L.A. Confidential : by Curtis Hanson

L.A Confidential came in 1997 , the same year when Titanic swept everyone's feet with romance and tragedy.

L.A is an out and  out hardcore LAPD drama set in 1950's where crime ,deceit and corruption was at its peak in the city.

It resolves around an homicide at a coffee shop in downtown L.A and looks at the point of view of 3 LAPD officers in charge of the case.

Edmund Exley (played by Guy Pearce , a'la Memento fame)
  *** Honest , Intelligent , Idealist.

Bud White ( played by vulnerable Russel Crowe)
  *** Hotheaded, Obsessive , Violently Brutal


Jack Vincennes ( played by laid back Kevin Spacey)   *** Nonchalant , Witty , Polished

The case & the plot is extremely interesting , with lot of suspense for the audience to cling to.

Everyone is a suspect here!!

In comes, Lynn ( played by irresistible Kim Basinger) , a Hollywood look alike artist who holds the key to the entire proceedings.

At varied intervals, the 3 men investigate the killings and circumstantial events which in turn begin to unravel indications of corruption all around them.

The performances are exemplary by the entire cast leading to an electrifying showdown in the end.

No surprises for it to bag nine Oscar nominations winning two out of those.

A superlative crime drama! Not to be missed!

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

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

Kaminey : by Vishal Bhardwaj

Non linear dark story lines makes me lap up all the nitty gritties of cinema since it explores the unexplored . How I wished , bollywood would have the fortitude to take the plunge ... Kaminey is an awesome experiment with this genre.

The film is a story of two brothers Charlie and Guddu , where in one stammers and the lif(s)p(f).

Shahid plays the astute race-course gambler while Guddu is a man with a purpose in life.

Screenplay moves back and forth with parallel tracks of the two brothers , Charlie and his sidekick provide wholesome parade with edge of the seat chase sequences.

It gives a typical Gangster flick feel ,with goons and cops all around.

Priyanka Chopra plays Sweety , an impressive portrayal of a Maharashtrian girl , her life revolves around one person , Guddu.

The tet-e-tet between Guddu and Sweety will definitely bring smiles on people's faces. The supporting cast is the real backbone of the flick apart from Shahid.

Amol Gupte (story-writer for Taare Zameen Par!?!?!) plays Sweety's brother , a caricature on Bal Thackrey. Half way mark pushes the envelope and the anticipation reaches sky-high.

'Faahid rockf big time , fuperlative growth of an actor fince Jab we met , will take him placef '

The biggest draw for me was the treatment similar on the lines of Tarintino , Scorsese & Ritchie , stalwarts in the said genre.

The climax constantly reminds me of The Departed / Reservoir Dogs / Pulp Fiction / Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels ....

Vishal Bhardwaj , is developing into a master class storytelling visionary , be it his Maqbool to Makdee to Blue Umbrella to Omkara with creative music pieces 'Dhan Tan Nan' & ' Pehli Baar'

Watch it for the 'Fharp' and 'Fmooth' ride ... to die for 'Kaminaapan'

Rating : 4.5/5.0

Following : by Christopher Nolan

Breaking a Story into Pieces and Restructuring ..

Nolan is God ...

a true grandmaster .. outwitting the audiences.

This is the 5th installment I have witnessed , and I am simply blown away time and again starting right from Memento , Batman Begins , The Prestige to The Dark Knight.



Following( is Nolan's Debut - 1998) ....... is about this lonely , struggling writer , who takes up a weird hobby of following people on the streets with the motive of inspiring his next novel using the commonalities .

In the process , he finds himself into a sequential ( so to say non- linear for us ) parody of events , teaming with a professional thief by accident.

The length of the film at 70 minutes makes it sharp , crisp , and into a what-happens-next mould , with mouth-gaping end reeels.

WYS - I - N (Not) - WYG .... Christopher Nolan's Mantra ...

Take a bow !

Rating : 4.5/5.0

The Dark Knight : by Christopher Nolan

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
........... We're tonight's entertainment : The Joker

Christopher Nolan in association with Warner Bros. has undoubtedly re-defined SUPER-HEROISM with The Dark Knight


Christian Bale plays Bruce Wayne , the multi-millionaire , who turns into the Dark Crusader saving the Gotham City from doom.
The film starts with a bank robbery , an act of deceit plotted by yours truly THE JOKER played by the late Heath Ledger.

The film belongs to the set of actors playing legendary Batman Caricatures in never seen before sequences. To name a few ....

