Stuck in Love

*ing : Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly, Lily Collins
Director : Josh Boone

Tagline : A story of first loves and second chances.

Stuck in love,the title was attractive for me.I was looking for a romance movie to watch,ant it seemed to be a good one.After watching this movie i would like to tell you "Go watch it and enjoy".This movie is the best type of romance movies ,it is a movie that shows real life love not that crazy impossible love.It shows you 3 types of love that you may encounter (or encountered before) in a very realistic way.if u have experience in love you will understand what am talking about,love in real life is full of pain,disappointment,coincidences and mainly "imperfection" .This movie will show the whole parts in a very true and wonderful way.And you will really see love from the point of view of smart writers(characters are all writers).
Recommended
Rating :
*** & ½

A Single Man

*ing : Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode
Director : Tom Ford


Tagline :


Rarely do I watch a film just cause I am in awe of performance of the lead. I saw A single Man around 3 years ago. Yet, Colin Firth’s acting haunted and always wanted to see it again. And wat a performance he has given of a lonely man who has decided that he will kill himself at the end of the day. Too much melancholy and sadness in his performance. Cant belive they dint give him oscar .
Rating :
****

Rush

*ing : Daniel Brühl, Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde
Director : Ron Howard

Tagline : Everyone's driven by something.

''Rush'' is a very good film about the rivalry between two Formula 1 race car drivers and their lives behind it. Directed by Ron Howard, the film is a triumph concerning action sequences, film editing and sound. Despite it being a sports film about racing, ''Rush'' never fails to develop its characters, its story and its suspense thus delivering a deeply satisfying conclusion.

Beginning with the film's performances, one would expect to see little character development, acting and emotion but a whole lot of action. However, this is not the case. The film's performances are very good. Daniel Brühl gives an outstanding performance as Austrian Niki Lauda: from the character's personality, body movement, expressions and emotions to his speaking accent, Brühl manages to handle it more than well and deliver a very authentic and powerful performance. From his first appearance in the film, he stays a very powerful figure throughout the film and very memorable after it. He realizes the character's motives and feelings which enables him to fully portray his character. Despite his performances in films such as ''Thor'', ''Red Dawn'' and ''The Cabin in the Woods'', Chris Hemsworth gives a decent enough performance as James Hunt. He is far from outstanding but he portrays his character as he should be, never overacting nor underplaying his character, thus delivering a satisfying and believable performance as a race car driver. The rest of the cast doesn't have much screen time since the film mainly focuses on the two protagonists but their acting does not disappoint.

The film's exhilarating action sequences are probably the main reason people will go to see it and they will not be disappointed. With rapid but smooth editing, the renowned film editing duo (Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill) manages to ''tell'' the story rather clearly rather than just smothering it under its heavy action scenes. Other technical aspects such as sound editing, sound mixing and cinematography are superb. Sound, especially, plays a very important role in the film and luckily, the sound is clear, realistic and not bombastic as most Hollywood action films. The racing sequences are superb: we see them from every angle possible, never confusing nor annoying the viewer with their rapid cuts, instead keeping the viewer interested (especially during the final climatic race). As for the score, Hans Zimmer's fast paced music adds nicely to the film's racing sequences, turning the suspense meter way up without distracting the viewer. As with most of Zimmer's works, the film's score is very epic and memorable which captures the film's action.

What works very well in the film is the fact that it's not just a film full or car explosions, racing and trophies but a film which tells the story of two people who succeeded in the race tracks, a film which doesn't drown its characters under its impressive action sequences but allows them to breath.

Strongly recommended
Rating :
****

The Bling Ring

*ing : Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Emma Watson
Director : Sofia Coppola

Tagline : If you can't be famous, be infamous.

Do yourself a favor and avoid this movie, even if you're a fan of Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation), I beg you not to see it. Its someone who could be a great artist doing something effortless just because.

Its about a couple of celebrity obsessed teens who start robbing celebrities' homes.

