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.

Genre: Comedy

Cast: Christian Clavier, Nathalie Baye, Gérard Lanvin, Géraldine Pailhas

Direction: Alexandra Leclere

Music: Nice. I don’t remember the music much.

Reasons to watch: It’s a funny movie. You might as well be made to think how you would be if all your money was taken away by the giver. And what percentage of your relationship is money haha. No, but it is funny.

Reasons not to: Subtitles

Storyline: A millionaire’s wife spending away to glory, while the millionaire toils off all the time. His chauffeur, who earns hard money working too many hours for the millionaire, and his wife who doesn’t think twice about the household before quitting her job to pursue her ‘dream’ of becoming a writer. The connect of the chauffeur and the millionaire. The chauffeur’s advice on cutting down on the supply of money to see what the millionaire’s marriage is based on, really. On confiscating the credit cards of the millionaire’s wife, he sees that the wealth interests her more than their relationship. Meanwhile, the chauffeur tries to support his wife, and takes a shot at making their marriage last. What when the wife walks out of home? What when the the chauffeur’s wife secretly starts to earn so she can help without having to admit she understands the concerns of her husband? What when all four of these have dinner together?

Climax Handling: Very funny.

Points: He confiscates his wifes cards!!! He throws away her entire wardrobe!!! French people are awesome~

Rating: 7/10

Comment: Watch when foreign amusement beckons you~!

Genre: Rom-Com/Family/Chick Flick

Cast: Lance Bass & Joey Fatone (from NSYNC), Emmanuelle Chriqui

Direction: Eric Bross

Music: NSYNC, Al Green, Britney Spears, Vitamin C, Melissa Lefton, Jessica Folker

Reasons to watch: NSYNC, cute storyline, good music, a mild take on the influence of media

Reasons not to: Weak acting and weaker plot, predictability and mediocrity rules the roost here

Storyoline: Kevin(Lance Bass) is an advertising executive who meets a girl(Emmanuelle Chriqui) on a train. While they talk about petty things, cupid somehow gives Kevin the signals that she is the one for him. He however is foolish enough not to ask either her name or her phone number. In a frantic attempt to find her, he comes up with posters leading her to him. The media finds this interesting and runs a story on him. The matters worsen when Kevin has to find that one call from a number of fake callers pretending to be Her. At this moment his friends step in, and then everything goes berserk, from bad to worse.

Kevin and his friends spend the rest of the movie, finding the girl and in the process, finding more about themselves. Do they find her? Hmm.. Find out for yourself.

Climax Handling: Predictable yet cute

Points: A not-so-bad performance from singers of NSYNC, amazing soundtrack, a little take on the make-and-break powers of the media, this is one movie where the supporting actors support the movie more than the main lead.

Rating: 5/10

Comment: Worth a dekko. Well at least a casual one..

]]> http://www.themovieanalyst.com/2008/06/15/on-the-line/feed/ 0 http://www.themovieanalyst.com/2008/06/14/sweet-november/ http://www.themovieanalyst.com/2008/06/14/sweet-november/#comments Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:55:51 +0000 Shantanu http://www.themovieanalyst.com/?p=82 Language: English

Genre: Drama/Romance/Chick-Flick

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Charlize Theron

Direction: Pat O’Connor

Music: Stevie Nicks, Enya, Robbie Williams, Amanda Ghost, K.D.Lang and more

Reasons to watch: Charlize Theron and Keanu Reeves, great supporting actors too

Reasons not to: The acting leaves something to ask for, so do the story and the direction

Storyline: Nelson (Keanu Reeves) is a high-flying, cold, way-too-confident advertising executive who bumps into the free spirited Sara (Charlize Theron) in a DMV test. Sara judges Nelson as an overworked jerk offers him to stay with her for a month as her ‘November’, to teach him the ‘lesser’ lessons in life. Although reluctant initially, Nelson is pestered into living with Sara after losing a campaign, his job and his wife in a fit of rage. Gradually Nelson begins to fall for Sara, but unlike her other ‘months’, Sara falls for ‘November’ Nelson too. A startling discovery changes everything that Nelson had begun to believe in, and everything Sara stood for.
Will this ‘Sweet’ November last, or will it wither away like the pages of a calendar? What lessons life has in store for Nelson, and Sara as well? Can love and sacrifice coexist, or love and success dwell together?
Go watch the movie for the answers..

Climax Handling: The climax is beautiful, tearful and thought-provoking.

Points: Charlize Theron stands out and so does the use of myriad colors and characters, in this story which deserved better treatment

Rating: 7/10

Comment: A good movie for the love-lorn and the still-in-love both, a must however for overworked, self-obsessed people who are too occupied to discover life!

Genre: Drama/Chick Flick

Cast: Michelle Trachtenberg, Joan Cusack, Kim Cattrall, Hayden Panettiere, Trevor Blumas

Direction: Bridget Jhonson

Music: Christophe Beck

Reasons to watch: Aesthetic figure skating, good collection of sound tracks.

Reasons not to: Not a very good plot, can become uninteresting to watch in between.

