More than just mere entertainment..

Films that could have become classics.But they prefer to stay a level below,vowing to entertain as well as boggle the viewers mind with brilliant story-telling and action,ably supported by wonderful acting and musical score.One will either have a feeling of awe/euphoria or total confusion(source:brillaint screenplay)....strong recommendations for a viewing!!

-- AWESOME ENTERTAINERS 1 --

MOVIE COUNT:: 15
Click the desired Title to read the corresponding film's review directly(no scrolling hassles) on this page::
Identity
Die Hard 4
Mr.Brooks
Dog Day Afternoon
Inside Man
Shooter
Shaun Of The Dead
Apocalypto
Running Scared
Hot Fuzz
Sin City
The Terminal
The Prestige
Run Lola Run
Click



IDENTITY:
A mind-bending thriller i saw very recently and if we are after all humans rather than some intelligent being with a sky-high IQ,we will like this film.The premise of the story is very promising and it delivers the thrills i expected(and an unexpected twist) from it.Notable performances come from John Cussack,Ray Liotta and Amanda Peet.

Ten strangers land up at a Motel during a rainy night as the highways are all flooded.And as always,they are being murdered one at a time.The remaining strangers must team up and find out who the killer is....i cannot possibly elaborate more on the story.We have a sub-plot about a convicted killer running in the background which blends in beautifully with the films story.

Though the plot seems simple enough at a single glance,it is quite otherwise in the film.The plot thickens with as more murders start happening and with the complexity increasing,there will be an increasing tension in the viewers mind to get to the bottom of the mystery.When the stranded strangers think they have caught the killer,they are in for repeated surprises.The ending was simply superb and it was complemented well by the 'look in the mirror' scene as well as the scene where Ed(John Cussack) figures things out.

That brings me to the performance of the actors...the pack of excellent performances is lead by John Cussack as Ed,the ex-cop.And giving him amples support is Ray Liotta as Rhodes,who plays a detective transporting a convicted killer.The two try to keep things under control,until when things go out of even their control.And finally,we have Amanda Peet as Paris,a prostitute who was heading towards the purchase of an Orange Farm.Notable performance also comes from John Hawkes(Larry,the motel owner) and John C. McGinley(George York,a very orderly man)!!!All the other actors play out their parts well...i choose not to disclose any details about the rest,because almost everyone plays an important part in the storyline and explaining their role,would give the film away!

The violence is restricted a bit,but still its not a sight to watch.The music is good....i loved the way,all the strangers were introduced and how each one of their actions,had some small effect on one among them or the other.A good and interesting way to start the film,which also grabs the viewer's attention.The twists and the ending is handled very well and in my opinion,it is an excellent film.Thrill-seekers,you have got another film for your list!!!!

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309698/
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DIE HARD 4.0:
Before i start,i must confess I am a big fan of the Die Hard series and i love watching it again and again.I have seen the movies on televison and on Dvd numerous times and Bruce Willis's charm never tends to cease.This part of the franchise takes palce 12 years after the previous film and nearly 19 years after the first film!!!As always,Officer John McClane is 'at the wrong place,at the wrong time' yet again and this time he takes on techno-smart terrorists.Apt for the computer savy-generation eh??? ;)

The FBI's computer is hacked into and it wants to investigate some hackers to gain light into the hack.McClane(Bruce Willis) goes to fetch a hacker Matthew Farrell(Justin Long) and an attempt is made on the latter's life,which is successfully thwarthed by McClane.The henchmen belong to Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant) who is systematically killing off all the hackers who helped him in forming a FIRE SALE(disrupting transportation, stealing and destroying financial records, disabling all public utilities, and creating fear with a psychological media campaign.)!!!McClane must now make sense of all the confusion created by the terrorists and with the teenage hacker Farell,save the United States of America.Complications arise when McClane's daughter is kidnapped by Gabriel,now he must save her as well!

