bonzybino Reviews

The Theory of Everything (2014)

the beautiful theory!!

[7/10 · 18 January 2015]

The buzz around "The Theory of Everything" is in full swing, thanks to the various nominations including the Oscars it garnered this awards season. I wouldn't have dared to bet on the movie having any chance to come this far when I first saw it, courtesy the screener copy (hate to reveal being a pirate :P), none whatsoever except Eddie Redmayne for his portrayal as Stephen Hawking in the movie. Well here it is, standing tall with handful of nominations this awards seasons with 5 nominations in the Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, Actress and Original Score. I just watched it a second time in cinema, this time falling more in love with the movie.

The story about Stephen hawking, the world renowned physicist and cosmologist wouldn't have been unheard of, there being lot of movies, documentaries and TV shows on his life and works. This movie though is shown from Jane Wilde Hawking's perspective who was Stephen Hawking's wife. The plot is not purely biopic as such but the movie takes us through the hard life Stephen Hawking had to go through after he was diagnosed with motor neuron disease and how his wife backed him throughout the tough times before eventually parting their ways. It would be an instant love affair if you happened to be a Stephen Hawking fan and for others you would appreciate the heart breaking drama which never goes over the top melodramatic. I loved the ending very much, a fitting climax drawn parallel to his work "A brief history of time".

The lead cast terrific and deservingly front runners in acting categories this awards season. I have had seen Felicity Jones (who played Jane Wilde Hawking) earlier and this without doubt is a breakthrough performance from her. The surprise package comes in form of a relatively unknown Eddie Redmayne who nearly nails it to perfection as Stephen Hawking, the kind of performance which reminds us of Daniel Day Lewis in "My Left Foot". Music by Johnson Johanson deserves a mention too for rendering an emotional texture to the frames. I, for one, loved the pace of the movie barring the lagging scenes somewhere in the middle, it kind of felt like dragging the movie into a heartfelt climax. :) To conclude, "The Theory of Everything" isn't the type of movie for casual movie goers who are looking for some time off the park. I would recommend it to serious movie buffs or for those wondering what the Oscars buzz is all about!! Not the perfect biopic yet a must watch. My rating 7.5/10

The Expendables 2 (2012)

Oldies fire up big time!!

[6/10 · 16 October 2012]

Never thought the series was an expandable one, but well, Expendables 2 is a far better movie than its predecessor. With some extreme but good action - was a bit over the top in the first movie, some very good comic liners, and then the screen magic with an ensemble cast - not to mention the electrifying vibe when one gets to see the oldies together - the movie is definitely a thrilling outing, and to the ones who grew up watching Stallone, Bruce and Arnold, this might serve to be nostalgic too. This time we have another oldie as villain, Gosh!! missed VanDamme and his kicks. Statham so funky, crude and witty with his oneliners as usual. Nothing thought provoking with the plot, in fact its just cooked up to bring together the characters. With a not so loud music and some decent action choreography, the movie finally ends up satisfying the masses. Definitely worth watching for the Oldie's fans. :)))

360 (2011)

the worst hyperlink movie ever!!

[5/10 · 21 July 2012]

Let me not get this wrong but there's no hyperlink movie - movies with inter related characters and plots - which bored me till date, until watching 360. And have seen quite a lot of them to benchmark the genre, or the least to enjoy them. 360 falls flat with a lame storyline though it assembles some of the finest actors - needless to say all of them wasted - and for a thread about human connections and relations, it leaves a lot to be desired in the end.

The making style, the narration and the editing were good, but the screenplay had nothing new to offer, seen all of them and many of these characters and plots else where - Magnolia, crash, 96 minutes, traffic, Nine lives to name a few. I mean where's the novelty in showing interlocking stories of characters in pursuit of money, sex, love which have been told a million times! Thankfully we don't have an accident in the plot, easily the saving grace from getting all dejavu'd! To make it lamer the background scores were so erratic and ludicrous.

The movie with some names in the cast is hard to put down, how deceiving! and for a thread that was supposed to draw and evolve the complex nature of human relations sadly stoops, even before the drama gets built up to the core. A big let down.:( :(

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

brilliant finish to the epic trilogy.

