Think slowly

What stands out in Pawn Sacrifice is the intensity and the idiosyncracy of Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire), as he takes on the formidable Boris Spassky (Liev Schrieber). Did not think that watching chess in a movie could be such an exciting endeavor. The hard work of one Fischer leads to American brownie points at the height of the Cold War

14.5/20

Cute Monster

Huo (Baihe Bai) and Boran (Song Tianyin) are suddenly entrusted with the duty of taking care of Huba the baby monster and monster king-elect against the forces of both the human and the monster world. Some cringeworthy Indian accented dubbing aside, Monster Hunt (Chinese) is quite the watch for children, and one I am sure given the language will pass virtually unnoticed

14.5/20

We' re back

The universe is about to be taken over by the First Order. Led by Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), the First Order looks like it will overwhelm the Resistance, and then some. The experience of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and General Leia (Carrie Fisher) come to bear, but it will require all the energy, resourcefulness and courage of Rey (Daisy Ridley), scavenger on the planet Jakku, Finn (John Boyega), the reformed stormtrooper, and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) to save the day and find the way to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). The seventh edition - and this time a sequel - Star Wars - The Force Awakens - is a perfect blend of familiar Star Wars elements while doing enough to keep the storyline fresh and what increasingly looks like timeless. And yes, no review of this movie would be complete without a mention of the resourceful droid BB8, that takes the droid quotient of the series to an all new level

15/20

Truly Exceptional

Marty (Woody Harrelson) and the ultra-talented Rust (Matthew McConnaughey) totally nail it in True Detective Season 1. The pair seek out a serial killer in the Louisiana deep south, with its surfeit of temperance and Americana. Stirringly authentic, enough to bring me back to sitcoms after perhaps years of avoidance. True Detective Season 1 is a must-watch – the performances are solid, the story is gripping, the central character is relentless

16.5/20

Maratha Gallantry

Bajirao Mastani (Hindi) is the love story of Peshwa Baji Rao I and his second wife the Rajput princess Mastani (Deepika Padukone). First wife Kashibai (Priyanka Chopra) also plays a significant role. The film is set against the backdrop of the Peshwas going headlong against the Mughal empire

14/20

Time never stands still

Project Almanac is a brilliant little movie that has gone unnoticed, but deserves much more attention than it has garnered. David Raskin (Jonny Weston) is admitted to MIT, but cannot afford the tuition. Rather than sell the house, David rummages through his father's belongings, and chances upon a time machine. Goals start becoming blurred when David starts zoning in on scenarios that optimize his relationship with Jessie (Sofia Black D'Elia), at possibly huge collateral damage. A must-watch for sci-fi fans

15.5/20

To Prison, to Prison

James King (Will Ferrell) is living the Americal Dream. Leading the charge for a successful hedge fund, engaged to the boss' daughter and gold digger Alissa (Alison Brie). James' life turns upside down when he is framed (?) on charges of embezzlement, and is sentenced to 10 years in the much-dreaded San Quentin prison. Seeking some much needed toughening up, James turns to his car washer Darnell (Kevin Hard), who is entrusted with taking James through the rigor of prison bootcamp. Get Hard is an entertaining watch if laden with many stereotypes. A movie that you will not see in Indian movie halls anytime soon - I guess maybe 10% of the footage would have survived our enthusiastic censors

14.5/20

Fear the Water

In the Heart of the Sea had all the ingredients for an epic spectacle. Herman Melville (Ben Whishaw) is listening to a first person account of the sinking of the Essex in 1820 (itself an adaptation from Nathaniel Philbrick's 1920 novel). Owen Chase (Chris Helmsworth), First Mate, has many ruboffs against Captain George Pollard (Benjamin Walker) of the great Pollard seafaring family, but none can doubt the former's seafaring talent and navigational skills, in leading the crew of the Essex. Driven further and further into the Pacific in search of whaling grounds, the Essex finally meets in match in a feared sea-dweller - the legendary Moby Dick. So what doesnt work in all of this? The heroism does not click. The fearsomeness of the whale does not click. It seems that the sum total of the cinematography of Hollywood is no match for the evocative prose of Melville. Or maybe the cruel killing of whales just draws a different kind of empathy in our time

