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Rebel Ridge (2024)
About an ex marine vs cops in this thriller
There is something fascinating about the work of a movie director who has written the script/ screenplay too and has also edited the movie. Names which come to mind are masters Akira Kurosawa ( Seven Samurai) and James Cameron ( Avatar) . One more addition could be Jeremy Saulnier who has written, directed and edited this movie and is also one of the producers. The movie is gripping and engaging no doubt but a better impact could have been created after cutting the runtime by about 20 to 30 minutes. There is lots of action in this movie about a face off between a black ex US marine combatant Terry and a corrupt police chief who has illegally seized his 36 K dollars partly meant for obtaining bail for his cousin. Not the one to take it lying down Terry hits back with the help of two helpful and sympathetic women who feel he is right to fight back. One is Summers an employee of the courthouse and the other is Jessica a police officer in the chief's office. ( A case of woman power helping out the hero! ).
Director Jeremy Saulnier has packed in thrills of high speed car chases with plenty of vroom vroom , screeching tyres, police lingo transmissions, shootings, all edge of the seat stuff done well. At places the narrative slows down and veers off into a detour not exciting enough. The opening may remind one of "First blood " and similar movies.
Angry Young Men (2024)
The writer duo speak on professional and personal matters
Can't blame a number of people who wanted much more from the series content wise because there is enough material to make some more episodes. As it stands it will be liked by Hindi movie buffs particularly those who have followed the work of this writer duo for many years. The trivia of their professional and personal lives makes for an interesting watch. Stories relating to the making of Zanjeer and Sholay are interesting anytime, anywhere and these have been covered well. How these writers demanded and got a prominent place in billing and greater remuneration than the actor is the stuff of legends. The drastic dip in their career at one time after a number of consecutive blockbusters and their separation makes for an emotional watch.
Director Namrata Rao has presented a collection of interviews of both writers which sends us on a memory trip and is very nostalgic. I feel those in the 60 plus age group are more likely to relate and empathize with the views of the two writers. The series includes some iconic dialogue of their movies which are remembered and quoted even today after many years. The scenes of their bonding together in the last episode is heartwarming.
Sector 36 (2024)
Vikrant Massey nails it as a psychopathic serial killer
The impressive feature of this movie is an outstanding portrayal of Vikrant Massey as a psychopathic serial killer which stays with you for quite some time and which may fetch him awards. ( Interesting to note that this role is in sharp contrast to the role of a simpleton he played in "12th fail".) His interpretation of the character including the nuances and mannerisms of the cruel killer is praiseworthy. In this role Vikrant Massey nails it as the brutal psychopath who is shameless, is a pervert, ruthless and cunning. What is alarming is that in a chilling scene he gives justification for his heinous crime .As the molester he is remorseless and has cannibalistic tendencies once he has killed his victims. On the other hand Deepak Dobriyal is equally impressive as the cop who investigates the disappearances of children of the local colony and questions Vikrant at length in a long duration riveting scene. He is plumb shocked with the admission of the killer who describes the gruesome details of his crime in a nonchalant manner.
Director Aditya Nimbalkar has definitely presented the scenes in realistic manner and it appears that he has provided full scope to Vikrant to enact the complex role. The narrative keeps the audience hooked throughout.
IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack (2024)
A thrilling hijack drama
No comments on how true this movie is on the book on which it is based and how faithfully it depicts actual events because I have not read the book and I don't have first hand knowledge of actual events. All I can say is that it is a thrilling account of a hijack drama spread over six episodes. An ensemble of top actors have brought to life this tense story and director Anubhav Sinha has done a splendid job in so far as his story telling is concerned. Though the streaming platform wants you to continue watching the next episode immediately in continuation , one tends to do so even while having an option not to. This is probably an indication of the high quality of the series. The plot. On 24th December 1999 an Indian Airlines plane on the way from Kathmandu to Delhi is hijacked by a group of terrorists who force the pilot at gunpoint to fly to Kandahar, Afghanistan even though the fuel is near zero. On the ground panic sets in and the Indian government takes an immediate stock of the situation and despatches a team of top level bureaucrats to conduct negotiations with the hijackers.
Director Anubhav Sinha has made a gripping serial. Some may have a difference of opinion regarding the presentation and unfolding of the narrative but that is a different issue All actors including Vijay Varma, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Naseeruddin Shah , Patralekha, Pankaj Kapur and others have given good performances. The technical aspects are good.
Kill (2023)
A top class action thriller
First things first. This movie is not for the faint hearted since it has extreme graphic violence and lots of it. ( Almost 70% of the movie). The title of the movie is very apt since it is all about the good guys killing the bad guys. All credit to the director because he has unabashedly and in your face unleashed top class choreographed mayhem and brutality within the confines of railway coach in a running train. The action is top class and keeps one mesmerized with the intensity projected. The plot is about two NSG commandos who take on around three dozen dacoits wielding knives and other weapons who rob and attack the passengers . One thrillng fight follows another in quick succession and the action keeps you riveted, wide eyed and on the edge of your seat.
Director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat and the action director have collaborated to create world class cinema no doubt and John Wick comes to mind.( Not surprising that an English version is planned by other makers.) Both Lakshya and Raghav Juyal make for a fantastic protagonist and antagonist. The energy, the pain and the intensity they project is highly palpable. The cinematography, editing, sound etc are top class and have made a heavy contribution to make the film what it is.
Kinds of Kindness (2024)
Three interesting stories
Films made by director Yorgos Lanthimos are not an easy watch and anyone who has sat through " Poor things" will not dispute this. Nevertheless he has his own fans and admirers who think of him as an outstanding director. The average audience member looking for a straightforward, absorbing, entertaining storyline is bound to be disappointed. It starts with the song "Sweet dreams are made of this" and we settle down for three stories one after the other. A triptych if you please with the regulars Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe. We also have Jesse Plemons and all three have given superb performances. There is a middle aged male character in all three stories called RMF and the three stories are titled " Death of RMF" , "RMF is flying" and " RMF eats a sandwich". In the first story Jesse is being forced by his boss Willem to kill RMF, in the second story RMF is the pilot who brings home Jesse's wife Emma and at the end of the third story RMF is peacefully eating a sandwich after a close encounter with death. Hence the titles.
Director Yorgos Lanthimos sticks to his signature style of picturisation. He builds a nice tempo in individual scenes which are intriguing, bizarre, revolting at times, macabre, and shocking by turns as the plot develops. Scenes of the yacht and the palatial homes are tastefully done. The use of background music to create an eerie and unnerving effect is creditable. The director is indeed a wizard in the use of camera with reference to its placement and movement. His use of super close ups and long shots is attractively done. In respect of the crisp editing I saw the use of dissolve after a long time.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
An enjoyable, entertaining romantic comedy
This time this is my throwback Thursday movie and it's a popular romcom of 2003. The plot is fairly simple. Ben ( Mathew Mc Conaughey ) is an advertising executive who takes a bet with his boss that he can get a girl to fall for him in 10 days. Andie ( Kate Hudson) on the other hand writes for a "good times" magazine and wants to show that she can entice a boy and then do things to lose him in 10 days so that she can write an article in the magazine. Both have an agenda to follow up and do stuff accordingly but at the end of 10 days they find themselves involved in a romantic relationship. In a way the movie is about what girls should not do to irritate their boyfriends so that they end the relationship. This includes disturbing him in a critical time while watching a basketball game or his favorite movie or dropping in on his boys out night poker game or forcing her pet dog on him etc etc. ( It's more like what a girl should do so that a boy dumps her in 10 days ) He on the other hand does romantic stuff to make her fall in love with him in 10 days.
There are comic situations which the lead pair perform with characteristic charm and panache. Mathew is at his debonair best while Kate plays cute to almost perfection. ( Her impish smile reminds one of her mom Goldie Hawn of yester years) .An enjoyable movie for lovers of romcoms and fans of the lead couple.
Murder Mystery (2019)
Murder on the yacht and a couple are in trouble
I was tempted to see this movie because of Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston who are both favourites of mine and who are excellent in the romcom genre. Adam plays a New York cop not among the best of them because he has flunked the department exams thrice, his aim in shooting is terrible and he also has back problems. He has promised to take his wife Jennifer on a holiday abroad on their 15th marriage anniversary. While flying out they have a chance meeting with a billionaire on board the plane who invites them for a holiday in his luxury yacht. Things are great for them initially but to their shock they soon become reluctant witnesses to a murder on board the yacht and become suspects in the investigation which follows. They then have a harrowing time proving their innocence with comic results.
