rsabnis1 Reviews

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

Replete with thrills and chills, Mission Impossible 5 makes you crave for more....

[6/10 · 12 August 2015]

The latest instalment of Mission impossible franchise celebrates Tom Cruise (Ethan Hunt) as an action hero more than the story which itself provides a structure to Ethan Hunt's ways of working with fictional organization IMF( Impossible Mission Force). Directed by the screenwriter of 'The Usual Suspects', it is hard to believe that Christopher McQuarrie ever had some brilliant ideas. Honestly as a viewer I was dissatisfied with the screenplay. However the edge-of- the-seat action sequences acted as a savior in disguise.

The story involves a wicked replica of the IMF called 'The Syndicate', a criminal organization trained to bring down the IMF, as they stealthily go on killing leaders in bombings and assassinations to bring about the 'change' in the world. A Senate committee meanwhile dissolves the IMF, availing the efforts of William Brandt and granting the leftover assets to the CIA with Ethan Hunt on their prime target list. Now Hunt is left with only one job that is to prove that The Syndicate falls within the bounds of realism and is not merely the creation of his own. The Syndicate controlled by bespectacled and spooky Solomon Lane who is pursued by Ethan with his old sidekick tech-expert Benji and gorgeous Ilsa Faust to bring The Syndicate to ground.

Mission Impossible: The Rogue Nation provides the viewers with a glitzy appeal taking on a tour to Vienna, Casablanca and London and some promisingly heart-wrenching stunts and fights. Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt faces more serious and complicated obstacles to reach his coveted aim. He keeps you startled as he holds to a flying plane and his dear life waiting for Benji to open its door. He jumps in thousands of gallons of pressurized water to change to break into the data facility; he pursues on bike in high speed chase sequences and really keeps you engaged till the very end.

MI 5 was pure adrenaline as McQuarrie succeeded brilliantly in keeping the weak script concealed behind the nail-biting thrills that gratify the action-movie lovers to the extent that they certainly crave for the sixth installment. I personally think it should have connected well to the past ventures apart from the characters. However the film takes care of everything that MI series has boasted of in the past including flashy tech gadgets and stunts. And lastly, the credit to MI5 being an unarguably successful installment goes to Tom Cruise who has defied age and fueled the execution of the screenplay brilliantly.

6 on 10 stars

Badlapur (2015)

New revenge formula for Raghavan's skookum venture

[7/10 · 5 April 2015]

"If you prick us do we not bleed?

If you tickle us do we not laugh?

If you poison us do we not die?

And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?"

• - William Shakespeare

Script penned by Arijit Biswas & Sriram Raghavan, Badlapur is lucid and powerfully driven along its neatly crafted plot line. One of the Raghavan's skookum ventures, Badlapur is a fascinating tale of vengeance and hatred as the film plays a cicerone to the darker shades of his direction.

The first interim is about a bank robbery gone awry and Raghu's wife (Yami Gautam) and son getting trapped in the chaotic situation that follows. The escaped duo of robbers turn pillagers as Raghu's wife is shot and his son is thrown out of the moving car. The wild cat- mouse chase between cops and the thieves end with Liak (Nawazzudin Siddiqui) getting incarcerated for 20 years and his partner-in-crime fleeing with the weapon and the looted cash. A heartbroken and devastated Raghu (Varun Dhawan) takes shelter in a town called 'Badlapur' far away from the memories of his cherished past; his emotions fueled with hatred, revenge and anger.

Today where the filmmakers stick to the stereotype formula of hardcore action and crowd-whistling dialogues for revenge stories, Raghavan attempts to deviate from it to add a gritty and raw touch to the characters. He portrays Raghu's switcheroo from a beamish to a rugged look quite beautifully. Huma Qureshi, as a prostitute Jhumli, was flamboyant yet simple. Vinay Pathak, Radhika Apte & Divya Dutta make a short but an impactful appearance. However the limelight stealer of the film is Nawazuddin who makes Liak appear natural and stays true to his on screen character throughout.

Badlapur buys your vision for the its entire duration and keeps you gripped and thrilled. One of Raghavan's best films, Badlapur gives a new sphere to Dhawan's acting performance.

7 on 10 stars

Interstellar (2014)

Interstellar : More than a director, it is made by a DREAMER

[8/10 · 12 January 2015]

Christopher Nolan's comprehensive Weltanschauung ( conception of universe and human's analogy to it ) Interstellar is his most endearing, audacious and expertly scripted venture. A script which once was developed by Jonathan Nolan for Steven Spielberg finally ended in the helms of his brother Chris. A sheer ocular pleasure, when viewed on 75 mm screen, this movie based intergalactic space voyage smells of ambition, emotion and beauty. The viewer doesn't needs to suspend his incredulity inspite of the film being a piece of fiction, owing to the fact that it is one of Nolan's strongest narrative.

An enthralling and distinct start to movie reminding us of social documentaries which pictures blight-induced earth as a dust bowl with last shades of humanity left, earth has become inhabitable over time with increasing crop failure and frequent dust storms. Amidst the scenario comes Cooper (McConaughey), a widowed engineer-turned- pilot-turned-farmer who is prompted by some ghostly forces ( who send coded messages) to visit NASA facility in the outskirts of his village. The facility led by Dr John Brand (Micheal Caine) reveals Cooper about a secret mission in search of a habitable planet beyond the solar system and he asks Cooper to pilot the space ark 'Endurance' with the team. Devastated at the thought of her father leaving her, Murph (Mackenzie Foy) is filled with discontent and hatred for him.

The film tracks Cooper's odyssey along with the NASA team and two robots CASE and TARS as they travel through the wormholes to discover a sustainable living environment while Dr Brand and grown- up Murph (Jessica Chastain) try and solve the inevitable problem of gravity. The direction is accurate and film balances well between different time zones as Cooper and his accomplices verge many light years ahead.

Unavoidable comparisons with Gravity and 2001: a Space Odyssey, Interstellar thinks more about the future than focusing all its attention on the present and past. A graphically rich special effects packaged with a mammoth script which reflects a large time devoted to research and a great casting, Interstellar might be specious and flawed at places but it doesn't stop the movie from being a winner.

8 on 10 stars

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

Western Drama so distilled and refined, One of the best I have ever seen...

[9/10 · 3 September 2014]

One of the pioneers of cinema, Sergio Leone's directorial venture' The Good The Bad The Ugly 'urged me to gain high amount of cinematic fanaticism by watching one of his most critically lauded ' Once Upon A Time in The West'. The film gets successfully enlisted among one of the most terrific performances ever by the ensemble cast.

The movie opens up with a deadly gun duel between a harmonica playing bloke (Charles Bronson) and three men dressed in a cowboy outfit. Bronson plays the enigmatic nameless person (called 'Harmonica' in the film because of his ability to play harmonica in an eerie fashion even when things appear to look serious ) being the only good guy in the film. He helms the task of protecting Brett McBain's widow Jill McBain against Frank and his fellow gangsters after the villains mercilessly massacre McBain and his children. Joining Harmonica in his mission to kill Frank is Cheyenne , the bearded bandit who is falsely framed by Frank in murder of Brett McBain. Thus, Harmonica along with the ruffian Cheyenne set out to bring down the most dreaded assassin Frank. However retribution remains their sole purpose.

The film is slow-paced and the viewer is clueless about the real reason behind McBain's murder even after the half time of the movie has passed. There are bloodless fights, revenge, intimate scenes, land rights, shootouts, trains and you are only required to eat what Leone gives you, simply without questioning the plot. Things perfectly fall in place in the latter half of the movie as you get to know that Leone exhibits complete veracity while directing the Western drama. The action scenes are carefully designed and they can surely put the modern day jumbled action to utter shame. The film was bankrolled with plenty of money as it had elaborate sets, brilliant casting and fantastically executed duels.

One of the most amazing western dramas I have ever seen, Once Upon A Time In The West is as distilled, refined and clear as it appears to be.

9 on 10 stars

Cape Fear (1991)

Tenebrous and Austere, De-Niro gets into a miscreant character for Cape Fear

[8/10 · 25 August 2014]

" Sam Borden has always provided for the family's fortune.

But the past is coming back to haunt them "

The remake of J.Lee Thompson's 1962 project of the same name, Cape Fear is a dark and austere tale of retribution starring veteran actor Robert De-Niro and Nick Nolte. Directed by experienced Martin Scorsese, the film starts with Max Cady (De-Niro) released from the prison after completing his tenure of 14 years. Following his release, Max Cady sets off to avenge his punishment and he chooses not to target the judge or the DA but his very own lawyer Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) who he believes has voluntarily declared him guilty by performing a lousy defense.

The film is devoid of any macho heroes to save the day. However, it has the evil Cady as an iron-pumping redneck whose body shows dire biblical warnings. However his intentions remain highly profane. To avenge his punishment, Cady stalks Bowden's family, lurks in the shadows outside their abode and even intoxicates their pet dog. His actions magnify in ambiguity and austerity as the film lurches forward. He even rapes the girl with whom Bowden is having extra-martial with, gets intimate with Nolte's daughter Danielle and despicably harms the family emotionally and physically too.

