Twilight- review

Twilight (2008) is a romantic thriller directed by Catherine Hardwicke. It’s a story of a vampire falling in love with a human. The story has been adapted from the novel under the same name written by Stephanie Meyer. The plot is intriguing and keeps the audience charmed with the unwinding of the story. The pace, however, is slow and tests the patience of the viewers. The selection of the cast is apt; with Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan and Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, playing their respective roles as the innocent human who falls in love with a vampire. Yet, the acting seems forced and exaggerated. It makes the viewers think of the fact that it seems impossible no one before Bella ever discovered the secret of the Cullen family. Inspite of its many faults, the movie is a breath of fresh air and will be liked by the audience of all ages.

Blue-review

Blue (2009), Bollywood’s supposedly most expensive film (Rs 100 crore), has been directed by Anthony D’souza, starring the daring Akshay Kumar, the lean Zayed Khan and the not-so-lean Sanjay Dutt, with special appearances by Lara Dutta, Katrina Kaif and of course, Kylie Minogue. The movie can definitely boast of the incredible deep sea shots in the Bahamas by cinematographer Pete Zuccarini, but that is where the praise ends. With only the duration of 1 hour 58 minutes, the movie has nothing substantial to offer. There is hardly any action barring Sanjay Dutt’s half-hearted attempt of shooting at the villains, Zayed’s few bike stunts resembling scenes from Dhoom, and Akshay’s pseudo scuffle with the sharks. All the ranting about the dangerous under-water stunts proved to be nothing but a waste of money and time. The audience sits impatiently waiting for something to happen but nothing worthwhile happens except in the last 15 minutes of the movie. The semblance of a story is shattered with only few seconds dedicated to the plot. Though it has been running houseful at the box office, it only has the Diwali holidays to thank.

I Know Who Killed Me- review

I Know Who Killed Me (2007) is an unusual thriller of identity crisis following a tragic experience. Directed by Chris Siverston and written by Jeff Hammond, the story opens with the kidnapping of Aubrey Fleming (Lindsay Lohan) a student of a high school in New Salem, after the brutal killing of a fellow student by a serial killer. A couple of weeks later when she is found mutilated in the similar way as her schoolmate, the FBI turn up at the hospital only to discover that the girl on the bed claims to be the stripper Dakota Moss and not Aubrey Fleming. The movie tries to depict the reactions of a traumatized teenager but ends up in completely confusing its audience about the identity of the lead actress. Is she Aubrey Fleming: Daniel Fleming’s daughter? Is she Dakota Moss: one of the characters in Aubrey’s fantastic story? Or is she Aubrey’s long lost twin, whose existence is known only by their father? The story has many loose ends and though it manages to grip the audience’s attention, the end is disappointing. The acting of Lindsay Lohan and Neal McDonough, who plays her father, are the only plus points in the movie.

The Roman Holiday-review

The Roman Holiday (1953) has been directed by William Wyler and written by Dalton Trumbo. It is a remarkable love story of Princess Ann, played by Audrey Hepburn, and Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), an American newspaper reporter. The plot revolves around the princess’s surreal experiences as a common person and the joy she feels out of simple things that were otherwise deprived to her for being Royalty. The acting of both Hepburn and Peck is stunning. Both the roles have been performed to perfection, and though it feels like a regular Bollywood love story, it differs from the very quality of the execution of the script. The acting is subtle, classy and smooth. There is neither an overflow of emotions nor any unnecessary drama.

The Illusionist- review

The Illusionist (2006) has been directed by Neil Burger and is also written by him and Steven Millhauser. Based on the short story by Millhauser under the name “ Eisenheim the Illusionist”, the movie is splendid and one that doesn’t lose its charm even after watching it several times; a movie that’s true to its name and keeps you hooked till the very end. The actors Edward Norton( Eisenheim), Jessica Biel (Sophie), Paul Giamatti (Inspector Uhl) and Rufus Sewell (Crown Prince Leopold) , among others, have done an incredible job of drawing the audience into an intricate web of their own making that doesn’t seem to let go till the last scene. Even though the tag-line of the movie- nothing is what it seems- is warning enough, nothing can prepare the audience for what is to come next. And even as the credits roll past on the screen, what Eisenheim said during the movie stays on your mind-“everything you have seen here has been an illusion.” Though a movie of fantasy and enchantment, it holds true to life. Edward Norton, in his hypnotizing voice, tells you “From the moment we enter this life we are in the flow of it we measure it and we mock it, but we cannot defy it. We cannot even speed it up or slow it down. Or can we? Have we not each experienced the sensation that a beautiful moment seemed to pas to quickly, and wished that we could make it linger? Or felt time slow on a dull day, and wished that we could speed things up a bit?” Set in early 1900’s Vienna, the movie is a treat to viewers of all ages.

Chocolat-review

CHOCOLAT (2000) is a romance film directed by Lasse Hallstrom and is based on the novel by the same name written by Joanne Harris. Starring Juliette Binoche as Vianne Rocher, a young single mother, the story revolves around her and her six-year-old daughter as they try to adjust their lives in a small and conservative town of rural France. Having opened a chocolate shop during Lent, they’re initially met with skepticism and resistance. But they gradually make room for themselves in the hearts of the people. The film also stars Johnny Depp but is a minor role. The plot is simple yet executed in an effective manner. Nothing exclusive or extraordinary about the movie, but still manages to hold the attention of the audience with its smooth course of action and dialogue, and most definitely its mouth watering chocolates. The film’s tagline-one taste is all it takes- is true to its word.

Shakespeare in Love-review

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1998) is a romantic comedy directed by John Madden and written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. With the central theme of the love story of the young playwright William Shakespeare, played by Joseph Fiennes, and Viola de Lesseps, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, it has the underlying theme of the struggles of the playwright in the country of England 400 years ago. It deals with various issues like forbidden romances between the classes, prohibition of women actresses and the likes. The over-dramatic acting, language and gestures make for an interesting movie, and the sets, costumes, make-up add to the richness. Worthy of seven Oscars, it is truly light, entertaining and hilarious, with intense wit and humour around the greatest playwright there ever was. Even though the film is largely fictional, a lot of the characters and plot techniques are based on some of Shakespeare’s plays.