Ra.One (doesn't deserve a single star)

This blog post is almost a month late, but nevertheless. Not a proper review-review, but more like an opinion on the movie.

What is wrong with Shah Rukh Khan? Really, what is it that caused him to go ballistic enough to shove his latest film down our throats? For atleast a month before Ra.One released, all you could see on your TV, read in your daily newspaper, hear of the radio, taste in your Horlicks and smell in the air was Ra.One. Ra.One and more Ra.One. An assault on the senses, quite literally. If only, IF only dear SRK had spent ONE-TENTH of the publicity time on improving the storyline. IF. ONLY.

The first grouse I have with the movie is about the portrayal of South Indians. Oh, believe me, South Indians do NOT eat curd with noodles. No, we do NOT do power yoga. And god save me, we do NOT, do NOT say 'aiyyo' all the time! And it is quite amazing that a Dilliwala superstar (SRK), Bihari director (Anubhav Sinha) and a two North Indian scriptwriters (Kanika Dhillon and Mushtaq Sheikh) put all of their genius heads together and wrote a bunch of spit-in-your-face lame ass Southie jokes and etched a stupid stereotypical character who searches for his 'kiss' in a blonde's cleavage. That too in a kiddie movie. The only thing that stopped me from screaming out loud and stabbing myself in the chest was the curiosity to find out how lower Hindi cinema can get.

The plot is the fucking dumbest I've ever heard of. Even Popcorn Khao Mast Ho Jao was a better watch. Super-smartie-Southie-dad develops a badass villian in his new video game to impress his son who doesn't even bother to talk to him properly. Ironically, this badass villian kills him in a quest to find the son. The super-dumb mother and son then drive their car recklessly all around London trying to escape from him (Duh, woman, don't you know? He has superpowers for Chrissakes!). The villian is just about to catch them when enter G.ONE, with his goody-goodness radiating out of his ass and saves the hysterical mother-son duo. Shit-scared, the mother wants to go back to India and takes the robotic hero back with her, replete with piercings on all parts of his body, even objectionable ones. In India, they shed 'water+NaCl', dance to Akon at Karva Chauth in South India (globalisation, here come thou!) and indulge in all sorts of antics in varying degrees of idiocies.

And don't even get me talking about the climax. I will puke right then and there on the irritating non-father-respecting kid's long hair. (What's with the hairstyle man?)

Don't get me wrong, I am SRK's biggest fan ever. I have been in love with him for 15 long years (I'm 17 now). I've loved every one of his movies till date and my ideal man is Raj Malhotra of DDLJ. His dimples make me weak-kneed and whenever he spreads his arms I want to bury myself in them. But what SRK missed out (in his own quest to become every Indian kid's superhero) was, quoting Spidey's uncle Ben, 'With great power, comes great responsibility.'

Now, SRK, you are India's biggest superstar. With that tag, we expect some level of responsibility from you. We truly loved your effort in revamping sci-fi in India and taking it to new levels. You could have worked at making it more bearable.

Nevertheless, we are willing to forgive this debacle of yours. Do better, sweetheart. We expect more from you.

P.S. An even better review

Delhi Belly *** 1/2

Indian cinema has finally come of age. And the average Indian viewer is ever so grateful to the Censor Board, who is gracious enough to acknowledge that he/she is mature enough to watch films peppered with swear words and sexual references and enjoy them too. By definition, Delhi Belly is a traveller's diarrhea, usually caused by street food (read: contaminated). And this is very disease and its after effects forms the crux of the aptly titled film.

The film opens with three flatmates Tashi (Imran Khan; unimpressive), Arup (Vir Das; awesome. Watch out for his voice) and Nitin (Kunaal Roy Kapur; best of the lot), who live in a dingy Delhi flat with no water, or for that matter, peace of mind. Tashi is confused - he is due to get married in a month and still doesn't know whether his girlfriend (Shenaz Treasury) is the one. Arup is frustrated with life - his girlfriend has dumped him and his boss' idea of creativity is making him sketch a smiling banana, while Nitin, after wolfing down chicken from a street vendor, battles a bad case of the Delhi Belly. Oh, and in case life wasn't bad enough, they now have a gangster behind their blood, and must find a way to get out of all this mess. Yes, baby, shit happens.

