Prometheus

Just imagine,

A theory- the relics of various religious sects excavated at different locations on earth pointing towards the ‘creators’ of human beings! This theory proposed by Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) & her partner Logan Marshall-green takes them along with 15 other people & an android named David (Michael Fassbender) on a scientific expedition far away from planet Earth!

What would you do if you knew who the creators of human beings were? What would you ask them? Why were you created? What is the purpose of human life? How strong is your faith in ‘god’? What if we were created as an ‘experiment’ or by accident or just because the creators could create? Grappling with these questions the scientists uncover the hidden agenda of the creators- sometimes it is important to destroy in order to be able to create- the ‘aliens’ are going to wage a biological war on us! On earth! Our search for our begning could lead to our end!

Would Elizabeth’s faith waver when she comes face to face with her creators? How would the ‘homo sapiens’ survive the hostile conditions & biological dangers? Will the scientists be able to stop the imminent war- given that they are on ET- enemy territory already?

The script is average- mostly loose ended, there is also criminal waste of talent- Guy Pearce , Charlize Theron, Idris Elba & Logan Marshall-Green are all underutilised! But the movie does have its share of creepy ecstasies, oppressive design, grubby looking aliens & gooey mucus everywhere! Noomi Rapace & Michael Fassbender are the star performers- watch the movie for their performances!

It is sci-fi thriller that raises more questions than it answers. If you enjoy unfastened stories that make you think, then you may enjoy the movie. DO NOT compare it with ‘alien’ and you shall not be disappointed.

“the trick, my friend, is not minding that it doesn’t answer all your questions!”

L(ov+uc)

Madagascar 3 - Europe's most wanted

Just imagine,

Four zoo animals namely, Alex, the lion; Marty, the zebra; Gloria, the hippo & Melman, the giraffe are at large & trying hard to ‘blend in’- amongst skyscrapers, casinos, trains, speeding cars & a circus! With his home sickness & eccentric companions, the superstar-Alex is trying to find his way back to the New York Zoo!  

The movie begins with Alex’s nostalgia & yearning to go back to his home! Their only bet is to find the penguins, who along with the chimps have escaped to Monte-Carlo on their plane! Rampage at the casino attracts the attention of the animal control officer- who is as unbreakable as her resolve to capture the animals! Their only escape is to join hands with a circus group-which is quiet unwelcoming! Will the animals find their way home? Will they escape the wrath of the ‘matrix’ inducing; French accented animal control officer? Will they be able to convert the hostility of the circus animals into true friendship?  

At the heart of the film is a exquisitely scripted story with all the elements of a classic animation film- friends in a state of comic dysfunction, ‘mission impossible’- finding home!, epic chase scenes , power packed voice overs, fantastic animation, fabulous dialogues, friendship, enmity, comedy, emotions, moral fibre & most of all faith & belief!

In short I’d sing “I like to watch it watch it! I like to watch it watch it! I like to watch it watch it!!!”

L(ov+uc)

Arthur Christmas

Just imagine…

A letter …

Dear Santa…

Are you real? If u live at the North Pole, how come I can’t see a house when I look at Google earth? Are you Saint Nicolas? coz you’d be incredibly old! How do you have time to read all the letters, with all the children in the world? And how many cookies & mince pies have you eaten in all of history? How do u get all d presents in the sac? Does your sac have to get bigger every year coz of the exponential population growth? & how do u get down chimneys? I put my head in & it’s really small & even if u cud squeeze down  in 1 min, there’s 9 houses in my road, so that’s nearly 10mins & there’s millions of roads in the world… it must be so hard being Santa these days…My friend says you are not real… She says if you had to deliver all these gifts in one night you’d have to be so fast that it’d make the reindeer & the sleigh & you, all burned! But I think you are real! But how do you do it? How can you get round the whole world in just one night? For this Christmas I’d love a pink pinker bicycle with stabilizers, but please don’t bring it if it makes you & the Reindeer burn!

Love

Gewn

This is a letter written to Santa by little Gwen; Innocent & full of faith. There are several such letters written by children, from all round the world sent to the Santa Clause Headquarters at the North Pole. These letters are read & the wishes are fulfilled with the help of a frenetic high-tech operation involving several gizmos, innumerable elves, a spaceship & ‘the big man’ Santa- all focused on only one aim- delivering gifts to every child on Christmas!

But this Christmas there has been an error, one child has been missed! How could this happen?

