Her : by Spike Jonze

Theodore Twombly played by Phoenix is an introverted man.

Set in a futuristic world , 'Her' transposes the audience into a deep-rooted journey of love.

Twombly has a job of writing personal letters on behalf of people who have a difficulty in expressing their feelings. One fine day , in a jiffy he decides to buy an AI operating system. He is anyways in a mess due to his impending divorce & is a big time loner.

The OS names itself as Samantha and is an adaptive eco-system gauging the feelings and emotions of its user.

She picks out the name Samantha for herself  & Theodore grins!
‘Was that funny?’, she asks. ‘Yeah,’ he says. She laughs. ‘Oh good, I’m funny.’ She is delighted.

So Twombly is in love!  Sigh!

The voice over of Samantha is played by Scarlett Johansson and connects with Theodore in a surreal way.The sensual undertones & the comforting conversations between S & T are endearing to say the least. There is a 'joy' evident in the explorations of Samantha & content in Theodore's wish for a companion.

Their love, 

Their brickbats , 

Their quarrels, 

Their excitement , 

Their desires , 

Their passion , 

Their fervor  ................

Yearning Performances by - 

Phoenix as the lonesome, unsocial ,vulnerable Theodore.

Johansson playing Samantha  - stimulating , delightful , sensual - at her finest.

Her is, by far, the best picture of the year, and miles ahead of the other lot!

This is a film about fondness , affection , tenderness. A film to love.

Rating : 5.0/5.0

Lootera : by Vikramaditya Motwane

A year long hiatus has bought me back to my passion.. & there is surely no better film bollywood has seen in a long time than ..

Motwane's Lootera !

The year is 1953 , Bengal , zamindari is at its peak in India. Pakhi , the feisty daughter of an ageing aristocrat is a girl so vulnerable in her demeanour. She is longing for independence as shown by her secret driving chores.

In comes , Varun seeking help from the zamindar for excavation at the land owned by him representing the archaeological society.

He is articulate , charming yet focused on the job in hand. Pakhi & Varun collide in a brewing chemistry when he takes shelter as a house guest.

She gets her wings and a reason to wake up every morning. The protagonists irresistibly get drawn into each other with sheer innocence and old world charm. Pakhi dreams of writing at her Dalhousie house and converting her stories into words. Varun has the desire to paint a masterpiece someday.

The director has done a marvellous job of keeping the exchanges between Varun & Pakhi understated with binge of silence.

Second half of the film , takes a turn which compels the audience to take the girl and the boys' journey to its destination. Motwane opts for stark muted backdrop of Dalhousie which blends with the mood of the screenplay at this juncture.

The detailing in this film takes it to a level of poetry in motion. Cinematography by Shetty is spell binding capturing the colour of Bengal and the sombre landscapes of Dalhousie. The sets , the colour , the curtains , the dialogues , vintage vehicles are just so 1950's pitch perfect.

Performances .. The maturity is so hard to fathom , is beyond their age. Both these actors have been hard core commercial typecasts , and Motwane has moulded them with sheer brilliance

Sonakhi as Pakhi is craving , vulnerable , feisty , brittle & bitter
Ranveer as Varun is street smart , charming , practical , mature & intense.

Supporting cast is noteworthy too with Adil as the tough cop & Vikrant as Dev inspired cheeky friend.Music & Background score elevates this film to Cloud 9 - Amit Trivedi & Amitabh Bhattacharya are truly wizards. My favourites - Zinda & Ankahee.

Motwane's second outing - Respect! - O.Henry would be proud!
A Cinematic Masterpiece!

Rating : 4.5/5.0

Blue Valentine : by Derek Cianfrance

Hollywood traditionally makes slapstick romantic flicks which are high on crudeness and college humour.

Blue Valentine is truly a remarkable performance driven film about two individuals. An unknown director Derek has come up with simple storytelling experience and has extracted the best out of his limited resources.

