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!

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan

Director: Guy Ritchie

Music: Hans Zimmer

Reasons to watch: Racy entertainer that keeps your mind ticking.

Reasons not to watch: No particular reason as to why you shouldn’t watch this movie.

Storyline: The mystery involves a heinous and aristocratic Blackwood (Mark Strong) who schemes to take over the world. Well you might be wondering what sort of mystery exists in this plot — that is what puzzles me too. The plot is banausic and the script is desolate. But what works for  the movie is the set piece shifting of one fight to another — Especially the fight sequence featuring Downey in slow-mo is absolutely out of the world. The Tower Bridge set-up and the depiction of London of the yesteryears is commendable.

Robert Downey Jr. stars as the protagonist with Jude Law playing Dr. Watson, his faithful sidekick. This Sherlock Holmes is neither the ones you have already seen before in the early 70s nor is he a depiction of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s imagination. So far, about 75 actors have played this role, but none of this kind. Guy Ritchie gives a new dimension to the tight-lipped sleuth and Downey has done immensely well.  He’s demented, delineated, rustic and has a hoarse voice — something about this characterization reminded me about the dirty and decrepit sailors in Pirates of the Caribbean. Downey essays his role with a skittish humor and a devilish charm. Jude Law’s performance conforms to the customary portrayal of Dr. Watson.

The ‘bromance’ between Watson and Holmes is the best part of the film. Though Ritchie provides both these men with women interests, they are just diversions to prevent a development of homo-eroticism among viewers. The essence of the movie is the Holmes-Watson chemistry escalated by their boisterous and wacky arguments.

Climax Handling: The movie ends with a definite hint of a sequel which I think is very much necessary. This movie demands a sequel; hopefully a smarter one.

Points: A Sherlock Holmes movie is thoroughly enjoyable when  it centers around a mystery that truly leaves you perplexed, the suspense and the way Holmes solves it with his overwhelming dogmatic reasoning. This version of Sherlock Holmes does not have a plot that inclines itself to the strongest form of mystery but the movie is certainly entertaining for three reasons –

A. The stunt sequences.

B.  The star-cast that works wonders for the script.

C. Hans Zimmer’s music is as always effective.

Rating: 8/10

Comments: Don’t watch this movie expecting another Snatch from Guy Ritchie. This one is less classy, but yet the approach works.

Language:

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller

Cast: Prasanna, Sibiraj, S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, Yasmin, Ramya Rai

Director: Shakti S. Rajan

Music: James Vasanthan

Reasons to watch: A new concept for the Tamil audience.

Reasons not to watch: Painfully slow and unsubstantial first half. Completely worthless songs.

Storyline: Ravi (Prasanna) is an honest and ambitious person whose dream is to set up his own business. He is drafted by Bank Manager Vishwanath (S.P. Balasubrahmanyam) into Trust Bank where Ravi goes on to design a successful plan to make the bank ‘con-proof’. He also falls in love with Nandini (Ramya Rai), a divorcee. When all seems to be going well for Ravi, disaster strikes in the form of Fareed (Sibiraj). Ravi is framed for Nandini’s ex-husband’s murder and suddenly finds himself entangled in an intricate blackmailing scandal. With a mountain of evidence piled up against him, Ravi is forced to comply with Fareed’s devious plan to rob Trust Bank and pull the plug out of Vishwanath’s reputation — But, it ain’t over yet as Ravi’s trust takes a beating and soon the audience is sucked into the story as it takes many unexpected twists and turns that serve as (foreseeable) shockers.

Climax Handling: The fight sequence featuring Prasanna and Sibiraj is commendable. Though I personally found it a shade predictable, it was pretty clear that my co-viewers were quite enthralled by the suspense.

Points: “I pray to you God. Please make sure that songs like the ones that are shown in this movie, do not resurface again in any prospective movie. Amen!”

Sibiraj tries to emulate his veteran father, and it kind of works for the movie. Yasmin charms you with her limited on screen presence.

Rating: 5/10

Comments: A yawn for people who have seen The Bank Job, Entrapment, How to rob a Bank and all other bank heist Hollywood flicks. For those who have not, it is a one-time watch.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes, Mark Wahlberg, Robert Duvall, Burton Perez, Alex Veadov

Director: James Gray

Reasons to watch: Have some time to kill? Then watch it.

Reasons not to watch: There are better movies of the same genre out there.

