A QUIET PLACE - Quite good

Horror can be a tricky genre to master. We get scores of horror movies each year but remember only a handful by the end.So,it’s refreshing when filmmakers give new twists to the story and keep us as audience engaged and tied to our seats without jump scares or gore but pure inventive storytelling. A QUIET PLACE certainly does that and its one of the best in its genre recently.

John Krisinski and Emily Blunt play a couple who, along with their children,  try to survive in the near future where the world is inhabited by creatures with amplified sense of sound. Their only weakness is that they are blind.  These creatures have already wrecked havoc by the time the film starts and we are thrown right in the middle from the get go which is a smart move as we dont get time to slowly settle into the world. The tension is palpable from the beginning where something tragic happens which really affect the family and their action for the rest of the movie. The film is mostly silent for the majority of its runtime and the first half is paced a bit slow,  but it doesnt take away its edge for a moment.

We are invested in the family and care about them which is rare in horror movies where characters are easily dispensable. All the characters give a stellar performance with Emily Blunt standing out.She has minimal dialouges, but her facial expressions speak for her. Millicet Simmonds as the daughter,  who is deaf in real life too,  gives an awesome performance too. It can be argued that the end is a bit hurried without a full closure,  but I have a feeling this is not the last we have seen of this world and a prequel/sequel may be round the corner. Overall,  don't miss this if you appreciate intelligent inventive horror movies and i am sure you wont be dissapointed. In GET OUT last year and A QUIET PLACE this year,  horror seems to be in good hands again.

MY VERDICT

****

MEDIA OVERLOAD !!!!

At the start of this month, a cinephile friend of mine suggested that I watch the documentary Where To Invade Next by Michael Moore. I had no idea what the documentary was about and i trusted my source and gave it a watch the same day. I must confess that it was one of the best and most informative documentaries I had seen for a while. As I finished my viewing , a thought crossed my mind

"would I derive the same amount of pleasure out of this documentary if i already knew the subject of the same???"

 I am sure that I would have enjoyed the content nonetheless, but the surprise element of the subject  itself drew me on to the piece in its initial moments and there was a sense of anticipation of what to expect next.

In the age of the World wide web, we have data overload and Films are no exception. The medium of Films and the media content surrounding it have increased exponentially over time and we being the slave of the medium try to gobble up as much as we can. During my childhood, we possessed a VCR and that was my introduction to movies and particularly foreign (majorly Hollywood) movies. The guy from the video store would reach our house each Thursday with a suitcase full of the latest Cassettes and he served as our movie guide who recommended the latest blockbusters or a hidden gem which must not be overlooked. We used to put our faith in his words and more often than not we were satisfied. The only other way to know about a movie was through word of mouth from fellow film lovers around us. Then the Cable TV revolution happened and there were a few channels which started to air Hollywood movies. The newspaper carried a list of movies which were to be played each month along with the timings. I used to watch the promo for the films on those channels and decided which one to watch. That started the film buff in me to raise its head and slowly I had been exposed to a library of films from my childhood to understand the basic genres in film making, to have a favorite Hero/heroine/Director/Film (It has changed over time as has the realisation that there can’t be ONE favourite in any form of ART ) and to revel at the storytelling and the magic of presenting it on celluloid. One of the major contributing factors in all of this was that there was very little media or Noise surrounding the movies I watched and I judged them as I saw it. The thrill and excitement of watching a Dinosaur  for the first time in Jurrasic Park or the sheer dread of of watching the climax of Pshyco were genuine emotions which can never be replicated as no media or no reviews prepared me for the same.

The world moved on and the online media started to gain more importance and we were subjected to the INTERNET. Right from the crappy dial up days of internet in our home, I went about reading about movies and expand my horizon. There was so much to choose from. I could easily read multiple reviews for the same movie from different sources online and maybe even coming from different countries. How cool was that???? Then came Youtube. Suddenly everybody and anybody who had a webcam and even a remote interest in movies started to discuss movies online and review them. So there were the professional critics and the enthusiasts who posted their video reviews and we had to judge for ourselves who could be right. Then came the most volatile of media – Social Media – and everyone had an opinion about a certain movie and expressed them in their walls or Tweeted them to the universe. Thus , within a span of less than a decade, I was already having countless opinions and reviews for a particular movie which clogged my head and somehow started to make me biased towards it either in a positive or a negative way even before I had watched the film.

