Money Monster (2016) review

It is no Bulworth and Clooney aint no Warren beatty.  It is no Mad city and Jodie foster aint no Costa gravas.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118798/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_5

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119592/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_33

This innocent movie about wall street and the media mafia is good to watch because of the fabulous Julia Roberts. Clooney was not quite in his role, in fact none other than Julia Roberts were in the role.

The story is improbable but predictable in a hollywood kind of a way. All stops are pulled to move the film along from one issue to another, It is as if Ms. Foster had a task list and she was going through them systematically. I did not mind the movie so much as it was captivating and colorful.

I watch films alone regularly and I enjoy them, Even though this blog has less than 10 titles to show I must have watched a thousand and more. This is the second time I saw a girl that came to watch the film alone and It really is nice to witness that there is someone else, I mean a woman that does this. The first time I spoke to her and we had a coffee together and that was in Mumbai. This time I proposed the same to this lady and she plugged her earphones firmly in her ears and walked away with a smile that reminded me of the Radiohead song "Creep".

Jack Reacher (2012) review

No one can take the Rajinikant out of me. I am seeing Jack Reacher for the 3rd time and I do not tire. Perfectly scripted for Tom Cruise this film will be one of the best of Cruise. The bad guy is Werner Herzog and if you know who it is you will fall off the chair, Here is the greatest director alive with a body of work in all possible genres that seems to go beyond this eon.  One would never ever expect his working with Tom cruise. But he does.

There is nothing review about this film. It is thrilling and Tom cruise is fantastic, The cherry on the top is the great herzog.

I once had lunch with Mr. Herzog to invite him for a retrospective I was planning in India. He was one of the most humble human beings that I ever met who did not mind travelling business and being our guest at home in India. I could not reliase that dream though.

The Equalizer (2014) - review

I am a south indian who was introduced to film by watching first day's first show of Rajnikath's films. Rajnikanth is a charmer who always wins. He would keep his mannerisms to a minimum and repeat them. This repetition brings familiarity and so an addiction of sorts sets in. My man, Denzil is the black Rajnikanth of Hollywood, Consistent and always entertaining. 

Robert McCall, A man with no past but a creature of habit; helpful and watchful at once. He cares about the people that he works and lives with and will fight for justice if they get hurt. His brand of justice is brutal and swift. He is thrown into the world of the Russian mafia and he comes out destroying them. He is half monk and half hitman.

Equalizer I believe is a popular TV serial and perhaps was inspired by Jack Reacher. We will see sequels to both these films in 2016. I look forward to them.

Zoolander 2 (2016) - review

I have not seen Zoolander 1 but somehow stumbled upon this. Well! not so accidently since I follow Ben Stiller's work closely and the gorgeous spanish actress whose name I will not take in vain. It is a plot that builds on stereotypes and makes stereotypes even more stereotypes, so much so that this becomes a hilarious comedy. A Typical Ben Stiller script and screenplay. 

Nothing more about this. The memory of this film will pass like a breeze and I confess that I am struggling to hold on to the memory of this film.

Tralier - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CL4LNWHegk

the Invitation (2015) - review

This  independent movie directed by Karyn Kusama is a fabulous piece of movie making. It is a diabolical plot which shifts swiftly from one perspective to the other. The perspective of the protagonist who goes by the name Will and played by the actor Logan Marshall-Green is where the heart of the plot lies. You believe his mind and where the audience will like to stay in because of the intrigue and the pain he seems to go through. If he represents one group to identify with then the other two are the people that send the invite and the rest of the friends. All the characters are fleshed out well which only a well written script can achieve. 

I am tempted to write about the ending but then a film that happens in one night will always have a dramatic ending. Yes, The ending is great and so is the entire film. Fantastically directed and ably acted. It is must see in a quiet ambience on a lazy but calm evening.

Will, the main character will remain with you for a long time to come.  

Trailer -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcFaLtnx43w

Interstellar (2015) - review

I did not start writing when I first saw Interstellar. I saw it today and hence I blog about the movie now.  

Movies of these kind are meant to inspire, influence and propel an entire generation in a particular direction. Even though I was watching the film for the 3rd time  I enjoyed the film sitting at the edge and soaking all the acting and science.  I thought Interstellar would do what Matrix (1999) did to an entire generation. There was far more buzz and fuss with Matrix. 

The choice of color for Interstellar was a bit trite, This washout look to obscure references is a regular trick all sci-fi movies use, but Interstellar is not a regular sci-fi film, with limitless budget and a genius as a director I would wish for more. The story is a compelling mix up theories of the quantum and of relativity. Characters lose time, gain time, go through worm holes and to distant unknown galaxies all to find a way to save the human race from extinction because earth cannot hold them anymore. This story of earths as it gets inhabitable is told through the device of interviews and this for me was no-show. The interviews lacked character or urgency. In fact the lack of urgency and the lackadaisical manner in which the various other devices play out pulled the movie down.

It is a trap that Mr. Nolan made for himself. He took Batman and made a commonman out of him with mundane interactions between people with deliberate attempts to stay understated. The huge success this type of filmmaking enjoys has changed the viewer for ever so much so that the other visionaries Wachowski's (makers of Matric) latest film "Jupiter ascending" was laughed at as over the top. In many ways these stories have something in common. Interstellar is a movie by a scientists whereas Jupiter ascending is a movie by artists. 

The acting of Matthew McConaughey is superb and he along with his little daughter carry the film wonderfully. The rest of the cast as in all Nolan's films are predictable and archetypically hollywood, A 80-20 principle that Mr. Nolan adapts to success. 

Trailer 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSWdZVtXT7E

Hail, Ceasar (2015) - review

The Coen brothers have challenged, entertained and disappointed me over the years and that I believe how a body of work really will be, with ups and downs.  Hail, Ceasar is surely is down in terms of overall commitment. The story has some sparkles here and there. The ideas were in place but somehow did not come together. I think the coens are intellectuals distancing themselves from the average movie goer (heck! I am not an average movie goer). There must be many jokes and exploration of sub-cultures in this movie, perhaps there was a Ronald Reagen in there too. 

If you are a Coen brothers fan then the choice of seeing this does not exist, It is an important film. I am willing to wait and see whatever the Coens throw at me.

Perhaps, They must stop casting Clooney and go back to the genre that gave us "Millers crossing" and  "No Country for Old men" . Please come back to us Coens.

Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMqeoW3XRa0

Burnt (2015) - review

"Burnt"  directed by John Wells (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2503944/)

I thought it was the best performance of Mr. Cooper so far. The movie is about exotic and expensive food made by ill tempered chefs. It is shot in Hollywood style where fast food meets drama. It is easy to be upset with the conveniences of the plot and the predictability. It is a movie made by Hollywood for a global mean audience. 

Looking at it from that lens this movie fulfils my expectation. The passion is infectious only if you are a person that can evoke passion in yourself with no condition. If you have the ability to put the critic aside you will enjoy this film. This film will remain in your subconsciousness for a few days and that I think is testimony.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiGJlUVQDGk