Invictus – Emotionally Draining

A well made sports drama will always evolve high emotions, even when its predictable you always watch it with the same intensity and when you reach the climax the adrenaline is always pumping.

Sports can inspire and can mend fences. This is what Invictus is about, a true story set against the newly Apartheid free South Africa, where the first time the blacks are allowed to vote and they elect Nelson Mandela(Morgan Freeman) as President.
But we soon witness the divide in a racially motivated society. A dream of creating a united Africa, Nelson Mandela or Madiba as he is fondly called finds the much hated Springboks as his way into creating a country of unison.
 The Springboks as the South African Rugby Team is called are disliked by the majority. Madiba finds a the upcoming Rubgy World Cup in South Africa as his chance of uniting the country. He rallies behind the captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) to win this for this country. He asks the playesr to take part in PR Campaign to teach Rubgy to the black population. He hopes that winning this cup could create a new Africa.

What follows in a well executed movie from Clint Eastwood with a mind numbing performance by Morgan Freeman as the enamoured Nelson Mandela. The story plays well on screen with the viewer hooked from the very first scene and it grips you till the end. We get moved by the strong emotions we see on screen. Matt Damon makes his mark as the captain of the Rugby unit. The interaction between the President and Francois are one to watch out for
.For obvious reasons the final 20 minutes of the movie are the best. The dialogues and persona of Madiba is put out brilliantly. We see the man behind the struggle as a simple man estranged from his wife giving his life for his country. He inspires the nation and when he comes out in a Springbok uniform onto Ellis Stadium, you can’t stop but get choked up.

Clint Eastwood has given us some memorable movies and Invictus will be there with the rest. Morgan Freeman truly steals the show with his amazing performance he sweats and bleeds Mandela and creates the character his very own. His restraint in adversity and satisfaction at victory at bringing the nation together is displayed very well on screen.

A complete top class effort in my book

The Karate Kid- A welcome tribute

The trick to making a successful remake is to only borrow the plot and create your own interpretation of it.  The Karate Kid is a cult classic and remaking it again was a true challenge. The good news is the remake retains the spirit of the old movie while creating a fresh space for itself.

After the death of his father Dre Parker moves to China at his mothers new job. Finding himself alone in an alienated country he quickly finds himself on the wrong side of Cheng, a local bully. While befriending a girl at his school, he somehow ends up having to compete in a local Kung Fu tournament and enters Han(Jackie Chan) as a subdued but master Kung Fu who trains Shao Dre. The films keep abreast of the original while giving its own inspirational moments. We get to see the natural beauty of China. What follows is a story of an underdog triumphing over his adversary and winning their respect. The movie has some truly inspirational moments and provides for a fun experience as we get engrossed in the story.

The setting in China turns out to be a master piece as its amplifies the fear of Dre. Jackie Chan is good as the quiet yet hard teacher to Dre. Jaden Smith in his first lead role displays perfect emotions as the excited and then alienated young boy. His transformation is immensely well portrayed on screen.

One of the best moments in the movie is when he witnessing a Kung Fu master controlling a snake and how it ends up being the highlight of the movie. There are few funny moments in the movie and they balance the tension that follows the protagonist.

It’s a great tribute to the old Karate Kid while that movie has a niche of itself¸the new Karate Kid is here to stay

Mulholland Drive- Dud

Incoherent is the word I would use for this David Lynch classic. Though ravely reviewed, I would not be arrogant to being called intellectually disabled if I was unable to find the subtle messages in this movie.

A beautiful women falls into an accident on Mulholland Drive, while hiding in a house she meets Betty a young girl from Canada hoping to make it big in Los Angeles. What follows is a combination of scripted and confusing scenes, where characters move in and out sometimes without reason. If a movie cannot find its true meaning its falls into pieces, similar is the fate of this movie.

Many critics found this movie alluring, I for one found nothing less than garbage, finding such a small yet unimportant movie did nothing for my intellectual capability. Till then end I was left in a daze as to what each scene meant and why did I have to go through such torture or had to torment myself to such a movie.

Avoid Mulholland Drive unless you want your head spinning out of control. If anyone could make sense of this movie I would love to have a chat.

Midnight In Paris- Paris, You beauty

Another of Woody Allen’s effort set in the city of love is a magical fantasy that takes us into a world of art literature and beyond to give us a deeper understanding at romance and companionship.

