Life of Pi - A Book turned into Reality

Overview: To say that the movie is well executed and beautifully visualized, would probably not do full justice to the wonderful work frm director Ang Lee but still....it sets the expectations right. Great performances and awe-inspiring visuals make it a cinema-goers treat....while 3D might not be the only way to watch it....it is perhaps a better way to enjoy it.

Characters: Without much focus on other characters, like Tabu, who plays the mother of Pi Patel, Adil Hussain, who plays the role of the father....lets jump straight to Mr. Pi Patel himself. While both of them (Tabu and Adil) play an effective role, in all honesty. they probably have a total air time of 8-10 mins!!

Pi appreciating and fighting with God in a storm that
scares Richard Parker!

Suraj Sharma mainly, followed closely by Irrfan Khan play the role of Piscine Molitor Patel so convincingly that its hard not to feel connected with Pi - The Protagonist of this incredible human story.  The emotions are superbly expressed and most of the movie depends on these expressions which needed to be real, subtle yet not over-pronounced.
The bengal Tiger - Richard Parker is well integrated into the narrative just as in the novel and as the minutes go by...you cant help but feel for the tiger and also start understanding the importance of the relationship between Pi and Richard parker.

Richard Parker beginning to
respect Pi. 

 Music: Mychael Danna delivers a very appropriate background score for the movie and it is actually kept at a minimum. Mostly its the silence and the natural sounds, but some soulful compositions do get integrated seamlessly and relevantly.

Experience: A truly magical experience....a movie that lingers on for a long time in your eyes and memories after having watched it. The scenes so magnificently visualized from the novel keep playing back in your head. No doubt that the novel was an excellent piece of work by Yann Martel, but David Magee (screenplay) and Ang Lee (director) truly do justice to the book. No doubt that a movie cannot describe the various thoughts and philosophical detours that the author takes while writing a book or while explaining a scenario, but still, the movie manages to find a fine balance between visual effects and expressing the story as a true human story of perseverance, of spirituality, of friendship and of courage.

Been-O-pinion: I rate it 4 out of 5. It is one of the best adaptations of a book into a movie and deserves the big screen to enjoy and truly appreciate. Go ahead...enjoy Pi and Richard Parker....at then end...you will believe in God too! :)   

Talaash: Your search ends here!

Overview: Anything i say...can and will be held against me! :) This review is going be a tough one to write. Nevertheless, all i would like to say is this is one movie you don't want to miss. Excellent performances, deft execution of a well written script by Reema Kagti and appropriately shot with the perfect OST and background score.

Characters: Navazuddin....what a talented actor! He keeps proving his talent with every movie. He, yet again reinforces his skills and plays the greedy Teymour. 

Rani Mukherjee...small role, yet powerful performance - never goin over board as a wife concerned about her husband's all night long whereabouts or her pain over the accident that has changed their lives.
Kareena....the scene stealer! You've seen her before as Chameli and she does a yet again brilliant job of playing prostitute. The charming yet sad, the seductive yet respectable....she packs various contrasting shades into the colorful Rosie that she plays! Kudos to her.

Aamir...what can one comment about the master of acting- the man who has changed the face of bollywood with his perfection...not once....but many times. His emotions, his eyes, body-language...10 out of 10.

Reema Kagti...yes...the director deserves a special mention. Her direction is so powerful that she almost plays an additional character. Hats off to her writing and direction skills.

Music: Ram Sampat.... Theres an obvious reason why mr. Perfection has started doing all his productions with him. Haunting background and an awesome soundtrack....a job well done by Sampat. Jee Le zara is an amazing track as is the slow rock ballad Laakh Duniya Kahe!

Experience: The movie captures you from the opening sequence to the end credits. There are some scenes that qualify easily as one of the best executed scenes of the year. Packed with brilliant performances and scoring 100% in the suspense and intensity departments, the movie takes suspense, thrill and the whodunnit genre in bollywood to international standards. Kagti keeps the pace easy, the plot simple and tension constantly high. A must watch movie.

