Spotlight-Winner of 2 Oscars!!

I must begin by saying that I avoided watching this movie for the longest time. I knew the basic premise and I knew it dealt with controversies of the church, and although I may not be catholic in my faith, but still, there was a hesitation since I DO go to a church and believe in the Christian faith. I must say though,after watching the movie, that I did not feel uneasy about my faith one bit. Because this is not about God or Christianity, but the so-called representatives of God, who just bring shame to the name of religion and humanity. Based on Actual events, and nominated for 6 Academy Awards, Spotlight won Best Picture & Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars....and deservedly so.

Spotlight is the story of a core investigative team of journalists working for a Boston Daily, whose main job includes investigating a single story which may take weeks to sometimes months of research. When their newly hired Editor-in-chief instructs them to take on the project of sexual abuse allegations by a Catholic Priest , they are hesitant, but on uncovering some layers, they get more more deeper into a hole they did not know even existed. They are challenged with their faith, their families, and the risk of delving in uncharted territory of Journalism.The results, at times, are not to their liking, or the audiences in general, but that's where the movie is truly victorious.

Now let me say this, although no one was expecting Spotlight to win, I do believe that it was well deserved. No, I'm not saying this coz they already won. I'm saying this because this is a hard story to tell with a neutral standpoint. Although,it is a story that definitely should be told. Being religious is not wrong. Believing in your Priest is also not wrong. But when there is a wrong-doing, it should be brought to light so that other people might be more cautious. Even in Kerala, India there have been many cases of child abuse by Priests, which have been swept under the rug. But this should stop, and soon!! That is exactly what these group of journalists wanted, and so did the film makers.

Mark Ruffalo is definitely the highlight of the cast but all-in-all it is a great ensemble. The real journalists on this must be really proud of the way they have been portrayed.

I'm going with 4.5 out of 5 for Spotlight. Definitely see this one. It's entertaining, hard-hitting and engaging.

Also, Below is a link of the Real article published in the Boston Globe Newspaper on Jan 6th 2002.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/special-reports/2002/01/06/church-allowed-abuse-priest-for-years/cSHfGkTIrAT25qKGvBuDNM/story.html

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The Big Short - Winner of 1 Oscar!

Remember the Recession?? The thing we used to make fun of and use as an excuse when we wanted to spend less money! Wonder what caused it or what caused a huge downward spiral for the World's Greatest Economy?? Based on True Events, The Big Short, adapted by the Book of the same name, has some answers.

The film follows 3 parallel stories of how these Genius Bankers had predicted the fall of the mortgage market in 2008, well before it actually happened, and wanted to cash in on it by shorting on the market. In other words, they were going to bet against the one thing that the US had never had a problem with in the past, and that was, the payment of  Loans in the Housing Sector. People think they are stupid to do so but gladly accept their investment because it was like someone was giving them charity. But if what they had predicted would come true, then the returns were going to be astounding!!!

Now this is no The Wolf of Wall Street. It's not as racy or fun. But what they were dealing with here was much more serious. It was to be a pivotal point in American History. They were basically looking to cash in on America's downfall. If people were to lose their jobs and become homeless, they win!! In some weird way, this is a satire of sorts. One that does take itself too seriously at times.
There is a lot of Financial Technical Jargon in this Movie, but don't worry, the makers of the movie recognize the same and have some unique cameos by Celebrities explaining a few terms in the most 'easy to understand' manner. It definitely adds the dose of humour too. Towards the end though, you still might feel a bit lost if you were a Science student in college!!

Now coming to the Oscars. The Movie was nominated for 5 Oscars including Best Editing, Directing, Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Christian Bale, but the only one they won was for Best Adapted Screenplay, which to a certain extent, was fair enough. This movie's writing is what drives it through in spite of it being a rather serious and somewhat non-patriotic movie. It's not an easy subject to handle.

