phaneendrakumar Reviews

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Mr. Waititi, you got a unique and awesome brain, sir!

[10/10 · 15 February 2020]

I got interested in this movie after the Oscars and watched this movie just out of curiosity to see Hitler's caricature.

Boy, I was amazed at it or what!!!

This movie had me laughing out loud and at the same time, made me cry. The experience is so unique. There are so many WWII films which deal with the action on the front or the politics behind the war, but this perspective of the period is untouched. And making a comedy film out of this and making it as emotional as it can be is just superb...

Definitely going to stay in our minds for a very long time...

Jobs (2013)

Worst Biopic ever! Bad Steve Jobs film. Good Ashton Kutcher Film

[4/10 · 25 August 2013]

A movie on the life of Steve Jobs? Ashton Kutcher?

These were the questions that were running in the mind. The second one proved to be a bad judgment on my part as soon as the movie started. The very first scene convinced me that Ashton Kutcher did his home work for the part. His body language and mannerisms were impeccable.

Is this a movie on Steve Jobs? Unfortunately, this question was running at the back of head, even now. In fact, can that ever be categorized, a biography!!!

Jobs was a pathetic human being. He never lived up in the good books of his friends throughout his life. He became ultra famous as a visionary by leading a company called Apple. His business ideas are definitely genius. But this BIOGRAPHY neither showed his bad personal life nor the good entrepreneur life.

Jobs made apple the super successful IT company post the 90's after he introduced the famous iPhone and iPad. And the script conveniently leaves that part out. A computer manufacturing company entering the phone arena... That was thinking different. The misfit... And it doesn't even gets a mention. Whoa!!! What a biopic.

The troubling years of Steve Jobs when he is out of Apple gave us two company's. One is Next Technologies as seen in the film and the other one is PIXAR. I know that it is awkward to showcase another studio in your film, but please!!!

And can somebody explain me that Bach's piece of music in the background, when Steve is enjoying the LSD induced Euphoria? Does that remotely imply that Jobs was planning to launch a music device that changes the world, how to listen Music? Outrageous script writing there with a huge Cliché!

If you are remotely aware of the person called Steve Jobs, this film is not for you.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Decent enough...

[6/10 · 29 June 2012]

I had a chance to watch The Amazing Spider-Man today. It is a decent movie by all means, but I couldn't understand the decision by the studio to reboot the near perfect series about the same super hero.

Since, this is a review of the present film, I will stick to this movie and try not to compare this with the older one starring Tobey Maguire as Spider Man.

The movie depicts Spider-man as more human than a superhero. Peter Parker is just another kid, who's parents are missing since the time he remembers. He treats his guardians like dirt making the character believable. The scene where he starts playing the "Bounce" game on his mobile while waiting for the villain to appear is epic. Marc Webb, as the director hit goldmine with respect to the character building.

The villain is not believable though.

The visuals are very good. Again, Marc's insistence on not using the CGI for aerial shots of the Spider-Man in favor of using stunt men physically swinging worked wonders. The whole effort put in shows on the screen. 3D adds more depth to the visuals.

The final showdown between the Spider-Man and Lizard, however is the downside of the film. The whole story is predictable and after all this, at least the climax had to be extra-ordinary.

Over all, the movie is a decent fare, if seen in the 3D format. And watching Martin Sheen on screen was a treat.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)

Excellent film. Watch it.

[9/10 · 15 July 2011]

I have seen the film this morning and all the efforts put in are worth the movie. As expected, this is a good movie about grown up men and their emotional problems, which is naturally expected from the team that gave us Dil Chahta Hai and Rock On.

A group of three friends (Hrithik, Abhay Deol and Farhan Akhtar) embark on a road trip in Spain as a part of a bachelor party for Abhay Deol, who is getting married to Kalki, and confused. Hritik and Farhan have their own personal issues too.

The movie is a joy ride with subtle comedy. Farhan Akhtar's comic timing is impeccable. The comedy that was written just out of a ladies hand bag is too good.

The wafer thin story line is beautifully put on screen with a superb screenplay. The performances are nothing less than your expectations with Hritik in the ensemble. Deepti Naval and Naseeruddin Shah add up to the list of artists.

The movie portrays very heavy topics like marriage, love and Work. Yet, due to the sublime comedy you are never bored. I guess that is a mark of excellent script.

Here is one line I want to pick up from this movie. Kalki says this line to Abhay Deol, her fiancé. "You enjoy your bachelor trip. Aakhir shaadi ke baad you wouldn't feel like going around with your friends any more." And you should see the expressions on the faces of the three guys...

And yes, La Tomatina festival, Spainish beaches, and Katrina Kaif were a treat to watch.