13/20

Strictly for Fans

The Peanuts Movie works through the many adventures of Charlie Brown, trying to catch the attention of The Little Red Haired Girl. In a parallel stroyline, Snoopy writes a novel about his battles for Fifi vs. The Red Baron. Strictly children's fare and for Charlie Brown fans, at that

12/20

The Journey is Everything

Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms), the eponymous family man who does not quite feel the love back from his family, takes wife Debbie (Christina Applegate) and two sons on a long drive to amusement park Walley World. Along the way, evidence of Debbie's wild college ways, old crushes - notably Stone Crandall (Chris Helmsworth), disastrous swims and rafting expeditions, midnight liaisons that turn into exercises in hilarity - make for an entertaining time. Will the family bond together in spite of all the rough encounters, and finally discover who they really are? Vacation is an interesting watch that is quite hilarious in parts

13.5/20

The Spectacle that is Spectre

James Bond (Daniel Craig) kicks off his search for the elusive secret organization Spectre in the midst of the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City. The search takes him across to Rome, where Ernst Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) engages him in a cat and mouse game that finally culminates back in London. Bond affictionados are in familiar territory (or are they?) - the title song (by Sam Smith, male), the Bond girls - Lucia Sciarra (Monica Belucci), and Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), the latter highly accomplished in medicine and hardly a wilting violet by any stretch of the imagination, the gadgetry from Q - and Bond inevitably taking some liberties with them. In the balance of things, Spectre is an understated good watch, with Daniel Craig showing clear signs of ageing though. That for me was the only point of disappointment with what was otherwise a fine movie.

15/20

Being yourself

Damian Hale (Ben Kingsley), real estate mogul, does not have long left to live. He finds his way to one Professor Albright (Matthew Goode) where through a process called "shedding", Damian is reborn as Edward (Ryan Reynolds). Things get complicated as Damian finds that the body that he now occupies actually belongs to one deceased Mark, and Mark's wife Madeline (Natalie Martinez), has been struggling to bring up their six year old daughter, since Mark's demise. Self/ less is at the heart a simple story of heart over mind, man over machine, well constructed

14/20

The horror!

It appears that the heir to the Dracula bloodline is not a vampire and cannot fly! The horror! While Mavis (Selena Gomez) and Johnny (Andy Samberg) go off to California to connect with the latter’s family, the well-meaning Dracula (Adam Sandler) takes the young Dennis (Asher Blinkoff) through a series of experiences to test for the inner vampire. Definitely not a letdown!

14/20

Aptly named

It is not easy to be Malala Yousafzai in real life. Far from her home in the SWAT valley (now overrun by the Taliban) and a stranger in a strange land even as she runs a mission in faraway Syria Nigeria et al, the exceptional Malala shows her true grit a-la the Afghan warrior after whom she was named. He Named Me Malala is a must-watch

15/20

Furious(a)!!

Furiosa (Charlize Theron) and not Mad Max (Tom Hardy) is the real protagonist of the unmissable franchise-resurrecting Mad Max Fury Road. A relentless action sequence as Max and Furiosa outrun Imperator Joe along Fury Road, in their quest to save Joe’s wives, and a search for the elusive Green Palace from memory.

