IloveHanks Reviews

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

An end which the series needed, but not the end it deserved !

[8/10 · 21 July 2012]

First there was Inception and Now there is TDKR.Nolan is starting to always leave me disappointed.I know many people who liked TDKR(most of them did) are going to bay for my blood saying you can't compare it to TDK or you should watch the movie with Zero/little expectations. But I wholeheartedly refuse to .Why should I have zero expectations while going for a Nolan movie ? I am not going to watch a Bay or an Emirich movie. Its Nolan after all and i will have the highest expectations.

The writing was not up-to the mark. I knew i was watching a great movie from the first shot of TDK or Batman Begins. I felt the hangover for at least for a day. But this was not the case with TDKR.In fact I enjoyed Avengers more than TDKR.The performances were good especially from JGL and Anne Hathaway. I am not saying its a bad movie,its a good movie. But its rather an average end to an epic series. 8/10

Sweet and Lowdown (1999)

Its Sean Penn all the way

[8/10 · 26 May 2012]

I had to watch this because of Sean Penn. Sean Penn plays a egotist narcissistic guitar player. Sean Penn is extremely charming in his own quirky way and is definitely the main reason why you should watch the movie. The movie holds out and comes out good only because of him.

The Writing is good something we can always expect from Woody Allen.But overall it is a one man show and that is Sean Penn. He has totally immersed himself into the character of Emmet Ray. Top Notch Performance. I don't think any other actor could have made this movie more watchable than Penn has. A must watch for Penn fans like me.

8\10

Hugo (2011)

The Missing Gem in Scorsese's Collection

[10 May 2012]

Take a flimsy plot , Mix it with exquisite cinematography , brilliant visual effects and a comforting background score and you will get Hugo. Hugo is not as much about its story it tries to convey as it is about the spell that Scorsese creates that transports you into some other world. Technically, Scorsese has not left any stones unturned in hes efforts to create a visual masterpiece. It goes to show the immense passion he has for Direction.

The film might not appeal to all, as its pacing is very labored . One of my friend who accompanied was cursing me after the movie. But it is a must watch for Scorsese Fans like me, who have admired and loved his work to no bounds.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

Crazy Awesome Movie

[10/10 · 6 May 2012]

Crazy Stupid Love: Perfect 10\10. This is how Rom-Coms should be. I had a whale of a time watching this movie. Steve Carell is such a terrific actor. He completely owns this movie, sad to see he dint get any recognition/awards for it. The entire cast is perfect.Ryan Gosling is likable as a womanizer who picks up girls in bars. Steve Carell is a man in his mid 40's who has been recently divorced. Ryan Gosling is the one who helps him out with his midlife crisis and infuses some of his skills into him .

Its a brilliant parody of the American culture.The dialogs are witty , screenplay is crisp. Its been a long time i had so much fun while watching a movie.You should not miss this out for any reason.

As i said : 10\10. Couldn't have asked for anything more or better.

127 Hours (2010)

Every Second Counts Of this Classic Movie.

[10/10 · 4 March 2011]

127 Hours is a brilliant movie from the brilliant Danny Boyle. Arguably the best movie of the year,only Boyle could have made a movie about a guy trapped in a boulder with such ingenuity and craftiness.I can never imagine the state of mind that Aron Ralston was in, probably don't want to.

Danny Boyle has unarguably added one more feather in his already illustrious cinematic cap by making 127 hours. The movie ironically about being a man who is static moves us a lot. It just shows that when man is really facing adverse circumstances he realizes the most important things in his life which he never would have thought in the first place.

Boyle never hesitates and hence doesn't compromise in showing the explicitly graphic scenes involving blood. This makes the movie watching experience more vicarious , something that only Boyle can do with such conviction.

AR Rehman's Sound track is easily tied at best for the year with social network. Rehman's work here is better compared to his previous work with Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire seeing that Rehman had a tougher job at hand while creating score for a movie that apparently never moves.

James Franco has confirmed his potential as a star in the making by delivering a splendid performance. Only a stuttering King would have been able to stop him from getting all the major accolades.

Overall 127 Hours is yet another must watch movie from the genius Danny Boyle, for whom my respect has grown increased by leaps and bounds. It is really sad to see that it went empty handed at most of the award ceremonies this year.

