Anwar (2007)

Dir: Manish Jha (also by him Mathrubhoomi)
This movie had potential. Alas, the lack of good editing spoiled it. As adaption of a short story in Hindi, the movie, according to me erred in the fact that it was too slow. Yet while your so called 'art' movies are also slow, it is coz the director is exploring thought provoking scenes. In Anwar similar scenes tend to be just irritants that force you to check the slider's progress on the media player.

The plot is certainly good and i believe the short story would make a great read. Probably an attempt was made to reproduce the text word for word.

I also felt that the movie failed to focus on a central theme. It explored several ideas in bits and pieces and tried to create a climax of sorts. To speak in favour of Anwar, the last 15 minutes were absorbing.

Siddharth Koirala plays Anwar and does a good job. Looks every part the protagonist, Anwar. Nauheed Cyrusi plays 'Mehru', the girl whom Anwar falls in love with. She looks great in the movie.

Eventually, a thought provoking film, if you can manage to sit through it. And ofcos, you could watch it for the mellifluous 'maula mere maula mere' song which is beautifully picturized.

Concept: 8/10
Screenplay: 7/10
Performance: 7/10
Technical: 6/10 (Editing)

Overall: 7/10

dasvidaniya (2008)

Vinay Pathak steals the show with yet another stellar performance.

A soft movie that deals with tremendous sadness, without making you feel sad.

A good watch
Dir: Shashant Shah

Concept 8.2/10
Performance 8.2/10
Screenplay 7.5/10
Technical 7.5/10

Overall 7.8/10

Golmaal Returns (2008)

Oh this is just for the record since i've promised to post on every movie i watch. This one is mostly avoidable. It got not more than 2 chuckles out of me.

How can anyone imagine Ajay Devgan doing justice in a comic role!!

Even slapstick comedy should require a semblance of a plot.

rating: 5-6

Cashback (2006)

movie for the depressed, though not a depressing movie, but quite close. Had the protagonist been a junkie too, i'd have not watched past 5 minutes. Watch it if you're lovelorn and philosophical at the same time!

The movie is an feature adaption of a short film by the same name,director and cast that released in 2004. It was then nominated for the oscars in the best short film category. hmm...come to think of it, yeah.


trivia: The protagonist, Sean Biggerstaff, has also essayed the role of Oliver Wood, captain of the Griffindor quidditch team.

i rate it 6.8 - eclectically good

Hellboy II - The Golden Army (2008)

Dir: Guillermo Del Toro (also of Hellboy I)

Hellboy II is an action tuxedo with a comedy lining. The comic element adds a neat touch to the wham and bam and full credit to the character of Hellboy for that. Played by Ron Perllman, Hellboy is a creature with inhuman strength and an attitude to match, not to mention a sense of humour.

The plot is irrelevant and should be seen as a pretext for some ass kicking. The movie does a good job of that.

Concept - 7/10
Performance - 7.5/10
Screenplay - 7/10
Technical - 8/10

Overall 7.1/10

Saas, Bahu aur Sensex(2008)

Dir: Shona Urvashi

Pretty nice movie! Doesn't give you a strong message what with the distracting love story ( bollywood will never get over that!) Notwithstanding that, its a fun movie serving you a slice from the life of middle class India. The myriad of interesting characters keep the movie alive.

Kiron Kher delights with her performance.

So if u're looking for some timepass, this is a great watch.

Concept - 7/10
Screenplay - 7.5/10
Performance - 8/10
Technical - 8/10
Overall - 7.6

Fashion (2008)

Its a so so movie. Terrific acting from Kangna Reanut and Priy
anka Chopra, but a lot of the plot is unbelievable. For one, the dizzying levels of altruism in the supporting cast and for another the fairy tale ride the protagonist got.

It doesn't give any particular insights into the fashion industry, unless you are a farmer in a remote village in india.

Bland stuff in the end. Madhur Bhandarkar did better in Page 3, his previous film

Performance - 8/10
Concept - 6/10
Screenplay - 5/10
Technical - 8/10

Overall - 6.8/10

A Wednesday (2008)

Dir: Neeraj Pandey

A very practical thriller!

