Fast and Furious 7 Not a movie review

Watched this one the day it released ... And boy this one was one hell of a ride ...  Supercars ... Flying cars ... Para dropping  Cars .... Racing Cars .... Street car chases ... And the technological marvel known as Gods eye ... My my that was one wonderful bit of conceptual tech which got a tech geek like me very excited ... I mean just think about the possibilities ... Oh those who don't know what I am talking about .. Well the god particle is a tech which can be used to track anyone anywhere .... It uses all the available cameras in the vicinity like the CCTV setup and whatever other cameras that are linked to the internet like the cameras attached to your cell phones ... Phew just imagine if that becomes real ... Scary ... If you can't understand my explanation of the tech plz do watch the film to understand it better.

Now as I have done earlier I don't want to get into the story of the film ... All I will say for now is it's a fantastic film and a very beautiful tribute to the late Paul Walker ... Believe me when I say I saw grown men with tears in their eyes after the film.

It really got me thinking about the magic of cinema.... The way it keeps everyone alive even after they are gone.... It felt so good to see Paul Walker. That's the beauty of cinema. 

As always I try and observe what I can learn, well this is not a preachy film so this one is a little difficult for me. Primarily I can say that I hope a thing such as the gods eye is never developed, if it is then maybe we will have to go live in a cave away from all gadgets to keep our privacy intact. But is it really intact today, I mean whatever these tech giants claim, I sometimes do get the feeling that all our private conversations and mails can be snooped upon as and when they want to. The good thing about the plain old postal mail was the amount or ability to snoop was less and very difficult when it came to snooping without being detected. I mean a small tear or signs of re sealing would have alerted us that someone has been reading our mails. But with emails I guess we will never know. Technology has certainly made our life easier but it has also made it more public and too open. So people always think before you type, that's the new mantra, the old one was look before you leap. 

As for this film it is must watch for all you fanatics because it's well made and you have to give that ovation and claps to Paul one last time. Enjoy the ride yes beware of the gods eye. 

Disney's Cinderella Not a movie review

Saw the film a few days ago and here I am again with my special take, which is not going to be a movie review but what I saw in the movie. So, here we go.

I am not going to be narrating the whole story here, come on it's an age old fairy tale and almost everyone might be knowing it, okay not almost everyone, but everyone who's read the story. But still a lot of you might. 

The most powerful line in this latest version of Cinderella made by Disney is, "Have courage and be kind". Such a simple but powerful line. That's what Cinderella's mom told her and it took her some time to completely understand it but eventually she did. How many of us do understand the power of that line. The power of kindness and the importance of having courage. In life we all want to do lots of thing and want to be a lot of things, but then how many of us do actually have the courage to pursue these dreams and go ahead to achieve them. Most of us end up entering the rat race and start existing because of the want of stability and ya money. A very few of us show true courage and go ahead and pursue that dream, and attain that greatness which we always desire. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and then there quite a few of us who don't , not because we can't, but we just lack that little bit of courage to work towards it. Fear stops us it does, the day we overcome it we will be able to achieve a lot of things in life. So, in life always have the courage to do what you have always wanted to do. 

Now to the next part, what is more difficult than having courage is being kind. Whoever you are or whatever you might have achieved in life always remember to be kind and considerate towards others and to those who have been less fortunate than you. Kindness in itself is a great power. It will earn you respect and you'll never be alone in life. You'll earn the greatest wealth of it all. The love of people and the universe. So, remember HAVE COURAGE AND BE KIND. 

Now back to Cinderella , it's a beautiful story and Disney has definitely made a good film with some really crisp editing and beautiful visuals. The movie is really very pleasing to the eye. 

Personally I find the story beautiful but yes it's a bit depressing if you actually look at it from the position Cinderella is. Truly it does require a lot of courage to go through all she has been through and still manage to smile. The end is happy, no doubt beautiful, but I will not wish anyone go through the pain the poor girl goes through, before the story reaches it's happy ending. But, then such is the world of fairy tales, there are always a lot of dark and sad things that happen here. Then again, it's a world where a little magic exists. 

