naman-avastol Reviews

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The surprisingly fitting epic finale!

[8/10 · 17 July 2012]

You just don't watch a Nolan movie. You experience it. Something happens inside you after you're done watching any of his movies.

The Dark Knight Rises is not just a movie, its a baggage of expectations, its a sequel to The Dark Knight, it has been directed by Chris Nolan, it has the Batman and people have already started with their assumptions and speculations.

Does the movie survive all this?

Yes. Definitely yes.

Batman Begins dealt with fear. The Dark Knight dealt with chaos. The Dark Knight Rises deals with pain.

Eight years have been passed since the demise of Harvey Dent. Batman had hung up the boots and started blaming himself for Harvey's Death and everything. With all the injuries he had sustained while fighting under that bat suit and the depression, he is no longer the Bruce Wayne Gotham knows. People have been questioning his sanity. Wayne empire is declining.

In comes Bane. The dark, brutal, masked and monolithic beast who almost destroys Wayne enterprises to seek Batman.

Selina Kyle, a female burglar who teases Bruce Wayne with her attitude and activities.

As a result, Batman is forced to come back. What follows is the series of events that not only blow your mind away but cast a magical spell to last the full life time.

There are a several new players that have been introduced in the film, such as Wayne's love interest and the new age cop John Blake who does the job of being the good side kick of Gordon and plays in an important role in convincing Bruce Wayne to be back as the caped crusader to protect Gotham one last time from the terror of Bane and army.

So is The Dark Knight Rises better than The Dark Knight? If you were one of those fans who prefer Batman Begins to TDK then you'll find much to love about TDKR. And if you weren't then no Batman film will ever match TDK for you.

As both Batman and Bruce Wayne, Christian Bale's work here is master- class, and he gives the character such an inescapable melancholy – a certain perseverance in the face of absolute resignation to his fate – that he becomes a more tragic figure than ever. That said, he's aided enormously by a never-better Michael Caine, who turns with hope and palpable love what might otherwise be expository dialogue into searing, supportive criticisms of Wayne's self-destruction.

On the other hand, after being marketed as heir to the Joker in "The Dark Knight," Tom Hardy's Bane is a different sort of villain – a focused and more ideologically-developed version of Heath Ledger's Joker – but one with equally ruthless charm.

While she doesn't quite steal the show as Heath Ledger's Joker did, Hathaway's Catwoman is a magnetic presence whenever she's on screen and she has great chemistry with Bale. Selina may be the proverbial good bad girl, the thief with a heart of gold, but Hathaway imbues her with a wounded spirit and a survivor's edge that makes her feel genuine and sympathetic even when she's being naughty.

That being said, the acts of good old Gary Oldman and the power house Joseph Gordon Levitt cannot be ignored.

Christopher Nolan is in peak time of his life. Whatever he is touching is turning into gold. He has taken The Batman series to a level which no one in thousand years can reach. The action scenes, the rise and the fall of all the characters along with the climax are just the pieces of the puzzle, which in the end you feel was taking shape since the day Batman Begins released. The first hour ties all the loose ends the first two movies left behind and the climax is so apt that you leave the theater feeling contended and satisfied.

We may never see superhero films quite like these again, and that's fine. Nolan had something special to say with his time in the trenches, and he's ended on his own terms.

I wonder which series Nolan decides to reboot next!

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Jack Sparrow, You ROCK!

[8/10 · 14 May 2011]

What Rob Marshall did with Pirates series, no one else could have done with such finesse and panache. Dropping out two key protagonists without explanations and instead of picking on famous novels, he opted for rather under-rated Tim Power's On Stranger Tides to fit the characters.

Similarly, what Johnny Depp has been doing in all Pirates movies and what he did in this movie, no one else could have done it with such perfection. That's Johnny Depp(Jack Sparrow) for you.

Most of you must have seen Indian Jones and the Last Crusade, I guess. You're gonna have a feel of Deja Vu in many of the scenes. Following an appropriately pulpy prologue, the film opens on erstwhile Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) as he's marooned in London in search of a ship, and pursued by local authorities who he makes little serious effort to avoid. Hearing that an impostor Sparrow is auditioning pirate recruits at a seaside bar, he seeks out the interloper only to discover his spitfire former lover Angelica (Penelope Cruz), disguised as him After some requisite sword-clashing, Angelica kidnaps Sparrow and ferries him aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, lorded over by Angelica's (maybe) father, Captain Blackbeard (Ian McShane). Commanding a crew comprised of equal parts stray pirates and hulking zombies -- why he needs the former when he has the latter is never explained -- Blackbeard enlists Sparrow to help him locate the fountain of youth, which becomes an especially urgent task after a prophecy foretells Blackbeard's imminent death at the hands of a one-legged man.

Meanwhile, Sparrow's rival Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), now conveniently one-legged, has bid farewell to his pirate's life, and seeks the fountain on behalf of the king of England, who is keen to find it before a rival crew sent by the king of Spain can claim it for themselves. As the three parties converge on the fountain's jungle location, they must also deal with a ravenous horde of vampiric mermaids, from whom a single tear must be procured to drink the fountain's waters.

In case any one of you haven't seen the previous movies, frequent recaps are provided through out and it doesn't matter too much anyway. Depp remains the face of the film. But a majority of his thunder is co-opted by an on-point Rush, who not only gets the funniest lines and reaction shots, but also starts to siphon away much of the roguish charm that used to be Depp's stock and trade. McShane, on the other hand, is underwhelming. Never appearing comfortable in his heavy pirate get-up, his tired Blackbeard is only menacing via other characters' testimonials to his evil, and his one on screen atrocity seems tossed in merely to stress that he is, in fact, the bad guy.

Cruz is a reliably welcome, gorgeous presence, though she too often falls back on the "feisty Latina" signifiers that have been the crutch of so much of her English-language work. Sam Claflin supplies some semi- risible gallantry as a super-studly priest, and Astrid Berges-Frisbey looks effectively terrified as a captive mermaid.

