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Movie Reviews

Comedy, Drama, Genre, Hindi Movies, Rating, Reviews, Worth a Watch

Ghanchakkar

Ghanchakkar – An expert in opening lockers and stealing money goes into retirement. He is affected by partial memory loss and one of the things he forgets is where he has hidden the money from his last heist.  He has to remember this and find the money as it also has the share of his accomplices.

Ghanchakkar is a slang word commonly used to refer to a dumb person although its literal meaning is to spin fast. The movie is crazy and dumb in parts as its title. If you go in with the expectation of a ROFL comedy you would be disappointed. Ghanchakkar is one such movie which comes once in a while completely whacky in the way it is executed and catches you off guard. . The movie is brilliant in parts particularly the heist sequence and the characters of Emraan Hasmi and Vidya Balan. The pace of the movie is slow, it gives you enough time to savor the humor as you move along. Many of which you might miss as they are subtle. Despite its slow pace the McGuffin  (I had written about this in my Friday Facts) keeps you engaged with the script. The ending is completely unexpected and be ready to be caught off guard… Overall the movie is all about the journey not the ending… Soon you would find two groups of people who would just love the movie or those who simply hate it… If you are open for “not the usual script with song and dance” then Ghanchakkar is watchable…

Watchable – for its difference from the usual!

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

Comedy, Drama, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Romance, Tamil Movies, Worth a Watch

Theeya Vela Seyyanum Kumaru

Theeya Vela Seyyanum Kumaru – A boy who is not good at impressing girls takes the help of a consultant who is an expert in helping men woo women. Does he succeed in this remains the rest of the plot.

The plot has certain similarities to the Hollywood movie Hitch however director Sundar C has given a very well local adaptation that is enjoyable. In 1996 Sundar C directed a movie Ullathai Alli Thaa, a blockbuster that made people laugh out loud without worrying about any logic. Screen play based on comedy has been the home turf for Sundar C and he is very good at it. In between he shifted to movies centered around action which did not give him the same amount of success and accolades his comedy scripts had given. Glad to have him back on his home turf doing comedy scripts. After Kalakalappu he gives yet another movie that will make you laugh throughout if you are willing to not think too much about any logic around the incidents. The biggest risk had been Siddarth essaying the character of a boy next door as he already has an image of a romantic hero. However pleasantly he had played the role very convincingly. Santhanam is the life line for the script and he lights up the scenes very well. If you are a fan of movies like Ullathai Alli Thaa and Kalakalappu, you would enjoy this one as well. Watch it and have a hearty laugh!

Watchable

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.

Must Watch

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

Man of Steel

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Man of Steel – The most expected superhero movie of the year brings the rebooted Superman to the silver screen. As it is a reboot the movie is all about the origin of Superman and establishing his identity as Superman. As a boy Clark Kent is worried about the superhuman abilities he has and is confused if he would be accepted by the society and live a normal life as a human. He goes on a long journey covering his path and identity. But the circumstances and his super human abilities would not let him be in the dark for too long. Soon he is faced with the challenge to save the earth and the only way he could do is by revealing his identity. Did he reveal his identity? Did the human race accept him? forms the rest of the plot.

The movie had a load of expectations on itself with names like Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner in the credits. DC delivering a phenomenal reboot for the Batman just raised the expectation of this movie much higher. In comparison with the expectations the movie works in parts. There is a newer side of Superman’s childhood and the emotional turmoil he goes through which is taken very well. However once he takes the superhuman form it just becomes an average film. There is overdose of visual effects, which makes you bit exhausted in the end of it. Henry Cavill looks good as a superman however he has just limited expressions which becomes a bit monotonous through the movie. The movie does promise a good beginning for some promising sequels to come. If we were to take off the overloaded expectations of the movie it is a good watch.

Its a Bird, Its a Plane, Its Superman go for the red cape hero you had been inspired for decades.

