My movie mania

I have moved... :)

2011-04-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

Based on the comments, I believe some movie lovers have been following this blog of mine. I have moved to a more shorter yet crisper version of my movie reviews here.

....I have not settled down fully into blogging again, hence the lack of options to follow this blog or the update on my new blog.

Please follow the other blog of mine...and please do drop by to give your comments there!! Hopefully I would add options to follow using twitter or facebook there...

Thanks for the support people :) :).

Love,
Satish

COMING SOON...

2007-11-11T09:57:00.000-08:00

The film's which I have watched recently.But I have'nt been able to write about them...for people interested,the pictorial listing is sure to create some expectations I hope.My thoughts on these films will be up soon...

AWESOME ENTERTAINER

CLASSIC

AWESOME ENTERTAINER

GOOD ENTERTAINER

AWESOME ENTERTAINER

CLASSIC

Good Entertainers,part-2

2007-10-18T00:55:00.000-07:00

The earlier post under the label 'Awesome Entertainers' has exceeded the limit of 15 movies i had set!!So here I am,creating a 'sequel' to the 'Awesome Entertainers' label.Listed below are films which are quite good...but not quite good enough that i felt like watching them again.These films can be watched once,some exceptions can be watched twice at the most....good entertainment value included :)

-- GOOD ENTERTAINERS 2 --

MOVIE COUNT :: 4
Click on the Titles below to read the corresponding review directly(no scrolling hassles) in this page::
The Host
Black Hawk Down
The Bourne Supremacy
Fracture

The Host:
A korean smash-hit which has been translated into various languages the world-over to rake in the moolah.Sadly,the film was a flop in India,Chennai at least(South Indian City).And I can understand why there were varied results in Box-Office profits.

The films opens with a presumably American Doctor asking his junior Korean Doctor to empty the contents of all the old Formaldehyde bottles(read Toxic waste).Two years later, we are introduced to the protagonist and his family.The general public comes into contact with The Host,which causes panic and chaos in the area surrounding Bridge ??? .The protagonist's daughter Sey Mayuo becomes a victim of the creature and the rest is all about her family's attempts to rescue her,when she is found to be alive.

The initial 25 minutes are interesting where we are introduced to the vicious creature,which resembles a badly cloned fish-tadpole cross breed.Acting-wise,am not sure how to put it across.At times,the acting looked funny and otherwise it was good enough to watch.Maybe there is the confusion due to not-so-perfect dubbing into English.There is more focus on the interactions between the protagonist and his family members.There is also the stress on the limits to which,people could go to save their loved one's.This aspect of the film deserves credit,as never in the film does this point vanish into oblivion.

I would rather not mention the actors reel-names as well as their real-names(no offence meant of course),because the names are a bit complicated.However,commenting on a film without mentioning the lead actors names is a bit tough.The main events revolve around the main protagonist's daughter Hyun-Seo(Ah-Sung Ko) who uses the best of her wits to escape her doomed death.Her reel dad is Park Gang-Du(Kang-Ho Song) who brings out the best performance amongst others.He is funny in certain places which evoke laughter from the audience and in scenes requiring emotions,he brings them on quite aptly.Nam-ju(Du-na Bae) is Gang-Du's sister who's problem in archery(yes,she is national medalist archer) is overcome at the most crucial period of the film.Nam-Il(Hae-il Parl),Gang-Du's brother is a college graduate who hasn’t made anything worthwhile out of his life.Park-Hie Bong(Hie-Bong Byeon) is the father of the siblings mentioned above and he brings in a spirited performance as well.

I loved many scenes in the film and they help 'The Host' stand out as a strikingly-good film.Some of the Best scenes I like from the film are::

>Gang-Du's attempted attacks on the creature early on in the film.
>Gang-Du's shock when he realizes he had grabbed the wrong girl's hand while escaping.
>The awesome scene of the creature grabbing Hyun-Seo with its tail and jumping into the Han river.
>The Park family's escape from the Hospital.
>Park-Hie Bong's surprised look after firing a shot at the creature.
>All the scenes involving Hyun-Seo in the creature's hideous lair.
>The Park family's attempts to kill the monster.

Another notable factor in the film is the Background score.It varies as per the different situations,ranging from funny to melodramatic and adventurous to dead-serious.The closing scene of the film hints at a sequel.Will there be one???I will be waiting...

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468492/
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/host/
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THE BOURNE SUPREMACY:
Coming as the obivous sequel to 'The Bourne Identity', a lot of expectations were riding on Supremacy.Directed by famous Director Paul Greengas('United 93' fame),the film comes third in the series after The Bourne Ultimatum and The Bourne Identity respectively.

Jason Bourne(Matt Damon) is now settled in Goa,India with his girlfriend Marie(Frank Potente).Just when the two think they have been left alone for good,an attempt on Bourne's life takes Marie's by accident.An enraged and amnesic Bourne leaves for Naples to find some answers.Meanwhile,he has already been framed for the murder of two CIA agents.So Bourne is tried to be arrested as soon as he arrives in Naples,but he escapes and continues his search for answers,attempting to clear his name of the murder frame-up.

Matt Damon is top-notch as the amnesic multi-skilled man,who is having trouble remembering his past life.He excels in all the fight scenes,but those would have been visually better had they been captured in a better way.Frank Potente as Bourne's girlfriend has a very short on-screen time and she is quite okay.Hogging most of the screen time is CIA Deputy Director Pamela Landy(Joan Allen) who is after Bourne,when all the evidence point towards Bourne for the murder of her agents.Brian Cox as Ward Abott,tells us more about Operation Treadstone in this film and he is quite adequate in his role.Karl Urban as Kirill is the assassin against whom Bourne is set-up in this part of the franchise.Urban shows us his excellent driving skills in the very well made climatic car-chase scene.The less said about the other actors,the better.The same goes for the film as well....

As I have read all the books in the Bourne Series,I did'nt take much liking to The Bourne Ultimatum.Of course,'The Bourne Identity' was a much better adaptation in my opinion.Ultimatum has taken a lot of liberty in not following the book to much detail and that is the main reason I did not like it much.But still,film goers who have not read the books will enjoy the silver-screen versions of Jason Bourne's adventures.I hope the readers of the Series do agree with my opinion....ironically, 'The Bourne Identity' & 'The Bourne Supremacy' share the same rating on IMDB.Check it out....

A well made film,which could have better!!

My Rating: 7/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372183/
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BLACK HAWK DOWN:

::coming soon::

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FRACTURE:
I was interested in this film after my friend suggested it to me.The premise is quite interesting,as one can see from the tagline "I shot my wife,prove it!".And so with a high expectation,i watched the film.It was'nt a mind-bending experience I would say,but still, a well made Legal thriller.

Ted Crawford(Anthony Hopkins) is a higly skilled Aeronautical Engineer.His wife Jennifer Crawford(Embeth Davidtz) is has an affair with Detective Rob Nunally (Billy Burke).So Ted kills his wife with a masterplan in mind and confesses to his crime.A hot-shot District Attorney Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) handles the case,taking things lightly.But Ted's masterplan has different things set for Beachum as well as for himself.

I had a lot of expectations prior to watching the film and that makes perfect sense why I did'nt like it much.But if one does'nt have much expectations,I think 'Fracture' will be a good outing.

The screenplay was quite good and the trick behind Ted's masterplan in unvieled only during the end,so the suspense is maintained throughout.But the pace of the film is a tad too slow and the Director has thrown in a lot of Legal terms,which I had a toough time following.Of course,the same may not be the case with you.

Anthony Hopkins is good in his performance as the mastermind.But it comes across as a very restrained performance which he pulls off with utter ease and style.His role in this film deals more with mind games rather than biting off people's cheeks(remember Hannibal?? ;) ).And I felt pity for Beachum who is chosen by Ted to fight the case against him.Ryan Gosling(Beachum)shows a variety of emotions..those being arrogance,confidence,failure,struggle to unravel the knots of Ted's masterplan and more.Ryan Gosling is an apt foil to the ever-calm Ted Crawford.The other characters play out their small roles well and I need not mention them here,as Ted & Beachum occupy most of the screen time with their battle of wits.

My Rating: 6/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0488120/
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Awesome Entertainers,part-2

2007-09-24T01:16:00.000-07:00

The earlier post under the label 'Awesome Entertainers' has exceeded the limit of 15 movies i had set!!So here I am,creating a 'sequel' to the 'Awesome Entertainers' label.Films classified under this Label are a notch below 'Classics' but,are mind-bending and worthy enough of Oscar wins!!!

Note: "Awesome Entertainers,Part-1" is preceeded by "The Ocean Series" which is also part of "All Awesome Entertainers" and follow right after this current post labelled "Awesome Entertainers,part-2".

-- AWESOME ENTERTAINERS 2 --

MOVIE COUNT:: 8
Click the desired Title to read the corresponding film's review directly(no scrolling hassles) in this page::
Lucky Number Slevin
V For Vendetta
The Machinist
Goodfellas
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Bourne Identity
Fight Club
L.A.Confidential
Dark City

LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN:

::coming soon::
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V For Vendetta:
Set in the 2020's , this film is based on the concept of revolution brought by a single man,to bring down a totalitarian Government.What initially seems to be one man's fight against anarchy,slowly takes the shape of a Vendetta against a single evil entity.The film deserves credit more because of the fact that, the protagonist V's real identity is never shown to the viewer thus maintaining the intrigue factor almost till the very end.

It is the year 2020 and we have the setting in Britain where democracy has slowly taken a beating and Chancellor Sutler(John Hurt) leads a totalitarian Government.This Government is in fact so bad that, people aren’t allowed to talk freely in the comfort of their homes as all their conversations are monitored for security purposes.And in comes the mysterious masked-man known only as V(Hugo Weaving) who inspires the public to stand against the Government.He slowly kills every member of the Chancellor's trusted members.And in the midst of all this,we have Evey who unintentionally becomes the hunted after she saves V from being arrested.Police Inspector Finch(Stephen Rea) thinks there is some connection between the murders and something in the past.Is there?Does V succeed in his Vendetta quest?Will the public arise and bring down the Government??

Although V always has the Guy Fawkes mask on,his acting never comes under question.The rage and energy behind the character is brought out well by .Of course,the mask gives the chance for multiple people playing the same role.But one need not be concerned,because I feel V is just a 'Red-Herring' as Sir Alfred Hitchcock would say.V was not meant to taken as a person,but rather as an ideology of what & why there must be a revolution.My interpretation may not be perfect,but it will suffice to give a basic idea about the films motive.Another important character is that of Evey(Natalie Portman) who kind of represents the general public,people who are afraid to face things/to dare.Her interactions with V bring a change in her,without which she would not have had the courage to face the World.Providing ample support is Inspector Finch,who is initially intrigued by the mystery behind V and the alarming number of coincidences from the past which he unearths.He too plays a small,but pivotal role in helping the people realize V's cause.Other characters are good in their short-enacted roles,but the major screen-space as well as credit goes to the above mentioned people.

Though the film eventually gives the appearance of a boring 'crusade-against-the -government' film,it is NOT.Because,as we move deeper into the film,we get an insight into V's torturous past and the motivation behind his revolutionary plans.Eventually we get to know the full story behind the actual incident that set off the chain of events,moving towards an epic finale.The film is heavily marked with brilliant scenes tempting the viewer to ask for more.And of course,the screenplay by the Wachowski brothers(of Matrix fame of course) is good enough to sustain the viewers interest.A yawn from the viewer could only mean that,he/she would be better off watching commercial potboiler films.The introductory scene of our Hero or rather our Revolutionary is enthralling enough to kick start the proceedings.His opening dialogue consists of five sentences, and contains 49 words that begin with "V",beginning and ending with "V".Another scintillating scene is that of the TV station,where V escapes after broadcasting his message.We have various other brilliant and poignant scenes throughout the film,but the scenes towards the end hit the jacpot.V setting off the dominoes with the parallel narration by the Inspector is really a sight to watch and so is the climatic battle in the tunnels.Whatever feelings we may have had for V till the climax,almost completely changes to that of admiration and awe.The conversation between V and Evey near the end,makes us feel pity for the former because it was none of his fault that lead to this revolution....but he has a change of heart that is sure to win accolades from the audience.

A well made film,though a bit complicated in terms of script...still manages to simplify things.One of the few films I wish had seen in a theatre.

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434409/
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/v_for_vendetta/
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The Machinist:
Ever seen a freak,who actually isn’t one???Well,check out 'The Machinist' where Christian Bale lost nearly 60 pounds to breathe life into the character of an insomniac.Bale fits the role like a T and most of the times,the viewer might be scared to look at his physique.My god,he was so thin an infant could have crushed his bones.

Trevor Reznik(Christian Bale) is a lathe operator in a factory.He hasn’t slept in a year and he is extremely tired.Slowly,things in his life turn upside down as he increasingly gets paranoic.A co-worker who others don’t think exists,strange appearances of post-it notes on his refrigerator and more such events.Is someone playing mind-games with him?Or is there something wrong with himself??As things unfold and Reznik desperately tries to unravel the mystery,the viewers are in for a surprise!!

It is Christian Bale all the way and he steals the show with utter ease.Of course,performing in such a role would have taken a heavy toll on his health.The guy lost nearly 60 pounds for Reznik's role and he looks freaky to say the least.But he definitely breathes fire into the character and displays a myriad of expressions.The viewer's own reaction varies between being scared,sympathtetic,angry,amazed and eventually surprised beyond one's imagination.Stevie(Jennifer Jason Leigh) is a prostitute who is Reznik's only friend in whom he confides.Jennifer is good in her role and she obviously gets more footage compared to the other female protagonist Maria (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón).Maria is a waitress in an Airport Diner.She is quite apt in her role,easing of the tension in film a bit at times with some wisecracks.Ivan(Sharian) gives a run for Bale's money,as the former is quite freaky himself.His appearances always cause Reznik to lose his calm(though that rarely exists in him!!) and the situation becomes volatile.The cinematographer must be given credit,because the film's settings are moody & dark throughout except for a few vital scenes.The dark setting adds more to the intrigue factor of the film.

And not to forget the music(the background score),which is chilling to say the least.Soothing at times and otherwise,tends to accelerate the viewers heart-beat forward.Especially in the scenes where Reznik is in the worse possible state of mind.Due credit also goes to Bale's dietician who helped Bale thin down to a wafer.Bale must certainly be applauded for his efforts.He gained weight for his next film "Batman Returns",which is indeed commendable.Of course,he wanted to reduce even more weight for 'The Machinist' ,which never happened because the film's crew got scared for his health.I wouldn’t go much more into the film.It is dark,powerful,stunning and a semi-twist at the end which leads to a realistic and acceptable ending.

Bale before and during the film:
>http://farm1.static.flickr.com/193/1515392399_2e690398c4.jpg
>http://kispad.hu/illustration/2005/04/20050426_machinist.jpg

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361862/
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/machinist/
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GOODFELLAS:
The name Martin Scorsese brings a tingling sensation in the movie-goer's mind expecting entertainment and top-class performances.In 'Goodfellas',he manages to satisfy many such expectation of different fans.Right from the word GO,the viewer is hooked on with the innovative screenplay and introduction of each character in the film.

The film starts with the unforgettable openings one can have.Henry Hill(Ray Liotta) starts the proceedings with the famous quote,"As far as I can remember,I always wanted to be a gangster".From here we move to Hill's flashback as a kid,where we see his aspirations for becoming a gangster.The local mob boss is Paul Cicero(paul Sorvino) who has his own style of handling mob deals.Hill meets Jimmy Conway(Robert Di Niro) and as a result,Tommy DeVito(Joe Pesci).Young Hill earns the respect of his neighbourhood Italian Mafia gang.And from here on,Hill goes on to become a well known gangster,teaming up with Jimmy and Tommy.Hill loves and marries a Jewish girl Karen (Lorraine Bracco),who loves Hill more than he could imagine.Hill's life heads deeper and deeper into trouble with problems from the Mafia & Karen creating problems with his mistress Janice Rossi(Gina Mastrogiacomo).

Hill and Jimmy are jailed for a job-gone-bad and here,the former starts his involvement with the drug business.The mob boss Cicero warns Hill aginst drug peddling behind his back and Hill's persistence with the drug business involving Jimmy,Tommy,his wife and mistress leads him into more trouble.A very big heist is successful and Jimmy,who planned it develops a sense of paranoia and he starts 'whacking' the involved gang members.When the submerged troubles erupt,Hill takes a drastic decision out of compulsion which gives him his life but takes away his pleasure.

Based on a true story and a book 'Wiseguys' written by Nicholas Pileggi,'Goodfellas' is a stylishly made masterpiece by Scorsese.The 'Godfather' trilogy showed the rise and fall of a gangster over a period of three fantastic films.'Goodfellas' does almost the same within two and a half hours.Having a huge star cast could have gone astray,but brilliant that he is,Scorsese manages to bring the best out of them.Almost everyone had their presence felt in the film.The film stands out for its innovative camera work,some absolutely great dialogues and a good number of scenes.Of course,there is no need to mention the performance of the artists..which are top-notch.

Joe Pesci,who won an oscar for his role occupies most of the limelight in the film,with his violent and at-times-funny attitude.Ray Liotta in one his few attention-grabbing roles fits his role to a T.The surprising thing is Robert Di Niro's limited scope for acting,but he gives a brilliant and believable performance.Other good performances come from Paul Sorvino,Lorraine Braco.Some memorable scenes include the opening scene,Hill's flashback as a kid,the famous 'steadycam' shot to the restaurant,Hill's sense of paranoia under his drug influence and a few more.A brilliantly made gangster film,based on real events.Worth more than a single watch,but the violence and swearing will be a bit too high.Youngsters beware....

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099685/
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THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM:
Paul Greengrass returns to direct the third film in the Bourne Series and he manges to maintain his shaky camera-trick in this installment too.Matt Damon and a few others reprise their respective roles from the previous Bourne films.

The film continues from the excellentely shot car-chase scene at the end of 'The Bourne Supremacy'.Jason Bourne(Matt Damon) who is not left alone by the CIA,tracks down the killers sent after him this time and attempts to uncover the rest of his Amneasic-past life.After Bourne tells Marie's brother about her death,he comes across an article about him.A wasted attempt to reach the reporter's source leads Bourne to a CIA chief operative.The CIA is onto the hunt for Bourne again,beause of his interaction with the reporter.CIA Deputy Director Pamela Landy(Joan Allen) is called for help and she helps in the hunt.Landy believes Bourne is not dangerous,contrary to what CIA officer Noah Vosen (David Strathairn) believes.With unexpected help from Landy and Nicky(Julia Stiles),Bourne finally uncovers the dark secrets about his past.

