Showing posts with label Movie Review. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Movie Review. Show all posts

Movie Review: Avatar

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Watching Avatar at Jordans IMAX was in every sense as spectacular as one could expect. The 3D effects were spectacular, with an astounding quantity of details packed into every frame.

The storyline is in every aspect built on the typical boiler plate, used in many movies like Dances with Wolves. The hero goes into a hostile territory, does soul searching are realizes that the evil is not where he ended up but from where he came from. He falls in love and stands up for what he believes in.

Then there are the usual cliches of developing a respect for nature, a nadir where defeat seems inevitable when the protagonists and his cohorts find the strength to stand up for themselves.

The minority who has not seen the movie are well advised to check out the scenes and contemplate the creation of effects of the movie rather than trying to get into the story. Director James Cameroon has indeed scored a big win in creating a beautiful world with human-like beings and wild beasts more fierce than any legends of the past have created.

Even the "normal" world where the protagonist comes from looks impressive in 3D with mamouth robots, futuristic fire power and sophisticated aircrafts. Indeed the critics were right when they said that it has changed movie making forever.

Cameroon has revived 3D and has struck a big home run for the film industry, in bringing back the movie experience to the theatres. We are already seeing the aftermath of this in that the two forthcoming Harry Potter films and the epic "Clash of the Titans" are all coming out in 3D.

In the meanwhile, Sony plans to bring the 3D experience to our living room, which is, as many pundits predict a risky move for the ailing electronics giant.

One other thing I liked about Avatar is that it did not take too may cheap shots always seen in other 3D movies, like bullets and daggers aimed at your face and the like. There is no need for such gimmicks anyway. The scenes are most impressive enough by themselves.

Except for Sigourney Weaver, there are hardly any big stars in the movie. This is probably a good thing, for the real star of the movie is the techhology that made it. Sure enough, there will be more like Avatar and there almost certainly will be a sequel. Hopefully, the screenplay for the sequel will be more imaginative than this one.

Nevertheless, I heartily recommend Avatar. It is not a movie to be missed.

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes

I have been a huge fan of the cocaine addicted, cigar smoking eccentic sleuth for several decades now. From savouring the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to the stellar portrayal of Holmes by Jeremy Brett in a great BBC TV serial, I have seem many renditions of Holmes. I also liked many Sherlock Holmes movies I downloaded from the public domain.

Over the weekend, I got to see this rendition of Holmes, played brilliantly by Robert Downey Junior. While Sir Conan Doyle may not be happy with this screenplay, that is not close to faithful to any of his works, Downey's Holmes is every bit as eccentric as his maker intended him to be.

Supported by a stellar cast that includes Jude Law as the not-so-bumbling Holmes' sidekick, Dr. Watson and Rachel McAdams who plays Holmes' love interest, Downey delivers a spectacular performance. This combination of Holmes and Watson are every bit as comfortable when it comes to brawling the bad guys as they are in intellectual analysis of a crime.

Extremely well directed by Guy Richie, the movie has memorable action scenes and impressive special effects. With an interesting plot, the movie is fast pased and gripping till the end.

My only complainabout the movie is that the villain was not menacing enough. The movie leaves behind the promise of a sequel that will revisit the rivalry between holmes and his arch rival, Dr. Moriorty. Hopefully this Doctor will be more fiendish than the one played by Mark Strong. Despite this minor setback, Sherlock Holmes is a must see.

Movie Review: Public Enemies

Hollywood heavyweights Johnny Depp and Christian Bale star in this classic gangster flick based on the life an adventures of notorious bank robber, John Dillinger.

Set in post depression Chicago of 1933, the movie directed by Michael Mann is reminiscent of other great crime movies like 'The Untouchables' and 'Bonny and Clyde'. The background music, the sets and vintage automobiles transport the viewer to the 30s era.

The screenplay is a classic cat and mouse game between Dillinger, played marvellously by Depp and FBI agent Melvin Pervis, played by Bale.

Depp fits the role of Dillinger perfectly, a character unlike any other he has played before. Depp's Dillinger is a slick haired, fast talking, romantic gangster, giving the American legal system a slip at every opportunity.