There are no stakes during the movie, because we don't care about the characters, none of them are likable. Its also supposed to be a satire, but I didn't think it was funny at all, it was actually kind of sad in a way. The movie has so little story and effort put into it that scenes are repeated throughout the movie, by that I mean Emma Watson going "I see this as a huge learning lesson".

The movie is just boring, there is nothing interesting about it. Its a wannabe "Magic Mike", it attempts to be like "Kids", but for that it takes great acting skill, which none of the actors in this movie seemed to have or are not even trying.
Rating :
*

Enough Said

*ing : Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener
Director : Nicole Holofcener


This is a sweet, small movie, where everything works really well. It's mostly about the acting, I think, and everyone is terrific. I don't think anyone in the cast was less than great.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini are especially good, though. I'm a big fan of Seinfeld and Veep, as well as of The Sopranos, but I think the two of them were as good here as they've been anywhere.

Finally, I don't know if this was intentional or not, but the film came across almost as a love letter to LA. It makes the city seem like it would be a great place to live. It would be pretty great if this picture founded a genre.
Rating :
***

Thor : The Dark World

*ing : Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston
Director : Alan Taylor


Tagline :


I liked the first Thor but this one was a total failure.

The plot to this movie is as thin as an 80 Yr Old Pair of Underwear that has been worn by a homeless dude for the past quarter century.

I mean thin. The beginning was difficult to understand. I even attempted to use closed captioning to get the drift of the beginning.

The only redeeming features of the movie were Loki and the two sub-characters who worked for Jane Foster.

Rating :
*& ½

Rearview : My roadies Journey

*Written By : Raghu Ram

I don’t watch tv. I don’t own one. Hardly any tv series I hv followed regularly. But there is just one tv show, Roadies which I have followed almost quite regularly. May be from season one. I have liked the format of the show. The creators. The judge. I have always been fan of Raghu Ram, the director and casting judge of contetestents. Altho he has image of being rude and abusive man, he just treats anyone the way call for it. If you be nice and sensible, he will be same with you. But if you act oversmart he will take your ride for life.
I have also wanted to know more about the man, what goes behind making a season, how he has risen from being a thin man who was bullied throughout college and then becoming what he has become. The book is interesting read for all who wants to know the man. I quite enjoyed it.
Rating :
*** & ½

Highway

*ing : Alia Bhatt, Randeep Hooda, Durgesh Kumar
Director : Imtiaz Ali

Tagline : In bondage, She found freedom

Second movie with my girlfriend and wat a disappointment it was. Too indulgent, too boring altho I liked the theme of finding freedom in bondage. Bt things happen just too soon and many times they are just not beliveable. Its also a different movie from what we usually get in bollywood, bt not necessarily a good one.
Rating :
**

Hassee to Fassee

*ing : Sidharth Malhotra, Parineeti Chopra, Adah Sharma
Director : Vinil Matthew


Tagline : Love goes cucking frazy

This is a special movie for me as it’s the first movie I saw in theatre with my girlfriend. Too many nice moments. Thankfully film also dint disappoint.
Ok, so about movie.
Rom-com flicks are one of genre which has not been experimented in Bollywood much lately. Except for decent Gore Teri Pyar Mein last year, Hasee toh Phasee is refreshing change for Indian audiences who have witnessed an overdose of masala films in 2013.

Nikhil (Sidharth Malhotra) is getting to married to Karishma( Adah Sharma). Enters the trouble maker Meeta ( Parineeti Chopra) , sister of Karishma, who was caste away from the family for 7 years. In order to keep his marriage procedures smooth, Nikhil must keep away Meeta away from the family but actually falls in love her.

