Interstellar... 3D was never enough...Nolan introduces 5D

 "We'll find a way...we always have"

"Those arent mountains....they are waves!"

"We'r still pioneers, we barely begun. Our greatest accomplishments cannot be behind us, cause our destiny lies above us"

At a Glance:

Complicated beyond comprehension but intriguing enough to arouse curiosity! Time Space relativity never could have been more enjoyable! Einstein and Thorne must be happy with ‪#‎Nolan‬'s genius work...once again! Not a moment of boredom...the 180+ minutes will leave you baffled....but totally engaged and entertained!

Visually grand and beautiful! Whether the science was accurate or not, it made me come back home and read and research about time and space! Like his previous movies, Nolan proves that not only can he think of the most complicated ideas, but is also talented enough to translate those ideas into a visual experience! Hans Zimmer's soulful soundtrack puts in a whole new "dimension" to the movie...wow!

While most of us study about our 3 dimensions all our lives...and some of us struggle comprehending the 4th dimension... Nolan comes along...and gives a movie which is based on 5 dimensional physics! 

Been-O-pinion:

I rate is 4.5 out of 5.... I am gonna watch it a second time...!

Ek Villain ...Performances that make a difference!

The real people

Directed by Mohit Suri

Produced by Balaji Telefilms (Ekta & Shobha Kapoor)

Dialogues by Milap Zaveri

Music by Ankit Tiwari (Galiyan), Mithoon (Banjaare, Zaroorat, Humdard), Soch - The Band (Awari)

Lyrics by Mithoon (Banjaare, Zaroorat, Humdard), Manoj Muntashir (Galiyan), Rabbi Ahmed & Adnan Dhool (Awari)

Ritesh Deshmukh as Rakesh

Siddharth Malhotra as Guru

Amna Sharif as Sulochna

Shraddha Kapoor as Aisha

At a glance

A movie which is difficult not to like despite its short comings! The music, the performances, the dialogues and Mohit's exceptional handling of certain scenes make Ek Villain a movie worth your while. The script is very inconsistent at times and makes you wonder if you are watching the same movie throughout? All the same...for me...Shraddha and the Music department are the true heroes of this movie!

The people on screen

Let me start a with a name who plays the supporting role and yet is so important to the story...

Amna Sharif as Sulo. So nagging, so materialistic and so very annoying....she plays her part to perfection. She looks pretty and yet at the same time you can't help but feel like slapping her! I guess thats her true victory!

Ritesh Deshmukh as Rakesh. Who would have known! The perfect comedian, the guy who loves dressing up as a drag in every other role, the guy who makes you laugh everytime he's on screen...how could he play the role of Rakesh! Nevertheless...Ritesh proves with full conviction that he is worth a lot more than just comedy! He portrays the psyche through his body language and his perfect dialogue delivery. Full marks!


Siddharth Malhotra as Guru. From SOTY to the intense Guru! Wow...now thats a transition. It may not be a very unique character to play in bollywood, but to be able to show the intensity of pain and bitterness through mere facial expressions is a challenge. A challenge which Siddharth accepts and delivers! He is able to make the audience feel what goes on in his mind and heart and is excellent in the emotional scenes.

Lastly, Shraddha Kapoor as Aisha. Cuteness, freshness, positivity...all come together in one character - Aisha. Shraddha Kapoor was learning in Ashiqui 2...and whats surprising is that she seems to have already learnt how to act by Ek Villain! She looks innocent and she acts the same. If there is one actor who delivers big time in this movie...it is her! No doubt the others have done a great job...but when you leave the movie theatre....its Shraddha who remains on your mind completely! 

The tunes
Wow! I was already in love with the songs before ever going for the movie...but when you watch the songs come into context while watching the movie...thats when you truly know how much the music director, the lyricist and the movie's director know what they want to express! And in this case, they are in perfect sync! From Banjarey...to Zaroorat...to Galiyaan...to Humdard...to Awari! One after the other...the music and the wordings add so much more meaning to the movie. Hats off to Ankit, Mithoon and Mohit Suri!

Prachi Desai makes a surprising entry for the song Awari...a very different number for an item song...but another decent number to add to the album!

Been-O-pinion
I rate it 3 out of 5 and an additional extra 0.5 for the music and dialogues! Like I stated before, the movie is nowhere close to being perfect and in fact is severely flawed in some parts! And yet...there are few scenes which make your heart heavy, some where you see the cuteness that you would expect in any romantic movie and so many scenes where you just can totally connect with what the director is trying to express! To me, this was a movie which stays on your mind a long time after you leave and it slowly grows on you later. 

