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

Jaane Tu .. Ya Jaane Na : by Abbas Tyrewala

Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na ... simply a breath of fresh air :) :) ...

Abbas Tyrewala in collaboration with Numero Uno Actor Aamir Khan brings forth a frothy , romantic , bubblegum , Archies meets Veronica storyline !!

The film is all about Meow and Rats! ... the on-screen friends who are inseparable to the hilt.

Imraan Khan has got acting in legacy and he proves it by playing a non-violent , cute-faced,innocent,sweetie pie kid on the block .

Genelia-DeSouza gives super chemical reactions playing Meow! .. clawing people who even give a thought of insulting Rats!

The gang of friends just out of college know that Rats and Meow are in love , their parents know they are in love , but for the protagonists.

Jaane Tu .. may remind you of a lot of bubblegum fables (a la' Ishq Vishq) ... this is quite extra-ordinarily different!!

Heart-Warming Moments in the film :

• College Brawl where in Imraan intends to save Genelia
• Imraan's mother(Ratna Shah) , passing the legacy of Rathore's to her son.
• Ratna Shah and her tet-e-tet with her husband on the wall picture(Raja of Rathore).
• Post-Interval portions where Rats n Meow go fetch companions for each other.
• Cameos by Khan brother's and the Disco-Techque histrionics are hilarious.
• Chemistry between Meow and her brother!

The list is endless , supporting crew is fantabulous , from parents to chums to cops !!

Finally the music , AR Rahman , what can I say , super-duper melodies ... within the realm of the film...

The Next Generation is surely knocking the doors and ringing the bells......

Rating : 4.5/5.0

Jaws : by Steven Spielberg

Jaws ... considered to one of defining movies of the 70's seeing the rise of edge-of-seat-thriller-scary genre ....

Steven Spielberg , now an accomplished director in Hollywood , came up with a masterpiece adaption of a thriller novel...

Amity Island , attracts millions of tourists every year on July 4th , this year is no exception at all but for......

SHARKS at BAY!!!

Sequences of events pertaining to shark attack on beach tourists creates a furor on the island with the Police Chief at the helm of things.

High-points of the Film :

• First attack by the Shark , Police Chiefs hunch on the same.
• Heated Altercation between the Mayor and the Chief along with the Nat Geo expert.
• Hiring of the sailor to kill the deadly beast.
• The Journey to the heart of the ocean in the boat ORCA.
• Climax is spine-chilling and horrific-in-your-face stuff.

Spielberg proves it yet again ...

JAWS ... ranks amongst the best thriller/horror flicks...

Rating : 4.5/5.0

Aamir : by Rajkumar Gupta

There are certain films which have made a significant impact on celluloid in past few years ....

AAMIR ..

is simply extra-ordinaire ... !!!

The film is about a simple man by the name of Aamir , a professional who has just returned from UK and landed in Mumbai City.

As soon as he steps into the city of dreams , his nightmare begins!!!

The film delves into the living environ of the Muslims in a country of diversity such as India , not giving enough to this minority post-independence.

The protagonist Aamir played by Rajeev Khandelwaal ( a la ' Telly Actor 'Kahin To Hoga') is caught in this maze of events where he is helpless to come out of it.

Rajeev will give a lot of film-fraternity-young- kids -on- the- block-run-for-their-money-many-many-years-to-come ... EXCEPTIONAL TALENT!!

Eye-Openers :

• Sequences post-landing of Aamir at the Mumbai Airport.
• Shabby , Dismal , Dingy Locales of Muslim Inhabited Areas.
• Turn - of - Events in the second half.
• Climax is simply mouth- gaping - what - happens- next - mode.

Thumps Up to the first-timer Rajkumar for this superlative effort ..

RATING : 4.0/5.0

Sarkar Raj : by Ram Gopal Varma

Sarkar ... was a film made with a lot of conviction , one of the few gems by Ramu , actually in a director's hat.

Sarkar Raj was high on expectations , set 2 years where the prequel is left off.


------- Bottom Line ------
------NO NOVELTY--------


The Bacchhan Trio , excel for sure , in particular Big B n Aby Baby are out of the ordinary..... These two actors say a thousand words through their eyes.

Aishwarya playing an entrepreneur is not very convincing for my liking ... anybody could have done what she has portrayed.

+VES :

1. Bacchhans are top-notch
2. Background Score is riveting
3. Technically Ramu is slick as ever

-VES:

• Old Wine in the same bottle
• Predictable ( for me at least , people may find it intriguing!!!!)
• Supporting Cast is intolerable!!

Sarkar Raj is all about deceit , dirty politics , self - propangadization , and gang-war ... seen it umpteen times ...
Rating : 2.5/5.0

Apocalypse Now : by Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford Coppola , the renowned director of the acclaimed classic , 'The Godfather' , gives us an insight into the human psyche in a world at war in VIETNAM!!!

Apocalypse Now ... is about a US Army Captain sent on a mission to terminate a fellow Colonel in the Cambodian Jungles , where he is supposed to have lost his mind and has gone insane.