Do not miss even a second as Every Second Counts .

The King's Speech (2010)

The King's Speech is Easily Movie of the Year.

[10/10 · 30 January 2011]

Everyone has a voice and it needs to heard.

To say that i had humongous expectations from this movie would be an understatement.i had heard all good raves about it and for many reasons was very desperate to watch it. Now what do i say about the movie. . I can just keep on writing and writing on how great this movie is but its will not do any justice to its quality unless you watch it. Colin Firth gives one of the most memorable and commendable performances of all time that is on par with Tom hanks in Forrest Gump. Now i do not care whether this movie is historically accurate or not.

Geoffrey Rush is incredibly good and i have to eat my words here. I thought that bale had given the best supporting performance of the year. But GR completely outshines him. He is awesome and is my best bet for Oscars this year keeping mind the attitude of Academy awards.

Helena Bonham Carter was splendid to say the least in her role. Its sad that she had such little screen time. Her performance left me craving for more. I wanted to see more of her.

Overall The King's speech is definitively movie of the year and edges past the Social network by a small margin.

Dial M for Murder (1954)

Dial C For Classic

[9/10 · 16 November 2010]

Absolutely Riveting stuff .IT keeps you hanged till the last minute.I was totally absorbed into it. Hitchcock proves again that he is indeed the master of suspense. No one can match him in storytelling even today. I loved it as much as Vertigo. I would put Vertigo slightly ahead of it, But it is no less a classic. There is a catch in the movie however which i would like to point

The fact that all keys look the same. This looks a bit contrived , but come-on u cannot belittle a movie just on account of a single minor loophole. At the end Hitchcock beautifully and i cannot stress enough on the word beautifully, together to give a master piece.

I don't think any other director can make a movie thats so entertaining and engaging when you know who is the murderer. I just realized that in-spite of having known all the facts in the movie, it still is heavily engaging. You know who the culprit and still Hitchcock keeps you engrossed till the end. This is a lesson to all those suckers who crave for twists in every goddamn thriller movie.

Hail HItchcock

10/10

Well Done Abba! (2009)

Well Done Abba - Not So Well Done

[7/10 · 12 November 2010]

Good movie, I always liked Boman Irani and thought he was a very good actor. But unfortunately he has given a pathetic performance here

This movie could have been so much better , a master piece in fact but like uncountable Bollywood movies it ends up short in just being a good movie.

It tells us the story of a below middle class Muslim father who wants to get his daughter married and takes a month off from his work to go to his village and find suitors for his daughter. As he goes to his village, he is compounded by many problems that face any average villager in India.

In a nutshell this is a story of an average villager in India. It is a good movie, but had the potential to be a classic, had the performances been better. It also has very serious editing issues that should have been addressed. There are various superfluous sub-plots that do no contribute in any manner to the movie. Hence it just ends up being a good movie

7/2\10

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

Magnificent Portrayal of a Divine Friendship

[10/10 · 11 November 2010]

Driving Miss Daisy is a lovely movie that explores the friendship between an old woman played by Jessica Tandy and her black Chauffeur played by Morgan Freeman in the racially discriminating environment of USA in 1960's and post it. It beautifully captures the insecurities of old-age and how they rely on each other for moral support in spite of being from different racial back grounds. What we see in the movie is Friendship at its best and how a persons last days of life is enriched by a friend.

I can say it without any doubt that it is the most natural and pristine stories of friendship ever made in Hollywood involving the opposite genders. It is very rare to see movies in Hollywood that portray life so realistically.There is always a fine line that separates movies that are mawkish and movies that are sensitive. Thankfully unlike many Hollywood movies , Driving Miss Daisy never crosses that line .

Jessica Tandy certainly gives a performance befitting an Oscar. Morgan Freeman earning an Oscar Nomination , gives a spectacular performance too. The Background score by Hans Zimmer is splendorous as usual and deserved at least an Oscar nomination. There is not a thing in the movie that disappoints you.

Do not Miss this Oscar winning Master Piece.

10/10.

August Rush (2007)

So Cheesy that it Chokes you !