This film should most probably be the last film in the series,I believe.The case is similar to that of the Ocean Series.'Oceans 11' was awesome and it was followed by a weakly recieved 'Oceans 12'.But 'Oceans 13' managed to silence the critics and ended the Ocean Series on a High.But I liked all the three installments of the Ocean Series.Here in this case,a brilliant 'The Bourne Identity' was followed by a dull 'The Bourne Supremacy'.I did'nt like the Supremacy movie at all.To make amends,'The Bourne Ultimatum' makes up for any kind of lapse in the former Bourne films and enthralls fans and critics alike with a fast screenplay dished out with enough twists.

Matt Damon does an excellent job bringing up all the confused emotions of his character and excellent body agility in the stunt sequences.The only sore point in the entire film(my opinion) is the shaky-camera-angle brought in by Director Greengrass.His logic behind using this camera technique is to tell the audience about the turmoil inside Bourne's mind during his run.The audience does get this point,but the fun in the fight scenes are lost a bit.The audience will have no clue as to who is hitting whom until one of the people fighting falls down :( . Other than this point,the film is entertaining and deserves a place in the IMDB Top 250 Movie List .The subtle 'shocker' during the phone conversation between Bourne and Landy,takes time to set in and most people get the subtle 'shocker' on the first go.

Julia Stiles as CIA Field Operative Nicky has more meat in her role here,compared to the previous two Bourne outings.Joan Allen too makes her presence felt,as the CIA Deputy Director who believes in Bourne's innocense.David Straitham as the hard-hearted CIA Director fits the bill.Special mention must be made of the attempted assassination of Bourne & Nicky,by assassin Desh in Tangier.The scene is simply electrifying.To sum,'The Bourne Ultimatum' is an apt ending for the Bourne Series,but future sequels are hinted at in the ending...

My Rating:9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0440963/
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THE BOURNE IDENTITY:
The first of the three film's featuring Author Robert Ludlum's famous literary spy creation,Jason Bourne.The film deviates from the original book and thus,paves the path for many other deviations in the latter films as well.

An injured man(Matt Damon) is rescued from the ocean who does'nt seem to remember anything about him or his past life.The injured man has a Swiss bank account number in his hip.So,the fisherman who rescued him,urges him to go to Zurich.In a Bank in Zurich,the injured man assumes his name to be Jason Bourne,from the various passports he sees in his safety-deposit box.Bourne also seems to be able to speak multiple languages and disarm people with utter ease.He meets Marie Helena Kreutz(Frank Potente) when evading the Swiss and American authorites in the US consulate.From here on,ensues Bourne and Marie's run for their lives from unknown assassin's and a nationwide search for them.Bourne manages to finally recollect more imformation about his past life which leads him to the 'Treadstone' facility where dark secrets await him

It is a well-known fact that,Matt Damon's name was back on the Hollywood map after this film.And his fame & popularity continued to increase with the other two sequels.The 'Ocean Series' drowned in the presence of the other stars present and in 'The Bourne Identity',Matt Damon manages to establish himself firmly as a top-notch action star.Bourne's confusion about his past continues throughout the film and Matt Damon is able to show the same effectively.He is good in the action scenes as well,performing swift moves which are captured in an easy-to-view manner.This aspect is missing in the other two sequels.Frank Potente as Marie,who manages to be the wrong-girl-at-the-wrong-place is quite apt.Marie manages to help Bourne at some points of time,relieving some pressure.

Other actors who deserve mention are::
Chris Cooper as Alexander Conklin,the Head of Operation Treadstone.
Clive Owen as The Professor,a CIA operative.
Brian Cox as Ward Abbott,the CIA Deputy Director.
Julia Stiles as Nicky,a beautiful CIA Field Operative.

The other actors are apt in their roles...Director Doug Liman deserves applause for having directed a good action thriller which treads the same path as the book,to a certain extent alone.A well made film,suitable for fans of Robert Ludlum,Matt Damon and people who love action films.

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258463/
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FIGHT CLUB:
A hard-hitting mindbender of a movie which is difficult to come across frequently.A psychological thriller cum action film from Director David Fincher(Se7en,Panic Room,The Game,...).And what a performance from both the lead actors,hats off.

Edward Norton plays the role of The Narrator,a nameless(or so as we are'nt told) worker at a car company and he has everything materialistic that one could dream of.A condo,a well-paid desk job,sleek furniture,a rapdily-filling wardrobe..but still the Narrator is dissatisfied with his materialistic life and is unable to sleep.He is also disgusted with the level of consumerism in people's life(more so in his own life!!).His Doctor suggests trying out Support-Groups where the Narrator does find peace and is able to sleep after a long long time.But things are thrown into chaos when he finds another pretender,Marla Singer(Helena Carter) who too pretends to be sick like the Narrator.The Narrator strikes a deal with Marla hoping it would bring him peace.On a flight regarding a job,he meets Tyler Durden(Brad Pitt) who seems to be the exact opposite of the Narrator himself.Soon after this meeting,the Narrator finds his expensive condo blown apart and he asks for Durden's help.And soon later,what starts off as a simple wish,blows out of proportion as a 'FIGHT CLUB' whose primary objective is to vent out male aggression(mainly against Consumerism).

But thing's are'nt as normal as they seem,as the Narrator finds out at the end of the film.It is a bit difficult to explain more about the film,as I would run the risk of revealing the major Twist in the film.The film was funny at times,violent at most parts and a major shock during the final minutes.The twist was totally unexpected and it knocked out all the air out of me.After 'Se7en',am sure this is Director David Fincher's greatest masterpiece(my opinion).

Ed Norton is brilliant and simply marvellous as The Narrator.He manages to make the audience laugh,feel pity,confused,twist in their seats quite easily.Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden(??!!) plays an ample foil for the Narrator and his role holds stead even after the shocking twist is revealed ;) ..You will definitely know what I mean once you've seen the film.Each and every scene between Ed Norton and Brad Pitt are throughly enjoyable and the two are able to brilliantly bring out different shades of their character very well.Helena Carter looks weird and spooked out in her role as Marla Singer,a 'nymphomaniac'.

'Fight Club' is one of the very few films one would love to talk about in detail,but for the fear of accidentally revealing the twist one has to control himself.So here I am,finishing my opinion on the brilliantly made 'Fight Club' way before I actually intended to do so.Because the plot of the film is so complicated that it is really difficult to expatiate only to a certain extent :( .

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/
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L.A.CONFIDENTIAL:
First of all,before I begin,I must confess that I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the stars on-screen in the same screen.The stars here being Russell Crowe,Kevin Spacey,Guy Pearce and others including James Cromwell,Kim Basinger.The story takes place in Los Angeles in the 1950's and the film falls under the Noir-Crime genre.

The film begins with the high-profile arrest of L.A Mobster Mickey Cohen and later on we are introduced to the leads of the film.The first being Officer Bud White(Russell Crowe) who cannot stand injustice being meted out to women.Bud is a hot-headed officer and this lands him in trouble at times.Next comes Officer Ed Exley who wants to outdo his father,a former L.A.P.D Officer.And determined that he is,Ed follows the rules in each and every instance he finds.We then have Sergeant Jack Vincennes(Kevin Spacey),who apart from his Police job,is closely associated with the editor of Hush-Hush magazine and also acts as the Technical Advisor of tele-show Badge Of Honour.We have Captain Dudley Liam Smith who along with the Districy Attorney,wants to portray L.A as a dream spot for living.

Officer Ed testifies against his fellow officers in the 'Bloody Christmas' scandal and earns himself a promotion to Detective status.A while later Officer White's partner is killed brutally in a shootout at the all-night Diner 'Night Owl'.And at this point,the professional and personal lives of all the three Officers(Bud,Ed & Jack) intertwine and their subsequent interrogation into the case brings out the ugly truth lurking beneath all the time.Lynn Bracken(Kim Basinger) is one of the call-girls run by Pearce Patchett who actually runs call-girls made to look like celebrities.And Bracken's story forms a sub-plot to the main story where,the three men may need to join hands to defeat the Lurking corrupt power behind the killings.

The film was brillinat to say the least and its honest look at the positive as well negative sides of the cops is an aspect I loved.The 'Bloody Christmas' scandal at the begining of the film is chilling and one immediately hates Offier Ed for his action after the incident.But as the film progresses,the opinion about Ed is taken back drastically.Kevin Spacey is excellent in his role and one cannot but admire him in the film.Russel Crowe is brilliant and his anger on-screen is well shown.Kim Basinger and James Cromwell are good but the latter gains more leverage as more and more of the mystery is unwrapped by Ed & Jack.

Screenplay is good and the music fits the atmosphere of the film quite well.Special mention must be made of the climatic shootout.The scene was well made and was thrilling.I simply loved the scene.There are a few surprises as the film moves closer to the climax and they add spice to the proceedings.Detective Ed finally realises the fine line between delivering justice and the stark reality of doing so.One really funny scene happens when Ed thinks an actress is a call-girl when in reality,she is a star.That particular scene made me laugh my head off.An awesome film which pays tribute to the cop-thriller genre.

My rating: 9/10
Rating: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119488/
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DARK CITY:
A man by name John Murdoch(Rufus Sewell) wakes up in a Hotel and realises he is being chased by the Police for a murder he does'nt remember commiting.He is also chased by a group of people who have strange powers.Slowly Murdoch realises his own hidden powers and must use it against his hunters and find the truth about himself,in the strange city which has no Sun.

A search on the net revealed the fact that this film was released 1 year prior to 'The Matrix' and it amazes me very much because of the similarity.Of course I have'nt given away the premise of the film and I will not do it.But i would have to state that 'Dark City' is toned-down version of 'The Matrix' as stated by an IMDB user.I would have to agree with him whole-heartedly.

But I feel 'Dark City' is much better than 'The Matrix' primarily because of a good script and a decent screenplay.'The Matrix' too had a good share of the same,but it relied rather too heavily on Graphics to state the point(which I definitely do not despise!!).'Dark City' on the other hand rather relies more on good acting and a screenplay that maintains the suspense till the very end.The twist(or rather the truth) behind the entire film was unexpected and I really enjoyed the ending.

Being the protaganist of the film,Rufus Sewell as Murdoch is very good.William Hurt as Inspector Bumstead is good in his role and his support to Murdoch towards the end is a welcome sight.All the actors who portrayed The Strangers(Mr.Hand,Mr.Rain,Mr.Sleep,....) are quite okay.The rest of the cast is fine.It is easy to compare this film with the Matrix Trilogy,but I firmly believe that 'Dark City' is a film that stands on its own despite the obivous comparisons with 'The Matrix'.

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118929/
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Steps to view this blog more easily...

2007-09-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

Hello there.I am a self-declared movie addict and I've penned down my comments on the recent films I have watched.All the comments posted here are my own views and if it coincides with zillion other views on the net,I cannot be held accountable for even the slightest levels of plagiarism!!!!!

For the flexibility of your viewing,I have split the films in groups which are accessed through LABELS.And,all the posts have a maximum of 15 films.If that count is exceeded,another post under a similar label will be created.

For example,clicking the 'Hindi Films' label will display all the comments about Hindi films I have watched recently.The same goes for Tamil Films as well,labelled as 'Tamil Films'.As I watch more of English films,I could not bring them together under a single Label.
Hence I have classified English films alone as:

Awesome Entertainers-brilliantly made films
::Awesome Entertainers-I
::Awesome Entertainers-II
Classics-no description needed
Good Entertainers-pop corn entertainment with a good repeat value!!
Hannibal Quadrilogy-the famous series of movies about Dr.Hannibal Lecter(Anthony Hopkins)
M N Shyamalan Movies-Some of Manoj Night Shyamalan's films,i watched
Ocean Series-The famous series of Oceans 11,Oceans 12,Oceans 13
Q Tarantino Corner-Films made by my favourite Director Quentin Tarantino
The Godfather Trilogy-The critically acclaimed Godfather films

The complete list of films under the labels are given below,hope it helps your cause of watching a movie ;) ::

Awesome Entertainers-I>>
Identity
Die Hard 4.0
Mr.Brooks
Dog Day Afternoon
Inside Man
Shooter
Shaun Of The Dead
Aocalypto
Running Scared
Hot Fuzz
Sin City
The Terminal
The Prestige
Run Lola Run
Click

Ocean's 11 (also labelled under Ocean Series)
Ocean's 12 (also labelled under Ocean Series)
Ocean's 13 (also labelled under Ocean Series)

Awesome Entertainers-II>>
Lucky Number Slevin
V For Vendetta
The Machinist
Goodfellas
The Bourne Ultimatum
Bourne Identity
Fight Club
L.A.Confidential
Dark City

Classics>>
11(current section) + 3(Godafther Trilogy) + 4(Q Tarantino corner)

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
The Green Mile
Taxi Driver
Silence Of The Lambs (also labelled under Hannibal Quadrilogy)
Red Dragon (also labelled under Hannibal Quadrilogy)
Schindlers List
Crash
Se7en
The Usual Suspects
The Shawshank Redemption
The Sixth Sense (also labelled under M N Shyamalan Movies)

The Godfather (also labelled under The Godfather Trilogy)
The Godfather,part II (also labelled underThe Godfather Trilogy)
The Godfather,part III (also labelled underThe Godfather Trilogy)

Pulp Fiction (also labelled under Q Tarantino Corner)
Reservoir Dogs (also labelled under Q Tarantino Corner)
Kill Bill,Vol 1 (also labelled under Q Tarantino Corner)
Kill Bill,Vol 2 (also labelled under Q Tarantino Corner)

Good Entertainers-I>>
Minority Report
Vacancy
Crank
Bad Boys II
Bad Boys
The Others
Fantastic Four
Mr.Bean's Holiday
Next
Spiderman 3
Ghost Rider
Chicken Little
Night At The Museum
Transporter 2
The Transporter

Good Entertainers-II>>
The Host
Meet The Robinsons
The Bourne Supremacy
Black Hawk Down
Fracture

Hannibal Quadrilogy:
The Silence Of The Lambs
Red Dragon
Hannibal
Hannibal Rising

Hindi Films:
Vivah
Khosla Ka Ghosla
Antony Kaun Hai
Iqbal
Bunty Aur Bubli
Ellan
Zinda
Shootout At Lokhandwala
Eklavya
Ek Ajnabee
Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.
Bluffmaster
Sarkar
Black Friday

M N Shyamalan Movies>>
The Sixth Sense
Unbreakable
Signs

Ocean Series>>
Ocean's 11
Ocean's 12
Ocean's 13

Q Tarantino Corner>>
Pulp Fiction
Reservoir Dogs
Kill Bill,Vol 2
Kill Bill,Vol 1

Tamil Films>>
Kattradhu Tamizh(a.k.a Tamizh M.A)
Sivi
Sivaji
Karupusaamy Kuthagaitharar
Thamirbarani
Sachein
Paruthi Veeran
Chennai-600028
Mozhi

The Godfather Trilogy>>
The Godfather
The Godfather,Part II
The Godfather,Part III

Utter Trash>>
The Marine
When A Stranger Calls
Ellan
88 Minutes

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Bollywood products.....

2007-09-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

Entertainers from Bollywood,which is one of the largest producers of films from India despite being just a part of Indian Cinema.The movie's I have reviewed below vary from the motivational master-pieces to the incredibly mundane.Am sorry if opinions differ....

MOVIE COUNT :: 14
Click on the Titles below to read the corresponding review directly(no scrolling hassles) in this page::
Vivah
Khosla Ka Ghosla
Antony Kaun Hai
Iqbal
Bunty Aur Bubli
Ellan
Zinda
Shootout At Lokhandwala
Eklvaya
Ek Ajnabee
Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.
Bluffmaster
Sarkar
Black Friday

VIVAH:
Barjatya's are always popular for the tradition-steeped movies.Their movies are doused in traditions,family values and of course family-love.'Vivah' is no different and we have a charming Hero(Shahid Kapoor as Prem) and a really gorgeous Heroine(Amrita Rao as Poonam) who is the traditonal-indian-family girl.But i got to state that Amrita Rao is so charmingly beautiful it is difficult to ignore her beauty.It rather funny to know that she has already acted in 2-3 movies prior to 'Vivah' and i never noticed her at all.It hardly comes as a surprise that the famous Indian artist M.F.Hussain wanted to portray her beauty in his paintings.

Coming back to the film,we have Prem's family which comprises of his father(Anupam kher),brother,babhi(sister-in-law) & batheeja(brother's kid).They are quite a happy family and are looking for an ideal match for Prem.And quite obivously we have Poonam's(Amrita Rao) family,who live in a small town but are a well-cultured Indian family.Poonam who lost her parents at an young age is doted on by her uncle(Alok Nath).But this does'nt go down well with her aunty,as Alok Nath showers more affection on Poonam than their own daughter(Amrutha Prakash as Rajni/Choti).

However the wedding is fixed and the bride & bridegroom takie a liking for each other.But a fire accident before the marriage scars Poonam.Will Prem change his decision to marry her?Will Poonam's aunty change her mindset against Poonam and accept her as a daughter????

All the knots are tied well in the climax and we do have a happy ending.I liked this movie more because,the interactions between Prem and Poonam were really sweet and very natural.The background score as well the songs were easy on the ears with no hard music blarring in.Prem represents the man,who is willing to do anything for his ladylove and of course,his love for Poonam is pure and unadultrated,which is beyond beauty.A wholesome entertainer for the family and as for the youngsters of todays generation.This movie would sure teach them a thing or two about love !!!

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0494290/
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KHOSLA KA GHOSLA:
A small-budget entertainer which was aggresively marketed by UTV before its release,here in India.It is a well made film and it DOES manage to bring a smile on the viewer's face.It is also a talking encyclopedia about land-sharks and their MO(modus operandi) in and around New Delhi.

Kamalkishore Khosla played brilliantly by Anupam kher invests his hard-earned money into a plot of land and duly,is cheated off the land.It has been seized by Kurana Constructions,which belongs to Kishan Khurana(Boman Irani,i love you).Khosla is heart-broken as he loses his money and his eldest son(Chiraunjilal 'Cherry' Khosla/Chirag Khosla) is hell-bent on leaving their family and settling in the States.Cherry decides to help his father out before leaving and all hell breaks loose with the entire family trying different methods to cheat Khurana and get back their rightful land.The methods used are of course,against a protesting Khosla whos words are not heard for good this time.A breaking family re-unites to get back at the sly Land-shark Kishan Khurana.