Its Scorsese's fame and mastery that has brought Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment in collaboration with Steven Spielberg to work as the production team for Cape Fear. The film has big stars, monstrous special effects and big production values to enrich the experience

The film shows Robert De-Niro in a never-seen-before look. Nick Nolte is fabulous with his comely on screen wife played by Jessica Lange. One of the most acclaimed movies of the 90's , Cape Fear (1991) will put to display the ominous within the heart of the vulnerable to a extent that it leads to perpetual destruction of the victimized living souls.

Queen (2013)

Bahl's spectacular sophomore; Kangana Ranaut's Queen is an acclaim magnet

[8/10 · 26 March 2014]

Indian middle class girls having a simple lifestyle often get rejected by their to-be soul mates for their innocence, ability to establish firm decisions and lack of exposure to the outside world. Vikas Bahl's second directorial venture 'Queen' portrays the self depreciating star (after her role in Krrish 3 & Rajjo) Kagnana Ranaut in a never-seen-before avatar of Rani; a simpleton girl from Delhi aspiring to have a simple and contended married life ahead with her lover Vijay (Rajkummar Rao).

However, her dreams get shattered terribly when Vijay cancels the marriage just a day before stating the fact that he doesn't think that this relationship will progress favorably. A depressed and anguished Rani sets out on a solo honeymoon to Paris & Amsterdam; a journey which initially wraps her in a solitude and depression, a journey which on every step serves as a strong reminder of her hateful past which she is reluctant to forget.

But, the loneliness doesn't stay for long as Rani is introduced to an amicable VijayLakshmi; a half-Indian, sensuous and audacious hotel- employee who takes Rani out of the realms of pain and agony into a world of impetuosity with pure vigor in its air; an eccentric disco scene where an inebriated Rani sheds of her inhibitions and lets go of all the seemingly unbearable dolor in her heart as she grooves lifelessly on the foot-tapping Bollywood beats.

Vikas Bahl's queen is a fine, prudent and an excellent piece of Hindi cinema. The film introduces some of the flourishing characters throughout the film including a trio of boys which Rani befriends and the hotel chef, who offers Rani an opportunity to prove herself to the world, all having the same moral code of kindness and purity. Bahl creates a befitting milieu for Rani who is locked in a conflict with her inner self. However the one-woman show in the film has proved to be a magnet for acclaims and laurels as Ranaut puts total brilliance in Rani who portrays her unique transformation from a passive personality to an endearing and adventurous girl of a modern lifestyle.

A tale of a girl trapped in the dimensions of her own agony & misfortune sets out to explore the world; the one which assuages her effusive anguish. Needless to say, Queen is surely a delight to watch.

Psycho (1960)

Thrilling & Riveting; Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho creates an impact greater than most of his epic noirs.

[9/10 · 18 February 2014]

The way films shot in black-and-white portrays itself to the audience and materialize into something more than just a critical acclaimed film is surely alluring to experience. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho might not be my first movie I watched from the 60's era but it's definitely the one creating a greater impact than the other. The movie has pure visceral feel and induces a thrill so powerful that you might find yourself quite intrigued by it.

Psycho opens up with a scene with Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) and Sam Loomis (John Gavin) in a rented room of cheap hotel in Pheonix. Their apparent actions and conversations give vivid impression that both are currently having an intense love affair and want to get married soon but are unable to do so since they can't afford the expenses involved. Marion is working in an estate agent's office and meets with a client who gives her 40,000 dollars to buy a house for his daughter.

A desperate Marion steals 40,000 dollars from the client and flees from the town. Marion, on the run takes refuge in a motel called as Bates Motel, whose business appeared to be in total shambles. Even being strongly confronted by his dominant mother, the owner of the motel Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) warmly welcomes Marion with warm dinner and cosy room to spend the night in. Things turned horribly ugly when Marion gets murdered in the room of the motel by an unknown entity as she gets stabbed multiple times. The unknown entity in the movie will somewhat be perceived by the audience as 'Psycho' and the overall objective of cold-blooded murder however remains a mystery.

Based on the novel of the same name by Robert Bloch, Psycho is a mystery thriller with the suspense not being kept on hold for long and becomes quite flagrant. Alfred Hitchcock has made an audacious effort to make such a thriller in which the title of being the 'protagonist' vacillates from one person to another quite impressively. You may not be sure who the lead character actually is but you are pretty sure that the film is not a bizarre scramble of sheer ambiguity. A cinephile's experience will spring to life if he doesn't have the prescience of the suspense before. The film is capricious but still thrilling and fantastically riveting.

Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is worth the encomium and claps.

9 on 10 stars

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

One of the finest war films I have ever seen...Shapeless but pragmatic enough.

[8/10 · 29 January 2014]

I never saw a Stanley Kubrick film even though boasting about my utter penchant for films goes in sheer vain. But I heard about them a heck lot. The horror genre in Hollywood can surely be exemplified by Kubrick's 'The Shining'. He even had furnished his mastery when he gave the dream of eye-popping sci-fi effects a refined shape in his '2001: A Space Odyssey '. But I started by watching the first Kubrick film by giving his war film 'Full Metal Jacket' a worthwhile try. Why Full Metal jacket? Maybe it is because war films have a strong flavour of despair, horror and plethoric human drama and I love it all.

Full Metal Jacket consists of two distinct parts. A soft tone of 'Kiss me goodbye and write me when I am gone' marks the beginning the movie where the group of grunts are sitting in saloon getting their heads shaved off. That is the drill; the one to get them trained on Paris Island so that they can find themselves capable to be recruited in Marine Corps. The Island is a place where a straight poker face and nods to the senior drill instructor's commands becomes their only fate of life.

However, the drill instructor sergeant Hartman is not the one worth belying with. He is arrogant, aggressive, regards the privates as lowest form of life on the earth & shows rapid impulses to petty mistakes by the privates. His favourite barb-target is Private Gomer Pyle (so renamed from Leonard Lawrence by the instructor himself), an obese klutz who is often taunted and contradicted for his obese body and his utter inability to participate in workouts & is meant to be quite obtuse.

The rigorous physical training sessions, continuous streak of taunts by the instructor & predestined antipathy which his associate privates have for him puts Pyle's innocence & endurance to a test; The test which concludes with a Pyle transforming into an antagonist shooting up the sergeant and himself.

The latter half in majority is based in Vietnam and showcases war scenes and bloodbath. Private Joker (Mathew Modine), the one who used to bunk with Pyle and the sheer witness of his antagonism is recruited as a war correspondent in Stars and Stripes which publishes military newspaper in Vietnam. Following incoming enemy attacks all over South Vietnam, Joker is briefed and sent to Phu Bai along with his cameraman Rafterman to interview the platoon and record their experiences regarding the war. He meets his Paris Island associate Private Cowboy in Lusthog Squad as the entire party gradually gets drawn into a booby trap.

Even though the film is pragmatic, it is completely shapeless and fails to deal within realms of realism. The second half invites a fruitful comparison to other war films like 'Platoon', 'Apocalypse Now' and 'Saving Private Ryan'. As it progresses, culminates into a horrendous picture of war and horror.

It is comfortably understandable and has no easy catharsis. Kubrick has enhanced the visuals quite fantastically by his daunting angles at the scene of carnage. He manages to create a marvellous visual epiphany on the trembling prisoner at the end. As compared to 'Apocalypse Now' and 'Platoon', Full Metal Jacket appears naive but can hold a tight grip on the viewer's attention for the complete duration. Cheers for Stanley Kubrick

8 on 10 stars

American Hustle (2013)

Ingenious, refined and crisply scripted

[7/10 · 20 January 2014]

A movie's fate is driven somehow by a powerful factor of the star cast; a kind of actors that people would love to see interacting on screen. David O Russell uses this over utilized cinematic weapon of an ensemble cast for his con-film 'American Hustle'. Along with Eric Warren Singer, The Silver Linings playbook director also managed to have a lion's share in formulating the screenplay. Impeccably refined, masterful performances and reflection of sheer ingenuity is what American Hustle offers to the audience. The film gets us through some clichés and prodigal deviations but overall it bestows a worthwhile experience for the cinema lovers.

The pot-bellied Irvin Rosenfeld sets up a fake company to grant loans to the needy people thereby having an expertise in money laundering. His success reaches a capstone when Sydney Prosser walks into his life. Posing as the British lace curtain 'Edith Greensley', Sydney assists Irvin and both gradually become the 1978 con experts who succeed in controlling various scams but finally end up getting caught blatantly by The FBI. FBI agent Richie Di Maso (Bradley Cooper) arrests the duo on the charges of earning money by fraudulent schemes. He offers them immunity but in exchange wants them to aid The FBI to conduct a massive bust which will put the Mayor Carmine Polito and other politicians including the congressman behind bars.

