Movie Review: Madras Cafe

First of all, a standing ovation for John Abraham. No, he has not matured as an actor over night. In my personal opinion, it is too much to expect from him even at this stage in his career. At this point of time, John Abraham has become a sensible producer who is willing to invest on a well written script, believing there are audience out there who will put money to see a well made movie devoid of melodrama. which makes them pause and think. Moreover, we are all aware about the strong arm techniques before the release of this movie. John, as one of the producers, didn't back down under pressure. At the end of the movie, Major Vikram Singh, the character played by John Abraham, says which is in fact a fitting reply to all the detractors. The message sums up as follows. A revolutionary for some is a terrorist for others...whatever be it, I lost my prime minister.

Then you should applaud the real heroes of the movie, the director Shoojit Sircar and the writers, Somnath Dey, Shubendu Bhattacharya and Juhi Chaturvedi. Shoojit Sircar had earlier directed the immensely likeable comedy Vicky Donor last year. From comedy, this is a giant leap. Moreover, thrillers are a genre which has never been effectively explored in Hindi movies. With this movie, Shoojit not only proves he can handle movie with varying canvases but also effortlessly switch genres. While doing so, he also give Hindi movies a thriller which all of us can be proud of. The perfect recipe for a thriller is weaving a story, inspired by newspaper articles and imagination. This is where the writers comes into play. They have focused on the Sri Lankan civil war, Indian intervention and subsequent assassination of a former prime minister. The names of people and organization are different. To that matter, even the shoes worn by the former prime minister is different. But veils are so thin that you can easily figure out who and what is being referred to.

Through an efficient use of background music, photography, editing and locations, Shoojit Sircar and his team glues us to our seats eagerly waiting for the next scene. Although the director and his team has not used real locations, they have found suitable locations elsewhere in the world. The pathos and the wastefulness of the war driven areas are poignantly captured using black and white still photography. I am not sure if there are real war photographs or not. But it is impossible for us to be detached while seeing those on the screen. The first half of the movie is the build up to the conspiracy and the second half is the conspiracy. Despite knowing the outcome, we are still hooked to the proceedings mainly because of the impotency we feel. To assassinate a political figure is no ordinary matter. This means the conspiracy takes part in different part of the world. The director, the producer and the writers do not compromise in shifting locations across different parts of the world. This is one movie which may not be shot in multiple locations but the story constantly shifts between Jaffna and other parts of Sri Lanka, New Delhi, Cochin, Chennai(or was it Madras then?) and coastal Tamil Nadu, Singapore, Bangkok and London. You better be attentive while watching the movie.

The movie unfolds as a voice over of Major Vikram Singh narrating the events from a few years before the assassination. This in fact works for John Abraham. He isn't bad in this movie as an actor. At the same time, he isn't great either. The voice over mostly helps in covering up his act. As for the performances, there are two people who stands out. Siddharth Basu surprises us with his no-nonsense portrayal of RAW chief Robin Dutt. Be it advising the superior about "the island" or inspring Vikram to forget the tragedy in his life, he is the RAW chief we would love to see and hope to have. Check out how he effortlessly cuts an apple for Vikram while discussing the political situation when the latter is recovering in the safe house. The feather in his crown is the scene when he tries hard to control his feelings while telling his wife he tried everything to save the ex-PM. That is the good guy. To balance the good guy, we need a bad guy. That is Bala played by Prakash Belawadi. Heading the operations in Sri Lanka and opposing Vikram in many ways, Prakash's Bala spits venom with his dialogue delivery and mannerisms. The way he accuses Vikram of going behind his back and also gets angry at his wife in Malayalam are the two scenes which Prakash Belawadi displays his calibre.

I am not an expert on current affairs. But I know a great deal about good cinema. This is definitely one. And you know what my recommendation is. Don't wait for the DVD. Go see it today itself on the big screen.

Language: Hindi

Genre: Thriller

Rating: ****

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Movie Review: Memories

A man is kidnapped, tortured, killed and then hung in a public place. The cops arrest an young man who confesses as the perpetrator. Before long, another murder takes place in the same manner. One of the top cop then asks Sam Alex(Prithviraj) to aid the investigation. But there is a problem. After a personal tragedy, Sam has taken to the bottle and doesn't want to come back into the police force. How Sam changes this decision, comes back to battle his personal demons and finally nail the culprit forms the rest of the story.

Scripted and directed by Jeethu Joseph, this film also marks the director's return to the genre he debuted as a director. I personally like Jeethu Joseph as he is only 4 films old and he has already experimented in 3 genres. The second reason is the pace set of his movies. He is never in a hurry to tell a story. He wants to make sure the audience is with him and do not want to confuse them, giving them enough time to catch up with him. You can see this while Sam Alex deciphers a crime scene or while Sam is arriving at a conclusion based on his deduction. When everyone finally find out the identity of the killer, the first thing Sam tries to do is match the killer's missing dates with that of the dates of the murder. The director is not ready make his characters jump into conclusion without proper reasoning. Despite a pace which is unhurried, the director successfully keeps us hooked to our seats with his style of storytelling.

You can treat the movie as a murder mystery. You can also treat the movie as a one man's attempt to take control of his life which is spiraling out of control fast. Many of the scenes have many subtexts which make the viewing more interesting and fun. One of the most evident scene is when Sam picks up the book titled "Holy Bible, the solutions to all your problems" when the investigation team is blocked by the password screen on a computer. The script is written in a rhyming fashion. The movie starts in a shootout and ends also with a shootout. In the final scene, Sam has a hostage situation in hand. Earlier in the movie, he has failed miserably in such a situation. The script writing is heavily inspired by Hollywood style of writing. But Jeethu Joseph infuses drama very intelligently especially the final confrontation with the killer.  Also, the background music has been used very effectively. When Sam is about to deduce something critical from the surroundings, the background score reaches a crescendo.

The film is not entirely devoid of drawbacks. Luckily the positives outweigh these drawbacks. One of the drawbacks is the long tracking shots implemented with the help of VFX. Sometimes the camera tracks a moving vehicle from a distance. In one shot, the camera pulls back from the conversation and goes through many places which includes buildings, forests, roads to finally end up in a roadside cart where the next scene starts. The VFX is evident thereby rendering the scene very cheesy. The other point is the interval between the murders. The murders happen between a span of many months. This does not come very evident while watching except during a conversation towards the second half of the movie.

