Unforgiven (1992)

William Munny is a dreaded killer who has gone sober due to the influence of his dead wife and two kids, and is now a pig farmer. He isn't exactly prospering and is forced to choose an assignment where he would get some money. He has to kill a couple of cowboys who had cut up a whore in Big Whiskey, Wyoming. This place is controlled by a dictator like guy called Little Bill who doesn't allow outsiders to come in with firearms. The other whores are ready to pay 1000$ for anyone who can kill those two cowboys.

William is accompanied by his old partner, Ned and a young and vulnerable man named 'The Schofield Kid', who actually brings the job to Will in the first place.

Do the trio manage to kill the couple of cowboys and get their share of the money? Do they return back home safe or is there loss of life? Watch the flick to find out.

The film is shot very well thanks to the scenic locations and the constant rain effects. The movie moves along slowly though the plot is setup very early.

Towards the end, old Clint lords over the movie with his brooding screen presence, punch lines and aggressive swagger. Morgan Freeman as Ned Logan makes a big mark as the loyal partner who will stay by Will at all times. Gene Hackman is terrific as the dreadful Little Bill. You just start hating this man due to his demonic ways. Jaimz Woolvett as the vulnerable disrespectful young brat who later realizes that the 'killing' life is not meant for him, is impressive too.

The movie has a simple revenge plot and it really picks up only in the end. The movie is a bit over-rated I believe. Anyway anything that is directed, acted and produced by the legendary Clint Eastwood automatically becomes special. The movie won 4 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. Anything for Clint!

The Dead Pool (1988)

This is the last of the Dirty Harry movies. Here, Harry has to get to the root of a series of murders of celebrities in San Francisco. These murders are based on a sick game called The Dead Pool where a list of celebrities are listed. Horror film director Peter Swan is the prime suspect but is he really the killer? Harry also has to survive many attempts on his life due to his hand in sending Lou Janero to prison.

Journalist Samantha Walker provides the female interest for Harry in this movie.

There are sparkling dialogs as always (the one comparing opinions to assholes is the ultimate) and lot of gun shots. Clint Eastwood looks aged yet majestic. Liam Neeson impresses as the frustrated director who earns a lot of media coverage. The suspense behind the real killer is not that great.Jim Carrey has a small crazy cameo as a drug junkie.

VERDICT: Another typical Dirty Harry movie but without a strong villain. Works purely due to Clint.

Sudden Impact (1983)

The 4th edition in this franchise and Harry's troubles with his superiors continue as his methods bring results but, with extreme physical destruction and bad PR for the police department. He is ordered to move out of San Francisco but circumstances cause him to move to San Paulo to investigate a murder perpetrated by a lady painter called Jennifer Spencer. She wants to settle scores with a bunch of rogues for raping her and her sister 10 years back.

She goes about killing one by one in a set pattern - with one shot in the genitals. Harry comes to know that Jennifer is the killer but, he helps her complete her revenge mission in the end. His soft corner for her added to her mission and his own belief of justice make him let her go scot-free

This movie is entertaining to say the least. Clint is visibly old but the spunk and fire in his dialogs stay the same. The legendary dialog from the first edition of the movie was sorely missed inspite of a nice situation being setup for that dialog. Sondra Locke is the typical damsel in distress fighting for her mission.

VERDICT: Another entertaining addition to the Dirty Harry franchise

The Enforcer (1976)

This time Harry has to protect SF city against a bunch of militants who are supposed to be Vietnam war veterans. There are hookers, pimps etc. who are involved in this gang.

Harry gets a female partner Kate with whom he isn't very enthusiastic about working with. But, she is earnest and puts in the required effort and earns Harry's respect.

Harry's troubles with his seniors and his absolute contempt for needless stunts, rules and protocol is apparent in this part too.

Clint Eastwood is in top form in a very smart avatar. His dialogs are casual yet pack a lot of punch. Oozing style as always. Tyne Daly as Kate is very cute and endearing. Her combination scenes with Harry are very entertaining. Sparks fly.

The soundtrack and photography are awesome as with the first two parts. There is one nice running chase sequence as well

VERDICT: Justice in typical Harry style. A better movie compared to the 2nd part.

