Footloose (2011)

I must admit that the reason I saw Footloose (1984) for the nth time was that Footloose (2011) was also playing in-flight en route to Oz. I first noticed the 2011 version was playing and luckily the 1984 original also happened to be on the list. I am glad I saw the 2011 version in-flight and not in the theatre because it is really not a movie that will finish with a feeling of you having utilized your time well for nearly 2 hours.

Firstly let me dispel any doubts that anyone may have had about the 2011 being different from the 1984 hit. 27 years on, Craig Brewer has done nothing to add any value to the classic. In fact if anything, he has eroded the classic tag that the movie had and ruined any possibility of a fan following from the generation of today. Neither Kenny Wormald nor Julianne Hough can come close to the acting capabilities of Kevin Bacon or Lori Singer. Maybe I am begin harsh when I say that of Hough because Singer wasn’t anything much of an actress as such. So I could reconsider that opinion. But Wormald has a long way to go and if he harbours any hope of becoming as versatile as Bacon turned out to be, then I guess he has to put in many times more the effort that what Bacon had to. What disappointed me most was the severe cut in the role of Dennis Quaid and therefore I am probably not surprised with his lack luster effort. Surely Quaid is a better performer than what I saw. More or less the same analysis for Andie MacDowell.

The 2011 version of Footloose is so uncreative that Brewer has taken the concept of a “remake” to the level of a Xerox Machine. Even the dialogues are the same. And the famous scene where Ren reads out passages from the Bible just falls so flat on its face that it ceases to get funny after a while. Changes if any are exceptionally few in number and may get missed as well. The feet tapping in the titling is marginally different but nowhere close to being better.

Footloose (2011) hasn’t released yet in India and for once I would say that the people in the business have made a sensible decision. It really doesn’t have much to offer that is different, new, inspiring or fresh from the original. If you would really want to watch the movie, see the original. Even if I were to ignore the existence of an orginal, independently, Footloose (2011) would be an average movie at best. With the benefit of the doubt – 5 on 10. Sorry Craig Brewer. Got this one wrong I guess.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1510841369/

Footloose (1984)

I have finally added another genre of movies to the list on my blog. Its called “Dance”. And the only movie that could have been better than Footloose (1984) to start this with would have been Dirty Dancing. That too will be added shortly I am certain. But occupying the #2 slot of all time in this genre would definitely be the 1984 version of a movie which starts with that exceptionally addictive Kenny Loggins number of the same name. I am quite certain about most of you playing the opening bars of the song in your head as you are reading this. I can tell you that the song’s playing in my head already as I am typing this…. Been working…. So hard…. I’m punching my card… eight hours…. for what?.... I’ve got this feeling… that times just holding me down…. I’ll hit the ceiling… or else i’ll tear up this town…. Now I gotta cut loose…… Footloose…. Kick off the Sunday shoes…. For more on this visit http://www.lyrics007.com/.

Footloose epitomized the spirt of the youth in the late 70s / early 80s in the US of A. With most of them wanting to get out and really be something and not get stuck in the backyards of the small towns or villages where they have been bought up. They did not want to get stuck in the rut that their parents have been for the past few decades. Now isn’t that what a lot of us have wanted from our lives? To do something different? Whether it is the characterization of Ren McCormick (Kevin Bacon) or that of his lady love Ariel (Lori Singer) who is the preacher’s (John Lithgow) daughter. The common thread that passes through the movie is that of breaking free. All portrayed through a small town where there has been a ban on any activities that could lead to loss of control over oneself. So no drinking under 18, no unsupervised partying and wait…. NO DANCING. Why? All perpetrated by an incident where the preacher loses his son in a road accident after a party. Not that the preacher has any ill intent. He does all of this only because he doesn’t want to see it repeated. The city council agrees. All till Ren comes in and starts questioning the norm.

