Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

'Black Mamba' aka 'The Bride' is seeking revenge on the fellow members of her squad - 'The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad' led by Bill. They had ravaged her marriage at the gospel and she just about manages to stay alive. After a coma lasting 4 yrs, she wakes up and goes about her job with a big "Hattori Hanzo" sword and with a lot of style and guts.

She finishes 2 of the members - Vernita Green and O-Ren Ishii in this part. O-Ren Ishii is the leader of the Tokyo underworld and she has a huge entourage of mob-men and bodyguards. The Bride finishes them all singlehandedly.

Hits

• Quentin Tarantino's aesthetic and artistic film-making style that glorifies violence, blood and gore. He shows it in such a stylish way.
• Uma Thurman exudes grace, hostility, elegance and style all at the same time. What a tall, graceful and agile woman
• The BG soundtrack as with all Tarantino movies. So many catchy tunes, some retro style tracks and funky sound effects. RZA is the composer. 
• Lucy Liu and her 17 yr old bodyguard Gogo are menacing. 

Comments

• Glorifying violence, blood and gore. It is a blood fountain literally. 
• The action choreography for the scene in Tokyo where 'The Bride' kills around 100 people is unimaginable, far-fetched yet super stylish and aesthetic. 
• Usage of stylish animation and black/white frames to reduce the bloodbath on screen, is a good idea. 

VERDICT

A simple revenge story told in an aesthetic and stylish manner by Tarantino

Snatch (2000)

Another "chain reaction" movie from Guy Ritchie where there are a lot of characters and one action leads to the other, leading to a classy climax.

Here a diamond is the bone of contention and people like 'Franky Four Fingers', Avi, 'Bullet Tooth Tony', the Russian Boris, 3 Negros, Doug etc are involved in this.

Meanwhile, Turkish and Tommy get mixed up with 'Brick Top' over betting in an unlicensed boxing match involving 'Pikey' Mickey. Men like Errol work for 'Brick Top'.

The 2 tales coincide and all the characters are interconnected leading to the climax. As expected, there are lot of deaths and a few men escape with their dear lives as well as get some good fortune in the form of diamonds and money.

Hits

• The non-linear screenplay particularly in the scene when Borris gets banged in the middle of the road by the Negros' car and Bullet Tooth Tony's car crashes due to the milk thrown out from Turkish's car. 
• The dialogs are too hilarious and typically British. The scene when Tony compares the Negros to a dick and 2 balls is outrageously brilliant. 
• Brad Pitt's style of speaking and his lean and mean body. Cult. His fighting scenes are short yet his bare-knuckle punches have high impact.  
• Benicio Del Toro is another man with a totally elegant yet heroic style. He is made for such casual sort of drugged roles. 
• The typical Guy Ritchie elements like jerky camera movements, groovy soundtrack, funky character names, tongue-in-cheek dialogs etc. The man sure has a unique style.  

Comments

• Quite complex and needs undivided attention as with any other Guy Ritchie movie. 

VERDICT

Another complex yet casual affair involving a lot of characters in typical Guy Ritchie style. CLASSIC 

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

A classic tale of "chain reaction" where each activity leads to the other. Eddy and his gang comprising Bacon, Tom and Soap are out to make some big money by playing cards at Harry "The Hatchet"'s club. They get into trouble and owe Harry 500,000 pounds. Harry's mob comprising Barry, Chris are behind their life.

What they do to pay Harry off is one big chain reaction involving weed, shady money and this earns them a lot of enemies. One by one their enemies get eliminated in-spite of no effort from their side. In the end, they save their life and even earn a shot at earning a fortune. Whether they took the shot, is anyone's guess

Hits

• A super movie by Guy Ritchie involving money, drugs, crime etc. in typical British style. 
• All the Guy Ritchie elements like a groovy soundtrack, jerky camera movements, crazy characters (like Rory Breaker), funky names etc. are there in this too. 
• The ending is classic.
• All the actors have an equal part and it is the screenplay which is the 'king'

Comments

• The card game played, is quite incomprehensible and doesn't seem to be worth so much money. 

VERDICT
Complex yet casual. Never a dull moment and keeps us hooked throughout. A CLASSIC 

Warrior (2011)

A movie that talks about Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in the backdrop of 2 brothers, their father and the troubled relationship that exists between them.

Paddy Conlon has 2 sons Brendan, the elder one and Tommy. Paddy was a drunkard and he ignored his wife and his 2 sons when they needed him the most. The 2 sons are still pissed off with him. The brothers themselves have their arguments because Tommy was the one who stuck on with his mother while Brendan settled in life with his lover Tess.

Tommy becomes a war hero and a celebrated marine while Brendan becomes a physics teacher. Both of them are circumstantially lured into the ultimate MMA tournament called Sparta with a 5 million $ winner-takes-all purse. While Tommy does it for his fellow marine's widow, Brendan does it to save his home and family.

