Movies You Watched This Month – July 2014

FukreyOfficial Synopsis:
“FUKREY” is one such crazy story of four restless and hapless souls, running after their individual desires, brought together by one dream, which turns their not so simple life upside down. From breaking school walls, to cross dressing dancers at the ‘Ram Lila’; from a ‘Jugaad Baaz’ college watchman to leaking examination papers; from a female pimp, who runs her drug cartel through Nigerian henchmen to visionary dreams. Can the four ‘Fukrey’, the four nobodies, twist their fate and dreams into reality or will they forever be lost in the obscurity that they come from?

The plot is quite silly and has a lot of implausible stuff but the movie was quite entertaining. A lot of scenes were hilarious. It does drag a bit at places though. Dialogues are excellent for the most part. Zafar’s track was the weakest part of the movie and his father’s track did not really belong in the movie.

The chemistry between Hunny and Choocha was excellent. Choocha’s dreams were hilarious and Hunny’s interpretation of his dreams was something. Scenes involving Lali’s motorcycle were very funny. The romantic track between Hunny and his girlfriend was good too.

Pulkit Samrat was excellent as Hunny. His body language was completely that of Salman and he was copying him totally. Varun Sharma was very good as Choocha for the most part but he was irritating at places. Ali Fazal was just ok. Manjot Singh was good as Lali. Richa Chadda was very good as Bholi Punjaban. Pankaj Tripathi was very good as the guard. Priya Anand was good as Pulkit’s girlfriend. Vishakha Singh looked pretty and was good as Zafar’s girlfriend.

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On_golden_pondOn Golden Pond
A retired professor and his wife go on an annual trip to their summer vacation home. But a teen left in their care disrupts the couple’s tranquility. The movie was nominated for ten Oscars and won three including Best Adapted Screenplay.

The movie is based on a stage play and so it does feel like a stage play. The movie is about relationships. So its about the relationship of the old couple which is very wonderfully portrayed. The relationship between the old man and the teenager is very well developed and forms the major part of the movie. The strained father-daughter relationship is resolved too quickly in the climax.

Henry Fonda was excellent as the old man who is worried about getting old and dying and who is always making sarcastic comments. He deserved the Oscar that he got for Best Actor and his sarcastic dialogues were excellent. This was his last movie before he died. Katharine Hepburn also won an Oscar for Best Actress for this movie. She was very good for the most part but she did overact in some scenes. Jane Fonda, Henry Fonda’s real life daughter, plays the daughter in the movie and she was bad. Doug McKeon was very good as the teenager.

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105 Comments
  1. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Crimson Tide Controversy boils over when Soviet rebels point weapons at the United States, and the tactical message for one nuclear sub is cut off in transmission.

    Loved it. It takes a little time to get started with the first 20 minutes or so which seem somewhat filmy with the dialogues and all. But after that it is completely engrossing with the clash between Gene and Denzel.

    Gene Hackman was excellent as usual. Denzel Washington was excellent matching up to Gene. James Gandolfini was good. Viggo Mortensen and George Dzundza were very good too.

    Thanks to @hithere, @fearlesssoul, @prg and @Shinji for the recco.

  2. yakuza 10 years ago

    Coming back from Ek Villian. Contrary to some negative feedback .. it surprised me completely. Movie was gripping from start to finish, Mohit suri emerged as mind boggling story teller with likes of Wo Lamhe, Awarapan, Kalyug, Murder-2 and EK Villain. With limited budget all his bhatt camp movies were engaging and entertaining. And now even out of bhatt camp he left even more impressive mark. Movie has lots of twists and turns till interval and one wonders if there is more to story now post interval ? as almost entire tale looked revealed in first half. But to my pleasant surprise there was enough meat in second hour and movie completely hook the viewer till last. This is my one of most satisfactory movie outing in recent time. I went with family and everyone liked it.

  3. Anjanpur685Miles 10 years ago

    Bobby Jasoos – It is not a detective film. It has an interesting story to tell and director does decent job except for songs – which are totally unwanted. After a long time saw a movie which has almost all characters muslim and is set in a mohalla. Liked it. 3/5

  4. FS 10 years ago

    About Time – It’s a time travel movie and Good one. It has good plot but also a good message in the end. First has is little slow and second half is full with emotional content and tearjerker (not that when you watch you cry but when you think of it you get very emotional and touched). Acting is good, direction and editing is also good though somethings go above your head and you won’t even bother to think much of it in detail. Enjoyable and Recommended!!!

    Kick Ass 2 – Film is just a time pass. Nothing special and over the top. Some scenes are much worse than southern movies. Since it is slapstick comedy you have to let go or shouldn’t mind watching such stupid scenes.

    Au Revoir Les Enfants 1987 – Wanted to watch this film for a long time and finally completed it. The movie is about a school in France during the time of World War and it revolves around the children of school and two friends. The making of the film is excellent and very subtle, the cinematography is good and acting by the students are par excellent. It is slow but in the end it evolves in to a beautiful story between two friends that lingers in your mind even after the movie ends. Recommended if you are patient enough to watch slow movies.

    • cr7 10 years ago

      Liked about time a lot . Beautiful movie.

      • FS 10 years ago

        Have you seen Time Travellers Wife? It is the best time travel movie i have seen. Loved the chemistry and emotions attached to it.

