Love and Other Drugs

A Weak Dose!

Love stories are essentially the same -- it's a matter of how you dress them up. Many will see through "Love and Other Drugs" and count the romance clichés and formulaic characters, others will find the 1996 setting and the pharmaceutical angle refreshing. Both forces are hard at work in this film, but the tipping point goes in favor thanks to the leads, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway.
There's a reason most romantic films are judged based on the chemistry of their lead actors. When it comes to romance, it's not about how cleverly written the two characters are and how unique and special they feel to us. What counts is whether they can convince you of their attraction/love and get you to -- without blunt coercion -- invest in what happens to them. Gyllenhaal and Hathaway have what it takes to do just that in spite of a script that sometimes tries to lean too hard on conventional tactics of boys meets girl.

Gyllenhaal plays Jamie, an expert salesman who lands a gig as a pharmaceutical sales rep for Pfizer, right before Viagra hit the market. He's also adept at landing any woman he desires. He epitomizes a Don Juan and he's plays the type well, but when you can predict that he'll end up in bed with the next attractive woman that shows up on screen, the writing has taken it a bit far. 
As good of a filmmaker as Edward Zwick is, his best credits include "Glory," "The Last Samurai" and "The Blood Diamond" -- not exactly romance. He co-wrote the script (based on Jamie Reidy's memoir) with longtime collaborator Marshall Herskovitz and thriller writer Charles Randolph ("The Interpreter"), so no real romantic comedy prowess exists among them, hence the tendency to stick with genre conventions. One such convention is Jamie's brother (Josh Gad), who plays the little brother crashing on Jamie's couch who has a porn addiction and makes clueless statements, usually to the tune of no laughs, but he does help break the tension.

Enter girl. Jamie meets Maggie, a bit of a free-spirited cynic who (in a unique twist) has way early onset Parkinson's. Many will be quick to jump on the "diseased girl" archetype, but don't judge Hathaway's prowess that quickly. As completely pathetic as Maggie's self-esteem might be and how strictly anti-commitment she is, when her character caves in to the romance as they all do, Hathaway gives Maggie a believable fragility rather than a melodramatic tone. 
Jamie's motives for wanting to spend more time with Maggie and not simply continuing his streak of banging all who possess lady parts are reduced to the reason of "she's playing hard to get," which is not the best of reasons. The same can be said about Maggie constantly accusing Jamie of having pity sex with the diseased girl. However, watching these two charm each other and overcome the cliché has a definite appeal.

The two spend a lot of naked time together, making "Love and Other Drugs" the best date movie this holiday season. But on a serious note, the drug angle and the "recent past" setting give us something else to chew on, which is nice. Zwick never truly marries that story line with the romance except "Jamie sells drugs and Maggie has a disease that lacks an effective one." The thematic ties are not quite there despite the plot coincidences and the fitting title.
"Love and Other Drugs" is hardly the cure for the common romantic comedy, but the consistent dosage of its two stars by and large pushes away those symptoms.

                                                                                                 Source:- Movie_Muse_Reviews(imdb)

Unstoppable Review

Unstoppable

Adrenaline Rush

If you just know little about the movie you must know  pretty much know the long and short of Tony Scott's "Unstoppable". Based on the real-life story of an unmanned train that went careening down the tracks in Ohio after a railroad employee failed to set the air brakes while switching tracks, this dramatization of that little incident amps up the thrills for a white-knuckle 100-minute non-stop roller-coaster ride- just think of it as an adrenaline shot that pretty much grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go from start to finish.

The setup is plain and simple- on one end of the track is rookie conductor Will Colson (Chris Pine), paired with veteran railroad engineer Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) on his first day of work. Frank and Will each have their own share of family problems and each bear their own reservations of the other- so there's a fair bit of tension between the two of them as they begin their shift, especially since Will is seen as the company's new blood employed to replace the older workers (including Frank) who have one by one been forced to retire.

Then on the other end of the track, some bumbling employee gets off a train in an attempt to switch tracks, puts the stick in throttle and sends the massive locomotive whizzing down rural Pennsylvania towards the more heavily populated areas. Corporate- represented by Kevin Dunn's VP of operations- and local ground operations- represented by Rosario Dawson's rail commander- can't agree how to stop it, the former as usual weighing the options in terms of dollars and cents on the stock market.

