Special Chabbis (2013)

Genre: Crime/Drama/Biography/Comedy

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, Manoj Bajpayee, Jimmy Shergill, Kajal Aggarwal, Rajesh Sharma, Kishore Kadam

Based on true incidents, a group of 4 con artists conduct false raids against corrupt politicians and wealthy businessmen, posing as CBI sleuths or Income Tax officers. Since the money is illegal and unaccounted for, these politicians and businessmen do not want to file a police case, fearing negative publicity and people learning about their deeds. The group is led by Ajay Singh (Kumar) along with P.K. Sharma (Kher) and their 2 assistants, Joginder (Sharma) and Iqbal (Kadam). The real CBI gets wind of their false raids and CBI officer Wasim Khan (Bajpayee) is put on the job of hunting them down. Along with the help of Delhi Police Officer Ranveer Singh (Shergill), Khan starts following their every footstep and plans to nab them when they are all set to do one last mega-heist before ultimately retiring. Coming from the makers of A Wednesday the movie promised a lot and delivered pretty much to the expected demands. The only grouse that one can come up with, would be the forced romance plot and the unwanted songs. These two aspects break the otherwise good flow of the movie and can seem annoying. Akshay Kumar has finally delivered a decent movie after a very long time and Anupam Kher was his usual best. The duo get along well and can occasionally deliver the sarcastic humour which is enough to make you smirk. A must watch, at least once.

Thumbs up: Great story, amazing climax

Thumbs down: Unwanted romance and songs

Rating: 7.4/10

Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola (2013)

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Crime/Romance

Starring: Imran Khan, Anushka Sharma, Pankaj Kapur, Shabana Azmi, Arya Babbar

Vishal Bharadwaj has a distinct style of his own that makes his movies different from the rest of the lot. Usually set in rural India, unique story lines, sarcastic humour and rowdy abuses; that is what Bharadwaj is all about. Mr. Harry Mandola (Kapoor) is an extremely rich land lord living in the village of Mandola in Harayana, India. His dreams of setting up an automobile factory near the village, is not as simple as he thought when the villagers refuse in transferring their lands to him. However, Mr. Mandola actually has a bigger problem then simply acquiring land, and that is his alcohol problem. 4 pegs of his favourite drink is all that he needs to become a completely different person, so much so, he even led a protest outside his own house against himself. To counter this problem, he hires Hukkum Sigh Matru (Khan) a well-educated driver and servant who is in charge of preventing him from getting too drunk.Chaudhari Devi (Azmi) is the local politician who has vested interests in the land deal and Mandola and his wealth. She strategically wants her son, Badal (Babbar) to marry Mandola's daughter Bijlee (Sharma) so that she may inherit all of Mandola's wealth when he eventually passes away. Pankaj Kapur puts on a fabulous performance of a drunk Mandola, of a stern Mandola and of a frightened Mandola with so much of ease and simplicity. The movie has got good performances but the songs get a bit too much after a point. The movie too is not up to the expectations that you would have of Bharadwaj but nonetheless, the movie is definitely worth it to hear Pankaj Kapur's drunk antics and the regular 'Bhencho-Bhencho'.

Thumbs up: Fabulous Kapur and the rest of the cast

Thumbs down: A bit long and too many songs

Rating: 7.3/10

Lincoln (2012)

Genre: Drama/Historical Event/Biography

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Tommy Lee Jones, Hal Holbrook, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Abraham Lincoln (Day-Lewis) is one of the most respected President's in the history of United States politics. This respect is not futile, but something that he has earned due to the work that he did. During his second term as President, the American Civil War between the southern states and the northern states was raging and there was mounting political pressure to end the war and bring peace. Lincoln, on the other hand, was strongly of the favour to bring about the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution which would prohibit slavery of any kind. This amendment would not only boost public sentiment for the Republican Party but also ensure that the war ends. However, in order to pass the bill, a 2/3 majority is needed in the house and currently Lincoln is falling short of 20 votes. He must procure these votes from the opposition and at the same time battle with his fellow party-men who are against the bill and eventually create history. The sole reason why the movie succeeded was due to the efforts of and only one person, Daniel Day-Lewis. His phenomenal performance of Lincoln is by far one of the best one might have ever seen and he might even be able to put the real Lincoln to shame. The movie wonderfully shows Lincoln to be not only concerned and thoughtful but also shrewd and cunning, the makings of a true politician. The biggest let down of the movie is the first half, which is slow and very dragged. A load of political jargon and verbose dialogues plague the first one hour which makes the movie a difficult and boring watch. Since the first impression is weak, the better next hour can get easily discarded by the audience as being the same, but it thankfully isn't. The movie picks up smoothly and delivers a composed climax which isn't very over-the-top and isn't too blunt either. A great movie to watch about a great man, but just keep some patience.