The movie is funny, fast-paced, short, unpretentious, and manages to keep you captivated till the very end. Certain scenes/dialogues simply leave their mark, like the one in which Nitin comments about Tashi's new car (When a donkey screws a rickshaw, this is what you get) or the one in which Arup, tries to cover the CCTV screen from the policeman (in a burqa!). Newcomer Poorna Jagannathan is simply amazing, and Shenaz Treasury chips in well too. Overall, a must watch movie! DO. NOT. MISS. IT.

Rio ****

I absolutely love, love, love animated movies. Although I am still a kid at heart, such movies make me feel like I am eight again, at the grand old age of sixteen. I know, teenagers are supposed to scoff at kiddie movies, but y'know, still a kid, always a kid. Anyhow, I promised The Brat that I would take her to watch Rio, and the three of us (Mommy included) went to watch the movie.

It is a cute film, about a witty little birdie called Blu (a Blue Macaw, voiced superbly by Jesse Eisenberg), raised by a girl Linda since she was ten. They both are safely encased in Minnesota, in perfectly blissful lives until Linda is informed that Blu is the last surviving Blue Macaw on this earth, and must be taken to Rio De Janeiro to allow him to mate with the last female member of the species.

Despite protests from Blu, Linda convinces him that they should be doing this in order to allow his species to survive. In the process, Blu meets Jewel (Anne Hathaway), a fiercely independent bird, who scorns his inability to fly, and the fact that he likes being a pet. While they are left alone to mate, and the geeky scientist dude and Linda go out for a date, evil bird Nigel and his master kidnap both the birds and chain them.

In a series of hilarious sequences (now I understand why the movie was made in 3D - only 3D could do justice to those sequences!), Blu and Jewel manage to escape, and land in a jungle, from where Jewel wants to fly away and Blu wants to go back to Linda. They have to battle gyrating monkeys, pecky woodpeckers, evil birds, and equally evil humans. Can they make it?

On the whole, it is a must watch for both, adults and kids.

New Movies

Not really in a mood to review them critically, but this is a list of movies I watched recently.

Juno - Amazingness. Loved it. It is a rather sensitive depiction of a teenage pregnant girl, and the situation is not that dramatic either. Instead in this one, she has the support of both the parents, plus instead of aborting the baby, she decides to give it to some childless couple. Worth a watch. Very nice. And i like the climax, in which she and her boyfriend play the guitar. Ends in a very nice and unconventional way.

Final Destination III - Not a conventional horror movie, but it scared the hell out of me. Gory, and mysterious. A teenage girl has visions of a roller coaster crashing, and persuades some of the dudes to get off it. But mysteriously, they start dying in the order they sat on the ride. And the pictures provide a clue as to how the rest of them are gonna die. Ooh. Scary much.

A Lot Like Love - Not a bad watch. I watched it only for Ashton Kutcher. Otherwise, it isn't much of a good movie. Average.

Father of The Bride - Hilarious, sensitive, awesome, reality-stricken. Though it is a 20 year old movie, I still recommend watching it. For all the girlies, watch it with your father. My dad is exactly like Steve Martin in the movie, and both of us had an awesome time watching it.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 : Teen chick flick. I love. It is a worthy successor to the prequel. Lovely film.

Titanic: Sighs. My favourite one. Nothing much to be said apart from that.

And I have to watch these movies. I have them recorded, but yet to watch them. Pakka promise, I'll watch and post them.

Maid in Manhattan

The Karate Kid

Life is Beautiful

Eurotrip

Cast Away

Batman

Mission Impossible I II III

Crazy/Beautiful

High School Musical

Ah, I'm a typical teenager now. I saw High School Musical 3: Senior Year, and I totally loved it. Vanessa Hudgens is very sweet and lovable, and Zac Efron - wait I need to breathe properly - is freaking awesome! He's very cute, and the hottest hunk ever! Both of them make a very beautiful couple - watch out for the song Can I have a dance. As the title proclaims, it is a musical - full of lovely songs and dances to watch out for, set in a high school environment.

It is based on how kids, in their senior year, are grappling with career choices and are still struggling to come to terms with the fact that in a few days, they will be off to college, leaving behind their world, friends, and family. Also, they have to perform a musical based on the senior Prom. Lovely, lovely film. Must watch for all kids, and adults alike.

I have to mention here, the movie is completely watchable, even with parents, unlike most Hollywood movies. Save for one kissing scene, it is the kind of movie that doesn't make you wince uncomfortably every five minutes. Amazingness.