Does Santa not care anymore for the feelings of for One child? Has scientific upgradation led to Santa’s emotional degradation? Will Santa Malcom be able to correct the blunder in time? Will Steve be able to take charge of the ‘post’ of ‘Santa’? Is it a lost cause or rather lost ‘clause’? Or will the bumbling Arthur along with the grumbling Gran-Santa be able to save the Christmas?

Beautiful animation, great humour, amazing voice-overs & a magnificent story make this movie a MUST WATCH! It is a lovely Christmas Classic, with all the ingredients- Family, emotions, love, moral lessons, legends, & most of all faith & fun!

Do not miss it if you like movies like Despicable me, How to train your dragons, Kung Fu Panda or Megamind!

Merry Arthur Christmas!

L(ov+uc)

Heartbreaker

Just imagine…

Classifying women in relationship into three categories; one: happy & contended, two: Unhappy & ready to deal with it and three: Unhappy & unaware about it! The third category is what brings business for Alex(Romain Duris), his sister Melanie (Julie Ferrier) & her husband, Marc (François Damiens). The trio use the method of seduction to open the eyes of the discontented & unhappy women which culminates into a ‘break-up’.

Alex, the break-up artist prefers to call himself principled, why? Coz he takes up an assignment only if the woman is truly unhappy in the relationship, just as he says- ‘he breaks only relationships, not hearts’!

The story takes a ‘cheesy’ French twist when under ‘life-threatening’ situation Alex is forced to take up a job to break the relationship of a smart & beautiful heiress with a suave & rich businessman, that to within 10 days!

Juliette (Vanessa Paradis) is different; she is unlike the other targets he has seduced before! She is smart, emotional, funny, bold & witty! None of the rehearsed lines work, all the plans fail & it seems that the seducer is getting seduced! The break-up artist has finally met his match!

The film is a light hearted romantic comedy, but it comes with a terrible dubbing- most of the French jokes & humour seems to have been lost in translation! The casting is impeccable & the performances flawless. The back drop of Monaco definitely adds to the ‘romance’.

Watch it if you like ‘Katherine Heigl’ kind of rosy romantic comedy flicks.

L(ov+uc)

P.S.: Rumour has it that the Bollywood movie Jodi-Breakers is based on this flick!

Ghost

Just imagine…

A nurse performing an item song for a hypersexual senior doctor, a junior Female intern Doc. whose clothes are as little as the fear factor of ‘ghost’, a detective who seems to have more lipcolor on him than intelligence or expressions!  

The movie begins with a series of murders at a hospital & thus hiring of ‘the best’ detective, Vijay (Shiney Ahuja). The evidence supposedly puts the newly recruited Dr. Sunhani (Sayali Bhagat) into the ‘suspect’ zone! From then on ensues a silly romance between the detective & the suspect! Cliché! There are more coffee breaks & item songs than any sharp deductions or smart conclusions!

Trying to bank on ‘Friday, the 13^th’ factor the movie does involve a lot of Christian religious symbolism in form of devil’s time being 3am, Mary Magdalena (Conveniently or coincidently reminds us of Dan Brown’s novels), Crucifixion, quotes from the Bible & finally realisation of Jesus.

The movie defiantly generated more laughter than fear- so I am as of now confused in what genre would it fit into! May be it has succeeded in creating a new Category- Comedy Horror! Nothing missed if you don’t watch it, neither horror nor comedy!

The boredom generated by the movie never dies, it only Kills!

L(ov+uc)

Chaalis Chauraasi (4084)

Just imagine…

Four friends attempting to rob a whopping 20 cr. guarded only by 2 men at a lonely locality. But there is a glitch; they do not have a plan!

Pankaj suri (Nasaruddin Shah), ex HOD & English literature professor at the University ropes in three of his friends; Albert Pinto (Kay Kay Menon)- a car thief obsessed with vintage Fiat, Bobby (Atul Kulkarni)-a Pimp who calls himself the ‘Manager’ & Shakti Chinnappa (Ravi Kishan) a straightforward drug-peddler who dislikes moral lecturing!

It is a heist gone wrong movie! The four of them plan to pose as Mumbai police in order to scare off the two men guarding the loot. Obviously, to pretend as policemen they require khakhi pants, sunglasses, a few pistols & a Police van. Albert manages to get his hands on a red van numbered 4084, which they intend to revamp into a police van, but to their dismay it is stolen from them! Now that their master plan has gone for a toss, they decide to go ahead with 'no-plan' as their new plan!

