The Bourne Ultimatum : by Paul Greengrass

Expectations were huge after seeing the prequel day before yesterday , and I am here writing this review with upmost gleee!!

Matt Damon as Jason Bourne has travelled far and away spanning the 3 films to know his identity and sure he does in the final installment .. it is an absolute privilage to witness such storytelling!

Bourne Ultimatum starts where Bourne Supremacy ended in Moscow... Jason is still at large and operation Blackbriar is at stake!

This time his accomplice is Nicky Parson and both of them travel thru Morocco and London to find answers which Bourne des·per·ate·ly seeks!!!!

Eye-Catching Sequences :

• Street Chase by Bourne in Morocco to save Nicky.
• Master Plan to out-think Noah Vosen , the CIA head of the operation.
• The Culmination of the movie with Jason struck by the truth at the treadstone facility
• The Action throughout the film and the background score by John Powell is superlative.

Matt Damon as "Jason Bourne" for me surpasses James Bond , Indiana Jones and many other cult action characters.

The brainchild of Ludlum has been given full justice ..... AMEN!

Rating : 5.0/5.0

The Bourne Supremacy : by Paul Greengrass

The Bourne Supremacy was the 2nd installment in the trilogy of the novels written by Robert Ludlum , an accomplished fiction author ;

I was lucky enough to watch it yesterday ... better late than never!!!

The film starts 2 years hence where Bourne Identity was left off.

Bourne in India is again haunted by the aftermaths of an assasination executed by him in Berlin ... Treadstone is after him again ...

The film is damn racy and fast-paced to say the least , meandring from Goa to New York to Moscow.

The attempt on his life , takes him into a journey of finding answers to his identity.Meanwhile CIA have trails on him for commiting crimes even after dissolution of Treadstone way back.

The action is slick , the background score is just out of this world , one of the best I have experienced and the skills in acting , what can I say , MATT DAMON is superlative as Jason Bourne .

The best sequence of the movie : Jason Bourne targetting the CIA chief from the rooftop with his sniper and the tête-à-tête that follows!!!!

Super Duper Edge of the Seat Action Thriller!!

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

The Last King of Scotland : by Kevin MacDonald

Forest Whitaker the actor , says " You are my closest advisor " and hell breaks loose in the life of a wannabe scottish Dr Nicolas Garrigon played by James McAvoy.

The Last King of Scotland creates a regime : no fear , all freedom for the common man in Uganda . Promises given under oath by the President (Army Chief ) furnishes a smooth road ahead.

"Food,Infrastructure,Roads and all the common amenities" .

Dr. Garrigon , one fine day saves the life of the President and is caught in a whirpool full of Deceit,Mass Killings,Apartheid and Hidden Propaganda

Forest Whitaker , is one of the finest performances I have witnessed on screen by an actor leave alone black one!!! (Oscar truly deserved)

He is a paradox ,switching between being a mean tyrant to a closest ally.

The last moments of the film keeps you spellbound , too good to be a true story!!!!!!!!

Must Watch for getting into the psyche of an African Nation conglomeration....

Rating : 4.5/5.0

Thank You for Smoking : by Jason Reitman

Argument is the best form of lobbying , not negotiation , right Mr Nick Naylor.

As the President of the Academy of Tobacco Studies , he enjoys his job to the extent of absorbing all the hatred of the masses whilst propagandizing SMOKING!

Team of M.O.D (Merchants of Death) , Nick alongwith a liquor & a firearms entrepreneur , meet over drinks to discuss the numbers added to their respective DEATH TOLL count!

Hilarious to say the least , the movie throws light on the flip side of the lobbyist , winning verbal duels with Talk Show Hosts , Senator of the State , NewsPaper Reporter and even his Boss !

Freedom of choice is what drives Nick Naylor , preaching the same to his son and all.

Film Satire , the genre chartered well by the captain of the ship ... nice comic caper!!

Rating : 4.5/5.0

I am Legend : by Francis Lawrence

Robert Neville is a virologist & the last man on earth : Year 2012

The crazy notion of curing cancer using the measels virus , led to a massive catastrophe wiping over 90 % of the human face on this earth.

Less than 1% were immune to the virus and Will Smith playing Dr. Neville was the last survivor. Each day in broad sunlight , with his pet dog , would go on a search for any survivors.

The film is set in downtown Manhattan , devoid of any life other than non-human species.Even if the human samples were there , they would be infected to the highest degree taking shelter in dark places reactive to UV rays.

