Movies You Watched This Month – March 2014

skse Shaadi Ke Side Effects Official Synopsis
With time the intimacy in most marriages falls apart. But not Sid and Trisha’s marriage… They just can’t keep their hands of each other in spite of being married for years! But Sid has a secret behind this: “When I make a mistake, I say sorry… And when my wife makes a mistake, I say sorry!” This diffuses conflict in a marriage and prevents the slow death of intimacy. Then Trisha gets accidentally pregnant and expresses her desire to have a child. But Sid is not ready to bear the responsibility of fatherhood. His career as a musician has still not taken off. But in an effort to avoid conflict, he hides his reluctance. And agrees to have the child. This is just the start of issues that have creep in their marriage… Do priorities change? What happens next is the BIG question mark! ‘Shaadi Ke Side Effects’ is a quirky and humorous story dealing with a serious issue of decision making and sharing in a married life!

Some scenes were funny like the one where Sid gives advice to that hotel manager or the one where he keeps waking up when the baby cries. The scene where his friends show up to watch a soccer match and the scene where he cuts his birthday cake were very good too. The scene where he forgets his daughter with the horse rider was unbelievable.

The movie should have had Sid in some regular job instead of being a musician. It felt as if the movie was about really rich people and their problems and completely away from the reality of most people. And it did not even make sense that Sid has to go somewhere else when he is hardly shown taking care of his daughter and he has a full time servant to take care of the kid. The songs were bad and all felt unnecessary in the movie.

Farhan Akhtar was ok as Sid. He was funny in the initial part of the movie. Vidya Balan was good but she looked overweight even in the initial parts when she was not supposed to be. Ram Kapoor was good too. Rati Agnihotri did not have much of a role. Vir Das was ok. Ila Arun’s role started off with so much build up only to deceive.

The movie started off ok with a scene inspired from a scene from the movie New York, I Love You. It was funny for the first hour or so even though there were a few silly scenes. But after that the movie completely lost the plot when Sid started living at some other place. The fight and all felt like it was there just to add some drama. The twist in the climax felt so bold for a few minutes but then it was like having the cake and eating it too. If one has nothing better to do then may be they can just watch the first hour and stop watching.

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90 Comments
  1. Ipman 10 years ago

    farhan akhtar is increasingly taking himself seriously as a star and proportinaly becoming more and more crap by the day

  2. FS 10 years ago

    I stopped reading your reviews on Hindi Movies as you try to find logic in everything 😛

    Watched Highway – Weird movie and didn’t understand a thing about the purpose of the movie because definitely it was not for entertainment. Aliya looked like a clone of Kareena Kapoor in all emotional and crying scenes but did it wonderfully. Liked her acting in some scenes and in most she was over acting. Loved her last emotional outburst in front of her family.

    Aliya falling for Randeep Hooda was a fucking unbelievable stuff. Till her kidnapping it was totally engaging but later on it lost its track and turned out pretty weird and cliched stuff.

    • Author
      sputnik 10 years ago

      Logic is important unless the movie is a fantasy or may be just a silly comedy.

      “The difference between life and the movies is that a script has to make sense, and life doesn’t.” – Joseph L. Mankiewicz

  3. sanket porwal 10 years ago

    “Some scenes were funny like the one where Sid gives advice to that hotel manager or the one where he keeps waking up when the baby cries. The scene where his friends show up to watch a soccer match and the scene where he cuts his birthday cake were very good too. The scene where he forgets his daughter with the horse rider was unbelievable.

    The movie should have had Sid in some regular job instead of being a musician. It felt as if the movie was about really rich people and their problems and completely away from the reality of most people. And it did not even make sense that Sid has to go somewhere else when he is hardly shown taking care of his daughter and he has a full time servant to take care of the kid. ”

    Agree with this part. I dont agree about Farhan though. He was very good.

    • Author
      sputnik 10 years ago

      Like I said Farhan was funny in the initial part and I liked him a lot till then. He wasn’t bad and I said he was ok. But after the first hour his scenes became repetitive. The movie did not have any real story after that and neither his character.

  4. Bored 10 years ago

    I found some respect for Highway after watching SKSE … most funny part here is Vidya’s current shape.

  5. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    An Afghan Love Story (Wajma) Soon after waiter Mustafa woos pretty student Wajma, they begin a covert relationship that’s as passionate as it is risky in their Afghan culture. But when Wajma becomes pregnant, her father must choose between tradition and mercy.

    The movie was Afganistan’s entry to the Oscars in the Foreign Language Film category. It wasn’t much of a love story. Its the usual old story where the guy ditches the girl after she gets pregnant but its the setting that made it different. Was surprised to see some modernity in the initial part contrary to what one generally associates with Afghanistan. But once she became pregnant it was back to normal with the father beating the daughter and locking her up for bringing disrepute to the family. Some scenes were very good like the one where the father beats up the daughter or the one where he goes to meet the guy and the one where the father tries to find out if its legal to kill the guy involved.

    Wajma Bahar was very good as Wajma. Mustafa Habibi was good as the guy who takes advantage of her and dumps her. Haji Gul Aser was very good as the father.