All in all, it is must watch for everybody who is a fan of Pirates series and Johnny Depp. Go for it and chances are less of you being disappointed.

Thanks & Regards,

My Rating: 8/10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

Delusions of Grandeur

[6/10 · 19 November 2010]

Whenever a Harry Potter book is converted into a movie (the name is enough to cast the magical spell on you even if you've not read any of Potter Books), the fans always have apprehensions. Read more to know why! As Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger prepare for their final showdown with Lord Voldemort and his brood of baddies – which is stretched out to two chapters for the big screen – we're thrust into an overcast world of fear, isolation and constant tent pitching in "The Deathly Hallows."

The first thing the viewer does is to compare the movie with the book. The novel fan expects every chapter of the book in a detailed manner in the movie. And if, by this late date, you're not well-acquainted with Harry, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Voldemort, the late Dumbledore or even horcruxes, you're out of luck. Deathly Hallows drops viewers into the bleak proceedings straight away.

Lord Voldemort's death eaters are on a march. Major characters in the series are killed off, and there's not a moment to mourn. The war between the good wizards and those evil wizards and traitors in the service of Voldemort has begun. In no time, Harry, Ron and Hermione are on their own, away from Hogwarts and any safety older wizards may be able to give them. Seeing all this, Harry decides to break away from his protection. He sets out with Hermione and Ron on a mission to find the rest of the horcruxes and ultimately destroy them.

The visuals are grandeur. The trio has performed well. They have matured over the period of time and the maturity in their acting is clearly visible. Ralph Fiennes as the Dark Lord is awesome. His cold expressions are terrifying. But, there is one problem with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Long stretches of the movie are set in this or that remote landscape. The audience (especially who are not familiar with the novel) gets no idea of what is happening in the movie many a times. They could only make guesses!

Direction is good. Cinematography is awesome. Effects are outstanding. Acting is terrific. Editing is poor. Very poor. So is Screenplay writing. The writers could easily have done a much better job. The movie has a very little to offer in two hours and twenty-six minutes. Undoubtedly, The Goblet of Fire was the best among all.

To conclude, I would just go for it( to those who haven't read the book) to enjoy the last part of the series and the visuals!

My Rating: 6/10

Thanks & Regards

Aakrosh (2010)

Simply Brilliant!!

[8/10 · 15 October 2010]

First of all, a warm welcome to Priyadarshan and Akshaye Khanna. Priyadarshan had stopped making good films years ago, he was busy making guaranteed super flops with Mr. Kumar. Akshaye Khanna had disappeared from films long time ago. Both have made a good comeback with Aakrosh. And, after a long, long time, bollywood has come up with a brilliant and meaningful movie. Aakrosh deals with the honor killing that has been prominent in a few villages for the past few years. The movie also discloses the actual truth behind these alleged honor killings and the real culprits behind them.

Three students from New Delhi are found missing from the village called Jhaanjhar for the last two months. Two CBI officers ( Ajay Devgn and Akshaye Khanna ) team up to find out the truth behind their disappearance. The Jhaanjhar village, crowded with numerous corrupt politicians is terrified with the attacks going on and the police force under the Superintendent officer( Paresh Rawal) does nothing. The CBI officers have had time doing the investigation as no one in the whole village is gutsy enough to speak against the attacks and the one who tries to open his mouth is abducted by those groups. Ajay Devgn, the hot blooded, loses his cool and takes some strong actions and Akshaye Khanna, the man with the brain, takes his chances and gambles. Hard work pays off well in the end and the truth finally comes out and the village then rests in peace.

The movie has taken its inspirations from the recent cases of honor killing but on the whole it's a work of fiction.

Acting Department is ruled by Ajay Devgn and Paresh Rawal. Both are in top form in this movie. Both are trying to outdo each other with their strong expressions and dialogue delivery. Akshaye Khanna, too has acted well but Ajay Devgn and Paresh Rawal are the show stealers. Reema Sen does well. Bipasha Basu is wasted. Action Sequences are top notch. The chasing scene between Ajay Devgn and a group leader is outstanding. Dialogues are awesome. A few of them even manage to bring a smile on your face and compel you to clap and praise! Cinematography is average. Editing could be better. Priyadarshan has directed the movie splendidly this time. He is sure to win many accolades this time. The only absurd part of the movie is the romantic song between Ajay Devgn and Bipasah Basu.

To conclude, I would say go for it as finally a good Hindi movie has arrived (which actually is rare ) and for super strong performances of Ajay Devgn and Paresh Rawal.

My Rating: 8/10 Thanks and Regards.

Anjaana Anjaani (2010)

Deja Vu

[5/10 · 1 October 2010]

Some people never change. Indian Film makers' are a good example. In this industry most of the films are made only for commercial success. The makers give extra weightage to the star cast and publicity gimmicks.They copy rest from the films made in Hollywood. From locations to songs to scenes. It's high time that they should stop testing the audience's patience. Anjaana Anjaani is not an exception. Even a part of the main story looks very similar to our own Jab We Met.

Directed by Siddharth Anand( of Salaam Namaste and Bachna ae Haseeno fame) the film stars Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. According to the story, Ranbir and Priyanka are fed up of their lives and they meet while trying to commit suicide. Things go wrong and they land up in the hospital. They try again but they fail. They, then postpone their suicide date and focus on completing one task which, according to them, was left unaccomplished and was preventing them from dying. At first, Priyanka's job is to lift up Ranbir's mood and later on it's Ranbir's job to lift up Priyanka's mood. A few insatiable events make the movie even more predictable, but a few scenes do surprise you and manage to bring a smile( or laugh for few ) on the audience's face. In the end, there seems to be no need of reminding you what happens in the end.

It would be good if Nadiadwala Grandsons stop producing films of this kind. They get highly predictable. It would be better if the makers put more focus on the script rather than on star cast and publicity gimmicks. Those movies bring more fame and money.

