Yes Man (2008)

Whats it about:
Carl is a very negative person working in a bank. He is very pessimistic about life. He is lonely, has very few friends and watching movies is his only pastime. His wife is also away from him. He attends a seminar that emphasizes the word YES and undergoes a sea change in his attitude.
        He becomes very positive, starts helping people, sanctions many loans, learns newer skills, bonds with his 2 best friends and gets a beautiful new girlfriend too. Of course, a speed breaker comes in his life but he crosses that and reunites with his girl friend.

                                                                        

Hits

• Though evidently looking old, Jim Carrey is energetic and lovable as always.
• Zooey Deschanel is absolutely cute and adorable. Her chemistry with Jim is very natural. 

Misses

• The conflict towards the end of the movie and the scenes following that conflict are needless and spoil an otherwise beautiful movie

VERDICT

An almost perfect feel good movie but for the finale ... 

Thenmerku Paruvukaatru (2010)

Whats it about:
Murugan is a typical village brat raised by an over possessive mother Veerayi. They have their own farm and many goats. 4 of their goats are stolen by a gang that steals goats and sells them as meat. One among the robber gang is a girl, Pechi who is caught by Murugan and it is love at first sight.
       Murugan goes to her village vicinity to look for her. In the meanwhile Pechi's brother and the leader of the robber gang is on the look out for Murugan to eliminate him as he is a witness to their crime. Pechi's brother attacks Murugan and Murugan complains to the police and the robber brothers are sent to jail for 6 months.
       During these 6 months Murugan and Pechi madly fall in love. Veerayi is dead against this marriage because her dead husband lost his life due to some affairs with robbers of the same village as Pechi. But the sheer strength of the love makes Veerayi relent and she sacrifices her life for the sake of her son's future after she single handedly takes on the robber brothers in vain.

                                                                        

Hits

• A fine village story with the "manvaasanai" of Bharathiraja's heydays.
• Great songs by the debutant. A good BG score too. 
• The new hero Vijay Sethupathy is more than adequate with his expressions. The heroine Vasundhara plays her part too. 
• The comedian is a fine change from the likes of Vadivelu and Vivek. He is good. 
• The biggest plus is of course Saranya as Veerayi. Her brave yet emotional show in the climax brings out tears in us. 

VERDICT

Another village flick that deserved a good run ... MUST WATCH for some great acting and fine music ... 

Manasaare (2009)

Whats it about:
Manohara is a jolly guy who takes it easy. He is unemployed but is intelligent. He doesn't want to lead a normal life like others. He has a different view of life. He is raised by his uncle
      He is mistaken to be Mahendra a mad person, during an incident at the highway and is admitted in the mental hospital as Mahendra. He tries to convince the doctors and nurses inside, but in vain. Then, he meets a girl in the hospital and falls in love at first sight. He escapes the hospital with the girl and during those 2 days they fall in love. The girl is also cured of her fears and imbalance.
     They return to the hospital and then the original Mahendra is caught. Manohara is accused of being a cheat who is staying just for free food and shelter. His girl is also upset with him. He is sent out. He returns to his place but is insulted by his family and neighbors. Just when everything seems lost, his girl returns to him after knowing the truth.

                                                                        

Hits

• DIGANTH. What a smashing, handsome hero. A real surprise. He is super jovial and apt. ROCKSTAR
• Andrita Ray looks like an angel in many scenes. 
• The comedy scenes in the hospital are rib tickling. 
• The initial portions of the film are terrific fun

Misses

• Predictable and boring at places. 
• Bad placement of songs
• Clichéd love track. 

VERDICT

Feel good fun movie. Predictable but watchable. 

Nadunisi Naaygal (2011)

Whats it about:
The entire movie is in flashback mode narrated by a mental criminal Veera aka Samar. Samar, a young 8 yr old boy is subjected to sexual abuse by his father and his group of friends at their Bombay home. By the age of 13, he gets fed up and takes refuge at his neighbor Meenakshi's home.Meenakshi notices the shocking happenings at Samar's home and informs the police and also adopts Samar.
          Samar rechristened as Veera grows up in Meenakshi's home and by teenage starts developing feelings for his guardian. They make love on one fateful night and Samar also brutally wrecks Meenakshi's new marriage life by killing her husband and also causing a major fire ...
          Samar becomes a psycho due to his disturbed childhood, moves to Chennai, stalks girls online, kidnaps girls, brutally murders them, chops off their hair and renews his contacts with his school sweetheart Sukanya. All along we also see Meenakshi amma in a gory burnt up look living along with Samar in their Chennai farmhouse.
          As Samar is about to finish off Sukanya after a major struggle, the police get closer on his trail and we also get to know the truth behind Samar's wild instincts.  It is a combination of multiple personality disorder and hallucination. One SHOCKER indeed ...