Bollywood movies have always been woven around self-realization of whom you actually love ( believe me it happens only during the wedding ceremony) and Hasee Toh Phasee leaves no stone un-turned with typical bollywood potboiler. Few hilarious moments will tickle your funny-bone and that is enough to keep the ship sailing. Hats off to Parineeti Chopra for giving a fabulous performance. She is funny, emotes expressively and does a great job overall. Sidharth Malhotra still has a long way to go in terms of acting though he was better than Student of the year. Adah Sharma was looking gorgeous and was good in a small role.
The film is a regular bollywood movie yet, there is a something different about it. Its fresh and zany.
Rating :
*** & ½

How I met your mother (Season 4)

*ing : Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan
Creators : Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

Tagline : A love story in reverse.


The series is growing on me and how. Each season is getting better and funnier. I hv started to like characters I orginally wasn’t much fond of, like Barney Stinson. He is legend……ary ! 
First few seasons gave hangover of friends bt it has found its certain identity on the way now. !
Rating
****

Pacific Rim

*ing : Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi
Director : Guillermo del Toro


Tagline : To fight monsters we created monsters

Guillermo Del Toro shows us what Transformers had the potential to be but instead of two groups of alien robots fighting each other 'Pacific Rim' gives us man made robots fighting giant monsters.

Set in the not too distant future man kind is facing their biggest fight for survival when a portal, known as the breach opens at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and numerous monsters called Kaijus come through and strike blows on numerous cities across the globe. They decide the only way to counter these attacks is to build giant robots called the Jaegers. The robot required two pilot but also had to be considered compatible. The better compatibility, the better they will fight. For a while it proves effect but the attacks become more frequent meaning time is running out for man kind.

Charlie Hunnam plays retired Jaeger pilot Rayleigh Becket who is trying to come to terms with losing his brother who died while fighting along side him against a Kaijus. Idris Elba gives a fine performance as Commander Stacker Pentecost, who is reluctant to allow Rayleigh to pilot along side Mako (Kikuchi) who could be considered inconsistent in her performance. The audience is supposed to see her as a strong and capable fighter but she is often seen as too vulnerable and the script can't make it's mind up on her character's traits.

This is one of the best shot movies this year and special effects to match. We see numerous fights in the form of news reports where the different angles are incredible.
Rating:
***

Her

*ing : Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson
Director : Spike Jonze


Tagline :

Ever heard of a program speak of love? Most people would say no, arguing that it's a human emotion. All of us, regardless of our gender, age, social or marriage status...crave love, the feeling that allows us to find and connect with someone to spend our life with, to relieve us from feelings of loneliness. Her is a sci-fi romantic drama comedy film about an unconventional love story between an introverted, lonely writer named Theodore and an A.I. who calls herself Samantha.

Samantha, a self-aware digital consciousness created from an interactive operating system (OS1), has the ability to communicate in human language, able to learn new things and evolve through experience and self-reflection, is sentient and capable of loving, has a good sense of humour, attentive and responsive, has creative and artistic skills, is compassionate and able to comprehend other people's feelings. Though she only exists through an earpiece and a small, hand-sized computer, her presence is strongly felt, as if she is really side-by-side with Theodore as they go on a date or on the bed together.

As the film progresses, their relationship deepens and it raises some disturbing, thought-provoking questions: Is Samantha considered to be a conscious, living being? If she's not, could you name any single cognitive ability humans have that she doesn't? Other than that, the film also provides a thoughtful examination on human relationships in a not-too-distant future that's not that different from us.Is it true that technology can never substitute the authenticity of human interaction? How much of love is emotional and how much of it is physical?

Joaquin Phoenix provided a splendid convincing performance in conveying his character's loneliness, isolation and sadness, his newfound feelings of hope and love with a co-star who's not even there. His expression felt believable and authentic. Although it's only a voice-over role, Scarlett Johansson need to convince the audience that her presence is felt throughout the film, to convey all her feelings, emotions and personality just by talking.

The film provides a deep look at what love really means and how it feels to be in love.This is a well-made great film to watch. Highly recommended. Love is just a word. What matters is the connection the word implies..What you would give to hold on to that connection.