Watchable – for Superman fans

Drama, Genre, Hindi Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Suspense, Thriller

Dum Maaro Dum

Dum Maaro Dum – A suspense thriller  that revolves around drug trafficking and associated crime. ACP Vishnu Kamath a previously corrupt cop looses his family in a road accident. He transforms and he is posted to Goa to clean up the drug gangsters. Lorry a footballer and aspiring student to go to abroad for studies is forced to smuggle drugs to fulfill his ambition. Kamath finds and arrests him. Lorry’s friend DJ Joki tries getting him out of Jail. All the source of drug trafficking leads to a mystery man Michael Barbosa. The story gets engaging as the plot moves towards the search of Michael Barbosa. Did Kamath succeed in cleaning up the drug gangster mob? Did Joki succeed in saving Lorry? Did Michael Barbosa meet the end? – is the rest of the story.

Rohan Sippy is one of the brilliant film makers of recent times. His movies are stylish and does not have any frills attached. They are also noted for new plots and unique way of story telling. Unfortunately his movies do not make a box office blockbuster. Dum Maaro Dum is no exception. It is a brilliant movie but unfortunately did not make a bang in the box office. Probably he doesn’t need so much star value in the flick which is just a distraction.  The hero of the script is the story and not any of the characters. For the enthralling suspense, slick editing and engaging screenplay Dum Maaro Dum is a Must Watch. If you have missed watching this movie when it was released then grab a DVD and watch it…

Must Watch

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

Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes

Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes – is a 1965 British comedy movie. The story is set in the 1910 when  air crafts were evolving. A British newspaper magnate organizes a flying competition from London to Paris with an award sum of 10,000 pounds to prove Britain is number one in the air.

The movie is well made considering it was done in the 1965. It is hilarious and interesting to see all those various kinds of flying machines and their flying crew ensemble which in sort is a representation of the culture of the nation they are representing. British comedy has its own charm, flavor and places its intellectual demands on cherishing the humor. As the title the movie is crazy and is a fun ride through out from start to the finish line.

Must Watch

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

Good Will Hunting

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Good Will Hunting –  Will Hunting is a 20 year old unrecognized genius who works at the MIT University as a janitor and anonymously solves difficult mathematical problems posted by Professor Lambeau. Will gets into a fight with a police officer and the Professor comes to his rescue with an agreement that Will would undergo therapy sessions with Sean Maguire a friend of Lambeau while working with him for advanced mathematics. Will has a rough personality due to the hardships he has faced in the past. He is hard to get through and Sean is the right man who could do so. The rest of the movie is about how Sean Maguire helps Will discover his fears, love, friendship and eventually the biggest decision of his life that would change his destiny.

Matt Damon (Will Hunting) and Robin Williams (Sean Maguire) are heart and soul of the movie. Their interactions sparkle the screen. The script written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon is the strength of the movie. The movie is straight and simple. As Will discovers his future it touches upon many of footprints of Will’s personality the viewers have within themselves. If you are in mood for a soul searching movie that is truly inspirational … This is a must watch!

Must Watch

Drama, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Worth a Watch

Kumki

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Kumki –  In villages adjacent to forest areas the threat of wild elephants are a growing concern. During the harvest season they rampage the fields for food causing the whole year of hard work by the farmers go in vain. In order to circumvent such issues they hire trained elephants which are called  “Kumki elephants” to guard the crops and chase the wild elephant away. The movie revolves around the story of one such village wanting to protect their people and crops from a dreadful wild elephant. They are in search of a mahout and a trained Kumki elephant. In a scheme of things the protagonist Bomman who owns a pet elephant ends up taking his elephant to do the job. However his elephant is domesticated and has no skill what so ever to guard the village against the wild elephant. Bomman falls in love with the daughter of the village head and decides to extend his stay there. Life is happy till the wild elephant comes into the village and starts attacking… What happens is the rest of the plot.

The plot is unique and new. Prabhu Solomon should be appreciated for taking up such a plot and to make a movie. The way the incidents build up to the climax is very well done. The biggest positive of the movie is the cinematography. They have captured the beautiful forests of Shimoga and Kerala very well. However the movie falls just short of what could have been a fairy tale in the climax. Not many audience would have been happy with how the director had ended it… But still you could watch it for the excellent plot, beautiful locations and its visuals.

Watchable