                                                                        

Hits

• All the ingredients of a thriller are spot on. Terrific sound effects, rottweiler dogs, eerie lighting, class cinematography ... aesthetic sense written all over this Gautham product. 
• What a shocking genre bender from Gautham who usually is a director for the entire family.
• Terrific debut by Veera. Such a tough role as Veera-Samar-Meenakshi amma rolled into one ... Commendable 'Psycho' show
• Sameera as the traumatized Sukanya is adequate.
• The woman who acts as Meenakshi has a major role. Initially the caring mother like woman, later the gory burnt up avenger image ... Scary make up ... 
• The twist in the tale actually makes this product top notch and really international class. 
• A different message about male sexual abuse rather than the clichéd female sexual abuse. 

VERDICT

Just when you start thinking that Gautham is going overboard with the psycho acts performed by Samar and Meenakshi amma, he gives us a terrific shock that hits us like a bolt. A worthy tribute to all the hallucination and multiple personality based Holly classics ... DON'T MISS IT ... 

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Whats it about:
Sally, Franklin, Jerry, Kirk and Pam go on a drive to visit Franklin and Sally's grandfather's ancestral property somewhere in Texas. They encounter a crazy bunch of guys before reaching their destination. What happens to them forms the rest of this frightening, chilling, shocking true life story ...
       Kirk, Pam, Jerry and Franklin are all killed in order, in the most brutal fashion using hammers and a chainsaw by Leatherface. Sally is chased madly by Leatherface, his brother and another crazy man. She escapes the most traumatic, dangerous situations involving another old grandpa and finally flees the place for good.

                                                                        
VERDICT
Bones, Skeletons, Flesh, Blood, Chilling sound effects, Frightening camera work ... OMG, a shivering experience indeed ... 

Classic: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Whats it about:
     Randle McMurphy (Mac) lands in a mental hospital for evaluation purposes. He isn't exactly retarded but is quite a handful. He encounters many different kinds of mentally disturbed persons. The nurse Ratched has an iron hand over the place and is unrelenting when it comes to the treatment schedule.
     Mac is a rebel and slowly the entire ward is behind Mac and they start enjoying basketball, escaping out to the seas for fishing, having fun with drinks and women in the hospital itself. Billy and Chief are 2 voluntary patients who are particularly close to Mac.
     These activities really annoy the management and what happens to Billy, Mac and Chief is the climax. A real gut wrenching climax that will surely touch every heart.

                                                                        
Hits

• Jack Nicholson is the soul of the film. He is the live-wire forever looking to rebel and have fun. Be it begging for one extra vote to watch baseball on TV, teaching basketball to Chief, trying to lift a heavy plumbing equipment etc etc. He is super charming. His sudden downfall in the climax when he is lobotomized and brought back to the ward really makes one feel depressed and very sad. 
• Brad Dourif as the stuttering Billy Bibbit is very natural and darn life like. His sudden outburst in the climax is again shocking. 
• Will Sampson as Chief is robotic. But, his role gains significance once he starts talking and his climax escaping act is a great tribute to friendship. 

VERDICT

The movie grows on you and towards the climax it really impacts you and leaves you with a heavy heart. A great inspiration for the Bala brand of cinema. MUST WATCH

Drohi (2010)

Whats it about
The story of 2 friends turning foes turning friends again. Karuna and Saamy are thick friends from childhood. Saamy is an Iyer while Karuna is a local. Their friendship gets separated when Saamy testifies that Karuna is the accused in the murder case of their teacher's killer. Saamy is tortured by Karuna's friends
         Saamy joins Narayanan the local gangster, for refuge & power and Karuna studies with the ambition to become an IPS and becomes one. As part of his assignment, Karuna infiltrates the rival gang lead by Nanaji and eliminates him, Narayanan's son and finally Narayanan too. Karuna also gets the better of Saamy and proves to him that he was being used by Narayanan and finally the friends join hands again.

                                                                            
Hits

• 2 dashing heroes. Srikanth as Saamy gives his best ever show. He looks awesome and spews villainy. Vishnu looks like a typical Tamil action hero and does well too.
• Poorna as Srikanth's intense lover looks seducing and acts ok too. 
• Quite an interesting screenplay. 
• The 2 kids as the young Saamy and Karuna are very good. 
• The shots of Srikanth blindfolded on the railway track are thrilling
• The comical climax of Saamy being sent by Karuna to the tutorials is nice. 

Misses

• Poonam Bajwa in dual roles is equally bad in both the roles. That too as the elder Brahmin women, she is pathetic. The characterization of a Brahmin woman is in very low taste. 
• Both the love tracks are needless and purely commercial in nature. That too the Vishnu-Poonam love track is nonsensical. 
• Bad songs with equally bad placement. 
• BGM is loud most of the times
• Pooja in a cameo as the teacher evokes sympathy but such a small, insignificant role for the Nan Kadavul actress
• Unclear dialogue delivery by all the lead actors.

VERDICT

Mostly watchable but, for the songs and the 2 love tracks.  