With no vehicle how would they look convincing enough? What about their ‘New plan’? Will they be able to get their hands on the 20 cr.? What if special agents & real policemen get involved? What if another character, gangster ‘Tony bisleri’ gets entangled in this situation?

Fantabulous performances by the veteran actors is the only opium that would keep you intoxicated in this crime comedy movie. Screen play is good despite loopholes in the story. The ‘chemistry’ between Atul Kulkarni & Kay Kay Menon manages to generate quite a few LOL moments & is far better than chemistry or biology of the tacky item songs! Overall result- manages to scrape through as a raunchy heist comedy!

Watch it if you like the actors, but do not expect too much from the movie- Acting is flawless, the movie is not!

L(ov+uc)

Players

Just imagine…

Having Paneer-tikka pizza or Veg. handi pasta; basically a tangy masaledar Indian twist to An Italian Job!

The film begins with Charlie (Abhishekh Bacchan) trying to gather his Angels or rather ‘Devils’, with the help of Victor Dada (Vinod Khanna), to loot a locomotive laden with 10000 crores worth of gold, travelling from Russia to Romania. His Team consists of the Best Illusionist (Bobby Deol), world class Prosthetics expert (Omi Vaidya), Desi Bomb expert (Sikender Kher), a seductress who is an  automobile expert (Bipasha Basu) & the best hacker on the planet (Niel Nitin Mukesh); all conveniently from the same country- something like  hum paanchi ek daal ke!

With a blotched up yet thrilling & fast paced plan the team does succeed in their mission. But not all of the team members are loyal; someone intends to kill the rest of the gang & gobble up everyone’s share! Who is the mole? Will he be able to kill all the team members? Is revenge on cards for him? Will he be able to escape the wrath of the survivors?

As far as the plot is concerned, there are several loose ends but thankfully the fast paced action doesn’t really leave much time for the audience to think. The train robbery shot is worth a watch and Omi Vaidya & Johnny Liver’s acting & comic timing is commendable! Bobby & Abhishekh have the same expression plastered on their faces throughout the movie as on the poster of the film- so no need to waste time and money if you want to see their acting skills! Niel wastes the scope of the character he plays, thanks to his limited acting skills! Bipasha is good enough & Sonam is, simply put- Irritating! Spoiler alert- Sonam does an ‘item’ song- well, she should learn an item or two from Bips!

The first half of the film is thrilling, fast paced & better scripted while the second half falls prey to mediocrity & innumerable loopholes. Overall not very bad- thanks to Omi & Johnny! Watch it for them & you might just enjoy the show!

L(ov+uc)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Just imagine…

At the zenith of the cold-war scenario, sometime during the mid-20^th century, a retired British intelligence officer George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is rehired by the government to hunt a mole who is a double agent of the soviets, in their intelligence service; MI6, better known as the Circus!

The suspects are narrowed down to four people code named – Tinker, Taylor, Soldier & common-man; these are the men with great power, acumen & influence; they are at the highest echelons of MI6! Will Smiley be able to uncover the soviet double-agent?

The movie boasts of a great ensemble of performances by Toby Jones, Colin Firth, Ciaran Hinds, David Dencik, Benedict Cumberbatch & Tom Hardy. Beautiful cinematography, brilliant background score, magnificent dialogues & sharp deductions make it an award winning film!

Since the movie depicts an era when there were no high tech gizmos, master computers & advanced gadgets, the smart Spy relies only on pure intellect & accurate inferences. The power-packed performances do compensate for the lack of fast-paced action.

Being a hard-core Mumbaite, ‘fast pace’ runs in the very blood stream & anything that is slow seems like a blockage- this is a warning for people like me! No matter how good the performances are or how great the plot is or how many nominations or awards this movie has bagged; it will test your patience to the hilt! My Pop-corn, Pepsi & Nachos combo rarely gets as much attention & appreciation as it got during this show!

Watch this film only if you like slow paced yet razor sharp spy movies that lack in fast paced action & thrill!

L(ov+uc)

Kya yahi sach hai?

Just imagine…

A brave idealistic IAS officer fighting the corruption that corrodes the very essence of democracy! It seems almost like, been there & watched that kind of plot! Well I am not talking about Sunny Deol’s Indian or Ajay Devgan’s Gangajal or Salmaan Khan's Dabaang! This new movie is a maiden directorial venture of an IAS officer named Y.P.Singh, whose book ‘Carnage by Angels’ is the main inspiration for the film!

