Safe House (2012)

Tobin Frost is a legendary ex-CIA agent who has access to certain files that can criminally implicate many intelligence officials all over the world including CIA, MI6 etc. There is an attempt on his life in Cape Town due to this. He goes and surrenders at the US Consulate in Cape Town. He is arranged to be deported to a safe house under the charge of Matt Weston. Matt is a young agent who is eager to prove himself. The safe house is attacked as soon as Tobin is brought in & Matt flees the place with Tobin.

Tobin escapes while Matt is hot in pursuit of Tobin as he feels responsible. Finally, Matt gets to Tobin and there is a suspense behind the identity of the people who want Tobin's life. It's not a very shocking twist by any means and in the end all corrupt parties are implicated thanks to Tobin's file that was given to Matt. Matt smartly doesn't become a mere pawn at the hands of the CIA and exposes the whole racket.

Review

• The action is quite pulsating and the camera work by Oliver Wood is energetic, chaotic and captures all the action very well. The aerial shots are breathtaking too. 
• Ryan Reynolds maintains the brooding, action hero image throughout. Denzel Washington as Tobin makes it light hearted at times with his wisecracks at Matt. 
• Brendan Glesson and Vera Farmiga have played exactly their respective roles in previous films too. 
• The bureaucracy and hierarchy evident at the CIA headquarters is again oft repeated. Seen in films like the Bourne series before. 

VERDICT

Not very novel but, worth a watch for the intense action. 

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)

The Plot

A German soldier's family comprising of the man, the wife and 2 kids move out of their Berlin home to a countryside as the soldier gets a promotion in the army ranks. His new job is regarding terminating Jews at the concentration camp that is located right behind their home. A chimney that spews out the ugly smoke from burning the Jews alive, is a shocking indicator of the job that he does. 

The daughter doesn't have trouble in fitting in to the new scenario. But the wife is really disturbed by how heartless her husband has become. The young 8 yr old boy Bruno due to sheer boredom, decides to explore what is there behind his house and he befriends another 8 yr old Jewish boy Shmuel,who is on the other side of the barbed wire at the concentration camp.

In the end, when the mom and the 2 kids are about to be moved to Heidelberg due to the mom's sheer discomfort with this place and her husband's work, Bruno and Shmuel are busy in the camp looking for Shmuel's lost father. Bruno digs his way through to the other side to help his dear friend. What happens then is a shocking climax that is quite brutal

                                                                        

Hits

• The 2 kids are so natural and behave rather than act
• Vera Farmiga as the conscious and disturbed mom is very emotive and impressive. 
• Just the idea behind the friendship between a young German and a young Jew from across the barbed wires is very touching. The scene where they play chess is quite emotional. 
• James Horner dazzles with his use of strings, piano and the chorus.

Misses

• Though the movie is very touching, it is quite predictable from the outset

VERDICT

A different take on the atrocities committed by the Germans on the Jews, told through the eyes of two 8 yr old boys. MUST WATCH 

Source Code (2011)

What's it about
A dead American soldier, Colter Stevens is sent on a 'Source Code' mission which is all about time re-assignment and parallel reality. Colter's brain is activated from inside an isolated chamber and Colleen Goodwin and Dr.Rutledge give him instructions as to what he has to do. He is on life support all through the mission.
     Colter assumes the identity of a teacher Sean and he is sent to the scene of a Chicago train just 8 mins before a major explosion. His task is to find out the bomb and also the person responsible for the bombing. This bombing is expected to trigger a series of further explosions in Chicago.
     The thing with this Source Code mission is that the past can't be altered but the future can be affected. So the persons who are on the train with Colter are already dead. He can't save the people on the train or that is what Dr.Rutledge and Goodwin assume.
     Colter finally nabs the person responsible Derek Frost, after a series of failed 8 min attempts where he is brought back and forth between the chamber and the train scene. He prevents the bomb blast, arrests Frost and takes away Christina Warren, a woman who is known to Sean and who is very attractive to Colter as well, for coffee in the streets of Chicago.
    Rutledge plans to use Colter for more such missions by re-initializing him and wiping his memory whereas Goodwin wants to shut down Colter's life support and give him his death after his great service. But Colter proves to them through a message, that the Source Code leads to a parallel world where the past can be altered. Quite a complex and debatable climax.

                                                                     
Hits

• The utterly original cinematic concept of 'Source Code' based on quantum physics and parabolic calculus, by the director Duncan Jones. Too complex and worth paying attention to. 
• Breathtaking cinematography, particularly the aerial shots of the Chicago train and the city.
• Rugged yet sophisticated looking Jake Gyllenhaal is perfect and like-able as Colter Stevens
• Cute role for Michelle Monaghan as Christina. Quite a serious and dignified role for Vera Farmiga as Goodwin.
• The VFX effects for the bomb explosion are decent.
• Good support role for Jeffrey Wright as Dr.Rutledge, the utterly brilliant and path breaking scientist.

Misses

• The climatic twist stating that the Source Code leads to a parallel world blots the otherwise brilliant movie. The movie could have ended at the point when Colter kisses Christina, on preventing the bomb explosion, after his final 8 mins of life support in the chamber. 

VERDICT

Plenty of food for thought and entertaining too. Another mind bending fantasy from Hollywood. 

Orphan (2009)

Whats it about

After the death of their 3^rd child during labor itself, John and Kate decide to adopt an elder child in addition to their kids Daniel and the deaf and dumb Max. They find a 9 yr old girl Esther at a girl’s home and take her in. She is initially very impressive in the way she carries herself.

       But things start going haywire. Esther starts creating trouble for Kate, by causing doubts in the mind of John about Kate’s conduct. Esther literally holds Max captive due to fear. She kills Sister Abigail who is about to reveal some important details about her to the worried parents. She also causes severe burns to Daniel who is about to uncover the shady activities of Esther. The only person with whom she shares a bond is the father, John.

        After tracing Esther’s past to a mental facility at Estonia, Kate uncovers some shocking details about Esther. Esther is actually Leena a violent 33 yr old woman who, due to some hormal deficiency called hypopituitarism, has stunted physical growth. This allows her to pose as a small girl.

       Leena’s main aim is to seduce the men of the house wherever she had been. If she fails, she kills the entire family. She is after John now. OH. WHAT A TWIST.

        What follows is a totally thrilling climax in the house with plenty of thrills and spills and all finally culminates with an action sequence between Kate and Leena beneath a freezing lake. WOW.

                                                                        

Hits

• Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther is A class. She scares with her spooky activities
• Vera Farmiga is equally superb as the worried and pro-active mother. Her action in the climax reminds us of the legendary Clarice Starling.
• Aryana Engineer as the deaf and dumb Max is so expressive and cute. Her eyes talk. 
• The snow clad locations add to the eerie effect of the movie
• The climax twist is terrific. Truly shocking. Another example of a medical thriller. 
• Thrilling screenplay that never sags at any point. Nicely maintained tempo.

VERDICT

Very much under-rated. One of the best in its genre. The suspense element is shocking. Sort of a medical thriller.