braddugg Reviews

Rainbow (2015)

A film that moved me not by sympathy but with humor.

[6/10 · 18 September 2016]

A film that moved me not by sympathy but with humor.

When I watch films of underprivileged people, I feel blessed and privileged. To be sane and healthy and everything working fine in the body is a great blessing which I value much more than many other things. Dhanak is a film that made me feel blessed and privileged.

The nuances like the turn of a coin to play either Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan or dreaming a house build of sweets were simply amazing. I must say Nagesh Kukunoor is still an original director. There are elements of genuine originality in his films which are rare in Indian films. He is one of the few directors who sticks to his subject and puts it across well.

With this film, he is back to the landscape of Rajasthan where he shot few of his films. I loved his DOR. So the sand dunes, the dry lands are part of the backdrop and they are wonderful.

There are few moments I loved in the film. The song of "Dam-a-Dam Mast Qalandar", the "Maatha" moment and the letters to Shah Rukh.

Krrish Chhabria as Chotu is superb and this film belongs to him. Hetal Gadda as Pari is memorable. It's the kids who brought so much life to the film and for me as a viewer.

A 3/5 for a good film. Kudos to Nagesh Kukunoor who keeps churning good movies despite many constraints.

Blood Diamond (2006)

A powerful film on the diamond trade and exploitation of people in Africa.

[6/10 · 18 September 2016]

A powerful film on the diamond trade and exploitation of people in Africa.

This is a film based on True Events and is made realistically. The film's strong points are writing, directing and acting. This film seems to be shot in real locations with real people. There are many points in the film which I liked technically. The shot composition, the capture of African Landscape is amazing. The music is something I liked and felt it went with the flow of the film.

The writing of dialogues is simple and yet stood out. The relationship between "Danny Archer" (Leonardo DiCaprio) and "Solomon Vandy" (Djimon Hounsou) is well established and concluded beautifully.

In 2006, there were two memorable films which came out about exploitation in Africa. One is this one and the other is "Last King of Scotland". While both are historical films and based on True Events, I thought "Blood Diamond" was better in drama.

I loved the performance of Leonardo DiCaprio and he was terrific in the role. Watch it if you are a Leo fan, or if interested in the history of Africa. Others, watch if interested in good cinema.

A 3/5 for a good film.

Jaws (1975)

Truly, one of the greatest pictures ever made.

[8/10 · 18 September 2016]

Truly, one of the greatest pictures ever made.

The film is about capturing a killer shark that feeds on humans. It's a spectacle to be seen on the big screen. The first half or three-fourth of the film is about planning how to go about capturing the shark. The last part is all in the sea. It's an amazing film because the way it traverses from scene to scene. The film involves a lot of character build up and a basis for the shark to be killed. It also keeps minimalistic in sound and gets loud only when needed.

The sound design and the music by John Williams is a study in itself. The editing is precise and keeps the movie gripping. To be fair, there are hardly any dull moments in the film, even though the end is known. The journey is so interesting that the destination feels like a by-product of the journey.

Steven Spielberg grew in stature with this film. I am told by my uncle who saw the film in theater 1970's when it got released that it was indeed a phenomenon and one of his friends does not enter into the water even today that is 40 years after seeing the film he is still afraid of sharks. Though funny, it is indeed true and confirmed by the person itself.

It's impactful and must be revered for the change it brought about in mindset and understanding of the sea the nature of sharks.

Acting is stupendous and though I don't know any of the cast, they played their roles superbly and are heroic in their own ways.

A 4/5 for one the great films ever made, though it lost it's aura a bit as technology got updated, it must be seen for the content.

Hitchcock (2012)

A narrowed down film, myopic and predictable.

[4/10 · 8 September 2016]

A narrowed down film, myopic and predictable.

It is a film that deals with how Alfred Hitchcock made the thriller called 'Psycho'. It is good nonetheless but never becomes great.

Are there any moments of greatness at least? Absolutely not. It comes across as a fictionalized documentary more than a fascinating drama. Having said that, the performance by Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock is worth appreciating. Other performances are good enough too.

What failed me was the script that kept many things obvious. There was no guile, secrecy or a metaphor in any of the scenes. The screenplay followed a well-documented path. Yes, for few instances it gets into the psyche of Hitchcock and tries to interpret some actions but they come very much late in the film.

