nikhil-damodaran Reviews

American Beauty (1999)

Complex, Yet Simple

[8/10 · 20 October 2019]

The movie revolves around a 40 something man (named: Lester Burnham = Kevin Spacey) who is dominated by his real estate agent wife and is lost when interacting with his teenage daughter (Jane Burnham played by Thora Birch). The funny thing is: he does not think he is lost, but he feels that his daughter and his wife both consider him worthless. He hates his job: yearns for self-worth even at workplace. To sum it up, the character starts deeply unsatisfied, sad and disillusioned about his life.

His wife (Carolyn Burnham: Annette Bening): a 40 something real estate agent is shown to be this 'act' cool wife who struggles to sell homes and tries to motivate herself - screaming, talking to herself, pepping up her early mornings with motivational chants etc. She is someone who believes she has seen troubled times, has understood struggle and accumulated as she struggled.

They have a nice house, they have the luxury and everything else which you associate with a happy household. But things are up to the mark. This is where the movie adds up layers while explaining their character traits even more.

****** spoiler follows: Frank goes to his daughter's cheerleading sessions during one of the games, apparently disinterested. He persists with it on his wife's insistence. She reminds him of his growing disconnect with his daughter. And he agrees, but seems to be not in the mood to care or address the issue - he still hangs around.

When he gets bedazzled by this young, blonde cheerleader friend of his daughter. What follows is a reaction in which he yearns for contact, reimagines sex and gets excited to masturbate thinking about her, while his wife is sleeping next door.

This friend Angela (played by Mena Suvrai) also has an interesting philosophy - life is all about exploring and soaking all the attention. She appears to be comfortable with people admiring and wanting her, people even thinking about her and engaging with themselves. So she clearly appears strong headed and tells Jane (daughter : Thora Birch), that she would love to get attention even from her dad, who she thinks is interesting. Why, despite appearing under confident, does she engage with Jane's dad? Is she exploratory? or is she seeking adventure.

Intertwined with Angela and Jane is another peeing tom, their new neighbor (Ricky Fitts: played by Wes Bentley) who goes to the same high school, has a retired military father who is strict Christian Texan - in that order. Now, Ricky's life is from his video camera which he uses to capture his world. He follows Jane and captures her from her bedroom window. He keeps recording and when confronted does not get awkward or does not hide his activities.

His matter of factly response to situations catches Jane's attention. She admires his confidence. She admires the fact that he is outright confident and does not feel the need to defend his actions, when confronted. She admires him also because she is not confident about her own actions, which makes her stay and draw upon the more confident Angela. After her interactions with Ricky, she starts getting interested in him.

Stories move on and characters keep developing layers. The climax is an interaction of these characters which is not critical to the beauty of the movie. It is interesting but does not drive the Oscar.

Udta Punjab (2016)

Needed More Work

[5/10 · 16 June 2016]

I am inclined to believe that the intention of this movie was a close replication to 'Requiem for a Dream'. If the censor copy says it all ( this is the copy I watched), then the movie is not worth all the controversy which was created recently in the media. I don't even know why the Censor board was making such a big issue out of it. Cause there was nothing much to censor and the film could have passed with an A certification too! So now since the hype is taken care of, I would like to review the movie alongside and in comparison with the Requiem for a Dream(RD) - the cult by Darren Aronofsky.

The movie revolves around the increased drug problem in Punjab. Now whether there is a problem like this or not, the story can still be told. This story, much like RD has parallel stories of people who are addicted to drugs because of various situations and habits. Shahid (Tommy) thrives on cocaine and fuels his music from the drugs - the 'coke cock' line was interesting and it sort of built up the tempo of the story. Thus he is a singer (the usual drugs and rock and roll - no sex) who is abusive in all sense and in heavily dependent on his high. He becomes a modern Jim Morrison - inspiring people to be cool and gets a generation indirectly into a notion that drugs is a happening thing!

