Paan Singh Tomar : by Tigmanshu Dhulia

Paan Singh Tomar .. A biopic on the life of seven time national steeplechase champion.

Paan Singh represented India at a national level and at the Asian Games, Tokyo.

No one but Irffan Khan could play a character of such courage , principles and conduct.

The film starts with a news reporter seeking an interview from the most feared dacoit of Chambal.

As the story unfolds in a flashback , we are given peek into the life of an army man who had only one objective to have a full diet. He picks up athletics as a means for a healthy diet & in turn excels in 3000 m steeplechase.

He wins gold medal at the national event 7 times in a row but fails to perform at Tokyo as he is not able to adjust to the new footwear in time.

Irffan is absolutely deep into the skin of Paan Singh , right from his dialect to his demeanour. Circumstances force Paan Singh to settle a feud at his village and take law in his hands.

Technically , the screenplay is taut and the seriousness of the storyline is laced with witty humour.

The scenes between Paan Singh and his wife played by Mahie Gill are sweet and romantic bringing the humour side of the feared dacoit.

Paan Singh without Irrfan would not have been a film so admirable. Mr Dhulia , the director is slowly and steadily getting his due with his filmography boasting of Haasil , Sahib , Bibi aur Gangster too.

Irffan as an actor in my viewpoint is virtuoso! Period.

”Beehad mein to baaghi rehte hain, Parliament mein daaku.”


Rating : 4.0/5.0

The Dirty Picture : by Milan Luthria

The Dirty Picture .. ever since the trailer hit the marquee .. eyeballs started rolling!

       Vidya of all the actresses has pushed the envelope , removing the veil.

       

Unabashed , Luscious , Dauntless , 'Silk'

Words , Sharp , Wit , Ungenerous , 'Emraan'

Lewd , Cocky , Narcissistic , Superstar , 'Naseer'

Loser , Writer , Timid , Weak-Kneed , 'Tushhar'

 Titilating , Hooking screenplay

Parody of the 80's

Saucy dialogues par excellence

'Filmein sirf teen cheezon ke wajah se chalti hain, entertainment, entertainment, entertainment..aur main entertainment hoon' 

Balan , buxom (hero)ine is back and how!  With gusto!

Ooh la la ..  Surrender to her talent!

Rating : 3.5/5.0

127 Hours : by Danny Boyle

Danny Boyle gave us the Oscar winning 'Slumdog' and all Indians were mirror-struck  seeing our reflection through the film.

127  Hours is another feather in his cap , a gritty biographical story about the real life adventurer  'Aron Ralston'.

This film is an adaption of the autobiography of Ralston himself.

Starring 'James Franco' as Aron is a biking fanatic and his passion is to cover the Utah terrain on his bike.

One fine day , he embarks on one such adventure , with all geared up accessories except his swiss knife ..

In the process he meets two girl hikers who have lost their way .. Aron makes their path far more interesting and fun , with crazy jumps into the underground canyon pools!

On resuming his trip , Aron climbs down one of the cliffs with boulders between the rocks. One of them is loose , and he falls down with the boulder trapping his arm in between the canyon walls.

127 Hours .... of

"toil , grit , suffering , pain , sorrow , joy , helplessness , resentment , strife , struggle , determination , hope"

James Franco is the next big thing to Hollywood & an extremely talented actor .. he will take the legacy of the Hanks and the De Niro's forward for sure.

An Overwhelming Tale of Courage , Spellbinding Cinematography , Haunting Music by Rahman , Franco is Mesmerizing , Boyle's Unique Film-Making.

Simply enough reasons to catch it !!!!!  70 minutes of true indomitable spirit.

Rating : 4.0/5.0

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

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

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

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

Jodha Akbar : by Ashutosh Gowarikar

Jodha Akbar ... had many expectations from this historical drama coming straight out of Lagaan and Swades directorial den...

I am honestly very very disappointed .. The film has proven to be Discovery Channel Documentary to say the least .. it has zero entertainment value with the length of the movie bugging the cine goer to the hilt!

The music was nothing to cheer about , the performances were ok types with only Aishwarya stamping her prowess , Hrithik seemed lost in the crowd !!

The saving grace were the war scenes and the penultimate fight reminiscent of TROY!

The Legacy of Lagaan ... may not be repeated for many years to come ... pull up your socks Mr Gowarikar !!

Rating : 3.5/5.0

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

Gandhi , my father : by Feroz Abbas Khan

Harilal Gandhi , son of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , tried his level best to shy away from the pain of being a Gandhi !!

Gandhi , the father of the nation quotes 'Two people I could not convince my entire life , one was Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the other was my own son Harilal....'

Feroz Abbas , a debutant director from the field of theater , has moulded his own theatrical drama Mahatma VS Gandhi to a nicely woven screenplay which gives a different perspective to the 1947 independence struggle!

The film start to end, stays focused on the struggle of the son to come to terms with the ideals of his father .The obsession and the conviction of Bapu to fight for independence at the cost of family does not go down well with Harilal.

Akshay Khanna , looked jaded in parts of the film , but some of the sequences were executed with absolute finesse .Darshan Jariwala as Gandhi looks convincing with able support from characters like Kasturba(Shefali Chhaya) and Gulabo (Bhoomika).

Special Mention : The interweaving of characters in the actual footage of black n white filmography proves that Indian cinema has grown in leaps and bounds...

Watch it for the sheer pleasure of getting insight into the lives of Gandhi Parivaar!!

Rating : 3.5/5.0

The Namesake : by Mira Nair

The Namesake depicts the life of a typical middle class Bengali Family caught in a cross-cultural maze on the other side of the world.

Irfan Khan excels as an eccentric father obsessed with a famous Russian author named Gogol. Irfan's counterpart played by Tabu complements the actor superbly with a sweet , non-melodramatic performance.

The journey of the family starts with the couple acclimatizing to the unexplored milieu. Addition to the family with a son and daughter adds to the flavour. Americanization of the children has been dealt with aplomb and depicted in subtle manner.

Naming of the son "Gogol" lends the backdrop of the film and how the son copes with consequences of the same. Kal Penn , who plays "Gogol" is pretty good and allows the parent-son relationship a kick.

Some of the highlights would be :

1. Gogol introducing his phirang girlfriend to his parents

2. Taj Mahal visit of the family

3. Emotional Climax

Mira Nair may have done full justice to Jhumpa Lahiris book ( though I have not read it :) ) .

Coming from the director of Monsoon Wedding , the movie is a must-watch .

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Guru : by Mani Ratnam

Mani Ratnam has proved time and again that he is the best we have in the country today.

Guru marks the resurrection of Abhishek Bachchan. He has pulled a rabbit out of the bag with fleeting glimpses of his dad. To his credit , he comes out trumps in carrying the entire movie on his shoulders.

Aishwarya Rai excels in parts , though the chemistry between the couple is electrifying.

Announcement of their off screen engagement did put the cat among the pigeons.

A.R. Rahman has time and again proven that he is the master of his art.Melody comes naturaly to him and his tracks grow on you with time.

Support from Mithun Da , Madhavan and Vidya Balan creates a superlative milieu for a cracling web of relationships.

I was a little disappointed with the climax.It was built up very well till the culmination which left a lot to be desired.

Anyhow , a fine attempt by Mani to go into life of a Corporate Giant like Dhirubhai and do justice to it.

Verdict: Abhishek is here to stay!!

Rating : 4.0/5.0