Some noteworthy nuances :

• Playing golf on the wing of an airplane.
• Talking to mannequins just to converse.
• Creating AV of his experiment on recorder
• Reciting the dialogues of Shrek memorized to the limit

Will Smith has done it again with a powerhouse performance. He has turned into a sensitive actor post Pursuit of Happyness.

------- Nice Watch --------

Rating : 4.0/5.0

The Italian Job : by F. Gary Gray

Italian Job is yet another heist movie which I have seen lately and it does disappoint a wee bit.

The premise of the movie starts in Venice , where in a team of 5 pull-off a sensational vault robbery planned to perfection!!

The events take a turn when the gold in the vault is snapped up by an avaricious member, Mark WahlBerg taking the plunge of planning out a revenge.

Charlize Theron , plays a vault deciphering specialist with the common goal of taking out the villiany out of Edward Norton.

The planning gone into the robbery in the second half of the reels is incredibly thought of.

Some of the high points of the film were :

1. Use of Mini Coopers as their heist vehicles!!
2. Tracking the truck carrying the gold worth 37 million!!
3. The Climax blows the audience out

The downside of the film : Getting access to the US vehicular traffic control system was far-fetched!!!

No novelty for me after Ocean's Eleven,Twelve,Thirteen and The Inside Man!

Rating : 3.0/5.0

Dor : by Nagesh Kukunoor

Dor is one of the finest stories to be painted on a film canvas.

It is a story of two women coming from different

cultures poles apart in terms of dialect,customs,

traditions,outlook towards life , ideals yet with one common thread in their lives!!

Gul Panag follows the pradigm of listening to your heart rather than the head , going to any extent to save her beloved from exile.

Ayesha Takia (Meera) , a sweet and charming rajashthani wife , full of life and vigour.

Events churns the lives of both women , one having determination in her veins and the notion of living life on her own terms and the other a caged bird craving to spread her wings , uncertainity in her head.

Shreyas Talpade acts as an impostor in the film aka Behroopiya, extending his help to Zeenat ( Gul ) in her search. He is one of the high points of the film giving mimicry artists a run for their money!!!

The storyline is captivating yet slow in parts , music is very much folk to be precise. The final reels are what you expect from a sensitive director like Nagesh.

He is one of the finest story-teller , touching hearts of millions by this poignant fable.

Rating : 4.5/5.0

Woh Lamhe : by Mohit Suri

Woh Lamhe gives an insight into the life of a top-notch actress , her anguish and happiness , her aspirations and expectations, her madness and cravings, her achivements and the downfalls.

Loosely and supposedly based on the life of Parveen Babi , Kangna Raut does an exceptional job in moulding herself and digging into the high-nosed character of a superstar.

Shiny Ahuja is a wannabe director , with the intention of signing Kangana for his movie. His plan of action is a success in terms of attracting the actress by breaking her self-esteem and high-headed blues.

The story - telling is compelling and the schizophrenia diagnosis leaves the audience gasping for more. There in lies the emotional power of the script backed up by stupendous music.

Take a bow Pritam ... I am his fan since Gangster and this music album can be touted as the finest soundtrack in a long long time!!!

Songs worth mentioning :

• Bin tere
• Kya mujhe pyar hai
• Chal Chale
• Tu jo nahin

The chemistry between Kangana and Shiny sparkles and makes the film worth watching. Go for it , even if u have missed it like I did in 2006 :)

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Taare Zameen Par : by Aamir Khan

देखो इन्हें यह है ओस की बूँदें ,
पंत्तों कि गोद में आसमान से कूदें ,
अन्गादाई ले फिर करवट बदल के,
नाज़ुक से मोती हँस दे फिसल कर,

खो ना जाये यह,
तारे ज़मीन पर.............

Aamir Khan's directorial debut , makes me feel privilaged to be writing this post and applauding the man for his sincerity in handling the subject with such aplomb.

Darsheel Saraf plays Ishan Awasthi , an 8 year old kid carrying the aspirations n' expectations of his family , inspite of his disorder of deciphering the alphabets in his school notebook - aka 'Dyslexia' .

Taare Zameen Par delves into the psyche of a kid who is caught in the whirlpool of learning , competing and excel in today's competitive race.

Darsheel has potrayed this character with such conviction never seen before in a child artist let alone the stalwarts.

Moments worth mentioning :

• Ishan's imagination going wild to solve a simple mathematics test question .. it has been explained with intricate details of what's going on in the kid's head.


• Ishaan's forced admission into a boarding school , the emotional upheaval is shot brilliantly.


• Introduction of the temporary Art Teacher played splendidly by Aamir.


• Father's self-pity for not showering enough love to his kid.