The studios are not far behind in adding to this Media overload either. Films today are an expensive affair and studios pump a lot of money in their films and it is natural to expect them to have a decent return on their investment. The only way – other than merchandising-  to do it is by marketing the film as much as possible. A trailer of a film used to be the first look at a film and it used to help at arriving at the first impressions of a movie. But a trailer took time to make and it required the studio to shoot a reasonable part of the movie to get the trailer form. But we already are an insatiable lot and nothing is enough for us. Thus, the studios came up with the ingenious idea of TEASERS. Just as the name suggests, it teases the audience with just a bare glimpse of the movie to pique the interest of the masses and ensure that the Netizens would do the rest for them. There would be whole 30 min videos on these teasers and what to expect of the film and we would hear them and start building anticipation for the film. Then a few months later, there would be the 1^st trailer and then the 2^nd and then the FINAL and by this time we almost have watched the movie and built up the story a few times in our head before we arrive at the theatre and actually start to watch the opening credits. We are already expecting stuff to happen and feel disappointed if the actual result is not as grand as we built it to be. We are not satisfied even if the movie is not really that bad and even if something grand happens , we are not really as thrilled as we should be as we had already been expecting it after watching the latest Video review on the internet. The charm is all but lost. The charm of really WATCHING a film for what it actually is rather than for what we built it up to be.

As I started to introspect further, I realized that the best movie watching experiences I had in last few years– Inception, Incendies, Ex Machina,Sleep Tight etc were those where I knew practically ZERO before starting to watch it. Thus it begs the question

HOW MUCH MEDIA IS TOO MUCH MEDIA AND ARE WE LOSING THE CHARM OF WATCHING A MOVIE??

FRANCES HA - Delightfully poignant

I remember reading an article during the time the 2014 Oscar nominations were announced which mentioned some under rated movies of that year and should have garnered at least some nominations. FRANCES HA was right up there. It took me another couple of years to experience the incredibly poignant tale of Frances and I am glad for the experience. The indomitable spirit of Frances and her positive cheerful attitude even in face of adversity will stay with me for a long time to come.

 Its difficult to give a synopsis for this movie other than its a portrayal of the life of Frances who lives in her own world and dreams even if she is not realizing any of them presently. Frances lives in New York, but she doesn't really have an apartment. Frances is an apprentice for a dance company, but she's not really a dancer. Frances has a best friend named Sophie, but they aren't really speaking anymore. Frances throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as their possible reality dwindles. Frances wants so much more than she has but lives her life with unaccountable joy and lightness. its her struggle which we watch but she never seems too bothered about it and continues in her merry ways. Its a joy to watch her braving all the odds , but you cant help but feel sad for her as nothing goes her way for the most part. There will also be a bit of frustration and you may want like shouting at her to act a little more maturely - she is 27- but this is sort of a coming of age story and it is Frances after all .

This movie is shot in brilliant Black and white reminiscent of Woody Allen's "Manhattan" which really sets the mood of this heart rending story. Frances Ha has no narrative development in the customary sense. It's a succession of well played out scenes, simultaneously funny and embarrassing, that illustrate her life,Frances Ha does a lot in eighty-six minutes.It detail loneliness and friendships, impending adulthood, and dependence all the more.

the character of Frances is played by Greta Gerwig  who had earlier appeared in the film Greenberg by the same director which really made me notice  her. She gives one of the most energetic and realistic performances I have seen for a while. She may not be the best role model for a girl, but certainly is a realistic portrayal of many. She is in every scene - literally- and she may annoy you, but you cant get over her. You would certainly root for her. All the supporting actors play their part with Michael Zegen as Benji standing out from the pack.

I urge everyone to experience the life of Frances at the earliest as I am sure you would not be disappointed.You would go on a journey where you know you would feel dejected at times, but the experience will make you richer. Lets raise a toast for Frances and her spirit.

P.S. - Frances, dont ever say you are "undateable".......you are just being you.