The second story is of Alia (Mary Jane) who comes from a poor Bihari family in search of making a living first as an agricultural worker in Punjab. She bumps into this stash of coke and gets involved with people who get her addicted, keep her in confinement and rape her repeatedly. Her addiction is in contrast with Tommy and shows a separate side.

The third character which is focused is the brother of the Diljit Dosanjh (Sartaj - the police officer) who discovers his brother in an overdosed state. In trying to de-addict him, he meets with a doctor (Kareena) who runs a rehab. Touched by the severity of the problem and his own experience with his brother, Sartaj ties to find out more about the drug problem. Directed by Kareena, they figure out the politics of drugs and how they are available uncontrolled in any chemical shop - since there is no direct license requirement for this drug. This story gets intertwined with Sartaj's brother as both try to get him out of the problem.

Now, this setup is similar to - Conelly, Leto and Burstyn where in requiem for a dream, there are these plot lines going across and all centered around drug for different needs and fueled by different psychosis. While that story is more vivid (and I wish Indian cinema could go upto that level of acceptance), these stories are weaker. In part there is brilliance - the goa poster (not mentioning more!) is a tool again which tries to recreate Burstyn's dream and it has been placed well in the movie. Thus there are these moments of interesting analogies but the drag of the stories is far too much. Maybe 30 minutes of lesser explanations and more graphic content would have made the fight with the censor worth it.

Performances were following directorial cue I feel - Shahid was again very good. He pulled up a better performance in Haider primarily because the movie was so well made - but otherwise no complaints from shahid. Alia was surprisingly refreshing. She (maybe) was not very smooth with her Bihari accent but essayed the role very well. Kareena and Diljit were balance - and the kid who played Diljit's younger brother acted very well.

Perhaps the needs for melodrama made the movie lengthy but it could have been a cult had they refrained from populist plots and digressions.

Rashomon (1950)

An Interesting Must Watch

[8/10 · 8 January 2016]

I know I am totally writing this review out of my memory of watching this movie. There is a certain thing about reviewing the movie when you have just finished watching. Sometimes certain scenes can come to the fore and help you better elaborate and justify the review. Sometimes, it is better to let the movie sink in and then write the review about the movie.

This one falls into the second category. I was just Wow-ed by this movie. This movie exploits an interesting method of perspective narration. Stories are often perspective oriented and in this movie, one story is narrated by many people involved in the story.

What the viewer as well as the person who is listening to these sets of narration has to decipher is - which one is the truth?

While you start with this idea, you end up taking it to a whole new level and not knowing if there is a true perspective you would want to search for? The plausibility of some of these perspectives as well as the intertwined self interest of the narrator implies that there is this haze in everything.

That is when the film leaves you hanging and you're stunned by the turn of events. Its as if someone has tempted you and left you high and dry. Thats what's the Rashomon effect.

Creed (II) (2015)

I thought we already had a Rocky!

[3/10 · 8 January 2016]

This had such good critics reviews that I thought it might be worth the extra shot for a movie which lingers on the same theme and same idea but maybe did the job nicely with modern technology.

All expectations laid waste when I saw this movie. A comparison to Rocky was obvious. Since it was catching on the same theme, it was expected to at least show that much prowess, neatness and even tensile strength in story. What it turned out was a fluff which had interesting direction. The first quarter of the movie was giving it good direction. It had some new-ness of what you might expect from a movie in 2015, but kept the same base elements which made Rocky a hit back then.

But then it seemed to lost it. Whether to focus on training or to focus on the mind games about being a boxer with some history - the story sort of stayed in this dilemma and never took off to a direction. The fight also was not very interesting as compared to its paternal genre.

All in all, I do not think this is good enough to be in the same 'Creed' as a 'Rocky' before! Hence the 3/10

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010)

Not Very Woody Allen-ish

[5/10 · 12 December 2015]

This is a movie about failed relationships. Not that you're hearing his take for the first time, but I think this movie is not his best. You feel like - "And well he must have said those lines before and you know you've heard it".

