My Vantage Point: 2011

Monday, October 24, 2011

The Terminal - A Simple Movie!

Cast : Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta Jones, Stanley Tucci
Director : Steven Spielberg

When You see a Spielberg movie, which is not about dinosaurs or aliens or angry robots tearing a metropolitan city apart, you are just curious:) Then when you come to know that Tom Hanks is acting i it, you are excited, and when finally you see the movie, you are enthralled :D

Tom Hanks plays Victor Navroski a tourist from Krakhosia who just landed at the JFK Airport. He later finds out that his govt. was out-thrown by a military coup and his country didnt practically exist. So the Airport Supervisor, Frank Dixon(Stanley Tucci) has no choice but to keep him under house arrest at the airport till the government sorts out their issue.

The movie progresses on how Victor faces the obstacles and learns to live against all odds. He even Finds love....

The man who takes all the limelight is of course Tom Hanks. He adopts the role so intensely that it fits him like a second skin. Victor's Innocence attracts the audience and they begin to laugh and cry with him.Victor is portrayed as a simple man with all the insecurities and stubbornness.It is only due to Hanks' amicable portrayal that average climax seems so heart touching. He is just a joy to watch..

Spielberg is also to be credited for his approach. He carries the story with a lot of care, as a Caterpillar in a cocoon!Even in the 'neon-bathed' crowded airport, he shoots Victor with the empathy of a lonesome traveller in an unknown city. Also the lively supporting cast of the aiport workers were also quite brilliant, giving us a different picture of the airport.

It is a simple movie, with a simple story and yet it does the job quite brilliantly....

Rating : 4/5

Shutter Island is a Dark Thriller

By: Thejas Krishnan on 2:09 PM

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo

Director: Martin Scorsese,

From the very opening scene of Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island" the eerie background score pumps up the sense of despair, as the ferry carrying US Marshal Teddy Daniels (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his partner Chuck (played by Mark Ruffalo) approaches the isolated island that houses their destination. The officers must visit the Ashecliffe Asylum for the criminally insane to investigate the sudden disappearance of a potentially dangerous female inmate.

As Teddy questions doctors and inmates, all under the watchful supervision of creepy head psychiatrist Dr Cawley (played by Ben Kingsley), he begins to suspect that the mental assylum is not at all what it seems to be.

Teddy, unfortunately, has his own problems. A World War II veteran, he can't seem to shake off his ghosts, and is haunted by images of concentration camps and Holocaust crimes. He's also having as much trouble getting over the tragic death of his wife who was killed in a fire set by a former patient at Ashecliffe.

"Shutter Island", directed by Scorsese, considered by many as one of the best directors in the business, , relies on atmospherics. The bleak grey skies, the thrashing weather, those waves lashing against the rocky shores strir up a sense of uncertainty and dread that's further emphasized by the ominous score.

The audience is equally anxious to find out the truth about the island and most important about waht goes about in the light house .The line between reality and delusion, between sanity and insanity, begins to blur early on in the film when it becomes apparent that nobody - neither the psychopaths nor the psychiatrists - are being entirely honest here.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Teddy Daniels as something of a insecure soldier, a man prone to violent outbursts, a permanently scowling fellow who looks more rattled the more he discovers. DiCaprio tells us why he's still the one among the best in the industry. He plays the character so well that every movement tends to drive straight into the audiences' heart.

At roughly 2 hours and 20 minutes, the film is way too long for an english movie, and pulls too many tricks - although you'd be lying if you said you didn't fall for most. Even if you are extra smart and managed to guess the twist in the end, but there is no way that you can predict how Scorsese gets there.

Overall it's an exciting, intriguing film that demands a second viewing to fully grasp its ambition. I'm going with four out of five for Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island". The last line of dialogue alone will leave you stunned, wondering if you figured out anything at all in the end.

Rating: 4 / 5

Delhi Belly Is Hilarious!!

By: Thejas Krishnan on 9:29 PM

Cast: Imran Khan, Vir Das, Kunaal Roy Kapoor, Vijay Raaz, Poorna Jagannath, Shenaz Treasury

Director: Abhinay Deo

Its nothing like you've seen in a Hindi movie before, not even close. Packed with rude humor and situation gags Delhi belly will make you Laugh till you cry!! Its just 90 minutes of pure fun!