        • cr7 10 years ago

          Not yet . But heard a lot about the movie . Will try to watch it soon .

  5. FS 10 years ago

    Vendetta 2013 – Could have been one of the better films of the year but turned out to be another revenge film. The actor seems good in part of the role and somewhat wannabe in other part of the film. The direction was also bad in most of the part but somehow the plot narration and following incidents keeps you hooked. Ending was quite depressing but watchable movie.

    Homeland season 3 – Had stopped watching after first 3 episodes as it was boring and after 6-7 months later when I started watching again, it looked good again but i continued from where i had stopped. The season has some of the best episodes of Homeland Series and ending is very very depressing.

    • cr7 10 years ago

      I was looking for some feedback about Homeland season 3 .Stopped watching after the underwhelming season 2 . But from your review it looks like s3 is worth watching .

      • FS 10 years ago

        lat 4-5 episodes are excellent but really felt depressed with last episode. ending was unexpected and it might make you emotional

        • cr7 10 years ago

          I stopped watching Homeland because of too much emotion 😛

  6. FS 10 years ago

    The protector 2 – This movie is one piece of shit. Don’t know how they managed to sit in the theatre. Couldn’t even finish the movie in fast forward mode. Totally disappointed with Raid 2 and protector 2.

  7. Zacked 10 years ago

    @cr7 thoughts on Sanchez, Debuchy?? exciting times ahead.. btw Germany tore a new one to Brazil yesterday

    • cr7 10 years ago

      I won’t believe till I see the news on Aresnal.com .I still remember Higuan saga 😛 . Debuchy is a good replacement for Sagna . And Sanchez is a massive signing . He is at his peak,proven goalscorer . Criticized Wenger a lot for his transfer policy but have to give credit to him . Signing Ozil and Sanchez is successive transfer window is excellent business. Now we just need a DM . With either khedira or bender (I prefer khedira) we will be title contender in every competition .

      7-1 was heartbreaking . I was supporting Brazil 🙁 . But this generation of German players deserve to be champion.Hope they lift the trophy.

  8. Baba 10 years ago

    saw black friday. the film is well directed, its like a documentary with a tone of right wing narrative

  9. Anjanpur685Miles 10 years ago

    Kagemusha (1980) – was good but at many places self indulgent and very long.

  10. FS 10 years ago

    The Suspect – This will be in my Top 10 Korean films and one that has non stop Bourne Series type action and I must admit that the fights involved are much better than Bourne Series. The one-one fight sequences are shot brilliantly, the protagonist is brilliant and the film has very good story as well. A must watch for action lovers and those who like spy thriller sort of movies. Highly Recommended!!!

    The Croods – This is another beautiful animated movie that will be liked by one and all. It is different and catered to all kinds of audience. Fantastic music with good background score and top notch graphic. This film may remind you of “the incredibles” & “ice age”. Fantastic movie and Highly Recommended!!!

    Non Stop – By trailer I thought it is another liam’s show off kind of movie but it really holds you right from the beginning. Fantastic screenplay with a dramatic end. Recommended!!!

    Robocop – This film is good and watchable. Liked it and recommended!!!

    Enders Game – Not bad but director wanted to make something visually rich but fell short of his own expectations i guess. Time pass movie.

    TV series Repeat Watch

    Spartacus – Repeated all three Seasons and liked it more this time. Had not liked Season 2 when I watched it first time but this time is was very engaging. If any of you have not seen then you are missing something very very interesting. Highly Recommended!!!

    Sherlock Holmes – Repeated all three seasons again and loved it. There is so much to understand about the narrative and descriptions. Highly Recommended!!!

    • cr7 10 years ago

      Have seen Non stop and the Croods . The croods was very entertaining .Liked it . Non stop was good till climax .But the ending twist was ridiculous .The motive behind Kidnapper’s act didn’t make any sense .Liam was excellent as usual . Will try to watch Suspect .

      Liked both Sherlock and Spartacus .Sherlock is one of my all time favorites. Agree that there are so much detailing in narrative that every time I watch it I discover something new .It has great repeat value.value. Btw good news .Sherlock will be back in xmas with a special episode and season 4 will return next year .

    • Author
      sputnik 10 years ago

      If you guys like Spartacus may be you should try watching the TV series Rome. Used to watch it some years back. Lost interest later on in the series when it started to be about two commoners but you guys might like it.

      Here is link on IMDB.

      Rome

      Rome (TV series)

  11. Anjanpur685Miles 10 years ago

    Royal Bengal Rahasya – a feluda film(bengali). Liked it. A typical feluda style film.

  12. hithere 10 years ago

    En la Cama – If you like a talking and less explicit 9 Songs 😉

  13. Anjanpur685Miles 10 years ago

    Mother – a korean film. Saw it on recommendation of FS on Korean film thread. Nice film – though I guessed the final twist long back. Good film nonetheless !! Thanks FS !

  14. cr7 10 years ago

    Oculus-I get scared watching every horror movie . So I am not the best person to judge a horror movie .But I can guarantee this one is good .Fresh concept,effective performances . But most importantly narrative of dual timeline executed exceedingly well . Its intense,haunting . A must watch for horror lovers .