• The penultimate reels reach emotional crescendo , having me moist - eyed !!

The music of the film gels with the script beautifully making it journey rather a reel drama ,credited to Shankar Ehsaan and Loy.

Darsheel is a powerhouse of a performer , his expressions do most of the talking in the film , deserves an ovation .

This is the film after a long long time , has made me cry to the hilt ...... ( Sadma was the last one)

Mr. Aamir ... its reverbrating ..... the APPLAUSE

Rating : 5.0/5.0

Welcome : by Anees Bazmee

Just Another Whacky No-Brainer Movie ......

Anil Kapoor takes the cake with cherry on top as Majnu Bhai vis-a-vis Abstract Painter :)

Akshay Kumar / Katrina Kaif as the romantic pair are just about ok

Nana Patekar as Shetty Bhai does what he is good at , hamming loud n clear

Paresh Rawal as the eccentric doctor does run-off-the-mill theatrics.

Malika is in a blink-n-you-miss-her role

Music is hummable particularly the song "Kiya Kiya"

Feroz Khan is intolerable

Story - Mad House Fable

Rating : 3.0/5.0

Dus Kahaniyaan : by S,M,H,A,R

10 Stories at a price of a single movie ticket .. is it paisa vasool??

Yes to a certain level , Sanjay Gupta with his production association with Sanjay Dutt brings through an amalgamation of real - life - drama tales with a sting in their tails!!

The 5 directors as with their initials mentioned in the title above have done a praiseworthy job.


NoteWorthy Tales :

1) Matrimony : Mandira Bedi and Arbaaz Khan potray a relationship pradigm common to the couples these dayz..

2) Zahir : Manoj Bajpai and Diya Mirza shock us with a simple yet complex mis-representation of betrayal.

3) Rice Plate : A story made by Rohit , passes on a message applicable to each n every today's individual . Shabana Azmi is superlative as south indian brahmin woman.

4)Strangers in the Night : Best of the lot leaving the audience dumbfounded at the end of the narration , a tete-a-tete between Neha Dhupia and Mahesh Manjrekar.

Rest of the lot made little sense , should have been more like a bolt from the blue!!!!! .. good effort nevertheless.

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Khoya Khoya Chand : by Sudhir Mishra

Khoya Khoya Chand is a tribute to the nuances of the film world in the era of 60's.

Nikhat is a small town girl with the aspirations of making it big in the film industry. Soha Ali Khan as aspiring heroine carries the film on her shoulders in her first solo film.

Shiny Ahuja as the struggling writer does justice to his talents , though he needs to fine-tune his expressions. Love erupts between two adolescent people part of this big bad world of films.

This movie touches on the subject of casting coups , publicity , nepotism , betrayal and plagiarism.

Music is so-so . Soha does a commendable job and displays her full prowess. Rajat Kapoor and Vinay Pathak excel in their parts.

Sudhir Mishra is a proven director and has done a good effort , though a lot is left to be desired.

Rating : 2.0/5.0

Aaja Nachle : by Anil Mehta

DANCE

Its a spiritual art , its an outlet to express , do it like no one's watching..

Madhuri epitomizes dance

Aaja Nachle is all about celebration of energy,passion,vigour,madness of

dancing.

The facts above are true ..... but on celluloid the result is disappointing

Madhuri after a long hiatus has done a decent job , but her americanization has done her no good.

The plot is all about saving a theater in a small village called Shamli , and Diya takes the task of putting a fine show with amateur people proving Art wins over luxuries such as shopping malls.

The supporting cast is passe' , wasting talents like Konkana Sen in no-brain-roles.The music is ordinary , only the title song ringing some bells.

The final hours of the movie , were unbearable reminding me of a dud musical drama Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom

This Gorgeous foot tapper gives the current crop run for their money even at the age of mid-40's.

Madhuri deserved a gala welcome ,though I'm longing for her next with waited breaths.

Rating: 2.0/5.0

Casablanca : by Michael Curtiz

Casablanca is touted as one of the all-time gr8 movies , which made me lap it up this weekend!

And it truly deserves cheers for the absolute love re·quit·al potrayed by Humphrey Bogart aka Rick Blaine in the film.

The movie is set at the time of World War 2 , a place called Casablanca part of unoccupied France. People here are craving to move to Lisbon and subsequently to US on a visa almost impossible to get.

Rick's bar has the scene set for the search for missing visa documents and the reunion of his lost love .The chemistry between the lovers is supereme , making this film bollywoodesque to the hilt.