Dean (Ryan Gosling) & Cindy (Michelle Williams) play a married couple at rural Pennsylvania with a daughter named Frankie. Cindy is a nurse and Dean works as a painter.

The film inter cuts between their young romance courtship days and the troubled marriage of the present. The juxtaposition of the scenes depicting their happy days of love and bitter arguments of today is done with tact.

The relationship goes downhill day by day as Cindy is totally engrossed in family chores with Dean not contributing at all.

One fine day , to resurrect their lost fascination , Dean takes her to a motel where they end up in an argument.

Dean is drunk big time & it results in a violent fracas at Cindy's clinic. The conclusion of the film is really despondent & despairing.

The performances of the couple are extremely natural and uninhibited.Michelle Williams is one of the talents to watch out for and truly deserved the Oscar nod.

Ryan Gosling is indeed a good actor and can be seen as a bright star in the making.

“How can you trust your feelings if they disappear?” Cindy asks.

A Tragic Side of  LOVE!

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Lost in Translation : by Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola , daughter of Francis Ford Coppola , the highly acclaimed director of the Godfather series has indeed left a legacy!

Lost in Translation is Sofia's second film and it just blew me away with its simplicity.

I had seen this feature in 2004 and saw it again day before yesterday!

A culture shock milieu yet sweet romance to look forward to , is its USP

Bob Harris played by Bill Murray is a renowned aging actor from NYC. He arrives in Tokyo for an advertisement deal for Suntory Whiskey.

Charlotte played by Scarlett Johansson is a young graduate who has come to Japan with her husband who is on a photography assignment.

Mid life crisis for Bob is evident , with his tired demeanour and lack of belongingness in his 25 years of marriage.

One fine day in the hotel bar , their paths cross , and so starts a unique bond. The meetings become frequent and Charlotte invites Bob to meet her friends.

Differences between the Japanese and the American culture binds them together.The non-inhibited sharing of their experiences inspite of the age aberration starts brewing.

As Bob's visit nears an end , both express their feelings of how they will miss each others company.

The film's culmination has a sense of unique sadness yet subtlety of the characters who wish to stay together and forever!

The private whisper which indeed is meant to be intimate and we are not allowed to hear it ...

Masterstroke!  Oscar for best original screenplay richly deserved!

Bill Murray , is funny , sardonic ,subdued , comic and yet sympathy drawn.

Scarlett is a sweet , curious , simple girl craving for love and affection.

I love this movie .. For relaxing times, make it ...Suntory time.

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Amélie : by Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Amelie , Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain , is the 2001 French romantic comedy.

The protagonist , 'Amelie' is a demure waitress who has one mission to change lives of people around her

with the inner demons of her own loneliness.

It is a mischievous tale of Parisian life with Amelie at the center of it all played by Audrey Tautou.

The film kicks of when the 23 year old finds memorabilia behind a bathroom tile in her apartment.

Her discovery is a a metal box of childhood memories of a boy who must have lived some decades ago in the very same place.

Amelie embarks on a trail to find the rightful owner of the 

box and return it.

In the process in her daily routine she pledges to act as a matchmaker and spread happiness all around.

The audience is drafted into the dreams & aspirations of Amelie for belongingness and love.

The movie is charming and a funny series of events which make laugh and cry at the same instance.

Audrey Tautou played Amelie to the 'T' with her expressive eyes and charming smile.

No wonder , it is ranked at no. 45 in IMDB elite list.

Rating : 3.5/5.0

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

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!?

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

Kurbaan : by Rensil D'Silva

Kurbaan ..... Karan Johar getting adventurous

Kurbaan ..... Saifeena , flavour of the season

Kurbaan ..... Hard- hitting flick

Kurbaan ..... Vivek Oberio's comeback trail

Kurbaan ..... Hardcore Sufi music

Kurbaan == New York

Zero Novelty!

Rating : 2.0/5.0

Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani : by Rajkumar Santoshi

Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani marks the return of Raj Kumar Santoshi into mainstream rom-com genre.