Anupam Kher is briliant at what he is,acting and he gives another wining performance as the man cheated of all his hard-earned money.The complex reactions come at a later stage in the climax.Navin Nischol returns(Sethi/baapu) to the silver screen after a very long time and his impersonation brings the roof down.Vinay Pathak who initially irritates Cherry,turns the Khosla family's saviour.And we have humour sprinkled throughout the film that will have the viewer in splits.

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0466460/
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ANTONY KAUN HAI:
Finally i find a good stylised hindi flick,that does not seem to be ripped off or inspired by other films.I do hope it stays so....It is a well-known fact in Bollywood that the on-screen chemistry between Sanjai Dutt and Arshad Warsi is awesome and its a rib-tickling experience.It is no less in 'Antony Kaun Hai'...

...the movie starts off with Antony's/Champu's (Arshad Warsi) flashback with his captor Master Madan(Sanjai Dutt),who is trying to pass his time.As he is still to get his money the capture of Antony.The flashback is inter-mingled with many sequence returning to the present where we have some really funny scenes involving Master Madan.Whereas in the flashback,as Antony relates his flashback,he tries to make sense of the things around him.This repeated jumps to the past and present make sure the viewers are entertained as well as intrigued with the proceedings.As the flashback comes to an end and it is time for Master Madan to finish off Champu,we have a nice little mini-twist(mini because it has veen seen before)!!!

Finally we see Arshad Warsi come out from under the cloud of Munnabhai and give us a sterling performance.He sings,breaks into jigs,cracks jokes,cries(yea he does) and almost everything a hero does,other than a fight!!!Sanjai dutt as Master Madan is cool and has the viewer in splits with his quick wit and sarcasm.Raghuvir Sharma(Raguvir Yadhav) is good in his role Antony's narrative.Inspector Suraj Singh(Gulshan Grover) with his strange hums is funny and evokes a few laughs.

I did'nt take a liking to all the songs played in the film.Hey tastes do differ,so maybe you would like them!!!Hey psssst,It turns out Champu is really Champu and not Antony at all.Confused?Well check out the movie....

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800981/
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IQBAL:
Nagesh Kukunoor is a name to reckon with.His versatility is visible with the different genres hes tried in all his films(Hyderbad Blues,Rockford,Bollywood Calling,Iqbal,Dor,....).His movies have that very simplistic plot that is quite evident in lives of the common man!'Iqbal' is no different,being a story about a dumb-deaf boy Iqbal(Shrayas Talpade)who aspires to play cricket for his nation.Coming from a very poor family with a father against cricket,the odds are stacked against Iqbal.How he overcomes his hurdles,both personal and others to adorn the Indian Team's Shirt is all Iqbal is about.

The performances are what take this film to a high level of excellence.And leading the pack is Shreyas Talpade in the most brilliant performance of his young career.Khadija(Shweta Prasad) as his younger sister is really adorable and she provides Iqbal the moral suuport that he very much needs.Mohit(Naseeruddin Shah in a cake-walk of a role)is a loval drunkard whose help is seeked by Iqbal and Khadija.Having been a great cricketer once,Mohit comes out from his shell of isolation and helps Iqbal tread the right path.

On the way to glory and success,come many hurdles.And here we have Guruji(Girish Karnad) who throws Iqbal out of his training academy over a small scuffle with a rich.With all doors closing in around Iqbal(including increasing pressure from his father to have him do agriculture),he must struggle agaisnt all odds to come up trumps.

After all, the human spirit is all about not giving up,till it has achieved what it has set out to achieve.A film that certainly will motivate handicapped people regardless of language,cast,age,nationality!!!Job well done Nagesh Kukunoor.... :)

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0453729/
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BUNTY AUR BUBLI:
A comic caper quite obivously 'inspired' from some Hollywood movie(Bonnie And Clyde).A good film which was the most talked about post-release in 2005.And the first major hit in Abhishek's(Bunty) career.No big surprises as regarding Rani Mukharjee(Babli,) who is chirpy and somber as needed.Amitabh is suave,cool and with a Sholay score running when he's around,its nostalgia time.

Two day-dreaming teenagers(Rakesh & Vimmi Saluja) run out of their homes to seek something interesting in life and they bump into each other when the odds are against them.They team up just once(or so as they say intially) to get back what they lost and they end up conning people for the thrill they got in it!!!Meanwhile,love blossoms between the two con artists and they live happily ever after????Noooooo wait,things cant be so easy.We have ACP Dashrath Singh(Amitabh Bachan)who backtails them after being intrigued by their strange ways of conning people.And he does catch up with them,not before we have Aiswarya Rai performing 'Kajra Re'(the chart-topping song from Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy) and the couple becomming the proud parents of a boy..But once they are caught,we have a couple of emotional and 'patriotic' twists to end a really good entertainer.

Abhishek Bachan and Rani Mukharjee have a total blast in different disguises and they manage to sell the Taj Mahal to an unsuspecting tourist as well :D .Amitabh is as cool as he always is and when he breaks into a jig in the 'kajra re' song,one cannot but do the same!!!A well made entertainer that made Abhishek the Star that he is now...

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448206/
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ELLAN:
Mithun Chakrabothy is BABA, a terrorist.His hand reaches every corner of the Globe(lol..), he is barely menancing IMHO(in my holy opinion).A son seeks him out to take revenge for his father's murder.On his revenge quest,he discovers friendshipl,love,courage and the pain of sacrifices(read he teams up with four others).

The plot sounds reasonable enough,but the Director has meddled with it and what results is a half-baked product.The climax fight scene could have been revolutionary,what with all the rain and cool stunts.But the art department(or whomever responsible) had made sure the rain drops are so interfering,the audience wont have any idea whos fighting whom.A waste of time if you ask me, the plot has'nt been developed well.

Arjun Rampal comes up with a decent enough performance,same for the lead actor(Rahul Khanna i think,not so sure!!!). Mr.Director,foreign locations and friendship songs alone will not make up for a shoddy script.Better luck next time..i mean the viewers :)

The tagline could have read>> five poor souls,one really poor movie :(

My rating: 4/10
Links: none(could not find this title on imdb & wikipedia)
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ZINDA:
For fourteen years of his life, Balajeet Roy (Sanjay Dutt) was imprisoned without knowing what his crime was nor where he was.One day,he is suddenly set free and has four days to find out why he was imprisoned in the first place and the reason he was kept alive so long.So begins his quest for answers and 'revenge'.

A very violent movie but with an interesting plot ripped totally from the critically acclaimed korean movie 'Oldboy'(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldboy). Mindless and inappropiately placed songs are an irritant on the ear drums.In my opinion,this film would have fared much, much better without the songs.And the thing which totally sicked me out was the unneccesary and totally idiotic sex scene between Roy and Jenni Singh(Lara Dutta) a cab driver.That scene was very sick if you would ask me.A Hollywood-styled film need not have a sex scene at all,i pity the makers for having included it to appease the front benchers.

And to appease the masses,the director has introduced trash in the name of commercial elements(stylish disco songs,sex scene between you know who,ultra-violent scenes of action).But despite all these disappointing glitches,i liked the film for its concept and am sure,my hate for 'Zinda' would have shot the roof if I had watched 'Oldboy 'earlier.

Sanjai Dutt and John Abraham(Rohit Chopra) give good performancec.John Abraham in particular has that aura of intrigue till the shocking secret is revealed in the climax.Hats off John,you are ablt to make the audience understand the anguish of Rohit.An ample foil for a silver-haired Dutt....this movie is certainly NOT for the weak-hearted.

My rating: 7/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0488906/
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SHOOTOUT AT LOKANDHWALA:
Note:This particular review carries more of my distaste about the film and please proceed to read it at your own risk.Do not blame me for having biased your own opinion!!!

Another wasted effort...what is the use in having half of Bollywood starring in this no-brainer movie?The huge huge star cast comprises of,ordered as per ease of viewing them::
Brillaint acting>>
Vivek Obroi(Maya)
Sanjai Dutt(ACP Shamsher Khan)
Amitabh Bachan(Dhingra)

Commendable>>
Aai(Amrita Singh)
Suniel Shetty(Inspector Kaviraj Patil)
Rohit Roy(Fattu)

Quite okay,but irritating at most times>>
Arbaaz Khan(Inspector Javed Shaikh)
Diya Mirza(Reporter Mita Matu)
Neha Dhupia(Rohini,ACP's Wife)

Major eye-sore and a funny sight to watch>>
Tusshar Kapoor(Dilip Buva)

Guest appearences>>
Abhishek Bachan(Inspector Abhishek Mahatre)
Rakhi Sawant(herself)

Ekta Kapoor must be reprimanded for having cast her brother because she is producing the film.She has no right to kill the audience by having a bloke with a woody face,portray a menacing gangster!!!I was laughing my guts out when Bhuva mouthed "Theri Maa Ki......" ,he was so darn funny i kept watching his scenes again.Take a break Tusshar.....

I agree one is supposed to sit back and enjoy the performances,but to what avail????Most performances stand out like sore thumbs and this brings down the quality of the film down.The film is held on the strong performances of Sanjai Dutt as the ACP and Vivek Obroi as Maya(now here is a gangster who frightens the audience)!!!Amitabh as the appointed defense counsel manages to bring some lighter moments during the interrogation with the officers.The camera angles are good and the actual 'shootout' has been captured brilliantly.The good points are limited to the above few lines alone....

...too many songs,at the most inappropriate of times manage to move a person to his/her limits of sanity!!!!The Gangsters walk has been copied from 'Reservoir Dogs'(slow motion style) and to add fuel to the fire,we have a crappy rap-lind-of score for the walk!!!

But for the trio of Vivek Oberoi,Sanjai Dutt,Amitabh supported by a very few others,Shootout would have triggered a mass-upraisal against its screening in the country.Heartfelt thanks to the Trio(and the few others!!!).Watch this wasted effort only if you like Oberoi,Big B or Sanjai Dutt...else better catch some sleep.

If you like the film,i respect your feelings..the same way you must respect mine!!!! :)

My rating: 5/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0811066/
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EKLAVYA:
A glittering star cast all for nothing,i was kind of disappointed with the ending and moresover with the entire movie.I had to watch the climax nearly two months after I lost interest the first time.

Eklavya(Amitabh Bachan) is the royal Guard who's family has been guarding the Devigarh Dynasty for nine generations.With the demise of Queen Suhasini Devi,Prince Harshvardhan returns to India from London for the funeral.Meanwhile,King Rana Jaywardhan gets a death threat and Inspector Panalal Chauhan(Sanjai Dutt) investigates the matter.An aeging Eklavya fails to thwart the attempt on the Rana's life and the latter is murdered.As things head from bad to worse,more and more skeletons come tumbling out of the closet,what with Rajjo(Vidya Balan) loving Harshavardhan and his sister Princess Nandini claiming the Queen was actually murdered.

Big B is excellent in his role of Eklavya,an aeging and slowly-turning-blind loyal Guard.Other actors play out their parts very well,which includes Saif Ali Khan & jackie Shroff(its been a long time).This film was meant to be a thriller and Vidhu Vinod Chopra could have doen with a less known cast,excluding most of the filmed cast other than Big B,Bomman,Saif,Jackie and Jimmy Shergill.To have such a huge star cast has simply taken away the sheen from the story & screenplay.The public expectations were sky high becuase of the cast and that is exactly,why this film flopped at the Box Office.Chopra gifted Big B a Rolls Royce for this movie,which i think was just to create worthless hype!!

The murder scene of the Rana was well filmed with great Camera movement without hurting the eye too much....

Eklavaya sans most of the filmed cast(Sharmilla Tagore,Sanjai Dutt,Vidya Balana,Raima Sen,) would have been a commercial success.I mention thse above names not to state that they performed badly,but to state that their Star Value has diverted the attention of audience.Eklavya has acclaimed critical success though,for being a good thriller!!!

My rating: 7/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0459605/
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EK AJNABEE:
Tries to be very stylish,but the outcome is pretty mediocre.The plus points of this highly-stylised-wanna-be movie is the chemistry between Ananmika(Rucha Vaidya) and Suryaveer Singh(Amitabh Bachan).A retired Colonel(Suryaveer Singh) is assigned the job of guarding Anamika by Shekhar(Arjun Rampal) who runs a Security Agency in Bangkok.As kidnapping of rich children is a common occurence in Bangkok,Anamika's parents request the services of Singh.Singh has some psychological war injuries and he is not his normal self,but over time,he bonds with sweet Anamika and the two become inseperable.

Bad things are supposed to happen and the Anamika is kidnapped,Singh gets injured in the process.Pland to pay the ransom money and get Anamika backfires and she is killed.An injured Singh gets revenge-thirsty and henceforth we get to see the angry-Big B,an epitome of justice. Big B is the young-angry-man he was in his young days and it is delight watching him play with the villains....Anamika is really sweet.

There is a special appearence by Lara Dutta,Abhishek Bachana and Sanjai Dutt.And in my holy opinion,the producers whould have cast someone else in place of Dutta,as i think she made me puke with here presence in this film...The film in itself is a remake of the Hollywood Flick 'Man On Fire' and Director Apporva Lakhia even apes HBO's 'Band Of Brothers' for a short cut scene.Initially i was disappointed that this movie flopped,but after watching it I was happy it had'nt happened otherwise.Watch this movie if you have nothing worthwhile to do at home or else,if you are a Big B fan.

My rating: 6/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457875/
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HONEYMOON TRAVELS PVT LTD. :
As seen from the above promo,the film is about 6 couples who are out on their honeymoon(well most of them are).We are introduced to all the couples and also the problems and happyness they share,or rather do'nt share in their life.A feel-good movie foucssing on the problems faced by different couples.

It is literally a coup d'état,as we have a lot of stars here.And it is a pleasure to watch them interact with each other.I will not go too much into the story,it is quite enjoyable with a lot of surprises thrown in here and there.Just sit back and enjoy the movie folks.

My rating: 7/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808306/
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BLUFFMASTER:
Get ready to be conned...this comic caper will either have you in splits or have you wondering "Now,what was that?" after the end credits roll.Thank God it was the former for me and am sure it will be the same for you as well.

Roy(Abhishek Bachan) is a professional Con artist and he is in love with Simran(Priyanka Chopra).At his engagement ceremony,one of his fishes(con victims) tells the truth about Roy to Simran and she ditches Roy!!!

Roy meets Aditya Srivastav alias Dittu,an amateur wanna-be conman and due to circumstances,Roy agrees to teach the latter the tricks of the Con business.Soon the two unlike poles become good friends.In time,Roy finds he has cancer by Doctor Bhalerao(Boman Irani) and he has to count his days.Simran comes to know of this and she returns to Roy.And exactly at this point of time,Dittu confesses his plan to take revenge on Champu(Nana Patekar) for having cheated his father.Roy decides to help him out as a final good act in his life.And he does manage to do it..he is on his way to get operated for his Cancer when he comes to know Simran is in Champu's grasp.His act of rescue brings the twist in the tale for both Roy as well the audience,thus becoming the final and biggest of all cons in the movie.

Performance of all the lead actors is top notch and praise-worthy.The most applaudable one's is that of Abhishek as he delivers this comic role with complete style and panache.Next is Ritesh Deshmukh who plays second fiddle to Roy,but gains greater mileage during the closing parts of the film.Bomman Irani fits the role to a T.Nana Patekar is on screen after a long time and it is total delight to watch him squirm and swear :) and finally,Priyanka Chopra is cute & beautiful in her 'surprising' role!!!If one is sharp enough ,he/she can catch a nice bit of dialogue between Abhishek and Priyanka right before the credits roll.If you miss that part,contact me and i will enlighten you.

All technical aspects are of high quality,including the songs as well as thebackground score.Special mention must be made of the camera,lighting as well as editing department who have done a marvellous job!!!A light hearted entertainer that is sure to lighten your day...Abhishek sizzles in his 'con'-ing performance!!!

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0476527/
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SARKAR:
It's Ramu's(Ram Gopal Varma) turn to pay homage to the Cult Classic 'The Godfather'.I have no idea how many Directors actually got inspired by THE GODFATHER,but I am least bothered.Because Ramu's 'Sarkar' is good enough for me.

Subash Nagre(Amitabh Bachan/Big B) is a ray of light for the down-trodden and ill-treated in the dirty lanes of Mumbai.He is respected by the 'aam janta'(public) and feared by the sinners.If found reasonable,Nagre is a man who will murder a person for the sin he commited!!!His family comprises of his wife,elder son Vishnu Nagre(Kay Kay Menon) a wastrel,foreign returned MBA graduate Shankar Nagre(Abhiske Bachan),Avantika(Tanish) Shankar's cousin.

Nagre is up against Selva Mani(Srinivasa Kota Rao),Swami Virendra(Jeeva)amongst other.Rashid(Zakir Husain in a chilling villainous role) approahes Sarkar with a drug and the latter warns him against moving forward the drug plan.Rashid teams up with Sarkar's other enemies and they try their best to dethrone Sarkar,but to no avail.In the midst of this,we have Shankar returning to Mumbai with his girlfriend Pooja(Katrina Kaif),who later is force to ditch him for obivous reasons.Vishnu lands himself in trouble over a murder and he is thrown out of the Nagre house and he is aptly used by the Rashid team.With eveythin against him,Sarkar is is imprisoned and an attempt is made on his life.And at this point of time,Abhishke(Shankar) takes over the show and delivers one of his unforgettable performances ever.His revenge spree coupled with the haunting 'govinda govinda' background score,sends shivers down the viewers spine!!!

Big B is too good for us to ignore his performance and the scenes are power-packed with his presence.Things get even better when his Shankar slowly gains screen presence and marks his stamp during the final part of the movie.It is difficult not to make comparisons with 'The Godfather',but when Ramu has given us an excellent piece of adaptation,who is to complain.I thoroughly enjoyed the film..two thumbs up Ramu!!!

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432047/
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BLACK FRIDAY:
A brilliant masterpiece by Director Anurag Kashyap.He gives out a neutral opinion on the Mumbai Bomb Blasts.The movie is based on the book about the same,written by Hussain Zaidi.

