English Vinglish Review Shiview

Director:

Gauri Shinde

Producer:

Sunil Lulla, R. Balki, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, R. K. Damani

Cast:

Sridevi as Shashi Godbole

Priya Anand as Radha

Mehdi Nebbou as Laurent

Adil Hussain as Satish

Cory Hibbs as David Fischer

Rajeev Ravindranathan as P Ramamurthy

Sumeet Vyas as Salman Khan

Ruth Aguilar as Eva

Damian Thomson as Udumbke

Amitabh Bachchan

Music:

Amit Trivedi

Review:

English Vinglish, is a movie starring Shridevi and its her comeback to cinema after 14 years. The movie is about Shashi, played by Shridevi, who cannot speak English very well. She is ridiculed by her family for saying Jhaaz dance and not Jazz Dance. When she goes to America to help her sister with her niece’s wedding, she joins an English speaking class.

It was a different type of role for Shridevi. It was nice to see her any way. Her acting was marvelous, but her voice was slightly irritating. I think, it’s only Shridevi, who can wear a Sari in America and a long coat over it and still look good. The lines were quite funny. Especially when she question the teacher “Why India, not THE India? And Why America, The United States of America” and also when she comes in late and she asks Prof. David Fisher “Come in?” and the other dialogues to follow.

Mehdi Nebbou has also acted wonderfully in the movie. His role as Laurent was wonderful. Especially the scene where he gives her the crapes and calls it ‘French Ladoo’ was hilarious. His chemistry with Shridevi was just too good. Amitabh’s 5-minute role was also very fun to watch.

Amit Trivedi’s music in the movie was just amazing!! All the songs in the movie were good. I especially loved the song ‘Navrai Maajhi’. The movie ended on a sad but emotional note.

English Vinglish was fun to watch. It had great acting, great music, and great comedy and great story. Must watch for movie lovers!

Final Verdict:

7.5/10

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Review

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly & The Beautiful (or ‘Indian palace’ in France)

Sonny: Everything will be all right in the end. So if it is not all right, then it is not yet the end.

 

Director:

John Madden

Producer:

Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin

Writer:

Ol Parker

Cast:

Judi Dench as  Evelyen
Bill Nighy as Douglas
Dev Patel as Sonny
Celia Imrie as Madge
Ronald Pickup as Norman
Maggie Smith as Muriel
Tom Wilkinson as Graham
Penelope Wilton as Jean

Tena Desae as Sunaina

Diana Hardcastle as Carol

Music:

Thomas Newman

Based on These Foolish Things by Deborah Moggach 

Story:

A group of British retirees decide to “outsource” their retirement to less expensive and seemingly exotic India. Enticed by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel, they arrive to find the palace a shell of its former self

Review:

This movie is very funny. What a good comedy movie after so long. It has an engaging story albeit predictable premise. This movie is, thankfully, shot in India and not some fake set.

It was strange to Judi Dench playing a kind women who comes to India for retirement, after watching her as M in James Bond movies. I was waiting for her to give some orders to Bond over some super cool tech. The acting was very good. Also Maggie Smith was the best.

The story is evenly divided among the characters. There was a touch of bollywood in the movie with Sonny and Sunaina’s relationship. Strangely even the drivers of ‘Tuk-tuks’ spoke english. The movie was nicely made. The comedy was actually funny and not slapstick.

All in all a funny movie.

Final Verdict:

Super funny. 7.5/10

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Review

Oskar Schell: I started with a simple problem… a key with no lock… and I designed a system I thought fit the problem. I broke everything down in the smallest parts… and tried to think of each person as a number… in a gigantic equation.
But it wasn’t working… because people aren’t like numbers. They’re more like letters… and those letters want to become stories… and dad said that stories need to be shared.
I had anticipated a six minute visit with each person named “Black”… but they were never just six minutes. Everyone took more time than I had planned for… to try and comfort me and make me feel better about my dad… and to tell me their stories. But I didn’t want to feel better and I didn’t want friends… I just wanted the lock. I wasn’t getting any closer to my dad… I was losing him.

Director:

Stephen Daldry

Producer:

Scott Rudin

Cast:

Tom Hanks as Thomas Schell

Sandra Bullock as  Linda Schell

Thomas Horn as Oskar Schell

Max von Sydow as The Renter

Viola Davis as Abby Black

John Goodman as Stan the Doorman

Jeffrey Wright as William Black

Zoe Caldwell as Oskar’s grandmother

Hazelle Goodman as Hazelle Black

Music:

Alexandre Desplat

Based on “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer

Story:

A troubled young boy, Oskar, is trying to cope with the loss of his father. Oskar starts lashing out at his mother and the world. Until a year later, he discovers a mysterious key in his father’s belongings and embarks on a scavenger hunt to find the matching lock, just as he used to when his father was alive. On this journey he is bound to meet a lot of people and learn a lot about himself and his family, but will he ever find the lock?

Review:

From the start, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”  is an engaging movie, with a beautiful story of a boy in search for closure a year after the death of his father in 9/11. He does thus by searching for a a lock in which the key fits. The kid, Oskar, clearly has Aspergers Syndrome, though its not mentioned in the movie. This movie kinda reminds me of ‘The Curious Incident of The Don in Night-Time’ which is also about a boy with Aspergers in search for some thing.