Movies galore

I just realized how I am lagging behind with this blog. The other one, has 49 posts and this one has 30 less. OK, 29 less. Anyway, I mostly save my rantings about life for that one, and movies for this one. I have reduced my movie-watching a bit nowadays, thanks to Mommy dearest, but yes, I did manage to get a few done. And there's lots. I'm afraid I can't write full fledged reviews, but I shall surely do as and when I manage to scrimp a little time.

Saving Private Ryan

Lots of blood, action, skin, and gore. Not typically my stuff, but this was part of my research on the 'Why guys are so weird' thesis. And as I have readily testified on so many occasions, I find fighting very sexy. This movie, is an Oscar-winning one, and no doubt, Tom Hanks - amazing. He salvages most sagging movies with his performances, and enhances the good ones. And the theme was off-beat. Not the typical movie about how soldiers face hardships and how they miss the family and the after-effects of war, though this does form an integral part of the story. It is about how eight men reluctantly set out on a mission to find a soldier who has lost all his brothers in the war, and they must find him, for his mother does not have any body else to fall back on. It is about selflessness, and about Ryan promising to live his life well - six men have given up theirs for his. I particularly liked the last scene - in which the veteran Ryan visits Miller's (Hanks) grave and tells his soul, that he has earned it, and lived a good life.

Bride Wars

Frilly, frothy, bitchy and very enjoyable. We all love a good fight, don't we? As long as we're not in the middle of it! And every one enjoys a cat-fight, and this movie is just about that. Childhood friends Emma (Hathaway, very pretty) and Liv (Hudson, bitchy and ruthless) turn into foes when forced to share the same date, time and venue for their respective weddings. Both are unwilling to compromise, or see the other's point of view. And this leads to a series of Bride Wars, in which both of them try their best to sabotage each other's weddings - including tanning the other orange, and colouring hair blue. If I were any of their wedding, I would be scared - very scared.

A perfect chick-flick, to watch with your girlfriends.

Princess Diaries

Anne Hathaway is at it again. She is perfect as the clumsy high-school teen who transforms into the graceful princess. It tells us how she copes with the sudden catastrophe thrust on her - as she slowly starts to drift from her best friends and family. It tells us how she manages to savour the best of both worlds - as a world-famous royal, as well as the regular high school teen. At one moment, she addresses a press conference in her long gown and tiara, while the other, she gets hit by a ball in her gym class. On the whole, very sweet and girly movie. Fun to watch.

Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji ***

Love grows. Men don't. The promotional catchline for the film aptly describes the theme. Madhur Bhandarkar, known mostly for his hard-hitting and realistic portrayals of popular culture themes, scores with this one. Though he has ventured outside his comfort zone, he manages to strike well. Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji is a funny, yet realistic depiction of urban life situations and people, and at a close look, about three men, who are on a loser's streak in their love life. Naren Ahuja (Ajay Devgn, perfect as the geek) is seeking a divorce from his wife, and moves into his ancestral house to start afresh. To dispense pangs of loneliness, he finds two paying guests to move in with him -Abhay, or Abby (Emraan Hashmi), a womaniser, who is involved with a former beauty queen as her toyboy, and Milind (Omi Vaidya, a delight to watch), who works with Jhatpatshaadi.com, a matrimonial site, and is on the quest for true love.

Things take a turn when Naren meets pretty young thing June, in his office, working as his intern. Milind, on a night spouting shayari, falls for Gungun, a radio jockey and a struggler. Both of them with initial apprehension, plow along, and slowly start falling in love. As for Abhay, dilemma appears in the form of Nikki, Anushka's stepdaughter, whom he falls in love with. What happens when a 38 year old man, facing mid-life crisis, falls for a young 19 year old; or a naive bumbling idiot hankers behind a gold-digger, form the crux of the story.

The film is well-scripted and made, and edited well. Certain scenes simply leave their mark, like the one in which Shruti Haasan proclaims that she loves watching pornography, or the one in which Ajay Devgn tries hard to fit in with a bunch of teenagers. About the performances, Ajay Devgn is as usual, good. He plays the part of the geek to the hilt. Emraan Hashmi has nothing new to offer. Omi Vaidya, however, is a delight to watch on the screen. He is cute, naive, bumbling, and very adorable. His dialogue delivery, with its particular accent, is endearing. Shazahn Padamsee was passable, though very cute and lovable. Shruti Hassan has a striking screen presence, though with weak dialogue delivery, and is unimpressive in this one. Newcomer Shraddha Das does okay too.