But you know what, the magic exists even in our world. The magic here is belief and faith. Believe that something good is going to happen, and have faith that it will happen. There you have it that's magic. It works, just believe and have faith. 

So, before I sign off for now, remember the powerful lines from this film. HAVE COURAGE AND BE KIND, and HAVE FAITH AND BELIEVE IN THAT BIT OF MAGIC. Until next time Cheers , keep smiling keep believing. 

NH10 Not a movie review

So here I am again after watching another movie this week. NH10 is a pretty good film and I don't want to dwell into it and write a review there are lots of others on the net to see an refer if you feel like it. I just want to write my observations from the film like I did for DUM LAGAKE HAISHA the last time around, okay observation is a pretty strong word I would prefer saying my humble learnings from the film. Okay here goes nothing. 

No Anushka don't scream I won't do that bad you see. Okay now as everyone knows the plot , fine not everyone but everyone who has seen the film does it's about a couple going on an almost honeymoon trip to some village for the wife's birthday and they encounter some goons picking up a girl and a boy when they are sitting eating their lunch at a dhaba. It looks like it's going to be a honour killing from what is being seen, well the husband .... Okay don't get too confused the husband I am referring to is Anushkas husband our films hero... Goes and stands up to the goons but then the angry goon who is the brother of the girl being picked slaps the hero ... This sends him on an ego trip and he is fuming like all heroes do ... But then our hero here isn't Chulbul Pandey so for the moment he just fumes and can't do anything ... Well he is still fuming and driving with his wife trying to calm him when on a desolate stretch of the highway he spots something .... The same car that the goons were in going to an even more desolate spot on the highway .... So our ego tripper decides to be brave ... Very brave and follows the goons to the spot they are going ... Stops his car at a distance ... Takes out his wife's gun and marches on to have some fun at the goons expense... Scare them and all you see with the gun... Village bumpkins you see will be scared and run helter skelter on seing a gun... Now what does he see... Oh these goons are barbaric they are kicking the girl and the boy ... The ones they picked up from the Dhabha where our hero was slapped ... On seeing their displays of barbarism our hero comes to his senses and decides to run back to his wifey but then by then it's too late and all he'll breaks loose.

 Well I told I won't tell the story but still I did let out a lot of it so nothing more ... Okay so what did I learn ... Our hero while he thought he was being brave was actually being foolish ... Why would a bunch of goons take a couple to a desolate spot on a desolate stretch of the highway ... To get them married ... Duh ... There is a very thin line between bravery and stupidity and I guess our hero didn't see that and ended up being plain stupid. So boys and girls learn from this and be brave but don't be stupid. 

But yes now to the serious part, honour killings are very much the bitter truth which a lot of us ignore and quite a few accept it as part of life... Which is shameful and disgraceful ... Stand up to it and bring some change in the mindsets of the people who think like that ... Won't happen overnight but gradually and slowly change will come if a sustained effort is put towards it. 

What our hero did was plain stupid because driven by his ego he ended up losing a lot of things. But then it needs to be asked, what can be done when you find yourself in such a situation that you know a honour killing is going to happen, what will you do if you know that this area is so rural that even the police are going to be of no help and are almost hand in glove with the goons. The only sensible thing to do sadly is run away from there and try and do something about it after you are safe and able to do something ... Maybe raise awareness .. Maybe spread the word ... Maybe bring about a change in the society ... Everything is a maybe ... There are no definitive answer to it.... Remember to do what you feel is right ... But remember don't be stupid. 

Back to the movie .... Really loved the way Anushka kicked the goons sorry asses later on with so much cold blooded intensity..... But well well that will happen only in a movie MAYBE ... So don't get too inspired by that and do something foolish like what our hero did. 

Go enjoy the film it's pretty good with some pretty solid performances, and learn what you can learn from it. Ya if possible do your bit to try and bring about a positive change in the society. 

Cheers for now have a beautiful day.