[9/10 · 20 July 2012]

The Dark Knight Rises(TDKR) is a brilliant finish to Nolan's Batman Trilogy. Its no mean thing to live up to the hype, The Dark Knight being one of the most acclaimed movies of the decade and Christopher Nolan being a God to fanatics ( me included :P), the rave previews, the buzz for Oscar had all made it the most anticipated movie of the year. One should watch it to get an idea why it was fussy all along!! And for the fans this is a must watch.

TDKR isn't flawless as its predecessor Dark Knight, yet turns out to be a stupendous movie, courtesy to a brilliantly written screenplay by Nolan brothers. The best thing about the screenplay is the buildup of each characters, each of them getting ample screen time which though ends up with a long running time ( 2 hours 45 minutes). It might not be appealing to first timers, for the movie carries huge references and links from the previous movies. The Villain Bane is hunky, destructive and ferocious unlike The Joker who was quick witted and wily. And there's a surprise package too which would keep u glued to the story - I shouldn't have said that :P. The movie isn't but without minor plot holes, certain things might just stop on you.

Ensemble cast with most of them reprising their roles from the previous movies, Marian Cottillard & Ann Hathaway sizzle as the lead ladies, Joseph Gordon comes in as a handy sideman (the Robin from Comics). The score by Hans zimmers keeps your pulses pumping throughout, and worth mentioning is the technical brilliance. Very less CGI for a comics movie, but yes the brilliance of Christopher Nolan is one to watch out in action scenes, the setting, the locations. TDKR is too realistic, dramatic and a bit too heavy for a superhero movie, and as someone said, makes all other comics movies look so cheap!! Don't miss this.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Celebration of life.

[8/10 · 13 July 2012]

An overwhelmingly delightful and heartfelt English movie!! the movie is set in India where a group of English Old age persons come to reside and spend the rest of their lives, in "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" @ Jaipur. Things doesn't go well as written down and the "Senior Citizens" takes some toiling and blending to get well with the environment, and finally finding out the virtues and the privileges of "living". Its a celebration of life, the movie shows how the characters going through those emotional turbulence in the final phase of their lives gets over with it, each of them in pursuit of something better!

I was a bit bothered with my ambivalence, never felt good about the poking, the satires, the dig at the Indian culture and ways - which weren't deliberate and must admit, very real. But then there were lot of enthralling moments to cover it up as well. The exotic & an equally filthy locale, the Indian mannerisms, the way of communication were all so perfectly rendered. A somewhat clichéd subplot in form of a mini bollywood romance ( Indian couple only) did irk me, and that too when the movie was catching its prime. An ensemble cast ( all of them known faces) makes sure the movie never gets over dramatic or comical - though Dev Patel who plays the young manager of the hotel was a bit goofy. Thomas Newman has composed the music well, so congruent a blend of Indian and Western.

"Slumdog Millionaire" was way too 'hinglish' for a British movie - still wonder how it got Oscar crowned - and a bit over-showing the darker side of India ( loved the movie nevertheless ). "Darjeeling limited" was way too comical, "Outsourced", a simple but brilliant movie was poor though, in content and visuals. Well, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" in a way overdoes all these movies, yea it does have plot-holes, some instances melodramatic, some quite bollywoody! But you don't need to miss this movie, its a celebration of life. A beautiful quote from the movie ( which am sure is often heard and told in many different ways ) - Everything will be all right in the end. And if it's not all right, It's no the end. 8/10

God Bless America (2011)

mixing it all to unleash the fury!!

[6/10 · 11 July 2012]

Call it mindless or stupendous, Ha! Frank is gonna shoot you either wise. :D. It definitely gets into our blood, and it does succeed in fuming up our senses albeit being a brainless movie! What is it? a cooked up mixture of Juno, Super & Kickass!!! yup, take in all the plot lines from those movies, knit it together with some rhetoric dialogs - too much of them by the way - and some mindless shooting and blood spurting, there, that's the movie for you. :P

Gone are those days when we used to symbolize our pointless lives with subtle dramas, babbling and whining with eloquence which stood philosophically superior! Thanks to the makers of this movie, its all action - shooting, mob hitting and you-name-it-do-it which would metaphorically comply with quenching your gaming quotient. :D Needless to say, the artistic elements ain't the one to look out for in this movie ( fair to be, technically, it fares much better than some action thrillers) ,its a gamers paradise. yea, f**k 'em all up!! :D

Desire (2011)

erotica at its dramatic best..