Storyline: Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) is the outcast in his family and as the stylish and famous manager of El Caribe, the celebrated Russian-owned night club in Brooklyn, he has burrowed his connection with his family of distinguished NYPD cops. For Bobby, life is always a party in a miasma of cigarette smoke and dizziness of disco lights. All night long he is busy socializing with clients at the club and dancing with his ravishing and dazzling girlfriend, Amada (Eva Mendes). With New York’s drug trade at it’s peak and escalating by the minute, the cops are on a crackdown on the drug mafia lead by Russian gangster, Vadim (Alex Veadov) who is operating out of the El Caribe. Bobby tries to keep a friendly and safe distance from Vadim after being warned by his brother, Joseph (Mark Wahlberg), a promising NYPD officer, and his father Burt (Robert Duvall), the renowned deputy chief of police. With Vadim and Joseph being mutual targets, things begin to get dirty and out of control. Caught in between the two sides of the law, Bobby now needs to make a choice. Will the two brothers beyond their differences, come together to put an end to this mayhem?

Climax Handling: James Gray tries to pull off a Scorsese, but falls short.

Points: Though it has some continuity errors, the car chase in the rain has a gripping effect on the viewers. Robert Duvall and Mark Wahlberg are wasted in the movie.

Rating: 7/10

Comments: Routine and overlong cop drama that’s worth a watch.

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 – New York

Director: Kabir Khan

Cast: John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Irrfan Khan

Where it scored: Great individual performances. It turned out to be the meatiest roles ever done by John Abraham and Katrina Kaif.

Where it missed out: Got predictable after the first half. A lot of ‘filmy’ element was involved and the the director pretty much lost a sense of practicality towards the end.

9 – Love Aaj Kal

Director: Imtiaz Ali

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rishi Kapoor, Rahul Khanna

Where it score: Two parallel love stories narrated in a unique and wonderful manner. Depiction of modern day relationships without any filmy clichés was commendable.

Where it missed out: Unnecessary interruptions in the form of songs. Failed to meet the expectations the viewers had after Imtiaz Ali’s previous venture - Jab We Met.

8 – Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year

Director: Shimit Amin

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Manish Chaudhary, Gauhar Khan, Naveen Kaushik, Mukesh Bhatt

Where it scored: A breath of fresh air with restrained melodrama, real-life clogs and sensible character portrayal.

Where it missed out: The movie got a mixed response as it was a seemingly long movie which required a lot of patience to watch. Music by Salim-Sulaiman was a big let down.

7 – Wanted

Director: Prabhu Deva

Cast: Salman Khan, Ayesha Takia, Vinod Khanna, Mahesh Manjrekar, Prakash Raj, Govind Namdeo, Inder Kumar, Aseem Merchant

Where it scored: It was a no brainer. A total commercial ‘masala’ entertainer that kept the audience at the edge of their seats. Half the battle was already won because of the pre-release hype.

Where it missed out: Prabhu Deva could have tightened the script a little more. The songs were absolutely disastrous.

6 – Luck By Chance

Director: Zoya Akhtar

Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Konkona Sen Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Isha Sharvani, Dimple Kapadia, Hrithik Roshan and others.

Where it scored: It was quality cinema at it’s best. The honest depiction of the way Bollywood works struck a chord with many aspirants who wish to make it big in Hindi cinema. Zoya Akhtar excelled in her directorial debut. Realistic performances by Farhan Akhtar and Konkona Sen Sharma.

Where it missed out: Nothing new in the plot. Very slow – paced first half that makes you feel drowsy.

5 – Three Idiots

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

Cast: Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani, Omi Vaidya

Where it scored: Absolute laugh riot with a tinge of emotional moments and a social message – signature Rajkumar Hirani style. A dazzling Rang De Basanti starcast and amazing individual performances by Boman Irani, Kareena Kapoor and Omi Vaidya added to it’s success.

Where it missed out: Much was expected of this movie and it lacked the genuineness and high standards set by Hirani’s Munna Bhai MBBS.

4 – Kaminey

Director: Vishal Bhardwaj

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Amole Gupte, Tenzing Nima, Chandan Roy Sanyal

Where it scored: With only a normal storyline, Vishal Bhardwaj proved to be a master story-teller. Shahid Kapoor sky-rocketed to stardom with a scintillating performance.

Where it missed out: A violent ending did not find universal acceptance.

