Reviews

This movie takes us back to the times where depiction of love and romance was a bit dreamy and filmy but nevertheless soothing and refreshing. Though the film does resemble Roja and Veer-Zaara in bits and pieces, only here and there, but it takes nothing away from the story, the screen-play and direction of this movie which makes this movie a one of its own. The movie for the first 15min or so feels quite fast-paced but that is for a good reason - to keep focus and attention to the romance between the protagonists, where most of the time and efforts were rightly spent.

While the Hindi-dub was good, I am sure the actual Telugu version must have been better, with the dialogues and lyrics. This is quite natural with multi-lingual dubbed movies and totally fine by me.

I must say, I am delighted to see the cinematography, the screenplay and the visuals in this movie. Simply awesome!! On the story front, you have a atypical national revenge not often seen in Indian movies, with no fanfare, jingoism or hero-worship but more focused on the narrative with substantial realism. Sure, there were a few scenes where a hero might give up weapons to take on a villian one-on-one physically, but that's still excusable with the kind of direction & acting in this movie. The way they have depicted an army operation in this movie, tactical & precise with advanced combat weapons is quite a rarity in Indian movies. Yet, I am not a big fan of the story around and the depiction of the bird-like Drone which supposedly could operate for hours and made by an intern at DRDO. Not so much realistic as the rest of the movie was.

No unwarranted romance, no over-the-top action both of which something Bollywood should try more of. Special appreciation for the background score in this movie, which is often noticed in Hollywood flicks with tense music and no unnecessary, inappropriate vocals on the top.

Would love to see more like these movies, fictional or based on real events.

As the movie opened with its first few scenes, I was reminded of the endless list of movies that came up with the idea of depicting India in hue/tint of yellowish brown as if the colour of the sky is very different in India from the western world, almost like on Mars or Venus. Another movie depicting the south-asian region in a shade unreal and unnatural (an example on top of my mind - Extraction). I get it.. people are in the western hemisphere (and Australia in this case) want the movies to conform to their pre-conceived notion of how India is. Can't see India with a better lens.

The acting is on the point by Dev, Anupam Kher and the others. While I dont know how much of the story-line of different guests/staff in the hotel was true to the reality, one thing that can't be denied is the honor, courage and 'guest-is-god' belief of the hotel staff at Taj, of which many instances are depicted in this movie. Kudos to that. The heinous crimes of ruthless, merciless firing by jihadists at innocent lives is sometimes too hard to believe, too bad to be true.. But unfortunately this horror was real.

This movie doesn't have the drama one would usually expect from a movie on Man and his best friend. It does it one better.

It goes through the life of the Marley and his pet parents, the good and the bad they experience in life but always remaining sure of Marley's unwavering loyalty and love. It is like going through life of one family, without any unrealistic or over-exciting acts. Still, the movie does have the ability to move even those who haven't yet have been pet parents, and experience the joy and hardships of being in company of a four-legged friend.

Marley isn't always at the center of the act (unlike some other movies where the focus is too much on the dog-man relationship), but he is surely an important part of the lives of his pet parents. Loved Wilson's acting but was surprised in a good way with Aniston's. She is good in rom-coms, and she did good in emotional dramas as well.

Dasvi is no doubt a light-hearted movie, which tried to touch upon the importance of basic education for every human. The coveted "Dasvi-pass" tag might have been nothing out of ordinary for many of us, but it did come to matter a lot to the protagonist Ganga Ram Chaudhary, a "Aathvi-passs" CM. The movie revolves around his attempt to pass the exam and prove to himself and the world that he is capable of doing good for himself & others.

However, the film did try to bring in some other social issues like inter-caste marriage (read the infamous Khap-panchayats), power-hungry politicians, boot-licking bureaucracy etc, which I felt was not necessary given the length of the film and the already interesting premise at hand. Abhishek was good while Yami & Nimrat did their part. But the film leaves a lot to be desired.

While the viewer does smile in certain portions of the film, he/she will hardly connect with or feel the emotions. A decent watch with family.

After the pan-India blockbuster Baahubali-1&2, Rajamouli sir is back with a bang with another appealing story set amidst the freedom struggle. The main characters, played well by Jr. NTR & Ram Charan, have been inspired from lives of two real heroes from Telangana & Andhra - Komaram Bheem & Sitarama Raju.

While I watched the movie in Hindi, but having stayed in the south for so long, I can imagine the reactions this movie in Telugu/Tamil would have generated in the theatres. These kind of films are made to be watched & enjoyed in Cinemas with friends & family. The visuals, background score (Keeravani sir again) and cinematography were excellent. The over-the-top action sequences, again like Baahubali, are the highlights of the movie.