Vedam (2010)

Nice movie

[8/10 · 4 June 2010]

The movie is good for Telugu industry definitely. The casting was good and a big experiment that gave some positive results.

The first half of the movie doesn't have any story and tends to bore you. The script tried very hard to establish all the characters in the first half and doesn't concentrate on the story. But, the second half is power packed and gets the best of writing supported by performances. Nagayya as Ramulu is awesome. Arjun is his usual energetic. Anushka is sexy and innocent at the same time. Manchu Manoj is good for his role. Manoj Bajpai has done justice to his role.

Overall, this movie has a potential to change the industry norms and standards if taken in right sense and elevate the movie making art. Full credit has to be given to Krish, the director.

Caligula (1979)

Sort of Must Watch.

[8/10 · 30 January 2010]

Man is a social animal.

Whoever said this must be a real genius in understanding the psychology of the human brain. We live in a society which is bound by a set of rules called Law. Try to imagine what the world would be like if there is no law to govern! Man will become animal. His thirst for blood grows. Absolute power to an individual will bring out the animalistic cruelty and sexual perversion.

Caligula is a film that deals with such absolute power and its by-products, that are bestowed on the infamous Roman Ceaser. Malcolm McDowell did a wonderful job in enacting the maniacal role. All the other actors are merely supporting his performance. Peter O'Toole was great in his role. He was very expressive as a dying tyrant who doesn't trust his heir to the throne. His character is also very pervasive and Toole splendidly performed a s one. Helen Mirren has nothing much to do than standing as an eye candy wife of Caligula.

The movie is filled with nudity and gore. Yet, you will not remember the movie as a softcore or you wouldn't be aroused by the content. Director Tinto Brass made sure that the tone was maintained throughout. Watch Caligula for the pure passion of a bunch of men to tell a shocking story.

In my opinion, this is one of the finest movies I have ever seen. Try this movie, if you are OK with the nudity and gore.

Wake Up Sid (2009)

An old story for the new generation..

[8/10 · 15 October 2009]

There are many movies in the past which told us the "Coming of Age" story. Malena is the best in this genre and Lakshya is on par from the Indian block. Every story is essentially the same, only the way it is told is different.

Wake up Sid is an old wine in a new bottle. A spoilt rich brat and his discovering himself and love in the due course is the story. But, the acting has given its an edge. The viewer will feel for Sid and his hate him at the same time. We wish for his success as much as he wishes for that.

Konkana Sen Sharma was miscast for the role. But her acting was world class.

And lastly, Bombay needs a special mention here. This movie is like big advertisement for the life of an average Mumbaikar. If you live or ever lived in Bombay, you will be astonished by the authenticity of the detail.

Rating: 4/5

Seven Samurai (1954)

One of the best films I ever saw.

[10/10 · 29 May 2009]

Seven Samurai has been a pioneer in action genre of cinema. Many shots that are conceptualized by Akira Kurasawa in the film are copied later by the greats like Steven Spielberg and others in their movies. The film itself inspired many classics in almost all the languages later. Sholay is one such example.

The screenplay of this movie is undoubtedly, one of the best ever. The movie starts and within five seconds, the viewer is immersed in the movie without any second thought... That is the magic of Kurasawa's screenplay. There are many instances in the film where the viewer identify himself with the protagonist, the samurai. The film portrays the drought periods of Japan with intense. The comic reliefs are imbibed with utmost sensuality into the story with a great mastery. Undoubtedly, this movie is a text book of sorts for all those who are wannabe script writers out there.

Watch this movie to believe the magic. If, already seen, watch it again, to relive the magic of Toshiro Miffune on the screen.

Anatomy of Hell (2004)

Undigestable stuff on screen.

[6/10 · 29 May 2009]

I was having a discussion with one my friends about movies that will shatter us like hell and he immediately started speaking about Anatomy of Hell (Anatomie de l'enfer). His statement was that he was hard enough to sit through this movie. Naturally, I was intrigued by his statement and got hands on the movie.

To be frank, the movie was a disaster. It was very hard for me watch the stuff, even while forwarding. The movie is so gross that watching p0rn would be the easiest thing to do in this world..

There is Amira Casar and Rocco Siffredi(Yeah..you guys are correct to read it) as the leading cast, the Lady and the Man.

As far as the story goes, the man is a gay and the lady is a virgin middle aged freak. She wants to enjoy SEX and companionship. She hires the man for four days to come to her place and watch her when she is unwatchable. The visuals of the movie are so extreme in their own sense.

I am actually not writing down everything here as I don't want an ADULT CONTENT filter for this page.

