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Django Unchained:

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L Jackson, Kerry Washington

Direction: Quentin Tarantino

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2 hours 45 minutes

Story: A slave, with the help of a bounty hunter of German origin, seeks out his wife who has been sold to a ruthless plantation owner.

Movie Review: With Quentin Tarantino, there are no half measures. The much-loved/reviled (depending on which side of the fence you're on) director has his fans and haters split right down the middle. It isn't easy to love or loathe the films he makes. They're shamelessly provocative but absolute guilty pleasures.

Take Django Unchained, for example. It isn't QT's best work by far. It is, however, his most discussed. Taking a familiar setting (the slave trade era in the American South), he pits it against the most outrageous (and most likely, fictional) tropes of the times. A free man, during the time, was rarely heard of. Much less, as a partner to a decidedly European bounty hunter who shoots with his words as eloquently as he does his trusty guns. Then there's the plantation owner who loves Mandingo fighting and yet, treats his head slave as something of an equal. Also, there's far more boom and far less bang. You'd be forgiven for thinking that Django (Foxx) and his minder/mentor Dr King Schultz (Waltz) have ammunition factories in each town they ride into.

QT draws out the mood of the times without taking his subject matter too seriously. Cinematography and score are top-notch as is the tight screenplay. The trouble really begins with the abundance of characters that make their poorly fleshed out appearances and exits with no reason or rhyme attributed to their existence. And given the running time, the film could easily have done with a little less indulgence. Not Quentin's best work by far.

NOTE: You will not like this film if extreme violence and foul language easily offend you.

Olympus Has Fallen:

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett

Direction: Antoine Fuqua

Genre: Action

Duration: 1 hour 59 minutes

Story: The White House is taken over by a group of terrorists and the US President is held hostage. It's up to a former Secret Service agent to eliminate the bad guys and free the President in a limited amount of time.

Review: President Benjamin Asher ( Aaron Eckhart) loses his wife Margaret (Ashley Judd) during a road accident one bitterly cold night. It's an ominous portent of things to come. Secret Service agent Mike Banning ( Gerard Butler), who was in the motorcade on the night of the accident, blames himself for not averting that tragedy. Asher transfers Banning to a desk job that's devoid of action and excitement because every time he sees him, Asher is reminded of his loss.

Banning's misery is soon alleviated in the unlikeliest of ways. A group of North Korean terrorists (along with plenty of outside help) overrun the White House, hold the President and his Cabinet hostage and make a bunch of demands that have to be met, 'or else'.

Secret Service Director Lynn Jacobs ( Angela Bassett) and the authoritative Speaker Alan Trumbull ( Morgan Freeman, perfect for this kind of role) take charge, with Banning on the ground. The action (and the body count) sky-rockets here onwards. Banning channels his inner John McClane and unleashes systematic slaughter of the bad guys. In the process, the White House itself takes one heck of a pummeling. People are tortured, blown up, shot and killed in hand- to-hand combat. Banning's disdain for the enemy is only matched by the delight he derives from being able to prove himself.

The action is taut, thanks to the editing. Although it does play on patriotic emotion and righteous anger, 'Olympus... is mercifully low on excessive melodrama and jingoism. Furthermore, a few of Banning's muttered punchlines are genuinely funny. Despite being a formula-flick, 'Olympus... is satisfying if you get your thrills from action movies.

Snitch:

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Susan Sarandon, Barry Pepper, Joe Bernthal

Direction: Ric Roman Waugh

Genre: Action

Duration: 1 hour 55 minutes

Story: A devoted father sets out on a mission to have his son released from a wrongful conviction. Along the way, he has to risk everything and resort to some pretty unconventional means.

Movie Review: John Matthews (Dwayne Johnson) is an honest man. He goes about his day-to-day work and is a protective dad with a clear sense of what's right and wrong. But it's not long before the shoot-'em-ups start and the intrigue sets in.

His son Jason Collins (Rafi Gavron) is not the brightest kid on the block - a flaw that has him facing the slammer for a good ten years, for unwittingly participating (rather, being duped) in a drug shipment. Jason can however benefit from a reduced sentence if he helps 'snitch' on some of the senior baddies in the cartel. The only problem is Jason is no criminal. The cops don't believe this.

Sensing the danger his son is in, Matthews approaches the stony-faced District Attorney Joanne Keeghan (Susan Sarandon) and offers her a deal - he will do the dirty work himself. He will help the cops ensnare some of the criminals with Agent Cooper ( Barry Pepper) monitoring from afar.