[3/10 · 2 November 2010]

August Rush is those sickly mawkish movies which almost choke you to boredom. Let me admit that i don't have a palette for such kinda movies. It might appeal to many people which is evident from the 7.5 rating it has on IMDb.

To add on to the stupidness of the movie are the two unimpressive performances, especially the mother who seemed too stupid to be a mother backed by a father who looked too cool to be a father. The characterization is a major issue for this movie. Both the leads give unremarkable performances,backed by their child.

What can i say about the child. A child who is even more talented than Mozart ?.I love Music, but please don't insult music this way. The main idea behind this movie is complete nonsensical.

oh and i forgot Robin Williams. He also gives a forgettable performance. I totally repent having watched this movie. I know its a musical, but i think listening to ARR songs is a better resort to watching this incredibly stupid sappy cheesy movie.

3\10

Tell No One (2006)

An Insipid Thriller

[6/10 · 1 November 2010]

A French murder mystery , in which a husband receives a mail from his wife who was murdered 8 years ago. He is drawn to new revelations and made to realize that the past is not what he thought it actually was.

This plot is perhaps the only interesting part of this boring movie.The main problem with this movie is that there are numerous angles and sub plots to this movie which makes it a tiresome and a boring watch. The treatment is very ineffective which means that you have no sympathy with the lead person's character. As a result the movie just prods along at snail's pace and you just wait for the movie to end.

Don't be surprised if u feel that lost while watching this movie. This is a movie that is difficult to be understood in the first watch. So Is it worth watching twice ? Definitely NOT.

6\10

I could have lived without watching it.

Garden State (2004)

Garden State is Beautiful

[10/10 · 7 August 2010]

There was only one reason i downloaded this movie and that was Natalie Portman, and i am really glad i did because this is a BEAUTIFUL MOVIE. It tells us the story of a person who is living an uninterested and boring life after being estranged from his family for many years and how he finally comes back to his home for his mother's funeral. It takes us through the journey of he finding himself through the four days he spends at his hometown.

There is one line in the movie that completely blew me away.

"It's amazing how much of my life has been determined by a quarter inch piece of plastic"

This line clearly epitomizes the situation of the central character in the movie and to a large extent the same in our lives. It beautifully brings out the intricate human emotions, There are some really humorous moments in the movie thanks to Natalie Portman who sparks up the screen whenever she is on it. Is downright down to earth and you never for the slightest of moment feel like you are watching a movie.

It is really sad to see that it got such little rewards and recognition.

A MUST WATCH

11\10

And i am gonna watch it one more time.

Heat (1995)

A Cat & Mouse Classic

[1 August 2010]

An excellent cat and mouse thriller starring the two most celebrated actors in Hollywood,Pacino and Deniro. IT is an excellent B grade movie, a classic in fact. The best of Michael Mann so far. At over two hours and thirty minutes the movie is anything but long and boring. There are a few breathtaking scenes . For example the Shootout scene after the bank robbery was breathtaking. The climax scene is also great.

Both the actors give out performances that are expected from them . However it should be mentioned that Al Pacino has over-acted his guts out in a few scenes.The Music is apt for the title. Out of the two lead performances De-Niro stands out.Overall an excellent thriller. Typical Mann Stuff.

8.5\10

Lost in Translation (2003)

Genuine and Touching

[9/10 · 27 July 2010]

One of the rare movies which deals with the emotions of people in normal life circumstances.

There is no rigid storyline so as to speak,but it is about two Americans having post marital problems meeting up in a hotel in Tokyo.There are some hilarious scenes in the initial parts of the movie. The movie is very natural in the way that emotional and romantic tension between the two characters is palpable..Bill Murray etches out a controlled and natural performance as a middle aged man who is vexed with his married life. Scarlett Johansson plays a newly wed wife who is also frustrated with her marriage life.

Both find comfort and solace in each other's companionship during the week they spend in the Hotel. The only weak link in the movie is Scarlett Johansson. She isn't much convincing . Some other actress in her role could have done proper justice to her role.

But it is a very warm and heartfelt love story that is not to be missed by fans of the romance genre. I probably will love it more the second time.

