A well-thought-out comedy. Along similar lines of Ikkat but whereas there it was divorce, here it is marriage. Simple yet very nice. Dialog is great. A few of the scenes are ROFL. Pretty flawless direction and screenplay. Wholesome entertainer.
Rating: Good
Language: Telugu
Well, this movie caused a lot of stir in the nation, and more so via whatsapp! And that prompted me to see this although I was warned it was extremely gruesome. So, let me admit, I was prepared. But then, when I watched the movie, it seemed too mild indeed. Perhaps because my expectation was set too high or because I have seen far worse war movies where hands were getting ripped out, rats going in and out of bomb-blown-out-dead-bodies, etc.. But I guess, the gruesomeness and evil-ry depicted in this movie was a strongish dose for the bourgeois. Anyways. Well-made movie indeed, keeps it taut - shuttles between past and present. At times, it seemed more like a documentary of few old friends reminiscing about their historic true-story past. An excellent method of putting history back into frontlines is via a well-made movie and that is exactly what the director has done here. Lot of research has gone into this, lot of good debates, who's oppressed, who's not, etc. And that's what I liked about it. At the very beginning, the movie is dedicated to those who are oppressed. Very well-put indeed. At one point of time or other, pretty much every sect has gone through that, I guess.
Rating: Good
Language: Hindi
Full of double meanings and metaphorical references to the unspoken stuff of life. Something for which Jaggesh became very famous for, and I guess that is the reason why he was casted for this movie. The only reason, and the only reason, why I saw this movie was because the credits at the beginning of the movie was very creative and innovative, much like Malayalam movies. Unfortunately the movie was downright pathetic. Some of the scenes were absolutely yucky and some were ok-dokey. But the tale in itself has no stuff in it. Waste of time.
Rating: Pathetic.
Language: Kannada
Absolutely unbelievable tale. Just unthinkable that this can be a 'true story'. A corker of a movie from Steven Spielberg, and Tom Hanks is superlative in his role. Full marks for narration, setting (1950s), screenplay and 'international' dialog. Watch it to believe it!
Rating: Must see
Found this to be a very insightful drama. Superb acting by Deepika & Ranbir. Tale itself is very well narrated and in fact very spiritual in nature. This is more of a musical movie where some parts of the story are depicted via songs, so the musician and lyricist have to be superlative, and they do not let you down. Direction is good.
Rating: Good
Language: Hindi
Stopped watching this movie midway through. Perhaps saw about 55 minutes. Although movie-making seemed ok-dokey, the tale seemed too whacky. I guess it was meant to be comical but I didn't find it so. Direction seemed very thin. Dialog especially with the foreigners was rib-tickling. Not sure if rest of the movie could have turned my views.
Rating: Average
Language: Hindi
A typical Indian family drama. A typical Pune family. All four characters play a significant role - father, mother, son, daughter-in-law. Slight humor here and there. Not much of grief and tragedies. No major twists and turns yet not a bore. Clean acting by one and all. Easy-going narration. Low budget, hence not much glamour - either in settings or locations. No songs, dance sequences, etc. Worth a watch.
Rating: Good
Language: Marathi
Based on India's Cricket World Cup victory of 1983, this movie brings back to life what transpired almost 3 decades ago. Very well made indeed, especially re-creating the grounds like how it was back then which is so different from current era. Ranveer has portrayed the character of Kapil very well and even better is Jiiva who has portrayed Kris Srikkanth who had a persona of his own. While watching the movie, one almost feels as if we are living through the 1983 world cup! Reminded me of Dhoni movie as well.
Rating: Good
Language: Hindi
A dark movie (which we usually avoid) but felt like watching due to all the publicity. Its ok. Narration, dialog, settings, locations, screenplay and movie-making is all very professional and no mistakes. Very adult-ish content shown due to the nature of the tale. All the actors have done great justice to their respective roles and acted superbly. Watchable.
Rating: Good
Language: Hindi
The movie started off nice but tapered off in the end. A very typical story of a girl in college I guess who gets followed by a number of guys and how she is torn between handling them all. Very well narrated. And of course, the "naturalistic" acting always draws me to Malayalam movies. Good dialog, good set of characters.
Rating: Good
The lightheartedness continues from the prequel. Nice and clean movie, once again. Quite a few rib-tickling dialog & scenes. Cinematography is amazing and locations are awesome. Also nice to see the same set of characters. Some scenes could easily be predicted, and not much twist and turn either. Watchable.
