Kai Po Che

This time around, I made it a point to read the book before I said down for the movie.  And I cannot begin to tell you how excruciatingly painful it was to go through 250 odd pages of nearly rotten English.  The writing was anything but grammatically correct.  So it comes as no surprise that the current “Chetan Bhagat generation” thrives in not only reading this crap but using it in their day to day lives. In hindsight, I should not have read the book before the movie.

Zila Ghaziabad

I walked into Zila Ghaziabad with an absolutely clear mind.  I had no doubts or apprehensions that I was going to watch a 2^nd grade or maybe even a 3^rd grade “inspiration” of a “great” franchise that is being run by Khan family.  Arre Salman Khan family re.  Not the other Khan/s.

A Good Day to Die Hard

Most previews (and in some cases reviews) that I read about this one were dissing the movie to no end.  Calling it one of the worst action movies ever made in the history of the world and definitely the worst Die Hard movie to date.  Some of them even said that they struggled to sit through the movie.  To them I say, “Forgive them lord for they know not what they say or do”.

Silver Linings Playbook

Of all the movies nominated for the Academy Awards this year, this is one that has got 8 nominations.  But mind you.  Unlike its counterparts, it has got 8 nominations in all major categories – Motion Picture of the Year, Directing, Lead Actor, Lead Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Editing & Adapted Screenplay!!!

Karthik Calling Karthik

It was only a matter of time before I got around to writing the review for this one.  Yes you can get the snide remarks started in response to this post.  Or even the corny jokes because nothing lesser would be expected as a response.  I am well aware and totally prepared for the same.

The Kids Are All Right

Of all the movies nominated in 2011 in the category of best movie, I had not seen this one and Winter’s Bone.  I am told the latter is a fabulous movie.  The Kids are All Right is definitely a good movie without doubt.  But did it deserve to be in the top 10 for 2011 as called out by the Academy?  And leave out that random, average movie called Inception? I guess I have a lot to learn about movies.

10 ml Love

When you look up 10ml Love on the net, it shows you a year of release as 2010.  But to my knowledge, the movie wasn’t actually released till as late as December 2012.  I remember having missed it in one of my 7 movie weekends (where I have a weak track record) and actually looking for it quite hard.

Ashach Eka Betavar (On an island like this one)

Yet another Marathi movie.  I am getting really hooked onto regional cinema aren’t I? Honestly, not as much.  Because the law of averages had to catch up some time or the other I guess.  After a string of good Marathi movies, I had the misfortune of walking into one that had a standard storyline meant for a thriller but had extremely disappointing execution in all departments.

Premachi Goshta (A Story about love)

I have been watching quite a few Marathi movies as you may have noticed by now.  Mumbai is unfortunately (or at times fortunately) swamped with Bollywood and people really do not make time for regional cinema of any nature.  Either, the quality of regional cinema has just gone through the roof or I have just got plain lucky.  A string of good movies in Marathi – just the lease of life I was looking for.

Vishwaroopam (Tamil)

Confucius says, “People who live in glass houses, should undress in the dark”.  He also says, “Man with forked tongue should not kiss balloon”.  Aaah what am I doing.  I am probably making an ass of myself just like one of the finest actors in Indian cinema.  The worry is that he will be making the same mistake again – about 2 years from now.  A fact that is made amply clear at the end of Vishwaroopam.

Murder 3

Vishesh Bhatt has to date restricted himself to producing under his banner of Vishesh Films.  But it was only a matter of time before he jumped into the directorial band wagon.  Well Murder 3 was that opportunity for Vishesh Bhatt to literally Murder the audience with his brand of direction.

Jayantabhai Ki Luv Story

Yet another joke that has been doing its rounds of late and is so damn true its not funny at all!!! The best way to hide your porn collection on your PC is to name the folder – THE VIVIEK OBEROI COLLECTION.  Oh I’m sorry.  Vivek. He has dropped the “I” from his name but it seems to have made little difference to his luck.

Zero Dark Thirty

There is a joke doing its rounds of late that is very related to the movie in question.

 

If you pick up a fight with the Americans then they will wage a “War on Terror” against you.  If you pick a fight with the Israelis then they will annihilate you bit by bit.  If you pick up a fight with the Indians then they stop playing cricket with you.

Listen... Amaya

Amaya Krishnamoorthy (Swara Bhaskar) is what her mother calls – a free spirit.  She is a modern day working woman.  One who harbours hopes of writing a book one day – hopefully sooner than later.  As luck would have it, she finds a reason to write sooner.  He boss makes a pass at her and she leaves her job.  After “One Tight Slap” across the bosses face of course.

Lincoln

It has taken me 5 days to come around to writing this review.  Primarily because I was trying to play back the entire movie in my head as many times as I could.  I may have been better off going back to watch the movie again when I think about it.  I guess better sense takes its time to prevail. 

