Blue Valentine movie review (Video)

A sort of male version of a chick flick, Blue Valentine relishes gender role reversal in love, pitting Michelle Williams' fickle compulsive sexual appetite against Ryan Gosling's sentimental, goofy puppy dog infatuation. Gosling is Dean, a complacent house painter and moving man who meets Cindy (Michelle Williams) by chance at a nursing home, where she's visiting her grandmother and he's transporting a new resident's belongings.

Cindy, unlike Dean, is an ambitious college student with aspirations to become a doctor. She's also got an intimidating, won't take no for an answer jealous boyfriend lurking about. So when Dean begins making repeated unwelcome moves on Cindy and she eventually concedes to reluctant romance with a guy she finds occasionally amusing as opposed to intoxicating, there's simply a perplexed reaction to this disintegrating from the start courtship, where the sparks never quite fly.

And when Cindy finds herself pregnant and allows Dean to pressure her into marriage, while at the same time sorrowfully abandoning hopes of becoming a doctor for an expedient nursing gig instead, there's no question where the future of this turbulent twosome is headed.



So then the question is, why bother prolonging their frustrating agony on screen - and ours - with the inevitable downer resolution waiting in the wings?

And bypassing what might have been a more involving conflict, inherent in the class differences between Dean's worshipful blue collar working stiff and Cindy's rather disdainful, upwardly mobile bratty babe. Now, you may be viewing a different version of Blue Valentine after any trimming in the switch from an NC-17 to R rating in the States.

But unless all that sulking and squabbling hit the cutting room floor along with those makeup sex, too much information trysts in question despite the impressive performances, there's not likely much remaining to get excited about.

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Movie Review: Gulliver's Travels

It may be cruel to suggest that Jack Black is so portly the need for CGI Lilliputians to convey his giant status as the titular Gulliver is unnecessary. Yet it’s merely stating fact that the comedian’s newest film, an adaptation of Jonathan Swift’s 1726 tome Gulliver’s Travels is a lazy one - and one that’s borderline dire.

Gulliver’s newest outing takes minimal risks. Directed by Rob Letterman, whose previous achievements include Shark Tale and Monsters Vs Aliens, the book’s material – Gulliver becomes the leaders of the Lilliputians, but how much does power corrupt? - lends itself to an adult orientated, non-kid alienating treatment. Instead the new movie ignores the third and forth sections of Swift’s 18th century satirical fantasy and instead fleshes out the running time with lowest common denominator trash (at one juncture, a Lilliputian will descend into Black’s bottom).

Perhaps such laziness is fitting; few actors have had an easier last decade than Black, who, with the exception of 2008’s excellent Be Kind Rewind, has spent the years since his breakthrough role in 2000’s High Fidelity merely turning up for work and playing himself under a variety of different names. His portrayal as Gulliver is no different; our 'hero' remains hard rock obsessed. He still likes Star Wars. It’s enough to make you suspect the actor has possessed one script throughout the entirety of his career, albeit one covered with Tipp-Ex and with brief amendments on each page.

Even as lighthearted adventure, the adaptation barely manages to register a pulse. The places Gulliver visits are ugly, not otherworldly. His emotional journey is convoluted, then unsatisfying in its resolution. Talented comedic actors like Billy Connolly and Catherine Tate are cast as vacant bystanders to a performance by Black that doesn’t so much phone it in, but thinks about doing so before lackadaisically forgetting the number to call.

Black’s take on Gulliver’s Travels may be released in the closing days of 2010 - but there will be few less impressive films in the year to come.

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Mylari – Movie Review

Most of the youths spoil their lives in the name of love. For such youngsters, director R Chandru has made two beautiful love stories like Taj Mahal and Prem Kahani with beautiful message. Now, he has joined hands with Hat-trick hero Shivaraj Kumar to create another 'amar prem kahani' with a message. Though their movie Mylari opens with some boring moments, its end surely enlightens the audience.

Mylari is a good family entertainer with all decent commercial elements. The main highlight of the movie is Shivanna's energetic performance. Chandru's beautiful story, Gurukiran's music, Thriller Manju's fights, Pradeep Antony's choreography, Rangayan Raghu, Prathap and Prakash's comedy, costumes and beautiful locations are its other highlights.

The movie has a beautiful storyline and Chandru has weaved it with different twists and turns. He has good grip over the narration of the story. But the first half of the story is quite dragging and tests that patience of the audience. Though second half also starts with boring narration, soon it turns serious and takes the viewers to real life of Bangalore.

Mylari (Shivaraj Kumar) is a son of a farmer from Mailapur. He is very naughty and not good at studies, while his brother Gopal (Yashas) is humble and very intelligent boy at school. Mylari is in love with his classmate Anitha (Sada) right from his school days, but he hesitates to express it before her. Her parents decide to marry her with an engineer. He tries to convey her his love after her engagement, which results in being thrown out of the house by his father. What happens next and whether he will get his lady love or not will form the crux of the film.

Shivaraj Kumar has delivered wonderful performance as Mylari. He rocks the screen in dance and fight sequences and he impresses audience in sentimental sequences. Sada's performance is good and she also impresses audience in emotional sequences. Rangayan Raghu has a very small portion, which he makes sweet in short. Ravi Kale, Yashas, Prathap, Bullet Prakash, Sanjana, Guruprasad, John Kokken and others have also played well their respective roles.

Gurukiran's music is a big highlight of the film Mylari. It has wonderful background score. He has scored music for six songs and all of them are good. Especially songs like 'Malapura Mylari...' and 'Butbide...' are very good to listen. Most of these songs have been shot very stylishly and they boast of wonderful work in sections like costume, art, camera and choreography.

Mylari is not out of mistakes. It has small drawbacks, which can be ignored. But the director could have avoided the song 'Gallugallenutha', which appears to be forced in the film. Overall, it's good family entertainer for this Christmas. Don't come out from theatre in the middle. Wait till the end to enjoy the full film.

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Arekti Premer Golpo Movie Review: watch out for Rituparno

Being the first feature film based on the concept of homosexuality after the decriminalization of the Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which previously condemned same sex in India, ‘Arekti Premer Golpo’ was looked forward to, but not only by the homosexual population in the country. The Kaushik Ganguly film is the first silver screen appearance of filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh and every section of the Bengali film audience had been waiting with bated breath to watch him act.

Considering it is his direction that has won several Bengali stars the National Award, Rituparno Ghosh has undoubtedly put up a brilliant performance even in front of the camera. However it will also be fair to say that playing the gay filmmaker Abhiroop Sen must have been easy for Bengali film industry’s favorite Rituda. Another revelation is Indraneil Sengupta who has been giving consistently good performances ever since he has set foot in Kolkata.

The film centers on filmmaker Abhiroop Sen and his bisexual photographer Basudeb played by Rituparno Ghosh and Indraneil Sengupta respectively, both characters are into a homosexual relationship. The duo is based in Delhi but come to Kolkata to film a documentary feature on Chapal Bhaduri, the theater artists who essayed only female characters in his active days, who is in reality a homosexual but was never able to make known his feelings due to the trappings of the society he lived in. Chapal Bhaduri features as himself in the movie. He loves the way Abhiroop Sen handles his life independently and with so much confidence. After ‘Arekti Premer Golpo’, we would definitely like to see more of Rituparno Ghosh in front of the camera.

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Movie Review: 'True Grit'

All the advance publicity about the new Coen brothers movie "True Grit" has focused on the notion that it’s not a remake of the 1969 Western that won John Wayne his only Oscar. Instead, we’ve been told, over and over, that the Coen brothers’ version is more faithful to Charles Portis’ original novel.

So it was to my great surprise when I sat down to watch the new "True Grit" and discovered that, in fact, it’s very close to the 1969 movie version. At times, it's nearly a scene-for-scene, line-for-line remake. The difference is one of tone. The Coen brothers’ "True Grit" is more intimate and art directed, a kind of color-coordinated curio.

It also features a lead actress, Hailee Steinfeld, who’s notably younger than Kim Darby was in the original. As Mattie Ross, the super-spunky, hard-bargaining Arkansas 14-year-old who’s out to avenge the death of her father, Steinfeld speaks in perfectly constructed, almost lawyerly sentences, and she's the definition of precocious. Yet that doesn’t make the character any less of a Hollywood concoction. In some ways, it makes her more of one.

Of course, the character we’re really here to see is Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn, the gruff, sozzled old loner of a marshal who never met a criminal he didn’t want to shoot. Bridges, hidden under a grizzly beard, gives what I suppose you could say is a flawless performance. But the actor at heart is such a teddy bear that, if anything, he’s a lot less crusty that John Wayne was. He’s also, I have to say, less memorable.

The Coen brothers’ "True Grit" is an impeccably crafted movie, yet there’s something almost too precious and controlled about it. It’s not as corny as the 1969 version, yet by the end of that one, you really felt what a cantankerous old cuss John Wayne was playing. It was a helluva performance, even if it was designed to be Oscar bait. The new "True Grit" has less of that populist vulgarity, but it’s such a tasteful artifact that it leaves very little imprint.

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Movie reviews: Good 'True Grit,' Better 'Somewhere'

Fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) won't stand for her father's murderer getting away without anyone on his tail, so she hires grouchy U.S. marshal "Rooster" Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to pursue the fugitive. The pair is joined by a Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) who's been tasked with bringing in the same man for killing a Texas senator.