WORTHY MENTION



Frances' parents are played by Greta Gerwig's real-life parents.
Greta Gerwig is in every scene of the movie.


MY VERDICT

**** - Touchingly irritating

FURIOUS 7 - Another superhero movie

For some odd reason, I never followed the FAF franchise since its inception in 2001. I loved action movies and fast cars, but these films flew under my radar. It was in 2013 that I was coaxed by my friends to go for the 6th movie of the franchise. I did not have anything better to do and decided to do the same. What I saw was probably one of the best action movies in the last few years. I was an instant fan boy. I finished the rest in the same week, and though some were better than the rest, all the movies except the 2nd one were a fun ride and they really elevated the standards from the 5th one. So, naturally I had high expectations for the latest one. But BOY!!! How wrong I was.

The FAF films really don't care about stories, but this time they decide to go for some emotion as a constant reminder that this one is the last movie starring the late PAUL WALKER. Dominic Torretto and his crew thought they left the criminal mercenary life behind. They defeated an international terrorist named Owen Shaw and went their seperate ways. But now, Shaw's brother, Deckard Shaw is out killing the crew one by one for revenge. Worse, a Somalian terrorist called Jakarde, and a shady government official called "Mr. Nobody" are both competing to steal a computer terrorism program called God's Eye, that can turn any technological device into a weapon. Torretto must reconvene with his team to stop Shaw and retrieve the God's Eye program while caught in a power struggle between terrorist and the United States government.Seems complicated enough, but is it only me who thinks the whole point of using the God's Eye to find Deckard Shaw is ridiculous as he is the one who is hunting down the team anyways and knows their every move.

It is more or less an established fact that this series decided to abandon all laws of physics and gravity somewhere during the 4th film. Accordingly, I was prepared to enjoy some over the top action set pieces, and the trailer also warmed me up to it. But instead , what I got was less of a FAST AND FURIOUS movie and more of the SUPERHERO MARVEL movies we get every alternate month nowadays. It was like watching HULK and CAPTAIN AMERICA were driving the mean cars in the streets of LA and various other locations. Seriously.But the sad thing is this is not a Superhero movie, and so we crave a certain level of realism and practicality. Not one preposterous stunt after the other. This is where this film disappoint big time. 

The film had so much going for it. Jason Statham in a film with cars. One of the most talented young directors around- James Wan - at its helm and not to mention the Brand name of a FAF movie. But, the only thing that stays with you after the entire movie is the last bit where they pay tribute to PAUL WALKER. Its really done well and the closing scene moves the heart. Thus, it is fair to say that it is not good when the thing that really sticks with you after a FAST AND FURIOUS movie is the poignant bits and not the action. Frankly, after the first Set piece, I stopped to care. 

The acting is exactly what you expect from a movie in this franchise. Nothing great but done with a lot of attitude. Jason Statham feels wasted and the new addition to the team, Nathalie Emmanuel has nothing worthy to do in the entire movie. Even the comic relief provided by Tyrese Gibson falls flat for the most part. The only shining light is Kurt Russel as "Mr.Nobody". He is charming and cartoony in every frame he is in. Good to see him after so long.

Overall, this movie had so much potential that it will leave you disgusted at the wasted opportunity. I am sure there would be a 8th one in a few years time, and I can only hope it can learn from its mistakes and make us believe this one was just an outlier. Else, this franchise would turn into something similar to the TRANSFORMER series. Fingers crossed.

MY VERDICT

**1/2 - Furiously OTT

TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2014 - BOLLYWOOD

We are nearing the end of yet another year, and as is the norm at this time of the year, its the time to pen down the list of the BESTS and WORSTS of the year. So, why would Bollywood be left behind???? Below are my choices for the TOP 10 BOLLYWOOD films for the year. 

But, before jumping into the list, I must say this has been a really difficult list to come up with. No, Its not because I had the problem of plenty. In fact, the reason is that it has been an abysmal year for Bollywood. There has been only a handful of films which would be etched in the memory of the viewers by the end of the year, and maybe only a couple which would be remembered even 5 years down the line. The gap between ECONOMICS and CREATIVITY kept on increasing as was the case last year. Many of the highly anticipated films were utter disappointment (BANG BANG being a major culprit) , and the 200 Crore club kept on growing (Though the lukewarm response to JAI HO and ACTION JACKSON was a welcome relief, if only temporary).