Nagaram (2010)

Whats it about:
The movie starts from the moment the hero is stabbed and then moves to a flashback. 'Gate' Selvam is brought out from by jail after 5 yrs inside, by his police friend Sakkarai Pandian. The unsuspecting Selvam loves his friends to the core. He wishes to live a good life, marry his neighborhood lady love and have a baby and settle in life.
      But his corrupt police friend involves him in a smuggling racket at the harbor, drug peddling and more and more gangsters. Selvam and Sakkarai get mixed up with a big shot gangster, Bhai and this time it is curtains to their friendship. Selvam comes to know that his friend is just using him for his illegal money earning activities. Finally, the duo are pursued by Bhai's men for the murder of Bhai and it is payback time for the duo ...

                                                                        

Hits

• A nice engrossing screenplay. Never a dull moment. Might be a known story of friendship, betrayal, gangsters. But definitely watchable. 
• Vadivelu and his silly funny antics throughout the movie never fails to make you laugh. What a comedian :)
• Anuya looks absolutely enticing in sarees and is a good match to Sundar. Their love track is quite mature with 2 hum-able melodies by Thaman.S
• Sundar scores more as the director and does his usual goonda act as the hero. His narration of his life story that comes at places in the movie is Gautam Menonesque ... 
• The climax is different and the guy who finally nabs Selvam is a shocker indeed. 

Misses

• In the climax, the villains don't know to use their guns to shoot our hero and waste their bullets, whereas our hero with a single gun wipes them all. Typical commercial cinema. 

VERDICT

Could have had a better run at the box office. Certainly watch worthy 

Classic Revisited - Shutter Island (2010)

Whats it about:
Andrew Laeddis, a former US Marshall is admitted into the mental health facility at Shutter Island, for having killed his suicidal wife who had murdered their 3 children. Andrew is highly delusional and he is continued to be haunted by images of his wife Dolores and little girl Rachel.
    To help him come out of this rut, Dr.Cawley and Dr.Sheehan stage a path breaking role play where Laeddis becomes Edward Daniels and Dr.Sheehan becomes Chuck, Daniels' partner. Daniels visions himself as the hero in this play where he needs to find out a missing patient Rachel Solando and also expose the murky activities happening in the island like psychotropic drugs and lobotomy.
   Laeddis is so taken into his role as Daniels that he regresses and loses track of reality. Then, Laeddis is brought back to reality after a breath taking scene in the lighthouse and is finally released.

                                                                                
Hits

• The facility at Shutter Island looks breathtaking. Ward A, B, C, the lighthouse ... Really Surreal
• The cinematography and locations are beyond words. Some dangerous top angle shots. 
• The CGI/VFX/visuals during Daniels' delusions are outstanding. 
• The lighthouse scene where we as an audience come to know for the first time that Daniels is actually Laeddis the dangerous prisoner is shocking in its revealing nature. 
• The scene where Dolores drowns the 3 kids and Andrew comes home and finds it out, should rank among the saddest scenes in cinema history
• The conversation between Daniels and George Noyce at Ward C when Noyce gives out some hints that Laeddis and Daniels are the same, is another terrific scene. The match sticks giving out light in an otherwise totally dark setting is again beyond words. 
• Ben Kingsley and Mark Ruffalo as the doctors are dignified. Michelle Williams as Dolores haunts with her slow speech and striking eyes. Jackie Earle Haley in a small cameo as George Noyce makes a shocking impact
• Last but not the least, LEONARDO DICAPRIO as Laeddis/Edwards gives one of his best ever shows. His acting in the lighthouse scene, the scene with Noyce, and the scene where he cries out "NO" on seeing his 3 dead kids are proof enough of this handsome star's insane talent ... 

VERDICT

Deserves much more attention. One of the best psycho movies ever made. Bow down to the master, Scorsese ... 

Classic Revisited - The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Whats it about:
It traces the life of jail inmates at The Shawshank prison, New England.
        Andy is a banker who comes into the jail for a crime he hasn't committed. He starts developing the prison library and also is a tax expert for the warden and all the jailers. Red is a long timer at the jail who has the knack of getting things that jail inmates need. Red's parole keeps on getting rejected. Tommy comes in at a later point. He is a young punk. Brooks, the library in-charge is the longest surviving inmate with over 50 yrs of jail time.
        Many more such characters. Add to this, a cold blooded corrupt warden who keeps earning illegal money.
        Finally, after a terrific painstaking escape act by Andy and a successful parole for Red, Andy and Red get close to each other and form a life long bond. Andy has everything perfectly planned out, he exposes the dirty prison activities, gets his money and welcomes his friend with lot of hope ...
                                                                 
Hits

• Such beautiful dialogs which give so much hope
• Tim Robbins dazzles. Egs: his look at his prison friends enjoying beer, the scene where he plays out Mozart to the entire prison through the loudspeaker, when he talks with so much hope about Zihuatanejo to Red just before his escape, his relief at finally escaping .... Many many more
• Morgan Freeman proves his legacy again. His base voice, his walk, his grace and his expressions during his repeated parole rejections are pure class.
• The characterization of Brooks, the long timer. His bonding with the jail, his crow Jake, his struggles in the outer world and his final letter revealing his decision to end his life sure leave a lump in the throat.
• Tommy the young punk. His attempts to clear his high school exam in the jail and his sorry killing for supporting Andy, make a major impact.
• Sweet, simple BGM by Thomas Newman that haunts at places
• There hasn't been a more intricate and detailed portrayal of jail life in the movies. The way 'new fish' are ragged verbally by the old timers and how they struggle to get used to the first night at the jail, are brutally frankly portrayed. 