Please don't mind watching the movie for your own mental stability.

Angels & Demons (2009)

Good adaptation of the novel.

[8/10 · 29 May 2009]

Angels & Demons has partially lived up to the expectations and hype that it has created among the movie going community in last one year's time. It started on a high note and maintained the pace well enough to keep the viewer on the edge of the seat, till the last 20 minutes. Director Ron Howard missed it in the last 20 minutes and you have that odd after-taste once the movie is finished.

The movie started with the death of the Pope and is followed by the theft of a canister containing Anti-matter. From there, a Harvard symbologist, Robert Langdon takes over. The story is well written by Dan Brown, which never lost the attention of the reader in its novel form. Akiva Goldsman did a fine job in adapting the story as a screenplay. There was enough of wit thrown in extremely fast paced story making sure that you will not get bored.

The good point that is to be noted is Ron Howard has learned from his past mistakes of adapting the Dan Brown novels. Davinci Code was a slow paced movie and it really never kept the viewer riveted to the plot. Also, in trying to stick to the novel, it made fun of itself at points. But, Angels & Demons has lot of deviations from the original novel which resulted in a better movie. Actually, Davinci Code was a failure as a movie. You will enjoy the movie only if you have already read the book. But, A&D can be enjoyed by people who haven't read the book also.

Vettoria Vetra was one thing I hated in the movie. The actress who did that role is relatively unknown and as expected, Ayelet Zurer could not make her presence felt anywhere in the movie. I still wish Ron has opted for Monica Belluci.

Go watch the movie, if you like fast paced thrillers with a plot twist at the end.

In the Name of God (2007)

Khuda ke liye

[10/10 · 29 May 2009]

Khuda Ke Liye is like an eye opener of sorts for many people(across various religions and continents).

I saw this movie a fortnight ago and since then the movie is revolving at the back of my mind. It has left such an impression that no movie has done till date. Cinema is an art which mirrors the society as it is. Being an Indian, after watching this movie, I understood a lot about Pakistan and the culture there. The movie depicts the story of two brothers from Lahore, whose lives are catapulted through circumstances.

Mansoor is the elder brother, who is studying music in Chicago and is a victim of the haters of Muslim community, thinking that every Muslim is a terrorist. Sarmad, the younger one is influenced by an orthodox Mulla to follow Islam like the QURAN says, by growing beard, dressing in huliya and stuff..

The movie features a performance by Naseerudin Shah in the role Maulana Wali, who explains Islam as a religion and what a true Muslim should do instead of killing each other in the name if Jihad.

This movie is a must watch for every Muslim, as it can show the correct path to all the confused Muslim youth..Also this movie is a must watch for every Indian, as this would change our perspective towards the Pakistani society. Also every westerner should watch this film before concluding that every Muslim is a terrorist. In short, this film is so huge on humanitarian grounds, that no film ever can reach the heights that this has reached.

Khuda ke liye(For God's sake)..do not miss Khuda ke liye.

The Dark Knight (2008)

Why so serious??

[9/10 · 18 July 2008]

Enter "The Joker" in Gotham City to entertain us all, in the form of Heath Ledger and the chaos sets in. He is ruthless,messy,merciless and acts on instinct. Joker unleashes fury in Gotham city by robbing banks and killing his own aides to attract the attention of Batman. Heath Ledger was praised before the release of this movie very much for his psychotic performance as the Joker. Truly, his performance is so inspiring. He made sure he will live forever in our hearts in the form of JOKER after his unexpected death in January'08.

Batman, with the help of the new district attorney, Harvey Dent, cleans up the city streets off crime. Harvey Dent becomes the hero of the city with a human face and Batman has his mask still on. People of the city starts trusting Dent more day by day. Aaron Eckhart also fitted the bill perfectly as Havey Dent/Two Face. Batman arrests Joker with the help of Dent and James Gordon. As the story should go, Joker manages to escape from the prison and corrupts Harvey Dent and changes him to Two Face.

The dialogues of Joker are fun and intriguing at the same time. The way Ledger utters "You complete me" and "I don't want to kill you. What would I do without you?" to Batman is astounding.

Compared to Heath Ledger, Christian Bale has a little thing to offer in the store in this movie. Ledger out does every other actor in this dark masterpiece.

Christopher Nolan has written a beautiful movie here. His characters Batman and Joker are so believable that you completely forget that you are watching a semi-superhero thriller. Batman is all human and vulnerable to the chaos created by The Joker in this epic. Some sequences like the introduction of the Batmobile and the picking up of Lau from his HongKong office are surely adrenalin pumpers for those who seek thrills in action flicks.

