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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