Tommy is trained by his dad while Brendan is trained by Frank Campana, one of the best in the business. The brothers expectedly reach the final through contrasting victories and what follows is an intense and emotional fight between the 2 brothers. While one of them obviously loses, their family ties become stronger at the end of the bout.

Hits

• Terrific performances by Tom Hardy (as the brooding, eccentric fighter who beats others to pulp/ as the troubled son and younger brother), Joel Edgerton (as the matured family man/ physics teacher/ elder brother/ underdog fighter who withstands all the beating he gets), Nick Nolte (as the repenting father) and Jennifer Morrison (as the concerned wife)
• The action scenes are awesome. The contrast in Tommy and Brendan's styles adds to the effect. 

VERDICT

One of the best 'fighting' movies with intense family emotions running through. 

Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

Cal has some problems in his marriage with Emily and they decide to part ways. They are married for over 25 yrs and they have 3 kids - Hannah, Robbie and Molly. Emily has an affair with her colleague David.

Just when Cal is down and out and frustrated in the nearby bar, Jacob befriends him and changes his style, looks and outlook towards women. Before long Cal starts nailing woman after woman. But, his heart still beats for his wife despite all these affairs.

Meanwhile, Jacob and Hannah fall in love. Babysitter 17 yrs old Jessica also has a secret crush on Cal while Robbie is madly in love with Jessica. There is a lot of heartache due to all these affairs and secret crushes. Finally, things are sorted out on Robbie's graduation day and it's a happy scene again.

Hits

• The scene where all the affairs and secret crushes are exposed is a real laugh riot. 
• The cool metamorphosis of Cal and the way the romance develops between Jacob and Hannah, are also well shown. 
• Ryan Gosling is a real cool hunk and a serious charmer. Well cast. Steve Carell and Julianne Moore play the elder couple with conviction. Jonah Bobo as Robbie, Analeigh Tipton as Jessica, Emma Stone as Hannah round off the main cast. A job well done by all these actors with no exceptional performance as such. 

Comments

• Quite slow moving

VERDICT

Another relationship movie that might appeal to the chicks and the romantics. 

Engeyum Kadhal (2011)

Prabhudeva's attempt at making a candyfloss romantic movie on the lines of Yash Raj Films' numerous such movies.

Kamal is a prolific businessman who comes to Paris every year for a month just to unwind and have a nice romantic time with the ladies. He doesn't believe in commitment and love. Kayavizhi is a Tamil girl who lives in Paris with her detective father. She falls for the charming Kamal, at first sight. She slowly draws Kamal towards her. In the end, Kamal also reciprocates and feels the same about Kayal. The lovers join as expected

Hits

• The look and feel of the film is so classy and glossy thanks to Paris, the costumes and the attractive lead pair. Nirav Shah has had a nice time capturing all the beauty around
• Hansika Motwani redefines bubbly, cute, charming, innocent, plump and pretty. Her dubbing voice is also very apt. She is expressive too. 
• Jayam Ravi, the handsome dude is best suited for such lover boy roles. 
• Harris Jeyaraj is the heart and soul of the film. Super duper hit songs colorfully picturized by Prabhudeva
• Crisp and not dragging for the most part

Comments

• Some hard to laugh moments provided by Raju Sundaram. Could have been avoided

VERDICT

Above average romantic musical. Definitely watchable 

Rajapattai (2011)

A movie that shows the hero, Anal Murugan taking on a politician (Akka ) and a local dada (Vaapa) who are into land grabbing. Dakshinamurthy is the victim and the ashram land that he has for young kids is coveted by the above said land grabbing goons.

Dakshina is treated like a grandfather by the hero who is a gym boy. The hero is also in love with the college girl across the street and the feeling is mutual. The oldie helps the hero with his experience and tricks at love.

With his local friends and some needless getup changes, Anal does the expected and bashes the enemies to pulp and saves the children and their ashram

Misses

• Total nonsense
• The hero's costumes are garish and totally out of sync with his real life age and personality. 
• The fights don't have the desired impact.
• The jokes don't incite much laughter as well. 
• The songs by Yuvan are below average. The BG score isn't much better either
• The villains are all cliched and mere props with no acting wares
• The getup changes by the hero are a needless exercise at ego-boosting. 

Comments

• Some typical heroism scenes highlighting the hero's brain and brawn in the 2nd half are passable.
• The heroine is just a beautiful doll with nothing to do.
• Some scenes showing the old man advising the so called young men, at love are funny and enjoyable. 
• Vikram's daring hairstyles and facial hair style are worth a mention. 

VERDICT

Nonsensical crap totally unexpected from the promising director and the seasoned hero. PLEASE AVOID

Don 2 (2011)

Don is now a big shot drug dealer in Asia. He pisses off the European drug cartel due to his low rates and they want him dead. Somehow he escapes an attempt on his life in Bangkok and surrenders to Roma and Malik in Malaysia. Don is sentenced to death. He meets Vardhan in the jail and convinces him to escape along with him for a job.

This time Don is eyeing a German bank. He wants to get hold of the plates that are used to print currency notes. He uses the corrupt Indian vice president in the bank, Diwan to get the information that he wants to pull off his heist. Diwan wants Don dead due to this.