Overall, I must say the viewing of this film was daunting more than being insightful for me. The actual interviews of Hitchcock himself are more interesting than this film.

It's a 2/5 for showing few days of an illustrious career and personality.

The Good Dinosaur (2015)

A touching homecoming adventure of a Dinosaur.

[8/10 · 8 September 2016]

A touching homecoming adventure of a Dinosaur.

Like in most Pixar films, there are moments that are heart wrenching, touching, exciting and endearing. In the good dinosaur, there are a lot of such moments thankfully. The dull moments are spared and the editing of making this just 93 minutes feature helped I believe. The film is a thrilling adventure that has a lot of family values and emotional substance. In storytelling, this may quite not match up with the Pixar standards but in visual appeal, it surpasses Pixar's own standards. Technically, this film is just brilliant.

The visual effects are pleasing to the eye and the music pleased my ears. So, it was a great time for my eyes and ears and I liked it. Music by Mychael Danna can be worth hearing independently too, and it has a universal appeal. Just loved the score of this film.

The visual effects, the choice of colors, the depiction of natural elements and the dinosaurs itself, are all treat to the vision. It's a great feat in terms of achievement in the animation industry, I fell for the visual aspect of the film and happy to have seen the film in a theater in 3d.

The writers, I wish had written or shown us a tighter story. Some elements were let loose and the film would have been better even without them. But I can easily spare them, coz they are tough for a couple of minutes in this 93-minute feature, making 91 minutes totally worth the time.

Thanks to Peter Sohn to give us this film. We are happy about this and I felt to be lucky to have caught this in theaters.

It' a 4/5 for this film. Nice one, that should be watched for a good film experience.

Also, a special mention about the short film "Sanjay's Super Team". This is awesome and indeed, the best-animated shorts I saw in a long long time. The animation work done for the short film is amazing and being an Indian, I was proud what I saw. Thanks to the director Sanjay Patel for this.

Shutter Island (2010)

It was one hell of a shattering film for me.

[8/10 · 8 September 2016]

It was one hell of a shattering film for me.

Definitely well written and well made, above all it was supremely acted. The poise by Ben Kingsley, the vulnerability by Leonardo DiCaprio and fitting into the characters by all others. It was a job well done by all.

It dealt with a lot of psychological elements and effects without bloating or being preachy. Right from the word go, we have an action-packed film in words. Though there is no physical violence, there is a lot of psychological violence. The content of drama is terrific I felt. The film is surely 140 minutes but for me most of it is justified and I did not find anything that was out of place or was deliberately added. So editing takes a bow for keeping the content that is just as required.

The master director Martin Scorcese comes with a terrific thriller and he seems to have done away with those gangster films, he made earlier. from "Taxi Driver" to "The Departed" there were always many dark shades to characters in his films and this film is no exception. The darkest character in this film was the protagonist himself like it was in "Taxi Driver".

Some of the appreciation must go to the original novel writer Dennis Lehane for writing the novel "Shutter Island". This would have surely been an unputdownable book.

There are hallucinations, metaphors, dreams, reality and philosophy and much more embedded in this package and I loved most of it.

My favorite line is "I wonder, is it better to live like a monster, or die a good man?" from the protagonist Teddy Daniels.

I am surprised that this is the third film that was made from his novel and I have seen the other two too. So Dennis Lehane should be the one I should make time to read some day. I saw his other adaptations "Gone Baby Gone" and "Mystic River" and I liked both of them too.

This film is a 4/5 and I am afraid I may not sit through this film another time. Yet, I am going to remember this for a long time to come.

Se7en (1995)

Calling this film 'Terrific' would still be an understatement.

[10/10 · 8 September 2016]

Calling this film 'Terrific' would still be an understatement.

Engaging right from the word go, and shocking at the end, this film is an epitome of writing and shows that if a well-written script is directed well, then everything becomes great. David Fincher was not a great well-known when he was making this. His first film Alien 3 was supposedly panned by most people. Then, he took on directing this cold blooded murder mystery film, and boy he did the job extremely well.

The dialogues are extremely important and they have a lot of weight. It's rare to see a thriller filled with such nuances and have a deep meaning to words. The action is minimal and yet has a very high impact. The culmination or finale is a shocker. To say the least, the last 30 minutes are riveting and spine chilling.

