August Osage County

There is a moving story of an aging couple coping with health issues and addictions. Their middle aged children are not around. And then one fine day the old man goes missing. The children come home to support their elderly mother and then the a string of stories unfold. Dysfunctional families, sad childhood stories make it intense. The performances are brilliant. The beautiful landscapes of the mid west are just wow.

Some movies...

Over the last couple of  weeks, have watched 3 movies -
1. Bhootnath returns - Did not look like "my type" of a movie. But then I felt like watching. It has a message that every vote in an election counts. Hmm cant agree more.

2. A perfect storm - Watched this movie on a rainy evening and it felt I was on the rough seas as well. Based on a real life story about fishermen braving a storm. It gave me a rare insight into what drives some people to extreme conditions, to take those risks, despite knowing the odds. Very engaging.

3. Disconnect - What happens to victims of cyber crimes? What is the cost of putting yourself out there a little too much on the internet? Money seems the cheapest of them - there is self respect, jobs, identity and lives of loved ones that may be at stake. And what were these people(victims) looking for? Ironically connection, some human connection. Kind of intense. Good watch.

Amazing Spiderman - 2

It is a new release and watched it in 3D because there aren't any other great options among the new releases.

I used to be a Spidy fan as a kid, when I was in school, he was in college and now it has been years since I graduated and Spidy still is in college! :P

The 3D effects are good. There seem to be a few changes from the original. Some are good, some not so much. The action is entertaining, some witty one-liners are amusing. Handling of some of the romantic scenes seem over the top for a Hollywood movie, it seemed a tad Indian in approach - there was a scene where Peter Parker is crossing the road looking at Gwen without paying any heed to the flowing traffic  - I thought the background score seemed sooo Bollywood, although it was not! :)... Am not complaining, just a feeling, it was nice anyway.

I love watching movies in the hall and in 3D, so yeah I had fun watching it!

"Her"

Watched the movie "Her"(2013 release).
A man falls in love with an OS. :) It is nice and engrossing in a way I cant explain. Watch it.

Queen...

Movie name: Queen
Language : Hindi

Rani is all set to marry her longtime boyfriend, when the guy decides last minute to call off the wedding. Rani anyway goes ahead with the honeymoon plan - she had always wanted to visit Paris all her life. This dream somehow seemed tightly coupled to the honeymoon plan when all seemed well. When things fall apart she chooses to anyway go ahead and fulfill her dream. Sets out all by herself, explores Paris and Amsterdam, meets people, makes friends, gets a better understanding of the world, copes with many changes - sometimes with the help of people around and sometimes all by herself. In the process she finds herself and starts believing in herself.

There are no overly sentimental and dramatized scenes. The story is simple - a woman faced with a difficult situation does not allow herself to feel like a victim. There is always a choice to make. A choice to accept the situation and move on. It comes across as a real story. And if you are a woman, you would enjoy it all the more.
Would highly recommend the movie. 

Captain Philips...

A couple of days ago watched this movie - Captain Philips, based on a real life incident. Tom Hanks plays the captain of an American cargo ship which is being attached by Somali pirates. The captain, with his presence of mind  manages to save his crew from the pirates, but himself gets caught as a hostage. What happens next makes the rest of the movie. Tom Hanks plays as real a captain could get, and the way he talks to the pirates is interesting - he is afraid at times,vulnerable, but he is a man with a mission and that comes across. Engrossing. Would recommend the movie.

Frozen...

Movie name : Frozen.
Watched the animation movie in 3D at the theaters last week. It was about the love of two sisters. It was beautifully different from the regular fairy tail-ish stories. Good fun.

RamLeela...Goliyon ki raasleela...

Language : Hindi

Watched the movie at the cinemas today. Loosely based on Romeo and Juliet. The performances and chemistry of the lead pair, the bright colours of the costumes against the dull(but not boring) colored sets, the music, the dance - all these are a delight to watch. The movie was slightly long and the violence affects. 

The best part that I enjoyed was the chemistry between Ram(Ranvir Singh) and Leela(Deepika Padukone) and they look extremely good looking! :) They believe in each others love despite all odds. They dance quite well too. Some of the outdoor locations - was it Udaypur and Rann of Kutch, not sure - they are beautifully shown. And most parts of the movie were a visual treat to watch, it was "paisa-wasool" stuff.

Gravity...