It is only halfway through the film that Frank and Will cross paths with said locomotive nicknamed "The Beast" and come out with a plan to link their engine to the back to it and gun it in the opposite direction. Tony Scott spends the first half of the film doing two things- one, emphasising the working-class backgrounds of Frank and Will; and two, laying out bare the peril of the situation. Both are deftly played for the nail-biting finish, which is guaranteed to leave you wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

By portraying Frank and Will's as everyday men with real concerns over livelihood and family, Scott and "Die Hard 4.0" writer Mark Bomback make the point loud and clear later on that that real-life heroes are really just ordinary men who do extraordinary acts of courage in the face of danger and calamity. Indeed, though it is apparent that both Frank and Will are the heroes of the story, playing down the chest-thumping heroics of their act proves to be a wise choice in painting them as regular people who rose to the occasion to save the lives of thousands, including their families and loved ones.

Scott instead stresses the magnitude of the occasion in repeated failed attempts at halting "The Beast", each and every attempt highlighting the destructive force of the locomotive at that weight and at that speed. Choosing to film the high-octane action sequences in a more straightforward realistic manner than his usual flashy visual style (i.e. jump cuts, shaky camera, zooms and colour-correction) also lends the proceedings an authentic and an altogether genuinely riveting feel, further underlining the gravity of their heroic act. Special mention goes to the sound design of the film, which in a proper theatre with good sound system will set the hall rumbling with the sound of the locomotive.

Because much of the focus of the film is on "The Beast", more screen time seems to be dedicated to the train than to our two lead actors, Denzel Washington and Chris Pine. Still, the ever-reliable Denzel Washington delivers a low-key but no less commanding performance as the dutiful railroad worker Frank. He also shares a nice buddy chemistry with Chris, and it's interesting to watch how the initial tension between the two gives way to mutual cooperation, understanding and finally respect.

Unfolding at a breathless pace, Tony Scott makes the most of a simple premise to deliver a relentlessly exciting action movie that plays like "Speed" on tracks. It wastes no time in getting to the meat of the action, and doesn't once let up right until the end of the thrill ride. In between, you get the story of two men, folks like you and I, who display an outstanding act of heroism when faced with imminent danger. Precisely because they are so relatable, "Unstoppable" becomes so much more gripping, and you'd be advised that this high-octane action movie is just the adrenaline fix you need for the week.

 source:-moviexclusive(imdb)

The Other Guys!!

The Other Guys

THe BackUp Cops

The Other Guys takes that tired premise of a buddy-cop movie and turns it on its head. Mark Wahlberg plays a frustrated New York cop, who as a punishment for accidentally shooting a baseball champ, is humiliatingly partnered with Will Ferrell, a mild-mannered deskbound detective content with handling the department’s paperwork.

Envious of the NYPD’s star cop-duo (played by Samuel L Jackson and Dwayne Johnson), Wahlberg seeks any opportunity to ditch the sidelines and to get into some real action. While investigating a billionaire fraudster’s building permit violation, Wahlberg and his reluctant partner inadvertently find themselves at the centre of a major criminal case. One that involves shootouts, explosions and deadly car-chases. While Wahlberg sees this as an opportunity to gain the respect of his mocking peers, Ferrell would rather just remain behind his desk.

The film starts out on a promising note and is always on solid ground when it’s focusing on the two leads. Some of the early scenes are laugh-out-loud hilarious, like that exchange between Ferrell and Wahlberg about who would win in a fight between a lion and a tuna. There’s another terrific scene in which Ferrell discovers Wahlberg knows ballet, a skill he developed in his childhood, to make fun of wimpy kids.

The laughs come fast and furious in the film’s first act, until the real plot kicks in, which is where the problems start. Once Wahlberg and Ferrell get on the case of Steve Coogan, a tricky British financier they suspect of some serious white-collar crime, the script loses its grip, degenerating into an incomprehensible mess about corporate conspiracy.

Fortunately the very pairing of Wahlberg and Ferrell throws up enough comic moments, including one of my favourite scenes, in which Wahlberg refuses to believe his nerdish partner is married to the red-hot Eva Mendes who he’s constantly dissing.

What could have been just another regular buddy-cop movie is elevated considerably by two fantastic leads. Wahlberg tackles each scene with a straight face, while Ferrell goes for broad laughs. Together, they’re a riot.

I’m going with three out of five for The Other Guys. You won’t remember the last time you laughed this hard!