"They had a date with fate in Casablanca!!" tagline is perfect culmination to the movie where Rick has to choose..........
Rating : 5.0/5.0

Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal : by Vivek Agnihotri

Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal ... breaches into a chartered territory of sports theme a la' Chak De India.

The setup just moves to desi Southall in UK ... where in a bunch of Asian no - go - getters are faced with the crisis of saving their football club.

Arshad Warsi leading the team motivates the group with the help of Boman Irani as the banished coach to lift the league cup. The characterization is poor , a female physio (Bipasha needs acting classes) for a men's team in love with not-so-down-to-earth John playing for a foreign club.

The film is all about the triumph of spirit and passes a strong message against Racism towards Asian in UK and other parts of the world.

Performances are nothing to cheer about , music is just ok ,although the director did a good job at the climax.

The impact of Chak De has been unprecendented , making this a sour experience.

Rating : 2.0/5.0

12 Angry Men : by Sidney Lumet

12 Angry Men is a movie which defines that one does not need a storyline backed up by an ensemble,towering sets,songs,dance,rhapsody,flair,special fx ....


This is 1957 classic , is set in a single room ; 12 men having the task to unanimously give a verdict on an 18 year old commiting a gruesome murder on his father.

The film starts and ends with the discussion between these 12 men . Henry Fonda , one man standing between the judgement of guilty / not guilty.

Amazing part of the film is the screenplay where in each character is sketched with super - detailing , each having opinions as diverse as colors in an artists palette.

The culmination of the film makes the audience realize the weight of reasoning and argument can turn the tables on facts !!!!

A True Gem of a Classic ...

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Saawariya : by Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Saawariya ... "beloved" in true sense is a film which reminds you of a serene ballad.

First n foremost ,hail the debutants for a show they have put up under the guidance of SLB.

Ranbir is a natural and plays the boy-next-door happy-go-lucky fallen-in-love chappy. Performance of a kind you expect from a kin of the RK family. Sonam Kapoor as Sakina , is raw yet has the ability to surprise you in some portions of the movie.


The film is all about the most talked emotion "Love". Ranbir as Raj , a bundle of joy , falls in love with a girl who is awaiting her beloved.

This unconditional love is the base of the film and is carried through with deluge of songs ( absolute mirror image of the non-song wonder Black) .

Rani Mukherjee and Zohra Sehgal are the pillars of strength for Ranbir's character.Salman is completely wasted and any other actor could have done his part. The lack of pace in the storyline can allow the viewer a nap or two .. so watch it at your own risk !!

Music of the movie is surreal , Monty Sharma , a debutant showing his skills for the same ( Jab Se Tere Naina and the Title song Saawariya are really melodic)

In a nutshell , the blue canvas painted by SLB with 2 bright adolescent strokes makes me literally cry for more , fourth time running ( Khamoshi , Hum Dil , Black .. ) .. it can go either way for you.

Rating : 3.0/5.0

Om Shanti Om : by Farah Khan

Psychedelic 70's is back!!!! ...

Om Shanti Om packs a punch in true bollywood ishtyle with lotz of flair,melodrama,histrionics,tears,joy,romance,action,comedy,songs n dance..

Farah Khan re-creates the magic of the 70's in the first half of the film , which in my opinion will bring the house down.

Shahrukh as Om , a struggling junior artist , dreams of a spending his entire life for his beloved , superstar ShantiPriya played by Deepika Padukone. The initial reels with the chemistry between Shahrukh and his sidekick Shreyas Talpade aka Pappu are hilarious!!

Deepika looks a million bucks (like a breath of fresh air) and acts like a veteran inspite of being just 21.Arjun Rampal as a tyrant producer is his best work till date.

Music of the film is par excellence .. Vishal Shekhar deserves accolades for it .. particularly songs like Ajab si and Main Agar Kahoon

With opulent sets , retro costumes , melodramatic dialogues , 70's ERA is flashed before our eyes .

Moments of the Film :

1. Rajnikant's Tribute by Shahrukh ... simply awesome!

2. Filmfare Awards Night in the IInd half with funny takes on Abhishek Bachhan and Akshay Kumar..

3. Hamming by Kiron Kher and Shahrukh ;anecdotes on Sooraj Barjatya , Manoj Kumar are superb.

Second half of the film , is reminiscent of Karz .. was a meander... and could not live upto the silken dreamy portions of the 1st half.

Kudos to Shahrukh for putting an effort on his toned up body at 40 , but alas he is no HRITHIK!!

Watch it for the swinging n hip 70's and Shahrukh .. 
(he is really the king .. Mr. Bhansali realizes it :))

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