There will be obivous comparisons to the previous films of the franchise and to my relief,action-wise 'Die Hard 4.0' is the best.And so far,it is the best action flick i have seen in 2007....Willis is as good as he was in the previous films!!!But the decision of the production house to mute the last part of McClane's catch phrase - "Yippee ki yay, motherf*cker" plus more tone-downs,thus getting a PG-13 rating has made other fans of the series angry!!!As all the other movies in the series have a R(restricted) rating,their anger seems kind of justified.Plus in the other Die Hard films,McClane was more human unlike here where he surivives a nasty ninja girl,a power-plant explosion and a brillaintly done fight against a fighter jet...negative apart,i love this movie and will watch it again and again,on any given day.

Nothin much to speak about the acting.Man,this is a Die-hard movie and the action is mind-blowing.Do NOT MISS the movie please...The best in the series,obivously after the first 'Die hard'!!!!

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337978/
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MR.BROOKS:
A thriller of sorts with a new and different angle at the mind of a psychotic killer.Earl Brooks(Kevin Costner) is a successful businessman and has a lovely wife and a daughter.He also has this murderous alter ego,who is portrayed brilliantly in the film.Mr.Brook's murderous alter ego is represented as an actual person named Marshall (William Hurt).Usually alter-egos are represnted as reflections of people in the mirror or imaginary replicas of the person involved.But in Mr.Brooks we have two persons interacting,one being Brooks and the other being his darker side,William.This single point sets 'Mr.Brooks' apart from scores of other psycho flicks ive seen.

Though the film does not have many scary/thrill moments...it is to be watched for the character build-up of Brooks as well as William.We are shown the conflicts and confusion faced by Brooks over his psychotic behaviour.William is a smooth talking alter ego who reasons well enough with Brooks to convince him into the murders.After a two year self-restriction,Brooks & William commit an almost perfect murder..almost because the blinds are open when he kills the victims.A photographer who has taken snaps of the murder,wants to be a part of Brooks next murder.These complication coupled with the return of Brooks daughter under mysterious circumstances from her high school changes Brooks life...

Kevin Costner has delivered a good performance as a psychotic killer who is always calculating and patient..never once does he lose his calm.He finally decides to take his life to end the anguish caused by his thirst for murder,but fate or rather he has other plans for himself!!!

The screenplay and music are good.Its Costner's and Hurt's interactions that take most of the screentime and together,they offer a good watch if one is patient enough.Of course we have sub-plots revolving around Jane Brooks(Danielle Panabaker) mysterious arrival at home as well as inter-twining tale of Detective Tracy Atwood(Demi Moore).

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780571/
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DOG DAY AFTERNOON:
I have had a fascination for Al Pacino's movies ever since i watched The Godfather trilogy.Man what an actor he is,i love watching him on screen!!!

Sonny(Al Pacino) plans to rob a bank with two of his friends to pay for his lover's(??) sex-change operation.One of them chickens out and the other,Sal(Johny Cazale) stays with till the very end.To Sonny's dismay,he finds out that the bank's deposits for the day,have been transferred already to the main bank.And to worsen the situation,the cops are waiting outside to catch him.Sonny and Sal(Johny Cazale in an excellently under-played performance) take the Bank employees hostage and things head from worse to really worse as time progresses.The media gets scent of the news and they come in hordes for the scoop.And everything blows out of proportion....it becomes a media circus,as the films Tagline suggests.

This movie is actually based on a real-life incident!!!Some of the scenes are quite comical but this movie is to be watched for the powerhouse performance of Al Pacino as Sal,a very confused man.He has a wife with a kid,as well as a gay lover whom he had married recently.Al Pacino shows how good an actor he is,by displaying a wide pleothra of emotions.As things go out of control,he shows extraordinary patience intially and towards the end of the movie,the internal conflicts as well as the contained tension come tumbling out.

I wish to speak more about Al Pacino,but am unable to express it appropriately.Am hoping that in good time,those appropriate words that describe Pacino better will come.Meanwhile,i definitely have to watch other Pacino classics(Scarface,Serpico,Carlitos way,Scent of a woman,.....)

As of now...