It starts out with troubled marriages to begin with Naomi Watts and Josh Brolin ,the writer (don't know why he makes all his characters to be artists!). After a troubled writing career which never took off and them being supported by her mother; the movie depicts how they engage and dis-engage with each other.

Naomi's mother (Gemma Jones), (being crushed by her divorce ) seeks answers in spirituality and which everyone believes sounds really obnoxious, but then Naomi allows her to stick with it since it seemingly fetches her happiness.

Gemma Jones was stressed by her husband (Anthony Hopkins) who somehow believes that he has to revitalize his life. He leaves her and goes in a wandering (having an affair with the escort) trying to rediscover his youth.

What happens is a comedy of errors and it works up as a confusing movie which you wonder is moving but you rather not watch it as a Woody Allen movie. Maybe he is trying to cut his own narrative or something new. Clearly this has not worked in 'You will meet a tall dark stranger'! Maybe Allen is coming off age - which cannot really happen since he already has surprised you before; alas not this time.

Man of Steel (2013)

Originality Lacking Technical Gymic!

[6/10 · 20 September 2013]

Like all Superman movies, this movie was also eagerly awaited by all fans. But what Christopher Nolan could do to batman could not be done by Zack for superman. The superman series needs to reinvent itself in terms of adding the details. There is always a great positivity in superman which needed to go into the domain of grey's (Which is what is done by Nolan).

There have been many superman movies one after another trying to up the ante on the technical aspect of cinematography. Had they mere thought so much more about the real details of being a superman they could have come up with more imaginative ways to portray the whole man of steel experience...

Having said all of this, the movie is still a good watch. It brings together a facet as the core of philosophical debate. Thereafter it develops the Superman character with elan. Especially good work is done by Crowe, Diana Lane and Harry Lennix.

The special effects get more intense with this movie. The fight sequences are amazing work of visual display. Give all its pros and cons I give it a 6 on 10.

The Piano (1993)

Deep Passionate Love and the Piano

[7/10 · 18 September 2013]

This movie is one where passion gets intertwined with love! The passion for playing a piano and the love for another person.

Holly Hunter plays a mute lady who has been playing piano. The narrative at the starting and the end in turn defines this movie and provides it the lens to watch it and grasp it at the end.

It is about a widow (Hunter) who gets married to a Sam Neil who plays a landowner in a Maori tribe region. After traveling to distant land with her daughter (young Paquin) she tries to adapt. Her husbands resistance for keeping the piano outside starts her off the wrong track.

Harvey ( the plantation worker) who is mystified by her playing the piano tries to provide her with the space to play by requesting Neil to let her teach the piano. As the story progresses, the bond which starts from music grows into love.

There are constant doubts raised on part of Harvey, if Hunter loves him or it is just the piano. In between her passion and her growing love lies a story worth exploring.

Insecurity (on Neill's part), Passion (Hunter's piano), and Love (Hunter-Harvey) make this plot interesting. What should go without fail is the role of Paquin in her young perception of her mother and her new found father.

For all the complexity, I give it a 7 on 10.

Chashme Buddoor (1981)

Fun!

[8/10 · 16 September 2013]

Again, these movies are to be visited again and again. After watching the current more complex movies, one might get off the old movies but movies like Chashme Buddoor define turning points in Bollywood History. Its hence a must watch for any cinema lover.

Just because a movie is called classical by many doesn't mean that on needs to watch it. True! But merely on the merit of this movie one could watch this movie.

The screenplay - this is about three bachelors who two of whom are pursuing their college education and the other is pursuing his masters and wants to pursue doctoral. In their search for girls, they end up getting intertwined in a comedy of errors.

The subplots confront one with the dogma of Indian male and the role of female. There are layers to the comic episodes in the movie and could be analysed in detail.

As the plot moves along, love, job and other complications make the story interesting in a funny way. You would never sit through 15 minutes in the movie and not laugh and think about it in some depth.