The film tends to lose direction now and then with unnecessarily serious discussions and vague, philosophical cross-references that question the US justice system. You might find yourself wishing that they would just get on with the action instead because that is the film's strongest point.There are plot holes too. For example, no explanation is offered as to how an ordinary businessman (Matthews) is suddenly an expert at wielding arms and ammunition like a commando. Susan Sarandon does carry with her a sense of gravitas. Juan Carlos 'El Topo' Pintera (Benjamin Bratt) convincingly plays the cartel kingpin.

Watch it if you like action films and are a Dwayne Johnson fan.

Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns:

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Jimmy Sheirgill, Mahie Gill, Irrfan, Soha Ali Khan

Direction: Tigmanshu Dhulia

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2 hours 25 minutes.

Story: A royal saheb grapples with disability and betrayal, his estranged biwi dabbles with daaru and political demons. The gangster wages a war for pride and honour.

Movie Review: Mind you, this is not regular gangsta film; with usual showcasing of arms, ammunition, bangs and blasts. Yes, it has explosives of another kind - 'bangs' (it's a total 'bed'-bangers ball, what gall); Weapons of Mass Seduction and politics of bistar and beyond. This sequel, a strange mix of foul games and passionplay, unfolds with a crippled Saheb (Jimmy) holding onto the last vestiges of his shrinking Kingly pomp and glory. His boisterous biwi, Madhavi devi (Mahie), mostly depressed and drunk, lives as Chhoti Rani in the same haveli, but the couple share nothing but extreme hate and contempt for each other. Biwi, is a ruling MLA who knows little about rajneeti but mixes it brazenly with saucy traits and seductive moves to stay on top. Enter, gangster Indrajeet Singh (Irrfan), with a mission to topple Saheb (to avenge his family's lost royal honour), while his love-interest Ranjana (Soha), vulnerably falls prey to the political chess.

Tigmanshu Dhulia has created an intriguing world with rajas fighting for their kingship; politicians watching porn, gangsters sleeping with the enemy, and women unapologetic about adultery in the ballroom and bedroom. The setting and story is vibrant, dramatic, dark and humourous at the same time. Once again, he scores with his characters - intelligently sketched, with dichotomous layers - dark, brooding, loving and lustful. The editing and the screenplay in the second half lose steam, and the item number (courtesy Mughda Godse) punctures the pace. The climax passively surrenders without the satiating feel of bittersweet revenge.

Irrfan is absolutely terrific; he shows fury, passion, envy, pride with such utter conviction that you crave to see more of him onscreen. He's undoubtedly one of the finest performers we can boast of. Jimmy is excellent as the poignant, wheel-chair bound saheb exuding power. Mahie Gill is volatile as the unfulfilled woman desiring more, though her drunken drawl often leaves us more dry than high. Soha plays her part with subtlety and sophistication.

This may not be Tigmanshu's best, but it's a movie with more balls than most cinema can flaunt.

Oz the Great and Powerful:

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz

Direction: Sam Raimi

Genre: Fantasy

Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes.

Story: A circus magician gets transported to the enchanting land of Oz, where he's mistaken for a great wizard of prophecy.

Review: Circus magician Oscar Diggs (James Franco) is quite a jerk. His womanising ways forces him to flee Kansas in a hot air balloon which gets caught in a tornado, transporting him to the magical land of Oz, where he's mistaken for the great wizard who can fight against The Wicked Witch of the West. He fakes his identity for his selfish reasons until he stumbles across three witches and a flying monkey, the very naive Theodora (Mila Kunis), her conniving sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and the good witch Glinda (Michelle Williams). Can the conman con the people of Oz too?

When Disney adapts a classic fairy-tale, you can rest assured that the film would be nothing less than a visual spectacle which seamlessly blends physical sets with CGI. The 3D is spectacular. Do not miss out on the opening titles and scenes as they are shot in the gorgeous sepia tone. Once Oscar enters Oz, colours take over. The depiction of the dream-like parallel universe, located above the clouds, amidst lush green fields and serene waterfalls, takes your breath away.

The film, however falters when it comes to the length and a few performances. The film is slightly overlong. James Franco lacks the charisma to pull off an iconic character. He seems laid back! Surprisingly, Mila Kunis looks equally out of place. Helena Bonham Carter would have been apt for her role. Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams are brilliant.

The film strongly resembles Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland. If you fancied that one, you'd definitely love Raimi's feel-good pre-boot of the classic.

Note: You may not like this film if magical fantasies are not your cup of tea.

I, Me Aur Main:

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: John Abraham, Prachi Desai, Chitrangada Singh, Zarina Wahab, Mini Mathur, Raima Sen

Direction: Kapil Sharma

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Duration: 1 hour 48 minutes

Story: Ishaan's life is full of gorgeous women but he loves 'I, Me Aur Main' best - which girl makes him change his mind?