Rating: Good
Language: Kannada
Well, I realized that one shouldn't always take tips from newspapers to watch movies. Such high adjectives were used for this movie that I thought it will be a must-watch. But alas, this turned out to be barely watchable. Story revolves around Personality Disorder which is now a common theme I guess. First time I heard/read about it in the 90s, I was fascinated but now it doesn't add that glitter any more. Editing could be much better. I still do not know why the judge's family had to be portrayed so much. It has no meaning to the main tale. Also no one asks about Charu Raina's missing body. For this movie, tale is everything, but it has many loop holes. Acting, location, characterization, etc. is all average, and so is direction. And, hence, so is my rating.
Rating: Average
Language: Hindi
Well, I thought this will be a really good movie but it bordered pathetic. Absolutely nothing in it. Very thin humor. Almost humorless humor. Most scenes were in slow-motion, so I could easily fast forward by 10 seconds every other minute and didn't lose much. Too much non-Kannada used, so for elderly Kannadigas who don't know any other language, they cannot follow this much. Seriously expected much better than this from Danish.
Rating: Average
Language: Kannada
From the trailer, I knew this was a triangle love story and not 100% keen to watch but gave company to wifey anyways. However there is a twist. They have made it light-hearted and at times, it is indeed funny. For that, credit does go to the director. Songs and dance sequences were good. Dialog was not very hard-hitting but had weight. There is a spiritual element as well about burning your past to enjoy the present, which wholly makes sense. Acting is ok by Dhanush but Sara has done very well indeed. Tale is relevant I guess since I have heard many such cases in other fiction books. Casting, screenplay, cinematography are all above above average.
Rating: Good
This one's a ROFL. Much more laugh-ier than the prequel. Some really crazy scenes. Reminded me once more of Scary Movie and other weird-and-yucky-yet-laughy movies that I used to watch about 2 decades ago. Nothing great, not boring just plain American way of life at all levels - school, college, middle-age, old-age, etc. portrayed as a comedy although at times it is downright disgusting.
Rating: Good
A light-hearted, feel-good kind of 'Time-pass' movie that you'd want to see. Just five friends from school who spend the long weekend together on lake house along with their families. The usual dirty & lewd American jokes/scenes but it is not overloaded with it. There is a bunch of nice family scenes, kids playing, stuff as well. Nice and simple narration, good location, small-ish tale and good casting/characterizations. Watchable.
Rating: Good
Well. Talk about putting real life into reels at real-time especially at a point in your life when you are at crossroads. Wonder how they did it. But forget the how - the way they have done it is superlative in all aspects. The background score, the animations, the narration style, the simple yet poignant points of view from the parents, etc. Although pitched as a documentary, it might as well be a movie where the main actors are the directors, with no script. Private life made public. (Cuddalore in) India & Germany is both portrayed very well.
Rating: Good
Language: German/English/Tamil
The same scenes tend to get boring but the underlying emotions starting to come to surface are portrayed by those repetitive scenes. Hence, in a way, the direction is to be applauded albeit the risk of audience tending to get bored. Superlative acting, dialog & characterization and great portrayal of the female downtrodden-ness in the orthodox Indian families. Only one major song with amazing dance sequence. Mixing the tale with the Sabarimala politics is a simple yet nice garnishing. Rated as U but definitely not in my opinion.
Rating: Good
Language: Malayalam
This one's downright crazy movie made by someone who has nice (and weird) sense of humor & who does whatever one wants to do and publish it publicly. Check out the scene about 'Tell me about it' with the bar-tender - the director takes the audience for a ride there, and one wonders if the movie is even real! The tale itself is simple but it is the narration that makes the movie enchanting. I guess there are a lot of spoofs but I don't have much idea about the originals, hence could not relate them. Very akin to Scary Movie and Airplane! genre, and hence watch it with that mindset.
Rating: Good
Not a great movie to start a new year. Genre being Comedy, there was hardly any unless one goes ROFL seeing grandparents becoming intimate. Tale is insanely focused on the sexual part of marriage and sounds ridiculous for folks from Eastern part of the world who are more into renunciation stage at that age but the Western folks still want to live like 16 at 60. But the crux of the tale apart, movie-making is excellent: direction, casting, acting, dialog, setting, etc. is all top class.
Rating: Average
Time pass movie, and doesn't have too much of hilarity as was evident in the prequel. Dialogs are flimsy, not much to write home about the acting, editing is thin, music is so-so, casting is ok but location & settings good. Simple enough tale of mix-ups and lies to push the tale around. Some desperate attempt for ROFL but does not really fly high.