Thumbs up: Daniel Day-Lewis

Thumbs down: Unsimplified and verbose dialogues, a bit dragged first half

Rating: 7.1/10

Life of Pi (3D) (2012)

Genre: Adventure/Drama

Starring: Suraj Sharma, Tabu, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, Adil Hussain

Based on a novel with the same name, Piscine Molitor Patel aka Pi (Sharma) is  16-year old boy who lives with his family in Pondicherry, India. His father, Santosh Patel (Hussain) runs a zoo and Pi has grown up amongst animals. Due to a change in the political environment, his father chose to relocate to Canada and sell all the animals in USA, a decision that Pi was against but could do nothing. The cargo ship on which Pi, his family and all the animals are housed upon, sinks in the middle of the Pacific and Pi is the only survivor on a lifeboat. For company, Pi has a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena and a tiger who goes by the name of Richard Parker. Living on a boat in the middle of a vast ocean with an animal who has every desire to eat you, Pi finds himself in a very difficult situation and realises that he would become Richard Parkers dinner very soon if he doesn't do something about it. The movie is very enchanting and has a mystical aspect attached to it. It talks about god, animals and the wonders of faith and determination. The 3D effects of the movie is stunning and the animations done on all the animals are extremely life-like and very hard to imagine that its actually all digital. Although the movie does get a bit slow in the middle, the movie is still very entertaining with a lot of hidden meanings and aspects attached to it that not everyone would be able to fully grasp or understand the meaning of. Worth a watch, especially in 3D.

Thumbs up: Awesome 3D, very enchanting story

Thumbs down: A bit slow in the middle

Rating: 7.8/10

Talaash (2012)

Genre: Crime/Drama/Fantasy/Thriller

Starring: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Nazwazuddin Siddiqui

A mysterious death of a movie star on a sea-side road in Mumbai leads police inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Khan) to investigate and understand what happened and why. On probing further, Surjan finds himself in Mumbai's famous red light district which is teeming with brothels and sex-workers alike. Surjan is having his own set of personal problems in trying to get over his sons death and thus ends up quarreling with his wife, Roshni (Mukerji) much too often. He finds respite in Rosie (Kapoor) a sex-worker who not only gives him some leads in his case but also offers him mental comfort and someone he can talk to. The movie plays upon the mysteries of the mind and the personal vs professional life of a police inspector. Aamir Khan has done his usual outstanding performance with Mukerji being at par with him. The only let down of the movie is the climax which is slightly low-key and not what the audience was expecting. Psychological thrillers are still a relatively new concept for the Indian audience and it be hard to find takers for such a movie. Had the climax been more astounding or twisted, the movie would have been worth the second watch. All that said and done, not a bad movie at all and a decent attempt.

Thumbs up: Aamir Khan and the rest of the star cast

Thumbs down: Not so thrilling climax

Rating: 6.8/10

Waiting...(2005)

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Justin Long, Anna Faris, David Koechner, Luis Guzman, Chi McBride, John Francis Daley, Kaitilin Doubleday, Robert Patrick Benedict, Alanna Ubach, Vanessa Lengies