The Amazing Spider Man 2....Be sure to go and catch this Spider!

The real people

Directed by Marc Webb

Produced by Marvel

Music by Hans Zimmer & The Magnificent Six

Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man

Emma Stone as Gwen Staci

Jamie Foxx as Electro/Max 

Dane DeHaan as Green Goblin/Harry Osborn

Run time: 142 minutes

At a glance

Visuals that will blow your mind and a chemistry between the male and female lead as good as any engaging romantic movie - Marc Webb creates yet another Spidey instalment which has a soul behind all the crazy action! It has a lot of spectacular special effects, some superbly choreographed action sequences, plenty of one liner humor, dangerously crazy bad guys and a love story running constantly in the backdrop. 

The people on screen

Spidey, Peter Parker, Gwen, Electro and Harry....are the characters who make this movie work.

Dane DeHaan stars as the Green Goblin/Harry Osborn, the son of the creator of the notorious Oscorp. He plays his part effectively looking smart and elegant as Harry and hideous as the green goblin. Eventhough I did feel that he did not get sufficient importance in the screenplay, he makes most of the limited air time he has.

Jamie Foxx as Max/Electro, an employee at Oscorp and a nobody. Jamie depicts the manic inferiority complex throughout the movie...first as Max and then as Electro. Its exceptionally fun to watch the few scenes when he expresses his obsession for Spider-Man while he is still max. As Electro he is mainly grunting and frowning, but nevertheless is fun to watch.

Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, Peters irresistibly cute girl friend whose always more than willing to help her boyfriends superhero version. One of the key things that is different in this spiderman from the previous series is the amazing chemistry between Gwen and Peter. Emma plays the character with full conviction and emotes just right to make Gwen look emotional yet strong. If she ever leaves this series....we will definitely miss her a lot!! 

Andrew Garfield as Peter and of course.....Spider-Man! Definitely a great pick for playing the role of spidey....he looks and sounds apt. Andrew definitely has his strength in doing emotional scenes because otherwise...he is really hidden behind the mask and those parts could be done by anyone! Again...he contributes equally to the chemistry between Peter and Gwen and u feel genuinely sorry for him in scenes where his promise from the past keeps coming back to haunt him. His dialogue delivery is great and he gives an honest performance which is really what is needed.

The tunes

Hans Zimmer once again...goes totally loud and bassy! Superb bckground compositions....they make the movie that much more exciting and that much more engaging. There is definitely a reason why is the only guy making music for all blockbusters!! Great job!

Been-O-pinion

I rate the movie 4.5 out of 5. If there was a super-hero movie that was made for Imax and the 3D experience...this has to be at the top of that list! The opening sequence where Spidey is swinging through the streets, the first showdown with Electro in times square and all the scenes where Spidey is jumping off rooftops....BRILLIANT! The humor is simple yet hilarious...some elements added into the story to make Spider-Man look more regular...like his getting mobile calls, or getting a cold...great touches to make a technically superb movie into a realistic one too! And of course...the magical romance in the movie makes it not only a crazy action flick for guys to enjoy but an emotionally balanced movie that everyone can enjoy together! Good job Webb and Spidey!

2 States ...a Rom Com done right!

The real people
Directed and screenplay Adapted by Abhishek Varman
Produced by Karan Johatr & Sajid Nadiadwala
Based on novel by Chetan Bhagat
Music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy
Arjun Kapoor as Krish Malhotra
Alia Bhatt as Ananya Swaminathan
Ronit Roy and Amrita Singh as Krish's Father & Mother
Shiv Kumar and Revathy as Ananya's Father & Mother

At a glance

Mr Sanjay Leela Bhansali...apparently you wanted to capture amazing chemistry in Ram Leela between the leads. Piece of advice....please watch 2 States. This is how chemistry is captured on screen. A complete movie with romance, drama, humor and awesome performances. 

At 2 hours 30 minutes, there is some amount of trimming that could have been done post interval, but nevertheless, Arjun and especially Alia, keep you engaged and entertained along with the amazing supporting roles of the parents. 

The people on screen

6 superbly cast actors give superb and honest performances. 

Shiv Kumar and Revathy play the "Tamilian" parents of Ananya Swaminathan. They depict the stereotypical south indian attitude along with the typical concerned parents behavior with perfection. Shiv Kumar especially plays a cute and stern role simultaneously. Revathy too does a great job, and when she sings "Saathiya Tune Kya Kiya", its only then when you realize how long her journey has been as an actress! 

