Castle-d it

There are two kinds of people for whom how to kill a person is a constant ponderable. The first is the psycopaths, and that is the kind that Rick Castle (Nathan Fiillion) and Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) – the latter of the New York homicide squad – are after. The second category is the mystery writer – the category to which Rick Castle belongs. Years of writing murder mysteries has lent Castle an unusually fertile imagination that the New York police, after initial unbridled skepticism, find extremely useful in actually solving the unlikeliest of cases. With the set pieces and whodunits of the typical detective genre, interspersed with some hotly denied romantic fellow-feeling between the lead pair, Castle (TV Series) is a pleasure to watch, as light as it is sensible, if not quite dripping with macabre realism

13.5/20

Crosses and Nuts

Battleship Review #2:

Have you played Battleship sitting in a classroom, oblivious to some excruciatingly boring monotone? So, I have emotional attachments to Battleship, and when Hasbro’s eponymous game is turned into a movie, that for me is something to watch. While Alex Hopper (Taylor Kitsch) makes lieutenant and dates the beautiful Samantha (Brooklyn Decker), the latter is the daughter of Admiral Shane (Liam Neeson) and holds Alex in anything but high regard. The stage is set off the coast of Hawaii for Alex to prove himself, with an alien invasion in response to a terrestrial signal. So, Battleship is about impenetrable force fields and naval set-pieces and one lieutenant finally finding his feet and the courage to pop the question. And Battleship is fun to watch

13/20

Moving to Chaos

Telekinetics – not a word that you come across every day. It refers to the ability to move things at a distance. When the much-disturbed Seattle teenager Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan) visits cousin Matt (Alex Russell) and Steve (Michael Jordan) for a rave party, the trio stumble upon a strange blue object in a crevice. Soon thereafter, they discover that their visit to this object has lent them telekinetic abilities. However, do the trio limit themselves to using the same for some well-meaning harmless fun? Well, two of them are in agreement on that, but not Andrew. Bearing much pent-up frustration at a decrepit domestic life including a dying mother and an incessantly abusive father, there is no end to the extent that Andrew will go to, to vent his ire at a world that he feels is decidedly unfair, and, in that vein, any punishment meted upon the world at large through Andrew’s new-found powers is justly deserved. And how does all of this end? Chronicle is one of the few instances where found-film footage, now a hackneyed genre, really comes through well to create a twisted, captivating spectacle of amplified teenage angst

14/20

Sprinter turned Sinner

What an interesting if offbeat movie! Paan Singh Tomar is a dreaded wanted criminal. His antecedents have nothing to do with the same. Here is an erstwhile regular family man who used to be a faithful soldier of the Indian republic and a champion long distance runner, who comes back from war to find that there is a serious land dispute involving his property. The hapless man heads off to the police – and finds them utterly unwelcoming and dismissive of his many sporting exploits. Thus starts a transition from a champion middle distance runner to dacoit – and ruling the Chambals thereafter. But does Paan Singh Tomar eventually escape a highly warped and unfair police  system? Watch this movie, with a sterling performance by the protagonist (Irfaan Khan), to find out.

12/20

Battle Stations

I saw the reviews of Battleship and was duly turned off. The movie turned me back on. In a sentence, I would describe this movie as a light take on alien invasion. The corvettes and destroyers are there aplenty, and the US and Japanese fleets show exemplary celluloid solidarity in seeking to destroy a near-impregnable alien fleet. There is all the Hollywood science in measured doses, but most of the movie just consists of Marine bravado, and much heavy air strikes and shelling. Battleship is an easy watch, and meant to be so. And, with the heavy metal soundtrack overlay and all, one leaves the hall suitably fulfilled by the popcorn fare