Footloose can easily be classified under the genre – Drama. But the music and the few dance sequences just compel me to put it under – Dance. A very young Kevin Bacon is at his aggressive best. And one cannot help but wonder how skinny Lori Singer would be in real life if this is what she looks like on screen. The acting part comes later. The support cast includes an extremely young and much better looking Sarah Jessica Parker and also the motherly Diane Wiest who is somewhat the equivalent of Nirupa Roy in Bollywood (or maybe the other way round). Footloose is a great movie again for a Sunday afternoon. Just good fun with some lazing around. 6 on 10.

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

Sleuth

This has to definitely move to everyone’s watch list. I mean, how often would you get a movie that has exactly 4 actors. I am not kidding you. FOUR ACTORS. And now wait for more surprises. One of them doesn’t even have screen time. Carmel O’Sullivan’s role is just that of a voice on the phone. How cool is that? Just a voice on the phone. And Harold Pinter’s role of 33.285 seconds is a recorded version of some TV show. That’s it. In a little over 80 minutes the supremely talented Kenneth Branagh directs 2 of the finest actors of our time – Michael Caine and Jude Law – in a psychotic thriller of sorts.
Set in a completely dark background, Sleuth is about 2 men who have one thing in common and nothing else. Unfortunately, the one thing that they have in common is not the most pleasant thing that could probably be common between 2 men – and no you homophobics I am not talking about the same bed. I am talking about the same woman in their lives. To one – Andrew Wyke (Michael Caine) – she is the wife. To the other – Milo Tindle (Jude Law) – she is the mistress. Hows that for a lethal commonality to have. And hows that as a concept to take to the big screen?

And it took a Malaysian Airlines flight for me to figure out that something like this was not just thought of but actually executed. And the write up on the in flight card said nothing to excite me about the movie. The only reason I picked it up as a movie to watch was because it was a little over 80 minutes long and I have this fetish about finishing as many movies I can on a flight. I could well have missed it had it not been for the length of the movie.

The execution is almost like a 2 act play. Maybe that comes from Branagh’s known fetish for Shakespeare. Most of his directorial attempts have involved the Bard. So it is probably not surprising that Sleuth comes across the same way. Michael Caine’s performance as the gilted husband who is out to seek revenge personifies that old saying popularized by Quentin Tarantino – Revenge is a dish best served cold.

The detailed scheme that is put to action by Wyke is made even more eerie with the dark hue that is part of the movie all through. And then there are some superb camera angles such as shooting the first few minutes of Tindle’s entry from the top view. And the use of mirrors when Tindle and Wyke have their first drink together. Superb direction from Branagh who has adapted the play by Anthony Shaffer into a full length feature. And I should not take anything away from Jude Law’s performance either.

I am lucky to have caught up with Sleuth on an in-flight. I have promised myself to pick up a copy at the earliest. This one is a collectible. 7.5 on 10. Wonder why it didn’t make it to the Oscars for some category at least. I would have thought screenplay.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi4052222233/

I am Kalam

Missed out this one when it released a year and a half back. And that’s where in-flight helps significantly. Catching up with movies released a little while back and with those which have released internationally and not made it to the screen in little known and unimportant India. Therefore Flight MH134 (if I remember correctly) was inaugurated with a Hindi movie to keep my loyalty to my roots.

Chhotu (Harsh Mayar) is an extremely bright kid who is capable of picking up and understanding almost everything that he reads. He comes from a desolate part of Rajasthan to help his uncle Bhatti (Gulshan Grover) with his tea and small eats shop which supplies food to the palace of the local but erstwhile King or Raja (Suresh Acharya) who has converted the palace to a hotel so that he can continue to have his indulgences. His wife the Queen or Rani (Garima Bharadwaj) and son or Kunwar / Prince (Hussan Saad) make up the family. There are helpers all around like royalty should rightfully have. And like most royalty, there are rules to be followed. For e.g. Treat people lower than you in terms of status well but don’t get friendly with them. Make friends only with royalty. Etc. etc. etc.

