Silence of the Lambs : by Jonathan Demme

                                                    
The Silence of  the Lambs , released in 1991 , is a thriller which blends with the horror genre.

My eerie memories go back to the time when I used to feel scared of its posters , for a kid going to school , it was kinda weird looking at the graffiti of a butterfly :)

Since time immemorial I wanted to lay my eyes on it , one of the elite few to bag the Top 5 Oscar Categories.

It is the story of  Clarice Starling , a juvenile FBI trainee who is pulled out of her training with the extremely sensitive task of interviewing "Hannibal Lecter".

Hannibal played by Anthony Hopkins is a psychiatrist & a threatening cannibalistic serial killer in custody. The mission is to extract as much information as possible from his mind to track the notorious "Buffalo Bill"  who skins women.

Clarice played by Jodie Foster is a tough cookie yet vulnerable. The screenplay is exorbitantly engaging , the cross questioning and tet-e-tet between Clarice and Lecter had me a picture of concentration.

Lecter is too clever with Clarice in a quid pro quo situation and buys out a transfer to a special cell. In lieu , he provided clues to the tracks of Bill and the subsequent events left me catechize more.

"Hannibal Lecter" , no doubts in my mind is one of the greatest villains of all time.When you talk about impact of a role , just over 16 minutes screen time of Hopkins ,  his mannerisms and the stare had me in tatters , artistry to the core.

This was truly , magically , literally getting into the 'skin' of the character :)

Jodie Foster was sharp and seemed as seasoned as Hopkins. She played Clarice to the 'T' with certain susceptible , unprotected flair.

Commendable screenplay adaption by Ted Telly and direction by  Jonathan Demme

It was worth the wait .. behold the Masterpiece of the 90's.

Rating : 5.0/5.0

Guzaarish : by Sanjay Leela Bhansali

 

Guzaarish , is a story set in Goa about a quadriplegia , Ethan Mascarenhas , one of the finest magicians of the time.

 The protagonist played by Hrithik Roshan , has dealt with his injury with great spirit and a will to live. He has his own radio show where the message of hope is shared with one and all.

Aishwarya plays Sophia , Ethan's caretaker for past 12 years , who with utmost dignity has been his shadow.

Ethan and Sophia share an inseparable unspoken love which is indeed beautiful and lively.

One fine day , Ethan urges to file a petition for euthanasia. His doctor Dr. Nayak, played ably by Suhel Seth and  lawyer friend Divyani played by Shernaz Patel are taken aback by his decision.

There in lies the crux of the plot where his sufferings and pain surrounding his paralyzed life is bought to light.

He shares a unique bond with each character which has been beautifully crafted around the magician's life.

Doctor : A human whose profession is to give life to people.

Lawyer  : A Friend and a well-wisher , who has seen the adversity of Ethan.

Nurse : A dignified worker , who has dedicated all her life towards the betterment of Ethan.

Mother : Heart wrenching emotions of a mother who wants to set her son free.

Lover : Sacrificial love of his muse and assistant

Disciple :  A Young , vibrant student of his idol's craft.

The film from the repertoire of Mr. Bhansali is extraordinary in the sense of trademark Anglo-Indian setup with artistic sets and high-emotional moments straight from the heart.

Screenplay moves along nicely with sweet moments intermingled with poignant scenes which connect with the plight of Ethan.

Mr Bhansali has composed his own music this time around, and what a splendid debut it is indeed.

Udi , Sau Gram Zindagi , Dhundli Dhundli , Chand ki Katori are mesmerizing!

Performances,  exemplary by Aishwarya , epitome of grace , poise and dignity!

Hrithik's best , his magical innocence and his pain juxtaposes!

Absolutely crackling bond between the two , tacit romance at its best.

Supporting cast gets a thumbs up and special mention goes to Aditya Roy Kapoor as the one of the upcoming actors to watch out for in the future!

I have a lump in my throat writing this and was teary eyed at the end of it all :(

A powerful film with a message which is heart felt to the extremity!

Rating : 4.5/5.0

The Social Network : by David Fincher

The Social Network , as the title suggests is about the advent of social networking revolution 

in today's digital times. The Facebook was the prime website giving the impetus to this journey.

Its the story of the evolution of Facebook and the resulting Lawsuits.

Mark Zuckerberg , a Harvard University student in the fall of 2003 , comes up with the idea of an internal web application to rate the attractiveness of University Girls after he is ditched by his girlfriend.

Facemash.com is an instant hit at the campus , but on the flip side it lands Zuckerberg into 6 months probation for violating privacy and crashing Harvard network big time!

2 Members of the Harvard rowing team , Winkelvoss bros. are impressed with Mark and propose him to build an internal social networking website to connect people.

Mark along with his buddy Saverin , comes up with idea of TheFacebook , where students will share their profiles and social info securely.