Special 26

Neeraj Pandey’s debut into Bollywood could be equated to a storm.  While it was a remake, A Wednesday, created a lot of ripples across the film world.  Of course he was aided by a few of the best names in the industry.  2 out of those – Anupam Kher and Jimmy Sheirgill form part of the crew for Special 26 as well.

Mama

I walked back home after watching Mama and that too to an empty house that is currently in a situation that can be best described by one word – DARK.  All of it thanks to a process of shifting that will take till the weekend to get done and dusted.  But for the time being it was not a very comfortable position.  Wonder how all the dark areas in your house get magnified when you are alone after a horror movie.

ABCD (Any Body Can Dance)

I have grown with a healthy appetite for dance in cinema.  Now I don’t mean the usual Bollywood song and dance sequence – they are fantastic in their own right.  I mean movies that are made for and about dance.  The Hollywood variety.  Like Grease, Footloose, Flashdance and of course the #1 dance movie of all time Dirty Dancing. I am sure you get the drift.

Bullet to the Head

One habit that I desperately need to break this year is getting in late for a movie.  I have missed the start of all movies in the last week.  A 100% record for movies released in the week of 1^st to 7^th February 2013!!!! And last night went that much further.  Left home late.  Got stuck in traffic on Aarey Road. 

Pune 52

I finally caught up with the much hyped Pune 52 last afternoon.  Needed that break desperately from the work involved in shifting houses.  And what better a way than to pick a movie that the world has been really talking about.  But what I didn’t bargain for was a detective story that was so slow that it could challenge quite a few snails. 

Mai

There is that old joke about this Parsee bawa (not a Sardar as is doing the rounds these days) who was asked what he would prefer – Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. The answer – Parkinson’s – because it is better to spill half your glass of whiskey than to forget where you have kept it in the first place.

Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters 3D

Hansel (Cedric Eich) and Gretel (Alea Sophia Boudodimos) are the children of a poor woodcutter.  Times are tough and the woodcutter’s 2^nd wife decides that it is better to do away with the children and gets the woodcutter to leave them in the jungle.  On the 2^nd attempt, they succeed and the children get captured by a witch who eats children.  The brave kids however, manage to stay alive and in fact kill the witch in her own oven.  They then use the witch’s riches to stay happily ever after.

 

Midnight’s Children

2 movies in a day that start with a character called Ghani (Anupam Kher).  But to be fair on who had a claim on that name earlier, it would be Salman Rushdie, considering that he had released the novel over 30 years back.  But the Ghani from David had significantly better screen presence and charisma (the character that is).

 

David

It is 1975 and the setting is the city of the Big Ben.  We have a special group of Indian services personnel who are in a conversation with someone who seems quite influential.  The common thread – Iqbal Ghani – a renowned gangster who has complete control over the South Asian community in that part of the world.  He is also wanted for activities that India deem “not safe”.  The group of people are plotting his death.  The only way that is possible is if they get through to one man.

 

Cut to 1999.  Maximum City.  A reverend – Father Noel (Nasser) is addressing a group of people in an attempt to get them to contribute towards helping people who have been impacted by a suburban fire.  He is being supported by his daughters Alice (Shweta Pandit) and Sussannah (Shweta Menon).  But when the water truck makes its appearance, the crowd disappears equally quick.  His son, a musician, walks in at the end of it all and mocks his father’s attempts.

 

Cut once again.  To a place that is considered to be paradise by most people on the west coast.  And I am not talking about God’s Own Country (some may argue that this is the original version of GOC).  A well-built man is getting drunk in a shack by mixing whiskey and soda through a funnel.  He is being mocked by most around him as the unluckiest man on the planet because of his runaway bride.  The result – most at the bar (including a woman) finds herself sore and on the floor.

 

What connects these 3? DAVID.  That’s what their parents named them.  But how do their lives come together? It is 3^rd February in the respective years.  By 3^rd March, they will all be faced with a huge choice that they need to make and will impact their lives significantly. 

 

I loved Shaitan – and I think I am a small portion of the audience.  And I was expecting at least as good from Bejoy Nambiar.  In terms of the way the movie was made, absolutely no debate that he has lived upto his reputation.  But where he probably gets it wrong this time around is the story.  You are left waiting forever to figure out why there are 3 storylines in the first place.

 

Also, the casting could have done with at least one change.  Chiyaan Vikram was a disaster.  I am quite certain that if there was more effort put in, we could have found someone closer home.  The music was again quite different. While I liked the version of Dama Dum Mast Kalandar, I could not quite understand the reason for its positioning in the movie.

 

At the end of day, David is not meant for the masses for sure.  It is a very well made movie but how many people will be able to sustain the 140 minutes of semi-commercial cinema remains to be seen.  In my books, the best movie this year to date.  6.5 on 10.

 

Trailer on http://www.youtube.com/user/bigpictures?v=fmOBx6jS3Fc