My rating: 9/10 (may increase upon more viewings!!!)
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072890/
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INSIDE MAN:
The first thing on the viewers mind after watching Inside Man,"Hey,everything was so obivous right from the 'title'!!".An interesting bit of trivia is that the movie opens with the musical track of 'chayya chayya' from Dil Se,which had the musical score by A.R.Rahman(my favourite)

Dalton Russell(Clive Owen) who is one cool guy,introduces the audience to the movie itself.He states that he has 'planned the perfect robbery' which will not leave any clues and none will get caught.Quite a laughable idea,is'nt it?Well he does manage to pull it off and the way in which he does so,is awesome.We have many Red Herrings(read distractions) thrown throughout the movie and the viewer as well as detective Keith Frazier(Denzel Washington) manage to put the case together only after the startling relevation in the climax.

Director Spike Lee is a very racist as far as this movie is considered.I heard he IS a racist director.I intially thought this movie was directed by a White American(no racism intended please) but later on,i came to know it was Spike Lee(who by the way is a Black,apologies please!!).But that apart,his movie is really good and the screenplay deserves special mention.It is pretty slick and well-paced.

People interested in making the perfect Bank heist may please check out this movie(pun intended)...

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454848/
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SHOOTER:
I was under the wrong impression from the posters that this movie starred Matt Damon.Considering the muscles of the the shooter.But later i realised it is actually Mark Wahlberg,he actually shed some weight(20 pounds=appx 9 kgs) for his role as a Sniper.

Bob Lee Swagger(Mark Wahlberg),pretty cool screen name in my opinion!!!He is an US army marksman..or better put,he is a Sniper.He goes into exile after his friend is killed on a mission.He comes back to duty to help thwart an attempt on the Presidents life..but things go wrong and he is framed for the murder.He is now on the run and has to find out the culprit behind the double-cross & get justice.For his survival is at stake,as he is hunted by the FBI everywhere.FBI Agent Nick Memphis(Michael Pena) has second doubts about Swagger being the culprit and his private investigation leads to some shocking info for Swagger.The two unite to bring the culprit to light...

As far as an action movie is concerned,this movie scores at the right places.Thank god there is not much focus on the 'female' part,i mean no unnecessary romantic scenes.The thing so cool about this movie is all the 'Sniper shots'....all the scenes involving Swagger sniping down someone or 'something' is so darn cool!!!!!

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0822854/
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SHAUN OF THE DEAD:
A very funny movie,where it is mandatory the audience ignore logic.This movie is intended only for those who can stomach the gore(its a zombie movie for God's sake) and are ready for a comic caper.'Shaun of the Dead' is a zombie-themed romantic comedy.

This British film was made before the critically & commercially acclaimed 'HOT FUZZ'(scroll down please).The protagonist's are Simon Pegg(Shaun) and Nick Frost(Ed).Shaun has problems with his job,girlfrien,mother and stepfather.His girlfriend ditches him and he vows to straighten things out the next day when to his dismay,London is overwhelmed with a wave of zombies.Shaun must now rescue his loved ones with his lazy roommate Ed and escape from the zombies as well.

With good editing and really funny acting,SOTD impresses the viewere with its homage & spoofing of cult horror classics.I would have loved to give this film a rating of 8 or 9,but alas i had watched 'Hot Fuzz' earlier.And it greatly biased my rating of this film,despite my best efforts!!!But definitely a great watch for the entire family....

My rating: 7/10
Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365748/
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APOCALYPTO:
No english involved here excluding the credits and the Subtitles(inserted for the audience). Everyone in the film speaks Mayan and hence the English subtitles.Actor Mel Gibson returns from the critically acclaimed(??) 'Passion Of The Christ' to direct this thrill ride.

Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) lives in the forests with his family consisting of his father(Morris Birdyellowhead),pregnant wife Seven (Dalia Hernández) and son.His village & tribe is vanquished by Mayan raiders lead by Zero Wolf (Raoul Trujillo).Paw keeps loweres his wife & son into an underground cave before being captured.The Mayan rulers give human sacrifices to appease the Gods.And when it is Jaguar Paw's turn,a Solar Eclipse occurs.The rest of the sacrifices are lead to a field to be disposed off.Jaguar Paw kills Zero Wolf's son and makes and escapes,despite being injured by an arrow in the abdomen.Paw returns to his territory and challenges the warriors of Wolf to come and get him.Paw gets Wolf as well as most of his men!!!