9.1\10

Love Actually (2003)

Pointless Actually

[7/10 · 14 July 2010]

This is a pointless movie actually. It takes us through eight different love stories, most of them which just end as soon as they begin. What good can eight half baked love stories can do, when two fully baked could have sufficed. There is no heart in almost all of the love stories in the movie. Most of the stories are superficial and get too mawkish.

The likes of Laura Linney,Liam Neeson and Kiera Knightely are wasted in a movie that did not require them. To add onto the miscasts, Hugh grant plays the British Prime Minister. Nothing can get more absurd and ludicrous than this. Most of the stories are superficial and get too mawkish.

I could see that the movie actually makes a lot of digs at the Americans. This is not a bad movie actually, but i see that the director just wants us to see different people falling in love and empathize with them. I think he just overdid it and would have done better had he had just shown 3-4 fully developed love stories. The performances are nothing spectacular except Bill Nighy as an aging rock star who really sparkles up the screen whenever he is on it. Rowand Atkinson appears in just two scenes and does what he does best,

I reiterate the point that it is not a bad movie, but just a bit overindulgent . If you are in a foolishly romantic mood, then this might just be a classic for you else just a casual movie for killing your time. 7\10..

Léon: The Professional (1994)

Overrated at 8.6 !

[7/10 · 7 July 2010]

This movie reaches the heights of predictability that any action movie can possibly get.It is good but is so so so overrated. I will definitely say that it is easily the most overrated movie in IMDb.

I could guess its climax in the first 15 minutes of the movie. The action in the movie is very well done. The saving grace is definitely the climax,the ending is superb and really redeems the movie, which otherwise could have been dull and insignificant.

The casting consists of Jean reno and Natalie Portman. Natalie Portman is a 12 year old precocious child who has an immature love for Jean Reno who happens to be a Hit-man. After her entire family gets knocked out by Gary Oldman, he takes her into his wings and teaches her the secrets behind becoming a hit-man or say a hit-girl rather. Amongst the performances only Portman 's worth watching.. Gary Oldman is disappointing so is Jean Reno.

The movie fails mainly because of its poor character development. The characters are very superficial especially Gary Oldman's character. You are left wondering why they are doing what they are doing.

Overall as i said IT IS HUGELY OVERRATED.....I would give it

7.2\10..

Chaplin (1992)

One Man Show- Charles Chaplin

[8/10 · 5 July 2010]

The film is essentially an autobiography of the Life of Charles Chaplin. For a youngster of this generation this movie was highly informative.

It is a very enjoyable two and a half hour movie that will surely keep engaged thanks to a brilliant performance by ROBERT DOWNEY JR. I wouldn't have complained had he won the Oscar that year. But he surely is very very unlucky for having Pacino's scent of a woman performance as a co- nominee.

And Mind you the second time he gets nominated, he has The Joker as his co- nominee. But it surely has escalated my fan hood for Robert Downey Jr and it clearly shows his versatility

He did nearly perfect the role of Chaplin and mastered all his mannerisms with great ease It was hard to think that it wasn't Chaplin in real but RD Jr playing his role. The movie gave me a real info on the real life of Charles Chaplin, since i had little idea about it.

The movie is a journey of Chaplin's life in which we see his romantic link-ups with numerous women throughout his life until he finds him perfect match. The movie also shows how America treated him as an outcast after he had worked for them for almost 50 years.

It was interesting to know that all his movies were funny anecdotes on the prevalent system of government then. It beautifully shows the up's and down's of his life and we get to have a closer look at Chaplin the real person behind the make up.

It is definitely a movie not to be missed about one of the greatest actors in Cinema. In the climax we get to see the real intention Chaplin had behind making those movies

I would give it 9\10..

its is bit underrated in IMDb..deserves 7.8.

The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)

Poignant ,Powerful and Great film making

[10/10 · 4 July 2010]

An Argentinian movie that won the best foreign language Oscar this year. It had me going for this same reason. It in many ways reminded me of memories of murder.

However the movies are entirely different from each other. It is about a sheriff writing a novel about a closed rape and homicide case he was involved in 25 years ago. A case that changed his life in drastic ways.

As he recounts the past , new revelations are drawn upon him. He starts viewing the case from a fresh perspective and realizes that there is more to it then what meets the eye. The movie is slow and gradually the plot evolves itself .