Storyline: Casie, a physics geek, wants to pursue a scholarship for which she does a physics project on Figure skating which she has secret interest for. In the process, she discovers her love for skating and becomes exceptionally good at it. She is now pressed between her school work and skating and is not able to figure out what she really wants to do. She participates in the regionals and gets selected in the sectionals of the figure skating competition as her friend Gennifer drops out of it as she has no interest in skating ans she used to skate as she was compelled by her Mother Tina. Casie’s mother really wants her to join Harvard University and hence does not like her skating.While applying for Harvard Casie realizes her actual passion and goal and rejects the scholarship. Finally, under the training of Tina she comes 2nd in the sectionals and makes it to the nationals.

Points: The figure skating in the entire flick is a treat for the eyes.

Climax Handling: Girl finally discovers her real passion in life. Excels in it. Yeah!!

Rating: 7/10

Comment: Watch when in a light mood.

Genre: Chick Flick, Romantic Comedy

Cast: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman, Edward Burns, Judy Greer

Direction: Anne Fletcher

Music Direction: Randy Edelman

Reasons to watch: James Marsden !!

Reasons not to: Weak and Predictable storyline, Average Background Score

Story: Jane has been bridesmaid 27 times. She pushes herself to any extent to help her friends who get married and can never say no to anybody and is so lost in that that she dosent give herself time.She strongly believes in “marriage” and one day hopes to marry a wonderful person. Kevin, who writes the Commitments Page for the Newyork City Journal, acts like a total cynic but secretly loves the concept of two people tying the knot. Jane loses the one man she loves, George, to her spoilt baby sister because of her over-sweet nature. Tess lies to George about her self and they fall in love and decide to get married. Kevin and Jane get together and begin to like each other just when Jane finds out that Kevin has written ridiculous article about her titled “The Perpetual Bridesmaid”. Also she reveals to George about how Tess has lied to him about herself and George calls off his wedding with Tess. Jane on the other hand realizes that she is in love with Kevin and gets back with him. One year later, Kevin and Jane get married and Jane is overwhelmed with joy as her 28th dress is a wedding dress.

Climax: Its touchy and hilarious at the same time as 27 friends of the bride dress in ridiculously comic bridesmaid clothes which the bride wore for their wedding.

Points: Mostly will interest the female audience as it is sappy and romantic.

Rating: 6.5/10

Comment: Perfect for a girls night out.

Genre: Romantic, Chick flick

Cast: Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, Alec Baldwin in a guest appearance

Reasons to Watch: Grant and Roberts at their best, Wonderful dialogues with deeper meanings and Picturesque shots of Britain (and London in general)

Reasons not to: Another romantic comedy with a run-of-the-mill ending.

Director: Roger Michell

Music: Befitting of a romantic flick, so you have Boyzone, 98 Degrees, Bill Withers and Lighthouse Family coming together, the background score is humdrum though

Storyline: William Thacker (Hugh Grant) is forgettable travel book shop owner in Notting Hill whose life is changed when one day Anna Scott(Julia Roberts), a Hollywood superstar, walks into his store. Moments later, he bumps into her again this time managing to spill juice on her. Fortunately his apartment is just across the street and (strangely enough for a superstar) she agrees to go there and change. What follows is a kiss, and months of understanding each other, interspersed with the confrontations with the paparazzi, secret love affairs of the rich and the famous, quirkiness and flexible rigidity of the ordinary class and all the ingredients of a fairy tale. The end is as you’d expect a fairy tale to end, but the dialogues keep coming on and off in every sequence possible. This is one rags weds riches story which deserves a pat on the back for the ambience, for what stands out in Notting Hill, is Notting Hill itself.

Climax Handling: Climax is Priyadarshan-ish in nature, but excellently handled and intermingled with the right emotions and the right amount of expressions, all with a Feel-good factor to it!

Points: A visual treat, with some food for thought, with excellent performances from even the smallest of characters

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Comment: Watch it in the Valentine Week, or with your better half (and please.. if you manage.. pay some attention to the dialogues…)

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, Adam Goldberg

Reasons to Watch: Matthew McConaughey , Cute Romantic Comedy, Interesting Plot

Reasons not to: Chick Flick, Predictable Story, Sappy Ending

Director: Donald Petrie

Music: Doable. You’re So Vain is a nice song. Moon River is a pleasure to hear.

Storyline: Girl (Andie Anderson) wants to date guy, and wants to be able to piss him off so she can “lose” the guy in 10 days. Guy (Benjamin Barry) wants to date girl and make him fall in love with her in 10 so that he can prove to his company that he has that intensity of smoothtalk. This guy has to meet this girl. Climax. Both people try their experiment on each other and try to push the same wheel in two opposite directions.

Climax Handling: Sappy climax with proportionate amount of tension between on the screen. But of course, they are in love, ultimately. And the wheel rolls off in the third direction, and hey! Win-win!

Points: Motorcycle stunts by Matthew McConaughey, Very cute family scenes, The Power of true love

Overall Rating: 6/10

Comment: Watch When at a Girls’ Night Out.