Been-O-pinion: I rate it 4.5 out of 5. Your search for the best movie of the year ends here. While the year has had great movies, this one has great performances, script , camera work, background score and above all Super Talented Direction.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan - Reviewed

Overview: SRK and Yash Chopra….come together to do what they both are best at…Romance n Drama – and yes…they DO deliver. While you may be able to find a good number of reasons why you should not like the movie…I would think…the only reason why you really wouldn’t…is if you go in with the wrong expectations. As you enter the cinema hall…keep two things in mind…you know what kind of movies Yash Chopra makes and secondly…you know the kind of roles SRK is best with….and I guarantee, you will come out a happy and satisfied soul!

 Characters: Samar Anand, King Khan. The king proves his worth once again…reclaims whatever glory he may have lost in the recent past and lo and behold…the king strikes back again as Samar Anand/Major Samar Anand. SRK plays the two contrasting personalities with complete conviction and makes you believe in both the characters instantly. His eyes convey his emotions so brilliantly that you seldom need to listen to him say those dialogues. Great performance overall and some very very well written scenes appear much better due the king’s presence.

Meera, Katrina Kaif. Gorgeous! Beautiful! Innocent! Not sure of the adjectives that I should be using for her. Katrina seems to be getting prettier with every movie. And yea…her acting skills have also significantly improved. There are some very emotional and difficult scenes that she plays beautifully. Her dancing has almost reached perfection. The first half of the movie gives Kat at least 50% on-screen space with SRK…and she does not disappoint at all!

Akira, Anushka Sharma. The free bird….and that’s exactly wht comes in your mind when you see Akira doing her part. Superbly written character played by a superb Anushka. The only tiff here might be…that she is getting repetitive with each movie…! Oh Well…she sure is showing signs of getting perfect with these kind of roles! She gets some great dialogues which are punchy and yet very simple for everyone to undersand.

Music: Finally we talk abt the music….the music….created by the legendary Rahman. First lets look at the background – AMAZING…this is the kind of background that is missing in our movies. Loud where needed, heavy when required and subtle in rest of the places. The songs….the only complaint I have is why are all the songs used up in the first half? Be it Challa or Saans or Ishq Shava, every song turns out to be magical! People might complain that this is very average music for Rahman….but I say…it has a Rahman stamp all over it and he so amazingly shows his uniqueness while creating the music. For instance, Ishq Shava….give me one music director who would have thought of creating this kind of a fusion track with oriental, Arabic and contemporary beats as a club number? Or who would have created the mesmerizing Ishq Dance piece…on which Kat dances phenomenally only to be matched by the King himself! Every song suits the on-screen emotions and perfectly blends with the feel of the movie. Full marks…once again to the maestro!

Experience: Satisfying…to say the least. Yash Chopra directs his last movie…and it shows…that an experienced director is steering this ship. The weakness in the script and the somewhat lethargic pace in the second half gets partially remedied by Yash Chopra’s strong sense of direction and it is evident that the man knows where we wants to take his audience. SRK’s super-super performance throughout, Katrina’s significant improvement in the acting department and Anushka’s bindaas-ly cool acting make up for all the shortcomings. There are some scenes and some dialogues that remain with you long after the movie is over…watch out for the dialogues between SRK and KAT when they are in the underground club/alley; or the part where Kat makes the impossible promise to God which forms the central conflict in the plot; or the part where SRK confesses his emotions by the train; or where Anushka confesses her emotions to SRK; and of course…the dialogue that you really take home – “Zindagi to roz roz maarti hai…bomb bas ek baar maarta hai”!!

It’s a movie where you can decide whether you want to enjoy it or not and you will be able to get the desired result either way. The movie could definitely have been trimmed by at least a few minutes in the second half...but nevertheless...you dont ever really get bored.

Been-O-pinion: I give it 3.5 out of 5. Watch this movie for Yash Chopra’s final take on romance n drama Or watch this movie for SRK…either way…you will not be disappointed!

Paranormal Activity 4 - Reviewed

Overview: Creepy...anxiety provoking....and maybe a little less satisfying as compared to the previous installments...but still...keeps you interested....!