Magnum Force (1973)

There are a bunch of cops on motorcycles who keep bumping off anti-social elements in SF city, one by one. They take the law into their own hands. Harry calls them the death squad within the police force.

Though Harry bends the rules, he always upholds the law. He manages to find out the people who are part of this shady group and succeeds in getting rid of them.

In this part, Harry also does some other routine police work like preventing a hijack and burglary, all in his own inimitable style. The ladies also seem to have an eye for him as evidenced by two women showing an interest in him.

His troubles with his higher authorities continue in this movie as well. That's the USP of the man. The antagonists look terrific in their motorcycles but their moves against Harry aren't great.

There are some smart one-liners, breathtaking cinematography and a pulsating BG score like the first part. The climax somehow seems long drawn-out and lacks that solid punch.

There are some solid chase sequences where the use of dupes for Clint seem obvious at certain places.

VERDICT: Lacks the punch of the first part. The antagonists are also not as imposing. 

Dirty Harry (1971)

Inspector Harry Callahan is hot on the trail of a psychotic serial killer with a penchant for using the sniper. The killer calls himself Scorpio. Harry is always given the shit end of the stick and all the dirty cases come to him. He doesn't regard the law and silly rules. Justice is what he covets. The methods he uses piss off his higher-ups but Harry doesn't care. Service to the citizens is of utmost importance to him. He succeeds in getting rid of the killer with great difficulty and he is sure that will be suspended from the force, as well.

A really pioneering movie as there have been countless cop movies all over the world following this pattern. Of course, in Indian films, there would be a romantic track for the cop. But, here Harry is a widower. His bonding with his partner Chico is his only humane side.

The movie has some breathtaking aerial shots of SF and the BG score is terrific & lifts the movie considerably. Andy Robinson as the killer has gone through considerable physical pain for this role and his manic tendencies must have inspired the Joker from TDK as well.

Ultimately it's a Clint Eastwood heroic fest. His punchline is legendary and it's likely that this series was made keeping only Clint in mind. After being the cowboy in some Western movies, Clint plays the cop with the same ease and style.

VERDICT: An even match between a flamboyant cop and a terror-inducing serial killer. MUST WATCH

Classic Revisited: Fistful of Dollars (1964)

An American cowboy (Joe or "The Man with No Name") wanders around into a town called San Miguel. This town is deserted and the only two people who have a job are the bell-ringer and the coffin maker. Silvanito gives him shelter and tells him about the bitter rivalry between two rival clans in the town, the Baxters and the Rojos. The Rojos, led by Ramon are the more powerful.

Joe decides to two-time these 2 gangs and succeeds in causing more tensions between the 2 gangs. He gets caught by the Rojos when he decides to help Marisol (Ramon's secret mistress, who is married and has a small kid). He escapes, makes one last comeback and vanquishes the Rojos after the Baxters are wiped out by the Rojos when Joe escapes.

The film runs purely on the star power of Clint Eastwood with his nonchalance, lazy yet macho mannerisms and elegant style. It is a fairly simple story but very fresh if we consider the fact that this movie came 48 years back.

This is the first movie in the Dollars trilogy made by Sergio Leone with Clint in the lead. It has a super catchy, haunting and cheeky soundtrack by the master, Ennio Morricone. The shots with the characters riding their galloping horses in vast dry lands are a delight to the eyes. The gun shots sound simply awesome.

VERDICT: A pioneering movie that kick-started the spaghetti-western genre and made Clint Eastwood a demi-god. 

Classic Revisited: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

The race between 3 notorious cowboys to get to Sad Hill cemetery and get to the 200000 dollars worth of gold. This is the plot. They have to brave the civil war and the vagaries of nature and their own brutal nature towards each other. One of the most adventurous movies ever. True cult and true magnum opus in every sense of the word

An entirely character driven movie with Clint Eastwood literally breathing style and nonchalance as Blondie - The Good. The way he smokes, his punchlines, his elegance and gait. Unmatched and lovable all the way.