Watched the movie “Gravity” today. The 3D effects were amazing. It is a sci-fi movie. A couple of astronauts space walking and fixing a few issues suddenly have to face a shower of debris speeding towards them (why was there a debris - again, aaah it had something to with Russians trying to destroy an old satellite or something, which back fired causing more collisions leading to the cosmic debris…something on those lines may be). Suddenly the hunky dory stuff stops and you get a grip of how very dangerous it can get in outer space. It is a movie about how humans feel, hold on to things – emotionally and how everything is life has to be sorted out in the head first, to get better, in reality.  Sandra Bullock(as Dr. Ryan Stone – yeah Clooney’s character makes fun of the name “Ryan” J ) and George Clooney(as Matt Kowolski)  play the two astronauts who survive the accident. Then what happens, do they actually make it back to earth,  makes up for the second half of the 90 mins movie. It is wonderful, go watch it.

Lucia..

Movie name : Lucia
Language : Kannada

I just enjoyed watching this movie. The movie deals with lucid dreaming. The story movies back and forth between reality and the dream that Nikki, the hero lives and dwells in. The script is great. The actors are apt for the roles. The movie is very engaging.

Now and then I would get a couple of doubts, like the hero tells the heroin, that she will know why he is against her wanting to be an actress, and tells her when she realises, she'll come back. Of course she comes and she seems to have realised what he meant, but as audience you have no clue, why! I am not sure if I wasn't paying enough attention or this was really not dealt with.

But overall a landmark movie in Kannada and deserves an applause for the effort. I would highly recommend watching the movie.

And btw, I liked that "Tinbeda kammi, tin tinbeda kammi" song, very catchy and enjoyable! :)

The lunchbox...

The lunchbox movie was a good watch. The story is set in Mumbai. In the rush of life, things are forgotten. The purpose of life begins to fade away if we cannot experience and share. Life isn’t all that lively if we don’t care.

There is a line, which went something like “if you don’t talk about things(from the past and even the present), they cease to exist”. Excellent performances. It seems slow at places. Just make sure you watch the movie in a quiet place. I happened to watch it in the theater and for some reason strange reason the audience was somewhat a rowdy crowd, who kept commenting now and then. To me the ambience makes as much a difference to watching a movie as the story does. So I would have liked to watch the movie in a quiet place. 

The Illusionist...

Watched the movie last evening. A period film. Nice plot, my smile was intact when the curtains fell. Enjoyed. I have seen a few movies with a similar feel, but this was released back in 2006 and may be had I watched it back then, I may have found it quite novel.

Lootera...

Movie : Lootera

Language : Hindi

Why did I watch : New release, a period movie set in 1950s around the time when Zamindari system got abolished, looked interesting from the promos.

(Why do I even have this section when I write movie reviews I wonder, I just love the theaters, the darkness, the big screens, the uninterrupted joy of watching the movie, the surround sound, the smell of popcorns, the promos before the movie starts! I love the experience of watching movies on the big screen! I anyway watch most of the new releases with a decent imdb rating.)

My take : A Zamindar in Bengal dotes on his only daughter - Pakhi, and tries his best to be the mother as well, whom she has lost.  A young archaeologist Varun comes along and asks the Zamindar for the permission to excavate around the temple with a golden idol, that belongs to the Zamindar. Turns out Varun is not who he claims to be, but unwittingly falls in love with the Pakhi. Torn between the “duty” of being a “looter” and a lover, the twists and turns of the story demand for a decision and he chooses duty, as he feels that is in the “best” interest of his lover.

The world, even in the 1950s was round, and of course they meet! What happens when they meet - does she take revenge or let go, does she love him or hate him – that consists the rest of the story.

There is a scene where you know their fate – Varun and Pakhi’s i.e, but with all your being you wish they could be together when you know however you see it, there is no way that is possible – that moment of absolute helplessness of the twisted fate of the two lovers and sincere wish against all odds, contradicting one another – I was almost in tears for Varun, although he is the bad guy!

The chemistry between Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha as Varun and Pakhi is quite good. There is a scene where they look at each other and exchange feelings worth several pages of dialogs. And you sigh, getting it all!

It is inspired from a O’Henry’s short story - “The last leaf”. I would say worth my while and money. Enjoyed the show.

Now you see me....well, I almost did!

Movie : Now you see me

Language : English

Why did I watch the movie : New release, promo was too good!