VERDICT

Deserves all the top places it has in all the ratings. A movie that emphasizes hope, the joy of living, belief, friendship and all other positive emotions ... A ROYAL SALUTE

Payanam (2011)

Whats it about:
A Delhi bound Chennai flight is hijacked by terrorists and due to technical issues, lands in Tirupati. The terrorists demand the release of their leader. The Indian bureaucracy and NSS commandos start their negotiations with the terrorists.
     The Indian Govt. budges to the demands but due to unforeseen circumstances the terrorist's kingpin is killed and the commandos spring up with a plan to tackle the disturbed hijackers who start wrecking some havoc by killing a passenger on board.

                                                                          

Hits

• Radha Mohan's humor touches. There are a variety of characters on the plane. A superstar, his fan, a doctor, an X commando, a Brahmin husband wife duo, a jobless educated person, a Christian father, an astrologer, a young Pakistani girl child etc etc. Each of the above has some nice characterization. 
• The scenes involving the timid superstar and his over expecting fan are a scream. Nice sarcasm on the current trend of over heroism is shown through these scenes. The over enthusiastic media reporting is also shown nicely in this movie. 
• Nagarjuna and Prakash Raj are adequate as Raveendran, the commando and Vishwanath, the negotiator. Nagarjuna looks awesome.
• The planning of the NSS commandos to eliminate the terrorists is awesome. And the execution scenes are also quite good for the most part. Nail biting tense stuff. Thalaivasal Vijay and Poonam Kaur have some weight in these scenes. 

Misses

• Just an average BGM score for an action movie like this
• Needless drama by the lone terrorist in the climax
• The final bomb explosion scene is comic. Needless heroism and it looks silly
• The humor scenes of Brahmanandam and the terrorist lookalike are quite needless and stick out like a sore thumb. In fact, the humor is sort of a speed breaker in some scenes. 

VERDICT

A decent watch. Some loose edges could have been tied up and this already engaging movie would have been even more gripping. 

Cyanide (2006)

Whats it about:

It’s a true life depiction of the aftermath of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination.  The assassins Shivarasan, Shubha and co. escape from Chennai and are on the run. They look for a house in many places but in vain. Finally they find a place in Bangalore thanks to Ranganath. Ranganath’s wife Mridula is very much disturbed by the presence of killers at her house. Finally the police find the killers’ hideout. But typical Indian hierarchy and bureaucracy prevent them from nabbing the killers outright. In the end, the assassins kill themselves using Cyanide as the title suggests.

                                                                                

Hits

• Malavika as Shubha has acted well and shows that LTTE killers too have a humane side and that they have taken arms only for self protection and due to a disturbed past. Her bonding with Mridula shows her yearning for human relations
• The lady who comes as Mridula has shown fear, disgust and helplessness very well through her expressions. A good show. 

Misses

• The assassins are all Srilankan Tamils belonging to LTTE. But they speak fluent Kannada. A disclaimer showing that the characters speak in Kannada for understanding purposes would have done the trick

VERDICT

A great film considering Kannada cinema’s present appalling standard. A brave attempt at showing a very controversial real life accident. 

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Whats it about:
It centers around 4 individuals and their obsessive dreams and how they put themselves through hell to fulfill their respective dreams.
      Sara Goldfarb is obsessed with appearing on TV. She imagines that she has got a call to appear on her favorite show and then starts getting obsessed in looking good for the show. She starts taking steroid pills to lose weight, to fit into her favorite dress that she plans to wear for the show.
      Harry Goldfarb and his friend Tyrone want to make a quick buck by selling drugs. They themselves are drug addicts. Harry's girl friend Marione is another drug addict. She wants to set up her own clothes showroom and she too is after money.
      In the end, all the 4 go through unimaginable hell just to survive.

                                                                              

Hits

• Clint Mansell's BGM is haunting, rocking etc etc. So suited to the mood of the film
• Editing, sound design and camera work are top class. The close ups are high impact stuff. The fast forwards & slow motions at appropriate places, the intricate sound effects. This is just pure cinema.
• Ellen Burstyn as Sara has acted like a dream. Her conversation at the dinner table with Harry where she feels about being lonely, her scary expressions after becoming addicted to drugs are all goose bumps inducing stuff. 
• All the other 3 lead artistes too have done brilliantly. Each of them has their poignant moments as well as shocking moments in the film. Apt expressions. 

Misses

• Unimaginably hard hitting visuals. Definitely not for the weak hearted. 

VERDICT

One of the very best films. Darren Aronofsky ... Take a bow for such a daringly different concept. 