Not exactly among the better romcoms or sitcoms or murder mysteries the movie becomes watchable due the acting of the lead couple who can naturally be only as good as the situations or the lines they speak . One wishes the script gave them greater opportunity to showcase their comedy skills. The scenes get gimmickry and goofy and it is a lighthearted fun filled rollercoaster ride all the way. The one liners and chemistry of the lead couple keeps the narrative going.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)
Truly some ungentlemanly warfare!
We have all heard of " All is fair in love and war" so one can ask how does warfare become ungentlemanly ?. Anyway the movie is fairly interesting and one can settle down for some entertaining fare. Supposedly based on true events during World War Two it chronicles the exploits of of a group of British special operations executives as they go out sabotaging the efforts of the German Army by destroying two of their U boats used for logistics support.
Director Guy Ritchie's narrative shows the ingress of this group into the German establishment and the destruction of German men and machines This is shown as a walk over operation by British special operatives and almost a piece of cake for them. At times it resembles the bowling down of nine pins and that too without much resistance on the part of Germans even granted that the British raid takes place during a full fledged social party in progress. (I wonder if the actual guys had it so easy.) There is no shortage of scenes of warfare and combat with the shooting down of soldiers caught unawares and of explosions planned meticulously. All you need to do is to sit back, enjoy and ask no questions. Two interesting scenes. One showing Ian Fleming in the discussions and the other showing Winston Churchill congratulating the group at the end.
Chandu Champion (2024)
Kartik does well in this story of the quest for Olympic gold
A number of biopics have been made on sports persons and now the novelty is probably wearing off . This movie suffers because of a familiar plot and because it is similar to " Bhag Milkha Bhag" and " Lal Singh Chaddha " in some ways. It is a true story about a village boy who dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal in wrestling . Circumstances make him a soldier in the Indian Army where he does well in the boxing arena. Later he becomes paralyzed waist down due to battle injury and this leads him into depression. Through sheer will power and grit he is able to take part in para Olympics and fulfill his dream of winning a gold medal in swimming.
Kabir Khan uses the talent of Kartik Aaryan to make a fairly impressive film but one gets the feeling of deja vu throughout. We have seen it all. No doubt Kartik has impressed us with his acting and his transition from a village bumpkin to a soldier to a boxer to a swimming champ has been chronicled well. Kartik has given a praiseworthy performance. Director Kabir Khan has done well but he has given us better movies like Bajrangi bhaijaan. A jarring aspect is the comic track given to Rajpal Yadav which doesn't fit in well. The battle scenes have been shot and presented well.
Aattam (2023)
Twelve angry stage actors have a riveting discussion in this gripping movie
I decided to see this movie because it has got the national award for best feature film
even though I don't know the language. I was surprisingly kept engrossed and riveted for the duration of 140 minutes despite the fact that the movie was dialogue heavy and with hardly any action. The narrative with the help of subtitles was spell binding and all credit should go the director for creating world class cinema. Comparison with the English language movie " 12 Angry men " is natural and fair. Twelve male stage actors discuss a possible course of action after their female colleague complains of being molested by one of them while she was sleeping after their get together. Discussions among them continue for a long time with each putting forward his views and suggestions. At one point it is unanimously decided to expel the wrong doer but then unexpected developments take place.
Director Anand Ekarshi does a superb job with some fine storytelling and keeps the tempo and suspense going. He is helped by a well knitted screenplay, some artistic cinematography and brisk editing. All actors have done exceedingly well and it is difficult to say who is the best among them. Definitely a movie with all round excellence which needs to be on your" must watch" list.
Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba (2024)
Not as good as the original
Comparison with the original is inevitable like in all cases of sequels This is one more sequel which struggles to match up to the original which was much better in all aspects. It is difficult to pin point the weak points but the narrative seems to be muddled up and maybe it requires a bit of rework in the screenplay to make it more convincing. There are glaring inconsistencies in presentation and loose ends in the investigation. Two glaring points. One, surprising that the cops are not able to locate an guy living in the town who moves about without a disguise and has a prosthetic arm too. Second, in an amusing scene to the cop's simple question showing a photograph " Have you seen this guy ?", the land lady says "I will be back in two minutes. Do you want some tea ?" and the cop says " yes".
