Spoiler Alert – There are several brilliant actors in this movie who play multiple characters – upto 6 of them each. We start with the great Tom Hanks who is definitely on his way to an Oscar nomination if not an eventual win that will take him to the maximum Oscars won by an actor in a lead role. I called it a spoiler alert because it is an intrinsic part of the movie.
There is Hugh Grant who has come up with what could be argued as his best performance to date. There is the ever dependable Jim Broadbent whose powerful presence and even more powerful characters take away the sheen from the performances of those who aren’t as experienced as this brilliant actor. And then there is the most under rated of all – Hugo Weaving who looks and acts as sinister as ever.
And I haven’t touched upon the other people in the star cast – Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, Susan Sarandon, Keith David, James D’Arcy – oh the list goes on and on. Needless to say, Cloud Atlas is a movie that owes a lot to its actors. Full marks to the casting directors.
Full marks again to the Wachowski Brothers (or should I say siblings, now that Larry is Lana after his sex change operation) who have collaborated with Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run / The International) after a hiatus of 4 years. And what a project!!! To get David Mitchell’s Epic Science Fiction novel of the same name onto the big screen was a project that – let me stick my neck out here – only the Wachowskis were capable of pulling off.
Cloud Atlas is a complicated series of 6 stories in different time periods from 1849 in the South Pacific to what I could only call as a really distant future. The movie calls it 106 winters after the fall @ the Big Isle. All central characters in each story can be perceived as reincarnations of the central character from the previous story. Each one of them is identifiable through a birthmark that resembles a comet.
Now I haven’t read the David Mitchell book yet but have made a mental note to get my hands on it at the earliest possible. I suggest you do as well. And if you can manage to hold back your patience and not watch the movie till you read the book, it will hold you in good stead for sure. Hazarding a guess – The Wachowskis would have stayed true to the book with some not so subtle changes that are signature to them.
Cloud Atlas is the kind of movie you will watch only if you love Epic movies and are excited about the idea of multiple story lines that are around a central connect of some kind and totally confuse the heebijeebies out of you. If you don’t like such movies then avoid it like the plague. In my books – 8 on 10 and must watch. Will watch again during the week for certain. Loved it!!! Go Wachowskis!!! Definitely top 10 for the year!!!!
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1371111/
Saturday, 27 October 2012
Friday, 26 October 2012
Rush
I have immense respect for Emraan Hashmi and his choice of movies. When he is part of a Mahesh Bhatt venture, you can be rest assured that the quality of music will be brilliant, the movie will be just about average, there will be at least one hot woman in the movie and to top it up, there will be a few kissing scenes and a love making scene if you are lucky.
To get this recipe bang on right from the first time and then to repeat it time after time can be only classified as an art form. One which Hashmi has mastered over the years. Or has he? Lets start the process of picking apart Rush. But first a quick look at the story
We have Sam Grover (Hashmi), who is a successful crime reporter @ Pulse 365. He gets an opportunity to interview a contract killer Prince (Murli Sharma) who spills the beans on some killings he has been part of in the cent past. But things go awry when the cops start chasing Sam and the big bosses take offence to the coverage of the killing of a reputed socialite. Sam is asked to leave.
But waiting to pounce on the opportunity are Lisa (Neha Dhupia) and her boss Roger Khanna (Aditya Panscholi) who seduce Sam with a more than lucrative offer. Sam is to replace the recently murdered editor in chief of Crime 24 (owned by Roger). Despite sme doubts, Sam takes up the offer but soon starts smelling a few fish.
Rush is peppered with several inconsistencies throughout. Firstly, the entire operation of Crime 24 seems to be too easy to be believed. More importantly, no one actually understands how they are always first on the scene every single time. Then there is the ease with which Sam manages to get his girlfriend Ahana (Sagarika Ghatge) out of the clutches of kidnappers. All too much to be believed.
Unlike most Hashmi movies, the music is average at best and really badly timed. The dialogues are insipid and sometimes just downright low standard - Jo Adams risk nahin leta, USA future risky ho jaataa hai (one doesn't take risks has a risky future). What was the script writer thinking???? The only thing better this time owns the presence of 2 really hot women (not including the bikini clad Eurasian models). Hashmi gets lucky with both (grrrr)
Lesser said about newbie director Shamin Desai, the better it would be for his career. Hashmi and Dhupia do reasonably well in their roles but to too great. The rest of the cast is either non existent or just downright bad. No reason for the show to have been houseful @ PVR Goregaon. Don't waste your time on this one. 4 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJkQEVWHl3A
To get this recipe bang on right from the first time and then to repeat it time after time can be only classified as an art form. One which Hashmi has mastered over the years. Or has he? Lets start the process of picking apart Rush. But first a quick look at the story
We have Sam Grover (Hashmi), who is a successful crime reporter @ Pulse 365. He gets an opportunity to interview a contract killer Prince (Murli Sharma) who spills the beans on some killings he has been part of in the cent past. But things go awry when the cops start chasing Sam and the big bosses take offence to the coverage of the killing of a reputed socialite. Sam is asked to leave.
But waiting to pounce on the opportunity are Lisa (Neha Dhupia) and her boss Roger Khanna (Aditya Panscholi) who seduce Sam with a more than lucrative offer. Sam is to replace the recently murdered editor in chief of Crime 24 (owned by Roger). Despite sme doubts, Sam takes up the offer but soon starts smelling a few fish.
Rush is peppered with several inconsistencies throughout. Firstly, the entire operation of Crime 24 seems to be too easy to be believed. More importantly, no one actually understands how they are always first on the scene every single time. Then there is the ease with which Sam manages to get his girlfriend Ahana (Sagarika Ghatge) out of the clutches of kidnappers. All too much to be believed.
Unlike most Hashmi movies, the music is average at best and really badly timed. The dialogues are insipid and sometimes just downright low standard - Jo Adams risk nahin leta, USA future risky ho jaataa hai (one doesn't take risks has a risky future). What was the script writer thinking???? The only thing better this time owns the presence of 2 really hot women (not including the bikini clad Eurasian models). Hashmi gets lucky with both (grrrr)
Lesser said about newbie director Shamin Desai, the better it would be for his career. Hashmi and Dhupia do reasonably well in their roles but to too great. The rest of the cast is either non existent or just downright bad. No reason for the show to have been houseful @ PVR Goregaon. Don't waste your time on this one. 4 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJkQEVWHl3A
Ajab Gazabb Love
Jackky Bhagnani and Uday Chopra have two things in common. Rich fathers who produce movies. And more importantly those who are willing to ignore the fact that their sons are incompetent actors and nowhere remotely close to good looking. Regretably, one of these days their luck is bound to run out because their families will start figuring out the losses they are making repeatedly. And apparently, the additional k in the name hasn’t made any difference to Jackky’s competencies and luck.
Along with Jackky in Ajab Gazabb Love, we have to tolerate several people. Arjun Rampal in a double role that is excruciatingly painful. And it has very little to do with the corny names – Karan – Arjun. It has a lot to do with the constipated attempt that they falsely call acting. There should be a penalty for lying to the people in this manner including ban on any further performances till marked improvement is noticed.
Then there is the newbie Nidhi Subbaiah who could not have picked a more horrible movie to debut in. Usually in a good movie, even if her acting was below par, it would have gone un-noticed thanks to the really good looks. Unfortunately for Nidhi, she is as horrible an actress as the movie is. The support cast led by Kirron Kher 7 Darshan Jariwala can do very little to salvage any pride for the movie.
Rajveer (Jackky) is a multi millionaire whose father (Jariwala) is a massive industrialist. They are in the business of cars. And Rajveer has worked for nearly 2 years building his DC – Dream Car. While his mother (Kirron Kher) is waiting for her DB – Dream Bahu. And that is not the corniest line in the movie. There is more.
Anyways, our hero sees a girl listening to music and walking down the escalator of his office and falls in love immediately. Only to find out in a couple of days that she hates rich people. So to make her fall for him, our hero decides to get his entire family pretend to be miserably poor. That, in sum and substance is the story.
I wonder what director Sanjay Gadhvi thinking when he put in so many cavalcades in the movie. Everyone and their uncle comes with their entourage of 6 to 7 cars that would put the Prime Minister’s rally to shame. And then there is the usual useless fat friend who speaks in horrible Hindi – and I am being nice when I say that.
All in all, a horrible waste of time. The best part of the movie was the trailer of Jab Tak Hai Jaan in the interval. 1 on 10 for Ajab Gazabb Love
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VrAvbrSm00
Along with Jackky in Ajab Gazabb Love, we have to tolerate several people. Arjun Rampal in a double role that is excruciatingly painful. And it has very little to do with the corny names – Karan – Arjun. It has a lot to do with the constipated attempt that they falsely call acting. There should be a penalty for lying to the people in this manner including ban on any further performances till marked improvement is noticed.