Watch The Dark Knight without missing at least for late Heath Ledger as you will not look him again on the silver screen and this movie is worth every penny you are going to spend.

Babel (I) (2006)

A View at life as a mere human being...

[9/10 · 12 March 2008]

I just completed the screening of this classic...I don't have enough words to describe it. The movie basically revolves around 4 sub-plots.. each depicting the lives of 4 different families...

There is an American couple who is almost near to a break-up (in my opinion), which is trying to find the happiness again..their children across the Mexican border who are entering the real world with a lot of prejudices... A Japanese girl, who is in search of humanly happiness called SEX and a Mexican nanny who is divided between family and job..

Director Alejandro Gonzalez has done a great job extracting the true emotions of every actor that appears in the movie..

The movie depicts that "The good and evil within humans is because of the situations and not because of the race or creed to which he belongs........" This movie is definitely one of the greatest I have ever seen..

Amélie (2001)

Subtle happiness's of life which are being missed out by most..

[9/10 · 17 January 2008]

This movie is definitely one of those which changed my perception of things in this world. The simple and petty things which seem to have nothing to do in our life are very useful to make one's life interesting. This is shown to the best effect by the director in this movie.

I can't describe why this movie moved me so much. This, being a comedy, having that effect is very strange. May be it is the subtleness of the movie. I recommend this very strongly for everyone. The "hidden treasure" sequence instantly struck the right chords and reminded me of my childhood. The wandering gnome was a great idea.

The cinematography for this movie is one of the best i have seen in years.

And a special mention is deserved for that beautiful naive smile of Audrey Tautou.

Like Stars on Earth (2007)

Outstanding Debut..

[10/10 · 24 December 2007]

Taare zameen Par is the much awaited directorial debut of "Perfectionist" Aamir Khan. And he dug gold there too. TZP stood like a tower when compared to all other Bollywood flicks. It has all the potential to become a money grosser at the box office and award bagger as well.

TZP is the story of Ishaan, a troubled 9 year old kid. Ishaan has dyslexia, a mental problem resulting in non remembrance of alphabets and numbers. Parents without understanding him and his problems, force studies on him to make him ready to face the merciless competitive world outside. He is sent to a boarding school as they are unable to help the poor soul anymore. Tisca Chopra is worth a special mention in the role of the mother. The rest of the story is how Ishaan comes out as a winner..

The music and lyrics for the songs will take you to another world... Always the lyrics from Prasoon Joshi were special in their own sense. The song "Maa" is a true master piece.

One thing is for sure...The child oriented movies in mainstream bollywood is a rare sight. Only gutsy people can venture in those arenas..

May be it is time for the Academy to consider Indian Cinema for the Oscars. We definitely have potential. Darsheel Safary needs some accolades and awards for his fine performance as Ishaan.

I Am Legend (2007)

Good Thrills and chills..

[8/10 · 15 December 2007]

I saw this movie on the opening day. I got to tell you guys..this is by far the most depressing movie ever I saw.. The thought of living alone with no one to talk is real frightening..I was so immersed into this concept of being lonely that I could not bear the on screen drama. Will Smith's acting added to this ill-feeling further. The director and his crew have achieved whatever they were expected of..

I didn't read the book, so am eagerly waiting for the book.

The opening shot of the film (Empty New York City) has to be seen to believe that. Excellent work there...

Definitely a must watch, but only for one time.

Sruthilayalu (1987)

Excellent film..

[10/10 · 6 November 2007]

K. Viswanath is the only man that can give us such a beauty..As always in his case, this movie also revolves around an art form..The Carnatic music.

Naidu (Kaikala) is a classical musician and adopts three orphans. He teaches them music and wants to establish a music academy in his home town. But, the sons leave naidu for the materialistic pleasures and treasures. It is now the duty of Sita, the daughter-in-law of naidu (wife of elder son narayana murthy) to bring these souls on track.

Sumalatha did an excellent work as Sita. And all the cast is very apt.The climax is superb in emotional quotient. The movie is a must watch for every Viswanath fan.

These kind of movies are really missing from the scene these days..

Chak De! India (2007)

Chak De... Bollywood

[10/10 · 14 August 2007]

As many of us, Indians, thought at first, I too ruled out this movie as just another Hollywood copy. But, I am just back from the theater after watching Chak De.. The movie is far high than expected. Even though, the coach-player formula is very old and a sure shot success in the west, bollywood technicians are also catching up.

The cinematography and the story telling are very refreshing for bollywood standards. Shah Rukh is exceptional in the role. If you want to see Shah Rukh Khan acting, this movie is the best along with Swades. In my opinion, you will be seeing only King Khan in other movies, but not a genuine actor.