Prithviraj excels in the role of a cop who has lost the interest to live taking refuge in the bottle. As an star, he has taken care of his physique keeping it in shape in the recent years. This also poses the biggest challenge for him. It is impossible to hide a good physique. How Prithviraj and Jeethu Joseph finally manages it is by clothing the lead actor in shirts which a size or two too big for him. This conceals the physique to a certain extent. Then Prithviraj transforms himself into a drunkard. I am not only talking about the stubble, puffed up cheeks and watery eyes. The way he crouches, the way he walks, the slow reactions. All these add up on the screen to give us a drunken cop who still has not lost his touch. Some of the scenes are played brilliantly especially the sarcasm while mentioning "common sense" as the source of deduction and also how he casually shakes the flask to mix the alcohol with the soda while interrogating the shopkeeper.

This is a good thriller. The investigation does not start immediately. There are emotional blackmails necessary to make Sam accept the case. But even with the heavy duty drama, this is an engaging thriller. If you have not seen it yet, go get a ticket as films like these needs our encouragement.

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Thriller

Rating: ****

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Movie Review: R.I.P.D

This is the screen adaptation of the comic book of the same name by Peter M. Lenkov. If you are have no clue about the comic book, then this is about a department of police officials. The difference between R.I.P.D and any P.D in the world is that the former comprises of dead police men. After their death, they are inducted into R.I.P.D to apprehend the dead people who have escaped judgement and wandering on earth. Normal people cannot distinguish these aimless souls and hence it is up to R.I.P.D to capture them in order to transport these "deado"s to next life.

Did I pique your interest? If the answer to the question is yes, then let me assure you I had the same enthusiasm while reading the premise. Unfortunately, the director Robert Schwentke wastes a good opportunity of making a watchable action movie. If you are not familiar with Robert Schwentke, he is the same person who gave us R.E.D a couple of years. He seems to have a penchant for adapting comic books which has acronyms as the name. So we have R.E.D, R.I.P.D etc. Unlike the previous movie, he doesn't have an ensemble cast. But he is consistent in rendering an interesting premise into a boring movie.

Detective Nick Walker(Ryan Reynolds) is killed by his partner Bobby Hayes(Kevin Bacon) when the former decides to walk away from making easy money by stealing the unexpected gold unearthed as part of a drug bust. In between the journey from earth to afterlife, Nick is grabbed by Mildred Proctor(Mary-Louise Parker) in order to recruit him for R.I.P.D. Nick is also assigned a new partner Roy Pulsipher(Jeff Bridges) who was a US Marshal in the Wild West era.

One thing for sure, Ryan Reynolds needs to spend more time in choosing scripts. None of his comic book adaptation has turned out to be a watchable fare. If you have any doubts, think Green Lantern. What is Jeff Bridges doing in this movie? If you examine his character, it is an extension of Rooster Cogburn played in the Coen Brothers' adaptation of True Grit. But this alone cannot make the movie enjoyable. The odd couple theme of Nick and Roy falls apart because it is a rehash of cliches we have seen many times before.

The interesting part of Nick and Roy is normal living people see them as different people on earth. So Nick appears as an old Chinese man(James Hong) and Roy as a beautiful Russian blonde(Marisa Miller) to normal eyes. This is interesting but the treatment of this angle leaves a lot to be desired thereby taking all the humor that could have been associated with it.

Moreover, this movie is in 3D. Why? I am still asking myself. Stay away from this. This is not even worth sleeping through. I advice to spend your time wisely

Language: English

Genre: Action

Rating: *

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Movie Review: The Wolverine

I am not a comics fan. When X-Men was released in 2000, I stayed away from the movie. Later, I was hooked to the series after watching the excerpts on a long flight. The movie is about a group of misfits and teamwork. X-men are talented but it only makes sense when they are all working together. Among the X-men, Wolverine/Logan is the person who stands out because he hates teamwork. He can easily survive alone. With the unique talent of longevity that comes with self healing power, he has been doing that for centuries. So it is no surprise when the maker decide to create a spin-off from the X-men series featuring only the moody loner, Wolverine/Logan.

The role of Wolverine/Logan has been safe with Hugh Jackman for over a decade now. It is not only the physique but also the intensity brought into the role that has made us love Hugh Jackman's Wolverine/Logan. But the first outing, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, introducing the spin off was a letdown. Although it featured a lot of action scenes, it failed to connect emotionally. I thought the series was dead after the fiasco. When you are talking about Wolverine, all sins are pardoned when the next trailer is launched. Luckily, they have changed the director in the second outing.

This time, James Mangold is at the helm as the director. With him on-board, I hoped he would combine drama and action in this series just like how he did it in the remake of 3:10 to Yuma. Unfortunately for us, James Mangold infuses a lot of drama but fails in the action department. The movie starts off at an unspecified time after X-Men: The Last Stand has ended. At this point of time, Logan is a disillusioned warrior longing for Jean Grey(Famke Janssen). When the immortality has driven Logan into a recluse, Yoshida beckons him to Japan to bid farewell. Upon reaching Japan, Logan has to protect Mariko(Tao Okamonto) from Yakuza and Viper with the help of Yukio(Rila Fukushima). 

To watch Logan struggle with his demons is interesting. It makes the character more human. In the end, a lot of fleeting appearances of Jean Grey at many places in the movie spoils the experience. When the director and the script writers focuses on Logan's struggle, they spend less efforts on bringing a strong villain to movie thereby forgetting the series is also about action. By moving the setting to Japan, it provides an opportunity to match Logan's adamantium claws with samurai swords. The only action sequence that stands out is the fight on top of the bullet train. The first action sequence during the funeral is also good. But the shaky camera and the 3D works against it. This movie would have been far more enjoyable if the makers had used the traditional approach.