    —————————–

    American Gigolo Julian Kaye (Richard Gere) is a high-class escort for lonely women in this drama written and directed by Paul Schrader. When one of Julian’s tricks turns up dead, his actual client refuses to give him an alibi, and Detective Sunday (Hector Elizondo) keeps asking questions Julian can’t answer. Seems the only person who can help Julian now is his one non-paying lover, a local politician’s wife (Lauren Hutton).

    The movie though very slow paced was set up like a good murder mystery/suspense thriller but just tamed out in the end with a stupid ending. It was shot very stylistically and the cinematography was very good.

    Richard Gere was good and he looked very stylish. Though the movie shows him only with women there are some scenes where its made pretty clear that he also used to be an escort for male clients. Lauren Hutton was good and looked pretty. Hector Elizondo was good as the detective.

    • hithere 10 years ago

      “Blue is the warmest color” is on Netflix instant.

      • Author
        sputnik 10 years ago

        Yeah saw that its on Netflix Instant and had already added it to my queue. But the 179 min length made me put it off for another day 🙂

        • hithere 10 years ago

          haha…I saw it on DVD and returned it today only to find it on instant. Movie has good second half. Film could have been less than 2 hours without losing much. Very good acting and music.

          • FS 10 years ago

            the sex scenes are better than porn movies. i was about to recommend it just for those lesbo scenes 😉

          • cr7 10 years ago

            Agree FS . I haven’t deleted the movie yet only for those scenes . Didn’t like the movie much .

          • Author
            sputnik 10 years ago

            Agree with you that Blue is the Warmest Color has a good second half and that the film could have been less than 2 hours without losing much.

            Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos were both excellent.

  6. Ipman 10 years ago

    saw no strings attached. was told that this was not as good as freinds with benefits. but i found this a lot better. its rare for a film to show two fuckbuddies where the guy falls in love with the girl and its the girl who doesnt care.the characters are more interesting in this

    • Author
      sputnik 10 years ago

      Good point on the “guy falls in love with the girl and its the girl who doesnt care”.

      Here are my comments on both No Strings Attached and Friends With Benefits.

      “No Strings Attached is a usual romantic comedy starring Aston Kutcher and Natalie Portman. Just timepass stuff. Aston Kutcher and Natalie Portman were good.” Link

      ——

      “Friends with Benefits This raucous rom-com chronicles the relationship of two busy singles, Dylan (Justin Timberlake) and Jamie (Mila Kunis), who agree to include sex in their friendship — minus the emotions and commitment. But things get complicated.

      Started off well and was funny with the sharp witty dialogues but lost its way in the second half with the usual cliched melodrama.

      It’s one more movie based on The Deal episode of Seinfeld. No Strings attached which released the same year is based on the same The Deal concept. Here is a link which sarcastically talks about the differences between the two movies.

      https://www.hollywood.com/news/movies/7819578/7-crucial-differences-between-friends-with-benefits-and-no-strings-attached

      Justin Timberlake was ok. Mila Kunis looked hot and acted well. Woody Harrelson was good.” Link

      • Ipman 10 years ago

        is forgetting sarah marshall a good film?

        • Author
          sputnik 10 years ago

          Haven’t seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall

          • Ipman 10 years ago

            ok, downloading when harry met sally

          • cr7 10 years ago

            Forgetting sarah marshal is a good time pass movie . There are some funny scenes .

        • Serenzy 10 years ago

          Timepass hain…. But you don’t like such stuff and all so you might not like it.

  7. narad_muni 10 years ago

    Watched Nebraska – Such a heart-warming story and definitely one of the best movies of 2013!
    The story is about an old man who believes he has won a prize woth $1M and he has to travel to Nebraska to claim it…Knowing fully well that he hasn’t won anything, his younger son decides to take him to Nebraska to help him live his fantasy.
    The movie is shot so beautifully in black&white – each frame looks picture perfect. It’s a very sensitive story handled expertly by Alexander Payne. Bruce Dern was superb as the drunk old man trying to live his fantasy! I liked Alexander Payne’s previous work Descendants but this one is much better.
    This movie deserves the Oscars much more than over-hyped films like American Hustle… don’t miss it! 4.5/5 for me

  8. FS 10 years ago

    HOMEFRONT – Typical Jason Stathom movie, full blown action masala film that is occupied with his trade mark moves that are very entertaining and pleasing to watch along with a good cliched script. liked it very much. Recommended to those who like his films.

  9. Saurabh 10 years ago

    Agree with narad muni. Nebraska is easily one of the best films made last year. Much better than American Hustle, Wolf of Wall Street. Such a simple story. Reminiscent of Basu Chatterjee and Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s movies. Also, Will Forte’s character, his acting is comparable to Amol Palekar’s. Along with Bruce Dern and June Squibb, he should also have been nominated. Such a strong and effective portrayal of a simple and normal guy who just wants to be there for his father out of the worry that he may not be around for long . I guess the role wasn’t flashy enough (crazy, gay, tormented, depressed, sadistic) for Academy voters to consider Will. Easily much better acting than Bradley Cooper. Perhaps when he gets old and has created a great body of work after 30-40 years, they’ll consider his name, like they did with Dern.

    • cr7 10 years ago

      Agreed . Nebraska and rush are my two favorite movies of last year . I am a big fan of Alwxander payne .Liked The descendants and sideways. Love the humor in his movie .

