Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer

Director: Martin Scorsese

Reasons to watch: One of the best you can ever get.

Reasons not to watch: Are you out of your freaking mind? WATCH IT!

Storyline: It is 1954 and U.S. Marshals Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) make their way to Ashcliffe Hospital housing the criminally insane in Shutter Island (one can say it is an equivalent to Alcatraz). As Daniels and his new partner try to solve the case of the disappearance of a particularly violent patient Rachel Solando, Daniels’ suspicion moves to a particular lighthouse and Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), the chief physician at the penitentiary. As the Marshals dig their way into the case, they realize that there is some secret that connects all the patients and orderlies in the hospital.

Daniels who is already suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the death of his wife (Michelle Williams), has trouble keeping his cool and gets frustrated with insufficient answers from the hospital staff. With constant hallucinations about his time at Dachau in World War II that get intensified by a hurricane walloping the island, Daniels and Aule figure out that they immediately need to get out of the island but soon realize that making an exit is impossible. Shutter Island is a grotesque creation of mystery, that gives us an access into Scorsese’s expansive proficiency of film-making. Perfectly schemed and stirringly orchestrated,  Shutter Island is an ode to dementia by director Martin Scorsese.

Climax Handling: It just can’t get better because it plays with your mind. It takes a while before you can actually comprehend what is going on. Watching the movie for the second time will make the climax seem obvious right from the first scene onwards.

Points:

Dr. John Cawley: We don’t know how she got out of her room. It’s as if she evaporated, straight through the walls.

Rating: 8.5/10

Comments: Well, if you thought Shutter Island was going to be one hysterical train-wreck like most suspense thrillers with a stereotypical climax; think again! This is Scorsese we’re talking about. Don’t miss it!

Language:

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Cast: Jessica Alba, Ashton Kutcher, Bradley Cooper, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Taylor Lautner, Anne Hathaway, Jamie Foxx, Hector Elizondo, Shirley MacLaine, Emma Roberts

Director: Garry Marshall

Music: John Debney

Reasons to watch: The star-cast.

Reasons not to watch: Absolutely no realism. Stone-age humor.

Storyline: It’s Valentine’s Day and love is in the air. The locals in Los Angeles are bracing themselves for all the chances on offer and the romantic cherry pies that is definitive of V-Day. Florist Reed Bennett (Ashton Kutcher) has proposed to girlfriend Morley Clarkson (Jessica Alba) who is uncertain and reluctant to take the next step forward; Julia Fitzpatrick (Jennifer Garner), a school teacher is all set to floor her apparently on-a-business-trip doc boyfriend (Patrick Dempsey); football star Sean Jackson (Eric Dane) is healing from the wounds of a bad breakup and is considering to ‘move on’; a long flight journey brings together Kate Hazeltine (Julia Roberts) and Holden (Bradley Cooper); having entered a new relationship with Jake (Topher Grace), phone sex employee Liz (Anne Hathaway) battles to sustain her ‘knack’ at daily gigs; sports correspondent Kelvin Moore (Jamie Foxx) hooks up with public relations consultant Kara Monahan (Jessica Biel) by hearing her out on a day she expresses deep sorrow and sings the blues; Grace (Emma Roberts) has a very important American Pie-like agenda of flummoxing her virginity before getting out of college for good; and finally (wait let me take a breather)…  yes, and finally after 50 years of happy married life, infidelity surfaces in the lives of Edgar (Hector Elizondo) and Estelle (Shirley MacLaine).

Climax Handling: You watch this movie and it will haunt you forever making you feel guilty for having spoiled a wonderful day because after 122 excruciatingly painful minutes, the movie is fittingly endless.

Points:

Holden: Stalin once said, “No retreat, no surrender.”
Kate: I think that was from a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie.

The movie is totally anachronistic like Holden’s statement and as ignorant as Kate’s response.

Rating: 4/10

Comments: Don’t waste your V-Day watching this mass celebrity gimmick. Save your money… Save your time…. And save your love!