We have all heard about the horrible things a waiter can do to our orders if we don't treat them nicely. Spitting, hairs, floor dirt, it can all happen to your food if you upset the people who are making it. The movie revolves around Mitch (Daley) who is the new trainee at The Shenaniganz restaurant and the events of one night through his eyes. Dean (Long) is has been waiting tables for quite some time now and he sees people around him with a better life and a better job and somehow wishes that his life would change. That does happen when Dan (Koechner) offers Dean a promotion for the post of Assistant Manager. Although Dean should be happy with the offer, he surprisingly isnt and he doesnt know why. Monty (Reynolds) is Dean's good friend and is a complete womanizer who is currently trying to hit on Natasha (Lengies), the 17-year-old hostess. The movie is quite objectiveless and simply showcases how each waiter with a different and unique character and personality have to live their lives as who they are. It is a fun entertainer and a good watch but the movie fails to drive to a point. A good one-time-watcher but dont expect anything great out of it.

Thumbs up: Great entertainer, funny

Thumbs down: Does not have a climax or an ending

Rating: 7.0/10

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Genre: Adventure/Fantasy/Action/War

Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitrage, Ken Scott, Graham McTavish, Aidan Turner, Dean O'Gorman, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter

The prequel to the iconic Lord of the Rings series of books and movies, this movie narrates the story of Bilbo Baggins (Freeman) and how he came across the ring that led to the story that followed. Bilbo is a peace loving Hobbit who finds himself undertaking an adventure he never thought he would. The dwarfs, led by Thorin (Armitage) are attempting to go back to their land which was besieged by a fearsome dragon that has taken hold of the Dwarf castle and all their gold. Gandalf (McKellen) has agreed to assist the dwarfs and suggests that Mr. Baggins should join them as the burglar. Although Bilbo has never so much as stolen a stone from the ground, he surprises himself by being a part of the 14-member contingent that is out to do the impossible. LOTR was epic in its own way and it is very normal for anyone to expect its prequel to be just as amazing. Sadly, however, the movie is far from its famous siblings. It is slow, very slow, doesn't have the drama or the intensity of LOTR and simply seems to miss that special factor that was required for this movie to be good. It seems the movie was made just to finish the entire franchisee and never really to entertain the audience. I don't know if it was the 3D glasses, the theater or the print of the movie but this has to be by far my worst ever 3D experience ever.

Thumbs up: Stunning graphics and visuals

Thumbs down: Slow, boring and stretched and it yet didn't finish the entire story.

Rating: 7.1/10

P.S. I Love You

Genre: Romance/Comedy/Drama

Starring: Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Lisa Kudrow, Gina Gershon, James Marsters, Kathy Bates, Javier Bardem

Jerry (Butler) and Holly (Swank) are a young married couple who had taken the decision to be together without the consent of their respective parents. The two enjoy a love-hate relationship where they are stupidly in love but yet fight a lot. Fast foward a few months ahead and Holly is now a spinster. Jerry suffered from a brain tumour and subsequently passed away. It is only now that Holly realises how much Jerry meant to her inspite of all the fights they had. Whilst on his deathbed, Jerry realises that his passing away would have a disastrous consequence on Holly and he plans to help her have a smooth getting-over. Jerry cleverly leaves behind a trail of bread crumbs asking Holly to do exactly as his letters ask her to do. The movie is a fun to watch romance-comedy and can very easily bring forth a tear even amongst the stone hearted. Swank and Butler seem to share the perfect on-screen chemistry and look absolutely brilliant. A truly fantastic watch and recommended for anyone who doesn't want a heavy and mushy romance movie but rather something light, simple and enjoyable.

Thumbs up: Great fun to watch

Thumbs down: Just seems perfect in a lot of ways.

Rating: 7.0/10

This is England (2006)

Genre: Crime/Drama

Starring: Thomas Turgoose, Stephen Graham, Joseph Gilgun, Andrew Shim, Vicky McClure, Jo Hartley, Andrew Ellis

Set in the 1980's in England, a young boy Shaun (Turgoose) gets constantly bullied at school and cannot accept everyone walking all over him. His recently lost his father who was in the army when England went to war with Argentina over the Falklands. Shaun encounters Woody (Gilgun) who is the leader of a skinhead gang and who takes pity on Shaun and sheilds him from anyone who picks on him. Shaun gradually gets inducted into the gang as its youngest member and seems to be enjoying his new life. Combo (Graham) is an old friend of Woody's who has just recently returned from prison and is also a more senior skinhead member. Combo expresses strong English nationalist views and expresses hatred towards other races that have settled in England and taken jobs that belong to the English people. He wants Woody, his skinhead gang and his friends to come support him to fight against immigrants and make England English once more. The movie craftily narrates the slow evolution of a pre-teen boy and his exposure towards the more darker side of life. It showcases the strong racist hatred that some people still hold and the measures that one can go to in the name of nationalism. A very beautiful movie indeed and a recommended watch.