However, at around 3hrs, it was a bit of stretch (unlike the 2 Baahubali movies), and I did catch myself looking elsewhere in the theatre & at my phone at times. I guess it is because Rajamouli is a story teller and often incorporates a lot of ideas from history & mythology.

Nonetheless, an Indian movie worth watching on big screens is a huge respite to those who have been film-starved these past 2 years, with good action & direction.

The movie on it own (leaving aside historical inaccuracies if any) does quite well with the performances. The scenes of the earth & the sky and everything in between are quite cinematic and may be best enjoyed on large screens.

On the factual aspects, I am of the opinion that if you chose to have one protagonist completely based on the scientist-cum-meteorologist who undertook that particular journey, it is unfair to leave out the other actual co-traveller of that historic journey and choose to creating a fictional character based on multiple personalities. However, I may still understand that artistic liberties may have been taken by the makers and the movie only claims to be 'inspired' by true events and is in no way an actual biographical depiction.

The movie however does remind of the challenges and risks that have been undertaken by the scientists of the past to help us develop better understanding of the nature above the earth and build foundations for the crucial role meteorology plays in today's world. A must watch for lovers of history of science.

One word - WOW !

This movie is the crown jewel of the MI franchise. Before this movie, I knew Tom Cruise was a Action-movie star. Now I know Tom Cruise is Action. The plot, the twists, the chases, the fights, the sky dives and oh boy the action sequences.....pure thrill and fun. While being over-the-top has been the name of the game in the franchise, the movie adds so much natural element that every thing seems so real and takes the film to a whole new league of Action super-blockbusters, within and beyond the franchise. Respect for the whole team of stunts, cinematographers and background score. Must watch...for everyone who appreciates action genre and knows that this movie is actually impossible for anyone else but for Tom.

If you are a fan of movies like Argo, Hurt Locker, 13 Hours, Black Hawk Down or Sicario, this movie is definitely not the one to be missed.

While one may argue whether or not this movie is close to the truth, this movie surely doesn't disappoint as a film on its own even if the entire narrative is fictionalized. The background score adds power to the seriousness and covertness to the entire operation. The direction by Kathryn Bigelow is simply splendid, just like her previous academy award-winning venture 'Hurt Locker'. Jessica Chastain carries out the role of the CIA operative with the right mix of subtleness and conviction to nail her target, an enemy who has been elusive to the world for more than a decade. The climax operation in the dark was the high point of the entire buildup and the suspense doesn't disappoint even a bit even when one is aware of the eventual end.

A highly recommended movie as a patient-watch, with some pieces of good action here and there but brilliant cinematography & direction all throughout the film.

"The Pianist" is biographical war drama film, based on the the perils faced and evaded by a Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Jewish pianist in Poland, amidst the Nazi conquest and rule over Poland during WW 2. There are but very few movies which have been able to depict the atrocities faced by the Jewish community under the Nazi rule with a realistic portrayal of those times. "The Pianist" is certainly one among those. Even though this movie focuses on Szpilman's evasion from a otherwise certain holocaust with some luck and good helpful acquaintances, it skillfully shows some of the most moving scenes depicting human hunger, helplessness and hardships faced by the Polish Jews. The acting performance is top-notch by the cast, especially Adrien Brody as Szpilman. The focus on the main story theme, without getting didactic and a gripping screenplay makes this movie a master-piece of the genre. The movie is sure to leave the viewer disturbed by the acts of human insanity but also in awe of the craft of skillful film-making.

This movie is a romantic-revenge-drama which does present few prevalent social issues, without dwelling too much in depth. The plot does has some loop holes with logic and conviction/stand taken by the characters, but it's a movie afterall. All the actors fit in perfectly well and have done complete justice. Watchable for its little hatke romance story between the characters played by Kriti and Rajkumar.