But all is not lost. There is always a silver lining and there were things to cheer about as well. The greatest among them being probably the rise of Alia Bhatt. She completely turned around her image- from a Dumb Plastic girl to a woman with elegance and maturity. It was shockingly pleasant. She gave 3 of the greatest leading performances of this year and a YOUTUBE VIDEO which was the ultimate icing on the cake. Other than that, some smaller films prevailed among the numerous big budget mess which were offered to us week after week. And right at the end of the year, Anurag Kashyap proved to us once again why he is regarded so highly by fans like us. So, let me dive into the list without further delay......

10. FILMISTAAN

Majority of this vast country called India is united by two things - Cricket and Cinema . Many of us call ourselves film buffs, but have we really infected our heart and soul with the film bug? Filmistaan is the story of one such guy - Sharib Hashmi as Sunny. His only lifeline at the face of a major adversity is his love for movies and his friendship with a salesman of Pirated DVDs .At its core, Filmistaan is a heartwarming story of how films bind two warring nations India & Pakistan. It has some funny as well as heartwarming moments which explore the sentiments of the people of both the nations well. There are numerous well acted and genuinely hilarious moments and Sharib Hashmi gives a stellar and utterly grounded performance. Go and watch this movie before it is forgotten with time.

9. MARDAANI

It is always good to see one of your favorite actors to come back after a while, and it is even more satisfying if the comeback film is a good one. I have been a fan of  Rani Mukherjee , and to see her give a strong and raw performance as inspector Shivani Shivaji Rao in Mardaani was welcome relief . It was special on two counts - one being the thought that AIYAA was really an aberration and secondly that she has still got the acting chops to carry out a very different role than what she has usually been portrayed on screen. The film itself was a gritty one handling the topic of girl trafficking via a well scripted screenplay which played out as an edge of the seat thriller. A special must be made for the chief antagonist - Tahir Raj Bhasin - who did a wonderful job.

8. MARY KOM

After the success of BHAG MILKHA BHAG  last year, we were presented with yet another biopic this year. This time it was the turn of the story of the famous puglist Mary Kom to grace the silver screen. There was a lot of Buzz about Priyanka Chopra playing the titular character and the hard work she has put in for the role. At the end of the day, it must be said that she did justice to the character and gave a strong performance. As for the film, its nothing spectacular, but certainly motivating and better edited than its counterpart last year. The songs are good and one of the few films this year which sort of lived up its hype preceding its release.

7. 2 STATES

We all appreciate what Chetan Bhagat has done in the literary world of Indian fiction. It can be argued that his stories are rather a hit or a miss nowadays, but there is no denying the fact that 2 States is one of his finest novels and it was semi autobiographical too. So, it was natural that sooner rather than later, this would be made into a movie. The result is the wonderful film which truly keeps true to the book and is helped with fine acting from all involved and specially Alia Bhatt who had already proved her talent by then with HIGHWAY. This  is a complete masala movie with wonderful light hearted moments and touching bits all aided by some wonderful songs and the narrative style of the movie. 

6. HUMPTY SHARMA KI DULHANIYA

This one was a surprise for me. The trailer of this movie was not too exciting and I was still reeling from the acting of Varun Dhawan in MAIN TERA HERO. To top it all, it was projected as a new take on DDLJ which was sort of blasphemous in its own way. But, it turned out to be fun. The story was DDLJ , but there was so much more to it. Varun Dhawn proved that he can be great comedic actor if given a right script. And we got to see Ashutosh Rana after a long time giving a stellar performance. He could have been the only one to step into the shoes of Amrish Puri, it seems. I know many of you reading this would not agree with this choice, but this movie was a fun ride which I was glad I took.