Many different angles(view-points of different people) are shown in the movie.Kashyap starts with the shattering bomb-blasts(shown very effectively) and going back to the point in time,where the plan was hatched in the first place.

March 9,1993 was a day not to be forgotten by the Mumbai Police.For that was the day,a crook confessed to major bomb blasts being planned around major places around the city and it was the same day when the Mumbai Police dismissed the confession without a blink.And on March 12th,Mumbai is rocked by the blasts that tear the metropolitan city apart,leaving more than a 1000 dead.

Inspector Rakesh Maria(Kay Kay Menon) starts the invesigation into the matter and skeletons come tumbling out of the closet.Tiger Memom(Pavan Malhotra) is found to be one of the prime suspsects with orders coming from an upper echelon.The films moves around with the investigation of Maria and later on we get to see the justifications of Memom for the war!!!Next comes Badshah Khan,one among the criminals involved in the bombing.His intial faith in the hallucinations for jihad ,his sufferings as he is lead on a wild goose chase by Memom and finally his submission to the Mumbai Police as a Police Witness.And we also have the views of the criminal and financial mastermind behind the entire plot,Dawood Ibrahim.

Vijay Maurya who depicts Dawood Ibrahim looks chillingly identical and one cannot help but shiver on watching him enact Ibrahim.Being a film based on a real event,it needed a strong screenplay matched with some decent performances.The screenplay is taught enough and the way of story-telling is quite gripping.The major USP of the film comes from the acting department.Almost everyone in the film is excellent and the major characters give a rock-solid performance.

Kay Kay Menon as Inspector Maria is menacing and cool as required and Pavan Malhotra steals the show as the cool,suave and calculating Tiger Memmom.Another brillaint performance is given by Adhithya Srivastava as Badsha Khan.He is able to make the audience feel his anguish and confusion very well that,the audience actually start feeling pity for him.

Note:It could also be considered a documentary,because its been shot in such a way and am sure a layman will have a fair idea about the Mumbai Bomb Blasts after watching this movie.The only thing against this movie is the fact that it has theat documentray feel,which means the pace is quite slow.But that should not deter people from venturing to watch such a master-piece!!!Certainly deserves a watch.

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0400234/
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Danny Ocean & his team's Escapades

2007-09-10T08:43:00.001-07:00

Danny Ocean is one of the coolest and smartest of thieves if Hollywood and this series of films by acclaimed Director Steven Soderbergh(Traffic,Erin Brockovich) has a glittering star cast to die for.Another good thing is that the star cast lifts the film up rather down bring it down as in other previous films!!!And not to miss Rusty Ryan,Ocean's best friend who stays lean and trim despite munching his time away in all the three movies.

NOTE:All the three films are 'awesome entertainers' in my opinion,and so you would find them under the 'Awesome Entertainers' label as well.

MOVIE COUNT :: 3
Click on the Titles below to read the corresponding review directly(no scrolling hassles) in this page::
Oceans 11
Oceans 12
Oceans 13

OCEAN'S 11:
Danny Ocean(George Clooney) is released from prison.Upon getting out,he immediately forms a plan with Rusty Ryan(Brad Pitt) to rob three casino's in Las Vegas simultaneously.He forms a team of 11 accomplices and plans out the robbery in fine style, which covers most of the movie. Man, the actual robbery and the getaway is brilliant as well as funny. Not to miss mentioning the comic interludes between the 'Eleven', this movie is a sure-watch. A huge star cast which does enough justice to its inclusion...

Andy Garcia is good in his role as the Casino Owner!!!Geroge Clooney carries off his role with style and providing him ample support is the ever-munching Rusty Ryan.We also have Matt Damon,Julia Roberts and many many more celebrities.

The film is to be watched for the brilliant planning of Ocean,the great music and of course to watch all those celebrities having fun on-screen.Note:The brilliant thing in the climax is not the robbery,but the well-planned getaway.I dont want to go into details of the movie as the Ocean Series has a quite complicated screenplay,one has to experience it personally!!!

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240772/
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OCEAN'S 12:
Coming after a strong positive opening in 'Oceans 11',there was a lot of hype around this film.And that is exactly why this film had a lot of negative reviews flying around.Looking at 'Oceans 12' as a separate movie brings in a lot of difference.I certainly enjoyed the movie and with Terry Benedict(Andy Garcia) waiting to take revenge,things are more interesting here.
Benedict finds out that it was Ocean's 11 who robbed him(in 'Oceans 11') and he demands the 11 pay up the loot inculding interest.So,to pay off Benedict's money,the Eleven pool the remaining money they all have,and they stil fall short by nearly 97 million(My gosh!!!).So they plan to steal a bond document that will pay off their debt.But another thief, the 'Night Fox' steals it before them...what follows is mayhem and confusion.Danny(George Clloney) and Rusty(Brad Pitt) find out who the Night Fox is and as to why he/she is crossing paths.Later Ocean strikes up a deal with the Night Fox(oh yeah,Ocean finds out the real identity),upon winning which,their debt would be paid off.So do they suceed???And who did reveal the identity of the eleven to Benedict??What made the night fox cross swords with the Eleven??And of course,the big question is..who is the 12th member of the gang????Watch the movie to find out....

The plot is thicker & more twisted than in 'Oceans 11'.Acting was good as expected,no complaints about that....we still have Rusty munching away all the time.This time,he also has time for Cupids arrow.Ocean(george clooney) is good and thank God,Julia Roberts gets more screen presence in this movie compared to the earlier version.Matt damon is the man under limelight here and we glimpses of his family...Andy Garcia though in a short role is good,given the limited screen presence.And the same goes to the rest of the ensemble.

My rating: a well deserved 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349903/
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OCEAN'S 13:
Steven Soderbergh is back in this hopefully final part of the Ocean series.He has certainly made sure no one complains about 'Oceans13' as they did when 'Oceans12' was released!!!And this time we have the great Al Pacino adding more star value to the proceedings.

But this time,Ocean's team is not going for the money.Its for revenge and they spin off the grandest and most cunning of their masterplans to rip-off Willie Bank(Al Pacino),who double crosses Reuben Tishkoff(Elliott Gould).The latter has a heart-attack and is bed-ridden.The revenge plan meets some obstacles.And at the suggestion of Linus(a brilliant Matt Damon),the help of Benedict is seeked.Do the Thirteen(now who is the new member here?) manage to rip-off Banks and get the revenge they seek for their beloved partner Tishkoff????

Screenplay is a tad more brilliant compared to the previous films and of course,coming from Soderbergh,its more complicated this time.With muliple layers of plans being executed,it is difficult to guess the ending.But Soderbergh manages to finish the movie in style.The acting is excellent again and i've absolutely no complaints about the acting.Al Pacino adds more menace to the role of a villain and he is more villainous compared to Benedict!!!!And also,we come to know of Linus's mother and father too....and a note of caution,there are multiple twists in this final(hopefully) edition of the series!!

Soderbergh,this is a plea from a fan of the series....please please please,do NOT make a sequel!!End the series here..u've hit a note high enough.Love,your fan :)

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0496806/
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More than just mere entertainment..

2007-09-09T05:54:00.000-07:00

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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Good Entertainers from Start 2 Finish!!!

2007-09-09T01:01:00.000-07:00

Listed below are films which are quite good...but not quite good enough that i felt like watching them again.These films can be watched once,some exceptions can be watched twice at the most....good entertainment value included :)
-- GOOD ENTERTAINERS 1 --

MOVIE COUNT :: 15
Minority Report
Vacancy
Crank
Bad Boys 2
Bad Boys
The Others
Fantastic Four
Mr.Bean's Holiday
Next
Spiderman3
Ghost Rider
Chicken Little
Night At The Museum
The Transporter 2
The Transporter

MINORITY REPORT:
We are in the future and crimes are predicted before their occurence,which are prevented by the pre-crime unit led by chief officer John Anderton(Tom Cruise).The predictions are made my three pre-cogs who are the remaining victims of a drug-experiment,which has adversely affected their minds,hence the predictions.The only drawback is that the pre-cogs are able to predict pre-meditated murders pretty early but not the one's of passion,as the latter occur in the heat of the moment.The pre-cogs predict the muder of a certain Ted Crowe by Anderton himself.Anderton is shocked as he does'nt know the victim at all and here starts his run,to prove his innocence.

The inclusion of time travel,wether human body or information always leads to plot-holes in the script and it certainly is present.But due to the entertainment provided,one can forgive the plot-holes.Tom Cruise is good and his best scenes are the run from pre-crime unit and the encounter with the 'spiders' after his eye-operation.Visually the film is stunning and coming from Speilberg,one cannot anything less.Some aspects of the future are well thought out and shown excellently on screen.The screenplay lags a bit at some places but overall,the films is a good entertainer provided the plot-holes are ignored.The concept of the pre-cogs is fascinating and Anderton's run with one of the pre-cogs is immensly enjoyable(the scene at the mall)!!!!

Director Lamar Burgess(Max Von Sydow) is commendable and the other cast is quite okay.A futuristic thriller from Spielberg with his favourite star that manages to entertain as well as intrigue the human mind.

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181689/
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VACANCY:
A couple get stranded at a lonely Motel due to their car's breakdown.They find strange Snuff videos in their room and to their horror,they realise that they are going to be killed!!There are cameras all around the room.Now,the couple must use their brains to get the hell out of the motel!!!

The premise looks quite promising and i wasnt entirely disappointed with 'Vacancy'!!I was just looking for some thrills and chills and i got what i desired here.If people are looking for some serious stuff,'Vacancy' cannot be that movie in my opinion.

The film is full of cliches with scenes i already saw in dozen other Hollywood movies.And plot-holes are quite a handful here...but if one is willing to suspend logic and step over the plot-holes,'Vacancy' is a good thriller for you!!!

I am really sorry if i discouraged people waiting to watch 'Vacancy',but i cant lie right!!!'Vacancy' is an enjoyable affair if one is ready to the conditions i mentioned earlier....

My rating: 7/10
Links: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0452702/
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CRANK:
Chev Chelios(Jason Statham) is a professional assassin who has been injected with a poison that will kill him in about 15 minutes(as stated by his arch-rival and the villain)!!To stay alive,he must keep his heart-rate kicking high...starting off on this premise,the movie is one helluva ride till the end.

Using numerous ingenious(??!!) ways to keep his adrenaline level high(indirectly keeping his heart-rate high wich keeps his alive),Chelios seeks out everyone responsible for his state.And of course,we meet his girlfriend Eve(Adam Smart) with whom he was planning to spend more time after quitting the crime syndicate job.

This film is definitely not for the faint hearted or the insanely decent persons as there are sequence of gore,violence and more stuff i cant even state in this blog.On the action side,there is no single dull moment & there is no single scene where one can sit back and relax.The action is mind-blowing and action lovers will adore this film.Though the ending seems quite obivous and 'finished-once-and-for-all',there is a slight indication that some things might have been hallucinations!!!Confused?Check out the movie and you will know what am referring to.....

My rating: 7/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479884/
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BAD BOYS II:
Detective Burnett and Lowrey are back in the second installment of the Bad Boys movie.This time we see more friction between the two detectives wherein,Burnett requests for a transfer to spend more time with his family and less with Lowrey.On the other other hand,Lowrey and Syd(Gabrielle Union) are in love.Before the two hip-hop detectives part their ways,their superior asks them to stop the baffling inflow of Ecstacy drug into Miami.

Will they be able to keep their personla feelings apart and bring the Cuban Druglord Hector Juan Carlos 'Johnny' Tapia(Jordi Mollà).Molla is quite good in his role as the Cuban Druglord.Coming back to the movie,the performance of both Will Smith and Martin Lawrence is good.This time,we have more adult-oriented Bad-Boys.The action is on a bigger scale and the final showdown is pretty nasty with lot of things being blown apart 'Schwarzenegger-style'.Yea babyyyy!!!!!

My rating: 7/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0172156/
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BAD BOYS:
Detective Marcus Burnett(Martin Lawrence) and Detective Mike Lowrey(Will Smith) are partners who are poles apart on the inside.When 100 million dollars in Heroin is stolen from the Miami Police Department,they are given 72 hours to reclaim the stolen goods.And added to the already confused situation is the protection of a witness,for which the detectives have to pretend to be each other!!!This lead to funny situations and like most other cop movies,we have guns-car chases-cool soundtracks during fights-women!!!!

Will Smith is good as always and Martin Lawrence is really very funny and without the humourous situations between the two,the movie would have been a damp squib.

A good entertainer with good action and enough humour to keep things moving at a reasonable pace...

My rating: 7/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112442/
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THE OTHERS:
A spooky and chilling encounter onscreen.Grace Stewart played by Nicole Kidman is very convincing as the stubborn women that she is on screen.And for most of the part,one will be irritated at her behaviour but her stubborn nature is backed & suitably explained by the totally unexpected ending.

Set in the 1940's,Grace lives with her two young photosensitive children in a huge,old mansion in England.All the three await the return of Charles Stewart (Christopher Eccleston),Grace's husband who went off to fight the Germans in WWII. All of the house's curtains must be shut during the day and all the doors must be closed & locked to prevent any accidental light-exposure to the children because of their disease.A maid accompanied by a gardener and a teenage girl join the Stewart's as aids in the huge mansion.Soon afterwars,strange things begin to happen in the house.

The stubborn woman that Grace is,she ignores her daughters words intially.But later on,she will not have the same option again.Her closed wall of thought must accept things beyond her reasoning...and eventually all these lead to a shocking climax that will knock the air out of you!!!

A brilliant and original concept backed by a strong background music score has enough scares for everyone.I liked the movie but it was a tad slow and that biased my opinion about this film a bit.If the pace had been quickened a trifle,i would have certainly had made this entry in 'Awesome Entertainers' thread!!!

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0230600/
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FANTASTIC FOUR:
Hey come on,this movie doesnt need any introduction at all.It is one of the famous comic creations of Marvel Comics.And exactly the same goes for my review as well....Fantastic Four is a typical 'no-brainer' super-hero movie laced with eye-popping visuals.The cool visuals is the only reason i tried this movie.I hold no grudge against FF as most superhero movies are about cool visuals and the heroes defeating the villain.This film was quite good...

When an experimental space voyage goes awry, four people are changed by cosmic rays. Reed Richards, inventor and leader of the group gains the ability to stretch his body, and takes the name, Mr. Fantastic. His girlfriend, Sue Storm, gains the ability to turn invisible and create force fields, calling herself the Invisible Woman. Her younger brother Johnny Storm gains the ability to control fire, including covering his own body with flame, becoming the Human Torch. Pilot Ben Grimm is turned into a super-strong rock creature calling himself Thing.

The scenes involving 'The Torch' and 'The Thing' are quite funny...this movie is good for your eyes :) .By the way i havent checked out 'Rise of the Silver Surfer' ,i heard its got cooler visuals still.

My rating: 7/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120667/
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MR.BEAN'S HOLIDAY:
When i was through with this movie,i felt more relaxed and was beaming with joy.As the 'Mr.Bean Series' on television was so funny,i decided to check out this movie of Rowan Atkinson.And i must accept i was'nt disappointed at all.

We have got humour Mr.Bean's style and it will take all your energy to control yourself from not laughing through this movie.

Mr.Bean(Rowan Atkinson) wins a paid trip to Cannes and we follow him on his 'mis-adventures' where he loses his pasport,money and has his 'mini-film' unofficially premier at the Cannes Film Festival.He is joined in his mis-adventures by Lily Atkinson(am extra on the way to Cannes to watch her first movie appearance) and Preston Nyman(the bumbling Mr.Bean causes this kid to get seperated from his father).

William Dafoe(Carson Clay) is an entusiastic Director who's film is premiering at Cannes.It is a sight to watch his movie making the entire Cannes audience fall asleep...and his later tries at taking Mr.Beans handycam clip off the screen.

This is one movie i would watch everyday and still not get bored at all...good job Rowan Atkinson, but i missed TEDDY :( Laughs guaranteed for sure!!!!

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0453451/
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NEXT:
Cris 'Frank Cadillac' Johnson(Nicholas Cage) is a magician who can predict things two-minutes into the future.The idea sounds pretty lame to me but luckily for Johnson,this idea sounds interesting to the FBI(pun intended)...but the movie was quite ok.The FBI need Johnson to predict where a nuclear bomb is to be planted by some terrorsits.And as in most movies,he meets his love interest on the way and he is pursued by FBI Agent Callie Ferris(Julianne Moore).

The basic plot is quite good and it could have been shown more brilliantly on screen.There is a twist at the end of the film,which i feel make most audience think they just waster their money on this movie.But the twist is good enough and makes up for all the shoddy stuff that happened earlier,no comments about that.

A time-pass movie.You can check out the cool hair-do of Nicholas Cage which is halfway between crazily-dumb and artistically-lunatic!!!!

My rating: 6/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435705/
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SPIDERMAN 3:
Sam Riami is this film's director.And i strongly believe,he has a great future in India as either a Bollywood Director or a Kollywood Director(Tamil Film Industry).Man this guy seems to be so inspired by Indian masala movies,i think it might be coincidence that Spidey-3 is a movie-for-all film!!!!

What i actually meant was that Spidey-3 has all thee spicy ingredients that make up most tamil and hindi films.Of course,there were no songs.Barring that fact,we have romantic scenes,friendship tributes,great fight scenes,sentimental as well as tear-jerker scenes,patirotism(restricted to the cities involved),fight against one's own evil and blah blah blah!!!!

Peter Parker(Tobey Maguire) seems to have established a balance between his personal(Mary Jane) and Social life(Spiderman).When things seem to be going fine,we have the Green Goblin(Harry Osbourne) seeking revenge for his fathers death.Uncle Ben's killer is on the loose and he is now the Sandman!!!And to add to the chaos,we have a gooyee black stuff from space that converts Parker(and Spidey) into something more darker and sinister.Edward 'Eddie' Brock is out to get revenge on Parker for getting him fired.Will Spidey and Parker manage to ward off the evil thing from outer space as well as save the town from the Sandman & escape the Green Goblin???Spiderman 3 is all about that!!!!

James Franco(Harry Osbourn/Green Goblin)appeals more to the audience compared to Parker himself,because of the different shades that Osbourn portrays.I didnt zilch from this movie expect time-pass and hence i got what i had wished for.For people expecting a zillion things from this third installement in the series,i dont know what your opinions will be!!!Spiderman fans will love this movie and so will action fans.A potboiler movie that perfectly fits the Indian scenario :) .