The movie which is still untitled will go into production later this year and director Marc Webb who gave us 500 Days of Summer will be directing the much awaited reboot with screenplay by James Vanderbilt. Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin will be producing the movie.

The month of July in 2012 will see two big releases – one being the Spidey reboot and the other being the sequel to the most critical reboot hit of the year Star Trek.

Repo Men

Director: Miguel Sapochnik

Cast: Jude Law, Forest Whitaker

Previous Release date: April 2nd 2010

New Release date: March 19th 2010

Reason cited: To avoid competition with Clash of the Titans.

The Kids Are All Right

Director: Lisa Cholodenko

Cast: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson, Mark Ruffalo

Previous Release date: January 25th 2010

New Release date: July 7th 2010

Priest

Director: Scott Stewart

Cast: Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q, Karl Urban, Christopher Plummer

Previous Release date: August 20th 2010

New Release date: January 14th 2011

Reason cited: The film will now be a Digital 3D release.

Takers

Director: John Luessenhop

Cast: Zoe Saldana, Hayden Christensen, Chris Brown, Paul Walker, Matt Dillon, Jay Hernandez, Michael Ealy

Previous Release date: May 14th 2010

New Release date: August 20th 2010

Reason cited: Priest’s move to 2011 spurred this change.

The Roommate

Director: Christian E. Christiansen

Cast: Cam Gigandet, Minka Kelly, Billy Zane, Denneel Harris

Previous Release date: September 17th 2010

New Release date: February 4th 2011

Easy A

Director: Will Gluck

Cast: Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Cam Gigandet, Lisa Kudrow, Stanley Tucci, Thomas Haden Church, Malcolm McDowell

Previous Release date: Was not announced.

New Release date: September 17th 2010

Reason cited: Release in place of The Roommate.

Cowboys & Aliens

Director: Jon Favreau

Cast: Olivia Wilde, Daniel Craig, Jon Favreau (Voice rendering)

Official Release date: July 29th 2011

Underworld IV

Director: Unconfirmed

Cast: Len Wiseman, Kate Beckinsale

Previous Release date: January 14th 2011

New Release date: September 23rd 2010

Reason cited: It will not be in Digital 3D as it was previously slated to be.

Battleship

Director: Peter Berg

Cast: Taylor Lautner (confirmed to star as Stretch Armstrong)

Previous Release date: July 2011

New Release date: May 25th 2012

Reason cited: According to a press release, the reason behind the delay is to “give it the time and resources to thoroughly realize its huge-scale ambitions.”

Director: James Cameron

Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Michelle Rodriguez

Points: Avatar, the ’so called’ future of cinema is finally out. James Cameron’s confounding epic is a mix of mind-boggling visuals and eye rolling silly stuff. For all the pre-release banter about how this movie was going to change the future of movie-making, it disappoints. So is it worth a watch? Absolutely yes! But only for the technical bustle. But as a consummate movie? There lies the problem.

Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) — The Hangover

Director: Todd Phillips

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha

Points: It is totally insipid, stupid, unweaned and definitely that sort of movie which would lead to your mother spanking your ass for watching it. But that is exactly what worked for the movie. Defines the word ‘hilarious’.

Cecil B. deMille Award Recipient — Martin Scorsese

Other Winners

• Best Director — James Cameron - Avatar
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama) — Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama) — Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) — Robert Downey Jr. – Sherlock Holmes
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) — Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role — Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role — Mo’Nique Imes-Jackson - Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
• Best Foreign Language Film — The White Ribbon
• Best Screenplay — Up In the Air
• Best Original Score — Michael Giacchino – Up

]]> http://www.themovieanalyst.com/2010/01/15/ashley-greene-poses-nude-for-sports-illustrated/feed/ 2 http://www.themovieanalyst.com/2010/01/04/omi-vaidya-before-after-3-idiots/ http://www.themovieanalyst.com/2010/01/04/omi-vaidya-before-after-3-idiots/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:34:55 +0000 Suraj http://www.themovieanalyst.com/?p=580 Where was Omi Vaidya before 3 Idiots happened? I am sure not many of you would know the answer about his pre – 3 Idiots whereabouts. The minute you saw his face on the screen, there must have been a thought that went scampering through your minds; “Where have I seen him before?”  Well, read on to know about this man with oodles of talent, who made an entire nation laugh in his Bollywood debut as Chatur Ramalingam aka Silencer in the blockbuster hit 3 Idiots.

