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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