Then there is the newbie Nidhi Subbaiah who could not have picked a more horrible movie to debut in. Usually in a good movie, even if her acting was below par, it would have gone un-noticed thanks to the really good looks. Unfortunately for Nidhi, she is as horrible an actress as the movie is. The support cast led by Kirron Kher 7 Darshan Jariwala can do very little to salvage any pride for the movie.
Rajveer (Jackky) is a multi millionaire whose father (Jariwala) is a massive industrialist. They are in the business of cars. And Rajveer has worked for nearly 2 years building his DC – Dream Car. While his mother (Kirron Kher) is waiting for her DB – Dream Bahu. And that is not the corniest line in the movie. There is more.
Anyways, our hero sees a girl listening to music and walking down the escalator of his office and falls in love immediately. Only to find out in a couple of days that she hates rich people. So to make her fall for him, our hero decides to get his entire family pretend to be miserably poor. That, in sum and substance is the story.
I wonder what director Sanjay Gadhvi thinking when he put in so many cavalcades in the movie. Everyone and their uncle comes with their entourage of 6 to 7 cars that would put the Prime Minister’s rally to shame. And then there is the usual useless fat friend who speaks in horrible Hindi – and I am being nice when I say that.
All in all, a horrible waste of time. The best part of the movie was the trailer of Jab Tak Hai Jaan in the interval. 1 on 10 for Ajab Gazabb Love
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VrAvbrSm00
Wednesday, 24 October 2012
Chakravyuh
Naxalite - a member of an extreme Maoist group in India that originated in 1967 in West Bengal and which employs tactics of agrarian terrorism and direct action. Named after Naxalbari, a town in West Bengal where the movement started.
That’s how the world knows them. But every coin has 2 sides is what they say. And Prakash Jha’s Chakravyuh tries to paint a picture that gives us a perspective of both sides of the story. At no point of time in the movie does Jha take a side. He leaves it to the intelligence of the audience to figure out right or wrong by themselves.
Adil Khan (Arjun Rampal) is married to Rhea Menon (Esha Gupta). They are both cops and with a great amount of difficulty ensure that they get posted at the same location – Bhopal. Adil’s best friend is Kabir (Abhay Deol). They completed their graduation together and then join the police force. Kabir is a hot head and stands for what is right. He gets into a fight with a cop and is forced to leave the forces.
Seven years later, after several failed business attempts, Kabir re-surfaces and makes up with Adil. At the same time, Adil decides to take up a challenging posting deep in Naxal territory. Stupid decision but one that prompts Kabir to step in to help him. They plan to seed Kabir into the Naxal group led by Govind Suryavanshi (Om Puri) and Rajan (Manoj Bajpai). The group is ably supported by Naga (Murli Sharma) and Juhi (Anjali Patil).
As Kabir goes about building his credibility and playing the role of an informer, he slowly but surely starts seeing merit in what the Naxals are upto. How the poor get more and more marginalized and how the rich (read politicians) squeeze the maximum out of the land. But he is also well aware of the fact that the way the Naxals are going about their job is not the best possible way. That’s where Jha strikes a fine balance.
Which side is right in the war where truck loads of blood is being spilt through ages of in-fighting? At the end of the day, if there are 2 parties losing they are the police force and the naxals. The people who are in power, running the country are sitting pretty and laughing their way to the bank. Only a matter of time before this entire movement reaches a boiling point and both cops and naxals start targeting who need to be targeted.
Prakash Jha’s attempt, however, falls flat. Mainly in the aspects of finishing. The cheapest of all green screens gives an effect that’s over 30 years old. The sound mixing and quality was poor. The stunts were even worse. Adil Khan charging into a band of naxals like Bajirao Singham was comical to say the least. Why would Jha stoop to such levels is beyond understanding.
The screenplay and dialogues were not too great either. Abhay Deol is fast losing his edge as an actor who takes his role seriously. Esha Gupta has about 6 minutes and 32.83 seconds of screen time where she manages to hold her own. And Arjun Rampal is as always only eye candy for the women. The music is not too inspiring either. Overall a very disappointing effort from Jha. Without the good story line it would have been a disaster. 5 on 10. Watch it on TV.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnamEA8iLGY
That’s how the world knows them. But every coin has 2 sides is what they say. And Prakash Jha’s Chakravyuh tries to paint a picture that gives us a perspective of both sides of the story. At no point of time in the movie does Jha take a side. He leaves it to the intelligence of the audience to figure out right or wrong by themselves.
Adil Khan (Arjun Rampal) is married to Rhea Menon (Esha Gupta). They are both cops and with a great amount of difficulty ensure that they get posted at the same location – Bhopal. Adil’s best friend is Kabir (Abhay Deol). They completed their graduation together and then join the police force. Kabir is a hot head and stands for what is right. He gets into a fight with a cop and is forced to leave the forces.
Seven years later, after several failed business attempts, Kabir re-surfaces and makes up with Adil. At the same time, Adil decides to take up a challenging posting deep in Naxal territory. Stupid decision but one that prompts Kabir to step in to help him. They plan to seed Kabir into the Naxal group led by Govind Suryavanshi (Om Puri) and Rajan (Manoj Bajpai). The group is ably supported by Naga (Murli Sharma) and Juhi (Anjali Patil).
As Kabir goes about building his credibility and playing the role of an informer, he slowly but surely starts seeing merit in what the Naxals are upto. How the poor get more and more marginalized and how the rich (read politicians) squeeze the maximum out of the land. But he is also well aware of the fact that the way the Naxals are going about their job is not the best possible way. That’s where Jha strikes a fine balance.
Which side is right in the war where truck loads of blood is being spilt through ages of in-fighting? At the end of the day, if there are 2 parties losing they are the police force and the naxals. The people who are in power, running the country are sitting pretty and laughing their way to the bank. Only a matter of time before this entire movement reaches a boiling point and both cops and naxals start targeting who need to be targeted.
Prakash Jha’s attempt, however, falls flat. Mainly in the aspects of finishing. The cheapest of all green screens gives an effect that’s over 30 years old. The sound mixing and quality was poor. The stunts were even worse. Adil Khan charging into a band of naxals like Bajirao Singham was comical to say the least. Why would Jha stoop to such levels is beyond understanding.
The screenplay and dialogues were not too great either. Abhay Deol is fast losing his edge as an actor who takes his role seriously. Esha Gupta has about 6 minutes and 32.83 seconds of screen time where she manages to hold her own. And Arjun Rampal is as always only eye candy for the women. The music is not too inspiring either. Overall a very disappointing effort from Jha. Without the good story line it would have been a disaster. 5 on 10. Watch it on TV.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnamEA8iLGY
Sunday, 21 October 2012
Argo
I have always respected Ben Affleck as a director in comparison to Ben Affleck the actor. Most movies where Affleck has been in the lead role have exposed his weakness. I can think of probably one movie where his performance as an actor was quite controlled and well executed – Valentines Day (if I remember correctly).
But the minute our man dons the director’s hat, he seems to be much better placed. I thought The Town was slow but it was quite well made. There was an effort to paint a picture with each character and the overall story. Ditto with Gone Baby Gone. Both were very intense movies.
I have heard that both Affleck and Matt Damon – the young guard of Hollywood about 20 years back are great thinkers when it comes upto cinema. Screenplay and direction. With Argo, Affleck has definitely taken himself to the next level – both as a director as well as an actor.
Cora Lijek (Clea DuVall), Mark Lijek (Christopher Denham), Kathy Stafford (Kerry Bishé), Joe Stafford (Scooty McNairy), Bob Anders (Tate Donovan) and Lee Schatz (Rory Cochrane) owe their lives to one Antonio Joseph Mendez (Ben Affleck). Tony was or should I say is an exfiltration expert of sorts – someone who specializes in getting people out a particular troubled country and take them back home.
Why does he need to do that because the 6 of them are holed up @ the house of the Canadian Ambassador to Iran – Ken Taylor (Victor Garber). This is after the revolutionary Iranians take the US Embassy Hostage on the 4th November 1979. Our 6 diplomats escape just in the nick of time and find their way to Ambassador Taylor’s house after being rejected by a couple of other embassies.
Along with Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) and Academy award winner John Chambers (John Goodman), Tony hatches a plot to make a sci-fi movie – Argo. It would be set in a middle eastern location. To ensure that there are doubts which creep up, the team does everything that a movie maker would have been expected to do from the script to the director to press releases to posters – the works.
Argo differs from most other espionage movies on two major counts. Firstly there is a distinct addition of humour that makes it easy to watch. There are almost no action sequences but enough and more of edge of the seat drama. Other than these 2 aspects there is a stunning start with a background of the revolution which grabs you by the scruff of your neck and pushes you down to your seat.
