Hostel - Movie Review

HOSTEL - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Can you say "YUCK"? Every time there is a successful film, it is immediately followed by clones expecting to cash in. I cannot quite identify the original in this case, but there has been a whole raft of movies like WolfCreek, Saw I & II, Creep and so on and on and on.....

Hostel just continues this trend of cutting up people for amusement. Although there was a lot of hype surrounding this movie, if one carefully checked the credits, one would see that Quentin Tarrantino is the presenter. What does that even mean? This is just another way that Hollywood tries to cash in on famous people.

The other side of the story is that Slovakia has been absolutely trashed and they have expressed strong resentment at being portrayed in an unflattering manner.

I am big horror aficionado and I have to say that this one stinks up the big one.

A must miss movie, if there was ever one.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 1.

SHE SAID:

I generally stay away from horror movies and I hated this one. It was completely horrible. From what little I know of the horror genre, the best kind of horror is the one where very little happens on screen but a lot happens in the mind of the viewer. Which was why Blair Witch Project was such a good horror movie.

By that count, this movie leaves nothing to the imagination. There is only so much blood and gore that a mind can take. We become desensitised after a while and the intention of the makers to shock just fall flat.

I would recommend that this movie be given a wide berth.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 2.

Memoirs of a Geisha - Movie Review

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

I have not read the famous book of the same name from which the movie was made. But I can tell you that, if the movie is so good, then the book must be superb indeed. The movie is a rich visual treat with heart stopping panoramas of Japan on the brink of war. The colours are bright and make you thankful for your eyesight. It is a magnificent opus similar to movies like THE LAST EMPEROR.

Ziyi Zhang as Sayuri the protagonist of the movie is brilliant. She has finally arrived in Hollywood. She is not just the girl doing gravity-defying martial art stunts in foreign movies. She has proved that she has got what it takes to be a star.

The rest of the cast is excellent as well. All the controversy about non-Japanese actors playing Japanese characters is just irrelevant as the end result is so appealing.

One for the collection! Not to be missed.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 9.

SHE SAID:

Nothing to write home about. Nice visuals but the story was so so. I have not read the book either, but to me it does not matter if the film remains faithful to the book, as I was not impressed with the film anyway.

Why should Asian actors conform to Hollywood? Why can't the Asians have their own Hollywood and come up with magnificent movies which can then be aped by the rest of the world?

Worth a look.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 3.

Kalabha Kadhalan - Movie review

KALABHA KADHALAN - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Another weird story after Vaali. This time it is the sister-in-law lusting after her brother-in-law. Arya, Akshaya and Renuka Menon as the husband, sister-in-law and the wife are adequate. There is nothing spectacular from their performances that stands out in your mind.

Another lacklustre movie although one with an unusual plot.

Worth seeing once, barely.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 3.

SHE SAID:

A good movie with well done performances by Arya and Akshaya. Akshaya as the sister-in-law with a big ego, who is lusting for her brother-in-law, does a decent job. In this day and age, such a thing happening is not far fetched.

Arya is coming along very nicely and maturing as an actor.

Overall an enjoyable movie.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 6.

Amirtham - Movie review

AMIRTHAM - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Although this movie feels like a documentary, it is sufficiently different from the run of the mill Tamil movie for us to sit up and take note.

There are some very good words of advice from the characters played by Girish Karnad and Rajeev. They have both done excellently.

This is one of those rare Tamil movies where everything is not about the love story and there is actually an issue here that is worth fighting for. The oil find in the village has the government wanting to relocate the population of the village. We have seen this happen time and again in real life, where rich corporations or governments want to move people out of their ancestral homes for various selfish reasons.

Navya Nair who plays the eponymous heroine is adequate in spite of her not so conventional facial features.

Ganesh who plays the hero, once again proves that one does not need any good looks to be a hero in the Tamil film industry.

Overall, a nice change of pace from masala. Can be seen once.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 5.

SHE SAID:

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Navya Nair is great. The story is different. In spite of the documentary feel to it the movie is definitely worth watching.

Once again, let us support filmmakers who do different movies and help create an environment where it is financially viable to do different movies, rather than loudly proclaiming the need for something different and then going out to see masala movies.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 7.