The cast is super-star-studded. But the 2 who really stood out for me were Christian Bale and Steve Carell. While Christian Bale is amazing as an awkward Metalhead Investment Banker it's Steve Carell who truly surprises you because he has always had this comic image, and he steers away from that so well an the cynical and angry Banker who doesn't trust anyone!!

Overall it is a Good Movie, but not a Great One. It tells a Great Story and one we must know for sure. But among the Best Films of the Oscars, this one was definitely a bit short.

I'm going with 3.5 out of 5.

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The Revenant - Winner of 3 Oscars!

Revenant: A person who has returned, especially supposedly, from the dead.

Probably the most talked about Movie about the Oscars, was 'The Revenant' for more reasons than one. The First and Foremost reason was of course the nomination of Leonardo Dicaprio for the 6th Time at the Oscars and for once, was the favourite to win it. Secondly, the  movie had the most nominations of the night-12 to be exact. And was also the favourite to win Best Film. And Lastly, It was the second year running a 'Alejandro Inarritu' Movie was favourites at the Oscars(after the critically acclaimed, 'Birdman' last year).

Inspired by true events, the Revenant tells the story of American Explorer, Hugh Glass, abandoned by his fellow mates, after being attacked brutally by a Bear. The harsh brutality of his experience is chilling enough and set across the backdrop of 19th century America, this Movie undeniably makes you go through so many emotions, as you see Hugh Glass going through them. It is the ultimate story of human spirit, will power and what a man is capable of when there's no other option!!

Now let's get this straight, this through and through is Leo's movie. He owns it!! Without him, this movie would have still been good, but definitely not great. Every expression, be it of discomfort, anger, disappointment, happiness and even Love is expressed with such ease that you really feel for him in every scene. Mind you, he does speak very little but his silences sometimes speak louder than words. It is debatable whether this is his Best Performance Ever or Not( personally I loved him more in 'The Wolf of Wall Street'). But this Oscar for him was definitely a long time coming. If he would not have won this year, I think the Academy would be shamed even more than the 'White Oscar' controversy.

The movie won 3 Oscars in total-Best Actor, Cinematography & Director making Alejandro Inarritu a 2 time winner and a record breaker! With all the attention being stolen by Leo, people didn't notice that he won this award two consecutive years and became the first person in 65 years to do so. He also is the first ever Mexican to achieve this feat ( wonder what Trump feels about that ;) ) . Although Birdman wasn't my favorite movie last year but I thing he definitely deserves it for this one.

This is a long movie though, and is definitely slow paced But for all Leo fans this is certainly a must-watch. It's also not necessarily a movie for the faint hearted but people who have an appetite for Good Cinema, please make sure you see this one if you already haven't.

I'm going with 4 out of 5 for this one!

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ROOM-Nominated for 4 Oscars!

In a day and age where technology defines us, social media interactions are almost vital to survival and travelling and seeing the world is the global trend, ROOM comes as a shocker to say the least.

Room is the story about a young mother who is imprisoned in a shed with her son, Jack who knows no outside world apart from the stories his 'Ma' tells him or the television, which he does not know is filled with real people!  This is his reality! His Ma tries to make life as normal as possible and in spite of nightly visits by their captor, his sanity, to a certain extent, is intact within the Room. The question though  is, can they escape this Room? And if they can, then how would they be able to cope with the Real World after being so detached from it!!

Room is not just a story of the relationship between a Mother and her son. It is a story about strength and survival. It's a movie that is so open to interpretation that you really do ponder on what our 'Room' is!!  Irish director, Lenny Abrahamson has successfully steered the movie however he wants to, Extracting sympathy, frustration and even Joy, although in it's fleeting moments.

The movie is up for 4 Oscars including Best Picture, but the category where they have their biggest strength and could potentially be their only Oscar for the night is Brie Larson for the Best Actress in a Leading Role. She really has brought this movie to life in every which way. Her interactions with her on-screen son Jack is what really is the crux of the movie. It's truly a gem of a performance.

Room is a grim movie. It's going to make you potentially sad if you get too involved but at the end of it, it is a story of hope. Hope for a better future, and a Real life. I would certainly recommend you watch this movie alone or in a small group, if possible. I'm going with 4 out of 5 for this one.