Madhur Bhandarkar has certainly done well for a first-time comedy. The film may not be an in-your-face comedy, but is sure worth a watch.

Rain Man ****

Ah, Tom Cruise. But in Rain Man, Dustin Hoffman turns out to be the surprise package. Ole, ole movie (it was released in 1988, like 23 years before), but is, according to me, evergreen. Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) faces debt problems, and his business is suffering. He is literally in the throes of despair, when he gets to know that his estranged father has passed away. He, with his girlfriend Susanna, goes to his hometown, to claim his legacy, when he learns that his father has left his entire fortune of $3 million to his estranged brother Dustin. But hey, Dustin turns out to be an autistic savant, a condition that many are not aware of. Though he has problems exhibiting his emotions and communicating, he is a genius at solving math problems and has an amazing memory. Initially Charlie despises his brother, contemptuously thinking him a burden, and struggles with him and his odd habits and rituals, just for the sake of tricking him out of the fortune. The turning point is when Charlie discovers that Dustin is Rain Man, whom he long brushed off as an imaginary friend, who sang to him every night. In fact, when Charlie was two, Rain Man was sent to Wallbrook, fearing that he might hurt the child. That brings about a change of heart in Charlie, and from then on, the film explores the relationship between the two brothers.

The performances are simply awe-inspiring, especially that of Dustin Hoffman. Tom Cruise is commendable, and plays his part to perfection. Some of the scenes strike a chord, such as the one when Charlie runs hot water, and Dustin turns violent, fearing that it might 'hurt the baby', and the one in which Charlie teaches Dustin how to dance. This one should definitely score on your must watch list. Awesomeness.

Tum Mile *

It pains me to witness the downfall of the very man who gave us Jannat. Kunal Deshmukh's second attempt at filmmaking does not manage to achieve the required chutzpah as his previous film did. Let's cook up a cheesy, stale, weak and predictable love story against a backdrop of a disaster (yawn!), and voila, we have Tum Mile!

Mr Director, breathtaking locales, pretty eyecandy leading ladies, wannabe rom-com situations and terrific music have absolutely no meaning if the script and screenplay is null.

Emraan Hashmi does not deliver quite up to the mark, and his expressions look forced. Wait, does he even have any? Soha is okay, and manages to look pretty, but that's about it. Mantra is the surprise package, and manages to save the sagging film, with his witticisms and crisp dialogue delivery. Apart from beautiful locales, flooded scenes, and good music, do not expect anythinge else. Taut editing, better performances from the lead actors, and a better screenplay would have done wonders. Alas.

Bruce Almighty ***

Don't we all always complain about how tough our lives are, and how difficult and boring the job is, nothing ever goes right, we don't have this, we don't have that, and so on? This is exactly what Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey) does. Nothing in his life goes right. Or so he thinks. Until an encounter with God (Morgan Freeman) bestows him with all God-like powers for a week. Drunk with power, Bruce Almighty has a gala time, and enjoys himself to the fullest. All goes fine, till the feeling of really being God sinks in. And it ain't as much fun as he thinks it to be. There are numerous prayers to be answered, and our lazy protagonist generously grants everyone their wishes. Until all wishes conflict each other, and everyone gets what he or she wants, but it leads to an unsightly mess all over the world, and in his life. And no, no, no, God does not step in to rid the world of the topsy turvies. It's upto Bruce Almighty to save the world. And this is what forms the crux of the story.

Jim's performance is praise-worthy. He manages to infuse the role with the right amount of enthu and energy. Morgan Freeman, as usual, manages to deliver a stellar performance. Jennifer Aniston is good. The comic gags and a few funny moments give the film a much-needed push in the beginning, but then, it is meant to be a feel good light-hearted comedy with the conventional ending.

Marley And Me *** 1/2

Delightful. And this is a lot, considering I'm an animal hater. I was pretty sceptical about the movie, since I dislike all animals, especially dogs. But this movie made me fall in love with Marley, and his antics. The film chronicles the life of Marley, and how it bonds his owners' (Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston - both extraordinarily superb) relationship over the years. Often teased as the world's worst dog, Marley proves to be the exact opposite. John and Jenny expand their family over the years, yet Marley is always a part of it right from the beginning. From swallowing a gold necklace and knocking over the dog trainer, Marley has done it all.

Lovely film, tugs at your heart strings. Marley makes you laugh, cry and smile. Perfect film to watch with your family on a Sunday afternoon.