Idhaya Thirudan - Movie review

IDHAYA THIRUDAN - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Here's another movie that masquerades as a "different" movie. What is "different" anyway? Is it having a completely new story? There is no such thing.

Anyway this movie has a heroine, who is pretty much the villain. She is an egotistic, rich, spoilt girl who makes a game of getting people in trouble. The hero Ravi becomes a prey to her machinations and instead of hating her, falls in love with her.

Throw in the powerful mother, the corrupt/ambitious cop and the bad guy related to the hero, you have Idhaya Thirudan. Yet another brilliant piece of acting by Prakash Raj and Nasser. These two are part of the group of actors who are excellent, who act in all movies and who are never remarked upon. They are the work horses on whose broad shoulders the Tamil movie industry rests squarely.

A forgettable movie not worth even watching once.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a weak 2.

SHE SAID:

A new approach to the old love story formula. Fast paced movie. Jeyam Ravi has matured as an actor. Kamna Jethmalani as the heroine has a long way to go. Vani Viswanath as the heroine's powerful mother is making a good come back. Prakash Raj and Nasser are their usual best.

Worth watching once.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 5.

Dishoom - Movie review

DISHOOM - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Looks like a good movie for Jeeva to do after Raam. He handles the role of stuntman very well. It is not his fault, if the story line is not very strong. However due credit must be given to the makers for trying something new.

Kadhal Sandya is mediocre as the friend who very reluctantly turns into a lover.

Jeeva has clearly demonstrated that he can act and that he did not get the job just because his father is a producer.

We need more movies that break the mould and are different.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 5.

SHE SAID:

I liked Jeeva's performance. It was classy. And I most definitely liked the story. It was different. People keep saying that Tamil movies are boring. That they are the same over and over again. But when something new is tried out, these same people refuse to lend their support to the makers. How then do they expect new things to come out when the same old stories keep making money at the box office?

Definitely must see movie.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 8.

Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl - Movie Review

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

A delicious romp, a meal comprised of just dessert. An awesome film. It has all the ingredients to make it a great movie.

Johnny Depp has got to be the best and most eccentric actor ever to come out of Hollywood. He shines in his role as Captain Jack Sparrow, whose complete focus is on getting his ship back from the mutineers.

Kiera Knightly as Elizabeth Swann has done a fair job of playing a girl fighting her inner demons as she falls for Will Turner.

Will Turner is played by an effeminate Orlando Bloom, who looks like he will break into pieces during the rigorous action sequences.

Geoggrey Rush as Captain Barbossa proves yet again that he has a villainous streak in his real life persona. He makes a superlative bad guy. You can see the delight he takes in doing bad shining through.

All in all, a strong story, beautiful locales, great graphics and a strong cast makes this a movie not to be missed. Pure entertainment all the way.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 9.

SHE SAID:

What's with all the fantastic pirates and curse routine? It's a bit too strong for my taste. I prefer films rooted in reality.

I would have to say that this is must miss movie for me. I could barely sit through all of it.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 1.

The Haunted Mansion - Movie Review

THE HAUNTED MANSION - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

It is yet another movie with no substantial story trying to ride the coat tails of a big name - Eddy Murphy in this case. We have seen graphics evolve to such a high level of excellence that we have become blase about it. So if you take away Eddie Murphy and the great graphics, you are left with nothing but fluff.

I do have to agree that it was fun to watch and entertaining. It cannot be classified as a horror movie by any stretch, which is probably why it is rated PG.

Eddie Murphy is his usual funny self, although he is starting to look a bit tired of it all.

I would say that this movie is one of the numberless many that you would rent if you had nothing else to see.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 3.

SHE SAID:

This was a fun movie that I could watch with my kid without having worry about what might come up on screen that a child should not see.

Eddie Murphy is hilarious as one half of a driven real estate agent couple.

This is great family movie, definitely worth watching.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 8.

Raam - Movie Review

RAAM - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

Just when you thought that this movie was going to be the one, the one that would be different from all the other Tamil movies, the one that would break the mould, the one that would end the curse of the Tamil movie formula, you are totally, utterly let down yet again.