The most exciting part of the movie is the post credits. Luckily you don't have to wait an eternity for this portion to come. This is when Professor X(Patrick Stewart) and Magento(Ian McKellen) shows up to set the stage for the next one. I advice you to skip this one and wait for the next instalment. The man who started it all, Bryan Singer, is back as the director. Moreover, the cast is a mix of the oldies (featuring some of Bryan's initial cast and Matthew Vaughn's cast from X Men: First Class. The next installment is worth waiting for.

Language: English

Genre: Action

Rating: **

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Movie Review: D-Day

When diplomacy and international boundaries are the roadblocks, the head of the spy agency in India gives a last shot at apprehending the criminal by going ahead with a covert operation. Nikhil Advani, heavily inspired from theme which is featured many times before in Hollywood movies, attempts to transplant the scenario to the current socio-political context of India. If you are familiar with the works of Nikhil Advani, then you also know the director has left his comfort zone to attempt an entirely different genre. Nikhil's strong point is melodrama. This strong point appears at several places in this movie too but not in a positive way. In the end, the movie turns out to be a watchable fare because of the screenplay, the way in which the movie is shot, editing and some of the actors.

The screenplay by Nikhil Advani, Suresh Nair and Nikhil Vyas(the last two of Kahaani fame) is non-linear. The movie without wasting time puts us right in the middle of action in the first few minutes. The protagonists Wali Khan(Irrfan Khan), Rudra(Arjun Rampal), Zoya Rehman(Huma Qureshi) and Aslam(Aakash Daahiya) tries to nab an unsuspecting Goldman(Rishi Kapoor) after ambushing his convoy in the parking lot of the hotel where Goldman has arrived to take part in the pre-wedding party of his son. That is when the action is abruptly halted on the screen for the director and his screenplay pals to tell us how this operation was planned. This is a technique you see through out the movie. The trio shows us a scene and then take us through the chain of events that led to the scene. This can be at times confusing. But this is also a good way of laying out the movie to keep the viewer hooked to the proceedings. Most of us walk into movie with certain preconceived notions.This technique helps in shaking us out of it. To make the viewers feel they are in the midst of action, the cinematographer has used the shaky camera technique. This adds to the thrill.

It is a doomed operation. The plans do not work and the four operatives are abandoned by their country. To make matters worse, Goldman and the Pakisthani officials are on the lookout for these four operatives while Ashwini Rao(Nassar) who authorized this covert operation tries to get these operatives back to India. The role of Ashwini brings out the bureaucratic and political idiosyncracies. This forms the second half of the movie where Nikhil Advani decides to concentrate on the emotional turmoils of each operatives. This slows the second half especially Rudra's angle. This is a totally unnecessary backstory. Little is said about Aslam. They could have done the same about Rudra to make him more mysterious to the viewer. The whole movie is about suspension of disbelief. Telling nothing about Rudra would not have made us stretch this ability of ours more than what we have done already. Wali's backstory is essential for the plot while Zoya's is amusing which shows the difficulty of balancing work(especially espionage) and life. The second half could have been racier if Nikhil Advani had played the role of a ruthless editor to chop off the songs and also Rudra's love for the prostitute played by Shruti Haasan. Luckily for us, the director returns back to main theme after being lost for a few minutes.

Performance wise, the movie belongs to Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor and Nassar. Irrfan's character, Wali, is complex to portray. He has been undercover for almost a decade for nabbing Goldman. He is also the man who convinces Ashwini to take up this mission but eventually is imbalanced by the fate of his family. At the end, he becomes a broken man unable to decide where his loyalties lie. The role is safe with Irrfan. Rishi Kapoor shows the various faces of Goldman very well. Goldman rarely becomes angry and when he becomes angry, you better stay out of the way. Otherwise he is always reasoning it out with everyone, even with his captors. These are the scenes which is enjoyable to watch because we know Goldman is playing with his captor's mind. Nassar is a surprising choice for the role. Hindi movies are not his forte although Nassar has effectively portrayed similar roles in Tamil movies. Nassar brings out the patriotic nature and the determination of Ashwini very well. Luckily, the director has allowed Nassar to dub in his voice thereby not diluting his performance despite having a pronounced South Indian accent.

There is a lot of blood and mutilation in the movie. So it should be out of bounds for kids. The movie is good attempt in making a thriller while heavily borrowing from Hollywood. There is a good amount of planning done on the project to customize it for our palette and also for how to tell a story. This is the best part of the movie. You may choose this movie if you have nothing else to watch in the multiplex.

Language: Hindi

Genre: Thriller

Rating: **

Tags: Movies,Irrfan Khan,Arjun Rampal,Rishi Kapoor,Nikhil Advani,Thriller

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Movie Review: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

At the end of the movie, Milkha Singh(Farhan Akhtar) overcomes the demons in his life and participates in a race in a land where he lost most of his family. The climax has poetic justice written all over it. To be fair, the final race is thrilling too. Unfortunately, the thrilling climax comes at a point where the movie has already tested the patience of the audience. After telling a story about ordinary yet colorful life in Delhi-6, Rakesh Omprakash Mehra chooses to narrate the story of the Flying Sikh, Milkha Singh, on the screen. There is a "inspired by a true life" declaration at the end of the movie. This is to caution the viewers not to believe all what is seen on the screen. Even though the basic premise is inspired from the life of Milkha Singh, there is a lot of elements added or changed for entertainment.

The movie starts with Milkha Singh's losing out an opportunity to win the gold medal in the 1960 Olympics. After his return, an entourage sent by the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, comprising of Coach Gurudev Singh(Pawan Malhotra) and Coach Ranveer Singh(Yograj Singh), pays a visit to Milkha Singh in order to persuade him to participate in the friendly races organized with the neighboring country. The story of Milkha Singh is slowly revealed in the train journey of this entourage from Delhi to Chandigarh. This is how Prasoon Joshi sets his screenplay. This is a good technique to hook the audience. Like a real conversation, the narrative meanders into many things except the answer to the question that started the conversation. Why is Milkha not willing to participate in the friendly races? We all have been part of the conversations where we have veered away from the topic. This is pardonable. Now if you add unnecessary footage, slow motion and jarring background to the above problem, the end result is horribly slow and unpardonable.