Ronit Roy & Amrita Singh play the "Punjabi" parents of Krish Malhotra. Once again, the typical punjabi family, where the father is a retired military officer and the mother is materialistic, yet loving mom. Now....I have to say...that Ronit and Amrita give a performance beyond awesome! Ronit Roy with zero smile and zero laughter seems like the father straight out of the movie Udaan, yet his expressions and screen presence is phenomenal. Amrita is brilliant....you admire the loving mother in her and you hate the materialistic punjaban! She is plain brilliant!

Arjun Kapoor as Krish. One of his best performances so far. Although I must add that his character and his acting both seem to be inspired completely by Sushant Singh from Shudd Desi. Watch out for his superb scene when he confronts his dad the first time....the fear, anger and uncertainty he faces in that situation...and the way he conveys it...Kudos! 

Lastly, Alia Bhatt as Ananya. What can I say....I have become her fan! With Highway it was her acting that bowled me over...and with 2 States its her acting and her cuteness! She has definitely established herself above all the other actresses currently in bollywood with just two movies this year!! She is pure talent...and I bet she has as bright a future ahead of her as her bright and colourful sarees and kurtis in the movie! She steals the show despite all the amazing performances that I mentioned above! 

The tunes

Shankar Ehsaan Loy...compose a melodious and peppy soundtrack for the movie. Mast Magan needs a special mention for its sweet romantic feel and magic! Despite their commendable efforts, I for one, for some reason felt that this was a movie that shouldve belonged to Amit Trivedi. The soundtrack is definitely good...but not as satisfying as I would have liked it to be. The background music however is perfect! I think right from the Dil Chaahta Hai days, the trio have proved that they sure as hell know how to compose great background music! 

Been-O-pinion

I rate the movie 4 out of 5. 

Feb gave us Highway, March gave us Queen and April has gifted us audience with 2 States! Chetan Bhagat's interesting life story combined with Abhishek Verman's superb screenplay and direction combined further with the great performances make this movie a wonderful and engaging watch. A slight trimming in the second half and a bit more innovative writing is some parts would have made this movie the best...nevertheless...get your tickets and get going... you shouldnt miss this movie...cause this is one more step from bollywood in the right direction...towards making great cinema! 

All Rise....The Queen has arrived!

The Real People

Directed by Vikas Bahl

Produced by Anurag Kashyap & Vikramaditya

Music by Amit Trivedi & Rupesh Kumar Ram ("Raanjhana")

Kangana Ranaut as Rani

Rajkumar Yadav as Vijay

Lisa Hayden as Vijay Lakshmi

At a Glance

The queen has arrived! Kangana may have been stereotyped into certain roles until now, she might have been ignored by the audience and the industry so far, but she has arrived! The movie is her and only her! Kudos to her performance! You are sure to enjoy the movie and there is no doubt, that here is yet another amazing movie of 2014, nevertheless with its own share of minor problems. 

The people on screen

I could spend this entire space only talking about Rani, cause she is present in every frame, but to be fair...the others need a mention. 

Lisa Hayden as Vijay Lakshmi. Not only is this Australian Indian model extremely good looking, but she can act as well. She plays a small role, but suffice to say that you do miss her once Rani bids farewell to her just before the interval.

Rajkumar Yadav as Vijay. One of the pleasant surprises of 2013, continues to deliver consistently. As is the case in such movies, he situationaly ends up being treated by the story and the audience as the antagonist. A good job done!

Kangana as Rani/Queen. Its only two weeks ago that Alia shocked us with a performance par excellence....and now Kangana does the same! Her expressions are so vivid that you can't help but feel every thought and emotion her character thinks and experiences. The character's innocence and simplicity is so brilliantly portrayed - Wow! Her amzing scenes as she interacts with the friends she makes in her journey of self-discovery....her drunk scene....her moments of realization - All Wow! Kangana makes you forget all her previous performances and re-introduces herself as an acctress! The movie belongs wholly and solely to her!

The tunes

Amit Trivedi, this time teaming up with Anvita Dutt for lyrics, spills out yet another winner of a soundtrack! Although there seems to be a bit too many songs for a movie of this type, yet the music and the lyrics make you feel that they are helping you comprehend the emotions and progress the story as required. My favorite picks...tough...but I would go with "Harjaiya", "Badra Bahar" and "O Gujariya".