Great use of fade in and fade outs at the appropriate moments. Some really good camera work there. The use of 2 audio tracks overlapping like when the Iranians are proclaiming that severe action will be taken on the hostages and the Argo screenplay reading is being done for the press – superb!!! The screenplay is fantastic.
My prediction – Argo should get nominated in the top 10 of the year. It would get a nomination for screenplay and just maybe (an outside chance based on the Hollywood movies that I have seen this year) a nomination for direction for Affleck. If none of these work out… Argo Fuck Yourself (watch to understand). 8 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1537319449/
And read the article on the Canadian Caper http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Caper
But the minute our man dons the director’s hat, he seems to be much better placed. I thought The Town was slow but it was quite well made. There was an effort to paint a picture with each character and the overall story. Ditto with Gone Baby Gone. Both were very intense movies.
I have heard that both Affleck and Matt Damon – the young guard of Hollywood about 20 years back are great thinkers when it comes upto cinema. Screenplay and direction. With Argo, Affleck has definitely taken himself to the next level – both as a director as well as an actor.
Cora Lijek (Clea DuVall), Mark Lijek (Christopher Denham), Kathy Stafford (Kerry Bishé), Joe Stafford (Scooty McNairy), Bob Anders (Tate Donovan) and Lee Schatz (Rory Cochrane) owe their lives to one Antonio Joseph Mendez (Ben Affleck). Tony was or should I say is an exfiltration expert of sorts – someone who specializes in getting people out a particular troubled country and take them back home.
Why does he need to do that because the 6 of them are holed up @ the house of the Canadian Ambassador to Iran – Ken Taylor (Victor Garber). This is after the revolutionary Iranians take the US Embassy Hostage on the 4th November 1979. Our 6 diplomats escape just in the nick of time and find their way to Ambassador Taylor’s house after being rejected by a couple of other embassies.
Along with Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) and Academy award winner John Chambers (John Goodman), Tony hatches a plot to make a sci-fi movie – Argo. It would be set in a middle eastern location. To ensure that there are doubts which creep up, the team does everything that a movie maker would have been expected to do from the script to the director to press releases to posters – the works.
Argo differs from most other espionage movies on two major counts. Firstly there is a distinct addition of humour that makes it easy to watch. There are almost no action sequences but enough and more of edge of the seat drama. Other than these 2 aspects there is a stunning start with a background of the revolution which grabs you by the scruff of your neck and pushes you down to your seat.
Great use of fade in and fade outs at the appropriate moments. Some really good camera work there. The use of 2 audio tracks overlapping like when the Iranians are proclaiming that severe action will be taken on the hostages and the Argo screenplay reading is being done for the press – superb!!! The screenplay is fantastic.
My prediction – Argo should get nominated in the top 10 of the year. It would get a nomination for screenplay and just maybe (an outside chance based on the Hollywood movies that I have seen this year) a nomination for direction for Affleck. If none of these work out… Argo Fuck Yourself (watch to understand). 8 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1537319449/
And read the article on the Canadian Caper http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Caper
Saturday, 20 October 2012
Premium Rush
One would be fair to wonder how we are seeing a lot of Joseph Gordon Levitt of late. Last week with Looper and now with Premium Rush. That’s 2 movies in 2 weeks. The Dark Knight Rises earlier this year. And Lincoln – that is yet to be released. Quite a line up for someone who till recently was considered to be a baby in Hollywood. 31 is definitely a baby by Hollywood standards.
Did you know that Hawala is a word that is not restricted to only India? I was kind of surprised when I heard the word come up not once but twice through the movie. First when the old Chinese man says it (in subtitle) and then the corrupt cop, Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon) tells Nima (Jamie Chung) that she will not get too far ahead with the Hawala money that she intends to transfer. Nima does transfer the money but all she gets in return in a small chit of paper with a smiley from the old Chinese Man.
That is the simple package that Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is asked to deliver as part of his responsibility as a cycle courier guy for Security Courier. It would seem there are 1300 such couriers in NYC (That’s quite a number right. But then that’s quite a city from what I hear). But our man has no clue about the contents of the envelope. It is only when Bobby Monday starts chasing him down the streets of NYC does he start suspecting that there is something fishy about the package.
David Koepp is not the most well known director of our time but he is definitely known for his screenplay. The star studded list includes Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Spiderman and Mission Impossible amongst other big names. So it comes as no surprise that Premium Rush turns out to be a thrill a minute ride that runs through the Big Apple.
Premium Rush was portrayed through all its trailers as a movie that was studded with edge of the seat chase sequences on bicycles as against the regular cars or bikes. That definitely upped the intrigue value of the movie manifold. Unlike Looper, Premium Rush shows just what is required in the trailer and not the entire movie.
In fact there is a lot more that the movie has to offer other than the trailer and that adds to the great 90 minute ride. As the sign off line says – Fixed wheel. No Gears. Steel Frame. Enjoy the ride!!! 7 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2131665433/
Did you know that Hawala is a word that is not restricted to only India? I was kind of surprised when I heard the word come up not once but twice through the movie. First when the old Chinese man says it (in subtitle) and then the corrupt cop, Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon) tells Nima (Jamie Chung) that she will not get too far ahead with the Hawala money that she intends to transfer. Nima does transfer the money but all she gets in return in a small chit of paper with a smiley from the old Chinese Man.
That is the simple package that Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is asked to deliver as part of his responsibility as a cycle courier guy for Security Courier. It would seem there are 1300 such couriers in NYC (That’s quite a number right. But then that’s quite a city from what I hear). But our man has no clue about the contents of the envelope. It is only when Bobby Monday starts chasing him down the streets of NYC does he start suspecting that there is something fishy about the package.
David Koepp is not the most well known director of our time but he is definitely known for his screenplay. The star studded list includes Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Spiderman and Mission Impossible amongst other big names. So it comes as no surprise that Premium Rush turns out to be a thrill a minute ride that runs through the Big Apple.
Premium Rush was portrayed through all its trailers as a movie that was studded with edge of the seat chase sequences on bicycles as against the regular cars or bikes. That definitely upped the intrigue value of the movie manifold. Unlike Looper, Premium Rush shows just what is required in the trailer and not the entire movie.
In fact there is a lot more that the movie has to offer other than the trailer and that adds to the great 90 minute ride. As the sign off line says – Fixed wheel. No Gears. Steel Frame. Enjoy the ride!!! 7 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2131665433/
Friday, 19 October 2012
Secondhand Lions
I first saw Secondhand Lions on my trip to Singapore way back in 2004. It was part of the inflight entertainment on Singapore Airlines. And I remember having searched for the DVD for quite a while before I eventually found it. Needless to say, I picked it up the moment I laid my eyes on it.
And I do not usually let an opportunity by to watch it again. So, when Prarthana said she had not seen it, I had to make the most of the opportunity. Took us a few weeks to get around to eventually seeing it but I would not be lying if I said that both of us enjoyed it thoroughly. She was seeing it for the first time. I had lost count.
Garth (Michael Caine / Kevin Haberer) and Hub (Robert Duvall / Christian Kane) are seventy something young men – I say young because of their immense zest for life. They are now retired and rumour has it that they are loaded. Not with assets and money in the bank. But with hard cash. Cash they have stowed away somewhere on their estate. Far away from most civilization.
Cash that has various theories about its origin. One of them states that Garth and Hub were extremely famous bank robbers of the 1940s. Led by the brave and courageous Hub. Backed with the intelligence of Garth. A more popular story was about them being bounty hunters and the money was hard earned and to a significant extent given by a Shiekh (Adam Ozturk) who Hub defeated while wooing their mutual love interest – Jasmine (Emmanuelle Vaugier).
So, when Mae (Kyra Sedgwick), gets wind of the fact that her uncles are loaded, she decides that the best way to get her hands on the money is by leaving her son Walter (Haley Joel Osment) with them. Truth is that she wants to leave a life that is far more adventurous than handling an eleven year old. The rest of the story is about how Walter actually builds a strong bond of trust, love and most importantly faith with his uncles.
I must forewarn you that there is a possibility of shedding a tear of joy or two while you watch Secondhand Lions. Thankfully it will be a tear of joy for a wonderful story of faith. Of how we choose to be either happy or sad. To be either trusting or skeptical. And it is the faith that we have around the stories that we hear that gives us the strength and happiness to go though life – one day at a time.
Director Tim McCanlies’ best piece of work would be this one. And he probably had very little to do with it. The sheer ease with which Duvall, Caine and Osmont essay their characters is just stunning. Needless to say, Secondhand Lions is a movie worth watching due to 2 aspects – Story and performances. Both of which are superb. Don’t miss an opportunity to watch this one. 8 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-COMJckISVY
And I do not usually let an opportunity by to watch it again. So, when Prarthana said she had not seen it, I had to make the most of the opportunity. Took us a few weeks to get around to eventually seeing it but I would not be lying if I said that both of us enjoyed it thoroughly. She was seeing it for the first time. I had lost count.