My rating: 7/10
Links: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0413300/
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GHOST RIDER:
Only a time-pass movie IMO.Because:::
#1 the villains are pathetic
#2 the plot of the movie is not carried out well.

The DEVIL strikes a deal with Johnny Blaze(Nicholas Cage) in his teens who loses his father in the process and when the time is right,the Devil seeks Blaze's service.Blaze is now a famous stunt racer and he is asked to capture the Devil's own son.

The animation is prety neatly done and that is the sole reason for watching this movie.Marvel Superhero movies always have cool CGI to back a weak storyline.I dont want to too much into the films plot(actually theres nothing in it actually)!!Grab your popcorn and sit back & enjoy :-)

My rating: 6/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259324/
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CHICKEN LITTLE:
It is the same old 'boy-who-shouted-wolf' story, but with a twist.The wolf does come,the boy escapes unharmed and he eventually becomes a Hero.Translation:::::
>>Boy-Chicken little
>>Wolf-Aliens

Quite an interesting premise for an animated movie.Because the people in the graphics department have anexcuse to indulge in lot of animation as related with aliens and their technology.And moreover,as all the characters are fairy tale-ish animals.

Though a tad slow,it was entertaining stuff from Walt Disney Pictures.It has a good number of messages for parents of the current era and fun included for kids too.

The combination for this movie could be:::
UFO+Animated movie+Spoofs of numerous movies(for laughs) gave the makers themselves enough fun while creating the movie...a good entertainer for the entire family.Nothing more,nothing less(Of course lessons for parents included)!!!

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371606/
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NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM:
Larry Daley(Ben Stiller) is the newly recruited Musuem Security Guard.He has the night shift at work and he comes to know that an ancient curse makes all the exhibits come alive at night.Intially afraid and confused amongst all the chaos,Teddy Roosevelt(Robin Williams) helps Daley out be giving some valuable advice regarding the museum.Of course,all this happens after Daley loses the List of Things-To-Do given to him by the former Guards.Daley finally manages to bring peace in the museum with some innovative thinking and a study of American history!!!He brings his son in for the night to show him all the magic and thus rebuild their relationship.But the three guards return to steal the prized treasures of the museum and Daley must use all his wits and all the cooperation from the museum exhibits to restore peace and order!!!

The animation is good and Daley's sequences with the monkey are really rib-tickling.The acting is quite okay..its not a big role for Robin Williams but he has performed well in the limited screen-time that he has.A perfect kids movie and a treat for a family outing...for all the adults out there,time to relaxxxxxxxx!!!!

My rating: 7/10
Links: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0477347/
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TRANSPORTER 2:
Statham is back and this time,it is time for bigger stuff.Frank Martin(Jason Statham)or The Transporter substitutes for his friend,as a chaffeur for a Narcotics Control Policymaker's family.His boy is kidnapped and Martin is implicated for the kidnapping.

Items on the Transporter's agenda now are::
#1 Rescue the boy
#2 Find the real Kidnapper/Kidnappers
#3 Save the DrugFighting community(who are also part of the bigger plan)...Will Martin make it in time?Will he be able to prove his innocense?Well check this movie to find out....more stunts,more adrenaline,more style and loads of gun-fights.

Statham is cool as he always is....!!Kate Nauta as Lola scorches the screen with her 'almost-always-wet' body blazing away machine guns.An able foil for our Hero Martin!!

Caution:
Suspend most laws of physics as well as reality.And of course,being an action movie..one must always forget the plot-holes!!!

My rating: 7/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388482/
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TRANSPORTER:
A Very stylish movie with some extremely cool acting by Jason Statham.The action is adrenaline-rushing and the pace of the movie ensures that no one falls asleep in between.

Jason Statham is a Frank Martin a.k.a 'The Transporter' who is a self-employed 'delivery boy'.He delivers any package with no questions asked.He has set himself some rules and when he breaks them,he is in for the ride of his life.He has save himself as well as the package he peeked into to go back to his normal life.Jean Reno is very good as the inspector who later joins hands with Statham to help the latter out

The CGI and stunts are really neat in this movie!!And i must admit that some tamil movies have really copied these stunts and i realise them now.The stunts looked cool in those tamil movies,but after watching the professional stuff in Transporter i was awed.Check out the movie if you are either a Statham Fan or a die-hard action fan.

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293662/
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Tamil Cinema

2007-09-01T17:44:00.001-07:00

My thoughts on some of the recent Tamil movies I watched on screen.Tamil cinema has its own charisma and style.With many movies trying to be novel and unique in their own way,we have more experimental movies nowadays.And am prepared to check them all out....my humble opinion on some of those films.

MOVIE COUNT :: 9
Click on the Titles below to read the corresponding review directly(no scrolling hassles) in this page::
Tamizh M.A
Sivi
Sivaji
Karupusaamy Kuthagaitharar
Thamirabarani
Sachein
Paruthi Veeran
Chennai-600028
Mozhi

TAMIZH M.A(a.k.a KATTRADHU TAMIZH):
Note Of Caution: This particular 'review' of mine will be quite long,so be prepared.Long because I loved this movie.So here goes...

I would like to thank the following people>>
-Director Ram
-Actor Jeeva
-Cinematographer Kadhir/Ramji(???)
-Music Director Yuvan Shankar Raja

Why should I,you ask??The above mentioned four factors are the pillars of the film and had even one among them been weak,the film would not have come up trumps.All the above factors come together to give a thought-provoking,part art-part commercial masterpiece.I had my faith on Jeeva and the film's plot as well as the music had created enough hype within me..such that I persuaded two of my friends to accompany me for the First-Day-First-Show of 'kattradhu Tamizh'(or 'Tamizh M.A').And the word disappointment or excellent did not come up in my mind,when the end credits rolled on.The only thing on my mind was,"this is a film par excellence which deserves the best of honours available for Tamil films".And needless to say,I immediately checked out the online reviews of the movie and my joy knew no bounds when I found similar reviews by experienced film reviewers.And moreover,I am really happy my hunch about the film's outcome will be true.Which is,critical as well as commercial success in Tamilnadu as well in Film Festivals across the Globe.

The film begins with Prabhakar(Jeeva) who also plays the narrator's role,telling the audience that he is about to commit suicide.And from the present scene,we shift to the previous day where Prabhakar is writing a letter to his childhood love Ananthi(new-face Anjali).He believes that he must certainly tell Ananthi(and the audience of course),the reason for his suicide attempt.And here begins Prabhakar's pitiful and remarkably honest story of a Tamil Graduate.

We follow Prabhakar's slow slip into insanity caused by the Society(not a new angle is it??).'Tamizh M.A' steers away from this stereotype because the film attempts to portray the travail's of a Tamil Graduate and the portrayal is stark naked sans any attempts to cover up the truth.We move forwards and backwards into Prabhakar's life and the audience experience no confusion whatsoever.Prabhakar's frustration intially leads him to a few unintended murders and he is on the run from the Police.He strays for a period of time,mixing with sadhu's,growing a beard,learning to smoke ganja and eventually returns to Chennai.He then promises a camera man Yuvan Sivank(Karunaas) to video-tape his conversation(confession??) which is literally his past-life's story.We learn about Prabha's(as Ananthi calls him) childhood days and his subsequent loss of his family and Tamil Professor(Azhagam Perumal).

We also learn about his sufferings just because he chose to become a Tamil Graduate.The treatment meted out to Tamil graduates can't get more realistic than in 'Tamizh M.A'.His subsequent search for Ananthi leads him to Maharashtra and he returns to complete his grauation with a heavy heart.He manages to get a job as a Tamil Teacher in a school for a paltry salary of Rs.2000/- .Fate intervenes at this point and things go from bad to worse,eventually making him a psychopath.....and finally we come back to the present with a few shocking surprises,where the recording session with Sivank gets over.Does Prabha continue his killing ways???Or does he find his lady-love???Will the Police nab Prabhakar for his 22 murders???The climax answers all these questions with a suitable and unexpected ending.

Yuvan's background score add pace and sheen to the proceedings.Illayaraja's rendering of the song 'paravayin kootil' adds beauty to the brilliant camera-work of Kathir/Ramji(who ever it is).He captures the natural & stunning landscapes of Maharashtra and Kerala.And when it comes to Chennai,the camera-work is natural.The lighting for the serious scenes deserve credit simply due to the fact that,those scenes are given a eerie & natural setting.Jeeva has virtually lived his role..sleeping on pavements,wearing dentures,having grizzly wigs and of course,giving the best performance of his career till date.Most people would not disagree to the fact that,Jeeva has indeed managed to outdo his 'Raam' performance in this film.Not once in the film will the audience think of Jeeva as anyone but the Tamil Graduate Prabhakar.His is a sterling performance and it would be a big disappointment for me,if the Best Actor award goes to someone else.

New comer Anjali is an apt choice and manages to fit in.Karunaas's presence brings in some well-needed comic relief and his role is quite commendable.Director Azhagam Perumal as the Tamil Teacher is excellent and is a natural in his role.He fits to the 'T' and brings out his acting skills pretty well.

Director Ram deserves kudos and I take a bow for his realistic and gritty portrayal of a Tamil Graduate's life in today's World.Ram also manages to remind the audience the value of Tamil and how it is slowly slipping into oblivion.The dialogues are packed with punch and raw energy that will find the viewer's support.However the gore level is quite high and the murders thought utterly realistic,may cause uneasiness to those feeble-hearted.But the gore factor adds to the film's realism.Ram's use of multiple jumps in and out of Prabhakar's life is simple enough for the audience to follow.With the support of a good story and taut screenplay,coupled with the finest technical aspects one could crave for,Debutant Director Ram has given the Tamil audience a hart-hitting film that provides food for thought!!!

Plus-points(if you have read the review completely,you would understand):
Everything>>
Story - Screenplay - Dialogues - Music + Background Score - Camera - Acting... everything is par excellence.

Minus-points:
Nothing much,but still>>
1)The 2nd half could have been a bit shorter.
2)Jeeva's dialouges aren't audible in some scenes and Anjali's are totally incomprehensible(espc when she is crying).

A must-see film for every Tamilian on this Earth and every other film-goer who loves quality cinema.I could keep on raving about this film,but I control it for the reader's sake.I had intially thought of listing the best scenes in the film,but why spoil the surprise??Enjoy the film.I would literally jump at every chance I get to watch this film,will mostly watch it another 2-3 times in the coming weeks!!!

Ending note:My opinion on this film may vary widely with your's,I appreciate that and request you to do the same for mine as well.Thank You.

My rating: 8.5/10
Links: none
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SIVI:
With almost zero publicity,a movie promising to scare the wits out of us hits the screens.I was very curious to check this film out because the songs the film have come out really well.Dharan('Paarijatham' fame) has given hip-hop tracks for the young generation and this acted as a catalyst to my interest in the film.

I could'nt wait for my friends to accompany me and managed to download the film.A good attempt and it will scare people,to a certain extent at least.Debutant Director has the extra burden of having a Tamil audience for his horror flicks.It must be remainded that horror flicks are not the order of the day.Hence the songs as well as the comedy scenes are a road-block for what could have been a fast paced thriller.

Krishna(Yogi) is a photographer by profession and he is love with Sony,who too is in love with the former(we cant expect anything different!!!).While returning from a party hosted by Krishna's college friends,Sonu accidentally runs over a girl and they flee the scene.A few days later,a worried Krishna and Sonu search for that unknown girl worrying that she might have got killed.But surprisingly,no such death or accident comes up in their search.They heave a sigh of relief,but in the midst of all this,the two are haunted by strange occurences.Things get worse as Krishan slowly realises the truth behind the hauntings.When things look as if they had settled down,we get a final twist in the climax that is sure to take everyone by surprise!!!!

In the acting department,Yogi passes muster.The heroine looks out of place in most parts of the film.The background score builds up enough suspense and scares well enough.The songs which are good to listen alone,stay so.This is because the two songs in the film are badly picturised and they have been inserted just because someone wanted so.Barring a few other scenes at intended humour,the film passes muster and the climax takes the film a notch above average.

The Hotel scenes where Krishna 'runs around' the 5th floor is brillaint conceptualisation and so is the subsequent encounter with the Spirit on 'the ladder'.Brillaint direction,of course inspired from 'Shutter'.Krishna's neck pain takes on an entirely new meaning in the climax which ends with the Twist,which I loved.This film deserves a watch on T.V or if one is a die-hard 'Horror Movie' fan.A trip to the theatre may have one feeling sorry for having emptied his/her purse.

My rating: 7/10
Links: none
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SIVAJI:
All that hype for over one year and the movie is finally out....unlike some others,i was not totally disappointed with 'SIVJI'.It is a combination that come together only once in a decade(even more).

As far as a Rajni movie is concerned,'Sivaji' stands on par with Baasha and many other gems of his.But the style and cool factor is higher than Rajini's other movies.But an utter disappointment in terms of a Shankar movie...Coming for the Director of Soul-touching movies 'Gentleman','Indian','Mudhalvan','Anniyan' ,Shankar fans are in for total disappointment.The Rajni mania has been totally milked for the promotion of 'Sivaji'.

I do not want to into the story.The protagnist,Sivaji(Rajnikanth) returns to India from USA as a rich NRI.He wishes to do good to the poor and as ever,he comes to the streets due to corruption and vested interests.He fights back and how he takes his revenge is all the movie is about.

Though Shankar has described ills of Black Money,his solution for the problem comes too late in the movie.Coming from the Superstar himself,the message should have reached the audience quite well,but Shankar has made a mistake here.We have Rajni singing,dancing,fighting(even at this age,good show thale) and of course mouthing punch dialogues with some cool mannerisms.And the movie is over & half the audience is out of the theatre,Shankar shows the possible solution for the Black Money problem along with the credits,bad timing Shankar.Vivek as his uncle has everyone in splits and Suman as the villain stands up to the status of the Superstar.Shriya is quite ok in her role as Sivaji's love interest(???).

1st viewing: 17th June,07(Velan Theatre,Pazhavanthangal)
2nd Viewing: 4th July,07 (Sathyam Theatre-RDX,Chennai)
3rd Viewing: 11th July,07 (Albert Theatre,Egmore)
4th Viewing: Ca'nt recollect Date(Sathyam Theatre-RDX,Chennai)

An out & out Rajni film,go for pure entertainment value alone.If You want see Rajni at his best,you have got it bang on Target in 'Sivaji'!!! A.R.Rahman's background score is really too good(a major Plus-point).Another mouth-watering aspect for Rajni fans is the MOTTA BOSS. He is coooool...chuma ADHIRUDHLAAAA.....

My rating: 8/10(for Rajni!!!)
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479751/
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KARUPUSAAMY KUTHAGAITHAARAR:
oooof...that was quite long a title to type out. Henceforth i will refer to it simply as KK :) . Karan has come a long way(stated in the papers) and true to their words,he gives a commendable performance as Karupusaamy,who runs a two-wheeler parking stand on 'kuthagai' in Madurai.

A girl who is doing her MBBS falls in love with him and K'saamy, the good man that he is,requests the girl to wait till her education is complete before they could marry.Hurdles come to the couple in the form relatives who take this opportunity to make amends for an old family feud.Both overcome emotional as well as family hurdles before we have a happy ending...this movie deserves at least a single viewing.

The only drawback being the snail's pace of the screenplay!!!Karan gives a decent enough performance after his critically acclaimed 'Kokki'.

My rating: 7/10
Links: none
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THAMIRABARANI:
Hari is a well-known director of typical commerical movies...Thamirabarani is no exception.Two families are at war with each other and when their siblings fall in love,skeletons come tumbling out of the closet.Nothing much to write about.

It was a decent affair,but the movie would certainly have fared better without the utterly disgusting comedy tracks of 'Raam' fame Kanja Karuppu.I hated watching him try his hand at comedy in this film.Prabhu and Nadhiya give a decent performance,it is a walk in the park for Vishal. The heroine very much resembles Nayanthara and she could possibly be one in the future.Yuvan Shankar Raja's muscial score is quite okay and passes muster.

My rating: 4/10
Links: none
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SACHEIN:
A typical no-brainer similar to other Vijay movies. But all the scenes between Vijay and Vadivelu are rib-tickling.I enjoyed all the scenes they did together in the movie.

Quite similar to other Vijay movies there are the usual songs,fights,emotional scenes,blah blah blah.....Genelia's role is very very similar to 'Kushi-Jyothika'.And Bipasha Basu is present just for the oomph factor and of course to tell the heroine(Genelia) in this case,how good the hero(Vijay a.k.a Sachein) is and why she should not miss him.Basu compared to her counterpart Mumtaz(She was the oomph girl in 'Kushi') is 'used' more here.

Nothing more-nothing less.It was released as a summer entertainer and it lives up to that name. Popcorn entertainment,do NOT expect anything more.By the way,5 out of those 6 stars are for Vijay-Vadivelu combination and the left out star is for the masala dished out :-)

My rating: 6/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0453201/
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PARUTHI VEERAN:
After the commercial success of both of his critical ventures- MOUNAM PESIYATHE & RAAM, i was sure PARUTHI VEERAN would be no different and that it would be a runaway success.I have been Director Ameer's fan ever since his Mounam Pesiyathe days (Trisha's first movie release,who by the way is my favurite actress).

I did not get a chance to watch 'paruthi Veeran' on the silver screen,but i was really happy at all the positive responses garnered by the film.When i finally got a chance to watch the movie courtesy my friend,i was more than happy to do so.It was a totally different experience.And i felt really feel bad for having missed it in the theatres!!!

Veeran(Karthi) and his uncle Chevvazhai(Saravanan in an excellent role) reside in Paruthi Oor (hope ive named it right).The two lead a totally care-free life and dont think twice before doing anything,wether good or bad.Muthazhagi(Priyamani) is head-over-heels in love with Veeran.But the latter keeps ignoring her,but when he decides to accept her love & tie the knot, an old feud between their families rises it hood.Muthazhagi elopes with Veeran and she is headed for a miserable fate,which is due to Veerans past mistake.What ensues is a riveting climax that none would have imagined.Gut-wrenching and reality shown stark naked,it needs a lot of guts to remain seated calm till the film is over.

None of the characters in this film are wasted and so are the scenes.Of course as almost every viewer suggested,the 'violent' scene in the climax could have been avoided.But without it,i dont think the movie would have had its 'shock' effect and neither could the idea that 'wrong begets wrong' be driven home.Am sure that people in todays era will be reminded that doing wrong will fetch them the punishment,maybe not immediately but definitely at some point of time later.

