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 :
****