You are gripped by the start of the movie. There is a distinct Hollywood thriller feel to it. The location is misty and dark. The shots are crisp. The opening is a shocking aftermath of a gruesome murder. You grab on to your seat as you slide to the edge. Maybe, you tell yourself, this would be the movie that is going to show the world, that we too can make world-class quality movies and that we will not be the laughing stock of the movie world anymore with our five songs, two rapes and six fights formulae.

You are not disappointed for the first half hour. The viewer is taken on a dark, Sherlock Holmes whodunit. You ask yourself along with the movie, what happened to this kid, who looks normal enough, to make him snap and kill the woman lying in a pool of blood on the floor.

The makers of Raam slowly, inexorably lose control of the plot and the movie ends up being a confused hodge-podge of efforts to make the hero out as a mentally disturbed person with a very simple view of what is right and wrong. Too bad they could not maintain the taut screenplay of the initial half hour throughout.
This movie created a lot of expectation for Jeeva. Too bad for him that it backfired. He has shown unexpected depths to his acting that one would not have suspected from watching his efforts up to now.
Charanya as Raam's mother has done an outstanding job. It is amazing how she attracts such weird offbeat roles and aces them. She should keep doing such roles.

I would recommend seeing this movie once as a lesson for what not to do, if you want to make a different movie.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 4.

SHE SAID:

I like Jeeva in this unconventional role. Although I did not like the story line, Jeeva should be commended for trying something new. He has definitively answered the question of whether he had any talent with a resounding YES!

Why should we resort to blood and gore violence to be different? Is there no other genre that can be tapped?

Anyway, this movie is worth watching once.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 5.

Munich - Movie Review

MUNICH - MOVIE REVIEW

HE SAID:

I once read that the true measure of success of a book or movie, is if it changes the way you look at the world around you. By that measure, Munich is an astounding success. It makes us question when it is correct to kill someone. Is it ok if you are a soldier and fight to defend your nation? Or is it ok to kill some one to defend your family. Where does it stop? It is an ethical slippery slope down which, all people who are put in the situation of killing find themselves falling.

Whatever the circumstances may be, taking a human life will leave serious scars on one's psyche, as ably depicted by Eric Bana in the movie. He has portrayed superbly the hell that a normally decent person, would go through when made to take lives, although on behalf of a nation state.

The questions raised by this movie are like layers of an onion. First you question the madness of the Palestinian's execution of the Israeli athletes. Then you question the Israelis decision to use the kidon - small groups of assassins, to eliminate all the Palestinians responsible for the Munich Olympic massacre. Is it right for a country to sanction such activities, no matter what the provocation? What about the legal justice system? Is it just for show?

The genius of Steven Spielberg lies in depicting an actual event as factually as possible and then using the characters to question every angle of the incident and the response to the incident. This way he lays out all the moral questions for the viewer to chew over and ruminate. Although it is true that Spielberg is Jew and as such does show a little bias, he is faithful to the human issues facing the characters rather than take sides.

All the covert violence in European cities, harkens back to the days of the Cold War and really illustrates how it must have been back in those days where agents from rival nations routinely "sanctioned" each other. I guess we have swapped that hell for the current one filled with terrorists and the people fighting them. The more things change the more they stay the same!

There is a very poignant moment at the end of the movie, where Geoffrey Rush's character, who is the case officer for Eric Bana's character, refuses Eric Bana's offer to go to his home and break bread with him. What could be the possible reasons for Geoffrey Rush's refusal? Could it be that he does not want to get too close to the man who could be killed by the Mossad for becoming a nuisance and a security threat? Or could it be because Geoffrey Rush finds it morally repugnant to break bread with a killer, no matter how noble or sanctioned by the state his motives are for killing? The questions are endless and the issue is open.

Must see movie for all movie buffs.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 9.

SHE SAID:

I just do not see what all this violence has to do with displaying the moral dilemma facing ordinary men when they are forced by circumstances to kill other men. They could have shown it a bit more tastefully.

I guess it has become a Spielberg trademark to overkill on the emotional angle. All in all a movie that can be watched once. Eric Bana does a great sensitive guy who can cry, when overwhelmed by emotions. That is a change from the tough guys that have populated movies for the longest time.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this movie a 3.