Eh Tha Tiger-aur uski Tigress!!

The Biggest Hit of the Year! The most anticipated release of the year and Salman & Katrina’s first BIG hit are few of the things that we have already associated with Ek Tha Tiger in the last 5 days since the movie’s release. The phrases that you may have also heard are-‘Salman’s looking too old now’, ‘There’s not enough action’ and ‘Katrina’s Hot’. One thing which is common among all of them is that hardly anyone is commenting on the actual content of the movie, which is what happens usually with BLOCKBUSTERS like these anyway, but more so because people are craving to see the stars already. After a long 7 and half months with hardly any BIG HITS, this comes as a breath of fresh air to people. The International Locales, The Seeti-Maaro Scenes and 2 of the biggest Box-office Churners in Bollywood on-screen together all adds up to the hype! And if a Salman Movie releases around Eid-it is a surefire formula for success even if the movie is crap as hell.

Not that this movie is that bad, but you know what I mean. The movie is about Salman aka Tiger who is a RAW agent, RAW- the secret service of India who are trying to defend the country every single day.  Of course, he is the volatile yet honest guy who would do anything for his country and always ready to take up a task. One of his missions involves him to spy on an ex-scientist who is suspected of having links with the Pakistanis. Here he meets Katrina aka Zoya who is the caretaker of our scientist’s household. Now Tiger is not someone who is easily distracted but will this mission be the end of him, or will he figure a way out and be loyal to his nation? That’s pretty much what the rest of the movie tries and answers in a clunky and for me at least, a disappointing manner. It makes matters of National Security a joke and the focus on the love story is honestly a bit too much to handle. The one thing I have been telling everyone about the movie is that the first half is good, but if you are disappointed about what happens at the interval, then the movie is finished for you. If you like the so-called ‘twist’ though, you will have an enjoyable 2^nd half as well.Salman and Katrina honestly lack the chemistry for this one, but make up for it by their good looks. I wish Salman would diversify a bit now and try something different as well because he does have it in him still. Katrina I was never a fan of in Boom, and till date my opinion remains unchanged. Good supporting cast as well but ultimately irrelevant.

This is ultimately time pass fare and a movie that I guess not many people would miss no matter what the review. I’m going with 2 out of 5 for Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger.

I honestly found Kabul Express and New York better than this.

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Cocktail-Three is not a crowd!

One of the most anticipated Hindi Movies of the year-Cocktail released this past week to mixed reactions from everyone. But even as everyone was contemplating what would be the fate of this movie-it had already earned 36 crores in 3 days making it among the biggest hits this year.

From the Director-Actor Duo who brought us 'Being Cyrus' and the Writer-Actor Duo who brought us 'Love Aaj Kal' the genres of those movies coming together itself is a reason to call this movie-Cocktail

Now this is certainly a romantic comedy, but the treatment is different. For one, there is hardly any background music throughout the movie-something which I was irritated about at first but gradually it grew on me. Secondly, the dialogue and screenplay feels real and not dramatic and over-the-top. There is this particular scene in the kitchen of their home where Saif is talking out a serious situation with Deepika and Diana and that could have been full of tears, drama and other such nonsense..But the way it has been shot is truly commendable. It says so much by saying so little.

The premise, I do not want too give away but of course,you must know by now that it is indeed a tale of 3 friends who are a little too close for comfort and when you have one couple among them, it certainly complicates things.

What I do want to talk about are the performances, because to be honest, the script is not top-notch. Neither is the music in the second half. What holds this movie together are the performances of EVERYONE involved. To start of with Saif's performance has been criticized by many for this film. But trust me, if there is anyone who makes you laugh the hardest-it's him. His timing and delivery will leave you howling with laughter for much of the first half. Secondly, Newcomer Diana Penty is a real find. She is not only simply stunning with her captivating presence on screen but also is not a bad actor-there is scope for improvement though but certainly Penty is better than her contemporaries of recent times(Fakhree-this means you).Thirdly Boman and Dimple-the pair who are playing siblings in the film are  expectantly brilliant with their performances and ensure they leave a mark with their short performances. I am hoping that Kaka saw this movie before he passed away and felt proud of what his wife is still capable of.

The Standout Performance as you might have guessed by now is our very own Deepika who delivers something that is certainly the best of her career. She is brash and bitchy as Veronica but handles the emotions oh-so well without making it seem too dramatic and keeping in tone with the movie.Trust me, her shedding her clothes for this movie doesn't take away anything from her performance but instead adds so much to her character. It's one performance that she will remember for a long time to come.

Overall, Cocktail is a breezy film that could have been a tad shorter towards the end, but nevertheless will keep you entertained and won't disappoint if your expectations were as much as mine.

I'm going with 3 out of 5 for Homi Adjania's Cocktail.

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Desi Summer Blockbuster:Gangs of Wassepur

As I begin to write this review, I just think that for these kinds of movies I am in such a dilemma. There are several reasons for me to feel this way. Firstly it is a movie that has been appreciated extensively by the West. It is a movie that has got mixed reactions right here in India and most of my close friends either like the movie or do not understand it. So at this juncture, it does cross one’s mind that do I play it safe and go with the review that people want to hear and what is pretty established about its perceptions, or do I give an honest opinion from my heart. I’m glad to say that for this one, I am certainly going with the latter to give you a different perspective and to tell you my experience in it’s entirety.