14/20

Well Rendered

The unlikely combination of Australia (ANZAC) and Turkey – the battle of Gallipoli is the stage where Connor (Russell Crowe) loses his three sons to battle. Or does he? The Water Diviner sees his wife Eliza (Jacqueline Mckenzie) take her own life, and, left with nothing in the world to live for, makes his way to Gallipoli to find his sons. Connor finds his way to the home of Ayshe (Olga Kurylenko), wherein love blossoms between erstwhile enemies. Connor makes a dangerous journey into the heartland, making unlikely friends and allies along the way, in the quest to find his three missing sons. With a depiction of the Outback that is as well-rendered as the nuances of Turkey in 1919, The Water Diviner is a low-profile hit and one that is definitely worth a watch

14/20

Slick, Poignant

Conspicuously African-American to a fault, with poorly placed beer product placements, and with a poignant send-off to the cornerstone Paul Walker, (Fast and) Furious 7 keeps the franchise alive and well through the level of SFX and make-believe that is only possible of Hollywood. A sliver of a storyline, that is totally overshadowed by science-defying stunts, the highlights of which appear to be driving off buildings and cliffs without terminal impacts to man or machine. This one holds it together – suspend all pretension to belief, and just enjoy

14/20

Bengal Shining

I was not quite captivated initially by Detective Byomkesh Bakshi – it seemed a good collection of movie sets and a somewhat faux art storyline. At some indeterminate point, I began to get captivated by its sheer relentlessness. Sushant Singh Rajput does well, but he is supported by a solid ensemble of characters. However, all said and done, credit for the movie goes to Diwakar Banerjee, who simply shines through with screenplay that is near-psychedelic in parts. Will rank this alongside the likes of Dev D, Page 3 and Rock On as hindi movies that surprised me hugely on the upside

15.5/20

I Spy

Unbeknownst to his family, lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks) is tasked with negotiating the release of Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell), a CIA spy behind Russian enemy lines, for Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), a KGB spy captured in the US. While negotiations go well, Donovan also looks to get stranded American student Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers) released, in what would become a 2-for-1 exchange if it comes through successfully. Based on true events, and with all the genius of Spielberg and the Coen brothers, Bridge of Spies is a must-watch

15/20

Walk of Life

Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a wire-walker par excellence, looking for his next big challenge all the while, and inspired by Papa Rudy (Ben Kinsley) in the craft as he is supported by Annie (Charlotte Le Bon) in life. A chance sighting of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre coming up in New York introduces Philippe to his life's purpose. Well executed if predictable. The Walk is quite thrilling, not for just the physical act of the walk, but also for the sheer intensity of following one's passion

14/20

Engineering Marvel

What is engineering - applied science - all about? It is about solving problems one by one, rigorously, from first principles, till a specific and possibly difficult goal is acheived. What if that goal were to be to return to Earth? Botanist and astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) shows us how engineering is done. I have as of yesterday been totally floored by The Martian, and its rigorous step-by-step engineering approach to problem solving, which quote frankly I cannot recall seeing in any other movie thus far. This is an absolute must-watch, and this is the sort of movie that twenty years later some scientists will quote as the early inspiration for their chosen path in life

16.5/20

Unconvincing but sweet

The Intern brings an old timer Ben (Robert De Niro) into the fast paced world of a fashion ecommerce startup in the heart of Brooklyn, led by one driven supermom and super-entrepreneur Jules (Anne Hathaway) who is living life on a treadmill and needs to sort out her priorities at both home and the workplace. This is a heartwarming movie, though not entirely convincing. Glad that Anne Hathaway has let go of the catsuit to get into roles that are more in character

13.5/20

Secret

Kingsman the Secret Service. Missed it in theatres, saw it after many weeks. Well made and uncomplicated. 14/20

2 movies over this weekend...

Hitman Agent 47: A woman searches for a man in Berlin, does not know why. Does not know why she is being chased by hitmen, and who's on her side and who is not. Better than other reviews would suggest. Damn these people with their fascination for big stars! This is good stuff. 14/20

Transporter Refueled: I rather liked this one. Been a while we saw an action hero, not full of himself to the point of obnoxiousness, in the beautiful French Riviera. More than passable thespian skills. 13.5/20

Pirates in Deed

Pirates of Silicon Valley (2009): The first edition of the epic war between Gates and Jobs. Exciting little-known movie. well-rendered. 15.5/20