Initially, I could not understand whether the movie has begun or the movie hall is showing some Devendra Khandelwal short films like Mumbai ruki nahi, saaf Mumbai or dhumrapan nished! Post 5 min of parade I realised I was about to watch almost a shoddy documentary film for the next 2 hrs.! Kya yahi saach hai? I couldn’t help but relate to the title of the film!

Below average performances, underutilised premise, lack of power packed dialogues, pathetic cinematography & camera work, intermittent story line & terrible background score spoil what could have been a bulls eye premise for a successful film, especially at this point of time, when the focus is on ‘anti-corruption Anna’!

If you want to overlook the flaws & just go to see an officer’s struggle, go ahead, may be just to be supportive. With all due respect to Mr. Y.P.Singh’s struggle, however lousily, the movie does get its point across.

By the end of the movie I was IAS (I am sorry)! Sorry for the state of both- the Indian system & this film!

L(ov+uc)

Zhakaas

Just imagine…

Avinash, a silver-tongued but essentially likeable weasel manages to convince three different women of his three guises! He is Sandy for Neha, Suhaas for Anagha & Subhanrao to Manjula. Hell breaks loose when the three women come together for work, Neha as a photographer, Anagha as an advertising consultant & Manjula as a “kolhapuri mirchi” model! Three independent strong-willed women at the same place & in love with the same man!

Avinash finds himself flummoxed on many a turn, where he lies magnificently through his teeth- mostly with the aid of his friend, Pankaj. The sidekicks of respective heroines are all too eager to be in their good books & eventually marry them, if it wasn’t for this smooth-talking lad, Avinash, their dreams would have be realised long ago.

Whom will Avinash marry eventually? Will Neha, Anagha & Manjula marry their own “friends”? Will the sidekicks be able to blow Avinash’s Cover or will they aid him?

Story is not really instrumental to a movie like this. What is crucial is the characters and the situations they get trapped in. Humour and comedy arise out of such circumstances. So much of chaos & confusion, all of which leads up to a beautifully managed farcical climax that interweaves several remarkable surprises.

Ankush Chaudhari, Amruta Khanvilkar, Pooja Sawant, Sai Tamhankar, Jitendra Joshi, Pushkar Jog, Vikas Samudre, Sanjay Khapre, Jayawant Wadkar, Atul Parchure- the entire ensemble shows off top-notch comic timing resulting in hilarious effect, balancing the confusion with wildly over-the-top slapstick; everyone manages to get a laugh!

Judging from a full-house audience relentlessly convulsed with laughs, I would be very surprised if this isn't a successful hit. The film has flaws, but more than enough charm & rib-tickling moments to leave you in splits!

Jhakaas, is a joyride worth the price of a ticket. Comedy, as is said, is a serious business. Seriously- WATCH IT!

L(ov+uc)

One Day

Just imagine…

A contemporary yet classic love story which diaries the lives of two best friends Emma Morley (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter Mayhew (Jim Sturgess) over a period of two decades!

After spending the night together on the night of their college graduation, which also happens to be 15^th July, St. Swithin’s day, Dex and Em are shown each year on the same date for almost 18 years. It is a slice of their life, with a dressing of various emotions; friendship, success, failure, dreams, desires, marriages, divorces, break-ups, fun, happiness, sadness, loneliness & eternal love!

One Day, based on David Nicholls' best-selling book by the same name sounds very promising, but boils down to merely turning pages of the calendar! Anne looks too pretty to be cast as a below average looking dork & too American to be cast as a Yorkshire lass- nevertheless her smile can compensate for all the flaws! Jim’s performance is commendable & probably the only saving grace for the sporadic movie!

Just in case you like the “idea” or “premise” of eternal friendship & unstated love, you might as well watch an English play named Chaos Theory, starring Zafar Karachiwala & Anhita Uberoi. Chaos theory is far far far better than One Day, despite its limitations of space & effects as a stage show as compared to the film.

Read David Nicholls' book or watch Chaos Theory (A play staged at NCPA, Mumbai) instead of watching the movie One day!

L(ov+uc)

Sherlock Holmes- A game of the shadows

Just imagine…

A maniac, almost psychotic, self-absorbed, virtually psychologically disturbed, mostly stumped and disheveled drug- enthusiast trying to avert a world-war! That’s London’s best detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.)! Despite his unkempt looks & befuddled expressions he has the ability to wonderfully blend impulse, intuition & intelligence- a perfect concoction for a mystery-action-thriller addict!