Anurag Kashyap is known to have mastered the ‘noir’ genre in Indian Cinema. He has been compared to greats like Tarantino and for good reason, although his consistency is still far from the people he is compared to. In the prologue of the movie you can see that he has thanked certain people to help inspire him to go back to his roots, which in my head is him smoking up and writing stories, but it also means making cinema purely for cinema and without any commercial expectations. This Film currently has recovered enough money to be called a hit, and with the sequel to release(yes, there is a sequel) in 2 months time, it will ensure that the movie earns way above it’s investment. But had it been that this movie released 10 years back when ‘Anurag Kashyap’ wasn’t a brand of filmmaking, this movie would have been down in the dumps, much like his most brilliant film ever-Black Friday.

But times have changed, audiences have changed and movies have changed and how! Gangs of Wassepur is a new-gen take on what is actually the oldest concept in Hindi Cinema-Revenge!!..it does not go all out like Zanjeer or Agneepath, nor does it go slick like Don, it’s just lazy, laidback and plays like a backstory actually, which is sort of the thing that I have the biggest problem with. It has made a movie of 2 hours and 45 minutes to say so little and is pending it’s conclusion in a sequel which is going to be equally long, and it’s not kine there is a lot to show really, it’s just that he has stressed on situations and characters in the movie who might not even have any consequence to the real story!!...

Too many characters, too many sub-plots, although lend entertainment to the movie no doubt, but could have been well avoided. Like my cousin, who I saw the movie with said, ‘Dude, you should smoke up and watch this movie’ and I agree, coz Anurag himself might have been in a trance-like state while making this. It’s too self-indulgent to be mainstream cinema and not like I have a thing against alternate cinema-I liked DevD and loved Black Friday from the same director, but this just a bit too extreme. I will certainly watch the sequel when it comes, and I hope all the characters they so painfully introduced in this film, will have some effect on the outcome of the story.

I cannot finish this review without mentioning the guy who holds this movie together, the most underrated actor ever-Manoj Bajpai. Sheer Genius is what you could call his performance in the film!.In every Frame, whether the situation is comical, dramatic or even romantic, this guy definitely delivers the goods and deserves all the accolades that he is getting. I won’t say too much but I hope he is there in the sequel as well.

Overall, I honestly do not know know whether to recommend you to watch this movie or not because a lot of my friends like it, and I don’t. I would suggest you watch Teri Meri Kahaani and let me know how that was ;-)

I’m going with 2.5 out of 5 for Gangs of Wassepur!!

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X-Men:First Class-Indeed!!!

No this is not the MARVEL hangover...this was in fact among the Biggest Blockbusters of Last Summer, and honestly I was surprised. This is a franchise that took off slowly but with each movie they have surpassed the people's expectations-especially with this one. This is a Prequel, and the 5th movie of the X Men Franchise, so one might think that this is just another cash card waiting to be en cashed at the Box Office and move on. It does not have the original actors and although they are characters we know, it's really hard to connect with a different actor playing your favorite character, right? Either that, or this creates a whole new dimension for your favorite characters and you start appreciating the franchise even more. That's what happened with me at least.

The Story takes you back to the Origin of the Leaders of the 2 factions-The X Men & The Brotherhood of Mutants that we know now under Magneto and Professor X, both having their own viewpoints about whether or not Mutants belong among Humans.
This gives a picture of their childhood, how they become friends and how they ultimately split due to their varied ideologies. Fassbender again is a revelation for me with him playing the younger magneto. Keeping my partiality aside(as my favorite character is Magneto as well), I must say that he has been a revelation and has taken this movie several notches higher. The angst, the confusion, the determination and the fall of Magneto have been perfectly depicted in the best way possible. He has lived Magneto in a way.

The rest of the ensemble have played their parts well and it was refreshing and surprising to see the relationship that Prof.X and Mystique share prior to the separation.
There is a certain Mutant who makes a cameo as well, and is a 5 second scene but will stay with you long after you have seen the movie-I guess that is indeed the sign of a good cameo.

Besides everything else, one must keep in mind that this is a period film as well a superhero film. Captain America did a bad job out of the combination( which also released last summer) but X Men:First Class shines out as a part of both Genres and also adds in the comedy, drama and thriller elements.

It's the kind of movie which you would not at all get bored of and there is something in each scene that will keep you wanting more. It's the kind of movie which will pleasantly surprise you with how good it really is.

And with sequels planned for X Men Origins: Wolverine and this movie as well, this franchise looks far from over and if they keep improving the way they have been, this might just go on to be the best superhero movie franchise ever!!!

I'm going with 4 out of 5 for X Men:First Class..Lives up to the name...

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Prometheus-A Sci-Fi with a soul!

One of the most anticipated summer blockbusters is finally here. Or is it??...firstly watching the movie in a theatre that was half empty on a Friday is really discouraging especially when you have a movie of this scale and magnitude from a studio you know won't disappoint with the visuals and deliver the 3D promises and ofcourse behind the lens is one of the most visionary Directors of our time-Sir Ridley Scott!..What went wrong with the ticket sales, I'm not sure, but what I can tell you is what went right and wrong with the movie. So read on...

Now Prometheus was actually a Greek Titan who was known to have created man from clay. This fits in so perfect with the title and the premise of the movie-it's absolutely perfect in hindsight once you have seen the movie. Reason, being that this movie is about the hunt for our origin. Where do we come from? Why are we here?...According to one of the movie's characters, the most meaningful questions a man has ever asked. And if in the near future we get a chance to explore this possibilty and discount God, would we do it??