Garth (Michael Caine / Kevin Haberer) and Hub (Robert Duvall / Christian Kane) are seventy something young men – I say young because of their immense zest for life. They are now retired and rumour has it that they are loaded. Not with assets and money in the bank. But with hard cash. Cash they have stowed away somewhere on their estate. Far away from most civilization.
Cash that has various theories about its origin. One of them states that Garth and Hub were extremely famous bank robbers of the 1940s. Led by the brave and courageous Hub. Backed with the intelligence of Garth. A more popular story was about them being bounty hunters and the money was hard earned and to a significant extent given by a Shiekh (Adam Ozturk) who Hub defeated while wooing their mutual love interest – Jasmine (Emmanuelle Vaugier).
So, when Mae (Kyra Sedgwick), gets wind of the fact that her uncles are loaded, she decides that the best way to get her hands on the money is by leaving her son Walter (Haley Joel Osment) with them. Truth is that she wants to leave a life that is far more adventurous than handling an eleven year old. The rest of the story is about how Walter actually builds a strong bond of trust, love and most importantly faith with his uncles.
I must forewarn you that there is a possibility of shedding a tear of joy or two while you watch Secondhand Lions. Thankfully it will be a tear of joy for a wonderful story of faith. Of how we choose to be either happy or sad. To be either trusting or skeptical. And it is the faith that we have around the stories that we hear that gives us the strength and happiness to go though life – one day at a time.
Director Tim McCanlies’ best piece of work would be this one. And he probably had very little to do with it. The sheer ease with which Duvall, Caine and Osmont essay their characters is just stunning. Needless to say, Secondhand Lions is a movie worth watching due to 2 aspects – Story and performances. Both of which are superb. Don’t miss an opportunity to watch this one. 8 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-COMJckISVY
Delhi Safari
I must admit first of all that a few minutes into Delhi Safari, I started losing interest and my ability to stay awake for too long. I, however, managed to stay awake all the way through using quite a bit of my will power in the process.
Now, Delhi Safari is not just an outright bad movie by any stretch of imagination. It is just that we may be the biggest suppliers for animation world over but when it comes to creating animation movies ourselves, we fall woefully short. I wonder why?
Delhi Safari tracks the story of a bunch of animals who stay in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivili, Mumbai. Thankfully, the animals are the same ones that are found around this area. A family of leopards – Sultan (Suniel Shetty), Begum (Urmila Matondkar) and their cub Yuvraj (Swini Khara).
Then there is the laid back and sensible Bagga the Bear (Boman Irani). But the chief mischief maker and the grey character is the monkey – Bajrangi (Govinda) who harbours hopes of ruling the jungle because as per him – the monkeys used to rule the world much before man came in.
Trouble starts brewing when rampant construction starts moving into the park and in the bargain, Sultan gets killed. The rest of the animals, pushed by Yuvraj’s innocence and confidence decide to take their voices all the way to Delhi – to the powers that be. Accompanying them is Alex (Akshaye Khanna), a parrot – who is the only animal who can speak the language that us humans understand.
Now, here was a superb opportunity to pivot India into the fascinating world of animation. There was a story that had a strong social angle. There were characters which were created quite well and true to the local landscape. The voice overs were to be done by a bunch of really talented people – Govinda, Boman Irani, Sanjay Mishra, Saurabh Shukla and even Prem Chopra were really good with their voices.
But there were the tacky dialogues and weak one liners that fall flat. And most importantly, when you feel that the paws of the animals don’t look like they are touching the ground – you feel the disappointment. Why not spend that extra bit of money to get the end product finished well. Always the case with Indian animation – penny wise, pound moronic – not just foolish. 5 on 10. Watch on TV if ever it comes up there.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMem1yAmAQw
Now, Delhi Safari is not just an outright bad movie by any stretch of imagination. It is just that we may be the biggest suppliers for animation world over but when it comes to creating animation movies ourselves, we fall woefully short. I wonder why?
Delhi Safari tracks the story of a bunch of animals who stay in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivili, Mumbai. Thankfully, the animals are the same ones that are found around this area. A family of leopards – Sultan (Suniel Shetty), Begum (Urmila Matondkar) and their cub Yuvraj (Swini Khara).
Then there is the laid back and sensible Bagga the Bear (Boman Irani). But the chief mischief maker and the grey character is the monkey – Bajrangi (Govinda) who harbours hopes of ruling the jungle because as per him – the monkeys used to rule the world much before man came in.
Trouble starts brewing when rampant construction starts moving into the park and in the bargain, Sultan gets killed. The rest of the animals, pushed by Yuvraj’s innocence and confidence decide to take their voices all the way to Delhi – to the powers that be. Accompanying them is Alex (Akshaye Khanna), a parrot – who is the only animal who can speak the language that us humans understand.
Now, here was a superb opportunity to pivot India into the fascinating world of animation. There was a story that had a strong social angle. There were characters which were created quite well and true to the local landscape. The voice overs were to be done by a bunch of really talented people – Govinda, Boman Irani, Sanjay Mishra, Saurabh Shukla and even Prem Chopra were really good with their voices.
But there were the tacky dialogues and weak one liners that fall flat. And most importantly, when you feel that the paws of the animals don’t look like they are touching the ground – you feel the disappointment. Why not spend that extra bit of money to get the end product finished well. Always the case with Indian animation – penny wise, pound moronic – not just foolish. 5 on 10. Watch on TV if ever it comes up there.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMem1yAmAQw
Student of the Year
Let me at the outset clarify for the benefit of the younger generation who will be the key target audience for Student Of The Year. Just because the business tycoon Nanda (Ram Kapoor) decides to wear a striped tie over a striped shirt and a striped jacket with striped trousers – DOES NOT MAKE IT ACCEPTABLE FORMAL DRESSING!!!!! Ram Kapoor could have, with a little bit of common sense, refused to make such a clown of himself in front of a billion Indians. Thankfully, the gaffe is not oft repeated during the extended 3 hours that you have to tolerate SOTY.
If you walk into SOTY expecting the usual cheesy Karan Johar movie which includes any or all of the following, then you would probably leave the cinema hall very satisfied
1. There will always be a super rich boy – Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan) and a super rich girl – Shanaya Singhania (Alia Bhatt) who will be either great friends or having an affair. In this case it is the former.
2. There will be a school or a college – in this case school – St. Teresa’s. The school will be situated in an exotic location in India – say Dehradun – but will seem like it is actually in Switzerland and have a Highland Metroploitan Hospital. Metropolitan??? Dehradun???
3. Students of a School are allowed to dress in the fanciest of clothes. Boys in Tight T shirts that show rippling muscles and if not good enough can lose the T Shirt to reconfirm your deepest doubts. Girls will be in various stages of skimpiness but will be the homely “ghar ki bahu” types in behavior when it comes to it.
4. There will be a not so rich academically brilliant boy or girl who will enter the life of the school and will shoot to fame. In this case it is Abhimanyu (Sidharth Malhotra). But even this not so rich boy will come from a household that is an independent villa with 4 parking lots and cutlery at a dining table that is worth killing for – emphasis on killing and not dying.
5. There will be a series of events that will lead to some misunderstanding or a fight between the lead trio – in this case it is a doubtful relationship between Ro (that’s short for Rohan) and Shanaya where Abhi comes in as a prospective option for the woman. And there is of course the annual SOTY contest that has been conducted under the aegis of Dean Yoginder Vashisht (Rishi Kapoor) for over 25 years. The dean has since then retired and stays in his own 23.83 bedroom villa and continues to talk to his bonsai plants. Did I mention he was gay?
So if you expect all of this and the latest in fashion and some gorgeous bodies in various stages of dress and undress then SOTY is just the movie for you. Don’t expect much in terms of dialogues or screenplay or whatever it is that makes movies better than the rest. Definitely expect corny one liners like “Tata ke stocks hila dega aur Bata ke rates badha dega” (He will get the stock market rates of Tata down and the retail rates of Bata up).
You can also expect weird situations like when Abhi threatens his grandmother (Farida Jalal) – “Tumhe kuch ho gaya toh mein tumhare saath baat nahin karunga” (If something were to happen to you, I will not talk to you ever). Dear Abhi – your Dadi was on her death bed. If something untoward were to happen to her then it would only be death. How can you speak to hear after that anyways?
Karan Johar all over from frame 1 to frame 26543 – 3 hours of standard mush. With loads of crappy dialogues and slapstick one liners thrown in. Watch it at your own risk. But if you liked his previous movies then this is a must watch. 3 great looking human specimens on display though. Which Karan Uncle is quick to take the credit for from the first frame itself. All the best if you decide to watch it. 4 on 10.