If you are looking for some nice thrilling moments of action, then this is surely going to disappoint you. It is more of a drama thriller . The pacing is deliberately slow but effective. There is also a touching romantic element in the movie.

The performances of all the actors in highly commendable and of top notch quality.. It is indeed flawless film making . The story is concrete and never digresses from the main point.

Your patience will be highly rewarded by the excellent and poignant ending. It should definitely count amongst the best endings in movies ever.

10\10.....

Face/Off (1997)

An Insult to Intelligence

[1/10 · 30 June 2010]

What a crap movie ! One flaw after the other. I wonder what the makers of such movies think about us.This movie is an insult to our intelligence.. Of course it would be a feast to the eyes who love the bombs exploding, planes crashing, buildings blowing and other kinds of unimaginable dross stuff. I don't really mind these if there is a semblance of reality in all the action scenes. But unfortunately that is not the case here. It appalls me that the makers dint realize the quality of their movie while making it. They invest millions of dollars in such BS stuff.

As far the acting is concerned, the lesser i say the better. Cage cannot act to save his life.Clearly he remains the most unimpressive mainstream actor in Hollywood to me. Travolta is no better either. Overall this is really a pathetic movie..

And it is so so so overrated in IMDB...7.3 r u kidding ?

it deserves a 3.7 !

1/10..I regret having watched this movie..I simply couldn't wait it to end..Thankgod i watched it in TV with the usual commercial breaks which gave me some respite.

Well Face Off--------"Beep" Off

Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009)

Miss You Rocket Singh !

[9/10 · 1 February 2010]

Movies Like Rocket Singh are a rarity these days. Rocket Singh is one of those rare movies which are honest and has its heart in its right place. In fact some movies are made with such good intention that it is almost difficult and inhuman to find flaws with it.Rocket Singh is more of a mirror to our technocratic society where the only morals are bribery and corruption.

At the end one can feel that the movie emerges as a paragon for hope to all those who still feel that debauchery in our society can be eliminated.The verisimilitude of the characters and the events give a rich and genuine feel to the movie watchers.These characters are made of flesh and blood and can be found in any Indian Office.The sympathy for Rankbir Kapoor's character is palpable.

The story is basically about the struggle of an academically challenged college graduate in today's corporate world.He is too naive to understand the idiosyncrasies of any corporate company.How he manages to efface out the problems impinging his conscience and finds a solution is the main storyline.

I recommend this movie to all people of our business society so that they can really realize that there is no harm done in doing business in an honest way.

The puissance of the movie lies in the script that has been very well written by Jaideep Sahni.He has really craved himself a niche in writing.The same can be said about Shimit Amin.

There are a few minor flaws in the movie which are worth quibbling.but i won't venture in that territory.But overall its a must watch also for all especially those who want to become entrepreneurs .

8\10

Eagle Eye (2008)

Bull's Eye

[8/10 · 29 January 2010]

I don't know if you can expect any more from an action thriller film.Eagle eye definitely is one of the better entertaining action movies i have seen this year.The plot is too convoluted to be given any description.the best thing about the movie is that there is not an overdose of action which is a syndrome from which most of the recent movies suffer(Die Hard 4.0,James Bond).

I simply cannot understand why people have issues with the sensibilities of its plot.The plot makes perfect sense and there is never a dull moment in the movie.The performances are up to the mark where each doing what they are purported to do.Shia LaBeouf still is the same what we saw in Transformers.Overall this movie is a must watch. It leaves nothing else to expect from an action thriller.

EuroTrip (2004)

This Is Not where i parked My Car

[5/10 · 18 January 2010]

Euro Trip Is an average movie that is made to look worse by some pathetically bad performances from the lead actors. The movie could have been better had the characters put some effort in their performances rather than just bluntly vomiting out the lines given to them.

It really makes Superbad look like a classic(It Is a very good movie actually) since it basically deals with the same Estrogen Deprived teens looking to get laid. The tenuous plot is basically about a teenager who has just graduated from high school and gets dumped by his girl friend .

If you really have nothing to do on a Sunday Afternoon then i suggest you watch this movie else thrash it.