Dr. Watson (Jude Law) is Holmes’ sidekick. Watson’s Gentlemanly behavior & imperturbable outlook is a perfect balk to Holmes’ coarse mannerisms. With bowler hat & tailor-made suits Dr. Watson is a stunning contrast to Holmes’ penchant for “Fancy-Dressing!”

The two spectacular performances, in their alternatively love-hate manner impart humor, goodwill & twists to a film that would be incomplete without either!

Irene Adler (RachelMcAdams), as usual is sighted carrying a suspicious package to be delivered to a man, who in turn gives a letter, which Sherlock manages to get his hands on. This letter leads him to a gypsy fortune teller, but not before he ruins Watson’s Bachelorette party! Nevertheless, Watson gets married. Holmes’ calculations on the blasts & assassinations point straight towards Prof. Moriarty & their bad equation leads to an end of Watson’s honeymoon even before it starts! Moriarty is a worthy opponent to Holmes; he is sharp & shrewd; he is famous & almost elusive; he knows how to play his cards well-but what secrets do the cards hold for Sherlock Holmes?

What would happen if one person wants to own both, the bombs & the bandages? Could a series of blasts & assassinations lead to World-war? What is the possibility of a peace summit culminating into a war? Can a game of chess determine the outcome of the game of shadows? Will Holmes’ be able to forestall a world-war?

With beautiful photography of 19^th century London, apt costumes, impeccable performances & a great storyline, this movie surely qualifies as a Sunday entertainer & a MUST WATCH! So, don't sit at your "Homes" go to a theatere to watch "Sherlock Holmes"!

L(ov+uc)

Alvin and the Chipmunks- Chipwrecked

Just imagine…

Half a dozen cute squirrels aboard a cruise ship; all decked up, singing & dancing! So far so good- but as usual Alvin, the most irresponsible chipmunk messes up & one of his disruptive antics on board results into an accident that leaves them marooned on a deserted island! Their manager cum dad, Dave fanatically tries to rescue them!

Well, if you have seen the Shin Chang movie, you might feel this plot is a cheap imitation. Imitation coz it’s almost on the same lines- Shin Chang was shipwrecked & Alvin is Chipwrecked! & cheap coz it lacks the sense of humor & a good script.

Very young kids will enjoy the movie but there is very little or absolutely negligible that can keep the adults engaged for too long. Despite we Indians being used to interruptions of the story by songs, we will find the song sequences by the chiplets & munks unnecessary, patchy & too frequent!

Animation is excellent & all the visuals are colorful, peppy & bright; but unfortunately it cannot compensate for the lack of substance. Watch the movie if you want to get “Brain-wrecked”!

L(ov+uc)

Don 2

Just Imagine…

This Christmas it’s raining offers at the leading cinemas! Buy the ticket of don & get Rahul,James Bond 007 and Ethan Hunt free- you might as well phrase it like “Hunt, Ethan hunt… naam toh suna hoga!”

As the tattooed “D” appears on the screen, the crowd shouts “OOOOOO”! I guess it’s an omen, leave your logic aside- things are about to get jumbled! Even a kindergarten kid will be able to tell a D from O! 

As far as the story is concerned, Don 2 in a nut shell is about larceny at DCB. Don wants to rob the bank not of the money; but of the plates used to print the currency! He does succeed in his attempt to rob the plates with the help of Vardhaman (Boman Irani), Sameer (Kunal Kapoor), Lara Dutta, Diwan (Alyy Khan) & Nawab Shah- but that doesn’t guarantee whether DON 2 will be able to mint money! Om puri & Roma/ Junglee billi (Priyanka Chopra) are the only representatives of “Gyara Mulkon ki police” jo Don ke peeche padi hai- which by the end of the movie will become “Dus mulkon ki police”! The Junglee Billi becomes Bheegi Bill- Rahul ka jadoo chal gaya! Also, in one of the scenes, it seems that, Don has developed an interest in men with beautiful eyes- a Kinky development from Don 1! Hritik Roshan appears in a cameo as a mask on Don’s face; Hritik’s Mask retains the super powers of Krish, which enables  SRK to resize his physique!

SRK’s manages to play Don pretty well despite a loose ended script, Priyanka Chopra is good enough, Boman Irani is underutilised & if you wish to get a glimpse of Lara Dutta please manage to stay awake!

The movie explodes more logic than bombs & it shatters more hope than glass! well it is an action movie where the protagonist dosen't perform a stunt throughout the movie- the only stunt that takes place is performed by the audience- by watching the movie!