Not a movie review Dum lagake haisha

Well I just saw the film Dum Lagake Haisha and this time after watching a film I don't feel like reviewing the film but I really feel like thinking what this film tells us about life and how beautiful it is

As the poster claims love comes in all sizes .... Yes love does come in all sizes but love also comes in all colors.... That's what the movie got me thinking. You know like when I hear relatives discussing suitable grooms and brides in functions the most common thing that I get to hear is yes the girl is fair, yes the boy is tall, yes she looks good, yes he is an engineer, etc etc .... Really these are our parameters of choosing a suitable bride or a groom... So what happens to all the dark girls and short boys and non educated lot out there... Most of the times they have to go for what they get ... Is that the truth.... Well if you look at the society we live in today ... Maybe yes ... But maybe no as well.... Because sometimes yes sometimes this tingly feeling called love manages to smudge these things and create magic.

So if you ask me what is love.... Well it's the magic that makes life beautiful... And not because you get butterflies in your stomach but because it transcends everything ... Color , weight , height , race, religion , money.... Love manages to make these things appear negligible. 

That's what you'll see in this movie, and if you watch you'll see how by understanding someone you'll be able to know the real beauty of that person and just good looks don't mean anything if you don't have a beautiful soul. 

Movie Review - Citylights

Movie – Citylights

Cast: Rajkumar Rao, Patralekha, Manav Kaul

Directed by: Hansal Mehta

Produced by: Mukesh Bhatt

Cinematography: Dev Agarwal

Music: Jeet Ganguly

Background Score: Raju Singh

Rating : 4/5

 

Based on Sean Ellis' acclaimed Metro Manila, Citylights is one of the Darkest films I have seen in recent times. The film tells the story of a migrant from Rajasthan , Deepak ( Rajkumar Rao) who loses his business and is in debt, decides to come to Mumbai with his wife, Rakhi (Patralekha ) and little daughter in search of a job and a brighter future. He comes to Mumbai depending on his friend Omkar to be his support in his initial days, but never finds him once he reaches here. In despair, Deepak searches for a house to stay with his family, but instead gets tricked of whatever little money he has. Circumstances forces the family to take shelter in an under construction building, while Deepak keeps searching for a job, Rakhi is forced to find work as a Bar Girl to fend off the daily expenses. Deepak finally finds a job as a security officer with an armoured security firm, which ferries safe boxes for the Ultra Rich. Everything looks to be getting  settled on the surface,  but is everything as it seems to be.  

Rajkumar Rao is fantastic in this film as a simple migrant who just wants a good life for his family. You can really connect to him , you can feel his innocence. Patralekha as the wife who really wants to help her husband in his quest is a fine counterbalance. Performances from both the lead actors are just amazing. In addition Manav Kaul as Vishnu Sir, Deepak’s mentor in this big city delivers a power packed performance as well.

Cinematography is brilliant. Shots of Deepak and his family sleeping in a dingy under construction 3BHK flat, Deepak looking towards the vast expanse of the ocean in despair,  Shots of the Doves flying around, a fallen bicycle all are powerfully canned. 

The editing of Citilights is crisp and smooth, you may not even find one frame that drags. The first half went so smoothly that I didn’t even feel that one hour went. Felt more like 20 minutes.  All in all a wonderful film, worth a watch. However, if you have watched Metro Manila , don’t expect this to be as brilliant.
 

Movie Review - Highway ( A Journey into Boredom)

Movie – Highway

Cast: Randeep Hooda, Alia Bhatt

Directed by: Imtiaz Ali

Produced by: Sajid Nadiadwala

Cinematography: Anil Mehta

Music: A.R. Rahman

Editing: Aarti Bajaj

Rating : 2.5/5

Review 

I know this movie is getting some rave reviews and quite a few people are praising it. But, I found the movie to have too many flaws and the pace of the movie was slow. The focus was more on the scenery than the character building. There were more scenes focusing on the landscape than dialogues or interactions between the actors. 