The buzz: Few would have predicted that writer-director brothers Joel and Ethan Coen would follow 2009's brilliant, Judaism-centered study of faith, "A Serious Man," with a remake of a 1969 Western (based on Charles Portis' 1968 novel), which starred John Wayne as Rooster. That fearless unpredictability is sometimes what makes the filmmakers great, so they must have a good reason to put originality on hold for a little while.

The verdict: Itchy fellows, those Coens can be, and "True Grit" moves at a clip in its second act that doesn't let its journey or lively script achieve the original's tension or emotion. What remains is its determination and attitude, particularly as two handfuls of consecutive great scenes begin the slyly funny film. The story flirts with notions that certain acts may or may not be wrong (stealing from a thief) while suggesting others simply are wrong, with no opening for debate. Newcomer Steinfeld puts real juice into Mattie's defiance as she talks circles around men twice her size and three or four times her age. With Rooster, given gruffness if not stature by Bridges, this spunky young girl vows to do right by her family, a mission that's always relevant. There is no glory in justice, only a case closed.

Did you know? Rooster grumbles that he'd give $3 for pickled buffalo tongue right now. Um, that makes two of us?

Famous actor Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff) lives in a world of permanent stubble and indifferent clothing choices, inane press questions and constant access to meaningless sex. His priorities may or may not shift when he's tasked with spending more time with his 11-year-old daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning, heartbreaking performance).

The buzz: Coppola explored the absence of feeling in "Lost in Translation," and "Somewhere" could be titled "Loss of Sensation." The emptiness of celebrity likewise isn't exactly a new topic, but as a comeback for Dorff, maybe "Somewhere" can emulate "The Wrestler" and its ability to find new depth in the familiar premise of a broken spirit's renewal.

The verdict: Perceptive in darkly comic ways, "Somewhere" is a mood piece, and that mood is "whatever." Or maybe "numb" is more appropriate. Dorff and Coppola achieve something special with Johnny: a sympathetic indictment of fame's randomness, acknowledging that this guy's not that special or particularly good at anything other than being good-looking. What the film lacks in freshness it gains back in authenticity, holding the inside track on a big star's wandering sense of self--especially when he expects sexual propositions from every beautiful woman but sometimes can't even stay awake long enough to get down to business. Superficial popularity is isolating in "Somewhere." It's also the deceptively accessible place where Hollywood turns back into reality.

Did you know? Johnny frequently receives angry texts with messages like "Why are you such an ass***" and "What's your f***ing problem?" How does one respond to such questions via text? What do you think of 'True Grit' and 'Somewhere'?

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Movie Review: 'Black Swan' achieves perfection

As a director, not one of his films could be considered conventional. Be it a mentally disturbed mathematician, a group of heroin addicts or a man trying to save his spouse from death, he always takes fascinating topics and tackles them in exciting ways. Continuing in a recurring theme of unconventional artists in his films, Aronofsky's latest film, "Black Swan," is the story of a ballet dancer, Nina, who is cast as the Swan Queen in her troupe's latest production of "Swan Lake." The trick is, the Swan Queen is supposed to have two split personalities: a calculated, elegant one, and a dark, sensual, rugged one.

For the role, Nina struggles to find the darker side in her as a performer, but in this search she descends into madness, destruction, and in more ways than one, transformation. Here's some hyperbole for you: Natalie Portman's role in this film as Nina Sayers is one of the greatest screen performances I have ever seen. There is not a better female performance this year; there probably isn't a performance better this year. She's just that good.

Portman immerses herself completely in the (literal) shoes of a ballerina; she reportedly trained for about a year prior to filming and could pass for a professional, at least to my novice eye.

But it's not just the technical aspects that she nails. Her character, Nina, undergoes an emotional metamorphosis in this film from good to bad, pure to tainted, white swan to black swan. I'm unsure what's more impressive, the moral absolutes she exhibits at opposite ends of the movie or her haunting descent from one to the other. Either way, I cannot stress enough just how good she is in the role.

Mila Kunis, in her most dramatic role yet, plays Lilly, both a rival and friend to Nina. I'll just say she's vital to the film and leave it at that, as her character is full of surprises. With that said, Kunis aces it.

Winona Ryder and Barbara Hershey both bring a lot of intensity to their roles as Nina's jealous colleague and her overbearing mother, respectively, and Vincent Cassel is solid as her sleazy director.

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Movie Review: Love and Other Drugs

Rotten Tomatoes gave this film 45% which should be enough or should I say the least to send me scurrying to my television set. Nevertheless, I was intrigued by the combination of Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway and in throwing good judgement out the window - Never ignore a rating from Rotten Tomatoes! - I went the flicks anyway. The results weren't actually that bad. At least this 45% turned out to be better than I would have expected. This is definitely one to rent for a Saturday evening cuddled on the couch.

The film is supposed to be your romantic comedy fare however there is an interesting side story in that Hathaway's character at the tender age of 26 is beginning to suffer from Parkinson's disease. I noted that one of the names thanked by the producers for information about this condition was Michael J. Fox. Personally I found this dramatic addition to the love story to be a welcome twist.

While the love story between Gyllenhaal and Hathaway is the main theme of the film, the secondary story is how Gyllenhaal's character develops his career as a pharmaceutical rep. Being the charmer, he spends a great deal of time chasing the ladies. Ah yes, the period of time of the movie dates back a number of years when the drug Viagra was just hitting the market so our pharmaceutical lothario gets a number of laughs about the use of this drug. It is interesting to see the money driven bad side of the drug industry in the U.S. with reps shamelessly going after medical practitioners to prescribe their products to the public. What a curiosity to see Hathaway's character organising bus trips to Canada for groups of senior citizens who cannot afford to buy drugs in their own country. Of course Hathaway who doesn't seem to have a drug plan seems to be going herself to benefit from Canada's cheaper drugs.

The telling moment of the entire film which emphasizes the serious nature of this love story and hence turns the film into a type of "Love Story" (1970's classic love story where girl dies from leukemia) is when Hathaway visits a meeting of other Parkinson sufferers. It is here she meets for the first time others like her and realises she is not alone in facing her disease. Gyllenhaal has a significant encounter with a husband whose wife is in stage four of the disease and describes a frightening future with this debilitating sickness.

Of course, like any good romance, we have to have a break-up before we have the end of the film rediscovery and make-up. All's well that ends well but I was still haunted by what the husband of the stage four woman said. Yes, love conquers all but there still is the practical side of living with a disease that continues unabated to progress.

In the final analysis, this isn't the best film but it is better than a 45% rating would lead you to believe. It's worth a rental or do a Rogers on Demand. I'm sure it will be available shortly even though it is still in theatres as of this writing. After all, it was only released on November 24 but I note that films do seem to making a faster turnaround to DVD and television, spending less time on the big screen. If for nothing else, it will be good to see these two actors. Gyllenhaal is a good looking man and Hathaway is a looking woman and the two of them are quite the charmers. I should add, in referencing another recent film The Tourist that this couple manage to better light up the screen with their romance than Depp and Jolie.

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Tangled - Movie Reviews

A lush and vivid fusion of traditional Disney animation and 3-D technology, Tangled is the ideal film to revive traditional Disney with an eye-popping modern twist. Rapunzel is a quirky klutz with magical hair who has been cooped up in a tower by her kidnapper/surrogate mother. When a dashing thief named Flynn Ryder stumbles across her tower, she enlists him as a reluctant guide and embarks on a quest to see the floating lights that appear in the sky every year on her birthday.

As the two travel the land, encountering soldiers and soft-hearted ruffians, daring chases and sword-wielding horses, they find themselves drawn closer together in their life-changing adventure.

Though it might be a while before audiences warm up to 3-D Disney princess movies, Tangled certainly seems like a step in the right direction; it uses technology not as a gimmick but for aesthetic purposes. The floating lantern scene alone is easily worth the extra money for a 3-D ticket. Instead of trying to wow the audience with swords in their faces, Tangled creates a completely immersive viewing experience.

The artistic direction of the movie was largely informed by Jean-Honoré Fragonard's Rococo painting, "The Swing," as evidenced in the beautiful pastel pinks and muted blue greens of Tangled's dazzling landscapes. The softness of the color brings a refreshing tenderness to the 3-D animation.

The voice acting is superb. Zachary Levi nails it as the dashing and rogue Flynn Ryder, alternating fluidly between studly charm and surprising sensitivity. Mandy Moore lends her voice to Rapunzel in joyful tunes and lilting ballads. Her voice for the awkward teen is so dead-on that sometimes it's hard to separate the actress from the character.

Even though composer Alan Menken (Aladdin) worked on the soundtrack, the music isn't quite up to the level of classic Disney. Mother Gothel's villainess song, "Mother Knows Best" is accompanied by a stellar visual sequence and the reprise is especially chilling, but other songs, like Rapunzel's "When Will My Life Begin" sound too much like uninspired pop music.

Reminiscent of last year's The Princess and the Frog, the songs are decent but not classics. The animation sequences that accompany each song far outshine the lackluster compositions, making up for any disappointment. While Tangled is no instant classic, the visuals are enough to convince even the most stubborn holdouts that 3-D Disney is an invigorating new frontier.