Bale plays the ruthless Pervis, brought in by Hoover to stop the scourge of robberies and bloodshed caused by Dillinger. The chemistry between Bale and Depp in one scene they share is memorable.

The violence is graphic and realistic, as with all classic gangster flicks.With hardly a dull moment, this movie is a must see for for all fans of the rat-tat-tat genre.

Two forgettable Flicks

I liked the X-men trilogy. In fact I liked it more than the Spiderman series. Then add all the media hype on X-men Origins: Wolverine, there was no way I was going to miss X-men origins: Wolverine.

Wish I had missed it. This movie was a disaster. With cheesy stunts, an inane plot and terrible dialogs, this would easily be among the worst movies I had seen. Even Hugh Jackson could not revive this one. This movie is a disaster. Skip it.

Now lets look the second, Street Fighter, Legend of Chun Li. Well, there is nothing much to look at. This movie was hilarious, without any such intention. It was so bad- it was good! The dialogs were an anachronism. They belonged in a bad martial arts movie from the 80s with all the new age cliches about finding one's real self.

If you ever wanted to relive your Grindhouse memories a la Tarantino/Rodriguez, rent these movies on the same night and invite friends over. You are guaranteed to have a blast if you follow the plot and dialog carefully.

Only one question persists after I watched the second movie: What was an actor like Michael Clark Duncan of the Green Mile fame doing in the movie. The big guy plays a side kick to the caricature of some sort of mob boss.

On second thoughts, steer clear of both these flicks.

Watchmen the Movie

Alan Moore's larger-than-life classic book has finally made it to the big screen, much to the anticipation of geeks like me. Big Screen, indeed!

Watching any movie in IMAX is an experience in itself. The Jordan's IMAX in Natick is a remarkable venue equipped with audio-sensitive seats in addition to its giant screen to enhance both the visual and auditory experience.
Watchmen is one of those movies that should be watched in such a theatre.

Years ago, I reviewed the comic book as one of the best graphic novels of all time. Needless to say, expectations were high when I went to see the movie. Well, on the plus side, the movie was not completely a let down. Having said that, only a handful of movies have managed to bring the magic of the penned word (or image) to the big screen, and Watchmen, much as I liked it, does not make this cut. It probably went as far as a movie could go in such a reproduction.

The story takes place in an altered reality where Nixon is enjoying his fourth term, and the cold war has taken on a new form. The United States is on the verge of anarchy and the future of life itself depends on costumed heroes who exist among the public. Most of these superheoes have a secret identity.

So beings a murder-mystery where one of these superheroes, christened 'The Comedian' is thrown off a building. The Comedian, intentionally or unintentionally bears a striking resemblance to Robert Downey Jr, which is an interesting observation by yours truly.

Back to the plot. Was the killing of the Comedian an isolated case, or is someone bumping off superheroes, one by one? As the plot unfolds, revelations begin to unravel in quick succession leading to a frightful climax that none of the protagonists can anticipate.

Watchmen asks the philosophical question as to whether humanity could decide the future based on intelligence alone, without the presence of ethics and morality. It goes on to say, that even those with the most noble of intentions must answer their own internal questions of right and wrong. And sometimes, this linebetween good and bad is not always clear cut.

The movie features some excellent special effects and the fight sequences are intense. The violence in this film is non-stop and extremely graphic, keeping up the spirit of the 'Graphic Novel'.

Despite the movie's shortcomings, I would recommend it. Watch it at the IMAX, if you have not seen it yet.

Here is the movie's official website.

Movie review: Eagle Eye

Well, its good to be back after a long hiatus. I'll begin (or try to) with a movie review. Eagle Eye stars Shia LaBeouf of Transformers fame and is directed by D. J. Caruso and is another cat and mouse game a la Enemy of the State, and more recently the Bourne Ultimatum. LaBeouf, however is the unwilling victim in a tense situation and not like the 'professional' macho men of the other flicks. He is confused and is not in control right until the climax The plot is also a cliche of the 'big brother' variety. Having said that, Eagle Eye is worth watching, just for the action sequences.