No distractions in the screenplay; precise and incisive yet dramatic.

Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher essay towering performances tightly held by a strong supporting cast.

The screenplay is slick and the viewer never gets to loosen his grip on the handrest. Jimmy Shergill stands out in his role, though not so for aamir bashir

On the downside, the oversmart hacker sequence was made too filmy.

On the whole, this is the kind of cinema bollywood so badly needs.

Concept: 8.5/10
Performance: 8.5/10
Screenplay 7.6/10
Technical 7/10

Overall 7.9/10

Rock On (2008)

"Rock On" rocks to the core. Oh how I'm speechless about this movie. Am i over-reacting? Yeah, think so, but it is a great movie. The attempt at all-round perfection is strongly gratifying. The music is just brillaint!! I'm sorry, shouldn't be giving first preference to music here, but it just slipped out. Well it is about music, so thats excusable. The songs gel nicely into the plot, you live the whole movie

The characters are nicely shown. Acting is on a high, everyone looks their role. Again, the music rocks! big fan

I think what clinches the deal for this movie is the focus on dialogue rather than histrionics. There are some very interesting exchanges like one between Farhan and Sakshi. Displays intelligent scriptwriting.

So! Announcing Abhishek Kapoor, director par excellence of Rock on! Hope to see more good stuff from you.

Special mention of the super talented Farhan Akhtar - director, actor, singer. He's rendered the songs very well.

Concept 8.2/10
Performance 8.5/10
Screenplay 8.2/10
Technical 8/10

Overall 8.2/10

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

I love Brit comedy! Its naturally funny when you have characters rattling off in short bursts at almost incomprehensible speeds. To top that, they try to give you the nonchalant, everyday expression that has 'big deal' written all over it. With such a combination, even Macbeth will sound funny. Here it gets better. We have a funny horror movie going

British cinema also seems to have an affliction for characterizing losers in their films. Probably that adds to the sarcastic comedy that is their forte. Shaun, our protagonist is one such loser living with a bigger loser (in all senses of the word) who's a close pal, and is desperately trying to get his failing relationship working. Into all this explodes an epidemic of dead-man-walking and suddenly we expect the fun to end. Surprise! Shaun, Ed (the bigger loser) and company are not losing their sense of humor over some silly flesh eating zombies. Rest assured, you'll laugh.

Special mention of Simon Pegg(shaun) and Nick Frost( Ed), who never let the movie go dull!

Concept 7/10
Performance 8/10
Screenplay 7.5/10
Technical 7.5/10

Overall 7.5/10

Inside Man (2006)

I'm always a sucker for heist movies and this one doesn't disappoint one bit. Solid plot that keeps you guessing till quite till the end. Powerful presence of the lead actors - Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster do more than justice to the swift screenplay that is a must in such flicks.

Clive Owen was particularly brilliant brilliant as the no nonsense mastermind. I need to look out for his films.

Director Spike Lee is already filming the sequel to this movie and no prices for guessing who plays the lead. Denzel Washington is Lee's fav actor having given him a lot of hits such as 'Malcolm X' and 'He got game'.

An interesting piece of trivia - Spike Lee's production company is named '40 acres and a mule filmworks' - this alludes to an unfulfilled promise made by politicians during the civil war. Spike Lee tends to bring political overtones into his films and so this comes as not much of a surprise.

more trivia? - personal friend of ex arsenal striker Thierry Henry and thereby a fan of Arsenal. Huge fan of The New York Yankees and baseball in general, so much so that every film of his features some connection with the game.

Concept 8.3/10
Performance 8.4/10
Screenplay 8/10
Technical 7.8/10

Overall 8.1/10

Iron Man (2008)

A superb action movie! Near Perfect adaption of a comic superhero. near, cos nothing's perfect, but near also coz, it's a strong contender. Brilliant computer graphics, spectacular stunt sequences and a terrific Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man complete the movie. Nothing more needs to be said. It is meant to be an action flick, it means nothing less, nothing more. spotless entertainer!

concept 7.5/10
Performance 7.6/10
Screenplay 7/10
Technical 8.5/10

Overall 7.6/10

Hitman (2007)

On the face of it, its a good entertainer. there's solid action which is very well shot, there is a protagonist (Timothy Olyphant) who's got good screen presence and there's a climax. There's also the usual sprinkling of sensuality.