My Best Friend's Girl **

Pretty average. Though it manages to give the term anti-romance a new twist, it has the usual ingredients - a laid back asshole jerk kinda guy, and a searching for romance girl, and the faithful sidekick. Sherman (Alec Baldwin), a carefree New York quintessential dude, gets paid for a very unusual job - to take his friends' ex-girlfriends out on horrible dates, to make them realize how good their previous boyfriends were. And voila, the ex-girlfriends run straight into the arms of their ever ready boyfriends. And this manages to work almost all the time - almost. Until his cousin Dusty (Jason Biggs - very cute and chips in well) hires him to take out Alexis (Kate Hudson - forgettable), a colleague he loves, and make her realize how many jerks actually exist, and that she is lucky to get a nice guy like him. And clichedly, Sherman falls for her. After this, it is pretty predictable.

For someone looking for a so-so rom-com, it might be good, but otherwise it is pretty forgettable.

Back after a hiatus

Low on internet, high on movies. That's how it is. I got a Tata Sky+ account recently, and gleefully I have been recording all movies I want to watch, and the past couple of weeks have been pretty awesome, as I have been catching up with movies, movies and more movies. Sad life - all full of movies. Well, I am happy whenever I manage to watch a movie - even its a bad one. Because that's what I like doing nowadays - in the absence of a good social life, all I can manage to get done is watch movies. And hey, I have a pretty good collection in my Tata Sky+ account.

I plan on watching

The Blair Witch Project

Mission Impossible II

50 First Dates

The Princess Diaries

Though I have watched some of them earlier, I want to watch them all over again for two reasons. One, frivolous though it may seem, I want to watch them again! Two, I want to write a good, decent review on them. I will update, if not on the blog, either in my Notebook or on the Notepad. So, there.

Chick-flicks

In the days gone by, I've managed to watch few movies..pathetically few for a budding movie-critic, that is. And almost all of them have been chick-flicks. I cannot recall all the movies I have seen, even in bits, but yes, these are some of them.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Sister. Someone you can giggle with, share your deepest secrets, ambitions, hopes, insecurities with. A best friend, but more than one. Together, even when apart. The movie is exactly about that - how four best friends manage to stay in touch over the summer, and vow to pass on a pair of jeans that magically fits them all. They do manage to share the pants, but end up sharing much, much more than that. Their lives, their insecurities, their problems, and their hopes. The movie basically explores the lives of regular teenage girls, and common issues amongst them, such as parents, sex, loss of a loved one and falling in love. Perfect to watch with a bunch of girlfriends.

My Best Friend's Wedding

And Julia Roberts is at it again. Can any actress surpass her? No. In My Best Friend's Wedding, she manages to deliver a stellar performance yet again. Her character is one of a jealous friend, secretly in love with her best friend, who is determined to chuck the wifey-to-be out, and have the dude all to herself. After trying the most evil methods to dissuade the man, she finally tells him she loves him. Phew. Romantic comedy with a twist.

Roberts, as usual, holds the film together. Cameron Diaz is sweet, and unassuming. Mulroney is sultry, and a exudes a little caught-between-the-two-women tiredness. All in all, a good film. Not exactly a must watch, but a good option on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Blogging about movies

As I went through my reviews on a couple of movies, I decided to compare my points of view with seasoned critics'. And I noticed how beautifully all of them write. Especially Taran Adarsh, for Hindi movies, and New York Times, for English ones. The language, the lucidity, and the flow with which they effortlessly deliver judgements on movies - to such an extent that their opinion can make or break a movie - is simply amazing. Taran's reviews are very just, and neither overtly critical, nor exceedingly soft. He manages to get it just right. I should probably follow him more, and imbibe his style - Crisp, cutting and to the point. Lovely. And I especially love how he manages to sum up the tone of the movie towards the end. Most importantly, he reviews movies from an audience point of view, and not a critical one. He understands what the audience likes, and dislikes, and that's what makes him such a good critic. He is more of an audience-based critic. And without mincing words, he manages to deliver his unbiased judgement on the week's fare. He also sheds light on each and every character's performance, completing the review perfectly. I can only hope that someday I will be able to write as well as him!

Another critic (though not an official one) I admire is Ravali. Though her language and way of putting things is a little flawed, and although she has a keen eye, she cannot express it as well as she maybe could. But I have to say, her judgement is right on the spot, and she's unbiased. At this point, I also want to express my admiration for Anshul, who has a very keen eye, and focuses on the more intricate part of filmmaking (being a filmmaker himself).