The nearly 130 minutes film becomes highly action packed after 90 minutes. In the last 40 minutes, actually, there is a lot of dialogue that's very provocative than action. Yet. it's so very engaging that it takes me to the edge of seat each time I see this film thus, I call it as action-packed. I must say, I have seen this film multiple times, with multiple people as my viewing partners, and each time I like it more. So this film just keeps growing on me.

The cinematography is amazing and so is the editing. These two departments technically are supreme. Other departments did their job well too. Of all, it's the direction that mattered. Fincher gave us a glimpse what he is capable of with this supreme film, his next one was "The Fight Club" which is a cult in itself.

It's a 5/5 for a great film that surpasses time to stand out as a classic thriller. I have not named the actual supreme character in this film, so go and find out who it is and what he does.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

The adventure is poised and rightly so gets more fascinating.

[10/10 · 8 September 2016]

The adventure is poised and rightly so gets more fascinating.

This is the second film of the trilogy and adds up more elements to the story. There are newer characters and few old ones seem to have been rested, for good. Yet, the fascination does not stop and it gets more engaging with this one.

I am actually happy revisiting these films as I seem to understand more points about the story than I did earlier. I cannot put them here and become a spoiler as I am an ardent fan of the Lord of the Rings. Rather, I can say that everyone must see why this is one of the finest fantasies brought alive on celluloid.

The fellowship of the earlier film is split and yet each one is in the same pursuit. Their ways are different now, but the goal is still the same. The characterizations are still consistent and it makes it easier to understand the intention of each one. Also, it makes the story all the more fascinating.

I love the technical aspects of the film, and that's one of the very reasons why this fantasy is highly appreciated. The visuals, the sound, the whole landscape. It seems so unreal and yet is so very connected. Peter Jackson is a genius who brought the whole middle earth in front of our eyes and yet everything seems like it existed at one point of time in reality. Also, he knows when to end and what to do with the material at hand. That's where his genius is. This film takes off from a good point and lands at a very wonderful point, making us more eager to be on the next adventure.

It's a 5/5 for this one and is one of the greatest films and adventures ever.

Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)

A heart-rending tale of an extremely loyal dog.

[8/10 · 8 September 2016]

A heart-rending tale of an extremely loyal dog.

I have seen some films where dogs talk, do funny things and even be very serious, those were unreal and cinematic. This one is a real dog and a real story. It does not, it does not do funny things or never becomes serious, it just plays itself as a dog. Hachiko, the dog is an amazing one and the story is fascinating too.

It was hard to believe that such a dog existed, till I got to read the real story. Akita, the breed of Hachiko seems to be most loyal of all the dog breeds and we are lucky to have such beings accompany us in this world. I am lucky enough to have known and seen the story by myself, although in a cinematic form.

It's a story that's worth telling and is worth knowing. There are aspects from where we as humans can learn something I believe. I learned to be more humble, and will try to be more down to earth. Death is a certainty that no mortal being can escape but the way we die makes what we are. This is the take away from the film. I hope to die in a way where I am remembered not just by my family and friends but by many more persons for the rightful deeds.

Thanks to the technical team of this film, for taking this story and making us a film, so that many more will get to know of this. Thanks to Richard Gere for acting in this low-key film and making his performance and also the film special. He seems to be a generous human, by playing his part in a film like this one. Of all the technical aspects, I liked the music by Jan A P Kaczmarek.

It's a 4/5 for a film that's tear-jerking, moving and memorable.

Brahmotsavam (2016)

A terrible film for people like me who are anti-melodrama and anti Telugu serials.

[1/10 · 8 September 2016]

A terrible film for people like me who are anti-melodrama and anti Telugu serials. Perhaps, it's an excellent film for those who are overtly in family dramas and emotional stuff.

Mahesh Babu's thinking behind sharing the production of the movie makes me seriously question his rationale for choice and his decision making. I am just not OK that an actor of his caliber misused. Also, a comedian of great potential like Vennela Kishore was also not used rightly. Perhaps, he is the only actor in the whole film who brought a smile sporadically. Rao Ramesh emoted well, although purposelessly. Indeed, Rao Ramesh character is the only one I empathized.