Don gets some more men for his heist job, including a computer expert Sameer for hacking. He has his trusted 'sweetheart' Ayesha by his side as always. Things don't go very smoothly and there is in-fighting between the men as expected.

Just when the police think that Don is good enough to be behind bars, he pulls off a coup and manages to either kill all his enemies or send them behind bars. It is all a big master plan cleanly executed. Don's soft corner for Roma remains and he is now ready to rule the underworld even more due to the lack of a single enemy.

Don 3 will be back to tell more on that ...

Hits

• The look and feel of the movie is like any Hollywood action blockbuster - be it the locations, the action blocks, the cinematography, the sound effects, the costumes etc. Top notch production values. 
• SRK is made for such roles that flaunt his villainy and style. He carries off a stubble like a king be it, the intro scenes or the climax. It is a solid return to form. The crowd just goes berserk whenever he mouths the famous punch dialogs or smokes or wears his coolers or just walks in his designer wear. King of the masses, this Don is. 
• Boman Irani as Vardhan and Priyanka Chopra as Roma carry on in the same roles. Priyanka looks super hot while Boman is convincing as always. Kunal Kapoor has a solid role too, considering the future of this series. 
• No place for contemporary Indian romance and dream duets. Limited songs that don't spoil the movie one bit. 
• The initial scenes with SRK in his long hair - stubble avatar, are racy and send the crowd into a mass frenzy. Heroism rules as always. When SRK's name is mentioned on screen, it is a moment of sheer mad fanaticism. 

Comments

• Om Puri sticks out like a sore thumb with his total lack of style and finesse in a movie that oozes style and suaveness. 
• The twist in the climax is expected because we know what Don is capable of. 
• The 2nd half is not racy and most of the scenes are dedicated to the heist at the bank. 
• Hrithik Roshan makes a special appearance in a scene that celebrates typical Hollywood action blockbusters like MI.

VERDICT

A solid return to form for SRK. The star rocks such villainous roles like none other. Kudos to Farhan Akhtar for making a Hollywood movie in an Indian budget

Following (1998)

A jobless young wannabe writer (Bill) has a fascination in following random strange people. He gets obsessed with one man in particular, Cobb, who happens to be a thief. Bill and Cobb break into a lot of homes and collect a lot of personal items from these houses.

Bill gets close to a blonde woman. He had actually broken into her house too. He pulls a favor for her. She is actually with a bald guy.

In the end, Bill realizes that he has been used nicely by Cobb and the bald guy. He was just a decoy who gets pulled into the situation due to his own peeping/following nature

Hits

• The totally non-linear screenplay. It is in 3 different blocks with the lead guy's getup giving pointers about the time and place. 
• Both the lead guys look chic and smart. The way Bill gets caught due to his own fancies and fantasies, is ironic. The blonde lady also has a role to play. She looks hot and just when we think she is part of the plan, we realize that she is the target. 
• The BG score has just one recurring theme which is rocking. Perfect for the thrill and suspense. 

VERDICT

'The Master' Christopher Nolan's debut. What a first movie! Short and sweet thriller.  

Mounaguru (2011)

Karunakaran is a brooding college going youngster. He is moody and deals with things in quite a straightforward and principled way. He joins an Arts college in Chennai after he is kicked out of his first college. He lives in the hostel while his mom lives with her first son in Chennai. Karuna's family sees him as a burden. His sister-in-law's sister has a soft corner for him.

There are a series of thefts that take place in his Chennai hostel. Karuna also has run-ins with a notorious guy in college. On the other hand, the greedy AC of police gets mixed up with a murder, for money and he starts covering up the mess that he has created along with his team of cops. He gets caught on tape once and this tape goes missing. It is traced that the thief at the hostel is behind this tape theft too.

Then poor Karuna gets mixed up with these cops and he escapes death barely, is sent to the mental asylum and goes through hell. An honest pregnant cop offers some hope with her acumen and effective investigation but, Karuna can't escape that easily. The ending is quite different though the heroism in the end could have been toned down.

Hits

• The grip in the screenplay. It is tight, unwavering, engaging and very interesting. 
• Solid roles for Uma Riyaz as the pregnant cop, John Vijay as the ruthless greedy cop (his eyes are terrorizing), the helpful madman in the asylum, the other cops, the college father, the warden, the hero's mother etc.
• Iniya as the girl in love with the hero reminds us of Asin from her M.Kumaran days, both in looks and voice. Very homely girl
• Arulnidhi's height, serious looks and bland voice suit this character very well. 
• Thaman's title track and BG score are among the highlights. 

Comments

• The climax has some heroism which could have been toned down given the realistic nature of the movie
• The justification for the thefts aren't very convincing. The suspense built up behind the identity of the thief is awesome but, the moment of revelation is quite bland
• The love scenes though few, aren't needed much. 

VERDICT

A real surprise from this unheralded team. A knockout movie. One of the best of 2011. Thrill, surprise and suspense galore. 