Characters: Katie returns....she is definitely the the protagonist of this series...and well....she does what she has been doing for the past three parts....and is effective. Alex, played by Kathryn Newton, does a good job and keeps you engaged for most of the movie as she is the central character in this part. She acts naturally and almost makes you believe that this movie too is based on live footage....but of course now we are very familiar with this concept after having already seen PA 1,2,3! :) The other characters are effective...the two kids are great...and as usual make you feel sympathetic as well as creeped out simultaneously.

Music: Obviously i am gonna skip this section entirely....as we all know...PA's do not have any music of any sort...other than the brilliant use of sounds naturally occurring in our homes and when we get pulled out of bed by an unknown force! :)

Experience: Freaked me out enough! :) I had my jumps and shocks and "What the h$ll" moments! Paranormal Activity is a movie where you must go in with a mindset of getting scared....let go of your courage....make sure you stay focused and give full attention to the movie....only then will you be able to experience the fear factor of this movie! Agreed....this part does not employ any new technics....which was essentially why the first two movies were such a pleasure watching....but still...i think it offers enough thrills, anxiety, exciting silence and violence to keep you hooked on. The end....while pretty abrupt...surely makes you raise your eye-brow and....already start planning your PA 5 movie night out! :) I'd conclude with....may not be great....but if you are the kind who enjoys these reality-like horrors....you will definitely find it at least worth a watch once!

Been-O-Pinion: I give it 3 out of 5. Perhaps a stricter review would imply that i should just give it a 2.5, however, being a fan of this type of movies....especially the PA series....I give it an extra liberal 0.5 more! :) Watch it....and enjoy it! :) 

Jab Tak Hai Jaan - Music Reviewed

Rahman....Khushaamadeed-e-Marhaba!! 

Rahman's album...Gulzar picking up the pen to write it....Yash Chopra's Last movie...and SRK....! 

The most awaited album arrives with a BANG....in the form of CHALLA....! A great composition with just right alternative rock music arrangements....a song which is truly made for Rabbi Shergill. 

Naa visaal hoya kadi na judai hoi (visaal: union)

Ishq de qaidi ki naa rihaai hoi

Challa tu sabka...Challe Tera koiee naiee!

Any number of people may complain that Rabbi's voice is a mismatch for SRK...but it matters not. Rahman remains true to his music and to the art...the only person who could do justice to this amazing track...has sung it! 

Wish they would have incorporated a hindi version of this song...just so that everyone could enjoy the poetry in this song. Still...if you really want to understand....google it and you will get enough links on the meanings. Poetically wonderful...and musically "rocking"! Set your iPods, iPhones on repeat for this song and enjoy this track! 

Next to arrive is a classic Rahman composition... Saans sung by Shreya Ghosal & Mohit Chauhan

Dil kab seedhi raah chala hai

Raah mude toh mud jaane do

Tere khayal me doob ke aksar achhi lagi tanhaai

Opening violins....then Shreya's beautiful voice...then the drums....and then the daflis kick in! Only Rahman....!

Mohit Chauhan enters the song with beautiful poetry by Gulzar...

Rooh ne chhu li jism ki khushboo tu jo paas aayi

Tu jo paas aayi, tu jo paas aayi

This song definitely requires at least a couple of listenings until you completely get drowned into its amazing arrangement and composition. Shreya and Mohit do a phenomenal job singing this soulful number. A haunting track...which you will fall in love with...more with every repeat!

Next up....Ishq Shava! Sung by Raghav Mathur & Shilpa Rao A fast number...a mastiful track....with an arabic flavor to it...any other 

Ishq Shava

music director would have probably used the usual dance/club music...but of course, you could not expect that from Rahman. Gulzar pens different lyrics for this.....he is probably the only lyricist who uses english words with such subtlety in his songs...just a word...here and there...

Aaj ki raate kiski hai

Kal ki raat teri na meri

Chaand utha chal toss kare

Chehra tera aur chaal meri

After listening to it a couple of times...I would say...its fair to conclude...that....while it might not be a great number but it still has its own niche and its popularity will probably really depend on how it is picturized in the movie. Looking forward to seeing this one on screen with SRK and Kat grooving to it! Raghav Mathur is effective while Shilpa Rao once again proves...that she is supremely talented and can sing any type of song in the unique voice and style she possesses. 