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Movie Review: Love Crime

Isabelle, played by Ludivine Sagnier, learns her boss (Kirstin Scott Thomas, in background) is not what she seems. A compact and engrossing thriller that wobbles a little but never enough to come off the rails, this is the last film for French director Corneau, who died shortly after its French release.

His work has not been much seen here, though Tous Les Matins du Monde, his 1991 biopic of a 17th-century cellist, was a splendid evocation of the passion of the artist and a notable father-and-son act for Gerard and Guillaume Depardieu. Here, though, he's in Hitchcockian vein as he mixes Working Girl with the TV series Damages, gives it a squeeze of Gallic zest and serves it very chilled indeed.

Paris-based Scott Thomas, now a leading actress in the French cinema, relishes getting her talons into the role of psychopathic superbitch Christine, the top dog at the Paris branch of a US-based agribusiness conglomerate.

She seems to be a mentor to her adoring lieutenant Isabelle (Sagnier), who is plainly keen to learn. But the younger woman's adoration curdles somewhat when Christine starts playing games, including claiming credit with the top brass for Isabelle's original work ("It's not betrayal," she explains with a toxically sweet smile, "it's teamwork.") When Isabelle gets one up on Christine, the latter's tricks escalate into harassment verging on psychological terror - and Isabelle starts planning to get even.

The sleekly plotted drama has plenty of surprises in store - without giving anything away, it's safe to say that it's hard to tell exactly what game Isabelle is playing until the last few minutes.

The film's opening scene makes it plain that we are in the hand of a real maestro: in a few minutes, which fairly drip with understated tension, the personalities and relationship of the two women is deftly and economically sketched, and by the half-hour mark we seem to have already reached the climax. But there is much, much more to come.

The sparingly used score - mainly haunting and discordant saxophone riffs - adds to the sense of tension and there's a very sharp sting in the story's tail. It's a very satisfying drama about what happens when big girls fight.

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No Problem Movie Review

After No ENTRY, WELCOME and SINGH is KINNG, director Anees Bazmee continues his streak of slapstick comedies with NO PROBLEM. Just like Anees' earlier films, NO PROBLEM boasts of a huge star cast. Most of the actors in NO PROBLEM like Suniel Shetty, Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor and Paresh Rawal have tickled our funny bones in copious past movies.

NO PROBLEM traces the story of two small time goons, Yash Ambani (Sanjay Dutt) and Raj Ambani (Akshaye Khanna). Raj wants to start afresh by leaving the crime world but Yash is determined not to let him do so as he commits one crime or the other. Zandulal (Paresh Rawal) plays the bank manager, who is falsely accused as being Yash-Raj's accomplice. Marcos (Suniel Shetty) is an international don whose moll Sophie (Neetu Chandra) does nothing else but perennially flaunts her cleavage. Arjun (Anil Kapoor) is an incompetent cop Arjun (Kapoor) with his schizophrenic wife Kajal (Sushmita Sen), who wants to kill Arjun at least once in a day. Sanjana (Kangna Ranaut) is Kajal's younger sister who plays Raj's love interest. All the characters are in the hunt of stolen diamonds worth trillions. Although the film is titled NO PROBLEM, here are the problems we have with it:

Problem no. 1: It's madness sans method. Wafer thin and banal plot of characters running behind diamonds.

Problem no. 2: In the entire film there are only about three to four moments that genuinely make you laugh. You end up laughing on the ridiculous narrative otherwise.

Problem no. 3: You know it's a big problem when gorillas shoot with guns and say 'No Problem' when thanked.

Problem no. 4: Innumerable full length songs add to the trauma. Editing is pathetic with no continuity lapses. Foreign locales don't add merit.

Problem no.5: The tumultuous climax with several characters and gorillas is unappealing. Haven't we seen such endings so many times in the past?

The performances are a mixed bag. Anil Kapoor is passable. Sanjay Dutt impresses with his impeccable comic timing. Akshaye Khanna is too loud. He makes you cringe when dressed as a woman. Paresh Rawal is decent but we've seen him in several similar roles in the past. Kangana Ranaut is awful. Suniel Shetty is okay while Sushmita Sen hams. Neetu Chandra doesn't have much to do apart from showing her skin.

NO PROBLEM is full of problems. This 'problem' has 'no' solution.

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The Tourist – Movie Review

The Tourist may star the biggest celebrities on the planet, Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp, but they are dwarfed by the film’s real star, that gorgeous monster, conspicuous consumption. The film is first a wealth and beauty fantasy, a visual confection wrapped in glorious clothes, jewels, hotels, boats and views of Venice.

It also happens to be a fast paced spy caper, but only when Jolie’s not onscreen. When she is, the camera lingers on the perfection of her facial planes. But it lingers a trifle too long, and becomes uncomfortable and then funny. It’s as though we are complicit in some kind of creepy stalking. The woman is extremely beautiful, of course, but the director doesn’t need to prove it to us endlessly.

Jolie plays a mystery woman named Elise who is being tracked by armed investigators who believe she will lead them to a man who stole billions from a gangster. She purposely engages a math teacher and widower from Wisconsin named Frank (Johnny Depp) on the train from Paris to Venice. She is enroute to the city to meet with her lover, the thief.

She has been instructed to find someone of her lover’s size and build and pretend he is the thief, to throw her pursuers off track. She invites Frank to stay in her luxurious Venetian hotel room, where they learn more about each other and then sleep apart. Elise tells Frank she is in love with the wanted man who has apparently paid for the hotel room and a closet full of bling for her. These sequences are pure luxury porn, silky negligees, crispy white bed linens, war, dark and gilt woods that Jolie manages to caress, etc.

Soon, agents and gangsters are popping out of every corner, conveniently easily identifiable in black suits and coats, gunning for Elise and Frank, whom they believe is their quarry. Turns out Elise is a worthy fugitive and strategist, with sophisticated knowledge of locks, weaponry and boats.

Seems like fun to put this incredibly dainty example of female pulchritude in the traditionally tough male role, and contrast her with a milquetoast male sidekick who veers to paunch. It might have been fun if the script had been any good. ut it is not. The drama, chases, plot twists and character development are contrived, labored and lack originality.

There are lines that can only be described as howlers. It’s embarrassing to watch these huge stars trapped in a script that never gets off the ground, like chickens trying to fly, but who dare to try. The presence of Timothy Dalton, Paul Bettany and Rufus Sewell does nothing to improve this sorry (but gorgeous) Bond wannabe. Bond set a high bar, and the formula is not easily copied.

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck who directed the excellent drama The Lives of Others in 2006, disappoints with this flaccid outing. The talent he showed has been squandered on the obvious and a deeply flawed script which he co-wrote. Jolie and Depp fans may want to take time to see The Tourist and it is highly recommended for lovers of Venice and stylish clothing, but drama fans should steer clear.

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I am Comic movie review (Video)

A huge cast of comics are interviewed in this ambitious documentary and although some of them are successful, the filmmaker never lets this interfere with the telling of his tale. It stays dark and ironic from beginning to end and assures us time and again that, when you do stand-up, failure isn't everything, it's the only thing.

It's compelling viewing, with plenty of laughs, and when you meet this bunch of manic depressives you'll understand why they wouldn't have it any other way. Ritch Snyder hasn't done stand-up for ten years and is about to return to the stage. Jordan Brady, the filmmaker and a comic himself, uses this as a back-drop for a series of interviews with Tim Allen, Kathy Griffin, Tom Arnold, Sarah Silverman and many more. They tell us how it was, how it is, and how it's always going to be.

There is nothing more intriguing than listening to people open up about their flaws and, with no emotional hand-brake to hold these walking wounded back, we finally discover exactly why comedians use a live audience as their drug of choice and why they know it's never going to get better.

Whether or not the latter bothers them is a matter of opinion and sometimes it appears they do not even know themselves. Equally fascinating is the willingness of these people to hold themselves up as targets for the sole purpose of entertaining us for a few short moments.

This self-derision is carried beyond the stage, as is demonstrated when one of the comics tells us about the golden rule that you never give anyone else your microphone. If Jesus, or even Oprah, walks in, you never give it up. Never. Then he tells us how, one night, there was a drunk woman in the audience, heckling him like crazy, so he said to her "You think you're funny?" and then he gave her the mic. He pauses, lowers his voice, and mutters "Shit, she was funny".

This comedian screwed up big time and, because he knows the story will get a laugh, keeps telling it to whoever will listen, which says it all. These days the comics have another obstacle to contend with - the video recorder. Apparently, the goal of some is to keep goading the comedians to the point when they snap and, with the camera already rolling, it's a race to be the first to get their victim on YouTube.

So when these comedians step onto that stage every night, with nerves like bow strings, they never know for sure whether they will be able to hold steady under fire. Some manage it, but others falter and end up like Michael Richards, who is still extremely popular on YouTube but kicked off the invite list of every club booker in town.

Including Richards in this film would have been an intriguing addition but apparently he's rather difficult to contact these days, with his last known address being somewhere close to the edge of Suicide Cliff.

