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Aladdin (2019)
Watch it only for Naomi Scott
First off, let me say that growing up, Aladdin was my favourite Disney movie. I loved Aladdin's character so much, I wanted to be like him; I even cut up a favourite T-shirt of mine right down the middle to dress up like him. Suffice it to say, I had great expectations from this live-action remake.....AND NONE OF THEM WERE MET!!!
The titular character himself is a huge let-down; even Aladdin, the cartoon could emote better than him. Completely impasive, Mena Massoud just sort of meanders through the movie to the end. Jaffar was o.k, he just wasn't menacing enough and lacked any sinister aura. They reduced Iago's character to a regular, talking parrot.
Now, let's come to the genie. I get that Will Smith had some big shoes to fill in order to live up to Robin Williams' performance, perhaps that is what made him less self-assured and hesitant and he comes off as such. Sorry Will, I really wanted you to pull it off but you just don't.
Now, let's come to the saving grace of this entire debacle, Naomi Scott. If anyone succeeding in surpassing the original movie character's performance, it was the leading lady herself. She breathed such life into the original Jasmine's listless character that it was indeed a sight to behold. Emoting perfectly, she dominated each scene she shared with the lackluster Mena Massoud. The newly added single, "Speachless" will leave an indelible mark on your memory. It's such a shame they couldn't find anyone to play Aladdin at least on par with the female lead. It would have made up for the ridiculously flamboyant dresses and needlessly loud dance numbers that are more reminiscent of Bollywood than middle eastern culture.
All in all, kind of a let down.
Destination Wedding (2018)
If "Before Sunrise" actually had some biting dialogue...!
A movie about two people, where you don't hear anybody else talk for the entire length of the film except the 2 principal characters, and yet it doesn't bore you for a minute. It's easy to guess why the 2 Hollywood, big-wigs (Reeves & Ryder) signed on for this modest venture.....the writing is exceptionally witty and hilariously sarcastic. You will find your literary senses tickled time and again by the clever banter and well-crafted dialogue. It's an homage to an era bygone, where actors actually delighted the audiences with their grammatically correct, Elizabethan English. If you have any interest in literature/ well-written prose, you will certainly be enthralled by this little gem of a movie.
Pari (2018)
So much more than just a horror movie...!!!
I admit I didn't go in to this movie expecting much since I am not a big Anushka Sharma fan, but the trailer had intrigued me; and boy am I glad I went against my bias. This is not your typical horror flick; it's more an exploration of human (or in Anushka's case, supernatural) emotions and how we react to them.
The film introduces Anushka in a predictable, done-before manner where we find an unsocialized, child-like woman, chained inside a hut, but it's the story of how she is re-introduced to normalcy and civilization and how she starts to develop feelings for her saviour/teacher that is entirely natural and heartening to watch. His reluctance to reciprocate also feels reasonable. The horror/thriller moments quickly melt in to a romantic drama; it's the little moments of innocence and wonder on Anushka's part that tug at your heart.
SPOILER ALERT-Even though she turns out to be the unholy spawn of an evil demon, you can't help but empathize with her. She was not responsible for how/who she was born to. Given the chance, she reverted to her basic human instinct to love and be loved in return.
The two things that stood out for me in this movie were the screenplay treatment and engaging direction; take a bow Prosit Roy & Abhishek Banerjee. The Bengali actors all did a commendable job (especially Parambrata Chatterjee) and a small but riveting role played by Masni Multani is sure to leave you dazed and rattled.
This one is going in my permanent collection!
Kalank (2019)
James Cameron called....he wants the scenes from Titanic back!
Kate Winslet is narrating the story of how she was with a guy but didn't love him. Instead, she spends all her time with a lowly youth. Towards the end, a national disaster ensues and the youth dies in its aftermath. Kate goes on to marry someone else but her first love is "SAFE IN HER HEART AND HER HEART WILL GO ON...AND ON....!" Had hai matlab charba-geeri ki. From the fantasy sequence where our heroine imagines everyone dead is alive and happy again, to the track that plays during the end scene, everything is "INSPIRED" by Titanic. The only way this movie could be a more clear "Copy-paste" of Titanic is if they made Varun Dhawan wear suspenders throughout the film, and if they'd set it against the backdrop of a "ship" instead of "Batwaara."