But who is to prevent 2 kids of a similar age from getting to know each other and eventually become good friends. Chhotu, inspired by the President of the country rechristens himself as Kalam. Kalam and Kunwar Sa become great friends primarily because they have no one else to talk to or interact with. Kunwar helps Kalam with English and some good clothes and books to read. Kalam helps Kunwar with Hindi and through one of the guests of the hotel (Beatrice Ordeix) with French as well. A metaphorical representation of the India of new which is slowly but surely moving towards not caring much about the differences in class, caste or creed.

I am Kalam represents the aspiration of the average child in this country. The child’s desire to go to a school. To learn. To study. To have fun like any other of their own age. Of equality in treatment in terms of having access to the facilities that any rich kid would have. Of being given an equal opportunity as anyone else to make it big in the real world. To have a shot at stepping into the shoes of arguably the most loved President that India has ever had. To walk in his footsteps and make a difference like he did. In a sense it is a dedication to Hon. APJ Abdul Kalam and his vision for the children of India. Something which has left that office with him a couple of years back.

A good first attempt from Nila Madhab Panda. Average performances overall. Really bad finishing though.especially with the foreign support cast which was relaly bad. Several inconsistencies as well. However, solid message. One that should make you ponder. 5.5 on 10. Watch it if you stumble upon it by chance. Worth a dekko definitely.

Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hts1peF2gc

Coriolanus

Ralph Fiennes’ first movie as a director leaves a lot to be desired to say the least. First of all, I have no clue to why he would experiment with his first movie in a language that is not really up everyone’s comfort level. I mean it is English alright but why Shakespearean English????? And that too in verse????

And the morons who seem to be running the movie houses in India could not think of adding subtitles to the movie? Else they should have sold 2/3rds of the tickets and kept a translator for every 2 patrons walking into the hall. Not a feasible solution right? SUBTITLES YOU MORONS!!!! As it is, we aren’t the largest market for Hollywood in the world. Your rank stupidity is not helping the cause. Surely Ralph Fiennes had his reasons to convert a lesser know Shakespearean play in Shakespearean but what is your excuse darlings? And then there is PVR who super intelligently decides to play J Edgar in Juhu and Phoenix but decide to release Coriolanus across all PVRs in the city. I cannot begin to imagine the plight of the Gujju Bens and Bhais (Sisters and Brothers) in Mulund and Goregaon wondering how to pronounce the movie – leave alone walk into the hall and try to understand it. Weird people have infested this industry I tell you.

Coriolanus is about this Roman general called Marcus Caius (Ralph Fiennes) whose arch enemies, the Volscians are led by Tulius Aufidius (Gerard Butler). Marcus Caius has fought several wars for Rome and has successfully defended its pride and honour not just by leading from the front but also by ensuring that orders are followed to the T. So much so that the people of Rome do not quite like him much. But a few wise people in the right places appreciate his efforts and would like to annoit him as Counsellor (the highest authority) in Rome. His closest friend, confidante and Senator of Rome – Menenius Agrippa (Brian Cox) lobbies really hard for his case. However, as luck would have it, he faces severe opposition from not just some of the common people of Rome but also the Tribunes (Paul Jesson & James Nesbitt) who not only oppose him but also get him embroiled in a serious scam which questions his integrity and also get him banished from Rome. Incensed, Marcus Caius Coriolanus, approaches the Volscians and joins hands with them to conquer Rome.

In terms of acting talent and execution, the movie doesn’t leave too much to be desired. It takes great courage to use a dialect of English that may not be best accepted by the people. And even more to get the likes of Gerard Butler and Vanessa Redgrave to narrate with consummate ease. So hats off to Ralph Fiennes for the same. He has also converted the story into a modern day setting with the use of costumes which is equally good. But watch it only if you have subtitles or else you will definitely be left groping in the dark for what was said. OK to watch on DVD. 6 on 10.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2877398553/

J Edgar

Is it just me or is there anyone out there who believes that Clint Eastwood has seemingly gone low on his Clint in a manner of speaking? I was one of the few people who thought that Invictus wasn’t really upto the Clint Eastwood mark that kept going up till The Changeling. Hereafter was a notch lower than Invictus and now we have J Edgar which can be at best called out as being at par with Hereafter. Don’t get me wrong here. I love Clint Eastwood. I am just a wee bit disappointed because the intensity and class that we seem to have gotten used to in slowly fading. I think he should also take a cue from the Academy because both Hereafter and J Edgar have been given a cold shoulder of sorts.