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Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey Movie Review

Ashutosh Gowariker, the master in making films of retro genre is back again with his magnificent masterpiece 'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey'. He, before now proved his mettle through the film 'Lagaan', a fiction with the British Raj milieu, for sure. This time his work is based on the book 'Do and Die' written by Manini Chatterjee. The unsung and unforgettable heroes of the pre-independence epoch are brought to light through the mentioned film. The Chittagong Movement that was mounted during 1930-1934 was vividly illustrated in the film.

The locales of the cited epoch are brilliantly shown so that the generation of the modern era could have a glimpse over their ancestors' lifestyle, their attire, demeanor, etc. An empathetic Indian, through the film, could feel the fervor and angst of those who lost their liberty to fetch the one enjoyed by the former of current eon. The conscientious planning of the revolutionaries with the available sources, for a successful mission is depicted sans flaws. The screenplay, though crafted out of an adapted true story, is perfect to the core.

The film bears out many a fact such as attire isn't a constraint in doing daily cores, the one of the intelligentsia be it male or female need not shoot his/her mouth off, age and social status are no way hindrance to put great effort for a noble cause, romance doesn't necessitate undulating about in skimpy garbs and unseemly verbal inclination and most of all one's roots never be over and done. No less than the sporadic release of the films of this sort ensure of the above mentioned aspects to sustain, even so in a less proportion.

The story tersely is that the adolescent boys playing football in a barren land are evacuated by the British soldiers to set up their camp. The enraged naive boys want their playground back and thus seek the help of Surjya Sen a.k.a Master da, a revolutionary turned teacher who nurtures the spirit of nationalism within his students. Meanwhile, two young ladies Kalpana Datta and Pritilata Waddedar enthused by Surjya Sen's nationalistic urge, wish to join forces with the latter.

Affronted by a British officer, the boys turn out to be spirited patriots filled with zeal to drive away the British out of India. Therefore, they visit Surjya Sen to join his force christened as Indian Republican Army. As Surjya Sen's proposed mission of armed attacks over the key British establishments requires volunteers, he decides on recruiting the adolescents in his force.

Put to a strenuous training the boys get ready for the mission. As the big day nears Kalpana's affluent father learns about his daughter's intention and thus, sends her away to Kolkata for higher studies and Pritilata accompanies her. Surjya Sen, along with his comrades, succeeds to accomplish few segments of his mission successfully and in the course he loses number of his accomplices. Wholly determined, he proceeds further with his limited number of resources. The rest of the story is to be seen onscreen.

Abhishek Bachchan had to shed his stubble for the role of Surjya Sen and seems to have got into the skin of the role. His body language and histrionics are perfectly apt to the character. Deepika Padukone donned the role of Kalpana Datta. She dared to play a decent character after many days of her career. She looks sweet, draped in ultra traditional attire. Sikander Kher as one of the revolutionaries did a tremendous job. All the other actors did justice to their respective tasks.

Last but not least, the filmmakers especially from Bollywood should retain information that revolutionaries were from all the regions in India who shed their blood with ease for the sake of liberty of India. But, few segments of freedom movement of India are being brought to light and the remaining regions are omitted. My humble appeal to filmmakers is that the sacrifice of the people of all the regions should not go in vain.

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Black Swan – Movie Review

Black Swan has perpetuated more buzz than most films this season, and the reason may be esthetics. It is an eyeful, a decadent and baroque feast of gorgeousness that suggests an ugly heart. This thriller delivers on both counts with a kick to the stomach from a satin ballet shoe.

Natalie Portman plays a delusional ballerina who must tackle her demons just as she experiences the crowning moment of her career. We witness a brief period of time as a professional company launches its new version of Swan Lake and she is its star. The film unfolds from her point of view, but information becomes less reliable as her career takes flight and anxieties mount.

Winning the role of the Swan Queen is a gift - it could net her approval, fame and a place in dance history, but psychology sabotages her best intentions. Something’s eating at her core, a deep and destructive need to be ‘perfect’.

Nina has it bad on all fronts, a mother who may be deranged, no friends, self doubts and what her artistic director calls ‘frigidity’. As a new star, she becomes the focus of jealousy and gossip. Backstage seductions, betrayals, and improprieties create in her a perfect storm nihilism, obsession, fear, and danger.

Suspense attaches itself to every action, and doomed seems too weak a word to describe Nina’s malevolent world.

Aronofsky provides a creepy score which adds to the stench of toxicity, but the package is seductively served in that most beautiful world of ballet. Nina’s particular corner is a dark place indeed, its glossy black walls simultaneously hiding and highlighting the things that go on inside her head.

At first, Nina appears to be an innocent waif, like the White Swan. She uses her femininity for professional considerations but can’t admit it to because that would make her less than perfect. So the veneer starts to crack.

There are indications that certain things take place - a casual instruction by the artistic director (Vincent Cassel) becomes a physical relationship, a friendship with a fellow dancer (Mila Kunis) becomes sexual but we realise that Nina’s not a reliable witness. But one thing is sure; the White Swan is losing her innocence.

The Black Swan begins to emerge and with her, violent dreams, visions of hurting and murdering enemies, and bloody red marks on her body. She sees herself as perpetually under attack and attacking.

The Black Swan is a tough emotional journey with that chilling score, but it is exquisite to look at. Chock full of nubile, perfectly fit young dancers straining and stretching, the artistry of the ballet, costumes, sets, the soft and hard textures of the floor and the dancers’ bodies, nothing is spared from beauty. Beauty is not our friend here. It certainly has a mad, black heart.

The film’s following may prove to be more teen, Twi-hard types, born and raised on the cinematic pop culture connection between blood, lust, love, madness and death. It’s a romantic literary construct that has enjoyed a lasting place in our culture.

The marketing plan is genius - posters of Natalie Portman in full, bleak Swan Queen drag, and the other one, the stylised graphic of, ahem … you know, sheer visual, seductive impact. Facebook campaigns, young ballerinas in black face strolling through city centres – and those posters – will rocket Black Swan to troubled teen dream status and a new crush will have emerged.

Black Swan may be the creepiest film of the year but it is also one of the most anticipated. It demands commitment, a strong stomach, and an ability to sustain sudden dramatic switches and retain focus. Oscar buzz is strong, but Black Swan may be a trifle outside for traditionally fusty academy voters.

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Movie review: Monsters

Much has been said about the scant finances of Gareth Edwards’ debut feature Monsters in the lead up to its release. The film was shot on location in Mexico for under $500,000; extras who appear in the movie were often just people who happened to be there at the time. It’s surprising then that Edwards chooses to open his alien infestation movie with the sort of grand reveal a frugally minded director might normally save for the end.

It’s a bold move even for a movie that does little by the rulebook. Mere minutes in, before the title screen, even before you’ve met the cast, Edwards shows you his alien in all its bellowing glory. It’s a creature that might well be described as a (excellently designed) megalithic extraterrestrial squid, and it’s atypical of a feature that frequently meddles with convention throughout its short running time (a tight, relatively flab free 94 minutes).

For one thing, Monsters doesn’t start its story with the alien infestation. Like last years District 9 (but in every other way, really not like that film at all), Edwards’ movie begins at the point where the aliens have been residents of earth for some time, dropping his leads (real life couple Whitney Able and Scoot McNairy) into the midst of US and Mexican militaries struggling to contain the creatures on the rim of the American border. In many ways, Monsters plays out like a film that begins at the juncture where a film with similar subject matter might end.

For another thing, while there are anxious scares peppered throughout, much of the film concerns the lead characters tentative courtship rather than the creatures’ existence on earth. There are fleeting occasions where a viewpoint similar to Charlie Brookers’ judgement of TV’s Battlestar Galactica rings true (“sometimes you wish they’d stop talking about politics and just have a space battle”), but they’re few and far between, and there’s enough of a sci-fi tinged horror here to satisfy those that might find themselves shuffling through the scenes that resemble that of a romantic edged thriller.

Yet it’s at the very end of the movie where you realise Edwards’ reasons for showing his cards so early; that being a reveal which is even more incendiary than the first, as well as one that asks more questions of his creature than the film has time to answer. It’s a scene that’s incredibly moving, sensual even – and it’s not often you can say that about a movie concerning extraterrestrial squid – with a score courtesy of Jon Hopkins that fits the visuals snugly. There are few films I’ve enjoyed as much as Monsters this year. There are even fewer films I wish I hadn’t watched so I could watch them fresh from the beginning again.

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Love and Other Drugs – Movie Review

Is it a sex romp? A romance? A medical melodrama? A sentimental misstep? Love and Other Drugs needs help, it suffers from acute schizophrenia, having been unable to define itself, instead co-opting every genre in the Hollywood playbook.

It’s excruciatingly at times, telling the story of an up and coming pharmaceutical sales rep (Jake Gyllenhaal) – is it a social ladder jumping story? - who sleeps with every nurse and receptionists he can find. He begins a one-sided affair with a gorgeous woman in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease (Anne Hathaway) who needs the pills he can give her. It tries to be profound, emotional, funny, witty, and outrageous but winds up as an exercise in unedited self indulgence.

A unifying tone can’t be pinned down either. It careens between winking, adolescent sexuality, and morbidity that results in an off kilter and joyless experience. It seems to change its mind from scene to scene and even within a scene, a jarring ride through some weird universe where authenticity is at a premium. It wants to be sincere but it’s insincere and shallow.