[6/10 · 11 July 2012]

Its hard to make a drama erotic, the more complex if its the other way around. Q is an erotica at its dramatic best, a distant topper in the genre. The plot evolves with lives of some characters revolving around Cecile, the protagonist in the drama, and how she change their lives. Too much subtle the screenplay at times, that we tend to lose it quite easily. And thankfully, the erotic scenes never shadows the feel of the movie which makes it engaging throughout.

The creditable performances from the cast imprints the quality of the drama, and quite deceitfully we get obsessed with the protagonist played by the gorgeous Déborah Révy - a rare breed of voluptuousness and acting prowess. The movie for all its sensuousness should be indebted to some unseen good locale, complemented well by good cinematography. A must stop port this for the erotica lovers, and a good watch for other movie goers. Its an erotica at its dramatic best. 6.5/10

American Reunion (2012)

nostalgic piece from the pie series

[7/10 · 10 July 2012]

American Reunion banks hugely on the successful franchise of American Pie series, and comes as a fitting finale which makes you nostalgic at the same time keeping you entertained. Though it never comes close to any of its predecessors - in terms of tickling your ribs - its hard to turn down, felt more like the huge American Pie fan following getting a get-together after a long time.

It was good to see Chris Klein back - he skipped American Wedding - with Mena Suvari, and almost all of them getting back for the reunion, Sean William Scott as Stifler looks hunky, yea with all his loud mouthings as usual! Well, the screenplay might not be the best thing to discuss, for its too loose and shabby - understandable though, with the tough ask of scripting something to bring back the whole team. The track "laid" is remixed in the end which was cool. My pick would be how Stiff Meister pays back Finchy big time!! :D

If you are a fan of American Pie series, this ones too good to miss! hmm warn u though, to keep your artistic brains away. Just enjoy like good old times. :)

Thattathin Marayathu (2012)

clichéd yet refreshing love story!

[7/10 · 6 July 2012]

Thattathin Mareyath is a simple yet engaging movie with a plot so clichéd yet so refreshing. I was amazed how the movie never fails to amuse, albeit getting the vibe of whats in store ahead. Now thats the magic of a writter cum director, here we have Vineeth Sreenivasan who makes a giant leap from "Malarvadi".

Breaking all my presumptions, Nivin pauly does it in style as the bloody blushing lover boy and as for the lady love, her looks were more than enough. The co-cast all supportive and hilarious, we get some good laughs when they all fit in. Special mention to shan rahman for roping in with some romantic tracks.

Ha! How i loved the romantic scenes, the surreal textures, the background scores which all reminded me of my lovelife! A good watch. 6.5/10

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

not an amazing Spider-Man

[6/10 · 6 July 2012]

The Amazing Spiderman doesn't quite live up to be an amazing reboot of the franchise! But its a good one time watch, and probably lovable for those who got fed up with the Sam raimi - toby maguire Spiderman trilogy.. To be fair, The Amazing Spiderman might be close to the plots in comics, Ha! but then the rebooted comics version isn't a good reason to reboot an already successful movie series. Dejavu when you get to see too many scenes so identical to the 2002 film, understandably all grown from the same roots, hmm and like many, i strongly believe the reboot version was a bit early to be made..

Some better things, however, worth mentioning : the pretty Emma stone who is much better than Kirsten Dunst ( don't give a darn whether its Gwen or Mary Jane, they are meant to be Spiderman's Lady love anyways). A strong villain in Dr.Lizard, thanks to good CGI (poor characterization and casting though) and finally Music composed By James Horner. Andrew Garfield is cute - a good leap from "The Social Network" - but isn't quite the lovable Peter Parker we know.

The script, the dialogues and the closing lines were all lacking the firepower and the emotional vibrancy, just to make a comparison, the voice-over of Tobey's Spiderman(With great power comes great responsibility. This is my gift, my curse. Who am I? I'm Spider-man.) still gives me the flare, which sadly is a huge miss with the rebooted movie. Memories afresh how I got crazy with Spider-Man(2002) during my schooldays!! hmm, The Amazing Spider-Man never comes close. 6/10

Burning Man (I) (2011)

burning drama!

[7/10 · 6 July 2012]

"Burning Man" is one movie which can be tagged under Art-house. Stories about grieving men ain't that novel nowadays, yet Burning Man slaps at the very thought of giving us yet another clichéd piece, this one with all its brilliance is indeed refreshing a watch for the story it deals with.