Chemistry not that great

Let’s talk about the story first, the story is about a girl you can call her a princess from an affluent and influential Delhi Family Veera Triparhi ( Alia Bhatt) getting kidnapped by a brazen and rough Gujjar Criminal  Mahabir Bhatti (Randeep Hooda).  The movie is dealing with the classic case of the Stockholm Syndrome, where the hostage forms an emotional bond with the kidnapper. But the way it’s dealt with has left me disappointed.  This film is trying to portray the journey of two damaged souls healing each other as they travel around the country.

As I have mentioned earlier there was lack of proper interaction between the actors, it has resulted in the chemistry just not happening. Veera’s transformation from a hapless victim to the enthusiastic co-traveler is unconvincing. The catalyst which draws them closer, the dark secrets of the past, though strong, seem portrayed in a too casual sort of a way to actually help them connect.  

 Overall, if you ask me the way the movie has dealt with the emotions is not that great. This is an Imtiaz Ali Flick, I really loved the way he dealt with emotions in Rockstar. Highway doesn’t even come close. In fact, this Highway just goes on and on and manages to bore you.  

Acting, Randeep Hooda is amazing and this could be a huge comeback movie for him. Alia Bhatt manages to impress and the monologue she delivers at the end of the film is brilliant. The cinematography by Anil Mehta is good and very scenic.  This movie is good in patches and disappointing overall. Should you watch this film, well you can , but don’t expect it to entertain.

Movie Review - Gunday

Movie – Gunday

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Irfan Khan

Directed by: Ali Abbas Zafar

Produced by: Aditya Chopra

Cinematography: Aseem Mishra

Music: Sohail Sen

Background Score: Julius Packiam

Rating : 3/5

Review

Gunday is the story of two friends Bikram ( Ranveer Singh)and Bala (Arjun Kapoor), both orphans, together since childhood. The India- Pakistan War which lead to the creation of Bangladesh also resulted in a lot of refugees, who had no clue which side of the divide they belong to. Both, Bikram and Bala find themselves in a Bangladeshi refugee camp because of this. The situation inside the camp is desperate, with hunger being the main nemesis of everyone.  A man approaches them and offers them food, and in exchange asks them to help him smuggle guns out of the camp and sell it. They agree to become gun couriers for food.  But, then something unpleasant happens and circumstances force them to run away from Bangladesh and they reach Calcutta. 

They try to lead a honest life working in a small restaurant in Calcutta, but then again circumstances force them to leave the honest life and turn to crime. They start stealing coal from trains and selling them at half the price in the market.  Time passes and Bikram and Bala start smuggling everything from cola to steel and become the biggest crime lords of Calcutta. They are happy in their existence, but then the system decides to target them again, this time in the form of A.C.P. Satyajeet Sarkar (Irfan Khan), who is summoned to Calcutta to capture them. He warns them off and tells them that they will be finished the day he finds one shred of evidence against them. Meanwhile, both our Gangsters fall in love with the same girl Nandita ( Priyanka Chopra) a cabaret dancer, and both agree that whosoever she ends up loving will marry her. But, then life isn’t a bed of roses and not so especially if you are Bikram and Bala. One thing leads to another and you soon find them at loggerheads with each other.  

As far as the cinematography goes, the film is well shot. But, then the amount of Slow motion that has been used in the movie is just too much. Almost every second scene is in slow motion. I seriously believe that if you increase the speed of all the slow motion scenes the film will get over an hour earlier. The Music is good and the background score is also nice. The background score manages to lift the movie a bit. Ranveer Singh seems to have jumped in from the neighbouring Raam-Leela set and still in the same mood. But he does do justice to his part. Arjun Kapoor is still in Ishaqzaade, a little more in the second half of the film when it gets more serious. Irfan Khan is spectacular as the honest calculating cop. Priyanka Chopra has managed to do her role with sincerity, though it was not that challenging a role. 