Classic Revisited: Pulp Fiction (1994)

Typical Quentin Tarantino stuff. Non-linear narration of the lives of a bunch of people - 2 hit-men (Jules and Vincent) working for their boss (Marsellus Wallace), the boss' wife (Mia), a boxer (Butch) who gets mixed up with Marsellus and 2 bandits (Pumpkin and Honey Bunny) who are out to make a quick buck by robbing a restaurant

Gangster stuff, guns, a lot of swear words, illegal betting, homosexuality, drugs, lot of random dialogs and of course sex ... in Tarantino style packaged in chapters

Hits

• Samuel L. Jackson's authority, anger and aggression sears through his eyes and his dialog delivery particularly Ezekiel 25:17. John Travolta plays the apt foil to him. John is casual and totally the opposite of Samuel. 
• Lot of small appearances for Bruce Willis as Butch, Uma Thurman as Mia, Tim Roth as Pumpkin, Ving Rhames as Wallace, the 2 homosexuals Zed and Maynard, Butch's wife Fabienne etc. etc. Each of them plays his/her part in the respective chapters. 
• The dialogs are cult. They are long, random, sometimes pointless and yet engaging
• The BG soundtrack needless to say, is also very popular. The tile theme and the end credits theme in particular. 

Comment

• The chapters are aligned quite randomly. 

VERDICT

A film that can be pulled off only by the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. 

Classic Revisited: American History X (1998)

Derek Vinyard is a hardcore neo-Nazi. His philosophies and ideologies have been shaped up by his late dad and his mentor Cameron Alexander. His brother Danny treats Derek like God and follows him to the T. Derek leads the whites in Venice Beach High against the blacks in the community.

Derek commits the murder of 2 blacks in a moment of uncontrolled rage and his life is changed forever. He goes to prison in Chino and he learns the value of a life without hatred, the hard way. He starts respecting his fellow humans (blacks included) and gives up his hardcore hate principles. Dr. Sweeney plays a major role in bringing Derek back.

Just when Derek has everything figured out and intends to stay away from the gangs and lead a peaceful life with his united family, things turn unbelievably tragic. His past catches up with him and Derek is inconsolable.

Hits

• Edward Norton's makeover. Bald, muscular and menacing. He spews aggression and when he repents, he is even better. What a natural actor. Egs: the lunch table conversation, the scene in the prison when he repents, the climax, his pride after the murder scene etc etc. 
• The dialogs are a major plus. Thought provoking, hard hitting and passionate. 
• The cinematography by director Tony Kaye, with the use of slow mos to add to the heroism and buildup value, and the top angle shots in the prison, are all eye-catching. 
• Beverly D'Angelo as Dorris, the mom looks hot and turns in a great performance at the helpless mom who is caught up in a web of emotions. 
• Edward Furlong carries home all our sympathies in the end. The guy looks so girlish though. 
• All the other neo-Nazis like Seth, Stacey, Cameron, the guys in the prison and the other blacks in the movie make the drama really intense with their strong anti-feelings. 
• The message "Hate is baggage. Life is too short for being pissed-off forever. It's just not worth it". Golden words. 

Comments

• Liberal use of a variety of F, MF, B, A words. Countless. 
• The rape scene in the prison shower is unimaginable. 

VERDICT

All time cult classic about racism and humanity, worth watching forever. 

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

Agent Ethan Hunt and his team of 3, are after nuclear extremist Hendricks who is after some codes, files and the tracking satellite to launch a nuclear missile and cause havoc in the US.

The chase for Hendricks starts in Kremlin where Hendricks steals from the Russians and proceeds to Dubai and finally to India. Hunt and team expectedly prevent the missile from blowing off.

All this happens after the IMF is shut down following the implementation of Ghost Protocol.

The Dubai portion of the movie where Hunt performs some incredible stunts in the extremely high rise Burj Hotel to get the files and authentication codes from Wistrom, is the major highlight.

Hits

• Tom Cruise is super agile for his age. Though his physique and face show off his age, his stunts at the Burj are the paisa vasool moments of the film. 
• Paula Patton as the hot team mate of Hunt, is too sexy and seducing, particularly in the Indian leg of the movie, with her cleavage fest. She seduces the silly Anil Kapoor to part with the information she needs. 
• Simon Pegg as Benji pulls off some good funny dialogues with perfect timing. 
• Some scenes showing off the technical expertise of the team like taking printouts through the eye, forming a virtual screen showing the reflection etc. are awe-inspiring. 

Comments

• Jeremy Renner as Agent Brandt doesn't have much to do except some stunts in the Indian leg of the movie 

Misses

• The climax is silly. Like a Vijay movie's. Tom Cruise just punching the keyboard and the missile going bust is so similar to the Sura scene. 
• Passing off Bangalore as Mumbai and showing SUN Network being used for launching nuclear missiles is another silly part of the movie

VERDICT

Starts off well but, peters out in the end. 