Rating: Average
Well, this one is like a direct compliment of Dumb and Dumber, the female version though. And it is just as good. Dialogs are absolutely so girly and yet so ROFLy. Characterization is as sloppy. Casting and presentation is equally jovial. Although it starts off like a Bond movie and one wonders if this is even the movie one signed up to see, until Barb and Star come on-screen and take all the limelight. Pockets of scenes are absolutely hilarious. Music, song and dance make it that much more livelier, and the lyrics is comical.
Rating: Must-see
Side-note: Maybe for the first time ever I watched a movie in a theater (see below) as well as one at home!
Well, I don't remember when I last went to a Morning Show movie in a theater! Perhaps never. And I definitely never went to a theater to see a God/Saint-related movie. Mainly because such movies were hardly made in the era that I live in. Have seen many Dr Raj Kumar's movies based on the lives of Raghavendra Swamy, Kumbhara, Prahallada, etc. and I think there was a time when movies were only based on the divine entities.
Madhusudhan Havaldar has done an excellent job as a director starting from conception to completion to bring back the era of Hari-dasa to the current era. It was heartening to see the theatre halls sold out for a movie of this genre which does not boast of mainstream actors, no fighting, no violence of whatever kind, no stupid dancing and singing. It was nice to see a movie made by the Brahmin community, about a Brahmin community but not just for the Brahmins, and yet the hall was mostly Brahmins. In fact, some of them were so old and had not been to theaters in many decades for lack of such kind of movies, and some made their way to the multiplexes for the first time in their lives - my father included!
The movie itself is very well-made: clean, neat, some great casting and superlative acting. The roles performed by Vijaya Dasaru and Gopal Dasaru are perfect. The songs in the form of devotional poems are just right in number and well-spaced out. The tale itself moves quite fluidly and one doesn't get too bored. Nor is the whole tale crunched into one movie - it is good that there will be a sequel.
Pastime. Dialogs very flimsy. Songs, background, location, casting all good. Acting by most is ok-dokey but the doctor has performed his role to perfection & with right emotions. A simple & an unwanted lie makes the crux of the movie. If truth was spoken, then I guess there was no tale at all!
Rating: Average
On imdb, it says "Foto Is A Super Hit Award Winning Bollywood Kids Comedy Movie" but in my hmdb, this is one very average documentary about films. Gets very boring at times because there is just knowledge about movies being shown as a narration in every scene. Definitely give this a miss and its not regrettable. Only the location setting is good. And also if you are interested to know how movies are made.
Rating: Average
Language: Hindi
I was forewarned that it was a dark movie. And indeed it is. Set amidst lush greenery, the urge for freedom - financially and in life - stands out as very poignant. Dialog, narration, acting, direction, location, casting - everything is good. But somewhere that punch seems to be missing. Watchable once but nothing great about it.
Rating: Average
Language: Malayalam
Daughter made us watch a kids' movie along with her for Children's Day! After browsing a bunch of animations, we finally chose on this which seemed to be nice. It was indeed, but very amateur in film-making. In the end, there is some fantasy too, which the kids like but the adults have to just shut the mind! Dialog is very thin, over-acting by many but the tale makes one sit through.
Rating: Average
Language: Portuguese
An English rom-com after a really long time. It is based on the memoir Pornology. Hence, although a nice decent movie, exercise caution as to with whom you watch. Neatly made although the topic is not so. Casting is good. Dialog is edge-case humor & sometimes classy, but not ROFL comical. Watchable out of curiosity.
Rating: Average
A good laugh although at times it is rather stretched imagination. Characterization is good, and the players have played their respective parts very well. Simple tale, single location, low budget - reminded me of Bheja Fry. The lyrics and songs are quirky. Graphics animation is catchy.
Rating: Good
Language: Kannada
Broaching on a sensitive topic with a mild touch of humor, this tale is not short on enough twists and turns to ensure a tight narration that keeps the audience glued. A simple enough tale but different characters coming from different parts (couple of foreigners, a Delhi taxi driver, a Rajasthan wannabe Bollywood star, a divorcee, their families, etc.) makes the tale very poignant especially considering how one child becomes the center of all of their universe. Direction, music, acting, editing, dialog - good, location - excellent. All in all, doesn't feel like a waste of time.
Rating: Good
Language: Hindi
A nice movie which will stay on in the minds long after the movie ends. Although a very simple tale of 'the most disobedient dog', the parallel lives of the owners makes it all the more interesting - especially the parts about how a reporter doesn't want to be a columnist but becomes good at it and the eventual shift to being a reporter doesn't sound interesting after all, the move from Florida to Philadelphia, the friend's career growth, etc.. Very nice narration, editing and both Owen & Jennifer have done very good justice to the characters. And of course, the dog too.