The narrative lacks credibility and conviction at most places leading up to a ridiculously designed climax on top of a hill. Tapsee Pannu exudes the right amount of sensuality and oomph required of the character and she is helped to project this by getting drenched in rain. Actors Vikrant Massey, Sunny Kaushal and Jimmy Shergill have acted adequately within the constraints of the characters they play. Sunny impresses while Jimmy does not. Vikrant does well. However a plus point is the superb cinematography bringing out the atmosphere specially at night like the noir type with rain, neon lights etc for effect.
Mr. & Mrs. Mahi (2024)
Suitable for family audiences
Movies on sports specially cricket are normally appreciated by all. This movie is reasonably good from all angles. It will be liked by family audiences too since it has enough of emotions and melodrama all wrapped up in an interesting storyline. It's all about the clash between personal ambitions and family expectations. Mahender, Mahi (Rajkummar Rao ) is not able to make the grade as a cricketer due to bad luck and becomes frustrated. His father who runs a sports shop wants Mahi to join him but Mahi is plainly reluctant. Soon he gets married to Mahima ( Janhvi Kapoor) a doctor who has a talent for cricket. Situations develop where he becomes her coach and initially they do well as a team but misunderstandings crop up causing unhappiness and family problems.
Director Sharan Sharma has filled the movie with family drama and cricket scenes both of which keeps the audience interested. The narrative though a little far fetched at places is relatable and will strike a chord with young and old alike. Both Rajkummar and Janhvi are convincing and have given above average performances. Music wise there are a couple of soulful tunes created by half dozen music directors which should become popular. A suitable movie for the family audience.
Maharaja (2024)
Top class movie with superb direction and acting
What can you say about a plotline about a barber going to a police station in a small town ,reporting the theft of a dustbin called " Lakshmi" and when the policemen laugh he offers them a large sum of money to pursue the case seriously ? It is a incredible that a strong screenplay can be built around this simple plotline to create some top class cinema with excellent direction ,acting and technical qualities. The movie is gripping, suspenseful and has got a more than a normal share of action with some scenes definitely violent and gruesome. To balance this aspect, the movie is also sentimental and touching with some scenes which may move you to tears. The demeanor of complex characters and the plot twists keeps you guessing. I do not know the language but the narrative kept me glued with the help of subtitles.
Director Nithilan Saminathan has made a gripping movie which keeps you hooked throughout and his work can be compared with some of the best directors of our time. His suspense and tension filled taut screenplay with its non linear narrative reminded me of Tarantino's work. Some marvellous story telling indeed. Individual scenes are cross linked beautifully. One needs to watch the movie with full attention so that the minor vital details are not missed. A good word can be said for the high class cinematography, editing and sound .The acting of the two central characters Vijay Sethupathi and Anurag Kashyap is superb and I felt that it is a splendid piece of correct casting. Both have lived the character and their performances are award worthy. The supporting actors have also done excellent work.
The Beekeeper (2024)
Action filled revenge mission
Think Jason Statham and you come up with vengeance , action, explosions and hand to hand combat with some meaningful one liners. It's all there in this movie and fans of Statham should be immensely pleased. The plot is about a retired member of a classified group" beekeepers" Adam Clay ( Jason Statham) who is extremely angry because an elderly lady who looks after him has committed suicide after getting scammed of all her money through phishing. (As per him stealing from elders is worse than stealing from kids). He then starts his revenge mission by destroying all those responsible for this and doesn't stop till he has eliminated them all before walking off into the sunset. The movie will remind one of the "Equaliser", "John Wick" and "Taken" franchise.
Director David Ayer has made an action thriller which allows Statham to do what he does best , that is extreme aggressiveness coupled with anger, intimidation all with his trademark deadpan expression. Watch him as he walks in with two fuel cans and tells the receptionist to have building evacuated since he is going to burn it down. He also says that when the law fails to deliver justice, he is there to do the needful. It is Statham all the way as he unleashes his anger and creates mayhem as only he can. At some points he bashes up a dozen guys of a SWAT team which seems far fetched. At a few other places the action appears beyond the realm of credibility but what the hell it's finally all there for entertainment.