The Fountain (2006)

Whats it about
3 stories are shown involving the same lead pair.
       One is the actual live story where Dr. Tommy Creo is working overtime to find a medicine which can prevent ageing and brain tumors. He tests his medicines on a sick monkey in the hope that he can cure his terminally ill writer wife.
       The second story is actually the story of the book that Izzi Creo is writing. Dr. Tommy Creo is shown as Conquistador, the warrior who has to save Spain from the Inquisitor. Izzi is shown as Isabel the queen of Spain who gives commands to the Conquistador.
       The third story follows from the book's story where the queen tells the Conquistador about a tree in space which can give everlasting life to all species. The Conquistador dies in combat and his soul is shown to be travelling in space with the ring that the queen had given him, as a bald monk in pursuit of the life tree.

                                                                          
Hits

• Soulful, haunting BGM by Clint Mansell 
• Terrific art work, CG work. Really surreal effects. 
• A terrific audio visual symphony
• Brilliant acting by Hugh Jackman as the frustrated doctor in particular
• Great analogies and commonalities shown between all the 3 stories

VERDICT

Definitely for an educated audience. Multi layered stuff. This one is for the intelligent and the classy, brainy folks. 

Typical Aronofsky brilliance. 

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Whats it about:
A hardcore movie about the marine corps, the way they get trained, their actual indulgence in the Vietnam war, their lighter moments, the various departments in the Marine Corps, all sort of nicknames that the soldiers have. Great research done by the great Stanley Kubrick for this movie.

                                                                            
Hits

• The brutal training scenes are an emotional riot. Be it the initial speech of the commander, the way the privates get caught by him, Private Gomer Pyle's struggles at the training and his final flourish with the gun. Brilliant scenes
• Awesome war scenes like the way a single sniper takes out many marines like Cowboy, Eight Ball, Doc Jay from far range but struggles at close range to shoot Joker. Terrifying realism. Tremendous art work, sets, camera work etc etc. Looks so real. 

Misses

• Quite a slow pace in the middle portions of the movie. The initial training scenes and the climax war scene set too high a standard. The rest of the movie is quite lethargic

VERDICT

A true blue war movie from the master, Stanley Kubrick. But not a must watch ... 

Tees Maar Khan (2010)

Whats it about
Tabrez Mirza Khan aka Tees Maar Khan aka TMK is a wanted criminal. He has his 3 side kicks. He is the only intelligent person in the whole film. The rest of the cast are all jokers and incompetent people.
                 His next task is to loot government valuables worth billions and many kilos, and deliver it to the Johri Siamese twins. He plans to shoot a movie along the Dhuliya railway track where the train is supposed to come. He casts a big Oscar obsessed superstar and the entire Dhuliya village in his movie. And they blindly obey his orders without a second thought. He loots and then escapes as usual.

                                                                          

Hits

• The punch dialogs spoken by the side kicks in praise of TMK are a scream.
• The Oscar mania spoofed in this film is also laugh worthy. Danny Toyle, Manoj Day Ramalan etc etc. lol indeed. Akshaye Khanna with a trendy wig has really brought in the laughs. 
• Nice peppy songs. 
• Some good laughs. 

Misses

• Logic-less. Senseless. Mindless. Typical Akshay Kumar masala film with a foolish glam doll as the heroine. An over emotional mother. Timid, comic police officers. May be that is exactly what Farah Khan wanted to do. 

VERDICT

Worth some laughs. Feel good comedy. But totally unbelievable stuff. Cinematic liberties have been stretched to the core. 

Jhootha Hi Sahi (2010)

Whats it about:
Siddharth accidentally starts getting calls from people with suicidal tendencies. Beyond a point, he himself volunteers to help these people on the phone every night. One such caller, Mishka is very much helped by Sid's talks and Mishka transforms herself. Sid stammers when talking to girls live. But not on the phone.
                  Sid meets Mishka by chance and is bowled over by her. They start dating each other. But Mishka doesn't know that it is Sid who speaks to her on the phone every night. Mishka calls Sid as Fidato on the phone.
                  Sid and Mishka fall in love and Sid also talks to Mishka every night on the phone as Fidato. He helps his love on the phone by talking to her as Fidato. In the meanwhile, Sid breaks up with his girl friend. Mishka's former boyfriend re-enters her life. Finally Mishka comes to know that Sid and Fidato are the same and after a minor split, they re-unite to live happily ever after.

                                                                            
Hits

• Quite a different plot and the setting is also good. London, an Indian book store etc etc. 
• The actors who play the hero's friends are all very natural particularly the Pakistani brother sister duo. Their jokes are also enjoyable. 
• A.R.Rahman's lovely songs

Misses

• John Abraham though super handsome, is very average. He has been miscast. A Ranbir Kapoor would have rocked this role
• The heroine looks old and jaded. No chemistry with John. 
• Maddy in a cameo as the jerky, selfish X-boyfriend is again a misfit. He is too dear to audiences to be made to act in such a small time role. 

VERDICT

Due to the lead actors' lack of chemistry and some bad casting, this movie flopped. Otherwise, it is a decent watch ... 

