AT A GLANCE
1.In Time – 2.5/5 low budget sci fic backed by an unusual theme (watch it , forget it…)
2.The Rum Diary- 2/5 Avoidable
3.The Help- 3.5/5
4.The Three(+1) musketeers – 3/5 for this nice adventure trip
5.War Horse- 4/5 for Joey and Devon.
6.Man on a Ledge – 2/5 for this nonthrilling thriller
7.Hugo – 4/5 for Hugo and his automaton
8.Contraband – 2.5/5 (avoidable, watchable if you dont get bored seeing this genre)
9.Extremely loud and incredibly close- 4/5 for Oscar and his key.
10.Keshu(malaylam)- 3/5 for Naughty Keshu
11.Midnight in Paris – 3.5/5 for Gil Pender and Hemingway
12.Once uppon a time in Anatolia(Turkish) – 3.5/5 for my first Turkish film
13.Safe House – 1.5/5 for this really ‘Un’Safehouse.
14.Arabiyum Ottakavum pinne Madhavan Nairum – 3.5/5 for Ottakam and Madhavan Nair.
15.The Vow – 2.5/5 for The Vow that does not make you say “wow”
16.Bridesmaids- 3.5/5 for this maid of honor.
1.In Time
Set in the future, In Time is a sci fic thriller where people live only upto 25 years and given a count down of 1 yr after that with which they have to live….people use time , as a monetary unit… like 5 hrs for coffee , 2wks for hotel room, earn time for the work they do …and towns are divided based on the remaining time they have left ..which is shown on their arm in a digital clock format, yes ofcourse they can share time….crazy idea right? Nothing exceptional from the cast , ordinary job from all , Justin Timberlake plays the lead.
2.5/5 low budget sci fic backed by an unusual theme (watch it , forget it…)
2.The Rum Diary
2/5
3.The Help
3.5/5
4.The Three(+1) musketeers
An adventure film , filmy adaptation of the novel by Alexander Dumas tells the story of an young mans journey to join musketeers. Though there are considerable changes in some characters,the plot is similar to the novel.It was released in 3D(I watched a 2D version) , if you enjoy adventure films where always good prevail over evil,this is a fun watch.Apart from the fun and entertainment the film is a complete mess , special effects look terribly awkward , performances match a Television series.The film had all the potential to be a blockbuster if it was packaged well with a better script.But as a whole you will not feel disappointed seeing this.
⅗ for this nice adventure trip
A goof-Type: Factual Mistake
King Louis XIII is shown playing a game of chess with Cardinal Richelieu , during the game when the king of Louis XIII was in check , Cardinal advices him to castle (a move in chess between king and rook) , but this move cannot be made when the king is in check.
I checked IMDb regarding this…but it was not mentioned , so I added this as a suggestion in IMDb..hope it will be added in 10 days as per their mail.
5.War Horse
Directed by Steven Speilberg , film tells the story of the journey and hardships suffered by Devon , an young man from England and a horse Joey,that he raised . During World War 1, both get into war front and travel different paths of hardship to finally unite after war. With no overdose of emotions , this movie is about relations that Joey shares with several masters he encounters in his journey,from a girl in a village to a Major in army he wins respect and love.A well made movie with some good performances from the cast , this will surely touch your heart.I cannot end saying about this movie without mentioning the background score, it was just amazing.Nominated in six different categories in the Academy awards , including best picture , War Horse is a movie that you should not miss.
⅘ for Joey and Devon.
6.Man on a Ledge
A thriller starring Sam Worthington, where he plays the role of a cop wrongly sentenced for robbery of diamond.He then embarks on an unusual plan to trap all those involved in accusing him of this.Its not an edge of seat thriller, a plot seen thousand times , only difference is it is set in the 25th floor ledge.An ordinary performance of the lead cast with some boring negotiation sequences , this movie is only for acrophobics who will get enough exposure to get their phobia treated by increasing exposure.
⅖ for this nonthrilling thriller.
7.Hugo
“Once upon a time , I met a boy named Hugo Cabret …he lived in a train station…why did he live in a train station? you might well ask…thats really this film is going to be about…..”
This quote from the movie sums up the what this film is about, a nice film with some extraordinary performances from the cast especially the boy who played Hugo..Asa Butterfield and Ben Kingsley is easily one of the best films of 2011, is it “the” best? Fighting with Descendants ,Artist,Help…it may lose out but it is a film not to be missed.The art direction in the movie needs special mention , recreating a whole station in Paris Gare Montparnasse is an absolute spectacle . Nominated in 11 different categories in Academy awards including best picture , but my bet is on art direction.
⅘ for Hugo and his automaton
8.Contraband
Yet another “all is well at the end” heist movie starring Walhberg
2.5/5 (avoidable, watchable if you dont get bored seeing this genre)
9.Extremely loud and incredibly close
“if things were easy to find, they wouldn’t be worth finding”
A quote from the movie….same thing with movies , if making a good movie is easy then its not worth making, making a good movie is always tough and requires great work,such a piece of work is this movie . This movie is about a boy’s mind which tries to cop up with the unexpected death of his father in 9/11 disaster. Directed by Stephen Daldry this movie is an novel adaptation of the same name.Thomas Horn who played Oscar the boy needs special mention , he is the heart of this film , he was brilliant in every frame. Nominated in 2 categories for the academy awards including Best picture , I am little disappointed about the fact that academy did not notice this kid’s performance.