Karthi is excellent as the rough youth and the 'later-reformed' lover and so is Saravanan,who gets a meaty role after Nandha(2001).He evokes laughter when required and it is really funny when he makes sure 'Ganja' karupu does not stick to any job at all.Priyamani as the village belle in a toned down role,excels immensly.One cannot but marvel at her courage as well as self-determination in her love despite all the odds.Ponnavan makes a mark as Priyamani's father.Yuvan Shankar Raja proves yet again why he is one among the best,the tunes being rustic yet melodious.

'Paruthi Veeran' is a celluloid masterpiece that should not be missed.It should be watched in its entirity without missing any scenes.It would be sight to watch Director Ameer top his 'Paruthi Veeran',i hope he does!!!!!

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458050/
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CHENNAI-600028:
Criteria required for liking Chennai-28 or so as it is called.
1)Are you a guy?
2)You like cricket?
3)You are not looking for a serious movie!!!

You fit the bill completely...people who do not meet this criteria need not hate this film though.That is the major plus point for this movie.This movie appeals to all sections of the cinema-going public.

You are in for a roller-coaster ride....this film will leave u completely energised after the ride is over.A brilliant movie in terms of the Cast,Music,Screenplay and of course natural-performances from the lead characters.Well,i think that almost covers everything required for a successful movie.Director Venkat Prabhu in his second film,has done a commendable job after his damp-squib debut 'Unnai Charanadainthen'.Premji,his brother is a great comedian in the making,his presence will make you laugh ur lungs out.His spoofed up dialogue "enna koduma sir idhu???" has become a rage among the youth.

The Sharks are a gully cricket team from the sunambu-kaava area,who lost the Gully Cup the earlier year to Rockers,a rival team from another area.Will they win the Cup this year around?Interspersed with the cricket line is parallel stories of friendship,love,trust and absolute mayhem in the form of music,comedy,fun!!!!

All the limelight focusses on Jai (Deva's younger son) and Premji Gangai Amaran (Gangai Amaran's son).They fit the roles to a T.The former resembles Vijay in and looks good on screen while the latter is successful in tickling the funny bone.Aravind, Prasanna, Cristine and a host of newcomers have lived the their onscreen-characters well enough in the movie.'Mirchi' Siva,Vijaylakshmi(director Agathiyan's daughter) and Nithin Sathya around whom most of the movie revolves have also performed well.

Do NOT Miss this movie....

My rating: 8/10
Links: none
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MOZHI:
There is only one thing on a viewers mind when he/she has finished watching Mozhi.Life is beautiful and that,not everything is as we believe things to be.This quite evident from the ending of the movie where Archana(Jyothika in a marvelous role) understands how wrong her some of her perceptions about life are.I do not know where to begin my thoughts on this movie as there are too many good things to talk about here.

Karthik(Prithiviraj) and Vijay Kumar(Prakash Raj) are successful musicians and they chance to meet Archana in the new appartment where they move in.Karthik is already in love with her as he was in awe over her courage at an earlier incident.He later realises that she is deaf and dumb,but this does not deter him from his love.He takes the help of Archana's friend Sheela(Swarnamalya) and learns Sign Language.All the four become good friends in time.Karthik proposes his love for Archana,but she rejects the same.She displays the reason as that no one in this world would be happy spending his life with her and that Karthik's love is out of pity!!!What happens next?Will Archana understand Karthik??Will karthik's love stand the test of time???

This film has got everything a winner movie needs.Good camera,Excellent music(Vidhyasagar),a taut script,healthy humour & dialouge and of course,fantastic performances.Jyothika as the deaf and dumb girl is simply mind-blowing in her underplayed performance.But the point to note is Archana's character brings out awe & appreciation for the fight the disabled give in this world and not pity for them.That is pretty difficult to bring out and Director Radha Mohan must be commended for portraying the disabled in the right way.They are no different from you,myself or everyone else in this World.

And in todays Tamil cinema,it is not possible to stay without wincing in one's seat because of all the violence and profanity present in all the movies released nowadays.Staying away from all that unneeded material and at the same time,not compromising on the quality as well as objective of the movie is a thing to be appreciated.And Prakash Raj should be appreciated for backing such a good project!!!Director Radha Mohan(Azhagiye Theeye,Poniyan Selvan) has given Tamil Cinema a classic that would be tough to beat.Hats off!!!

Jyothika's absence would be felt as Mozhi and Patchakili Muthucharam were her swan songs but am happy she left the field on an all time high.Prakasah Raj and Prithviraj provide enough clean humour to satisfy everyone watching the film.And when Brahmanandam as the menacing neighbour is present,there is no escape from laughing one's heart out.

MS Bhaskar, who had lost his memory due to the untimely loss of his son, lives in the same apartment as Archana and Karthik.But due to the shock he still relives that fateful day,day-after-day-after-day!!!His poignant portrayal and subtle performance definitely calls for appreciation.A scene to be definitely mentioned is the one where Karthik makes him understand that his son is dead.MS Bhaskar finally comes to his sense and cries for the first time since that day,a scene that is sure to touch the strings of our hearts!!!

Mozhi is one film that would stand the test of time and remain the classic that it is.I feel sorry that the maximum score for a movie is 10/10...alas!!!

Please stop reading this review and watch the movie...i want to tell more about this wonderful film,but that would definitely test your patience :)

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034053/
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Movies worth a skip...

2007-09-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Given below are movies which are a waste of time and will eat away our minds if given a try!!!These movies are only to be tried when one does not have anything worthwile to do or one is having difficulties sleeping....

MOVIE COUNT :: 4
Click on the Titles below to read the corresponding review directly(no scrolling hassles) in this page::
The Marine
When A Stranger Calls
Ellan
88 Minutes

THE MARINE:
This certainly is a ground-breaking movie as far as my blog is concerned!!!You might have guessed it from the Lable in the first place.'The Marine' is the first film I have given a single star out of ten.This is first time I did so,for a movie.Since there Zero is not available in IMDB rating system,I had to satisfy myself with giving a One.

Right from the word Go,'The Marine' fails to impress even the most dumb person on Earth.For instance,the opening credits were cheesy & plain-silly(graphics & soundtrack!!!).And it is commendable the Director chose to introduce the hero John Triton(WWE star John Cena) as a Marine who saves POW from an Al-Queeda(???) camp.The film keeps going downhill from here and it is never redeemed from the bad opening sequence.Things get from bad to worse to even worse....and the final totally unrealistic scene sums up this crappy movie.

John Triton is discharged from his post as a Marine for disobeying orders,wherin he saved the lives of a couple of POW(the first of the cheesy scenes with a high level of unrealism).John returns to his wife,Kate Triton(Kelly Carlson) who in the later parts of the movie forgets to cry or feel pain when she comes to know her husband is dead.Of course,the 'death' part does not happen,because the Hero escapes from many explosions,a crappy car-chase sequence and direct hand-to-hand combats with the villains.Coming back to the story,Kate gets into the hands of a group of diamond thieves who are on the run.Joh must now use his skills and brain(does that exist??) and escape unharmed from big explosions(oh yeah we believe that) and rescue his wife from the gang led by Rome(Robert Patrick).

John Cena doesnt deserve a mention at all...his muscles show more emotions than his face.He should be barred from acting anymore,unless he manages to prove he has at least a little acting skill.Robert Patrick who returns as a main-stay villain after a long time(remember the T-1000 in Terminator:2??) is quite okay,but still he looked kind of freaked out!!!There is zilch need for even mentioning the rest of the cast.A total catastrophe for the viewer and is to be avoided at all costs.

The only scene funny in the entire movie is the place where a thief remarks,"that guy is like the Terminator" and Patrick gives him a stare.That was really funny,given the fact that Patrick himself had played the T-1000 in Terminator:2.

My rating: 1/10 (record rating from me!!)
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419946/
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WHEN A STRANGER CALLS:
I would rather not comment on this movie.The story sounded quite interesting and i thought i would give it a try,but it was a total disaster.Of course,the movie was scary enough as far as the background music alone was concerned.Screenplay offers nothing new.

This movie is actually a remake of a movie by the same name and story made way back in 1979,which is better i heard.

A high-school student baby-sits for a rich family in a high Mansion in a remote place.Soon after the parents leave,she starts getting blank calls.She finally realises that someone is out there to kill her and she tries to escape with the kids who are asleep upstairs.

The only thing cool in this movie is the mansion of the rich couple,which is awesome.The lights automatically turn on when one walks into a room and we have a remote for the chimney-fire as well.Cool na?? ;)

My rating: 3/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455857/
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ELLAN:
Mithun Chakrabothy is BABA,a terrorist feared all over the World (lol) .His hands reache every corner of the Globe(lol yet again).A son seeks him out to take revenge for his Baba's murder of his father .On the way he teams up with 4 others.

Man i am tired typing out this for this movie...A waste of time if you ask me, the plot is'nt that good.Foreign locations and friendship songs alone will not make up for a shoddy and half-baked script.Despite all this,the movie has a few good moments....but definitely worth a skip.

My rating: 4/10
Links: none (there better be none!!!)
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88 MINUTES:
Was'nt very good i would say.I though i would try this movie out as the movie had Al Pacino(I love him).Even though the movie was quite lame,it had some amount of suspence.I could not figure out the killer till they told me who it was(i never even attempted to take a guess,boring movie).Time-pass movie on a lazy afternoon...

My rating: 7/10 (Half this rating is for Al Pacino's presence alone!!)
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0411061/
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Gems of Quentin Tarantino

2007-09-01T11:24:00.003-07:00

Yes..i finally got to my favourite section.Quentin Tarantino is my favourite Director and i like him more than my other favourites(Francis Ford Copola,Manoj Night Shyamalan,...).His films are more famous for their unique style and different screenplay.And of course,he is not so famous for the amount of blood and gore involved in almost all his movies.The music and acting(screenplay included) are top-notch in all his films.....

NOTE:All the four movies described below are classics in my opinion,so you would find them under the 'classics' label as well.

MOVIE COUNT :: 4
Click on the Titles below to read the corresponding review directly(no scrolling hassles) in this page::
Pulp Fiction
Reservoir Dogs
Kill Bill Vol1
Kill Bill Vol2

PULP FICTION:
The second film of Director Quentin Tarantino to hit the screen after the huge success of his earlier 'Reservoir Dogs'.Tarantino had in fact penned most of the script of 'Pulp Fiction' prior to 'Reservoir Dogs',but after the latter's success he had added more to the already ready script of 'Pulp Fiction'.It is enough to quote the film as being excellent...it is film-making at its best with numerous memorable moments in the film that will never get forgotten with time.

Pulp Fiction was the first film of its genre,meaning that it actually revolutionised the way films can be shown to the viewer.Tarantino,the genius that he is,uses out-of-sequence scenes in the movie which confuse and intrigue the viewers..but all the scenes wind up beautifully with the climax,making perfect sense.But still, a small feeling of confusion will be present on most viewers mind after watching the film and this specific intrigue factor is what adds to the greatness of the film.

The film deals with the intersecting stories of two hit-men Jules Venfield(Samuel L Jackson) & Vincent Vega(John Travolta) , their gangster boss Marsellus Wallace(Ving Rhames) , his wife Mia(Uma Thurman) and boxer Butch Coolidge(Bruce Willis).We also come across Pumpkin(Tim Roth) & Honey Bunny(Amanda Plummer) who are about to rob a Diner's.Interweaved with all these tales are some great film scenes that went down as classics in the History of Hollywood Films.Some of those great sequences are::

>>the long & funny misquoted Biblical passage by Jules
>>the Twist Dance Competition,resulting in the dance by Vincent & Mia
>>Vincent's using the restroom and this being eventually followed by some unfortunate event or the other
>>all the scenes involving The Wolf(Harvey Keitel)
>>the Dungeon Scene where Butch uses the Katara Sword
>>the final scene at the Diner's with Jules leading the 'action'

I could go on and on,thus describing all the scenes in the film.Though it is not very fast-paced,watching the film spread out its greatness with progress of time gives the viewer a feeling of jubiliation on completion of the film.

I do'nt want to go into the intrinsic details of the film,but would sure like to talk about the prformances.Uma Thurman has her first association with Tarantino,before their famous combination of the hit franchise films 'Kill Bill' .It seems John Travolta's career was at an all-time low before it was revived by 'Pulp Fiction'.Samuel L Jackson shot into limelight with his interesting(at times funny) portrayal of hitman Jules Venfield and I am thankful for that,for he is one helluva actor.We also have Harvey Keitel in a short role as The Wolf,who specialises in clean-ups and his scenes are just plain awesome!!!!Bruce Willis as Butch,the boxer shows us his talent as a promising actor in the limited time-frame that he has in the film.Ving Rhames as the mobster Boss has his 'special' scene near the end of the film,which will actually shock viewers!!Not to forget,Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer act out their parts well in the Diner's.

Enough has been said about this film and i would request you to enjoy the film....two thumbs up!!!

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/
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RESERVOIR DOGS:
Quentin Tarantino is a master in his own area and style of film-making. His style of films have a devilish edge to them...Reservoir Dogs is no exception.The first well known film of Tarantino which made him a hit among movie-goers.

A well-planned robbery goes haywire and a almost half the Gang is killed by cops.How did the cops know about the robbery??There is a rat in the gang and who is it???This is what the viewers are introduced to after the famous introductory scene where all the members are deep in conversation(most part of it is about Maddona though).Undeniably,this opening scene of dinner conversation though involving a lot of F-words,is excellenty written and executed.

The climax is pretty neatly done with almost all the scenes preceding it being immersed in total style with a cool air about them.A point to be noted is that Gangsters do have hearts and this point is quite evident in the climax when the final two gun-shots happen!!!A Very stylish flick (Heavy usage of the F-word,beware!!!)

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105236/
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::KILL BILL TWINS::
Uma Thurman got critical acclaim for her role in 'Pulp Fiction'.....which happened way back in 1994!!!She came to limelight with the Kill Bill double-volume movies which garnered critical as well as commercial success.Quentin Tarantino brought in a new dimension in action sequences with Kill Bill,a very violent but brilliantly done tale of revenge & redemption!!

KILL BILL,Vol 1:
A stunner of a movie with mind-blowing stunts.The Bride(Uma Thurman) was a member of the Deadly 'Viper Assasination Squad'.She decides to turn over a new leaf and lead a normal life.During her marriage ceremony,her squad members kill everyone present and attempt to kill her.This sends her into coma and upon recovery,she finds the baby she was carrying gone!!!Angry and enraged at having her life being destroyed,she makes an herculean effort to get her mind and body back to normal.From there on,its a visual bloodbath..be prepared.

Of all the members in the Assasination squad,O-Ren Ishii(Lucy Liu) and Vernita Green(Vivica A. Fox) fall on The Bride's Hit List in this movie.After finishing off Green in a really short scene,The Bride takes the help of retired sword maker Hattori Hanzo(Sonny Chiba).He gives her a special sword,to take care of Ishii.What ensues is a bloodbath as i mentioned earlier..This movie is very famous for the fight scene involving hordes of sword-men of Ishii,who is now the kingpin of the Toyko criminal underworld and leader of the "Crazy 88" crime gang.

A violently slick movie,but an undeniably jaw-dropping premise for KILL BILL 2.Watch this movie if u can stomach it!!!Pulleeeeez, this movie is too good, but if you abhor violence,kindly skip this movie.The same goes for all of Tarantino's movies.I became a fan of Quentitn Tarantino after this watching this movie..u Rock TARANTINO!!!!!

My Rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266697/
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KILL BILL,Vol 2:
Movie buffs would'nt be disappointed watching Kill Bill 2,after the promising premise setout by the First Version. Now we really know why Beatrix Kiddo or The Bride had earlier set out on a revenge spree and who she is really after.The first face-off is between The Bride and Budd/Sidewinder(Michael Madsen) is too good.Sidewinder proves to be too smart and Kiddo ends up kicking dirt inside a graveyard coffin.At this point,we move back to Kiddo's past where she undergoes rigorous training from Pai Mei(Chia Hui Liu) who is a very strict teacher of Martial Arts.After this flashback sequence,Kiddo escapes the Graveyard and she takes on Elle Driver(Daryl Hannah).Are you wondering what happened to Budd?Well watch the movie and you will know :)

Elle Driver is menancing and foul-mouthed....After dealing with her suitably,Kiddo goes for the final confrontation with Bill.This scene was the building point of all the suspense and thrill from the first movie.And i feel,it has carried on beautifully by Tarantino.He includes a suprising twist in the climax.Be sureWatch out for the 'The Five-Point-Palm-Exploding-Heart' technique.

Plot-wise volume-2 was more satisfactory and i lapped it up nicely.As far as stunts and fights are concerned,i would recommend Volume-1.I should not forget to mention Uma Thurman who has shouldered the films really well.Her work with Tarantino seems to be so natural,the performace on screen is a thing to watch.Good job Uma Thurman!!And kudos Tarantino,you have got another fan in me!!

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0378194/
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Manoj N Shyamalan's Block

2007-09-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite directors who is famous for his paranormally-connected movies with his Trademark TWIST's that usually leave the audiences in a spell of consfusion and awe.Though ive seen only the first three of his movies,ive tried my best to review them with an unbiased viewpoint!!!Hope it helps....

MOVIE COUNT :: 3
Click on the Titles below to read the corresponding review directly(no scrolling hassles) in this page::
The Sixth Sense
Unbreakable
Signs

THE SIXTH SENSE:
Spine-chilling movie. I really found it difficult to stay alone in a room for the next few days. It was more spooky when i had this feeling someone was in the room... took some time to get over the spooky feeling.Bruce Willis and Harrey Joel Osment are excellent in this movie.

Dr.Malcom Crowe(Bruce Willis),a pschycologist tries to understand Cole Sear's(Harry Joel Osment) problem of seeing spirits,or ghosts actually.Crowe tries to help the kid out and in the process learns shocking things about his beliefs as well as about himself.Slowly Crowe starts to accept Sear's fears.Nothing seems as simple as it is in this world and both the protagonist's are about to find that out!!!

I will not dvelve deeper into the story so that I do not give the plot away.This film made Manoj Night Shyamalan,Indian-born-American-director an overnight celebrity.His movies always have a Twist at the end which has become his Trademark.And Shyamalan makes sure he builds the screenplay towards that very vital twist!!!