Saverin invests a 1000$ , there in starts the journey of developing 'TheFacebook' , Zuckerberg codes day in day out and it goes live one fine day!

The site expands and grows exponentially from Harvard to other schools across U.S.

The film's first half moves at break neck speed , with tongue in cheek retorts , wacky lines & smart characterization.

The second half sees through the rift between Mark and his CFO pal Saverin, when Napster co-founder Sean enters the fray.

The screenplay is just out of this world , with non-linear narration , back and forth between the federal court lawsuits and the facts from the past.

Performances :

1. Jesse Adam Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg - Unrivalled act

2. Justin Timberlake as Sean - Mean as ever

3. Andrew Garfield - A sensitive portrayal of a friend in need

David Fincher ,the director and Aaron Sorkin , the screenplay writer must be applauded for making one of the smartest films of the year..

Go watch it and post it on your wall!!!!!!

Rating : 5.0/5.0

Raging Bull : by Martin Scorsese

 
Raging Bull , is a 1980 biographical film based on the life of a middleweight boxer Jake La Motta.

Martin Scorsese was still finding his way into Hollywood as an A-list director till he decided to adapt this biopic.

Jake La Motta was sadomasochistic and his temper was way beyond his terror inside the bull ring - Robert De Niro plays him to the 'T'.

De Niro is ably supported by Joe Pesci , a small time actor then.

He is Jake's brother and his well wisher manager,who tries his level best to smoothen his rage.

The boxer , Jake climbs up the middle weight ladder but in the process loses his composure leading to jealousy pangs and domestic violence- his wife Vickie , the prime sufferer.

Technically , Martin Scorcese has shown upmost skill in the boxing bouts scenes. The violent bursts of Jake are extremely real and one feels for his family.

The film is taken to another plane by the performances , Robert De Niro is a class act , and he proved it then and has done it time and again.


His expressions , his emotions , his distress , his anger , his lasciviousness , his killer-instinct , his calmness in the ring , his love , his determination - Jake LaMotta is one heck of character to play - Indeed he deserved the Best Actor Oscar.


The blood dripping on the ring side rope epitomizes the movie , blood and sweat inside and outside the bull ring!


Must Watch for connoisseurs of film making!

Rating : 5.0/5.0

The Shining : by Stanley Kubrick

 

The Shining , a psychological thriller from Stanley Kubrick is widely recognized as the scariest films of all time.

I was really intrigued & at the same time petrified!

 The film stars Jack Nicholson as a writer who with his wife and young son accept an off season job of a caretaker at an isolated hotel.

The son possesses super natural psychic abilities to see past and future and has an alter ego "Tony".

The Overlook hotel is cut off from the mainland during a snowstorm and only Jack and his family is left behind to take care.

The Chef of the hotel takes them around the layout of the the premises.

Jack's wife , Wendy and her son Danny have fun around the hotel , meanwhile Jack's novel writing is going nowhere.

As time passes , Jack starts acting strangely and gets frustrated. Spooky incidents take over the hotel.

Room 237 "Shines"

Stanley Kubrick was a masterclass and is widely regarded as a superlative technician. His attention to detail in this film creates a creepy milieu which is truly spine chilling

Finesse Examples 

• Fast Camera movements behind Danny's bicycle ride across the lobby
• Trademark , ghostly eye staring by Jack
• Eerie typewriting keys noise
• Zoom in wall picture at the climax
• Jack's face sticking out of the axe broken door

The Shining , released in 1980 , still packs a chill and scares your guts out!

Horror at its best !

Rating : 4.5/5.0

Enthiran (Robot) : by Shankar

 

Robot is one of the most ambitious film project executed in Indian cinema and all credit should be given to the visionary in Shankar , the director of Robot.

It is a sci-fi flick where superstar Rajnikant plays a dual role of a scientist and his creation , a super-sharp android.

Vaseegaran is into his ambitious task of creating a Human Android.

10 years hence , dedicated to his mission & ignoring his family & friends in particular his love interest played by Aishwarya , he creates Chitti.

Vaseegaran's ex-boss Bohra played by Danny is jealous of his creation .

Bohra rejects Chitti on the grounds of it being devoid of human emotions.

Dilligence pays off , Vasee re-creates Chitti with all emotions which backfires as the robot falls in love with Aishwarya.

Rajnikant has dealt with the double whammy with aplomb.

Chitti is never-seen-before-in-Indian-cinema piece of metal.

Aishwarya looks stunning and does her bit well.

Music by Rahman is run-of-the-mill

Lyrics are super funny

Stand Out Feature  

Special Effects and CGI used in this film is par excellence particularly at the culmination.

Great vision by Shankar!

Hail Superstar Rajni whose mass appeal rockets big time!