⅘ for Oscar and his key.
10.Keshu
http://www.youtube.com/movie?v=d3jAiTQrkC8
(legitimate full movie in youtube )
Story of a deaf and dumb child failing to realize the joy of life , gets back to life with the help of a teacher who comes to stay at his home.Awarded with national and state best children’s picture for the year 2009 , there is nothing exceptional in this film’s making other than the simplicity of the plot and story telling afterall that is what we want from a movie for children.
⅗ for Naughty Keshu …
11.Midnight in Paris
Even though I am not a big fan of Woody Allen what compelled me to watch this movie is the Best Picture nomination in Academy awards. But unlike most Woody Allen movies I have seen , this one has life in it , some meaningful thought behind the script and screenplay. Starring Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams , this film is about the rediscovery of oneself . Owen Wilson was good , its a tailor made role for him , he was at ease all the way , and the other actors also diid their part well.What impressed me is the narrative style , though nominated in 4 different categories including Best picture …my bet is on screenplay….
3.5/5 for Gil Pender and Hemingway
12.Once uppon a time in Anatolia
Language: Turkish
Genre : Crime Drama
Film is about a team consisting of Prosecutor,Doctor,Commissioner and 7 others and their journey to uncover the murder of a man in the rural areas of Turkey called Anatolia. Film starts with the hunt by this team to find the burial place of the dead man with the help of two suspects.
Each and every minute detail is taken care by the director which makes the movie lengthy and you get the feeling that the subject can very well fit in a short film , but director uses his skill and liberty of feature film to portray each character to depths unimaginable , with each step of solving the murder we get to know each character more precisely .Even after the movie , it will throw us several questions…which the director cunningly left to us to decide and interpret.
This film was Turkey’s official entry to Academy awards , but failed to make it to the final 5. The movie won Grand Prix award for Best picture in Cannes along with awards for screenplay and best film in Asia Pacific Screen awards.
3.5/5 for my first Turkish film
13.Safe House
Starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds , Safe house deals with yet another story of corrupt CIA agents and other international intel agencies. Only thing that could have saved the movie was scripit and screenplay as this story has been told a million times in Hollywood, but as those departments also failed , even Denzel Washington was unable to save the movie. A loose script with age old story with a usual narrative style put the nail in the coffin for Safe house.
1.5/5 for this really ‘Un’Safehouse.
14.Arabiyum Ottakavum pinne Madhavan Nairum
After a gap of 10 years Priyadarshan showed hands with Mohanlal-Mukesh duo to deliver an all out comedy.Hailed as the Master director of slap stick comedy Priyadarshan will not let you complain a bit . Mukesh was at his best in recent times , Mohanlal as always will excel in any role given to him did his part well, but the suprising package came from Bhavana, she did her role complete justice.
3.5/5 for Ottakam and Madhavan Nair.
15.The Vow
A happily married couple meets with an accident , and wife’s memory about marriage is completely erased from her memory because of trauma.The plot may seem similar to few films like 50 First dates and Innale , but the movie is about how the husband wins her heart all over again.The lead pair is Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum , but after seeing the movie you get a feeling that something is terribly wrong atleast I got that feeling….yes its the chemistry between the lead pair. Though Rachel was able to gel into the role , Tatum was a total misfit , he did not look charming in any frame. Tatum looked more like a real fighter for a boxing match than a “fighter” in life trying to win the forgotten love of his own wife, , a guy with more charming look would have carried the movie much better.
2.5/5 for The Vow that does not make you say “wow”
16.Bridesmaids
Kept myself away from woman movies for a long time, but the good reviews of this film made me watch this movie. Ever wondered why we get possessive in friendship , ever felt jealous of someone trying to claim your childhood friend? if yes then this movie will strike you by the head. This movie tells the story of a failing woman in 30’s , who gets the shock of her life when she knows her best childhood friend is going to get married . Coupled with her sorrow in losing a good friend and the new bunch of friends of her drive her crazy along with her own life miseries.The main lead played by Kristen Wiig , who also wrote the script of the film with Annie Mumolo is the pulse of the movie.
3.5/5 for this maid of honor….
) really didnt do much justice to the viewing pleasure.About the movie Ethan Hunt circles the world like James Bond to crack nuclear codes in a ” save the world” campaign …. contrary to the old 1960s theme of US Russia rivalry , Ethan Hunt becomes a roadblock in the diplomatic ties of both these countries , so to save the world and maintain good relations between these 2 countries , Ethan becomes part of Ghost protocol …rest of the story is how he cracks the code and help to “save the world”. 30 minutes or so is shot in India in mumbai , bengaleru …where Sun Tv office building is shown.
Disappointed , Watch it for Mohanlal
