Movie Reviews

Silver Linings Playbook – Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence… What a combination and how they set the screen on fire!! No wonder this movie is such a huge hit. 

Cooper (Pat) is a person with a bipolar disorder.  Returning home one day, he finds his wife, Nikki, in a compromising situation with another man. He goes berserk. He is committed to a mental institution.  His mother believes he is ready to handle real life and gets him out. But the next few days prove tough for the parents and the son. The father, De Niro, himself suffers from obsessive behavior. Pat badly wants to get back with Nikki, that is until he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who herself seems unhinged to him. 

Well, that was the story but how the characters bring in the authenticity is the key. Jennifer will surely go places. 

Argo – A movie that refuses to let you sit calmly in your seat. Gripping drama, tight editing and fabulous acting makes it the movie it is and one that you cannot afford to miss! Based on a true story of the escape of six Americans from the American Embassy in Iran in 1980, it is an unlikely coming together of Hollywood and the CIA. Argo is the name of a movie that is not being made, it has a fake script and a fake crew and there are fake documents. All this and the group has to escape out of Iran with the fake assistant producer’s (Ben Affleck) help though all the militia searching for the six escapees. What more would a potboiler want? Ben Affleck and Alan Arkin are amazing!!

Movies - Review

Lincoln (English)

Daniel Day Lewis has moved on to become my favourite actor. I really have no way of knowing about Abraham Lincoln’s true mannerisms, but Daniel Day Lewis seemed to bring this charismatic character alive. Focusing on one of the biggest amendments ever made by the American Constitution, the movie successfully brings out the struggles that the man with the power to change history has to undergo. Not only does he have to fight his own battles, he has to outwit his opponents by hook or by crook.

Hitchcock (English)

I have been a fan of Hitchcock’s movies – I mean the whodunit ones. As a youngster, I never really liked Psycho. This movie revolves around the making of Psycho and as this pathbreaking movie gets made, it highlights the married life of the Master of Suspense. Anthony Hopkins was amazing as Hitch (as Alfred Hitchcock was popularly known). As usual, Hopkins remains among the top of the list of my favourite actors.

Inkaar (Hindi)

A little strange. A sexual harassment case is filed by the lady (Chitrangada Singh) on her boss (Arjun Rampal). On both sides though, there is love for each other. There is an enquiry into the matter. Girl decides to sleep with one of the owners to teach the man a lesson (but finally doesn't). Man quits and leaves for his home town with his ailing father. The girl also, it seems, leaves.

Table No. 21 (Hindi)

A tale of Revenge?? No, certainly not. A tale of teaching a lesson? More like it. A twisted theme to deal with the evil of ragging. A father sets out to sort a couple who have been unnecessarily cruel to his son, scarring him for life. The way to this is through a game called Table no. 21 and the tasks assigned to the couple is what brings about the denouement. Paresh Rawal  as usual takes over all the screen space.

Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola (Hindi)
Mandola’s daughter Bijli is in love with Matru (and vice versa, of course!!)

Just like the title of the movie, the movie too is a little quirky. I loved Vishal Bharadwaj’s game plan of explaining the exploitation of villagers by the rich and bringing in the Mao Tse Tung element. It’s a simple story with layers and great actors doing a perfect job. Shabana’s role was an interesting one as an out-and-out mean politician. Imran and and Anushka are getting better with each movie. What can I say about Pankaj Kapoor? He has been a favourite since Karamchand!!