The drama which unfolds in reverse chronological order - just like in "memento" - goes deep into the lives of the characters, all shown so roughly with incoherent fragments from the story that we feel like watching digged out incidents from the protagonist's memory. It did irk me at first, and i really had to be patient to get the hang of it. Its awfully slow at times that you would start hating it or, the worse, might stop watching it just like my cousin :D - I hate to stall in between. After I finished watching the movie, was amazed by the simplicity of the plot, which was fed to the viewer in a rather unconventional but powerful manner.

The pain the characters go through was brilliantly acted and shot. With some absorbing performances - my first Mathew Goode movie and am already a fan - amazing locale and soulful background score, this drama easily gets into my top Art-House Movies list - stressing on the term "Art house", for it might not be enjoyable outing for all. A good watch for serious movie buffs. 7/10

Ustad Hotel (2012)

flavour rich drama

[8/10 · 29 June 2012]

Ustad Hotel is a flavour rich drama which has got all the ingredients to satisfy everyone alike, that without compromising on the artistic elements! Anwar Rasheed Anjali Menon duo doesn't disappoint, true to be, they don't strike Gold either!

The story, roughly, is about a young guy who tries to get away with his career only to find himself in the thick of things which goes otherwise. With the backdrop of food and malabar,it does provide an interesting watch, the more appeasing if you are from malabar region. The screenplay by Anjali menon is too good that we don't get stuck anywhere, a bit let loose towards the end, making it melodramatic - I got a lump in my throat after a very long time. The sulaimani & mohabbath scene with Dulqar and Thilakan was a mesmerizing one. The background score & songs were so soothing to the senses - hindustani, folk rock and even a sufi track - which went well with the storyline did wonders for the movie. We have a young hero in Dulqar Salman who is handsome and stylish - improved a lot from Second Show - and an ever amazing Thilakan who excels as Ustad, Nithya Menen who plays the love interest of Dulqar does well too.

With food being an important element in the plot, chances are high the movie being compared to "Salt ' n' Pepper". Ustad Hotel is a feel good drama which would skip being at par with S 'n' P which was a romantic comedy. It did disappoint me that the romance was so underplayed in Ustad Hotel, the only romantic scene was sweet leaving us craving for more! All said, Anwar Rasheed & crew does it in style, a good feast to relish.

Bel Ami (2012)

a mediocre caspule!!

[4/10 · 24 June 2012]

Bel ami is a huge disappointment for those who are familiar with Guy de Maupassant's novel of the same name, or for those who have seen George Duroy in movies or in TV! Acceptable the fact that the whole novel might not fit into the cinematic body, nonetheless the caspuled version falls flat, and for me, this turns out to be the worst adapted screenplays of all time!

To start with, the casting went terribly wrong, Robert Pattinson never came close to portraying George - still in colored shades of Cedric Gregory and the vampire boy. The screenplay like i mentioned added to the misery, overemphasizing on certain aspects which did mar the intensity of the plot, and then underplaying the characters and the drama as if we were getting to see knitted episodes from a TV series. The saving grace comes in form of the background score which was brilliant - how i wished to see an appeasing drama for the music!!

To sum it up, this was a real disappointment for me, i wouldn't have minded watching a 3 hour drama (the movie really had the stuff to be that long)but this was just a capsuled dose of what i craved for - the ensemble cast and the build up to the release had sedated me, it just blows :( 4/10

A.C.A.B. - All Cops Are Bastards (2012)

gruesome reality

[8/10 · 19 June 2012]

ACAP is a raw and honest attempt at showing the ignored lives of riot cops, at least their personal lives and internal issues are seldom spoken of! Shot and narrated in a Documentary style, it gives the movie a gritty reality, well complemented by some good performances from the cast. The background score does add value to the drama, the ending truly class.

Italian being an alien language, I had to keep my eye on subtitles as well, which did mar my movie experience - I did watch it a second time without subtitles. I had to make a thorough study on the whole plot, the immigration issues and the hatredness for cops - it was all new to me. And once i got the hang of the issues being discussed, I really did love the movie, yea it might not be the the action thriller or biopic thriller the global audience would go after, but it deserves to be in the Global panorama, for the rawness and gruesome reality it shows, obviously the technical side should take a bow for making an outstanding movie product. 7.5/10

Spirit (I) (2012)

artistic with a social message

[7/10 · 15 June 2012]

Spirit doesn't have the push to satisfy moviegoers! Yea we do feel enlivened and rejuvenated at the end albeit having watched an average affair. Appreciable if it does transform some lives, anything above that would be too much an ask.