Movie Review: Infernal Affairs

Having seen the Departed a few years ago, a movie that picked up several academy awards, including Best Picture, I finally got around to seeing the original Hong Kong movie that it's screenplay was based on.

Infernal Affairs is the movie and is, at least more riveting than the Departed. Andy Lao and Tony Leung deliver a tour the force performance and an offbeat end that is quite different from the one in the Departed.

Infernal Affairs is a cat and mouse game at two levels. One is between a top police and his nemesis, a notorious gang leader. Each of them has a mole in the other's team. So there is another cat and mouse game between the moles.

The movie is fast paced, slick and violent and has an end that leaves the viewer breathless, even if the viewer has seen the Departed. It is a must see for lovers of action movies.

Movie Review:Quantum of Solace

The street fighting, error prone, jilted Bond is back and back with a vengance in this action packed sequel. In addition to the task before him, he has issues of his own. He is conflicted from the loss of a woman heloved, his anger towards her from betraying him and his anger towards himself for allowing himself to be played.

Quantum of Solace begins almost exactly where Casino Royale left off. Once again, the focus is more on Bond than on the evil designs of madmen. It is more about Bond seeking redemption for himself and his prior deeds.

Bond is still prone to recklessness. This time he is after the person who was responsible for the death of his woman. His assignment is not assigned by the British Government. In fact he must seek out the evil minds and then find out the the evil designs on these minds.This chase takes Bond from Italy to Bolivia. Bond joins forces with a woman who has a vendetta of her own.

Physically, Craig is the biggest of the Bonds and prefers fist fights and in chasing the bad guys on foot through elaborate sets. The movie is action packed and intense, but I expected more after watching Casino Royale. There are some great car chases and one particular chase has no doubt, been 'inspired' the the Bourne Ultimatum.

I also noticed that the last couple of Bond movies have cut down on gadgets that we had come to expect from these movies.This is probably a wise decision from the movie makers in realizing that audiences worldwide have probably seen the cutting edge of technology and would not be awestruck by electronic devices created by Hollywood.

Quantum of Solace is worth watching but I would recommend that you wait till it comes on on DVD/Blue Ray.

Movie Review: Casino Royale

Few fictional characters have gone through as many avatars as Ian Flemming's creation, James Bond. In five decades, Bond has been unemotional rugged(Connery), one hit wonder(Lazenby), wisecracking philanderer(Moore), Shakespearean (Dalton), runway model(Brosnan) and finally, street fighter(Craig).

Daniel Craig has indeed created a phenomenon with the street fighting, no nonsense Bond, a big contrast to the one played by Brosnan. Many have criticized Casino Royale, including Roger Moore, for excessive violence but as Moore himself would concede, it is a sign of our times that we prefer more 'high Octane' action.

Bond movies have had many fixtures, notably the scantily clad bond girls, high tech gadgets, fancy cars and of course, maniacal villains with grand designs of destroying or altering the planet. This is where Casino Royale breaks away from many Bond cliches.

As one would expect, it has more violence than any of the bond movies made before it. There are women, but unlike in past movies many are more than mere showpieces. In fact, Casino Royale continues the trend from the Brosnan movies of portraying Bond's Boss, 'M' as a woman.

Unlike the earlier Bond films that focus on a madman hellbent on causing world destruction this one focuses on Bond himself and how he got to be 007. Unlike his predecessors, this Bond is not infallible and does not make the right judgement. He gives into his emotions more than once, incurring the wrath of his demanding boss. He is also vulnerable to feminine charm and this could jeopardize his future with the Secret Service.

Casino Royale is the tale of a vigilante Bond trying to destroy the entire supply chain of an illegal arms trade. The endeavor would take Bond from Africa to the Bahamas and the United States and finally land him in a high stakes Card Game.

Could Bond keep his emotion and the villains at bay and win the game? The climax, however is not the game but its aftermath, that would force Bond to make judgment calls on who to trust.

Casino Royale is among the best of Bond movies and humanizes 007 for the first time. It is the tale of how Bond becomes 007.