The triumph of the movie lies in a few performances and the action sequences (read it as running race). Farhan Akhtar, Pawan Malhotra and Yograj Singh, after a bad start, infuses life into this movie. Farhan Akhtar has built on his physique and appearance for the role. If you look at the old photos of Milkha Singh, you can see the resemblance. Farhan, being a good actor, easily slips into the role. Anyways, this is not a complex role to play but a physically demanding role to play. This is where Farhan succeeds. Pawan Malhotra is Gurudev Singh who is Milkha's first coach. Thank god! Pawan Malhotra makes sure the role does not degrade into the regular Punjabi speaking sidekick we often find onscreen. Pawan shows his calibre in the scenes where he pushes Milkha Singh to deliver the best or the move into the next phase of his racing life. Yograj Singh represents strength and stability. The role doesn't demand much except screen presence. This is what he brings to the table. He is gentle yet tough and can train an athlete.

The action sequences are beautifully executed. Being the story of an athlete, the movie has a lot of races. Although the races end up exasperating the viewer after a while, the race itself is an exciting piece to watch. In order to keep us glued to the seat, Rakesh Omprakash Mehra and cinematographer Binod Pradhan chooses many interesting compositions and angles. Moreover, the runners are real runners. You can feel their pain while running. Be it the way the runners breath during the race, the way their bodies are arched forward, the way their legs move, the way the muscles in the body ripple... You are in the middle of the race, closer than what is featured in the news channels.

There are many things which Rakesh Omprakash Mehra goes wrong. The tone used for the movie is dark. For a movie which deals in the triumph of the human spirit, this is the wrong tone. Being a movie set in 1950s, there is a big challenge on the locales used. Here, a lot of CGI is used. The CGI may be subtle but the entire frame looks unnatural. The movie tries to cover a lot of events which mars the pace of the movie eventually. A running time of 189 minutes is an eternity when the scenes are dragged for no reason with multiple angles, slow motions and music.

It is ironic when the movie inspired by the life of the Flying Sikh turns out to be very slow. Although this is a brave attempt, the end result is not a focused one. I advice you to stay away. Give it a try if the makers a ready to trim the length.

Language: Hindi

Genre: Drama

Rating: **

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Movie Review: Furious 6

I know it is the latest installment of The Fast and The Furious. But I am not sure what is the name of the movie. Is it Fast 6 or Furious 6? I remember seeing Furious 6 when the credits came out at the end. What is in a name? With the 5th installment Fast 5, the series had undergone a major revamp. Now, this is not only about spectacular car chases but a bunch of action heroes thrashing everything that comes in their way. On top of it, the location of action changes. The last outing was set in Brazil. This time, the location moves to Britain and then Spain.

When the movie starts, Dominic Toretto(Vin Diesel) is forced to bring back him team consisting of Brian O'Conner(Paul Walker), Roman Pearce(Tyrese Gibson), Tej Parker(Ludacris), Han Seoul-Oh(Sung Kang) and Gisele(Gal Gadot). Letty Ortiz(Michelle Rodriguez), Dominic's former girlfriend, turns up alive and is working for a former SAS agent turned mercenary Owen Shaw(Luke Evans). They have been creating trouble for Luke Hobbs(Dwayne Johnson). So Hobbs decides to turn to his previous foe who had temporarily helped in during Fast 5. As you can see, it is about family this time. Thankfully for us, the characters don't waste time to cry about the familial ties and virtues of big joint family. Instead they start to do what they are good at. Start chasing the bad guys in mean machines and engage in hand-to-hand combats.

The movie is directed by Justin Lin. This also marks the fourth collaboration for the director with respect to this series. In Fast 5, Justin Lin showed remarkable maturity in handling an action movie. The term maturity might sound silly while talking about an action movie. For an action movie, the director should be able to make us forget the silly or even non-existent plot line with stunt sequences that involves a good amount of suspension of disbelief. In this area, Justin Lin excels. In order to show the prowess of his bulky leading men, he pits them against a bulky villain. The final sequence when both of them literally join to thrash the villain is fun to watch. That is exactly what we look forward in an action movie. It is not only the men, the women also are thrashing each other! You can find Gina Carano and Michelle Rodrigeuz punching and clawing each other! There are car chases, the one on the freeway in Spain is noteworthy even though the ending of the chase makes you guffaw. The final sequence when they take down the aircraft is also a pleasure to watch. To hell with logic. We just want to watch some explosions!

I never look for performances while watching an action movie. It is not worth it. The performance matters when the genre is thriller. When you have a cast like this, there are some men who has to look menacing and the others  are there for comic relief. You get all of this. Unfortunately, the girls take a back stage because they are less in number. The Bristish actor Luke Evans is a formidable foe for the protagonists. He is able to match up to the huge star cast primarily with his performance. He is the only one standing out if you are analyzing the performances.

Go for it. You will like the stunts even though you might not always believe what is unfolding on the screen. If you think this is the end of the series, guess who turns up in a cameo just before the credits roll. Hold you breath. It is Jason Statham! Are you now looking forward to the next in the series? To be truthful, I am.

Language: English

Genre: Action

Rating: ***

For trailer, click here.

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Movie Review: Yeh Jawaani Hai Dewaani

An young director who writes sensitive script. An young actor who has not only great histrionic capabilities but also a handsome face. A production house which gives great emphasis on picture perfect frames. What do you expect when all these three combine together? If you say a great movie, then I will correct you. I expect only an entertainer. That is exactly what we get when all these three factors converge in the movie Yeh Jawaani Hai Dewaani. Forget the numerological play on the title. This is the same team which gave us Wake Up Sid. Although the end product is not as artistic as the first outing, this movie ends up being much ahead of the glossy trash we are subjected very often, if not every week.

Wake Up Sid was as much about breaking away as it was about growing up. This time around too, Ayan Mujerkji scripts and directs a theme which is about growing up even though we are not sure about whose growing up is he attempting to tackle until we have sailed comfortably into the movie well after the intermission. Is it about the studious Naina(Deepika Padukone) who is yearning to break the shackles of parental pressure or the adventurous Bunny(Ranbir Kapoor) who loves to push the envelope to enjoy a fast paced life. They are different as chalk and cheese. Yet the chalk is head over heels for the cheese. Is this going to work out?