Hope you enjoy the Oscars!

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THE MARTIAN - Nominated for 6 Oscars!

How would you feel if you were stranded all alone on an alien planet? Limited Food, Limited Water and No way of contacting anyone! Would you give up? or would you find a way to survive. Much Like the Tom Hanks classic - 'Cast Away' , The Martian is a Survival Story of a Man, in a seemingly hopeless situation.

Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon is a Botanist and an Astronaut for Nasa who is in Mars with a team, for an expedition. Due to unforeseen circumstances , they are forced to evacuate from the planet during a storm, but in the process ,the team presume Mark to be dead and leave him behind. Having realized that he is all alone on the planet, Mark must figure out a way to survive in Mars, all alone!

What's amazing is the way the character is written.The Movie is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay , adapted from the best selling novel of the same name by Andy Weir. This is the category I think they have the biggest strength because the Movie focuses mainly on the central character who is alone most of the time. So all his interactions are not with other people, but his surroundings. This is the kind of scenario which could be very hard to handle as it could get monotonous or boring but to still create an engaging screenplay is definitely very credible.

Although the Movie did do well at the Golden Globes, I don't think it would do as well at the Oscars, purely because of the competition. Ridley Scott is a fine Director and he truly has made a Good and Entertaining Movie, but this is far from being his best work and therefore, his absence in the Best Director Nominations is justified.

Now, no review of The Martian would be complete without the mention of the soul of the movie, Matt Damon. We all know him as a fine actor and an intense action hero at times, but with this movie, he has truly outdone himself. Portraying the angst and hope of Mark with ease, he infuses a whole lot of Comedy as well, which breaks the tension of this hopeless situation that the character is in.

The Martian is far from being a classic. Gravity was honestly miles ahead of this film. But despite it's many flaws, it has a Huge Heart, and that keeps you engaged. I would rate The Martian 3.5/5.
It might not win many Oscars, but it's worth a watch.

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BRIDGE OF SPIES - Nominated for 6 Oscars!

When you have a combination of the writing of the Cohen Brothers, the Direction of the Cinematic Genius, Steven Spielberg and the Acting Prowess of Tom Hanks, you already know that this is going to be more than just another movie. Nominated for 6 Oscars this year, Bridge of Spies is far from being one of the frontrunners, but you certainly want to see this one!

The Story is Inspired by True Events about the US Attorney, Donnovan who is asked to represent an alleged Soviet Spy, Rudolph Abel who is caught by the US Government at the height of the Cold War. Having forced to take the thankless job in the first place, you think this might be leading to a Period Courtroom Drama which is Pro-National, but what transpires is an unlikely bond of mutual respect between the US Attorney and the Alleged Spy while at the same time there is an American Spy who lands up as a prisoner of the Soviets!! Would Donnavan serve his duty as a US Citizen and a Family Man or would he be an honest lawyer and serve his 'client' in the best way possible at the risk of being called a Traitor!

Now, Tom Hanks has been brilliant in his performance and it's really sad to see that he did not get a nomination for the movie but the much deserved Mark Rylance(who plays Abel, the alleged Soviet Spy) is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for an amazing performance to say the least. He portrays the indifference with such ease and extracts sympathy effortlessly. I would love to see him win this one.

Now the main man, Spielberg, also did not get a nomination for Best Director, but the fact that the movie is nominated for Best Motion Picture, speaks volumes for his direction as well. What could have been a grim period war drama turns out to be an warm story of an unlikely friendship. It tells the story of an American Hero but without patronising him. And Only Spielberg is capable of infusing humour in the most tensed situations without it seeming forced.

Bridge of Spies is a long movie, but definitely not a boring one. Give it your undivided attention, and you will appreciate it for what it is- a Diplomatic Movie about Morals and Friendship. I'll rate the movie at a 4 out of 5. Watch out for this Dark Horse at the Oscars!!

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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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