Technically, I liked only the song "Nayudolla Inti Kaada" all the rest just did their job for the sake of doing.

I am not wasting any more words or time in this film that's so horrible for me. It's 0/5

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

This I suppose, is the greatest fantasy film made till date.

[10/10 · 8 September 2016]

This I suppose, is the greatest fantasy film made till date.

There are many reasons why this is the greatest. The visual effects were spectacular and they have increased the scope of any film. This film took the film-making to new heights which were previously not thought of. Peter Jackson for this very reason became one of the greatest filmmakers ever.

The beginning is very simple, and it takes us to the backstory of the ring. The battle scenes are nothing short of epic. The culmination is happy and this has a feel good ending. everything is so perfectly commercial on the face of it. But, to tell it the way it has been told is stupendous.

The acts by all, especially Elijah Wood as Frodo, Sean Austin as Sam, Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn are the most memorable for me. These are characters I shall not forget ever in my lifetime.

The writing by JRR Tolkein is a masterpiece in itself but to translate such visual strength to the celluloid would have been the greatest challenge for any filmmaker. Just happy that Peter Jackson did his bit in bringing one of the greatest fantasy novels to the public reach, He actually did a great service by doing so. He served the book readers and the film viewers hugely.

Thanks to all, who have made this film and the trilogy a possibility and I am going with 5/5. Nothing less for one of the greatest films.

Contagion (2011)

A definite must watch for the way it terrifies sans supernatural elements.

[10/10 · 8 September 2016]

A definite must watch for the way it terrifies sans supernatural elements.

It's about an epidemic, a disease breakthrough yet very powerful in making impact psychologically. It's a rare film I must say that dares to take an ensemble cast, and go the whole hog of creating an epidemic. The film has Matt Damon, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Gwyneth Paltrow and many others. This implies that this is a script that convinced so many stars to be a part of it. So the script is great in itself. What makes it greater is the way it is directed. As a good director, Steven Soderbergh takes this script and adds pace making it a thriller than a medical autopsy of an epidemic.

Yes, I must say it's a thriller and that's the genre of this film. It thrilled me from the word go and made me sit the very end and even after it's over it made me ponder. It actually gave me a lump in my throat. Kudos, to all those involved in making this and I rate this as one of the very important films for doctors and patients above the normal film viewers.

Also, I stay in Hong Kong currently so I can relate to this film. I have seen, the MTR, the ferry and those streets that are shown in this film and actually felt very happy. But from Hong Kong to the USA and meanwhile citizens of other countries should be aware of any epidemic. There was SARS, there was Ebola, and now there is MERS and ZIKA now. We do not know their origins and the investigation is on and in future, there shall be more such epidemics if we are not careful.

This film just acts as a mirror in showing to us, what life can be like if we are not just doing the right things. One person's carelessness, can cause a lot of damage. This film, inherently, gives a message to focus on personal hygiene in anything we do.

The technical aspects are great and the atmosphere that this film created is chilling and amazing. It's a film that's a must watch and a 5/5.

Pelli Choopulu (2016)

A laugh riot that's realistic and well put.

[8/10 · 8 September 2016]

A laugh riot that's realistic and well put.

After a long time, I enjoyed a Telugu Film and felt happy after coming out of the theater and also watch it another time. Last time I had such a feeling for a Telugu Film was for "Mithunam" and it was four years ago.

The good thing is that this film does not have any dances, there are no fights, there are no melodramatic dialogues. Though the sentimental part drags the movie, the humour overtook the drag and added a pull. It's the fun I took back home and was happy with the feeling this movie gave.

The protagonists were new for me and of all the characters I liked the character of "Kaushik". It is played by "Priyadarshi". Of course, the film belongs to Ritu Varma as "Chitra" who reminded of "Roopa" in Anand (Anand is a 2004 film).

It's refreshing to see a new director make a movie that's terrific in content (the writing, narration) and make the actors do an excellent job. Kudos to Tharun Bhascker. He has a long way to go if he sticks to non-commercial films and believes that content is above all else.