It will be an insult to the director (who is also the script writer) to classify this as a love story, regular or different. It is not a love story although he falters in clearly defining the perspective to tell the story. Although the focus is on Bunny, he meanders from this perspective in the first half. With an excellent sense for melodrama and a penchant for great dialogues, Ayan Mukerji underplays the drama to achieve the opposite effect. His characters stay in our mind. Not all of the plots are necessarily happy endings as per conventional cinema wisdom but they are indeed giving hope for a happy ending. The writer in him succeeds in creating an array of supporting characters who behaves straight from life yet looks extraordinary. Ayan knows when to place a song in the movie. He places his songs with an intention to give us a boost and not to bore us to death. In this respect, the songs by Pritam helps too. Displaying a good ear for music, Ayan has worked on the background score also. Although a good attempt, it falls flat at times.

Ayan Mukerji's trump card is his leading man, Ranbir Kapoor. He is handsome. He can shake a leg. Sometimes, especially during the dance sequences, he is inspired by the same actor who inspired his grandfather. Yes, I am talking about Charlie Chaplin. Most of the time, he rises up to the script. Sometimes, even about it for instance when he walks away after the wedding torn between Naina and his future plans.  When he confronts Naina's photographer friend, the brat in him is for full display making us chuckle and sit up. This is one guy who can carry a movie. Be it Madhuri Dixit in a minuscule role or Kalki Koechlin, Aditya Roy Kapur and Deepika Padukone, he can outshine all of them.

The biggest winner in this enterprise is Dharma Productions not only in terms of money but also for quality cinema. This movie is much different from the superficial themes they have been regularly feeding us.

Go for it. This is the perfect recipe for viewing in a movie hall.

Language: Hindi

Genre: Drama

Rating: ****

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Movie Review: Iron Man 3

After the forgettable Iron Man 2, Jon Favreau steps down as the director and Shane Black dons the cap of the director in the third installment in this franchise. If you like filmography of Shane Black, it does not feature a big project like this in the past. Then it has also been the case when Jon Favreau started this franchise and also when Joss Whedon directed The Avengers last summer. Both of them hadn't directed a big project before. So what is wrong in Shane Black directing this one? After watching all the superheroes sharing the same screen space in the enjoyable escapist fare The Avengers from Whedon, what can possibly top the experience? A superhero movie had new standards set last summer.

Shane Black along with Dave Pearce is credited for the script. In a way, this is the curtain raiser for the action festival season of the year with summer marked with releases of this genre. In the latest installment, Shane Black decides to give us the raw Tony Stark(Robert Downey Jr). Tony is still cynic who is politically incorrect. He loves Pepper(Gwyneth Paltrow) and is slightly insecure when Aldrich Killian(Guy Pearce) reappears. This is not the only reappearance. The nerdy botanist Maya Hansen(Rebecca Hall) also reappears after the one-night stand 13 years upon which Tony asking her cautiously if she has brought a 12 year old package as a surprise from that night. When people are reappearing, the evil villain The Mandarin(Ben Kingsley) creates ruckus by destroying Tony's Malibu mansion. To top it, Jarvis and Happy Hogan are unable to help Tony. Thanks to the recent developments, Tony is stranded in the middle of nowhere no resources.

Shane Black creates the most ironic situation available for the protagonist. Coming to think of it, Tony is filthy rich. But all the wealth is of no use for him in this situation. It is the best recipe for drama. That brings us to another question. Do we really want to see such a Tony? I don't want to. Do I have a choice? The story is written that way. So let's overlook that. Is it an interesting movie? Even though the movie starts in an uninteresting way, Shane makes us forget about the bad start and forgive him with the spectacular finale. When the credits roll out, we are a satisfied audience. If you have the patience to sit through the never ending credits, you also get a conversational piece with Tony and another superhero as a bonus. How does Shane Black achieve it? The movie has steady stream of action sequences placed in timed intervals to jack up our adrenaline levels. Of course, CG plays a major role in creating the captivating action sequences. At time, the CG is very evident spoiling the experience. Probably, this is because of watching the movie in 3D. To think of it, this movie doesn't have to be in 3D. On the positive side, there are some hair-rising suit changes of the Iron Man, some of it happening mid-air.

All what I described above is the additional things which make the movie interesting. The main interesting point of the movie is Robert Downey Jr himself. Despite seeing Robert Downey Jr play this character in three different movies, we aren't bored yet. We want to see more of this character. He has overshadowed his co-actors in the previous movies, the most notable is the Avengers last summer. In this one too, he overshadows all other performers. There are only two performers the audience notices, Don Cheadle and Ben Kingsley. Don Cheadle plays the sidekick Rhodes who dons the suit to become Iron Patriot and has scenes written to make us laugh. We all know Ben Kingsley is talented. In this movie, he gets to show us how quickly he can change skins while portraying a character.

Go for it. Even though the movie starts off slow, the finale will satisfy the action lover in you.

Language: English

Genre: Action

Rating: ***

For trailer, click here.

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Movie Review: Parker

Before you see the movie, it is better to have some background information on Parker. Parker is the quintessential American anti-hero who features in the novels of Donald Westlake written under the name Richard Stark. Now, Taylor Hartford has adapted the novel named Flashfire for the screen and naming the movie with the name of main character. I have neither read the novel nor have heard about the novelist before. So, I will not be able to comment on the adaptation. As for the movie, Taylor Hackford succeeds in giving us a watchable thriller.

Parker is a criminal. Like all heroes walking on the opposite side of the line drawn by law, he has his quirks mostly to make the character more endearing. So he has a twisted sense of righteousness when it comes to the crimes committed by him and also the moral conduct of his partners. When the movie starts, Parker(Jason Statham) is double crossed by fellow criminals headed by Melander(Michael Chiklis) after a successful heist. As a result of the low standards of his partners where standards are defined by Parker himself, Parker loses his money but gains bullets in his body.