Rating: Good
Mediocre movie although started off with a lot of promise. A simple enough topic though. Very few twists and turns. But nice dialog and very nice settings - loved the home decor (all homes!). Almost predictable future. A clean movie but not much of an entertainer.
Rating: Average
Language: Malayalam
Well, a movie with a social message. Few parts of the movie are superfluous. The tale is sufficient to keep the audience attentive. Not too many songs and dance sequences. Acting by Dulquer & Thilakan is professional. Some philosophies propounded are food for thought too!
Rating: Good
Language: Malayalam
A very well-made movie - just like all others of Rajkumar Hirani movies (3 Idiots, Munna Bhai MBBS, PK, etc.). But more than the movie-making, the tale itself is fascinating and deserves a watch. I never knew Sanjay Dutt had such a wild life! It reminded me of Jordan Belfort (The Wolf of wall Street), and SD seems to be an Indian version! Anyways, the director has amalgamated different characters into single personas (like different positive friends into one, different negative friends into one, etc.) nicely and added enough light-hearted comedy to keep the audiences titillated. Ranbir Kapoor is excellent as Sanjay Dutt. The dig at media is so-true and pointed. All in all, a movie definitely worth a watch.
Rating: Good
The director has tried hard to make it a romantic comedy and almost succeeds but patches of overacting, unwanted scenes or rather improperly edited sequences, etc. makes it fall flat. What could have become hilarious, ends up being mediocre. Even though one can see where the movie is easily leading to, the climax lacks the punch it deserves. First half of the movie seems to be just the couple going in a car around Hyderabad. However, a nice time-pass. Doesn't bore due to constant happenings (make-up/break-up).
Rating: Average
Language: Telugu
A light-hearted, rom-com about neighbourhood boys being brothers instead of eligible bachelors. Shades of 'The Girl Next Door' but not much. Otherwise, very clean movie with a tale that gets entangled and entangled until the knot gets too tightened at the climax, which is perfect fitting for the movie to end. Good dialog, narration, casting, acting, setting, location, etc. which makes this a nice and simple entertainer for a boring Sunday. Not great but suffices.
Rating: Good
Amazon classifies this movie as "Tragicomedy" and it was the first time I had heard that word. The movie is exactly that - although more of the former than the latter. From the tale perspective, the viewer can somewhat foresee what is coming in the next few minutes, so there is not much of a surprise element - only maybe midway through when an astonishing event occurs after which "it" (positive vibes, I mean) spirals downward. But the movie indeed is very well taken - the lives of the rich and the poor, especially. Narration, setting, casting, acting, dialog are all top-notch. Worth the watch. But, in my movie, not all that great to win the Best Picture award in the Oscar...
Rating: Good
Language: Korean
Came across this movie by chance and boy, am I glad. Truly unbelievable that a couple of grandmas entered into shooting sport and started winning medals! While the tale itself is catchy, the film-making is full of elan too. Nice screenplay, dialog, setting and direction, good background score and light humour too. A little bit of over-acting but pardonable. Sports movies are usually nice but this one has an added touch of 'true-story'. And of course, the oppression and for the revolt.
Rating: Must-see
No clue why this is tagged a romcom. It is just rom with no com as such. However, a clean movie with no underrated jokes or acting (except for one character who comes for about 5 mins). A simple love story with law and court as a background. Entire movie spans across three cases, out of which two of them are family court cases. At the beginning one gets the feeling it is Hindu vs Muslim movie with an obvious ending but it is not really so. And for that, the direction and narration is above par.
Rating: Good
Language: Kannada
Well, this one's a sinusoidal wave. The vibes start neutral, then go up all the way till interval, then start crashing down rapidly till it hits the trough and then slowly comes up a little bit and finally ends. Movie-making is good in terms of narration, acting, casting, location, background score, lyrics, etc. Poignant, and stays on long after movie ends.
Rating: Good
Language: Telugu
Well, the 'true story' itself seems to be more thrilling than the movie, what with hijack and hostage and rescue mission. But the movie pales. Lackluster dialog, punch-less action, etc. makes this movie avoidable. The only 'catchy' thing is the 'artistic' touch by the director - be it the dance or the last part when the credits come.
Rating: Average
A different kind of a Kannada tale set in the 90s and amidst quaint little villages. Well-made crime/mystery movie with good catchy dialog. Slightly humorous. A lot of characters are sprinkled and it looks like wild goose chase but it all fits in with some magical (maybe even fictional) powder. Doesn't bore. Casting and acting are just about perfect. Background score is soothing. Well worth the watch.