Thumbs up: Graham's good aggressive performance

Thumbs down: Plot could have gone on for another 30 mintues, seemed incomplete

Rating: 7.5/10

The Italian Job (1969)

Genre: Action/Crime

Starring: Michael Caine, Noel Coward, Raf Vallone

A British thief, Charlie Crocker (Caine) is released from prison and learns that his good friend has been killed by the Italian mafia over the Alps. His friends widowed wife gives Charlie the tapes of a plan that her husband was going to undertake until he got killed by the Mafia. A Turin-based automobile manufacturing company, Fiat, regularly transfers large stash of money from Turin airport to various destinations. The plan is to isolate this convoy in the middle of Turin and steal the stash. For this assignment he needs a gang of people and he breaks into prison to meet his ex-warden, Mr. Bridger (Coward) to ask him to arrange this for him. Mr. Bridger learns that the Chinese are heavily investing in Fiat towards the setting up of a new factory and agrees to help Charlie. The only reason this movie is iconic or has a cult following is for the Mini Cooper cars that are featured in this. The movie is famous amongst car fanatics for displaying an array of fast cars from the '60s and showcasing their raw power and ability. Lamborghini Miura, Aston Martin DB4, Jaguar E-type, Mini Coopers and what not, they all make their own respective appearances winding through the twisted and flat roads of the alps. The only drawback of the movie is the crime itself which seems to be hugely skewed in favour of movies main protagonist. Can you steal a stash of gold from a heavily armed convoy with bats and sticks? Does an armoured truck take 10 tries to smash open a wooden door? And no matter how many times Mr. Crocker manages to shake off the cops in a heavily modified Mini they always seem to come back right on his tail. And what is with the awkward ending? The movie is a love or hate kinds where action and car fans might enjoy it simply since it fulfills their desires but a more average audience would probably shake it off as being nothing very different.

Thumbs up: The beautiful cars!

Thumbs down: Laughable crime plot

Rating: 6.5/10

21 (2008)

Genre: Crime/Drama/Biography

Starring: Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, Aaron Yoo, Liza Lapira, Jacob Pitts, Josh Gad

Casino movies seem to have always been loved by the larger audience. The thrill of winning and the emotions of big losses has traditionally gone down well with audiences. The game of Blackjack is largely based on math and fast calculations, apart from just pure luck. An MIT professor, Micky Rosa (Spacey) has trained a team of players who are skilled in calculations and who would play in Blackjack in Vegas every weekend. The idea is to count cards, which is not illegal but simply looked down upon by casinos, and win a whole lot of money. Ben Campbell (Sturgees) is a top-grade MIT student who has got admission in Harvard Med but cannot afford the $300,000 fees. Micky sees a potential player in Ben and manages to convince him to join the team in lure of being able to pay off his Harvard fees. The movie has managed to garner a huge fan following, mostly since it has showcased a lot of casinos and gambling. 21 has a very interesting climax to it but what actually pulls it down is the slow segments that the movie keeps having. The movie is good fun to watch, especially for someone who loves the game. Maybe some more interesting performances and a more consistent plot throughout would have helped in making this movie even better.