For all those who don’t know, Omi Vaidya is an American actor and director. Surprised? Ok, you can close your mouths now, stop gasping and read on. Omi was raised in California and graduated with honors from the New York University. Having completed his graduate studies he began working with an agent and was offered small roles in commercials and TV programs. He got his due break when he auditioned for the TV series The Office after doing a small role in another – Arrested Development.

It was during his trip to Mumbai, that he auditioned for 3 Idiots and soon after passing the first round, he had to read a dialogue from Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Vaidya, with his apparently ‘poor’ Hindi that you all must have witnessed in 3 Idiots, just prattled away in a not so semantic manner. Fortunately for him, that’s exactly what the audition demanded — tomfoolery of the highest order pertaining to Hindi.

Having worked as an editor in seven Hollywood movies, Vaidya has also directed two short films – Out of Time (2003) and The Desert Rose (2007).

1. The Book of Eli

Director: Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes

Cast: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer Beals

Release Date: January 15th 2010

Summary: Denzel Washington is a lone warrior who must fight to bring society the knowledge that could be the key to its redemption. Gary Oldman has been set to portray the autocrat of a small expedient town who’s determined to take possession of the book in Eli’s guarding.

2. Extraordinary Measures

Director: Tom Vaughan

Cast: Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraser, Keri Russell, Courtney B. Vance

Release Date: January 22nd 2010

Summary: This is the story of a biotechnology executive and his wife, who hire a research scientist and defy all odds to pursue a cure for the life threatening Pompe disease in order to save the lives of their affected children.

3. I love you Phillip Morris

Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

Cast: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro

Release Date: February 5th 2010

Summary: I love you Phillip Morris is a fact-based film about Steven Russell, a married father and also a convict in jail. The story is about his mad love for his male cell-mate, who eventually gets freed and Steven’s four time escapades from Texas prisons to meet his love.

4. The Wolfman

Director: Joe Johnston

Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving, Geraldine Chaplin, Kiran Shah, Art Malik

Release Date: February 12th 2010

Summary: Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) is a haunted nobleman and the disappearance of his brother lures him into his family estate. Reunited with his resentful father (Anthony Hopkins), Talbot sets out in search of his brother’s whereabouts which leads him to realize his ghastly destiny. Inspired by a yesteryear horror classic, The Wolfman might just bring the classic definition of ‘haunting’ back.

5. Shutter Island

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer

Release Date: February 19th 2010

Summary: Easily the biggest and the most expected movie of 2010 – goes into the list of “unmissables”. Martin Scorsese gives life to Dennis Lehane’s psychic thriller with Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo in the lead. The two of them play U.S Marshals investigating the disappearance of a patient from Boston’s Shutter Island Ashecliffe Hospital whose activities later on turn out to be unethical to illegal to downright sinister. As they turn the heat on their trail by amassing clues, they soon begin to lose trust on each other, their memories and their sanity.

6. Alice in Wonderland

Director: Tim Burton

Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter

Release Date: March 5th 2010

Summary: An imaginary sequel to Lewis Caroll’s classic, Alice returns to Wonderland at 17. As she makes her way through, she realizes that the place has changed since her last visit. A change that she least expected — a sparely haunted, disordered and overrun Wonderland.

7. Green Zone

Director: Paul Greengrass

Cast: Matt Damon, Jason Isaacs, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan

Release Date: March 12th 2010

Summary: The successful duo that gave us two of the three roller coaster hits in The Bourne Series is back. Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass team up again for Green Zone which depicts the U.S led regime in Iraq. Matt Damon is a warrant officer who stumbles upon an elaborate cover-up by his own people as he goes in search of weapons of mass destruction believed to be hoarded in the Iraqi desert.