Whiplash is one of those films with a solid but very specific story. The plot revolves around two central characters - an aspiring drummer Andrew (Miles Teller) and his jazz mentor Fletcher (J.K Simmons). Fletcher, an 'explosive' hard task-master, is one of those who believe that best musicians are nurtured only when they are pushed to perform beyond expectations and shall not settle for "just good". His way of teaching challenges Andrew emotionally, mentally and physically almost to his breaking point. The movie sticks to it's central plot and characters, with no superfluous side plots, and thus has the viewer's best attention to Andrew's hardships under Fletcher. Both the characters are exceptionally well played-out by the seasoned actors. Since the movie is based on jazz, the movie is full of it (no expert here, but kind of enjoyed it). Fletcher's scoldings and arguments as a music teacher resemble more to those of a military commander. Nevertheless, some are very impactful and note-worthy (Like- There are no two words in the English language more harmful than "good job" ). While the methods of teaching music depicted in the movie are questionable (especially in the field of art where expression and individuality are essence), but movie does well to engage and amaze the audience. The ending though might seem a little abrupt, with unanswered viewer question of what happened next. The movie also does seem to bring forth a crucial question of what real greatness is and does opinion and approval of certain people matter for feeling worthy. Watch it for excellent film making, story and acting performance by Miles and Simmons.

"Breathe" is beautiful film on the life of Mr. & Mrs. Robin Cavendish. Robin, completely body-paralyzed due to polio, is, according to his doctors, doomed to live his small & miserable life bed-ridden in the hospital. But, as Robin says, the doctors never give thought on things that are believed to be impossible. With the help of his family and trustful friends, Robin not only conquered his own misery but also helped other paralyzed patients live better dignified lives beyond the walls of the hospital.

The film delivers good in terms of acting performances by Andrew Garfield (as Robin Cavendish) and Claire Roy (as Diana Cavendish). The film provokes the thought of how even a so-believed 'disabled' person was able to bring hope and happiness in the lives of people he touched. And for that, some of the unnecessarily lengthy scenes in the end are totally excused. The film is a good watch for its beauty, ideal life partner depiction, inspirational theme and impactful acting by cast.

Based on real incidents of an hostage situation in Iran in 1979, Argo is an Exfil drama of how a good deception worked in favour of not just the hostages but US as a whole. The plot revolves around how a CIA agent brings home 6 US Embassy officials from their hideout in an hostile Iran. The movie is simple and clean, with no extra action or added-thrill moments (except towards the end). A good watch for the acting and direction by the cast and crew, with Ben Affleck showing not much emotions like a typical spy. The best part is- the movie is rightly paced, keeping it short and simple for the viewer to appreciate the tactics employed.

Some movies are easily forgotten..And and there are some like "Schindler's List" that are timeless masterpiece in every sense. The movie is based on Oskar Schindler, a businessman and a Nazi-supporter, who initially makes huge wealth as a military supplier by employing homeless Jewish labour. But as he experiences and witness the horror of war crimes against Jews during the World war, he risks everything for those he initially had no special heart for. The direction by Spielberg is beyond good, with an apt choice of black and white cinematography depicting both the actual period of the story and the darkness of the crimes. Music score by John Williams blends perfectly with the scenes. A role of a lifetime for Liam Neeson and others. The movie, with running time of almost 3 hours and not a loose moment in the script, is a must watch on every movie-buff's list. One may or may not agree with the historical accuracy, but the movie is undeniably a legend in its own right.

A must watch thriller based on crackdown efforts by US joint-agencies on the Mexican Drug mafia. Emily Blunt, playing the role of an idealistic FBI agent in the plot represents the general audience, through her actions and reactions to the out-of-the-book methods of the team. One of those movies which are rightly paced at right moments, with excellent cinematography and background music score. The build-up to the tense moments, when the viewer knows something is about to happen but when and how, is the USP of this movie. A must watch for those seeking tense, paced and realistic action thriller, with no over-the-top action sequences and silly dialogues.

Interstellar is a magnum opus on interstellar space travel by Christopher Nolan. While for many it may appear to be more like a science-fiction movie, the movie depicts one of the futuristic possibilities of the state of mankind, trying to explore and reach habitable planets in search of a second home. It shares its theme partially with another space fiction masterpiece "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1961). The movie hits all the right chords with regards to depiction of emotion, passion, determination, desperation and sacrifice. The movie begins slow but gathers pace and steam as the plot uncovers, making sense of everything that happens. The audio-visual effects are simply mesmerizing and one of the best in recent times. And the science may surely be head-scratching for some.

While for some the science of black holes, space-time and extra-dimensions may go over the head, but Nolan keeps it engaging nevertheless and leaves the audience in awe of the visuals and thrill of space adventure. The review of this movie shall be incomplete without the appreciation of the background score by Hans Zimmer. Emerging as one of the best partnerships in film industry, the combined geniuses of Nolan-Zimmer create goosebumps for sure.

This movie is a must watch for all, especially space and science enthusiasts. The viewer is sure to gain some insights into the cosmos, and engage in some healthy discussion about the Hows and Whys in the movie plot with co-viewers.