Trigger Warning (2024)
An average movie
Parker ( Jessica Alba ) is a military combatant serving somewhere in Syria when she gets the news of her father's death in a mining accident back home in New Mexico. She rushes back and starts investigations to unravel the truth because she has a strong feeling that her dad was killed and it was not an accident. This plot of the protagonist coming back to "set things right at home and punish the culprits" is not entirely novel. The movie has lots of action but it does not impress because most of it takes place in dark situations ( low lit tunnels, night time outdoors, poorly lit bars etc), the cinematography is not great, the special effects are amateurish and the acting except for Jessica is nothing to write home about. Also it is unconvincing to see a petite 5 feet plus Jessica bashing up huge brawny guys even granted that she is skilled in combat. These are a couple of things which may have put off a number of viewers.
The narrative itself is not bad and Jessica definitely impresses as bold and courageous girl on a revenge mission and out to deliver justice for her late father. She has acted well and made the movie watchable inspite of the other drawbacks. There are loose ends in the plot specially with reference to the possible nexus between illegal arms dealers and the Senator.
The Revenant (2015)
Leo delivers an award worthy performance
This is my Thursday throwback movie. The movie released a decade back is set in 1823 in America. The title means "return from the dead" or words to that effect. It is marked by outstanding work by the combo of director- lead actor - cinematographer and has equally high other technical aspects. Leonardo DiCaprio has excelled himself playing Hugh Glass a fur trader who is left for dead by his colleagues in an inhospitable mountain terrain and jungle in extreme winter. He had been attacked by a grizzly bear, and since he is seriously wounded and half dead his colleagues leave him behind. He however manages to survive under adverse conditions of extreme cold displaying courage and resilience while suffering hypothermia. Leo manages to convey his pain and misery to the audience in a remarkable manner as he crawls and drags himself in the muddy stretch hallucinating and delirious. Not many actors have the opportunity of essaying a meaty role as this and Leo has deservedly got all the five major awards that year that is Golden globe, Critics choice, BAFTA, Screen actors guild and Oscar.
Director Alejandro Inarritu deserves awards and credit for filming the movie artistically in adverse conditions in remote locations in natural light. His shot composition and framing is masterclass stuff indeed. The beauty and brutality of the forest in extreme cold is brought out beautifully. The cinematographer has truly done wonders with his camera and the scenes with grey hues convey the mood effectively. The dark wilderness comes alive through his camera. There are scenes of natural beauty too all shot in natural light.
Aavesham (2024)
A gangster helps out troubled students in this entertainer
This one is a bonanza for fans of Fahad Faasil and it is an out and out massy entertainer which one can sit back and enjoy. Fahad plays Ranga a loud, loony, eccentric and quirky gangster boss wearing an all white dress, heavy gold necklaces and sporting a handle bar moustache. He spends his evenings at a liquor bar in the company of his gang of goons. Into his life walk in three students of the local engineering college asking for help with a complaint that college seniors have made their life a living hell. Ranga says no problem and proceeds to bash up the erring students at the entrance gate of the college itself with the help of his gang. Naturally complications develop and the three boys face getting rusticated among other problems.
Director Jithu Madhavan has made a totally entertaining movie and presented Fahad in a new avatar.( Not surprising that the credits say he is being re-introduced). True to the title there is plenty of energy and excitement through the fights which are attractively choreographed. Meaning of avesh is intense, frenzy ,wrath and there is plenty of this in the movie.( A nice point in the script. Ranga had promised his mom that he would not indulge in violence, so he doesn't hit anyone but actively directs his men to bash up guys). In a nice sequence Fahad also gets to do a solo dance at his home to express his happiness and joy. There is a lot of comedy too. The action is well photographed and the accompanying music adds to the excitement.