Oh and one more thing. A couple of great tracks - especially the Radha one. And it is definitely better than Aiyya if you were to ask me.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fivOhPjX9YM
If you walk into SOTY expecting the usual cheesy Karan Johar movie which includes any or all of the following, then you would probably leave the cinema hall very satisfied
1. There will always be a super rich boy – Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan) and a super rich girl – Shanaya Singhania (Alia Bhatt) who will be either great friends or having an affair. In this case it is the former.
2. There will be a school or a college – in this case school – St. Teresa’s. The school will be situated in an exotic location in India – say Dehradun – but will seem like it is actually in Switzerland and have a Highland Metroploitan Hospital. Metropolitan??? Dehradun???
3. Students of a School are allowed to dress in the fanciest of clothes. Boys in Tight T shirts that show rippling muscles and if not good enough can lose the T Shirt to reconfirm your deepest doubts. Girls will be in various stages of skimpiness but will be the homely “ghar ki bahu” types in behavior when it comes to it.
4. There will be a not so rich academically brilliant boy or girl who will enter the life of the school and will shoot to fame. In this case it is Abhimanyu (Sidharth Malhotra). But even this not so rich boy will come from a household that is an independent villa with 4 parking lots and cutlery at a dining table that is worth killing for – emphasis on killing and not dying.
5. There will be a series of events that will lead to some misunderstanding or a fight between the lead trio – in this case it is a doubtful relationship between Ro (that’s short for Rohan) and Shanaya where Abhi comes in as a prospective option for the woman. And there is of course the annual SOTY contest that has been conducted under the aegis of Dean Yoginder Vashisht (Rishi Kapoor) for over 25 years. The dean has since then retired and stays in his own 23.83 bedroom villa and continues to talk to his bonsai plants. Did I mention he was gay?
So if you expect all of this and the latest in fashion and some gorgeous bodies in various stages of dress and undress then SOTY is just the movie for you. Don’t expect much in terms of dialogues or screenplay or whatever it is that makes movies better than the rest. Definitely expect corny one liners like “Tata ke stocks hila dega aur Bata ke rates badha dega” (He will get the stock market rates of Tata down and the retail rates of Bata up).
You can also expect weird situations like when Abhi threatens his grandmother (Farida Jalal) – “Tumhe kuch ho gaya toh mein tumhare saath baat nahin karunga” (If something were to happen to you, I will not talk to you ever). Dear Abhi – your Dadi was on her death bed. If something untoward were to happen to her then it would only be death. How can you speak to hear after that anyways?
Karan Johar all over from frame 1 to frame 26543 – 3 hours of standard mush. With loads of crappy dialogues and slapstick one liners thrown in. Watch it at your own risk. But if you liked his previous movies then this is a must watch. 3 great looking human specimens on display though. Which Karan Uncle is quick to take the credit for from the first frame itself. All the best if you decide to watch it. 4 on 10.
Oh and one more thing. A couple of great tracks - especially the Radha one. And it is definitely better than Aiyya if you were to ask me.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fivOhPjX9YM
Thursday, 18 October 2012
Taken 2
Taken was directed by Pierre Morel who had no experience with direction. But Morel was responsible for the cinematography of Transporter 1 and 2. The fetish of the producers of the franchise with Transporter stays. This time, they have taken to (all pun intended), the director of Transporter 3 – Olivier Megaton. The fact that both names – Pierre and Olivier – sound French, is not the only similarity I guess.
Olivier would have know for certain that he had big shoes to fill in when he picked up Taken 2. Taken was an absolutely edge of the seat drama that most of us would have enjoyed. So if Mr. Olivier had just stuck to the drama and the thrill that he is used to creating (Transporter 3, Colombiana), Taken 2 should have been a walk in the park. But I guess the expectation was too huge and it comes up just that bit short on Taken.
Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is back with his obsessively protective behavior – one really cannot blame him for that considering the events that took place in Paris not too long back. But Kim (Maggie Grace) is now nearing adulthood and already has a boyfriend Jamie (Luke Grimes). Much as Lenore (Famke Janssen) asks her ex-husband not to interfere, his natural self gets the better of Bryan.
Simultaneously, a bunch of Albanians led by Murad Krasniqi (Rade Serbedzija) is plotting revenge. Revenge on Bryan for killing Murad’s son – Marko – in Paris. And as the poster says very subtly – They picked the wrong guy to seek revenge. So the setting moves from Paris to the extremely rustic and beautiful Istanbul with loads of bylanes which form a luscious recipe for inch perfect car chases.
Taken 2 – as mentioned earlier & as the lady on the seat behind me in the theatre commented was definitely not as good as Taken 1. One of the several reasons could be the fact that it took a long while to get to the part of being “Taken”. Add to that, the aspect of age having caught up with Mr. Neeson dramatically over the past 2 years and the hand to hand combat sequences seemed distinctly slower than the previous occasion.
Taken 2 also had some finishing issues with some clear consistency errors. It just didn’t seem to fit as well. I also have a basic question related to physics. If sound takes 4 seconds to travel then @ 340 m/s the distance should be 1540 meters i.e. 1.5 kms right? Why the, does Bryan, ask Kim to draw a circle of 4.5 kms when tracking him down? Would love to understand that.
As such, Taken 2 is definitely worth a dekko and if you haven’t seen the first part then you will enjoy it. But overall, it comes up as a 6 on 10 in my books.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1529652505/
Olivier would have know for certain that he had big shoes to fill in when he picked up Taken 2. Taken was an absolutely edge of the seat drama that most of us would have enjoyed. So if Mr. Olivier had just stuck to the drama and the thrill that he is used to creating (Transporter 3, Colombiana), Taken 2 should have been a walk in the park. But I guess the expectation was too huge and it comes up just that bit short on Taken.
Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is back with his obsessively protective behavior – one really cannot blame him for that considering the events that took place in Paris not too long back. But Kim (Maggie Grace) is now nearing adulthood and already has a boyfriend Jamie (Luke Grimes). Much as Lenore (Famke Janssen) asks her ex-husband not to interfere, his natural self gets the better of Bryan.
Simultaneously, a bunch of Albanians led by Murad Krasniqi (Rade Serbedzija) is plotting revenge. Revenge on Bryan for killing Murad’s son – Marko – in Paris. And as the poster says very subtly – They picked the wrong guy to seek revenge. So the setting moves from Paris to the extremely rustic and beautiful Istanbul with loads of bylanes which form a luscious recipe for inch perfect car chases.
Taken 2 – as mentioned earlier & as the lady on the seat behind me in the theatre commented was definitely not as good as Taken 1. One of the several reasons could be the fact that it took a long while to get to the part of being “Taken”. Add to that, the aspect of age having caught up with Mr. Neeson dramatically over the past 2 years and the hand to hand combat sequences seemed distinctly slower than the previous occasion.
Taken 2 also had some finishing issues with some clear consistency errors. It just didn’t seem to fit as well. I also have a basic question related to physics. If sound takes 4 seconds to travel then @ 340 m/s the distance should be 1540 meters i.e. 1.5 kms right? Why the, does Bryan, ask Kim to draw a circle of 4.5 kms when tracking him down? Would love to understand that.
As such, Taken 2 is definitely worth a dekko and if you haven’t seen the first part then you will enjoy it. But overall, it comes up as a 6 on 10 in my books.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1529652505/
Taken
I saw Taken for the first time only about 2 years after its release. It was before I started blogging. And my inputs were restricted to a facebook post that I don’t quite remember. What I do remember is an edge of the seat drama that kept me glued to the screen and made me wish that I had an HD connection – the ads just ruined the stunning pace that the movie gets into within 15 minutes of the start and stays there all the way to the last frame. Truly a Thriller fan’s delight.
And as I had the good fortune of watching Taken a few minutes back on Star Movies (this time on HD), I kind of managed to put a finger on what is it that I missed in Taken 2 that prompted me to slot a score of only 6 on 10 for the sequel. One word – INTENSITY. The complete commitment that one can see in Liam Neeson’s eyes as the father who is desperate to get his daughter back from the clutches of a ruthless bunch of Albanians who are driving a flesh trade operation through Paris.
Unfortunately for the Albanians led by Marko (Arben Bajraktaraj), Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) turns out to be an exceptionally well trained and equally ruthless ex-CIA operative. And as he says in as many words when his daughter is kidnapped, “I don’t know who you are. But if you do not let my daughter go right now, I will find you. And I will kill you”. The manner in which Neeson tells Marko can be best described in 2 words – SPINE CHILLING. And that my friends was the missing ingredient in Taken 2.
Within 72 hours, using some of the most obvious techniques and common sensical methods – backed with an ice cold calm, Bryan goes through the task of tracking down his daughter and getting her back home safe and sound. He is definitely helped with some movie luck – dodging bullets and the likes. But any such instances are fleeting in nature and well edited.