Di Maso falsifies the identity of an Arab Sheikh who apparently is his Mexican friend. He, guided by Irving and Sydney together indulges in convincing the Mayor Polito about Sheikh's active interest in conducting business with him. Carmine Polito is the one to be struggling to assemble funds to resuscitate the Atlantic City. The trio uses Mayor's very keen desire to invest into Atlantic City as the driving force to bring him and other corrupt politicians to ground. Jenifer Lawrence plays Irvin's wife Rosalyn who is rather a piquant personality rather succumbing to being impulsive & manipulative throughout. Robert De Niro who plays a Mafia kingpin Victor Tellgio makes an impressive cameo. The most striking factor of the film is that deeper the film takes you inside the plan; more layers of this operation begin to unravel making it completely embellishing.

American Hustle has a crisp screenplay as the characters spring to live and engages you throughout the duration. David o Russell's direction poses as a strong reminder to Martin Scorsese's 'Goodfellas' and 'Casino' following its narrative which enhances the experience throughout thereby giving Russell's ambitious nature a strong highlight. The script is sleight but lucid. The movie however successfully manages to break the monotony of action sequences and burlesque comedies in cinema and provides a rich perpetual experience.

However, I sincerely feel 'American Hustle' strongly exemplifies how a con-film should be presented on the celluloid.

Dhoom 3 (2013)

Dhoom 3: A 2013 Christmas Baloney

[4/10 · 10 January 2014]

Dhoom franchise right from the start has represented robbery, deceit, love and action. But unfortunately sequels of the original John Abraham starrer has somehow aggravated more and more into nothing but an unprecedented blunder. The 'Hrithik-Ash' starrer Dhoom 2 started off thrillingly but rather ended up being in an unbelievable mess. Sadly, Dhoom franchise has reached an ebbing point; it seems, since the 2013 Christmas release Dhoom 3 stands no exception.

The only ingenuity in the Aamir Khan starrer was the fact that the villain had a structured background; a strong unbridled urge to go about on a looting mission. The movie opens up with Iqbal Khan (Jackie Shroff) heading towards cusp of being bankrupt as he fails to repay the loan to Western Bank of Chicago with only means to save his future is the great Indian Circus.

A master trick with help of his son Sahir (which evidently has been copied ditto from Christopher Nolan's The Prestige) which he shows to the banker Mr. Anderson; who apparently is the most difficult man to please finally ends up with Anderson demanding Iqbal to hand over the circus in five days. A distraught Iqbal puts up a revolver to his head saying a few harsh Hindi epithets before pulling off the trigger and bidding farewell to the world. This is the top cause for which Aamir swears revenge against the bank. The reason to take reprisal seems highly languid and dubious. I mean what the director wanted to make clear through the story was that if the bank demands repayment of the loan; they are utterly wrong and vindictive.

So now since his father his dead, Sahir Khan (Aamir) wants the Western Bank of Chicago closed and the only way to achieve it is by robbing people's money in the bank and not just simply robbing, but also making the robbed money rain on the streets of Chicago; the most worthless and vexatious plot to pull off a heist. The most cloddish part of the chase sequence is Sahir's bike which transforms into rather anything he needs it to be; it can move about in the waters of Chicago as a motorboat or it can even penetrate the waters as a submarine.

Jai (Abhishek) and Ali (Uday) happen to be an inseparable part of Dhoom franchise. It is as if both the characters are latched to the sequels of Dhoom; Be it a robbery on the streets of Mumbai, a heist in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil or series of robberies in Chicago, America: These two so-called top cops from Mumbai Police are to be summoned in every part of the world to crack the cases. Make him rob again; Jai Dixit sticks to his favourite algorithm of catching the thieves in every Dhoom movie. Uday Chopra is preposterous as an actor displaying his wide range of slapstick humour which hardly manages to bring even a grin on the faces of the spectators. Action sequences involving Jai and Ali in Chennai remind you strangely of action sequences in films like Dabang and Bodyguard. (Jai flies in mid air from bike up to two floors only to punch the villain; Jai drives an auto Rickshaw on the rooftops)

Katrina ,who plays the acrobat;Aliya, does not have any pivotal role in the movie. She is merely served as a purpose to treat the eyes which she fulfils well and good through the songs 'Kamili' and 'Malang'. Malang was ostentatious exhibiting sheer grandeur and an excellent choreography. The cinematography was spectacular but failed to save the declining fate of the film. Aamir displays mediocre acting skills; not at all suited to his 'Mr. Perfectionist' title (which he hardly is) and he even fails to resemble a bad guy even in the slightest. He has failed to get out of his usual comfort zone and etiolated the storyline even further. Not to mention, I strongly feel another actor from Bollywood youth club in place of Aamir could have dealt with Sahir Khan's role in much sophisticated manner

The plot is flawed at places just like the chase sequences in the movie. The direction is totally amateurish and disastrous. I still cannot put pieces together as in why Aditya Chopra chose Vijay Krishna Acharya over all the top directors in Yash Raj to direct such big budget project even after his disastrous debut 'Tashan' ? The director has represented Dhoom 3 in a rather clumsy and desultory way adapting the screenplays from Hollywood movies like 'Now you See Me' and 'The Prestige'.

So overall, if you want to look for some action entertainment, Dhoom 3 is not the one where you should not look at. It should simply be abjured for something worth more riveting.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Smart, Adept and Uproarious

[9/10 · 4 January 2014]

Wall Street happens to be one of the financial districts in New York. It houses one of the largest stock exchanges called the New York Stock exchange along with other financial headquarters. You love the environment in there; it is pretty assumed that you go on a money minting spree. Martin Scorsese's 'The Wolf of the Wall Street' simply puts the emphasis on the Wall Street atmosphere, portraying the real life character of Jordan Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio); who was convicted of fraudulent crimes for exploiting the stock market.

Craftily scripted by Terence Winter, based on the book called 'Jordan Belfort', Scorsese evinces the character of Jordan Belfort as an orgy youngster having an unstinted appetite for money (earned legally or illegally doesn't matter) and heavily addicted to cocaine, alcohol and sex. On losing his job owing to stock market crash in 1987, Belfort trains a group of good-for-nothing folks to sell some of the useless commodities to some rich high-profile traders. Establishing a new firm called 'Stratton Oakmont', Jordan Belfort creates a befitting milieu to flourish what it is right to be termed as a 'moneymaking business'.

Going along too well with the wind of incoming wealth, Belfort divorces his wife Teresa only to marry Naomi; the only girl who can satisfy Belfort's ever growing lust. Scorsese does focus on sizzling intimate moments between the couple. A life rife with drugs, booze, magnificent bungalows, sleek sport cars and libidinous prostitutes slowly comes to a halt when the FBI steps in with their investigation. As showcased in most of the Scorsese films, the entire hurly burly in the major part of the movie is interrupted with planning & effort by the police.

Unlike films like 'Taxi driver', 'Casino' & 'Goodfellas', 'The Wolf of the Wall Street' is devoid of the ultimate theme of redemption. In spite of that, the film lends us rolling-on-the floor-laughing moments coupled with sheer display of acting to the point of caricature by Leonardo DiCaprio. The formula of opulence coupled with laughter & poignancy has worked quite well on the celluloid. Matthew McConaughey has a remarkable role as Mark Hanna; the guy who titillates the spark of minting fast money which has ignited in Belfort's mind.

Even though having sizeable movie length, it never seems to dull the audience and keeps them in an uplifted mood throughout. The Wolf of the Wall Street is smart, adept and uproarious. A shrewd script blended with high brilliance; Martin Scorsese makes it laudable and discernible among others.

The Departed (2006)

Martin Scorsese's The Departed: The Perfect Bait To Catch The 'Oscar' Shark

[8/10 · 13 December 2013]

'Lies, Betrayal & Sacrifice. How far will you take it?' the quote clearly describes Martin Scorsese's exceptional cop thriller 'The Departed'. Martin Scorsese voted as one of the best directors ever to be gifted to the film industry, returns back to the gangster genre after a span of 11 years. Goodfellas (1990), Mean Streets (1973), Casino (1995) are few of the illustrations of his master hand in this genre. Inspired from 2002, Hong Kong movie 'Internal Affairs ' The Departed makes the viewers witness assembling of an astral cast altogether. I mean who won't give a nod to the movie which has Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson & Mark Walberg in decisive roles.

Screenplay crafted in a well paced & witty manner by William Monahan, the film begins with the director playfully shooting Nicholson in the dark for few scenes as you can just glimpse his out-sized silhouette while everyone else is in the clear view. Scorsese simply wants to symbolize through this that he is the driving force of all the mayhem & destruction; the monstrous devil. 20 minutes post the film starts, you get to know about the title of the film but by then you have already crafted a general picture of the film's plot in your mind; An outstandingly clever move by an outstandingly brilliant director.