13/20

Mellow Drama

With (a few) digs at the Punjabi race, and (many) digs at the Bengali race, Vicky Donor does not impress me, and just serves to irritate, in its reinforcement of stereotypes. Deep down beneath the clichés, there is possibly a meaningful story of some sort – the Delhi boy coerced by a well-meaning head of a fertility clinic to become a sperm donor, the Bengali beauty who works in a bank and gets duly wooed by and wedded to the Punjabi dude, the childless couple in stark contrast to the dozens and dozens of couples that Vicky Arora (Ayushmann Khurrana) aka Vicky Donor has managed to bless with a progeny. But one needs to acknowledge that the movie does bring out successfully the plight of the sperm donor – feted by a few couples who finally see the light of day in parenthood, while derided by immediate family and friends as the pursuer of a vocation that they deeply abhor being associated with socially. But, in the end, for me, the stereotypes predominate – I do not like them and I find them demeaning. And, someday, the very act of portraying stereotypes in Bollywood movies must end

10/20

Heinous

Governess Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote) arrives in Collinsport, Maine, to attend to the anything-but-usual Collins family – particularly David (Gulliver McGrath) the disturbed young ‘un in the family. The Collins family has a long and illustrious history in Maine – that has been systemically driven to ruins. Enter Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) – long deceased and vampire-at-large. Even as he apologetically quenches his thirst for blood by taking out construction workers, hippies, and unscrupulous resident doctors, the efforts at defeating the enterprise of arch-rival Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green) look like they will come to naught – not least because of the ties that bind Barnabas  and Angelique. So even as Barnabas dalliances between Angelique and Victoria, the new-found strength in the Collins business looks like its demise shall be as meteoric as its resurgence. Or, is it that Josette (Josephine Butler), mother of David and resident ghost of the family, can bring her not inconsiderable supernatural powers to bear? Dark Shadows is an awful movie, does discredit to the likes of Johnny Depp and Eva Green as actors, and one that you definitely do not look forward to viewing

9/20

Missing Person

A harried and heavily pregnant Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan) arrives in Kolkata on the eve of the Pujas, and around the second anniversary of an attack on the Kolkata Metro. The mission – to find Arnab Bagchi – a husband who has gone missing since arriving in Kolkata on an assignment. The search for the techie husband proves pretty elusive – neither the National Data Centre, nor the police, seem to be able to unearth any meaningful leads. Vidya keeps at her mission – with the help of one police officer Satyaki (Parambrata Chatterjee) – in Kahaani - a movie that is mildly memorable for two reasons. Firstly, the movie shows more vignettes of Kolkata life than any Hindi movie that I can remember for quite a while. Second, true to the thriller genre, nothing in the movie is quite what it seems and the movie succeeds at the genuine element of surprise

13.5/20

No Hunger

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) offers herself as a tribute to save her sister Primrose (Willow Shields) - and the Girl on Fire makes up in spunk what she lacks in battle training. As her personality manages to curry favor - albeit grudging - with Sponsors - Katniss steps into The Hunger Games - well rated, but perhaps with not the best of odds. Was skeptical at entry about a film adaptation of a teen novel, but was a good watch till the interval, i.e., the anticipatory build-up to the games. Not so the Hunger Games themselves. Contrived and brutal, and not quite Death Race, the movie version is a decent adaptation of a story about children slaughtering each other – and that, unfortunately, in the end reckoning, is rather tasteless

10/20

Work of Art

The much-awarded The Artist uses an age-old medium to convey a rather pertinent protest – the silent movie becomes the canvas for the protest of silent-era movie star George Valentin’s (Jean Dujardin) protest against the talkies. Even as his career falls apart, and protégé Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) rises from strength to strength, it is not Valentin’s irasciable temper and fickle willpower that will be any aid to a comeback. It is, rather, the acts of kindness unforgotten, and a butler – Clifton (James Cromwell) and a dog – that keeps The Artist going. And the great George Valentin finds his way to a new calling, while the audience is quite delighted at the unexpected successful usage of an age-old medium