Thumbs up: Great story

Thumbs down: Slow segments in-between

Rating: 6.8/10

Ronin (1998)

Genre: Action/Crime

Starring: Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Jonathan Pryce, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgard

A group of people from various backgrounds have come together to perform a high-value crime. Seamus O'Rourke (Pryce) is an Irish terrorist who has employed Deirdre (McElhone) to assemble a team of operatives who can attack a convoy and steal a briefcase. Sam (De Niro) an ex-CIA agent who is on the run is part of the team along with Frenchman Vincent (Reno) and a polish computer specialist Gregor (Skarsgard) amongst others. The contents of the case is never revealed and what ensues for the rest of the movie is an action-packed wild goose chase across France for the briefcase with a lot of twists and turns. The movie is based on a tested storyline but it has a very entertaining second half. The first 30 minutes appear to be slow and dragged but once the action kicks in, its a blast of a movie to watch. The crime or the performances are not something to watch and the only thing that might appeal to the audience is the raw '90s action without any special effects or over-dramatic sequences.A great entertainer and a good one-time watch.

Thumbs up: Fabulous car chases and action sequences

Thumbs down: Un-original crime plot

Rating: 7.0/10

Batman Returns (1992)

Genre: Science-fiction/Action/Crime/Fantasy

Starring: Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough

The second movie of the very famous Batman comic series. A deformed baby is born in Gotham city who is thrown away by his parents due to his deformity. The young child gets raised by penguins in the city zoo and lives within the sewers. Years later, this child emerges as the Penguin (DeVito) and announces that he wants to trace back his identity and discover himself. Max Shreck (Walken) is Gotham city's biggest industrialist and wants to install more power plants within the city. Although the city currently generates a surplus, Max is trying to convince investors and the mayor that Gotham would soon need more power and he is investing for the future. In reality, power plant would actually drain power from the cities power grid and this is discovered by Max's secretary, Selina Kyle (Pfeiffer). Selina, originally an introvert, survives a murder attempt by Max and converts herself into the Catwoman and hatches a plan of revenge against Max. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne aka Batman (Keaton) smells a rat when The Penguin decides to run for mayor and starts to get down and discover what the actual reason is. The movie is quite similar to the earlier movie with only the villain changing and the addition of The Catwoman. What makes this movie very desirable is Danny DeVito and his fabulous performance of The Penguin. Somehow, Batman's villains have always had good performances, including the new and old versions. The movie is a very normal super-hero entertainer but is worth that entertainment value and is enjoyable.

Thumbs up: Danny DeVito's stupendous performance

Thumbs down: Nothing in particular, its very well rounded

Rating: 7.2/10

OMG - Oh My God! (2012)

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Fantasy

Starring: Paresh Rawal, Akshay Kumar, Om Puri, Mithun Chakraborthy, Mahesh Manjrekar, Poonam Jhawer, Lubna Salim, Govind Namdeo, Murli Sharma

 The world is divided into two parts, those who believe in god and those who don't. God holds a strong sentimental value within most of us and we blindly follow the faith without thinking twice about why we are doing something and what is the meaning behind it. Kanjibhai (Rawal) is a middle-class atheist residing in the bustling city of Mumbai. He makes a living by running an antiques shop where he sells religious idols by faking its history and value. Its a profession people look down upon, he mocks people who believe in idol worship and those who celebrate festivals. One day, after insulting the high priest of a temple, Siddheshwar Maharaj (Namdeo), Kanjibhai finds his shop destroyed in an earthquake. The insurance companies refuse to settle his claim since earthquakes are classified as 'an act of god' and society tells him that he is being punished for not worshipping the lord above. Frustrated, he decides to take God to court and sue him for damages caused due to the loss of his business. Enter Krishna Vasudev Yadav (Kumar) who is the modern incarnation of Lord Krishna and shows Kanjibhai the right path from the wrong. The movie is indeed an eye-opener and shows how people around the world do something in the name of religion where practicality and common sense gets simply thrown out of the window. Although the movie tries to create awareness about correct religion, its message is still a bit jumbled and unclear. The message somehow doesn't get conveyed with the clarity that it should have been and seems very lost and vague. Apart from that, Paresh Rawal has done a good job which is different from his usual slap-stick comedy that we are so used to seeing him in. A great entertainer and a must watch with the entire family.

Thumbs up: Paresh Rawal at his best

Thumbs down: A very confused and vague delivery of the ultimate message that the movie wants to put forth.