Frank Costello (Nicholson), the Irish-American Mafioso is the only powerful man holding the reigns of organized crime in Irish neighborhood in South Boston. He influences Collin Sullivan (Damon) by seducing altar boy by few gallons of milk & comic books & Sullivan is trained to be his very own secret agent in the Massachusetts State Police department; the department run by Queenan (Martin Sheen). On the other hand, Leonardo plays Billy Costigan, an honest person from a dishonest family who cannot make it to being a cop owing to his austere family background finally agrees to Queenan's urge for him to be his undercover informer in Costello's gang.

After a failed sting operation in spite of Billy tipping the police off, the State Police Department grows quite suspicious of a rat in their own department. Thanks to Sullivan from State Police, even Costello is tad convinced that even he has a police informer in his gang. The entire movie is about how both the organizations make their best to find out the moles around them, finally leading to some shootouts, body counts and unsurpassed scene of carnage. Matt Damon who appears to be a well behaved & a neat cop pertaining to his clean shaved look but sadly isn't. He gets involved with the cop psychiatrist Madolyn (Vera Farmiga) and gets into a live-in relationship with her but finally the love tapers towards destruction in the end. The film however gets us the glimpses of some heart-warming intimacy between the couple.

The Departed is a complex story of a paralleled infiltration of organized crime and the police department narrated rather simply as it showcases the idiosyncratic performances of the lead actors & the strong masterstroke of the director. It makes a complicated and potentially convoluted story and delivers it to the audience with sterile clarity. It has the same violence & tension from Goodfellas & Casino minus the narration. However as expected Scorsese has managed to explore the gangster world ahead of the vision & delivered a kaleidoscopic masterpiece. Needless to say, in my view this happens to be Scorsese's best gangster movie till date.

Skyfall (2012)

Skyfall: Sadly the best Bond movie ever...Only question is...How??

[6/10 · 9 November 2013]

One of the best Bond movies ever (at least what the film experts call it) 'Skyfall' gathered a whopping 1 billion at the box office thus being the only highest earning James Bond movie. Having a budget of 150-200 million, Skyfall takes you to some of the appealing locations in the world. Thanks to Sam Mendes's extra-ordinary imagination, the film takes us on a mini tour. May it be the ostentatious city of Shanghai to one of the magnificent gambling dens in Macau; Mendes has done an impressive job in the director's chair.

As a movie buff, I would give my thumbs up to the director without a slight reluctance. Only problem lies with me is the weak plot of the movie clearing giving clichés at some points. I am quite sure that this utter statement which I made might drop some jaws enough to tag me as a hysterical person altogether. But I personally found Daniel Craig starrer 'Casino Royale', a far improved & an impeccable endeavour than Skyfall.

The movie starts with two agents James Bond & Eve Moneypenny chasing a man named Patrice down the streets of Istanbul who has a very important hard drive; something which acquired can save a cataclysmic event. A terrific bike chase sequence is shown where Bond & Patrice end up falling on the top of the train. "Ok! Now I am excited. Let's see what Mendes has to show now " was how my thoughts were directed watching Bond & Patrice engage in a pernicious fistfight.

But somehow I was disappointed when Eve who got herself positioned alongside with a sniper rifle under the pretext of shooting Patrice, shot Bond instead. It was her mistake. Mistakes do happen. But a man who falls from a height in the waterfall with a bullet in his shoulder is sure to die. But he doesn't. The question of 'Who saves him?' is still unresolved till date. C'mon Mendes, show some realism while making such sequences. Only Indian audiences can put their faith here only because they have been subjected to many such mindless sequences in past.

A presumed-dead James Bond soon returns back to London when his organization MI6 is targeted to massive gas explosions as someone underground hacks into their highly secure systems. Put out on the field by his boss M (Judi Dench) even though he is degraded & merely held on his feet by alcohol, Bond makes himself ready to chase down this hacker who has started a grudge mission against British Secret service. The film is magnificent, Bond happens to look cooler than before but the plot is flawed at places but somehow those flaws aren't important enough to be noticed by viewers.

But some scenes did deserve some more thinking, brilliance & realism. I recollect a scene where Silva, the hacker is caught up & held in MI6 headquarters but he soon escapes the cell with no bigger fuss than you could imagine. Mendes did his best to imitate the Joker sequence from The Dark Knight but ended up doing rather childishly. I mean as soon as the bespectacled geeky-looking genius 'Q' connects Silva's laptop to the main server, the port generates an algorithm hacking the entire system thus setting the cell door open. Now you don't really require a cinematic vision to think about such a plot. Even a not-so-expert naive software engineer can think about such an idea. The movie deserved better considering the hype it left behind after its release. Then they mention that Silva's planning the escape since years. Oh really! I mean he really knew the new changed location of MI6 after gas bombing since years. Admirable foresight he has I must say.

The action sequence towards the end of the movie looks promising except few unanswered questions which still linger in my mind. I heard bullet in legs can take days for an unattended victim to die. So how does M succumb to her injury just after hours of being shot on her leg? A helicopter falls on the mansion & there is a massive explosion & anything within a radius of few meters of the bungalow is sure to be caught in fire. But Silva who is just standing in front of the house escapes without even a small burn or a bruise. How? Jump in the water beneath the ice & I am confident you won't even be able to stand properly when you get out. But here comes James Bond as if he is just back from his regular swimming sessions.

Overall, I have no qualms with Skyfall except the fact that a small love story or a romantic angle at some point could have been poignant on the celluloid. The film is opulent & deserved more judging Craig's superb acting. Nevertheless I personally feel the tag of the highest Bond earning movie would have looked better on 'Casino Royale' rather than 'Skyfall'.

But for action lovers, Skyfall is not worth giving a miss. It remains brilliant if the sluggish flaws are proudly overlooked. I tried doing it but I failed to know why. Maybe others can. Good Luck!

My Name Is Khan (2010)

His Name is Khan & he is a LEGEND !!!

[10/10 · 20 September 2013]

Rizwan Khan : I want to see the President of the United States Security Incharge : Why ? Is he a friend of yours ? Rizwan : No No. He is not a friend of mine. I have something to say to him.

That is Karan Johar's My Name is Khan, his most flawless & perfect film till date. The MNIK trailer which released in the 2009 year end attracted the attention of most of the public as well as the critics. " Oh ! Damn ! another film based on 9/11 tragedy after Kurbaan. " was one such comment displaying negation about the film since Kurbaan starring Saif Ali Khan & Kareena Kapoor proved to be a box-office debacle. Although people mistook MNIK to be a film on terrorism judging from the famous one liner from the movie where Shah Rukh says " My Name is Khan And I am Not a terrorist ", it wasn't one.

It must have required a sheer amount of hard work & dedication. Bearing a strong resemblance to Russell Crowe's role as schizophrenic in Ron Howard's ' A Beautiful Mind ', Shah Rukh Khan managed to pull it off quite well & enacted the role of an Asperger's Syndrome victim with subtlety. Sources say that he used to live as the character of the film even at his own residence only to perfect himself more & more.

As far as the sensitive & riveting storyline, outstanding direction & lead actor's extraordinary brilliance put into the film was concerned, the films had all its points up as the contender for a National Award. As far as the story of the film is taken into view, if you listen to it verbally it sounds too naive since story of an autistic who goes on a journey to win back his love sounds a little boring but a Karan Johar- SRK film can never be so underrated & simple. It has to be powerful & poignant.

Overall, on the celluloid , the movie is a love story; a genre where Johar has expressed his mastery before in collaboration with Shah Rukh in films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hain, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham & Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. However main focus of his previously directed ventures was on human relationships; may it be a father-son relationship or may it be showing an extra-martial affair .

However, MNIK was bigger & dealt with some real-life issues, adding a religious flavor to it. The plot line is engaging as it progresses. Rizwan Khan suffering from Asperger's Syndrome stays with his mother & brother in Mumbai. " There are only two types of people in this world. The good & the evil. There exists no other difference " Zarina Wahab who plays Rizwan's ammi gives him the most important lesson of his life thus setting up the tone of the film. This message is the only platform where the whole movie stands firmly on as you see numerous occasions where Rizwan applies various other values, which his ammi has successfully inculcated in him.

But soon after her death, Rizwan migrates to San Fransisco, USA to stay with his brother Zakir (Jimmy Shergill ). But soon a void is created in the relationship between the brothers as Rizwan decides to marry a Hindu girl, Mandira (Kajol). The film shows some of the really enchanting scenes as Rizwan desperately tries all possible ways to win the heart of his lady love & finally succeeding in his attempts. Gradually after few years of marriage, 9/11 tragedy creeps in & all thanks to the evil prejudices of the extremists, every Muslim in US gets frowned upon as a downright terrorist by the inhabitants and in such atmosphere even an autistic Muslim was not an exception.

Further, Rizwan's step son & his only best friend Sameer gets beaten up by the college bullies & dies eventually due to internal bleeding. The cause of his intentional beating up was the fact that he was a son of a Muslim and this enrages Mandira who thinks it was her fault that she married a Muslim & out of fury, she tells Rizwan to leave the house who out of pain & agony, embarks upon a long journey to win back his love. His repeated failed attempts to tell the President of the United States that " His name is Khan & he is not a terrorist " showcases Khan's wish to broadcast it globally that even if he is a Muslim, it doesn't imply in any sense that he is a terror causing entity.