No one killed Jessica (2011)

Whats it about

A combo of truth and fiction that traces the killing of Jessica by a politician’s son for not serving him drinks, in front of 300 people at a party. Sabrina, Jessica’s sister wages a single handed battle against the system for justice. Initially the killer escapes scot-free thanks to manipulations of all the witnesses by the powerful politician.

                 Then public awareness is rekindled by an annoyed Meera, a high profile NDTV reporter who takes up this case and performs a series of sting operations to expose the killer in broad day light. Finally justice is served after a great public uprising on the lines of Rang de Basanti.

                                                                           

Hits

• Vidya Balan as Sabrina looks mature yet beautiful. Has done this serious role with a lot of spirit. Her cries resonate through.
• Rani Mukherjee as the foul mouthing high profile journalist goes overboard with her profanities. But, apt casting.
• Good BGM. The placement of the rocking ‘Delhi Delhi’ song is spot on.
• The police inspector role is good. Honest yet practical.
• Myra as the bold Jessica strikes a chord with us. The director has projected her character well. 

VERDICT

A movie with noble intentions. To show a true life story of justice being denied and cinematically serving justice is indeed applause worthy. 

Band Baaja Baaraat review

What's it about

Shruti and Bittoo, 2 ‘just out of college’ kids start a wedding planning firm and organize weddings on a small scale. It is Shruti’s dream and Bittoo joins her, in order to avoid going back to his village. Their business picks up and they become very famous.

One eventful night, Shruti and Bittoo have sex in an inebriated state, after a big success party. Shruti also slowly falls in love with Bitto but he doesn't understand her love and later due to misunderstandings their partnership and bonding break.

Both go their separate ways but, fail miserably. They somehow are forced to join hands for a big budget wedding again. Slowly the sparks are revived and Bittoo inevitably realizes his love for Shruti and their partnership extends to life too. A Happy ending.

                                                                            

Hits

·         A movie about wedding planning is definitely new

·         The first half is totally breezy

·         Anushka Sharma as the talkative, no nonsense girl is so cute and likable. But she overdoes the parts when she needs to show her temper. 

·         Ranveer Singh has done a brilliant job in his very first movie

·         Nice songs

·         Breezy feel good climax, Yash Raj style.

Comments

• The way 'Shaadi Mubaarak' picks up so quickly is typically cinematic. 
• Sometimes the two act so immature and impulsive, after they part ways

VERDICT

A nice love story with a business angle. Worth watching. 

Chikku Bukku (2010)

Whats it about:
2 London youngsters, Arjun and Anu make a journey to Tamil Nadu for their own reasons. Circumstances bring them together. They travel together and gradually start loving each other after the initial squabbles. Arjun reads his father Shekhar's diary and comes to know of his father's love story with Meenal in the 1980s. There is a twist in the end. But, all is well as usual after some predictable scenes.

                                                                              

Hits

• Arya looks very dashing and stylish as Arjun. He also looks smart as the police aspirant father Shekhar. Decent portrayal
• The heroines Shriya and Preethika look great. Shriya does a Genelia type role. Preethika emotes averagely and looks very homely. 
• Good hilly locations all through the movie. 
• The guy who plays Ammaiyappan has done very well. Initially timid and later madly in love, he has acted well. His role gains prominence in the climax. 
• Santhanam brings in many laughs. 
• The Shekhar-Meenal love track is much better compared to the youngsters' love track.

Misses

• Very average songs
• The situations during the Arjun-Anu journey appear quite predictable but are entertaining. 

VERDICT

Average time pass. Watchable once for the very good looking actors and the locations. Could have been a hit with good songs. 

Panic Room (2002)

Whats it about:
One of David Fincher's lesser known films, A mother and her daughter move into a new huge house after a split between the husband and wife. The new house is hi-tech with a panic room as well. On their very first night, 3 burglars break in. One of them is a man of conscience and he had actually designed the panic room on behalf of his security agency. The mom and daughter are forced to lock themselves into the panic room.
                   The burglars want to get into the panic room and loot some bank bonds. The mom handles everything starting from her sick daughter to the sudden appearance of the police through her X husband. In the end, following a bloody climax, all is well.

                                                                        

Hits

• Jodie Foster in an action packed role is perfect. 
• Kristen Stewart as the frightened yet bold little girl does well too. 
• Lots of thrilling scenes like the scene where Kristen Stewart tries to get the attention of the neighbors from the panic room, the gas cylinder leak scene, the scene where Jodie goes to fetch her cell phone from her bedroom and the main phone line tapping scene. 
• Another treat for the male audience is Jodie Fosters' ample cleavage exposure in her black sleeveless top :) This is one major perk in seeing female stars twisting and bending to perform various action scenes ... 

VERDICT

A nice thriller movie. Jodie Foster does another Clarice Sterling kinda role. Worth watching ... 