That's what makes this a classic and I give it an 8 on 10.

This Boy's Life (1993)

Touching Triumph

[8/10 · 16 September 2013]

There are times when you get sad and the task at hand seems so hard. What you don't realize is that there are people who have faced times harder, and done equally challenging things.

This story is one such narrative of a boy from a small town with a mother trying to get settled somewhere. As the attempts of settling at a new city goes on, she meets a guy(de niro). It is via this guy that she realizes that she could settle down for herself and her son (do caprio).

As an when their lives get intertwined, di caprio faces angst from deniro and tries to get a future for himself out of the small town. This is his struggle to learn, to get a direction and to survive!

Follow Tobias Wolff's memoir into his journey beyond the brutality and the hopelessness.

For all the depth, I give this movie an 8 on 10

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Average

[6/10 · 16 September 2013]

This movie should not be compared to the Lord of the Rings. It doesn't match the lord of the rings in any way. What it does is to elaborate on the chain of events which preclude the LOTR.

The plot is much simpler and the concepts are relatively familiar. There is no surprise in the way the characters are developed. To be fair to the director, building a prequel is much more difficult than a sequel.

However the screenplay (to use a more fancy word for story) is along the lines of an adventure the movie promises upon. As was expected, they have left the story unfinished. This, I think is dragging it a bit since mot parts of the movie there is nothing really concrete.

Given all these limitations, its still worth a watch. The movie is still smooth and has similar element mystique.

For all the above I give it a 6 on 10.

Oblivion (I) (2013)

Decent

[7/10 · 15 September 2013]

When we are talking about sci-fi movies, there are a few recurring themes which come to light. Man vs nature, man's greed vs man's humility etc. This one is just one of those categories Hollywood tries to patronize you with.

At a level the story goes like this - A man in-charge(Cruise) of an area tires to keep up the work, so that there is a smooth transition process. For what? To where are pieces which neither this man nor his accomplice gets to know. Amidst the daily repairs and routine clean up, he scraps through what was not suppose to be his area!

The truth is beyond the review and is something which you should watch the movie for. However, I need to state that such plots are not fresh and there is a need to install more creativity.

At a level of suspense and fun, this movie is worth a watch and hence I give it a 6.5 out of 10.

The Perfect Vagina (2008 TV Movie)

Something interesting to think about! Must watch and think

[8/10 · 14 September 2013]

a) We often are worried and bothered about how we look based on what is considered a good look within the society. There are two points of disagreement to this - 1) The society itself is showcasing an opinion which is not generated out of rational thought exercise but a heard behavior and 2) the idea of good is never subjected to conscious scrutiny.

b)Based on these problems of a 'mass-thought', our actions generated as a consequence might have a lot of problems one could ponder upon. One such mass-conception of what an idea vagina could be is explored here in this short documentary.

c) Note that this documentary is not a really technical documentary and is a simplistic representation of the narrators association with the problem. Why do women of all ages resort to more and more vaginal cosmetic surgery. This is just to fit some notion of what is called a good vagina. Such conceptions are extremely shallow and provide those who are faced with the realization that they have an ugly vagina. Consequentally, to fit in, they undergo surgery - most of which is painful.

d) Why are these incidents occurring more and more in the society? This then forms the next part of the documentary.

If I were an enthusiast, I would certainly watch the documentary.

Warning - Though this documentary could have handled the issue better, but the fact that it has brought out the issue is remarkable.

For all the effort I give it an 8/10.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Splendid!

[9/10 · 13 September 2013]

I know the review is coming a bit late and the movie is all famous. But I would still provide my Tarantino's pulp for this review.

The story - Tarantino's mastery with simplistic plots is sure something to cherish. This story is about how certain events in two gangsters life are connecting dots to a few other lives. The comic-violence and the street-smart dialogues add to the linkages.

The dialogue - The hamburger scene, the do you believe in god scene, the first scene, and a lot of mini scenes in the movie are worth memorizing. Not only are they funny in their own way, they manage to raise high order questions in a very simple manner.