3 – Dev D

Director: Anurag Kashyap

Cast: Abhay Deol, Mahi Gill, Kalki Koechlin

Where it scored: Randomness happens often in our newly-experimental cinema, but it’s always great to see a film where no detail is an accident, where the director gets to execute his vision exactly as he wants — and this seemed pretty darned close.

Where it missed out: The critics gave the movie good reviews and this raised the expectations. Even so, this was a rather radical project; a movie that could well have done more but accomplished far more than enough, and I think the only reason we expect even greater things is that it really, really whets our appetite.

2 – Wake Up Sid

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Anupam Kher, Supriya Pathak, Rahul Khanna

Where it scored: Rendering flawless performances, Ranbir Kapoor matured as an actor and Konkona Sen Sharma was as elegant as ever. It was an absolute feel-good movie that catered to a wider audience who could relate themselves to the movie and it’s characters. The movie redefined the true meaning of ‘platonic relationship’.

Where it missed out: Did not really miss out on any grounds. It is in the No.2 position only because Paa ended up being a better movie.

1 – Paa

Director: R. Balakrishnan aka R. Balki

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan

Where it scored: Amitabh Bachchan carries the movie on his shoulders! A different story is always welcome amidst the flurry of hogwash that Bollywood offers every year. Vidya Balan rendered a strong performance.

Where it missed out: Negative aspects of this movie include a weak music section and the length of the movie. But, nevertheless Paa was a ‘one-of-a-kind’ movie.

Genre: Comic Adaptation, Action, Drama, Thriller, Crime, Superhero

Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman

Reasons to Watch: The JOKER, Heath Ledger, Edge-of-the-seat action, brilliant screenplay and amazing mind games, the perfect superhero movie.

Reasons not to: If you are afraid of the dark..!

Director: Christopher Nolan

Music: James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer create a dark and riveting movie score, brooding yet glorious.

Storyline: Under the wings of the savior Batman, the caped crusader of the night and the flirtatious billionaire by the day, Gotham city feels safe. Not until it is haunted by a psychopathic criminal – the Joker – who is almost unnaturally cold, even for a villian, even for a serial killer – his only goal is to prove that his utter belief in violence and disorder is justified, his only fight is to prove to the world that corruption is what wins over ultimately, and all integrity that exists because of reason, can be ripped off to reveal the raw human inside, who only knows itself, and shall only please itself – while the Batman and newly appointed District Attorney Harvey Dent, along with Lt. James Gordon, fight to bring peace upon Gotham. But in this fight against the Joker, Batman must realize that the fight is not between him and joker, but between principle and discord. The Joker has made everything in Gotham dark, turning people against people, transforming Dent – the white night and upholder of justice into Two-face, a disturbed criminal. And thus begins the fight and there is so much to lose.

The Joker: See, I’m not a monster…I’m just ahead of the curve.

The Joker: See, I’m a man of simple tastes. I like dynamite…and gunpowder…and gasoline! Do you know what all of these things have in common? They’re cheap!

The Joker: People will die. Starting tonight. I’m a man of my word.

Climax Handling: Exceptional. To bind the audience in a lengthy movie isn’t easy and Nolan does it with utter ease.

Points: The most chilling villain you’ll ever come across – he is your worst nightmare – and worse – he is utterly believable. Heath Ledger’s swan song makes this movie unforgettable.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

Comment: Go for it even if you know nothing about Batman. The Joker will make it up to you – Why so serious?

]]> http://www.themovieanalyst.com/2008/08/03/the-dark-knight/feed/ 2 http://www.themovieanalyst.com/2008/07/01/enter-the-dragon/ http://www.themovieanalyst.com/2008/07/01/enter-the-dragon/#comments Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:11:54 +0000 Shantanu http://www.themovieanalyst.com/?p=100 Language: English

Genre: Action/Drama/Crime/Thriller

Cast: Bruce Lee, Shih Kien, John Saxon, Jim Kelly

Direction: Robert Clouse

Reasons to watch: BRUCE LEE.! (His last completed movie, he died during post-production), mind boggling action sequences – the best ever

Reasons not to: Don’t miss it for anything, even if you hate martial art movies.!