Anne Hathaway’s character is described as feisty and unconventional but those are positive, spin words. But she is ill and is allowed to get away with selfish, crass behavior that somehow suggests intimacy but never gets there. She is a one-trick character, unsympathetic and dull. If obnoxious and deflective is what Hathaway was going for, the usually more sympathetic actress should get an award. This is a remove from her previous body of work; she’s taking a risk in creating an unlikable character; but that’s her job as an actress.

The first half focuses on the pioneering marketers of Viagra. Gyllenhaal’s whiz kid pharmaceutical salesman isn’t above large scale cheating to make a sale. This is not the kind of role Gyllenhaal does particularly well. He is TOO sincere, and here makes too much of his lack of the commitment gene, when in fact, he’s desperate for a relationship. The film could have scored with a tougher actor who would challenge us and Hathaway’s character more.

Here’s yet another case of a trailer misleading moviegoers. The trailer pelts us with sly sex jokes, conquests, the promise of erections, and a pretty girl who wins our hero’s heart. That’s the concept, but it’s sure not what’s delivered. It’s funny and sexy to a point but becomes submerged in bitterness and emotional gamesmanship.

It’s surprising that Zwick and Herskovitz have birthed such an unsatisfying yarn given their expertise in writing relationship stories and developing relatable characters. Love and Other Drugs is wishy washy and conventional as well as an exercise to get through. No wonder it’s taken so long to get the thing into the theatres.

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Black Swan movie review (Video)

Black Swan is the story of how a ballerina takes her dancing from brilliant to even better, which is not much of a journey by anyone's standards. With so little to work with, and only one dimensional characters to tell the tale, this film flails around for two arduous hours, much like a dying swan, with only the fall of the curtain to put it out of its misery.

Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina whose life is completely consumed with dance, and when Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace his prima ballerina for his next Swan lake production, Nina is his first choice. Although Nina is the perfect white swan, she struggles to create the passion needed to depict the black swan and is faced with constant criticism from her artistic director.

The cleverly cut trailer of this film makes it look like a psychological thriller, which is totally misleading. It's actually an extremely dark, slow paced drama, with some ludicrous scenes thrown in to try and create tension that simply does not exist.

An example of this is when Nina visits the ex-prima ballerina in hospital. Loud 'Swan Lake' music plays as she lifts the sheet, inch by inch, to look at the ballerina's legs, which she already knows are damaged.

The music gets louder and louder until she sees some bleeding cuts and then she runs out, accompanied by a musical crescendo. This scene contributes nothing to the story and only serves to illuminate how lame the writing really is.

Much of what happens lacks logic. Nina's mother initially suffocates, then sabotages, then she's supportive.

At one stage Nina appears to have been sexually liberated but later this is contradicted. She is initially neurotic, possibly self-harming and then becomes psychotic, but it's never clear what has really happened to her and what she has imagined happened.

But the most unenjoyable aspect of this film is Nina herself. She is eternally miserable, subservient, fearful and usually on the verge of/in tears.

Even when she is made the prima ballerina she is angst-ridden and weepy and it makes you wonder how she'd have reacted if she had won the lottery. Not with joy, for sure.

The greatest director in the world can't save a bad script, but Darren Aronofsky, could have at least got Nina to crack a smile once in a while, and not picking up on something this obvious shows a complete lack of perception.

Aronofsky also directed the brilliantly written and performed Wrestler, which brings his contribution into question and also questions how over rated directors really are. Perhaps if the entertainment industry were to stop spelling their title with a capital 'D' , they might not all be quite so puffed up.

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Movie Review: The Next Three Days

This PG-13 Crime/Romance/Drama concerns the Brennan family where the wife Lara, played by Elizabeth Banks, is accused of a murder and sent to jail for 20 years to life. Only her husband John, played well by Russell Crowe, believes her innocent of the crime. All their relatives and even their son Luke Brenna, played by Ty Simpkins, believes her guilty based on all the evidence.

After all the legal appeals are exhausted the wife attempts suicide and then confesses to her husband that she can’t bear the thought of remaining in jail for the remainder of her life. John, a literature teacher, decides the only way to save her is to break her out of prison and then escape to a country that won’t extradite them back to Pittsburgh. Naturally, this kind of illegal activity isn’t one of his, or any other English Literature teacher’s areas of expertise so he is soon involved in the underworld trying to get fake passports and another real Social Security Card that can be used to rent cars and buy airline tickets when paying by cash. He manages to get the heck beat out of him dealing with some of these underworld characters.

But he decides to get even with these underworld crooks by stealing their drug money. He knows that he will need a fortune in cash to make his escape plan work. That too is a near fiasco. Eventually, he manages to spring his wife from the country jail, but that’s only the beginning of the excitement. Their flight from the law, all of who are very talented police detectives makes for one exciting climax after another.

Basically the two unanswered questions of this crime movie are “Did the wife do the deed and actually murder her female supervisor?” The second question is whether this amateur jail breaker and his family will actually be able to elude the law and escape the country within the necessary three-day window of opportunity?

Crowe and Banks are backed up by an excellent supporting cast that includes Michael Buie as Mick Brennan, Moran Atlas as Erit, Remy Nozik as Jenna, Jason Beghe as Detective Quinn, Aisha Hinds as Detective Collero, Alissa Haggis as the junkie, Brian Dennehy as George Brennan and Helen Carey as Grace Brennan. Liam Neeson plays the ex-con Damon Pennington who has successfully escaped prison seven different times and provides the Crowe character the basic information he needs to know in order to break his wife out of jail and then make a successful and permanent escape from the country. The entire supporting cast is excellent.

Paul Haggis does a good directing job and keeping the early part of the film from dragging too much. Once again, Russell Crowe delivers a performance that will not disappoint his fans. While this isn’t “The Gladiator” or “L.A. Confidential” it is on a caliber with some of his other roles. It’s also nice to see a movie set in Pittsburgh for a change.

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MOVIE REVIEW: 'Unstoppable'

"Unstoppable" has no business being this entertaining of a film. After all, the plot is pretty obvious - a runaway train is eventually stopped by a couple quick-thinking workers before it derails and possibly spills a load with hazardous chemicals. However, this movie had plenty of heart-pounding moments and intense action, with it all feeling entirely plausible. (And that's partly because the movie is based on a real-life runaway train in 2001.)

Denzel Washington (Oscar winner for "Training Day" and "Glory") is our wise, grizzled veteran train engineer, Frank. On this day, he's assigned to work with newcomer conductor, Will (Chris Pine, who played Captain Kirk in the "Star Trek" reboot last year). Almost immediately, Frank makes it clear he's not too pleased with working with rookies like Will, who are taking the jobs of veteran rail workers.

Meanwhile, many miles away, a train employee named Dewey (Ethan Suplee, best known for his role in TV's "My Name Is Earl") hopped out of a train car to flip a switch, thinking he will easily be able to hop back aboard the coasting train, which was going maybe 10 miles in an hour. But, in a "Final Destination" sort of moment, the train's lever falls into throttle, and the train bolts away from Dewey. Workers around him laugh at his stupidity. However, the amusement quickly fades as train officials realize the train's speed has reached 70 mph, and the emergency air brakes aren't working.

My first thought as I watched the movie was, "why don't they just drop someone onto the train from a helicopter?" Luckily, that was one of the first options tried. It just didn't work. Neither did a few other ideas. But Frank has the idea to catch the train from behind, hit the brakes, and slow it down. (I don't think I'm giving too much away; all these plot points are shown in commercials and movie trailers.)

Denzel Washington recently teamed with this director, Tony Scott, in the mediocre train movie "Taking of Pelham 1 2 3." I wasn't a fan of that film, and I admittedly wasn't planning on seeing "Unstoppable" until the good reviews started pouring in. Denzel's Frank character knows seemingly everything there is to know about working the rails, knowing just how much time he has to avoid a collision, or how to catch and stop the train.

The wonderful Rosario Dawson ("Men In Black II," "Clerks II," "Rent") plays the role of Connie, who coordinates all train traffic for the line, and she plays her part well here. Like Denzel Washington's character, Dawson's Connie character is rarely wrong, but she's frequently overruled by bosses who are clueless on how to stop the train.

The highlights here are plenty. The near-misses on the train lines are breath-taking, as are some of the collisions. The scene where a person is dropped down from a helicopter to try and land on the runaway train also was intense. This movie could have been pretty basic, but Tony Scott kept it intense throughout.

Shot on a $100 million budget, "Unstoppable" earned an impressive $42 million worldwide in its first three days at the box office. Top critics at Rottentomatoes[dot]com gave it a stellar 90 percent approval rating. Average movie-goers liked it a lot as well, with 62 percent giving it an "A" grade, and another 25 percent giving it a "B" grade.

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Eno Onthara - Movie Review

Vijay-Jyothika starrer Khushi was a hit movie in Tamil and director SJ Suraiah remade it in Telugu, which was a blockbuster film. Later, it was remade in Hindi, but it was flop at the Box Office. Now, Mussanje Maathu fame director Mahesh has remade it as Eno Onthara (Yeno Onthara) in Kannada. He has completely stayed loyal to the original. And almost ten years have passed after these three movies, the director has not done single update to his script in Kannada.