A bunch of people in this movie do though.The year is 2089 and the two archeoligists discover a pattern that is found across civilazations that spanned thousands of years. Now they see this as an invitation to see their 'engineer' and they hop on on the Spacecraft aptly named Prometheus funded by a huge corporation to go and discover man's origin-to go where no man has gone before. Upon reaching there they see that things are not as simple as they would have hoped. A scientific exploration becomes a battle for their survival as a couple of the crew members unexpectedly die on their expedition. What follows is a sort of thrilling prequel to the Alien series but hopes for a sequel to Prometheus itself lingers around as there are still a few unanswered questions that should be answered in the sequel.

Now I haven't seen Alien and that may be a good thing in this case because I have no scale to compare. People who have seen Alien and then have seen this, seem to be a tad disappointed with the movie. My only comparison is with AVP which was HORRIBLE!!!

The movie is definitely good, no doubt about that, but it falils to be EPIC. The 3D is definitely impressive and the build up to the thrills is quite good, but I just wish that the thrills were not so few and far between.

Out of the cast it's Fassbender playing an Android who stands out. Theron is just wasted again really with a significant yet small part but lends the tiny bit of star power that is required for a film of this scale.

Overall it is definitely a must watch for people who seek a massive 3D Blockbuster this summer, but not necessarily for an action freak because like I said earlier, the thrills are few in number.

I'm going with 3.5 out of 5 for Ridley Scott's Prometheus!

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Snow White & The Huntsman!-A Twisted Fairytale

The Summer Blockbusters are here and we are kick starting with one of the most eagerly anticipated movies of the season starring Twilight’s Kristen Stewart as Snow White and Chris ‘Thor’ Hemsworth as the Huntsman in this unique twisted fairytale that is meant to be a ‘Dark’ take on the story. Now if you’ll remember ‘Red Riding Hood’-with it’s ‘New Moon-ish’ feel, failed badly to make a mark. Snow White & The Huntsman is no classic either, but first time director Rupert Sanders ensures that he is remembered for his visuals and drama(which is expected from the producers, Roth Films as well as this is their second movie after Alice in Wonderland).

Now the basic premise of the story is known to all of how the evil queen wanted to be ‘fairest of them all’ with only her step-daughter, Snow White in the way & the way she tried to trick her and kill her so that she can remain young forever. All this is certainly there, with it’s own twisted outtakes and brilliant cinematography and special effects. Credit should also go for the background score and sound mixing for giving it a contemporary yet classical sound that we associate Big-Ticket movies to be. It’s one of those movies which ensure that you feel the scale of it, even if it does not overwhelm you.

Now Charlize Theron is perfectly cast as the Evil Queen, but my only problem with her is that she overacts a bit too much in sections which makes her performance feel inconsistent inspite of her being brilliant in some of the scenes. Apart from that you cannot possibly have a woman looking like that at her age. Absolutely perfect. Chris Hemsworth seems to have carried on from Thor where the only thing is that an Axe has replaced his Hammer. He definitely draws a huge visual appeal but his acting skills can still improve(that being said, he was most impressive among the 3 with his acting). And ofcourse Kristen Stewart looks like she could be fairest in the land and looks much better than she did in any of the Twilight movies but as my friend aptly put-she seems to have a set of expressions which she just keeps reusing. The versitality is highly missing in her but again, for a movie like this, it does not matter that much to be honest.

*SPOILER ALERT*Do not read this if you do not want to-The Biggest Surprise Package has to be the dwarves-I mean, I was almost prepared to do away with 7 dwarves for 1 Huntsman, but the makers realized their importance and they really do create an impact. They are funny and ferocious and their relationship with Snow White is indeed a special one.

Overall, this might not be the Biggest Blockbuster of the season but if you are itching to watch even half an entertainer and you don’t have the patience to wait for the rest of the movies coming, then this might be a safe bet. It’s that kind of movie which isn’t really good, but not unwatchable either.

I’ll give it 2.5 out of 5.

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Ghostrider 2:Spirit of Blah!

It's a BANDH today, and therefore if you are chilling at home you would probably wanna unwind by watching a flick. I am going to help you make that decision today. Continuing with the MARVEL saga, we have one of the most unpopular heroes of Marvel-Ghostrider for his second outing at the cinemas.
The movie had released earlier this year to a decent box office response despite the first one being a dud and the critics and audience reviews were even worse than the first part.

Now if you have seen the first one, you are probably not to keen to watch this one, as was the case with me initially. But you know what, you mite just end up liking this one or at least finding it tolerable.
The reason I say this is because, with the first one there were expectations-HUGE expectations. The trailer looked phenomenal and with Nicholas Cage & Eva Mendes it looked like the dream Summer Blockbuster-Sadly it failed to live upto the hype. Now though, the franchise is down in the dumps and even an average flick seems better than what it really is.

Now coming to the movie.Firstly Eva Mendes is missing without so much of an explanation as to where her character has gone. Johnny Blaze is still the Ghost Rider but is in constant struggle to keep the Rider away at night, much like how Mark Rufallo tries to keep the Hulk away in Avengers.
Then comes the favorite word in the whole world for Johnny-A DEAL.A drunken priest-Mourau strikes a deal with Johnny to save a certain boy who has been captured by mercenaries who work for Roarke(The Devil who struck the deal with Johnny) and in exchange Mourau would help him remove the curse of the Ghost Rider. Johnny grabs this opportunity with both hands and things seem to go smooth enough with an obvious interaction with the boy's mom-Nadya as the three of them manage to escape from the mercenaries(one of whom is Nadya's ex) and go to the monastery where Mourau and the rest of the priests reside. Here Mourau honors his promise as well as there is an unexpected discovery of who really is the 'Spirit' that make him the Ghost Rider. Probably among the more interesting parts of the movie. After this there is a twist of tale as Nadya's ex returns as BLACKOUT, with powers to make the surroundings dark and decay anything he touches. At the end you know who really wins and it's Blah Blah again.