Story: Lee (Bruce Lee) a master of the physical and spiritual disciplines of the martial arts and member of a Shaolin Temple is being visited by Braithwaite (Geoffrey Weeks), a British law officer. Braithwaite wants Lee to participate in to a tri-annual martial arts tournament held on an island owned by Han (Kien Shih), a reclusive billionaire who was once a member of the Temple but has turned traitor. He wants Lee to investigate Han’s island and his tournament as the British intelligence suspect him to be the mastermind of an Opium trade ring and a prostitution racket. When Lee discovers that Han and his men are responsible for his sister’s death, he agrees to become Han’s nemesis.

Also attending the tournament are two American martial arts experts, John Roper (John Saxon) and Kelly Williams (Jim Kelly), who served together in Vietnam and took differing paths toward martial arts upon their discharge – Roper is on the run from Mafia gambling debt collectors, while Williams is on the run after killing two racist cops.

Together they face Han and his army, and some kick-ass action follows. Will they survive.? Well, Enter the Dragon to know.

Climax Handling: A nerve-wracking action sequence, rated among one of the best in the history of Hollywood

Points: Bruce Lee – the Clint Eastwood of the East, or the Charlton Heston, they call him many things – you’ll know why did they call him a legend when you see this movie, The Hall of Mirrors, The 70’s Hong Kong at its realistic best, brief cameos by a lot of people – including Jackie Chan, “it’s like a finger pointing away to the moon”, adrenaline pumping action – without any wires, mind you… There are so many things to admire in this masterpiece

Rating: 9.5/10

Comment: The definitive Martial Arts movie – Don’t miss it for anything!

Genre: Drama/Crime/Thriller

Cast: Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Monica Bellucci, Thomas Jane.

Direction: Stephen Hopkins

Music: Nadine Renee, Enrique Iglesias, Michael Stuart

Reasons to watch: Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman, beautiful locales, a very gorgeous Monica Bellucci and an engaging storyline

Reasons not to: Shoddy acting by some supporting actors, the camera gets too artistic at times.

Storyline: Henry Hearst (Gene Hackman) is a successful attorney in San Juan, Puerto Rico who lives an luxurious life. He has it all – money, respect, a house on the coast, and, most of all, a stunningly beautiful young wife Chantal (Monica Bellucci). He is all set to deliver an address on the eve of the feast of St. Sebastian when he is called to the police department by his longtime acquaintance Captain Victor Benezet (Morgan Freeman) for questioning surrounding the death of a young girl whose body was discovered by Hearst while jogging. Soon the witness becomes the suspect and as secrets and circumstances unfold, Hearst loses it all – his dignity, his persona and the love and confidence of his wife.
Can the will of a broken man survive the test of truth, or does it cave in to the circumstances?

Climax Handling: The climax runs high on emotions with a twist in the tale, though that twist can be confusing for some.

Points: Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman essay their roles perfectly; this movie is one of the most grossly misunderstood movies of all times.

Rating: 8.5/10

Comment: If you are looking for thrill, this is a good movie. But put your children to sleep first!

Genre: Comedy/Crime/Thriller

Cast: Kamal Hassan, Amala, Tinu Anand, Farida Jalal

Direction: Srinivasa Rao Singeetham

Music: The background score is enchanting and adds to the charm of the movie.

Reasons to watch: Amazing movie, simple and very humorous, brilliant acting and direction

Reasons not to: No song and dance show, no skin show, no car chases, in short – a purely entertaining movie.

Storyline: An educated unemployed young graduate male (Kamal Hassan) comes across a drunken male (Sameer Khakkar) with a lot of cash in a briefcase. Hassan, being a poor , educated-but-unemployed fellow, falls for the money. He keeps Khakkar in captivity, and steals his identity to enjoy life lavishly. He moves to the hotel where Khakkar was staying and enjoys the luxuries of his newly borrowed life, albeit he’s grossly misfit. Love eventually enters his life as he falls for the Hotel’s visiting magician’s daughter, head over heels. But with money, comes perils, and he discovers that someone is after his life, well, after his borrowed life that is.

As the burden of his deeds lands on his shoulders, he must now choose between love and truth, happiness or reality. Does he survive this test? Well that is the crux of the movie.

Climax Handling: The end of the movie is brilliantly filmed, touching yet didactic.

Points: No dialogues yet extremely captivating, symbolism and humor in its purest and best form, this movie has few of the most comic sequences ever shot.

Rating: 9.5/10

Comment: A worthy portrait of India in the eighties, this movie is a milestone in Indian Cinema. Don’t miss this movie for anything!