                                                                                                                                             Courtesy-:rajeevmasand.com

The Social Network review

The Social Network,

How A GEEK Connected The World!!

The Social Network, written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher, is my favourite film this year. It’s also one of the smartest films I’ve seen recently, and it’s packed with rapid-fire dialogue that’s so rich, so clever, you’ll want to see the film a second time to enjoy it all over again.

The Social Network is story about the founding of Facebook may not sound like an exciting premise for a thrilling movie. But Sorkin seeks out the human drama behind the birth of one of this century’s biggest pop-cultural breakthroughs, and uses that as the centerpiece for his terrific script.

Jesse Eisenberg stars as Mark Zuckerberg, the geeky Harvard student who in 2004 started Facebook in his dorm room, launching a social media revolution, and becoming the world’s youngest billionaire at 26. Zuckerberg’s rise to fame also spawned two lawsuits, the first from fellow Harvard students, the Winklevoss twins who accused him of stealing their idea and turning it into Facebook. Zuckerberg was also sued by the site’s initial financial backer and his only friend, Eduardo Saverin (played by Andrew Garfield), for denying him fair credit and his promised share of profits.

The real Zuckerberg, incidentally, has dismissed the film as pure fiction. It’s not hard to see why. Based on Ben Mezrich’s book, The Accidental Billionaires – although Sorkin famously did his own research – the film portrays Zuckerberg as a neurotic nerd who has terrible social skills; who came up with the idea of Facebook after he was dumped by his girlfriend; and who sold out the only friend who stood by him.

Zuckerberg may not be shown in a flattering light, but he makes for a compelling character. The great irony, and the film’s key observation, is that the man who connected as many as 500 million people through a common platform, might himself be the loneliest guy in the world.

Fincher and Sorkin dramatize the story by employing a non-linear narrative, jumping forward and backward through time to cut between the creation of Facebook and the subsequent lawsuits against Zuckerberg. The dialogue is so sharp and the soundtrack so haunting, they give the film an edge-of-the-seat quality that’s hard to describe.

As Zuckerberg, Jesse Eisenberg is excellent, creating a paradoxical figure who’s ruthless and arrogant one moment, nervous and innocent the other. In the end, you never quite feel like you’ve figured out Zuckerberg and that’s appropriate in this kind of film, which asks of you to decide if he’s hero or villain.

Andrew Garfield offers a solid performance as Eduardo Saverin, CFO of the fledgling Facebook, and Justin Timberlake brings suitable rock-star flair to the part of Napster founder Sean Parker, who befriends Zuckerberg.

Ultimately The Social Network is a riveting tale of friendship, trust and betrayal. While the film’s biggest strength is unquestionably its genius writing, Fincher directs with a confident hand, delivering a visually crisp palette to match Sorkin’s biting lines.I’m going with five out of five for The Social Network. It’s the best film I’ve seen this year — a smart film for a smart audience.The Social Network a must watch moive of the year.. 
                                                                                                                  Courtesy:-rajeevmasand.com

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

The Ending Begins Here!!!

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1”
Follows the book closely, but misses out on a few interesting scenes, and then makes up a few additional scenes that are poignant and incredibly welcome.

In the beginning, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 seems like skipping through the book's content very quickly, but it makes sense, when you realize how much is going on. At the end, the beginning is far away, although the journey there doesn't make it seem like a long while.

General opinion seems to be that it drags in the middle, but, let's face it, so did the book. There's no real reason to complain about Endless Camping Trips at all, because the film moves from plot point to set piece to plot point all the time. There's some clever ways the film handles its exposition, although it is not without its faults.

The trio's acting is the second best thing in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Emma Watson has improved loads over the past few years, and she seems to be at the top of her game in this film. Her acting is stellar. As usual, Rupert Grint gets saddled with the role of comic relief, but he also gets his chance to shine in an array of emotional scenes Daniel Radcliffe manages to carry the story as the main character. The three manage to stand their own very well without the presence of the adult actors.