Colonel Kurtz played by the great Marlon Brando , is a spine-chilling , whacko portrayal of a god-saviour for the people of Cambodia , where he goes on a rampage of killing Vietcongs at will.

This film is a journey of a man in pursuit of answers to the Human Mind Working at the time of distressing war . Captain Willard , who is on this voyage is played by Martin Sheen.

Narration of Martin Sheen , makes the movie engrossing in some parts , though it meanders along , causing the audience to lose their patience at some point!!!

Verdict :

I expected a lot from Coppola as per his prior imprints... this one is below below par ...

Rating : 3.0/5.0

Cloverfield : by Matt Reeves

Cloverfield ... in my view is a path-breaking film in terms of the way it has been conceived and shot!

It's a film presented as a video-cam footage shot by a group of young people prior to the crisis ---- A Gigantic Monster in down-town Manhattan!

The movie starts with footage of a young couple having a gala time dating at an island , with the focus in the CAM shooting various events in the lives of these young group of people.

Captured Moments in the Video Cam:

1. Farewell Party for Rob accepting a job in Japan.
2. Coney Island Date
3. Initiation of the Catastrophic Earthquake
4. Subsequent Devastation by the Monster
5. Escapism of the main protagonists all around the city of New York.

Caution : People may feel nauseating and a temporary loss of balance. Audience members prone to migraines , the film may act as a trigger.....


The Shaky Camera Filming is unique yet an edge-of-the-seat experience to say the least! ----

Dunt Miss This One...

Rating : 4.0/5.0

U Me aur Hum : by Ajay Devgan

Ajay Devgan has been a prolific actor over the years and he teams with his wife Kajol to bring forth a canvas full of love , emotions and deep bonding!

It is a story about Ajay and Pia who meet over a cruise where Pia is a bar-waitress and Ajay , a charmer to the core....

He tries to woo Pia , and the movie has a lot of romantic moments you can identify with in the first half .

The latter half of the film is a revelation , not seen before performances and the actors prove their prowess .

"The turn of events when Kajol is diagnosed with Alzheimer makes you CRY for more... the bonding between the couple is brought to the fore!!! .... It is very high on EQ and the handkerchiefs will come out in numbers for sure!!!"

Best Scene of the Movie : When Ajay rushes back to the asylum to bring back Kajol

U ME AUR HUM ... is an extra-ordinary effort by a sensitive actor and has proven himself yet again this time in the director's hat.

Rating : 3.5/5.0

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

Krazzy 4 : by Jaideep Sen

PEOPLE , 

This is a warning to all movie lovers Krazzy as you maybe .....

Attempt to even enter a
theater playing this flick is hazardous to your health,wealth and general well-being.


Rating : GIVE ME A BREAK !!!!!!

Fargo : by Coen Brothers

Coen Brothers are known for their dark tales suitably tagged as neo-noir ... Fargo is one such black comedy!

It is about a car sales executive who is in severe debt and in urgent need of cash.

One fine day , in a snowy Minnesota winters , he hires 2 goons to plot kidnapping of his own wife , to rig a huge sum of ransom from his wealthy father-in-law.

The story takes a turn of events when the kidnapping goes gory and police gets involved giving the sales executive a pretty hard time .

The case is in the hands of a pregnant woman police officer played by Frances McDormand (wife of Joel Coen , the director of the film) who has done a commendable job , with funny anecdotes and small nuances , making it fun crime drama!!!

The end is predictable which makes the movie an anti-climax... nevertheless good Oscar winning film!!

Rating : 3.0/5.0

V for Vendetta : by James McTeigue

V for Vendetta is a classy film bringing forth the governments' fictitious under-hand dealings leading to mass-killings due to human-experimentation's in a country plagued with problems ...

Wachowski brothers (Matrix Trilogy Fame) have adapted the screenplay for this film based on a comic-caper written by Alan Moore and David Lloyd and it is Superlative!!!!

V played by Hugo Weaving threatens the government of the country to blow up the parliament on November 5th. The Chancellor takes immediate action and two officers are hot on his trail.

In the meantime , Eve played by Natalie Portman , is taken a hostage by V in an attempt to protect her.

The story moves along with jack-out-of-the-box approach , V unveiling his mask in every scene , uncovering his plans in every reel.

The second portion of the film surprises the audience when suddenly Eve finds herself captured n tortured in a prison cell , the events thereafter are intriguing.

Hugh Weaving(Agent Smith , Matrix Fame) done a good job with his voice doing all the work and Portman excels in some portions.

Worth Noting Dialogue :

"Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant and vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition! The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V " -------- (V's introduction)


Nice Watch....

Rating : 4.0/5.0

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest : by Miloš Forman

Can an actor carry a film entirely on his shoulders to make us revere him????


Jack Nicholson is the man to do this no mean feat!!!!!

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is deemed as a masterpiece in many ways and I am in full agreement.

Randle McMurphy (Jack) plays a deranged criminal who is charged of crimes which are unpardonable.He is transferred to a mental institution for his apparent mad-behaviour. Mc-Murphy wishes to spend his rest of the sentence in comfort and he takes this sacrifice along.