Ranbir scores well in acting but everybody knows( including him ) he can do much much better than his performance in Anjaana Anjaani. His comic timing is good. His dance is good too. His physique does get a lot of wows from his female fans this time. Priyanka, look wise, is getting better minute by minute. She has a jaw-dropping looks in the movie. But again, we all know what Priyanka is capable of. She has given amazing performances in the recent past but she hasn't done justice to her role in the movie. Zayed Khan is unnoticeable as he has nothing to do in the movie.

Direction, as mentioned above, could have been much much better. Cinematography is superb. Music by Vishal-Dadlani is good. Special mention for the song 'Hairat' sung by Lucky Ali which is exceptional. Supporting actors don't have anything to do in the movie but they carried off their part well. Editing was bad. The movie starts taking toll you in the second half. Dialogues at a few places are good and at a few places it is predictive and annoying.

To conclude, I would just say, go for it if you are a Ranbir or/and a Priyanka fan and of course to see their chemistry in the movie( Only positive thing about the movie ).

My Rating: 5/10

Thanks & Regards

Dabangg (2010)

To hell with this!!

[2/10 · 10 September 2010]

"Don't watch it!" Everyone was heard quoting this sentence after coming out of the theater. Read further if you still think this movie is watchable.

Abhinav Singh Kashyap has spoiled the name of his brother Anurag Kashyap. Salman Khan had raised the bar with his 'Wanted' but thwarted this time. Arbaaz Khan should finally retire and settle with his wife. Theater owners should stop buying these kind of movies which might force the viewers for a suicide attempt. The views may be harsh but Dabangg deserves it.

Last year, Salman had struck the right chord with his 'Wanted'. He dreamed of repeating the success this year but failed miserably. Critics who have been giving this movie rave reviews should be slaughtered. There is absolutely nothing enjoyable in this movie. NOTHING!

The story goes like this, a police officer who is self-proclaimed Robin Hood is crime hater. He can't withstand anything going wrong in his area. He likes to work alone. He calls the force after he completes all his job and gives them a speech which literally kills you every time. He is an expert in killing criminals while dancing on moronic tunes and showing incredible stunts which don't even exist in the world of Hollywood. He has a step brother who, like all the movies, is worthless. He has step father who doesn't like him and a 'Maa' who is the only one to love him. There is a villain(who actually is a wannabe hero) whose sole task is to get rid of Robin Hood. There is one super gorgeous heroine who had waited all her life only for Robin Hood to come and propose her and there are extras too who have only two jobs, either praise Robin Hood or die while fighting against him. In the end Robin Hood successfully completes all his jobs.

Salman has pledged while shooting for the movie that he shall try his best to aggravate the audience with his dialogue delivery, dance moves and action stunts. Salman, please don't attempt these tasks again. Arbaaz Khan has been slammed in the past, is being slammed for this movie, and shall be slammed forever(if he never stops acting in the movies). Sonu Sood as the villain is good. His scenes are what you call 'passable'. Débutante Sonakshi Sinha is gaudy, ravishing and gorgeous. Yeah, her acting was also good. Om Puri, Mahesh Manjerekar and Anupam Kher are wasted. Vinod Khanna did justice to his role. Dimple Kapadia failed to do the role of 'Maa'.

Direction is vile, poor and feeble. Abhinav Kashyap should go and take direction classes first instead of copying from everywhere. Cinematography is good. Action sequences have been copied from The Matrix, Sherlock Holmes, Never Back Down and a few others. Dialogues are funny in some scenes but mostly they test your patience. Music has become popular because of weird lyrics and dance moves but it is not good.

To conclude, I would just say, don't watch this movie, no matter how many good reviews you read. Albeit I know my opinions also don't matter much.

My Rating: 2/10( one point for Sonu Sood and one point for Sonakshi Sinha)

PS: If you complete watching this movie without banging your head, time for you to consult psychiatrist.

Thanks & Regards

Lafangey Parindey (2010)

Predictable but a good Time pass!

[6/10 · 20 August 2010]

What do you expect from a love story now-a-days? Should it be different? Should it be unique? Should it be one of a kind? But how many times have you come across a love story that is different or unique? You'd say none! I wouldn't disagree. But, Lafangey Parindey somehow doesn't go down as common love story. Okay, it's not different but it is not a million times seen love story..

She, a wannabe figure skater, cannot see. He, a bare-knuckles street- fighter, doesn't need to. But both Pinky Palkar(Deepika Padukone) and Nandan Kamtekar(Neil Nitin Mukesh) have their sights firmly set on a better life, a life beyond the mean backstreets of Mumbai. One Shot Nandu, as he is called, fights blindfolded every week for Satta King(Piyush Mishra) and lays his opponent low with one blow, always wins. Pinky, dreams of making it big by winning a reality show but an accident takes away her eye sight and then she is supported by Nandu to refocus her goal. Dekhne ko aankh nai keeda maangta hai. This is the lesson he gives to Pinky. She starts using her all sense organs to offset the absence of sight. Together they form an unlikely pair, but as fate had decided they fell in love and with predictable twists and turns they finally achieve their goals.

The movie is a predictable ride from the beginning, but the typical Mumbai lingo along with fine performances of specially supporting actors prevent you from looking at your watch and the ceiling. The first half is slow and little boring but the skate dancing in the second half is the saving grace. Many scenes do bring smiles and laughs during the movie.

Neil Nitin is evolving. He has done extremely well. Deepika is finally learning to act. This is her finest performance to date. Piyush Mishra is exceptional. As stated earlier, the supporting actors have done a brilliant job. Music by R. Anandh is good. Special note for the song Man Lafanga sung by Mohit Chauhan. Choreography is top notch. Bosco-Caeser are sure to get many accolades for the skate dancing in the climax of the movie. Dialogues by Gopi Puthran are hilarious. Action and cinematography are OK. Pradeep Sarkar of Parineeta and Laga Chunari Me Daag fame surely has attempted a very different genre this time. He doesn't succeed, nor he fails. The movie is perfect mixture of entertainment and boredom. Seldom you get bored and often you laugh.