Most of its action erupts within a poverty stricken apartment shared by three buddies - Tashi, Arup and Nitin - struggling to make the rent. Tashi, played by Imran Khan, is a journalist with a nagging fiancee , Sonia (played by Shenaz Treasurywala). An airhostess, Sonia orders Tashi to drop off a parcel she's promised to deliver as a favor for a friend. The unsuspecting girl has been used as a courier by a diamond-smuggling ring, and it all starts to go terribly wrong when the package is mistakenly swapped by Arup (played by Vir Das). All hell breaks loose when a gangster, played wonderfully by Vijay Raaz, receives a stool sample instead, belonging to Nitin (played by Kunal Roy Kapur), who has been struck by a horrific case of Diarrhea . Yes, I have to admit it's disgusting, but it's also very funny.

Adding to this strange cocktail of characters is Tashi's free-spirited colleague Menaka, played by Poorna Jagannathan, who unfortunately is still trying to shake off a jealous, goon-ish ex-husband. Expect screeching car chases, Dangerously abusive language (one of which is even written backwards into a song), a stylishly-shot gunfight in a hotel room, and a generous dose of irony.

Unlike other "So-called" stereotyped "Akshay Kumar" Comedies, this film doesn't have any over the top foolish and slap-stick comedy scenes. Each laugh blends in correctly and is cent percent justified. And the story line is simple. but has enough mild twists to keep you entertained. Director Abhinay Deo does a good job of making the script seem more that it actually is, and what helps it along are hilarious performances by Vir Das and Kunal Roy Kapur. Imran Khan, meanwhile, clearly enjoying himself in a part with no star cravings, sportingly allows his co-stars to take the lion's share of jokes.

There is nothing deep in the movie. No, unlike the name suggests, its no Ode to Delhi. Its just a story portrayed with utmost reality. The Abuses and other "Adultery" could have been avoided, but that is what that makes this movie stand out from lot and makes it "Not-Just-another" Bolly flick. The language and filthy picturisation gives it authenticity and makes it look really real!

The Uncanny satire and an impeccable background score, probably his best till date, by Ram Sampath makes this a Movie that you'll want to watch with your Buddies surely more than once!

Four rating and Two Huge THUMBS UP for Aamir Khan and Abhinay Deo's Delhi Belly! GO ON! Have a Good Laugh:D

RATING : 4/5

The Blind Side - A Feel Good Movie

By: Thejas Krishnan on 10:43 PM

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Jae Head

Director: John Lee Hancock

The Blind side starring Sandra Bullock, is the kind of remarkable true story that has been portrayed with a heart. It's a feel-good movie that never stops feeling good.

Adapted from a nonfiction bestseller, The Blind Side is about a wealthy white American family that takes in a homeless black teenager and encourages him to play football. What makes the film relevant is the fact that the kid in question, Michael Oher is an actual NFL player!

Sandra Bullock stars as Leigh Anne Tuohy, an stern mother of two, who spots the black kid (played by Quinton Aaron) near her children's school on a cold winter night, clad only in a T-shirt and shorts. When she learns that he studies in the same class as her daughter and appears to have nowhere to go, she invites him to stay the night in their sprawling home. The boy's very grateful, but barely speaks at all. Leigh Anne and her family, however, insist that Michael lives with them permanently, and they make him a part of the family.

Football fanatic that she is, Leigh Anne pushes Michael to pursue his interest in the game, making sure he's good enough to get on the school team, even teaching him a trick or two about how to block, based on his protecting instincts.

Quinton Aaron delivers an very subtle and understated performance as Oher, who's portrayed as something of a near-mute saint in this film. He shows no interest in girls or in making friends. He just hangs out quietly around Leigh Anne's kids and establishes more or less invisible but deep-rooted bonds with them. But the near mute quietness works for him as the audience is moved to tears by his innocent dialogues. He remains expression less but still has an amazing effect on people. Oddly for a film about this kid, The Blind side turns Oher into a supporting character in his own movie!

The star here, you see, is Sandra Bullock, and this is her best role yet. Her performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy is somewhat crafted to get her the Oscar, which she does.Bullock plays Leigh Anne as a feisty mom who is not afraid to show her tricks by marching in on an ongoing Football practice. But her most cringe-worthy moment has got to be the one at a lunch table where one of her high-society friends refers to Oher and remarks to Leigh Anne: "You're changing that boy's life." She replies, her eyes going moist: "No, he' changing mine."