Eno Onthara is a romantic-cum-sentimental film, which has all the commercial elements. Golden star Ganesh's performance is the main highlight of the movie. V Harikrishna's music, Sharan's comedy and PKH Doss' cinematography are the other highlights. Lack of freshness in the script and lengthy narration are two main weaknesses of the film.

The movie is a regular love story, where the hero and heroine separate over ego clashes and find themselves unable to express their hearts to each other. The movie is a right mixture of love, sentiment, comedy and confusion. The first half of the film is quite interesting, but lengthy climax in the second half tests the patience of the audience. But Ganesh and Priyamani have managed to make it watchable with their brilliant acting.

Surya (Ganesh) is a student in a college in Mysore. He develops a close relationship with his classmate Madhumathi (Priyamani) after seeing her confident nature. But their ego-centric nature makes them stay apart always. Once both struggle to unite their friends Shanthi and Prasad, who are in love. What happens to their own love story will form the climax of the film.

As usual, Ganesh rocks the viewers with his wonderful acting. Priyamani has also delivered a fair performance. Her on-screen chemistry with Ganesh is good to watch. Sharan’s comedy is enjoyable. Shrinivas Murthy, Jai Jagdish, Vijayalakshmi Singh and Padma Vasanthi have done justice to their respective roles. Ramesh Aravind's background commentary is successful in holding the audience's attention.

V Harikrishna has composed four beautiful songs for the film and all are good. Especially songs like 'Dilkhush...' and 'Inthi Ninna Preethiya...' are very melodious and linger the minds of listeners. PKH Doss' camera work is brilliant. He wins the heart of viewers with his wonderful picturisation of New Delhi and Kerala in song sequences.

Overall, it can be said although Eno Onthara does not have anything unusual, it can be enjoyed once.

Producer: M Chandrasekhar

Director: Mussanje Mahesh

Cast: Ganesh, Priyamani, Shrinivas Murthy, Jai Jagdish, Vijayalakshmi Singh, Padma Vasanthi, Sharan

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Movie Review: Megamind

Its not too much of a stretch to say most fans of animated films feel a love/hate relationship with Dreamworks. One year you'll be graced with the original "Shrek" and the next you'll get "Shark Tale." In what is essentially Pixar's game, Dreamworks is the runt on the sideline you give the ball to every once and a while just to see what will happen. In the case of Dreamworks' latest, Megamind, they get to the 35 yard line and settle for a field goal.

Megamind (Will Ferrell) is a supervillain turned not-so-super hero. After the assumed death of his arch rival Metro Man (Brad Pitt), Megamind assumes control of Metro City but quickly grows bored and longs for a challenge. In comes the cameraman Hal (Jonah Hill), coworker of reporter and Megamind love interest Roxanne Ritchi (Tina Fey), who gets transformed into a superhero to satisfy Megamind's urge to fight. Megamind disguises himself the as father figure in an homage to Marlon Brando's Jor-El in the original Superman. Minion (David Cross) classily slaps a dress on his robotic body to assume the motherly role. After a great deal of training that ultimately leads nowhere, Megamind focuses his priorities on winning the heart of Roxanne, under the guise of a friendly museum curator Bernard. Its not until Hal (now the semi-superhero Titan) sees Megamind on a date with Roxanne that the action begins. Cheesy fight scene staples AC/DC and Guns n' Roses provide the music for extended action sequences that leave viewers cringing not in brutality but in cliché-riddled skirmishes.

As funny as Will Ferrell is, animation just isn't his thing. Sure his vocal inflections and here-and-there improv are still there, but you don't get the charisma that really sets him apart from any other recognizable voice actor. Remember his Curious George performance?

Didn't think so.

His name is a marquee, an attention grabber, but this medium in particular really constricts his ability to be funny. A theme that many Dreamworks films suffer from can't go unnoticed: draw a story out of a hat, pack films to the brim with stars and pray they make their money back.

Though it must be noted again, David Cross is a talking fish bowl named Minion. This was certainly a highlight of the movie.

A considerable portion of the plot is consumed by a softening of the evil in Megamind's life in pursuit of Roxanne. The originally unassuming villain in Hal/Titan is weak and never does the viewer ever really feel there is anything in jeopardy.

The animation here is nothing special either. With no real eye-popping visuals, the 3D is underwhelming and more of a marketing ploy than anything. Halfway through the film, it gets quite easy to forget the movie is even in 3D, despite the bulky glasses on your face.

As a matter of fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to claim Megamind is this year's Avatar. They have more in common than you might think. Despite the gap in their opening weekend grosses, the films are almost one in the same. They've got computer generated blue people, 3D, unoriginal plot lines, forgettable voice acting, big budgets and so on. That's not to say they can't be enjoyable, but according to the bylaws of the Global Movie Critics with Integrity Association of the World, they aren't allowed to receive stellar reviews. Its the law.

From a child's perspective, there's enough action and low brow humor to keep a kid occupied for an hour and a half. They may even really enjoy it. For an adult, on the other hand, there are better options. If your hunger for original animated superhero movies cannot be contained, you may be better off renting The Incredibles.

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EW Movie Review: 127 Hours

Oscar winning director Danny Boyle's latest film, "127 Hours," is based on the true-life adventure of a hiker who took drastic measures to survive. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly Magazine filed the following review.

The film "127 Hours" is a true-life adventure that turns into a one-man disaster movie -- and the darker it gets, the more enthralling it becomes. The director, Danny Boyle, is the floridly intense pop-poetic stylist who made "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Trainspotting," but here, in a change of pace, he summons all his visual zap to tell the story of what happened to Aron Ralston, a 27-year-old hiker, as authentically as possible.

On a Friday night in April 2003, Aron, a carefree bohemian jock played by James Franco, leaves his home in Aspen to indulge in his favorite ritual of escape, driving out to the miles of twisty red-rock formations that make up Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Hiking on his own, he falls through a crack in the earth and winds up wedged between two chalkstone walls, a boulder having lodged itself against his crushed right arm.

You may go into "127 Hours" knowing exactly what Aron Ralston did to survive. Yet in no way does that diminish the film's psychological suspense. Franco, in a tour de force, takes us through the Five Stages of Survival: detachment, jokes, rage, revelation, and doing-what-you-gotta-do. Once Aron realizes that he's not getting (or going) anywhere, he begins to descend into fantasy. And what he comes to see is that his trapped state is what he's been running from his whole life. That boulder was waiting for him.

The film offers a daunting challenge to a filmmaker: How do you rivet an audience when your protagonist can't even move? The answer is that there's an awesome freedom to Danny Boyle's filmmaking; he treats Aron’s predicament as a kind of altered state. Aron may be pinned, but his soul gets unlocked, and when he finally faces up to what he has to do, he's not just cutting off his trapped appendage. He's cutting off the part of himself that was only pretending to be alive.

"127 Hours" is a salute to do-it-yourself existential bravery, but what makes it cathartic is that it's about a guy who gets high by taking the ultimate plunge.

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Gaana Bajaana – Movie Review

The success of Love Guru inspired director Prashanth Raj and his team to do another movie. So the team is now back with its next film called Gaana Bajaana. The movie has a very simple storyline, but director has made it good watch by including all the commercial elements. Besides good performance, the film has rich production values and this make the film entertaining.

Gaana Bajaana is a romantic entertainer. The highlights of the film are Tharun Chandra, Dilip Raj and Radhika Pandit's performance, Sharan and Laksmi Devi's comedy, Joshua Sridhar’s music, Shekhar's camera work, costumes and choreography. The demerit of the film is the lack of goods in the story and director Prashanth Raj could have included a few more twists and turns to create interest among the viewers.

The film is all about two guys and a girl's dream about their life partners. The hero loves heroine, heroine has lover for a rowdy and the rowdy has crush for a dance teacher. The director has good grip over the pace of the story and the film has dynamic narration. The first half of the film has quite fast-paced narration and Sharan and Laksmi Devi's comedy is one of the highlights of this part. The second half of the film is even more interesting with new twists and turns. The director could have strengthened the love story with a few more sentimental sequences.

Krish is a dancer, who is staying in Thailand. His grandfather (Raja Rao) wants him to marry his friend's (CR Simha) granddaughter Radhe (Radhika Pandit) so that their friendship will turn into a strong relationship. But Radhe is also dancer and she wants her partner to be a rowdy and rough and tough guy. She develops lover for local rowdy Kuttappa (Dilip Raj). Meanwhile, Dilip Raj has a crush on a dance teacher. Whether all these three youngsters will get their dream partners will form the rest of the story.

As Krish, Tharun Chandra has delivered a wonderful performance. With his body exposure and wonderful dance steps, he steals the heart of the girls. As rowdy Kuttappa, Dilip also rocks the audience. He has good energy in his dialogue delivery and expressions. Radhika Pandit is also successful in winning the heart of pranksters with her smile and stylish looks. Sharan, ML Lakshmi Devi and Vijaya Parthsarthy's comedy is a big highlight of the film. Others like CR Simha, Yashwanth Sardeshpande, Manjunath Hegde, Vijay, Ratnakar and Raja Rao have also filled life into their respective roles.