8. Clash of the Titans

Director: Louis Leterrier

Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton

Release Date: March 26th 2010

Summary: Based on the 1981 film bearing the same name, Clash of the Titans is a story about the transcendental encounter over power between men and Gods. With the Gods fighting amongst themselves, darkness and destruction looms large which could very well destroy the world. Perseus (Sam Worthington) who is halfman-halfGod strives hard to save his family from Hades, the bloodthirsty and vindictive God of the underworld.

9. Ironman 2

Director: Jon Favreau

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell, Don Cheadle

Release Date: May 7th 2010

Summary: Having disclosed his Iron Man identity to the public, Tony Stark the billionaire inventor is reluctant to share his scientific know-hows with the military. But, forces beyond his control hatch a devious plan against him.

10. Robin Hood

Director: Ridley Scott

Cast: Mark Strong, Russell Crowe, Kate Blanchett, Kevin Durand, Matthew Macfadyen

Release Date: May 14th 2010

Summary: The story of how an archer in the service of King Richard the Lionheart became to be known as Robin Hood, the famous archer and outlaw of English Folklore. Featuring historically accurate characters such as Sir William Marshall and grounded in reality (in a similar way to Gladiator), this is the making of the legend we have come to know him as now.

11. Shrek Forever After

Director: Mike Mitchell

Cast: Cameron Diaz, Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Justin Timberlake

Release Date: May 21st 2010

Summary: A sick and tired Shrek (Mike Myers) who seems to have lost his ‘ogre’ self, gets duped by Rumpelstiltskin who promises to restore Shrek’s ‘original’ self. This takes Shrek to an awry and perverse Far Far Away, where Rumpelstiltskin is the King and ogres are the hunted. Moreover, the most disorienting fact is that Shrek and Fiona have never met in that kingdom. So, Shrek begins to materialize his efforts by trying to restore the actual Far Far Away and regain his true love.

12. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

Director: Mike Newell

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina

Release Date: May 28th 2010

Summary: Based on the popular video game, Prince of Persia is set in medieval Persia where a bold and daring prince joins hands with an emulous princess to find a time-manipulating dagger which is the only means of stopping an angry Grand Vizier who wishes to destroy the world by unleashing a huge sandstorm.

13. Sex and the City 2

Director: Michael Patrick King

Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon

Release Date: May 28th 2010

Summary: It is an upcoming sequel to the 2008 movie, Sex and the City. The movie is in production stage right now and is slated for a May 2010 release. It comes with the tag-line “Carrie On” which is a sort of a pun in comparison to the “Get Carried Away” for the previous movie.

14. The A-Team

Director: Joe Carnahan

Cast: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, Quinton Jackson, Jessica Biel

Release Date: June 11th 2010

Summary: Having been framed for a crime that they never committed and now in the U.S military’s most wanted list, four Iraq War veterans look to clear their names with the U.S military. But yet, they are forced to go on a run. The movie is based on a 1980 classic action-comedy TV series that tickled the funny bone of an entire nation.

15. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Director: David Slade

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene

Release Date: June 30th 2010

Summary: Victoria is still on the run and is out to avenge James’ death. With the previous movie New Moon just ending in a standstill, Eclispe may just answer all the questions that were left unanswered. Meanwhile Bella’s feelings for Jacob leave her torn apart in this love triangle.

16. The Last Airbender

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Cast: Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel

Release Date: July 2nd 2010

Summary: Based on a Nickelodeon TV series, The Last Airbender is about the dangerous journey of a hesitant young child who strives to bring unity in a war torn world where civilization exists as four mighty empires.

17. Inception

Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard

Release Date: July 16th 2010

Summary: After giving us the biggest hit of 2008 in The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan returns with the story that is said to explore the architecture of the human mind. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a higher up executive who gets himself involved in a blackmailing scandal.

18. The Expendables

Director: Sylvester Stallone

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts

Release Date: August 13th 2010

Summary: “The Expendables” is a story that follows a team of mercenaries whose task is to infiltrate and overthrow a dictatorial regime in South America. With an impressive starcast, this movie has already set the verbal “hyperboles” rolling.

19. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part One

Director: David Yates

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter

Release Date: November 19th 2010

Summary: With Dumbledore gone and darkness spreading, it is up to Harry, Ron and Hermione to find Voldemort’s remaining horcruxes and destroy his soul completely. In their quest for the horcruxes, they stumble upon the mystical three ‘Deathly Hallows’ which they will need to succeed in their endeavour.

20. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Director: Michael Apted

Cast: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes, Will Poulter, Gary Sweet

Release Date: December 10th 2010

Summary: Aboard The Dawn Treader, a wondrous Narnian ship captained by King Caspian; Edmund and Lucy along their irksome cousin Eustace Scrubb find themselves headed for the very edges of the world in a journey encountering dragons, slave traders and merefolk.

10. Siva Manasula Sakthi

Director: Rajesh

Cast: Jeeva, Anuya, Santhanam

Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja

Points: This ‘hyped’ entertainer just managed to tickle the funny bone in patches and was worth a few laughs, but nothing more. Music by Yuvan Shankar Raja was a big hit.

9. Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu

Director: Susinthiran

Cast: Vishnu Vishal, Saranya Mohan, Kishore

Music: V. Selvaganesh

Points: With an entire cast of new-comers, director Susinthiran scored a hit. The individual characters rendered lasting performances. With a shocker of a climax, an excellent ensemble cast and script, Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu scored a match-point.

8. Yavarum Nalam

Director: Vikram Kumar

Cast: R. Madhavan, Neetu Chandra

Music: Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy, Tubby, Parik

Points: For all those who associated Madhavan with mushy romance, Yavarum Nalam was a complete volte-face. With a strong performance oriented role, Madhavan was bang-up on the job. It turned out to be a big break for Vikram Kumar who made a killing out of this movie which was also released in Bollywood as 13B.

7. Peranmai

Director: S. P. Jananathan

Cast: Jayam Ravi, Roland Kickinger,Vasundra, Saranya, Varsha, Tanusika, Liyasree, Oorvasi

Music: Vidyasagar

Points: What makes director S. P. Jananathan chalk up such storylines? After a brilliant directorial debut in Ee, he comes up with this oddball movie. This movie, though it did not serve the interests of all types of audiences, will remain in the memories of all those who watched it because it’s essence is ‘hard work’. Right from the director to every individual member of the cast has toiled it out in the Deccan jungles. Brave effort — That’s why it is here.

6. Naan Kadavul

Director: Bala

Cast: Arya, Pooja

Music: Ilaiyaraaja

Points: Naan Kadavul continues Bala’s winning streak that began with Sethu. Having chosen a very ritzy and productive subject like he always does, Bala throws reality at your face that could make you feel restless with a sense of discomfort. The movie was certainly a landmark for both Arya and Pooja.

5. Thiru Thiru Thuru Thuru

Director: Nandhini

Cast: Ajmal Ameer, Rupa Manjeri

Music: Mani Sharma

Points: Does it satisfy the premise of a contorted kidnapping plot? Yes, in a way. With two hours of senseless, schizophrenic laughter and smothered romance, this movie was a feel good entertainer that kept me wanting the movie to go on.

4. Pasanga

Director: Pandiraj

Cast: Vimal, Vega Tamotia, Kishore, Sriram

Music: James Vasanthan

Points: Pasanga is a masterpiece. Movies about children have always been a rare and neglected genre in Tamil cinema which is a commercialized tinsel town. The movie comes with a big heart and an important message. It is a must watch, because movies of this kind are a rarity and Pasanga comes in the line of movies like Veyil, Paruthi Veeran and Subramaniapuram that are changing the scene in Kollywood.

3. Eeram

Director: Arivazhagan

Cast: Aadhi, Nandha, Sindhu Menon, Saranya Mohan

Music: Thaman

Points: Rationalism, originality, vigor — Eeram scores in all these POVs. The best part is that it actually makes you cling to the edge of the seat most of the time. No mean feat, considering the limitations of mainstream Tamil cinema.