Waking up in the hospital penniless, Parker not only has to track his former partners in order to retrieve his share of money but also serve justice, yes you have guessed it right, by the standards defined by Parker himself. It is this journey that Taylor Hartford films in an entertaining way. Revenge, even when all the powers in the world stands against you, is a theme that will never go out of fashion. We all know Parker will succeed but we are not sure how. That is what makes the movie entertaining. The emphasis is not on action but on the search for Parker's partners. This is actually a relief if you look at the releases of Jason Statham, almost 2 movies every year. That is a whole of action in an year by one guy and a sure fire recipe for obsolescence.

Parker is an American. Why is Jason Statham playing a quintessential American hero? You will forget this question as soon as the movie starts. In all fairness, Jason Statham fits the character except the country of origin. Jason Statham has the screen presence to make us believe he can do when he is still recovering from wounds and broken ribs. He looks like an unstoppable force. Lastly, he also looks like the nut with the quirky sense of justice, honor, duty and what not! Michael Chiklis is a good choice as Melander because of his size. Parker should have a villain matching him. Although we look forward to the final confrontation between the two, it is over in seconds. If you are not attentive enough, you will miss most of the fun here. Jennifer Lopez plays Leslie Rogers, divorced, living with her retired Cuban mother and  struggling to make both ends meet. She likes Parker and interested in helping him for a share in the crime. She gets to crack some of the jokes in the movie and also amuses us by stripping to display her semi naked body. Nick Nolte plays Parker's mentor and confidante.

Go for it as this provides entertainment and a good diversion.

Language: English

Genre: Action

Rating: ***

For trailer, click here.

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Movie Review: Oblivion

A man living in a post-apocalyptic world gradually realizes the lies around which his world is built. If you already have a sense of deja-vu, then you are not the only one. We have seen similar themes several times before. I don't know why this theme is so attractive to a filmmaker when the genre is science fiction. This is what has inspired the director Joseph Kosinski while conceptualizing the movie. If you are wondering who Joseph Kosinski, his last directorial venture was Tron Legacy.

When you connect Joseph Kosinski to his previous movie, it is natural to conclude this one will also be heavy on Computer Graphics. If you have reached this point, I have one more surprise for you. The movie is based on an unpublished graphic novel by the director. So, the  stage is set for stretching imagination blurring the lines between real and virtual. This is where the director succeeds. We have breathtaking visuals, amazing locations and even a highly mesmerizing swimming pool (of course with a naked woman in it).

Tom Cruise plays Jack Harper. This is the second time he is playing a character named Jack in the past few months. Remember he was Reacher before and now Harper. Jack Harper is the guardian of natural resources constantly checking the installations, guarding them in person and using drones along with his colleague Victoria (Andrea Riseborough). The world is run over by alien life forms and hence the need for protecting the resources. Jack and Victoria forms an effective team with only 2 weeks of duty remaining on the earth. That is when everything goes wrong. One of the reasons for the snafu is the mysterious woman who keep appearing in Jack's dreams Julia(Olga Kurylenko) and the other a man named Malcolm Beech(Morgan Freeman).

Although the posters and previews might have given the impression of an action movie, there are very few action scenes. The focus is on the emotional turmoil of Jack Harper. This is what disorients a normal movie goer going in expecting the onslaught of adrenaline. For a drama, the movie feels very long because of the pace. The first act contributes to it. There is a lack of clarity on the villain which makes the audience leave the hall with a feeling of something amiss. As for the performances, there is nothing much to write about.

Stay away from this enterprise

Language: English

Genre: Drama

Rating: *

For trailer, click here.

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Movie Review: Olympus Has Fallen

The President of United States(Aaron Eckhart) and a group of high officials are held hostage in this action movie directed by Antoine Fuqua. When the White House is under siege, the duty to protect the president falls on the shoulders of a guilt-ridden ex-Secret Service agent Mike Banning(Gerard Butler). He has a desk job in the US Treasury overlooking the White House. The job and the office makes it convenient for him make a dash across the road to engage in the rescue operation. While kidnappers pushes US into brink of creating chaos in the world, the speaker of the house(Morgan Freeman) dons the cap of the President of United States of America during troubled times.

Die Hard in the White House. This will be the easiest way to relate to the movie. Antoine Fuqua creates the White House elsewhere and beautifully merge it with real thing using computer graphics to make it believable. He almost succeeds. The "almost" part because we know the carnage on the screen cannot be shot on real location and we are unable to suspend disbelief. As a regular moviegoer, we are easily able to overlook this fact. The visuals are stunning and the action choreography is good especially the scenes involving the takeover of the White House. But is the White House so poorly guarded? As a symbol of power, it is strongly etched into the brain that most of us will refuse to answer affirmative on the question.

Gerard Butler looks ill at ease in a stereotypical role of a fallen hero plagued with guilt. He gets to do action and also mouth one-liners. The one-liners generates chuckles not for the fun quotient instead for the stupidity quotient. They end up as forced instead of being natural and funny. Morgan Freeman and Aaron Eckhart are very comfortable in their roles although they have nothing much to contribute in this enterprise. The familiar faces of Angela Bassett and Robert Forster are wasted in a one-dimensional and predictable roles associated with this genre.

At the end of the day, the action and CG effects are good. The idea is to awe the audience. The movie is able to do in couple of sequences. You can watch it if you love this genre or if you do not have any other option.

Language: English

Genre: Action

Rating: **

For trailer, click here.

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Movie Review: This is 40

Turning 40 strains the relationship between a married couple, Debbie(Leslie Mann) and Pete(Paul Rudd). Bringing up two kids, struggling with their business and quirky parents add to their challenges. Their 13 year old is no longer adolescent with dramatic outbursts while their 8 year old is still a kid. Pete's record label is not successful while Debbie's boutique is losing money. Pete's dad(Albert Brooks) is dependent on him for money while Debbie's dad(John Lithgow) distances himself away from his daughter. All these factors comes in a collision path as Pete and Debbie turns 40.

Judd Apatow is adept at making comedies by building a script around a single issue. He concentrates on the humorous part of the issue. Turning older has been treated as the issue here. I like to call this a spin-off as the characters appeared in his earlier movie about accidental pregnancy, Knocked up. It is always fun to watch a dysfunctional family because we all connect to such families in our way. But Judd Apatow gives a mixed bag experience primarily because of the length of the movie. At 133 minutes, the movie is long. We may forgive the length if the script is built in such a way that events are smoothly transitioned forward. Instead, the movie ends up still, refusing to move forward at times, while it is filled with many funny scenes.