To conclude, I would say go for it, if you are looking for a complete masala Bollywood flick and some brilliant skate dancing.

My Rating: 6/10

Thanks & Regards

Peepli [Live] (2010)

Funny Yet Thought Provoking

[7/10 · 14 August 2010]

Bollywood is changing finally! Bigtime!! Makers are now finally shifting their focus on realistic movies rather than making movies having same old clichés and melodrama. Latest film to add in the list is Peepli Live. Produced by ever dependable Aamir Khan, the movie has no big name in the star cast but kudos to Débutante Director Anusha Rizwi's superb screenplay and direction and combining with monstrous marketing strategies by Aamir Khan this created waves worldwide.

The subject of the movie is simple yet thought provoking. As India moves to an industrialized economy, farmers are committing suicide. Self- serving politicians at all government levels have been unwilling or unable to do anything about this. While the movie might appear as a spoof on the farmer suicides but it ends up conveying much more and presents some shocking facts.

Peepli residents Natha(Omkar Das) and elder brother Budhia(Raghuveer Yadav)after losing their land to the bank for not paying up their loan take the jest seriously and decide to volunteer. Natha decides to commit suicide and it becomes a big news. Reporters Nandita Malik(Malaika Shenoy), Deepak(Vishal Sharma) and a local reporter Rakesh(Nawazuddin) along with others make it a big issue and eventually the positions of many ministers is at stake. What follows is a very well directed satire.

Anusha Rizwi has handled her directorial debut like a pro.The lingo is earthy and much humour is derived from the manner it is spoken by the characters. Anusha leaves no stone unturned to poke fun of vote hungry politicians. Acting Department is ruled by Omkar Das and Vishal Sharma. Expressions given by the former make his character very endearing and the dialogues spoken by the latter are hilarious. Raghuveer Yadav has enacted his role impressively! Nawazzudin is exceptional as the reporter whose conscience awakens. Shankar Raman's Camera work makes a good impact. Music by Indian Ocean is OK.

To conclude, I would say go for it is you really want to see bollywood coming of its age and of course because its an Aamir Khan Production.

My Rating: 7/10

Thanks & Regards

Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010)

The Rise & The Fall

[7/10 · 30 July 2010]

Lets get straight, if you think Once Upon A Time In Mumbai is a biopic, you're wrong. A police officer(Randeep Hooda) who once traced the changing face of the Mumbai Underworld narrates all his experiences and all his unintentional mistakes which affected everything. Almost every movie-goer has a fascination for gangster movies, and yeah it does not disappoint(almost).. It recreates the era which so many of us have left behind and those who arrived on this planet after 80s.

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai is a story that talks about the entry of mafia for the first time in Mumbai and things unfolded in course of time. It talks about the rise and subsequent fall of the King, and the emergence of the Prince as the super power. It talks about the dialogues which ruled 70s era. It talks about the chic retro look which was the trademark of that era.

The plot does resemble with lives of Haji Mastan(allegedly played by Ajay Devgn) and Dawood Ibrahim(allegedly played by Emraan Hashimi) but whatever is, the screenplay is engrossing and keeps you hooked until you feel about complaining for the length when things get slow in the second half and gradually in the end. But, the dialogues do get lots of claps and whistles in not few but many scenes. Recreating the bygone era is tough and the director, the writer and the art director deserve brownie points for giving the film that authentic feel.

As for acting, Emraan is sure to break free from his lover boy image with this film. This is his finest performance to date. Ajay Devgn has become repetitive, his dialogue delivery and expressions betray you many times, although his character is very strong and he has played it effectively. There was nothing much to do for the ladies(Prachi and Kangana), but they managed to portray their roles 'beautifully'. Randeep Hooda, too, performed well. Pritam's music( in spite of the fact the music is never really 'his') is an ace. But, it was the background score which left an lasting impression even when the movie ended.

When the screenplay is powerful and engaging, direction has to be brilliant. Milan Lutharia successfully recreated that era and his work is exemplary. There should be a special note of the dialogues, also written by Rajat Arora( screenplay) which are fantabulous.

To conclude, I would just say, go for it if you really are interested in the dialogues which no longer have there existence these days(of course allegedly) My Rating: 7/10 Thanks & Regards

Inception (2010)

Insanely Brilliant ! Nolan has outdone himself !!

[10/10 · 10 July 2010]

What is the most resilient parasite? An Idea! Yes, Nolan has created something with his unbelievably, incredibly and god- gifted mind which will blow the minds of the audience away. The world premiere of the movie, directed by Hollywood's most inventive dreamers, was shown in London and has already got top notch reviews worldwide and has scored maximum points! Now the question arises what the movie has that it deserve all this?

Dom Cobb(Di Caprio) is an extractor who is paid to invade the dreams of various business tycoons and steal their top secret ideas. Cobb robs forcefully the psyche with practiced skill, though he's increasingly haunted by the memory of his late wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard), who has a nasty habit of showing up in his subconscious and wreaking havoc on his missions. Cobb had been involved so much in his heist work that he had lost his love!

But then, as fate had decided, a wealthy business man Saito( Ken Watanabe) hands over the responsibility of dissolving the empire of his business rival Robert Fischer Jr.(Cillian Murphy). But this time his job was not to steal the idea but to plant a new one: 'Inception'

Then what happens is the classic heist movie tradition. To carry out the the task, Cobb's 'brainiac' specialists team up again with him, Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), his longtime organizer; Tom Hardy (Eames), a "forger" who can shapeshift at will; and Yusuf (Dileep Rao), a powerful sedative supplier.

There is only one word to describe the cinematography, the set designs and the special effects, and that is Exceptional! You don't just watch the scenes happening, you feel them. The movie is a real thrill ride. The action scenes are well picturised and the music by Hans Zimmer is electronically haunting. Never, in the runtime of the movie, you will get a chance to move your eyes from the screen to any other object.