14.5/20

Greek Gods

Immortals is the story of Theseus (Henry Cavill), born of a peasant mother, but of such strength and resolution that Zeus (Luke Evans) himself believes that the Gods should not intervene in the affairs of men, to save Theseus and the Hellenics, because Theseus alone is capable enough to lead his people. Pitted against Theseus and the Hellenics is the evil Hyperion (Mickey Rourke), with his hordes that show no mercy as they search for the Epirus Bow in their quest to unleash the Titans upon the Gods. With much action drawn straight from Greek Mythology, the story centres around Theseus and the virgin oracle Phaedra (Freida Pinto) and their battle against the evil hordes of Hyperion, who stand steadfast in the way of the latter’s quest to free the wrong half of the Immortals

13/20

The John

It seems that in the age of special effects, we, the humble viewers, are consigned to a life of hackneyed scripts, boring characters, and stereotypical morality plays, even as the director and producer have fun with, well, special effects. Its been a while since I actually got a headache from watching a movie (due respect to Edgar Rice Burroughs, he just ran into a veritable onslaught of similar movies). On to the storyline. John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), an American Civil War Confederate General, is mysteriously transported to Mars. Lo and behold, we are cast into a Civil War in Mars (!) wherein the intrepid John Carter, on account of his sublime jumping skills, finds a leadership role in leading the planet’s good guys, notably the people of Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins) against the evil hordes of Matai Shang (Mark Strong). Some of the pioneers of the science fiction genre need to be given an honorable burial, instead of being inflicted upon unsuspecting viewers

9/20

All the Time in the World

In the Orwellian In Time, people stop ageing at 25 – and post that, need to use time as the new currency, for consumption or for continued existence. While in the decrepit ghetto, inflation and daily-wage earning means that running out of time – i.e., dying – is a common occurrence, in other Time Zones, notably New Greenwich, the residents have an abundance of time at hand, in excess of hundreds of years. Enter protagonist Will Salas (Justin Timberlake), and a chance encounter with one tired Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer) in the ghetto, where the latter voluntarily hands Will a hundred years and then some. Will makes the journey to New Greenwich, pursued by the Timekeepers, led by the assiduous Jaeger (Collins Pennie). Will makes his way to the Weis family, and strikes up an unlikely bond with the daughter of the family - Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried) - in the fight for restoring justice in the world. We are not meant to live forever. Indeed

14/20

Moving more than Real Estate Prices

Coming off the likes of The American and the Ides of March, George Clooney as the mild-mannered contemplative Matt King makes you shake your head in disbelief at the sheer breadth of his acting talent. While Matt and his cousins are inheritors of a huge fortune in Hawaii – 25,000 acres of land that the former is likely to sell off for a huge sum of money, Matt’s life is anything but picture-perfect. With deliberate incongruity against the backdrop of beautiful Hawaii, director Alexander Payne shows us Matt’s estranged daughters 10-year-old Scottie (Amara Miller) and 17-year-old Alex (Shailene Woodley), a comatose and terminally ill wife Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie), and the overtones of a life full of myriad regrets. The Descendants is about reconnecting with family and friends, and with one’s own values, and coming to terms with one’s own failings – including coming to know that the terminally ill wife was in a relationship, and then vacillating in a whirlwind of emotions between hatred and eventually coming to terms. And that is what the movie is eventually about – coming to terms with one’s realities so that one can shoulder the responsibilities for one’s future. Eventually, this movie does not move the Hawaii real estate market, but will definitely move the viewer. Quite exceptional - the best movie I have seen in a while

16/20

Journey, Too

Vernians – fans of Jules Verne who believe in the Nautilius, the Mysterious Island, Atlantis and the like – have been squarely relegated to the children’s section of the action-adventure genre. Hank (Dwayne Johnson) and stepson Sean (Josh Hutcherson) share a terse relationship – and finally manage to find a connect by finding references to a mysterious island that links the works of no less than RL Stevenson, Jonathan Swift, and (of course) Jules Verne. With a hop step and jump to Pulau, with the blessings of mom Liz (Kristn Davis) of course, the duo find help in helicopter operator Gabato (Luis Guzman) and his delectable daughter Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens). Journey 2 – The Mysterious Island - turns out to be a source of much death-defying adventure – all of it incredulous, and, after a point, none of it interesting. By the time the lot gets off the island, one may be faulted for thinking its not a moment too soon

