GI JOE RETALIATION ("RETALIATION IS ON YOU!")

Cast: The Rock, Channing Tatum, Bruce Willis.

Director: John M Chu.

After making us wait for so long the Joes are back; this time with an extra member in particular, Roadblock (The Rock).

The Cobra Commander and Destro are locked up in a “high security” prison. Zartan is trying to bring them out (impersonating the President) with the help of Storm Shadow and Firefly. Snake eyes is trying to bring Storm Shadow back to the blind master for punishment. After a dramatic turn of events it’s upto Roadblock along with Lady Jaye, Flint, Snake eyes and General Joe Colton( Bruce Willis) to prevent the Cobras from executing their master plan.

Talking about the Cobras’ “master plan”, the thing that the film lacks is a master script, it does not have a script at all rather; nothing atleast that you can call a script. Things keep happening, bullets keep getting fired, bombs explode and you sit there wondering if it’s a movie or a montage of action sequences taken from you tube.

Logic goes for a toss considering the free run that the GI Joes and the Cobras have across the globe. May be the scriptwriters forgot that the only people safeguarding the American citizens are not just the Joes, there are a few departments called the police, the military etc. There are a lot of such instances all the way through. Everything just happens!

Channing Tatum is in the movie just for the sake of it and nothing more and I have no idea why The Rock and Bruce Willis signed up for this project that was not going to be beneficial for them performance wise or otherwise. The last thing that you can look for in the film is feel; it’s more like a bunch of robots fighting against each other.

The only saving face element in the film is the nice visual effects along with a few action scenes but it’s highly doubtful if that is going to satisfy even the GI Joe fans.

Iam giving a 2/5 for GI Joe Retaliation. Take a nap after the movie starts, wake up towards the end and still you can figure out the plot.

IMDB Rating - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1583421/?ref_=sr_1

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2 to 2.25                      -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

3 to 3.25                      -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

      

4 to 4.25                      -           Great.

4.5 and above               -           Extraordinary.

                                                                    

AMEN ("NANDANAM VERSION 2.0?")

Cast: Fahad Fazil, Indrajith, Swathi.

Director: Lijo Jose Pellissery.

When you go in for a Lijo Jose Pellissery film you expect something different and different is exactly what you get, well, to an extent.

A good film generally catches your attention in the first ten minutes. Though that does not happen in the case of Amen, you know there is something different about the whole thing.

Solomon(Fahad) is the son of a famous clarinet player who wants to follow the footsteps of his father and play for the Church band. Soshanna(Swathi) who hails from a wealthy family is his love interest. Vincent Vattoli(Indrajith) comes as the Father of the Village Church when the whole scene changes.

Right from the beautiful title song you know that you are in for some nice numbers and Prashanth Pillai does not disappoint except for one or two songs. The songs fit very well into the wonderful screenplay by P.S Rafeeque. Most part of the first half you would be laughing your butts off mainly because of the screenplay ably supported by some nice dialogues. The single shot song sequence and the Vattoli song would delight you with their humor and creativity.

The 2^nd half is where the screenplay falters a bit dragging the film at times presenting a few clichés. It is doubtful if the final scenes involving the music competition would be enjoyed by the commoner as the tunes of the clarinet is not something very familiar to him. This truly tarnishes the excellence built up in the first half. But then with an unexpected twist in the final scene(a different version of Nandanam) the director shows why he has earned the name that he has.

Fahad, Swathi and Indrajith have given really good performances but even the other actors in the film amuse you equally well. This is one of the best roles of Swathi till date. It’s such a delight to watch her in Amen; in her scenes with Fahad and otherwise.

The stand out features of Amen apart from it’s screenplay are undoubtedly the beautiful frames, with an amazing sense of lighting(especially the indoor scenes and those in the dark), of Abinandan Ramanujam and the excellent direction of Lijo. With a better second half it would had a fair chance of getting into the top league.

Iam giving a 3 to 3.25/5 for Amen. Get ready for a visually amazing divine comedy with some beautiful romance.

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2 to 2.25                      -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

3 to 3.25                      -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4 to 4.25                      -           Great.

4.5 and above               -           Extraordinary.

                                                                    

RED WINE ("PASSABLE WINE")

Cast: Mohanlal, Fahad Fazil, Asif Ali.