    • Author
      sputnik 10 years ago

      Looks like everyone here liked Nebraska. Good point about Will Forte’s character and acting being comparable to Amol Palekar’s. He was very good and could have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

      My comment on the movie.

      “Very good movie but its very leisurely paced though. Its from the director of The Descendants which I had liked a lot too. The movie has been nominated for 6 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Its about the relationship between old parents and the children. There are layers to each character and they are not what they initially appear to be.

      Bruce Dern was excellent as the old man who thinks he won the million dollars and he has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor. I did not recognize that he was the same actor who played Mia Farrow’s husband in The Great Gatsby. Will Forte was very good as the caring son. June Squibb was excellent as the bitchy mother and she has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Stacy Keach and Bob Odenkirk were good too.” Link

  10. Nilda 10 years ago

    Watched Dharm- Liked it.. Agree with Sputnik on Pankaj Kapoor and the kid, both were very good. I though its a 70’s movie, did not know that it was released only in 2007. thanks for other recommendations on the other thread.

    Has anyone seen Club 60? hows it ?

  11. FS 10 years ago

    First 50 days – is a feel good romcom movie with witty lines. Liked it but was expecting it to be on par with best romcoms.

    • Serenzy 10 years ago

      50 First Dates?
      Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, right?

  12. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    About Last Night… Rob Lowe and Demi Moore star as two veterans of the Chicago singles scene trying their best to get comfortable with the “c” word: commitment. Both consult their well-meaning friends: one a wisecracking sex adviser and the other a doubting girlfriend.

    Its a romantic movie. Had already watched the movie a couple of times many years back and had liked it a lot back then. Its a 1986 movie and so it felt a bit dated now. Their initial meeting and moving in together and then fighting over little things and their falling apart was good. The movie could have ended at one point but it dragged a bit longer.

    Rob Lowe was good but he had this almost dumb look some times. A pre silicone implants Demi Moore looked very pretty and there are a few nude/sex scenes. She acted very well and was very good specially in scenes where she was being sarcastic. James Belushi was good but his character is that of a loud obnoxious friend. Both Rob and James looked a bit old for the way they were behaving. Elizabeth Perkins was good as Demi’s friend.

  13. FS 10 years ago

    12 years of Slave – Definitely the best directed movie of 2013. Few scenes in the movie are so natural and brilliantly shot and performed, they evoke so much emotions that you go numb with teary eyes. I don’t know much history about slavery and how far would whites go in punishing/abusing/victimizing/molesting blacks in purview of owning them as property but this film stands out from others in performance and natural reactions emoted onscreen. Just brilliant. Highly Recommended!!!

    Nebraska – I didn’t understand why the film is in white and black but even though it is in w/b, it was entertaining for most of the part. It is too slow in between but that does not affect the rhythm and flow of the film. The old man has performed fabulous, the old woman is fantastic and should have won Oscar for supporting actress. Rest of the cast were very good too including those two fat cousins. Recommended!!!

  14. FS 10 years ago

    Yaariyan – Couldn’t go past beyond 10 mins. Didn’t understand whether they made a bad film or a bad spoof? Ridiculous.

  15. FS 10 years ago

    In a World – Its a movie about struggling voice over artist in a world of top voice over artists. The film is a feel good movie and predictable but entertaining. Liked it and Recommended

  16. FS 10 years ago

    Afternoon Delight – It was pretty interesting movie in the beginning but it dragged and dragged like a hell later on. Had to fast forward most of the time and I really didn’t understand for what purpose they made this movie? Weird stuff.

  17. Ipman 10 years ago

    just back from 300 rise of an empire.decent film. entertaining action. stylishly over the top and clean. eva green is the best of the cast as the villian.

    • cr7 10 years ago

      I didn’t like the prequel .

      You should watch “The dreamers” to see everything of Eva green 😛 . And the bonus is you”ll get a movie to bash forever . One of the most pointless movie ever.

      • FS 10 years ago

        lol… I always think of watching this movie “the dreamers” but end up watching those two love making scenes and move on to next film. Bad thing I did was I tried to skim through it and when you end up watching those scenes you don’t feel to watch the rest of the movies.

      • Ipman 10 years ago

        hmm. read that there is a very rough sex scene in the film but as soon as it started it was edited in the thetare. bloody bastrads!

        i agree with this review 😀

        “Fortunately, I was very much impressed with the performance of the antagonist. Thanks to Eva Green, who delivers a sexy and bad-ass turn as Artemisia, I was not totally disappointed with the film. At first I thought it was only a big gimmick to have a female as the naval commander of Persia. However, as it turns out, Ms. Green would completely own this film. If not for her, I believe this film would tank big time.”

        https://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/03/06/14/review-eva-green-saves-300-rise-empire

      • Ipman 10 years ago

        yes even i didnt like the prequel much except its cinematogrpahy which was excellent. same case here. ok film, amazing cinematorgraphy and camera work. i saw it in 3d so it was very good experience. but the biggest highlight in the film is eva green undoubtedly. she is rocking as the bad ass villain as the review said. superb acting, looks, fight etc. my fav scene is when she slices the head of a fighter and then kisses the lips of the head. she had some epic dialogues too ” you fight harder than you fuck” 😀

        • cr7 10 years ago

          Yup . Even the prequel had great cinematography .I’m sure it will be a good watch in 3D . And Eve green is always Good .