  15. Baba 10 years ago

    dont know about kick but this thread was affected by pre eid a lot. is this the lowest number of comments in any month on this topic?

    • Author
      sputnik 10 years ago

      Ha Ha. This thread got affected by my being in India this month. After traveling all day in Indian traffic I am too tired to watch any movies and also Netflix doesn’t work here.

      • Anjanpur685Miles 10 years ago

        Well, I did not know you are in India.

        Enjoy your time here.

        ps: are you in Hyderabad? I am missing karachi biscuits and paradise biryani…

        • Author
          sputnik 10 years ago

          Thanks.

          Yes I am in Hyderabad till Aug 9th and will be back in US on Aug 10th.

      • Baba 10 years ago

        of course. aap yahan ke karta dharta ho! this thread is alive on your strength mainly.

  16. hithere 10 years ago

    Revisited Once upon a time in the West..Saw another western Silverado.
    First one is classic.
    Here is a famous scene:

  17. cr7 10 years ago

    @Zacked – Seen emirates cup last night ? What a game ! .Absolutly loved the way team played .Super impressed with Cambell,bellerin .Ramsey is better than Nasri and Fabregas .And Sanogo surprised me .Can’t wait to see Sanchez and ozil play together . I think sanchez should play as st, walcott and ox in wings .Just need One quality DM and we’ll win the league . #COYG .

  18. cr7 10 years ago

    The Hunt- Excellent film .Very Sad & Disturbing story of a teacher who is falsely accused of child abuse. .Flawless performance from Mads Mikkelsen .Have seen couple of movies of him earlier . He’s playing Hannibal in Hannibal series too. Such an amazing actor ! . The kid did a good job too .

  19. Anjanpur685Miles 10 years ago

    Gravity (3D) – now this is the real first time I enjoyed a movie in 3D. Avatar was another one but this in 3D was much much better. In the middle of the movie sometimes I had to look at the floor to get my conscious back.. as there is no up, down, left, right on the screen – everything spins!

    Enjoyed it a lot. It may not be scientifically correct at few points. But who cares – I enjoyed to the hilt!

    • cr7 10 years ago

      I didn’t like Gravity much when I first watched it at home .Lot of cliches,mediocre acting .Wathed it again in theater and It turned out to be quite enjoyable .I haven’t seen Avtar in 3d . So can’t really compare .But Gravity in 3d was a visual treat .

  20. aryan 10 years ago

    @Ritz

    Agree with what u said above extra ordinary movie Gravity (3D) I too had seen last week at home with 3D Glasses amazing camera and special effects works but if you compare with Avatar 3D Avatar is much better because it has lots of color actually Ritz or Baba or any other Member can make a good post of best 3D movies or highly recommended 3D movies post.

  21. cr7 10 years ago

    Drishyam- One of the best films I have seen recently . Highly Recommended .

    • Author
      sputnik 10 years ago

      @cr7,

      Thanks for the recco. Will try to check it out. Thanks @saurabh-sharma and @JJ too.

    • Author
      sputnik 9 years ago

      Drishyam is being remade in Hindi with Ajay Devgn. Tabu is playing the role of a cop. Its directed by Nishikant Kamat. Liked Mumbai Meri Jaan and Force by Kamat. So looking forward to this.

      ————–

      Tabu to play cop in Nishikant Kamat’s remake of Drishyam

      We already know that Ajay Devgn has, for the time being, dropped his directorial project Shivaay and is doing Nishikant Kamat’s drama thriller that is the remake of the Malayalam superhit Drishyam.

      We have now learnt that the outstanding actress Tabu has given her consent to play a prominent role of a cop in the film. While Nishikant is on the lookout for the actress to play the lead opposite Ajay Devgn, Ajay’s fans can now be thrilled that the film will go on floors end of February and will be released this year itself.

      Link

      • cr7 9 years ago

        Nishikant Kamat is good director. I liked force . But the original Drishyam is so perfect that I don’t like the idea of a remake . Tabu is a good choice for the cop’s role .Not sure about about Ajay .I don’t like him much .Also he is inconsistent .

      • Author
        sputnik 9 years ago

        Read story of Drishyam after I read that it was inspired from The Devotion of Suspect X and it indeed is. So I don’t understand the point of two Bollywood movies being made with same or similar story.

  22. saurabh sharma 10 years ago

    @CR7
    I also loved Drishyam.. and it was a great movie.. Posting here my status on FB which I posted just after watching it 3 weeks ago..
    ps: I generally do not write till I am very excited about something.. or if it is really important… so U can see how much I was happy..