Upgraded (2024)
A Cinderella type plot with a rich boy and a not so rich girl
This is a romcom of the Cinderella type with a rich romantic boy Will ( Archie Renaux) and a pretty, petite but comparatively poor girl Ana ( Camila Mendes). All romcoms start with a chance encounter and there is one here when they brush past each other and she spills a soft drink on his clothes.( Reverse of Notting Hill). For things to progress you need another encounter and that happens on board a plane. Both are on the way to London, she gets an upgrade and they are seated side by side. To impress him she tells him that she is the director of a company and she has to keep up the pretence for quite some time. There are coincidences and happy times for both. There are misunderstandings too all because she has to keep fibbing and has taken a few wrong decisions.
Director Carlson Young has build up a predictable narrative and keeps it interesting enough catering for lovers of such romantic stories. Both lead players Camila and Archie are endearing. The supporting actors have done well to keep things realistic enough for popular acceptance. In particular Maria Tomei (Will's mom Claire ) has done very well indeed. Her acting reminds one of Meryl Streep in " The devil wears Prada".
Wild Wild Punjab (2024)
A crazy, wild, funny ride
The plus point of this movie is that it is aptly named because it is really wild .We have young Khanne
( Varun Sharma) of Patiala heart broken because he has been unceremoniously dumped by his girlfriend who is getting married at Pathankot. His three friends Honey ( Manjot Singh), Arora ( Sunny Singh) and Jain
( Jassie Gill) tell him " Have no fear, we are here " and encourage him to tell his ex girlfriend face to face on her wedding day that he is " over her". So starts their wacky, adventurous road trip from Patiala to Pathankot. They are all drunk, fight with toll tax guys, Jain gets married in his drunken stupor, they land up in jail, have a fight with some drug dealers and somehow manage to reach Pathankot. There are plenty of gags, wisecracks and slapstick situations for amusement.
Director Simarpreet Singh takes us on a rollercoaster ride of fun and frolic. There are some hilarious situations. Varun Sharma is on familiar turf as he enacts out comic situations with his signature style. Yes he gets shot in his posterior ( where else for comedy ? ) and a vet performs surgery on him. Manjot Singh as a helpful sardarji does well too in supporting his " Fukre" pal. Sunny Singh and Jassie Gill also impress with their craziness. Rajesh Sharma is good as usual as the police Inspector.
Civil War (2024)
Gripping movie on an imagined storyline
This movie is based on an imagined storyline set in America in the short term future where secessionist forces of different states indulge in fighting against each other. An imaginary Civil War is in progress. The narrative is told through the road journey of four photo journalists as they travel from New York City to Washington DC to interview POTUS. Not exactly an easy movie to watch as there is unending fear and a shoot to kill at every corner as they navigate their way through. Trigger happy militants of two states have formed groups and are causing mayhem. In their cross wires are the other guys and like a militant puts it succinctly " We are trying to kill them since they are trying to kill us ". There is an eerie air of doom and death as these journalists pass through areas littered with burnt vehicles, vacant buildings and dead bodies. At a few places they are able to videograph full fledged gunfights taking place. As the group passes through a small town where life is peaceful, they are surprised to see how serene those people are and how they are cut off from the chaos in neighbouring areas.
Director Alex Garland has enough material to shock you numb, unsettle you and shake you up with the raw intensity of chaos unfolding in front of your eyes. A few scenes are disturbing, nerve- racking and spine chilling indeed. The director is helped by some outstanding cinematography which dutifully captures the apocalyptic mood with dark hues and soft focus. One might feel that at places the filming technique appears to be " style over substance" but the impact is truly remarkable. Acting wise Kirsten Dunst and her husband Jesse Plemons have turned in award worthy memorable performances but it is basically a director's movie throughout.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
Cop Eddie takes us on a wild fun ride
This fourth instalments will please lovers of the franchise, fans of Eddie Murphy and lovers of entertaining movies in this order. I am in the last category and I am not disappointed. The humour , the situations and the one liners are no match to " Rush hour" and " Hangover" franchise but all the same keep one hooked with the fast flowing narrative, the car chases, the crashes and the general excitement as Eddie drives or is driven or even flown in a police helicopter. ( Can a police helicopter be called copter btw ? ). Eddie plays a middle aged Detroit police detective with a grown up and estranged daughter Jane who is a defense attorney. Their paths cross while investigating a crime but there is no thaw in the relationship for quite some time. Later they team up and are joined by her ex boyfriend Bobby and two colleagues of Eddie in their efforts to solve a crime.