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Full Metal Jacket : by Stanley Kubrick

First film which I got the privilege to watch from the sanctum of a director named Kubrick ..

Full Metal Jacket is a war film with never seen before journey of cadets to the unfeigned world at war!

It follows the metamorphosis of US Marine squad during their training phase and then of Vietnam Tet Offensive War of the two plebe nicknamed "Joker"  & "Rafter Man".

This 1987 flick , has the most realistic & gruelling army sequences that I have ever witnessed specifically when you see CGX prevalent these days.

The initial reels introduces the hard task master , the drill instructor "Hartman" . His motto is to train the cadets to the pinnacle of emotional and physical strength through sheer brunt of swearing and abuses.

One of the cadets "Private Pyle" takes the brute of Hartman and is totally unresponsive to the hardship.
The culmination of the first half was an absolute bolt from the blue , blew my mind and hit me hard !!

The dialogues are just raw barrage of mouth uttering which in a funny way makes me ask for more.

My Fav Dialogue , Speech from Hartman :

"Today, you people are no longer maggots! Today, you are MARINES! You're part of a brotherhood! From now on, until the day you die, EVERY MARINE is your BROTHER!

Most of you will go to Vietnam! Some of you will NOT COME BACK! But, always remember this - the Marine Corps lives FOREVER! And, that means you will live FOREVER! "
 
The Vietnam war sequences are earthy & traverses the journey of  the "Joker" as the Combat Correspondent at Vietnam along with "Rafterman" as the photographer.

The enemy combat near the ascendancy is extremely detailed and expertly shot.

Stanley Kubrick has proven  , that attention to detail with deftness behind the camera makes a film...

 - A Technician's delightful story-telling medium!

Rating : 4.0 / 5.0

To Kill a Mockingbird : by Robert Mulligan

To Kill A Mockingbird has been regarded as a classic of modern American literature and a Pulitzer prize winner.

Having an adapted screenplay written on it for celluloid must have been a challenging process , since the cine goer must be enthralled to the same degree as the book.

1962 , Drama film adaption is indeed a classic and touted as one of he finest in American cinema.

To begin with , the storyline is set in an era of 1930's where prejudice and racism exists in a small town of Alabama & Great Depression is prevalent.

The unique part of the screenplay is its narrative which is crafted through the eyes of 3 characters and told from a little girls point of view.

The 3 main role plays :  

• Atticus Finch  ,the lawyer and a father to two kids , played brilliantly by Gregory Peck
• 'Scout' Finch , the 6 year old school going kid.
• 'Jem' Finch , the older brother of Scout.

The movie in its initial reels talks about the innocence of the children and their experiences in the neighbourhood. They are in awe of the reclusive neighbour 'Boo Radley'  played by debutant Robert Duvall.

Atticus meanwhile is appointed to defend a black man , accused in a rape case. Tagged as 'nigger lovers' , the kids are humiliated at school.

The storyline tempo picks up in the latter half , & the culmination gives you a sense of self-realization , a thought provoking kick!

Gregory Peck is exceptional as Finch , the supporting cast is at par , and the acting of the kids is superlative!

To Kill a Mockingbird is truly a master piece and perfect adaption to the tome

Rating : 4.5/5.0

Dabangg : by Abhinav Kashyap

Dabangg , an unusual title , a typical usual bollywood potboiler in store is what I expected.

'Wanted' being at the back of my mind , with crap screenplay and Salman doing his childish antics , I was apprehensive.

As I came out of the cinema hall, watching Junior Kashyap's directorial debut , I just could not stop grinning and laughing!

Dabangg is the story of a corrupt police officer 'Chulbul (Robin Hood ) Pandey , set in Lal Ganj , Uttar Pradesh .. perfect setting for a masala script.

The film in its initial reels , does nothing to generate a plot.
Chulbul is introduced with lot of fanfare , with top notch action with a comic element , a la' Jackie Chan.

The supporting cast in Vinod Khanna (his step-father) , Dimple Kapadia (his mother) and his step brother played by Arbaaz  and their relationship with Chubul forms the backdrop for the latter half , with UP politics thrown in.

Sonakshi Sinha , the female debutant has not much to do in the 'Salman' extravaganza , but she plays it with subtlety.

The romantic track between Salman and Sonakshi is something to look forward to. Music plays a big part in making the canvas colorful.

The title track , Tere Mast Mast & Munni are absolute riveting chartbusters! ... Malaika Arora Khan has lit up the screen with her oomphatic dance moves in Munni. All credit to Saajid Waajid music duo & Lalit Pandit (of Jatin-Lalit fame)  for a melodious playlist.

Dialogues , Music , Salman Khan , Comedy , makes Dabanng , an absolute masala bollywood caper!

Go and Njoy Carefree Cinema!