The cinematography and editing are two departments which impressed me. The camera was invisible, as there are no specific long shots. The whole movie is shot in a straightforward and realistic way which is a huge bonus. From locations to interiors decors it was all well put and also colorful at the same time. There was life all through the film and hardly there was any dull visual. Also, the film was fluid with very few dull moments (dull moments were mostly in the sentimental last half hour). The cuts done were nice; there were no jump cuts and it is simply put. So, Telugu Film Industry can look forward to Nagesh Banell the cinematographer and Ravi Teja Girijala the editor. These are two good finds from the film.

I was impressed by the use of music too. Taking the budget constraints into account Music is a commendable job done by Vivek Sagar. I loved the usage of the song "Raalu Raaga Poolamaala." Also, I must appreciate a huge fact this film is done in Sync Sound. That is there is no dubbing used; a terrific challenge is handled well and the results are seen in the movie.

I am not putting the story or any dialogues out here. I am sure the Telugu Film Audience will embrace a film like.

A 4/5 for a Telugu Film. A rarity from me but this is one film I will watch multiple times.

Force Majeure (2014)

During an emergency, will you protect your family or not is the question.

[6/10 · 8 September 2016]

During an emergency, will you protect your family or not is the question.

The film is too long I felt strongly. The title Force Majeure means "Act of God." I missed the fun part of the film. The conversations are up to 5 minutes, and there are some ten conversations like that. Okay, these were adding little value to the story. Once, the point is established it was about taking the point forward with an interesting narrative. Here the conversations revolved around the same point. After 45 minutes into the film, I thought it was just a drag and dozed off. I ended up completely watching the film the third time.

There are some terrific points. The concept of the movie itself is interesting. When I put myself in the protagonist's shoes, I was baffled. The director took up an interesting point and toyed with cleverly. Kudos to the director.

The writing was just too lame I felt. I believe that too much of writing was do to make the film realistic. The intent perhaps was to keep the conversations real. Alas, they made the film less fun.

The cinematography was fantastic. I felt like I was experiencing the Alps rather than merely watching them. To shoot at such an altitude in a steep terrain takes a lot of pain. For the sheer efforts of the team, I applaud them.

Editing could have been crisp. At least 20 minutes could be cut, and it would have made a world of difference to the whole film.

I loved the use of music of Vivaldi's Four Seasons - Summer. Happy to be listening to classical music in a modern cinema.

Overall, a 3/5 for a good film that could have been great.

Don't Breathe (2016)

A big waste of time. Neither horrifying nor memorable.

[2/10 · 8 September 2016]

A big waste of time. Neither horrifying nor memorable.

This was hyped as one of the best horror films and I fell into the trap of hype and went for it. I came back with curses and complaints than liking it even one bit. My wife loves horror films and she is the driving force and I hope I would be enjoying my first horror film in the theater along with her and that was not to be. To be fair enough, it was a boring experience.

Until the time, the antagonist did not open his mouth, there was some eerie feeling. But once his dialogues began, the essence was lost and it became dull and the interest it generated was fizzled out.

The good thing is sound. Yes, horror films bank on sound and this film is no different that way. Also, acting was good especially by Stephen Lang. The climax was pretty horrible, to say the least, and the reason behind the antagonist's work was just too lame. I felt like they created a lazy character as a villain and tried to sell him to the audience.

It's set up well only to fizzle out at the end. This left me with a bad memory. The movie is forgettable and I am going with a generous 1/5.

100 Days of Love (2015)

Utter waste of time.

[1/10 · 8 September 2016]

Utter waste of time.

This is a Malayalam film dubbed into Telugu and I saw it yesterday.

After first 15 minutes, I decided that there is no point watching this film. Dialogues are bland and acting is superficial. The screenplay is lame and cinematography should better be not talked about. I have wasted my time watching this and I am wasting more time reviewing it. I just wanted to say all my readers to be warned of the film. I found nothing I can take back or value in the film. Perhaps, a black and white song. Everything looked artificial and manipulative only.

A 0/5 for this.

Che: Part One (2008)

A terrific film that raises the spirit of a revolutionary to the hilt.

[10/10 · 8 September 2016]

A terrific film that raises the spirit of a revolutionary to the hilt.

This movie is a 2 part biopic that runs nearly four and a half hours. When I saw it for the first time at home on in 2009, I just took a ten-minute break after the completion of the first part and was dying to start the second part. After finishing the movie viewing, I was overwhelmed. I was very happy; there is an inspiration that I must make my life worth before I die. There is an incentive to value life.