Eli Wallach as Tuco - The Ugly turns in among the most passionate performances ever. Each and every sinew in his body has lived this role. In the climax when he desperately searches for the gold by running around the cemetery, it is sheer cinematic magic. The manic urge and desperation he shows when he is first trapped and later escapes from Angel Eyes is among the major highlights of the movie.

Lee Van Cleef as Angel Eyes - The Bad is weaker in characterization compared to the other 2 but, he has his moments too. His look in particular spews off villainy.

The music of Ennio Morricone is the major lifeline of the movie. So many unique themes and each of them is a cult in its own right. This soundtrack is a must have for any cinema buff.

The locations, the action blocks, the war scenes are larger than life. The initial scenes when Blondie keeps saving Tuco just in time, and the way they taunt each other, are hilarious. The sound of gun shots actually makes you go wow. This is such a movie by Sergio Leone

VERDICT: A true magnum opus and a must watch before you die. Flawless motion picture experience.   

J. Edgar (2011)

The film is a biographical account of FBI director J. Edgar, during his career that spanned 48 yrs. Edgar was a man who wanted to get rid of American society's evils like communism and later the menace of gangsters. He lived with his ageing mother and didn't have a social life.

He liked to take the credit and always loved to be in the spotlight. He is assisted by his secretary Helen Gamby and his "man Friday" Clyde Tolson with whom he has a homosexual relationship.

Edgar narrates his experiences to a writer so that they know his story and the story of the FBI. He doesn't always reveal the truth which only Helen and Clyde know. A controversial career on the whole which had a lot of secrecy.

Helen hides all the secret surveillance files that Edgar maintained, about high profile people in the society. In the end, he dies a natural death as his partner Clyde mourns. The president is on the look out to destroy all the secret files but Helen keeps them safe.

Review

• Intense performance by Leonardo as the controversial J. Edgar whose life is anything but normal. Solid support roles for Naomi Watts and Armie Hammer. Armie takes the cake in the climax and towards the end when he is attacked by a bout of fits. The dialogue diction of both LDC and Armie is excellent. 
• The makeup for the ageing 3 main characters is authentic. 
• There are frequent time shifts in the narrative
• Edgar's tackling of the communism menace and the Lindbergh kidnapping is intelligent to say the least. The fingerprint collection, the handwriting analysis, the wood analysis, monitoring of registration numbers on the ransom notes etc etc. Truly indigenous. 

VERDICT

Clint Eastwood and Leonardo - the best possible combo. Their film is gripping with great performances by the lead trio. 

Changeling (2008)

This movie is based on real life incidents that happened in 1928 in Los Angeles. Single mom Christine Collins doesn't find her son Walter Collins one fine day after she returns home from office. She lodges a complaint with the LAPD and after few months they deliver another boy to her saying that he is Walter. Christine is baffled and tries convincing the police that this is not her son. She proves it through Walter's dentist and teacher but, the LAPD doesn't accept it. They brand her as a psychopath and send her to the asylum. She is ill-treated.

On the other hand, there is a police investigation led by Detective Ybarra that boils into a major serial killer mystery about missing children.

The 2 tracks coincide and Walter is also believed to have been massacred by the killer Gordon Northcott and his accomplice, a small boy Sanford Clark.

Christine doesn't give up hope and she fights the LAPD in court against the atrocities committed on similar such women in the asylum, with the help of Reverend Gustav and a high profile lawyer. The police force is shaken up and high profile officers are suspended from the force as a result. The killer is also sentenced to death. Christine continues to hope to find her boy while slowly moving on in her personal life.

Hits

• Once in a lifetime performance by Angelina Jolie as the relentless yet emotionally fragile mother who looks for her son. Classic looks combined with great acting credentials. 
• Clint Eastwood, the master has directed the movie and composed the music. He excels in both the departments. Comment on the master's skills is beyond me. He is a legend, plain and simple. 
• Lot of good character roles for the Reverend, the police force in the LAPD, the lawyer, other women in the asylum, the small boys, the serial killer, his young accomplice etc. Great casting and well enacted. 

VERDICT

Another classic from the master, Clint Eastwood. The power of hope, resilience and the human spirit are emphasized.