At this point...arrives the next pure Punjabi track.... Heer Heer sung by Harshdeep Kaur.  

A sweet track and probably the only number in this album which does not require repeated listening to start liking it. A melodious composition....the stanzas do have a hint of Rockstar in them....recall "Sajra savera mere tann barse, Kajra andhera teri jalti lau!" from Kun Fa Ya Kun? Again, I wish there was a hindi version of this song....I am sure the poetry must be beautiful, but I do not understand it. In any case...whether you understand it or not....you will be forced to keep listening to this track.

Enter Anushka Sharma...(my assumption of course)....Jiya Re sung by Neeti Mohan. I have no idea where Rahman gets his singers, but he sure picks the most talented of the lot. A typical bollywood heroine-only number with Rahman twist to it. The arrangements and the beats are fun....and the "Jiyaaa Re....Jiya Jiya Ree...." part is super catchy! Of course....with Gulzar writing the lyrics...even a fun song ends up with beautiful and deep lyrics...

Chhote chhote lamho ko teetli jaise pakdo toh

Haathon mein rang reh jaata hai

]Pankho se jab chhodo toh

Waqt chalta hai

Waqt ka magar rang utarta hai Akira

Udte udte phir ek lamha maine pakad liya re

Finally....the title track... Jab Tak Hai Jaan sung by Javed Ali & Shakthisree Gopalan (yet another new name?)

Starting soft and slow...Javed Ali starts singing....almost humming....and as the violins kick in...the song and instruments gather tempo and volume...the flute kicks in....Javed Ali gets louder....and song reaches its peak....and then......... tabla and dhols! Who would have thought....! The song has a a very title track feel to it....and is high on energy! Shakthisree's voice is simply amazing! The entry she makes into the song is brilliant! On the whole...the song is superb! 

A reprise version of Saans sung by Shreya (solo). A little over 2 minutes....Shreya's singing is the highlight....otherwise it is a usual "Sad" version song with dafli and sad violins.

Ishaq Dance.... An instrumental piece brilliantly arranged....goes without saying that Shiva Mani must be at the percussions....there is a sudden twist that comes in at 44 seconds past the 1st minute...and it takes the track further until another twist is added at 50 seconds past the 2 minute mark....! A very talented and creative number....Enjoy it...you don't get to hear this kind of music too often.

The conclusion of the album comes with Jab Tak Hai Jaan - The Poem recited by Shahrukh Khan.  We have already heard this in the promos many times....yet the interlude music and the feeling with which SRK recites the poem...make the track worth listening to over n over again! 

All in all....a great album....to some it might feel like a let down due to the massive expectations, to others it might appeal a lot more. Which ever be the case, one thing you must keep in mind while listening to this....or any other Rahman album....never expect the usual. This is exactly what this album is....not the usual. 

Best Tracks: Challa, Saans, Heer Heer, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Ishq Dance

Hit Potential: Challa, Ishq Shava, Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Been-O-pinion: I give it 3.5 out of 5. The factors contributing to the album's expectations are too huge to be matched with the result. If you can keep your pre-notions aside...then you will eventually fall in love with the music....else...well....there's always Rockstar to fall back to! :) 

Barfi! - Reviewed

Overview: Cute...Simple...Intriguing...Fun...and Cute yet again....these are the words which can describe (perhaps still not do justice, but still...describe) both....the movie and the character Barfi that is brilliantly...again....BRILLIANTLY played by Ranbir Kapoor. A heart-warming journey, filled with moments that can not simply be forgotten; moments which stay with you much after you have left the theater. It is the story of Murphy aka Barfi! The tag line very aptly describes the feel of the movie - "This September...Dont Worry....Be Barfi!"