Rating: Good
Language: Kannada
Superbly acted, nicely directed and I have no clue how they can set up the location so closely resembling to the 1960s. Screenplay and dialog are a treat. The fact that this is a true-story is remarkable. This one definitely stays with you long after you watched it. One has to watch it to understand the racism.
Rating: Good
This one's a ROFL from start to finish! Amazing dialog, dialog delivery, screenplay, editing, narration, direction, casting, etc. Wholesome entertainer, that will make you keep your smile even days after watching the movie.
Rating: Must-see
Language: Telugu
Take a college, add trip, put Goa in the itinerary, sprinkle some romance here and there and the tale is bound to be awesome. Rest is left to the director to stitch them all together to make it a beautiful, clean entertainer - as blissful as the title itself. Light-hearted romance, fun-loving characters, rib-tickling dialog, beautiful locations, great casting and acting. Leaves you with a smile. Well worth the watch.
Rating: Good
Language: Malayalam
Starts off as a Rom Com but essentially it is a full tale of lies that climaxes with all truths coming out. Good dialog delivery by Srujan. The stunts are absolutely unneeded. Just for the blood-loving crowd, I guess. Dance sequences are good. Song and music and rest-everything are average. Time-pass.
Rating: Average
Typical masala movie but one can sense an underlying message about the Governtment-run colleges becoming dry facing stiff competition from Private colleges. But the movie fails in being closer to reality. Because it becomes one college against another. The heroic part (read fighting sequences) is only to gather the masses. There are few twists and turns but at one point it becomes just pure action. Some of the dialog is good though - very closely related to Puneet Rajkumar. The tale is good enough to be a movie but maybe it could have been done better.
Rating: Average
Wow, Jeetu does it again! What a corker of a movie! It starts slow with no inkling of things to come. Almost like an Alistair MacLean novel, the punch is in the last few minutes and the 'wow-ness' explodes exponentially! Stellar acting by the same cast. Felt the editing could have been better, and easily reduced the roll by about 30 minutes to make it even more tighter. Nevertheless, another marvelous film in all its entirety - direction, casting, acting, screenplay, story, cinematography, background score, dialog, etc. And to integrate an equally suspenseful thrilling tale in an already fully baked suspenseful thrilling tale is never an easy task. In fact, impossible but Jeetu has stitched it all so beautifully. Just amazing.
Rating: Must-see
Language: Malayalam
Had never seen a pirate (nor a ship-hijack) movie before, and this one was invigorating. Editing could have been better, a lot of scenes could have been avoided and the movie could have been shorter. Cinematography is straining with moving camera, am not a big fan of that. Thankfully it stops after some time. The fact that this is a true story is chilling, thinking what the Captain has gone through. And the Navy Seals, of course, are amazing! After the hijack happens, the movie becomes nail-biting. Definitely worth a watch.
Rating: Good
A homely middle-class movie. Liked the casting and innocent acting amidst the web of lies. Although tagged as comedy, not much humour. Narration is clean and simple. Time-pass., watchable Editing could have been better and cut short the movie by 30 minutes.
Rating: Good
After having seen the Hindi Medium, always wanted to see this 'sequel' although it is just in the name. This one is equally good. Although at times it seems to be more like a 'Comedy of errors' except that it is not much of comedy. Just superficially light humour. But the acting from each and every single person is good. Location and setting is homely and the dialog+dialect makes this movie worthy of watch.
Rating: Good
This movie has to be seen only for the two long takes! Undoubtedly the best cinematography experience ever. The entire movie is taken as if one one shot (from the experience of the actor) but one can make out the break in between. That's ok because narration had to move from evening to night. Tale itself is simple but everything is in the film-making. The setting is superb especially with the dead bodies and rats going in and out. Reminded me of Behind Enemy Line and No Man's Land. I wonder how each actor had memorized the script and how well each person acted at his allotted time & place - even though it is a movie, it is made so realistically.
Rating: Good
An unbelievable true story of Tami Ashcraft who survived on the ocean on a broken yacht for 41 days. And it is not just the tale that is fascinating, even the film-making is superlative. The cinematography is fantastic. The scene where the camera-man falls from the cliff along with the hero into the beautiful river is just breath-taking, and so are the 40-foot wave scenes which is on the same likes of Life of Pi and Titanic. In fact, the very first scene itself is one long continuous shot which underlines what's to come. Add to this the beautiful location of Tahiti and ever-changing colourful horizon plus very natural acting by the two protagonists makes this a nice complete package.