Drive (2011)

An expert driver takes up the case of his neighbor - a young married woman Irene with a young child Benicio. Her husband just returns from jail and he lands up in trouble. The driver offers his services for a heist to get him out of trouble but it goes terribly wrong.

A series of people get killed and the driver settles things one by one and ensures that Irene and Benicio are safe. He drives away in the end after finishing the job that he set out to do.

Hits

• Ryan Gosling is mean and silent throughout. He smiles and talks only in a measured way. When he shows his aggression, it doubles the impact
• The other characters like the wife, the cute kid, the husband, the driver's garage boss, the mob etc. all have their minor parts. 
• Some scenes like the first kiss between the driver and his neighbor inside the lift followed by the bloody murder are pretty unexpected and abstract. 

Comments

• Carey Mulligan is so pretty and charming. Her smiles work wonders
• The killings in the movie are quite gory and bloody. 
• The soundtrack has some feel good songs. 
• The driver doesn't have a name. 

Who'll like this

For serious film buffs who prefer some understated action and not over the top stuff. Won't run much in India if it releases. 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

In San Francisco, Will Rodman is a scientist who is looking to find a gene therapy for Alzheimer's disease, at the Gen-Sys lab. All the research is done on apes. Bright Eyes is one such ape which gets injected with the drug ALZ-112 (which is a modified virus) but, gets killed unfortunately while protecting her baby. Will takes the baby chimp home and names it Caesar. Will also tries this drug on his ill dad but, not with long lasting results.

The drug is passed on to Caesar through his mother and he is hyper intelligent and much more capable than humans. He doesn't like to be treated as a mere pet. Beyond a point, he is not tolerated by the neighborhood and he is sent to a Primate Sanctuary where there are several other apes. They are cruelly treated.

Meanwhile, testing on a new drug ALZ-113 is under way at Gen-Sys, headed by Will. The chimp handler Franklin is killed by this virus which is fatal for humans but is very potent on chimps.

After a point, Caesar takes control there due to his obvious superiority and he also manages to get the new drug passed on to the other apes as well. Now, the apes go on a rampage led by Caesar. They go to the Gen-Sys lab and destroy everything. Finally, they move to the Redwoods State Park beyond the Golden Gate bridge and make it their home. They destroy whatever force that comes against them and also make sure that the greedy proprietor of Gen-Sys, Jacobs is killed.

The movie ends with the premise of a sequel as ALZ-113 spreads all over the world reducing human population and making the world truly a haven for apes.

Hits

• Amazing performance capture again, for the apes. Andy Serkis does the honors for Caesar. 
• The visual effects particularly in the final Golden Gate sequence when the apes go on a rampage, is very ambitious though it is very evident in few places. When Caesar flies from one place to the other and in the trees at Redwood as a young baby, it makes one emotional. 
• The music of Patrick Doyle is Hans Zimmer like. It adds to the edge-of-the-seat and thrilling action. 
• Movies on genetic drugs and viruses are always appealing. 

Comments

• The actual actors don't have much work. The handsome James Franco and the petite Freida Pinto make a very good pair. John Lithgow as Will's father is the only human with some scope for acting and he does very well. 

VERDICT

Typical blockbuster Hollywood action where apes are in a much higher league compared to humans. 

District 9 (2009)

An alien master ship lands over Johannesburg and stays put for over 2 decades. The aliens that descend down are settled in a place called District 9. Multi National United (MNU) wants to capture all the alien weapons that can be operated only by aliens. They torture these aliens and are into an illegal genetic research where they want a cross breed between humans and aliens that would enable them to use the alien weapons.

MNU uses one of their hyper employees, Wikus Van De Merwe as a pawn for this research. They lure him by authorizing him to lead the operation of evicting the aliens to a new settlement. Wikus becomes increasingly 'alien' due to his exposure to the aliens.

The aliens want to go back to their land in their master ship. Now, Wikus is pursued by the MNU and also the Nigerian gang who are also after the weapons and the alien power. Initially Wikus just wants to get back his human form but later he becomes selfless and helps the aliens. Did the aliens flee Johannesburg and what happened to Wikus is the climax.

Hits

• The action on screen is extremely engaging and intense.
• The language spoken by the aliens and their perky, quirky sound effects are really innovative. 
• Sharlto Copley as Wikus redefines pain on screen. We travel along with him on his increasingly agonizing journey. Great show
• Though the aliens are quite disgusting, the effort and the detailing in showing all their minute actions is highly laudable.  

Comments

• The way humans are just torn to shreds by the alien weapons is quite disturbing yet entertaining. 
• The way Wikus metamorphoses to the alien form is quite detailed and disturbing again. 
• The movie has a docu feel when all the specialists and journalists narrate and cover the alien story. 

VERDICT

My personal favorite among alien movies. 

Infernal Affairs (2002)

Yan is a police cadet school graduate who is sent to work undercover with Sam, a wanted gangster. Inspector Lau is a mole in the force who works for Sam. Yan reports only to SP Wong with all the details about Sam's dealings and operations.