Rating :
****

About Time

*ing : Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy
Director : Richard Curtis

Tagline : A new funny film about love. With a bit of time travel.


About Time is full of really nice people who love each other, and you want nothing but good things for all of them. And that often turns out to be possible, thanks to the Lake family secret. All the Lake men have a limited ability to travel backward in time — only to earlier points in their own lives, true ("We can't go back and kill Hitler or anything."), but usually getting a 2nd run at various awkwardnesses and infelicities is all it takes to smooth out life's little bumps and jolts.

Aside from the time travel, the biggest imagination-stretcher is that Rachel McAdams's Mary is a single gal in London in her early 20s and doesn't have a boyfriend. Our hero, the gawky but endearing Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson), recognizes the cosmic injustice in that and determines to use his powers for good (or, in this case, love). But between his wistful adieu from the shy, plain girl he's met in a lights-out bistro and getting set to call the number she's punched into his cell phone, he performs a good deed for a friend, and it turns out that his little jaunt into the past has erased his evening's conversation with Mary from her memory and her number from his phone.

That's about the highest level of stress this film ever reaches. It's the farthest thing on Earth from an action-adventurer. It's mainly a love story with minor elements of comedy (sometimes it takes several re-runs at the past to get things just right, and we see the failed attempts in quick succession) and pathos.
Good Fun
Rating :
*** & ½

Frances ha

*ing : Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver
Director : Noah Baumbach

Tagline :

I do not really understand all the love for this film, which is like a stream-of-consciousness telling of the mundane events in the life of a 27-year-old flighty bachelorette in New York City, named Frances. You will only understand the title at the very last frame of the film, if you are patient enough to stay and reach that part.

In essence the story goes like this: Frances has a best friend Sophie, but one day they come in conflict with each other and part ways. Later, they find their way back to each other again. In between, we see Frances and her male roommates, Frances ruminating about being "un- dateable", Frances and her being a dancer, and so on.

Its absolute rubbish. Avoid
Rating :
*

Jobs

*ing : Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad
Director : Joshua Michael Stern


Tagline : Some see what's possible, others change what's possible.

Creating a movie biopic about Steve Jobs is a brilliant idea. The creators had the opportunity to make a significant, informative film with their character study of the man who formed such a powerful company. But this one was a failure.

The movie is supposed to be a character study. But honestly this movie doesn't teach us much about Jobs, moreover it gives us a basic time line of his life and company. Kind of like those short 100 page biographies you read in 3rd grade for a book report that just really skim the surface and leave out everything.

This film lacked transition/fluidity and seemed choppy. Like the scene where we see him at his house with his family, the film never discussed that he came to have a wife and children. We only know that Lisa, his daughter, was from a previous relationship. And we learn that he tried to deny Lisa as his for a long time since the film focuses on it, but it never shows that he had a change of heart and accepted her as his child. Isn't a biopic supposed to teach us about a persons emotions, feelings about life, and his relationships with others?

If you want to learn about who Steve Jobs is, read his biography, or watch much better one, “the pirates of silicon valley.
Rating :
**

The Great Gatsby

*ing : Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton
Director : Baz Luhrmann

Tagline : Can't repeat the past? ...of course you can!


I had heard quite a few bad opinions of The Great Gatsby, and also a lesser number of good impressions, so I wasn't sure what to expect from it. For me, Baz Luhrmann has been mildly hit and miss, though mostly when it comes to his films I find that they're hits, for me personally. I do know that I can generally expect some wackiness from him, and Gatbsy didn't surprise me in that regard. But I'm pleased to say that all in all I did enjoy this movie.

I thought it was beautiful visually, and compelling in terms of storyline. I can't say that I adored the soundtrack, unlike some of other films of Luhrmann's, but I didn't hate it or think it ruined the movie either, as some other people seem to feel.