          • Ipman 10 years ago

            I have become her fan 😉 thanks for recco.going to download the dreamers

          • FS 10 years ago

            I liked 300 a lot because I saw it when it released. It was totally a different movie for me coz I had not seen anything like that before. The DVD sales were thrice than the actual collection in the theatre’s I guess or similar to that.

            But after that film there have been so many movies having similar cinematography that the main USP of the film itself don’t attract anymore. So I avoided this film and I didn’t even liked the promo.

          • Ipman 10 years ago

            the action in this is better than 300. 300 was almost everything in ultra slow mo qnd mostly on the land. here its in real time motion too. there are 2 long war scenes on the water in ships. choreography /cinematography is good in it

          • FS 10 years ago

            lol wikipedia has totally different info 😛 As far as I remember I read that 300 dvd sales were the highest record breaking numbers and collection were triple than the ticket sale. Not sure I read it wrong or they printed wrong.

          • FS 10 years ago

            After 300, I could like only Spartacus series with similar theme and cinematography.

  18. FS 10 years ago

    The Terror Live – It’s Korean Movie about the coverage of Terrorist activity live on camera together with broadcasting live conversation with terrorist himself. It’s a little similar to “Phone booth” but in a totally different format altogether but when you watch this you do recall “Phone booth” in between. Was entertaining and Good.

  19. FS 10 years ago

    The Past – This is a slow Iraninan movie but totally engrossing and different. Actually I saw this movie last month and had totally forgotten to mention about it. I really liked it and the performances from everyone the husband to be divorced, the boyfriend to be married and the daughter having her own issues and even the lady worker in the laundry really put up quite an interesting performances.

    • cr7 10 years ago

      Liked it a lot . One of my favorite movies of last year . In fact its as good as A separation for me if not better .

  20. Serenzy 10 years ago

    “I liked 300 a lot because I saw it when it released. It was totally a different movie for me coz I had not seen anything like that before. ”

    Agree with this view point, FS…. I’ve heard many say that over the years.
    I too liked 300 very much on my 1st watch.

    And guess what… I’d rented it’s DVD from a local store and had watched it. Tabhi yeh torrents wagera ka kuch idea nahi tha naa 😀 🙂

    • FS 10 years ago

      I love you Champ. I hardly see you comment and most of the time you read and reply to my comments 😉

  21. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Intersection In the wake of a terrible car wreck, award-winning architect Vincent Eastman (Richard Gere) sees his life in flashbacks, recalling his separation from his beautiful but aloof wife (Sharon Stone) and his affair with a joyful and passionate journalist (Lolita Davidovich). With the help of ace cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, director Mark Rydell crafts a glossy, star-studded update to the 1970 French romantic drama Les Choses De La Vie.

    The movie is a remake of a 1970 French movie and it was very weird. It was very confusing with all the flashbacks. A few scenes were horrible filled with bad acting.

    Richard Gere was ok. Sharon Stone was decent. Lolita Davidovich was bad and not pretty.

  22. Zacked 10 years ago

    Finished True Detective. Loved it. Not sure about others if they will like it or not. Superb characters and awesome acting. McConaughey should be getting all the awards and i am sure Woody Harrelson will get a few. Those who were looking for some twists will be a bit disappointed.

    CR7 do watch it and dont go all 8 episodes in one go. Take some break between each episode. You will like it more.

    I might watch it again.

    • cr7 10 years ago

      Sure .Its a must watch.I have downloaded all episodes .Will start soon .Whatever I read about True detective It sounds like The killing in term of story telling .Its made by the same guys . The killing was also dedicated to one case . Slow in pace but It was a good one . Have u seen it ? And r u watching House of cards ?

      OT: Great win against Everton .Messed up in the league but Looks like we are favorite to win FA cup . I’ll be happy with any trophy this season . Hope the team plays the same as they played against Everton.

  23. Zacked ou 10 years ago

    i have started Suits.. also finished around 5 episodes of house of cards … need to download the remaining episodes. loved kevin spacey.

    OT. yes good win against Everton and with Manchester City loosing against Wigan FA cup is.ours to lose. Hopeflly we will get that trophy monkey off our back. Also strangely have a feeling that we will win against Bayern and make it to quarters with Ozil running circles around them.. what do you reckon

  24. alfa.one 10 years ago

    EK Doctor ki maut – Watched it last week end. A wonderful movie and top notch performances from lead cast Pankaj kapoor, Shabana Azmi and debutante Irrfan Khan. Though the movie is slow paced but worth watching. How to kill and suppress hard work due to Professional jealousy and abuse of power is shown in the movie. The movie is based on true life story of a research scholar.

    Must give a try and am sure will enjoy it.

  25. alfa.one 10 years ago

    Mujhe jeene Do – Watched after watching Ek doctor ki maut – I dont think there is a better movie on dacoits than this one. No one can be better than Late Sunil Dutt who was lead actor of the film. I found every thing top class in the movie like the performances, story and music by Jaidev.

  26. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    She’s So Lovely Eddie and Maureen are crazy about each other. When a neighbor attacks Maureen, Eddie snaps — a move that ends up costing him 10 years of his life.

    It started off as a serious movie and then turned into a dysfunctional comedy. It was very weird but kind of entertaining with the weird characters and good performances.