Another biggest highlight of Gaana Bajaana is its music, which has been composed by Joshua Sridhar. Especially songs like ‘Gaana Bajaana…’, ‘Hosadondu Hesaridu…’ and ‘Naanu Eega Naanena…’ have been shot in a very stylish way and choreography and costume designing in these songs is simply superb. Moreover, these three songs are quite melodious to listen and they have already proved as chart-buster songs. Shooting locations like Thailand and few other places is really good. Shekhar's cinematography is commendable. Overall, Gaana Bajaana is worth watchable movie and it can be good entertainer for this weekend.

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MOVIE REVIEW: 'Hereafter'

Famed director Clint Eastwood tries to make a statement about death and what comes next in his latest film, "Hereafter." However, that statement is muddied by a slow-moving plot, and jumping back and forth from three completely separate stories that don't interact until the final minutes of the film.

The first plot follows George (played by Matt Damon), who somehow as a child picked up the ‘gift' of being able to communicate with the dead. Damon is a great actor, showing his range from the "Bourne Identity" movies to the dry, dark comedy "The Informant!" This storyline was easily the most interesting of the three stories, and as a viewer, you definitely wanted to see more of it. George meets a single woman, Melanie (played by Dallas Bryce Howard of "The Village, "Spider-Man 3"), and they had great chemistry. However, I really felt short-changed by how small of a role Howard wound up having here. For that matter, Damon is barely on screen here, too, as he's competing for time with Eastwood's two other live-after-death mini-stories.

A French TV journalist, Marie, has a near-death experience while surviving a tsunami. The footage of the tsunami opens the film, and it is incredibly shot and easily the best part of this entire film. However, Marie's overall storyline was flat and didn't hold my attention. Her storyline also is entirely in French, with subtitles. That didn't bother me at all, but I know that turns off other viewers.

The third plotline here follows Marcus, a young boy who has someone close to him die. Marcus struggles to get past this death. Toward the end of the film, George gives a reading to Marcus. A couple elderly women near me in the theater were weeping heavily during this scene, but I was relatively unmoved. (And I've never been embarrassed to admit when a movie scene makes me cry. I still get misty-eyed every time I see Mandy Moore die in "A Walk To Remember.")

In 2006, the movie "Babel" got nominated for an Academy Award for best picture. "Hereafter" follows the same design as "Babel," as the film jumps from storyline to storyline, before tying them together at the end. If you liked "Babel," chances are you will get into "Hereafter" more than I did. However, I would put "Babel" on a list of the five worst films nominated for best picture over the past 10 years. (And it's worth noting that "Babel" only has a 64 percent approval rating at Rottentomatoes.com, even with its Oscar nomination.)

Eastwood has made some excellent movies in recent years, from "Million Dollar Baby" to "Letters from Iwo Jima" to "Changeling" to "Gran Torino." However, I found last year's "Invictus" (also starring Matt Damon) to be disappointing, and I found the same thing here. Eastwood simply made this too somber, when a film about the hereafter should be a bit more uplifting and hopeful.

Shot on a $50 million budget, "Hereafter" earned $12 million in its first weekend. Top critics at Rottentomatoes.com gave it a solid 64 percent approval rating. However, the overall critical rating at Rottentomatoes.com was a mere 51 approval rating - in other words, barely half gave it a thumbs up. With mediocre reviews coming in, this film might struggle to break even at the box office, even with its big-name director and actor.

Despite the mediocre reviews, I still wouldn't rule this film out for a possible Oscar nomination. A critic who writes an Oscar blog on Entertainment Weekly recently placed it on his list for 10 likely movies to get a slot this year.

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Movie Review: Red

After thrilling times at the last two movies led by Bruce Willis (“Live Free or Die Hard,” “Surrogates”), I was expecting more of the same with “Red” (Retired Extremely Dangerous). While it’s not as preposterously outrageous as “A-Team,” I haven’t had this much brainless fun with a movie since early this summer!

Powered up by an all-star, veteran cast having a rollicking good time, the graphic novel adaptation of “Red” is running wild. Fierily carefree, these retired oldsters could easily beat their younger counterparts by a round of shots and some.

When I saw Bruce Willis stumping for the movie at Comic-Con this year, I was surprised to learn about the Helen Mirren bit. At that time, I never heard of “Red” before (I was there waiting for Angelina Jolie to make an appearance on the “Salt” panel). All doubts were erased when the trailer was shown. With a stern, rifle-totting Mirren looking more than competent to kick butt and her muttering “I kill people, dear,” I was instantly sold.

On the heels of being assailed in his own home in the dark of the night, tough-looking, soft-spoken Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) rushes out to find Sarah Moss (Mary-Louise Parker), an employee of Department of Pension whom he has romantic interest in. Previously he’s been ripping off his checks so that he could call and chat with her, while she’s been chatting him up about foreign travels and romance novels.

Willis does seem like the kind of CIA operative who takes down drug lords, terrorists and governments. Parker is impeccable with her wide-eyed, nutty expressions and comedic timing. There’s a hysterical exchange at her place when the two first meet in person. And the conversation in the car about their “first date” is positively gut-busting. The coolest, singular scene involves Willis stepping out of a spinning car and onto his feet firing.

Together Frank and Sarah drive across the country to find his former CIA buddies; Joe Matheson (Morgan Freeman), Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich) and “Victoria” (Helen Mirren).

With CIA agents William Cooper (Karl Urban) and Cynthia Wilkes (Rebecca Pidgeon) hot on their trails, the team is racing against time to uncover war crimes involving a top-ranking U.S. government official. Richard Dreyfuss makes a cameo as Alexander Dunning, a man with ties to the White House, and his role in the conspiracy becomes clear toward the end.

Willis rocks with his break in-and-out of CIA headquarters and dragged-out fist fights. Malkovich is an absolute riot as the eccentric paranoid Marvin. You’ve never seen an underground compound until you see Marvin’s! Definitely do not call him an “old man” and take it easy with the grenade or bazooka. Freeman, initially seen living in a retirement home, might be the closest one to being a mellow retired agent – although don’t count him out yet (or underestimate his punch!) Armed and dangerous Mirren does her part and fits right in with the boys, all the while connecting with an old flame.

“Red” is the summer blockbuster that we never had… it’s over-the-top, comically combustible ride that we don’t ever want to stop.

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Movie review: 'Gerrymandering'

Writer-director Jeff Reichert gives an arcane political practice a wonky, one-sided close-up in his documentary "Gerrymandering," which refers to the calculated form of congressional redistricting by elected representatives that follows each decade's Census. It's an important if unsexy topic that Reichert attempts to energize with some OK animation and a raft of comments from politicians, legal experts and advocacy group leaders. (One pundit here, clearly reflecting the filmmaker's stance, deems gerrymandering, a term coined in 1812 after the redistricting actions of then-Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry, "the most effective form of manipulating elections short of outright fraud.

The movie illustrates how the process skews and literally reshapes elections, often favoring incumbents and majority party candidates, by examining recent redistricting examples in such states as Florida, Texas, Louisiana and New York. But it's California that takes center stage as Reichert revisits the state's 2008 Proposition 11 fight to establish a bipartisan commission to draw district boundaries.

Despite much archival and news footage, along with ample face time from that initiative's most ebullient supporter, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the contest lacks the kind of inherent drama and tension that could have helped quicken the movie's measured pulse.

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Mahesh Kaleja Movie Review

Director Trivikram did his best to make this film (Mahesh Kaleja) to look as exceptional as possible and thrived in his endeavor to a certain extent. Mahesh Babu, in his chocolate looks and latest chic of dialogue delivery did a good job to vibrate the viewers. The effort for uniqueness led to down for the count. The technical aspects of the film such as cinematography, sound, etc. are free of errors. As far as the screenplay is concerned, it was well knitted, yet, with certain hitches. The usual breakers are the music and dance sequences and the devotional song is an exemption. The comedy has its own share nevertheless, in an extra dosage.

The narration hauled more often than not. By and large, Mahesh Kaleja is an entertainer which requires alterations at some particular points. The opening segment of the film wobbles up the viewers for a handful of minutes. The rest all is the unfolding. A taxi driver, though unwilling, ends up in a remote rural community of Rajastan only to be stabbed and manages to get away with death.

The female protagonist, who happens to meet the taxi driver on few occasions at their home city, inadvertently meets him again and travels along with him through out the course. On his journey back home, he finds himself in another parish whose inhabitants await his arrival for their misery to be ended. Back home, he learns that his trip is a part of conspiracy of a rogue industrialist.

Mahesh Babu as the classy taxi driver, with honed up discourse, rendered a fine feat, undeniably. Anushka, as a female lead looked striking and especially is apt with the height of Mahesh Babu. But, she has nothing much to do except to woo the protagonist. Brahmanandam, Ali and Sunil, with their customary humorous means, stimulated the viewers. Prakash Raj, in the role of an ill-famed capitalist, made an impression that he has moved into the skin of the role.

The flawed fractions of the narration are: The antagonist who is capable of killing the high profiled geologist, the dean of a medical college and the defying employees in broad day light, had to conspire to a large extent to kill a taxi driver (just because he is the hero). The botanist (Ali) moves about, with the protagonist as if the former has no other work.