I love Leo and thought he was great in his role. It was a little strange seeing Tobey Maguire trying to be a "wizened, washed out drunk", but I still enjoy his acting and thought he was good in this. I love the world that he ventured into but found it pretty sad how things wound up - I could really feel the "haunted" vibe that he was talking about by the end, and felt the same way myself, as if I was actually there experiencing it.

All in all I think it was a great cast and well-executed. I wouldn't say it's one of my favourite movies of all time, though.

Rating :
***

Sex Lies and Videotape

*ing : James Spader, Andie MacDowell, Peter Gallagher
Director : Steven Soderbergh


Tagline :

Steven Soderbergh's acclaimed debut feature is actually less kinky than a quick synopsis would suggest: an impotent drifter (James Spader) with an undefined source of income and a curious hobby (videotaping the sexual confessions of women) befriends the inhibited wife of an old college pal, who meanwhile is enjoying a torrid affair with his own sister-in-law. The subtle interplay of tensions and emotions between each character must have seemed more than usually absorbing to moviegoers in the late 1980s conditioned by a decade of low-IQ blockbusters. It certainly helped jump-start (in a big way) the career of its writer-director, who in his first film bucked current trends by favoring substance over style, serving his cast with some witty banter and giving them plenty of elbow room in which to work.

Soderbergh revealed a gift for writing natural dialogue, and for coaching unforced performances from his actors (love those pregnant pauses). But the story might have made more sense if he didn't identify so obviously with his enigmatic anti-hero: the lone artist who drifts into town and promptly changes everyone's life (including his own). And the resolution is unforgivably neat: a suddenly (and illogically) galvanized Andie MacDowell forces Spader to unburden his own hang-ups on camera, after which the two of them settle down to live happily ever after while her two-timing yuppie scum husband loses both his girlfriend and, presumably, his high-salary job.

The film as a result presents a curious morality tale with no clear moral, but Soderburgh was clearly a talent to watch. And the director showed enough intuition to recognize video technology as not only an emblem of emotional detachment in an age of dysfunctional communication, but also as an instrument of hard truth.
Rating :
*** & ½

The Master

*ing : Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams
Director : Paul Thomas Anderson

Tagline :

I have read several of the reviews and wonder what film these people saw. This film was bad, just awful. I loved Boogie Nights and thought that There Will Be Blood was worthy of the acclaim received and its characters were interesting and appealing.

In "The Master" I cannot find one appealing character, one moment of joy or even one moment of empathy for any of these characters. Nor can I find anything interesting about the plot (was there any?) or about the script. The only concession I will give is Mr. Phoenix's performance in filing out the role of a truly revolting, screwball character.

If the director's point was to make the audience loathe these characters and loathe the idea of the modern day religious cult, then he succeeded beyond measure. I wanted to walk out half way through this awful, this truly bloody film experience, but I suffered through it til the vulgar end. The last scene of Freddie and the girl in bed having sex was gross. I would much prefer to watch porn, if this is what art house film has become. At least with a good porn film, there are attractive bodies to view and laugh-out loud dialogue and ridiculous plot twists that can at least provide a modicum of entertainment value. As far as the artistic value of "The Master" it belongs in a roadside flea market.

Rating :
*

Ship of Thesieus

*ing : Aida Elkashef, Sohum Shah, Neeraj Kabi
Director : Anand Gandhi


Tagline : How do you know where you end and where your environment begins?

"Whether the ship would remain the same if it were entirely replaced, piece by piece. What would happen if their original planks were gathered up after they were replaced, and used to build a second ship. Which ship, if either, is the Ship of Theseus'."

Ship of Theseus starts by stating the Theseus' paradox and then moves on, leaving the viewers struggling to find the answer of this paradox. SOT is based upon three stories which raises questions on Existence, Identity, Humanity and Karma.