Movie Review: On the plus side, I, Me Aur Main (IMAM) has the glossy good looks of a TV ad - on the downside, it stays there. Music executive Ishaan Sabharwal (Abraham) is a spoilt brat, his adoring mother Nisha (Wahab) teaching him he's the best, so he thinks he's irresistible and behaves like "a sexy idiot". Ishaan won't commit to his executive girlfriend Anushka (Singh). Sick of his light flirtations and heavy refusals, Anushka throws Ishaan out.

He moves to a new flat - with a hot new neighbour, fashion stylist Gauri (Desai). Their vibe crackles as Gauri challenges Ishaan, making him realize being a jerk doesn't work. Ishaan splits from his bitchy boss Beena (Sen having a ball, wryly going, "Clap, clap"), starts his own group and is about to commit to Gauri - when his sister Shivani (Mathur) tells him Anushka's expecting his child.

IMAM has an interesting plot and a progressive message. Some performances - Wahab coolly announcing, "Maine tumhare Pa ko chor diya hai", Desai as sexy wild-child Gauri, squealing "Ooooh, strip-tease!" as Ishaan peals off his shirt - are good fun. It's well-shot, showcasing stylish homes, lovely clothes, luscious drinks and luscious Abraham working hard at depicting super-selfish Ishaan.

But IMAM has issues too - the acting is superficial. There's lots of flashing dimples and pouting lips but not one performance that's convincingly power-packed. Storyline turns are too fast and fluffy. For a movie on the music industry, the score's fairly bland. Small details - the designer bag on Beena's arm, the guard catching Ishaan and Gauri in a changing room, Shivani describing Ishaan, "Majnu ki tarah phone par laga" - are fun but the big picture lacks thrust.

This niche movie doesn't nail it but it's a cute watch, floating by humming - "Take it easy, thora moody, thora cheesy."

Jack the Giant Slayer:

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci

Direction: Bryan Singer

Genre: Fantasy

Duration: 2 hours

Story: War between giants and humans is reignited when a farm boy accidentally drops the magic beans he's been given by a mysterious monk.

Review: A monk gives farm boy Jack ( Nicholas Hoult) some magical beans in exchange for his horse. Jack accidentally drops one of the beans. It erupts into a gigantic beanstalk which reaches to the sky, taking Jack's house and Princess Isabelle ( Eleanor Tomlinson) along with it. The beanstalk leads to the land of the giants. In order to rescue the princess, her conniving would-be groom Roderick ( Stanley Tucci), love-struck Jack and the king's brave knight Elmont (Ewan McGregor) decide to face the giants, thus reigniting an ancient war.

Adapting a classic fairytale into a feature film still seems like a distant dream, considering most of the recent attempts have been mediocre. Be it Snow White and the Huntsman, Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, and now Jack the Giant Slayer which has borrowed elements from both Jack the Giant Killer and Jack and the Beanstalk. The films have been unable to recreate the magic of the classic fables.

Bryan Singer, who has made films like X-Men and Valkyrie, finds it difficult to keep the audience engaged, let alone be entertained. CGI giants which are supposed to be the USP of the film seem caricaturish and one-dimensional. They don't seem menacing at all. Even the evil Roderick looks cartoonish. Jack, the hero, seems inexcusably dumb while you wonder what Ewan McGregor is doing in this soul-less film!

The film is painfully predictable and the romance awfully sweet. An elongated tug-of-war scene between the humans and giants does not qualify for an epic battle scene and that's the biggest drawback.

The 3D is lacklustre and the SFX unable to salvage the uninteresting script. Children may find this film amusing, thanks to the art direction and story-telling style. For the rest, if only the story was modified better!

Silver Linings Playbook:

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jackie Weaver, Chris Tucker, Anupam Kher

Direction: David O Russell

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Duration: 2 hours 2 minutes

Story: Pat's bipolar and wife Nikki leaves him. His one aim is getting Nikki back - when he meets depressive Tiffany. Who falls 'madly' in love?

Movie Review: Straight up, Silver Linings Playbook (SLP) is a lovely movie with a heart of caramel - and an occasionally brilliant mind. Teacher Patrick Solatano's (Cooper) wife Nikki has a superiority complex - and an affair. Pat attacks her lover, Nikki leaves, Pat's diagnosed with bipolar disorder and put into a facility. Eight months later, his mum Dolores (Weaver) has him discharged on condition he'll stay with her and dad Pat Sr. (De Niro) - and away from Nikki.