Gil, a Hollywood writer wants to do something meaningful with his ability and decides to write a book. When his fiance’s parents are going to France, they tag along where he hopes to find inspiration for his inner literary spirit. His fiancé Inez who loves living the good life and fails to appreciate the beauty and charm of Paris while deeply impressed with her friend Paul who seems to know it all. While Gil tries his best to find romance in this city, Inez is ignorant of him and he wanders off alone into the streets of Paris finding adventure every midnight when he’s transported into the 1920’s the Golden Age of France. He meets his idols and finds new path to his inner self, also finding immediate discontent in his relationship with Inez.

What follows is a pretty little story of love set in the most beautifully presented city with its night lights and walks in the rain.

Rachel Mcadams has done well as a self absorbed partner to Gil(Owen Wilson) whose charms turn up and his excitement when finding his dreams coming true. Also not lost is Carla Bruni who has a small but immensely effective character.

Woody Allen again shows why he is a director of repute and why Paris is his vice. The city provides beauty to these characters while they traverse it in different times.

A pretty story in a well set location provides for a feel good movie that makes you wanting more.

The Descendants- Visually Satisfying

An arcane story about a land baron trying to reconnect with his daughters when his wife befalls an accident. The Descendants provide for a well crafted and acted movie which gives the cinema goers a path to self discovery . We see different human emotions under new circumstances which hit them like a storm.

George Clooney has again given a mesmerizing performance as the protagonist dealing with his distant daughters while trying to cope with his wife’s accident. Both the daughters play their part perfectly and provide for much needed breath of fresh air. The setting of the movie in Hawaii provides a paradox that even in a place so beautiful, the people might have imperfect lives. On the back of this accident Matt King(Clooney) is on the verge of selling his prime land along with his cousins.

Alexander Payne uses the islands well and executes a good script with panache. A short yet well made movie, it certainly has its highs and lows but it never lets you go until the very end.

Kahaani: Expect the Unexpected

Within the first few minutes into Kahaani you would form opinions about the plots, let me first assure you, you didn’t get it right, this suspense thriller from Sujoy Ghosh is an achievement in Hindi cinema for various reasons, but the primary reason is the story. Though not original and borrowing sentiments from various Hollywood flicks, the script of Kahaani is fresh in its existence, which is one of the many USP’s of the movie.

A pregnant woman in search of her husband in the City of Joy with nothing but a name. As wild as this sounds, the movie is wilder. It surprises you at every moment and I applaud those who could figure out the plot because I couldn’t which is an achievement in itself on part of the movie. If Vidya Balan was the protagonist, then Kolkata was the second lead. The city is a character in itself and it highlights the tension within the movie. Within the run of the mill Bollywood lies these gems of cinema which are seldom show to us. I hope such movies are made more often and executed with such prowess.

The characters in the movie are brilliantly etched out and Rana(Parambrata Chatterjee) the helpful cop and power wielding Officer Khan(Nawazuddin Siddiqui) are played to perfection. Another character played with exuberance was Bob(Saswata Chatterjee). Vidya Balan is a man in a woman’s world, creating a niche for herself, she is doing what no actress has done and most hope to achieve. Her performance again is perfect, having come a long way from Parineeta. In her we have found a gem of an actress who strays away from the crowd to create her own brand of cinema.

Kolkata, what is to be said about it. It is used amazingly by director Sujoy Ghosh.from whom so much was expected after Jhankaar Beats but after missing the spot a few times, he hits the nail on the head. His screenplay and narration provides the depth to the movie. Along with him the score is another high point of the movie.

In conclusion, if you are the intellectual movie watcher who watches cinema for the pleasure of a good story, watch Kahaani and expect the unexpected

Paan Singh Tomar : Well crafted

“Dacoits are found in Parliament, Only rebels are found in Bihar”

-Paan Singh Tomar

An athlete by choice, a dacoit by compulsion, this is the story of Paan Singh Tomar. From the moment Irrfan comes onto the screen you cannot turn yourself away from this cinematic experience. A brilliantly executed story of an outspoken man who just wanted to fight for his country,  pushed into fighting for his honour.

Living in Morena and proud of his dacoit lineage¸ he tries to find his place in the army, but somehow his desires remain unfulfilled and when it comes to defending his family’s honour, the man becomes a feared dacoit who takes every precaution possible.

The movie shows prevalent issues like land acquisitions, apathy of police structure and a total mistrust in the government. During the second half of the movie, so compelling is Irrfan’s performance that we completely forget him as an athlete and accept him as a dacoit. He bites into this meaty roles and perfects everything from dialect to expression.