Characters: Oh boy! Where do I start....I guess a good place to start would be Saurabh Shukla who plays the inspector in the movie and in Barfi's life, who chases him at various points during the narrative and gives us the most fun-filled and genuinely funny and Charlie Chaplin-ish moments to laugh at. The character is very real and is excellently portrayed by Saurabh Shukla. 
Next up, Ileana D'Cruz....who plays Shruti. Not only does Ileana look amazing in the movie...she plays her character with tremendous conviction....manages to express everything through her eyes...despite the fact that she is the only major character who can actually speak in the movie! Her confusion, her internal debates, her hints of jealousy, her happiness....her pain....all come through to the audience through those eyes! Kudos to her! 
Priyanka....who plays Jhilmil....manages to make you forget that you are watching PC. Totally believable as the autistic Jhilmil....Priyanka definitely has given her best performance to date in Barfi! As you watch her....not even for one scene do you feel sympathetic....all you feel like saying is... "Oh...she is sooooo cute", with a little dampness in your eyes!
Finally.....Ranbir.....I think his real name ought to be changed to Barfi for the sheer cuteness and innocence with which he has performed this role! His mischief, his naughtiness, his pain, his hertache....his hopelessness....every human emotion is expressed through his eyes and body-language! BRILLIANT....BRILLIANT.....BRILLIANT! This is the performance of the year....!

Music: Pritam....Hats Off to you! There is no doubt that a filmmaker has so much to do with the music of the movie...and Anurag Basu proves that. Perhaps Pritam's best work to date was Life in a Metro...and now this amazing soundtrack....could this be a coincidence? I think not...! It is still hard to believe that the director who just churned out "Second Hand Jawani" and "Daru Desi" has composed tracks like "Kyon", "Ashiyaan" and "Ala Barfi"!! TWO THUMBS UP! Full marks to the lyricists....Sawanand Kirkire and Syed Quadri as well!

Experience: Enough said...for a movie which manages to qualify as one of the best films of the year without saying more than just a few words....It deserves accolades as it is! 
Special mention and appreciation for Anurag Basu....for executing such a simple yet complex story so deftly! When you watch the movie....you realize...that even though Basu could have stuck to a simple narrative...he chooses to narrate the story in a set of asynchronous flash backs...which might not appeal to all....but definitely keeps you engaged and makes sure you pay attention to the going-ons. While some might find the pace slow and the execution confusing....I think its a stroke of a genius!

Been-O-Pinion: I give it 4.... (out of 5).....a brilliant movie....with A-Grade performances....and a brilliant story-teller at the helm. Ranbir....Priyanka....Ileana and Basu....you guys deserve a standing ovation!!

Cocktail - Reviewed

Overview: In one word....? Boring. As you watch the movie you keep asking yourself....what is it that you are missing? The perfect movie....great cast...a director with a brief yet impressive history....great music....n yet....an hour into the movie....you start getting uneasy. This feeling doesn't end till the end credits when you finally get to see some genuinely funny clips.

Characters: Saif obviously is acting in this cause he has produced it. All the time you feel that it's a copy paste of many other saif movies remixed with Salman Khan's sense of "funny". Deepika seems to be the only one...after Dimple who puts in some life into these poorly written characters. Diana...well...she should start sleeping properly and reduce on any habits which are causing her eyes to look so tired and drugged. Boman Irani tries to act funny with the same Salman Khan sense of "funny".

Music: Pritam seems to have done a great job along with Irshad Kamil to put together a great soundtrack. The adaptation of "jugnee jee" is also awesome. Let's leave aside the paranoia that Pritam might have been inspired by tunes frm far east or turkey. :) All In all....definitely one of the best soundtracks of the year.

Experience: Enough said....the poor background score, loose editing, bad writing (Imtiaz Ali..? What went wrong??) and weak direction equate to a boring experience. Watch the movie early in the day...else risk sleeping early!

Been-o-pinion: I give it 1.5...the only saving grace in this cocktail is the infusion of Pritam's soundtrack and Deepika's good performance. Skip it....if u can...!

Food Review: Chinese Village - Reviewed

Yeap...the famous Chinese Village. I visited the original one located in Deira Dubai in Nihal Hotel for a second time last night. While I do recall enjoying the food last time as well....yesterday it seemed to hit the spot and my wife and I enjoyed every bit of all that we had.

