Movies : Delhi 6 | Valkyrie | Pink Panther 2

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Delhi 6 **** (The journey within)

d6Movie Details Drama

Starring Abhishek Bachchan, Om Puri, Waheeda Rahman,  Rishi Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni
Divya Dutta, Deepak Dobriyal, Cyrus Sahukar

Release Date February 20, 2009

Screenwriter
Producer Ronnie Screwvala
Music A.R. Rahman
Cinematography Binod Pradhan

Runtime 138 minutes
Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Writers Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Prasoon Joshi, Kamlesh Pandey

Website http://www.delhi6.co.in/

Review

The first few minutes into the movie and I am thinking : PSYCHEDELIC

It takes you from normal to very high powered activity and then some dull moments and then a thoughtful climax.

I think people who are very close to Delhi and know Delhi very well will find a connection with the movie. But the social message with the inimitable brand of Indian humor will not go un-noticed.

You will be blasted with the musical and theatrical display of the characters, sometimes it would be too much. I liked it as I like musicals of any kind. But I could see that many did not.

So anyway,  the story could be woven from someone’s daily life and the first half of the story makes you think where is it leading upto ? Is it a la Nukkad ( an old TV serial ) or Ek Chaabi Hai Pados mein ( another TV serial on the same lines) but then as we move with the characters and the story, its like looking inside ourselves and that too not so comfortably.  I liked the way it went from silly to really serious. It was a magnified and a detructive form of Cinese Whisper game where religion, politics, superstitions and whole social framework gets exploited into this grizzly drama where no one is recognizable. Only our fear and guilt rules. But like the law of nature, the flip side of the coin also is shown where the result of this outburst also removes all layers and ilusions and forces us to face the fact that we could be led anywhere and its our choice as to what and where we want to be. Also the fact that we do not need to be outside the system to make the system work. We need to do it from inside and it starts from us individuals. I like the message that inspite of everything India Works !!!

So maybe the movie has too much of music. You might not have the patience for it if you do not enjoy plays or nautankis. But otherwise, its cool. I love all the songs. The Genda Phool song is stuck to my head.

Characters are very well placed. I liked the fact that each character has a story for you to weave. I love the sense of humor in very droll scenes.

Romance between Abhishek and Sonam : ZILCH

I don’t know if it was deliberate or the movie was trying to be subtle about the romantic angle. I thought it was too subtle and was invisible.

Anyway if you want to read about the music check this

I would also recommend this review. I liked the way it was written. I felt that she connected with the story well.

Valkyrie ** (Many saw evil. They dared to stop it.)

valkyrie_posterMovie Details Drama

Release date December 25, 2008 (US)

Starring Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Carice van Houten, Eddie Izzard
Terence Stamp, Tom Wilkinson
Music John Ottman
Cinematography Newton Thomas Sigel
Editing John Ottman
Distributed MGM

Running time 120 min
Director Bryan Singer
Writer Christopher McQuarrie, Nathan Alexander
Producer Christopher McQuarrie, Bryan Singer, Gilbert Adler

Review

Well, having seen some good true stories made like Schindler’s List and I did expect some good watch time.. but then this movie has been predictable and somewhat boring to the end.

It was as if you could walk through the script and even predict who will do what..

Mind you, I did not know the story of Stauffenberg in detail. However, I remember some mention of it in the mini series by Hitler.

I did think that the cinematography was good and the editing was also decent. But I would expect that the writer would keep you on the edge of the story given how explosive the plot was.

There were many scenes where the emotion and the suspense could have been explored further to keep the audience thrilled. But then it just did not work for me.

Maybe it will work for you.  :)

Pink Panther 2 ** ( Inspect the unexpected)

pinkpMovie Details Adventure | Comedy | Family | Mystery

Release date 6 February 2009 (USA)

Starring Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Alfred Molina, Emily Mortimer, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Andy García, Yuki Matsuzaki, Johnny Halliday

Running time 92 min

Producer Robert Simonds
Writer Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber

Director Harald Zwart

Review

This movie had a mixed reaction from me. Steve Martin is funny but not great. I did like the Pink Panther 1 better though. The entry of Ash just did not add that zing which you can feel when a slinky character comes in. Someone like Uma Thurman or like Catherine Zeta Zones. She only made the movie droller, if possible.

I still maintain that there are very few sequels that have held the same power as the main story. Like most sequels, it did fall flat.  There are moments of humor but then we have seen that before and it was no longer as funny as to have a good laugh.

Watch it in the DVD or watch the first one if you have not seen it already. You might enjoy that.

A very forgettable movie !

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Just Movies

Filed in Blog | movies | reviews | TV 5 Comments

Changeling

( Never start a fight… but always finish it.)

changeling Movie Details : Crime | Drama | Mystery
Release Date : Cannes Film Festival: May 20, 2008
United States: October 24, 2008 (limited), October 31, 2008 (wide)
United Kingdom: November 26, 2008
Australia: February 5, 2009

Starring
Angelina Jolie …     Christine Collins
Gattlin Griffith …     Walter Collins
John Malkovich …     Rev. Gustav Briegleb
Jason Butler Harner …     Gordon Northcott
Jeffrey Donovan …     Capt. J.J. Jones

Run Time : 2 hrs 20 mins
Director: Clint Eastwood
Produced by :    Clint Eastwood, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard,Robert Lorenz
Cinematography :     Tom Stern
Writer : J. Michael Straczynski 

Review

A recount of a true story based on Wineville Chicken Coop Murders; An American period story circa 1928, a time which showcases the state of  Los Angeles Police Dept (LAPD) which was as corrupt and full of politics. It also touches the social status of women and Code 12 status of LAPD.