The dialogues are crisp and make the movie worth a view. Using the backdrop of dry arid Madhya Pradesh and creating a rural India with characters which were a perfect fit. So you remember even smaller roles by some unknown actors. The interaction between Paan Singh and his wife is probably my only complaint about the movie. Though we see the passion but as we move forward we tend to not miss it.

It gives us a look into how deeply forgetful we are of our sportsmen and how little respect they get from this country. How most people who give their life for this country are forgotten or remembered only because of their apathy. It is a well crafted, well produced piece of cinema that can find its place among the best. It cements Irrfan as one of the finest actors of this generation.

The end of the movie is most beautifully played out and it provides with a satisfying end to what could be one of the best movies of this year.

The Adventures of Tintin:Tasty but unsatisfying

When at the end of the movie Tintin asks Captain Haddock "How's your thirst for treasure", the captain replies "unquenchable".
This adventure brings us everything from a thousand thundering typhoons to great snakes, a well crafted, well acted edition of the Tintin franchise seemed like a perfect holiday movie.

A genius in himself took on the mighty task of bringing the beloved reporter to the silver screen Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson have been somewhat successful in reminding us of our childhood and the immense appeal of Tintin. With the new motion capture technology art and science are in perfect harmony and balance on display. 
When Tintin buys the model of the Unicorn little does he know about the trouble that will befall him but with a story in sight he gets involved deeper into the Secret of the Unicorn with Captain Haddock beside him and Sakharine behind. Combined with chases across continents and thrills clearly mimicking Herge's vision the movie is perfectly crafted.

Jamie Bell is a good cast for Tintin but he would have been pointless if not for the theatrics of Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock and his white terrier Snowy. They infuse life and fun into this movie and make as laugh at the most unexpected moments. A small mention needs to be given to Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as the Interpol detectives Thomson & Thompson with a "p". They played off each other brilliantly just reaffirming their sparkling chemistry. 
But even with such a movie it somehow made me wanting more when it was over I could only wish that maybe there was a bit more though praises need to be given for adherence to the comics I hope the next Tintin would satisfy my appetite as a fan. Till the next great adventure!!

Rockstar: A flawed perfection

When i entered to watch Rockstar this morning I had gone to expect a run-of the mill movie where the star carrying the image of an angry brutish man giving into sex, drugs and girls creating his whole world around him and losing his life to it. 
What I got in Rockstar was the story of a simpleton looking to follow his dreams becoming the next Jim Morrison. 
The movie starts of with a bang introducing us to the violent Jordan what follows is his journey to that stage. 
Imtiaz Ali a smart and slick filmmaker whose movies are always high on entertainment lacked the story to match the proficiency of Ranbir Kapoor. 
A gifted actor coming from a lineage of cinema showed his full array of talent in this movie most certainly his most fine performance after Wake up Sid. Ranbir bites into the character of JJ/Jordan with splendid ease and comfort. Some of the finest moments are when he's regretting how he has never faced a tragedy as he learns that true artist come from a place of PAIN. But that is what we get to see JJ go through once he decides that he needs to get his heartbroken to become a true star. 
Enters Narghis Fakhri with a sparkling screen presence but with a equally low acting prowess she forms the perfect opposite for Ranbir. 
As we learn through a series of meetings how both of these neurotic crazy people go from softcore porn, to desi daru and so on and how through their escapades they are more attracted to each other and when she asks him to hug her in the attic we really are left to wonder what next. 
What next is we see the birth of Jordan from being thrown out of his house his frustration clearly climbing with confronting his bhabhi of touching him inappropriately or living in a dargah touching roots with his music to getting spotted but Ustaad Jameel Khan(Shammi Kapoor). To his arrest, his anger,his anguish of never being able to see Heer again. We see it in his eyes, in his total disregard for his producer. But we do see another part of Jordan when he refuses to sleep with the reporter who practically throws herself at him.

This pain that Jordan goes through translates into his music flowing from his soul. Rockstar would be incomplete without the mention of A.R Rahman creating an album of heart and soul of class and poignancy. Without his music and the voice of Mohit Chauhan Rockstar is a loose thread. The beautiful locations and everything else is overshadowed by one Mr. Kapoor who bring the Rockstar alive in our hearts. All in all Rockstar is a hidden blockbuster losing its sensibilities in a stretched out climax and a slow middle, fluent editing and a shorter movie would have made this a classic. But bow down because in Ranbir a true Rockstar is born.