Speaking of Varun, he was the saving grace of the film, the only actor apart from Madhruri who made the horribly written dialogues sound at least a tad bit realistic. With all the other actors, the dialogue-delivery seemed stiff, unnatural and forced. It's not how people talk in real life. The only thing worse than the dialogues was the direction, both of which you can blame on Abhishek Vermin...oh, sorry I misspelled that. I meant to write, Abhishek Virgin...O.k, O.k, that was a low blow, but seriously dude, decking Madhuri up in classical eastern dresses, and spending a ton of moolah on set designs and costumes is not going to save this "Kalank" from blackening the face of the film Industry.
Set It Up (2018)
Surprisingly funny and charming!!
I had seen the movie's trailer beforehand but didn't have high expectations from this one. I am happy to report I was wrong. The movie is funny, witty and thoroughly engrossing. I wasn't bored for a minute, thanks to the snappy dialogue and crisp editing and direction.
I must admit I only decided to watch it cuz' of the big names like Luc Liu & Tae Diggs, and though both of them played their characters of A**hole bosses convincingly, but it's the primary couple of Zoey Deutch & Glen Powell that makes you fall in love with them. Even the supporting actors cast in bit roles like the coffee shop waiter, the elevator guy and the gay best friend played their roles perfectly. I found my self constantly laughing out loud.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable film that all rom-com lovers will enjoy.
Motorcycle Girl (2018)
So much better than "Cake"
With 2 women-centric Pakistani movies coming out back-to-back within the span of a month, it's hard not to compare the 2. Although "Cake" has been hailed as a realistic portrayal of the modern Pakistani woman, it's actually "Motorcycle girl" that most Pakistani youth will relate to. Where Cake" shows women smoking, dancing at parties, egging neighborhood houses and getting in physical altercations with one another (a.k.a cat-fights) and deems it "Women Empowerment", it's actually "Motorcycle Girl" that depicts the true nature of the Pakistani society, and how the average woman has to deal with her parents, her relatives, her co-workers and just society, in general, trying to cut the legs out from under her, all in the name of "Log Kiya Khen Ge?"
The story is a simple and straight-forward one. It's about a middle-class girl named Zenith, whose father died when she was a baby and she's seen stuck in a job where she's underappreciated, in order to save enough money to put herself through college. All the while, she is seen reminiscing about her father and his unfulfilled fantasy of riding up to Khunjerab Pass between the Pak-China border.
This is the true story of how Zenith Irfan fulfills that unaccomplished dream of her father's despite her daadi, her fiance and, and her boss constantly drilling in to her mind "K Log Kia kahen Ge?"
This is the story of true Women Empowerment. I believe that all Pakistanis and patriarchal society afflicted countries should have their daughters watch this film.
Jagga Jasoos (2017)
Haphazard plot and unrelatable characters make for a tiresome watch...!
I have always been a big fan of Anurag Basu. "Gangster" made me cry for days. I loved the intricately woven myriad of moving, personal stories in "Life in a metro", and "Barfi" gave me all the feels. So, even though I'm not really a fan of the lead pair in this flick, I still decided to give "Jagga Jasoos" a watch because of some of the positive reviews on IMDB; and I must say, they were utterly misleading, for I found the plot to be tedious, the story, confusing, the direction aimless and the movie dragging. At over 2 and a half hours, it could have benefited heavily from some much-needed editing..
Katrina Kaif was, as per expectation, dull, and uninteresting. Ranbir Kapoor was, as always, blank and inexpressive. He is utterly unconvincing as someone who suffers from a speech impediment; that is not how people with a stutter talk. I couldn't help but compare how Shahid Kapoor had portrayed the character of someone with a speech defect much more convincingly in "Kameeney".
Furthermore, I'm growing increasingly weary of Ranbir Kapoor's incessant slew of one dimensional quirky characters that are supposed to be weird but likable, only they aren't. He was the same in "Tamasha," and pretty similar in "Barfi." Speaking of the latter, it seems that the director can't get out of whole mind frame of "Barfi." He has tried desperately to replicate the set design, the look, the soundtrack and the feel of the critically acclaimed flick only this one is not supported by an intriguing story, likable characters and crisp editing like the previous venture, and so what worked well for "Barfi" doesn't help here, and only works to make the plot even more confusing and meandering.
Sorry Anurag, but this one was a "Swing-and-a-miss".
Table 19 (2017)
Doesn't deserve the rating it has....