The inmates there in the hospital are a bunch of frenetics and the set of actors so chosen have performed magnificently. The story moves along with the McMurphy forming deep camaraderie with the patients.

The tyrant Nurse Ratchet played by Louise Fletcher was the doppelganger of Jack Nicholson's character and the friction between them made the film tangy and zippy!!!!

Key Moments :

• McMurphy breaking the ward glass window to fetch the cigarette packs.
• Argument on watching the World Series on Television.
• The End Reels makes me sentient.

First Film to win all 5 Major Oscars .....

Best Fim , Director , Actor , Actress , Screenplay.

Do I need to say more??!?!?

Rating : 5.0/5.0

Snatch : by Guy Ritchie

Snatch is the follow up to the movie Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels ... and ...

Guy Ritchie disappoints me big time with repetitive drama and heist plot.

The Oasis in the Desert .. is

Mickey O'Neill played by Brad Pitt is the surprise package , the guy can act ... with a terrific Irish Accent.

Rating : 2.0/5.0

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels : by Guy Ritchie

Guy Ritchie is considered to be an innovative man behind the camera and he proves it with Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

The premise of the film revolves around 4 separate gangs working at tandem for a Stock of Money and an antique pair of Gun Barrels worth a fortune.

4 guys decide to pull of a coup on a gangster in a card game and pool in a huge sum to allow Eddie , the gambler of the group beat Hatchet at his own game.

The quartet find themselves in a soup when Eddie loses and they are in debt.

Meanwhile there is a race to get hold of two antique barrels, and this maze of gang-war and heist stories puts the cinegoer in splits.

The theatrics in the movie are simply outrageous , a typical comedy-of-errors , hilarity at its best!!

Best Moment of the Film : The Penultimate Scene ( last 15 minutes of the film are awesome!!)

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

Race : by Abbas Mustan

RACE .... Abbas - Mustan have got it right this time ...

The film is a typical edge-of-the-seat thriller... making the cinegoer gasp for more ...

Saif and Akshaye play step-brothers , owners of a Ranch and dealing in the big time moolah!!

The girls in the film Bipasha and Katrina have a performance packed roles ... Bipasha playing the love interest of Akshaye and Katrina , Saif's silent admirer...

Sudden turn of events , puts the life of the 2 brothers in jeopardy , and hence unfolds the web of DECEIT & SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST!!!!

The music of the film is racy and gels with the movie superbly , Pritam does it again after Jab We Met!! , songs worth mentioning is the title track and the Atif Aslam song which is melodic to the ears.

The Post-Interval Events with the intro of Anil Kapoor ( the cop) and his sidekick Sameera Reddy spice up the storyline to the next level....

Noteworthy Performances : Akshaye Khanna is superlative , Saif a close second!

Any Glitches!?!!? ----- Too Many Twists Spoils the Plot Somehow

SUPER SLICK , SMART , SEXY THRILLER ....... GET SET GO!

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Ek Chalis Ki Last Local : by Sanjay M. Khanduri

Ek Chalis ki Last Local ... is a a genre chartered many times and is termed as a "black comedy" a la' "Jaane bhi do Yaaron"

It is a story of a roller-coaster night of 2.5 hrs , where the life of a call-center exexcutive is turned upside down!

Abhay Deol has come a long way since his debut in Socha Na Tha .. and he has improved in leaps and bounds...

The movie starts at a train platform , Abhay misses his last local train and is stranded , biding time to reach his destination or wait for the morning train.

As the film unfolds, the call center executive encounters plethora of people ranging from a prostitute to road side goons to card-gamblers.

The Card-Game sequence is well-executed , capturing the excitement to the maximum.

Post-Interval the film , becomes a tad boring with a few stories webbed together...

Culmination of the film is reminicent of the hollywood flick Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels which I just saw a few dayz back.... nice attempt by the new director!

Performances : Kudos to Abhay! and the bar girl singing the Kukudu Song is gut-busting!!!

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Hotel Rwanda : by Terry George

Hotel Rwanda is yet another movie which highlights the dark hours of an African Nation.

The movie is based on true to life events of mass killings which occured in Rwanda in 1994 , where milllions died due to hatred amongst two sections of the African Tribals ....... Hutus and Tutsi!!

The film is about a Hotel Manager taking upon himself to shelter the helpless Tutsi people who are the primary targets in this bloodshed.

Hotel Rwanda is a very realistic film giving insight into the state of an African Nation ( a la' Last King of Scotland ) ... the ghastly act of killings has been depicted in a very never seen before mode!! ... may cause the cinegoer to switch the film off ... ( not for the faint- hearted)

The manner in which , beating the odds , Paul Rusesabagina , saves many tutsi lives in a crisis civil war scenario makes me stand up and applaud the man .

The performances are exemplary in particular Don Cheadle playing Paul Rusesabagina .

These true life events pictured in the movie gives us hope that there is SPACE FOR EVERYONE IN THIS WORLD...

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