Rating: Good
As flimsy as the old Govinda Coolie No. 1 because the director is same who just likes to make an entertainer - no heavy stuff, not too dramatical or tragical. This one's very much on the likes of David Dhawan's movie-making. I used to definitely like his 1990s flicks with Govinda. And this one with his son in the lead role, I could not let it pass by. Total time pass. Not too hilarious nor too boring. Dialog is witty.
Rating: Average
Time pass movie. Not ROFL hilarious, but slightly rib tickling, sometimes really funny and at times too silly. Light-hearted, watchable. Nothing great though.
Rating: Average
Language: Telugu
A nice romantic comedy. Rib-tickling dialog, excellent casting and acting, good direction with some exceptional film-making, catchy music and springy dance sequences. Not a "wow", and the ending can easily be figured out. But still the film scores good for a wholesome entertainer.
Rating: Good
Language: Tamil (also made in Telugu as Size Zero)
Well, came to a know a lot about McD after seeing this movie. I really didn't know all that history. Its a pity how it was snatched from the real "founders". The movie, though, is neatly made although Michael Keaton really looks old. But casting for the other characters seems to be just perfect looking at the real people's snaps. Narration, direction, location all are just fine. A movie that is not great nor is too boring - seems to be more of a grim documentary than an entertainer.
Rating: Average
Time-pass movie. A tale that doesn't have any suspense, for the ending is very clear within first 10-15 minutes of the movie. Rest of the 120 odd minutes is just about filling the gaps! But what clicks in this movie is the film-making - very natural, very lively, dialog, casting, acting, location (a town called Colonelganj in UP), background score, songs (including lyrics) and music. Direction is ok-dokey. Climax is very amateurish and could have been done better.
Rating: Average
Very amateurish. Starts off (and I guess it is intended to be) horror-ish, thrill-ish but soon the thrill and suspense tapers off. Almost yawn-ish. Tale is still good though and so is the casting & acting. Cinematography is good too but the direction & story-telling could have been tightened up. But a very bold idea of a Telugu movie set completely in US - even with US actors. That definitely deserves an applause.
Rating: Average
Language: Telugu
Total time-pass, light-headed, easy-dialog and screenplay. Rib-tickling, at times. Crazy out-of-the-world lyrics. Pleasant and fluid narration. Great location setting (Goa). Very logical and typical (boy) friends gang. Good acting by all - especially by the guys when they are drunk - very natural. Worth a watch.
Rating: Good
Language: Telugu
A romcom about writing a romcom! Fantastic direction, film-making and story-telling - very creative indeed. Not much to write about the tale itself - its all very evident from start to finish. But crux is in how it all happens and how it is narrated. Dialog is catchy, friendships are shown very well, locations are great. Especially feels good when you have lived in most of those places (SoCal and SFO)! Well worth the watch.
Rating: Good
A whodunit that keeps you on the edge from scene 1. No non-sense, no songs, no dance, no romance, no comedy - pure whodunit and whats-gonna-happen next thriller. Resembled Alistair McLean's story-telling - which usually starts off with a thrilling plot and the source of it all is known only at the very end. Superb acting, direction, narration - you name it, you have it.
Rating: Good
Language: Malayalam
This one's a ROFL genre handled very sensibly with a delicate topic of organic farming vs chemical based farming. Every department of film-making is superlative - acting by one and all (including the farmers), screenplay, direction, casting, background score, cinematography, location, choreography, music, dialog - you name it. A wholesome entertainer and totally worth the watch.
Rating: Must-see
Language: Telugu
Never knew about what Stephen Hawking went through until I saw this movie. The only thing that I knew was that he was wheel chair ridden with magically voice coming out of his machine-of-sorts! This movie concentrates more on his personal life than his genius, which is ok. Even the genius part too is covered - how can it not - but not in whole lot detail, which makes sense because the general public will not be on the wavelength to understand anyways! Acting is superb - very difficult owing to the disability. Rest of the crew has done a great job too. Definitely worth the watch - for Hawking's sake!
Rating: Good
Well, ok-dokey movie. Watchable only to see the customs followed in the Kundapur area of Karnataka with a different Kannada dialect. Set in a remote village, the movie is a tale of three women intertwined within the vicinity of the area in which they live. Suffice it to say that it is not an entertainer. The acting is great by one and all, especially the old one. Dialog is fine, screenplay is average, nothing much to write about cinematography - he tries to make do when there are songs. Almost like Thithi. Ending was like an anti-climax, and we were like 'That's it?!'
Rating: Average
Wow, what a movie! This one's a cracker from scene 1. Excellent background score to match the thrilling sequence of events that unfold with twists and turns every few minutes. Screenplay, direction, acting, casting, location, story, etc. all are top-notch. The ending reminded me of Birbal but this one's even more thrilling.