“Yeh Movie ko digest karna Mushkil hi nahin Namumkin hai!”, unless you are a die-hard SRK fan, you might even require Kayamchurna!

L(ov+uc)

Pappu can't dance saala

Just imagine…

A village guy meets a city chick, simpleton meets miss complicated, medical representative meets a Bollywood dancer- basically law of magnetism manifests itself & opposites attract!

It’s a good ol plot, where initial enmity transforms into some rom-pom romance! Vidhyadhar (Vinay Pathak) has come to the Mayanagri Mumbai as a med-rep leaving behind his family in Banaras, while Mehak (Neha Dhupia) has left her house in Kolhapur to make a mark as a Bollywood dancer. They both happen to be neighbours residing illegally at a sales tax colony, somewhere in Andheri. Due to some uncomprehendable reasons they end up staying in the same flat- all right the vigilance raid renders Neha homeless; but Vidhya cannot kick her out of his rented apartment- can’t fathom why!  Then on ensues a silly cat & mouse chase and cat & mouse in love game- and it’s not as good as Tom & Jerry!

There is also a never ending Biology class VII lecture on Menstruation, which tries too hard to educate the audience about the monthly cycle- result? FAIL!

Neha Dhupia & Vinay Pathak’s acting is the only thing that holds the film together. Then there’s Nasseruddin Shah in a cameo, trying to pep up Vidhya & doing some great “gyan” scenes trying to say that love transcends all differences & lo and behold our Hero is back in town to woo his lady love! Rajat Sharma is the new age choreographer who probably does karate chops as dance steps!

The film shows promise initially but falls victim to substandard plot & overused premise! The movie has nothing to do with Pappu’s dancing skills- but then what has apple to do with a mobile phone or orange to do with a network providing company? Well the movie is a jumbled up fruit salad trying to dance its way up to the box office but goes pear-shaped midway itself!

Pappu can't entertain saala!

L(ov+uc)

Mission Impossible:4 (Ghost Protocol)

Just imagine…

A couple of super smart undercover agents, self-destructive messages, devious masks, high security precincts, secret control centres, computers containing Crucial information, mind-boggling gizmos, nuclear missiles; all put together in a botched up plot, that does impart tremendous urgency and pace but lacks lucidity!

Ethan Hunts (Tom Cruz) is rescued from a high security prison by benji (Simon Pegg) & Jane (Paula Patton). “Ethan’s mission, should he choose to accept it” is to recover some crucial information that could lead to a nuclear war- the message delivering secretary is shot! IMF is dissolved; president has disavowed all the agents & now the responsibility to avert the nuclear war rests on Ethan Hunt’s Rogue team, which now includes the chief analyst- Brandt (Jeremy Renner).

In their pursuit of the real culprit, a Scandinavian consul turned frenzied terrorist (Michael Nyqvist), Ethan & his apostate team, assume many roles- from a scallywag prisoner & a military personnel in Russia to Spiderman in Dubai; Facing several life-threating catastrophes- be it sandstorm in the middle-east or traffic jam in Mumbai!

Well, the plot misses out on logic but compensates the lack with thrilling action scenes. As usual, Tom Cruise acts in a perfectly detached fashion; Jeremy brings in the intensity & passion; Paula raises the Glamour quotient & Simon’s comic timing is impeccable! O.K. now there’s also a Bollywood actor playing the role of some business tycoon Brij Nath (Anil Kapoor), who has “vital information” in form of some codes which are extracted out of him within a matter of 2 minutes! The only logical reason to collage Anil somehow into this blotched up plot, is to get the attention of the “Indian population” which is a huge market- Mission Accomplished upto some extent! Any Idiot can guess that the parking lot scene is not shot in India!

The void created by irrationality is filled in by beautifully shot action scenes. You might not be able to resist watching this sequel, if you have already watched the earlier movies of the franchise; but do not keep great expectations, it shall lead to disappointment. If you watch it for Anil Kapoor or “INDIA”- you are doomed to feel cheated!

Watch it for Pegg’s sense of humour & Tom’s Stunts & you will not fall prey to the mediocrity of the plot!

L(ov+uc)

Mee Sindhutai Sapkal

Just Imagine...

There are flowers but you cannot soak in their fragrance, it is raining but your soul is not drenched, there is moonlight but your heart is in darkness! This is the true story of a little girl chindhi, who could not relish simple pleasures of life, but as Sindhu Mai, a mother, she showers love on the homeless children in order to brighten their lives!

