Category Archives: English Movies

English Movie Reviews

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Baby Driver Review

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Baby Driver Review – Baby Driver is an English Action film released in 2017. Baby is a young getaway driver who helps in escapes of robbery planned by the mastermind Doc. Baby is usually kept out of the Robbery scene, but during one of the heist when the Doc has Baby visit the Robbery scene hell breaks loose.

The movie has some excellent action sequences and would entice all action movie lovers. Director Edgar Wright keeps the audience right at the edge of the seat from the word go. The scenes are cleverly edited to suit the rhythm of the song. As the focus is only on the driver the heist scenes are not shown but the focus is rightly kept on the escapades. The opening scene where the Baby driver is introduced, he is listening to loud music and singing along with it as he waits for the heist to complete.  Once he starts the car and escapes you come to know about his skill in driving. Within those few minutes, the character of Baby Driver is well established. A very good example of character introduction. Adding a layer of tinnitus problem to Baby driver makes it very convincing to have music in the story. The music tracks add an additional layer to the whole story. Every driver has a lucky track is a catchy punch line.

The ending looks a bit ordinary when compared to the whole movie. However, the characterization, action sequences and the music itself provide a lot to enjoy the ride.

High Points: Car chase sequence, editing the scenes along with music, the tracking shot of Baby getting coffee for the team, the music he creates based on the everyday dialogues he hears.

Low Points: A very predictable ending to the story

Overall if you are an action movie lover and enjoy good music then Baby Driver is the movie just for you. Watch it in the theatres.

Worth a Watch

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

The Midnight Matinee Review

The Midnight Matinee Review – The Midnight Matinee is an anthology of shorts released in 2017. The movie is presented in a format of 5 short films which has some interesting twist at the end.

The movie’s presentation kept me curious and engaged throughout. The entire presentation had a feeling of walking into a hall to enjoy variety entertainment. Each of the short films had thrilling moments and a very interesting end. The common theme seemed to be horror. I usually do not like run of the mill horror movies that has a horror for the sake of it. The Midnight Matinee had cleverly used the element of horror without creating a cloying effect.

In an old school theatrical style, every movie starts with a textual introduction and a sort of moral and sarcastic ending. This adds a new layer to the storytelling. In a pure Hitchcock kind of style, the suspense and thrills are created out of most common circumstances rather than bringing in some out of the world sequences. The first movie Open Sea is entirely taken in a found footage style of movie making. The ending makes it totally worth it. Having short bursts of stories gives less room to guess the ending which makes it an interesting watch.

Kudos to the writer, director and producer Justin Doescher and his team for experimenting a new way of story telling.

High Points: Theatre style presentation, Surprise twist at the end of the tale, the element of suspense and thrills.

Low Points: For folks who are not fans of found footage kind of treatment would not enjoy all the short films in this.

Overall The Midnight Matinee is a treat for all independent movie lovers. It stands out from the crowd for its unique style of presentation and the difference in treatment of the script. You would find it hard selecting which of the shorts you liked the most. The movie is available on Amazon Prime. Don’t miss it.

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English Movies, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Thriller, Worth a Watch

Split Review

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Split Review – Split is an American psychological thriller released in 2017. 3 teenage girls are kidnapped by Kevin who suffers from DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). The highlight being Kevin has 23 distinct personalities and there might be a 24th one yet to be identified.

I was lucky enough to have watched this movie without watching the trailer or reading promos, plot, and posters. The experience of walking into an unknown movie plot crafted by M. Night Shyamalan was indeed very intriguing. What sets the plot apart is the conflict within oneself has been portrayed through a set of split personalities within the character. The story slowly unveils some of the significant personalities through the eyes of the girls and the psychiatrist sessions. Every scene is well constructed to feed the audience with a new information and adds complexity to the knot in the plot. The curiosity of the 24th personality has been built well and the way the incidents lead to it is constructed well. Unlike earlier Shyamalan movies where the thrills come in after a slow build up, here it is maintained throughout.