Walter Collins is found missing at home by his mom Christine Collins one day. She lodges a complaint with the LAPD. Christine Collins is told that the LAPD has found her son but she goes and sees that the boy is not her son. On telling Capt Jones the same, she is advised to “try him out for a couple of weeks,” which she does but she gets back to the police because she knows its not the truth.

The LAPD is not willing to admit its mistake and forces her to accept this boy as her son. When she is unwilling to accept that, she is put into the psychopath ward to prove that she is delusional and derelict under “Code 12″ internment—a term used to jail or commit someone who was deemed difficult or an inconvenience.

Reverend Gustav Briegleb talks about this case over the radio, the only means of public communication then and makes the public aware of her plight.

As the plot unfolds, the audience is taken through the different phases of the story which is captivating. Its not too in your face and its not too melodramatic. Its just right for you to get inside the story.

I love the digitization they did for the skylines and the whole look of the film.

Given the fact that Clint Eastwood is involved and if you remember Million Dollar baby, you will see that there are no frills in the direction. Economical is the word I have heard reviewers use and I would agree with them.

Mind you, dont go watch this movie with your adrenalin pumping. You need to really have the mood to have the movie sink in. It grows on you and at the end.. you are left with a very “whole” feeling.

A good movie. Not much to say. You have to experience it.

Had its loopholes but then I am deliberately ignoring them since the whole movie  and the strength of the script outweighs them.

My tiny pet peeve :

I could have done without having Angelina’s bright red pouty lips thrown at my face. Sometimes its was too much to take. Each frame presented the characters story and personality and when it rested on Angelina, it was sometimes a bit too much to have them lips dominate the frame.. Sigh.. ( but thats just me)

Seraphim Falls

seraphim-fallsMovie Details : Drama | Thriller | War | Western

Released on Jan 26, 2007 Limited

Starring
Pierce Brosnan – Gideon
Liam Neeson – Carver

Directed by David Von Ancken
Produced by Bruce Davey, David Flynn, John Limotte, Stan Wlodkowski
Written by David Von Ancken, Abby Everett Jaques
Run Time 1 hr 55 mins
Music by Harry Gregson-Williams
Cinematography John Toll
Editing by Conrad Buff

Review

Caught this in Star Movies in TV.  It was a Sunday evening and I wanted to watch a good movie and well this fit the bill as I was surfing the channels.

Set in the 1860s, Gideon is shot and tracked by five men led by Colonel Morsman Carver (Liam Neeson), a Confederate officer to avenge a grudge he has against Gideon.

The story works on these two main characters, the whole story takes us tracking and surving with them. The whole story is full of ” what will happen next” and keeps us in our chair with our Vodka. And with the two of my favorite actors, Liam N and Pierce B, I enjoyed this movie to the hilt.

Till the end of the movie, the audience is left wondering at what actually happened at Seraphim Falls?

A good watch.. while you laze around.. :)

Last Dance

last-dance

Movie Details : Drama| Prison| Melodrama| Suspense

Released on 3 May 1996 (USA)

Starring
Sharon Stone Cindy Liggett
Rob Morrow Rick Hayes
Randy Quaid Sam Burns
Peter Gallagher John Hayes
Jack Thompson The Governor

Run Time : 1 hr, 43 min

Director: Bruce Beresford
Writers : Steven Haft  & Ron Koslow
more

Caught this by accident. Though it comes nowhere to Silence of The Lambs, it is a good story for a rainy day. Sharon Stone is good in her role.

I would not jump high for this movie but yeah its a nice one.

The story revolves round Cindy Ligget, who is serving sentence for 12 years on death row for murdering two teenage classmates. She seems to be quiet and has accepted her sentence. Rick, a lawyer desperate for a job, comes along and takes up this case tries to stay her execution.

Here too, the story encounters politics and power which gives an inevitable twist to the story and just when you think that the end would be something, it goes on to surprise you yet not so much.

Wild Hogs

wildhogs

Movie Details : Action | Adventure | Comedy

Released on 2 March 2007 (USA)

Starring
Tim Allen Doug Madsen
John Travolta Woody Stevens
Martin Lawrence Bobby Davis
William H. Macy Dudley Frank
Ray Liotta Jack
Marisa Tomei      Maggie

Directed by     Walt Becker
Produced by Kristin Burr, Todd Lieberman, Brian Robbins, Amy Sayres, Sharla Sumpter, Michael Tollin
Written by Brad Copeland

Runtime 1 hr 40 mins
Cinematography Robbie Greenberg
Editing by Christopher Greenbury

Review

What can I say ? I loved the movie. If you are in a wacky mood and love biking, catch this.  Its a satiric and somewhat realistic take on wannabes hidden under all that humor.  I like the fast script and well to certain extent the unpredictability. Humor has to be spontaneous so well I laughed my way through the movie..

Not to be watched with kids though.. some adult content there.. :)

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