My take: Very interesting idea – four magician loot a bank and distribute the loot among the audience, during a magic show in Las Vegas! There is no evidence that the police can use against them. The movie begins with a series of interesting magic tricks by the 4 magicians, and you as audience would be thrilled! Then the 4 of them meet and magic tricks at a grander scale happen and wow you. 

Then comes the climax. It seems so hurried. You would be eager to know how the earlier “magical” stuff would get explained and you are waiting. More or less you are left with the same feeling even at the end of the movie! Except for the last 15-20mins, the movie is wonderfully exciting. Liked all the magic. J

Raanjhana...

Movie      : Raanjhana

Language : Hindi

Why did I watch it: New release, good reviews

My take   : I am not sure if it is that if I like a movie on big screen, I more often than not, like it – but I felt I liked this movie. There was something very convincing about the script – as to why the characters take those crucial decisions to alter the course of the story, there were some surprising moments when the medium of connect was more verbal than visual – some amazing dialogs(there were a good number of gaalis also, I couldn’t follow them all though!).

There are some good performances –Dhanush - I actually disliked, liked, sympathized, sort of disappointed and finally kind of adored the character of Kundan, the protagonist – if an actor can so convincingly do all that to the audience he must have done a good job. There is nothing portrayed about Kundan that is larger than life, since this is his first movie that am watching I did not even have an image in mind to cast him into, and he surprised me, pleasantly. Sonam Kapoor – looks like the lady can act as well, I am a fan of her dressing sense, but this is her first movie that I watched in the theater. She comes across as a determined Zoya, a bubbly girl, who at times is helpless, at times ambitious, in love but who definitely keeps her scores. She seems sincere, but her deepest agendas are hidden. Shrewd yet vulnerable. Abhay Deol has a small role as Zoya’s love interest, he does a neat job.Also, I liked the role of Kundan's friend.

The story is mostly set in Varanasi or Benaras. The backdrop of Ganga, Aarati going on, temples makes it nice to watch. 

I must say more than 80% of the time I found the movie engaging, but there are moments when the flow is disruptive –may be there are no loose ends in terms of logic, but there is abruptness in the flow. Feels like the film gives too much emphasis on the lead characters at times, making the rest of the cast foggy.

There was a time when I could never sympathize recklessness of people in love,wanting to be with the one they love the most,  particularly when one of two involved is not as keen, – I would wonder how can people be so selfish and how they cannot care what the society would perceive them to be - it is actually strange given that I am able to sympathize about that when am older! I mention this as I only sympathized with Kundan for what he does on Zoya's big day, which indeed surprised me! I judged him ofcourse given the situation, but then somehow could see why he did that - the screenplay ensured that!

I liked the song "Tum tak, tum tak". Melodious and nicely pictured. I cant recollect any other song! 

I liked the last scene, the last narrative Kundan gives! Beautifully written.  

Would say, go watch it, it is different, you may even like it!

The lord of the rings…

         

A friend recommended that “The lord of the rings” is a wonderful book/movie – told me about ents, hobbits, Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas and nazguls and got me interested. I had tried watching the movie earlier and somehow could not get much of what was happening. If there is a movie or a book in the world not worth missing, I would want to definitely check it out. So I picked up the book, the size was not very encouraging. Till Frodo meets Aragorn the story seems somewhat slow, and the weight of the book bothered my wrists. After that I could not be at peace till I read the book and watched the 3 part movie. Wow, what a story and how brilliantly told. When I read that Gandalf goes into the darkness in “The fellowship of the rings”, I randomly opened some page ahead of where I was and looked for the word “Gandalf”. Only after confirming that he will reappear did I continue reading. I wouldn’t have read further if he wasn’t there! The story is all about hope and friendship and believing in good. The spirit is amazing and the characters are delightful.

I liked how Frodo overcame the evil influence of the ring, was moved by Sam’s faithfulness, loved Gandalf for all that he was, for being there when anyone needed him and being so wise and guiding them all. Aragorn is very real, very brave but has a lot of self doubt. When the time comes, he musters all the courage he can find and conquers his doubts and does not give up hope throughout. He trusts deeply and lets go when needed. Very human, his goodness is the only super power he has. Pippin and Merry are two most delightful hobbits and the episodes with Treebeard are so entertaining. The hobbits in general are such simple creatures and in the movie the Shire is shown to be such a wonderful place. Loved it more than where the elfs lived. Many characters create a lasting impression. Even Gollum creates a lasting impression, with his creepy possessiveness of his “precious” and the constant battle he has with the good side. His self talk, as shown in the movie is scary and interesting at the same time.