Director: Salam Bapu.

Salam Bappu makes his directorial debut with Red Wine after being in the industry for almost 11 years.

Red Wine deals with a murder case that makes three people; Anoop, the Local Committee Secretary of the Communist Party in Wayanad (Fahad Fazil), Ramesan, a goonda turned sales executive(Asif Ali) and Ratheesh Vasudevan, Assistant Commissioner of Police(Mohanlal); cross each other’s paths.

The first thing I would like to tell is that Red Wine is NOT a Mohanlal movie, the central character here is Fahad and he is brilliant in his role as the young communist. The director has done a good job in showing Communism in a different light through Fahad. It would not be surprising if the young guns of the Communist Party in Kerala start idolising him. But do not go in expecting to see a fiery communist because as said already this one is different.

You would not find the plot that interesting or thrilling but the screenplay should be mentioned in particular for the commendable job. It cuts into the three lives(timelines rather) very frequently with no confusion whatsoever. Ranjan Abraham’s experienced editing amplifies the effect. The connecting point from one scene to the next is very smooth which shows the clarity of the writer and the director.

Another appreciable element in the screenplay is the chemistry between Asif Ali and his wife. Even if both of them have very limited screen space the scenes involving both of them are adorable. The girl who plays Asif’s wife is simply brilliant!! This is not to suggest it’s flawless though. It’s a tad lengthy and there is a barrage of characters , mainly to up the suspense factor, which is a letdown.

Beginner’s blues is quite evident in the direction department but that may be overlooked considering the earnest efforts.

Cinematography is ok but the colouring in several places is very substandard, BGM being no different. The final song in the film is very good to hear and rich in meaning as well.

Overall it’s an almost satisfying watch if you go in without expecting much.

Iam giving a 2.5/5 for Red Wine. You can watch it once.

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2 to 2.25                      -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

3 to 3.25                      -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4 to 4.25                      -           Great.

4.5 and above               -           Extraordinary.

                                                                    

DJANGO UNCHAINED ("NOT AS UNCHAINED AS HYPED!")

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Leonardo Dicaprio, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L Jackson, Kerry Washington.

Director: Quentin Tarantino.

The guy who does not care what other people (read critics) think about his films is back with his next directorial. The much hyped Django Unchained!

Django Unchained is set in 1858 when slavery was the rule of the day. Django (Jamie Foxx) is rescued from his masters by the witty daring scheming dentist turned bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz). King makes Django his partner and together they set out to rescue Django’s wife  Broomhilda(Kerry Washington), who is owned by the supposedly cruel Mississippi Plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo Dicaprio).

The first thing that would strike you right from the start is the wonderful cinematography and the old classical western style music that sets the tone right away. After the immediate entry of Waltz and Foxx character by character starts appearing as Tarantino goes about building up the screenplay with traces of humor here and there.

Waltz who has done a fabulous job, is given a heroic stature initially but is soon shadowed by Foxx(not performance wise) because of the screenplay. The characterisation and scope of Django does not look indelible which easily explains why Will Smith might have turned down the role; not to take away any credit from the really good performance by Foxx.

Leonardo and Samuel Jackson come into the picture towards the end of the first half. What seems really appalling here is the weak characterisation of Leonardo which hardly makes him the cruel villain as he is supposed to be. This is easily one of the roles he would love to forget. Samuel L Jackson as Steven, the nigger who hates niggers, is funny and appears more sinister than Leonardo.

The film moves at a slow pace especially in the first half and the runtime of 165 minutes will make you shift in your seat unless you are a Tarantino fan. The verbal duels between Foxx and Leonardo are interesting but they never reach a boiling point leaving you unsatisfied.

But a special point to be made here is the spectacular direction which keeps the intent all through the film considering a not so impressive screenplay and a simple plot. The action scenes(violence rather) have been choreographed well. You would really enjoy certain scenes towards the end.

One interesting question that a lot of the viewers would have is whether Christoph Watz (notwithstanding his amazing performance) really deserved the Oscar for the Best Supporting actor over Tommy Lee Jones!

Iam giving a 3.5/5 for Django Unchained. Django though a really good film does not reach the league of the great ones.