Now, the special FX in most parts of the movie are well done but whenever they focus on the Rider's Face, it seems tacky and unnecessary especially because they do it time and time again. Direction is sloppy and so is the writing. What carries this movie is the visual spectacle and Nicholas Cage as usual. It's so crazy though, and credible too, that Nicholas stars in so many flops but still manages to retain his market value, quite a rare thing considering the kind of movies he does.

Nevertheless watch the movie if you have already taken the first plunge in the series. You hopefully will not regret it.

I'm going with 2 out of 5 for Ghost Rider:Spirit of Vengeance.

P.S-I'm guessing The Ghost Rider will ditch his bike soon considering the steep hike in Petrol Prices ;-) Hehe...
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Captain America-The First Avenger-And also the worst!!!

Now looking at the title of this review, I firstly want to let you know that I am not going to bash this movie and demean it. But you have to keep in mind that I am comparing this film with the other individual Avenger movies and this one along with the first movie of Hulk is the worst of the lot.

Now Captain America has been one of the biggest comic books for Marvel, so the expectation to film was always going to be high. Secondly, I feel, that the biggest challenge that was faced by the makers was that he was a superhero from the past, and therefore it is not only a superhero film, but a period film as well!...And when it cam to the comic-The Avengers, he was the lead avenger as well..but that is only in the comic world...

Now coming to the movie, Bases around the times of the World War 2, Chris Evans plays Steve Rogers, a sickly thin malnutritioned boy who aspires to get into the US Army(amazing VFX work to make him look like that though), but has failed numerous times to do so. His brother being a part of the US forces obviously caused him jealousy but also triggered the aspiration even more. Eventually they pass him through a test only to find out that he is actually a part of a Government Experiment-which lucky for him, goes right and he becomes the real Chris Evans with the muscles et all. The same experiment was later tried by Hulk as we know which went horribly wrong. Now after this he becomes a mascot to promote war bonds, more than a real war hero-which is quite lame actually.
Now there needs to be a villian in order for the hero within to come out, and that is HYDRA from Europe which is actually an organisation that is after the 'Tesseract' and use it to fuel their 'World-Ending' inventions, and you'll know what I am talking about if you've seen avengers. How Captain America rises to the occasion and save the world is obviously what the rest of the movie is about.

There is a love interest as well in the form of Ms.Peggy carter played by the beautiful Hayley Atwell and their scenes together are among the better parts of the movie. There's familiar names in form of Stark Senior a.k.a Iron Man's dad who is quite prominent throughout the film.
Hugo Weaving makes his best villian outing since The Matrix and is one of the reasons you are able to sit through the movie.
Now my major issue with the movie is that firstly, it's very slow for a superhero film. It doesn't ever feel like one to be honest because of the pace of a World War kind of film which also makes the action very limited and the special effects at a minimal. Apart from that, Captain America itself is quite sad. He doesn't seem to have any super powers except that he can use his shield really well and that too the shield is a STARK product. So you know what I' talking about. It's not ebtirely unwatchable and is necessary for the continuity to The Avengers most definitely but I hope the sequel which is planned is more fast-paced and has something new to offer.

I'm going with 2 out of 5 for Captain America!...
P.S. Don't forget to watch the credits...

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THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN-4 MINUTE PREVIEW!

THOR-A Superhero like no other!!

The Latest Marvel Superhero to hit the screens last year was Thor, and he is a superhero like no other. Reason: he is a GOD, the god of thunder actually who is strong and powerful but also arrogant of his own abilities.He definitely looks like he could take a pack of supervillians and destroy them but like all superheroes, you have to take the fall before you rise up, and Thor is no different.

This was actually made as a build up movie for the Avengers and it could easily been just another movie. But this movie delivered BIG TIME. So much so that they have 2 sequels planned already and trust me, I am really excited about it.The biggest reason is because of Chris Hemsworth who brings out the character to an absolute connect in both, the action scenes as well as the scenes where he is just another muscular guy.

Now coming to the premise-Thor is from Asgard, another 'Realm' altogether. He is a God and is the heir to the throne of Asgard but is banished to earth by his father due to his arrogance of wanting to attack Jotenheim, home of their enemies, The Frost Giants. Now his brother, Loki, like you'll would know if you'll have seen Avengers is no sweet guy. And in this movie too, it's Loki who is behind the downfall of his brother. How Thor manages to live on Earth, strike a friendship with the beautiful Natalie Portman who finds him on Earth and ofcourse returns to Asgard to save it from sure destruction is what the rest of the movie is all about.

It's a typical ending, but the continuation to Avengers and the prospect of Thor 2 and 3 makes it really exciting. The scene that strikes you the most is when he wants to get his hammer out of a rock on earth and fails. It's a scene where you awe at Chris' performance and his muscles at the same time. It's what these movies are made for, emotional connect with the super fun factor.