Devil (2010)

Whats it about

3 men and 2 women are trapped in the elevator of a high rise building. The security guards call in a cop who is investigating a suicide at the same building, to help them out on this case. Each of the people inside has some sort of a criminal record. One by one, people start getting killed under bizarre circumstances in the elevator. The survivors start doubting each other. The cops, guards and fire service are but mute spectators to this.  One of the guards named Ramirez believes from the first that it is the devil that is responsible. Finally, it is indeed the devil that is inside the elevator in human form to eliminate the wrong doers.

                                                                         

Hits

• Thrills and spills
• Most of the movie happens inside a small elevator
• Some suspense in the end as to who is the devil.

VERDICT

Average thriller movie with a spooky touch. Watch able once. M.Night Shyamalan has penned the story for this. So see it for the Indian angle J

True Grit (2010)

Whats it about:
A young 14yr old girl, Mattie Ross is on the look out for her father's killer Tom Chaney. She gets the assistance of a troubled US Marshall Rooster Cogburn and a Texas Ranger La Boeuf who is also on the lookout for Chaney for a different crime. Both these men have "true grit". Their journey is adventurous and ultimately successful though Mattie Ross loses quite a bit.

                                                                            

Hits

• Jeff Bridges. With his great voice and a single eye, he literally lives the role. 
• Hailee Steinfeld as the fearless girl seeking revenge is impressive too. She has a way with her words. 
• Matt Damon. His getup as the Texas ranger is different and his role is good. 
• Good BGM
• Nice locations that remind us of the great westerns of yesteryears.
• Some good gun fights add to the cinematic experience. 

VERDICT

Different take on a typical retribution story. A young girl & 2 rough and tough men all having TRUE GRIT in common. 

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

What's it about
Mrs. Kramer suddenly decides to walk away from Mr. Kramer citing identity problems. Mr.Kramer then takes care of their 7 yr old son and develops an inseparable bond with him. Mrs.Kramer resurfaces after undergoing therapy and asks for the custody of their son. Mr.Kramer in the meanwhile is forced to change jobs. A courtroom drama follows and Mrs.Kramer is awarded custody. Mr.Kramer and the kid are inconsolable but they get prepared to leave each other. But, Mrs.Kramer decides to leave the kid with his father himself as the kid is at his home ...

                                                                          
Hits

• Dustin Hoffman. One of the very best
• Meryl Streep. Such a divine beauty with terrific talent too. 
• The little kid scores brilliantly in the climax. 
• Some scenes in particular like the little kid meeting a naked woman in his home, the kid learning to ride the cycle, the hospital scene, Mr.Kramer's interview scene and the climax make a huge impact

VERDICT

Picture Perfect. The sweetest ever family drama 

Classic Revisited: Scarface (1983)

What's it about
The movie traces the life of Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant who reaches the US and slowly rises in life as a drug dealer. He is a real aspirant for the high life. He indeed becomes big, owns a big house, marries his lady love, helps his sister settle in life and even raises a pet tiger... With the big money comes many problems, many enemies and he causes destruction to his family, aides and finally to himself too.

Montana's dope addiction, his narcissistic attitude and absolute lack of tolerance towards people who confront him make him a real handful to deal with.
Hits

• AL PACINO. Yet another feather in his cap. Glorious portrayal of this ruthless & aggressive go-getter. He has made subtle changes to his look particularly the hairstyle. His accent has undergone a sea change. The way he says 'fuck' innumerable times and the way he snorts dope and goes on a destructive rampage are dangerously terrific. His dialogs are filled with punch and cult-like. 
• A good BGM track which is haunting, pulsating and innovative. A huge backbone to the movie. 
• Great supporting role for Steven Bauer as Manny, Tony's trusted aide till the very end. His end is very touching. 
• Mary Elizabeth as Gina and Michelle Pfeiffer as Elvira are two of the solid female characters in the movie. 
• The rise of Tony has been portrayed in a very detailed way. All his enemies and the various bosses he faces, are a pivotal part of the movie. 
• The climax sums up the movie and Tony's character. A stoic and heroic end. 

Comments

• Too much focus on dope addiction and usage. 

VERDICT

One of the cult gangster movies. AL PACINO lords over the movie entirely ... 

The Shining (1980)

Whats it about:
Jack Torrance takes up the job of looking after the Overlook hotel during the winter break. He moves in along with his wife and little son Danny on the closing day. They are all alone in such a huge palace like hotel. Danny is frequently disturbed by hallucinations and his invisible friend Tony. Once the family moves into the hotel, Jack becomes possessed and loses his sanity. He tries to kill his own family. The hotel is indeed haunted. Lots of thrills and suspense.

                                                                              
Hits

• Jack Nicholson. What an expressive actor. He terrifies with his portrayal once he is possessed by the evil spirits at the hotel. 
• The small kid does a great job too. His "REDRUM" chants are chilling. 
• Shelley Duvall as the innocent and helpless wife does fine. 
• Awesome eerie BGM adds to the chaotic mood
• The suspense nicely builds up and we get restless to know the actual plot in the end. 

Misses

• An unconvincing climax which is open to interpretation. Absorption theory is what Wiki says about the climax photograph. 

VERDICT

Riveting thriller with some very disturbing images. Not for the weak hearted. 