The movie is beautiful and sentimental. I especially liked Max von Sydow‘s character as the mysterious renter of the apartment. His role of writing notes in the book and showing it to Oskar, engages the audience to pay attention to the movie. Max really deserved the oscar for his role. It must have been hard for one person not to speak through out the movie. Which also reminds me of Touch (TV Show) where the kid doesn’t speak…

What I didn’t understand is why they put the names of Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks on the poster. They were hardly there in the movie.

Final Verdict:

Flight Watch #2- We Bought A Zoo Review

Benjamin Mee: You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.

 

Director:

Cameron Crowe

Producer:

Cameron Crowe, Marc Gordon & Julie Yorn

Cast:

Matt Damon as Benjamin Mee

Scarlett Johansson as 28-year old Kelly Foster

Thomas Haden Church as Duncan Mee

Colin Ford as Dylan Mee

Maggie Elizabeth Jones as Rosie Mee

Angus MacFadyen as Peter MacCready

Elle Fanning as Lily Miska

Patrick Fugit as Robin Jones

John Michael Higgins as Walter Ferris

Carla Gallo as Rhonda Blair

J.B. Smoove as Mr. Stevens

Stephanie Szostak as Katherine Mee

Music:

Jón Þór Birgisson (Jónsi)

Based on ‘We Bought a Zoo’ by Benjamin Mee which in turn is based on Real life events of Benjamin Mee

Story:

Benjamin has lost his wife. In a bid to start his life over, he purchases a large house that has a zoo. This is welcome news for his daughter, but his son is not happy about it. The zoo is in need of renovation and Benjamin sets about the work with the head keeper, Kelly, and the rest of the zoo staff. But, the zoo soon runs into financial trouble. The staff must get the zoo back to its former glory, pass a zoo inspection, and get it back open to the public.

Review:

The movie is  pretty good. It was strange to see Scarlet Johansson playing a Zookeeper, after watching her as the awesome Black Widow/ Natasha Romanov. The director has, by some miracle, managed to generate expressions on Matt Damon’s face.  Though it was for only 5 seconds, the feat that he achieved is commendable.

The acting of  Maggie Elizabeth Jones (Rosie) was just awesome, and she was cute too. The director has alsa squeeazed prallel romantic storylines between Duncan (Colin Ford) and Lily (Elle Fanning) and Benjamin (Damon) and Kelly (Johansson). The director hasn’t exagurated the drama. The movie is down to earth and feels real.

The OST of the movie is also brilliant. It goes well with the theme of the movie. But my only problem is that they included Holocene by Bon Iver, which i absolutely hate. But I can overlook that small mistake.

Apparently the book has been adapted by the director in to a movie for American audiences. The orignal zoo is called Dartmoor Zoo in Devon, England, while in the movie it is called Rosemoore Wildlife Park in California. The children in the memoirs are much younger thana in the movie, and instead of a bear escaping, in the book, a Jaguar escapes.

Final Verdict:

Good movie. 7/10..

Titanic 3D (1997)

Rose: [letting go of Jack’s hand] I’ll never let go, Jack. I promise.

Director:

James Cameron

Producer:

James Cameron, & Jon Landau

Cast:

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson

Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater/Dawson

Billy Zane as Caledon Nathan “Cal” Hockley

Frances Fisher as Ruth DeWitt Bukater

Gloria Stuart as Rose Dawson Calvert

Bill Paxton as Brock Lovett

Suzy Amis as Lizzy Calvert

Danny Nucci as Fabrizio De Rossi

David Warner as Spicer Lovejoy

Jason Barry as Thomas “Tommy” Ryan

Kathy Bates as Margaret “Molly” Brown

Victor Garber as Thomas Andrews

Bernard Hill as Captain Edward John Smith

Jonathan Hyde as Joseph Bruce Ismay

Eric Braeden as Colonel John Jacob Astor IV

Bernard Fox as Colonel Archibald Gracie IV

Michael Ensign as Benjamin Guggenheim

Jonathan Evans-Jones as Wallace Hartley

Ewan Stewart as First Officer William Murdoch

Music:

James Horner

Story:

84 years later, a 101-year-old woman named Rose DeWitt Bukater tells the story to her granddaughter Lizzy Calvert, Brock Lovett, Lewis Bodine, Bobby Buell and Anatoly Mikailavich on the Keldysh about her life set in April 10th 1912, on a ship called Titanic when young Rose boards the departing ship with the upper-class passengers and her mother, Ruth DeWitt Bukater, and her fiancé, Caledon Hockley. Meanwhile, a drifter and artist named Jack Dawson and his best friend Fabrizio De Rossi win third-class tickets to the ship in a game. And she explains the whole story from departure until the death of Titanic on its first and last voyage April 15th, 1912 at 2:20 in the morning.

Review:

The movie is wonderful. One of the best romantic movies I’ve ever seen. The movie doesn’t go overboard with useless comedy. James Cameron is a genius. While watching it, the movie being melodramatic would be the last thing on your mind.