Rating: Must-see
Language: Telugu
Back-to-back! Wife was all gaga, so went along! The last part of the Trilogy. Once again, the ending is predictable. Even the narration itself says so right in the beginning. But the screenplay is catchy. Natural scenes, homely happy-happy atmosphere like Hum Aapke Hain Kuan, usual lifestyle and dilemmas of a newly married couple, etc. make the movie a good watch.
Rating: Good
Language: Marathi
With the passing of the years (I think almost 5 years), the film-making process has improved, and this is easily seen in the 2nd part. Dialogs are better, the settings are great, the movie is much more bearable. Once again, the ending is predictable and the character is made annoyable - but then that is the story all about.
Rating: Good
Language: Marathi
Well, wifey came across this movie series and wanted to see them all. So, we started on Friday and finished on Saturday! The ending (and even the storyline) is quite predictable from scene 1. At times, it seems annoying but that is how the character is made out to be. There are shades of Before Sunrise but this one has a flavor of it's own - that being Pune vs Mumbai conversations in addition to the Man vs Woman. Lots of Pune places are shown which is a good thing to look forward to. Watchable only because of the Trilogy. A rare thing I noticed about this film is how there is no name tagged to the two main roles - which is one step beyond Broken Arrow where the names are introduced just at the end of the movie.
Rating: Average
Language: Marathi
Well, ok-dokey movie. Matt Damon has acted really well. Direction and screenplay is well-scripted especially the details. It all looks so real-worldly. Even the process of downsizing is shown with such intricacy. Concept looks great initially but overall scheme-of-things seem to wane later. Nice film-making and thought-ology but lacks the punch.
Rating: Average
Well, the genre seemed very much like PKP2 so thought we might as well check it out. It started off well indeed but it kinda tapered out. Especially post-interval, it seemed more like a soap opera with two main characters having a go at one another - full on with slow-motion and camera capturing the facial expressions for 5 seconds and more at one another. If all of those were edited, the movie would have ended 30 mins earlier. Seemed like it was going too slow. In fact, it seemed to be going in slow-motion more than the normal flow! But rest of the crew have done well - film-making, casting, location, setting, dance, background score, etc. Watchable, for the sake of it.
Rating: Average
A wholesome entertainer! Rib-tickling dialog. Excellent film-making - especially liked the part where there is an interaction with the imaginary audience! Of course, some parts were way too filmy to happen in real life (like going to Europe without visa) but those are pardonable, I guess. It tops the chart in almost all aspects - music, acting, story-telling, dancing, location, lighting, etc. Little bit of overacting by the sister but that seemed to be the character - and to add humor. Venkatesh (at his age of 59) is superb in his role. Enjoyed it thoroughly, definitely recommended.
Rating: Must-see
Language: Telugu
Wow, this one has must-see written all over it right from scene 1! Amazing film-making, acting, cinematography, script, narration,setting, direction and even soothing songs. The first 22 minutes is taken only to build-up Joseph's prowess as an investigative genius. The movie weaves between romance and murder to drama to thriller while staying within the premise of reality. The director deserves a real bow. What a movie!
Rating: Must-see
Language: Malayalam
Very amateur. In all respects - direction, acting, photography, film-making, even story-line too. Total time-pass. Avoidable.
Rating: Average
Although, tagged as Rom-Com, this seems to have more of rom than com. In fact three tales of rom amongst three generations - all set in Italy. And that's what make this movie watchable - Italy. Casting is good, locations are well taken. Sarah Jessica Parker's acting is just the same - and the character too (that of Sex and the City). Light humor, pretty twisting tale to keep all occupied. Watchable, time-pass.
Rating: Good
Quirky. Homely, middle-class lifestyle with middle-class problems. AK's character in the role fits perfectly but it turns from stylish to selfish to miserable and he has jolly well done a good job out of it. RR has done a good supporting role too, and his portrayal needed multiple shades. The storyline and ending is quite predictable but nice narration. Entertainer, but plot and sub-plot, etc. seems quite unnecessary in the end since it back-fires, or so it seems!
Rating: Good
Ranveer is at his super-best. Rohit shetty's usual setting is easily discernible as a film studio. Initial comedy scenes are worthy of Rohit's usual mirth. Dance and songs are nicely interspersed amidst the plot which can be easily scalped through and guessed. Lots of action - to gather in the crowd to the theatres, I guess. An entertainer than turns serious with burning issues in India.