Movie Review:Mississippi Burning

Created almost two decades ago, the cinematography in this movie could put most modern camera people to shame. Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe lead an outstanding cast of both black and white actors in this epic movie on racially motivated crimes in the sixties.

In a small isolated town in Mississippi, three young one, two white and one black, drive out in the dead of night. These civil rights activists have no idea about the evils that await them that very night.

Their disappearance would bring into town, two FBI agents. The older of these men(Hackman) is a wise cracking cynical individual who holds no illusions about the ability of justice to come out through conventional methods of interrogation.

His boss, the younger agent(Dafoe) is a play-by-the-book official, who does not approve of his colleague's methods. Needless to say, the there is tension between the two men. However, both are committed in finding out the truth, and in prosecuting the guilty parties.

These are not easy tasks. The clan has a strong foothold in the town. Both blacks and those who sympathise with them are unwilling to cooperate with the FBI agents, as they afraid of repercussions and fear for their own lives. The clan members who have high political clout are hell-bent in getting the outsiders out of the town.

The movie picked up two Oscars, one for best actor(Hackman) and another for cinematography. Dafoe picked up one of the movie's six other nominations. Hackman looks the same, and seems to have aged little in these years. He is bound to go down as one of the greatest that Hollywood has produced.

Many movies on this theme have been made, but few have the raw intensity and the cinematography that are part of this movie. While this movie was criticized for not having blacks in leads roles, one has to admit that the blacks and the supporting white actors in the movie have performed in outstanding capacity even in their small roles. Mississippi Burning is an important and entertaining movie, that simply cannot be missed.

Movie Review: House of Sand and Fog(2003)

After watching a good action movie, which was not altogether mindless, watching great drama was a great transition this weekend. The House of Sand and Fog, combines the acting talents of two Oscar winners, Jennifer Connelley(A Beautiful Mind) and Sir Ben Kingsley(Gandhi, Sexy Beast) with the directing talents of Vadim Perelman.

It begs the question of who is right in their path of pursuing the American dream, a young woman who has a house handed to her through an inheritance, or a hardworking immigrant, who is hellbent on creating a good life for his son.

The latter, Behrani(Kingsley) is willing to make what others may consider moral compromises, like living a life of pretence, or making a profit of a house, someone else had been forced to evict, on unreasonable conditions. That someone else, is Kathy(Connelley), a woman whose house was foreclosed on as the county she lives in, wrongly concluded she owed back taxes, that she did not pay off.

As Behrani buys the house, through legal means, he believes that he has a right to the house. Thus begin a cyclone of emotions and happenings almost all disastrous in the lives of both protagonists. Only fate can make a decision for both of them, as each clutches to her own strong beliefs and refuses to let go.

Fate is not always just, and punishments it renders, are not always justified. With scintillating performances from all in the movie, House of Sound and Fog, is an unforgettable and intense viewing experience.

My mentor, the late Chitra Parayath wrote of Ben Kingsley's performance in this film, "If Kingsley does not get a Oscar for this role, I will loose faith in the Oscars."

Kingsley did not win that year and I can relate to Chitra's sentiment. I do believe that Kingsley will have his next Oscar soon enough. Even fate has to step aside for such a talent.

The back of the DVD box says that the unexpected end would leave you breathless. It sure will.

Movie Review: Bourne Ultimatum

With the classic direction of Paul Greengrass and with Matt Damon as the lead character, Bourne Ultimatum is one of the best action movies I've seen in a long time. Jason Bourne is a CIA operative, double crossed by the very agency he has chosen to work for.

His memory is lost and comes back to him periodically in flashes. He is back, taking on the CIA to find out the truth about his past and to find out who he really is. Bourne Ultimatum is a classic cat and mouse game spread across Russia, New York City, London, Madrid and Tangiers as the hunted agent soon becomes the hunter taking on the establishment.

There is a rooftop chase in Tagiers that is riveting and a triumph of technology. The movie features some of the best chases and fights I've seen in a long time. Though I would not call the camera work perfection(It was a little too shaky at times.), the filmography is excellent.