The first story is about a girl named Aaliya Kamal (Aida El-Kashef) who took photography after she lost her eyesight to a cornea infection and when she is asked "Do you feel limited?", she replies "Uhh.. No. Why is it so amazing not to have limits and doubts?". This is the part where each and every frame of the film looks stunning and exceptionally beautiful. There is no story in this part but it's about the perception of beauty, how black and white can be the most colorful combination and how a person loses her comfort when she gets her vision back. Aida plays with her eyes and did a great job with her part. Watch out for her body movements when she hears distinct voices during her photo sessions. Pankaj Kumar (director of photography) does an excellent job and his part gives real definition to the movie's aesthetic value. The sequence where Aaliya starts seeing her photographs when she gets her vision back is another highlight of the movie. Ah!!! Those photographs were just mind blowing.

The second story shows an ailing monk, Maitreya (Neeraj Kabi) who is suffering from Liver Cirrhosis and is fighting against pharmaceutical companies which performs cruelty against animals for the sake of experiments. It's the part where questions are raised about Karma, Religions and Beliefs. The moment where Chakrava (Vinay Shukla) asks the monk, when he is restricting himself to take medications to support his protest, "What about the violence you are committing on yourself by not taking medication?. And how is your choice not different from a suicide bomber who is so convinced about the fundamentalism of his political and religious thoughts?" and so many points that he makes e.g., "what if the caterpillar's karma was to get crushed" sequence and the fungus-making- an-ant-a-zombie-to-reap-benefits-out-of-it-concept defines this part and we, the viewers get puzzled with each and every words what this character says. It apparently questions the monk's beliefs and his karma. This is a part where to some extent dullness appears just before the interval but goes to another level when it ends in the second half.Neeraj Kabi is exceptionally well in his role of a monk. Hats off to him for the workout he did for this role.

The final part takes the whole movie to another level by asking questions on humanity and why the poor always gets crushed by the rich peoples. It's a story of a stockbroker who is the recipient of a kidney, which he later discovers that it was stolen from a labor who has been part of a racket which was led by highly esteemed doctors. It changes his life's perspective and then he goes to help that poor and make things better for him. This part is totally gripping and will be highly likable by many peoples. An exceptional performance by Sohum Shah makes this part even better.

Ship Of Theseus didn't waste any time on character development. It starts from the middle of the characters' life and doesn't tell you about their ending. But it tells you the way their perception gets changed about their life.

At the start I was thinking about the title. But when the film ended I thought that this is the most appropriate title which a movie could ever have. Anand Gandhi provides us a movie of the decade and is certainly going to give Indian Cinema a new definition. He is a talent to watch out for.

It's not run of the mill kind of movie but if you are a movie fanatic then it's totally your cup of tea.
Rating :
****

Rabbit Hole

*ing Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest
Director : John Cameron Mitchell


Tagline : Love will get you through.

I m astounded at the positive reviews this movie is getting and the Oscar nomination for Kidman. I m sorry, but this movie is just not worth your time and lacks the emotional maturity and depth to deal with the subject matter in anything approaching a substantive way.

The goal is admirable enough. Delve into loss, grieving, moving on, tensions in a happy marriage. None of it is pulled off, everything is surface level with no resonance and the performances (Eckhart is best) are just bland and overly orchestrated.

There was only one part of the movie that actually drew a reaction out of me - when Kidman attacks the woman in the grocery store. The rest is completely unbelievable, their "climactic" argument is most agonizing.

To boot, the movie contradicts itself with its attempts at humour. When Ekhart and Kidman giggle and laugh at other in their 'grief group', and later on outright mock them, for their ridiculous self pity babbling, their own moments of grief cannot be taken seriously. Their own arguments and struggles become laughable - this is a main flaw in this film.

Rating :

How I met your mother (Season 3)

*ing : Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan
Creators : Carter Bays, Craig Thomas

Tagline : A love story in reverse.