But, when you start to piece in the jigsaw, a lot of pieces are missing and i don't like that in a movie.

That minor issue, apart, a good action flick!

Performance 8/10
Screenplay 7.3/10
Concept 7.3/10
Technical 8/10

Overall 7.6/10

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Po, the Panda has Jack Black written all over it. It was as if Jack Black was dressed up like a panda. Such was the faithfulness in the toon's caricaturization. I've loved Jack Black in movies like Shallow Hal and School of Rock. He has a unique style of acting characterized by quips and jerks. All that is faithfully imbibed into Po's body language.

Kung Fu Panda is a good movie. It, however, falls short of greatness. The screenplay is the culprit. Most animation movies are meant to be comedies, but here we have a first half thats almost philosophical. There are goosebump moments and grand emotions and it is building up into a serious drama when it all becomes funny. Just like that! Couldn't help frowning at that, but once you accept it, it becomes enjoyable again.

I'm a big fan of the oriental martial arts, their way of life, the importance of honour, respect and courage. Its a lesson in principles. Kung Fu Panda enlivens all that while at the same time being your regular funny cartoon. Tough juxtaposition; unwarranted, somewhat pulled off..not much harm done.

Performance 7/10 (Jack Black rocks!, but the support is not very strong)
Screenplay 7/10
Technical 8/10
Concept 7/10

Overall 7.2/10

I Am Legend (2007)

Its all hype! I thought this was going to be as good as it gets - science fiction, creepy crawlies and WILL SMITH!!...what more do you want? well, maybe rachel bilson running across the canvas every few minutes :P...point is, all my hopes were dashed to mediocrity, which is all this movie is about. Alas, even Will Smith couldn't salvage it from my disgrace

Concept: 5/10
Performance: 7/10 (-1 for the female lead)
Screenplay: 6/10
Technical: 7/10

Overall: 6.3/10

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)

Its a fantastic children's film which even adults would quite enjoy. So that makes it a good movie overall. doesn't it? Yes it does. Sensitive characters, brilliant graphics and a happy ending, Jay Russell, you've won my heart. I see that you've made ladder49. interesting!

Its a nice little feel good movie. you'll smile in the end, like this :)

Concept 6/10
Performance 7/10
Screenplay 7.5/10
Technical 8/10

Overall 7.1/10

Trivia : Its based on a book by Dick King-Smith also credited with 'Babe'.

Its based on the legend of the loch ness monster

Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002)

Sad Movie. What a drag!! its amazing how a 1 1/2 hour movie can seem never ending. There's nothing to the movie from a concept point of you. If its designed to be subtle, its probably a bit too subtle to have an effect.

Special mention of Konkona Sen Sharma for handling a typical Tamil Brahmin character with aplomb.

Aparna Sen's movie has won a lot of awards, but i fail to see the point.

Concept 5/10
Performace 8.2/10
Screenplay 7/10
Technical 7/10

Overall 6.8/10

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

A tender love story that is quite a drag, but made tolerable and eventually, even likeable by the mere presence of hereby established, my favourite actress of all times, Meryl Streep. yeah, Clint Eastwood too, but i'm a guy.

Oh! Meryl Streep, how sensuous can you be? How naturally emotions unfurl on her face! how subtly her body language extends the feeling. she's poetry in motion and this movie is nothing without her.

If you're a fan of Meryl Streep, you know which movie not to miss.

Otherwise, its just another romantic film with a bad supporting cast!!

Concept 7/10
Performance 8.5/10 (+ 0.5 purely for Ms Streep)
Screenplay 7/10
Technical 7/10

Overall 7.4/10

Atonement (2007)

Never before have I seen such brilliant cinematography! The picturization and natural visual effects are worthy of the best awards. Seamus McGarvey deserves special mention for his work. Rather unfortunate that he couldn't convert his oscar nomination to a victory.