MNIK is a story of this man's journey who inspires humanity in every way possible. A clear display of tolerance, perseverance, religion & the strong power of love is dis played in MNIK. It captivates you for the entire duration & keeps you totally mesmerized with some strong performances by the lead cast.

The most emotional & lump-in-the-throat causing scene was the one where after being revived of the charges of being a terrorist, Rizwan goes to rescue one of the best acquaintances he had; Mama Jenny & her son Funny Hair Joel from floods in Wilhelmina, Georgia. The media covers the scenes of his rescue attempts & broadcasts it on TV claiming that very person who was suspected to be a terrorist is rescuing the flood- stricken victims in Georgia. Rizwan not only does good but also inspires it in every way possible.

An artistic direction, excellent cinematography, an engaging & a new concept & award-winning performances by the lead pair itself make MNIK a worthy endeavor to bag the National Award for the best film.

Hey Ram (2000)

Hey Ram : The Outstanding Experiment with the truth

[10/10 · 7 September 2013]

Kamal Hassan, one of the most popular & talented actors from South started his directorial debut with the funny & entertaining 'Chachi 420' where Hassan mastered the role of an old woman with ease. After a rib- tickling endeavour, Kamal Hassan grabbed the reigns to direct a powerful film of a completely new genre, 'Hey Ram' a film which displayed the communal instability in India post Independence in 1947. The words breathed last by the great leader of our country, Mahatma Gandhi itself reveals the fact that the film is based on a semi-fictional plot involved in the assassination of Gandhi.

Gathering an ensemble cast from Bollywood, Hassan made it a point to make a very commercial approach to the film. The film starred Kamal Hassan as the protagonist while Bollywood actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Hema Malini, Naseeruddin Shah & Om Puri handled small but significant roles.

The film commences on 6th December 1999 which marked the 7th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition which invited communal riots between Hindus & Muslims. On this date, in a dark dingy room lay 89-year old Saket Ram on his death bed with his grandson by his side. The film time- travels to the era of 1940's where Pakistan & India where being partitioned and that was the reason why two best friends Saket Ram (Kamal) & Amjad Ali Khan (Shah Rukh), who were archaeologists working for a British named Wheeler were told to stop their work & return back to their respective homes.

Saket Ram returns back to Calcutta to his Bengali wife, Aparna (Rani) but tragedy follows after him as Aparna gets sexually assaulted & killed by Muslim extremists in the locality. A distraught & enraged Saket Ram meets Abhyankar, a revolutionary who convinces Ram that Mahatma Gandhi is solely responsible for this bloodbath. Succumbed to family pressure, Saket Ram marries a teenager Maithili (Vasundhara Das). The film displays some intimate scenes between Saket & Maithili. The scenes are so detailed that you find yourself astonished as why Censor Board did not intervene with their snipping tool.

The film revolves entirely around Saket Ram's life as he collaborates with Abhyankar and Maharaja and offers to help them in the plot to assassinate Gandhi. Shah Rukh Khan as Amjad Ali Khan is entirely used as a commercial weapon by Kamal Hassan as inspite of having just 30 minutes in the film; SRK has successfully managed to uplift the standard of the film. He plays a Muslim Pathan who rescues Saket Ram who gets trapped in the communal riots in curfew-struck Muslim community in Delhi.

The film indeed deserved more of Shah Rukh Khan's exquisite display of acting skills as his inclusion in Hey Ram poster must have promised the viewers a parallel role alongside Kamal. The film has some really advanced & subtle effects, the film although shot in 2000 makes you feel as if the film is shot in the early 60's. The 1999 India scenario is showcased in black & white to distinguish it well with the cinematic representation of happenings in past.

Hey Ram is powerful as it deals efficiently with universal & contemporary themes set in the post-Independence India. Thanks to Kamal's creative mind & brilliance put into the film, film was chosen as India's official entry to Oscars to be considered as nomination in Best Foreign Film of the year. Hey Ram is story of fictional character whose life gets turned up-side down because of some real life incidents in 1940's that have changed the course of history. The film concludes admirably in a poignant manner

People having a fine taste for art films, Hey Ram will give you one of the best cinematic experiences of your life.

Madras Cafe (2013)

Thumbs up to Sircar's sincere effort !!!

[8/10 · 27 August 2013]

Indian films always tried their best to match their calibre with the films of international standard. In the effort to raise the standard of films, directors started adopting new ideas & sensitive story lines to deflect from the usual Indian films which only displayed hysterical comedy sequences, senseless fist fights & some dialogs which were intended more for public whistling than to showcase effective smartness.

Out of such hustle, Shoojit Sircar comes up with new political spy thriller titled 'Madras Cafe' (originally titled as 'Jaffna') starring John Abraham as the Major Vikram Singh & Nargis Fakhri as the British journalist, Jaya. The film depicts the horrors of the civil war that took place in Jaffna, Sri Lanka between Tamilians & local Sri Lankans.

The film commences at a point where a bearded man (John Abraham) suffering from severe trauma & alcoholism filled with regret steps into a church & starts confessing about his mistakes to the priest. The entire film is based on John Abraham's detailed & alluring narration to the priest. But here we find it a bit of unrealistic & fictional because considering John's character to be an army recruit of Research & Analysis Wing, he cannot reveal about his work by narrating it to a priest.

The plot revolves around the assassination of ex-Prime Minister of India & the start of the movie itself reveals that the mission pursued by the assassins was unbeaten. The film jumps back few months before the assassination took place where a Tamil rebel group LTF headed by Anna Bhaskaran clashes with the Sri Lankan extremists in Jaffna. On the arrival of peace forces, the Sri Lanka extremist surrender their arms & ammunition to them but Anna refuses to call back his forces, claiming that lives of Tamils will still be at stake and the peril over their lives won't end.

To issue the provincial elections, it is necessary to eliminate Anna & his forces & to carry out this mission; Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) appoint Major Vikram Singh. The film bears a strong resemblance to Steven Spielberg's Munich based on the Black September. On his way to Jaffna, at frequent occasions, Vikram meets up with Jaya (Nargis) who even though not a pivotal part of film, helps immensely in effective flow of the plot. Jaya being a British journalist is outstanding & fancies the use of British accent to highlight her being of an international recognition. Few more phenomenal performances by supporting cast. Bala who being the mission in charge plays the only leak to the Vikram's task force, Sri, the rogue politician at loggerheads with Bhaskaran & Ruby who plays Vikram's wife make the endeavor a worthwhile approach.

The first half is detailed & predictable but the detail slowly gets lost in the latter half. Few scenes in the film show brutality, bloodbath, destruction & sizeable body count while the fact that children prove to be a sympathy generator thereby succeeds Sircar in making his film appealing to the audience. The title Madras Cafe actually comes from a famous café in Singapore & London where the LTF member & two foreigners hatch the plan to eliminate the ex-PM. The reason behind the assassination & the driving force behind it are unrevealed. However there are few visuals which somehow link Bhaskaran's LTF behind the attack.

The film isn't flawless but worth receiving admiration. Madras Cafe has Sensitive storytelling & scenes not lasting for more than few minutes which are essential for any movie of political thriller genre. However audience doesn't find enough time to involve themselves into the characters. The viewer has to be extremely attentive. If not he might lose on the plot of the film. The film is confusing at points but gradually regains the flow as the film progresses.

The best part of the movie is that there are no dance numbers & songs to fill up the niches in the plot. As the matter of fact, such deflective niches don't exist. After Sircar's novel film based on the sperm donation (Vicky Donor), his work as the director in new political thriller based on civil war in Jaffna is sincere & worth a thumbs up.

Chennai Express (2013)

Fun-rolled Masala Entertainer

[6/10 · 9 August 2013]

Since the days of Chak De India, judging his grace & his stupendous acting skills, I am a huge fan of Shah Rukh Khan. A man of substance, he shows his skills in every film through his strong dialogue delivery & a firm grip over the emotional phenomena of the film. Every film he does, he makes it new for his audience & that is what makes him a stand-out actor.

Just few hours back, I caught up with his new film released today 'Chennai Express' directed by the Singham & Golmaal director Rohit Shetty, co-starring Deepika Padukone. It showed the King of Romance in a dynamic never-seen-before avatar & some fun-rolled laughter & Rohit Shetty style action.

Not much of surprise, the film touches all the genres of Bollywood completing a circle of entertainment. The film is the mixture of both: humour as well as some serious action. Frankly, I only liked Shetty for Golmaal & Singham. I found that mostly his films lacked sensibility & displayed some mindless insensitive action. But the fact that Shah Rukh Khan is starring in it made me really look into Chennai Express. Because as far as I know SRK, he is one of intelligent brains in Bollywood & knows completely well what he is up to.