Much castigated, not fantastic but passable

The Fantastic Four delves on the origins of the team that develops teleportation in a garage. Exciting stuff by and large, much panned by critics. I give it 13.5/20 because its a good movie and i dont get what the negative vibes are all about

The 3 movies on Independence Day

Home: Animation. 14.5/20. Oh and Kip find humanity and save the planet too. A cute version of ET

Brothers: Hindi. 13/20. Akshay Kumar is fit but too old for this league. Siddharth Malhotra shows that an Indian MMA movie need not look wholly incredulous

Shaun the Sheep. 15.5/20. A flock of sheep brave the big city and save their farmer who has lost his memory. Cant believe i wrote that. Excellent execution wrt the simplest of topics

And a couple more..

Predestination. 15/ 20. Sheer brilliance in this dizzyingly looping time travel plot. Ethan Hawke excels

Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol. 12/20. IMF rejustifies ots existence, changes female lead, staples on Alec Baldwin, travels the world. Does a few hackneyed acts of stupendous courage. Unimagimative.

Some more quick ratings

Minions 14.5/ 20 Clear charming quirky winner
Ant Man 14.5/ 20 Marvel disses mayhem for a simple funny storyline
Survivor 14/20 Milla Jovovich shows us what it takes to keep a ruthless Pierce Brosnan at bay across 2 continents

Intentionally blank

In summary - last 3 months

Not getting time to write reviews, so here is a quick summay of a few good ones:

Detctive Byomkesh Bakshi 15.5/20 Review to follow
Fast and Furious 7 14/20 Review to follow
The Water Diviner 14/20 Review to follow
Piku (Hindi) 13/20
Mad Max Fury Road 14/20
Terminator Genisys 12.5/20
Inside Out (Animation, Disney) 15.5/20

Travails on Silk Route

Dragon Blade is an ambitious "Asian" attempt at measuring up the might of an "Asian" alliance - Chinese, Indians, Huns, Parthians - against the power and might of the Roman Empire and the latter's warring factions - in a face-off to control the fate of the fabled Silk Road, during the Han Dynasty. Keeper of the Peace along the Silk Road - Huo An (Jackie Chan) - finds himself first at odds with Roman general Lucius (John Cusack) and then inseparable allies with the latter, as they join hands against the imperialist ambitions of Tiberius (Adrien Brody). Quite the entertainer, and a niche hit, with the realism of hand to hand combat being the positive highlight, that is somewhat marred by some kinks and melodrama in the storyline

14.5/20

Crack the Whip

Whiplash is a story of intensity, of burning ambition. Andrew (Miles Teller) is an aspiring junior drummer who is trying to put up with the hard driving Fletcher (JK Simmons) and his ruthless training style, to make it to the "core" of the band. Master and pupil collaborate and clash - in a game that can elevate Andrew to the greats of jazz, or destroy him forever

16/20

Soaring

Riggan (Michael Keaton) aka Birdman - a stereoytped actor from yesteryears, is attempting to resurrect his career in the face of a hostile and unrelenting media reception, estranged daughter Sam (Emma Stone), demanding method actor Mike (Edward Norton) whom he cannot do without - but most of all the ghosts of Birdman lurking in his mind, that are telling him to let go of Broadway ambitions, and pander to the kitschy tastes of his loyal audience. Brilliantly executed, somewhat predictable, full of allegory. Well-packaged Academy Awards candidate

15/20

We run the Night

Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal), out of work and with a criminal record, finds an outlet for his burning ambition by entering the world of crime journalism. Disturbingly real, and with cringe-worthy acts from Louis that make sure that he gets the most shocking story every night and drives up TRPs, and with a partnership with the morning news director of a deadbeat news channel – Nina (Rene Russo), Louis finds that crime – or its grisly aftermath – does pay, and how. Handling competition and crime victims with a ruthlessness that borders on psychopathy, this Nightcrawler is a must watch, perhaps not for casual family viewing

16/20

Good Show Baby!