Getting there: So for those who don't know....this first Chinese Village is located in Deira, Dubai, jut off Riqqa Street in Nihal Hotel. It is very easy to find. Parking is a matter of luck...although they do have valet, I did not require their service yesterday since I got parking in the parking lott located right next to the hotel. The restaurant is located on the ground floor...left of the entrance.

Ambience: Typical indian-chinese dim lighting with bamboo sticks imported from Malaysia scattered around the room. A huge painting of the great wall of China is as much of China offered here in terms of decoration! :) Overall...decent ambience suitable for family dinners but probably not for a date night.

Food: As we browsed through the menu....it looked extremely promising with some great variety which extends from traditional Indian-Chinese to more authentic chinese dishes.

Hakka Fish

The appetizers and main course are divided conveniently based on principle ingredients - Lamb, Beef, Poultry, Seafood and Vegetarian.

So we started our dinner with a flavorful Chicken Lung Fung soup which was semi thick concoction of chicken, tofu, celery and other vegetables in a cornflour base broth. It was satisfying and made us look forward to our appetizer of "Hakka Fish".
The fish arrived and as I dug my fork into the fish to take a chunk...the smoke burst out and trailed away into my mouth. As I started chewing on the super tender fish coated heavily with a soy based covering of chilli, garlic and coriander....I was lost. The flavor drowned me...it was ecstatic. I must warn you at this point that the fish was definitely high on the spice meter....but it was amazing!

Chicken Tengda

Next arrived our main course - Chicken Tengda. This apparently is a specialty from Kolkata! Yea...chinese specialty from Kolkata? Well...that is what intrigued us and based on our servers strong recommendation, we decided to go ahead with it. (Next time...I'll take pictures when the dish arrives! :) ) The chicken consists of a soy and tomato ketchup based gravy with a generous helping of onions in it. The overall flavor is tangy, a tad bit sweet and again...highly concentrated. The chicken itself is diced pieces and as is the case usually with this kind of cut, there were a few pieces that were extra fatty. We enjoyed every bit of this dish, in fact I kept having a dig at it...even after my dinner was done. The vegetable fried rice also arrived with the chicken. The fried rice, maybe not exceptional, but was definitely good!

At the end of this we were left with no room for any desserts so we decided to skip that. Overall....the food was excellent and the strong flavors made it difficult to stop eating!

Service: The service was good and the staff were attentive to the fact we had a toddler with us, allowing us to enjoy our meal. The servers were friendly and attended to our  requests efficiently.

Price: AED 40-50/person without Alcoholic drinks.

Been-O-pinion: I rate it 4 (on a scale of 5). Great selection on the menu, good service, value-for-money and some yummy food....go for it....again if you have to! :) 

The Expendables 2 - Reviewed

Overview: So...Expendables.... Not much can be said about this movie....judging by merely the star cast of this movie...one definitely knows what to expect. Add to it...that we have already seen the first installment of the Expendables. So avoiding the rather obvious criticisms....I'll just say...yea...it delivers what it promises to....but does not add one bit of anything extra to exceed them.

Characters: The characters play their roles effectively. Again...as expected Stallone is pretty much the man and can do anything! Stathom is the cool one...and also gets some great action sequences to his credit...the rest, including Bruce Wilis and Arnold, play their parts, say their cliched and sometimes corny dialogues and appear in and out of the film reels! The guns too play a major role in this flick except they probably must be ready to sue the production house for lack of end-credits title space! :) Everyone shoots left-right-center-up-down and in all directions and sometimes make the act of shooting look like its out of a G rated Kids' game.

Music: Loud, yet effective...for this kind of a movie.

Experience: This movie is strictly for those who are looking for guns, bullets and explosions....add to it a touch of old school fist fighting as well...if this is what you are looking for....enjoy the 1 hr 43 mins of non stop action! There are some cheesy dialogues and some well placed funny ones too (like the one where Bruce Willis snaps back at Arnold saying "You've been Back too many times"). All in all....its stress free entertainment devoid of any intelligence.

Been-O-pinion: I give it 2.5....a little more subtlety and a little less mindless action would have done well for this movie. 