Leonardo, who is still popularly known for Jack Dawson played by him in Titanic, should be relieved as his role as Dom Cobb will be remembered forever. His performance may or may not fetch him an Oscar but it will be his finest performance till date. The supporting cast too did an extraordinary work. Christopher Nolan, ah! What a man he is. His work is nothing less than a masterpiece and he deserves all the awards in the 'Best Director' category. If "Inception" is a metaphysical puzzle, it's also a metaphorical one: It's hard not to draw connections between Cobb's dream-weaving and Nolan's film making, intended to seduce us, mess with our heads and leave an ever-lasting impression.

To conclude, I would just say before your life ends, do yourself a favor by experiencing this exceptionally lucid classic created by Nolan!

My Rating: 10/10

Thanks & Regards.

I Hate Luv Storys (2010)

So, you did not believe the title!

[4/10 · 2 July 2010]

The title was attractive.. So was the treatment and the hype.. Both, who love and who hate love stories were excited.. But, we adore love stories, aren't we? So how can anybody possibly hate love stories.. That was supposed to be the main theme of the movie.. But.. things went wrong right from the beginning.. Full of clichés and predictable storyline the whole setup of the movie failed..

Imran a typical Casanova works as an assistant to a director who is famous for making blockbuster love stories.. Incomes Sonam who is an art director for the same movie in which Imran is working.. Imran hates his job and love stories but Sonam lives in fairy world where love stories are made in heaven and she has already got a perfect match for her who is just like a typical love story hero.. As usual they are totally anti towards each other and gradually grow liking and Sonam already being engaged falls for him and he rejects... Then as the time passes Imran finds himself as a changed man and he doesn't enjoys his life as he used to be.. His friends convince him that he has fallen in love but he isn't ready to accept the fact but like all the old stories he gets to know that he is in love with Sonam and after all the tedious drama they meet and live happily ever after!

Now, I don't need to say anything on the storyline provided you already have made your opinion after reading the above para.. Then comes the acting.. Imran Khan is as always very consistent.. No actor can act as badly as he does.. Neither he accepts this fact and nor he tries to improve upon.. His dialogue delivery is worse than Bruna Abdullah(yeah, she too is present in this film)and like always he is expression less throughout the movie and dances like a douchebag! Sonam is strictly OK..! Kavin Dave as Imran's friend is the show stealer and takes the lime light in not few but in many scenes.. Samir Dattani is decent.. Aamir Ali is good as an individual but his pairing with Pooja Ghai is irritating.. Samir Soni is OK in some parts and good in some.. The only saving grace if the movie is the music.. Vishal-Shekhar are in top form.. Styling by Manish Malhotra is top notch.. Cinematography is enjoyable too.. The worst part is the direction.. Debutante Punit Malhotra should be backed for trying a different theme but he should be thrashed for failing miserably..

To conclude, I would suggest the movie only to those who have a strong affinity for usual love stories.. Yeah the movie had its few hilarious moments but thats not what you expect from a movie made under Dharma Productions banner..!

My Rating: 4/10

Thanks and Regards

Raajneeti (2010)

Prakash Jha's attempt at Polymorphism!

[6/10 · 5 June 2010]

First of all let me clear it out, I personally hate politics and am a novice in it but after watching this movie I concluded few things:

1) All politicians are murderers.

2) People switch their present or future life partners with others in order to gain votes or money to gain votes.

3) Police is just like dice for politicians. They throw and spin them against each other for their own benefits.

4) There is no term like family or sibling in politics. Anyone can turn against anyone or may be kill each other just for greed of votes.

5) Public is a complete moron; people vote for that person who gives them a cunning speech and not to that person who genuinely wants good for them.

6) There are no human beings in politics, just a bunch of 'escaped-from-hell' devils fighting against each other to attain powers not for using for benefit of public but for personal greediness.

I am not sure whether the things I concluded are correct but you will sense trueness in them once you watch this movie. Prakash Jha( Mrityudand, GangaJal and Apaharan), famous for making movies on serious topics and getting success for every film, fails this time. All his previous movies worked because he stuck to the main story till the end and the lead actor did justice with his role. But, in Raajneeti he did a different thing, he assembled a huge star cast with every actor having a potential of pulling of any movie well and a strong topic: politics, which was great but he didn't give preference to MAIN story this time which went wrong.

Raajneeti is supposedly based on the epic Mahabharata in which brothers went for a long brutal war against each other because of their personal differences. Thus, with so many characters in the movie it was impossible for any director to present two stories simultaneously: Politics and a family war. Prakash Jha had so much scope of showing the inside story of the dirty politics going on in the country, people would have been satisfied with that but we all know there very few politicians who come from the same family or may be there is no one. So, instead of showing the movie on politics Prakash Jha ended up making a movie in which a group of brothers play conspiracies against each other to become the group leader.

I am not indicating that Raajneeti was a complete failure. It made huge impacts many times. The positives were fine performances by the actors. Ranbir Kapoor, Manoj Bajpai, Katrina Kaif and Arjun Rampal deserve special accolades for their performances. Naseeruddin Shah had nothing to do in the movie. Ajay Devgn too had little scope in comparison to others but he did his job well. Nana Patekar was OK. Sarah Thomson was good.

As I told storyline would have been much better if Prakash Jha and Anjum Rajabali stuck only to the politics. Music by Wayne Sharpe went unnoticed except for the song Mora Piya which was played a few times in the background. Editing was poor, the movie could easily have been cut short by thirty minutes which didn't happen the movie so gave the audiences many chances of yawning and checking their watches.

To conclude I would say the difference lies in Prakash Jha's earlier successful movies and Raajneeti is that the previous movies were made with an intention of presenting the audiences with reality and Raajneeti was only made with intention of scoring big at the box office. The film had so many brilliant actors that Prakash Jha didn't do full justice with everyone, he wanted to include everything in his movie: romance, suspense, and some scenes which were completely unexpected and unwanted.

I know you will watch this film, so there is no point of saying anything on this but yeah this film has its moments which will remind you of old Prakash Jha. That's why I say he didn't go for politics, he went for polymorphism!