5. UGLY

There is a reason some of us wait eagerly for the next film by Anurag Kashyap. He is a master of the dark tales. He makes us realize that there are two sides of every human being and it is important to showcase the Black and the Grey shades of our species. The result when put to film may not be pleasant viewing, but is necessary nevertheless. The plot of Ugly is very run of the mill to start with. A young girl goes missing and we are left guessing who is the culprit. But this is a study in human psychology and deceit. it is about how far can our ego take us - for better or for worse. It comes to a point where the missing girl is just a background for all the shockingly ugly characters to show their true color. This is not a film for everyone, but true film lovers would find the gem in this piece. 

4. QUEEN

Another one of the surprise hits of the year. Who would have thought that a film with Kangana Ranaut as the main lead would garner such critical and box office success. We knew she could act, but she went a step further with Queen. Her portrayal of the simple Punjabi girl Rani would strike a chord in the viewers heart right from the start. It is wonderful how we discover things we can achieve when placed in an alien situation.This is a story of self discovery and realization of dreams. Its fun to go on a journey with Rani where we don't know what would she do next We all cheer at her triumphs and feel sad at her loss. Wonderfully simple tale told in a superb way. And if you are not yet satisfied, it helps that it also has the amazingly hot Lisa Haydon appearing in a sizzling cameo

3. HAIDER

Vishal Bhardwaj can do no wrong when adapting the work of the Bard. This time he has taken on Hamlet, and his choice of Kashmir as the backdrop was a stroke of pure genius. While not as fast paced as his other adaptations Maqbool or Omkara, this one is probably his most nuanced film which tries to study the multi dimensional and unpredictable character of Hamlet through the portrayal of the titular character played by Shahid Kapoor who gives a restrained performance.Haider not only serves as a decent adaptation of Hamlet, but it also proves to be a powerful socio-political commentary on Kashmir of the 1990s. Also, it was great to see Tabu in a role tailor made for her and her awesome acting which was certainly one of the high points of this film.

2. HIGHWAY

Not many of us knew what Stockholm Syndrome was before this film. Not many of us knew Alia Bhatt would turn around her career with such elan with this film. Not many of us knew that our country can look so beautiful in film.Kudos to Imtiaz Ali for bringing us this tale of love and self discovery as experienced by Veera and Mahabir played by Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda respectively. These two find love in the most unlikeliest of places and most unexpected situation. Imtiaz Ali once again excels in his knack of presenting us with a different kind of love story and this film has been one of the standout movie of the year based purely on its script. It was so rewarding to take the journey on this Highway. 

1. PK

As I stated earlier, this list was hard to compile due to the poor qualities of film churned out this year. Thus, it is a no brainer that PK is the number one film of the year. But having said that, I can not honestly say that this was a great movie. Aamir Khan was outstanding in the film and his depiction of PK was nothing short of brilliant. It further re - iterated\the thought in my mind that he signed Dhoom 3 in a state of intoxication and it was just a small blot in his CV. But the movie had very less to offer other than him. Surely it is a fun watch, but we kind of expect so much more from the collaboration of Aamir khan and Raj Kumar Hirani. It did not help that we had already watched and enjoyed OMG last year which tackled the same theme and in a much smarter way. So while PK is surely head and shoulders above the films released this year, it just about sums up the tragedy that was 2014 for Bollywood.

SLEEP TIGHT - A Shocking Nightmare

What is the first thing that strikes your mind when someone says "HORROR FILMS"??? I am sure that for most of us it is a simple answer - GHOSTS. But, there are certain films in this genre which are terrifying and disturbing even without the presence of the paranormal. In fact, these films are more horrific as they tell stories of real persons and certain situations which may occur in real life, as opposed to the ghosts which are a thing of debates. SLEEP TIGHT by Jaume Balagueró  is one such film which is more nightmare-ish than many of the ghost stories out there.

César (Luis Tosar) is the superintendent in charge of a block of Barcelonan flats.He has a sick mother, an angry boss and a particular fondness for the lovely Clara (Marta Etura), one of those pleasant ladies who is always smiling at the world.Without giving too much more away, let’s just say César has motives so ulterior you simply won’t believe the lengths he goes to.The idea of someone seeing who we are when we think we’re alone is already a deeply disturbing one, and while Balagueró’s sunny visuals and swing soundtrack keep things deceptively peppy, Tosar quietly creates one of the screen’s creepiest, most shocking stalker.