James McAvoy’s performance is a standout in the movie. He has bought in the variations of this multiple personalities mannerisms and behaviors very well. His performance is so convincing in all the roles he has played. Anya Taylor-Joy has the other most prominent role in the movie. Her distinct looks add more mystery to the plot. The non-linear narration of her back story adds a new layer to the movie and convincingly merges with the main plot in the end.

The rule of third has been broken and an exact symmetry appears in the visual. Everything in the visual is so balanced in the center of the screen much like Kubrick’s obsession with symmetry.

High Points: Plot Structure, James McAvoy’s performance, Thrills maintained throughout the plot, a convincing end to the story.

Low Points: M. Night Shyamalan’s sees a thing in a way many may not see. Some may sense a bit of weirdness in the thought process and the movie would not connect with them. You can’t take kids to this movie.

Overall, Split is a good come back for M. Night Shyamalan and the movie ends with a promise to a sequel. If you love psychological thrillers, movies with complex plots then you should not miss this one.

Worth a Watch

English Movies, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Suspense, Thriller, Worth a Watch

The Girl on the Train Review

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The Girl on the Train Review – The Girl on the Train is an English mystery thriller released in 2016. The movie is based on the novel of the same name written by Paula Hawkins. A woman becomes an alcoholic post the separation from her husband. In her daily commute to New York by train, she sees an attractive couple residing in the neighborhood of her ex-husband. The everyday glimpses of their life catch her attention that it soon it turns into an obsession.

I haven’t read the novel. However seeing how the movie goes I believe the movie has done proper justice to the novel. Director Tate Taylor has given life to the characters in the novel. The movie starts with a bang. While the lead lady gets curious about a couple, the audience gets curious about the lady herself. Post the initial establishment of the character the pace takes a nose dive and moves at a snail pace till a major turning point around 30 minutes into the movie that shakes things up and we are glued to the screen once again. From then on it is a very thrilling ride. Although I could predict the ending, I still loved the way the movie has been shot and enjoyed watching it.

Emily Blunt has played the role of an alcohol addict very well. We travel and see things in her perspective throughout the movie.

High Points: The plot of the movie is engaging, the performance of Emily Blunt, the suspense is held throughout.

Low Points: The initial 30 minutes of the movie is slow, however, the remaining 90 minutes make up for it. The role of the detective didn’t gel well in the movie. I believe in the novel the character might have been explained better.

Overall if you love mystery thrillers you can’t miss The Girl on the Train.

Worth a Watch

 

English Movies, Genre, Horror, Korean Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Thriller

Train to Busan Review

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Train to Busan Review – Train to Busan is a Korean zombie apocalypse horror movie released in 2016. Seok-Woo, a divorced fund manager travels with his daughter to Busan on a train to meet his ex-wife on the occasion of their daughter’s birthday. The journey turns out to be a nightmare as the zombies attack the people on the train and making them into one.

I am not a huge fan of zombie movies. However, I decided to watch this one due to the positive reviews it has been getting. The movie gets to the core plot within minutes. There is no unnecessary melodrama and you find yourself in the middle of the action in 15 minutes. The plot gets gritty when there is a clear separation between the zombies and the un-infected humans. In the middle of the apocalypse is a beautiful father-daughter relationship which takes a new shape and each of them gets to understand each more. As with many other Korean movies, there is the core conflict between what is ethical vs what would benefit you. The tension surmounts when people stop trusting each other.

The kid Kim Su-an steals the show with her performance. Initially desperate to see her Mom and sad for not getting her father’s attention, to the point where she starts questioning her father’s ethic she performs so well. Her performance in the climax sequence is very impactful.  Gong Yoo too, has played his role very well ably supported by Ma Dong-seok and Jung Yu-mi.  The role of Kim Eui-sung as a selfish man adds a new dimension to the screenplay and makes it more engaging.

The Cinematography is done very well. The scene of the train crash and the humans escaping from the zombie on a running train is a treat to watch.