Based on the bestseller from Ian McEwan (won the Man Booker prize in 1998 for Amsterdam, by the same name, Atonement is a tale of 2 sisters. Wouldn't like to delve into the plot, but suffice to say that there's a lot of emotion to deal with.

The film tends to drag in some sequences where there is a lot of stress on picturization.

Concept 7/10
Performance 7/10
Screenplay 7/10
Technical 9/10

Overall 7.5/10

The Bucket List (2007)

its an OK movie. Its fun, touching towards the end and generally entertaining. The movie holds your attention inspite of the fait accompli obvious from the beginning. Major credit for that goes to the dynamic duo of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. They bring the movie alive. Also brilliant was Sean Hayes in his supporting role. His being a young man in the movie may actually have been uplifting for the mood.

Also by Director Rob Reiner is This is Spinal Tap (1984). want to see that.

Concept 7/10
Performance 8/10
Screenplay 7/10
Technical 7/10

Overall 7.2/10

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Its a weird movie. I don't see how it could have won the best film oscar for 2007. The acting is good, the direction is gripping, there is a plot, but you shouldn't be rewarded for leaving the audience in the lurch, but thats exactly what happens. All throughout the film, the suspense is building up, characters are merging in, lot of action is happening, everything is moving towards a possible culmination when bam! credits!

what kind of a sadist plot is that?


Javier Bardem is menancing as the psychopathic killer and Josh Brolin looks the quintessential cowboy. Tommy Lee Jones is thoroughly wasted just mouthing some cool deductions and putting in place his stupid assistant


Director brothers Ethan Coen and Joel Coen live up to their expectations. Just like Fargo(1996) and The big Lebowski(1998), this is yet another weird movie from them.

Concept : 5/10
Performance: 7/10
Screenplay: 7/10
Technical: 8/10

Overall 6.7/10

Good Will Hunting (1997)

This is what terrific acting does to a movie. it skyrockets its reputation. Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Stellan Skarsgård make sure u don't take your eyes off the screen. That can seriously influence your opinion.

Its a good movie for its actors. The plot is just another set-someone's-life-straight saga otherwise, even bordering the absurd at times. Oh well! its outright text-book cinema when you consider minnie driver's role

Concept 6/10
Performance 9/10
Screenplay 7.5/10
Technical 7.5/10

Overall 7.5/10

Mithya (2008)

I expected much more from Ranvir and Vinay. Maybe that hyped the movie in my mind. no, I don't think so. Mithya is a bad film. The script probably had potential, but the treatment was pedestrian.

The characters were very colourful and interesting to watch. They kept my mind off the seriousness, if any, implied in the screenplay. That should be a drawback; lack of a tight screenplay. Also too many characters spoil the film!!

Come to think of it, its the exuberance of its motley of characters that cost this film its reputation.

Neha Dhupia looks good throughout. Thats one plus!

Concept 6.5/10
Screenplay 6/10
Performance 8/10
Technical 7/10

Overall 6.9/10

Pyaar Ke Side Effects (2006)

With Rahul Bose in it, i expected a good show. I was not disappointed. Its a pleasure to watch funny yet sensible movies. It is also a pleasure to watch creative liberties being explored. The count scene was very innovative.

We all know how terrific an actor Rahul Bose is, but Mallika Sherawat turned in a great performance as well.

Nice movie

Performance 8.2/10
Screenplay 8.5/10
Concept 7.8/10
Technical 8/10

Overall 8.1/10

Meet the Spartans (2008)

Well made spoof! I think sticking to one movie did the trick here. Epic movie was such a disaster! Maybe that brought down the expectation from directorsJason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer famous for the scary movie series.

Some of the jokes were very classy and imaginative. good fun!

Concept 8/10
Performance 8/10
Screenplay 7.7/10
Technical 7.8/10

Overall 7.9/10

Michael Clayton (2008)

Its a good movie, not a great one. What will happen in the end is quite evident 15 minutes into the movie. It was always a question of how exactly, and the drama unto then was a bit of a drag.