Like any biopic would be, J Edgar is centered around the life and times of the longest standing director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – J Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio). It brings to the fore a very well written story of a man who was not so popular during his days as the Director. Someone who every single president tried their best to oust but with little or no success – because J E knew everything that was worth knowing and not worth knowing about the most powerful men in the world. It shows how he quickly works his way to being the director of the bureau even before he turns 30. How he goes about pushing the use of technology to make the bureau as fool proof as possible. His fights with the government to give the bureau its proper place in the sun which he strongly believes it deserves. His gay romance with close friend Tolson (Armie Hammer) and attempted romance with his secretary Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts). And even why he was called “Speedy” as a kid.

I guess what adds to Clint Eastwood losing his sheen as a director is Leo DiCaprio getting into character roles that are beginning to stereotype him and probably get people to believe that even personally he has becaome like his characters. His performance as JE wasn’t too different from his portrayal of Howard Hughes in The Aviator. Gets the audience also thinking as to whether there has been a genuine attempt or not. Both Watts and Hammer were good but not great in any ways. And I am honestly not qualified enough in any manner to comment about Dame Judi Dench’s acting capabilities. Stunning – yet again!!! Oh the woman never ceases to amaze me.

The other departments are quite good. Like Make up for example - by Alessandro Bertolazzi for Watts & Sian Grigg for DiCaprio were worth mentioning but I guess not good enough for the Academy. Check out the photograph of the real JE in the link below http://content9.flixster.com/photo/12/98/51/12985179_ori.jpg and make up your minds for yourself I guess. But even here, Tolson’s make up was a tad over done.

J Edgar is a very slow movie and will take a lot of patience from your end. But Clint Eastwood has never made fast paced movies. Not great by Clint Eastwood standards but way ahead of the curve with respect to some of the crap that we see these days. 7 on 10. Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1849990169/

Underworld: Awakening

OK I am not much of an Underworld fan. It is an occupational hazard and a good time slot that drove me to PVR Phoenix. My complete lack of interest would have been evident to you if you were anywhere around the ticket counter that evening. I walk up in my usual care a damn manner to the counter and say, “1 ticket please for Resident Evil”. The expression that the guy on the counter had was priceless to say the least. He goes, “Resident Evil”? And I am not kidding guys. I actually said, “Yeah – Resident evil 3:10 pm show”. It was the timely intervention of the lady in the adjacent counter that saved me from any further embarrassment the guy at the counter from any further confusion. She goes, “Arre sir ka matlab hai – Underworld. Underworld” (Sir means Underworld. Underworld). And suddenly a thought crossed my mind – why in the blazes do I want to go for this movie in the first place when I all that’s going through my mind is Mila Jovovich and not Kate Beckinsale. And all of this after I had checked for timings on the net not more than an hour before I got to the theatre. Well it was a thought that crossed my mind a bit too late I guess. The smart fellow at the counter (who was super confused a minute ago) had already swiped the card with a grin on his face that said – what kind of a guy are you. You don’t even know which movie you want to go for?

Well that’s enough about the fun part about the movie. Lets now get to the part of reviewing the movie. For those who haven’t been initiated into the Underworld saga, there are 3 kinds of creatures (for lack of any other word). The Lycans are the bad guys. The Werewolves are the good guys. And the humans are the guys who don’t have a clue whatsoever. Underworld fans – please feel free to correct / reprimand me for any mistakes whatsoever – you can call me an insufferable lycan too. Advance apologies.