Cant think of a suitable ending for this post, apart from the cliched, I hope I can write as well as them.

My Sister's Keeper

Aah, and after a long time I managed to properly watch a movie right from the beginning to the end, appreciating its finer nuances and performances. And that is the greatest achievement I have accomplished, watching movies at home. And it was a good movie.

I've been wondering - how come I only review good movies on this blog? I've seen so many bad ones, but never got an opportunity to trash them here. Nevertheless, it's much more fun to appreciate good work rather than criticize bad ones.

My Sister's Keeper is a sensitive, poignant film, narrated through the eyes of eleven year old Anna Fitzgerald, who is, in her own words, a 'designer baby', who was created only to keep her ailing sister, Kate, alive. Even though Kate knows she is fighting a losing battle, and wants to let go, her overprotective mother Sara (Cameron Diaz) won't let her. And that's where the conflict seeps in.

Young Anna seeks medical emancipation, and wants to be able to take decisions regarding her own body - which seems a little strange, but provides the perfect setting to explore the life of the Fitzgerald family, and how Kate's illness affects each one of them - Sara is forced to quit her practice, to take care of her daughter, while Jesse, the elder son struggles to cope with dyslexia, and ends up being ignored because of Kate. The film provides a detailed insight into a cancer patient's life, and how his/her near or dear ones are affected.

Brilliant performances by all of the actors, and most of all, it is not a preachy film about how life is meant to be lived to the fullest and all the blah. Tearjerker, yes. Preachy, no. In fact, it doesn't even carry a message or provide a lecture on how the protagonist's death affected lives of many people, as is the case with other films on the same theme. It is simple, unpretentious and heart touching. And that's where the beauty of the film lies.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5

No One Killed Jessica

And after a long time I went to watch a movie in the multiplex. Aah, how I love the cushy seats and the buttery popcorn! I went with one of my friends, S, who was very keen on watching the movie. I, on the other hand, was a little less enthusiastic about it, as I thought it would anyway premiere on TataSky sooner or later. Anyway, curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to go along.

The movie is not just about Jessica Lall and her story. It is about how Sabrina fought tooth and nail to get justice for her sister. It is about the apathetic attitude of the Indian judiciary system, and more than that, it is about how the common man is used to the abysmal state of affairs. As our fiery protagonist Meera Gaity proclaims, 'Power only lies in the hands of a few people, all the common man has is the ability to tolerate.'

I have to mention here, Rani Mukherjee, in her comeback, steals the film with her portrayal of the no-nonsense attitude bitch Meera, and it is one of her best performances ever. If only actresses got meatier roles. Vidya, as Sabrina, is understated, subdued and inhibitive. Perfect.

Many of the characters in the film are cleverly inspired by real people. Also, the role of the media in taking the case to its rightful conclusion is highlighted just right. It constantly reinforces the message - Justice delayed is justice denied. Which is more than what can be said for the Indian judiciary system.

Though the climax is a bit tweaked, to reinforce the utopian conclusion, it definitely helps in enlightening the common man about fighting against all odds. Lovely film.

The Proposal

And I managed to watch The Proposal. Though I wouldn't really classify in the OMG-you-totally-have-to-watch-this-one category, it is a good one, and worth your time. It is a breezy rom-com flick, though with a slight twist, is what makes it a teeny weeny bit different from other frothy comedies.

The story is set in New York with Andrew (Ryan Fletcher) as an assistant to hard-nosed Margaret (Sandra Bullock, who is exceptionally good), editor-in-chief at a publishing company. As her visa expires, and she is about to be deported back to Canada, Margaret forces Andrew to marry her, so that she can stay back and keep her job. Andrew, on the other hand, has his own sweet little demands, which she agrees to meet. Grudgingly, both of them go to Alaska to visit Andrew's family, and there, both gradually fall in love with each other - with neither of them realising their feelings. And so begins the roller-coaster ride.

It is a decent comedy film, with taut editing and brilliant writing. It is sharp in places, and the pace never slackens, except for till the end, where it begins to sag a little. But, Bullock brilliantly holds up the movie with her portrayal of the cold, pushy corporate bitch who actually is a normal girl from inside. Reynolds also chips in well, but, Bullock walks away with the movie, literally.

A must watch for those looking for decent rom-coms with a difference!