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Peepli [Live] : by Anusha Rizvi

Peepli Live is a comical satire on the village life prevailing in India with the omnipresent farmer suicides.

It also delves into the 'Limelight & TRP'  hogging media fraternity and its workings through the eye-piece of the journalist turned director herself : Anusha Rizvi.

Aamir Khan Productions has been into subjects which are untapped and unexplored in Bollywood , & Peepli is one such pointer.

It is a simple story of a farmer named Natha who is out of money to support his family comprising of his brother played by Raghuvir Yadav , his wife and his ailing mother.

The elections are near in his district and he comes up with an idea of committing suicide to get compensation for his family from the Govt. and as a result save his land.

The film takes pot-shots and hilarious anecdotes upon the Media and the Politicians as the news of Natha's suicide leaks out.

The performances are exemplary with Natha played by Omkar Das Manikpuri, expressing with minimum interlocution.

Special mention to the supporting cast :

• Budhia Das  (Raghuvir Yadav )  -  Brother in need , a brother indeed , quintessential , Mr Yadav.
• Amma (Farookh Zafar)  -  Natha's ailing mother , brings the house down :) 
  
• Dhaniya (Shalini Vatsa) - Her constant bickering sets the tone of the frustration of the family.
• Nandita Malik (Malika Shenoy)  - Modelled on , Barkha Dutt , very convincing portrayal.

The length of the film is just over 1.5 Hour mark making it enjoyable ride till it lasts. Music scope is less but is gelled well into the screenplay.

A Nice , well documented and researched satire after a long time!

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Shutter Island : by Martin Scorsese

Shutter Island is an adaption of a psychological  thriller novel by Denis Lehane published in 2003.

Martin Scorsese has his best bet in Leonardo Di Caprio to play the protagonist 'Teddy Daniels'.

He has been his favorite since Gangs of New York to The Aviator to The Departed.

Shutter Island has an eerie millieu right from the outset....

Daniels , a U.S Marshall with his new partner Chuck is entrusted with the job of finding clues to en ravel the disappearance of a criminally insane patient from Ashe cliff hospital on the remote island.

The Island has many deranged patients and the hospital is headed by Dr. Crawley played by Ben Kingsley ( Gandhi Fame ).

The film had me focussed right in , each moment a revelation into the mystery surrounding the screenplay.

Somewhere the sequences between Daniel & his wife got me cringe , but soon it became evident the crux of it all. 

The editing is superlative with attention to detail on the creepy Shutter Island. The background score compliments the ghostly tone.

Performances , exemplary by Caprio , he is growing in stature with such skills in acting , he will surely get his hands on the Oscar statue soon.

If you have not read the book ...

Watch Shutter Island for Scorsese & Caprio combo which lights up the celluloid each time every time.

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Gran Torino : by Clint Eastwood

 

Gran Torino is 2008 , drama film from Clint Eastwood's school of film making.

It  marks the return of Eastwood to acting after his much acclaimed Million Dollar Baby!

The movie follows the life of a World War veteran Walt Kowalski who is disaffected from his family and is angry at the world around him.

One fine day , a young Hmong (an Asian ethnic group) named Thao tries to steal Walt's cherished 1972 Ford Gran Torino under the influence of his gang of cousins.

Henceforth , starts a bond between the kid and the grumpy , recluse old man.

Clint Eastwood plays Walt to perfection with the audience relating to his rants and complaints.

Everything around him is just not perfect be it his relationship with his son and his wife to the neighbourhood.

The Hmong family gives him a new lease of purpose and he takes up the task of reforming Thao.

The screenplay is original as it can be and immediately connects with the cine goer.

The humour is in the right place and keeps the film moving along till the poignant final.

It is indeed sad to know that Clint decided to call quits to acting after this film.

His body of work will always be enshrined.

And "Gran Torino" is indeed one of his prized possessions!

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Toy Story 3 : by Lee Unkrich

Toy Story is every child's story , the emotions , the hilarity , the sentiments , the anguish , the pain and the joy associated with our most cherished possessions !

I had mixed emotions walking into the theater to watch TS3 , excitement for surprises in store and sadness  to bid goodbye to my most beloved and heart warming Pixar characters

Buzz Lighyear and Woody .. (**sniff sniff***)

Toy Story 3 carries forward the legacy of Andy and his toys.

He is a 17 year grown up boy ready to take up college and has outgrown his toys.

It is an emotional journey where Andy is in a dilemma to keep his favorite toy Woody and shying away from the rest of them , to be kept in the Attic.

Destiny has it , the toys mistakenly reach a Daycare center , and Woody tries to convince the group about inadvertent action.

The adventure is made colorful with the discovery of new toys at the daycare.

Andy's toys realizes the mafia of the Latso , the Bear who pushes them to a group of young children who abuse and torture them.