It's sappy, it's corny, rambling and utterly mindless. The only original thing about it was the idea of having a bunch of people sit at the "loser's table" at a wedding, but it appears the writers didn't know where to go from there, so they gave the characters predictable background stories that make you care about them even less. As if the story line wasn't bad enough, the dialogue and execution is even more dismal and trite. The only reason I gave it a 3, and the only reason I even watched the movie is because I'm a fan of some of the actors in it, like Anna Kendrick, who does a decent job here despite the second-rate dialogue, Lisa Kudrow, who is completely wasted n this part and Stephen Merchant, whose character doesn't get much limelight which is a pity as he might have been able to do something to make the movie actually funny. All in all, a swing and a miss.....pass on this one even, and especially if you are a fan of the actors and don't want to be disappointed.
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Deserves all the accolades and more....!
I'd been waiting for this movie for nearly an year ever since the first trailer came out, and I finally got to see it the way it deserved to be seen, seated in a plush, velvety, reclining couch, in my city's best "Royal Cinema" in 3-D. The animated original is a childhood classic of mine; I know all the songs and nearly all the scenes by heart. Going by the trailer, and learning about all the preparation that had gone in to its making, I was expecting it to be a grand affair, and it was just that, AND MORE.....! Everything from the luxurious sets, to the lavish costumes, the splendid dancing and the mesmerizing songs at once transported you to another world. I felt like I was watching a grand re-enactment of a Broadway musical and not a live- action version of a Disney animation. I kid you not when I say that I had the silliest grin plastered across my face every time a familiar song number came on, as I knew all the lyrics and every time an usher saw me singing along to the tune, they thought I was beckoning them to order food service. I believe Luke Evans a.k.a Gaston deserves a special mention; his role was strong and he portrayed it perfectly. Kevin Kline's contribution was limited. It's a shame we didn't get to see Emma Thompson (Mrs. Potts) and Ian McKellen (Mr. Cogsworth) spend much time on screen in their human forms but their household crockery/furniture versions were also effectively entertaining (especially Ewan McGregor as Lumiere). I have to admit, I wasn't completely sold on Emma Watson playing Bella as I felt she lacked the natural charm to portray Bella as a personable character and I'm afraid she did fall rather short in the beginning but I confess she'd won me over by the end and she and Dan Stevens made a lovely couple. I could tell they had put in considerable effort to master the dance moves in the ballroom scenes which were elevated to an ethereal level with their elegant outfits, the timeless music and their effortless gliding across the ballroom floor. All in all, it was a truly magical film as is the trademark of most Disney productions and I recommend all mothers take their daughters to see this film and share this amazingly delightful experience.
Oculus (2013)
Finally.....The horror movie of the year has arrived!!!
Each year there comes out at least one horror movie that is labelled either a cult classic or an instant hit; and this is one of those movies. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a genre-setter like "Paranormal activity"/ "Blair witch project" or the original "Saw" film but it is definitely at par with last year's "The conjuring". I'm not going to delve too much into the story as I don't wish to give away any spoilers. All I will say is that the story deals with a cursed mirror and that that it scared the living daylights out of me. I haven't been this afraid watching a horror flick since the original "Nightmare on Elm street" franchise came out. What both these movies have in common is that they instil a sense of helplessness in the spectator. Just like you can't escape from Freddy Kruger's clutches once you enter into his world of dreams, similarly, you can't escape the horror this satanic mirror will subject you to once you get within 30 feet of its radius. Usually when you are watching a horror flick, you do so with a sense of laid-back detachment thinking none of this could ever happen to you, and even if it did, you wouldn't be so stupid as to do what the protagonist or the other characters are doing but in this movie, you will find yourself powerless to do anything other than what the mirror wants you to do and all the while you will be thinking you're doing the right thing cuz' that is the illusion the mirror surrounds you with. The twists that you see when the characters find out what they did, as compared to what they thought they were doing, will leave you dumbfounded and horrified. The performances are all top-notch, the editing, crisp and quick- paced. I have rated this movie a 10 although in all fairness, it probably deserves an 8 but I hate to see such a good film saddled with a lower rating than it deserves just cuz' some people failed to see the brilliance in this flick. Go watch it....you won't regret it..!!!
Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela (2013)
A visually sumptuous treat with raunchy dialogues yet commendable acting...!