Andaz Apna Apna has achieved cult status in the bollywood with its characters immortalized as the best in comic genre and Santoshi must be proud of it.

My expectation sky-rocketted..

Things going for APKGK :

* Katrina & Ranbir's fresh pairing

* Rocking Music by Pritam

Things failing for APKGK :

* Everything Else!

One of the dumbest movies to come in a long time , I wish I could find an iota of portion to cheer about....

High point of the Film : ' Tera Hone Laga Hoon' ,

Awesome rendition ...

Darn the rest!

Rating : 2.5 / 5.0

Wake Up Sid - by Ayan Mukerji

Wake up Sid is a coming of age cinema to the core & coming from Kjo's den is huge surprise...

Its a sweet simple story of a boy growing up as he experiences....

Ranbir plays Sid who is a pampered kid whose world revolves around all masti n fun which includes , bunking classes , video games , eating pizza and what not.

The film primarily has milieu revolving around Sid finding his feet in today's times , his relationships with his parents , friends , pals and supposedly girlfriend too.

Konkana plays an alter ego to Sid , an independent self -motivating girl seeking her dreams in the city of Mumbai.

Wake up Sid has no item songs , no gigantic ensemble of actors , no humongous sets , and it strikes a cord instantly.

The chemistry between the lead pair is fresh and Konkana is a tad ahead of Ranbir as it should be because of her experience.

The film's music is also path-breaking in ways of new sound by S-E-L trio.....

But one track that makes feel romantic again n again is :

'Iktara' by Amit Trivedi
( Dev D & Aamir fame)

On the whole the screenplay makes the film worth in gold and with young turks like Ayan ,

Bollywood is in safe hands...

Rating : 4.0 / 5.0

Love Aaj Kal : by Imtiaz Ali

Imtiaz Ali has been offering quite enterprising love stories since his debut with Socha Na Tha .

His latest flick 'Love Aaj Kal' fells way too short .. Saif turns producer , plays a safe bet , and generates an old wine in a new bottle.

The film revolves around two parallel tracks , one in the past (vintage Kolkatta) and one in the present (London)

The present day corny reels has Deepika and Saif in a non-committal relationship , hanging around , partying and boozing streets of London.

The gags just fall flat from Saif and I just felt bored in the first hour , with the film meandering to no definite denouement.

Deepika is simply expressionless , she might need to give some competition to Sania Nahiwal in the near future :).

The second hour of the film has quite a few moments worth noting , where the saving grace is Saif's potrayal of a quintessential sardar and his innocent love for a Kaur girl.

The songs of the movie have a Pritam stamp written all over , and Mohit Chauhan has definitely arrived post-silk-route , Ye Dooriyan being my pick.

In a nutshell ,

I felt a sense of inadequacy and yearned for Shahid-Kareena enchantment...

Rating : 3.0 /5.0

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi : by Aditya Chopra

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi .. brings back Aditya Chopra after a long hiatus .. SRK and Adi combo has done wonders yet again...

It is sweet simple story of a middle class Punjab Electricity Board employee , Surinder . He leads as a simpleton , till love blossoms with a bubbly girl played by Anoushka.

Circumstances forces Anoushka to marry Surinder who is way off from prince charming.

Chemistry which crackles incidentally between opposites , makes the screenplay buoyant.

The songs make you really dance , SRK and Anoushka play their roles to the Tee.

Special Mention :     I just loved the climax !!!

Splendid Watch  :)   ... Go for it ...

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Dostana : by Tarun Mansukhani

Trend started by Kal Ho Na Ho , 

has come a full circle with Dostana ,

         in a big "out of the closet"  ... way

     The movie is a story of two hot-shot guys in Miami ,

  one working as a photographer and the other as a  nurse ;) 

     both blurt their  reasons  in unison

   Gals !!!!!