Natalie plays the role of a girl next door to perfection and looks the part too. I was seriously disappointed that she wasn't there in Avengers but I'm glad that she's going to come back for the sequels. Loki though, will have lost respect in the upcoming movie especially after what Hulk did to him :-p Haha...

All in all, it's among the better Marvel Superhero movies and you will definitely find it a treat to watch!!

I'm going with 3.5 out of 5 for Thor...

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The Avengers-Lives up to the Hype!!

The wait is over!!One of the most Hyped movies in Superhero Film History opened up for viewers 2 weeks back in India and just a week back in the US to a thunderous Box Office record and some rave reviews as well...So does this movie live up to the hype, or is it just cashing in on fans of the various films..well, just like Marvel's most movies are-This one does not disappoint....

Bringing together an ensemble like this, is no easy task, not only am I referring to the number of Actors on Screen but the sheer scale of the characters...While you have the more recent, Captain America and Thor of last year on one hand, you have modern day idols like Bruce Banner aka The Hulk and ofcourse the Genius, Flambuoyant and Super Awesome Tony Stark aka Iron Man!!....Hawkeye and Black Widow, although vital, seem to be add-ons in the film, but don't make you feel like they have no role to play...I particularly liked Scarlett's opening scene where she speaks Russian and it sounds so good that you don't care what it means...this one's for the guys out there I'm afraid.

For the girls ofcourse, there's plenty options...

Now the premise would make total sense to you, if you have seen ALL of the movies related to the characters, especially Captain America and Thor as it released just last year as a purpose for a build up to this movie. The Super Villian is non other than Loki-Thor's half brother who he let go off but who comes to Earth to destroy the world(nothing new there I know)...but it does not feel like you've seen the premise before...

The presentation is fresh, and each character gets an equal amount of attention. Mark Ruffalo takes over from Edward Norton and although his caracter as Bruce is average, THE HULK itself is the best you've ever seen...He's funny and ultimately takes away all the applause of the audience. I particularly liked him in one scene where Loki seriously is trying to make him understand the implications of harming him,. and HULK just starts smashing him all around the room...It's a scene that will not go out of your mind easily....
Captain America is boring again! I don't particularly like him, but he does manage to fit in as a part of the ensemble.
Thor is definitely one of my favorite superheroes as of now. He has carried on brilliant form from his individual movie as well(More on that in my review of Thor).
But the one man, who you cannot stop loving is TONY STARK-Robert Downey Jr. has ensured that he will play Iron Man forever and any other person even trying to do so in the future will be doomed!!...He's as good as ever....

The best bits of this movie is ofcourse in the last half hour where all hell breaks loose...These 30 minutes are the reason to watch this movie in 3D, or else the experience just isn't complete.

It's a visual delight, and the story is not compromised in anyway. There's definitely an Avengers 2 coming(don't walk out even when the credits are rolling), and we have Iron Man 3, Thor 2 & even Captain America 2 planned for...So it's just the beginning of what could be one of the best superhero franchises ever....

I'm going with 3.5 out of 5 for The Avengers!!!!!Watch it in 3D!!!!!!

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The Descendants-Clooney all the way!!!

5 Oscar nominations:

Jim Burke,Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor-Best Picture
George Clooney-Best Actor
Alexander Payne-Best Director
Kevin Tent-Best Editing
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash-Best Adapted Screenplay(Winner)

It's not rare at the Oscars that the movie that you like the most does not end up winning, or gets ignored altogether.It's not rare that an Actor who you have grown up seeing acting more brilliantly with each passing movie is shunned for the one category he most deserves to win. It's not at all rare at the Oscars.
The Oscars have always been funny in a way. They definitely recogise gems and most deservedly award the statue to the most eligible. But shouldn't it be given to the most capable??
I'm sorry for beginning on such a negative note on the credibility of the Oscars, but when you see gems like these, it's tough to understand the Academy sometimes. Anyway let's get down to the review..
Nominated for 5 Oscars and Winner of 1, The Descendants is Alexander Payne's best work yet, with my previous favorite being Sideways ( again an Oscar Nominated Film).
Matt King, george Clooney's character in the movie is a Land Baron in Hawaii who is planning to sell of a huge chunk of Paradise that he and his siblings had inherited and are going to cash in on the biggest deal of their lives. Meanwhile, Matt King's wife, Elizabeth meets with a boating accident and is is Coma. Having not exactly been close to his 2 daughters, Matt now faces the daunting task of taking care of them and breaking the seriousness of their Mum's condition pone step at a time. In the meanwhile they discover things from Elizabeth's past and reveal more of themselves to each other as well. It;s the perfect family comedy drama without actually beinhg over the top. It's subtle and it's smart and that's what works best for the film.
Nominated for Best Actor and probably the most deserving, George Clooney delivers what could be his best performance yet and although he was wearing hawaiin flowery shirts tucked into his cotton trousers...The girls around me were still drooling over him(Dont Ask Me Why).the girls who play his daughters have done a fairly decent job too.
Now coming to the Oscar they actually won-Best Adapted Screenplay-Well, The Descendants is actually based on a novel of the same name which was written by Kaui Hart Hemmings. I have not read it and I don't know how much of the dialogue is actually from the book, but the screenplay is absolutely amazing-it's funny and it's quick. Extremely well written.
The descendants is the kind of movie you can see without the aura of being an OSCAR nomination movie. It's breezy and light and when it gets heavy, it does hit you..just the way a good movie should.
I'm going with 4.5 out of 5 fot The Descendants.