After the fiasco of Indian super-heroes and secret agents in overhyped movies like Bang Bang and Happy New Year, the success of which frankly speaks very poorly of the tastes of the Indian movie-goer, comes a convincing action thriller from the Akshay Kumar stable. Baby (Hindi) is a covert outfit pulled together post the 2008 December Mumbai attacks – its objective is covert ops, its identity a closely held secret, its mission always under a cloak of plausible deniability. Spanning across Istanbul, Nepal and Saudi Arabia, Baby pulls it off – not slick, but somewhat stodgy and believable, with believable characters. Nicely done guys

15/20

Inimitable

‘Tis the Oscar season and I was wondering why The Imitiation Game, centered around one Alan Turing and his involvement with cracking Enigma – the German cipher – and greatly influencing the course of the Allies’ victory in World War II – has got some 8 nominations. After watching the movie, I ceased to wonder. Benedict Cumberbatch, not short in the sterling performances department, gives the performance of a lifetime. The relationship between Alan and Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley) is strongly reminiscent of that between Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly in A Beautiful Mind. Here is a genius – narcissistic, lonely, estranged and utterly convinced. And he changes the world completely – ends the greatest war in human history, and basically invents the computer to boot (no pun intended). Stunning character acting. Unmissable by leaps and bounds

16.5/20

A Killing in Kolkata

Directed by Arindam Sil, Ebar Shabor is a convincing Bengali whodunit in a season crowded with Feluda and Byomkesh. Unlike the latter two, Shabor (Saswata Chatterjee) is a police detective and has no airs about him. One Mitali (Swastika Mukherjee) gets murdered in the wee hours of a party at her house. Could it be the work of Mithu (Abir Chatterjee), the once-spurned husband, now in love with Mitali's sister Joyeeta (Payel Sarkar). Could it be a briefly-married to and now on hard times Pantu (Ritwick Chakraborty). Or could it be the flamboyant Samiran (Rahul Banerjee), spurned by Mitali? A well-woven storyline that keeps the viewer engaged, and while not truly twist-in-the-tale stuff, is definitely not a predictable thriller. In the crop of recent Bengali movies, this is a must-watch

14.5/20

Over to the Shire

In 2001 began a journey for me, sitting in IIMB campus, with Frodo Baggins, aided by Aragorn, Legolas, the dwarves, and the one and only Gandalf. The journey ended with The Hobbit – The Battle of the Five Armies. It is thus with a twinge of more than a little nostalgia, then, that I pen this review. Executed with the same standards of excellence that we have come to expect of the franchise, the latest movie is particularly notable for the emotional turns of Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) – the lure of gold, and the eventual return to nobility. In this edition, the five armies – dwarves, elves and men, face off against the orcs, and a fifth army joins and eventually tips the balance. Brilliant action scenes and depiction of the sheer ambiguity of alliances and their fall-outs make The Hobbit – The Battle of the Five Armies – quite exceptional. A must watch – but then if you have been with the series, that hardly needs any iteration

16/20

Earth and its Idiosyncracies

Pk is a reasonably engaging if totally hackneyed movie that, in the vein of several hindi movies, rather obviously tugs at the emotional heartstrings of the average Bollywood movie-goer. With a central theme of cutting through religious divides, the movie passes through beautiful Bruges and the pot-pourri of Delhi, and plays out a delectable love triangle in the most tangential of ways. Pk (Aamir Khan) plays out his role convincingly in what is an unoriginal but engaging script

10/20

Night in Armour

A familiar cast – a new location – a notable new addition. Larry (Ben Stiller), the night watchman at the Museum of Natural History, along with the familiar cast of Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), Jedediah (Owen Wilson), Octavius (Steve Coogan), Akhmenrah (Rami Malek) and Attila (Patrick Gallagher) find themselves at the British Museum in London, to salvage the spell under the tablet of Akhmenrah, that would save all of the above cast, and more, from not waking up at all. In the bargain, they wake up Sir Lancelot (Dan Stevens) and find themselves in complicated situations with the latter's adventurous pretensions getting in the way. Quite entertaining, the newest edition – Night at The Museum – Secret of the Tomb – is faithful to the franchise even as it ostensibly wraps it up in a dash of Brit flavor