Ultimately, The Blind Side is a heart warming movie.Nothing more,nothing less.....

Rating: 3.5 / 5

My Top 5 Movie Series

By: Thejas Krishnan on 5:20 PM

5.James Bond Franchise

4.The Matrix

3.Pirates of Caribbean

2.Indiana Jones

1.Ocean's Series

The Social Network- A Smart Movie

By: Thejas Krishnan on 5:45 PM

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake

Director: David Fincher

The Social Network is a Movie based on the creation and developement of technology that is sweeping up everybody, Facebook . Though the original corporation denied the story and their support how-so-ever, they've come up with a smart movie.

Jesse Eisenberg stars as Mark Zuckerberg, the geeky Harvard student who in 2004 started Facebook in his dorm room, launching a social media revolution, and becoming the world's youngest billionaire at 26.

Zuckerberg's rise to fame also spawned two lawsuits, the first from fellow Harvard students, the Winklevoss twins who accused him of stealing their idea and turning it into Facebook.

Zuckerberg was also sued by the site's initial financial backer and his only friend, Eduardo Saverin (played by Andrew Garfield), for denying him fair credit and his promised share of profits.

The real Zuckerberg, however, has dismissed the film as pure fiction. It's not hard to see why.The film portrays Zuckerberg as a neurotic nerd who has terrible social skills; who came up with the idea of Facebook after he was dumped by his girlfriend; and who sold out the only friend who stood by him.

Zuckerberg may not be shown in a flattering light, but he makes for a compelling character. The great irony, and the film's key observation, is that the man who connected as many as 500 million people through a common platform, might himself be the loneliest guy in the world.

The director David Fincher and writer Sorkin have to credited for their intelligent potrayal. this somber film is also peppered with some genius dialogues and apt music which makes it an exciting watch.

Overall The Social Network is a Smart movie, for people who like facts put cut and staright.But some where it shows vague and raw human emotions on the backdrop of the technical phenomenon called facebook.

Rating 3.5/5

Urumi-A visual Spectacle

By: Thejas Krishnan on 4:15 PM

Director : Santhosh Sivan

Cast : Prithviraj, Genilia D'Souza , Prabhu Deva

Well if you saw "A Santosh Sivan Film " on the posters, well they were not kidding. With High Defenition Video Quality and breath taking Scenery Santhosh Sivan gives his audiance a visual Spectacle.

Prithviraj stars as Chirakkal Kelu Nayanar, a rebel whose only aim in life is to Kill Vasco Da Gamma who slaughtered his father and other clan members. Prabhudeva plays Vavali, Kelu brother like companion who always fights beside. Genelia comes in as Aisha, Warrior princes of Arakkal, the only gallant lady in the fight against Portuguese. Story goes on as how these people capture gamma's son and how they try to build a army of common peasants to suppress the colonial emperor.

Like any historical movie, it takes a whole 3 hours to finish. But the sheer Charm of its leads tend to hold the viewers attention. Prithviraj as Kelu delivers a "By the Book" performance, not over shooting at any instance. Genelia exhibits Character in her most compelling role till date. She potrays a Warrior quite elegantly and never looks out of place. Prabhudeva also did a commendable job, providing the few laughs at instances.

The reason why Vidhya Balan was brought in as Makkam, still remains a mystery.She absolutely does nothing but waste a few minutes of Screen time showcasing her "not so toned " body in a song, which is quite literally VULGAR!

Nithya Menon as the princess also adds a few moments of enjoyable time. But above all, Santhosh sivan has to be credited for his vision. Here we see vintage Santhosh sivan with beaultiful clouded valleys, fog covered mountains and caves inside waterfalls. Something takes you back to the sets of Manirathnam's Raavan.As a director also, Sivan Inspires a art. Literally he is a Claude Monet with a camera!

The main reson why this movie isn't one of the best is partly because of its script. Even though the first half is kept interesting, the secong half lacks twists. Nothing too much Extraordinary happens and climax moves in with the anticipations of the audience. This Ensures the Originality of the story but does a little to make it interesting.

Overall, Urumi isn't the best Historical Movie ever made, But i think its Much more enjoyable than Pazhashiraja!

Rating : 3.75/5