Category Archives: Must Watch

Drama, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Romance, Tamil Movies

Raja Rani

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Raja Rani – a Tamil Romance film released in 2013.  John and Regina enter a married life unwillingly for the sake of their family to only make their everyday life a hell. It is later revealed that the reason for their unwillingness and detachment is that they are not able to come out of their past love failure and loss from it. Do they realize that there is life after breakup which could be better is the rest of the plot.

Atlee coming from Shankar’s school has done a very neat job for a debut director. He has tried to recreate the magic Mouna Raagam after 27 years and has been fairly successful in his attempt. Though the story is a old school romantic drama template the screenplay makes it look still fresh. Atlee should be given credit for the using innovative sequences to move the story that has been told many a times. The movie is thoroughly enjoyable.. it will make you laugh and cry as the characters go through the roller coaster of situations in their life. GV Prakash has done a neat job with the background score. Couple of shortfalls –  One, at times they have taken creative liberty to move the story to a desired sequence and other the message of good life existing beyond break ups have been repeated by almost every character which could have been avoided. If you are willing to ignore such minor glitches you will enjoy Raja Rani.

Must Watch – for all those who love Romantic drama!

 

Drama, Genre, Hindi Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Romance

The Lunchbox

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The Lunchbox – is a Hindi drama released in 2013. A mistaken delivery of a lunchbox (dabba) by the dabbawala service in Mumbai helps an unhappy house wife Ila and an about to retire government servant and widower Saajan discover love and a soul mate in each other, when they start exchanging letters through the dabba.

The movie is not a fairy tale although the plot might seem like a stereo typical romance tale. The movie is very close to real life and many a times the audience would feel the “bite” of reality in the lunchbox. Irrfan Khan does a brilliant role as an old man about to retire. His body language, habits and everything he does convinces you of his portrayed age. Nimrat Kaur has performed decently. The characters of Nawazuddin Siddiqui, a shameless young man getting trained as a successor for Irrfan, the aunty living in the top floor of Nimrat advising her like an oracle are brilliantly woven into the screenplay to reflect the various emotions the lead characters go through.  The director Ritesh Batra deserves a lot of credit for making a movie that stands out from the usual larger than life bollywood flicks and that captures the glimpse of life as it is. Cinematography by Michael Simmonds and music by Max Ritcher makes you feel that you are in midst of Mumbai witnessing the event… simply brilliant. Overall the lunchbox is served with mixed flavors of happiness and sadness in everyday life and it does not serve you dessert 🙂 The movie would do well with multiplex audience but may not appeal beyond the multiplexes as there are many dialogues in English. If you liked movies like Lost in Translation then this one is a must watch for you….!

Must Watch – for serious movie lovers

Comedy, Drama, Genre, Hindi Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro – is a Hindi satirical comedy film released in 1983. Two photographers get involved in bringing a construction scam to light in association with a press editor. As they start gathering evidence they realize that the number of people involved in the scam keeps increasing.

The movie is filled with satirical comedy that is relevant even in the present day scenario as well. The screenplay is still enjoyable even though it has been taken in 1983. The cast ensemble is very phenomenal as you would see in the initial credits many of the names have gone a long way to influence Bollywood in their own areas all these years. The highlight of the movie is its climax where in the characters become part of the Mahabharata stage play and it is a ROFL comedy that would be evergreen forever. The movie is known for its ending which you may not see in many of the comedy movies. The movie has become a cult classic and still has many followers. Recently the movie has been digitally remastered and released. You can buy the DVD and watch it and do share your comments with me.

Must Watch – for a brilliant screenplay!

 

Biopic, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

Making of Mahatma

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Making of Mahatma –  Independence Day special! Making of Mahatma is an English movie which is a joint Indian South African film released in 1996. The movie starts with the famous train sequence where Mohandas is thrown out of the train as he is not white. The story then travels through the ups and downs of the life of Mohandas and how he transforms himself into a inspiring leader that people address him as Mahatama (the great soul!). The movie ends with his 21 years of tenure in South Africa where he had inspired millions to rise against the British rule leading by example.

The movie is directed by Shyam Benegal, Rajit Kapoor plays the role of Gandhi. As the movie travels through the life of Gandhi it just uplifts one’s spirit and the scene in which Gandhi goes on his first march and people join him as he walks is truly inspirational. Rajit Kapoor has acted very well and he has shown the maturity through the movie as he rises from a common man to a leader. You could see the inspiration from the Richard Attenborough’s 1982 movie Gandhi. This is a must watch for the inspiration it creates.

Must Watch

Biopic, Drama, Epic, Genre, Hindi Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

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Bhaag Milkha Bhaag – A biopic of the famous Indian Athelete Milkha Singh who made India proud in athletics (running) and has won many medals for the country. He just missed the Olympic bronze by a whisker.

Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra should be lauded for bringing the inspirational biopic of Milkha Singh on to the screen. The movie is inspirational and engaging right from the word go. The only dull moment in the film is when the plot deals with one of the dullest point of Milkha’s athletic career in Australian olympics which indeed makes it effective for the script. Prasoon Joshi has written the screen play very well and has told an incredible and compelling story. Farhan Akthar has lived as Milkha Singh. All his hard work and effort pays off as you never realize it is Farhan playing the role. Music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy has made the story telling very powerful. The visuals and camera angles is very artistic. I couldn’t think of any short coming in the movie. I had always wanted more biopics to be made in Indian Cinema by Indian Film makers. This one is definitely a milestone in Indian Cinema and hope it inspires many film makers to make good biopics. For many of us who haven’t lived in the era when Milkha Singh was flying on the tracks this one is a chance to relive it. The theater turns itself into a stadium in the second half with audience cheering and applauding. We may already have the Oscar nominee for Indian film this year. Don’t miss this movie when it is in the theaters. Milkha is still breaking records and is set bag many medals (awards)…. Its not just a “Must Watch” but an Epic!

Epic – Get Inspired

Animation, English Movies, Fantasy, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

Brave

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Brave – An animation fantasy film from Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney. A princess takes a brave step to follow her heart against the will of her mother. In an effort to change her mother’s heart the steps she takes results in unforeseen circumstances that threatens to lose her mother forever. She races against time to mend what she had done… Did she succeed? Was she able to change her Mothers heart?… is the story of Brave.

This is the first fairy tale from Pixar. The screenplay is slick and builds up to the message that you would see in many of the Pixar movies “Follow your Heart”. Although the usual message, the movie stands out of the crowd for the way it is presented. This movie won the Academy Award for the best animated feature film in the year 2012. The visuals are stunning and they have recreated the landscape of Scotland in computer generated images. The amount of complexity of the visuals had posed a challenge to the Pixar Studios and they rewrote their entire animation system. The result is a visual treat. They did not stop with the visuals but they also employed Dolby Atmos sound technology for the first time. This sound technology  is picking up very fast in the Indian film industry as well. Shivaji 3D, Vishwaroopam, Anybody Can Dance adopted this sound technology and there are many more to join this bandwagon soon. For the stunning visuals and a wonderful fairy tale this is a Must Watch

Must Watch – for Animation Fans

Drama, Genre, Hindi Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Romance, Tamil Movies

Raanjhanaa

Raanjhanaa (Amibkapathy – Tamil) –  A local boy in Varanasi falls in love with a Muslim girl since his childhood… Soon he finds rest of his life, aspirations, dreams, love, pain everything limited to her (Bas Tum Tak…!)

Anand L Rai has given a very good story that is just not limited to a puppy love story. The first half of the movie is colorful and enjoyable, the cinematographer Natarajan Subramaniam brings the lively colors of Varanasi in front of your eyes… the second half of the movie has a serious tone and through the journey of Kundan and Zoya the director takes you through the current political affairs in the country. Love prevails in the end and stays immortal. Dhanush is a very appropriate selection for the movie and has essayed his character very well, Tamil audiences might have watched this in many of his movies. Abhay Deol is charismatic in the portion he plays. Anand hasn’t let any star cast over shadow the plot and the screen play but has the story lead the way all through. The life and soul for the movie is A.R Rahman’s musical score. Raajhanna would make you laugh, cry and think. It is a wholesome entertainer that will keep you engaged throughout… Go for it!

Must Watch

Crime, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Thriller

Eastern Promises

Eastern Promises – is a crime thriller  released in 2007 A 14 year old girl dies in a Britain hospital after giving birth to a child. She has a diary written in Russian Language which is recovered by the hospital nurse Anna. She doesn’t understand Russian and sets out on a path to find the father of the child. The path she takes is dreadful and leads her to a Russian mafia gang. Does she succeed in her mission is the rest of the plot.

The movie is engaging right from the first shot at the barber shop. We get introduced to the mafia world through the eyes of Anna who is fearless and is very much focused on her mission irrespective of the perils associated with it. The screen play is very engaging and the dark tone of the shots suits the theme very well. Naomi Watts and Viggo Mortenson have given brilliant performances. If you are fan of mafia movies and crime thrillers this is a must watch.