The actors - all of them are splendid. Travolta, Thurman, Jackson and a cameo by Bruce Willis are all essaying characters which have everything set right. The tempo they set by their expressions takes the simple plot to the level of a legendary movie.

It should technically be given a 10/10, but there coulnt be a perfect movie, no matter how perfect I claim this to be.

Head-On (2004)

Complexity portrayed nicely!

[7/10 · 13 September 2013]

The story - Its slightly complicated. Its about two people. The male protagonist (names I cant pronounce) who was running away from life due to a certain nothingness in his life. He faces a girl who is running away, albeit from family and traditions of a Turkish family settled in Hamburg. She bumps into him and asks him to help her. Help, for marrying her so that she could come out of her boundations and life life, the way she wants to and discover things.

While the guy is forced into this union, the association changes their lives in different ways. They agreed that they are only taking help of each other to satisfy the girls parents. It turns out that the girl goes on her reckless way discovering what she wants in life, and the guy who had no interest in anything falls in love with this girl.

A turn of events bring them close emotionally but take them apart at the same time. The movie is all about the tryst in their fortunes and how the characters integrate their lives with their hopes of living it a certain way.

For the complexity this movie tries to portray, yet handling the plot very well, I give it a 7 on 10.

Annie Hall (1977)

Rationalinzing Romance

[8/10 · 13 September 2013]

This movie thoroughly deserves an 8 or a more than that rating. This movie is unlike other over the top love stories which you experience otherwise. This is the story of a man trying to put in the grey areas of love out and yet make you understand that it still is love.

Woody Allen, the protagonist, tries to give a narrative of his story of love with Annie Hall. The movie just is a narrative of how they meet, how they make love, what are their sex issues and other things which are common in any relationship. But the idea is to make these common things uncommon with Allen's style narratives.

Where the character pops out of the screen and talks to the audience, where the character goes into his own past and tries to analyse his past etc are tools Allen uses to make the scenes humorous and yet conveying a point in existence.

I cant comment on whether this movie deserved an Oscar cause i haven't seen its counterparts. But this movie is certainly worth repeated watch.

The Great Gatsby (2013)

The Great Adoption

[7/10 · 13 September 2013]

When you watch a movie which is a celebrated novel in English literature, you try and see if it simplifies the literature and yet maintain its subtlety.

The movie does this splendidly. Apart from the challenge of converting worded descriptions into a visual replication, the character portrayal has come out really well. The passions of Gatsby, the narrative impulse of Nick and Daisy!

The plot for those who aren't familiar - A millionaire tries to befriend certain people to get close to his love interest. How is does that and whether he manages to get close to her is just one part of the movie. The more sensitive part is the third person narration of the entire event by Nick Carraway (Tobey). That adds the flavour into the movie and asks a larger question on the legitimateness of the actions undertaken by the characters and their subsequent impact on perceptions about them.

For all these projections which blend the need to make a visual effect simple yet layered, I give it a 7 on 10.

Laura (1944)

Exceptional

[7/10 · 10 September 2013]

This movie fits on all counts but one! you could have a wild guess who the killer is, while the director tries to provide you with alternative versions to distract you.

The movie starts out with the death of a Laura (Gene Tierney), and Detective Mc Pherson (Dana Andrews) trying to investigate the murder. The movie then goes on along McP's collection and rechecking evidence. He tries to soften the suspects by trash talk and trying to read into their reactions.

Waldo and Shelby are both in the doubting list and confront McP many times. However, what follows is a classic Noir genre. The twist and the motives are good, effective and worth the 7/10.

Looking back at the times when this movie was made, it deserves more than a 7! Hope you enjoy this as much as I have!

Django Unchained (2012)

Tarantino Ending, but Not his best!

[7/10 · 8 September 2013]

This movie is based on characters! And characters bring this movie to a 7/10 for me. The plot is simple. A slave(Django), freed by his friend a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) start out by taking each others help. The bounty hunter wanted Django to identify his targets, while Django was happy to be free with him than be slaved by any white man.