PS: Django is a slow moving VIOLENT film. You will be disappointed if you are looking for a fast paced action flick.

IMDB Link:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1853728/?ref_=sr_1

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2 to 2.25                      -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

3 to 3.25                      -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4 to 4.25                      -           Great.

4.5 and above               -           Extraordinary.

                                                                    

THE MASTER ("NOT FOR THE MASSES")

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix,Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson.

The Master is a story about the relationship that an eccentric naval war veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) shares with the leader of a movement (or cult) (Philip Seymour Hoffman).

Set in 1950, The Master begins with Phoenix returning from the navy to lead a normal life. Because of the kind of stress he has gone through while in the navy along with some other personal problems and alcoholism he finds it hard to get back to normal life. He is charmed by Hoffman (The Master) who is “a writer, a doctor, a nuclear physicist, a philosopher and above all a man just like you” as he himself puts it. Hoffman brings him into his organization in a bid to help him. Amy Adams plays Hoffman’s wife.

What would interest you the most about The Master is the performances; the terrific Phoenix and the subtle Hoffman. If the sessions between them in the first half are electric the second half lends more of a psychological angle to the whole affair. Undoubtedly this is one of the best performances of his career by Phoenix, if not The best.

The film moves at a slow pace and there is a fair chance that the average viewer might find the content of the film confusing (especially with respect to the character played by Hoffman), dragging and a bit disturbing. The runtime of 144 minutes seems a little excess, a defter handling of the screenplay would have proved commercially better for the film.

Cinematography, just like Argo, gives you the perfect feel of the era that the film deals with and that is a good move by the director. Costume design and art direction should also be mentioned in particular for the wonderful job done.

Iam giving a 3.25/5 for The Master. Watch it if you like slow moving films.

IMDB Link - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560747/?ref_=sr_1

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2 to 2.25                      -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

3 to 3.25                      -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Great.

4 to 4.25                      -           Exceptional.

4.5 and above               -           Extraordinary.

                                                                    

PARADESI ('"CAN WE HAVE SOMETHING NEW?")

Cast: Adharvaa, Dhansika, Vedhika.

Director: Bala.

Paradesi is the adaptation of a translated book Eriyum Panikadu which is based on real life incidents that took place in Pre Independence India.

Adharvaa plays Ottaperukki,  a simpleton who lives with his grandmother. Vedhika plays Angamma, his love interest. Adharvaa along with a lot of people from his village is taken on a contractual basis to work in the British owned Tea plantation. Dhansika who is a single parent is also working there.

What  happens next?...Well, nothing much!

The initial 15 minutes of the film is so beautiful with Adharvaa clearly showing all of us why he is an actor to watch out for! He is amazing. Equally wonderful is Vedhika who is such a delight to watch perform. The romance between them has been pictured wonderfully well by Bala; GV Prakash Kumar aiding him with a really good song.

But the sad part is it all ends there. After that it’s the same old Bala film with people being tortured, oppressed and cheated. You would mostly yawn your way through the rest of the film.

Cinematography, art direction, make up and costumes are really good but all that does not compensate for the trite below average content. The only good thing about the film is the performances by all the actors. Bala has done a wonderful job extracting that kind of perfection performances wise.

Iam giving a 1.75/5 for Paradesi. Paradesi is a tragedy film; the content is not what is tragic it is the film rather!

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2 to 2.25                      -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

3 to 3.25                      -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Great.

4 to 4.25                      -           Exceptional.

4.5 and above               -           Extraordinary.

                                                                    

VATHIKUCHI ("NOT SO FIERY")

Cast: Dhileban, Anjali, Jayaprakash, Sampath, Jagan.

Director: Kinslin.

ARM comes up with his second production after Engeyum Eppothum, this time again bringing one of his assistants as The Director.

Vathikuchi deals with the life of a share auto driver Shakthi (Dhileban) that gets entangled with that of 3 others’; Sampath (a goonda), Jayaprakash (a merchant) and Jagan ( a salesman). Anjali plays Shakthi’s love interest.

Director Kinslin has come up with a very nice concept with social relevance in Vathikuchi. Dhileban does a decent job to do justice to the concept. There are some interesting sequences throughout the film. You will like the fights if you are willing to overlook the unnecessary use of ropes in majority of them.The BGM is decent. The cinematography is good but the shabby work by the colouring department (even if intended) makes the visuals not so pleasing to the eye.