It is a rollercoster ride where Woody returns to Sunny-Side to help his friends break out from Latso the devil.

The most "lump in the throat" sequence comes at the culmination...here it is  :(

"Andy takes the toys to Bonnie. He introduces each toy individually and is surprised to find Woody included, but decides to let Bonnie have him. Then together with Bonnie, Andy plays with his toys one more time before he leaves for college. As Andy drives off, Woody sadly waves goodbye to his former owner as he says "So long, partner". He is immediately comforted by Buzz and then introduces his old friends to his new friends." 

So long , to Infinity and Beyond :(

Rating :  4.5/5.0

Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai : by Milan Luthria

Ekta Kapoor is back with a gangster flick "Once Upon a Time in Mumbai" after the much acclaimed LSD

She has surely found her foothold in bollywood & Karan's and Yashraj's are helping by making crap :)

Milan Luthria returns after a sabbatical and he surely knows his craft.

The movie is a biopic on the life of Mumbai gangster Haji Mastan played by Ajay Devgan.

It is the journey of this man told in flashback by a stern police officer played by Randeep Hooda when Mumbai is rot with 93' bomb blasts.

It tracks down Haji's love interest in famous actress played by Kangana. The first half romance between the couple is the highlight of the film with dialogues as original as ever.

The screenplay is what binds me to this movie end to end. The rise and fall of Haji & the uprising of Dawood played with lot of restraint by Emraan Hashmi is terrific.

High Points ..

• Tet-e-Tet between Kangana and Ajay with witty dialogues
• Awesome background score and terrific screenplay
• Emraan's testimonial for Ajay to join his gang
• Haji Mastan's principles and way they are conveyed
• Music is as melodious as it can be , mastery of Pritam Da
• Crackling dialogues between the protagonists
• Hooda's strong presence felt!
• The Retro feel of the 70's is just perfect!
• Prachi Desai and Hashmi do justice to their roles. 

 

Once Upon a Time in Mumbai is full blown entertainer with  whistling in the aisles at every repartee!

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Aisha : by Rajshree Ojha

 

Aisha is an all kapoor family affair with the father and daughter producing it , the younger sibling acting in it.

The film ,  a potpourri , is a drag with nothing much happening in the initial reels. Sonam plays Aisha , modelled on the famous character Emma, from Jane Austen's classic. 

Her modus operandi is "butt into other people affairs and be a perfect matchmaker"

Abhay Deol plays Arjun who is a Aisha critic and plays his part. In my opinion , for a guy of Abhay's talent , its such a trivial act after Dev D and Ek Chaalis.

Sonam still has a long way to go  , mediocre  in IHLS , and she has done nothing to change my opinion.

The supporting characters do justice to the script with Cyrus and Amrita taking all the accolades!

The music is spellbinding , Amit Trivedi is surely the man to watch out for after Rahman!

Gal Mitthi , Suno Aisha , Sham are melody at its best!

Final Verdict , film is purely for fashionista , from Dior to Klein to Armani! 

Rating : 2.5/4.0

Inception : by Christopher Nolan

                                              

Inception  'root' or a 'source' of an idea planted in a dream , seems intriguing, ain't it?  

Nolan has always generated a 'buzz' with his film-noir , non linear genre be it The Dark Knight , The Prestige or The Following.

Memento broke onto the screen a decade ago and provided us with a spectacle in story telling so rare that it dumbfounded us.

A script that has been worked on for over a decade, Nolan's endeavours are inescapable in its pure complexity and brilliance.. Being a die-hard Nolan fan , I was itching to watch this piece of creativity and what a revelation!

I simply cannot explain the idea incepted by Nolan through this cinematic endeavour , it is to be seen to be dreamt of!

To summarize , it is a journey of an dream extractor Cobb , played with aplomb by Leonardo  who wishes to spend a happy life with his little children after his wife's death.

Saito , a highly influential man , hires him for his last job to incept an idea into his rival's mind to bring down his empire!

The unique concept of entering dreams offers the opportunity not only for a unique species of heist but also a way to dig deeper and deeper into one's subconscious, and the ability to plant an idea which could define that person, or destroy them.

The ensemble in this subconscious labyrinth is exemplary with the Architect : Ariadne , the Forger : Eames , the Researcher : Arthur , and the Chemist : Yusuf  ... one heck of a maze!

No wonder it is steady at #3 of all time at IMDB.

Inception is a cinema experience so audacious, so incredible, and in the end so gratifying, that it truly is unmissable, and will remain a benchmark for many filmmakers in years to come.

Rating :   5 ⁵  / 5.0

I Hate Luv Storys : by Punit Malhotra

Expression Less Dim-Wit , Sonam Kapoor  

meets

Single Expression eye-brow raising Clown , Imran Khan

I Hate Karan

I Hate Sonam

I Hate Imran

I Hate Everything About 

IHLS

Period.