But to complicate things the last time, they introduced the concept of hybrids – werewolves that look like humans. The lycans have been all but destroyed and the world has lost its chief hybrid played by Kate Beckinsale who by the way comes nowhere close to Mila Jovovich (no points for guessing by now that I am a Resident Evil fan). In part 4 – which is titled – AWAKENING – referring to the resurrection of Subject 1 (Beckinsale) and Subject 2 (India Eisley) – we see the resurrection of the Lycans as well who are back for blood. And this time they are bigger, badder and more powerful because they have immunity to silver – but funnily not to silver nitrate (something I didn’t quite understand and am open to be enlightened on). And there are bullets and bombs and loud random gunfire with the human friend and an extremely good looking werewolf friend and the angle of a child who is more powerful thereby leaving enough for Underworld 5. Yawn. 5 on 10 for the good action sequences. Watch on big screen if you have to. No point on TV or DVD.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1011654169/

Arthur Christmas

A few more pointers to those who take decisions on movies to be released in India. Christmas movies should be released on the weekend preceding Christmas. To my knowledge, Christmas is celebrated on the 25th December every year all across the world. So why would a movie that is so clearly about Christmas that it has “Christmas” staring at your face be released 4 weeks after is clearly beyond my limited intelligence.


Secondly, a good movie is a good movie is a good movie. So why delay the release. I am quite certain that we have enough of an English speaking population and a critical audience that looks forward to Holloywood movies more than Europe. So why this differentiation of product? Most consumer product companies have learnt this the hard way. So why should entertainment not learn from them and launch simultaneously across the world – for crying out loud, Tintin released in India before it did in the rest of the world didn’t it????

So why would I take up this rant continuously? Because Arthur Christmas is a wonderful animation movie – a genre of movies that hasn’t seen any major delays to date. Arthur Christmas has just displaced Puss in Boots in my list of Academy award nominations from FY 2012. The list now has – Kung Fu Panda 2, Cars 2, Rango, The Adventures of Tintin – Secret of the Unicorn & Arthur Christmas. The Academy, however begs to differ and has ignored Cars 2 & Tintin. It has included Puss in Boots and a couple of other movies that I haven’t heard of yet.

Arthur (James McAvoy) doesn’t take offence to being ignored anyways because he is used to it. Most of the people in the North Pole do. The million elves that help Santa Claus (Jim Broadbent) deliver Christmas presents through his new & improved S1 suprasonic amphibian craft which is undetectable by radar controlled by his first born – Steve (Hugh Lauri) included – ignore Arthur coz he is more cause for trouble than help. But when the mission misses one girl, Arthur, accompanied with Grand Santa (Bill Nighy) and Brunly (Ashley Jensen) decide that she needs to get her gift wrapped cycle – with 3 tapes only – no later than sunrise on Christmas Day.

Let the adventure begin I say. And be prepared for some moist eyes in this directorial debut for the duo Sarah Smith and Barry Cook. Kids will love it. Adults will equally. Considering that there were 2 adults who completely enjoyed every minute of this novel concept for a Christmas movie and the attention to detail it had. Wait till the end credits which is great as well. 7 on 10 for certain. Watch it!!!

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2677710361/

The Da Vinci Code

What can you get when you get together 3 people – one who has been widely regarded as the top 10 directors of all time if not the top 10. Another who is responsible for giving us one of the biggest block buster novels of the previous decade – probably the #1 bestseller other than the Harry Potter series and definitely THE most controversial of the lot. And the third who has been regarded by most people as one of the best actors ever to be born – one who is known for his “boy next door” looks and yet regarded as capable of taking up any role that is possible (I would like to see him play a villain though – haven’t seen that yet but I am certain he can and will give us the pleasure of that sooner than later). Well what you get is one of the best adaptations of a book into a movie – I would like to stick my neck out at this stage and call it the best after The Godfather and The Adventures of Tintin – Secret of the Unicorn.
Ron Howard would have been extremely challenged at the thought of directing The Da Vinci Code for certain but he smartly roped in Tom Hanks who is known to be an actor who eases the stress out from the director’s head immensely. And they had the support of Dan Brown to try and get this to life. The way Dan Brown has layered the book and keeps peeling it out like an onion is something which can be very difficult to get alive on the silver screen. I can only say that the team that created the movie should be really proud of what they got out eventually.