Still there are entertaining factors namely the performances of Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann. Their expressions are natural. They make a funny line into a hilarious one. They have great chemistry. All these factors actually make us overlook the slow pace and also make a serious scene into a comic one. Albert Brooks plays the role he has played many times before. John Lithgow has nothing much to add. Jason Segel and Megan Fox adds to the star quotient on the screen.

If you have nothing else to do, this provides a good escape.

Language: English 

Genre: Comedy

Rating: ***

For trailer, click here.

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Movie Review: Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

Chances are you have already read or heard about the German folklore involving brother-sister duo Hansel and Gretel. Tommy Wirkola takes the German folk-lore by slightly modifying the origin while keeping the essence and extends the story many years into the future. In the adapted or retold (depending on your viewpoint) version of the folklore, Hansel(Jeremy Renner) and Gretel(Gemma Arterton) are witch hunters as the name suggest. They are hired by a mayor of a small village plagued with disappearance of children. Here, they have to battle an evil witch(Famke Janssen) and also find out the truth about their past.

In the past few months, we have a lot of retelling of many stories. It was in last summer we had one of the influential and charismatic leader being portrayed as vampire slayer. So when a folklore is retold with the backdrop of witches and black magic, it is not much of a surprise. Unfortunately, the preposterous scenario fails to hold our interest in the opening reels itself. Ideally, a film like this should shock the viewers in the opening sequences. This shock helps the viewers to orient themselves into a new mode of story telling of a story they have heard many times. This never happens and the movie runs out of steam! Since the movie is in 3d, there are many tricks employed by the director like hurling objects right into your face. The director also tries to avert our attention by showing comically graphic scenes. Overall, these techniques do not help the movie.

Jeremy Renner, who usually is a dependable actor, is choosing the wrong scripts. This is one movie which he can neither salvage nor can make a difference. Famke Janssen has done similar role many times in the past. It is only Gemma Arterton who makes us smile in this boring enterprise. The smile is because of the foul language she uses. Here is someone who can be unlady-like.

Stay away.

Language: English 

Genre: Action

Rating: *

For trailer, click here.

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Movie Review: Die Hard 5: A Good Day to Die Hard

John McClane(Bruce Willis) finds out his son Jack McClane(Jai Courtney) is arrested in Russia. Jack has agreed to testify against a political prisoner and former billionaire Yuri Komarov(Sebastian Koch). So John lands up in Russia just in time for the trial. As soon as he reaches the courthouse, explosions rock the place initiating chaos all around him. In the midst of chaos, he finds Jack escaping with Yuri. Like always, John doesn't like to sit idle when trouble appears.

John Moore tells another episode in John McClane's life. The story unfolds in Russia. This time around, John is worried about his son Jack and not doing enough as a parent. It is also personal for John and hence the plot is reminiscent of the first in the series where his wife was trapped in the high rise. But that is where the similarity ends. There was a time John McClane used to be an ordinary cop in extraordinary circumstances who comes out victorious by either stubbornness or perseverance, depending on how you look at it. Those were the good old times. Now not only the circumstances are extraordinary but also John McClane is extraordinary. The simple fact takes the fun out of the series.

Like the immediate predecessor in the series, this one too offers a lot of unbelievable action pieces accomplished using CG. In order to show John is human, he bleeds. Except for the bleeding, nothing else happens to the man. He steps out of vehicles which has toppled multiple times without any broken bones. Both father and son jumps off a high rise, breaks the construction scaffolding, skids down multiple floors, destroys everything in their path and lands safely in a garbage bin. No, there are no broken bones here too. Talk about suspension of disbelief. This is taking it too far. The first chase sequence and the ensuing destruction is very hard to digest. Sometimes, you feel like watching an animation movie. Some of the stunts are well coordinated. But too much of anything is too bad. I am not even going to talk about the emotional bonding between father and son. At this point you have lost all the hope in the movie, even bad acting cannot make you guffaw.

The series is doing good in one way, the newer ones are hitting a new low than the previous ones. To summarize, it is a good day to die hard for the makers but it is a good day to die for the audience. Stay away from this. The sound of explosions and colliding cars can drive you mad if the bad acting doesn't do the trick.

Language: English 

Genre: Action

Rating: *

For trailer, click here.

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Movie Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Two misfits comes together to find peace and happiness. This forms the basis of the movie directed by David O Russell. David O Russell adapts a novel by Matthew Quick to tell the story on screen. Patrizio Jr(Bradley Cooper) is taken to his parent's house from a psychiatric care, by his mother(Jacki Weaver). Patrizio Jr shares a lot of characteristics with dad Patrizio Sr(Robert de Niro) especially the bad temper. Once Pat Jr is back at his home, he plans to getting back with his former wife Nikki. But there is a slight problem. Nikki already has a restraining order on Pat. When Pat meets Tiffany(Jennifer Lawrence) a young widow, both their worlds collide for better. But they do not realize it at first.

Like in his previous movie Fighter, David O Russell focuses on relationships. The situation of Pat and Tiffany is funny. Pat has bipolar disorder while Tiffany is a sex addict. Is there anything common between them except the neuroses? How do they come to tolerate each other despite the wrong things they say to each other? All these are comedic scenes. Yet David O Russell films it in such a way that we sympathize with the characters even when we are laughing at the dialogues and their reactions. Thanks to the director at the helm, the movie doesn't end up being one-dimensional.

The performances by Bradley Cooper as Pat Jr and Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany contributes significantly towards the movie. Bradley Cooper has a different role. He is known for his appearances in comedy movies. He has to shake all the preconceived notions about him and deliver a convincing performance. In short, he has a thin line to walk and he does the balancing act very well. Jennifer Lawrence has an interesting role but not a difficult one. It is her interaction with Pat Jr and the way she convinces Pat Sr which makes us notice her. Robert de Niro as Pat Sr has a role which he has played many times. Yet, he makes a difference towards the climax. At this point, we know why he was chosen for playing the role. Chris Tucker in a very short role invokes a laughter without boring us.

