years. This time however, it seems to be for good. After a few embarrassing moments for Adam though.
Adam’s dad, Alvin (Kevin Kline) decides to drop a bomb onto him one fine day by informing him that he is actually dating Adam’s ex girl friend. Depressed with the thought, Adam decides to get drunk and call up all the girls on his phone to get laid and eventually wakes up the next morning @ Emmaa’s place. Nope they haven’t done it yet. But they will in a few minutes post which Adam is not able to get her out of his head. Funnily enough Emmaa seems to be all non chalant about it and continues to go on with life one day at a time. She really doesn’t believe in getting emotionally tied down and much to Adam’s happiness proposes to continue seeing each other purely for sexual purposes – a man’s dream come true one would assume. But not if you were to so obviously fall in love with the woman of your dreams.
A predictable flick but very well made. You will kept laughing all through the movie and leave the hall quite satisfied with the way you spent the previous 2 hours. Natalie Portman is fabulous as the girl who doesn’t believe in love and believes that the weight of the world is on her shoulders and that she can go through life alone. Ashton Kutcher is his normal playboy self and the support cast is also quite good. Kevin Kline seems to have settled into playing the role of a father of the lead actor very well and hasn’t lost his comic touch one bit. Ivan Rietman has given us a very compact modern day RomCom with very little wastage of time or anything that can clearly be called unnecessary. One of the better RomComs made. 6.5 on 10. Must watch this Valentines.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1902549273/
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