Not deviating from Chennai Express, I would like to tell about the plot. The story is about Rahul, a 40 year unmarried man, who lives with his grandparents in Mumbai. After his grandfather's death, Rahul embarks on a journey to Goa but a series of confusions & misunderstanding, he finds himself in Chennai Express, a train that brings a big turn in the life of Rahul leading him to the place where he is destined to be.

Frustrated of his misfortune about not being able to go to Goa, Rahul meets Meenama, a South Indian girl from Kumban village in Chennai. She happens to be the pivotal part of the film that changes the monotony of Rahul's life. Rahul witnesses the ticket checker of the train being thrown in the waters from running train by the Tamil goons who happen to have kidnapped Meenama, thus being the only witness to the incident. Rahul is plunged into the world where he is being pestered, troubled & led into some humorous mishap. Shetty has depicted all of this in funny way that audience find themselves having the best time of their lives.

Chennai Express is sheer entertainment with fun-filled comedy all over. There is action, romance & humour throughout the film. It will leave smiles on everyone's faces when they leave the theatre. It is very impressive and unlike all Rohit Shetty films, it has the powerful element of emotion, the element which Indian directors use to uplift their standard of cinema. The songs are combination of foot-tapping numbers as well as some melodiously extravagant songs. If you have caught up with all Rohit Shetty films, this one you will be the most satisfied with. The first time collaboration of Rohit Shetty- SRK duo will undoubtedly set the box office registers ringing.

The Conjuring (2013)

Creepy & Terrifying...Try Not To Scream !!!!

[7/10 · 4 August 2013]

Not being a lover of horror films, I never caught up with one in the theatres. The 1973 Academy-Award winner The Exorcist & the Bollywood horror flick Bhoot, directed by RGV was all I had watched from this genre. According to me, both these films had enough visual & sound effects to terrify the audience. As I was going through Bhoot for the second time, I noticed that the main source of terror was the sudden sound effect (irrespective of the screen showing a demonic creature or not) & RGV had used this trick to scare the audiences more than ghostly horrifying visuals.

A very similar but an enhanced effect accompanied by some great visual effects is what The Conjuring (2013) stands on. The Saw director James Wan extracted a piece of story from the case files of Warrens and directed a supernatural thriller proving to rather more than just a mere horror film. It had the soul accompanied by a well-defined structure.

The film opens up in a remarkable scene where a demonologist Ed Warren & his beautiful clairvoyant wife Lorraine who are paranormal investigators providing rational explanations to strange happenings, investigate a case of the Annabelle doll where a small doll suddenly becomes possessed by the ghost of the 7 year old girl haunting the house of two nurses. The scene remarks the introduction of the two researchers who research & provide solution to malignant ghost invasions in a person or in a accommodation.

The film flies back in 1971 where Carolyn & Roger Perron, with their five daughters move into a bungalow in Harrisville, Rhode Island. Right from the day, they settle in the family experiences weird happenings in the house. Their pet dog Sadie is found dead outside the villa, the mother Carolyn gets strange bruises after she wakes up in the morning every day, an unknown entity takes to pulling the daughter's leg every night, the door creaks open mysteriously every now & then. These incidents go on culminating and aggravating as these small strange happenings magnify themselves to reveal large demonic presence in the house. The menacing situation ends up getting so severe and dreadful that out of fear & despair, the couple resort to the Warrens for help.

The story is not just about the family of Perrons. The life of Warrens is also showcased parallel with the life of Perrons. The film is totally one-sided that you can predict that the lives of these two families are going to end up meeting at an unfortunate turn. The film is not recommended for people with a weak heart as the scenes are impressive but frightening. The demonic visuals are sudden, unexpected & fear- inducing personifying the directorial talent of James Wan since he succeeds effectively in generating chills down the spine.

More enhancing are opening & closing credits in the movie, the weapon most under-utilized in modern cinema as the snapshots from real-life Warren Cases are shown. The film's cinematography also receives thumbs up as the cinematographer John Leonetti uses some swooping shots to capture characters as they run inside the house. The film appears to be a winning horror formula after some previously released horror flicks going deep under the ground. Above all, the director's clear fascination to horror films like Amityville horror, the Poltergeist & the Exorcist is clearly visible in the film. As the film progresses to the latter half, comparisons of The Conjuring to The Exorcist becomes totally unavoidable but the director has lived up to the expectations in The Conjuring & succeeded in giving an extra-ordinary film. For weak hearted people, my message to them is ' Try not to scream folks '.

Django Unchained (2012)

Most accessible Tarantino film till date

[8/10 · 2 August 2013]

Being a movie buff, I was well acquainted with Quentin Tarantino for his master-work in two exquisite projects Pulp Fiction (1994) Inglorious Basterds (2009). That is why I was more eager than usual for watching his 2012 movie, Django Unchained starring Christoph Waltz, Jamie Fox & Leonardo DiCaprio in lead roles. The title comes from Django, 1966 western drama starring Franco Nero who happens to make a remarkable cameo in Django Unchained. The horror that Django Unchained expresses isn't of slavery, but of a filmmaker attempting historical but a entertaining endeavor while shackled by his own superior persona.

Tarantino found an appropriate channel to exhibit aggression & violence in a dramatic manner. The plot is set up in the year 1958 post Civil War where black negroes were traded, enslaved and tortured in return of money.

The opening sequence depicts two brothers Ace Speck & Dicky Speck with several chained Negro slaves being taken to a place somewhere in Texas. Among those slaves is Django, the slave who is determined to save his wife Broomhilda who is being separated from him during an auction. The Speck brothers during their travel are interrupted by a dentist turned bounty hunter Dr King Schultz (Waltz) who offers to buy Django from the Speck brothers but ends up shooting one & injuring other severely since they refuse to initiate the sale & Django gets unchained.

Schultz offers Django complete freedom if he identifies the Brittle brothers whom Schultz, being a bounty hunter is required to kill. It somehow happens that Django has the ability to recognize the Brittle brothers as he had worked in their plantations before being auctioned to wilderness. The two go on bounty hunting rampage when finally Schultz gets so enamored to Django that he offers to aid him in his search to rescue Broomhilda. There is more to Django than just a bounty hunter's right hand. Django has forbidden love for his wife which he restricts from reflecting on his face as he has Broomhilda on his mind even after being separated from her. Cinematically Tarantino has represented it rather beautifully.

The underlying soul of the film is that the freedman Django & the hit-man Schultz are pitted against Calvin Candie, the owner of Candyland plantation & his butcher Stephen to save Broomhilda who is working as a slave in Candyland. The violence is outsize and enormous but not disturbing and Tarantino has successfully created a niche to showcase on screen violence with several blood splashing & spilling scenes. The action sequences are blood, gore & comedy-rolled together thus keeping us entertained all the way.

Christoph waltz ought to get thumbs up for playing a scrupulous, lethal & politely taunting bounty hunter. Even the role of antagonist Calvin Candie is played beautifully by DiCaprio as he succeeds to look both well-mannered as well as purely evil displaying sheer splendor & ability.

'Django Unchained' is 165 minutes long and is filled with moments of agonizing & teased out action and surprises in casting as well as the story. Some people may have criticized the director on how racist the film happens to be but if you still throughout the film; you can discover plenty of scenes for the audience to engage in. The world created by Tarantino in film is not just of misery and pain but one having sarcasm, racism, extreme violence and reprehensible people.

D-Day (I) (2013)

Taut & Sensitive !!!!

[6/10 · 20 July 2013]

The 1993 train bomb blasts, 26/11 terrorist attack on the city that never sleep and Hyderabad blasts prompt us all to think that why the roots of all these evils can't be destroyed. We start to wonder that if America can assassinate the terrorist Osama Bin Laden who brought about the attacks of twin towers in USA, why can't we take down the country's most old and dangerous enemy. The answer to our question pops up after watching this movie 'D-Day' directed by Nikhil Advani.

The filmmaker who made romantic comedy films like Kal Ho Na Ho, Salam-E- Ishq & Patiala House steps out of his genre and delivers an outstanding film based on the world's most wanted criminal mastermind. Artistically crafted on celluloid, D-Day lives up to its expectations which were looming amongst the audience as soon as the promos released. You would expect a fantastic spy thriller on the parallel lines of 'Zero Dark Thirty' (obviously eliminating its hollowness) and I am sure you won't be disappointed.

A beautiful wedding scene at the beginning which happens to be the underworld Don's son's wedding reception is located in a beautiful 5- star hotel in Pakistan. Splendidly decorated wedding hall, guests arriving in rich & grand outfits and a short Rajpal Yadav singing ' Damadam Mast Kalandar' in background witnesses an infiltration by four agents on a mission. A thrilling scene shot perfectly without any ambiguity shows how the four agents successfully captivate the Don who happens to arrive at his son's wedding.

The film flies back 40 days before the Goldman operation ( as it is so named after the Don) where Irrfan Khan (Walia) as an undercover RAW agent working as a barber in Pakistan lives with his wife Nafisa and his son Kabir who are kept in dark from his original identity. This part shows affection he had for his wife and his children and a fear that this affection somehow can prove his big weakness in future starts to haunt him. The former half of D-Day mainly introduces the main characters of the film in a well-defined manner.