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167404/
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UNBREAKABLE:
Man was i waiting to watch this movie or what??? It is 7 years since its release and I finally got to watch it,thanks to my friend who downloaded it for me. It was not as chilling as SIGNS nor was it mind-blowing as THE SIXTH SENSE. But it is good in its own way.The trademark Manoj N.Shyamalan TWIST is there and i cant deny having been stunned by the twist.

David Dunn(Bruce Willis) is the only survivor of a train crash and he is approached Elijah Price(Samuel L Jackson),who proposes his crazy theory that Dunn dismisses as unbelievable.Price has been a comic book fan all his life,and his theory is that,they are what remains of an ancient system of storytelling, and the superheroes they are about are based on real people.Price also believes Dunn may be one of these people.Strangely,everything Price said makes sense to Dunn once he starts paying attention to his daily life.

Price who has been nick-named Mr.Glass because of his fragile bones makes Dunn realise the shocking truth behind their existence.Do the both of them have a connection???

Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson were very good in their role mainly because Shyamalan made sure ample time was given for character development of both the characters(I am actually starting to like Samuel L Jackson).And hence,the ending makes perfect sense and so does the Trademark TWIST.As more time has been set aside for the viewers to understand the lead characters,many people may find the movie a bit slow.But it is there for a reason and it is well done.Focus is less on graphic situations and hence the Train accident is never shown,which makes sure the viewers do not lose their attention on the characters.Every single thing that Price states about comic book characters is shown throughout the movie and it takes a lot of attention to notice all the minute details.To summarise,this movies has been a totaly satisfying experience for me!!!

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0217869/
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SIGNS:
I was interested in watching this movie ever since it got released way back when i was in my class 10.It has been a seven-year wait and i must admit i was not very disappointed after hearing many negative reviews.'Signs' has a few scenes that will spook you out.

Mel Gibson plays a former priest(Graham Hess) who lost his faith after his wife(Patricia Kalember) was killed in a freak car accident.Six months later, he discovers a gigantic crop circle in his yard and soon enough,similar events happen all over the world.Graham's children think it's aliens,his brother(Joaquin Phoenix) thinks it's pranksters.Graham doesn't know what to think.The crop circles cause a media frenzy and test Hess's faith as he journeys to find out the truth behind the crop circles.However, as more and more strange events occur,he starts to believe in hope and God.What comes at the end will leave everyone shell shocked.

The Shock twist at the end is given by his wife who dies in a freak car accident.However hard you try to guess the twist,you wont get it unless you watch the movie.In my opinion,the twist was pretty neatly done with the film ending on a satisfying note.Background score was scary to say the least and that fits the bill for a film of this genre.

This film states that 'Everything in this World happens for a reason',pretty neat message if you would ask me.A word of caution,this movie deals more with faith than with 'aliens'.

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286106/
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Hannibal Lecter Series

2007-08-31T08:10:00.000-07:00

The very famous Hannibal Lecter series which was made a series to reckon with,by Anthony Hopkin's electrifying performance as Dr.Hannibal Lecter,who is the calmest and coolest psychopath in history.He is my personnel favourite as a matter of fact.

Actual sequence of the movies(as per occurence of events)::
1.Hannibal Rising(Childhood and teenage years of Lecter)
2.Red Dragon(The one and only capture of Lecter)
3.Silence of The Lambs(The masterpiece of the series,involving Agent Clarice Starling)
4.Hannibal(A revenge attempt on Lecter by his only surviving victim)

MOVIE COUNT :: 4
Click on the Titles below to read the corresponding review directly(no scrolling hassles) in this page::
The Silence Of The Lambs
Red Dragon
Hannibal
Hannibal Rising

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS:
Excellent film making....i have been hearing a lot about this movie for ages and when i did get the opportunity to check this movie out,it was a superb experience.This movie introduced me to the actor called Anthony Hopkins.Depicting an expert psychopath killer who has the coolest of human minds,Anthony Hopkins or Dr.Hannibal Lecter is brilliant.An excellent foil to him is Jodie Foster as FBI trainee Clarice Starling.

Dr.Lecter is in jail.A serial killer is on the rampage and Clarice(an FBI trainee) is sent to find out about the killer-at-large from Dr.Lecter .Lecter can control his heart rate to his liking and has an intellectual that could'nt be penetrated by psychiatrists despite many attempts.Lecter agrees to give clues about the serial killer on the condition that Clarice tells him about herself.She ignores the warning given by her superior and shares her innermost secrets.What follows will change Clarice's life forever.

On a broad perspective,the movie is about a serial killer and a Government agent's hunt for him/her.But moving to the plot and screenplay,there is nothing to complain about. Hopkins and Foster are top-notch as far as the acting department is concerned. Hopkins is menacing at times and turns extremely cool as the situation demands.Once the meeting between Clarice and himself happens,the movies pace quickens and the plot tightens.We have a lot of tense moments and the tension reaches a high as the climax nears.And i realised the title of the movie IS actually relevant to the main character involved.

Nothing less than 10 for such a brilliant film.

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102926/
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RED DRAGON:
Set years before The Silence Of The Lambs took place...we meet agent Will Graham(Edward Norton) who is being helped by famous Dr.Hannibal Lecter(Anthony Hopkins) to catch a serial killer.But what Graham doesnt know is that Lecter is the killer himself.Graham eventually finds this out and Lecter is jailed,causing Graham unwanted negative media coverage.He goes into early retirement.

Years later a serial kiler by name of the 'Tooth Fairy' is on the loose,and Graham is asked for help in the case as he is believed to possess psychic powers.He does make some important breakthroughs but is unable to proceed further and he has no option other than turning to the killer he jailed(Lecter).Lecter does help him,but only to prove Graham that he is far more cleverer than the Tooth Fairy.Will the killer be caught???Will lecter,the great intellectual that he is,take revenge on Graham???

Anthony hopkins has a good deal of screen presence and he is electrifying in his portrayal of Hannibal 'the Cannibal'.Compared to 'Silence of The Lambs',his on-screen time is less and but it more than satisfies a fan's thirst.Francis Dolarhyde(Ralph Fiennes) is menancing and makes a spine-chilling villain,but never comparable to our beloved Dr.Lecter.Not quite as strong as 'Silence of The Lambs',but good enough.

My rating: 9/10
My links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289765/
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HANNIBAL:
Well the idea sounds great...watching the sequel to one of the most spine-chilling movies ever made.Actually its watchin the the third movie in an already popular movie series!!!I wasnt that very disappointed though,but it was not a very satisfying experience.

I do not want to start off on the negatives of the movie but i got to mention the major letdown in the movie.This movie does NOT feature Jodie Foster who did an excellent job in the original as Clarice Starling.Juliane Moore who replaces her does a commendable job but that cannot be compared with Foster's performance.

Now moving to the point,this movie is actually about one man's thirst for revenge against Dr.Hannibal Lecter(Anthony Hopkins) as the latter was responsible for making the former disfigure his own face as well as become a cripple.The rich man seeking revenge is Mason Verger(Gary Oldman) who is the only surviving victims of Dr.Lecter and quite obivously he seeks revenge.On finding that Lecter has a special soft corner for the now-FBI-agent Starling,he sets up an elaborate trap using his power and money.Drawn into the trap is Agent Starling who is now a disgrace thanks to her FBI senior officer Paul Krendler(Ray Liotta) who has a deal set with Verger.

Does Lecter escape the trap and save Starling?And will Starling try to arrest Lecter for his previous crimes or just do nothing about it???Will Verger have his revenge??The film is about these questions....as for the performances,Anthnoy Hopkins is excellent as ever in Lecter's shoes.He gets to fry a person's brain even while the victim is alive,in this movie.That particular scene was so devilishly gross,surprisingly i didnt feel any remorse at all.Juliane Moore who replaces Jodie Foster does a good job as the focus is more on the revenge angle(Verger Vs. Lecter) and so Foster's absence is taken care of.

Not comparable to the previous two outings of Hannibal the 'Cannibal',but satisfying enough for a Hannibal Lecter fan.

My rating: 8/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212985/
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HANNIBAL RISING:
The fourth installment in the Lecter Series,this movie is supposed to answer all the unanswered questions posed by the previous three movies in the series and it does answer them to a certain extent.The audience is introduced to the Lecter family who try to escape the invading army during World War II.Everyone is killed barring a young Lecter who escapes the barbarians(not army people) who killed & ate his sister Mischa(Note:parents were killed earlier by army men)!!!Lecter resolves to seek revenge and we move forward in time when Lecter from Russia and stays with the Widow of his uncle in France.As time passes by,Lecter slowly remembers all the horrors he went through the war and sets out to seek out his revenge.In midst of all these action,he becomes the youngest student to be admitted to Medical School of Paris(dont remember the actual name).Lecter slowly finishes off one person after another on this hit-list and during the ineraction with the last barbarian who ate Mischa,the audience is in for a shock,that sets the premise for the Lecter Series and the Mind within Hannibal Lecter.

Performance is good as far as Lecter(Gaspard Ulliel) and his aunt,Lady Murosaki(Li Gong) are concerned.We also have inspector Popil(Dominic West) who is okay.As this movie is supposed to explain the reason for the psycho inside Lecter's mind,i think it was really good.The slow growth of the psychopath within Hannibal Lecter is shown quite remarkably well in the movie.Giving him emotional support is Li Gong as Lecter's aunt.Stunningly beautiful and dangerous at the same time,she fits the bill of what her role required of her.And being a Lecter movie,there are scenes of utter gore and violence which are well shot.Ulliel who portrays a teenage Lecter is excellent because he is charming and cunningly devilish at the same time.The viewers can feel an aura of evil on his calm face,a thing which was depicted brilliantly by Anthony Hopkins in the prequels.That is,those sequence depict the fact that Lecter was in perfect control of himself even at such an young age!!!A film apart from the previous three films,but deserves to be given a watch for Gaspard Ulliel.

My rating: 8/10

Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367959/

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The Godfather Trilogy

2007-08-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

A world renowned Trilogy about the lives of the Mafia.Very powerful acting and a huge cast of really good actors,coupled with some brilliant screenplay & dialogue have made the Godfather Trilogy a Classic.Countless inspirations in books,tv-series and movies too have ensured that the inspiration does not stop!!!

It is my interpretation of the Trilogy.My sincere apologies if it is found too naive.

NOTE:All the three movies described below are classics in my opinion.Hence you would find these movies under the 'classics' label as well.

MOVIE COUNT :: 3
Click on the Titles below to read the corresponding review directly(no scrolling hassles) in this page::
The Godfather
The Godfather 2
The Godfather 3

THE GODFATHER:
"Best of the best".A master-piece by Francis Ford Coppola, adapted from the work of fiction by Mario Puzo. Don Vito Coreleone(Marlon Brando) is undeniably cool and has an electric presence on screen. And there is the young Michael Coreleone(Al Pacino),very very handsome and bubbling with raw energy.The screen presence of both these actors is undeniably good.Some people may find the pace of the movie a bit slow,but trust me,Master-piece's have their own style and pace of screenplay.And it is worth watching the proceedings

It is a well known fact that this movie has inspired so many directors and writers worldwide.

Don Vito Corleone is The Godfather and is the aging Don of a Mafia family.An attempt is made on The Godfather's life and the mafia affairs is passed to a reluctant Michael Corleone(played superbly by Al Pacino) who takes the family on his shoulders.With a brilliant screenplay as a strong foundation, Michael Coreleone takes revenge for the attempt on his fathers life.The background score is very good and it is an awesome score during the climax.Things wont remain the same for the Corleone family as well as Michael,after that.

Robert Duvall as Tom hagen,the Don's adopted son and the legal mastermind of the family's Mafia business is another strong points of the movie.James Cann(Sonny Corleone) who is the elder son of the Don,is the final pillar of the film's strong acting base...the other two being Marlon Brando and Al pacino!!!

My Rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/

--OSCAR WINS--
Best Actor in a Leading Role- Marlon Brando
Best Picture- Albert S. Ruddy
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium- Mario Puzo,Francis Ford Coppola
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THE GODFATHER,PART II:
Do sequels match up to their originals???They may,very rarely.In the case of The Godfather,part II it certainly DOES live up to its original.Al Pacino shoulders the movie and is it a delight to watch Robert Di Niro in the same movie.

Di Niro portrays Marlon brando's (The Godfather's) younger days.We,the audience follow Vito Corleone from being just Corleone to become Don Corelone.Di Niro speaks only Italian in his role as the upcoming Don.As the earlier days of The Godfather was set in Italy,it is a neccesity and Robert Di Niro does a tremendous job at being the Italian-speaking-Don.To add more delight to the proceedings,we have Michael Corleone's(Al Pacino) story being shown side by side.
Does Michael manage to set things back to normal after the Don's death???The ending scenes follow the same style as seen in the earlier film and it is a sight to watch.

Tom Hagen(Robert Duvall) provides ample support for Michael as he did for his 'father' Vito Corleone.His performance is good enough.....
TRIVIA-> Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro are the only two persons in history to have won an Oscar for portraying the same character(Vito Corleone).

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071562/

--OSCAR WINS--
Best Actor in a Supporting Role- Robert De Niro
Best Art Direction,Set Decoration- Dean Tavoularis,Angelo P. Graham,George R. Nelson
Best Director- Francis Ford Coppola
Best Music,Original Dramatic Score- Nino Rota,Carmine Coppola
Best Picture- Francis Ford Coppola,Gray Frederickson,Fred Roos(The movie became the first sequel to win the best picture award)
Best Writing, Screenplay Adapted From Other Material-Francis Ford Coppola,Mario Puzo
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THE GODFATHER,PART III:
A fitting finale to the trilogy.It took a long time(nearly 10 years) for shooting to begin on the finale of the series after Godfather-II was released.This particularly shows as Al Pacino looks much older,perfect for his role.This final part of the Trilogy hovers around a few real-time events that happened during the time of shooting. An aging Michael Corleone tries his best to legitimise his business(Mafia) admist increasing pressure that is pulling him back to his Mafia Days. Is he able to???

This movie opened to a lot of cold response and box-office success also wasnt that encouraging.I think the major reason could be because most of the members from the first film are nott present here(quite obivously).But still that can not take away the underplayed performance of Al Pacino and i just loved him in the movie.Vincent Mancini(Andy Garcia) is able to salvage the proceedings with a cool performance as the 'illegal' son of Sonny Corleone(Michael's brother)!!!

I love the 'silent cry' in the climax at the point of which, the existing members of Michael Corleone's family finally understand the rage and pain Michael had been suffering all this years, shouldering the family single-handedly.The scene following it is heart-touching when a really aged Michael Corleone reflects on his entire life(and the three women who made a difference in his life) before he dies.A heart-crunching scene which is sure to strike a chord in out hearts.I was in deep thought at this point in the movie, thinking about what i would be doing when i am in the last moments of my life.I was choked and tears had welled up in my eyes when the film(and the Series) ended!!!

Not a top-notch movie as its predessors,but hey it is a fitting finale to the long Trilogy of the most famous movie of all times.

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099674/

--OSCAR NOMINATIONS--
Best Actor in a Supporting Role- Andy Garcia
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration- Dean Tavoularis,Gary Fettis
Best Cinematography- Gordon Willis
Best Director- Francis Ford Coppola
Best Film Editing- Barry Malkin,Lisa Fruchtman,Walter Murch
Best Music,Original Song- Carmine Coppola(music),John Bettis(lyrics) For the song "Promise Me You'll Remember"
Best Picture- Francis Ford Coppola

Sadly no Oscar Wins,but won 3 other awards!!

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All Time Classics

2007-08-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

Some more hollywood movies which are unbeatable classics in my opinion.These movies have something unique about them that has inspired countless other movies and/or many television series.

I would recommend these movies to everyone...i never-ever tire of watching this list of movies.

MOVIE COUNT ::4(Q Tarantino corner) +3(Godfather Trilogy) +11(current section)
Click on the Titles below to read the corresponding review directly(no scrolling hassles) in this page::
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
The Green Mile
Taxi Driver
The Silence Of The Lambs
Red Dragon
Schindlers List
Crash
Seven
The Usual Suspects
The Shawshank Redemption
The Sixth Sense

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST:

This film was released in 1975 and imagine my surprise,when I found out that it had won the Oscars in the 5 major categories of Best Picture, Actor in Lead Role, Actress in Lead Role, Director, Screenplay.This had happened since 1934 where the same feat was achieved by the film 'It Happened One Night'.I loved this film and my joy knew no bounds when I found out the Oscar trivia.

Patrick McMurphy(Jack Nicholson) is in prison and he acts crazy so that he is shifted to an Asylum.He plans to spend the rest of his sentence in the Asylum,doing absolutely nothing.There,he comes face to face with Nurse Ratched(Louise Fletcher),a heartless tyrant who makes sure that all the patients obey her orders and as a result,rules over the Asylum.McMurphy rebels and meets with dire consequences before making friends with most of the patients there.The films ending ought to take one's breath away and the closing sequence kind of redeems from the shocking end to give a sense of optimism & hope.

The first film of Jack Nicholson that I managed to see and to be frank,I was completely floored by his acting.He was too good.He was given equal competition by Louise Fletcher as a tyrannical nurse.The other characters in the film are played by the Asylum's inmates.The one's that immediately make an impact are Billy Bibbit (Brad Dourif) and "Chief" Bromden (Will Sampson).While initially,the audience may not like McMurphy.Why??Well he is a convict who is trying to cheat on his prison term.One can't expect the audience to support him can we??Well this opinion vastly changes as the film progresses.I was simply delighted when I knew,Jack Nicholson had won an Oscar for the Best Actor in a Leading Role.This kind of performance come very rarely with an aptly matched script and screenplay.The best of his performance can be seen in the scene,where McMurphy is given the shock treatment(electro-shock therapy).His reactions are so authentic,the viewer is sure to either shudder or squirm in his/her seat.Another testament to Nicholson's acting skills is his final scene in the film,which has to moisten your eyes.Or to say the least,at least make you pity him.

Nurse Ratched is one kind of woman,whom people(both men and women alike) would love to hate.Her character tries to bring about a balance between following the rules & trying to do the best for her patients one way.On the other hand,she is too bitchy(forgive the expression please) for anyone to have a heart for her.Her interests tend to be more inclined towards suppressing the patient's desires and free will.This is instantly noted by McMurphy which leads to a few problems for him.Despite the happenings towards the end of the film,Nurse Ratched continues to perform her daily routine no matter what had happened previously.