It is an exceptional film on the count that,it depicts the ancient tribal people of the Mayan civilization.The depiction might not have been exactly right,but it is good enough!!!The flim focuses most on Jaguar Paw who fulfills the destiny set out for a vanquishin survivor....the acting is good and so is the method of story-telling.The film shows the Mayan people in its raw splendour(read violence & nudity)!!!It is a part-history part-thriller film....

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472043/
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RUNNING SCARED:
A pot-boiler of a movie.Quite like a bollywood(Hindi) masala movie,which has everything for almost everyone.Action,Romance(!!??),Guns,Great moments,Comedy,suspense and very 'private' scenes b/w the hero and his girl..u name,u got it!!!I dont want to go into the story.Just go ahead and watch the movie.

Paul Walker as Joey Gazelle,has the maximum screen presence!But we do have Cameron Bright(Oleg Yugorsky,a Russian kid) and Vera Farmiga(Teresa Gazelle) having enough scenes to justify their presence in the movie!!!All the characters have complex backgrounds and play upto their parts quite well.

I actually thought this movie was a comic caper,but as the movie progressed it struck me that this movie really meant business.A lot of surprises are strewn around the movie and the speed never ever relented till the very end.And not to forget,a really good twist at the end satisfying an action-fans thirst!!!

A Pretty hardcore action movie...and hey i forgot to mention,there is more than a single twist during the end.Am sure one would like this movie and i recommend it for guys alone.This movie is definitely not for girls and women alike...

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0404390/
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HOT FUZZ:
We could actually call it a sequel to the much-acclamied 'SHAUN OF THE DEAD'.But alas we cannot,despite the fact that it has the same director and the exact lead actors( & ).Their on-screen chemistry is funny enough and they actually do a better job here,than in 'Shaun Of The Dead'.

Nicholas Angel(Simon Pegg) is an over-active cop whose frequent arrests leads to a no-space situation in the London jails.Jealous cops have him transferred to a quite little crime-free village(Sandford).Well after his appereance,he is partnered with a naive officer Danny Butterman(Nick Frost).Butterman looks upon Angel to show him the real explosive life of cops fightin real crime!!!Angel finds it hard to adjust from the fast life of London to this sleepy little village.But over time,Angel and Butterman start becomming good friends.

Soon enough,murders start happening around Sandford,but people dont look at them as beyond mere accidents.The ever-active Angel starts investigatin and what we get here on,is a rollicking roller-coaster ride of absolute mayhem....with large doses of comic moments and suspense as well.'Hot Fuzz' manages to pay homage to numerous other cop movies as well as mock them up quite well,which are a feast to relish.

The makers of the film wanted a different Cop film for their country as they believed UK didnt have a tradition of good cop films.Over 138 cop-related movies were watched before the first draft of the film was written.A film well made...sheer entertainment!!!

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425112/
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SIN CITY:
What happens when you mix excess of everything capable of being labeled a SIN????Its called a 'SIN' movie...in other words,we have 'SIN CITY' !!!!My God, this movie is a certain no-no for weak hearts and minors.

There is hell lot of blood,gore,violence,women(lots need to be censored).But who cares!!Sin city is a collection of three(was it four?) inter-twined stories.The entire movie was shot digitally to give it that Noir-film look and that in itself made me give it a really high score.The action sequences are awesome and mind-blowing.

Bruce Willis(Police Officer Hartigan) and Clive Owen(Dwight McCarthy) go through their roles with total style and cool.They actually look cool when blowing people away.Other characters act our their parts well enough...the actual mini-stories in the movie in no particular order,are::
#1 the customer is always right
#2 that yellow bas**rd
#3 the hard goodbye
#4 the big fat kill

I think its a "venial sin" to watch SIN CITY..so no worries people,i hope so!!!Fans of graphic violence and people who love digital films will not abhor this particular film.

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401792/
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THE TERMINAL:
Steven Spielberg is a really good director.I thought his Jurassic park and E.T were really good and that these movies showcase his talent as a director.But after watching 'The Terminal',i chided myself for having been so naive.

