Friday, December 26, 2008

Sheesha -- Mirrors can lie

MOVIE: Sheesha
Cast: Sonu Sood, Neha Dhupia
Director: Ashu Trika

Sia (Neha Dhupia) a fashion designer meets, dates and marries Raj (Sonu Sood) of Channel 7, a Thai satellite channel. All is hunky dory until Raj runs into Ria (Neha Dhupia in a double role) the deaf and dumb sister of Sia. Ria is dead in earnest about Raj. The antics that she plays to pull him to his side, how her twin intuitively trusts her, what Raj does, how the relationship goes through twists and turns until the end unfurls forms the rest of the plot. A Tamil film, Vali, in the reverse.

View: Interesting watch.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Rab Ne Bana..... Go for it.

MOVIE : Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Vinay Pathak
Director :
Review by Shakti Santosh Sahoo

This is a hilarious comedy of a simple man who tries his very best to impress his new wife with an image makeover and in the process keeping it all a secret from her. Is this possible in real life you might ask? But then when have reel life and real life coincided?

Shahrukh Khan plays Surinder Sahni, an average, boring company employee. It’s an earnest effort by Shahrukh in depicting a character never before played by him and hardly ever seen on Indian cinema. All problems begin when he marries Taani, a spirited character played by Anushka Sharma. Anushka plays her character really well. Her confidence radiates from her face and she makes the whole movie very lively. Quite logically, she finds her husband utterly boring 9-to-5 kind of an office-goer. And it’s when Shahrukh tries an image makeover with the help of his friend (Vinay Pathak) and hides the secret from her wife that the film starts rolling.

Playing the character of Raj, Shahrukh tries to match his wife’s dancing skills and together they make an energetic pair in a local dance competition. Taani falls for Raj’s wooing skills, ‘failing’ to recognize that Raj is none other than her husband Surinder.

The motivation in watching the movie lies in seeing Shahrukh play a ‘never-before’ character and an awesome debutante in Anushka Sharma.

Go for it!!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Kung Fu Panda: The BEST animated movie that I have watched in recent times

MOVIE: Kung Fu Panda
Cast (Voice): Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, and Jackie Chan
Director: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Review by: Ramesh Ramanathan

A clumsy panda bear becomes an unlikely kung fu hero when a treacherous enemy spreads chaos throughout the countryside in this animated martial arts adventure featuring the voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, and Jackie Chan. On the surface, Po (voice of Black) may look like just another portly panda bear, but beneath his fur he bears the mark of the chosen one. By day, Po works faithfully in his family's noodle shop, but by night he dreams of becoming a true master of the martial arts. Now an ancient prophecy has come to pass, and Po realizes that he is the only one who can save his people from certain destruction.

With time running short and malevolent snow leopard Tai Lung (Ian McShane ) closing in, Furious Five legends Tigress (Jolie), Crane (David Cross ), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), Monkey (Chan), and their wise sensei, Master Shifu (Hoffman), all draw on their vast knowledge of fighting skills in order to transform a lumbering panda bear into a lethal fighting machine. Now, if the noble Po can master the martial arts and somehow transform his greatest weaknesses into his greatest strengths, he will fulfill his destiny as the hero who saved his people during their darkest hour."

THE GOOD PART OF THE MOVIE...........
This one is a laugh riot. If this cannot make you laugh, nothing else will. I can't recall any more than 1 hard belly laugh but it t always had me smiling or giggling through the run time. Almost none of the jokes were home runs… but then did all work. It was entertainment all the way. A class, not a crass villain, great animation; variegated fighting style – all added to the fun.

THE BAD PART IF SOMEONE FEELS SO.....ITS BAD......
There isn't much to complain about in this movie, but I will raise a couple of issues. First of all, some of the voice casting felt completely wrong. I worship the ground Dustin Hoffman walks on… but him as the voice of the sage Chinese Kung Fu master that trains the furious 5 and Po??? It just didn't fit. Seth Rogen as one of the furious 5? I hope I'm not just being picky… but whenever these guys spoke (especially Rogen) it just kinda pulled me out of the movie. And Jackie Chan was conspicuous by an absent voice.

