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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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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