Rating : Holy Cow! , Are you serious!?

Little Miss Sunshine : by Jonathan & Valerie

Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 comedy film starring lesser known ensemble of actors , with the screenplay as original it can be.

This film is basically a road movie , talking about the adventures of a family who are on their way to a children beauty pageant by the same name as the film.

The events during this journey in a Volkswagen Minibus , the family vehicle, makes the backdrop.

The characters in the family are superbly etched out and the actors play their part to the T.

Family Members :

1. The over-worked mother.
2. Her gay brother.
3. Her husband , a motivation guru.
4. Her mute son , who has vowed to not to speak until he becomes a Test Pilot.
5. The foul-mouthed , grandfather who is a WW-II veteran.
6. and the 7 year old , Olive , who has the confidence to win at the pageant.

It is a hilarious ride with the family encountering setbacks on the way , which crack the audience up big time.

Hysterical Moments:

1. The Family stops at a Cafe for dessert
2. The Volkswagen breaking down.
3. Police Officer interrogation
4. Hospital antics!
5. Side splitting beauty pageant climax

Indeed , the movie brings a smile to your face , with a sense of belongingness with the pedigree. 

No wonder , it won the Oscar for original screenplay and the best supporting actor for Alkin playing the grandfather.

Watch it for the madness of the Hoover Clan!

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Raajneeti : by Prakash Jha

 

Prakash Jha has been one of the finest exponents of hard-hitting cinema dealing with the fundamentalist issues surrounding us.

He has given us , Gangajal to Mrityudand to Aparahan , true eye-opener flicks.

This time he as compromised a little in going commercial yet the building blocks remain intact.

Rajneeti is a complete rehash of Godfather meets Mahabharata yet a political thriller never seen before.

 Why Rajneeti should not be missed ?

• Ranbir and Katrina doing off-beat non-popcorn stuff.

• In Rajneeti, Brij Gopal (Nana Patekar) plays a role inspired by Lord Krishna who guides Ranbir Kapoor who plays a role derived from the legendary character of Arjuna, Veerendra (Manoj Bajpai) plays the evil Duryodhana and Ajay Devgan is Karna. All characters are well fleshed out and what makes Rajneeti interesting is the fact that all characters have grey shades.

• The screenplay in the first half is gripping to say the least & keeps the audience hooked.

•  Performances ar exemplary , Nana Patekar and Manoj Bajpai are stupendous , Ranbir  and Arjun are the surprise packags.

• Ajay Devgan expresses with the intensity he is known for and Katrina does play her part well. 

Negatives?

• Length of the movie is tad long and becomes very predictable in the second half.

• Music is just ok.

• Kansa - Kunti track has no heart , and becomes comical!

On the whole , Prakash Jha has given us a compelling film in recent time.

Go for it!!

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Raavan : by Mani Ratnam

Raavan brings back the quintessential Aishwarya , Abhishek , Mani Ratnam trio with a permanent AR Rahman stamp.....

Mani Ratnam has been one of the sought after director's of Indian Cinema , and has the up most respect as filmmaker through his visionary films like Roja , Bombay , Yuva to name a few...

Raavan seemed to be in flavour of Ratnam's style of complex human relationships with a backdrop of struggle , hardship , emotions and bonding.

This film has taken its elements from Indian Mythological Epic Ramayana with the Good vs Evil theme as the morality behind it.

Abhishek plays the title role , Beera  who is the most revered yet feared local hero in the village. 

His mission is to avenge the death of his sister , and he does that by kidnapping Ragini played by Aishwarya.

Ragini is wife of police inspector , Dev who had led an encounter to capture Beera in midst of his sister's wedding and eventually tortured her to death.

So the premises of the film is mainly how Dev rescues Ragini and the triumph of the Good over Evil.

There are many references to the Ramayana including the characters Hanuman played by Govinda who helps Dev reach his goal , or the indirect innuendo to Surpnakaha , Ravan's sister.

The film has nothing going for it at all in the initial half of the reel , the story is such a drag , that the cine goer will find himself in a spot whether to see through it or not ?!?

The performances of the character artists like Ravi Kishen and Govinda are far better than the main protagonists , Abhishek is neither spine-chilling nor eccentric.

Aishwarya has nothing much to do , but to screech and look good , Vikram does his part well.

AR Rahman's music fails for the first time to lift the film and is mediocre as compared to his benchmark.

Pluses :

Direction of Photography is par excellence , the natural beauty of the forest is captured magnificently.

Minues : 

Far too many .. 

Avoid it if you can , watch it strictly for the respect of a gr8 film-maker , who has goofed up!

Rating : 1.5 / 5.0

Kites : by Anurag Basu

 

Kites was pitted as the first bollywood cross-over film made for as per the sensibilities of the West.