Though it is based on the novel by Robert Ludlum by the same name, it departs from the story in plot and location. There is no mention of Carlos the Jackal, the person Bourne must kill in the Ludlum version.

Rumor has it that the new Bond movie steals heavily from this movie. I'll know and share more on that subject when I see the Born film. In the meantime, I'd recommend Bourne Ultimatum to all action movie lovers.

Movie Review: Syriana

Syriana is a riveting thriller starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, Christopher Plummer and a terrific supporting cast. It is expertly directed by Stephan Gaghan. The movie is a collage of multiple, intertwined plots all relating to the petroleum industry.

One is the tale of a Pakistani father and son, toiling at a refinery to fulfill their dreams. Another plot is of a CIA agent Barnes(Clooney) who is penalized by his own government, first for whistle blowing on an illegal arms deal and then for doing his job in trying to carry out an assassination plot.

Then there is the story of Woodman(Damon), an energy expert who tries to work out a mutually beneficial deal between the US and a Middle Eastern Country through a visionary prince Nasir, who is pro modernism in his country.

Finally, there is the tale of ruthless executives of an American Oil corporation, trying to make an unscrupulous deal with Nasir's brother, who is not for modernization and wished to continue the existing form of rule in his country.

All of these plots come together at the end, to make an explosive, unexpected set of endings. This form of cinema with multiple related plots, reminiscent of movies like 'Short Cuts' and 'Traffic' has aptly been named 'Hyperlink Cinema' by Roger Ebert. It takes ingenious editing and expert direction to create a masterpiece like this one.

Enhanced by its stellar cast, Syriana is a memorable movie, and will stand the test of time as a classic. The flick picked up two well deserved Oscars in 2005, one for screenplay and one for best supporting actor(Clooney). If you have not seen it yet, go ahead and rent it.

Movie Review: The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd is yet another classic that missed the blockbuster boat at the box office. With Damon and Jolie in the lead and Robert De Niro as it's director, the movie features a plethora of great stars including Alec Baldwin, John Turturro, De Niro and Joe Pesci.

It is the story of Edward Wilson, a patriot who is inducted into an elite society to serve his country. Edward must make difficult choices to fulfill his role. He must choose between his love and being a gentleman. he must choose between his duty and taking the life of one he respects. Then he must decide between protecting his own and his duty to the country.

Damon gives an awesome performance as the stoic Wilson and Jolie portrays his neglected wife to perfection. The ploy moves continuously between past and present and moves from the US to London to Berlin and finally to Africa.

It captures several events of the cold war, including the Bay of Pigs, which it somewhat controversially claims failed, because one of our own operatives betrayed us. It takes us to Berlin and the race by the US and Russia to get the best of Hitler's Scientists. It also shows the formation of the CIA where Wilson would serve his country.

There were some scenes of torture that were hard to watch but were very necessary for this well conceived plot. DeNiro originally intended to make this movie a trilogy like the Godfather. I hope that the poor box office results do not change his mind. This movie is a must see for all spy movie buffs. It is more than a spy thriller and is one of the most important Historical movies of our time, give or take a few poetic licenses.

Movie Review: Sicko

Sicko is the most intense of all Michael Moore movies. This time, the moviemaker takes aim at the American healthcare and presents a myriad of stories of woe told by those victimized by the system. These include an individual forced to choose which of his two injured fingers he can keep, his index finger for $60,000 or his middle for 12,000. Then there is the pathetic story of a child with cancer whose parents had to remove her from treatment and many more.

Sicko then traces back the History of our existing health care system to a devilish plot designed by Nixon and Kaiser. Then, his movie recants the failed attempts of the Clintons to pass the health care reform bill.

However, in an attempt to prove his objectivity, he alleges that the Pharma companies managed to buy politicians(Republicans and Democrats), and silence any talk of reform.

In typical Moore fashion, he compares the medical system with those in other countries, like Canada, England, France and last but not the least, Cuba. Moore loves Canada. He tries to prove that the myth that Canadians are unhappy with their health care system is baseless. If Canada is a safer place to live, as he said in Bowling for Columbine and has better health care, what keeps Moore in the US? Easy guess, he makes his money, criticizing the system.