Rating: 7.4/10

Mr. Brooks (2007)

Genre: Thriller/Crime/Drama

Starring: Kevin Costner, William Hurt, Demi Moore, Dane Cook, Danielle Panabaker

Everybody has some or the other hobby that we all like to regularly practice. The reason why we have a hobby is because it gives us fun, enjoyment and a lot of satisfaction. Mr. Earl Brooks (Costner), the Man of the Year and a successful and rich businessman, too has a hobby that he regularly practices. He loves killing people. He is known as the 'Thumbprint Killer' since he leaves a thumbprint of the victims after the murder. He has no motive, no pattern and has no connection with the victims whatsoever, pure pleasure. Mr. Brooks has abstained from his sadistic hobby for two years by curbing his desires, but his alter-ego and id, Walter (Hurt) keeps playing with his mind and convinces him to return once more. The movie is a sensational thriller that he keeps you glued for a very long time. Although this may not be a true murder mystery or the kind of crime movie that we are generally accustomed to, its still very different and interesting. What the movie lacks are some sensational twists or some eye-popping scenes, which its simple and consistent plot line seems to be missing, Kevin Costner has done a phenomenal performance of a wealthy man with a wicked and dark side and he seems to be tailor made for the role. A great watch but it has scope for improvement.

Thumbs up: Kevin Costner, interesting story

Thumbs down: Lack of good twists and an engaging climax

Rating: 7.6/10

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Fantasy/Action

Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Nick Frost, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Penelope Wilton, Bill Nighy

When a group of worthless and objectiveless friends suddenly find themselves surrounded by zombies all over, their life takes a turn. Shaun (Pegg) and his childhood buddy (Ed) share an apartment where Shaun works at an electronics store and Ed does nothing. Whilst Shaun hates his job and life, Ed sits at home playing video games all day long. Liz (Ashfield) Shaun's girlfriend is tried of Shaun and his hopeless attitude and his love for the pub called Winchester. Liz feels that Shaun is being held back because of Ed and is not able to progress in life because Ed cannot support himself. One fine morning, the group find themselves facing a zombie catastrophe and Shaun decides that he needs to rescue Liz and his mum and take them to safety. His amazing plan is to pick up Liz, her friends, his mum, her husband and take them all to good old Winchester until the zombie situation dies down. The movie is quite funny and is a good mix of comedy and action with the casual thrills and chills thrown here and there. Its a good mixed pot but lacks any one of the elements to really stand out. Its not all that funny, the action is not all that great and the plot is way too simple. Pegg and Frost have appeared in many movies together and the duo make a solid humour pair and are virtually unbeatable. A good entertainer but nothing too exceptional.

Thumbs up: Pegg and Frost duo is amazing, good mixture of everything

Thumbs down: Nothing really stands out

Rating: 6.7/10

Adoration (2008)

Genre: Drama

Starring: Rachel Blanchard, Scott Speedman, Devon Bostick, Arsinee Khanjian, Noam Jenkins

A young university student, Simon (Bostick) gets a brainwave during his French class, a thought whose future repercussions he would never ever have been able to imagine. When Simon's French teacher, Sabine (Khanjian) is narrating a past newspaper story report where a Palestinian terrorist plants a bomb in his pregnant fiancees bag without her knowing it and tries to put her on a flight to Israel, it prompts Simon to try and envisages his own Palestinian father Sami (Jenkins) to be the terrorist, his mother Rachel (Blanchard) to be the pregnant lady and he was the yet unborn child. Sabine is impressed with Simon's creativity and  tries to get him to draft a play for the drama theatre and convinces him to believe the story to be true. In reality, Simon's father and mother died in a car accident which Simon always feared to be untrue. Simon's grandfather was always of the notion that Simon's father, killed them both on purpose and it was not an accident. The movie is very slow to pick up and can appear to be a tad confusing at first. Give it time, and the story slowly takes shape and starts to make a whole lot more sense. The unique story is well drafted and executed which makes it a good watch, although a bit slow at times. An interesting movie but be prepared to be forced to use your brains a bit.