Must Watch – for Crime thriller fans

Drama, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Thriller, War

Inglourious Basterds

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Inglourious Basterds –  A film by Tarantino released in 2009 revolves around two plots that ultimately converge with each other. The story is set in 1944 when there is a group of Jewish soldiers known as Basterds are feared by the Nazis. A jewish girl in her late teens is running a cinema in Paris and has grudge against the Nazis. There is a German film planned to be premiered in the theater and Hitler is planning to attend it. Both the girl and the Basterds in parallel come up with plan to assassinate Hitler.  Will they succeed in their plan is the rest of the movie.

This is one of my all time favorite Tarantino movie. It has been executed brilliantly and there is never a dull moment in the movie. The bar scene where the ensemble are playing games although seem to be an uninteresting narration but the tension in the plot and the anticipation of what is going to happen next makes it a brilliant scene. Typical Tarantino style of having very insignificant foreground to a tension packed background plot (remember the conversation of Samuel Jackson and Travolta about McDonalds in the movie Pulp fiction). None other than Tarantino can make such interesting sequences. Brad Pitt has acted very well. The performance that stands out is that of Christopher Waltz… the performance was simply superb and no surprise that he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2010. For brilliant performances and narration style Inglourious Basterds is a Must Watch!

Must Watch

Animation, Comedy, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

Monsters Inc.

Monsters Inc. – A 2001 Animated film from the Pixar. The film is about two monsters Sulley and Mike who work for a company Monsters Inc. The job of the monsters is to scare children at night by using their closet doors as portal. The scream generated from children produces electricity in the Monster city. But they have a weak point, they can cannot come in contact with the children or their belongings as they are toxic for them. The company is not doing great as the children no longer are frightened as they used to be. When they are devising up a plan to overcome this crisis, a child enters the monster world by mistake. Sulley and Mike try to hide the child and return it back to the human world without knowledge of anyone.

The movie plot, although written for children makes it a interesting watch for adults as well. Pixar raised the bar of computer graphics to the next level in this movie. The fur on the monster Sulley was a notable achievement then. The adventures of Mike and Sulley are hilarious and you wish you could take them back home with you. It is a Must Watch and do watch it with your kids, nephews, nieces or the kid in you!

Must Watch

After 12 years Disney Pixar is releasing “Monsters University” a prequel  to this movie.  The plot is again the adventures of Mike and Sulley when they went to college. With the success of the first movie there is a high expectation surrounding its prequel. Hope Disney Pixar is able to recreate the magic. 

Crime, Drama, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Thriller

The Departed

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The Departed – This is 2006  movie directed by Martin Scorsese.  It is a crime thriller where a police superintendent makes one of the new recruit to infiltrate the  drug trafficking gang. While the boss of the gang simultaneously makes one of the gangster infiltrate the police department. With moles in each group the plot gets interesting when both the boss and the police superintendent figure out the existence of moles in each of their groups. The rest of the movie is a race between them to uncover the moles faster than the other so that their own person in the other group is protected. What happens in the end is the rest of the plot. This movie is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs.

The movie has a very close resemblance to the original, including many of the camera angles. For a director like Martin Scorsese to do this, you know how well the original has been made. Like the original this also follows the 3 Act Play to the book as mentioned in my recent Friday Fact section. The movie has some brilliant casting with Matt Damon, Leornado DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg. The movie just gets much bigger due to its cast ensemble. Kudos to Martin Scorsese to bring such a movie again back to the screen with strong casting a true tribute to the original. The Departed went on to win the Academy Award for the best picture. For the brilliant casting and narration this is a must watch.

Must Watch

Crime, Drama, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Thriller

Infernal Affairs

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Infernal Affairs – This is a Hong Kong movie directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak.  It is a 2002 crime thriller where a police superintendent makes one of the new recruit to infiltrate the  drug trafficking gang. While the boss of the gang simultaneously makes one of the gangster infiltrate the police department. With moles in each group the plot gets interesting when both the boss and the police superintendent figure out the existence of moles in each of their groups. The rest of the movie is a race between them to uncover the moles faster than the other so that their own person in the other group is protected. What happens in the end is the rest of the plot.

I had promised you that I will write about a movie which has followed the 3 Act Play to the book as mentioned in my recent Friday Fact section. This is the one. It keeps you at the edge of the seat throughout. Its a well written screenplay and the complications build up very nicely leading to a phenomenal end to the story. The characters who has infiltrated the other group for more than a decade undergo identity crisis, which I thought was very brilliant thought by the director and it also helps in making the scheme of things very interesting. This movie is treated as a rebirth of Hong Kong cinema and went to win many awards in the Hong Kong Film Awards Ceremony. The movie had been remade in multiple languages including The Departed in English and Homam in Telugu. Post the success of the movie Andrew Lau made a prequel Infernal Affairs II and a sequel Infernal Affairs III to the original which also had very good reception with the audience. For an engaging and thrilling script this movie is a must watch.

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