My Rating: 6/10

Thanks & Regards

Kites (I) (2010)

Pathetically Disappointing ....!

[3/10 · 21 May 2010]

First things first, you would have heard the phrase: 'Only Style, No Substance'.. Kites changes that phrase into 'Only Hrithik, Nothing Else'.. Touted as the stylish bollywood film ever with loads of drama, action and thriller.. But it had NOTHING except a few scenes which do bring smile on faces but were not strong enough for people to say cheers for the movie.. Even Dhoom:2 was bad but Hrithik carried it off well on his own, but Kites is worse and this time even Hrithik's enigmatic charisma can't do any good to this film.. Starting from story, screenplay and acting everything was poor.. Anurag Basu who previously directed Gangster and Life in a Metro gave his worst this time.. Hrithik initially was not up to the mark but then as the film paced he got better and better but like i said his heroics can't save the film this time.. Barbara Mori was good but not best like everyone said.. The bad man Nicholas Brown was at par with Barbara..The extremely talented Kangana Ranaut was wasted! Even Kabir Bedi didn't get scope this time.. His role had to be creepier but he acted like a novice and was nowhere in the second half of the movie..

Here goes the stupid plot:Dance Teacher Hrithik Roshan acts to be in love with Kangana Ranaut so he could use her wealth to live his life but his destiny turns his life upside down when he comes face to face with Kangana's Brother (Nicholas Brown)Tony's fiancée Barbara Mori. He realizes that Barbara is only marrying Tony for money just like him.. They both fell in love and the usual betrayal takes place in a typical bollywood style.. Kabir Modi who happens to be Kangana's Father and the owner of a prestigious Casino in Las Vegas who also is a Gangster does nothing and his Tony becomes mad after the ran-away couple that he just travels around the globe after them shooting around with his men..

The second half of the movie is so moronic that one wonders why is he still sitting in the theater watching this stupid movie.. The response if the audience was so bad that as soon as the exit door was open people started leaving their seats abusing the film badly.. No one even bothered to watch the last scene and the end credits! Hrithik does his stunts well in the song 'Fire'.. He is completely pokerface in the song and is busy in performing the dance stunts that he even forgets to bring a smile on his face.. He is totally expressionless in the song.. The music is above average is different from past movies of FilmKraft productions.. The only thing which is commendable in the movie is the cinematography..

To conclude I would just say this is the WORST HRITHIK ROSHAN MOVIE till date.. Save your money and time and invest both in some other work.. HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED.. And this time the Roshans are not going to have the last laugh.. They had said that this is a landmark film and will touch those heights which no other bollywood movie has ever had, but what the hell! In fact they should say sorry to all the people for creating such a big hype about the movie which is nothing but a below average mediocre bollywood masala..

My Rating: 3/10; (I would have given 2 but being a huge Hrithik fan I felt pity and gave an extra point)

Thanks & Regards

Badmaash Company (2010)

The Six-Day-Script is the real king!

[7/10 · 7 May 2010]

God provides everyone what they deserve but doesn't fulfill their greed.. This statement holds truth for today's youth who wish to attain the height no one has ever reached without doing the required hard work.. Badmash Company depicts this thought beautifully.. Intelligent script combined with superb individual performances resulted in a 2.30 hrs of light entertainment.. Awesome... Brilliant... Superb... were the words coming out of the mouths of those coming out of the theaters after watching this movie.. Honestly speaking watching the movie was real fun..

Set in 90's a group of four(Shahid, Anushka , Vir Das and Meiyang Chang) decide to work against the system and earn money and height quickly by their unorthodox methods... They work brilliantly by making unique plans and taking accurate decisions.. The first half is a fun ride with the rise of their company and the chemistry between the friends and between Shahid and Anushka..

Things start getting little repetitive and predictive in the second half when success gets inside Shahid'd head and he eventually runs of out of his luck and starts claiming himself the spearhead of the group and even starts calling himself the god.. His pride makes him friendless and he ends up behind the bars.. Then the usual self realization comes and he learns that money is not the only thing which makes a man rich but the glory and respect he earns from others by doing a legal job in a commendable manner makes a man rich.. Then he goes back to beginning and starts doing the right job in an extraordinary way..

Parmeet Sethi has struck the right chord with his first directorial venture.. A script written in six days cannot get better than this.. The dialogues especially the one liners are hilarious.. Cinematography is commendable.. Pritam's music is strictly OK! Amongst the actors its Anushka who steals the show by her performance.. After Rab Ne her transformation is superb.. Shahid is absolutely fine with his role.. His style and way of doing everything will be remembered.. Meiyang Chang too was fine considering the fact this was his acting debut.. Vir Das was absolute delight with his funny yet sensible acting..

To conclude, Badmaash Company is a complete surprise.. An intelligent entertainer.. A must watch for all!!

My Rating: 7/10

Thanks & Regards

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Iron Man 2 = Double Awesomeness!!

[10/10 · 29 April 2010]

Before Iron Man was made John Favreau said he can never imagine anyone except Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and as we know RDJ's career went to a totally different level after that movie... Iron Man 2 promises the same..

Not many think that this movie could achieve the status the previous one achieved but mark my words, it will provide double entertainment as the previous one.. Sure its ending is also not up to the mark as the previous one but Robert Downey is the star his action sequences, his comic timing and his one liners are so brilliant that u might tempt to give an Oscar to him right away!

Mickey Rourke as Whiplash is superb as ever! He is mean, he is strong, he is dangerous.. Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow is sexy and perfect, although many may complaint about not being given the full description about her character when she is introduced in the film.. Don Cheadle beats Terence Howard as John Rhodes in this movie.. But the real surprise came in the form of Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer.. His performance was a delight! Gwyneth Paltrow was same as the previous one..

To conclude this movie promises to deliver double awesomeness in form of action, humor, special effects and everything.. Don't Miss this one!!

My Rating: 10/10

Green Zone (2010)

Two Thumbs Up!