It’s a timeless classic which does not loose its grandeur, how many times you see it. The visual and background score was  grand. ‘My Heart Will Go On’ by Celine Dion is beautiful song. Of all the movies that have been re-released in 3D, Titanic seems to be the most logical and best choice, for its sheer brilliance. Watching the movie in 3D wasn’t a waste of money at all.

I had never seen Titanic before this time. And the 3D kept me captivated in the wonderful story. Gloria Stuart acted very well as the old Rose and Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as Rose and Jack Dawson (respectively) acted awesomely.

Final Verdict:

Titanic in another epic movie like E.T. .. 9/10

Quote:

Jack: You jump, I jump.

Midnight Feature #1 — Fight Club

Tyler Durden: “Welcome to Fight Club. The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: you DO NOT talk about Fight Club!Third rule of Fight Club: someone yells “stop!”, goes limp, taps out, the fight is over. Fourth rule: only two guys to a fight. Fifth rule: one fight at a time, fellas. Sixth rule: No shirts, no shoes. Seventh rule: fights will go on as long as they have to. And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.”

Director:

David Fincher

Producer:

Cean Chaffin, Ross Grayson Bell & Art Linson

Cast:

Edward Norton as The Narrator/ Jack’s Body parts.

Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden

Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer

Meat Loaf as Bob/ Robert Paulson

Music:

The Dust Brothers

Bases on the novel of same name by Chuck Palahnuik.

The Story:

An insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that transforms into a violent revolution.

The Review:

The movie is amazing from start to finish. The acting of the three leads was also marvelous. David Fincher has done a great job of captivating the audiences with visual effects and background score.

It was awesome seeing it at 12:00 AM on 6th April with my cousin Karthik in Hyderabad, just an hour or so after I arrives in Hyderabad. This was one of three “Midnight Features” (Four, if you take Grindhouse to be two movies).

The movie was fun and so were the characters. The movie had a very unexpected twist at the end for those who haven’t read the book. The movie had some goof ups, like the boom mike visible and the face of the stunt man being seen.. But that was only because I read about it on IMDb.

Final Verdict:

8.5/10

The Hunger Games

“Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be EVER in your favour.”

Director:

Gary Ross

Producer:

Jon Kilk, Suzanne Collins, Nina Jacobson, Robin Bissell

Cast:

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark

Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy

Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket

Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne

Lenny Kravitz as Cinna

Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman

Donald Sutherland as President Coriolanus Snow

Willow Shields as Primrose Everdeen

Paula Malcomson as Mrs. Everdeen

Amandla Stenberg as Rue

Alexander Ludwig as Cato

Dayo Okeniyi as Thresh

Isabella Fuhrman as Clove

Jacqueline Emerson as Foxface

Leven Rambin as Glimmer

Jack Quaid as Marvel

Toby Jones as Claudius Templesmith

Wes Bentley as Senca Crane

Music:  

T-Bone Burnett and James Newton Howard

BASED ON THE BOOK ‘THE HUNGER GAMES‘ BY SUZANNE COLLINS

The Story:

Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister’s place for the 74th Annual Hunger Games.

The Review:

This was one of the movies I saw that day. This was very good while the other, Agent Vinod, was… lets just say it sucked.. BIG TIME!

The Hunger Games was pretty god. The cinematography was awesome. Though it wasn’t exactly like the book, it was still good. The good thing about the movie is that it didn’t stick to Katniss being the main protagonist as in the book. The movie shows how the ‘Gamemakers’ manipulate the arena to the disadvantage of the ‘Tributes’. There were many differences from the book. Some changes that they made may affect the future films. For example: In the book, Madge, the daughter of the mayor of District 12, gives Katniss the iconic Mockingjay pin. But in the movie, she gets it in the hob from, whom I’m assuming is,  Greasy Sue.

The movie also shows us the notorious President Snow in the rose garden. Also in the movie, Peeta’s father doesn’t come to see Katniss. And also instead of talking on they roof, Peeta and Katniss talk in the house next to the window.

The thing I was most eager to see in the movie, was Cinna’s dress that gave Katniss the name – “The Girl on Fire”. And I was happy to see that they brought it out very well. The second dress, the one that she wore for the interview with Caesar, was diferrent than in the book. In the book, the dress had crystals which reflect the light in such a way that is was like fire, but in the movie, when she spins around, the dress gets some artificial flames.

After Peeta confesses that he loves Katniss,  she, in the book, smashes a vase, but in the movie, she just attacks him. Thus leaving the need for any stitches. In the book, Katniss explains tracker-jacker and the mockingjay and the other things. But in the movie, they informed us of all of this through commentary by Flickerman and Templesmith. This was an innovative way to show this in the movie.

One thing that irritated me was that, in the movie they left out the part where Kaniss looks in to the eyes of those dogs and sees the eyes of Rue and theorizes that The Capitol has created Mutations from the body of the dead tributes. This is important for the sequels.

Other than that the movie was outstanding. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson phenomenally.

Final Verdict:

A completely enjoyed the movie. 8/10..