On their trail of collecting bounties, Django learns to shoot and actively assist the German bounty hunter. The way Django develops his character and the flamboyance of the German bounty hunter, is artistically portrayed.

The story proceeds by Django explaining his friend that he has a slave wife and he wants to find her. On their trail to find his wife, the movie takes the most exciting turn by far! And that too very late by Tarantino's movie standards. The Candy-land experience and what follows provides this movie the oomph, which till then was missing.

However, DiCaprio does his magic once again by playing the feudal lord of Candy Land where Django's slave wife is working. What follows is what Tarantino is best known for. A lot of blood and action!

Overall, the movie is decent! But needlessly lengthy for the first part! Otherwise loved it!

Unforgiven (1992)

Eastwood Subtle cliché

[7/10 · 31 August 2013]

6.5 out of 10.

This is an Eastwood genre cowboy revisit. A booty on two yound men who cut off a whores face draws an ex-assassin) (Eastwood into the deal purely due to money. On his way back to survival, he marches along with his old time pal and a new rookie assassin. He encounters a cop (Hackman) who is trying to shoo away assassins from the country and prevent any further killing. What is characterised by a slow buildup, the ending is not as dramatic and shies away from any over the top action. Yet for its subtlety I would give the movie the above ratings.

Acting - Eastwood,Freeman and Hackman do a wonderful job, with excellent dialogue delivery and great character.

Murder 2 (2011)

A bad copy of Saw!

[4/10 · 26 June 2013]

The movie, supposedly a sequel of murder, at the outset clarifies that this is not so. This is an entirely different story in lines with the Saw series which explores the min of a serial killer.

The story - a serial killer is loose in Goa during the time of Christmas and call girls are disappearing. Who is the serial killer? Why does he do so? How does the protagonist (Hashmi) prevent any more murders? what is in store for the viewer is a half baked, bad timed suspense.

The pros - a) its possibly a critique of the Indian or for that matter any other justice system where insanity plea would reduce the crime of the killer. b) the story is about an ex-cop who chooses not to be in the system cause he doesn't believe in one. (Even these two themes are operationalized much better by 'A Wednesday')

The cons - a) the story line is revealed in the middle with no suspense as to who the killer is or why does he commit murder. b) the reason for the serial killer committing murder isn't strong enough to compare it with saw. c) the movie has shades of morality beating around religion. why does bollywood drag the name of allah ram or Christ to face the question of morality? c) Jaquline cannot act! Emran tries to carry the weak film, but neither is he known for his acting skills. d) its a bit dragging towards the end! e) it makes fun of the transvestite.

I give this movie a 4/10.

Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)

Cult

[8/10 · 22 June 2013]

This review might be biased because I am a great fan of Anurag Kashyap's movies. Having said that, I do not think people would disagree with the admiration shown. Gangs of Wasseypur is Kashyap's take on Indian godfather. If you are an international at heart, you need to know the local nuances to understand the comic timing, the intensity, the issues, the reactions of characters. However, even an unfamiliar would be taken through the streets of Wasseypur really smoothly.

Sardar Khan essayed by Manoj Bajpayee, and his wife Richa Chaddha have played their part nicely. From setting up of his empire around Wasseypur to expanding his business and later on transferring the legacy to his sons, Bajpayee has eased into the character.

There is no typical bollywood masala dance numbers, yet the background scores are simply apt for the story. The real plus about this movie is the way the characters get developed and mature over the course of the movie. That is something which people rarely notice yet decides the pace and the coherence of the movie.

This movie is certainly one to watch, and will invariably lead one into the next part. Both the movies offer 6 hour of serious entertainment and a crash course into the old mafia raj of pre 1990 India.

I rate this movie 8 out of 10 for the aforementioned credits.