The narration lacked seriousness and the alternatives to the cited flaws could make Mahesh Kaleja a wholesome entertainer. To the degree that the humor is concerned, the directors, rather the writers are in a misconception that only the crude words and phrases generate laughter. The protagonist is made repeatedly to utter the words, 'Nee..', 'Dobbindi' and a lot to mention which are not at all required to create hilarity. The excess violence at the climax is upsetting. The stunts defying laws of gravity are uproarious. Anyways, we enjoy the comic series of Phantom the savior and the stunts of 'Dare Devil' of the western world. So, why couldn't we enjoy with our own heroes?

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Movie Review: Secretariat as Boring as It Looks

Review in a Hurry: The true-life account of the "world's greatest racehorse" deserves better than this bland adaptation from the Disney factory. Worthy of the glue factory? Neigh! Secretariat is probably a safe bet for devoted horse-lovers, but others should pony up for a different flick.

The Bigger Picture: Following in the hoofsteps of Seabiscuit, this underdog horse tale chronicles the amazing journey of the 1973 Triple Crown winner. Wobbly Secretariat stumbles over a number of hurdles, though, notably Mike Rich's generic script, which trots out one cliché after another during its long gallop to the finish line.

Dressed in Mary Tyler Moore outfits and a stiff, Pat Nixon-like wig, Diane Lane portrays Denver housewife and mom Penny Chenery, who takes over her deceased dad's stables in Virginia. Despite her lack of horseracing knowledge, she bucks the male-dominated biz and invests in promising colt Big Red, later renamed Secretariat.

She hires veteran trainer Luicien Laurin (John Malkovich) to whip him into shape, and against all odds, they foster the first three-fer Winner in 25 years.

Hardcore racing fans might be disappointed by the film's focus on Penny's home life and investment woes, with banal family scenes involving her skeptical husband and war-protesting daughter. Plus, the film cuts corners on action sequences, depicting the stallion's mounting fame with a single slo-mo shot—and the penultimate race with stock footage on the Chenerys' TV.

Plus, don't expect any gritty portrait of the racing industry—Secretariat is as edgy as a Kentucky Derby bonnet. Scenes are awash in golden light and underscored with voiceover Bible quotes and gospel music. Holy cow, er, horse.

Lovely Lane rises above the cable-movie feel of the production but gets saddled with so many fist-clenching "we've-got-to-win!" speeches that you half expect her to exclaim, "As God as my witness, I'll never go hungry again!"

Not as winning, Malkovich continues his string of over-the-top character roles with a showy turn as the flamboyantly attired crankpot.

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Movie Review: Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

The "legend" and "guardian" in the title gives some indication of the heroic and grandiose nature of this animated flick about a brave owl with an Aussie accent.

It pulls the 15 parts of Kathryn Laksy's popular series of children's books into one whizz-bang 3D animation created by the same computer cartoon folk who did the penguin musical Happy Feet, though it's directed by American Zack Snyder, the guy who brought us the bloodbath 300 and who has just been named director of the next Superman movie.

So there are plenty of mid-air battle sequences - just like the man of steel owls can fly and, like Spartans, they know how to rock armour.

But, keeping his young audience in mind, Snyder ensures it's less a gory war and more a feathered fairytale of good vanquishing evil.

Jim Sturgess voices Soren, the naive but heroic owl who believes his dad speaks the truth and that his brother will not betray him, while Kiwi actress Emily Barclay adopts a Nasal twang to voice his accomplice, Gylfie, whose heart goes a-flutter when Soren takes her under his wing.The pair make a lucky escape after being kidnapped by the racist owls who are building an evil parliament that will bring the Hitler-like Metalbeak to power. These baddies have British accents and enslave young owls by turning them "moonblind".

Joined by a lute-playing owl, a joke-reciting owl, and the snake nanny Mrs P, Soren and Gylfie embark on a treacherous flight to find the guardians who live in the gnarly Ga'Hoole tree on a remote island.

Only these legendary good guys can stop Metalbeak's army, and so the battle lines are drawn. While visually impressive, Legend manages to sneak in a few life lessons behind the special effects. And though the story follows a predictable flightpath, there's plenty in the film's animated antics that will have young and old hooting right along.

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Movie Review - Secretariat

I don't often get to write a review of a movie that hasn't even opened yet but I was fortunate to see an advanced showing of "Secretariat". Great theater, cozy seats, very few people to contend with and best yet, a real good movie.

Those who know me best will say what's wrong with you Schuster? That's two straight favorable reviews but after seeing "Social Network" and now "Secretariat" I'm on a movie high. By the way I told you the movies would get better once we turned to Autumn. They certainly couldn't get worse after one of the most miserable summer seasons ever. But whether "Secretariat" came out in Fall, Summer, Winter or Spring, this was one very enjoyable flick. Also, being a Disney production it's a movie for people of all ages.

For those who don't know, Secretariat is known as probably the greatest race horse ever. He was a beautiful big red colt that won the triple crown in 1973. The triple crown is the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes that run consecutively over a period of seven weeks. The Triple Crown has only been won eleven times since 1919. Just twice since Secretariat claimed it, lastly by Affirmed in 1978. However, Secretariat's crown is perhaps the most significant of all, as he decimated his opposition.

Secretariat was owned by Penny (Chenery) Tweedy who took over her family's racing farm after her folks died. There was incredible pressure on her to sell both the farm and the horses but she saw something special in this one horse and decided to risk it all. Tweedy is played by Diane Lane while John Malkovich portrays Lucien Laurin (trainer) who used to dress up in crazy outfits but really knew his trade.Being a Disney production the movie definitely pulls at your heart strings as Tweedy had to deal with saving a farm while juggling her own family (husband and four children.) Lane, like she usually does, pulls off the role perfectly. This is an actress who is now a middle aged woman, but still looks beautiful. Malkovich is so good at whatever diverse role he plays.

Being a sports movie didn't hurt in my eyes, as some of my favorite movies of all time have been sports oriented. "Hoosiers" and "Field of Dreams" area two such examples. This one is just below the class of those, but still incredibly good. Secretariat in real life was a massive winner and so is this movie. I'm giving it a home run - three and a half stars, and recommending you see it when it comes out.

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Real incident ‘Crook’ on Oct 8th

Mohit Suri, the director, says that his forthcoming movie ‘Crook’ is based on real incident. The same is going to release on coming Friday, October 8, 2010. Suri adds that ‘Crook’ is based on a real incident of racial discrimination that occurred while they were shooting in Australia for their another film. The director recalls that one day they had a day off so they went for a party in a pub. But they were not allowed inside as an Indian bouncer told them that there was no space. However, they witnessed that Australians were being allowed to enter. This personal experience helped him in improvising the script of `Crook` a lot, as it deals with racial attacks on Indians in Australia.

The director further says that he didn’t decide to make a movie on the subject after reading reports of discrimination in the media. In fact, he himself went to a store in Australia where the first major racial attack had taken place. He was shocked to learn that an Indian was brutally beaten up there because of his color and religion. Though he is eagerly awaiting ‘Crook’s release, but meanwhile intends to start working on his next film ‘Murder 2’.

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Gubbi – Movie Review

Debutant director Vijay, who has worked under director Prem, has released his debut venture Gubbi. He has done really well in his first attempt and has proved that he is a good director-cum-script writer. He has included all commercial elements and made it complete entertainer.Gubbi is an action-cum-love story. The highlights of the film are Ajith’s performance, Arjun’s music, MR Seenu’s camerawork, novelty in narration, Rangayana Raghu’s comedy and action scenes. The weakness of the film is that several scenes seem to be routine and predictable. Secondly, flash back sequence is bit boring an trimming it could have made the movie more interesting.

The film is a gripping musical love story with an action backdrop. Love plays a very important role in this movie simultaneously friendship is also shown equally. This story is about a first year engineering student named Gautam, who ends up in a problem where his close friends stand by him and solve the big problem he faces.

The director has done wonderful script work and with his logical and credible narration, he really impresses the audience. The film has many unwanted sequences in the first half. The second half is the strength of the film and it is quiet engaging and entertaining.

Gautham, Balu, Badri, Indresh and Ummi are five close friends, who are studying engineering. Gautham (Ajith) meets Ramya (Reema Vora) and becomes her close friend. Later, he comes to know that Ramya is his childhood friend Sahana. When he tries to meet her to tell her the secret, Ramya is seriously injured in a gang war carried out by don Naidu. How Gautham and his friends fight it out with Naidu will form the climax, which will be good to watch on screen.

Although the film has many new faces, Vijay is successful in tapping out wonderful performance from them. Ajith’s acting in Gubbi seems to be more matured when compared to his previous movie Patre Loves Padma. He rocks in both sentimental and action sequences. Reema Vora impresses the pranksters with her smile. As Ambi fan, Rangayana Raghu tickles the funny bones of the viewers. Achuth Kumar, Mico Nagaraj and Petrol Prasanna have also done justice to their roles.

Arjun has composed music for the six songs of the film. Songs like 'Confusion...', Ee Paapi...', Ee Pari Tavaka...' are good to listen. But Arjun has done a blunder by remixing yesteryear song 'Neerinalli Aleya Ungura...' Moreover, the song has been shot as a club song, which is disrespect for RN Jayagopal. Cinematographer MR Seenu has contributed a lot to the film to make it a visual treat. Gubbi is an youthful movie and youths and family audience can enjoy it.

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