The main character's motive, or lack of motive, in this movie is what gives it such a chilling effect. Being incapable of happiness himself he only feels content when he can secretly destroy the happiness of those around him while outwardly appearing concerned and helpful. He has no connection to his victims and is not seeking revenge or retribution. He's not interested in killing them either because physical destruction is not his goal. He seeks total mental and emotional destruction resulting in a broken life, prolonging the person's suffering and unhappiness.Both the atmosphere and acting creates a feeling of total violation. Luis Tomar is as creepy as they come and he must be applauded for his performance in this edgy flick.

It is truly amazing how the movie manages to evoke such a feeling of suspense and awkwardness  from the audience.I am sure Hitchcock would have been proud of this film as this is one Rear Window  meets Funny Games kind of movie but is really so much more. Its creepy and suspenseful. It has wonderful twists and the chilling atmosphere makes it that much more unbearable. One of the top class Spanish films I have ever watched, and I hope more people watch this masterpiece and appreciate it. 

I have tried to give away as little away as possible about the plot, and I would recommend everyone to watch this film without reading anything about it beforehand as that would make the film all the more special.

MY VERDICT

**** - Beautifully creepy

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL - Grand but a little bland

Wes Anderson has a very specific type of movie making style. It seems more of a theater show rather than a feature film, and the cinematography is quiet different. Its more like reading one of those pop -up-books we read in our childhood. His latest offering-TGBH -is no different and its not a bad film by any means, but not grand.

GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL recounts the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune -- all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing Continent. Its part comedy and part mystery thriller at the same time, but it never takes itself too seriously. It also manages to subtly reference issues such as racial stereotyping, effect of war, religion, but never scratches beyond the surface as everything is part of  a fast paced lighthearted journey. There is theft, murder, imprisonment, thrilling chases, and absurd jailbreaks in this layered story, and the list of actors who participate in this tomfoolery reads like a who's-who of Hollywood- with some of the directors favorite actors. Bill Murray, Jude Law, Owen Wilson(in a blink- and-you-miss-role) and Jason Schwartzman all show up for small parts and cameos, but it's Ralph Fiennes who steals the show as Gustave H with a superb, delicious performance that taps into his underutilized comic skills.

He carries the weight of the film on his strong shoulders from the moment he is introduced in the story. He has a penchant for poetry, the elder residents in his hotel and a particular brand of perfume.He is so energetic the whole while and the best part is he never loses hope and is supremely confident even in adverse situations. He has to be one of the greatest British actor I have ever seen. Tony Revelori as Zero does a good job, but his role is simply as the narrator and the voice of the journey he once took with his mentor. The conversations and interactions between Zero and Gustave provides this film with a nice emotional core and it has a bit of warmth.

Now, let us discuss the issue which plagues most of Anderson's films. He has often been accused of putting style before substance, and this film is no exception. There is no denying that the film is done with an aesthetic panache  which few directors in our time would be able to succeed in doing. The world he creates for this tale is like a fairy tale which transports us to Europe in the 1930s and it was so different with the war looming. But, this film was supposed to be a comedy. I was not looking forward to laugh out loud moments in this film , but even subtle comedy was missing. There were some funny interactions, but they were few and far between. The film is certainly light hearted, but not a comedy. The characters provide screwball moments of fun , but it cant be called comedy. Another aspect of the movie was being a murder mystery. Lets just say this mystery could have been solved by a seventh grader.

So, this is one of the films which looks beautiful but it flatters to deceive. I like this film, but if I have to be critical, I cant shy away from the shortcomings. Its a shame because the film really transported me to a wonderland of the Grand Budapest and I really enjoyed the ride with Zero and Gustav, but at the end of the day all these fall flat somewhere due to the lack of a solid script. This is a must see for Wes Anderson fans, at least  a one time watch for the rest. You will certainly love the world of THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL.

WORTHY MENTIONS

Look out for the confession scene between Gustav and Serge X.
Johnny Depp was Wes Anderson's initial choice for the role of M. Gustave.

MY VERDICT

***1/2 - Visual treat