The story is simple and always predictable. But, the director made sure that you will not get bored at any point in the movie. The music is very good in the background. The actor's performance is very convincing in their roles. They all are too good for debutantes.

On the whole, Chak de Bollywood. Good movie at last...

A must watch from Indian cinema.

The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Forest Whitakar was simply outstanding..

[10/10 · 22 May 2007]

Earlier, I stated that Will Smith was robbed off an Oscar for his performance in The pursuit of Happiness. I returned home just now after watching The last king of Scotland, and now I say, Will Smith got unlucky that this classic released this year.

The portrayal of Idi Amin is not a joke and Forest rightly deserves the Oscar. Also, I was astonished why James McAvoy didn't receive an Oscar nomination in a supporting role.

The film is authentically brutal at times and a genuine drama in itself. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A text book of sorts for those who want to become actors.

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Will Snith deserves an Oscar.

[10/10 · 10 March 2007]

Some one said that Will Smith was robbed off an Oscar for his performance in this movie. I completely accept with him. I saw the movie last night and it is definitely a master piece. The way Will put his soul into this movie is amazing.

The cinematography is another asset for the movie. The way human emotions are captured is highly appreciable.The close-up shots brought life to the characters.

I donno about any Chris Gardner and his firm till I saw this movie..I also saw on IMDb that the original story was edited for the cinema. Whatever, this is an excellent cinema. This movie is highly recommended to one and all.

Rocky Balboa (2006)

Great End

[9/10 · 5 February 2007]

Definitely a great ending for a great movie..I always loved the Rocky movie..II through V parts are bit bore and made for the heck of it, but this movie is a real classic. I enjoyed it completely.

I expected this movie to be one of those lousy REMAKES, which all the Rocky movies are, but, the acting and writing from Stallone were too good to handle. Especially, the end was very apt for such a long franchise.

The father-son discussion at the restaurant was a great one. One of the best speeches filmed after the "Independance day" movie..

A must watch for all the Rocky fans.

The Human Body (1998)

A passage through self..

[10/10 · 25 January 2007]

This is by far the best documentaries I ever saw..I covered some of the BBC's documentaries like Walking with series and Micheal Palin's.

The human body documentary covers the life from a child's birth to the death with excellent visual material and factual documentation. This can be used as a text book for most of the medicos.

I can not explain much about this documentary and leave that suspense to you while you watch this..Only bad thing I had faced is that I borrowed this DVD from a British Library and due to the number of scratches on the disc, it is stucking a lot..i need to buy this one for my own and my kids..

Highly recommended..10/10

Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002)

Beauty of its own..

[9/10 · 25 August 2006]

Truly amazing.....These are the words which explain the least about this movie. It draws you quite a long into thought about various possible human emotions. Some of the most horrifying scenes based on communal riots are pictured for this movie. Similarly, the most unforgettable romantic scene for me, is from this movie.

When I saw the movie for the first time, I was shocked to see the astonishingly natural portrayal of the actors and the sequences. Rahul Bose and Konkana sen gave their best performances till date. Definitely one of the all time best movies produced by bollywood.

I strongly recommend this movie to every movie enthusiast.

Malena (2000)

Amazing accomplishment.

[8/10 · 24 August 2006]

I was invited by a friend of mine to watch this movie at his place. I went to happily expecting some cheap third grade soft porn, thanks to the Internet and thousands of the images from the movie featuring Monica Bellucci. I returned home with a happiness of watching a great movie. Monica has a body of a goddess, but acting skills also like one.

Movie features a great background score, which truly deserved the Oscar nomination. And the story of the movie is so down to earth, that every man tries to identify himself with the character of Renato. Giuseppe Sulfaro did an excellent job. Director Giuseppe Tornatore once again did what he is best at. Watching children and adolescents in his movies is a pleasure in its own sense.

Few scenes from this movie are so touching. I recommend this movie to every one who is over 18. Watch it to feel that happiness which can't be expressed in words.

Bommarillu (2006)

Johnny Johnny, yes papa..

[9/10 · 22 August 2006]

A very beautiful story with a lots of comedy. I went for the movie just to kill some time. But what I got was a nostalgic happiness.

The movie is basically a simple story of a over protective rich father and a modern day son who wants to be happy with self-dependence. When son wants a simple T-shirt, the father gives him a Louis Philippe shirt. In the course the son looses his individuality.

This is a very emotional movie, but never lost its pace because of the sublime comedy. Siddharth's acting was excellent. Prakash Raj was good in the role of the father. Frankly speaking, I hated the acting of Genelia. The dubbing for her was the worst.

I truly enjoyed this movie.