High Points: The performance of Kim Su-an, Gripping screenplay, Visuals brought to the Canvas by excellent cinematography, the climax of the movie is very impactful.

Low Points: Hardly any low points. The explicit violence sequence is not suitable for kids and family audience.

Overall Train to Busan is a well-made horror thriller. If you are a fan of zombie movies you would love this one. If you are like me still you have a lot to look forward to in this movie.

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English Movies, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Suspense, Thriller, Worth a Watch

The Accountant Review

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The Accountant Review – The Accountant is an American thriller released in 2016. Christian Wolfe is a mathematical genius who works to resolve financial deceptions in major criminal organizations. Christian is pursued by Raymond King, the director of financial crime from the treasury department.

The lead role is the one tailor-made for Ben Affleck and he does a very good job. The movie is intense from the start and it does have some cleverly placed lighter moments in between. The movie also has a strong statement against how the society treats kids with autism.  There is a gang in Rotten tomatoes who are a victim of favoritism and rate down some good movies. The Accountant is one such movie which suffers this criticism. The movie is much better than those critics have rated it.

The characterization of Christian Wolfe has been crafted well and is an interesting one to watch. It connects well with the audience throughout. J.K Simmons, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Anna Kendrick and John Bernthal have supported well. The editing is a great strength to the movie that deals with different timelines run in parallel. The most enjoyable sequence is the climax when things are uncovered and his interaction with “The Assasin”. This is not a movie where the climax reveals everything but throughout the movie, there are many revelations planted.

High Points: The Script and the characterization of Ben Affleck, The interaction between Ben Affleck and Anna Kendrick, The interaction between Ben Affleck and John Bernthal, the climax.

Low Points: There is no moral line to the whole story of what is good and what is evil. So few of the audience who are searching for it would be disappointed.

Overall, The Accountant is yet another Ben Affleck movie that would be worth a visit to the theaters.  Don’t worry about the negative critic reviews you would enjoy watching this one for sure.

Worth a Watch

 

Action, English Movies, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Worth a Watch

The Magnificent Seven (2016) Review

The Magnificent Seven (2016) Review – The Magnificent Seven is an American movie released in 2016. This is a remake of the 1960 movie of the same name which in turn was based on Akira Kurosawa’s Japanese film Seven Samurai released in 1954. A corrupt industrialist Bogue besieges a village and slaughters people standing against him. People in the village recruit gunmen to help them fight against Bogue and his men.

I had seen Seven Samurai and couldn’t keep comparing this to the original. The new edition has a lot more changes than the original movie. If reveal the details I would be spoiling the fun for the viewers so I would rather stick to reviewing the movie. Times have changed but still

Times have changed but still there is the charm for the cowboy tales and see their standoffs on the big screen. The Magnificent Seven covers this well in the first half. It treats the audience with intense, suspenseful and also funny standoffs in the first half. The introduction of each of the seven characters have been taken very well and for me was one of the high points of the movie. Denzel Washington has performed the lead role of Sam Chisolm very well. He is very convincing as a skillful warrant officer and the leader of the pack. Including a Comanche warrior as part of the seven was an interesting take.  Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Byung-hun Lee, Vincent D’Onofrio and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo have been convincing as well.

The movie then plunges into a high voltage gunfight sequence in the last twenty minutes. The starting of the fight sequence as the row of horses galloping towards the Village  is a visual treat on an IMAX screen. There is never a dull moment in the movie.

Although it has been engaging throughout I felt there is some soul missing in the movie compared to Seven Samurai. The details of which I would let you interpret for yourself. If you see this movie in isolation you would enjoy it.

High Points: Cowboy standoffs, Introduction scenes of the team of Seven, the visuals of the gunfight sequence, the casting of the characters.

Low Points: Lack of emotional elements as compared to Seven Samurai

Overall the magnificent seven is an evergreen tale retold. It brings back the lovely memories of watching cowboy adventures on screen. If you are able to not compare it with Seven Samurai you would enjoy it better.