    Sean Penn was good specially after he comes out from the mental institution. His acting was somewhat like I am Sam but he was better here and this came out earlier than I am Sam. Robin Wright was good but her character was very weird. John Travolta was good.

  27. FS 10 years ago

    American Hustle – Movie is nothing but an entertaining stuff and the performances by Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer lawrence and Amy Adams is fantastic. Liked the chemistry between bale and amy as well as between amy and cooper. The Climax was not even remotely surprising and the only difference this film had is Bale with a Belly. This guy is seriously a diet perfectionist. His sudden transformation in weight is astonishing.

  28. FS 10 years ago

    The Wolf of the Wall Street – First half was really interesting but second half was totally ridiculous. Too much overacting and director himself might have got confused, how to end this film. Not impressed with Leonardo’s film and his performance after a very long time. Even Great Gabsy was much better than this.

  29. Saurabh 10 years ago

    TWOWS was a totally ridiculous movie coz it was meant to be that way. And everyone embraced the OTT nature of the story and characters with nothing held back. It mocks the American culture of money, sex and drugs while running a serious risk of alienating the audiences. Jordan Belfort made some serious cash, but he also made up many ridiculous stories along the way. I think DiCaprio’s overacting was justified here. And the movie is definitely not for everyone.

    BTW, how’s 300 Rise of an Empire? I’m skipping it for Captain America: The Winter Soldier next month.

    • FS 10 years ago

      It was meant to be that way? How can general audience know about it? It didn’t look as if it was meant to be that way, even if it meant that way, it didn’t convey it was meant to be ridiculous because it was totally a ridiculous second half.

      I felt that the concept of Captain America itself is pointless. He isn’t Hulk, neither fights like a superhero nor appear as a superhero. He was the worst in Avengers and first movie was total chutiyappa.

  30. Saurabh 10 years ago

    I frequent some of the comicbook message boards. And from what I gather, the US audiences really loved TWOWS. It was catered to rattle them and it did. Indian filmmakers and audiences still have to catch up with that kind of filmmaking. That’s why Scorsese is so highly regarded there.

    Regarding Captain America, I think he’s the most underrated superheroes in the Marvel Universe. And his characterization in The Avengers was lacking and drowned amidst more flashy characters like IM, Hulk, etc. He represents the old fashioned values and it’s an interesting thing to see if his traditional views about morality, right and wrong can help him in today’s world where the lines are blurred. CA The first avenger is an old fashioned heroes vs villains flick. I found it dull at first. But the more I see it. the more I appreciate the values which it wants to project. The thing I like about Cap is he isn’t tormented (Hulk) nor he’s a showoff or narcissistic(Tony Stark). It’s good to see a hero who doesn’t need a personal tragedy to motivate him to do the right thing. That’s true heroism, where you do stand for good without any hesitation.

    That’s another reason why I couldn’t bring myself in loving the movie. Captain America is the leader of the Avengers, but the script was tailored to suit Downey Jr as he’s the bigger star than Evans. So even in the posters Cap is behind while RDJ is in front. Add to that the awful suit. That CA suit is the worst superhero suit of all time I believe.

    I think Black Widow is a pointless character. She was just put in to put an obligatory female character and for the guys to drool over her figure (Thanks to that skin tight costume). Add to it Scarlett’s shitty acting where she just makes a serious face. Hawkeye’s a great character but even he was wasted. Even Renner was furious about his role.

    CA The Winter Soldier looks like a cross between Bourne, some Tom Clancy conspiracy thriller and obviously the superhero genre. Also his fighting style has evolved. Looks interesting.

    • Ipman 10 years ago

      why will majority of an audience love something which “rattles” them? the truth is wows makes the americans feel happy about the fabricated filmy life at wall street shown in the film. who would not love a movie about a guy in wall street who gets deals so easily by cold calling, gets to fuck women regularly and enjoys playing lawn tennis even in prison! its a ridiculous glorification of what actually is such a shallow character in such a low brow film;which thinks explaining an IPO process is demanding too much from the intellect of the audience. its an escapist film and that is why it is loved there

      • Bored 10 years ago

        Agreed – WOWS is more escapist than rattling. The love of audience also had more to do with the reputation of the makers/actors and Oscar hype, more than any rattling factor.

        I wud cite 3I as an analogy – it was the feel-good escapist factor that worked with the audience than its underlying message. Of course the message in 3I is a positive one, while WOWS revels in moral ambiguity – but both are similar packaged-products aimed for ‘prestige’ than what their actual merit deserves.

  31. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Valkyrie After being wounded in World War II, a disillusioned Nazi colonel hatches a daring plan to create a shadow government and assassinate Adolf Hitler.

    The movie is based on a true story but some of it specially the ending part felt too incredible. The plot was a bit complex to follow and while the movie was good it felt like there was something missing. May be it needed more back story for Stauffenberg and the other characters. Also since most of the actors were American and speaking with no German accent it felt odd. It managed to create suspense even though everyone knows that the assassination attempt was not successful.

    Tom Cruise has some facial resemblance with the real Stauffenberg but its hard to accept him as a German. His acting was a bit stiff too. Kenneth Branagh was ok. Bill Nighy was good. Tom Wilkinson was usual.

    —————

    It Could Happen to You A waitress gets a life-changing tip when a cop comes up short on pocket change and promises her half of his potential winnings from a lottery ticket.