    “Having watched it just now, I am over the moon… Its one of the rare thrillers that I can watch twice.
    A script that is so brilliant that it keeps you on the toes throughout the movie.. No wonder highest number of Malayalam movies got copied to Hollywood among any other Indian language movies.
    Though 1st half is just a family drama but the treatment to the scenes is refreshing and keeps you hooked to the movie, and you become a part of the movie from the start. and 2nd half is so engrossing that when it ends, you feel a kind of happiness that you may be missing from your regular life.. especially at the last scene… you may be knowing the end result but then also movie increases your heart speed at some scenes.. you just want to see the end of the movie as soon as possible.
    and just when you are lil bit relaxed after some high voltage scenes and thinking about what shown in the movie is right or wrong, here comes a explanation to that too in the next scene as if director or writer can read the conflict in viewers’ mind while writing/making the movie.
    Even if the story is great, bad treatment may ruin it.. but here treatment of the story is a bigger plus point than story itself as evident from 1st half and the last scene..
    It even gives very minor clue just like Nolan like to give you in his movies..
    With a great actor Mohanlal comes a great expectation.. and he don’t disappoint.. every other actor is equally good specially IG officer, whole family and chai wale uncle..
    The movie is so good that it forced me to write about the movie to recommend everybody else at 5:30 am(just finished)..
    Take a bow Malayalam Cinema and its creators.. Hindi cinema and its creators will be behind you till your writers and directors join Bollywood.. (current situation)

    Best movie seen this year , highly highly recommended..

    ps: Don’t watch it in night otherwise it will ruin you sleep.
    ps2: Are you watching closely. “

    • cr7 10 years ago

      Totally agree saurabh .Its an excellent movie .Very gripping,clever writing and gem of a performance from Mohanlal .The tension in second half is as intense as any good HW thriller . Btw I’m not a follower of Malayalam movies .In fact Drishyam is the first Malayalam movie I’ve seen .But now I’m really interested to check out some more . So anything you would like to recommend ?

      • saurabh sharma 10 years ago

        I have only watched 3 Malayalam movies till date(i am not counting Hindi remake by Priyadarshan of all good movies of Malayalam ). My flatmates are from Kerala so they recommend me..

        I am actually excited about Anbe sivam , yet to see.
        https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367495/

        My roommate (who has great choice and film fanatic)
        told me its very good…
        another one is Bangalore days, though nothing great but a time pass movie specially if you are in Bangalore. Treatment is good, story is nothing great.

        I will keep you updated about any good Malayalam movies.

        Meanwhile I watched Pizza (south). And I liked it too, Its a good movie… Not sure how good is Hindi remake of this.

        • FS 10 years ago

          I would say Drishyam is a beautiful thriller with some brilliant performances that gonna stay in your mind for very long time. The movie might seem cliched, predictable and slow at the beginning still you will end up loving it. yes its Highly recommended

  23. JJ 10 years ago

    Glad to see Drishyam being discussed here. Its truly one of the best films in recent times. Last few years seems to be the best phase of Malayalam Cinema. Every year 2 or 3 movies releases which are not only good but can be considered as milestones.

  24. JJ 10 years ago

    @cr7, My immediate recommendation would be Traffic , Shutter and Mumbai Police. All 3 are being now remade in Hindi. There are lot more like Indian Rupee, Ividom Swargamanu bit cannot recommend them to a non Malayalee audience as the story and humor is so rooted that lot will be lost in translation.

    • Author
      sputnik 10 years ago

      @JJ,

      It would be nice if you can make a post on the Best Malayalam movies or the top 20 Malayalam movies so that everyone can check them out. Let me know if you are interested.

  25. JJ 10 years ago

    @sputnik, would love to so that I can recommend some excellent films to others, Time, energy and patience is the issue 😛

    • Author
      sputnik 10 years ago

      Let me know the username you want and I will create one and mail it to you with contributor permissions to your yahoo email account. You would be able to create a post but I will need to approve the post for it to show up on the website. This is so that I can add any pictures or videos or correct any formatting issues. Once you get comfortable creating posts I will change your permissions so that you won’t need my approval.

      I know it takes a lot of time, energy and patience to create a good post but even if one person checks out a movie from your post and loves it then it would be worth it.

  26. cr7 10 years ago

    The Game – I guess its not rated as one of Fincher’s best work . But I quite Liked it. Its a typical David Ficher movie.The start was slow.But the movie really picked up after Van Orton met Cornad for the second time .From that moment to the last scene it was very engaging .So whether you love it or hate it, The Game definitely will not bore you . I got the recommendation for this movie from a post titled “best ending twist”. So I was kinda expecting a big twist .Still I found it amazing . Overall Its a good thriller .

    **Spoilers**
    Last 20 minute was amazing . There were 3-4 scenes where the movie could have ended and would be equally good . That’s classic Fincher . He’s too good with thrillers .

  27. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Watched Wadjda on the flight back from India. Have written a detailed Recco as the movie deserves a post of its own.

    Reccos: Wadjda

    There were movies like Transcendence and Million Dollar Arm too but decided not to watch them as I did not want to watch edited versions.

  28. jj 10 years ago

    The Game – Was BluffMaster inspired/copied from this?

    • Author
      sputnik 10 years ago

      Yes. BluffMaster was inspired from The Game and also from the Argentine movie Nine Queens.

  29. FS 10 years ago

    City Lights – Slow paced and not that exciting. It is a simple movie but nothing special or nothing to be curious of to recommend others

    Captain America The Winter Soldier – The first part was one of the worst superhero movie I saw and this sequel totally surprised me. It not only exceeded my expectations but as a film too, it was very entertaining.

    Frozen – A good usual animation movie with overhyped song that won Oscar and predictable story.

    Holiday – Scene to Scene copy of Thupakki but very well performed by Akshay Kumar and the team. A better film from main stream hindi cinema this year, sadly a remake.