Arjun Rampal plays Captain Rudra Prasad Singh, an ex-Army officer who is dismissed from his military duty because of an undisclosed reason. Of all the four agents participating in this mission, Rudra is the most short-tempered and eccentric one. He walks with a well build stature reflecting his army officer persona wherever he goes. The film is not just mere hyped action film but also involves a romantic angle between Rudra and Suraiya (Shruti Hasaan), a prostitute in Karachi's red light district. Rudra lives in red light area in Karachi to conceal his true identity from Pakistani locals and ends up falling for Suraiya.

Huma Qureshi as Zoya Rehman is beautiful, determined, intelligent and straight forward agent. She has the capability to camouflage easily and successfully with the local Pakistan people so as to not arouse suspicion. The fourth agent is played by Aakash Dahiya as Aslam who is charged of three murders and is offered a release in exchange of helping RAW in their secret mission by chief of RAW, Ashwini Rao.

Just as the Goldman operation goes abruptly wrong, Goldman escapes from the scene, just inches after being captivated and turns his sources after these four agents. These agents are searched for by Pakistan's ISI agency and also by Goldman's men as they their lives are turned upside down after their unfortunate failure in the operation.

Rishi Kapoor playing the underworld Don could have been the pivotal part of the film but unfortunately he is not. Irrfan Khan and Arjun Rampal happen to be high points of the film as each of them handles their role effectively. We have some smart dialogue writing by Niranjan Iyengar who had contributed large to dialogues in Once Upon A Time in Mumbai also making an equally vital contribution to the D-Day.

The film could have been emotionally stronger and the conclusion could have appeared more convincing than it appears to be. But apart from it, the film is phenomenal and outstanding if we overlook its slight deviation to a personal angle at its end. Just like most of the Hindi films, D-Day symbolizes Bollywood's long standing fascination to Dawood Ibrahim. However it showcases the slight swagger and invincibility, this movie possesses.

But overall, a great work by Nikhil Advani in his first ever spy thriller action movie. A 6/10 stars for D-Day from me.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)

Creates a Long-Lasting Impression !!!! Amazing....

[7/10 · 17 July 2013]

Today's Hindi film industry observes that the movies related on lives of famous personalities, which are termed as biopic are attaining fast recognition and acclaim. Dhulia's Paan Singh Tomar, Luthria's Dirty Picture, Legend of Bhagat Singh and Chak De India are illustrations of such highly acclaimed projects. Considering this ongoing trend, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Director of Rang De Basanti and Delhi 6) decided to encompass the real-life episodes of the athlete Milkha Singh in this film 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag'. The film happens to be a sweeping and stirring biography of Milkha Singh entitled as 'The Flying Sikh' about his uphill struggle, apprehensions and his path towards glory. Three hours and 8 minutes of this Farhan Akhtar starrer keeps u hooked to your seat from commencement to conclusion.

The starting scene of the film is based in 1960 in Rome, Italy showing Olympic sports meet where a sprinter Milkha Singh starts the race being ahead of all but slowly loses speed and agility as the past memories of his childhood begin to haunt him amidst the race dropping him to the fourth position. The main reason for this loss happens to be a shout given by his coach saying 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' which triggers these past memories. This is the point where we know that this athlete has gone through some tough depressing days in his childhood. However, generation of past memories only by mere ushering by his coach for a highly experienced athlete seems very unrealistic.

After the unfortunate loss in Rome, Jawaharlal Nehru announces sports meet between India and Pakistan to be held on the Pakistani land and Milkha refuses to be the part of this meet. The movie goes back a few decades where a child Milkha is seen having his happy time in a village of Punjab until one day, due to India-Pakistan partition, war commences there leading to all his friends and relatives getting massacred with only few survivors.

Milkha comes to Delhi, India in search of his elder sister thereby leading a life of misery and unstoppable agony being a local goon stealing coals from passing-by trains with his local friends falls in love madly with a Punjabi girl (Sonam Kapoor) and decides to transform himself into a gentleman to win her hand for marriage. He joins Indian Army and ends up being an athlete due to his running capabilities and agility. A sprinter running for the Indian army, starts representing his own country India in Olympics, thus fulfilling his own ambition of doing so. The film shows some of his glorious and triumphant moments as a successful sprinter. Some of the episodes in film show his intimate moments with an Australian girl Stella as the film slowly starts unnecessarily deviating from its genre. The film happens to be respectful but unreasonably long.

Farhan gets the golden opportunity to portray one of the most iconic characters hence delivering his most phenomenal performance till today. Right from a sculpted physique, body language to his look, Farhan has extended his capability beyond his limits. Dilip Tahil also delivers a convincing performance as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru while Divya Dutta captures the viewers emotionally.

The music director trio Shankar-Ehsan-Loy captures every beat with mastery uplifting the background score of the film, making the soul of the film more beautiful. Along with some splendid music, director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra takes care with his shots, zooming in and using slow-motion to make a body travelling through a finish line.

The film would have been totally flawless should the director have pruned some unnecessary scenes only to have made the film short and sweet. The story oscillates abruptly from Milkha's personal and professional life and also displaying the flashback memories again and again. The race scenes are too much in slow motion but there is sufficient dramatic control by the director and grace in Farhan's acting.

Swades (2004)

A New Face of Patriotism.

[9/10 · 13 July 2013]

"You have to come to India and experience it. Then you will probably know what I am saying ", says Mohan Bhargava (Shah Rukh Khan), a project manager for Global Precipitation Measurement in NASA to his associate. He knows the beauty which lies inside the culture of India and the importance of being an Indian. Swades: We the people, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker is all about developing a new outlook towards patriotism and also dealing with the relevant issue of brain drain.

Shah Rukh Khan plays Mohan Bhargava; an Indian NASA scientist migrated to America as he finally manages to shed off his star persona, enacting a subtle but powerful performance, thanks to director's marvellous vision and excellent story-telling. The film starts with American-based Mohan feeling a deep regret over not being able to take care of his nanny (Kaveri amma), while she was old. He expresses his feelings to his associate Vinod (Rahul Vora) as in how Kaveri amma was next to his mother and how she took good care of him when he was a child.

Filled with an urge to find Kaveri amma, Mohan takes a leave for a week from NASA and sets off to India only to find Kaveri amma in a village called as Charanpur. The fictitious village Charanpur (assumed to be 200 kms near Delhi) broadcasts an Indian rural life which is full of loving, caring and affectionate people but is simultaneously plagued with problems of illiteracy, caste system, child labour and child marriage. As India enjoys urban development, technological leaps, and the software boom, here villagers still struggle to accumulate basic needs such as education and electricity.

In this small village of Charanpur, Mohan finds himself in a world that stands as the polar opposite to his American lifestyle. He tries to convince Kaveri amma to come with him to America much to the dismay of Geeta (Gayatri Joshi), who lives with Kaveri amma. Geeta is the hindrance in Mohan's task to bring his nanny with him to America. She is strong-willed, straight-forward and has immense love for India and its culture. She repeatedly retorts to Mohan's criticism of the government's inability to provide for its people by questioning his contribution to this society.

The film starts deviating from this a bit as Mohan decides to channelize his energies in making Charanpur a better place to live as he sees the social evils, the village faces. He helps Geeta in persuading more children in the villages nearby to pursue education, thus gradually falling in love with her. Aided by a local postman Dayal Shrivastav and a local dhaba-owner Mela Ram, Mohan sets off on a mission to bring in more children in their local school. Mohan tries to enable greater access to education, especially for girls, and integration of the castes & appeals to the more liberal members of the village except the conservative council members. With time, Mohan becomes more of a diplomat and less of a dictator.

Shah Rukh Khan is sincere, takes you through the gamut of the journey his character Mohan experiences, and even brings in shades to Mohan Bhargava's character. I could literally sense a lighting spark in Mohan's eyes to make his country, one of the best nations in the world. He criticizes the people, claiming that they are irresponsible and do absolutely nothing to make their country progress to pinnacle of glory and you can't help but agree to his diagnosis.

One of the best climax scenes is the part where Mohan, with the help of his brilliant mind and his experience in the field of science, tries to generate electric power in Charanpur. The scene is shot so beautifully in the village showing how Mohan along with the villagers work day and night to introduce electricity in village starts to get lost in its own darkness.

Sure, no one doubts the sincerity of the idea behind making Swades. Conceptually, it is totally noble. It is admirable how the director keeps the movie totally grounded and down-to-earth, not retreating to any commercial pressures. In spite of the movie being of 189 minutes long, the movie doesn't feel to be slow as the director keeps it extremely well paced. Swades is a sensitive story of good triumphing over the evil, only this time evil doesn't have a face but is rather equated with regressive ideology. Indeed Shah Rukh Khan's performance as Mohan Bhargava will go down as one of his best and the most genuine performances till date.