Exactly the kind of show I wanted. And it got some time for me to get used to show, characters, story line bt I am soo enjoying it now. Or may be just the show has gotten better.
Rating :
*** & ½

The Croods

*ing (voices of ) : Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone
Director : Kirk De Micco , Chris Sanders

After quite a while I saw an animation movie. And this one was so much fun. specially for the whole family. The characters are great and each one has there own weird and wonderful personality which was written extremely well. The storyline was well put together and it doesn't get boring from beginning to end. The animation looks brilliant and the attention to detail is definitely noticed. There isn't really a fault with the movie. It reminded a lot like the Incredibles which also was a great movie. It's not very often that I can't find a fault with a movie, so this is definitely recommend for the whole family.

The directors chose the right voices for each character. You can easily tell who Nicolas Cage is because his voice isn't much different from his every day voice. Every element was covered with the storyline. There's funny moments, along with touching moments like the relationship between Daddy Crood and his daughter. Wish I cud see it in 3D.

Rating :
*** & ½

Jai Ho

*ing : Salman Khan
Director : Sohail Khan

Tagline : People's man

Shitty Salman Khan shitty movie. Left in interval. *Puke*
Rating :
0 star

Flavors

*ing : Reef Karim, Anjan Srivastav, Bharati Achrekar , Anjan Srivastav , Rishma Malik
Director : Krishna D.K., Raj Nidimoru


Tagline : Life like it is. Almost.


One of the better movies in the American-Indian genre.I mean its a whole lot better than the soporific and clichéd American Desi varieties where the entire film revolves around "getting in touch with ethnic roots" and "India is great" syndrome.The characters seem to be thoroughly fleshed out and identification with the issues they face comes easily( although I have never visited the USA).Great performances by Pooja,Reef,Mohit, Gauang, Gaurav...relatively unheard of names but quite believable performances.Bharati and Anjann are as ever ,superb..they looked more like the mature and aging Wagles . As an Indian living in India, I enjoyed it..the Americans would expect I guess a lot of background, far removed as they are from Indian realities and the Indian psyche. With no particular story line that has a beginning and end, this is just a movie that lightens the mood and leaves you amused all through.
Rating :
*** & ½

Escape Plan

*ing : Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzeneger
Director : Mikael Håfström

Tagline : Breaking out is an inside job.


This is a simple plot movie that symbolizes everything about Silvestre and Schwarzenegger glory days. There is no thick plot or real complexities, it's a simple bad guys Vs good guys action flick. However, the movie does not disappoint, its very entertaining and full of decent scenes. The acting is as expected, nothing Oscar worthy but good enough from action legends like them. The idea is simple and is easily understood. The one difference in this movie is that the chemistry between Schwarzenegger and Stallone is excellent and they deliver some humor also. The only downside that I can think about is the fact that this movie is really meant for both the stars fans and not people who are looking for real idea and innovation. Decent fun
Rating :
***

Sherlock (Season 3)

*ing : Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman
Creators : Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat

Tagline :Closer than you think

Finally a new season is here, and finally we get to know how Sherlock faked his death. And what an episode this one was. Truly brilliant. Sherlock is one of my most fav tv series and this season was one of the best. The worst part is again they hv ended on a very very shocking twist, really cant wait to see wat will happen next season.

Rating :
****

BA Pass

*ing : Shadab Kamal, Shilpa Shukla, Dibyendu Bhattacharya
Director : Ajay Bahl

Tagline : Seduction. Corruption. Deception.


The film starts off with brilliantly, and creates an intriguing atmosphere, but ends unsatisfactorily. It's a coming-of-age tale of innocence lost and conscience compromised. What starts off as playful seduction, spirals into a chain of prostitution, lies and betrayal. Even with an interesting story and well-shot scenes, the screenplay and the lead's (Shadab Kamal) acting failed to properly show the sense of urgency and desperation. Though the film's approach towards themes like poverty struggles, empty marriages, sexual urges and escort systems is commendable, it fails to explore them properly and deeply. Second half, specially last half hour is absoulte rubbish and the climax is pathtic too. Watch it for some well shot sex scene if at all
Rating :
**

Madras Cafe

*ing : John Abraham, Nargis Fakhri, Rashi Khanna
Director : Shoojit Sircar


Tagline : Intercept the truth

It's never easy to make and release a historic fictional movie in India where the majority of the audience spends money to watch dim-witted and romantic movies. The director and the actors have to be very competent and proficient to portray some historical events.Many Indians today are oblivious to the events and the reasons that ended up in the assassination of our former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi but Madras Cafe has successfully thrown some light on this tragedy that is seldom heard of.