[7/10 · 12 March 2010]

"All they're interested in is something they can hold up on CNN."

"Civil war in six months, I guarantee it."

"Your government wanted to hear the lie."

"It is not for you to decide what happens here."

Place all that between "shock and awe" and "mission accomplished" and it sizes up the war in Iraq pretty nicely, doesn't it?

Director Paul Greengrass' film about how things went so wrong in so many ways. Working from Brian Helgeland's script ("inspired by" Rajiv Chandrasekaran's book "Imperial Life in the Emerald City"), Greengrass uses his trademark hand-held camera style (and that's a hand with a serious shake) to create what may be a new genre: the historical non-stop action drama.

Matt Damon plays Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller, whose unit is charged with finding WMD. When a third consecutive "confirmed" site turns up empty - it's a defunct toilet factory - he begins to realize that this isn't just coincidence. It's not simply a matter of frustration; men are fighting and dying trying to secure these sites, so that Miller's team can investigate. Greengrass, as expected, is expert at capturing the confusion amidst the violence of these fights, the hand-held style fitting in with the general chaos.

It's certainly interesting to see what's been reported on the manipulation of information played out as drama, and the acting is uniformly good. To pretend that the film doesn't make a political statement is silly. Of course it does. It wouldn't be effective at all if it didn't.

Karthik Calling Karthik (2010)

Five minutes into the film and i was hooked!!

[7/10 · 26 February 2010]

Ring Ring! Karthik picks up the phone and speaks to someone he never thought he would.. The person speaking claims to be Karthik!

The person claiming to be Karthik calls Daily at 5 am and says he is there to change Karthik's life......

REWIND

Karthik is an IIM topper and the record breaker of CA exam.. His job sucks and he is frustrated of his life.. His boss tortures him and the girl(Deepika Padukone) whom he secretly loves doesn't even know he exists or not!

THEREAFTER

Karthik is a changed man! Shonali(Deepika) is now his girlfriend! He has been promoted on his job! His boss is now polite to him! Thanks to his 5 AM friend!

But you keep guessing that is it possible? Can you ever get a call from yourself? This is what you keep thinking till the climax unfolds and you come to know the truth behind that mysterious phone call!

Special Kudos for débutante director Vijay Lalwani for making a great thriller! This is Farhan Akhtar's third film as an actor and it must be said that he takes giant strides when it comes to acting.. This is by far his best work! Not many movies in bollywood have been made under the genre of psychological thriller and that is main highlight of the film.. Vijay Lalwani's writing is superb and direction is fantastic! The music of the movie(Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy) is an asset for the film! Background score by MIDIval Punditz is great! Deepika is getting worse! She definitely needs someone to train her!

The main aim of a suspense movie is to keep the audience guessing what will happen next and Karthik Calling Karthik succeeds in doing that!

To conclude:

Positives: The suspense is maintained well, Superb acting by Farhan and excellent music!

Negatives: The ending of the movie may NOT be appreciated by some!

My Rating : 7/10

Thanks and Regards

Cop Out (2010)

Laugh Out Loud!!

[7/10 · 23 February 2010]

What can you expect in a Bruce Willis movie?? Action? Suspense? Thriller? Hadn't Cop Out been made you could never have said a comedy! At least I couldn't believe Bruce Willis in laugh out loud comedy! Hats off to Director Kevin Smith for handling the veteran Bruce Willis superbly! His first directorial venture in which the script has not been penned by himself!

The film also stars Tracey Morgan who with his great comic timing and hilarious sense of humor blew me away!! LOL His best part is while interrogating suspects he recites dialogues from great movies in humorous ways!Bruce Willis again shows that age doesn't affect him in selecting great roles and performing them in a superb manner!

Take my advice: you must try this movie as it will keep you tickling all the time! A must watch!

Shutter Island (2010)

Another Martin-Leo Masterpiece!!!

[8/10 · 15 February 2010]

Martin Scorsese returns to film making after winning the academy award for The Departed with his fav star Leonardo DiCaprio.. This time he move to a completely different script which keeps the audience humored and thrilled from the first scene till the last! The movie( which i saw at the Berlin film festival!) blew away the minds of many people, the plot being so strong and thrilling which kept the audiences guessing!

When it comes to acting Leonardo lets no stone unturned! The supremely talented actor has once again showed that why Martin casts him in his every movie as he is simply superb! He not only fits into the role smoothly but delivers a terrific performance every time! Sir Kingsley being the head psychiatrist of the asylum has also done a marvelous job!

The film is full of flashbacks and haunting dream sequences that range in location from the island itself to the concentration camp at Dachau. The audience is constantly trapped in a world where one questions what is reality and what is dream. Don't miss this one!

My Name Is Khan (2010)

Welcome to the Khan's world!!

[10/10 · 12 February 2010]

Welcome to a new world: Rizwan's world! There is no religion in his world only good people and bad people! He suffers from a form of autism; asperger's syndrome but that doesn't stop him from differentiating between good and bad and mind you he is a genius and has a pretty good memory.. He doesn't hesitate in saying the truth and is always ready to help and love others.. He says the Khans don't break their promise! He hates yellow color and says the use of mobile phone will kill bees and eventually human beings!

This movie isn't a copy of New York or Kurbaan as people say.. In fact this is the only movie in recent times with a super strong message.. The music is soulful and gels along with the movie very well.. Cinematography is top notch! Hats off to Karan Johar for his marvelous direction and special accolades must be given to Shibani Bhatija for superb dialogues! But the man who deserves special kudos and a standing ovation is the king khan himself!! Forget Chak de! Forget Swades or forget anything you remember about him!! The moment you are out of the hall you wont be able to think SRK as a normal person... Funny but yeah he has acted so beautifully that you will only remember Shah Rukh as Rizwan! Yes Rizwan is his new name now!! Kajol was also good in her role even though she doesn't have a big role in the movie! Her sizzling chemistry with SRK is visible whenever the duo are together on screen.. specially in the song Tere Naina!