It is a race between the 2 moles to expose each other. SP Wong dies unfortunately, Sam is also eliminated by the opportunistic Lau. Now, Yan and Lau face-off with each other.

All Yan wants is his identity back and to jail Lau. But, things sadly don't work out for him and it is Lau who continues his living existence in hell, filled with guilt for his lack of loyalty and honor.

Hits

• It is a crisper version of "The Departed" and it is a great honor to be the superior original to a classic that was derived from this movie. 
• The BG score is really pulsating and matches the tempo of the racy screenplay. 
• The 2 lead heroes, Andy Lau and Tony Leung, are charismatic. Anthony Wong as SP Wong has a very heavy role and the scenes following his death are beautifully picturized. 
• The screenplay is full of tension and it never wavers from the central plot. 

Comments

• The 2 ladies in the movie see the movie to its conclusion. They play their little parts

VERDICT

An original to "The Departed" in every way. Riveting stuff. 

Ladies vs Ricky Bahl (2011)

Ricky Bahl is a conman who dupes ladies for a living and he earns big cash using his methods. The ladies fall easy prey to him and he has conned more than 30 ladies. 3 of them - Dimple, Raina and Saira decide to get back at him and recover the cash that they lost to him (totally 90 lakhs). Dimple is duped in the name of love, Raina - a painting and Saira - family grief.

These 3 girls employ a salesgirl named Ishita to trap Ricky who is now in Goa. Ishita and Ricky fall in love during the girls' reverse-con process. Ricky succeeds yet again but, this time the girls finally manage to straighten out his ways. Ricky returns their cash and gets Ishita on the promise of a clean life.

Hits

• Ranveer Singh looks solid star material with his realistic acting, amazing muscular frame, flowing hair style, height and style. His costumes in this movie are really debonair and dashing. The new heartthrob of the young crowd. 
• Anushka Sharma scorches the screen with her 2 piece bikini act in the pool. She is indeed one gutsy girl to expose her assets in all their glory. 
• More than the songs, Salim-Sulaiman impress with their booming bass BG score particularly in the party scene where the lead pair kiss for the first time. 
• The first half flies away in quick time. 

Comments

• The bubbly, talkative Punjabi girl stereotype is repeated yet again though Parineeti Chopra is very cutesy and curvy. The other 2 girls are OK.
• The 2nd half feels draggy compared to the racy first half. But, it is never boring. 
• No catchy song as such. 
• The colorful production values of Yash Raj Films are there here too. 

VERDICT

Decent time-pass. Worth a watch for the hunky hero, the fun and Anushka's super hot 2 piece bikini act

Osthe (2011)

The remake of Dabangg. STR reprises the role of Salman Khan. Osthe Velan is a charismatic police inspector who loots the money coming from corrupt politicians. He pisses off one such aspiring politician 'Boxing' Daniel. Daniel is out to get Osthe, come hell or high water. Osthe has his team of funny side-kick cops who love their 'ins'

Osthe has a vulnerable younger step brother Balan, who is used as a pawn by the bad guys. Osthe also has a troubled relationship with his step father. His mother is his only solace and she also is killed by the bad guys. Osthe meets his match in Neduvaali and he woos her and marries her. Her father is a drunkard.

Finally, Osthe mends ways with his family and blows away the villains singlehandedly. STR even shows his newly acquired abs in the final fight with Daniel

Hits

• STR has his own way and his Nellai accent is quite authentic. The man oozes style in his coolers and tight and colorful clothes. In the climax, his body is surprisingly quite awesome. 
• Richa's intro scene is such a free show. The lady is so curvy and has well endowed assets. She is a dream girl. But, other than the songs, she doesn't have much to do. Pure eye candy
• Santhanam and co.'s antics are funny and are laugh worthy. Several light moments. 
• Thaman's songs are super hits and they have been picturized very colorfully. The sets, the energy and costumes in all the songs are impressive
• Jithan Ramesh has a decent role after ages. He is surprisingly the younger brother to STR. His dialog delivery is much better. 

Comments

• Kalasala is nowhere near Munni, though both the songs are equally impressive in the audio. 
• VTV Ganesh has his first average outing.
• Sonu Sood just hams. Nothing special. So many villains just get overwhelmed by Osthe in no time.
• Revathi and Nassar have nothing much to do. 
• There is no pace in the movie. It moves leisurely and is quite long. 

VERDICT

Just an average outing that might appeal to STR fans in particular. 

Vishnuvardhana (2011)

Vishnu is the son of a local laundry vendor but, he wants to make it big. He is a big fan of superstar Vishnuvardhan. On an occasion, he loots the cell phone of a big Bangalore don named Adisesha. He uses that phone, answers all the incoming calls and gets some easy extortion money.

He also poses as a doctor to get his dream girl Bharathi. Later he also has to deal with Adisesha's good-natured, sexy wife who wants her evil and immoral husband dead.