Robber (I) (2013)

Lootera : A Cinematic gem

[8/10 · 9 July 2013]

Assumed Motwane's sophomore to be a masterpiece after the real life drama Udaan and I was right. He was the man behind the magnificence of Lootera. Lootera which happens to be an adaptation of O Henry's 'The last leaf' brings a fresh new couple of Ranveer and Sonakshi for the first time together in a period-love story. I wanted to watch this film keeping into the mind the exquisite pairing and a powerful tale of two lovers. Love story in Bollywood always meant either a direction by the late Yash Chopra or Aditya Chopra or display of superb acting skills by the King of romance Shah Rukh Khan. However for all the romantic film lovers, Lootera is a worthwhile and a stand-out movie. Something totally new-fangled than the usual romantic movies Bollywood has witnessed before.

Motwane is the man who deserves this stature as he strikes the emotional chord with Lootera. The movie begins with a beautifully crafted Ram Leela scene in a village of Manikpur as we see dazzling lamps all around the place making the area illuminate with affluence and grandeur. Set up in 1950's West Bengal, young girl Pakhi (Sonakshi) sharing a very strong rapport with her father who happens to be a local zamindar of Manikpur village. Her happy-go-lucky life takes a detour when an archaeologist Varun (Ranveer) arrives into the village to investigate about some ancient ruins which were supposedly under the zamindar's land. Varun, with his passion for music & his excellent work earns the love and attention of both Pakhi and her father.

Some of very impressive scenes come our way as love starts to blossom between Pakhi and Varun. Eager to learn painting, Pakhi tries to learn painting from Varun even though she is aware that she knows painting better than Varun. Varun spends hours with Pakhi both sitting beside the lake and discussing about their ambitions or by trying to learn painting from Pakhi who in turn offers to teach him in order to keep their meetings going on.

We start to expect a love story ahead however pertaining to the title of the film; Varun turns out to be a robber who loots the zamindar of all his wealthy possessions and leaving Pakhi amidst sorrow and pain. Till the interval of the film, Lootera tries to keep up well with the plot sufficiently proving to be a reminder to Aamir Khan's role as a terrorist in blockbuster movie, Fanaa.

In the latter half of Lootera, film is set up one year later than it had ended before the interval showing beautiful snow capped areas of Dalhousie where a heartbroken Sonakshi lay in her house suffering from severe tuberculosis only to witness her lost love Varun come back in her life. Pursued by the local cops of Dalhousie, Wounded and devastated Varun seeks refuse in Sonakshi's house.

Lootera is mainly a love story about a robber and a wealthy girl which finally ends up in an unfortunate tragedy. It is a celluloid poetry with some really remarkable and an outstanding direction by the Udaan director. There is no revelation in the story as the plot is predictable and you are sure that the love affair is going to end in a misfortune. For the people fed up with slapstick comedies and overrated action movies, Lootera promises a refreshing change providing an ambiance that lures you into the world of two lovers.

The supporting cast including Divya Dutta, Vikrant Massey and Shirin Guha creating a powerful impact. Lootera happens to be Sonakshi's best till date as she undergoes transition from a happy-go-lucky girl to a bitter to an absolute arrogant girl quite flawlessly. The songs are profoundly heart-warming aiding the poignant and challenging roles by the two actors.

For the section of audience who desire an art house cinematic experience, Lootera is a must-watch for them.

The Dark Knight (2008)

A Redefined Approach to a Superhero Film

[9/10 · 7 July 2013]

The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan is the second installment of Nolan's Batman trilogy. The sequel to 2005 stunner ' The Batman Begins' has an ensemble cast of Christian bale, Morgan Freeman, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman in key roles. The film is dark, twisted and austere having a dazzling spectacle and feverish action promising a fun-filled experience ahead.

The film ran a successful theatrical period as the audiences started flooding in to watch a fabled gift from Heath Ledger who plays the evil Joker 6 months after his death and he didn't disappoint them. Like all other superhero movies, the underlying theme of the movie is the battle between the good and the bad. The film begins with iconic bank robbery scene shot with an IMAX camera as six robbers try to rob a mob bank but only one winner to claim all the stolen money leaving others dead. Of course it is the Joker, the person who wears a purple colored suit (his usual dress code), having his face painted chalk-white and a big red smile which extends further from his mouth. Needless to say, Joker opens up with an electrifying performance as expected by the viewers.

He speaks in calibrated accent enunciating his words properly enough to produce terror. His smart-liners steal the majority of the limelight. In one scene, when he says to Batman "You complete me". Don't buy the tease. He means it. Joker starts in the film with simplicity in his action but this simplicity itself goes on to terrify the audience as the movie progresses. We can clearly glimpse chaos at the heart of the Joker instead of creation as he threatens Batman through media that he will start to kill people of Gotham and only way to stop this is by disclosing his true identity. Joker's fiendishly designed actions are meant to pose dilemmas for his enemies. His evil and mean side is highlighted in certain scenes. For example, when he states he doesn't use a gun since the knife savors all the emotions of the victim. Bruce Wayne aka Batman played by Bale is the masked crusader of Gotham who finds himself at war with his own conscience. He is in love with his childhood friend Rachael (Gyllenhaal) who finds herself torn between the love of two heroes of Gotham, the masked vigilante Batman and the district attorney Harvey Dent (Eckhart). Batman is indeed the ray of hope to end organized crime in Gotham as he tries his best to apprehend Joker, confronts the head of crime family Maroni and brings down the Chinese accountant Lau who handles the Mob's money. Eckhart handles the role of Harvey Dent with magnificence as he earns the title of Gotham's white knight (the one who doesn't need a mask to stop crime on the streets of Gotham). Later, Harvey dent's character transformed from a candid cop in to a bitter monster which the joker wanted. His sole aim was to bring down Gotham's white knight to the echelon of brutality and he succeeds with a cunning plan to be executed at his behest.

Then, there is Wayne's butler Alfred (Caine) who also happens to be a fatherly figure sends often a supply of useful advices to Bruce whenever needed. The Alfred-Bruce relationship is the strong pillar on which the whole Batman legend stands firmly. Alfred also destroys the secret that is likely to demoralize his boss thus proving him to be more than just a butler for Wayne. Other accomplices of Batman include Lieutenant-turned Commissioner of Gotham Jim Gordon (Oldman) and his armorer and CEO of Wayne enterprises Lucius Fox (Freeman) who is fully aware of Wayne being the masked vigilante.

Throughout the duration of the film, we see calamitous explosions, terrific chase scenes and witty smart-liners by the villain. . Nolan immortalized Batman through this flawless endeavour .The film leaps beyond the origins and becomes an engrossing affair. The haunting and visionary Dark Knight soars on the wings of untamed imagination. It is full of surprises you don't see coming

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

A Labyrinthine plot with a protracted conclusion !!! Kudos...

[8/10 · 4 July 2013]

The girl with a Dragon Tattoo is a 2011 mystery thriller film having incredibly dark and violent subject matter based on Steig Larsson's Swedish novel which goes by the same name. The movie stars Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara in pivotal roles. The director David Fincher had to use his often-used tool of perfection to avoid the film being a disappointment since the novel hyped and he has succeeded in every form. The movie has a labyrinthine plot with the scenes shot at beautiful landscapes with Jeff Cronenweth's cinematography portraying the dark interiors. It all commences with Swedish reporter Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) losing a calumny case put up against him by a businessman Hans-Erik Wennerström. He is soon assigned by Henrik Vagner to unravel an unsolved mystery of his grandniece Harriet who vanished 40 years ago and wasn't found since. In return he is promised a piece of information which can prove useful in defaming Wennerström. Meanwhile Lisabeth Salander (Mara), a bisexual, computer hacker and a researcher who bears psychological wounds of harsh upbringing is assigned to a new guardian Nils Bjurman, a lawyer by profession. This socio-path hacker suffers physical and sexual abuses from hands of Nilis who starts taking advantage of his position. It is depressing to watch the scene where Lisabeth is raped miserably by Nilis and is forced to take brutal revenge as a counter-attack. Here lies the speciality of Salander whose acts of vengeance showcase her absolute ability to expel evil with the help of evil. Fincher makes sure that the plot generates a wait to see Mikael and Lisabeth's life collide as initially their lives start running parallel to each other. Mikael who is on the verge of investigating the lost Harriet case puts up a demand for an investigator to assist him to solve the mystery. Sexual and physical abuse from hands of man who she thinks she can trust leads Lisabeth to join hands with Mikael. Fincher captures the essence of the novel in a truthful manner. For those who haven't read the novel, this film is a roller coaster ride showing murder, corruption, family secrets and inner demons of the two associates working on a 40-year old mystery. The typical procedural focus on topography is deflected into archival topography - the island's magnificent and reticulated landscape is pulverized into monochromatic, snowy ambiance. Craig diverges from his James Bond persona and does a completely new character thus displaying his excellent acting skills. Mara does a totally fantastic job as the girl with a dragon tattoo. A 8/10 for this another Fincher-made masterpiece.