Tom Hanks is so very realistic as Viktor Navorski, who is a stranded passenger in the JFK International Lounge.He is so,because his home country is taken over by the Army and hence his country becomes non-existent for the time being.As he is not a citizen of any country,he is made to wait in the Lounge of JFK airport by Frank Dixon(StanleyTucci),the newly promoted Security Manger.

Now we have an interesting situation where a passenger who doesnt speak english and doesnt have enough money buy him any food in the airport.He is given some food tokens which he eventually loses....we then see how Navroski learns English,becomes friends with many people in the airport,becomes a construction worker for the airport and many many other adventures..all within the confines of the Airport.And meanwhile,Dixon tries his level best to get rid of Navroski,but to no avail.

It could have been a classic,had it not been for the romantic interludes between Navroski and Amelia Warren(Catherine Zeta Jones),a dejected air-hostess.Though those scenes were probably added for the emotional quotient,i feel they could have been cut down a bit.Tom Hanks as Viktor Navroski is really adorable and Frank Dixon is on the other hand,is instantly loathsome.All the other character add sheen to the proceedings,some of whom are:the janitor,the guy in-charge of food and a few others!!!!Krakozhia is indeed a well imagined country Speilberg.....

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362227/
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THE PRESTIGE:
Almost all my friends were hyped up about this film and i finally decided to check out this film.And what a film it is....absolutely mind-blowing with twists aplenty.

Robert Angier(Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden(Christian Bale) are magicians who fight off to become the number one.We follow their lives from their humble beginning as mere stage-boys to becomming one of the most sought after magicians in history.Borden comes up with the ultimate trick and this leads to frustration on part of his arch-rival,Angier.The latter tries his best to know the secret behind the trick.Eventually,he comes up with an even better one.And this time its Borden's turn to get frustrated...as both try to outsmart each other in this Cat-and-Mouse game,we come to a shocking ending interlaced with multiple layers of brilliant screenplay.Added to this list of positives is the twists,that seem to be coming on and on....

Hugh Jackman is good in his role of the desperate magician trying to outsmart his arch rival.But it is Christian Bale who steals the show with his stupendous performance as Alfred Borden,who's character has multiple shades!!!David Bowie as the scientist Tesla is good in his short but well-personated role....

I loved this movie and its a sure recommendation for everyone.Power-packed movie!!!'The Prestige' is an interesting mix of magic,science coupled with an innovative way of story-telling.

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482571/
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RUN LOLA RUN:
A Brilliant movie to say the least.The premise of the movie is pivoted on the fact that every single action of a person can alter the person's fate as well as that of everyone around him/her.Quite tough to digest eh?Well i think the concept is unique and never tried before.

Such a complex idea has been brought out beautifully & brilliantly in the movie by German Director Tom Tykwer.Lola(Franka Potente) tries to get 20,000 deutchemarks for her boyfriend who had lost the same.The lost money belongs to his Boss and he wil certainly be killed if he does'nt get 20,000 deutchemarks in 20 minutes!!!!Lola goes on a 'Run' trying to get that money and what ensues is totally out-of-the-box and mind-boggling....the ending is quite satisfactory.

Frank Potente is good in her role as Lola,who has become a cult icon among movie lovers.Moritz Bleibtreu as Manni,Lola's boyfriend is satisfactory in his short role in the movie.

Moreover,the movie is also about a person's resolve.If one is determined enough,then one can definitely achieve what they have in mind beating the forces of nature!!!This happens,provided they put in the efforts involved.....a Masterpiece to be watched by one and all & also by upcoming Directors who want to be innovative.

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0130827/
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CLICK:
Michael Newman(Adam Sandler) an Architect by profession gets his hands on an Universal Remote which is given by an Angel(??).Newman starts to fast forward and rewind his life to skip times as well to know more about himself.And he uses more of the features supported by the remote as time progresses.Eventually he comes to know that the device is not simple as it looks and his life is changed for ever which he realises with increasing horror!!!!

It is supposed to be a comic entertainer,but i was really moved to tears in the anit-climax,where an aging Newman tells his Son,that the 'Family always comes first'.Adam Sandler gives a commendable performance.Hilarious situations are plenty in the film,but most of the humour is targeted at the adult audience.So kids stay out....An entertainer for a matured audience alone ;) !!

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389860/
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