    The movie is also based on a true story Link but the whole love story is made up. It was like one of those Christmas movies and it felt like a fairy tale with the goody goody lead characters.

    Nicolas Cage was good as the nice cop. Bridget Fonda looked pretty and was good as the waitress. Rosie Pérez was good in a character that was very annoying.

  32. Saurabh 10 years ago

    War Chhod Na Yaar Easy going war spoof and satire. Sharman and Javed were good. Sanjay Mishra was brilliantly OTT and Dalip Tahil was amusing in four roles (Especially the Punjabi dubbed Chinese). Manoj Pahwa was boring.

    Doesn’t take itself seriously except towards the end. Would have been great if the writers had decided to maintain an even tone throughout. Dialogues were a bit Kader Khan-ish at times which is good when comedy today is more about making weird faces and referencing other movies (which can leave those who haven’t seen those films clueless). Watch it if you just want to chill out and free yourself from some stress.

  33. FS 10 years ago

    Judgment at Nuremberg – The film is totally set in Courtroom from the beginning till end and I must confess that the performance by “Maximilian Schell” as “Hans Rolfe” is one of the best ever performance from any lawyer I have seen till now. He totally owned the show and the film. He was just incredible. The way he pitched his arguments and counter arguments rattled me. I was just waiting him to thrash the opponent along with the judge and I by no mean discrediting other actors in the film but he was The Best. Must watch and highly enjoyable film. Thanks for the recommendation @cr7, its Highly Recommended!!!

    Kramer v/s Kramer – This is another film where you don’t feel that you are watching the relationship of father and son on the reel, it is as real as it can get and Never in the film I felt it was an act for the film. It looked so pure and genuine. Dustin Hoffman is incredible and genuine as a father and Meryl Streep is so beautiful and resentful as a mother and a wife that you will have one hell of a time watching this movie. It never occurred to me about “Akele Hum Akele Tum” until Meryl comes back to get the custody of her child. I felt both were totally different movies till that point. I felt that there should have been a sequel to it and I wanted them to unite together at the end. It totally captivates and enthralls you with high emotions in the end. Thanks @Sputnik and it is Highly Recommended!!!

    Good Will Hunting – Watched it again and loved it again as usual.

  34. Ipman 10 years ago

    this year has started on a very lull note. not a single good film to talk about in 3 months. watched queen and cant believe the priase its getting. I did not find EV great but even that looks good compared to it

    • shan 10 years ago

      I thought Queen was very good. Good direction, great acting and nicely told story. Whether it is a masterpiece is up for debate (I dont think it is), but so few really good films get made in Bollywood that when something good comes along it is hailed as the next big thing. It is almost as good as English Vinglish, a few cliches aside.

  35. Saurabh 10 years ago

    Well summer’s about to start and at least the Hollywood blockbusters are going to roll in over the next few months. So it’s theater time for me. But the only ones I’m interested in checking out in theater are Captain America The Winter Soldier (called CA: MAHA DABANG in hindi!! Really), Godzilla reboot and a small movie called Interstellar at the year end.

    The first CA was nostalgic, old fashioned but really average. This looks pretty different in tone and action. More of a conspiracy thriller like Jack Ryan series. I wasn’t interested at first and I hate the overdose of comedy in Marvel films. But the recent clips and trailers look promising.

    But the biggest one I’m anticipating is Interstellar directed by you know who. Seriously, this is unlike anything the man has done yet and it will be a visual and aural spectacle. Don’t be fooled by the teaser where you may expect to see something realistic and grounded in reality. This is hardcore space exploration and and almost no fiction. The concepts Interstellar will explore are based on real astrophysics and observations. It’s a beast of a movie and if the visuals look promising it can smash Gravity easily. Gravity was just a visual treat. But Interstellar is simply an emotional journey on a cosmic scale. It’s a long wait till November. Need the first full trailer urgently.

  36. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Reasonable Doubt When up-and-coming District Attorney Mitch Brockden (Cooper) commits a fatal hit-and-run, he feels compelled to manipulate the case to acquit the accused criminal who was found with the body and blamed for the crime. Following the trial, Mitch’s worst fears come true when he realizes that his actions freed a guilty man, and he soon finds himself on the hunt for the killer before more victims pile up.

    Its a usual masala thriller somewhat like The Call. It started off as a courtroom drama and then it was all thriller. The attorney decides to become a investigator and is breaking into the bad guy’s home and even breaks into a cop’s office to steal some info. It also felt somewhat like a Ram Gopal Varma movie with all the tension that it was trying to create and all the unbelievable scenes.

    Dominic Cooper was ok. Samuel L. Jackson was in his usual psycho role.

    ——————-

    Riding in Cars with Boys After sleeping with a boy she barely knows, a pregnant teen gets married and discovers her newborn isn’t the only one with a lot of growing up to do.

    The movie was initially a bit funny and then when she became pregnant it felt a bit like Juno. It then became about how she did not love her son and was partly irresponsible with him and also her troubles with her junkie husband. And then the movie fast forwarded to when the kid was all grown up. The movie was all over the place and so bad.

    Drew Barrymore was totally miscast. She neither looked like a 15 year old nor a mother of a grown up guy. Steve Zahn was playing his usual weird guy role. Brittany Murphy was ok. James Woods was good as the father.