Harishchandrachi Factory (2009)

What’s it about

True story of Dada Saheb Phalke , the founder of Indian cinema starting from his roots as a honest person who runs a press - being a part time magician - getting inspired by the motion pictures – going to London to learn more about cameras – buying a camera – training local people to act in his movie about Harishchandra – showing the movie in cinema theaters to a great response – making more movies – and finally winning worldwide recognition as a fine Indian filmmaker. He is supported by his wife and 2 small boys throughout his endeavors.

                                                                       

Hits

• Inspirational yet light hearted
• Very funny slapstick comedy in the scenes where the locals are trained to act.
• Lovely music throughout.
• Nice realistic acting by the entire cast.
• Using montages nicely to move the story forward. 

VERDICT

A must watch for cinema lovers who wish to know the evolution of Indian cinema. Very entertaining yet educative. 

Siruthai (2011)

What’s it about:

Karthi plays dual role for the first time, that of a honest police officer, Rathnavel Pandian and a petty thief, Rocket Raja.  Rathnavel Pandian in his quest to eliminate the baddies falls just a bit short and loses his life. His daughter lands up in Rocket Raja’s custody now. Raja comes to know of Pandian’s glorious flashback and he now takes up the mantle in khaki uniform to eliminate the remaining baddies. 

                                                                               

Hits

• KARTHI. He looks glorious as the police officer and spews aggression in every frame. He is among the best looking policemen in Tamil cinema history. Karthi also pulls off the local pickpocket’s role with absolute ease. He is indeed one effortless performer.
• Santhanam as Karthi’s sidekick brings in some laughs with his antics. But, it is not his best
• Tamannah. OMG. What a hottie. She really heats up things and soars up the hormones among the male audience. Almost dangerous exposure of her super curvy hips and lovely navel in many scenes. Smooth as silk. J

Misses

• A senseless heroine who falls for a good for nothing hero happens only in movies
• The heroism is too over the top in some scenes
• Cheap glamour shown, though the males aren’t complaining.
• The villains are absolute irritants and are a laughing stock. 
• The finale is senseless in the name of fun and the climax fight is also very amateurish.

VERDICT

Karthi’s attempt at hardcore mass masala, helped in no small measure by Tamannah’s absolute generosity and Santhanam’s company. 

Winter's Bone (2010)

What’s it about:

It starts off with a 17 yr old girl’s search for her father who is wanted by the law. She needs to ask him to appear for trail in order to save their home and woods. But her search proves in vain and her father doesn’t appear in court. Now, she has to save her property. For that, she needs to prove to the law that her father is dead . She finds out her father’s body in the end and saves her property and redeems her family comprising her 2 little siblings and a silent mom. She faces a lot of troubles and also gets help from her relatives and her father’s former partners in crime.

                                                                             

Hits

• Jennifer Lawrence as the lead Ree Dolly, plays out a very bold and serious role convincingly with her body language.
• The climax sequence where Ree finds out her father’s body under a lake is chilling.

Misses

• Slow moving.

VERDICT

Watch-able once. The movie gets better as time passes and the climax is good. 

Hard Candy (2005)

What’s it about:

A 14 yr old crusader against child molestation traps a 32 yr old pedophile who is responsible for the death of a young girl. How she tortures him and makes him realize his crime is what this is about

                                                                            

Hits

• Ellen Page. A gamut of emotions from this boyish actress. Terrific talent

Misses

• It is hard to believe that a 14 yr old puny girl on her own, can inflict so much torture on a well built 32 yr old man
• After her mission is accomplished, she just walks away from the scene without any fuss or difficulty when we actually hear a police siren in the background

VERDICT

In this movie, Ellen Page does what macho heroes do i.e. retribution. Her pure talent makes this movie watch-able. 

Yudham Sei (2011)

Whats it about:
A CB CID officer reluctantly takes up a mysterious murder case where the pair of hands are the proof of murder. He investigates with the help of his 3 aides. In parallel he also looks for his missing sister. It soon becomes a serial killing case. He finally comes to know the truth and the shocking happenings behind the continuous murders. The actual murderers are unveiled like a bolt out of the blue

                                                                            
Hits

• The usual brilliant Mysskin touches like the strange lighting patterns. Difference in whatever he does. What a passionate director. 
• Terrific pace and detail in which the murder investigation unfolds on screen. Riveting stuff. 
• What a brilliant music score by debut-ant K. One of the best BGMs in recent times.  
• Classic role for Jayaprakash and he has done a brilliant job
• The shocking unveiling of the actual murderers. (It'll be a huge spoiler if I reveal them on the first day itself. They have literally shocked the viewers).

Misses

• A main theme is taken from the Tamil movie 'Alibaba'
• It resembles a very recent movie, 'Eesan' in the last half hour or so. 

VERDICT

Mysskin's return to the gripping stuff after the classic feel good Nandalala. This is one of the best in the detective genre. He could have chosen a hero who could have spoken English better. Cheran has otherwise done a decent job. 

MISS THIS AND YOU'LL REGRET THAT DECISION ...