He moves to England to undermine the theory that Social medicare doctors are underpaid. Finally, he does present a claim that there is a place in the US that has cutting edge health care. It is provided to the inmates of Guantanamo Bay.

In a classic move, with a handful of injured 911 rescue workers, Moore comandeers a boat to the Bay seeking the same benefits for his posse that its being received by the inmates. Dejected by the lack of response from there, Moore lands on the shores of Cuba and asks for heathcare for his crew.The results are dramatic. All the victims receive six star treatment and respect in Cuba and come home content and teary eyed.

As with all his movies, this is a movie that is informative, offering a lot of point of discussion and arguments. There have been a few shows on the network TV channels claiming that Cuba and Canada are not the healthcare paradises the Moore claims they are.

Despite all the alledged falsehoods, Moore may have presented, this is an important film and reminds us that the existing system is broken and urges us to take a close look at ourselves to examine why it is not effective enough and all encompassing. This movie is a must see for all adults. Indeed heathcare is one of the most important topics in the forthcoming elections and affects us all.

Movie Review: There will be Blood

This is another movie, totally sidelined by the Globes, that went on to pick up two Academy awards, for best actor and best cinematography. Daniel Day-Lewis plays Daniel Plainview an entrepreneur seeking oil in the early part of the 20th century.

Fast talking, conniving and shrewd businessman, Plainview arrives in a small remote and desolate California town where the local farmers subsist on goat herding and potatoes. Plainview tries to hustle the one of the families of farmers into selling their land,which is rich in oil to him for a paltry sum.

He is met with a large challenge from a totally unexpected corner. A young man in the family of farmers who is a budding preacher stands up to Daniel and is unafraid of Daniel's intimidation or his violent disposition. Tension mounts between the two as more complications take hold of Daniel's life.

Much has been written about Day-Lewis' acting but the cinematography for this movie simply overshadowed his performance. It is breathtaking in magnitude and had me riveted to the screen. There is one particular scene where oil from below suddenly erupts into a gigantic fountain as Plainview scrambles to rescue his son. Moments later triumph turns to tragedy as the whole fountain erupts into flame and his son looses his hearing as a result of the calamity.

Daniel is an eternal optimist who things that this is a minor setback and that there is more oil beneath. This is the optimism displayed by most entrepreneurs, including those that came after him in the face of setback. It is this optimism that has made this a great country.

However, Daniel's win-at-all costs attitude also displayed by many modern entrepreneurs, leads him down the path to insanity, and makes him commit diabolical acts. The movie delivers a powerful message at the end: Is success at all costs worth the price some are willing to pay for it?

As many have said before me, 'There will be Blood' is the classic American tale of entrepreneurship and the American dream. It is a saga of financial success and victories to the ego which come at the price of loosing one's soul, loved ones and happiness. This is a very important film that will go down as a Hollywood classic.

Movie Review: The Road to Perdition

With the passing of Hollywood heavyweight Paul Newman on Friday, I thought that it would a fitting tribute to review this forgotten masterpiece, today. Based on a graphic novel by Max Allan Collins, the movie stars academy award winners Tom Hanks and Newman. Jude Law also appears in the movie in a smaller role.

The Road to Perdition is the story of a hitman, Michael Sullivan (Hanks) who works for a crime boss, Rooney(Newman). He is trying hard to balance his work life, of carrying on assignments for his boss and his home life, of being a responsible father and husband.

The actions of Rooney's reckless son (Daniel Craig, of James Bond fame) would cause Sullivan to loose all, but one of the members of his immediate family. Sullivan is now faced with choosing between his loyalty to his boss, who has been like a father to him and his loyalty to his family, which would mean protecting his son, and seeking retribution for his dead wife and son.

Rooney, for his part, will do all he can to save his son, including hiring another bloodthirsty hitman (Jude Law) to kill Sullivan and his son.