There are very few consistency errors (if any). All members of the cast do their best despite the ominous presence of Neeson and one has to accept that this was a lead character movie all the way through. But the composure of the cast goes a long way in the making of the end product.
Taken is also crisply edited. The entire movie is under 90 minutes but does not compromise on any aspect whatsoever. Taken must be screened to as many movie makers in this part of the world as possible. Just to prove a point that “Less is indeed more”. 7 on 10 and put it on your must watch list for certain.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3488219417/
And as I had the good fortune of watching Taken a few minutes back on Star Movies (this time on HD), I kind of managed to put a finger on what is it that I missed in Taken 2 that prompted me to slot a score of only 6 on 10 for the sequel. One word – INTENSITY. The complete commitment that one can see in Liam Neeson’s eyes as the father who is desperate to get his daughter back from the clutches of a ruthless bunch of Albanians who are driving a flesh trade operation through Paris.
Unfortunately for the Albanians led by Marko (Arben Bajraktaraj), Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) turns out to be an exceptionally well trained and equally ruthless ex-CIA operative. And as he says in as many words when his daughter is kidnapped, “I don’t know who you are. But if you do not let my daughter go right now, I will find you. And I will kill you”. The manner in which Neeson tells Marko can be best described in 2 words – SPINE CHILLING. And that my friends was the missing ingredient in Taken 2.
Within 72 hours, using some of the most obvious techniques and common sensical methods – backed with an ice cold calm, Bryan goes through the task of tracking down his daughter and getting her back home safe and sound. He is definitely helped with some movie luck – dodging bullets and the likes. But any such instances are fleeting in nature and well edited.
There are very few consistency errors (if any). All members of the cast do their best despite the ominous presence of Neeson and one has to accept that this was a lead character movie all the way through. But the composure of the cast goes a long way in the making of the end product.
Taken is also crisply edited. The entire movie is under 90 minutes but does not compromise on any aspect whatsoever. Taken must be screened to as many movie makers in this part of the world as possible. Just to prove a point that “Less is indeed more”. 7 on 10 and put it on your must watch list for certain.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3488219417/
Chittagong
Written by Bedabrata Pain and Shonali Ghosh, Chittagong is the adaptation of the book by the same name and describes the events that led up to the revolt of the 20th April 1930. Surya Sen (Manoj Bajpayee) who is also known fondly as Master Da because he runs the local school was the brain behind the entire process of challenging the British oppression in Chittagong.
Master Da asked of the people some basic questions. One of them being – the British do not expect us to attack them because they believe we do not have the required backing for this atrocious thought. Isn’t that reason enough for us to actually think of it. What would be more surprising that that?
And then there is the aspect of not using the regular red card holders – the people who were known to be involved in rebellious activities. Instead, with a very heavy heart he accepts the possibility of using a bunch of young teenagers for the purpose. Was that the right thing to do or a horrible thought? Master Da took the debate with him to the gallows. But he didn’t die with a regret because a few days into a not so successful attempt to annex Chittagong, he asks the boys to go back home.
The entire story is told through the voice of Subodh Roy aka Jhunku (Delzad Hiwale). Jhunku was one of the teenagers who was heaving influenced by Master Da. He came from a family which was quite pro-British and was well set for a stint at Oxford. But peer pressure and his fascination with Master Da prompts him to take the revolutionary way. The conflict in the mind of a 14 year old has been shown quite well.
Most of the characters in this real life incident continuously grapple with choices. Master Da with the choice of using teenagers for his war. Nirmal Sen (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) for his choice between expressing his love for Pritilata Wadedar (Vega Tamotia) or not. District Magistrate Wilkinson (Barry John) between following the instructions of the Raj in quelling the revolution and being a human being. All of these have been bought to life very well by first time director Bedabrata Pain (Producer of Amu – starring Konkona Sen).
I am not a huge fan of freedom fighter movies and those about the so called Indian freedom struggle because it makes me cringe. More because of the way we have as a generation really abused what a whole bunch of people fought for. A pity that what Master Da and Nirmal Sen and gang believed in has been bought to naught.
Overall a well made movie. Much better than the previous attempt called Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se starring Jr. Bachchan & Deepika. Some rock solid performances from the reliable names like Manoj Bajpayee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. And equal to the task was Delzad Hiwale. I liked the movie. Not too many people will though. 7 on 10. Worth a dekko.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C7sOtAgpns
Master Da asked of the people some basic questions. One of them being – the British do not expect us to attack them because they believe we do not have the required backing for this atrocious thought. Isn’t that reason enough for us to actually think of it. What would be more surprising that that?
And then there is the aspect of not using the regular red card holders – the people who were known to be involved in rebellious activities. Instead, with a very heavy heart he accepts the possibility of using a bunch of young teenagers for the purpose. Was that the right thing to do or a horrible thought? Master Da took the debate with him to the gallows. But he didn’t die with a regret because a few days into a not so successful attempt to annex Chittagong, he asks the boys to go back home.
The entire story is told through the voice of Subodh Roy aka Jhunku (Delzad Hiwale). Jhunku was one of the teenagers who was heaving influenced by Master Da. He came from a family which was quite pro-British and was well set for a stint at Oxford. But peer pressure and his fascination with Master Da prompts him to take the revolutionary way. The conflict in the mind of a 14 year old has been shown quite well.
Most of the characters in this real life incident continuously grapple with choices. Master Da with the choice of using teenagers for his war. Nirmal Sen (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) for his choice between expressing his love for Pritilata Wadedar (Vega Tamotia) or not. District Magistrate Wilkinson (Barry John) between following the instructions of the Raj in quelling the revolution and being a human being. All of these have been bought to life very well by first time director Bedabrata Pain (Producer of Amu – starring Konkona Sen).
I am not a huge fan of freedom fighter movies and those about the so called Indian freedom struggle because it makes me cringe. More because of the way we have as a generation really abused what a whole bunch of people fought for. A pity that what Master Da and Nirmal Sen and gang believed in has been bought to naught.
Overall a well made movie. Much better than the previous attempt called Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se starring Jr. Bachchan & Deepika. Some rock solid performances from the reliable names like Manoj Bajpayee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. And equal to the task was Delzad Hiwale. I liked the movie. Not too many people will though. 7 on 10. Worth a dekko.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C7sOtAgpns
Aiyya
Been quite a while since Madam Rani graced us with her presence on the silver screen. The last I remember having seen any of Rani was with Dil Bole Hadippa on TV (last week if I remember correctly). Before that, it would have been on that Jet Airways flight earlier this year from Kolkata where she was trying to be nice to Prosenjit da – who I must say was being polite in maintaining a straight face – at best.
Jokes apart, it has been over a year since Rani’s last release was actually in Jan 2011 with No One Killed Jessica. Prior to which she had the debacle that I spoke about earlier in this review. So I was kind of surprised when she vehemently commented on the front page of Mumbai Times yesterday about why people label movies as being – Woman Centric. Just I coincidence I would think that the past 3 movies have been. Thankfully the next one (Talaash) isn’t. May help dispel the belief people have gotten into.
Coming onto more important things like the nearly 3 hours that was probably best described by that 6 letter word that movie goers dread – WASTED. 5 minutes into the movie and you are actually wondering as to why Shri Sachin Kundalkar (the director) would spend so much time in paying his respects to Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi. And where the hell do the garbage trucks fit in. About 10 minutes more and you finally figure out the angle of the garbage trucks but you still cannot figure out the Sridevi and Madhuri angle.
Meenaxi (Rani) – yes it is spelt with an X which doesn’t help the cause much – lives in her own dream world. She is definitely of marriageable age. Looks 25+ but as her parents claim in the matrimonial – she is 22, knows how to cook well and is a homely girl. She is everything but what the ad claims as it turns out. She finds herself a job @ the local Art College where she falls head over heels over Surya (Prithviraj Sukumaran) who is a 25 year old painter studying at the institute.
The story over the next 2 hours is the struggle that Meenaxi goes through to let Surya know about how she feels. The entertainment is supposed to come from her eccentric family of a father who smokes 4 cigarettes simultaneously, a brother who loves dogs, a mother who will go to all extents to get her daughter married and a grandmother who has 32 teeth of gold. Way Way Way Way over the top is the best way to describe it.
While there is a sincere effort to integrate 3 languages – Hindi, Marathi and Tamil – the effort largely falls flat and will make the Maharashtrians and Tamilians cringe. Firstly because there is a Bengali babe trying to speak in Marathi and then there is a Mallu guy who is trying to speak Tamil. The only natural part is Rani’s attempt to speak Tamil and the errors in accent that she makes. Well done on that count.