12.5/20

Kicks and Punches

This one – a classic – is rather simple, and goes like this – Kurt (Jean Claude Van Damme) goes to Thailand, and sees his brother Eric (Dennis Alexio) pummeled at the hands of prize-fighter Tong Po (Michel Qissi). Determined to seek revenge, Kurt trains under the legendary Xian Chow (Dennis Chan) and goes all out to meet and Tong Po and avenge his brother’s defeat. Kickboxer (1989) is one of the great combat movies that started a genre that continues to excite to this day – on and off the screen

13.5/20

Intensity

“You’re on my team, kid. I’m not on yours. And don’t you ever forget that.” Thus spake Greg (Nicky Katt) to newbie Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi), taking the new hotshot salesman down, in what is one of the most intense brokerage firms in New York – the fictitious JT Martin. Intensity and unscrupulousness go hand in hand as pure greed drives JT Martin’s salesmen to dump worthless penny stocks on unsuspecting victims. Boiler Room, one of the eponymous Wall Street movies of its time, just reminds us that the ethics of the chop shop are still alive and well in Wall Street and elsewhere, come 2014

15/20

Moses Reloaded

Moses (Christian Bale) is a general and member of the Royal family of Egypt. His bond with Ramesses (Joel Edgerton) is strong – borne out particularly by saving the latter’s life in a face-off with the Hittite army. Moses is also ambivalent to the fate of the Hebrews – Israelis – his very own race, toiling away as slaves to build the great pyramids of Egypt. It takes certain revelations for Moses to leave the kingdom for good, and seek out his destiny elsewhere. And then a vision – visitiation from God? Or just inspiration? leads him back to Egypt to free his people and take them to the Promised Land. Exodus – Gods and Kings stands out for the sheer mastery of the build-up of the character of Moses from a general of an empire, to a much older and wiser leader of a people. Perhaps a little marred by the liberal use of some barely believable special effects, the movie is nevertheless an essential watch in a year of movies that, while dull for the most part, seems to be ending off rather nicely

14.5/20

Katniss Marketing

In the buildup to the last installment, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is literally paraded by the rebel factions hidden in District 13. Led by President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), Katniss becomes a thoroughly marketed symbol of hope for all the Districts breaking out in rebellion, with the highlight being a particularly rousing speech in District 8 post the bombing of a hospital. In the backdrop plays out the impending confrontation of Katniss with President Snow (Donald Sutherland), and the release of her boyfriend Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) with some complicated side-effects. Clearly a bridge-ing movie, The Hunger Games – Mockingjay – Part 1 preserves continuity, but has little new to offer

13.5/20

Penguin Mashup

The antics of Skipper (Tom McGrath), Kowalski (Chris Miller), Private (Christopher Knights) and Rico (Conrad Vernon) are strictly for younger humans this time round. While Penguins of Madagascar has enough comic turns to draw laughs periodically, it is too nonsensical – and I mean this in the context of any number of animated children’s movies that are not – to make any coherent sense for perhaps anyone over the age of five. I could barely tolerate it – and the seven-year old lost interest too after a while. Thumbs down.

10/20

Return to Confrontation

As the apes led by Caesar (Andy Serkis) find peace in what they believe is a world devoid of humans, the latter suddenly emerge – and thus ensues an uneasy face-off between humans and apes. A show of power by the apes, and the inimical hatred for humans borne by Koba (Tony Kebbell) are challenges for the more balanced Caesar as well as for the humans struggling to create a source of electrical power. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a well-executed movie, showcasing ape-human tensions along expected lines, and keeping the viewer reasonably engaged on a well-paced storyline

13.5/20

Works, John!