Which movies to blog about and which not

Sometimes I wonder, am I that qualified to write reviews on movies? Some are so beautifully made, am I doing justice to them by writing my half-baked reviews about them? Well, there are people who aren't doing a good job out of it either, but...am I good at what I am going to do?

Which kind of movies do I blog about? After all, it's not about the plot. It's about how well I can write about the sensibilities of the movie, and how well I express my liking or disliking. And how well I can hone my flair with words.

Tonight I'm going to watch The Proposal. Let's see how well I'll be able to write about that!

Peepli Live/ Guzaarish

So, this weekend I managed to watch two movies - Peepli Live and Guzaarish. Both, critically acclaimed, and yes, I'm not going to let that influence me! So, here we go:

Peepli [Live]

Another movie out of the Aamir Khan stable. Great expectations, and immensely watchable are the terms. The movie is delightful - and it manages to tackle the issue of farmer suicides through such a quirky view, and demonstrates the apathy of government officials, and also takes jibes at the media. The protagonist, Natha, is brilliant, and you end up feeling so 'awwww' for him throughout the movie! The plot is slightly off-track (something's that never been done in India before - Hats off Anusha Rizvi!) and full of wry village humor. A must watch for anyone seeking entertaining yet intelligent cinema - and those who are sick and tired of Dabanng and Tees Maar Khan type films.

Guzaarish

Ah, a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film. I have to confess, I wasn't exactly dying to watch this one, since it was all about mercy killing - a subject that I'd rather stay away from. I'm not a fan of watching people dying to die. Plus, it kind of looked depressing to me.

I don't know what came over me today, and I actually sat down to watch it. And woah, was I blown away! (ye dirty minds, I was!). It is a superb movie, told in a very subtle way (which is SO unlike SLB movies - but he is the very guy who gave us Black AND Devdas. Compare.)

It tackles the sensitive issue of euthanasia, and broaches the subject of how a person wants to end his own life - with dignity. Which brings us to this question - how MUCH can a person suffer? Is pain really that painful that a person wants to END his life? With no hope of bouncing back? With no hope of living a normal life? How much has he already suffered before he

Our protagonist Ethan Mascarenhas (Roshan, in his undoubtedly best performance till date) struggles to answer these very questions. With the help of his friends Dr Naik and Devyani, he appeals to the court to end his life gracefully. His argument goes such that it is his own life, therefore he should be the one deciding when and how to end it, which is unacceptable to Indian law. A former magician, he is a quadriplegic confined to his bed since the last 14 years and shares a special bond with his nurse Sofia (Aishwarya, who surprisingly essays this part with a quiet grace). Also, making a mark is Aditya Roy Kapur as a budding magician, who injects freshness into the seemingly subtle movie.

All in all, a lovely movie. For all those who are low on life, and oh, before you go all -good-lord-not-another-life-is-beautiful-kinda-movie-not-really-my-types, it is not preachy. In fact, it subtly tells you how beautiful life is (yeah, how clichéd am I?) and how it is meant to be lived to the fullest using whatever you have. Because, life gives us so much - it is full of smiles,tears, aspirations, disappointments, expectations, randomness, eccentricity, laughs, giggles, friends, family, fighting, love, passion and..hope. And we wouldn't be doing justice to it unless we lived it to the fullest.

Let's go to the movies!

I love watching movies. And it's not just because I don't have anything else to do, it's just that...movies transport me to entirely another world. I love a good story, and movies are beyond that. They make you laugh and cry at the same time, and at times, inspire you.

Now, I always wanted to be a film critic. Most of the reviews I read in newspapers are either highly diplomatic or peppered with unflattering comments. Plus, a job is something you should enjoy - even after thirty years you should wake up with the same enthusiasm and be all like, 'Yes! I want to work!' And, what could be a better job than watching movies and telling people how much you loved or hated them?

The problem is, I have always been a biased critic. I can never watch movies with a critical eye, simply because I enjoy them too much, and dissecting each scene and watching out for performances interferes with my idea of enjoyment. I am partial to romantic comedies and any senti drama that makes me cry, or Shah Rukh Khan movies. But, with a steely determination, I decided that I would have to start somewhere, and ta-da, here I am!

And as far as possible, I'm going to stop reading reviews from now on, or watch movies on the first day itself so that I can have an unbiased view. And yes, no partiality too. I'm going to devote this blog solely to film reviews, so that I can hone my skills further. My other blog can be the space in which I can ramble.

Oh, how I love the movies!