John and Abhishek meet Priyanka , in search of an apartment

     on the condition

  they need to be girls 

  but boys will be boys , they have an idea alternative  to sex change

change your sexual preferences ... VOILA AA!!!

The crux of the film is the hilarity with which the hunks swing gay.

First half has some bright entertaining moments ... 

  second half disappoints...

Tracks are foot-tapping  .. Desi Girl  is my pick .. Maa da Laadla is hip!

Support by Boman Irani and Kirron Kher is worth mentioning

Priyanka tickles , Abhishek giggles , John sizzles ..

 Rating : 3.5/5.0

Bachna Ae Haseeno : by Siddharth Anand

Cas·a·no·va : A man who is amorously and gallantly attentive to women....
Bachna Ae Haseeno is an upmarket romantic oomphatic experience ..

Ranbir Kapoor , Bipasha Basu ,Deepika Padukone & Minisha Lamba .. is the ensemble roped in by the director Siddharth Anand with movies like Ta Ra Rum Pum & Salaam Namaste already in the kitty..
Ranbir Kapoor plays Raj ( not again , a SRK clone in the making ) ... film kicks off in the midst of Swiss Alps , initial reels reminiscent of DDLJ..

The film is divided into 3 stories in the life of ... Raj.

Stages of love,betrayal,infatuation , hatred,unrequited heart-2-heart connection.

Finest Moments :

• Ranbir dropping a bombshell at the Airport in front of Minisha.
• Bipasha Basu and Ranbir's oooozing chemistry.
• Ranbir's umpteen attempts to buzz off the idea of marriage and commitment.
• Ranbir's Shopping blunders in presence of Deepika brings the house down.

Cuteness Galore : Ranbir , playing the character to the hilt.
Ooooomph : Bipasha Basu is rollicking.
Duds : Minisha Lamba and Deepika Padukone.
Grooovy : Music is stupendous , My Fav Track is "Khuda Jaane".
Surprise Package: Surdy Kunal Kapoor.

Sidharth Anand has made a nice light-hearted romantic movie ,
with guffaw n tears plenteous..

One-time watch for sure... ... Ranbir rocks!!

Rating : 3.0/5.0

Kismat Konnection : by Aziz Mirza

Aziz Mirza has always been associated with a feel-good kinda cinema , Kismat Konnection is no exception.

Its a story of budding Architech played by Shahid , who inspite of being a top-notch student in his degree dayz , fails to make it big every time an opportunity knocks on his doors.

The Luck evades him time n again until a Fortune Teller procrastinates his lucky charm popping up soon in his life.

Enter , Vidya Balan , who is associated with an old-age home , the senior citizens being her family.

Vidya brings luck to Shahid whenever she is around , n things start going his way but at the cost of blatant betrayal.......

The performances are stereotypical , only Shahid in top -form post Jab We Met.... Vidya is just not getting it right from her clothes to her dancing to her acting prowess...

Pritam proves yet again with his music ,as being the most-sought after music composer....

Overall, Aziz Mirza's work has always put a smile on your face and moisten one's eyes , from Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman to Chalte Chalte , this does not hit the bulls-eye!!

Rating : 3.0/5.0

Atonement : by Joe Wright

Atonement .... as the bible says "satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; amends, reconciliation" 

It is a story of two people madly in love with each other , James McAvoy and Keira Knightley.

The youngest of the three sisters Briony , misinterprets each moment shared by them as an act of erotiscism on the part of Robbie ( played by James ) .

The circumstances build in such a manner which implicates Robbie into a false charge solely on Briony's testimony.

The film then shifts 4 years ahead , England is at war during WWII , Robbie given a choice between prison sentence and joining the army , chooses for the latter. Keira Knightley ( Cecilia ) meets Robbie and the lost love is found!

The twists n turns in the second half , are out of this ordinary, with the narration leaving the cinegoer dumbfounded.

Hats off to the performances , James is into the character with ease , since I saw him in Last King of Scotland. Keira is passe ' , could have done a bit better .