2. Unnaipol Oruvan

Director: Chakri Toleti

Cast: Kamal Haasan, Mohanlal, Ganesh Venkatraman, Anuja Iyer

Music: Shruthi Haasan

Points: Quintessentially Kamal! The starcast works wonders for the project. Unnaipol Oruvan surprises you and is a bizarrely fascinating movie. Though one can say that A Wednesday was definitely better in the ‘whole-movie’ aspect, the expectations in Tamil cinema are poles apart from Bollywood.

1. Nadodigal

Director: Samuthirakani

Cast: Sasikumar, Vijay Vasanth, Ananya,Bharani, Abhinaya

Music: Sundar C Babu

Points: Every character has lived under the skin of characterization in the movie. It is nowhere near Subramaniapuram in terms of intensity, but with a logical storyline and realistic depiction of relationships, it consumes you into it’s screenplay. Nadodigal is unquestionably not only the best tamil movie of 2009, but also one of the finest films Tamil cinema has ever produced.

10 – Where the Wild Things Are

Director: Spike Jonze

Cast: Paul Dano, Forest Whitaker, Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener

Points: Moving sleekly from being splendorous to farcical, it creates a profoundly simple cohesion between the  two worlds of fantasy and reality. But having been adapted from a book that was enthralling, it needed to be better.

9 – A Serious Man

Director: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

Cast: Michael Stuhlbarg, Fred Melamed, Richard Kind, Aaron Wolf

Points: The Coen brothers hit the deck again with their fleckless film-making and Roger Deakins’ editing gave way to fabulous cinematography.  But this movie missed in shades due to a lack of modicum of empathy and humanity.

8 – Up in the Air

Director: Jason Reitman

Cast: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick

Points: This movie proved to be a capper for Clooney who has had a great year. Up in the Air is a movie of immense etiquette and unobtrusive aspirations. For a dry comedy flick, it had an essence of unfortunate exigency in it. It was worth a watch, but I doubt if it deserved the price of a ticket.

7 - (500) Days of Summer

Director: Marc Webb

Cast: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Clark Gregg, Minka Kelly

Points: (500) Days of Summer struck a chord with a male skewed audience by redefining the romantic comedy genre. Substantial performances by the lead characters with entertaining musings.

6 – District 9

Director: Neill Blomkamp

Cast: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Mandla Gaduka

Points: District 9 is an inhumane and rapacious tale. With a powerful and captivating script, it is a figment of modern day fiction with a contemporary theme. District 9 came out with all guns blazing – tyranny, avarice, hegemony and a conflict of cultures at odds.

5 – Fantastic Mr. Fox

Director: WesAnderson

Cast: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray

Points: Absolutely ‘Fantastic’. This puppet fantasy movie is filled with hilarious and delightful moments that will make your hearts reach out to heaven. The best animation movie this year after Up.

4 – The Hangover

Director: Todd Phillips

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha

Points: It is totally insipid, stupid, unweaned and definitely that sort of movie which would lead to your mother spanking your ass for watching it. But that is exactly what worked for the movie. Defines the word ‘hilarious’.

3 – The Hurt Locker

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Bryan Geraghty, Evangeline Lilly

Points: The Hurt Locker is full of cutting-edge realistic action and visceral human drama thats all in all makes it a gripping film. A true to reality depiction of modern day warfare that silently questions the purpose of war.

2 – Up

Director: Peter Docter

Cast: Ed Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger

Points: How does Pixar continue to do it? Previously it was Wall-E, now it is Up. Coming from a collaboration of Disney and Pixar, Up has raised the standards of film-making (both animated and ordinary) in Hollywood. I never thought I would relate myself to this movie because it was about an old man who ties balloons to his house. But, within less than five minutes into the movie, something in me told me, ” NO, I don’t want this movie to end.”

1- Inglourious Basterds

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth

Points: Quentin Tarantino seems to be hanging on to a lost world of movie-making and setting his own standards which he matches every time he comes up with a  wonderfully complex story such as this. Tarantino gives life to this intriguing and absorbing World War II drama by adding a touch of fantasy and signature Tarantino-style visualization.