First off, let me just say that even though I find most of Sanjay Leela Bhansaali's work vastly appealing, extremely intelligent and thoroughly enjoyable, yet I am NOT such a die-hard fan of his that I would applaud Bhansali's every project that hits the Silver Screen. That being said, I don't understand all the hate being directed his way for his latest offering. True he has turned in his "CLASSY" touch for a more "MASSY" approach in this venture but that has only succeeded in making this film more appealing to a wider circle of audience. It's very easy to diss a film at first glance if you don't care to take a deeper look. Sanjay Leela Bhansaali went out of his way here to create a fictional town, and give a unique cultural texture to its people, its dialect and even its style of dressing. The wardrobe department deserves a special mention in this regard for creating a very earthy, rural look for the tribal people of "Rajaari" and "Sanera". What could have let a film as grand in its design as this one down would be the acting, but even in that department, the cast surpassed my expectations. I have really enjoyed watching Dipika come into her own this year and prove herself as a "Performer" and not just a "Looker". She was playful, coy and seductive during the first half of the movie, yet soulful, wounded and fierce during the second. Her misty-eyed, melancholic look during the playing of the song "Mujhey ang lagaa de re" was at once heart breaking and haunting. Ranveer Singh has delivered his best performance since his debut in the smash-hit "Band Baaja Baraat". I doubt any other contemporary actor could have played the title character with his natural ease. The supporting cast all delivered outstanding performances especially Supriya Pathak who easily deserves a Filmfare for the "Best Supporting Actress" of the year. However, I will concede that a couple of the scenes were all-too-reminiscent of the hugely entertaining "Ishque zaade" from a couple of years ago except unlike Ishquezaade which was enthralling and engaging till the very end, Ram-Leela sort of fizzles out during the second half. It was never clearly explained why the two couldn't patch things up in the middle and had to wait till the end to come together and that too, (SPOILER) to merely kill each other off. The ending was predictable as the movie is based on Shakespeare's most famous romantic play yet it was still poetic as the two warring tribes were just about to end their feud and announce the lead pair's betrothal. All in all, Ram-Leela was a mostly enjoyable, artistically grand and ultimately satisfying movie experience. Watch it if you are a fan of either Bhansali, Dipkia or Ranveer all of whom have done a commendable job in this cinematic enterprise.
Frances Ha (2012)
You seem older, but, like less grown-up...It's weird!
The latest offering in the series of mumblecore movies done by Greta Gerwig, and probably her best, thus far. Though I've enjoyed most of her work comprising realistic life situations with naturalistic dialogues, but they all seemed to drag on a bit or rather weren't as engaging as this one. The dialogues are natural and thought provoking as ever, the editing more crisp, and the characters are all believable. This movie show cases the life of an average 20 something woman living in the big apple, but who, as so eloquently pointed out by one of her roommates, "doesn't have her sh** together." We've all been through this phase of life where we haven't got everything figured out, where we are sort of experimenting & trying out new things, new places, and new relationships in an attempt to figure out where we fit in. Frances (Greta Gerwig) struggles with day-to-day stuff like rent, shifts in career, people and friends coming and going out of her life or growing further apart, all part and parcel of life. The intricacies and undercurrents portrayed in the relationship between Frances and her best friend, Sophie are spot on; we all have that one person in our lives, it could be our best friend/our mother/brother/sister/spouse or anybody....that one person who gets all our inside jokes, around whom we don't have to pretend to be somebody else, who we can bare our souls to and not have to worry about what the other person might think, and yes who, as Frances, in a sudden bout of insightfulness proclaimed, "you can just look across the room (in a party full of people) and catch each other's eyes, but not because you're possessive or that it's precisely sexual, but because....that is your person in this life...that's what I want out of a relationship...or life...love...I sound like I'm stoned... I'M NOT STONED!!" :-D I guess at the end of the day, that's what we all want out of life and love!
The Croods (2013)
Stop reading reviews and GO WATCH THIS MOVIE ALREADY!!!
O.K, so I'm past that age where animated movies are supposed to excite you. I still manage to see most of them but just not with the same zeal as a younger person would; the jokes seem a bit juvenile, the comedy more slapstick than stimulating and try as I might, I can't be bothered to care for a cartoon character as I would if it were being played by an actual person. That being said, this one took me completely by surprise. The characters were played by the leads to a tee. Nicholas Cage as the overprotective control freak of a father, Ryan Reynolds as the easily spooked outsider who shows the Croods how to use their brains instead of brawn and Emma Stone as the high-spirited youngster with an inquisitive mind and a fierce determination all played their parts to perfection. The story is engaging, the dialogues will make you laugh out loud more than once and to top it all off, the cinematography and art direction is out of this world. I had to pause the movie mid-scene, and come online to write this review just because of one shot where the light goes out and the sky is shown to be lit up with a thousand stars......it's that breathtaking. The last time I was this charmed by a cartoon movie was back in 2001 when the first Shrek film came out. Thanks Dreamworks for making me feel the magic of animated films again.
ABCD (Any Body Can Dance) (2013)
Must watch for every dance fan out there...!