Rating: Good
Jolly nice rom-com. Love stories seen through the eyes of guys. Could as well be very much modern-day true stories. Some amazing dialog and scenes. Specifically liked Kartik Aaryan's monologue single-shot about all the pit-falls - what a delivery! Truly mind-blowing. Catchy music. All have acted well but Nushrat's character seemed too much overacting. Nice settings & locations. Quite an entertainer.
Rating: Good
Phew, what a movie! Definitely 18+. First part is more of a 'Lust story' than a 'Love story' as the narration admits. But, from movie-making perspective, this one is very professional. Excellent dialog, superb choreography, superlative acting, wonderful cinematography, overlapping screenplay, fantastic locations (Paris, Cannes, what more can you ask!) - it has everything in it. One can sense Hum Tum (Girl vs Boy sequences) and The Girl Next Door (dare sequences) but this one is genuine just as well. Some unnecessary build-up about marriage but I guess that was more for audience.
Rating: Good
I kind of new what I was getting into (a random surfing got me to this movie), even though I am out of this genre for quite some time now. At one point, these kind of movies used to fascinate me - dark, satire, underworld, drugs, red-light district, child trafficking, etc. And usually, I would rate them all as Must-see but off late I am out of them all. So this one did not appeal much to me. Although there was one thing that did seem nice in this - setting being Lakshadweep Islands. Wow, that's breath-taking! First time ever, I saw a movie made out of a tale set in those islands. So beautiful. Rest of the movie took the usual downward trend which movies of this genre usually do. Good direction, casting and acting. Screenplay too, with nice surprises propping up one after the other. Watchable if one likes such stuff.
Rating: Average
Language: Malayalam
Well, a hard-hitting message about forceful parents wanting their wards to get First Rank. Of course, this movie over-does it but very sound ideas in terms of being 100% education and 0% intelligence and General Knowledge. Some scenes are very meaningful and some are total time pass with intent of pun and rendered well too. Acting is very naive. Watchable once.
Rating: Good
Language: Telugu
I had heard a lot about this movie and wanted to see it since a long time, but had avoided since it seemed to contain a lot of violence. In fact, I had even read about the tale, so kind of knew the storyline's journey from Mumbai to Bangalore to KGF. But what fascinated me, when I finally watched it today, is the depth. Depth in dialog, action sequences and in the side-details unrelated to the main theme like when she challenges to touch him, when he tests the M16, etc. Agreed, it is filmy, and trying to make the hero all-powerful and untouchable - like how some guys tries to shoot him when he is just standing and still misses despite multiple attempts. But the overall goal is still achieved - like Jason in the Bourne series, Bahubali in the Bahubali series and Maximus in Gladiator, Kannada's Sandalwood has finally produced one of the same genre and a same character. It is very rare that I rate a Kannada movie as must-see but this one sure stays near the top...more for the film-making.
Rating: Must-see
Well, let me be honest. I had high expectations of this movie. Instead this is more of a character assassination! All the high regards I had of SD came shattering after I saw this movie. Of course, this is a narration from the daughter's perspective and she has all the right to say what she wants but I'd rather have not known her personal story, for SD is made more of a negative character in this than someone to be proud of! Just adding positive notes in the last 10 minutes does not undo all that is told until then. But coming to the story itself - it is indeed fascinating. In fact, Shakuntala Devi herself is a Miracle in herself - without a movie needing to be made out of her! Vidya Balan has acted very much like how she did in Dirty Picture - like a South Indian actress & an accent drawl, except South Indian actress are anything but that. Hence, as such, I didn't like it much. She'd've been better off as how she did in Tumhari Sulu or Mission Mangal. Rest of the movie is ok-dokey. Watchable if nothing else to do.
Rating: Average
A Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie, so expect the grandeur. The historical story itself is mesmerizing, and we need a SLB to come and add the necessary ingredients to get it to the big screen. And he has done a super job out of it. Ranveer, Priyanka and Deepika are the right cast to their roles. Dance choreography is awesome - especially for the Pinga song. Action sequences on the war scenes are good - almost like Bahubali type. Dialog is cutting edge and gets top credits - like the Peacock cutting scene. Ranveer is like Russell Crowe in Gladiator and he has played it very well. The love story of the two is almost like Romeo and Juliet. Well worth the watch.
Rating: Good
Well, a time-pass movie about a marriage counsellor who screws up her own marriage. For me, a counsellor should first be a good human being - and the main character in this movie was not. So, the movie was going awry from scene 1. Especially more so because she starts training puppy and thinks that is the way to train husbands. I guess the movie was made as a romantic comedy - but it has neither the romance nor the comedy. But film-making itself is done in classy Hollywood way. Boston brought back lot of good memories.
Rating: Average