Tight performance from the cast, no doubt about it, but you didn't expect less in the first place.

I didn't find the screenplay quite appealing, especially the idea of a flashback. It just didn't serve any purpose. I'm still battling with a few loopholes in the plot. I'll be glad to be proven wrong.

Its a watch it forget it movie. Surprised how it made it to the oscars. Star power, i suppose cos its packed with the who's who of hollywood. Check out the cast . If you liked this movie, u'll also enjoy Syriana. Thats George Clooney again

Performance 8/10
Concept 7.5/10
Screenplay 6.5/10
Technical 8/10

Overall 7.5/10

the namesake (2006)

the namesake is a light story well told. It absorbs you into the life of the ganguli family as it is lived, from the start to a the beginning of the end. there are the moments, good and bad that touch upon you...a sensitive film, well made.

Special mention of Irfan khan and Tabu for their convincing performance

Also by the director, Mira Nair : monsoon wedding (2001) and do watch out for Shantaram when it hits the screens next year

i wanna experiment with 11'09''01 - September 11 (2002)

Concept 7/10
Performance 8.3/10
Screenplay 7.8/10
Technical 8/10

Overall 7.8/10

love actually (2003)

what is with the british and romance? they always have me hook, line and sinker. For one they create such sentimental plots and then they spruce it up with people like hugh grant. at the cost of sounding gay, he's the best thing to happen to romantic comedies. i loved the movie to bits and pieces.

its a feel good movie, no doubt about it! just sit back and feel joy

also watch : a walk to remember, music and lyrics and ofcos notting hill :)

Performance 8/10
Screenplay 7.8/10
Concept 8.5/10
Technical 7.8/10

Overall 8/10

the deer hunter (1978)

its another vietnam movie, but the similarities end there. here the focus is on the characters and how their lives are affected by the war in vietnam, not just of the soldiers, but their friends and family. To that extent its a great movie, but its not an entertainer. the deer hunter is more like a beautiful documentary supplemented by a lot of life in the characters ably potrayed by stalwarts like Robert de niro and christopher walken. The film truly gives you a glimpse into the atrocities that was the vietnam war. Obviously its tilted heavily in favour of the US, but thats a legitimate part of the story too. Come to think of it, the movie is not about the warring nations at all; thats what makes this movie stick out. Director Michael Cimino weaves a thick thread
around the lives in the plot.

The focus on originality as gleaned from extra reading can be seen in the brilliant action sequences, especially those featuring the deadly russian roulettes.

The screenplay i felt is a bit loose, tending to drag at times. there are also a lot of fill in the blanks. I guess that came with the movie being cut down from 4 hrs to 3 hrs.

Overall, there was a lot of enlightenment and poignancy, but it did feel like an ordeal in between. Must watch for movie buffs

other famous vietnam movies : platoon (1986), full metal jacket (1987) and apocalypse now (1979)

i now wanna watch : in the year of the pig (1968)

Performance 9/10
Screenplay 6.5/10
Concept 8.7/10
Technical 8/10

Overall 8.0/10

P.S Meryl Streep looks heavenly throughout the movie. i saw her first in music of the heart (1999) as a middle aged woman and instantly fell in love. you can imagine then

The Big Lebowski (1998)

I don't approve of weird comedy. This is the same guy, Joel Coen, who gave us Fargo. Steve Buscemi is a permanent fixture in his movies. I couldn't quite fathom the consequence of his presence in this movie though. Well, nor of a lot many other characters. Damn! the whole movie didn't make much sense to me. I mean, it did make sense, but a lot didn't.

There are some good laughs, u would enjoy them. But the core competence of this movie is its weirdness and i don't approve of that, as i said before.

Jeff Bridges brings a lot of charisma into the character. He's the only sane character in the movie and thts a huge relief. Rest is a crazy lot

Some thing!