    Drishyam – Have commented above. Highly Recommended

    The Amazing Spiderman 2 – I liked the Spiderman series a lot and they were super fun on first viewing. The Amazing Spiderman didn’t match up to the spiderman series but still enjoyable. The part 2 should be seen in Bluray print in order to enjoy it otherwise it will look lame.

    Kiki’s Delivery service – It is rated as one of the best animated movie’s and best of Studio’s Ghibli’s work. I have seen some of their best movies and most definitely top the chart but this movie didn’t quite get my attention and that doesn’t mean it is bad. I expected it to be something stunning or emotionally touching but it was just a visual treat. Recommended.

    Oculus – Very good horror movie and thanks Cr for the recommendation. Screenplay, direction, performance and climax are the high points of this movie. Recommended

    Rio 2 – Another Visual Treat with brilliant animation and photography. The movie had nothing special other than few funny lines, songs and dances. Recommended for animation lover

    The Wind Rises – Beautiful Animation but was very slow and tiring. The chemistry between the lead was beautiful but limited to few scenes only.

    • cr7 10 years ago

      Haven’t seen the first part of Captain America. Will it be okay to watch winter soldier??Not really interested to see the first if not extremely necessary.

      • FS 10 years ago

        It doesn’t matter you watch the first part of Captain America or not as they are not much related or continuation but if you do see the first part, i doubt you will be interested in part 2 either no matter how good it is. You won’t get that courage to watch it.

        • FS 10 years ago

          Boby Jasoos – Excellent movie and another fantastic performance from Vidya Balan. She will set a new trend where Hero’s will be used in side roles or for special appearances for songs and comedy.

  30. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Dead Man Walking Scheduled to be put to death for brutally slaying two teens, Matthew seeks the aid of an activist nun who becomes his spiritual adviser.

    Had watched this movie back in the late 90s on Star Movies. Did not remember much so was wanting to re-watch it since a long time.

    Good movie but its slow paced though. The movie while actually being against death penalty tries to cover all sides of the death penalty – the criminal’s as well as the victim’s families.

    Sean Penn was excellent as the prisoner on death row and was deservedly nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor. Susan Sarandon won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role but did not like her acting that much. It felt like she was acting or being fake at places. Raymond J. Barry and Robert Prosky were good.

    Tim Robbins was nominated for an Oscar for Best Director and the title track “Dead Man Walkin'” by Bruce Springsteen was nominated for Best Song. Like the Face of Love by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Eddie Vedder more and have posted the song as Song of the Day.

    https://tanqeed.com/sotd-face-of-love-nusrat-fateh-ali-khan-and-eddie-vedder/

  31. jj 10 years ago

    Hi sputnik,
    Can you please set me up with username ‘jj’? I will come up with a post soon as you had asked for and send across. Thanks.

  32. FS 10 years ago

    Maleficient – This should have been watched in 3D with Children.

  33. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Mean Girls Cady joins her new high school’s most powerful clique — but there’s hell to pay when the ex-boyfriend of the clique’s leader wants to be Cady’s guy.

    Its a teen comedy for girls. Its somewhat funny but not hilarious.

    Lindsay Lohan looked very pretty and was good as Cady. Rachel McAdams was good as Regina.
    The Saturday Night Live cast of Tina Fey, Tim Meadows, Amy Poehler and Ana Gasteyer are all in the movie. Tina Fey was good as the teacher. Lizzy Caplan, Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert were good too.

    ————–

    Scoop While visiting friends in London, an American journalism student beats out Britain’s top reporters by breaking a story involving murder and magic.

    Its directed by Woody Allen and also stars him. Horrible movie. Stopped watching after 30 minutes or so because it felt so silly with the magic angle and the amateurish direction and acting.

    Woody Allen was as usual. Scarlett Johansson was pathetic trying to act.

  34. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    A Bottle in the Gaza Sea (Une bouteille à la mer) Newly arrived in Israel, a French teen struggling to understand the violence around her develops an unlikely connection with a young Palestinian man.

    Good movie. Its based on the French young adult novel Une bouteille dans la mer de Gaza. Its a Israeli-Palestinian love story set against the backdrop of 2008–09 Gaza War also known as Operation Cast Lead. The movie is very topical considering the ongoing Gaza War.

    The start of a movie is a bit implausible but the good thing about the movie is that it doesn’t take sides. It instead tries to present the point of view of both sides.

    Agathe Bonitzer was good as the French teen. Mahmud Shalaby was good as the Palestinian Niam. Incidentally he was also in another Israeli-Palestinian love story Jaffa (Link) Hiam Abbass who was also in Miral was good as Niam’s mother.

  35. FS 10 years ago

    Singham Returns – First Half was better but they dragged for no reason. It was quite entertaining. Kareena has performed brilliantly and her dialogues body language etc… were superb.

  36. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Two Girls and a Guy Two girls realize they’re dating the same guy. Armed with this knowledge, the girls break into the guy’s apartment and prepare for the ambush.

    The movie starts off with the girls realizing that their boyfriend is the same and it could have ended in 15 minutes. But with no story the movie is stretched like a chewing gum. It is funny/amusing in bits but it is just talk and talk. It felt like a stage play in that the whole movie happens in one house and there are only three main characters.

    Robert Downey Jr. was good in parts but he was overacting in many scenes. It felt as if he was trying to show off his acting and singing talent. Heather Graham looked gorgeous and acted well. Natasha Gregson Wagner looked cute and was ok.