Ernesto Che Guevara is one of the most inspirational revolutionaries of the centuries the world over. The way he organized and won guerrilla wars was something that was a shock to many regimes in the American continents. The depiction of Che by Benicio Del Toro is something that took me by a surprise. Benicio Del Toro was intrepid in playing Che. Never did I feel, I was seeing an actor, all through it was just Che.

The makeup was superlative. For the first ten minutes of the second part of the film, I was stunned. I could not recognize who is playing the character. So right is the disguise and so great is the acting. Cinematography and art direction in this could be used as references for generations to come. The film took me into 1950's and 1960's and made live in those times.

From the word go to the last frame, there is perfection in craft technically. The spirit of revolution is in place. Cuba, Fidel Castro, Revolution, Bolivia, UN conference, Che, wow so many overwhelming elements.

Kudos to Steven Soderbergh and perhaps this is his finest effort. Also to Benicio Del Toro. Benicio, you will live on as Che forever.

A 5/5 for my favorite revolutionary films. One of the all-time great films this.

Che: Part Two (2008)

A terrific film that raises the spirit of a revolutionary to the hilt.

[10/10 · 8 September 2016]

A terrific film that raises the spirit of a revolutionary to the hilt.

This movie is a 2 part biopic that runs nearly four and a half hours. When I saw it for the first time at home on in 2009, I just took a ten-minute break after the completion of the first part and was dying to start the second part. After finishing the movie viewing, I was overwhelmed. I was very happy; there is an inspiration that I must make my life worth before I die. There is an incentive to value life.

Ernesto Che Guevara is one of the most inspirational revolutionaries of the centuries the world over. The way he organized and won guerrilla wars was something that was a shock to many regimes in the American continents. The depiction of Che by Benicio Del Toro is something that took me by a surprise. Benicio Del Toro was intrepid in playing Che. Never did I feel, I was seeing an actor, all through it was just Che.

The makeup was superlative. For the first ten minutes of the second part of the film, I was stunned. I could not recognize who is playing the character. So right is the disguise and so great is the acting. Cinematography and art direction in this could be used as references for generations to come. The film took me into 1950's and 1960's and made live in those times.

From the word go to the last frame, there is perfection in craft technically. The spirit of revolution is in place. Cuba, Fidel Castro, Revolution, Bolivia, UN conference, Che, wow so many overwhelming elements.

Kudos to Steven Soderbergh and perhaps this is his finest effort. Also to Benicio Del Toro. Benicio, you will live on as Che forever.

A 5/5 for my favorite revolutionary films. One of the all-time great films this.

Psycho Raman (2016)

The eerie, scary and a satisfying film that I watched in a long time.

[10/10 · 8 September 2016]

The eerie, scary and a satisfying film that I watched in a long time.

This is terrific by Anurag Kashyap and I believe he is back to his best. His best was "Black Friday" and followed it up with films like "No Smoking" and others. He took the bar of narration higher and with this Raman Raghav he is back from limbo. Last year he made a dud called "Bombay Velvet" with a lot of money. Perhaps, he was robbed of the luxury of money and was asked to find his ground. Thus, he made a film like this that is devoid of any budget.

My hunger for watching a great film has been satisfied.

I was happy with the terrific performances in the movie. Nawazuddin Siddiqui nailed his bit; this is something superlative even from a man who has set highest standards in acting. Vikas Kaushal played his part with the needed poise. Shobhita Dhulipalla was excellent showcasing her vulnerabilities.

Zodiac was the last film I can remember on a psychopath. There was a mystery in Zodiac, but here it gives a shock right in the first few minutes. You know the murderer, and you know how he murdered too, but that's not all. He sits in leisure and explains the whole story to police. The way the protagonist narrated made my hairs stand and spine chill. It was a hard hit on me to hear such lines.

The screenplay is fantastic in the form of chapters. Anurag Kashyap used such a format for his supreme accomplishment "Black Friday" and he repeats the format here and it comes organically. The size helped a lot in killing the time. I did not even know when each chapter finished. They were engaging from start to finish. In this film, we can never miss a moment.

Writing drives the film. There is humour, horror, drama and thrill. What else is needed, engaging elements are in dialogues itself. Kudos to the writers who have done such a fabulous job.