Speaking of adult cast of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 , Nick Morran's Scabior is a delightful character - he's slightly perverted and he has a bit of a Jack Sparrow vibe going on. Peter Mullan's Yaxley was impressive and managed to be quite threatening. It is a shame that we see so little of Bill Nighy's character, the new Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour. The character was regrettably cut from the previous film, and I wish they hadn't, if only to see more of Nighy's impressive performance. Old-time familiar faces are great, as usual. Fiona Shaw gets but one shot of screen time, but the look in her eyes says so much about her character. Jasoon Isaacs is terrific as a broken and devastated Lucius Malfoy. The lack of Rickman is a shame, but the presence of Bonham Carter makes up for it. Big baddie Ralph Fiennes manages to finally be a menacing, scary Voldemort in the film's first scenes, but as the story progresses and he gets appearances in a few messy, rushed and disappointing visions, Voldemort's actions just don't continue being an ominous cloud of danger, as they should be.

 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 greatest achievement, however, is the animated sequence detailing the "Tale of the Three Brothers", an interesting wizard fairytale. It is a daring move from the filmmakers, one that will pleasantly surprise the audience.

The biggest letdown is how the film doesn't just keep going. After two-and-a-half hours, it doesn't feel like the story's finished. A few scenes were added to make the climax more exciting, but it's just a downright shame that the movie doesn't just continue for another hour or two.

In Nutshell Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is worth a watch!!
Thumbs Up!!
                                            Courtesy:-Imdb.com
                                                                                                                                              

GUZAARISH Review

GUZAARISH. Another Hrithik and Aishwarya Hit??

This is not the first time that master film-maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali has attempted a movie that has the protagonist suffering from a serious disability. In GUZAARISH, Hrithik Roshan suffers from Paraplegia, a complete paralysis of the lower half of the body, including both legs, usually caused by damage/injury to the spinal cord.

Bhansali has always been known for two things. The first thing is, of course, the visual splendour in his films [which was quite evident in HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM, DEVDAS and SAAWARIYA] and the second thing that he takes inspiration from various stories. The critically acclaimed BLACK was inspired from THE MIRACLE WORKER [a 1962 film] and SAAWARIYA from 'White Nights', a Russian short story.

There's talk that GUZAARISH is a remake of Christopher Nolan's Hollywood movie THE PRESTIGE, which, let me clarify, it is not. GUZAARISH brings back memories of two films, which may be coincidental: The Spanish Oscar and Golden Globe winning film MAR ADENTRO aka THE SEA INSIDE [2004], which, in turn, was based on a real-life story of Ramon Sampedro and WHOSE LIFE IS IT ANYWAY?, a television play which was later adapted into a play [theatre] and much later into a film [1981]. 

Bhansali has worked himself to the grind and his presence is felt in every frame of GUZAARISH. There is an inimitable intellect that Bhansali brings to his movies. Bhansali is also known to extract the best performances from his actors. In a light-hearted vein, I would go to the extent of saying that Bhansali has the ability to make a dumb man speak and a sightless man see. His devotion and dedication towards his craft is truly inspirational and motivating. In GUZAARISH, Bhansali puts behind all the glitter and glamour and comes up with yet another unique and sensitive story told through a series of flashbacks.

Final word? GUZAARISH is special in more ways than one. In my individualistic opinion, it easily ranks amongst Bhansali's best works so far. Just don't miss this one!

Set in Goa, it tells the story of an accomplished magician Ethan Mascarenhas [Hrithik Roshan]. Ethan suffers serious injuries when one of his magical trick goes horribly wrong, turning him to a Paraplegic. Confined to a wheel chair, Ethan becomes a Radio Jockey at an FM Station called Radio Zindagi. His show talks of hope, laughter and sunshine and it's difficult to imagine that the man behind it has been immobilized with a spinal injury for the last fourteen years of his life. Sofia [Aishwarya Rai Bachchan], a nurse, takes good care of him; they share a silent love.

Ethan files a petition in court for mercy killing. This decision of Ethan leaves Sofia stunned. Ethan takes the help of friend-lawyer Devyani [Shernaz Patel] to support his appeal. Even Ethan's mother Isabel [Nafisa Ali] supports him in his petition, although Ethan is persuaded by his physician Dr. Nayak [Suhel Seth] to retract his case. Alongside all this, Omar [Aditya Roy Kapur] enters Ethan's life with the aim of learning magic from him. Impressed by Omar's love for magic, Ethan agrees to pass on his legacy to him.