I cannot think of any scene that was badly executed or any aspect that was missed out from the book. Difficult sequences such as the point where Sophie (Audrey Tatou) and Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) figure out that a pope actually stands for Alexander Pope and the walk to Newton’s Tomb is superimposed with that of the actual funeral of Sir Isaac Newton. Or the casting for Silas (Paul Bettany) which is impeccable. But nearly not as impeccable as Bishop Aringarosa played by someone who I consider is probably more versatile (if there is something like that) that any other actor who I have seen till date – Alfred Molina. Time and again Alfred Molina has stunned the daylights out of me in the way that he gets into his character and makes you believe that the character in the book was created specifically with Molina in mind – simply scintillating I say.

True to the book as they say, The Da Vinci Code is a great movie to watch any given Sunday. It is edited well, has great cinematography, good solid performances and has a story that is great (apart from the ending where Dan Brown always screws up :p). You can watch it even if you haven’t read the book. 7 on 10 is what I say.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2369847833/

The Incredibles

It was only by chance that I saw The Incredibles (yet again :D) while channel surfing last afternoon. In a way, I was trying to get over the near disastrous impact that 4084 had on my brains and the really bad taste that Alvin and the Chipmunks – The Squeakuel had left me with a couple of days back. One way to get over a bad movie is to watch a really good one to balance things out. Sometimes you get lucky and a good one pops up on TV immediately after. This time around, I had 2 good movies on TV on a Sunday both of which I had send before but I wasn’t complaining at all because my mind was actually crying out for quality cinema in 2011. Notice that all the movies that I have seen this year haven’t been that great. So thank you very much once again to Walt Disney & Pixar for having given us this Academy Winner for 2005.


While The Incredibles may not feature in my list of top 5 Animation movies of all time, there is absolutely no taking away from it the fact that it has an Oscar to its credit and that it is an excellent example of good quality animation and screenplay. While I cannot quite understand the technical aspects of movie making such as Sound Editing (another category in which The Incredibles won an Oscar), it would probably suffice to say that the quality of sound and the use of the same is simply stunning – sorry but my understanding in this part is fairly limited .

I had always thought that The Incredibles was another comic book from the stable of Marvel or DC Comics or the likes. It came as an Incredible surprise to say the least when I figured out during my usual research after the movie that the movie was actually written by the director Brad Bird – who I coincidentally lambasted a few weeks ago for his really bad execution of Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol. However, in the creation of The Incredibles he has hardly put a foot wrong. A nomination for screenplay was well deserved to say the least. I cannot actually think of too many super hero movies which were created for the screen. What he lost out to was Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind which was indeed nothing to feel sorry about.

The Incredibles gets to the fore a set of characters, super heroes, who will not catch the fancy of only the segment upto tweenagers but extend itself to much older age groups like this author. Whether it is the lead role of the beefy Mr. Incredible (Craig T Nelson) himself or the minor side role of Edna aka E (The voice of Brad Bird again – how versatile is this guy?). Even the character of Syndrome (Jason Lee) is so clearly sketched out that you cannot but appreciate it. That Bird has prequalified the Incredible nature of his characters helps significantly in building the expectation from the crowd to, “Expect the Unexpected” like any other super hero movie. So even the surprising additional sper hero qualities which appear in Violet (Sarah Vowell) would go pardoned in a manner of speaking.

The Incredibles ended with The Underminer (John Ratzenberger) making his appearance and I wonder why the follow up hasn’t made its appearance yet. It would be so much better than the “squeakuels” that we have been forced to sustain. 7.5 on 10 for The Incredibles from my side. Must watch if you haven’t yet. Playing on Star Movies these days.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2963250457/