The performances - and that alone - would be the USP of Spirit, all of them so brilliant. Nandu and Kalpana stands out, complemented well by Shankar Ramakrishnan, Lena, Madhu, Tiny Tom, Siddharth. Not to mention an extended cameo from Thilakan. Lalettan as usual excels, he does the role of an alcoholic with élan. The screenplay is weak in parts - the arrangement and timing is not Ranjith's forte - and at times too dramatic with artful dialogs which would be appreciated by high profile critics. The music sounded like lifts from Indian Rupee :P

Ranjith tries to pull in all social issues, alcoholism in the front row. The medium though used to reach out as shown in the movie never launched well, in fact the chat shows in the movie were dumb. One scene which needs special mention is where the protagonist feels free in the rain breaking loose, thematically showing how he got freed from the menace that is alcohol. The transformation, the preaching, the good ending!! Not unheard or unseen. Just wish had it been made a much better movie, for it had all the stuff to enlighten lives, sadly but staggers at regular intervals :(. To sum it up, Spirit is artistic with a social message, a good one time watch. 6.5/10

22 Female Kottayam (2012)

aberrantly Stupendous!!!

[8/10 · 28 May 2012]

A quality drama with some bold substance shown flawlessly, that with no cooked up dialogs, no surrealism, no stupid subplots whatsoever. The plot doesn't boasts to be a novel one, the story of the deadlier sex in its throttling boldness have been told many a time. In fact, 22 Female Kottayam had bit of a resemblance with "ek haseena thi" big time. That said, emasculation of men in a subtly crude manner makes this drama a distant class, an aberration never seen in Malayalam Movies makes it top notch.

Shades of misandry and feminism can be pointed to, but all well complemented by the innocence, love and passion we see in each characters. All of them honestly sketched and neatly written be it T.G Ravi, Sattar, Prathap Pothen or Fahad. The protagonist played by Rima Kallingal stands out, easily the best female character written in a long time - loved her in nidra too. Fahad is a charm with his looks and subtle emotions. There were reasons why i started hating the neomallu noirs, read new generation film making. But then, this movie changes my perspective. The screenplay could have been crispier, for not all would find this an enjoyable outing. The background score and cinematography fuses well.

Lovable are the technicalities - was awed by the movie making style more than anything else - all so perfect which makes it an impeccable movie product. All credit to director Ashiq Abu & team who makes a raw film which shows the ugly side of our societal lives. 8/10

Me Again (2012)

Its not such a wonderful life!!

[6/10 · 28 May 2012]

"Its a wonderful life" would have been a much better title for the movie, "ME AGAIN" sounds inane and weird. The movie also mentions about "Its a wonderful life", let alone being hugely inspired by it. So we have the lead character who finds Life unfair as in so many other movies - the only novel thing about this is that the protagonist is a Pastor - and finds out a miracle way to know others' lives and how things in life ought to be balanced. Finally a Happy Ending blessed by God, we all feel rejuvenated, animated and excited about life albeit having watched a badly made movie. In fact, felt more like watching many movies at a time - from Bruce Almighty to Don Camillo.

The plot so loose, the screenplay so glossy and the background score quite irksome at times. It never launches well with some mediocre acting and badly executed shots which mars the movie experience right from the beginning. The ending was awesome for a movie which niggled throughout, the "hero's" speech stands out which saves the movie from hitting rock bottom. Thoroughly disappointed that the movie ends up a lackluster product despite having the thread which was destined to be great. 6/10

Bending the Rules (2012)

technically, it blows!!!

[4/10 · 7 April 2012]

The launch Vehicle for Adam "The Edge" Copeland blows bad, neither thrilling nor dramatic it just turns out to be another dumb squib from WWE house ; Condemned and Marine were much better ones. With a wafer thin plot-line which unfolds quite dumb straight, it fails to keep us engaged, let alone enthrall us. The saving grace might be those goofy comical scenes with Edge and Jamie albeit many of them were so numby. The mystery did draw our attention at regular intervals which were all hindered by those inane stumbling sub plots which i found rather irritating.

I admit, it was a treat to watch Edge with a character persona which really suited him, the stylish mannerisms, the walk and the funny one-liners which were all helped by some good background score, duhhh, but all goes haywire right from the word go. If u a big fan of "The Edge" u might find it watchable, others please don't bother to drop by unless its on TV, and that too if you haven't got anything else on TV!!