A 5/5 for my favorite film of the year so far.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

A film that's nostalgic in many terms and terrific technically.

[8/10 · 25 January 2016]

A film that's nostalgic in many terms and terrific technically.

This is an animated stop-motion film and one of it's kind in today's world where there is a huge amount of technical brilliance. Stop- motion animation is one of the oldest techniques as old as Alice in wonderland in 1903 and even much before that. This film adopts the same technology and adds up a lot of speediness to make the stop motion to look real animation. So technically it is great.

The content is fun, but there is a strong script over a not so strong story which is an inherent ingredient of Wes Anderson film. Had there been a stronger story, this would have been more wonderful. The voice over is stupendous and the dialogues are well written too. Above all, the humor is subtle and yet hilarious.

Music by Alexandre Desplat is worth a mention as it adds a lot of weight to this film. It's a great score and gels well with the film,

Wes Anderson can take a simple story and make it more than a worthwhile watch and he proves yet again with this. The art direction and the colors used are great and made the film an treat to the eye. The characterisation is one that you would find in a typical commercial film. There is a hero, a heroine, a sidekick and a villain. Together, there is a family too. So this is a perfect stop- motion family entertainer I would say.

I loved this for many reasons and thanks to Anderson for bringing stop-motion back. Big thanks for his wit and sense of humor that are displayed generously in the film.

A 4/5 to a great stop motion animation film.

The Revenant (I) (2015)

A revengeful survivor story set in a terrific landscape.

[6/10 · 25 January 2016]

A revengeful survivor story set in a terrific landscape.

It's beautiful to look at from the word go but it's a painful to see the protagonist coping with adversities and becoming a hero. It's a story set in the 19th century so there are horses for commuting and stones for making fire. Yet, the theme is universal and so it can be considered a contemporary story with a couple of centuries old backdrop.

I went to see the film for two reasons, the director Alejandro Inarittu and the actor Leonardo DiCaprio and both seemed to in good form although not in their prime form. Nevertheless, that's enough to make a good film.

Technically, the cinematography is top notch and the production design is terrific. The whole crew has to be complimented for working a whole film in such a drastic and unpredictable weather and landscape. The editing could have been more precise. Too many frames of nature, I felt and I hoped for more characters than nature. Makeup is amazing and I suppose it's makeup and costume design is one of the finest I saw in recent times. What disappointed me was the screenplay. This film seemed a bit stretched out and predictability killed the fun. When you know, the path and also the destiny, there is no fun anymore and this film showed me both after few minutes into it.

Leonardo has invested a lot of his time and his physical transformation and fearless acting tells why he is one of the finest actors ever. I got my money worth, solely by his performance. Though for me his Aviator, Blood Diamond, and The Departed are his best, this performance stands tall too.

Overall, it's a well-written film but 20 minutes short, this would be a great film. As it is, it's fine for me.

A 3/5 for a good film, but once again full marks to Leonardo DiCaprio. Respect.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

This is a fantastic fantasy film and just a start yet.

[10/10 · 25 January 2016]

The Lord of the Rings has changed the scope of fantasy films forever. The Fellowship of the Ring was just the beginning.

This is a fantastic fantasy film and just a start yet.

I have seen the trilogy 3 times and after nearly 10 years, I am revisiting the trilogy. Even now, if give me a thrill that is unparalleled. Now, I know what is going to come but still I wait for the unfolding. I am seeing this in awe and for appreciation of the caliber that was put in the making of these films.

The fellowship gave details and the tone is perfectly right. There is a backdrop story that is explained so that those who have not read the book can understand what the story is all about. Why is the title named "Lord of The Rings in the first place? Also, why is this part called "The Fellowship of the Ring".

As we travel with the film, the mysteries and solved and we get a clear and bright picture of what the whole thing is about.

I watch these films and am now revisiting them because in all these years I have not seen any fantasy film that has such great usage of graphics and keeps things real. The sky, the grasslands, the mountains, the marshes, the landscape everything seems real. Perhaps, all these exist in some part of the world today.

The major part of the film was shot in Norther Islands of New Zealand and no film I believe I can capture or depict New Zealand's landscape as this film has done.

Peter Jackson deserves all the kudos for translating a novel by the same name, into a near perfect film on celluloid.