He doesn't care what problem is he in or how famous he has become by doing those deeds which every human being should do! He only cares about a promise that he has to carry out in order to rebuild his shattered dreams of a successful life.. He loves Mandira(Kajol) and her son very much and he is ready to do anything for them!! He never forgets anyone who helped him! All he wants is peace in the world and for every human being!!

SRK is back with a bang!! My Name Is Khan will make you laugh, it will make you cry and it will make you fall in love with Khan!! So please take my advice watch the movie as soon as possible!!

My Rating 10/10

Thanks and Regards!

Ishqiya (2010)

Delicious saucy comedy and a suspenseful noir!!

[8/10 · 31 January 2010]

When I entered the movie hall to watch ishqiya i had a feeling of deja vu !! I thought it would be very similar to omkara but NO! it ain't omkara.. The only thing similar in both movies is the village!! Debutant Abhishek Chaubey wastes no time in setting up his drama, throwing you into the story immediately, never wasting more time on unnecessary links.

Ishqiya is pure delight.. Both in terms of the narrative that moves from one tangy twist to another and in terms of the performances.. The film's USP is its lingo and witty dialogues which keep you tickling all the time! Added to that the biggest star of the movie is the script per se!

Set in the village of gorakhpur ishqiya deals with two small gangsters Arshad and Naseeruddin who with vidya balan make a plan to kidnap a small businessman to earn money and return to the head! But then the thing which will blow you away is the chemistry between the trio!(Arshad Naseer & Vidya) Arshad with his great comic timimg and abusive dialogues will win numerous accolades! Naseeruddin Shah is the legend as everyone knows but in this film he shines in a great manner in his romantic scenes with vidya!And of course Vidya Balan oh what a performance she has given in this film! She has carried away a widow woman full of vengeance in a superb way..

The climax of the movie is fast paced and is full of twists and turns but the scenes between Arshad and Vidya are hilarious! Go have a blast!

My Rating 8/10

Thanks and Regards..

Chance Pe Dance (2010)

Yaba Daba Yahoo!!!!

[6/10 · 21 January 2010]

To cut it straight as everyone knows the movie didn't get good reviews but take my word the movie is not as bad as people think.. Loads of struggler movies have been made and you have heard the same story over and over again but where lies the difference?? The answer is the moments!! Yes watch for its moments and the passion which Shahid injects into the role...

Ken Ghosh who set the box office on fire with his Ishq Vishq this time slips due to his not-so-new script.. The only thing which earned the movie some respect was Shahid's unmatched performance! His dance sequences are superb and choreographed by Marty Kudelka who has choreographed stars like Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson.. The irony is that despite having four music directors in the movie the music is not so great and you don't even remember the count of the songs after you watch the movie!!

Genelia as usual is OK! Parikshat Sahni is the new Dad of Bollywood and Mohnish Behl was satisfactory and the children of his dance class were surprisingly charming!! But the standout performance was from Shahid whose struggling act and honest expressions make you smile!!

If you wondering what to extract from this review then watch the movie for its fun moments and of course Shahid and his dance.. It will make you smile!!

3 Idiots (2009)

Aal izz very, very, very, very, very Well

[9/10 · 24 December 2009]

"Whatever the problem in life is... just say to yourself 'Aal Izz Well'.. This wont solve your problems but it will give the courage to face it.." "Chase Excellence and success will follow".. " Life is not about getting marks, grades but chasing your dreams".. These are the golden rules which 3 IDIOTS teaches you in a very light and entertaining way.. The movie makes you laugh and in the process you learn many golden rules which can alter your life in a big manner...

3 actors from the path-breaking blockbuster RANG DE BASANTI( Aamir, Sharman, Madhvan) team up together with Rajkumar Hirani.. It couldn't get bigger! Loosely based on blockbuster novel ' Five Point Someone ' by Chetan Bhagat the movie deals with the present education system in India that whether getting more marks and better grades is better than gaining knowledge and is mugging up everything more useful than understanding it..

The movie has many hilarious scenes and everyone in the film form Aamir to Boman Irani to Omi Vaidya were superb in their roles.. Aamir has outdone himself.. Never in the film he has looked 44 year old... Film's music sounds mediocre but when viewed on the screen then the music sounds perfect.. Cinematography is awesome and so is the direction.. Raju Hirani's screenplay(you can easily ignore a few loose points) is a masterpiece and the film will achieve cult status for engineering students in a short period of time.. It has the soul which Five Point Someone had.. It is easily Aamir Khan's finest film to date.. The film's climax is fantabulous and is a shocker.. It takes everyone by surprise...

To conclude 3 IDIOTS has the potential to break all records and sweep all awards.. Watch it... You will Love it...

My Rating: 9/10

Thanks and Regards

Avatar (2009)

The Greatest Movie Ever Made....

[10/10 · 16 December 2009]

First of all I would like to place upon my sincere thanks towards Mr James Cameroon for taking his valuable five years of his life for making a movie no one except him could have ever imagined.. Being under pressure of humongous amount of money stake he carried the expectations with ease and expertise.. This is not just a movie.. Its a rich experience which may eventually blow of your mind.. All in a future high-tech metaphora, of enormous weaponry and spaceships and a primitive jungle world that's both weird but also so familiar...

Hats off to James for his thinking and imagination..(He even created a language for the creatures living on the James-made-Planet).. For performance I would love to take two names: Sam Worthington and Michelle Rodriguez.. Both were superb in their roles.. Sam's simplicity initially will take you as a surprise and watch out for his performance during the fight sequence as a Na'vi.. He will surely walk away with loads of accolades.. Cinematography is pragmatic and enigmatic.. VFX and Graphics used are marvelous.. James' Direction is humongous superb and breath taking.. After allowing the likes of Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich to try and direct large action films he returns to show them how a master does it..

My advice: "Take out 3 hrs of time out of your lives(even if you are not a movie buff) to enjoy an experience nobody ever imagined.. Just buy a tub of popcorn and a soft drink and enjoy"

My Rating: 9.5/10

Thanks & Regards