Hysteria (2011)

a hysterical appeasement!!

[7/10 · 6 April 2012]

A simple engaging movie which employed me throughout, courtesy some vivacious performances, some light-hearted moments and most importantly the story of a popular invention, oh! and i don't give a darn about the historical accuracy, just bought the preface that the movie was based on true events. Really. :-D Is this movie a class apart? Definitely not, coz the loosely stringed screenplay loses its sheen many a time.

The plot progresses erratically, which however is saved by some comic elements - unintentional though - and some defined acting from the lead pair Hugh Dancy & Maggie Gyllenhaal. Hugh Dancy resembled Hugh Jackman on many occasions; he never came close even in "King Arthur". Maggie Gyllenhaal steals the show as the erratic, volatile, generous & compassionate woman of the 19th century. Nothing worth a debate stands out in this period piece - the depiction, the sets, the attire, the diction all very neat except for the proposal scene towards the end which resembled a modern day Romcom ending! :-P

To sum it up, I enjoyed the movie, albeit i wish had it been stringent and stuffed with some substance, a plot which tries to tell the once-common medical diagnosis of female hysteria definitely deserved better treatment and appreciation, that said, it's an appeasing watch in the end. 6.5/10

Goon (2011)

bloody, gritty & sporty!!

[7/10 · 14 March 2012]

I wasn't expecting the bloodshed in an otherwise heartfelt and appeasing movie which would be remembered for the astonishing, rather absorbing performance by Sean William Scott more than anything else. I should admit, haven't yet got the hang of Ice hockey and the fighting thing. But the sportiness and the spirit of the protagonist did rush my ante up - now that's not uncommon with Sport movies. But something's different about this one, Doug Glatt & his 69 wouldn't be that easy to forget coz he's too simple, stupid and darn crazy when he's a team guy.

With some good laughs, a love affair and a tough antagonist, it might sound quite clichéd. Yet you would never feel tedious, rather you feel for the rawness and emptiness Doug Glatt is going through. His blending with the team, the crush he develops for the girl, the way he pushes out the baddies from cornering Laflamme, and the final wait for fighting the evil legend is all knitted very well. The background score keeps the tempo intact. Some of the scenes and circumstances needed much detail, it never went over board being too dramatic. For instance, the climax was a bit ragged and missed out some emotional values. Sean William Scott deserves special mention, he sheds all his typecast personas and have acted the character of Doug Glatt with all his heart. Thank God, he isn't just "Steve Stifler" anymore.

Goon is a feel good movie which is simple yet compelling and a bit too bloody for a sports movie. Loved it.

Nidra (2012)

"Nidra" is a classic revisited

[8/10 · 9 March 2012]

‎"Nidra" is a classic revisited. Its cinematic and brilliant, and more importantly oozes in fresh air in a period where Malayalam movies bank hugely on inspirations from west. Alright its a remake, but definitely gets the edge as it smartly blends in with contemporary issues and circumstances - though i liked the original one, couldn't keep it in my heart.

Siddharth has definitely got the touch, but his acting leaves much to be desired. Rima Kallingal steals the show easily, the others never looked outta place and Jishnu makes a good comeback. The music glues well, the background score & cinematography needs special mention and left me in trance many a time. Seriously the movie was refreshing in many ways, been a while since have blended well with a Malayalam film, though i felt erratic at times with the stringing of certain scenes. The intimate and candid scenes between siddharth and rima were so good - first time i couldn't help but love rima, sensuousness sans her glam doll image - with no gimmickry, no surrealism, no inane dialogues. The entertainment quotient is missing which wouldn't go well with everyone alike. The climax scene was so poignant and beautiful. Loved every bit of this movie experience.

Detachment (2011)

ubiquitous assimilation!!

[7/10 · 29 February 2012]

Detachment is a dark movie which everyone can relate with, the solitariness, the cynicism, the despair and the darker shades of our lives which we cover with many other things. It doesn't end on a good note unlike the common genre movies - it could have easily drifted that way to be more appealing. But then who's gonna live happily forever!!