A fifty-something Keanu Reeves shakes himself out of career stupor and delivers an utterly convincing action thriller in John Wick. A wafer-thin storyline barely separates John Wick (Keanu Reeves) from the Russian Mafia, and generally speaking, the latter’s decimation in the hands of the former. This is the resurrection of an action hero, in full-on avenger mode as he sets to right some stereotypical wrong in brilliantly choreographed fight sequences. Enjoyed every minute of it – two thumbs up!

14.5/20

The Dumbest Cut

It was plain ... well, dumb, to remake Dumb and Dumber and produce the sad spectacle that is Dumb and Dumber To. Slapstick that does not click, crassness that screams out to be called out, a contrived storyline, and an utter waste of a brilliant cast and franchise. Eminently avoidable... would rather sit and watch maybe Scary Movie something at home..

9.5/20

A New Hero

Maybe it was the long hiatus from a copybook Disney movie – whatever be the reason, Big Hero 6 was an all out winner with the 7- year old. Rikk revelled in Big Hero 6 - Beymax the incredibly endearing friendly robot, the little army of do-gooders, Takashi's  ultimate sacrifice. Absoultely unmissable as far as kids' watching is concerned

16/20

Stellar

Complex and defining, inevitably compared to 2001 – A Space Odessey, and generally panned for its surfeit of near-pretentious mastery of quantum physics, Christopher Nolans’s latest magnum opus – Interstellar – is making waves worldwide as we speak. Set in a mildly dystopian, post-apocalyptic frugal future, Cooper (Matthew MacConnaughey), farmer turned pilot, stumbles upon the remnants of NASA, at the cusp of seeking to send a person to space and making contact with – well, something that could potentially save humans on Earth. Dazzling visuals, an intriguing storyline that requires the average viewer to pull up his/ her socks on the topic of quantum gravity and the like… Interstellar is quite the entertainer. Full marks to a brave movie that pushes the boundaries of what can be digested on “popular” cinema

16/20

Still there after All Those Things..

Gone Girl is an extraordinary movie that picks on (simultaneously) intense parenting, scheming wives, cheating husbands, doting siblings, obnoxious media, enthusiastic policemen – and a lot more - all in one swift stroke of genius from David Fincher (Fight Club, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo). Nick (Ben Affleck) and  Amy (Rosamund Pike) are a copybook couple in New York – the recession and career changes takes them to faraway Missouri – wherein the chinks in the armor of their marriage (who has the money? Kids, anyone? How about old flames, or pretty young things?) – begin to unravel. Yes, Amy is long gone – but in a black comedy of extremes, she makes her way back to Nick’s life – or does she? This is a stellar thriller-cum-drama rolled into one. Unmissable.

16/20

One in a Million (or at least in a few dozen..)

Albert (Seth McFarlane) is the quintessential misfit in the harsh Wild West – a well-read polished gentleman who tries to reason his way out of gunfights, much to the chagrin of bemused on-lookers who have come for a day’s entertainment i.e. watching one of the duelers die. Sheep farmer by profession, and spurned by gold digging girlfriend Louise (Amanda SeyFreid), Albert loses his heart to Anna (Charlize Theron), and almost his life to her husband – notorious outlaw Clinch (Liam Neeson). Hilarious in parts, crass in a few, eminently watchable and an unexpected winner overall – A Million Ways to Die in the West does not fail to remind you often enough that the Wild West really sucked..

14/20

Hope (Slowly) Belied

A Most Wanted Man is a dark brooding (way too brooding) adaption of a John LeCarre novel. Issa Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin) is escaping the war in Chechenya and the horrors inflicted by the Russians – including his own father – and immigration lawyer Annabel Richter (Rachel McAdams) becomes a source of hope for him, in seeking asylum in Germany. Anti espionage agent Gunther Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is looking at extracting information – and an amicable solution to the plight of Grigoriy – but is that likely to happen? Ponder over that along with the chain-smoking Gunther, slowly and laboriously, as the answer indeed shall come to pass. Marketed as a thriller but clearly a drama at heart, A Most Wanted Man is one for the diehard spy whodunit aficionados