  37. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Dirty Dancing While spending summer with her family in the mountains, 17-year-old Frances falls in love with the resort’s free-spirited dance instructor.

    Its a 80s movie but the plot is set in the 60s. The costumes and the hairstyles looked more 80s than 60s and may be the dancing is 80s too. Its the usual poor boy rich girl story with dancing in it. There were lot of corny dialogues and too much “baby” with Jennifer’s name being Baby.

    The late Patrick Swayze looked good and danced very well. His acting was ok. Jennifer Grey was bad acting wise and she also did not look pretty. She danced very well in the last dance but some of the dance steps in that song seemed straight out of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. The movie has the ht songs “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” and “She’s Like the Wind”.

    ————–

    Rachel Getting Married Longstanding family conflicts resurface when a former model who’s been in and out of rehab for a decade returns home for her sister’s wedding.

    Stopped watching after half an hour or so as it was so boring. It was the usual wedding movie.

    Anne Hathaway was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for this movie. She seemed ok upto the point that I watched – nothing great. Rosemarie DeWitt was looking pretty.

  38. cr7 10 years ago

    Watching Lost .Now at Season 2 episode 4 . Very interesting show. Great suspense,fascinating back stories,well written characters. Overall very intriguing . But some of the things started to look very forced . Too much stupidity .I already started to hate some of the characters .So not very very hopeful of this series to remain great for 5 more seasons . But season 1 is definitely good.

    • shan 10 years ago

      Lost starts out really really well in season 1 and maintains the tempo well in seasons 2 and 3, although some sidey characters and the time devoted to them can totally get on your nerves. As you reach season 4, you find out that although the season introduces some new interesting concepts, they dont gel very well with the previous seasons. By season 5, you begin to wonder how they are going to tie up all loose ends and answer all questions. As season 6 progresses, you begin to worry your worst fears are going to come true. By the end of season 6, you wish you had watched reruns of season 1. 🙂

      Great show with some competent acting, direction and setup (locales, art direction, bgm) but a lame, cop-out ending, that doesnt even explain all questions it raised in the first place.

      You are watching it at an interesting time btw, when the Malaysian MH370 has gone missing.

      • cr7 10 years ago

        Damn . I am already dying to know a lot of secrets raised in season 1 itself .It will be really bad if all mysteries don’t get solved by last season . 6 seasons , 20+ episodes each season .I’m gonna invest quite a lot of time on this show 😛 .But I’m really liking the back stories .They are great and very detailed . Agree with you on the setup .It created a fantastic atmosphere with the location,BGM . Perfect for the genre.

        Btw same happens with most shows .Start with a bang but lose way after 2-3 seasons . Dexter is prime example . In recent times only breaking bad got better with each season . Haven’t seen house of cards season 2 yet .But heard that second season is better the first one .

        • shan 10 years ago

          “same happens with most shows .Start with a bang but lose way after 2-3 seasons”

          Agree. Unfortunate, but true! Lost does give you a lot of satisfaction due to the way the backstories are handled though. It does its job well in some aspects. And it is difficult to successfully conclude a thriller mystery where you setup for 5 seasons and then have to wrap up in one season. Not everyone can manage.

          House of Cards S2 is fantastic. Do watch!

  39. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Panic Room A woman and her daughter are caught in a game of cat-and-mouse with burglars in their New York City home and are forced to retreat inside a vault.

    Its a watchable thriller but it is filled with a lot of implausible stuff and contrivances. A mother and daughter moving into this huge three storied house with a panic room itself seemed far fetched. And then there were contrivances like the panic room having a separate telephone line but not being hooked up or the 911 call being placed on hold. Lighting up a fire in the face of gas being pumped in seemed foolish. A lot of things that Jodie Foster’s character did felt foolish as if she was provoking the robbers both when she was inside as well as outside. Her behavior with the cops seemed so ridiculous and unbelievable.

    Did not like Jodie Foster’s character as well as her acting. She was acting like a lunatic in many scenes. Kristin Stewart was good and her character seemed more mature than her mother’s. Forest Whitaker was good as the good kindhearted robber. Jared Leto was good but had a smaller role. Dwight Yoakam was good as the psycho robber and his voice sounded a lot like Kevin Spacey’s.

    • Anjanpur685Miles 10 years ago

      I saw Panic Room couple of times. I dont have much insight as you have. I love Jodie’s sharp looks and I liked her.

  40. hithere 10 years ago

    The Prey – French thriller with couple of genres mixed together. Low on production but has enough thrills.
    The East – Left in ideology. Decent movie.
    The Counselor – Don’t watch!
    Escape Plan – Good fun.
    Blue Is the Warmest Color = Last one hour is good drama. I think movies could have been shortened significantly without losing anything.
    A Fork in the Road – Funny movie. Good one time watch.

    • Author
      sputnik 10 years ago

      hmm so The Counselor is that bad? I was thinking it would be good or at least decent since it is directed by Ridley Scott and has a very good star cast. IMDB rating is also only 5.5

      • hithere 10 years ago

        Of Course you can watch but there is nothing in the movie.