I initially had a notion that fantasy was not what I enjoyed reading. I am not sure how I got the idea. I used to think the same many years ago about science fiction until I got hooked to Doctor Who series. And it is surprising given that I while reading these books I half believe that they happened and in general I believe in miracles and have a very active imagination, sometimes dwell in imaginary stuff for so long that, I feel alien in the real world!

It is one the nicest books I have read. The movies are beautifully made and it is a very good adaptation of the book. Loved reading and watching it.

A big thank you to the friend for suggesting it.

One thing that I have in common with the hobbits is the fool’s hope, like Gandalf puts it! J

Yeh jawaani, hein deewani...

Movie : Yeh jawaani hein deewani

Language : Hindi

Why did I watch it : New release (well not so new, released 3 weeks ago), Big fan of Ranbir.

My take : It is a simple love story, first half is fun, second half is somewhat an emotional drama. I felt only Ranbir’s character – Bunny is somewhat complete – he is flawed, he is selfish, fun loving, wants a lot from life – and like he says – he wants “Raftaar” – “chalna hein, bhaagna hein, girna bhi hein, magar rukhna nahi hein”. With all his flaws he is real. Deepika’s role as Naina is not substantial I felt. She has done a good job as a girl who wants simple things in life. The two meet, fall in love and meet again after 8 years, now, mature and well aware of how different they are and how different their expectations are from life. Naina tells Bunny – “It is not like you are wrong or I am right, it is just that we are very different from each other”. The conversations between Bunny and Naina are interesting. In the end all gets rosy abruptly! J I am not complaining of the rosy part though!

Aditya Roy Kapoor as Avi seems to be struggling with his dialogs, I had expected more from him. He looks intense and seemed promising in “Guzaarish”. Kalki fits her role.  Kunal Roy Kapoor is somewhat delightful, despite the stupid dance moves!

Ranbir dances like a dream and kept my heart racing. His dance number with Madhuri is awesome. I loved the song - “Badtameez dil” the most. Oh man! “Balam pichkari” and “Delhi wali girlfriend” songs are catchy and are also choreographed well. The music is quite good. My expectations were quite high from the promos and because it has Ranbir, but the film is ok. Ranbir makes it worthy of a watch. 

Man of Steel

Movie : Man of steel

Language : English

Why did I watch it : New release, good IMDB rating. Otherwise also, I would have watched as I feel that it has been a long time since I went to the movies. I like watching movies in the theater! And 3D movies give me a child like excitement for some unknown reason!

My take : The movie was in 3D, but the effects weren’t 3D worthy. I have not watched the previous Superman movies. I liked Superman’s costume and he is kind of hot, like someone says in the movie. The action is good. Liked Russell Crowe. The movie was cold and dark like the movie hall (they had made the place too cold for my liking, wonder why!). Jokes apart, it is good watch if you like action movies.

Guzaarish...

Movie name : Guzaarish
Language : Hindi

It is a deeply moving sad story of a magician, who becomes paralyzed neck down, due to an accident during a magic show. He tries to find the zest to live, keep himself alive with purpose and even writes an inspiring book. After about 12 years, he wants to put an end to his suffering, when his health deteriorates further, he wants to die in dignity and goes to court with an appeal for Euthanasia. He has a very loving care taker and nurse. They have a very strange relationship. She initially tries to dissuade from his ideas of Euthanasia. Its heartening to see a love story unfold, the helplessness of the two people in love. It doesnt make sense to be in love, given that they met each other as a patient and nurse, but then that is how people are. A love so strange and may be thats why it seems so divine and beautiful and senseless, all at once. It is going to affect you very much, for sure.

Badtameez dil...

Oh, I just loved this song the moment I saw it. Its catchy, lots of beats, fun and of course has Ranbir in it. He dances so well and expressions are so cute. And the lyrics seem to go well with his playful and chilled out image!(With lyrics like "Ayaashi ke one way se khuDko modna jaane naa, kambal bewajah sharam ka, oDhna jaane naa") :P The song sounds quite retro and very zindadil. Makes me want to dance! Looking forward to the movie...

When I first saw Ranbir in Saavariya promos, I thought he has a longish horse like face! Now I find him quite good looking! Things change. Hmm they do.