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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