Hrthik Roshan and Barbara Mori make one of the hottest screen pairs on Bollywood.

The plot was wafer thin ,with the story moving along like a tuk-tuk in the 1st half.

There is nothing much happening in the initial reels except Hrithik showing his dancing skills

which didn't make me go Oooh lala ...

 The latter half ,where the protagonist are on the run , had lot of masala action and stunts.

The film is too predictable and the climax will raise eyebrows.

Noteworthy is the director's sincere effort to keep the milieu in sync with the film's mood.

Anurag Basu has given us exceptional films like Gangster & Life in a Metro , Kites reaffirms that.

Hrithik enacts well and looks like a Greek God! , Barbara is gorgeous and compliments Hrithik.

Music is soulful from Rajesh Roshan in particular KK's rendition of Dil Kyun Yeh Mera.

So, What's the verdict ??

Gr8 Experiment , Wish it was without flaws!

Rating : 2.5/5.0

Karthik Calling Karthik : by Vijay Lalwani

 

Karthik Calling Karthik made me jump to a conclusion of an interesting plot.

Farhan Akhtar and Deepika Padukone seemed to be an interesting pairing.

Fresh director and Foot-Tapping music from Shankar's den seemed interesting too.

Alas! Disappointingly Dis interesting ..

The film was cropper in terms of content and failed miserably in keeping the audience on tenterhooks.

Acting was above average from Farhan , I found him better in Rock On!

Deepika needs an acting course ,quick!

Script was a rehash of "Beautiful Mind" meets "I Know What You Did Last Summer" 

Soundtrack was the best part of the movie - "Uff Teri Ada" was rhythm divine!

Watch it for being different yet predictable!

Rating : 3.0/5.0

My Name Is Khan : by Karan Johar

My Name is Khan ... so be it

Karan Johar trying something different .. so be it

Shiv Sena vs Khan ... so be it

Kajol & Shahrukh back together ... so be it

Pro-Muslim ; Anti-Muslim ... so be it

Is he a Terrorist?  ... so be it

Asperger's syndrome ... so be it

Shankar Ehsaan Loy's weak music ... so be it

Fox is distributing it ... so be it

KJo , KJo & Khan miss the bus .. so they have

Rating : 2.5/5.0

Ishqiya : by Abhishek Chaubey

Ishqiya generated a lot of interest in me the day I came to know

it was from Vishal's den.

Abhishek Chaubey proves his mettle with this film & is yet another feather in the cap of the youth brigade wannabe directors!

Ishqiya has a rather unusual off-the-mill storyline and the combinations of actors , Vidya , Arshad and Naseer outshine the script in itself.

A story of a strong-willed woman who can go to any lengths to seek revenge from her husband

with the help of 2 thugs on the run is surely bollywood coming off age cinema.

Vidya Balan is superlative and packs yet another body blow to size zero actresses of today.

Sexy damsel in cotton sarees simply sparkles the screen with her body language and expressions,

captivating Arshad Warsi and the veteran Naseer.

A word on the music , best of 2010 by far with Gulzar & Vishal stamp written all over it

'dil to baccha hai' and 'ibn-e-batuta'

Tarintinoesque cinema in Bollywood , we are in safe hands of Vishal Bhardwaj!

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Avatar : by James Cameron

Avatar marks the return of my all-time favourite filmmaker : 'James Cameron' . 

I have simply relished "Cameron Cinema" be it..

T1 , Abyss , True Lies , Titanic , Aliens , & T2 Judgement Day.

Avatar has raised the bar , and makes me wonder what more can this man offer!

The film is set in 2154 , where humans are in the hunt for precious mining material on Pandora , an expansive lush green moon!

With the expansion of the mining colonies it threatens the existence of the local tribe of Na'vi.

The humans develop genetic hybrids of the Na'vi to interact with the Pandora species and take them into confidence.

What makes this movie , 'Extraordinary' , is the research and technology gone into the filmmaking process.

Reasons for it to be a 'Once in a lifetime experience' :

1. The Screenplay 

2. The Creation of a fictional universe 'Pandora' 

3. The Native Na'Vi Language

4. The RealD 3D Technology & Stereoscopic film development to bring characters to life.

I always felt Cameron had that charisma to bring forth an emotional rollercoaster backed up by state of art technology a 'la bollywoodesque

The film boasts of a dedicated set of actors in particular SamWorthington as Jake Sully. 

Cameron had this sub-concious attraction to the Hindu mythology hence the name ' Avatar' , and predominance of color blue in the film confirms that.

 

Watching Avatar in 3-D cinemascope will always be a cherished event  

It will surely have a lasting impact on the face of filmaking in years to come .. 

Watch Avatar for Cameron's  wizardary  ... !!