Thumbs up: Fabulous story, good plot execution

Thumbs down: A bit slow and too confusing

Rating: 7.0/10

Rabbit Hole (2010)

Genre: Drama/Romance

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne West, Tammy Blanchard, Miles Teller, Sandra Oh

A couple who loses their young son in a tragic car accident are unable to overcome the loss. Becca (Kidman)a and Howie (Eckhart) are still mourning the loss of their son, Danny, which starts affecting their personal lives and strains their relationship. Becca wants to give away all of Danny's belongings and attempts at erasing all the memories there ever was of him, much to the ire of Howie. Howie lives in Danny's memories and wants to have another child but Becca does not agree with him. Becca's loss starts affecting her relationship with her mother who compares Danny with Becca's brother who passed away due to a drug overdose. The movie primarily revolves around the strained relationship of a couple and how that starts affecting their personal relationship with people around them. The movie can get slow and heavy at times and may not be to the liking of all. If it is family drama that appeals to you, the movie is a fabulous watch. Kidman and Eckhart have a great on-screen chemistry going that gives you a more 'real world' feel.

Thumbs up: Fabulous performances

Thumbs down: May not appeal to all, a bit slow and heavy

Rating: 6.9/10

Revolutionary Road (2008)

Genre: Drama/Romance

Starring: Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kathy Bates, Kathryn Hahn, David Harbour

The people who appear to be the most happiest in their lives may not actually be as happy or lucky as their outward appearance would suggest them to be. Frank Wheeler (DiCaprio) and April Wheeler (Winslet) were the envy of a lot of people because of their positive relationship. Even though they appeared to be the best couple in the neighbourhood, there were a lot of fissures in their relationship. April was a budding actress whose career never actually took off. Her theatre performances are just about mediocre and she cannot take any more of peoples false praises of her acting. Frank is doing a job he hates which he only got since his father previously worked in the same company. In order to give herself a new life and give Frank the option of discovering what he wanted to do, April suggests they start a new life in Paris. Initially absurd, Frank slowly buys into it and they start preparing, only to find out that April is pregnant and cannot risk travelling to Paris in this condition. All their ambitions and whatever they hoped for come crashing down on them and Frank gets a surprise promotion which gives him every reason to stay back and not go to Paris. The movie taps on a unique fundamental thought that many of us what to do something very absurd but somehow don't explore it due to fear of being labelled as 'weird' and 'impractical'. The movie is quite slow, which is expected from its kind, but makes up to it by the fabulous performances of Kate Winslet and DiCaprio. The two make a good on-screen pair and their spectacular acting makes the movie worth that watch. There is a climax to the movie that you would yourself looking forward to, but the slow nature of developments and progression may not go down well with everyone and may not be to all tastes.

Thumbs up: Fabulous Winslet and DiCaprio

Thumbs down: A bit too slow for everyones liking

Rating: 7.5/10

The Kingdom (2007)

Genre: Historical Event/Action/Crime/Mystery

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Ashraf Barhom, Ali Suliman

Most of the wars fought in the middle east for the past half-century have more or less centred around oil. Inspired from two separate terrorist attacks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the movie focuses on 4 FBI agents who travel to the middle-each kingdom to solve a similar terrorist attack. A housing complex of an American oil company with American citizens residing with it, is bombed during a Sunday softball game that strains the relationship between Saudi and USA. FBI Special Agent Ronald Fleury (Foxx), Special Agent Grant Sykes (Cooper), Special Agent Janet Mayes (Garner) and Special Agent Adam Leavitt (Bateman) are sent to investigate the attacks, in spite of disapproval from various US agencies. Col. Faris Al-Ghazi (Barhom) from Saudi State Police is put in charge of their security for the entire journey. Fleury is shocked to learn that he and his team are not granted permission to investigate and can only 'watch' the Saudi investigation which is far from acceptable. The movie narrates a good spy story with a lot of action and thrilling sequences to keep you entertained. Although the mystery solving goes well, its the climax that is a let down. An average ending with no twists is a huge let down to otherwise good movie.

Thumbs up: Good entertainer

Thumbs down: Average climax

Rating: 7.0/10