Major Vikram Singh, played by John Abraham is appointed by the RAW to handle the covert operations of the Indian Military at Jaffna and resolve the ongoing crisis created by the LTF resulting in genocide of the innocent people. The story is built upon the political tension that kept the Indian Ministry involved intensely to establish peace in Jaffna during the civil war. What we see in Madras Cafe is totally gripping- when Vikram Singh and Jaya, a foreign journalist exchange some significant and confidential information about the LTF and the leak in the Indian intelligence agency that actually results in a total transformation in the set of international events.

John Abraham has acted exceptionally well in the character- who tries his best to embark upon the precarious struggle going on in Sri Lanka. The movie moves very swiftly and the audience is engrossed for the entire duration of the movie. The cinematography is noteworthy and it is a well-scripted political suspense. For a story we already know, Madras Cafe is one of those that excels at creating a thriller, in a breath-taking manner.

Madras Cafe definitely elevates John both as an actor and a director to a higher level. Shoojit Sircar hits the right strides and blends facts and fiction terrifically. The writers had done their research well. Debutante Rashi Khanna makes an impact in a brief but significant appearance as the army man's wife.

Madras Cafe is a must watch for all those who want to know about the history behind the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the LTTE etc. In two hours. It's effective and grim unlike the ludicrous drama and item numbers that incite cheers in the theater. It's definitely a brave move on the part of the director to come with such a movie and Madras Cafe is certainly a trend setter.

Rating :
*** & 1/2

House of Cards (Season 1)

*ing : Kevin Spacey, Michael Gill, Robin Wright,Michael Kelly, Kate Mara
Created by : Beau Willimon

Tagline :


Oh, Kevin Spacey. You have found a proper home for your villainous side.

House of Cards is about a manipulative, extremely ambitious couple, living in a world of political corruption. They will stop at nothing to get what they want.

After watching the first couple of episodes, you start to wonder just how far Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) will go. As the show progresses, the "problems" that Frank has to solve get more and more complicated, and as a result, his solutions become more elaborate and sometimes, very dark. The way in which this escalates makes his actions stick to your gut in different ways. It's like a full course meal. That being said, Frank isn't the only one who will do what it takes to achieve goals. His wife, Claire (Robin Wright), may not do as much "field work", but she has proved to be just as conniving and manipulative. She is more than anything else, Frank's safe place. Whenever he becomes unsure of something, she is always there to ground him. They're like two evil peas in a corrupted pod.

You may be wondering "How can I root for such evil characters?". Well, you don't have to love them to enjoy them. Pretty much every other character in the show is a cutthroat narcissist. These people's actions and personalities are used as stepping stones for the Underwoods. Frank takes a ruthless, sleazy politician who has a need to succeed, and uses that behavior to his advantage. Nobody is innocent in this show, even though the Underwoods are the cream of the crop.

This is a show about details. Every moment, every move, leads to a solution or problem. If you're one of those folks who finds long dialog scenes boring, this one may not be for you. Like Breaking Bad and other progressive dramas, it's an investment of your time. If you pay attention, and allow yourself to get sucked in to this world, you'll be rewarded for it. Nothing happens quick. This is a formula that allows you to get attached to the characters, which in turn, effects you deeply when something happens to them.

I recommend this one for sure. With an actor like Kevin Spacey as the main, who is well known for playing some of the best villains to date, you honestly can't go wrong.

Rating :
****