Director Mark Molloy has packed in lots of action which is quite entertaining no doubt. A few scenes are edge of the seat type. A scene of low flying out of control helicopter in the streets is exciting stuff. This is rightfully Eddie's show and he takes us on a rollercoaster ride. His comic touch is still there. Watch him mocking his daughter for changing her surname to " Saunders" from " Foley ". Settle down with popcorn for this one. A word of praise for the musical tracks of the theme music and the song " The heat is on ".
Srikanth (2024)
Rajkummar Rao brings to life the success story of a visually challenged achiever
This is a biopic of Srikanth Bolla a visually impaired man who rises to great heights through sheer grit and determination overcoming all hurdles placed by society due to his handicap. Born in a poor family he is ostracized in childhood and told that he has no future in life. It is a kind teacher Devika ( Jyotika) who takes charge of him and gets him educated. His strong desire for college education comes becomes possible when he seeks and gets legal help since educational institutions say that they have no provision for visually challenged students for studying science subjects. He gets a scholarship to study in an American university through his knowledge and merit. He then branches out into business and becomes an extremely successful entrepreneur. All this time he is guided and helped by his teacher, he finds inspiration in his meetings with Dr Abdul Kalaam, his business associate Ravi ( Sharad Kelkar) helps him in business and he also finds time to romance Swathi ( Alaya F) while in America. In the downside, he becomes arrogant for some time and has an unpleasant experience with a scheming politician. Definitely an inspiring movie.
Director Tushar Hiranandani has a strong script to work on and is helped with the immense talent of Rajkummar Rao to create this top class movie. The narrative is convincing throughout and is riveting despite the absence of the normal box office concessions. The song " Papa Kehte Hain " is used effectively throughout. A truly award winning performance by Rajkummar Rao is the highlight. ( He says he has vision while others have sight and he has always pursued the aim to fulfill his " want to " desires )
A Family Affair (2024)
Her mom is in love with her boss
One more rom-com here and it is bound to remind you of " May December " and " The Idea of you " and probably a few more. It doesn't match up to those two movies anyway. Here we have a younger movie star Chris ( Zac Efron) having an affair with the single mother Brooke ( Nicole Kidman) of his young assistant Zara ( Joey King). The movie is just about okay and provides fairly passable entertainment with a few good situations. The daughter Zara is a sprightly young woman who is at her wit's end in her job because she has an extremely fussy and eccentric boss who drives her up the wall with his unreasonable demands. So it is doomsday for her when she finds her mom and her boss in a compromising position in her home. That too when she is on the verge of resigning from her job or getting fired depending on which way you look at it. Zara who is protective of her mother furiously tries to break up this relationship but without success. It is then upto grandma Leila ( Kathy Bates) to persuade Zara to soften her stand and allow her single mom to continue her affair and live her life.
The movie never really rises above the ordinary and those who go with great expectations because of Nicole will be disappointed. Not many laughs or one liners worth talking about. However some good acting from Kathy Bates makes the scenes watchable while Nicole is just adequate. Joey King has acted well.
Taken 3 (2014)
Typical action movie of the franchise
In all fairness this franchise of 3 movies has the simplest names Taken, Taken 2 and Taken 3. There is a definite commonality of plot, content, style, execution and above all our smart and resourceful Liam Neeson. Fans of the franchise who liked the earlier movies will be happy and satisfied since there is some more of the standardized action, car chases, car crashes, hair raising stunts, explosions, fights etc.
Liam is an ex cop who has been accused of murdering his ex wife and he is on the run trying to gather evidence to prove his innocence. At the same time he has to deal with the baddies who have " taken " his daughter. In the bargain he has to kick butt of the bad guys which he does with customery expertise and panache. There is bound to be a comparison among the three movies though I personally feel that Taken, the first one is the best ( Maybe because Liam was much younger.) In this movie at one point the down and out villain lays battered and addresses Liam as an "old man" probably because he has a grown up daughter. ( At that point he doesn't know that she is pregnant, otherwise he would have called him a grandfather.). On the whole the movie has typical entertainment of the "Taken " type, take it or not.