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

Pelé: Birth of a Legend Review

Pelé: Birth of a Legend Review – Pelé: Birth of a Legend is an American biopic released in 2016. The movie is based on the life of the legendary Brazilian footballer  Pelé. It deals with the time frame where he rose from an ordinary boy to a national treasure.

I was a bit skeptical before watching this movie due to the average reviews it has been receiving. But realized, I was wrong should never go with the critics. The movie is high on emotions and goosebumpy moments which keeps you engaged in the movie. The best part of the movie is that it doesn’t cover much of what the world knows about Pelé but goes into the part where you see an innocent boy, a janitor’s son go on a journey to become a legend.  In many scenes, they don’t show the goal but people’s expressions and emotions.

The emotions are not cloying ones but kept well placed in the script to lift up the human spirits. The movie focuses more on the conflict of Brazilian game style being forcefully removed and how Pelé struggles to get it back.

High Points: The sequence where the kids get the cloth ball rolling without a bounce, The same repeated when the entire team is demotivated where they take it to the light house. The background score of A R Rahman adds a special dimension to the whole film. There are lot more goosebumpy moments you would love. The history of Ginga.

Low Points: If you don’t like an emotional script then you might be disappointed with this, which might be the reason for the average reviews.

Overall Pelé: Birth of a Legend is a true tribute to the legend himself. A country that is obsessed with football as a religion, one man had believed in their core values to lift their spirits high and win for them. If you love football you should definitely watch this one, even if not there is plenty for you to cherish.

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Action, English Movies, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Superhero, Worth a Watch

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Review

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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Review – Batman v Superman is an American superhero movie released in 2016. The movie is based on superheroes from the DC Comics. Superman’s fight with Zod results in large scale massacre that destroys Bruce Wayne’s (Batman) office and casualties in his company. Batman decides to fight Superman to keep him in check while Lex Luthor adds fuel to their fire.

First of all, I would like mention that I am neither DC nor a Marvel fan. Rather I like all superheroes from both the universe. It helps to read this review in an unbiased fashion.

It has been a long due for the DC universe to bring their superheroes together. Thanks to Nolan’s Batman trilogy that had set up the foundation for the movies. Although Zack Snyder did not impress much with the Man of Steel he has definitely justified his efforts with the edition of Dawn of Justice. This may not be the epic start for the Justice League DC fans would have expected but nevertheless, it serves as a good appetizer for the upcoming main course.

The movie has a sluggish start and you tend to wait for those brilliant moments restlessly. Just when you feel that this might turn out to be a half-baked effort the movie picks up and keeps you engaged till the end. Ben Affleck is very convincing as Batman and definitely carries on the legacy putting the sarcastic comments on him to rest. His performance is a standout. The icing on the cake for the movie is Wonder woman. Her entry is the best part of the movie. Lex Luthor’s characterization is good and his dialog delivery reminds of Sharukh Khan. Some portions of the movie even look like the old school Bollywood movies and look like a decorated extravagant Karan Arjun 🙂

High Points: The fight night between superman and batman, Wonder woman’s entry, Lex Luthor’s characterization, Hans Zimmerman’s background score.

Low Points: Sluggish screenplay in the first half, some of the dialogues are cheesy and cliched takes away the impact of the good ones

Overall Zack Snyder doesn’t disappoint this time and in fact, has created a good start to the Justice League. Hope DC is able to be successful with the upcoming movies. If you love superhero movies don’t miss this one when it is in the theaters.

Worth a Watch

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

The Big Short Review

The Big Short Review – The Big Short is an American comedy-drama released in 2015. The movie is based on true incidents that happened around the economic meltdown during 2008. The plot revolves around a bunch of individuals who had predicted the fall much ahead and made huge profits from the situation.

The movie relies heavily on some financial terms and concepts that may not be easily understood by common viewers. However, the makers have tried their best to make it very simple for a common man to understand. They have broken the 4th wall very effectively to help the audience understand the concepts so that they can relate to the upcoming incidents. They have popular personalities explaining the financial concepts using metaphors that can be comprehended by common man.