Optimist Pat's one aim is getting better, so Nikki will take him back. But he meets depressive Tiffany (Lawrence), whose grief at losing her husband turns her briefly to compulsive sex, helping whom - by partnering together for a dance competition - might help Pat win Nikki back. But first, Pat must deal with his obsessive-compulsive father, friend Danny (Tucker) whose mental health status isn't quite certain, therapist Dr. Patel (Kher) who plays the one song that triggers Pat's rage - and his own increasingly crazy feelings for Tiffany.

The acting simply shines - Cooper is magnificent as handsome oddball Pat, struggling to keep it sane, while Lawrence is a treat, her sadness-tinged sexiness like a modern Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Others deliver too, De Niro superbly superstitious about TV remotes during football games, Weaver strong as silk as a supportive mom, Tucker hilariously urging Pat and Tiffany to "black up" their dancing, Kher calmly noting, "That's very, very manic indeed."

The story's endearingly intelligent - "I apologise on behalf of Ernest Hemmingway!" yells Pat breaking a window, outraged by a novel's sad ending - perfumed by quirky, unconventional romance, celebrating a love for life that hurts and heals together. There are tiny quibbles - it could've had a tangent less - but at the end, you're left with pure silver lining and no cloud.

NOTE: You will not like this movie if you like yours regular, not eccentric.

The 85th Academy Awards is one of the most prestigious award functions. Commonly known as Oscars, the glitzy and glamorous event is not just about style and fashion. This award function mainly recognises and honours talents & skills of celebrities in fields of acting, direction, music etc.

Many movies and songs have been nominated for Oscars 2013. To give you a last minute update on the Academy awards 2013, these are the nominations. The most favourite categories for nominations in Oscar 2013 are best picture, best actor, best actress, best director and best foreign language film.

The award function is going on and several nominations have been credited with the award. The Oscars 2013 winners list includes, Christoph Waltz (The actor won the Oscars award for Best Supporting Actor for Django Unchained), Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman (Best animation award for Brave), Jacqueline Durran (Best Costume Design for Anna Karenina), Anne Hathaway (Best Supporting Actress for Les Miserables) to name a few.

However, Oscar Nominated movie, Life of Pi has already grabbed 4 Oscar Awards. The American 3D fantasy adventure drama by Ang Lee grabbed Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects Oscar Awards. Life Of Pi earned eleven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score and The Best Director Oscar Award.

Claudio Miranda won the Best Cinematography Oscar Award. Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer grabbed the Best Visual Effects Oscar Award for Life of Pi. Director Ang Lee won the The Best Director Oscar Award. Music director Mychael Danna won an Oscar for the Best Original Score. Even after having strong competitors like The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Marvel's The Avengers, Prometheus, Snow White and the Huntsman, Skyfall and Lincoln, Life of Pi grabbed 2 Oscars!

Shot in India, Life of Pi is an adaptation of Canadian author Yann Martel's Man Booker Prize-winning eponymous novel of the same name. Irfan Khan, Tabu and Suraj Sharma are the Bollywood actors who have been starred in this brilliant movie.

Life of Pi was also nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture - Drama and Best Director. The movie won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.

A Good Day To Die Hard:

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney

Direction: John Moore

Genre: Action

Duration: 1 hour 23 minutes

Story:

Detective John McClane is 'on vacation', but he is destined to find trouble and vice-versa for the zillionth time as he heads to Russia to save his son who is accused of murder.

Movie Review:

Detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) is back to doing what he does best. He chases the bad guys, indulges in incessant firing and explodes as many cars and heads as possible in order to rescue his estranged son Jack (Jai Courtney) from the Russian custody. Jack, on the other hand, is on his own secret mission, which gets obstructed with his dad's arrival. Can the wise-cracking dad and his wayward son keep their differences aside to kick some ass?

Diehard fans of Bruce Willis may not mind the shoddy CGI or poor story in this fifth installment of the franchise as he makes up for the flaws with his sheer presence, but somewhere, it's still not enough. The dialogues are barely witty; father-son chemistry fails to touch your heart. Story progresses hastily, thus conveniently leaving ample plot holes.

The film is a carnival of mindless action, which may appeal to the action junkies, provided you don't expect 'practicality'. The action scenes are not convincing enough to keep you engaged. They fail to create the tension required. Having said that, the film does not have dull moments either, the method in the madness is what is missing.

Certain scenes do amuse, especially the one where Willis tries to converse with a Russian cab driver in Russian. Also the long car crash sequence which goes on for a good 10 minutes!

Its time the franchise reinvents itself.