The supporting cast is great ,particularly Cecillia's younger sister Briony. The background score is awesome , particularly at every instance of Briony's intro , the piano keys surely rings alarm bells!!

The finale makes me hail the writer of the book as well the screenplay adapted by the director Joe Wright!! ..... am teary eyed at the end of it all!!

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind : by Michel Gondry

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ... !?!?!?!?

This theatrics by Michel Gondry is intriguing and bizarre to say the least and you will definitely believe it when you see it!

This Valentine , relationships which have been going wrong can have a look at ESOSM , where in protaganists , Kate Winslet and Jim Carey carry the film through with maze of events hard to fathom but compelling for sure.

Jim Carey on a regular day realizes a series of events where-in someone else is controlling his memory to wipe out all the minute details of his ex-girlfriend.

The doctors have already wiped out the memory from Clementine's (Kate) mind pertaining to Joel ( her beloved) . Joel , in a fit of rage decides to undergo the same treatment.

The film at this point shows the sequence of events in the past related to their relationship and how Joel tries to hold on to memories which doctors are trying to wipe out ...

PHEW!!! ... What a Concept!!! ...

Kate and Jim are superlative ... watch it for the sheer eccentricity in love !!

Rating: 4.0/5.0

The Holiday : by Nancy Meyers

The Holiday is one of the few movies I have seen directed by a woman in hollywood, and I can tell you it has a lot of nuances which a sensitive lady can present on celluloid!!!

The Holiday is all about relationships , how people behave and react to a person he/she loves till the end of time , unrequited love , trust , honesty , guilt , passion , tears , smiles and what not!

Cameron Diaz in L.A is frustrated seeing her boyfriend cheating on her and Kate Winslet is in love with a guy not reciprocating the same in London.

The two women swap homes for the holiday season of 2 weeks and their lives are replenished with vigour and joy!! Jude Law comes as a refreshing person in Amanda's Life ( played by Diaz) . Winslet finds solace in a 90 year old neigbour , long forgotten film legend..

Jack Black is the sweet boy next door music arranger bringing happiness back into Kate's life.

The story enlightens us of most talked about emotion called LOVE ..........

..... and it is highlighed well enough creating an instant connection as an audience for me!!!!!

Significant Dialogue from the film ....

"I understand feeling as small and as insignificant as humanly possible, and how it can actually ache in places you didn't know you had inside you, and it doesn't matter how many new haircuts you get, or gyms you join, or how many glasses of chardonnay you drink with your girlfriends... you still go to bed every night going over every detail and wonder what you did wrong, or how you could have misunderstood, and how in the hell for that brief moment you could think that you were that happy. And sometimes you can even convince yourself that he'll see the light and show up at your door. And after all that, however long all that may be, you'll go somewhere new, and you'll meet people who make you feel worthwhile again, and little pieces of your soul will finally come back. And all that fuzzy stuff, those years of your life that you wasted, that will eventually begin to fade" ---- IRIS ( Kate Winslet )

Diabetics stay away .... Sugar Coated Motion Picture!!!!!!!!

Rating : 4.0/5.0

The Notebook : by Nick Cassavetes

Nicolas Sparks wrote his heart out in this fairytale romantic fable.
The movie adapted on the same tome takes the audience on a journey full of dreamy romantic oblivion.

The film is set in the 40's era , where a young country boy woos the girl of his dreams on whom he has fixated his eyes.

The chemistry between the couple ooozes heart felt affection with
deep need for companionship ,friendship and never-to-be-broken bond

...they are inseparable...

The typical bollywoodesque turn of events , keeps you on tenterhooks , culminating to apt finale.

The book as well as the film is predictable to a certain extent and is for people falling in love , are in love , want to be in love !!!

Romance , Love , Charm and Rhapsody sugar coats the movie to the core.

Sweet , Simple love story.

Rating : 3.5/5.0