The movie has a star-studded cast that makes it more interesting in terms of some power packed performances. Steve Carell’s performance as Mark Baum is a stand out from others. Christian Bale, Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling help in decorating the screen well. Kudos to the director Adam Mckay in pulling this out very effectively and also making it appealing to a large crowd.

High Points: Star cast, a plot that is based out of true incidents, Breaking the 4th wall to keep the audience engaged, Screenplay that is not boring a bit

Low Points: The only low point could be this may not appeal to the audience who are not interested in the stock market.

Overall The Big Short is a must watch for all those who invest in stock market. You would be able to appreciate the movie much better. Even if you do not there is a lot that you can learn from the movie as concepts are made very simple to be understood by all. You could go without deep knowledge in the market and yet understand the movie.

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Action, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Superhero

Deadpool Review

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Deadpool Review – Deadpool is a Marvel superhero movie released in 2016. Wade Wilson, a mercenary leaves his girlfriend as he realizes he has cancer. However, an experimental treatment goes bad degenerates his face and turns him into a badass superhero.

This one is the first installment of Deadpool. He is probably the first superhero with antihero instincts. Deadpool comic character is known for his foul-mouthed language, merciless killing and always seen to break the 4th wall to interact with the readers or viewers. Director Tim Miller has effectively translated all these unique characteristics of Deadpool on to the big screen.

Right from the starting scene the movie makes you laugh. When I mention the starting scene it includes the starting credits which sets you up nicely for the rest of the movie. The major portion of the movie takes a non-linear narration starting from the first attack of Deadpool in a car chasing scene and shuttles back and forth on how he got there then merging onto the flashback of what made Deadpool. This could have been very flat and typical of any superhero movie. This deviation from the norm makes Deadpool stand apart. The breaking of the 4th wall right from the beginning to the end post-credits scene has worked like a charm. It does provides a unique movie viewing experience. For instance, the scene from where he is escaping from Colossus cuffs he calls it a money shot before performing the act.

High Points: Performance of Ryan Reynolds as deadpool, the breaking of the 4th wall, the initial stunt sequence and the visualization of deadpool’s character.

Low Points: Deadpool is what you would expect of a deadpool so no low points here.

Overall get ready to welcome a badass superhero that teases the dark instincts in the viewers. This is R rated for violence and explicit language, watch it without your kids.

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Biopic, Comedy, Drama, English Movies, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Worth a Watch

Joy Review

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Joy Review – Joy is an American biographical comedy-drama released in 2015.  The movie follows a common woman who struggles to manage her dysfunctional family of four generations, is on a path to become a greatest business tycoon.

Before I write any of my review comments let me tell you that I love David O Russell movies. Hence, I couldn’t resist watching Joy. The movie banks on the performance of Jennifer Lawrence throughout and she has done a phenomenal job in portraying the role of Joy on screen. I love the drama value in the movies of David O Russell. I loved the drama in the story of Joy as well. I loved the transformation of Joy’s character through the movie and her Character Arc is brilliantly sketched in the movie.

The director has certain shots subtle and in the background avoiding the usual cliches in a deliberate attempt to make something magical. I liked this treatment very much. I believe this is what has disappointed the larger set of critics who might have walked in with the expectation of watch yet another Silver Lining Playbook. The distinct characterization of each member of the family has been portrayed very well. Also, the dream sequence construction which is a mixture of the Soap Opera her Mom watches and book she reads for her daughter.

High Points: Performance of Jennifer Lawrence, The sequence of her business counterpart during the climax is phenomenal.  The dream sequence for Joy.

Low Points: The plot is a simple one compared to his previous outings with Silver Lining Playbook and American Hustle.

Overall this may not be the best movie of David O Russell but it still has the ability to engage you throughout. If you are a fan of Jennifer Lawrence you cannot afford to miss this one.

Worth a Watch