12.5/20

Future on Edge

The indescribable something – some element of movie magic – that does not quite come together in Minority Report and later Oblivion, comes through in Edge of Tomorrow – and how! This is an unmissable one from Tom Cruise’s “I-alternate-between-future-saver-of-Mankind and Mission-Impossible-Part-Zillion” stable. US Military officer Cage (Tom Cruise) finds himself thrown into direct warfare – against an invading alien army called the Mimics. Through a strange power that has been bestowed only on him on account of his actions, Cage finds himself being reborn over and over, with ally Rita Vrajanski aka Full Metal Bitch (Emily Blunt), and, over the course of the re-births, the duo try to salvage the future of mankind. The strength of Edge of Tomorrow derives from a well-written script as much as it derives from sterling performances from the lead pair. Mankind can heave a sigh of relief over this one.

14.5/20

Retreat, Hell

Fury zones in on the tank battles in the wake of the German retreat, at the fag end of World War II, in April 1945. The Germans are determined – well, by and large – to protect every inch of territory down to the last man, woman and child. Enter battle hardened Don Wardaddy Collier (Brad Pitt) ad his Sherman tank crew. Minor skirmishes – turns out that resistance can be led by children too, blossoming love and loss, but above all, intense tank battles – especially pitted against the significantly superior Tiger tank, are the hallmark of this movie. Fury is not one of the best World War II movies ever made, but captures the theater of tank battles rather well

13/20

Tragedy

It is interesting to think that the central character of Haider (Hindi) is not Haider (Shahid Kapoor) but his mother – Ghazala – and her fickle heart. A heart that sends Haider away, lets in Khurram (her brother in law) into her life, removes Hilal (her husband) from her life, and eventually destroys the last vestiges of their family. Loosely based on Hamlet, Hilal is the victim of an army crackdown in Srinagar. As his son Haider tries to trace him down, the complicities of the relationships within the family – and that with Arshia (Shraddha Kapoor) – Haider’s girlfriend – begin to unravel. Extremely watchable, intense, and somewhat disturbing

14/20

Bengali Warrior

I must confess that I am thrilled by a Bengali hero (Dev) holding his own through kitschy plots filled with a delectable heroine - Nandini (Mimi Chakraborty), malicious villians, a storyline that could be a copy of a hundred others, and special effects that are some three decades behind Hollywood - in short, a Bengali movie that looks oh-so-suspiciously like a Bollywood flick. Dev holds his own as a passable warrior and a mostly passable romantic hero, as a flashback storyline plays back and forth. Yoddha is quite entertaining for the average Bengali movie-goer who gets a treat of Bollywood from Tollywood.

12/20

Movie to Die For

Dripping with intensity, Sin City 2 – A Dame to Kill for – the latest edition of the noir graphic novel-turned-thriller is perhaps my movie pick for what has unarguably been one dull year for movies. The story somewhat centres around Marv (Mickey Rourke), a character of formidable intensity, the face-off between the young hustler Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and the power-hungry Senator Roarke (Powers Boothe), and the machinations of the devious vixen Ava Lord (Eva Green). With animation blending into reality, and oozing with memorable dialogue, the stellar cast and cinematography will hold you in thrall. Suffice to say, watch this movie.

16/20

Maze of Errors

Maze Runner is a fast-paced teen fiction - turned - movie, that will keep you reasonably entertained, as long as you do not apply yourself on the glaring inconsistencies in the movie. Cannot desist taking pot shots at a few - over three years, a bunch of people that can build complicated huts but did not think of building themselves a ladder, an experiment that makes little coherent sense, a helicopter ride that was three years too late. Anyways, the story is about a group of boys that arrive - in gaps of one month - into a clearing in the middle of an ostensibly life-threatening maze. Having said that, if one is willing to suspend all semblance of a logical storyline, Maze Runner does not feel like an utter waste of time

11/20