Though the idea of linking Sampath, Jagan and Jayaprakash to Shakthi is nice the screenplay lacks the content to make it look natural. Anjali and all the songs have been included for mass appeal but that along with some other unnecessary scenes really take the juice of what could have otherwise been a juicy thriller.

Some scenes like where Shakthi runs away from the goondas to get sleep, food and exercise appear to be way too logical (or silly), yet some other scenes like where Shakthi gets repeatedly hit on the head and yet keeps fighting appear to be way too devoid of logic.

But as said earlier Vathikuchi has it’s moments, though in parts.

Iam giving a 2.75/5 for Vathikuchi. A tighter screenplay would have made it a much better thriller.

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2 to 2.25                      -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

3 to 3.25                      -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Great.

4 to 4.25                      -           Exceptional.

4.5 and above               -           Extraordinary.

                                                                    

CELLULOID ('REALITY BITES")

Cast: Prithviraj, Mamta Mohandas, Chandni, Srinivasan.

Director: Kamal.

If you want to know how the first Malayalam movie was made Kamal brings you all the information you want in Celluloid.

Prithviraj plays J.C Daniel (the father of Malayalam Cinema) and Mamta plays his wife Janet. Celluloid revolves around events leading upto the filming of the first Malayalam movie “Vigathakumaran” and it’s aftermath.

The first half of the film moves at a brisk pace showing the positive and energetic efforts put in by Daniel for his film. Before you even realise it you would be out buying popcorn in the interval. The film has limited scope for performances as the script is mainly events driven. Nonetheless everyone puts in good performances, but you would really be impressed by Chandni who plays PK Rosie. She is so natural at innocence and emoting and adorable. After the beautiful song “En undo di” you are almost in love with her.

The second half takes on a serious tone with unexpected trouble hitting Daniel and the consequences. You would not come out of the theatre with wet eyes but Kamal has made sure that you will empathise with J.C Daniel. There are a few technical flaws but you would not even notice that considering the sincere portrayal of facts by Kamal.

A special mention has to be made about the production design and the art department for the wonderful depiction of the 1920s India.

I am giving a 3.25/5 for Celluloid. Let us salute the father of Malayalam Cinema.

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2 to 2.25                      -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

3 to 3.25                      -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Great.

4 to 4.25                      -           Exceptional.

4.5 and above               -           Extraordinary. 

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER ("CLASS ACT")

Cast: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller.

Director: Stephen Chbosky.

The Perks of being a wallflower is an adaptation of the book written by the director himself with the same name.

The talented,introvert and loner freshman(high school) Charlie(Logan Lerman) is brought into their gang by the Step-siblings Patrick(Ezra Miller) and Sam(Emma Watson). He starts discovering himself and the world through his friends. From then on it’s a journey of romance, belonging, confusion, homosexuality, sex, drugs and self discovery.

From the very first scene you will fall in love with Logan Lerman who is EXCEPTIONAL to the point that you will wonder if it’s the same guy who acted in Percy Jackson. Emma Watson as the girl who has been used(or abused) sexually since she was a kid, yet searching for happiness or love may be, and Ezra Miller as the gay guy(literally and otherwise) are fabulous.

The brilliant screenplay along with the wonderful music beautiful cinematography and classy direction transports you to a different world. The wonderful narrative is an added bonus. You are sure to come out inspired and if you are a writer there is no doubt to the fact that you will be inspired to start your new project.

The movie deals with a lot of sensitive issues but the most important among them, though hinted at at several intermittent scenes, is revealed fully towards the end only and that shows the amount of thought put into the screenplay. A few scenes in the middle might give you the feel of a usual high school movie but then Chbosky swiftly shows his class by bringing it back on track.

It’s a complete movie.

I am giving a 4/5 for The perks of being a Wallflower. Enjoy the journey to self discovery. We are infinite!!

IMDB Link - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1659337/?ref_=sr_1

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2 to 2.25                      -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

3 to 3.25                      -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Great.

4 to 4.25                      -           Exceptional.

4.5 and above               -           Extraordinary.