Though the education system and the schools and the students ain't that evil and rotten the way its shown in the movie, it does pose many a question, the dubious system in which everything goes on without a point. The miserable life of teachers were beautifully shown, yes they do go through worse situations. Adrien Brody does something meaty after pianist as the cool, composed and ailing substitute teacher. The climax was so dramatic and metaphorical, the background score adds value to the visual richness.

The screenplay is too dark at times, the lighter moments and the virtuous elements highly underplayed though it saves the movie many a time from drowning. I loved the way the narration takes us through, we feel the pain the characters are going through. Wish had it been lighter in content with some thing which kindled a ray of virtue somewhere, Alas! but that's the way it is..

Ee Adutha Kaalath (2012)

a diacritical attempt which stands tall thematically and philosophically

[7/10 · 27 February 2012]

Ee Adutha Kaalath knits in several pieces from many plots and spin it with all the twists, flips and turns just like we do it in Rubick's cube. You need all the patience and brain in the world to really like it in the end just the way you need to solve the Rubik's cube puzzle. Its really lovable only if you follow the game from the beginning with keenness.

The multi-plot threads are always gripping and thrilling, the character sketching being too substantial for this mode of story telling. "Ee Adutha Kaalath" doesn't come out good in that respect with some of its characters half baked, and some sub plots over dramatic. Though the dialogs were a bit rhetoric throughout the movie, the scenes in which the book titles explaining the situation were pictured rather smartly. Murali, the script writer who also played Dr.Ajay Kurien needs special mention for unveiling his character so rigorously. Indrajith as Vishnu excels. The casting wasn't the best to be, so was editing - Arun Kumar who is the editor & director had a dream debut with "Cocktail" - which went down at times. The background score by Gopi sundar saves the movie many a time from getting drowned.

The movie brings in many contemporary social issues in the plot, all very brilliantly knitted. But seldom do we really stay glued to our seats anticipating the next move for it falls in shades where it could have been neat. That said, the script needs appreciation for bringing in too many things which are connected making them all fall in place in the end. Had it been suave and shrewd, it would have been a class apart. Ee Adutha Kaalath is a diacritical attempt which stands tall thematically and philosophically. Watch it once or twice.

Second Show (2012)

handsome gangster movie..

[7/10 · 27 February 2012]

Seen it all elsewhere, in different movies in different languages, could easily spot shades of movie making style from Quentin Tarentino & Guy Ritchie. whoa whoa whoa!! hold it right there, its a malayalam movie man. And that's where "Second Show" wins albeit its a run-of-the-mill gangster movie.

The narrative style and the background score, the comedic element, the cuts and mixing which reminded me of Guy Ritchie movies, the violence galore and the rush of blood youtheism are all well packed in this stylish gangster movie. Fresh faces only helped the aberration, everything blending well for the movie. Dulqar Salman gets an ideal launch vehicle but his dialog deliveries and intonations have plenty of room for improvement. Sunny Wane as Nelson Mandela steals the show. The casting were all good. A word of caution for women and family audience - this is a strict no no!!

I loved the fact that i watched a malayalam gangster movie with some stylishness and substance - at least the manner in which the movie was made deserves appreciation. Alright, drawing comparisons with the likes of "Bigfellas" seems ridiculous, but yes, lets call it a desified version of such Gangster movies handsomely made.

Casanovva (2012)

stylishness dunked in shabbiness, yet lovable!! :-)

[7/10 · 29 January 2012]

"Casanovva"is a stylish flick with some shabby screenplay and leaves a lot to be desired in the end. Mohanlal as the modern day mallu version of the Italian adventurer & author Giacomo Casanova shoulders the movie throughout. The playboy character wouldn't go down well with the conservative malayalee society, but i loved every bit of it, courtesy my fondness for western movies. The locations, The action scenes and the background score were all so stylish, probably the best in Malayalam movies. But what would that offer if it's all dunked in a rather poor script! And that's where Casanovva stoops as a passable affair! Well, blame it on the promotions and hype, not to mention the expectations!

The music and cinematography needs special appreciation for giving us the exotic feel, dialogs in shades so rhetoric and rather inane at times, it takes irritatingly long to convince us the magic of love in the second half - should mention the magic didn't workout - and its unbelievably numb towards the end. The casting was okay, riyaz khan gets a meaty role and the others never outta place. I loved shriya saran for the first time sans skimpy outfits, the love chemistry with mohanlal was good. Boy oh boy! had it been made with suavity, the movie would have been magnificent. Fair enough, its still a watchable ride. Go fall in love...