Trust (2010)

Annie is a 14 yrs old girl who starts getting into an online relationship with a guy called Charlie. It starts casually and becomes very intense. They meet up and Charlie actually turns out to be a 35 yrs old man. He entices her with sweet words and has sex with Annie who is helpless and thinks that Charlie truly loves her.

Thanks to Brittany, Annie's best friend at school, this episode is soon known to the FBI and to Annie's parents. The ensuing investigation behind this pedophile's identity and the mental turmoil that the family goes through is the crux of this movie.

There are some amazing performances be it from Liana Liberato as Annie, the young girl who blindly trusts the man who had raped her, Clive Owen as the responsible father who feels restless and frustrated at the entire episode and Catherine Keener as the concerned mother who is deeply affected as well.

You feel pretty impacted by the entire episode through which Annie is literally drawn into the pedophile's web. Her continued trust on him, shows the typical immaturity and naive nature of a 14 yrs old girl. Her conversations with the therapist are striking as well.

The last scene when the dad and daughter mend their differences and decide to bury the entire episode, is a true class act and a fitting end to the movie. The identity of the pedophile is also a subtle shocker in the end.

VERDICT: Intense family drama that is serious throughout. 

Closer (2004)

This movie based on relationships is unlike any other romantic movie that has come out till now. The approach is brutally honest and the way humans are portrayed in this movie is totally realistic with warts all over.

It has been inspired by one of Mozart's operas and the soundtracks of the master are mesmerizing to say the least.

The 2 men in the movie fall for their hormonal cravings and don't hesitate to cheat on their partners. The 2 women in the movie are vulnerable in their own way and they too can't resist the charm of a good man at any point.

Natalie Portman has the best role in the movie as Alice/Jane, the young stripper who is madly in love with Dan, a failed novelist. Alice works as a waitress once she moves in with Dan.

Dan, meanwhile can't resist the charms of Anna, a divorced photographer and he cheats on Alice. Anna on the other hand is married (for the 2nd time) to Larry even as she is madly in love with Dan as well. All the characters are brutally honest when it comes to sex even when they admit it to their respective partners at that particular instant.

Clive Owen as Larry brings in that restless craving that his character has. Jude Law and Julia Roberts are vulnerable and fidgety as they deal with each other and also their respective partners. Natalie shocks during her scenes as the stripper. She has really upped the oomph quotient in this movie. That she looks a million bucks, in her various makeovers, is an understatement. The other actors look attractive as well.

There are some really bold scenes in this movie which are definitely meant for the adults. The chat scene between Larry and Dan posing as Anna, is hilarious as well as raunchy.

On the whole, this one is definitely a unique movie on romance and relationships. Human beings have been portrayed in their most impulsive, lunatic, senseless, vulnerable and instinctive avatars. Ultimately a review can't summarize what exactly this movie offers. It's crazy for sure.

VERDICT: Brutally honest and unpredictable portrayal of romance and relationships

Sin City (2005)

Whats it about:
This film is a graphical depiction of Frank Miller's comic series of the same name. There are 4 tracks that are shown. But the primary focus is on three episodes
      The film opens and ends with The Salesman stalking and killing 2 separate women.
      In the second track which continues at a later time in the movie too, ageing police officer John Hartigan who is also having a medical condition, is in pursuit of a psycho killer Roark Junior who rapes and murders young girls. Hartigan is on a mission to save Nancy a 11 yr old girl. In the ensuing shoot out, Hartigan shoots Junior's ears, hand and genitals. Hartigan is also shot
      8 yrs later, after serving a jail sentence and recovering in the hospital, Hartigan is again out to nab Junior who has become an ugly looking Yellow Bastard due to many medications to grow his organs back. Nancy writes to Hartigan every week during his jail sentence and Nancy is really grateful to Hartigan for saving her life and is also in love with him. Nancy is now an erotic dancer. Haritgan eliminates Roark junior and also sacrifices his life knowing very well that Junior's father Senator Roark wouldn't spare him.
     In the third track of the film the macho, animal-like Marv is out to nab the killer who eliminated Goldie, his one night sweetheart. He comes to know that a young silent stalker Kevin and the cardinal Patrick Roark are behind all these killings. Marv avenges them brutally for Goldie and her twin sister Wendy's sake. But Marv is captured and is made to confess that he is behind the murders of the girls too and is electrocuted.
    In the fourth track, Dwight is after Jackie Boy, his girl friend Shellie's abusive ex boyfriend, for harassing her. After a terrific chase, he kills Jackie not knowing that Jackie is a cop.  The prostitutes of old town are also involved in this murder of the 'hero cop'. To prevent the mob and the cops from waging a war in Old Town due to this murder, Dwight and the prostitutes lead by Gail and the superhero like Miho, kill all the Irish mercenaries and salvage themselves.
      All the 4 tracks are interconnected.

                                                                            
Hits

• The making style is terrific. Such surreal visuals thanks to the film's unique color processing, which rendered most of the film in black and white but retained or added coloring for select objects. 
• Unique depiction of the violence and all the blood and gore thanks to the unique color processing.
• Some terrific macho stuff from the old warhorses Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis and Clive Owen, as Marv, Hartigan and Dwight respectively.
• Seriously sexy babes. Such dangerous exposure of skin. Just WOW. Particularly Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson and many many more. 
• A real celebration of revenge. We do get the kick seeing all the glorious retribution being panned out on screen by some really macho characters.

Misses

• The track involving The Salesman (Josh Hartnett) though having a small connection with the rest of the tracks, isn't exciting and thrilling as the other 3 tracks. 

VERDICT

The most stylish way to show normal revenge stories. Surreal visuals make it a real dream like experience even while witnessing so much blood and gore.