Adisesha uses a corrupt policeman (and partner in crime) to nab the guy who has his phone. Adi also gets a job to kill the guy who is posing as a doctor to woo Bharathi. Vishnu meanwhile enters Adi's own circle and literally plays around with him. Adi comes to know in the end that it is Vishnu who is the man in question in both scenarios. Finally, the hero succeeds as expected and banishes Adi and the corrupt policeman.

Hits

• Sudeep's comic sense is very likable and his dialog delivery style is similar to superstar Rajinikanth's. The guy is tall, elegant and definite star material
• Bhavana and Priyamani are pure eye candies with the latter having some scope for performance in the 2nd half. Sonu Sood makes his debut in Kannada and he looks mean
• The comedians appeal majorly to the local crowd. 
• The songs are all foot-tapping with the opening number the pick of the lot. 
• Every time Vishnuvardhan's name or image is on screen, the crowd literally goes wild in celebration
• Quite an intelligent and entertaining screenplay. 

Misses

• The scene where the hero saves the baby and the pregnant mother is funny. 

VERDICT

A sure-shot hit with tremendous title value and an interesting premise. 

My Boss's Daughter (2003)

Tom accidentally house-sits for his boss Jack. He has to take care of the boss's owl OJ. The boss doesn't care about his son and daughter and he is a stickler to rules, cleanliness and a tyrant on the whole. Tom is in love with the daughter and she also reciprocates.

A lot of crazy people and a drug dealer TJ come to the house when Tom house-sits and the owl flies away due to drug effects. Finally after all the mess in the house is cleared, everything is sorted out and Jack also realizes the value of his children. Tom gets his lady and also the valued promotion to the creative department.  

Hits

• Ashton Kutcher is the only reason to even half-sit through the movie. The casual style and his neat looks are always a plus. He elicits the few laughs that the movie throws up. 

Misses

• The jokes are lame. 
• We actually wait for the movie to get over

VERDICT

A lame movie that was supposed to be a comedy. Forget it. 

Killing Me Softly (2002)

Alice dumps her boyfriend and falls madly for a wild mountaineer named Adam. They meet on the streets of London. Following some mad and wild sex, they decide to get married. Adam is a very weird guy who is literally mad about his wife.

She finds some mysterious letters from other women and their photos, and starts doubting Adam's fidelity. Finally she comes to know of the truth behind those women and who killed them. A decent thriller with a weird twist.

Hits

• Heather Graham is super hot and bold and has no inhibitions in being nude. She is smoking sexy. Her eyes are expressive.
• Joseph Fiennes is literally a beast and he is perfectly cast
• The sex in the movie is so wild and real. The lead players have literally done it.
• The music score by Patrick Doyle is grand, dramatic and it is like an opera symphony

VERDICT

Decent thriller with a guessable but weird twist in the end. 

The Guardian (2006)

This movie is dedicated to the US Coast Guard rescue swimmers. Ben Randall is a big legend in the force who has lost just 22 lives in his long career. After a mission in which he loses his close friend and he is injured badly, he is sent to the A School to train kids who aspire to be on the rescue force.

Jake Fischer is the brightest young prospect there. Ben helps him get his act together. Both share a lot in common. Jake learns the aspects of working together as a team and he expectedly graduates as a top candidate. In the end just as he is about to retire, Ben answers his last call of duty to save Jake from one last dangerous mission.  

Hits

• Great VFX shots of the dangerous sea, the rescue mission and the chopper flying over. 
• Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher share amazing bonding. Kutcher epitomizes 'cool','dashing' and 'debonair'. He acts very naturally too. Costner looks fit and handsome despite his age. Melissa Sagemiller as Jake's girlfriend looks very pretty and their chemistry is another highlight of the movie. 
• All the other characters in the 'A' school make the scene look very authentic and life-like. The training scenes and methods are intense. 
• The dialogs highlighting the courage of the coast guard make us go 'wow'. 

Comments

• The sad ending looks forced and dramatic

VERDICT

Nice male bonding movie. The movie as a tribute to the US coast guard, is highly praiseworthy. 

The Fighter (2010)

This is a true story of Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund, 2 step brothers. They live in Lowell. Their's is a big family comprising many sisters, their mother Alice and Micky's father George. Dicky is Micky's boxing coach and dear brother. Dicky's ticket to fame and popularity in Lowell, is his fight with Sugar Ray Leonard around 14 yrs earlier. Alice manages Micky's career. The family as a whole, is very possessive about their 2 sons.