Otherwise, the humour is forced. The screenplay is almost non existant. The acting across the board is below average except probably Anita Date (Maina) who is Meenaxi’s eccentric colleague with a big thing for John Abraham. Overall, a below par effort. 3 on 10. Don’t bother watching on TV either.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy6op7S1fCo
Jokes apart, it has been over a year since Rani’s last release was actually in Jan 2011 with No One Killed Jessica. Prior to which she had the debacle that I spoke about earlier in this review. So I was kind of surprised when she vehemently commented on the front page of Mumbai Times yesterday about why people label movies as being – Woman Centric. Just I coincidence I would think that the past 3 movies have been. Thankfully the next one (Talaash) isn’t. May help dispel the belief people have gotten into.
Coming onto more important things like the nearly 3 hours that was probably best described by that 6 letter word that movie goers dread – WASTED. 5 minutes into the movie and you are actually wondering as to why Shri Sachin Kundalkar (the director) would spend so much time in paying his respects to Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi. And where the hell do the garbage trucks fit in. About 10 minutes more and you finally figure out the angle of the garbage trucks but you still cannot figure out the Sridevi and Madhuri angle.
Meenaxi (Rani) – yes it is spelt with an X which doesn’t help the cause much – lives in her own dream world. She is definitely of marriageable age. Looks 25+ but as her parents claim in the matrimonial – she is 22, knows how to cook well and is a homely girl. She is everything but what the ad claims as it turns out. She finds herself a job @ the local Art College where she falls head over heels over Surya (Prithviraj Sukumaran) who is a 25 year old painter studying at the institute.
The story over the next 2 hours is the struggle that Meenaxi goes through to let Surya know about how she feels. The entertainment is supposed to come from her eccentric family of a father who smokes 4 cigarettes simultaneously, a brother who loves dogs, a mother who will go to all extents to get her daughter married and a grandmother who has 32 teeth of gold. Way Way Way Way over the top is the best way to describe it.
While there is a sincere effort to integrate 3 languages – Hindi, Marathi and Tamil – the effort largely falls flat and will make the Maharashtrians and Tamilians cringe. Firstly because there is a Bengali babe trying to speak in Marathi and then there is a Mallu guy who is trying to speak Tamil. The only natural part is Rani’s attempt to speak Tamil and the errors in accent that she makes. Well done on that count.
Otherwise, the humour is forced. The screenplay is almost non existant. The acting across the board is below average except probably Anita Date (Maina) who is Meenaxi’s eccentric colleague with a big thing for John Abraham. Overall, a below par effort. 3 on 10. Don’t bother watching on TV either.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy6op7S1fCo
Saturday, 13 October 2012
Looper
Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a twenty something young man in Kansas in the year 2044. At this point in time, the concept of “Time Travel” has not been invented. However, it will be in about 30 years. And there are some not so good people who are using it illegally to ensure that there are no loose ends lying around the place. This is when you get introduced to a slightly complex concept called Loopers.
Joe is a Looper. His job is to kill people. People who the not so good guys send back from 2074 to ensure that there is absolutely no trace of them found. Thanks to the not so easy ways to dispose bodies 30 years hence. So Joe positions himself at a pre-defined spot where a human being appears out of nowhere and all he has to do is shoot. Not ask any questions or say anything. Just shoot. Using what is called a blunderbuss – a gun that can shoot only upto 15 yards but is lethal at that distance.
But then, there is a concept of “Closing the Loop”. Since the bad boys don’t like any loose ends, they send you back to be killed by – no points for guessing – yourself. Cool right? Very clinically done. Since you cannot see who you are killing (the victim is masked), you check the body for gold (as against silver which is the normal payment). If it is gold, you have closed the loop and your services are not required any more. If you don’t kill your future self – for some reason if s/he escapes – you have “let your loop loose” and both of you are in big trouble.
Director Rian Johnson (wonder whats with the I instead of the Y in Ryan), makes a barely average effort in this attempt. The movie drags on a bit too much for my comfort. And you are left waiting and wanting for more than what the trailer has shown you. There is nothing new that comes up other than a random sex scene with Emily Blunt which is thrown in as garnish – probably because Johnson realized that there was very little that was exciting about the movie till then.
In a little over an hour and a half, you are put through a heavily made up face of Joseph Gordon-Levitt just to ensure that he looks as close to the contorted expression that we are used to seeing on Bruce Willis’ face – if you know what I mean. With good reason – since Bruce Willis is the 30 year older self of Joe. But it seemed a bit too plastic. There is very little that anyone else has to do or say in the movie that is worth mentioning. So it would suffice to say that Looper was a tad disappointing and really really slow. Nothing you will miss if you watch on DVD or better still, wait for it to air on TV. 5 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3368395801/
Joe is a Looper. His job is to kill people. People who the not so good guys send back from 2074 to ensure that there is absolutely no trace of them found. Thanks to the not so easy ways to dispose bodies 30 years hence. So Joe positions himself at a pre-defined spot where a human being appears out of nowhere and all he has to do is shoot. Not ask any questions or say anything. Just shoot. Using what is called a blunderbuss – a gun that can shoot only upto 15 yards but is lethal at that distance.
But then, there is a concept of “Closing the Loop”. Since the bad boys don’t like any loose ends, they send you back to be killed by – no points for guessing – yourself. Cool right? Very clinically done. Since you cannot see who you are killing (the victim is masked), you check the body for gold (as against silver which is the normal payment). If it is gold, you have closed the loop and your services are not required any more. If you don’t kill your future self – for some reason if s/he escapes – you have “let your loop loose” and both of you are in big trouble.
Director Rian Johnson (wonder whats with the I instead of the Y in Ryan), makes a barely average effort in this attempt. The movie drags on a bit too much for my comfort. And you are left waiting and wanting for more than what the trailer has shown you. There is nothing new that comes up other than a random sex scene with Emily Blunt which is thrown in as garnish – probably because Johnson realized that there was very little that was exciting about the movie till then.
In a little over an hour and a half, you are put through a heavily made up face of Joseph Gordon-Levitt just to ensure that he looks as close to the contorted expression that we are used to seeing on Bruce Willis’ face – if you know what I mean. With good reason – since Bruce Willis is the 30 year older self of Joe. But it seemed a bit too plastic. There is very little that anyone else has to do or say in the movie that is worth mentioning. So it would suffice to say that Looper was a tad disappointing and really really slow. Nothing you will miss if you watch on DVD or better still, wait for it to air on TV. 5 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3368395801/
Thursday, 11 October 2012
Killing Them Softly
Andrew Dominik has 2 movies as a director before Killing them Softly. One of them had a really really long name called The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (super fodder for a random round of Dumb Charades right?). That one was as long drawn and slow as the name was but it was also extremely carefully made with a lot of attention to detail. Killing Them Softly is no different. And I would assume that his first movie – Chopper – would have been the same.
Killing Them Softly is the story of one Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt), a hired killer typically used by a surprisingly very organized mafia. So organized are the mafia that they have a representative for something like a board of directors who take specific calls through proper consideration – in other words, there are very few decisions that are actually taken. They are more of a figurehead.
Jackie is the right hand man of Dillon (Sam Shepard) who is currently unavailable to do the dirty work. Whats the dirty work? Doing away with Johnny Amato (Vincent Curatola) and Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta) along with their 2 bit cronies Frankie (Scoot McNairy) and Russel (Bill Mendelsohn).
Why does this have to be done? Because the four of them are responsible for robbing money from locally arranged mafia run card games. Who has lost money? Only those who were playing at the time but if not handled, the repercussions on the mafia would be huge – A risk that no one can afford to take.
So we go through a painfully slow 97 minutes where the entire story unfolds piece by piece backed with a background score that is not quite a score but very interestingly pieced audio clips of the 2008 campaign of President Obama and several clips of the financial melt-down. Very very quirky but then that’s Andrew Dominik for you in one word – quirky. After a while it actually grows on you.
One of the aspects that really will not go un-noticed would be the cinematography. There is a particular sequence where Frankie and Russell are having a conversation where everytime Russell’s point of view is shown pretty much like you would see something when you are really doped. Extremely well done I must say.
Overall, a very slow movie and as mentioned earlier, very painfully crafted. If that’s not your cup of tea then I suggest you strongly avoid it. As such it doesn’t have too much to be seen on the big screen. You can watch it on DVD. But it doesn’t take away from it, the fact that it is a very good movie indeed. 7 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3931415065/
Killing Them Softly is the story of one Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt), a hired killer typically used by a surprisingly very organized mafia. So organized are the mafia that they have a representative for something like a board of directors who take specific calls through proper consideration – in other words, there are very few decisions that are actually taken. They are more of a figurehead.
Jackie is the right hand man of Dillon (Sam Shepard) who is currently unavailable to do the dirty work. Whats the dirty work? Doing away with Johnny Amato (Vincent Curatola) and Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta) along with their 2 bit cronies Frankie (Scoot McNairy) and Russel (Bill Mendelsohn).