Performace 8/10
Concept 5/10
Screenplay 6/10
Technical 7/10

Overall 6.5/10

Meet Joe Black (1998)

You have to give it to hollywood to come out with bizarre themes yet do a good job of it. Meet Joe Black is pure fiction made believable. Well, the stress is so much on emotions and the enactment is so near perfection that you wouldn't worry about it. Brad Pitt
brings staggering sensuality to the character of Joe Black. Women could watch this movie just to stare at him. On the other hand, Anthony Hopkins, playing the successful businessman William Parrish, is the epitome of character and confidence, someone to look up to. In between these extremes lives the character of susan parrish, a delicate songbird of a person

Directed by Martin Brest who's given us Scent of a Woman (1992), another terrific yet eccentric movie.

A kaleidoscope of emotions embellished by terrific acting, thats Meet Joe Black

Perfromace 9/10
Concept 8/10
Screenplay 7/10
Technical 8/10

Overall 8/10

Juno (2007)

juno is a 16 year old pregnant girl. yeah! the movie starts with her testing positive for pregnancy and the rest is an interesting cocktail of emotions delivered through extremely witty dialogues and myriad expressions.

The plot is a shocker from the indian perspective of things, but the triviality with which it is treated in the film makes for some eye popping. That quite adds to the film's appeal. However, it is the marvellous performance from the cast that takes you through the film effortlessly.

a fun film

Performance 8.5/10
Screenplay 8/10
Technical 7/10
Concept 8/10

Overall 7.9/10

Epic Movie (2007)

Very so so movie. Lacked originality, especially the first humour point. Kinda puts you off when you encounter a sad piece of humour right at the beginning. Having said that, one of the characters is brilliant enough to deserve special mention. He is Darrell Hammond who delights in his spoof of Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean). That apart the rest of the cast fails to impress. Kal Penn is a let down. I had high expectations of him

Few sequences now and then elicit a chuckle at most. Thats about it. Not a patch on the Scary movie series from the same director

The sets were pretty elaborate and attractive, but they alone can't sustain a movie.

To summarize, you wouldn't miss anything if you give this movie a miss

Concept 5/10
Performace 6/10
technical 8/10
Screenplay 6/10

Overall 6.2/10

Taare Zameen Par (2007)

You can blindly trust aamir khan to deliver. Now, it doesn't matter whether he's in front of the camera or behind it. Genius begs no boundaries. Everything about the movie is perfect. From the casting through the performance, to the direction with the cinematography, the music, the setting and most importantly the Theme. Taare Zameen Par is a great service to society, to those scores of special children who are normally labelled 'retarded' and ignored by society, left to lead a life of no consequence, hidden in their own special world. The movie introduces us to Dyslexia (a learning disability) marked by poor symbolic interpretation and marked hyperactivity.

Ishan Awasthi, played by darsheel safary is one such special child. How he deals with life, how society rejects him and how a sensitive teacher resurrects him form the storyline.

Darsheel Safary is nothing short of wonderful in his performace. He is ably supported by his doting mother (tisca chopra) and loving brother.

With a lot of heart-touching scenes and joyful banter, Taare Zameen par gives you an emotional high, a cathartic feeling of having been through some good.

a must watch!

Concept 9.5/10
Performace 9.5/10
technical 9.5/10
Screenplay 9.5/10

Overall 9.5/10

The Mistress of Spices(2005)

An ethereal movie devoid of much logic. a film for dreamers, but ofcos a good dream. Ash looks delicious throughout the movie. Unfortunately i can't say the same for the male lead, Doug who looks very ordinary if not a bit revolting. Does this reflect a budget constraint, coz certainly ash deserves a better looking male lead. I was so much disappointed by Doug, that i hoped they wouldn't get together in the movie.

Technically, the movie is very impressive. The blurring effects and camera angles used almost give life to the inanimate spices. Great use of colours as seen bright red chillies with verdant stems and colourful heaps of other spices. In fact, i never knew we had so many types of spices. quite enlightening.

Concept 6/10
Performance 8/10
screenplay 7.5/10
technical 8.5/10

Overall 7.5/10