  37. jj 10 years ago

    Noah – Interesting take on a biblical stroy by Darren Aronofsky. Liked the way he conceptualised the black angels, the arc, Noah’s dilemma in the end and also the tension between his sons. Loved the way Noah explains the story of evolution. Even though treated as a fantasy movie, the costumes and the language did not gel, considering the time period. Especially the costumes and make up I found funny.

  38. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Passion An ad exec takes credit for her assistant’s plum idea, an incident that prompts the shy assistant to undertake a campaign of revenge against her boss.

    Its a remake of the French movie Love Crime (Crime D’ Amour). It was like a B-grade erotic thriller but without any nudity. The movie started off with a good premise but then it had some pretty stupid twists. And then there were whole scenes which turn out to be just dreams.

    Brian De Palma, the director did not try to adapt it much to the American setting and he had his usual tribute/homage sequences. There is a annoying split opera scene which is supposed to be some kind of homage/tribute to Black Swan.

    Rachel McAdams was ok. It was like she was playing a corporate version of her Mean Girls role. Noomi Rapace looked too ugly/old and her acting was bad too as Isabelle. Karoline Herfurth was ok in a badly written role.

    ———-

    Love Crime (Crime D’ Amour) French director Alain Corneau delivers a chilling tale of two ambitious women whose professional appetites grow dangerously personal.

    Since the original French movie was also available on Netflix I tried to watch that one too but lost interest after a while as it seemed to go on and on and was quite boring. Some of the scenes and dialogues are same in the remake but Brian De Palma added a funny Ass Cam ad in the remake and also some suspense to the murder plot and changed the ending.

    The acting is better in the original. Kristin Scott Thomas was ok and Ludivine Sagnier looked better and was good as Isabelle.

  39. FS 10 years ago

    Gods own country – Another Brilliant Malayalam movie, 3 stories stitched together and how they cross each other’s path in Gods Own Country. It’s not a suspense, nor a thriller still you expect a nail biting end. Highly Recommended.

    • jj 10 years ago

      Was about to write a recco on this. Gods Own Country is one of the movies I hated most this year. The multi linear narrative and the way its edited looked a desperate copy of Traffic. Makers desperately wanted audience to react in the same way as they did to Traffic. Very futile attempt is made to invoke tension with very loud BGM and corny dialogues. The way Fahad’s character turns to action hero was laughable and unnecessary. In the end a silly conclusion and culmination to the mess.

  40. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    World’s Greatest Dad After his son dies in an awkward freak accident, high school poetry teacher Lance ghostwrites a suicide note to spare the family embarrassment.

    Liked it a lot but not everyone will like it though and actually some might hate it. The movie is a dark comedy and the comedy revolves around the son’s death. You almost feel its wrong to laugh at some of the scenes. The movie shows how a person hated by everyone turns into the most loved person after his suicide.

    Robin Williams was excellent as the dad with the weird douche bag son. With the movie revolving around the suicide it is ironic that Robin Williams starred in this. This movie shows once again what a great actor he was. There is some of his usual comedy but his acting also reminds you of his roles in Awakenings and Good Will Hunting.

    Daryl Sabara was very good as the son who is into weird porn and who constantly talks BS. He manages to make his character completely despicable and disgusting. Alexie Gilmore looked very pretty and was good as Robin’s girlfriend. Henry Simmons was good as Robin’s rival in the love triangle. Evan Martin was good as the son’s only friend.

    Recommended if you like dark comedies and/or if you want to watch Robin Williams.

  41. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Face/Off An anti terrorism agent goes under the knife to acquire the likeness of a terrorist and gather details about a bombing plot.

    Had watched this movie back in India when it released. Re watched it after all these years. The premise or the main plot is absolutely ridiculous/implausible. John Travolta has not only his face implanted but also his body changed to look like Nicolas Cage to get the location of a bomb that is going to kill in a 1 mile radius. At least they should have made it worth the trouble by making it about a nuclear attack.

    If one can get past the implausible plot/premise it is an entertaining movie for the most part. The action scenes go on for too long and are of the usual big budget Hollywood movie type. There is a very odd almost make out kiss between a brother and sister in the movie when he is about to die.

    Nicolas Cage is the bad guy for the first 15 minutes or so and then John Travolta gets to play the bad guy and Vice Versa. John Travolta was overacting a bit as the good guy but he was excellent as the bad guy. Nicolas Cage was very good as the villain in the first 15 minutes or so and then he was good as the good guy. Joan Allen looked too old as John Travolta’s wife. Gina Gershon looked pretty as Nicolas Cage’s girlfriend.

    • jj 10 years ago

      Saw it long back when released, late 90’s I think? Illogical but yes good masala. Thought some one would have remade it in Hindi long back.
      But then in Hindi you dont have many multistarrers right.

      • Author
        sputnik 10 years ago

        Yeah it released in 1997 and it would have made for a good Bollywood remake. But then our Bollywood stars are too insecure and are scared of getting overshadowed by the other.

        I don’t know if you have seen this but had made this post sometime back.