Only a sensitive raconteur can do absolute justice to a challenging subject like the one in GUZAARISH and Bhansali seems the right candidate for an extremely tricky theme like mercy killing/Euthanasia. The story is complex and can only be narrated by a storyteller who has the art of telling stories most convincingly. Sure, the protagonist in GUZAARISH wants to end his existence, but that doesn't mean the film is disheartening or unsettling. Clearly, the writing [screenplay: Bhavani Iyer and Bhansali] is smart, taut and absorbing.
GUZAARISH has a number of sequences that bear the unmistakable stamp of a genius. Sample these…

• The courtroom sequence and Aishwarya's outburst towards the end of it.

• The hearing of the petition at Hrithik's house.

• Hrithik's act going wrong and the near-fatal accident.

• The finale.

 Any negatives? The generous usage of English in the narrative. The language is sure to act as a barrier in the hinterland specially. Agreed, the film is set in Goa, they are bound to speak that language, but despite everything, Hindi is a must for a pan-India appeal.

Irrespective of how his films fare at the box-office, Bhansali's films have always been embellished with rich and cherished music. The songs continue to linger in the hearts of the listeners with their dulcet and soothing tunes. After legendary Satyajit Ray and Vishal Bhardwaj, Bhansali is the next accomplished film-maker who has himself created the music of his film. The songs in GUZAARISH are more inclined towards poetry that's earthy and contemporary. However, it does take some time for the listeners to sense the pulse of the music. 'Tera Zikr Hai Ya Itra Hai' is a limerick to exquisiteness, 'Sau Gram Zindagi', with its philosophical tone, leaves a lasting impression, the title track 'Guzaarish' casts a spell on you and 'Udi' is, of course, memorable.
GUZAARISH has been magnificently shot. The indoors as well as outdoors [the gorgeous panorama] add so much to the film. There's no refuting that cinematographer Sudeep K. Chatterjee has created some really alluring and enthralling visuals. The very effective and subtle background score [Tubby and Parik] of GUZAARISH is its very backbone. The feelings of intrigue, anxiety, anguish and romance come across so well. In fact, for the very first time, I felt that I was not hearing the background score, I was feeling it. Dialogue [Bhavani Iyer and Vibhu Puri] belong to high standards that touch your soul. Costumes [Sabyasachi] are absolutely wonderful; they gel well with the setting and mood of the film.

Hrithik and Aishwarya are seen in a lackluster facade and that's what makes the characters so plausible. While Hrithik is seen sporting a beard and has even put on weight, Aishwarya is seen in sober outfits. In fact, the two actors have gone through a drastic appearance change and both pressurize you to believe that they are indeed Ethan and Sofia. It must be said that Hrithik and Aishwarya exude a certain dignity and elegance, much needed for a sensitive film of this magnitude and caliber.

It must have been an arduous task for Hrithik to carry off the Paraplegic character of Ethan Mascarenhas, but he depicts the part with flourish. It's a great risk in filmy norms to have the hero of the film almost entirely on a wheel chair, but Hrithik has never hesitated or been irresolute in putting himself to adverse conditions, in order to achieve excellence, in whatever character he chooses to depict. Kudos to Hrithik for accepting a role that's truly opposite to his larger-than-life image and portraying it with elan.

Aishwarya, as Ethan's nurse who is the epicenter of his world, has approached this role with rare understanding, not going overboard even once. So effective is she that she not only influences you but also compels you to believe that their love is solid in its quiet strength and also spirited in their verbal sparring. The sensational chemistry, which sizzled the silver screen in DHOOM 2 and JODHAA AKBAR and won hearts all over, sizzles yet again, but this time in a distinctive aspect.

Aditya Roy Kapur is truly outstanding in a pivotal character. Shernaz Patel is exceptional. Nafisa Ali makes her presence felt in a small but significant role. Suhel Seth is in terrific form. Moni Kangana Dutta is okay. Vijay Crishna [judge] is effective. Rajit Kapoor does complete justice to his role. Makarand Deshpande leaves an impression. Ash Chandler and Achint Kaur lend good support.

On the whole, GUZAARISH is an invigorating tale. Bhansali, as a film-maker, has scaled several notches above his past accomplishments to create a near-perfect cinematic experience. The highpoint of the motion picture is the magnificently penned story of an incapacitated and debilitated man who desires to end his being with dignity. The film seduces the viewer with a strong emotional quotient, soulful music and of course, the crackling and wonderful onscreen chemistry between Hrithik and Aishwarya. Without doubt, GUZAARISH is one of the most profound, insightful and enriching dramas of the year
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                     :-courtesy Indyarocks.com