The film starts in a slow manner and the first half does seem to drag, with not much happening. But, in the second half the film does pick up pace and does manage to bring out the best of all its actors. Loved the use of metaphors in the film, like a dove flying when both Bikram and Bala are about to fight each other, signifying the end of peace. The train passing in the background, when Bikram promises Nandini that he will mend his ways, signifying a new beginning.  The reflection in the mirror when looking as if Bala is pointing a gun at himself, signifying self destruction. Apart, from this, the cabaret looked too advanced for the 70’s and the heroes seemed to be inspired by the antics of Salman Khan while fighting, though he had not started acting in the 70’s.

 

Overall, this movie is a mixed bag. It has its highs and quite a few lows. It’s enjoyable in parts, the first part isn’t that enjoyable, but the second half has some good moments including the smart use of metaphors. Go watch it if you are a fan of Masala flicks, and oh if you love to whistle, then the movie will give you ample opportunity to do so.

Movie Review - Hasee toh Phasee

Movie – Hasee toh Phasee

Cast: Sidharth Malhotra , Parineeti Chopra, Adah Sharma, Manoj Joshi, Sharat Saxena, Neena Kulkarni

Directed by: Vinil Mathew

Produced by: Karan Johar, Vikas Bahl, Vikramaditya Motwane, Anurag Kashyap

Written by: Harshavardhan Kulkarni

Music: Vishal- Shekhar

Rating : 4/5

Review

Let me begin by stating that this is one Rom-com that I enjoyed watching, not that I am not a fan of romantic comedies, but just that most of the films made in this genre of late have managed to disappoint me. I believe it’s a pretty difficult genre to make movies in, add a little more emotions and the comedy goes for a toss, and add a little more comedy and the romance goes for a toss. Its always difficult to strike a perfect balance between the two and yet manage to make an entertaining film.  Well, Hasee to Phasee has managed to do that up to a certain extent. 

Let’s talk about the story, Nikhil ( Sidharth Malhotra ) is a struggling business man coming from a family filled with IAS, IPS, etc officers. Basically, he is the odd man out in the family. His, girlfriend Karishma (Adah Sharma) is an actress who comes from a successful business family. Nikhil is someone who believes in commitment and is a type of person who will never stray away from his girl. Now, Nikhil and Karishma are supposed to be married in 7 days and Karishma wants Nikhil to prove that he is not a loser and asks him to arrange for 5 crores before the marriage. In the meantime, Meeta ( Parineeti Chopra) who is Karishma’s younger sister has returned. Meeta is a eccentric lady, a chemical engineer from IIT and she is someone who had run away from home after stealing her fathers’ money 7 years ago during their elder sister Diksha’s wedding after her father refused to give her the money she required to do a project she wanted to do. She had run off to China and had had set up a lab over there. But, that incident 7 years ago had shocked her dad ( Manoj Joshi) and had resulted in him having a heart attack.  Karishma, is very troubled by Meeta’s return and entrusts Nikhil with the job of keeping her away from her Father.  

That’s where the story begins, woh saat din. Nikhil and Meeta develop feelings towards each other. So watch the movie to know what happens next, does Nikhil marry Karishma, or Meeta, and why has Meeta returned in the first place after so many years. Does, Nikhil manage to get his 5 crores. Now I won’t be writing the whole story here. Parineeti Chopra as Meeta is very good as the eccentric mad scientist , who keeps popping pills to ward off depression. Sidharth Malhotra does a good job of essaying the role of a struggling businessman, struggling to settle his life and struggling to understand his love. Manoj Joshi  as the father  of the bride is superb and the way he delivers his one liners tickles your funny bone.  

 Adah Sharma looks refreshingly pleasant , well the last time I saw her was 1920 as a possessed girl and she looked scary in it. She does a good job essaying the role of Karishma, the bride to be.  I enjoyed every bit of the movie, the cinematography was delightful and the editing was crisp, the movie keeps up a steady tempo from beginning to end and doesn’t seem to drag even one bit. The music is good, but not exceptional. Overall, it’s a very enjoyable movie and as I said earlier it manages to blend romance and comedy perfectly.