Dont Miss This One!!!

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The Iron Lady-Not Related to Robert Downey Jr!!



2 Oscar nominations:

Mark Coulier-Best Makeup(Winner)
Meryll Streep-Best Actress(Winner)

It's not often that movies win in every category that they are nominated for. But indeed for The Iron Lady it was exactly that. While Streep was the clear choice in the Best Actress category, Mark Coulier surprised even the makeup artists of Harry Potter to bag the award. So it was a good Oscar Night for them indeed.But why would a movie with such acting prowess not even be nominated for Best Film and many such categories..Well Read on.

The Iron Lady, for those who are unaware, is a biopic on the life of UK's First Female Prime minister-Margaret Thatcher. She was known as a lady who had a very controversial term at office and also an equally controversial personal life. Now, the movie is basically based in the present where she is an aged old lady living alone and suffering from Alzheimers. She is constantly imagining and speaking  to her dead husband, but those are the scenes that probably have the deepest effect on the viewers. The rest of her story-the younger life are all in flashbacks and althogh it is extremely interesting and a delight to watch with Streep at her best, it does not give you an insightful look into her life like a biopic should. Nevertheless, it definitelytells you a bit about how life was for a female prime minister who had to even compromise to the extent of letting her husband go for what shw wanted to achieve. She is ambitious and ruthless and NEVER takes no for an answer. It's definitely a character that will etch in your mind.

Now both the Oscars won are so well deserving and complement each other so much as well. How??..>Well The make up is brilliant. Streep is practically Thatcher herself.The look is so damn realistic. And beneath all that make up the real Streep manages to express herself in so many ways with not only her prosthetic makeup but also her body language. it's my favorite performance of hers since The Devil wears Prada.

Overall it's a movie that is surely worth watching, but only for the brilliant brilliant acting of Streep.
I'm going with 3 out of 5 for The Iron Lady.

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Bridesmaids-A Serious Comedy!!

2 Oscar Nominations:

Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo-Best Original Screenplay

Melissa McCarthy-Best Supproting Actress

It's not an unknown fact that comedies or rather chick flicks do not stand a chance at the Oscars. Forget winning, even securing a nomination is nearly impossible. But last year's hillarious and serious movie-Bridesmaids was taken seriously enough for atleast 2 nominations. Some might argue that they didn;t get nominated for the top awards, but what the hell..It's not like they stood a chance against the more 'Oscar-Like' movies anyway.But the fact that this film secured these two nominations shows that atleast a part of the Academy is coming of age.

Predictably not winning either of the awards in their respective categories(Best Original Screenplay Winner-Woody Allen,Midnight in Paris & Best Supporting Actress Winner-Octavia Spencer,The Help) this movie is still probably among the most entertaining movies of last year. And I don't just mean 'Leave your brains behind' kinda thing...This genuinely makes you laugh and genuinely involves you in the seriousness of it.

The movie is about 6 friends, one of who is getting married(Lilian) and the disastrous lead up to her wedding. The misfortune ofcourse centers around our central character(Annie) who is played by Kristen Wiig, the oscar nominated writer of this very film. That is probably the best thing that worked for this film as she knew exactly how to express her writing. It's a twisted turmoil where in scenes you don't know whether to laugh or cry. And that's not because you would be confused. it's because all these emotions flow through you at the same time!!...Anyway coming back to the story, Annie has a rival who wants to be the maid of honor, Lilian's new best friend-Helen who upstages and sabbotages everything that Annie does. this involves everything from catfights to screaming wars to even creating a situation where everyone is shitting in the basin of a bridal store!!...Sounds gross, yes...but this is a ride that you have got to take. And all the other bridesmaids do serve as main elements at different stages in the movie but nothing that I'd like to get into the details of. Ofcourse I can't help but mention Melissa Mccarthy's Oscar nominated role of Megan who is the future sister in law of our bride-to-be Lilian. She is absolutely hillarious in every scene that she comes and she makes sure that the smile stays on for long. Definitely a nomination well deserved.

Overall I would say there are two ways of looking at this film:

1. It's a Comedy with a lot of Serious moments.

2. It's a Serious Movie that's way too funny..

However you see it, I'm going with 4 out of 5 for Bridesmaids.

This is One Oscar Nominated Movie that should not be missed!!!

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Ekk Deewana Tha-Perfect Romance My A**

It's amazing how apt the title of a movie can be with a reference not only to the story or the plot but in this case the storywriter, the actor and the director as well....and of course, me as well for actually wasting my hard-earned money on THIS!!

It's not that it's not entirely a unwatchable movie-don't get me wrong, but the so called twists and turns of the movie piss you off more than it surprises you. It's a twisted love story that actually has so much potential, but it seems like everyone related to the movie was hellbent on seeking revenge on the producers and try and make this as bad as possible...

The story is of a Hindu Boy and Christian girl who are neighbours and have a romance developing like a gas on low flame, taking their own time and without any major heat. There are ofcourse, objections from parents, the difference in caste issues, and not to forget, the fact that she is elder to him as well.

It's all predictable for the most of it, and the parts that are not you would not even want to predict!!...

It's also amazing how some shots of Goa were disguised as being shot in Mumbai...I mean who does that nowadays!!...the scenes in kerala are decent enough and mildly interesting as that is one state that is hardly captured on film in hindi movies.