Why does this have to be done? Because the four of them are responsible for robbing money from locally arranged mafia run card games. Who has lost money? Only those who were playing at the time but if not handled, the repercussions on the mafia would be huge – A risk that no one can afford to take.
So we go through a painfully slow 97 minutes where the entire story unfolds piece by piece backed with a background score that is not quite a score but very interestingly pieced audio clips of the 2008 campaign of President Obama and several clips of the financial melt-down. Very very quirky but then that’s Andrew Dominik for you in one word – quirky. After a while it actually grows on you.
One of the aspects that really will not go un-noticed would be the cinematography. There is a particular sequence where Frankie and Russell are having a conversation where everytime Russell’s point of view is shown pretty much like you would see something when you are really doped. Extremely well done I must say.
Overall, a very slow movie and as mentioned earlier, very painfully crafted. If that’s not your cup of tea then I suggest you strongly avoid it. As such it doesn’t have too much to be seen on the big screen. You can watch it on DVD. But it doesn’t take away from it, the fact that it is a very good movie indeed. 7 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3931415065/
English Vinglish
There is a soft feeling in your heart when you see someone who you have been, are and will always be completely in love with whether the world says anything else or not. It is a feeling of weakness and utter submission that totally disappears when the person is not in front of you or you are not thinking about him/her. With Sridevi, I can associate those feelings and much more :-p.
And for those who grew up with me in the period between the 1980s-90s, one would understand the passion with which we would follow a Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit. One could not be a fan of both these stars even if someone had a gun to their head. Their loyalties have to be aligned towards only one and no one else but that one. I chose the former – and coincidentally, have stuck to her all this while.
So my review may be biased towards her, but I will try and be as neutral as I can in the overall scheme of things. It is going to be really tough but I will do my damdest best. Sashi Godbole (Sridevi) is married to a successful executive (Adil Hussain) and has 2 kids – a girl in class 7 (Navika Kota) and a boy of 4 years (Shivansh Kotia) who hasn’t started school yet. She is an expert in making laddoos.
She doesn’t know English and is the butt of embarrassment for her husband and family on many an occasion. All this while, she hasn’t done much about it. When Sashi’s niece’s wedding is announced in New York, she makes her way there earlier than the family to help out with the wedding preparations. An ad on a bus to learn English in 4 weeks catches her fancy and she begins the journey to regain her lost self respect.
While English Vinglish has its high points namely the lead performance from Sridevi – and I am not kidding you on this point. Once a star – always a star. If anything, her acting capabilities have dramatically improved over the past few years. There are also instances of some fantastic camera work in bits and pieces.
But the rest of the cast falls really flat. Whether it is the younger of 2 nieces – Priya Anand – whose American accent and forced attempt @ speaking Hindi falls really flat OR the daughter – Navika Kota – who is extremely over the top in most scenes. Ditto for the screenplay and music which is average at best. The scenes between Sridevi and Mehdi Nebbou where she speaks in Hindi and he in French and apparently understand each other just don’t seem to be real enough to be believed.
However, the bottom line – is it worth watching? Definitely once. Worth watching on the big screen? Not really unless you are a fan of Sridevi. Reasonably entertaining but not meant for the seasoned movie goer. Can wait for the DVD. 6 o 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dWir9Q_Vek
And for those who grew up with me in the period between the 1980s-90s, one would understand the passion with which we would follow a Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit. One could not be a fan of both these stars even if someone had a gun to their head. Their loyalties have to be aligned towards only one and no one else but that one. I chose the former – and coincidentally, have stuck to her all this while.
So my review may be biased towards her, but I will try and be as neutral as I can in the overall scheme of things. It is going to be really tough but I will do my damdest best. Sashi Godbole (Sridevi) is married to a successful executive (Adil Hussain) and has 2 kids – a girl in class 7 (Navika Kota) and a boy of 4 years (Shivansh Kotia) who hasn’t started school yet. She is an expert in making laddoos.
She doesn’t know English and is the butt of embarrassment for her husband and family on many an occasion. All this while, she hasn’t done much about it. When Sashi’s niece’s wedding is announced in New York, she makes her way there earlier than the family to help out with the wedding preparations. An ad on a bus to learn English in 4 weeks catches her fancy and she begins the journey to regain her lost self respect.
While English Vinglish has its high points namely the lead performance from Sridevi – and I am not kidding you on this point. Once a star – always a star. If anything, her acting capabilities have dramatically improved over the past few years. There are also instances of some fantastic camera work in bits and pieces.
But the rest of the cast falls really flat. Whether it is the younger of 2 nieces – Priya Anand – whose American accent and forced attempt @ speaking Hindi falls really flat OR the daughter – Navika Kota – who is extremely over the top in most scenes. Ditto for the screenplay and music which is average at best. The scenes between Sridevi and Mehdi Nebbou where she speaks in Hindi and he in French and apparently understand each other just don’t seem to be real enough to be believed.
However, the bottom line – is it worth watching? Definitely once. Worth watching on the big screen? Not really unless you are a fan of Sridevi. Reasonably entertaining but not meant for the seasoned movie goer. Can wait for the DVD. 6 o 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dWir9Q_Vek
Resident Evil : Retribution
And she is back. With the 5th of a series that doesn’t cease to amaze me in terms of capability to generate revenues. What else could be the only reason why they keep coming back with more and more of Resident Evil? 5 parts in 10 years and each with a story that is ever so slightly different. But each with the same kind of special effects and similar (but continuously improving on quality) of special effects.
The consistency probably comes from the fact that the producer is the same for all 5 parts. Paul W S Anderson. He has in fact directed the first part and the last 2 installments i.e. Afterlife and now Retribution. To that extent full credit in ensuring that audiences get what they expect more often than not.
There will be a new creature that wreaks havoc. There will be zillions of bullets fired and some special kind of weapons that will make their appearance. There will be Mila Jovovich in the lead role of Alice whether you like it or not. There will be situations where several undead people will corner Alice and her friends but she will come out all guns blazing in a miss of blood and gore.
So you can expect all of the above for certain. Without any debate whatsoever. To touch upon the story just a little bit for posterity (not that it matters in any way), we have Alice who wakes up in a fancy and happy family with a daughter, only to realize that it is all part of an elaborate testing facility set up by the Umbrella corporation. None of it is real by a country mile and a half.
When the bubble bursts about 10 minutes into the movie, she finds herself – yet again – half naked – in a large cylindrical room with white lighting all around. In a few seconds, she walks out of the room replete with the ammo that’s equivalent to World War II on herself. How? Because a band of rebels, that include her old friend Luther West (Boris Kodjoe) have decided to attack the set up and relieve her.
We then go through the usual process of 7459 fights, 3.82 tons of ammunition, 483 dead bodies of human beings and about 4587 litres of blood being spilt before Alice overcomes all odds and brings us to a point where we realize that – Dammit!!! We have more installments to follow?
Dear Paul W S Anderson – When will we see the final edition of this mega franchise? Frankly, it is getting a bit difficult and really boring to see the same things over and over again. Unfortunately, the special effects ensure that we cannot see it on TV. 6 on 10. Not fair at all. Not Fair!!!
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3931415065/
The consistency probably comes from the fact that the producer is the same for all 5 parts. Paul W S Anderson. He has in fact directed the first part and the last 2 installments i.e. Afterlife and now Retribution. To that extent full credit in ensuring that audiences get what they expect more often than not.
There will be a new creature that wreaks havoc. There will be zillions of bullets fired and some special kind of weapons that will make their appearance. There will be Mila Jovovich in the lead role of Alice whether you like it or not. There will be situations where several undead people will corner Alice and her friends but she will come out all guns blazing in a miss of blood and gore.
So you can expect all of the above for certain. Without any debate whatsoever. To touch upon the story just a little bit for posterity (not that it matters in any way), we have Alice who wakes up in a fancy and happy family with a daughter, only to realize that it is all part of an elaborate testing facility set up by the Umbrella corporation. None of it is real by a country mile and a half.
When the bubble bursts about 10 minutes into the movie, she finds herself – yet again – half naked – in a large cylindrical room with white lighting all around. In a few seconds, she walks out of the room replete with the ammo that’s equivalent to World War II on herself. How? Because a band of rebels, that include her old friend Luther West (Boris Kodjoe) have decided to attack the set up and relieve her.
We then go through the usual process of 7459 fights, 3.82 tons of ammunition, 483 dead bodies of human beings and about 4587 litres of blood being spilt before Alice overcomes all odds and brings us to a point where we realize that – Dammit!!! We have more installments to follow?
Dear Paul W S Anderson – When will we see the final edition of this mega franchise? Frankly, it is getting a bit difficult and really boring to see the same things over and over again. Unfortunately, the special effects ensure that we cannot see it on TV. 6 on 10. Not fair at all. Not Fair!!!
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3931415065/
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