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.