Tom Hanks plays the quiet, unassuming but strong-willed Sullivan to perfection. Newman plays the polished, charming yet ruthless gangster Rooney, with grace and dignity, as he has done in most of his other roles.

Sam Menendes, who directed the movie has done a splendid job with the picturization and scenes of the movie. While there is a lot of violence, Menendes has expertly forced it into the background, as the drama between the lead characters takes center stage.

Newman is an icon and will be missed for years to come. Fortunately, he has left behind a trail of memorable movies(and not to mention, salad dressing) for us to enjoy for a long time.

Movie Review: No Country For Old Men

The Cohen brothers who gave us the classic black comedy Fargo in the 90s return with this masterpiece. No Country for Old men,a movie totally neglected by the Globes went on to win the Oscar for best picture this year.

The movie features Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem and Oscar winner and Tommy Lee Jones with each delivering great performances. Josh Brolin plays a Vietnam vet who finds himself in the midst of a gruesome desert war zone littered with corpses, both human and animal. He also finds a large fortune that he decides to keep.

On his trail is an cold, calculating sinister and emotionless escaped con, masterfully played by Barden. On their trail is an old grizzled Sheriff, played by Tommy Lee Jones, the narrator of the violent tale.

No County has been called a thriller, a cat and mouse game, a western and a horror movie. It is all of these, yet none of these. It holds the viewer in its grip and never lets go. It is a cat and mouse game but does not conclude like most commercial 'chase' movies.

Many will be disappointed with the end. If you expect justice, retribution and romance of the kind we expect from Hollywood movies, there is none of these here. The theme has to do with grim reality and holds a powerful message. The end, like the movie itself is offbeat and unexpected. Worth watching is my verdict.

Movie Review: What the Bleep do we know?

Any New Age fanatic who sees this movie will ask himself, 'Why did it take so long to come up with this one? I finally got to satisfy my curiosity about this one, after hearing enough rave reviews from many of my eclectic friends. (I have several.)

This is a part story, part documentary that tells us what most modern metaphysics books like the Tao of Physics or the Dancing Wu Li Masters have said, decades ago. Many astrophysics and quantum mechanical 'experts' appear in this movie, to give us the age old messages:

Reality is beyond words. At the quantum level, events happen that cannot be expressed in words. As Gary Zukav elegantly put in in the Dancing Wu Li Masters, the problem is not with our language, the problem IS the language.
You cannot observe an experiment without affecting its outcome. This theory is the essence of the Heisenberg uncertainity principle.
The cells in your body have memory. If you have an addiction, be it a substance, idea or emotion, it is embedded in your cells and gets passed on to newly created cells.
You are only limited by your beliefs.

The problem I have with most of these theories is that they soon have one nodding, even when the most absurd of ideas are presented to them. ( Provided one is not careful.) Take for example, one idea that says that the only reason that you cannot walk on water is that you do not believe you can from 'the core of your being'.

'How far down the rabbit hole do you want to go?', asks the movie towards the end.

'Not far enough to loose my head', I said to myself.
This movie is entertaining and watchable. But the viewer is warned to keep her head firmly upon her shoulders.

Movie Review: Michael Clayton

George Clooney teams up with John Gilroy to deliver a tour de force performance that would land him an Oscar nomination in 2008. This is a classic legal, whiste-blower tale where a lawyer must choose between his own integrity and saving his own skin.

Clayton is a self proclaimed 'janitor-attorney' or 'fixer'. He is a master at covering up evidence that implicates his law firm's wealthy clients. One day, a colleague of Clayton seems to have lost his head by behaving in an inappropriate manner. When Clayton is sent to do damage control for the situation, which threatens to damage the reputation of his firm, he uncovers a can of worms that forces him to make a moral decision.

The screenplay is slick and riveting and Clooney adds class to this stylish thriller. Michael Clayton does not have the courtroom drama of 'A Civil Action' or the humourous interludes of 'Erin Brokowich'. I did feel that the end was a bit of a let-down as I was expecting a grand courtroom showdown, and there was none. The end was a bit of an anticlimax, that would work only in a movie.

Nevertheless, Michael Clayton is a worthy watch for the home screen.

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