Dredd (2012)

Unexpectedly decent

[6/10 · 22 June 2013]

Into the first ten minutes of the movie and i was thinking it would turn out to be a funny serious movie. A protagonist with a headgear on all the time is going to be no fun!

The movie is set in a futuristic world where you have these tall 200 storied sky scrapers where thousands of people inhabit one colony of a sky scraper. Then there are crimes and criminals - involved in drug abuse of a variety which slows down reactions and allows you to feel a minute as if it were a long time. The new drug called slo-mo is made in one of these towers.

However, even in such a futuristic setting, there are the good guys known as the judges who prevent things from happening to good people out there. One such judge is Dredd.

The fate of the criminal head ma-ma and Dredd gets intertwined when a crime happens in ma-ma's super sky scrapper and judge Dredd goes to investigate it. Amidst a lot of fire power, action, bloodshed and a new mutant rookie cop, Dredd fights crime and buys time till help arrives. The fight sequences are thought carefully and the mutant rookie cop adds in a bit extra to make the plot interesting. The catch is that these two cops have to use there wits to survive and serve justice in the sky scrapper on their own since ma-ma locks down the entire structure.

Be prepared for some action sequences. Best is to watch the movie without any expectations and you would end up liking it like i did.

I give it a 6 out of 10 for the above content.

Tere Bin Laden (2010)

Hilarious!

[7/10 · 18 June 2013]

This is an out and out comedy which explores the American stereotype and exploits it in a comical manner. Ali Zafar is the protagonist who is trying to make an entry in America but fails to get a visa since he is from Pakistan.

A Tryst with destiny gives him an idea! What is it that he bumps into? A person who resembles Osama Bin Laden. This starts the slippery slope of comical confusions. Right from convincing the person to shoot a video which would make him famous, to the CIA believing in the hoax and starting the chase to find this Obama - the film gives you moments to laugh and roll on the floor. The dialogues are the icing on the cake. Though zafar has a unique style of delivery which might not be liked by many, the thrill of comical element in this movie would make it a light hearted entertainment.

Again, this movie is not one of those mindless comedies (Golmaal 3 or whichever) which rely on timing and dialogues of the actors, but is a well knit story around which the laughter is bound.

My verdict is to sit back and laugh!

Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009)

Light, yet Shades of Grey

[8/10 · 18 June 2013]

Ranbir Kapoor's effort to move out of his stereotypes and believe in a smooth low glamour script has produced a movie which would be watched by you again and again.

The screenplay is simple yet something which one could romanticize in our own office space. The young aspiring India, wants to engage in entrepreneurship and has ideas. One such aspirant is Ranbir. Movie is about his move to open a start up in an age where start-ups were believed to be suicidal. And the moment you would open one up, it would be annexed by a bigger firm. The screenplay treads their journey amidst suspicion, logistics of opening up a new firm and trying to avoid being annexed by the big fish.

The casting is fresh and grounded to the roles demanded of them. Mukseh Bhatt(the peon and the partner), Naveen Kaushik (the marketing head aka Nitin Rathore) have all essayed their roles neatly. And this film deserves an audience. It clings on to an easy aspiring Indian middle class and is fit for family as well as friends. I give it an 8 out of 10.

Its worth the effort to sit back and watch Rocket Singh in action!

Argo (2012)

Subtle,Neat and has America Written all over it

[7/10 · 17 June 2013]

Argo, the years Oscars, for the best movie. I have seen its competitor - The Ang Lee flick Life of a Pie, and they go neck to neck.

The movie is about a rescue, a CIA operative going into a rebel zone in order to rescue his fellow citizens as a mark of duty. How do they do it? Delta forces, special rescue squads or a bomber! Nopes, they do it in a manner which characterizes this movie. They make a fake movie and provide it publicity. They try and mask the rescue under the cover of exploring the location Iran. How they do it? How close are the rebels in discovering that the movie is a hoax? All bind the movie in a slow yet neat direction, with effective screenplay.

The big question one could ask is - how justified is the violence done by the rebels!