It is an emotional movie, recommended for a quiet evening.

Language: English 

Genre: Drama 

Rating: ****

For trailer, click here.

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Movie Review: Kadal

Two lovers are caught between the battle of ideologies, the good and the bad. The lovers are Thomas(Gautham Karthik), an orphan early in his childhood after his mother's death who is never accepted by his dad and Beatrice(Thulasi) who is a nurse working in a convent. The battle of ideologies is between Father Sam(Arvind Swamy) and Bergmans(Arjun). Incidentally, both were studying for priesthood but beliefs and events drove them apart.

When Mani Ratnam tells the love story from the viewpoint of Thomas, it results in picture perfect frames thanks to the photography by Rajiv Menon with interesting sequences. Unfortunately, the movie fails as a whole because of the lack of seamless transition or integration between the conflict of the elders and the love story. Because of this, the parallel tracks are sometimes  tiring as there is no real closure or suspense when the narrative changes to the other track. Like with all Mani Ratnam movies, the photography, the sets and the music (by AR Rahman) plays a major role in this one too. The beach, the fishing village and the church is where most of the movie is told. All the three reminds you of paintings. The scenes where Thomas learns the tricks of fishing is shot in such a way so as to take the breath out of you. The background score makes the conflict edgier.

Of the performances, it is Arvind Swamy as Father Sam who stands out. He has to play different phases, one where he finds peace in religion, the one he converts the local community with patience and finally of not losing the faith even when he is attacked from all fronts with no support. Arvind Swamy underplays all the phases sometimes with only knowing smiles deflecting the criticism, sometimes with confusion inline with the character and sometimes with anger. Gautham Karthik is good although the role isn't difficult. He excels in scenes where anger and frustration of Thomas comes to the forefront. Thulasi as Beatrice has the most difficult role. She is oblivious of her surroundings and has to show her childlike enthusiasm. She does not have a lengthier role. If she had a lengthy role, her act would have fallen flat. Arjun disappoints as Bergmans. It is a one-dimensional character oozing evil. Unfortunately, he is not able to rise above the script to impress.

This movie will be remembered only for the performances, the photography and the music. The movie tries to follow the middle path as a piece of art and an entertainer which turns out to be the biggest flaw. If you are a Mani Ratnam fan, there is no way I can stop you from seeing this movie. For the others, wait for the DVD.

Language: Tamil 

Genre: Drama 

Rating: **

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Movie Review: The Last Stand

An aging sheriff, of a sleepy little town near the US-Mexico border, has to put up resistance for an international criminal who is trying to flee US on a high speed car. While the criminal has all the resources that money can buy at his disposal, the sheriff only has a band of misfits. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as the aging sheriff Ray Owens and Eduardo Noriega as the fleeing criminal Gabriel Cortez.

At the core, it is a David v/s Goliath match. What makes this movie a passable watch is the direction by Kim Jee-Woon and the photography by Kim Ji-Yong. The movie has high speed car chases, stunts using the getaway vehicle, heavy duty gunfire, fistfights and bad acting. Essentially, there is everything you look for in a Schwarzenegger movie.

Although the action takes a while to pick up, the comic scenes by Luis Guzman and Johnny Knoxville keeps you smiling during the buildup. When the action starts, it is not the adrenaline that gets you. Instead it is the nostalgia of the old Schwarzenegger movies. All of it is there. Not necessarily in a better format. But definitely, in a form that will be satifsy the fans. When the chase ends up in the corn field, direction and photography comes into foreground. The chase and the hide-n-seek using the two cars - Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 and Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 - is worthy to be watched. 

Jaimie Alexander and Rodrigo Santoro plays the quintessential couple whose relationship is being tested amid the chaos. Forest Whitaker delivers one of the worst performances in his career as the FBI man.

This is for Schwarzenegger fans. If you are not one, I still recommend this if you have nothing else to do as there is no heavy duty thinking to be understand in order to understand this movie.

Language: English 

Genre: Action 

Rating: **

For trailer, click here.

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Movie Review: Jack Reacher

Christopher McQuarrie adapts the novel named "One Shot" by Lee Child for the big screen and also directs it. Jack Reacher is the hero created by Lee Child. The character already has a cult following. Given this in mind, it is herculean task to bring him alive on the screen. Christopher McQuarrie has to ensure adaptation turns out to be a good movie and thereby not only satisfy the fan base but also the regular movie goer. He finds a middle path to achieve this goal which makes the movie an interesting watch. The movie is about a man accused of shooting 5 innocent civilians in broad daylight and Jack Reacher(Tom Cruise) arriving in the city to solve the mystery. 

I haven't read "One Shot". But judging from all the books I have read so far from the Reacher series, the movie is bigger than the books. Lee Child unravels the mystery based on Reacher's conversations with other characters. The same happens in the movie but Reacher's conversation is a voice over the scenes thereby clearly telling the audience what happened. This works in setting the tempo of the movie. The dialogues in the novel by Lee Child is cheesy. Nobody in the real world talks like that. This is the second strength of the movie. The casting. 

Jack Reacher is 6 feet 5 inches where as Tom Cruise stands way below 6. Yet, Tom Cruise is able to get the essence of Jack Reacher and make us overlook many things with mixed expressions (sometimes deadpan and otherwise not) along with peculiar style of dialogue delivery. The same is true with Emerson played by David Oyelowo. David has more cheesy dialogues to say. But watch him say it and you may find respect for some of the lines. Robert Duvall as Cash and Richard Jenkins as Alex Rodin delivers a natural performance where the former plays a role which is written to endear the audience. It is Rosamund Pike as Helen Rodin who falls flat. Overall, the cast is good mix of people who over or under or rightly emote.

The director has taken special care during the introductory scene of Jack Reacher. Anybody who has read the novel immediately connects with the detachment of Reacher with materialistic possessions. The background music by Joe Kraemer is not loud but appropriate to elevate some of the key scenes and also the adrenaline levels.

This is a good escapist fare. 

Language: English 

Genre: Thriller 

Rating: ***

For trailer, click here.

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