Rating : 5.0/5.0

The Reader : by Stephen Daldry

The Reader is a poignant story set in Berlin , of Hanna Schmidt played by Kate Winslet.The story begins in 1950 , where a teenager 'Michael' played by David Kross is assisted  by middle aged Tram Conductor , Hanna , when he fells sick in the middle of the street.

Thereafter , starts a sensual bonding between the 15 year old & the older woman which transcends into an affair to remember. Hanna was fond of Michael reading to him which included finest classics like the Odyssey, Huckleberry Finn and others.

One fine day , she gets promoted and moves out without a trace. The story moves ahead , where Michael is at a law school studying. As a part of the curriculum , the students are asked to attend a trial of several women accused of letting 300 people burn in a church when they were SS guards.

Hanna is one of the defendants!

Hanna denies authorship of the church fire report , despite pressure , but succumbs to it when asked to give a handwriting sample..

Michael catches her secret of all these years , she was a functional literate!

The film addresses a deep message of love , trials & tribulations spanning background , age , caste & creed.

The journey is heart wrenching ... The sensitivity portrayed between the middle aged woman & the kid is superlative & creates magic on screen.

Kate Winslet is exceptional and she proves it with a Oscar winning act. 

Watch it for the sheer brilliant story-telling & Winslet , a great adaptation of the novel by the same name.

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Paa : by R.Balki

Paa marks the return of AB Corp into film production after a hiatus.

AB Senior & AB Junior combine together for a heart-warming story

a father & a son relationship tale .

Vidya Balan plays AB senior's mother and AB junior plays an ambitious wannabe politician.

"Auro" , protagonists name , suffers from a speedy ageing syndrome.

AB Junior relinquishes Auro , leaving Vidya Balan as a doting mother.

The highlight of the film is the mannerisms & make-up transformation of AB as "Auro"

Vidya Balan is mind boggling actress in the age of size-zero non-performers.

Music is sweet to the ears , AB junior is good within his hem.

Good "emotional-connect" flick viewing..

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Inglorious Basterds : by Quentin Tarantino

Inglorious Basterds marks the return of master storyteller Quentin after  his Kill Bill series finale.

This time around , he brings us a world war drama broken into 5 chapters , a typical Tarantino narrative.

Chapter One : Once upon a time .. In Nazi Occupied France

This chapter is the starting point of the film & by far the most captivating , Col Hans Land notoriously called as the 'Jews Hunter' interrogates at a dairy farm for a suspect Jews hideout.

This particular chapter in the screenplay , is the cornerstone of Christopher Waltz's performance as the Colonel ..

Subsequent chapters , talk about introduction of the band of American-Jews soldiers with an 'straight as an arrow' aim to dislodge each & every Nazi in France.The group is called as 'Inglorious Basterds' led by Lt. Aldo Raine , played by Brad Pitt to the T.

The plot becomes interesting with two parallel tracks going forward to converge at culmination.

1. Shossana plots a revenge on the Nazi's by planning to burn down a theater on the Premier of a Movie.
2. The 'Basterds' conspire to create havoc at the Premier , upon learning Hitler visiting the theater.

The climax , boom boom bang bang! , is unique to Tarantino, seen in all his films from Pulp Fiction to Reservoir Dogs to Kill Bill.

As far as performances are concerned , Hans Landa is simply super as clever penetrating Nazi security chief.

Brad Pitt does well to get the accent right & is just ok. The supporting cast plays dutifully.

On the whole , Inglorious Basterds is one of the finest talkie of last year , still 'Pulp Fiction' takes the prime.

Rating : 4.5/5.0

3 Idiots : by Rajkumar Hirani

 

3 Idiots marks a milestone in hindi film legacy, Hirani strikes a hat-trick

Based on Chetan's novel "Five Point Someone"

Madhavan plays Farhan , Sharman plays Raju & Aamir plays long lost friend "Rancho" , budding engineering students.

Boman reprises his role as a professor "Viru Sahastrabuddhe" aka Virus with eccentricity written all over his demeanor.

 Kareena plays a geeky medical student , Pia , daughter of the professor.

 The support cast is quite extraordinary , special mention "Chatur", played by Omi , an American Actor ,

The memory machine to the hilt !

Music is the icing on the cake by Shantanu Moitra , Sonu Nigam is THE best in the country.

Hirani is the reigning czar of 'feel-good cinema'

Sequences to die for:

• Chatur's speech
• The culmination of the song 'Aal Izz Well'
• Aamir's snivelling upon his pals conquest
• Dilapidated Raju's 70's Home
• Hospital Sequences

The characterization & adapted screenplay just accentuates the story to cloud nine.

Aamir is multifaceted par excellence.

  Indeed ... Aal Izz Well !

Rating : 5.0/5.0