1. Michael Caine : The Butler
2. Morgan Freeman : Lucius Fox
3. Gary Oldman : Lieutenant James Gordon
4. Late Heath Ledger : The Joker
5. Aaron Eckhart : Harvey Dent
6. Christian Bale : Bruce Wayne / Batman

The Joker steals the show in all this masquerade. Ledger has got into the skin of the psychopath as if he has lived this role all his life!!

Jack Nicholson played the Joker in the 1989 flick , but Heath has surpassed all on - screen comic caper villains big time!!!!

“Do I look like a guy with a plan?” the Joker asks ..
Tribute Mr . Ledger!

The Film's Action , is astounding from a Hospital Blow-Up , Truck - BatPod Street Chase to Batman Sling from a Copter!

Special Mention : Performance by Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent is a revelation , and his alter-ego in the second half of the flick is brilliant.

I am a big fan of Nolan Films , film noir at its best ... fantabulous follow-up to Batman Begins..

The Dark Knight is the best comic caper super hero celluloid movie ever witnessed ..

Rating : 5.0/5.0

Goodfellas : by Martin Scorsese

Good Fellas is a typical gangster flick reminiscent of The Godfather Trilogy...

Martin Scorsese has always been an interesting director with his films showing his craft in rainbow colors ranging from high-voltage dramas to pure action adrenalin flicks.....

Its a story about Henry Hill , small village boy who always wanted to be in the big league, with the freedom to walk in fresh air , not giving a damn about the world around him...

The journey of Henry Hill takes off from his childhood days where he meets with the gang linchpin in the form of Rober De-Niro and Joe Pesci. It spans decades and how they build an empire ranging from killings to smuggling drugs.

The culmination of the film takes you by surprise , the performances pack a punch in particular Joe Pesci's award winning portrayal of Tommy De-Vito , the hale n hearty gruesome gangster!!!

Martin has done a good job , but The Godfather still remains the ultimate Gangster flick....

Rating : 4.0 /5.0

Pulp Fiction : by Quentin Tarantino

Pulp Fiction , is deemed as a cult film in many ways re-defining cinema and setting an example for later movies . I was fortunate enough to see it last night , and for me it is hard to fathom to say the least!!!!!

Quentin has always amazed me with his non-linear structuring , punchy over-the- top dialogues as seen in his recent films like Kill Bill and Reservoir Dogs ... had I seen Pulp Fiction earlier , would have appreciated it a gr8 deal.

Still , the film stands out in some ways ....

1. Vincent ( played by Travolta ) and his chemistry with Wallaces' wife Mia (played by Thurman)

2. Jules ( played by Samual L ) baleful biblical pronouncement to kill a guy who had transgressed against their boss Wallace.

3. The rig at the restaurant where two amateur goons (Pumpkin and Honey Bunny) try to rob the place and are confronted with Vincent and Jules ( not again :) :)

4. Bonnie Situation , was the funniest of the lot where in 2 hitman do a clear up job of murder done accidentally by Vincent.

Performances are good particularly , Samuel Jackson who has a mean look ... Bruce Willis' story is not even worth mentioning let alone his acting... Travolta's jig reminds of his Grease dayz ... and Uma Thruman is just about ok.

A lot of things puzzled me in the film , and still do , and will continue to do so as it has for audiences galore .... .... INTRIGUING FILM

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Sin City : by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez

Sin City is not a run-of-the-mill flick , it is a film with the novelty of watching something eye-catching in a long time!

Sin City : the film is based on a series of comics by Frank Miller by the same name, the USP of the film is the narration in neo-noir pattern as seen in Usual Suspects and Memento .....

The movie is divided into three stories told in a true comic craper style with lot of flair , over-the-top dialogues , hardcore histrionics.

The film is set in Basin City (a fictional town) where in Crime , Sex , Gang-War and Killings are the high points of people inhabiting the same.

Let's talk about the stories:

1. That Yellow Bastard (Part 1) : Saviour n a Girl n a Mutant

2. The Hard Goodbye : A Typical Revenge pot boiler

3. The Big Fat Kill : Gang-War

4. That Yellow Bastard (Part 2) : Culmination of Part 1

My personal favorite is story # 2 , has a lot of masala and dramatization ....!!

The starcast is huge and its good to see an ensemble of talent in one reel ranging from Bruce Willis to Benicio del Toro to Jessica Alba to Elijah Jordan Wood.

The movie is worth a dekko , go for it , i'll grab the copy of the comic series ...