MK Livin & Lovin: IHOP-ed out in Dubai

MK Livin & Lovin: IHOP-ed out in Dubai - No harm in talking a little about food! :) My friend, fellow-blogger and critic...Megha reviews the newly opened IHOP in Dubai

The Cabin in the Woods - Reviewed

The Cabin in the Woods

Overview: Even though this is an April release, the DVD recently got released and ended up seeing the movie. To say that I was stunned, is an understatement. There are movies which try to do something different and there movies that try to be weird....and then there are movies like this which are just plain absurd!

Characters: The five - seven (if you count the two weird scientists too) characters build up an initial story which seems pretty intriguing and promising. They are effective in the roles they play and suit the 5 characteristics that the climax is being driven towards. I will not dwell into any specifics as it turns out to be pointless. :)

Music: Nothing worth a mention. Typical horror flick background score and unimpressive.

Experience: The movie surely keeps you captivated, but you will realize it too soon that you are watching and trying to get through the movie only to rationalize to yourself as to why you started watching this movie in the first place. You may hope to find solace in the end...but I wouldn't recommend betting on it! :)

Been-O-pinion: I rate it 1 ...would have scored lower but the fact that it creates enough curiosity for you to watch it till the end...justifies my score!

Ek Tha Tiger - Reviewed

Ek Tha Tiger

Overview: A movie high on entertainment....brilliant action sequences and fortunately of good length. At 2 hours 20 minutes it makes for a fun watch...and you get no time to think or ponder over the flaws for more than a moment. The action acts as a healer to the injuries that the script makes to this tiger!

Characters: Salman Khan breaks out from his image of crappy mindless entertainers and enters the genre of decent, fun and action packed movies! Katrina Kaif looks gorgeous throughout and proves that she is slowly but surely working on improving her acting skills. Ranvir Shorey and Girish Karnard are effective in the roles designed for them. For most parts....Salman is all that matters! :) 

Music: Sohail Sen is out to demonstrate that he can create some great music and proves once again that he can be relied upon. Arabic influences where necessary, irish where needed and oriental when appropriate... Sajid-Wajid get one song which is used in the end credits and is a fun composition! 

Experience: Fast pace, good music, great locations and good photography make it a theater movie. No doubt it has flaws and Kabir Khan takes some cinematic liberties in the script. But still...Go watch it for some wholesome holiday season blockbuster fun.... 

Been-O-pinion: I give it 3 stars! Could have scored higher if only Kabir Khan didn't decide to resort to some typical bollywood-ish masala in atleast a couple of scenes! 

The Dark Knight Rises - Reviewed

It is my pleasure to start my movie, music and food review blog with a movie like Dark Knight Rises. Without wasting much space and readers' attention....here goes....

The Dark Knight Rises 

Overview: Another movie showcasing Christopher Nolan's genius. A fitting conclusion to a superhero trilogy that will go down history as a classic trilogy! To set expectations right...right from the beginning, I'd like to mention that the movie suffers from a complex narrative and relies heavily on the audience's memory of the previous two parts but nevertheless it has an epic feel to it! 

Characters: Christian Bale's character gets a significant variety of emotions to play in this episode which is interesting. Michael Caine gets the best dialogues in the movie which might be preachy at times, however, his delivery makes them worth listening. Joseph Gordon plays a vital role and the turn of events during the climax leave us guessing what the future of this franchise might be. Tom Hardy plays Bane....the bad guy, and while he probably does a good job, he wears a mask throughout which annoys you most of the times owing to the fact that you hardly get to understand what he is saying. 

Music: Hans Zimmer's music deserves a special mention...and as would be the case with any Christopher Nolan movies....the movie wouldn't be the same without the haunting scores composed by Zimmer.

Experience: The build-up towards the climax and engrossing screenplay, while drai

ning you mentally, also manage to drown you into Gotham city and the darkness that envelopes it during the 2 hours 44 mins run-time. 

With 72 minutes of IMAX footage, it is a visual treat...but I do recommend a minimum of two times watch if you want to understand the proceedings in detail! A must watch if you are a Batman fan and a must-watch-in-Imax experience! 

Been-O-pinion: I give it 3.5 stars...the complexity and slow-pace at times prevents me from giving more!