10/20

Falling off, Falling Apart

Standing on a ledge in the Roosevelt Hotel and ostensibly about to plunge to his death, Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) is a man hellbent on making a point. While the New York mob, hungry for entertainment, periodically cheers on, and the press collect their sound-bytes, Nick – a man wrongfully charged for a crime that he did not commit – is directing brother Joey (Jamie Cassidy) and his girlfriend Angie (Genesis Rodriguez) to commit the very crime for which he was wrongfully imprisoned in the first place. Included in the cast of characters is negotiator Lydia (Elizabeth Banks) and her efforts at making sense of it all even as she tries to put her past track record behind, and businessman David Englander (Ed Harris), the man who was instrumental in sending Nick to prison in the first instance. Movies like Man on A Ledge only serve to show that actors of the caliber of Sam Worthington can hold a movie together in spite of a mediocre storyline

12/20

Lady Fighter

Beauty and.. er.. brawn mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano gets her first break into big-ticket Hollywood with Haywire. In a movie that is rather understated even as it carries the weight of an all-star cast and pans global locales, Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) recounts a mission where ex-boyfriend Kenneth (Ewan McGregor) sends her off to Barcelona, on a mission directed by US Government agent Coblenz (Michael Douglas) and his Spanish contact Rodrigo (Antonio Banderas) to rescue a man in Barcelona. The mission is not quite what it seems – and nor is Mallory's subsequent assignment to pose as the wife of MI6 agent Paul (Michael Fassbender) in Dublin. Mallory has to rely on her own wits and do her own fact-finding in a setup laden with multiple traps. And with the audience on her side, one hopes that she get the better of the nexus in the end. A well-paced introduction to a new action heroine, who will sharpen her thespian skills even as she can clearly hold centre-stage in a tightly scripted Steven Soderbergh thriller

14/20

Weed for All

So Harold (John Cho) is now an established investment banker, married into a rather mercurial Hispanic family with Mr Perez (Danny Trejo) for a father in law. And Kumar (Kal Penn) has not been with Harold for two long years. It takes a Christmas gift to bring them together. And – surprise, surprise, it takes a Christmas tree in flames to keep them together from there on. In the middle of it all, we have babies high on acid, a Neil Patrick Harris in his version of heaven, and a Santa shot down from the skies in the line of duty. And much more besides. While A very Harold and Kumar Christmas is no doubt a one-of-a-kind Christmas movie, and very watchable, in a series of three movies, this installment comes in a reasonably distant third

13/20

Dark City

Two budding American internet entrepreneurs – Sean (Emile Hirsch) and Ben (Max Minghella) - find themselves swindled of their business idea in Moscow. Frustrated and hanging out in a discotheque, they hook up with two female American tourists – Natalie (Olivia Thirlby) and Anne (Rachael Taylor). Things begin to turn really strange at the discotheque, when a power surge takes out the lights. Certain strange electrical beings are descending from space, and annihilating the human race (yawn). What makes The Darkest Hour mildly interesting is the form (or lack of it) of the aliens, and the mildly interesting pseudoscience consisting of Faraday cages, microwave bursts and whatnot. Even as the last remnants of the human race fight back, this is a movie which barely leaves a trace as you leave the theatre
10.5/20

Monkey Business

Having a young one in the house keeps us in touch with old favorites. When the Hotel Majestic in New York has Lord Rutledge (Rupert Everett) and Dunston the trained-thief orang-utang over, the scene is set for hilarious escapades with a truly comic cast. Dunston and his young friend Kyle (Eric lloyd), son of hotel manager and late convert Robert Grant (Jason Alexander), must navigate a path around a quirky set of characters, particularly the authoritarian hotel heiress Mrs Dublow (Faye Dunaway), and not lose their heads – or their lives – while solving the ever-increasing list of strange goings-on at their majestic property. Needless to say, Dunston Checks In is an all-time favorite

14/20