14^th Feb,2009- Thousands of feet above the ground, somewhere in the clouds, floats a woman firmly grounded in veracity! The little child in her questions- what if the engine of the plane heats up? Through the window, beyond the clouds, somewhere in Pimpri Meghe village she looks back at a little girl, a girl she used to be! This is the journey of a little girl, into the realms of womanhood culminating into a universal motherhood! It is a saga of transformation of Chindhi, a simple village girl into Sindhu Mai, the mother of the abandoned children!

When most children of her age go to school, Chindhi shoulders the responsibility of grazing the cattle. Her dreams of being educated are shattered when she is married off at the age of 12, only to return home within a year, as a widow! Soon, she is married off to a middle-aged man! The second husband is illiterate, ego issues arise that result into a ban on chindhi’s reading- be it bits of newspaper or her nephew’s textbooks!

Few years later she is kicked out of her husband’s house on the pretext of a false accusation, that she is having an illicit affair & is pregnant out of the wedlock! In the world where a woman’s honour rests at the feet of her husband, how will Chindhi survive, when her own mother has turned a back on her? In her suicide attempt, she finds inspiration to live; In the face of her misfortune she sees hope!

What will she do in order to provide for herself & the new-born? She understands the pain of being homeless but how will she ease the pain of other abandoned children? How can she be helpful when her own situation is so helpless? What does destiny hold for her- or rather how does she write her own destiny?

Based on “Me vanvasi”, by Sindhutai Sapkal, the film is a divinely-hewed heart-wrenching narration on celluloid elaborated by extraordinary performances, power packed dialogues, exceptional cinematography & amazing direction!

In a nutshell, WATCH IT! It deserves a STANDING OVATION!

L(ov+uc)

The Adventures of Tintin- The secret of the unicorn

Just imagine…

A young, resolute, rash yet smart journalist whose irrepressible itch for new stories lunges him into the realm of suspense, adventure & thrill- A world that spells both DANGER & EXCITEMENT!

When Tintin (Jamie Bell), the famous “boy-journalist” purchases a beautiful model of a Unicorn ship for a Pound off a flea market stall, he walks right into the face of a mystery! Within seconds he is offered double for the same boat & when he denies the offer, he is asked to name his price! Accompanied by his fabulous dog, Snowy, it takes just a whiff of suspicion for Tintin to plunge himself into this world of secrets, treachery & deceits! He soon finds out that the model of the ship he has just bought, had met a tragic end when it was attacked by pirates & the only person to survive the attack was Sir Francis Haddock. The ship was supposedly carrying a “secret cargo” which now lies somewhere at the bottom of the sea! Soon enough he realises that the mast of the model contains a clue to the long lost treasure! The scroll in the mast is a part of a jigsaw puzzle & to solve it, he must join hands with Late Sir Francis Haddock’s drunkard, crazy, seafaring grandson- Capt. Haddock (Andy Serkis), who has lost his marbles & remembers absolutly nothing of his past! Hell breaks loose when Tintin comes to face the wreck of the sinister & hedious Sir Sakharine (Daniel Craig), who seems to be contending for the same treasure!

It’s all knotted & entangled- sometimes racing & roaring through a deliciously grungy combination of varied locations-ranging from U.K to Morocco; sometimes soaring over the seas and the deserts; sometimes enticing us with exhilarating flashbacks, cracked biplane jaunts, frenzied chases, clever deductions  & loony rides-that’s what glues us to the screen-bizarre yet beautifully coupled! It is a rollercoaster ride- with the stupor of Capt. Haddock & the astuteness of Tintin!

What memories lay repressed behind the veil of Capt. Haddock’s drunkenness? What connection does Sakharine have with Capt. Haddock? Why does Sakhrine need Capt. Haddock? Will the motor-mouthed blabbering cops Thompson & Thompson be able to help Tintin? What secrets does the unicorn hold?

Beautiful animation brings out a carnival of delightful characters & outstanding voiceovers add life to them! Tintin's adventure has something for everyone! A tantalizing plot that is a perfect concoction of anticipation & fun; of danger & humour; of savouries & desserts- a recipe for sure shot entertainment! It definitely gratifies the appetite of all- young & old!