Now coming to the cast,

Prateik for some reason had all the young girls in the theatre screaming their heads off for him. i absolutely do not understand this for 3 reasons:

1. He does not look good,

2. He can't act,

3. He is SPACED all the time!!...

Basically you know by this that I hate the guy...ofcourse he does have a good body but this ain't a body building competition.

Amy Jackson has shed the bikini umage of her modelling days completely and has stuck to below rs.1,000 sarees throughout the film, which she still carries off to a certain extent but leaves much to be desired. Her voice has definitely been dubbed but for a foreign import, this was quite a decent performance from her for her first film.

There's also Amy's character-Jesse's uncle in the movie who makes an impact in the couple of scenes that he does appear with his frantic Malayalam, but sadly I do not know his name.

Rahman too seems to have been bored while composing music for the film barring the track that is quickly climbing the charts-Hosanna.

The tagline says-A Perfect Romance, More or Less-And after watching the film I can certainly say this..

Perfect Romance, My A**...Take your GF/BF for this and they WILL break up with you, I'm serious!!..

I'm going with 1.5 out of 5 for Ekk Deewana Tha...Guess the xtra 'K' didn't help after all...

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Ek main aur Ek Tu-More than just 'What Happens in Vegas'

When I first heard of this movie, I heard all sorts of stories that this is a copy of the Ashtom Kutcher-Cameron Diaz starrer-'What Happens in Vegas' and from the promos it did look like that!!...Also 20 minutes in the movie and you would again feel the same, but that's where the similarities end!!

'What Happens in Vegas' is not one of my favorite movies but I'm glad this took a different and fresh route. The story is of 2 weeks in Imran Khan's character-Rahul Kapoor's life and how it changed the rest of his life completely. While he is a high society product, and an architect whose without a job, Kareena's character is completely different from his. She is a high spirited hairdresser and lives life as it comes. Now similarities with Jab we Met are there, yes. But it genuinely is fresh and different on screen. While you would expect this movie to follow a typical romantic comedy structure, it surprises you by taking a different turn each time which sometimes might leave you pleasantly surprised but at times a little underwhelmed. It has a topsy turvy kind of feel to it and doesn't leave you disappointed at the end.

Now the chemistry between Imran and kareena is surprisingly good. There is definite chemistry and a feel that was definitely missing in a movie like probably 'Anjana Anjani' where such chemistry was required but not achieved. These two take the movie till the end and even overshadow some of the senior actors like Ratna Pathak Shah and Boman Irani, who play Imran's snobbish parents.

Among the supporting cast Kareena's dad-played by Nikhil Kapoor is probably the coolest dad you will ever see on screen and the scenes with him are absolutely the funniest in the movie.

There's also a cameo by Ram Kapoor which would make all our parents happy for sure!!

Overall the only thing lacking in this movie is a script that flows easily. It is tedious at times and not exactly as mushy as you would expect a valentines release to be...

Overall it's a good watch, keeping the season in mind. Go and have a good time at the movies.

I give it 3 out of 5.

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Coriolanus-Shakespeare with a Twist!!!

There is something extremely interesting about all of William Shakespeare's work. They are extremely similar in the sense that they all involve betrayal, death or loss of power. It's DRAMA at it's best and noone captured it better than him for stage which now have been made into some brilliant adaptations with modern day versions like Romeo + Juliet or closer home, Maqbool and Omkara. Coriolanus is another one of his brilliant works but debut director, Ralph 'Voldemort' Fiennes takes the daunting challenge of not only adapting  the play into a modern day setup, but also star in the pivotal role which by no means is a easy task.

Now Ralph's character in the movie is that of a Roman Soldier whose somwhat like a dictator of sorts but a hero nevertheless. He has done more for the country than your average Joe in terms of defending the very ground that is his birthplace, but make no mistake, he does not do this for the people. In fact, he despises them. Ultimately even his heroism gets overshadowed by his sheer arragance and disregard for the common man, and is banished from the very place he fought all his life to protect. Even his fellow politicians and his own mother are manipulative enough in the process and there is nothing that can save him from being banished.

Now I'm sure you've seen the poster above and are wondering where Gerard Butler fits into all of this. Well, he is Coriolanus's sworn enemy, Tullus who ultimately becomes his ally to seek revenge on Rome and post this what happens is typical Shakespeare which is a good thing if you are a fan of his like him.

Now the one real problem in this movie is 'language'. Every dialogue is recited just like the play in Shakesperean English, without subtitles whatsoever, so it can get a bit frustrating at times as you have to give the movie your undevoted attention if you do not want to miss out on anything. Apart from that it's a stellar performance from the debutant director who is absolutely amazing with his acting as well. butler is decent as he has nothing much to do honestly but definitely makes his presence felt in his brief role.

I'm going with 3 out of 5 for Coriolanus....

Ironically both the movies I saw in jan were real similar-Agneepath and Coriolanus in terms of basic plot and the REVENGE factor. and with grey shades in all characters involved. So now here's looking forward to this month's releases. it's Valentine's Month, so you can be assured that there are some great chick flix coming up. just stay tuned and.....

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Agneepath-Return of the Angry Young Man!!!