BOTTOM LINE: It’s the best animated movie that I have watched in recent times. The Panda bear is awesome and boy, it steals the show

Monday, December 15, 2008

Fashion -- A must watch

MOVIE: Fashion
Cast: Arbaaz Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut,
Director: Madhur Bhandarkar
Review by: R Aishwarya

Here is a "stop and think twice" warning for those who are desperate to make their way into the glam world. Fashion captures the journey (Up the ladder, down the ladder and the comeback) of an ambitious Meghna Mathur (Priyanka Chopra) pursuing her dream of becoming a "super model". She achieves it by replacing the reigning show stopper (Kangana Ranaut) only to realise that it isn’t rosy at the top.

Elsewhere the not so successful model (Mugda Godse) opts to play safe by entering the institution of marriage, prioritising personal life over her career. Of the two (Priyanka and Mugda) who made a better choice of their order of priorities is for us to watch the movie and decide!

The screenplay revolves around the success story of Meghna. Initially success is bliss; slow it begins to take its toll; and to make things worse for her, she is too naive to realise that people around her are not as nice as they appear to be. By the time the realization dawns it’s sort of too late.

Priyanka is at her best in the movie. Kangana is as impressive as ever. Arbaaz Khan(who runs a top notch fashion brand) and Arjan Bajwa (yet another model who has made his debut in the film)come in at the right places to create the necessary twists in the story.Sulaiman's good music adds value to the film.

The bottom line is: if one takes a stock of success vis -a -vis what one has lost in the bargain, and if the latter is overwhelming, is it really worth it? "Fashion "is a must watch.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Tathastu: Dutt rocks

MOVIE: Tathastu
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Amisha Patel
Director: Anubhav Sinha

His son was dying in a hospital. And Ravi (Sanjay Dutt) wanted a heart transplant. Alas it doesn’t work that way. First there is the money. Then there is the politician jumping the queue for a heart transplant. Ravi is left with no alternative, atleast that’s what he thinks, than to hold the hospital on siege and take patients/visitors as hostage. No he is not a terrorist. He is just like you and I; he has no choice. Is his son saved?

View: Good film. Vintage middle class stuff. And Dutt simply rocks

Aaap Kaa Surroor. Slick but boring

MOVIE: Aap Kaa Surroor
Cast: Himesh Reshammiya, Hannsikaa, Mallika Sherawat
Director: Vijay Taneja

HR (Himesh Reshammiya) the Indian singer is in Germany for a series of shows. The world appears to be at his feet; his shows are a big draw and he meets the love of his life, Riaa (Hannsikaa). The two plan to get married after the German tour. That’s when fate intervenes. HR is arrested for the murder of Nadia Merchant, a television journalist. The police have the case fully stitched up and it looks like HR’s goose is cooked. Then in true style Riaa’s father decides to marry her off to another person and our man suddenly decides to his innocence. Does he do it in time?

View: Interesting film though you could get a shade irritated with HR’s mannerisms especially if you aren’t one of his huge fans.

Traffic Signal: Watch out, Red Signal

MOVIE: Traffic Signal
Director: Madhu Bhandarkar

If you thought there are only red light, green light, amber and sounds of horn around a traffic signal you are wrong. If you believe the director, there is a life around a traffic signal. A guy called Silsila, born around a signal, bred around the signal grows to become its manager (whatever that may mean). He has a heart of gold but he is one who will never forget an injury nor forgive an insult. He and another person work for the local mafia and are ready to lay down their life for the Don. And then he does something that brings his world crumbling down.

View: Red Signal. PLEASE dont cross. You will be killed

Monday, December 8, 2008

Lage Raho: A pain

MOVIE: Lage Raho Munnaa Bhai
Cast: Sunjay Dutt,
Director: Rajkumar Hirani

This second in the Munna bhai series is a damp squib. Full of home spun homilies, most importantly a major part of the movie reminds me of another film. Ha I see so many of them that I can't remember its name. One day, I shall let you in on the 'other movie.' Now Munna bhai MBBS was all style and khoob substance. But Lage raho is a pain. Actually it was odd that Dutt should be playing a Mahatma acolyte albeit of the rowdy variety. Didn't someone say that the Khalnayak is a nalayak.