        Hollywood/Foreign Movies that could have a remake in Bollywood

        • jj 10 years ago

          True, barring Salman dont think any Hindi movie actor is confident of multistarrer.
          On a different note I can bet this sort of project will never materialise in any other film industry.
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty:20.
          This movie featured all of the actors(big or small) active in Malayalam films at that point in time. It was part of a fund raising project.
          Though illogical and high on masala, they were actually able to pull a convincing and thoroughly entertaining story with so many actors, even if the second half was mostly the big 3 (Mammootty, Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi) show all the way.
          Whats more interesting is the characters given to them. They played sort of characters which they have played in their career many times with self referencing humor.

  42. alfa.one 10 years ago

    Farz (1967)- Fantastic thriller. Lovely music, songs, direction every thing was very good. Cannot believe jeetendra was so handsome in those days.

    Much much better movie than what we see these days.

    • Anjanpur685Miles 10 years ago

      Dont mind, whenever I think Jitendra or Dharmendra or Sridevi or some such heroine/hero of 70s/80s/ an Image comes in front of my eyes….

      sweaty armpits.

      Creepy image!

      Heck, the filmmakers that time didnt even notice it or what? It was so disgusting!

  43. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Chaplin This dramatic biopic recounts comic icon Charlie Chaplin’s poignant journey through triumph, failure, infamy and government persecution.

    Its directed by Richard Attenborough, the director of Gandhi, who died yesterday. Good biopic on Chaplin but its not in the same league as Gandhi. It had an unnecessary track of Chaplin talking about his life to his autobiographer played by Anthony Hopkins.

    The movie did manage to capture the real person behind the famous slapstick comedian. It showed his troubled love life and marriages and also him being persecuted for his political views by the FBI. The movie fast forwarded through the later part of his life and it felt like the movie did not reach the high it should have.

    Robert Downey Jr. was excellent as Chaplin. He deserved the Best Actor Oscar nomination that he received. Anthony Hopkins was wasted and should not have been in the movie. Kevin Kline was very good as Chaplin’s friend and silent movie star Douglas Fairbanks. Geraldine Chaplin, Chaplin’s real life daughter was good in the role of Chaplin’s mother. Marisa Tomei, David Duchovny had small parts. Diane Lane looked very pretty.

  44. jj 10 years ago

    Mosayile Kudhira Meenukal (Malayalam 2014) – Translated as Seahorses in Waves. Interesting plot, stunning visuals of Lakshwadeep. Performances were OK, some scenes were quite silly, but very entertaining. Recommended.

    Ezhu Sundara Raathrikal (Malayalam 2014) – Translated as 7 beautiful nights. Tracks last 7 days of a man before his marriage. Again a very silly story, but very entertaining. Some of the comedy scenes were over the top but still harmless fun. Easy one time watch.

  45. jj 10 years ago

    Shawsank Redemption – Have lost count of the number of times I have watched this. Absolutely love it. Love each of the subplots used in the movie, its very engaging even for a repeat watch or if we know the twist. Also like the way the pace dips in the movie at 2 points. First after Tommy is murderd, and Andy loses his last chance to get released and is sent to the hole. Red thinks Andy is shattered and is going to suicide, and then the big twist comes and pace picks up.
    Second when Red is released and goes though same experience as the Librarian released before and suicides. Instead Red quits his job, buys a compass instead of a pistol and goes as per Andy’s directions.
    Hope is a good thing.

  46. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Sophie’s Choice Stingo shares a Brooklyn boarding house with Polish émigré Sophie and her mercurial lover, a union unsettled by violent behavior.

    The movie is adapted from a novel of the same. It is from the point of view of one of the lead characters and he narrates the movie in flowery prose which is typical of novels. His character seemed totally unnecessary and it felt like he was the Third Wheel whenever the three lead characters were together.

    The movie is quite slow paced and boring for the most part but it has a very interesting back story which actually should have been the main story. The back story is told in flashbacks and is excellent. The concentration camp scenes are very good and the scene where Sophie has to make her choice is excellent.

    Meryl Streep was excellent as the Polish immigrant Sophie. She looked really emaciated in the concentration camp scenes and she was absolutely brilliant in the scene where she has to make the choice. She deservedly won an Oscar for her performance.

    Kevin Kline was good as the schizophrenic with contrasting scenes of either being over happy or being completely paranoid and jealous. Did not like Peter MacNicol at all and his character should not have even been in the movie.

    Recommended if you are a Meryl Streep fan and for the concentration camp scenes and the Choice scene.

  47. FS 10 years ago

    Godzilla – It was as if watching two channels (star movies & pogo) together

    • cr7 10 years ago

      I didn’t mind Godzilla .I knew its not up to the mark .So set my expectations right .And it turned out to be a decent watch . But yeah after the fantastic promos and huge buzz it was meant to be a better movie.

  48. FS 10 years ago

    Escape Plan – Very entertaining and Arnold totally surprised with his comic timing specially the “Cheez” moment in the movie is just awesome. Recommended.

    • cr7 10 years ago

      Movie was intriguing .Enjoyed it. But when you watched Prison break it is really hard to appreciate the “plan” part of the escape 😛 .

      • FS 10 years ago

        Yeah, plan of escape was more filmy but the things happened in due process was really intriguing as you said that keeps you entertaining throughout.