Brad Dourif as Billy,the stuttering patient who has voluntarily joined the Asylum gives a good performance.It was just a reel-stutter and wasn't real at all.And this fact brings more amazement to the viewer when he/she watches Billy stutter his way throughout the film,except for one crucial scene in the end.Will Sampson plays the mute 6'5" Indian Chief who is a bag of surprises for McMurphy.Chief's role is quite subdued initially but towards the end,his role gains a huge stature ending the film on an optimistic note.Thought Billy and Chief give wonderful performances,it is Nicholson & Fletcher who hit the jacpot.They represent two wide ends of a sprectrum.One being rebellious and the other being Tyrannical & hitler-like.Nurse Ratched's hairstyle quite obviously makes a reference to Satan's horns.Watch the film to check it out.

The music too plays a major role in lifting the film's ambience to great heights.Jack Nitzsche gives us a haunting score that creates an impact even now,nearly 32 years post-release.Cinematography is stunning and captures the essence of the film very well and creates an impact on the viewer early on.The proceedings are portrayed to be dull in the Asylum and the cinematography aptly mirrors the same to the viewer.Some scenes to watch out for::

>McMurphy's imaginary ball-by-ball commentary of the Baseball Championship final,when >Nurse Ratched doesn't allow them to watch it on TV.
>McMurphy taking his Asylum friends on the comical fishing trip.
>McMurphy's escape scene and his nap in between.
>Billy's reaction when Nurse Ratched threatens to talk ill of him to his mother,towards the end.
>McMurphy's reaction on his first lobotomy and the same after the second final lobotomy.
>There are more brilliant scenes in the film,which is better watched on screen.Though some people may find the film a tad slow on pace,it never will be a major hindrance.

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073486/
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/one_flew_over_the_cuckoos_nest/
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THE GREEN MILE:
Stephen King is one author who's books have chilled people for many years.The great author has also written non-horror books amongst which,'The Green Mile' is very popular and it was a best seller.Now when a best seller is made into a film consisting of a very dependable group of stars and a very good director Frank Darabont('The Shawshank Redemption'),the audience is in for a treat.And I was'nt the least bit disappointed with 'The Green Mile' and it goes down in my memory as one of the few films,that can be watched again and again.with each viewing increasing the enjoyment.

An old Paul Edgecomb(Dabbs Greer),who is haunted by nightmares narrates his unforgettable experience as Prison Guard in the opening frames of the film to his fellow inmate at a nursing home.Paul Edgecomb(Tom Hanks) is the Prison Guard on Block E of Louisiana's Cold Mountain Penitentiary.His Block is nick-named the Green Mile because of the presence of faded Lime flooring on the floor there.Initially we see Edgecomb having a urinary problem and his suffering with it.Other guards on duty with Edgecomb are Brutus Howell a.k.a Brutal(David Morse),Dean Stanton(Barry Pepper) and a few others who are all sympathetic men with respect for the prisoners.We also have Percy Wetmore(Doug Hutchison),a corrupt & disobedient officer who seems to have political connections which induce him into more inappropiate behaviour.James Cromwell plays Warden Hal Moores,who's wife is sick and her condition is getting worser everyday.

And into this scenario enters prisoner John Coffey(Michael Clarke Duncan) who has sentenced to death row for raping and murdering two young girls.This is evident from Coffey's fear of sleeping in the dark and his respect for other people(he addresses the Guards as 'Sir Boss').We also have Mr.Jingles(named so by Eduard Delacroix,a prisoner there) a very intelligent rat.There are a few humourous scenes from this point onwards and things turn a bit serious with the entry of prisoner William Wharton a.k.a Wild Bill(Sam Rockwell) and Percy's crazed botch-up of Delacroix's execution on Old Sparky,the execution chair.With humorous interludes in between the serious scenes,Edgecomb and the other guards realise the reason for Coffey's existence.They eventually come to believe in the existence of Miracles...

It's very hard to find faults with this film,though the pace is a bit slow at times.But that can be excused because most of the scenes make up for the pace with some excellent acting and heart-moving sequences.Tom Hank's is as good as always but it is Michael Clarke Duncan who steals the limelight with his subtle and underplayed performance of a man wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit.His soft dialogue delivery actually sounds very sweet and one has serious doubts about him hurting a fly in the first case.Another notable performance comes from Michael Jeter as Delacroix,the prisoner who befriends the mouse and names him Mr.Jingles.
David Morse & James Cromwell are appropiate in their roles and so are the other Prison Guards.

Mr.Jingles or simply,the mouse in the film is awesome and almost all his scenes tickle the funny bone.I knew that,the emotional angle of the film may make me cry at some point or the other.I did manage to suppress that lump in my throat during the scenes of reviving Mr.Jingles and the execution of Delacroix.But I could'nt stop myself during the final execution when I saw the Prison Guards themselves crying.And during the final minutes of the film,when the elder Edgecomb reveals the final secret of Coffey(his handshake),I cried yet again.The performance's are top-class including those of the Prison Guards and the Prisoners as well.And not to forget sweet Mr.Jingles.....

The film cannot be actually classified as a mindless tear-jerker,as it has an underlying message.The film on a larger scale deals with the issue of belief in God & his Miracles and more so with leading a humane life respecting & loving others.Not a preacher of a film either...'The Green Mile' falls somewhere in between the two extremes,managing to change one's belief about life.

Note: Your opinion may vary vigorously from mine,but I am entitled to my opinion & rating and at the same time,I respect your opinions too.

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120689/
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TAXI DRIVER:
This film introduced me to one of the best Directors of Hollywood.Martin Scorsese is one of the few directors who keep reminding the movie-going audience what a great movie actullay is!!!Armed with a simple story supported by a taut screenplay and one of the greatest actors of all time(Robert Di Niro),Scorsese delivers a gut-wrenching punch to the audience.

Travis Bickle is a Vietnam War veteran who drives his yellow cab in the nights,as he doesnt get any sleep at all.And this leads him to frequently drive in seedy areas infested with prostitutes and drug addicts.He is sickened at the sight of his city and wishes the rain to wash away all the dirt infesting the city.He tries to woo a Senator's campaign worker and fails miserably at it.An increasing loathing in him,makes him try help a 12 year-old prostitute Iris(young Jodie Foster).That too does'nt seem to work out and his increasing rage culminates in his vigilante mission to assasinate the Senator.The failure of the same prompts him to head out to the brothel housing Iris and he kills the pimp,the doorkeeper(of the Brothel) and Iris's mafia customer.The film ends on a murky note and leaves the conclusion to the viewer's choice.

Am glad this is just the second film of Robert Di Niro that I watched,the other being Godafather-2.Di Niro is mind-blowing in his performance of a mentally degrading man who is an emotional failure.He tries to save the prostitute Iris and during those scenes the audience would certainly appreciate the efforts of Bickle.And in most parts of the film,Bickle's loathing of the 'moral-decay' around him will find support with the audience.His failure at impressing his girlfriend,Betsy(senator's campaign worker) shows us how childish/immature Bickle can be at times.We also have a very young Jodie Foster as Iris and shes passes muster.Also,there is Harvey Keitel whom I have been spotting in many excellent films.He is quite young with long hair and nice muscles....the rest of the cast including the cameo by Martin Scorsese himself are well cast.

The most famous and best scene is of course the scene,wherein Travis Bickle talks to himself in front of the mirror.His ad-libbed dialogue "You talkin' to me?" in that scene is brilliant and I loved it a lot.Bickle's preparation for his mission involving hardening himself and acquinting himself with the guns is a sight to watch and it is another memorable scene.And last but not least,the attempted assasination & the violent shooting ensuing it stand out as Scorsese's best crafted scenes.

One of the reason's I love this movie,is due to the ending.Scorsese,brilliant that he is,has left the conclusion to the viewer's choice thus ridding himself of any confusion.I prefer the positive interpretation of the ending rather than the negative.

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075314/
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THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS:
Excellent film making....i have been hearing a lot about this movie for ages and when i did get the opportunity to check this movie out,it was a superb experience.This movie introduced me to the actor called Anthony Hopkins.Depicting an expert psychopath killer who has the coolest of human minds,Anthony Hopkins or Dr.Hannibal Lecter is brilliant.An excellent foil to him is Jodie Foster as FBI trainee Clarice Starling.

Dr.Lecter is in jail.A serial killer is on the rampage and Clarice(an FBI trainee) is sent to find out about the killer-at-large from Dr.Lecter .Lecter can control his heart rate to his liking and has an intellectual that could'nt be penetrated by psychiatrists despite many attempts.Lecter agrees to give clues about the serial killer on the condition that Clarice tells him about herself.She ignores the warning given by her superior and shares her innermost secrets.What follows will change Clarice's life forever.

On a broad perspective,the movie is about a serial killer and a Government agent's hunt for him/her.But moving to the plot and screenplay,there is nothing to complain about. Hopkins and Foster are top-notch as far as the acting department is concerned. Hopkins is menacing at times and turns extremely cool as the situation demands.Once the meeting between Clarice and himself happens,the movies pace quickens and the plot tightens.We have a lot of tense moments and the tension reaches a high as the climax nears.And i realised the title of the movie IS actually relevant to the main character involved.

Nothing less than 10 for such a brilliant film.

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102926/
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RED DRAGON:
Set years before The Silence Of The Lambs took place...we meet agent Will Graham(Edward Norton) who is being helped by famous Dr.Hannibal Lecter(Anthony Hopkins) to catch a serial killer.But what Graham doesnt know is that Lecter is the killer himself.Graham eventually finds this out and Lecter is jailed,causing Graham unwanted negative media coverage.He goes into early retirement.

Years later a serial kiler by name of the 'Tooth Fairy' is on the loose,and Graham is asked for help in the case as he is believed to possess psychic powers.He does make some important breakthroughs but is unable to proceed further and he has no option other than turning to the killer he jailed(Lecter).Lecter does help him,but only to prove Graham that he is far more cleverer than the Tooth Fairy.Will the killer be caught???Will lecter,the great intellectual that he is,take revenge on Graham???

Anthony hopkins has a good deal of screen presence and he is electrifying in his portrayal of Hannibal 'the Cannibal'.Compared to 'Silence of The Lambs',his on-screen time is less and but it more than satisfies a fan's thirst.Francis Dolarhyde(Ralph Fiennes) is menancing and makes a spine-chilling villain,but never comparable to our beloved Dr.Lecter.Not quite as strong as 'Silence of The Lambs',but good enough.

My rating: 9/10
My links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289765/
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SCHINDLERS LIST:
I have to admit that Schindler's List is a long and tough movie to watch.But it is worth the wait for watching this movie!!! The Holocaust is undoubtedly one of the most significant and horrifying events of the twentieth century. Between 1938 and 1945, the Jewish population was segregated and persecuted, culminating in the merciless slaughter of approximately six million Jews (this figure is quoted in the film, though most historical estimates vary between five and seven million).

Amidst all this butchery, one man decided to make a difference, famously saving the lives of more than 1100 Jews- men, women and children who would otherwise have been killed.
The movie takes place during the Second World War.Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler,a German Industrialist,brings on a brilliant performance.

He is a businessman who enlists Jews to work in his factory.Initially he does so because the Jews are readily available labour for a low price.He does however become gradually aware that his factory means the difference between life and death to thousands of people.And so his 'list' is born. A list of Jews that he requires to 'work' for him.It is,in reality,a list of life.Providing ample support to Schindler is Itzhak Stern(Ben Kingsley), a jew who intially doubts Schindler and maintains his distance from.But as time progresses,we see a beautiful friendship being formed.Stern helps Oskar create the list and eventually save thousands of lives.

Liam Neeson fills Schindler's boots well.We soon forget he is Neeson at all.Ben Kingsley is, ofcourse, his ever-reliable brilliant self. And Amon Goeth(Ralph Fiennes) easily creates one of the screens most hateful villians.As this movie is based on real life happenings,all these characters did exist in real life.Goeth depicted by Ralph Fiennes is so brilliant in his
acting that we,the audience start hating his character.

There are some tough scenes (most notably, the liquidation of the ghetto, Goeth's (Fiennes) brutality in the camp) and it's all filmed in beautiful black & white - except for the highlighted girl in the red dress,which has a brilliant symbolic meaning later in the film.The last scene where Schindler breaks down,saying how he could have save more lives had he tried to
is so touching,a tear in the eye is not enough.

It has a powerful and lasting effect - just as it should. Job excellently done Spielberg,Hats off!!!
My rating: 10/10
Links : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108052/
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CRASH:
I have seen so many instances wherein a huge star cast spoils the entire movie and its purpose.The effect is quite opposite in this heart-moving movie.The movie revolves around the story of many characters who are at some point of time inter-related by fate.The basic backbone of the story is to portray the amount of racism still present in America and mind you,this is not about Blacks alone.We have a Hispanic,a Persian family and of course Blacks.

Major part of the movie involves the character-development of the actors involved.And when this purpose has been established, we have some moving scenes.One example is that of a White cop who harasses a Black couple earlier in the movie and later on,he risks his own life to save the same women from a car wreck.The lady who is willing to die rather than be rescued by this racist cop finally relents to him helping her.After getting away from the wreck she is in tears,it is difficult to stay come during this scene.I was really moved during this scene...i can many more beautiful scenes,but its better to be viewed on screen.

Performance from all the major actors is very good and there is nothing to complain about in this movie In My Opinion!!!No wonder CRASH won the 'Best Picture' & 'Best Writing, Screenplay' and 'Best Editing' Oscars last year(2006)!!!A powerful and thought-provoking movie indeed.

My rating: 9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375679/
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SEVEN:
Coming from acclaimed film Director David Flincher,'Se7en' is one amazing film to be watched.Actually 'Se7en' is his first major hit as a Director after the severely drubbed 'Alien 3'.A chilling thriller that will have us on the edge of our seats.

Detective William Somerset(Morgan Freeman) is on the verge of retirement when he is partnered with hot-headed Detective David Mills(Brad Pitt) for a murder case.What starts off as a random murder spirals off into thier pursuit of an unkkown serial killer,who has the 7 deadly sins as his Modus Operandi.Somerset,with his cool and analytical mind slowly heads closer to the killer's identity with Mills helping out a bit.The killer finally reveals himself in all his glory and things are'nt going to end as one imagined they would.We are headed for a shocker of a climax that will blow you away!!!

Top-notch performance by Morgan Freeman,Brad Pitt & of course Kevin Spacey(we hafta wait a bit for his part though).I had intially rated this film 8 at http://www.imdb.com/ ,as time passed by this film has grown more sinister and excellent,than it was on my first viewing.My rating is a rung higher now!!!Brad Pitt gives in a good performance,but he clearly shines in the climax where he is his best.No need to mention Morgan Freeman or Kevin Spacey,because they are par excellence as they always are.

The scene-of-crime in all the murders is very gruesome and they manage to chill the viewer just as the Director had wanted.Things seem to be in control till the climax where the twist gives a jolt to the viewer.The build-up to the climax is phenomenol and the ending is as appropriate as one can get. It is hard not to like this movie.

Strange Facts:
1)The weather is the same throughout the film,until at the climax.
2)The city of residence is never revealed in the film.Try your best,if you manage to find it..hats off!!
3)The delivery in the climax is scheduled for delivery at 7.07pm.(Source: http://www.imdb.com/ )

My rating:9/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114369/
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THE USUAL SUSPECTS:
Brilliant movie making and this movie was a real twister. The director challenges the audience by giving keeping everything in the open. Everything is so obivous once the twist in the climax is revealed,but are we,the audience watching carefully???

Gabriel Byrne and Kevin Spacey give out incredible performances. Chazz Palminteri as the Customs Official is quite good.... the suspence is maintained till the very end.

Two parallel stories which inter-twine into a confusing and mind-blowing climax.The only survivor of a boat explosion,Verbal(brilliant Kevi Spacey)and his twisted 'confession' about the incident is the only key to finding the truth.Do the cops manage to find the truth???

Dean Keaton(Gabriel Byrne) is an ex-con who wishes to lead a normal life. But the cops do'nt seem to let him be.And when he is rounded up for a drug trafficking deal in which he had no involvement,He joins with four others in the line-up to get back at the cops.As a result, their lives are turned upside down.

With flash backs into the past and alternate forwards to the present,'The Usual Suspects' is an intriguingly fascinating film.It can boast of 'One of the best movie endings in a Hollywood movie'....

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114814/
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THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION:
One of the few movies which deserve a full score. Such movies are a rarity. Once in a Blue moon certainly......Some people may find it boring or slow-paced,but i loved the movie and its main theme. Which is,as the tagline goes "Fear can hold you prisoner,but hope can set you free".

The protagonist is Andy Dufresne(Tim Robbins) who is falsely charged for murder.Dufresne attempts to escape prison.Oops,did i give away the premise? I dont think so.. watch the movie and you will know why i say so.

Dufresne who is quite shy manages to make some new friends in the jail as well as some foes.Among his group of friends is Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding(Morgan Freeman) who is the prison entrepreneur,who can arrange almost anything for his fellow inmates.The two form a deep-rooted friendship that seems to lift their worries of their confinement into oblivion!!!Almost all the scenes involving Dufresne and the wardens & the jail inmates are quite hilarious at times...whereas some scenes will move our hearts.

"Never-say-die in your life".'The Shawshank Redemption' is a master-piece that is not to be missed.

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/
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THE SIXTH SENSE:
Spine-chilling movie. I really found it difficult to stay alone in a room for the next few days. It was more spooky when i had this feeling someone was in the room... took some time to get over the spooky feeling.Bruce Willis and Harrey Joel Osment are excellent in this movie.

Dr.Malcom Crowe(Bruce Willis),a pschycologist tries to understand Cole Sear's(Harry Joel Osment) problem of seeing spirits,or ghosts actually.Crowe tries to help the kid out and in the process learns shocking things about his beliefs as well as about himself.Slowly Crowe starts to accept Sear's fears.Nothing seems as simple as it is in this world and both the protagonist's are about to find that out!!!

I will not dvelve deeper into the story so that i do not give the plot away.This film made Manoj Night Shyamal,an Indian-born-American director an overnight celebrity.His movies always have a Twist at the end which has become his Trademark.And Shyamalan makes sure he builds the screenplay to that very vital twist!!!

My rating: 10/10
Links: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167404/
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