View: Dont watch

Johny Gaddar: Neat thriller

Film: Johny Gaddar
Cast: Dharmendra, Neil Mukesh
Director: Sriram Raghavan

Five men, the oldest amongst them is 60+ (Dharmendra) and the youngest is in his twenties (Nitin Mukesh), aren't exactly law abiding. An offer comes their way that helps them pick a huge money. And as things would have it the youngest who has his hand on the till wants to walk away with it, all for himself. As the plot unfurls he leaves behind dead bodies. Does he get killed? Watch it.

View: Taut thriller, Hadley Chase type

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Aggar. Hmm....Interesting end

MOVIE: Aggar
Actors: Tusshar Kapoor and Udita Goswami
Producer: Narendra Bajaj. Director: Ananth Mahadevan

Storyline: A woman discovers that becoming attracted to the wrong man can have deadly consequences. Janvi (Udita Goswami) is a woman whose life would seem ideal on the surface: she runs a thriving business and is married to Dr. Adi Merchant (Shreyas Talpade), a psychiatrist. But a faint air of discontent has begun to creep into her relationship and when Aryan (Tusshar Kapoor), joins Janavi’s company Janvi impulsively gets done into an acquaintance which she believes will give her something to live for. But in a strange twist of events she realizes that she has stumbled badly and tries to break off her affair. Aryan, however, is not willing to give her up so easily and his attraction to her soon becomes a dangerous obsession threatening to wipe out Dr. Adi’s existence forever.

View: Dramatic twists and turns abound leading to a climatic end. Worth the watch

Hijack -- A shade contrived

MOVIE: HIJACK
Actor: Shiney Ahuja and Esha Deol
Director: Kunal Shivdasani

Vikram Madan is a ground maintenance officer at the Chandigarh airport. Rajiv, the security chief of the airport, is his one and only friend. As luck would have it the flight in which Vikram’s daughter is traveling to Amritsar from Delhi, is hijacked. A group of terrorists takes control of the aeroplane to secure the release of Maqsood who had been captured by the Indian police. They threaten to kill the hostages otherwise. The flight is forced to land at Chandigarh airport. Vikram sneaks into the aircraft with the help of Saira, an airhostess. What follows is one man’s fight against international terrorists.

View: The movie is a shade contrived. It reminds me of another similar movie whose name I forget. It had Akshay Kumar in it. And of still another movie where the hero enters into the aircraft via the luggage cabin to save his fiancee

Jannat -- Hey, its interesting

MOVIE: JANNAT
Actor: Emraan Hashmi and Sonal Chauhan, Jawad Sheikh
Producer: Mahesh Bhat and Mukesh Bhat

Jannat is the story of a man caught in a quagmire of crime and consumerism as he struggles to find heaven on earth. Arjun (Emraan Hashmi) is a reckless young man with an obsession for making money at card games. A chance meeting with a girl Zoya (Sonal Chauhan) gives him the reasons he was looking for to move out of his ordinary life. He steps up from playing small time card games to becoming a bookie. How far will the horizon of reality stretch as Arjun and Zoya tread a fine, fast blurring line between right and wrong to find the heaven they have been looking for? The movie spans India and South Africa which is the hub of match fixing.

Vintage Mahesh Bhat. All style, little substance and good time pass

The blog opens

Hi Folks

Today I decided to open my third blog, tentatively titled Movies 24 x 7. This is an attempt to tell you the stories, in about 150 words, of the various films that hit the silver screen. I may narrate the story in my words or in borrowed words; it shall be followed by a view which is original.

I welcome anyone who is willing to join in to build this blog. You can send in your pieces. If you have sourced it, let me know the source. The idea is to provide people with a platform from where they can check a movie's story before they walk into the theatre.

Target: Moderate Estimate: 750 movies by 31-12-2009

Pattabhi Ram