Kar Shapath,Kar Shapath,Kar shapath....Agneepath,Agneepath,Agneepath!!...These lines of poetry by Harivanshrai Bachchan might sound familiar to a lot of people thanks to the original movie as well as Amitabh's rendition of it on KBC numerous times....It's a poem that was the inspiration for not just the title but the emotions and decisions of our very own Vijay as well...Now before I get started, I must say that this review is completely individual and will bear no comparison with the original.Reason being that I honestly haven't seen it...So that is good in a way to give an unbiased review I guess...so let's get down to it...
It's been a week since this released in cinemas and is making the money that it expected for sure...While some people are finding the length too long, others seem to find it too old of a plot to be relevant today.The first bit, yes I agree that the length could have been shorter keeping in mind the sensibilities and patience of audiences today...but the latter I absolutely disagree with.
The retro strory of typical Bollwood Ishtyle Revenge is what is the high point of this movie and you can still get a charge by the emotions even today as well.The raw action is what people have been craving for rather than wires and stunts done in front of green screens. if that wasn't the case, then movies like Singam, Dabanng and Wanted would have not done as well as they have, and therefore that's something that goes down well with me about the movie.
The story is a typical revenge story where Hrithik's character, Vijay Deenanath Chauhan is out to avenge his father's death against the evil villian, Kancha and the movie is the journey of how it all happens.
 One of the most chilling and well shot scenes is thje initial one where Vijay's dad passes away.It's heartbreaking and you can feel the pain that Vijay is going through as a mere 12 year old boy. It's a scene which is re-visited time and again in the movie and stays with you for long.
Another of my favorite scenes from the movie is when Hrithik renders the super famous Vijay Deenanath Chauhan dialogue on a beach in Mumbai during ganesh visarjan while stabbing his childhood rival repeatedly. It's a scene that guarantees the seetees.
While Hrithik's intro shot reminded me a lot of Krrish, I still tried to keep those painful memories away and I must say that this is one of Hrithik's best performances to date. i do not know how Amitabh acted in the original but I guarantee you that you will love Hrithik as Vijay as well.
Sanjay Dutt is terrifying as Kancha and although his acting is not quite up to the mark, the 'Voldemort' look-alike looks take him through as the perfect villian for the movie.
The surprise package has got to be Rishi Kapoor who we are not too used to seeing in a negative role but he does his role to perfection as Rauf lala-a drug and human trafficer.
Now in the midst of all this it seems like Katrina and Priyanka were playing a game of-'Who is more irrelevant?' in the movie because Chopra literally has just a 15 minutes role and Katrina's item number is far from being hot!!!...
Overall, a movie that will take you back to the good old simple days of Bollywood Masala and definitely worth a watch with a huge group, in the theatre where you know there's going to be a lot of people making a lot of noise.I'm going with 3.5 out of 5 for Karan Malhotra's Agneepath!!

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I am Number 4-not in ratings unfortunately!!

Michael Bay is no stranger to Sci-fi thrillers having directed the very famous Transformers series...Unfortunately as a producer, his touch is clearly missing. I am number four is the kind of movie that fits into a few genres such as thriller, sci-fi and even a touch of teenage romance.And if you haven't figured it out already, that precisely is the biggest problem with this film.
John Smith( Number 4 ) is one among 8 special being from an alien planet who have escaped from there for the future of their kind and save themselves from the mogadorians. He lives with his so called dad and moves from city to city in order to be safe. The tension heightens when 3 of the people from his planet die in sequence and he is indeed number 4, next on the list. He must not only save himself, but protect the rest and some closed ones too.
The obligatory romantic track is kind of sad, but is a good distraction from the actual story which can get boring sometimes.
Although the story is a bit of a drag, this movie still managed to accumulate a lot of one in the box office and knowing that this is inspired from a book series of 6 books, one can safely assume there is more to come. The biggest disadvantage though is that they have created a sad reputation for the franchise with just one movie...Can the next on be a turning point, or will it be the same as this...only time will tell...
Till then, I would certainly not reccomend this movie to anyone unless you are absolutely in love with sci-fi.
I'm going with 2 out of 5...

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The Green Hornet-A superhero comedy!!

About the same time last year, this movie had hit theaters. It was another 3D movie and with an unlikely cast of Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz and Chinese Singer and Actor, Jay Chou. Also co-written by Seth Rogen this movie has his signature style of a laid back black comedy mixed with some action in the middle. Also of course is entwined the superhero part which doesn't quite fit together but is pretty good in bits and pieces.

The story follows the life of Britt Reid ( Seth ), a spoilt brat who had a bad childhood and all the money in the world.He is introduced as a character who is brash and the said lifestyle a result of the lack of love and attention from his dad ( played by Tom Wilkinson ) which resulted him in getting drunk every night and of course, sleeping with different girls. The twist in our protagonist's life occurs at the loss of his father which leads to an unlikely relationship with his official 'coffee maker'-Kato who is literally an example of being more than what meets the eye. He is funny and slick and probably a key factor in helping this movie stay together.
Reid's disinterest in his Dad's empire leads to a crazy idea of developing an anti hero to save their city. The name of course is The Green Hornet and along with Kato, they paint the town green. Add to it a funny yet ruthless villain and we have a drama all set to take place.
Cameron Diaz's presence is highly questionable in the movie but I must agree that she is a sight for sore eyes. And James Franco's cameo in the beginning is simply brilliant...
Overall it has all the elements that you would want from a blockbuster but they don't always get it right.
While Kato's action scenes are slick, his relationship with Reid is comical and yet has a certain charm to it...But what this fails in is striging it all together effectively.
Also this movie could have easily been at least 20 minutes shorter and it would have been so much better.
Not a bad watch at all I would say, and it's quite watchable.
I'm going with 2.5 out of 5 for the green hornet.

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