Samsara

Kaleidoscopic images & videos spanning across many different countries with no commentary nor any subtitles. Shows many strange, unknown, unseen videos which are at times cruel and at times beautiful and other times plain boring. A very professional work of videography. Good documentary to see with kids since it doesn't really disturb when they keep asking hundreds of questions! Looking at the mute video, my daughter told the video 'You just have to use your words.' :-) (That's something we parents keep saying to her when she is upset and having temper tantrums!)
Rating: Average

The Lego Movie

Wow, what a movie! Awesome story, great animation, superb humor and even parenting morals. The movie starts off with a bang and rides on a roller-coaster at break-neck speed until the very end. Added to this - we saw it under the stars on Walnut Creek Civic Park. Great ambience despite the chill. Totally, totally enjoyed from beginning till end - including Kurkure and Aloo Paratha! Reminded us of the movie we saw in Irvine Park.
Rating: Good

Inequality for all

An excellent documentary on inequality of wages - where rich become richer and poor become poorer. Robert Reich gives the cause, effect and solution for this economic turmoil in America over the last century. Superb narration, witty and gripping. 
Rating: Good

The Little Mermaid

Another Saturday night movie for the daughter. This time it was her little mermaid Ariel. Very easy-going story and movie about teenage love and "kiss of true love" - but kind of too much for a 4 year old but anyways. Time-pass.
Rating: Average

The Way Back

Nowadays, I am reading the novel and then seeing the movie. This favors the book, I guess, unless the movie is really made well. Just so, since this movie only depicted 50% of what is actually in the book, I felt the book was much better than the movie. Even so, the movie at times runs very thin and doesn't quite capture the attention as much as the novel. Why don't film-makers just take the novel, I don't understand. 
Rating: Average

100 Days of Love

Maybe had high hopes for this movie especially after having seen another Malayalam movie Bangalore Days, or maybe the beginning sounded good. Either way, this movie is too light-weighted and is an absolute time-pass. Although set in Bangalore, it has pretty much no stuff in it but one can just linger till the end just to see it through just for of an occasional laughter here and there. Not even sure about the significance of the title.
Rating: Average

Tanu Weds Manu

Hoping it to be a rom com, we were severely disappointed. The movie has a very thin story line and it goes from good to worse. At the end, we were like 'Oh Please!' The name gives away the ending anyways.
Rating: Average

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Trailer seemed interesting and comical but the movie itself was pretty average. Stories of about a bunch of retirees which intertwine at a retiree home in India. Each of the tales seemed superfluous and one feels - is it all really needed? Nothing comical about it in the end, but good direction, acting and dialog nevertheless.
Rating: Average

Up

It started good but lost its steam after some time. Good imagination but it just went out of bounds when an old man who cannot climb down the stairs on his own tries to hold on to his full house - literally. Total time pass movie for kids.
Rating: Average

12 Years a Slave

So, I read books and see movies. And then I compare which was better. Sometimes the movies are better, sometimes the books. In this case, it was the book. The movie only made me understand parts of the book that I could not comprehend reading but other than that, it did not evoke any other emotions. I felt there were quite a bit of scenes that were quite unnecessary and could have been edited. Also, there seemed to be an escape scene which the author had written in great detail which was missing in the movie. Nevertheless, if you don't want to read a 200-page book and instead know the story in 2 hrs, go for it!
Rating: Good

Enchanted

This is a fun movie that can be welcomed on any weekend. Again, girly, princessy stuff that can make daughters go 'Awww' but it has a twist within 30 minutes of the movie when the animation turns to real human beings and mean adults right on Times Square. Kinda sci-fi jazzy stuff, only it is more for kids! The dramatic ending is very, very sloppy and totally unneeded and could have been edited after the proverbial 'True-love-kiss'.
Rating: Good

The Princess Diaries 2

The prequel was much better. This sequel seemed pretty awful, very boring and at times even ridiculous - all due to a very thin story line. Another weekend, girly movie but highly avoidable. Oh, by the way, if you are wondering why I am into so many girly movies - it is to give company to wifey and daughtery!
Rating: Average

The Princess Diaries

A lazy Sunday time-pass movie about a teenager who suddenly comes to know she is a Princess of a country. A predictable tale and ending.
Rating: Average

This is the End

Truly pathetic. A doomsday picturized for real-life actors. Some comical dialog and scenes but overall quite yucky and heavily avoidable. 

The Namesake

A Bengali-English movie about Indian couples stay in America in 1980s and the radical shift in culture especially for the newlywed brides. Based on Jhumpa Lahiri novel which I later remembered having read. A good movie. Nothing great, nothing bad. 
Rating: Good

Mardaani

Another female-oriented power-punch movie but seemed far-fetched plot at times, especially when villain killed whosoever with ease but spared the cop until too late. Apart from that, story is captivating. It is shocking to know that even a road-side pani puri is dangerous for girls in India.
Rating: Good

Drishyam

Wow. Brilliant. Another movie seen on airplane en route to Abu Dhabi from SFO. Had heard about this  movie a lot and it lived up to it's expectations. A simple story with a simple twist that can happen to any simple middle-class family. Well directed and well acted, its as good as any edge-of-the-seat thriller.
Rating: Must-see

Language seen: Telugu but original Malayalam

Excuse my French

An Arabic movie seen on airplane while coming from SFO to Abu Dhabi. Seemed overly hyped but it was a let down. IMDB states genre as Comedy but I didn't find anything to laugh about. It portrayed a very dark side of life indeed.
Rating: Average

Mary Kom

Wow, what a movie! What a true story! Such unmatched skill, commitment and dedication - and to think I never knew about this person until I heard about this movie (like many other Indians, I am sure). Great acting by Priyanka, and such sad state of affairs to see growth of Boxing as a sport in India, with all its prejudices. But thoroughly enjoyed the movie, nevertheless.
Rating: Must-See

22 Jump Street

Similar to 21 Jump Street. Nice, easy, light-hearted, little bit of action, a touch of romcom, etc. Good for a Lazy Sunday.
Rating: Good