Perhaps, I will revisit this some time again. Till then 5/5. Thanks to all those, who made this film and this trilogy a possibility of such magnanimity.

Masterpiece Mystery: Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (2016) Season Unknown, Episode Unknown

This seemed an abominable ride for me.

[6/10 · 18 January 2016]

Sherlock: The abominable bride. This seemed an abominable ride for me.

I am a fan of the sherlock series as Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman formed a terrific duo as Holmes and Watson. In this special one-off film, the viewers were given a Christmas treat. I can confess it was not as delicious as I thought it would be. There are moments of awe, but there are few in this film as compared to previous nine episodes of the three seasons.

This is a special film and the only one till date, to be coming in theaters from the series. There are many special things after the film is done. While the film was on, I only wondered what happened to specialties of Holmes and Watson.

Yes, I could explore very much of the mind palace of Holmes and also a period which was thus far not shown as the episodes are contemporary. This film is not a one-off case but seemed like a curtain raiser to the coming season. It tried to blend the now and the then, but it seemed flawed overall. I only wished to be watching a real sherlock Holmes doing real business in real time. But his mind wanders centuries too quickly which is not to my liking.

The technicalities are superb as always in this terrifically presented film. Yet, I wish the screenplay was more fluid and not as haphazard as it was.

Steven Moffat and Mark Gattis are terrific writers as per earlier episodes but I felt that they could not pull off this experimental one-off special.

I am going with 3/5 in a good film, but it's average as a sherlock episode.

The Fault in Our Stars (2014)

Lovely film, lovely story and I thank my lovely wife.

[8/10 · 18 January 2016]

Lovely film, lovely story and I thank my lovely wife.

My better half insisted that I watch this film and for her I did watch it. I must mention I cried a lot upon watching this. Thanks to the emotions involved. It's a simple story that's very simply told. The beauty lay in the simplicity here.

Two teenagers have health problems and they meet and decide to spend some time together. That's the story line, but one does for another is what the story is all about. Oops, I spilled the story out, oh that is fine because I did not tell even one bit. I must say, I found some similarities to Erich Seagal's "Love Story" but that's the end of it.

Life is a journey and it's beautiful when you have the right company. I found mine in my partner, Siri. Yes, I call her Siri and for this journey called life, she is the one I have decided to travel with. I am super happy right now and exploring movies such as this, makes our time more beautiful.

It's a movie that is adapted from the same name and I give credit to the writer of the novel John Green above all. Shailene Woodley gave a super performance here that is worth all the praise and much more. The director did a commendable job in putting the cast right for the story and also getting a just adequate amount of emotions. Never did I feel anything was melodramatic in the tear-jerker.

Watch this to know, how much we are grateful to be fine and happy. This gave me an opportunity to show gratitude to live and to my wife. A 4/5 for this. The love story hangs in the top class league.

Court (2014)

I loved this film for it's simple and real depiction of Indian courts.

[8/10 · 18 January 2016]

I loved this film for it's simple and real depiction of Indian courts.

This is as close as it can get in depicting how the Indian judicial courts deal cases. Please note that this film is not exactly about a particular case, but it was more so a comment on how the judicial system works in India. Although, a case was taken to represent the judicial procedures, I looked at this film as a showcase of the process in itself.

There is a lot of reflection of reality which is a rarity in Indian films. We have camouflaged films or those which in the name of depicting reality show us the perspective of makers. The best realistic film was "Black Friday" as per me and this comes the second best. Second only because it did not have an engaging storyline or one that we would be keen to know, All it has, is a case at best about a man who is accused of raging emotions.

This is a Marathi film and I commend the fact that Marathi films have come a long way. They have made films like "Shwaas" "Deool" and many others which are like the reflection of the possibility of Indian cinema. Sadly, very few films have explored Indian emotions, Indian mindset and told Indian stories with utmost honesty.

I applaud the director Chaitanya Tamhane for not putting in any drama and also from refraining from any commercial elements and showing things as they are.

Performances are true to the characters by each one. From a sweeper to a lawyer and judge, everyone played their role as they would live it if it was their own life. The camera was used as a tool to capture the happenings instead of making anyone conscious of its presence.

I am going with 4/5. Loved it but I doubt if I would sit through this another time.