L(ov+uc)

New Year's Eve

Just imagine…

A collage work project, put together probably by some juvenile film-making training programme student! The result is this movie! The movie derives its Basic DNA from its forefather “The Valentine’s day”, but it seems to have undergone some sort of a mutation during the gestation, resulting in a sloppy, Premature & over-romanticised comedy! It has somehow diluted the purity, freshness & simplicity of its ancestor’s chromosomes!

With over a dozen characters thrown in, one has to be in alert mode in order to stay aligned with the character-shifting almost-fairy tale-like sequences. Actually, it shouldn’t matter if you miss it in bits & parts especially if you have some overly-romantic imagination; you would easily be able to guess where everyone would be, with whom & most of it- by 11:59!

Hillary Swank with the help of friend Ludacris makes sure that the Times Square Ball drops on time! Robert de Nero, is the dying father having a strained relationship with his daughter Hillary. Halle Berry is the caring Nurse having a “skype” relationship with Common, her Soldier Fiancé. Sarah Jessica Parker is a concerned mother uncomfortable with allowing her 15 year old daughter unsupervised at midnight! Josh Duhamel is the son of Cherry Jones & is in love with Sarah. 2 couples competing for a cash prize for the first baby delivered post-midnight-on the new year’s eve. Michelle Pfeiffer trying to fulfil her last years “New year’s resolution” with the aid of Zac Efron.  Zac’s friend, Ashton Kutcher, is stuck in lift with Lea Michelle, Rockstar Jon Bon Jovi’s background singer. Jon is trying to sort out his relationship with his caterer ex-girlfriend, Katherine Heigl. Russell Peters & Sofia Vergara are Katherine’s helpers…& many more short stories! Phew!

In all this confusion & hustle-bustle the romance evaporates & the only “comedy” left in this “romantic-comedy” is the performance of Sofia Vergara! But I guess as Indians, we are used to multi- charactered soaps, sagas & serials! The film is far better than the soaps & reality shows that are aired in the “eve”ning slots on some family entertainment channel!

With 18 names on the poster of a movie that is 1:58min long, it simply means only approx. 7min each! All the actors are underutilised! Watch the movie if you simply live on super-romantic ideas! But do not expect it to be as good as “the Valentine’s Day”!

Still better than the Bollywood movies released this weekend! It’s a light-hearted romantic movie that just manages to keep you engaged in its theme of love, resolutions, forgiveness & second-chances.

L(ov+uc)

Lanka

Just imagine…

A place where there is no end to corruption, murders, frauds & all the possible crimes you can think of! Sounds like already watched it a trillion times? Well, it could be the premise of at least half the Bollywood films!

Jaswant Sasodia, better known as Bhaisahab (Manoj Bajpai) is supposedly the “Ra.One.”, sorry, I ment “Ravan” of his corrupt world Lanka. Well, this Lanka is full of poverty (be it script, songs, performances or dialogues) as opposed to that of Ramayan-the Indian Epic. Moreover it surely won’t be able to collect much gold on the box office either!

As the tag line “she was trapped in the kingdom of lust, love came to free her” suggests, the story is based on a female protagonist Anshu (Tia Baajpai) who is the “involuntary” concubine of Jaswant, the uncrowned king of crime. Her character is nowhere similar to that of Sita in the Ramayana! Sita was the incarnation of goddess; strong, fiery, determined & capable! Unlike Anshu who seems to be the epitome of sadness & helplessness (maybe partly because of the premonition of the failure of the movie). With perennially miserable expression, she seems to have come straight out of some “saas bahu” soap opera!

Suddenly & Sporadically there is an introduction of a third character, Sisodiya’s younger brother (Arjan Bajwa), who soils the Tide detergent act of Anshu on the festival of Holi! And yea, it’s a spoof & not an in-film Ad campaign! Couldn’t get more cliché! There is some romance angle added, it is so pathetic that it falls flat 180°! & also there is Yashpal Yadhav, who dies midway during the movie (Perhaps he is dead bored)!

Now if the film makers are trying to draw a parallel between the Ramayan & Lanka, then a lot of questions arise. Like, if Tia=Sita; Manoj=Ravan & Arjan=Vibhishan, then who is Ram? (Ramayan khatam ho gai, aur Ram ki entry hui hi nahi!) & how come a romantic angle is shown between Arjan & Tia! Whatever! It is a modern version of the Epic, sending across the message that sometimes Vibhishan is enough to free Sita, It is not necessary for Ram to take birth!

By the end of the show, the audience is already half asleep & probably in a distant nightmare…thinking “Trapped in a Ridiculous film-show, the end credits came to free us”!

L(ov+uc)