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Se7en : by David Fincher

Seven Deadly Sins :

PRIDE ,
GLUTTONY ,
LUST ,
GREED ,
ENVY ,
WRATH ,
SLOTH ..

David Fincher is at it again , It cannot get better than this ... !!

Zodiac was a disappointment , Fight Club was a revelation ..

Se7en is just terrific , this is an understatement ....

Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt play detectives on the trail of psychic murders , flabbergasted by the events. Detective Sommerset (Freeman) is about to retire and detective Mills (Pitt) is the new kid on the block.

This bridge of experience and youth , gives freshness to the film starting at Sin Number One GREED.

The murders are gruesome ... gory toooo!!! The detectives have no clue , no evidence , until things take a flip , confusing the audience for sure.

The end reels had me DUMBFOUNDED ... the director shooting a bolt from the blue!!

Full Marks for captivating the cinegoer and shocking at the same time !!!

Rating : 5.0/5.0

No Country For Old Men : by Coen Brothers

Coen Brothers have come up with an exceptional story - telling experience through this film.

"No Country For Old Men" , is about a drug-deal gone wrong in the middle of Texas dessert.

The premise of the film revolves around three people , THE PSYCHO kingpin of the drug deal and a professional hitman , THE HUNTER finding himself in the whirlpool of deceit and homicide , and the SHERIFF on the trail of these crimes!!

The performances are exemplary in particular the hitman played by Javier Ángel Encinas Bardem , a Spanish actor. The potrayal is of a cold-blooded killer who is after the million bucks stolen from the drug deal by the Hunter played by Josh J. Brolin .

The screenplay is gripping and cinematography is worth mentioning . The deserts of wide open country - Texas have been captured superbly.

Glitches!?! .... The climax could have been more spicer :) .... hope it wins the Oscar this year!

Rating : 4.5/5.0

American Gangster : by Ridley Scott

American Gangster comes across as just another Martin Scorcesse / Francis Ford Copolla genre of big bad boys movie based on cult gangster themes.

Ridley Scott gives his best shot into this chartered territory with plethora of talent at his disposal a la' Oscar Winners Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe.

Based on a true story of a Drug Smuggling Empire set up by Frank Lucas played by Denzel during the bloodshed of Vietnam in the 60's , is compelling to say the least.

The smuggling nexus is led by him in tandem help of US Army deployed in Vietnam and it grows into massive proporations , killing thousands due to the addiction of drugs.

The performances are extraordinary in particular Denzel Washington proving his prowess time and again.

Ridley Scott , the director has come a long way since Gladiator , and the audience should appreciate his efforts in putting up a good show to this real life drama.

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Usual Suspects : by Bryan Singer

Usual Suspects is one of the finest neo-noir movies ever made and remains a cult film as I see it ...

Bryan Singer's direction is superlative at the onset with the characters perfectly etched for the set of 5 actors.

Hockney, McManus,Keaton,Fenster,and Verbal .... (in the same order as the picture)

The movie is all about a boat hijacking event happening for cocaine deal. These 5 convicts after moving out of jail are forced to execute the hijacking by a shadow boss a la' Keyser Söze .

The movie unravels the event in the form of an interrogation between a NYPD cop and Verbal , who escaped the boat catastrophe!!!

The script of the film packing everything into a 1:45 min reel deserves an ovation...Kevin Spacey as Verbal won the best supporting actor academy for his role and I am not surprised at all not taking anything away from the other actors playing their parts...

Verdict : What can I say for a movie ranked at 20 in the all time list of hollywood flicks!

Rating :5.0/5.0

Memento : by Christopher Nolan

Have you ever imagined seeing a movie from the culmination to the first reel ???

Memento gives you an exhilarating thriller keeping the audience dumbfounded( confused too !) from end to start in this Reverse Chronological Drama ...

Though the movie came out in the year 2000 , I was fortunate to see it recently on a DVD and was instantly caught in a LABYRINTH.

The protagonist (superlative Guy Pearce) suffers from short term memory loss and is in deep inner turmoil to search for his Wife's Murderer.

To deal with the disorder , he uses tools like Polaroid Camera ,Tattoos,Paper Slips,Notes enabling him to hold on to memories !!!

Christopher Nolan's unique, non-linear , noir-narrative structuring ( black n white film reels) IRRITATES,SHOCKS,SPELLBINDS to say the least.

The performances are ex·tra·or·di·naire and the scripting prowess is proven to the hilt...

No surprises its in top 30 of all time movie list ....

DO NOT MISS THIS ONE EVEN FOR YOUR LIFE :) :)

Rating : 5.0/5.0