  49. cr7 10 years ago

    @Zacked – Where are you ? Such an important time for Arsenal and so sign of you ? Thoughts on Zigic ? Looks like he’s going to be our solution of striker issue 😛

    • Zacked 10 years ago

      been a bit busy… haha glad Zigic talk died down… todays reports suggest we are in for Remy,

      I hope we get Carvalho.. dont think Remy will make much of a difference id rather Sanchez play as a striker with Ozil behind him.

      Tomorrow will be hopefully be a busy day and hope Arsene get the deals done.

  50. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    9/11: Science and Conspiracy Examine the conspiracy theories and evidence surrounding the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as experts react to conclusions from new scientific testing.

    I had watched the documentary Loose Change when it first came out on youtube. I don’t believe in the conspiracy theory as much of it is too outlandish or far fetched but it did raise some very valid questions.

    I was expecting this documentary to debunk that conspiracy theory with some brilliant scientific experiments as it was a National Geographic documentary but it was completely ridiculous. The so called scientific experiments were like amateur science experiments done in schools. The documentary was clearly biased and was just trying to ridicule the Truthers. At least they should have brought a psychiatrist if they wanted to do a character study of the Truthers or conspiracy theorists. Instead they bring two authors who write conspiracy theory novels.

  51. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    World War Z U.N. employee Gerry Lane races against time and fate as he travels the world trying to stop the spread of a deadly zombie pandemic.

    Not really a fan of Zombie movies or apocalyptic movies but this one was entertaining and thrilling for the most part. Its a masala movie and the premise/story require complete suspension of disbelief. Some scenes are shot very well and some are completely unbelievable.

    Brad Pitt was good as the hero. Mireille Enos was good as the wife. Daniella Kertesz was good as the Israeli soldier but as @saurabh said she served no real purpose to the story.

  52. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Black Hawk Down When U.S. forces attempt to capture two underlings of a Somali warlord, their helicopters are shot down and the Americans suffer heavy casualties.

    Had watched it the first time may be in 2002 or so and liked it a lot. This is probably the third time I watched it. Liked it this time too but it did feel a bit cliched or filmy at times with some of the pro American dialogues. As @fearlesssoul said it in his comment Link “The film looked so real as if i was watching the live action in Somalia”

    And the movie has a great background score by Hans Zimmer. Had posted a couple of themes from the movie here. Link

    The movie has a ensemble cast and everyone including Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana and others were good. Eric Bana had some filmy dialogues.

    ————–

    Zaytoun In 1982 Beirut, an Israeli fighter pilot named Yoni crashes outside a camp of young Palestinian refugees, where he’s met by gun-toting orphan Fahed.

    Did not like the movie. The kid was given too much importance and he was annoying.

  53. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Devil’s Knot Frothing for vengeance after three 8-year-olds are slain, the community of West Memphis, Ark., directs blame at a trio of teens suspected of Satanism.

    The movie is based on the true story of West Memphis Three, three men who were tried and convicted as teenagers in 1994 for the 1993 murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Memphis_Three

    The movie has a very interesting story/plot and the movie could have been very good but its just ok. The director unnecessarily tries to turn it into a horror movie with scenes which are spooky or scary. The story is about the murder of three little kids who were found naked with their legs and hands tied and the shoddy investigation and the biased prosecution of the three teenagers. Two of the the teenagers were prosecuted because of their interest in satanism and how they dressed.

    There are supposedly some documentaries which helped them get released after being in jail for almost twenty years. According to IMDB users the movie is not as good as those documentaries.

    Colin Firth was good but he had one sad expression throughout the movie. Reese Witherspoon looked bad and her acting was also not that good. The supporting cast of the movie was very good.

  54. Zacked 10 years ago

    @cr7 No DM and no back up CB, we bought Welbeck instead.. Dont know how to feel about it.. your thoughts?

    • cr7 10 years ago

      Fed up with Wenger .A dm was urgent need . Whole world knows what we lack except wenger .His stubbornness is beyond tolerance now .He plays Sanogo instead of Poldi and Cambell .He keep playing Ozil at wings .What’s the point of having world’s best no.10 and playing him as winger . I mean that’s height of stupidity .About welbeck ,I don’t mind signing him. He’s fast, can shoot. Not exactly the quality we need but a improvement from Sanogo .Anyway I think when walcott returns,sanchez will play as striker.But we can’win the league with arteta/Flamini as DM . Look at matic,yaya,fernandinho 🙁 .

      • cr7 10 years ago

        But for the last time I want to believe Arsene knows what he’s doing .For the last time In Arsene i trust .He should gracefully retire if he fails this time . A change of thinking,a new approach is needed at Arsenal .

  55. Zacked 10 years ago

    agree.. i like Arsene very much and as u might recall i might have told you i started supporting Arsenal because of him and Henry.. hell i even thought Arsenal was named after Arsene long long time back.. but the things he do makes him indefensible..

    I guess the reason he is playing Ozil wide is to accomodate Cazorla and Wilshere in the same team..

    With the signing of Welbeck i hope and pray he gets Ozil back to his most effective position. Ozil as no 10, Alexis on the Left, Walcott on the right has the potential to be quite a good forward line.. Just hoping Welbeck finds his composure in front of the goal. With front 3 of Walcott, Alexis and Welbeck with Ramsey and Ozil behind we can tear apart any team,, Only if he had brought a DM too…

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