Before watching this movie, I'd read some awful things about it that how it's nothing but a rip-off of Hollywood's Step-up movie franchise. I decided to watch it just the same as I am an avid dance fan, and let me tell you I'm really glad I did. Not to put the step-up movies down or anything, but of late they've become a canvass for showcasing done-to- death dance sequences without paying much attention to the story- line/script or even acting (case in point Kathryn McCormick as the female lead in the last step up movie, Step Up Revolution). This movie, although it started out like any other "jilted-dance-teacher-changes- the-fate-of-some-down-trodden-dancers" film, but as the story progresses, it develops into a moving and at times pretty funny film and you can't help but become emotionally invested in the characters. Some of the acting performances were extremely commendable especially Kay Kay Menon as the proverbial scornful yet comedic villain out to get the little guys, as well as Ganesh Acharya as Prabhu Deva's trusted and humorous side-kick. I was particularly amazed by Lauren Gottlieb's Hindi-speaking skills. For those of you who don't know her, she was a contestant on the American T.V series "So you think you can dance". At first I thought somebody had lip-synced for her, but then I found out I was wrong. Seeing as how she has no background knowledge of the Sub- continental culture or language, I thought she did a surprisingly good job. There were a couple of songs you won't be able to get out of your head,( "duhayi" and especially "bezubaan") not just because they're catchy but because their background story is so deeply stirring that they get seared into your brain. As far as the dance sequences themselves are concerned, they're nothing you haven't already seen in any typical Hollywood dance film. Save for a couple of solo performances like Rocky's (Salman Yusuff Khan)and especially Chandu's. I was also pleasantly surprised by the free- running/ parkour sequence in the beginning that was superbly choreographed and well executed. In short, this is one movie you won't be sorry to see, watch & enjoy...!
The Giant Mechanical Man (2012)
The sweetest Rom-Com I've seen all year...!
What is wrong with IMDb people? How can this movie have such a low rating? Out of all the Rom-Coms I've seen this year, this is by far the sweetest and perhaps the only one with genuine, believable characters. I mean, who among us hasn't felt at some point in life like they're lost, like they haven't got it all figured out, like they are still struggling. They feel confused at not having the same goals that give other people a sense of achievement and not being able to conform to society's definition of success. The story is pretty straight-forward and centers around real and ordinary people. Jenna Fischer is sweet and personable as the female lead, Topher grace is hilarious as the obnoxious author who won't stop bragging about his book, and I actually have a younger sister akin to Malin Akerman's character of the over-bearing know-it-all sibling. She thinks just cuz' she got married first, she has the right to dish advice on every conceivable topic....(smiley face) As for Chris Messina, well, it's the quiet moments where his character broods and mulls that speak volumes, and the soundtrack suits the mood of the film just right. I loved the lead pair and I loved this movie. Go watch it if you wish to enjoy an hour and a half of some winsome and delightful drama!
The Tall Man (2012)
a thriller/drama that you will either hate or love for the message it conveys!!!
O.k....this was not a bad film, I'm not saying that, but the previews made it out to be a horror flick which it totally wasn't!!! It starts out as more of a mystery, transforms into a fast-paced thriller in the middle and by the end, it turns into a serious drama. The message that has been conveyed in the movie is a thought provoking one but I doubt many people out there would agree with the motive of the perpetrators, at least I certainly didn't. The one commendable thing about the movie was some solid performances from not just the supporting cast but even the lead as well. Jessica Biel may have given her best performance to date in this one. Watch it if you are a huge fan of hers....!
The Big Year (2011)
Wholesome, feel-good comedy with beautiful shots throughout ...!
O.k so, this is the first time I've actually bothered to write a review for a movie but for this one, I just had to........ I've just finished watching this flick and the fact that IMDb gave it such a low rating made me wanna punch somebody in the face (not really...but still) The film is about a bunch of bird enthusiasts who are dedicating their entire year to spotting and recording maximum species of birds in order to set the world record. This is cinematography at it's best...the movie is filled with shots of picturesque locales, beautiful sceneries and of course exotic birds.....I actually had to pause the picture at a couple of frames simply because they made me catch my breath. Mind you, I usually steer clear of movies starring Jack black as he rarely does good, clean films (with a few exceptions like Kung-Fu panda and School of rock which I loved by the way) but this one is a good, wholesome comedy for the whole family to enjoy. I'm recommending this to my siblings ASAP, and trust me they're a choosy bunch when it comes to movies....so, stop reading this review and go watch it already!!!