Dicky is a drug junkie and his is a case of wasted talent. HBO makes a movie on him to show the effects of drug addiction (crack). Micky's career is also jeopardized by Dicky's eccentric and crazy ways. Finally Micky meets his soul mate Charlene and better sense prevails. Slowly, Micky gets the right connections, leaves the distractions and emerges as a boxing champion. Reformed brother Dicky is also by Micky's side during his crowning moment of glory - the welterweight championship

Hits

• Christian Bale's makeover is a big surprise. He looks so lean, his teeth are dirty, his hair is crazy and his entire mannerisms border on the eccentric and crazy. The way he jumps from the building's window to escape his mom is hilarious. The way he gets his act together after he realizes that he was used by HBO as a case study, is a major turning point of the movie. Class act. 
• The huge possessive family comprising so many sisters is something new to Hollywood. Melissa Leo must rank among the most glamorous moms. She looks sexier than most of her daughters. 
• Mark Wahlberg's aggression is suited to this boxer role. He looks solid and his boxing fights are quite authentic. Amy Adams looks smoking hot as Charlene. Jack McGee as George and Mickey O'Keefe are 2 more middle aged men who are a vital part of the movie 

VERDICT

An uplifting, true sports story that has equal importance on family ties. Christian Bale leads the way

Apocalypto (2006)

A small village in the forest, where all the people live as a peaceful community is suddenly ravaged by the Holcane warriors who have come to capture all the inmates of the village for human sacrifice. The declining Mayan kingdom believes that human sacrifice would save their kingdom from the impending drought and bad times.

'Jaguar Paw' singlehandedly takes on the Holcane warriors after he is saved just in the nick of time by the solar  eclipse. As his buddies die around him, he literally goes through a hell of pain to get back to his pregnant wife and young kid, who are hidden in a deep pit. Finally, he seeks a new beginning in his own forest with his wife, young kid and his newborn baby. He epitomizes the term 'one man army'

Hits

• Such pain, raw action, high octane visuals have never been seen before. Mel Gibson continues from where he left off in Passion of the Christ.
• The action is on a scale never seen before. Jumping from the top of the waterfall, running across a field through a slew of arrows and spears, escaping the clutches of a fearsome jaguar, coming out of quick sand, eliminating the last set of Holcane warriors singlehandedly etc. etc.

Comments

• The customs detailing human sacrifice are too much to digest for the faint hearted
• The torture scenes are one too many
• The raw action and pain are also not meant for all. 

VERDICT

Hats off to Mel Gibson for his intricate effort and detailing to show a brutal civilization. High octane stuff. 

Classic Revisited: Crash (2004)

The movie is a collection of several sub-plots. Each plot has racism as the prime focus. The insecurities faced by the minorities in America be it, the blacks or the Persians, lead them to vent out their frustration and anger onto the society. Each character is inter-connected in a beautiful and ironic way. 

Finally all the characters realize that the value of human life is more precious than mere trivial concepts like racism and communal hatred. They encounter some harsh realities before their final realization. 

Hits

• The screenplay is gripping and has tension throughout. All the sub-plots are equally interesting and the way they all coincide, leading to the climax is so glitch free. 
• The locksmith's encounter with the enraged Persian, the policeman saving the life of the woman whom he had molested a few days back, the  black cop getting to know about his long lost brother, a good white cop pulling his trigger in a haste etc. etc. are all instances that elicit the maximum involvement from the viewer.
• The soundtrack by Mark Isham is haunting and adds to the soulful impact of the film

VERDICT

A movie where the "director is the king". Brilliant screenplay interwoven with a very relevant message. 

The Dirty Picture (2011)

The Plot
It is the real life story of the late South Indian item queen 'Silk' Smitha, with extra masala flavor added. Silk's journey is well documented, from being an ambitious small town girl named Reshma to her encounters in the film industry with various men ranging from a big star Suryakanth to his brother Ramakanth and finally finding a soul mate in a director named Abraham who initially hates her.

Silk carries her reel life glam avatar in her real life as well. She shuns the rules and lives her life the way she wants. She dresses uber glamorously, smokes and drinks to her hearts-fill. She is looked down upon, by the majority of the industry and she is betrayed by most of the men she trusted. Ultimately, she suffers major financial losses and decides to go away in peace.

Hits

• Vidya Balan. SEXY, SEDUCING, DARING, BOLD, VAMP-LIKE etc. etc. It is a shocking make-over where Vidya exposes to the maximum extent permissible on an Indian screen. It is a cleavage fest on screen and it is jaw dropping stuff. The over exposure of her belly could have been avoided. 
• Her acting skills have always been terrific. Be it the sexy/bold attitude or her anguish, she is the best actress around by a mile. Perfect combo of skin show and acting caliber - Kate Winslet like. She is a benchmark in daring and guts among the mainstream Indian actresses 
• Naseeruddin Shah as the southern superstar Suryakanth is natural and elegant as the ageing superstar. His mannerisms and casual attitude are classic. Emraan Hashmi is intense and earnest as always. 
• The dialogs send the masses into a frenzy. Such punch and raunchy in their meaning. 
• The songs are already popular. Oh La La and Ishq Sufiana are the picks. 
• The period feel is quite authentic save 1 or 2 glitches. 

Misses

• The item song featuring Silk and Shakila in the 2nd half is a sore miss. 
• The skin show becomes too much to digest beyond a point.
• The delightful Ishq Sufiana song doesn't suit the overall mood of the film. 
• Tushar Kapoor with his soft voice, is the biggest minus of the film 

VERDICT

A Vidya Balan festival. Sure to become a blockbuster among the masses.