  41. Saurabh 10 years ago

    The Counselor is more weird and twisted than bad. The lead character is passive and does nothing throughout the movie but simply takes one step in the wrong direction. He isn’t prepared for the consequences. The very philosophical dialogues are a turn off coz they lead us and the Counselor nowhere. Also Cameron Diaz looks and acts hideously. The movie is hopeless but both Scott and Cormac McCarthy set out to achieve this hopelessness of the Counselor. It’s depressing and I won’t recommend it to anyone.

    It’s defenders are saying it may achieve a cult status like Fight Club (which was trashed by everyone back in 98 but now it’s regarded as one of Fincher’s best with an unique atmosphere, music and simultaneously funny and dark tone). Only time will tell if it’s a cult material or bonafide garbage.

  42. Saurabh 10 years ago

    Snowpiercer In the near future, an experiment to counteract global warming causes an ice age that kills nearly all life on Earth. The only survivors are the inhabitants of the ‘Snowpiercer’, a massive train, powered by a perpetual-motion engine, that travels on a globe-spanning track. A class system is installed, with the elites inhabiting the front of the train and poor inhabiting the tail. The poor revolt against the elites.
    Terrific movie. What’s great is that the movie changes genres as it progresses like shifting of gears. It’s brutal and uncompromising. Bong Joon-ho’s direction is swift and he made a good decision with the tone of the film. The pace is uneven. The beginning is slow but it becomes fast as it progresses and the finale has moments to breathe. The ending gives a new meaning to the events and decisions of the characters. Also the no holds barred action scene towards the middle is one of the best in recent times, not due to the choreography, but because of the combination of acting, music the staging of the action, innovation and the stakes involved.

    The acting is awesome. Chris Evans shows restrain and great capability as his character goes through different moods. Especially towards the dramatic end. Jamie Bell was great but he deserves a lead role now. He has done enough sidekick roles now. Ewen Bremner is totally unrecognizable. Tilda Swinton was great. Song Kang-ho and Go Ah-sung were good. Ed Harris does a cameo.

  43. FS 10 years ago

    Breaking Away – A group of four friends reffered as “Cutters” often clash with students of university from affluent backgrounds. One of the friend known as Dave is passionate about cycling and wishes to race with Italian professional team that races in their town. He gets thrashed when he tries to race ahead the italian team during a friendly conversation and heart broken, he participates in the annual “little 500 race” from the university of Indiana to conquer the faith that his friends had lost.

    Although it is familiar to Jo jeeta Wahi Sikhandar, you don’t think much of it and enjoy the movie as it is very engrossing. It has little bit of comedy, romance, emotions but most importantly it is very inspiring and a feel good movie. Highly Recommended!!!

    Never Let Go – Weird Movie but different.

  44. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Have been watching The 70’s Show. Its a comedy show which ran from 1998 to 2006 and I had watched a few episodes of them in the past. Its not as funny as Seinfeld/Friends but its hilarious in parts. Some of the jokes don’t work and it is weird in parts.

    It stars Topher Grace, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Danny Masterson, Laura Prepon and Wilmer Valderrama and most of them either made their debut or became popular with this show. Aston plays the dumb good looking guy role. Mila Kunis looked different and found out that she was just 14 years old when she started acting in this.

  45. cr7 10 years ago

    @Zacked-

    Started True Detective .Pretty slow but looks good . Loved the bgm,cinematography,locations . Creates a very mysterious atmosphere which goes on well with the case . Acting is top notch .Hope it gathers some pace later .

    P.s We messed up as expected . Now only 4th looks possible .the same old story .Hope we win FA cup . I had been a big supporter of wenger for long time . But his time is up I feel .Time for a change .

  46. Zacked 10 years ago

    yes @cr7 … messed up big time. 3 big losses against Chelski, M. City and Liverpool. From top of the league to fighting for 4th spot. :smh:
    It is becoming harder and harder to justify Wenger right now. I think if we go out of the FA cup he wont re-sign the contract and will walk out. Yesterdays draw was really shattering, giving away an own goal in the 90th minute…
    I hope we win the cup, finish top 4 and sign a world class striker, a Def. mid and a winger apart from replacing Sagna, Vermalean and Fabiansky if they choose to leave. Hope Wenger gives one final go next year but it will be tougher with City and Chelsea getting stronger as well.

  47. cr7 10 years ago

    The wolf of wall street –– Too long but end up liking it . No where near the best of scorsese or di caprio but fairly entertaining . It would make a lot of difference if movie was 30 mins shorter . Liked Di Caprio . Jonah hill was so-so .The actress looked absolutely stunning . Dialogues are cool,some brilliant scenes . Worth watching .

  48. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    The Secret life of Walter Mitty Ben Stiller directs and stars in THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, James Thurber’s classic story of a daydreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. When his job along with that of his co-worker (Kristen Wiig) are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined.

    The movie started off well and it was interesting for a while but it lost its plot in the middle. The ending was good and the message about the cover page was good. Agree with @fearlesssoul that it had “some exciting thoughtful messages along with fantastic cinematography but these ingredients were not enough to keep you hooked or hold your attention for a long time. You pass out in between as Ben Stiller pass out in the movie.” I think it had potential to be a Forrest Gump but it needed better screenplay and direction.

    Ben Stiller was good. Sean Penn and Kristen Wiig were also good. Shirley MacLaine was ok. They should have chosen someone better than Adam Scott for that role.

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