Been-O-pinion

I would rate this movie 3.5, however, Kangana forces me to rate it 4 out of 5. The movie opens brilliantly with the wedding preparation scenes with Kangana's narrative and the movie progresses to the interval confidently and perfectly. The second half seems to struggle quite a bit with the story, but nevertheless it does have its high moments too! In any case, the movie is constant fun and Vikas Bahl comes across as a fine storyteller. Besides, how important is a story when your lead character can mesmerize the audience and keep them captivated for 146 minutes without complaining once! Go for it!

Highway - A journey that is Beautiful and Captivating!

The Real People:

Directed and Written by Imtiyaz Ali

Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala & Imtiyaz Ali

Cinematography by Anil Mehta

Music & Background Score by A.R. Rahman

Alia Bhatt as Veera Tripathy

Randeep Hooda as Mahabir Bhati

At A Glance:

The movie cannot be summed up in a glance! From the aesthetics of the visuals to the depths of the characters to the sound details captured in the silence....an experience. There is simplicity in this story and there is depth; There are moments and scenes in the movie that touch you and completely captivate you! Imtiyaz sums up the movie in the following lines: (more or less)

Mai Jahaan se Aayee hoon,

Mujhe Wahaan waapis nahi jaana.

Hum kahaan jaa rahe hain,

Mujhe Nahi Pata...

Par Yeh Raasta...Yeh Raasta bass chalta rahe!

The people on screen:

There were only two....

Randeep Hooda as Mahabir. If you thought Hooda is an underrated actor...well, this movie will confirm that! Hooda gives a performance like never before and not as much through his dialogues as he does via his expressions! 

Alia Bhatt as Veera. Wow! Who would have known that there is so much talent and brilliance residing behind that cute and innocent face? Who else but Imtiyaz Ali. Alia Bhatt not only proves herself but she effectively sets an unachievable benchmark in performance for the rest of the year for the rest of the actresses! Its very uncommon and unexpected that you get to see such a wonderful performance from an actress who is only one formulaic-college-romance-movie old! She is simple and honest and makes you wanna fall in love with her character just as "Preet" does in Jab We Met! Wow Alia Wow!! 

The Tunes:

When Rahman is composing the entire music of a movie, there is hardly any room for a review! The music of the movie is simply fabulous, especially "Patakha Guddi, "Kahaan Hoon Mai" and "Maahi Ve". Alia Bhatt's voice in "Sooha Saaha" sounds as innocent as she looks in the entire movie. Irshad Kaamil of course writes the perfect lyrics and adds so much more meaning to the scenes on the screen! The single theme score composed and used through the movie is "Implosive Silence" and it is moving and haunting at the same time! 

This movie requires a special mention on the Sound Design. There are so many moments of total silence, so many moments where the natural sounds are used to create the ambience. If the cinematography completely enables you to visualize, the sound makes you feel the wind and the water as if you are right there! Resul Pukkutty proves his brilliance in this movie yet again!

Been-O-pinion:

I rate the movie 4.5 out of 5

Its only February and I think one of the best movies that one could expect of Bollywood is already out! No doubt that this movie's awesomeness can be attributed to the excellence of many departments like, cinematography, sound design, music, etc. but the real reasons are Imtiyaz Ali and the performance he extracts out of Alia Bhatt! Imtiyaz, as always, shows how his protagonist achieves a feeling of freedom when she breaks free from her life of comforts and luxury and ends the movie, as always, by showing us that lost love does not equal to pain and despair, but in fact it empowers you and helps you break-free from all your chains in order to live a life of happiness and of your choice!

Not only was I in love with what I was seeing but in fact, I did not want what I was seeing to get over. This Highway should have never come to an end!

Gunday Review: All fun no regrets!

The Real People:
Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar (also directed Mere Brother Ki Dulhan)
Produced by Aditya Chopra
Music by Sohail Sen (also composed for Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Ek Tha Tiger)
Background Score by Julius Packiam (also gave the score for Dhoom 3, Badmash Company, Kabul Express)
Ranvir Singh & Darshan Gunjar as Bikram & young Bikram
Arjun Kapoor & Jayesh Kardak as Bala & young Bala
Irrfan Khan as ACP Satyajeet Sarkar and also the Narrator
Priyanka Chopra as Nandita

At a Glance:
Paisa Vasool! Thats what you call a movie like this one! Oversimplified, full of flaws, and yet loads of fun! The movie is a typical bollywood style entertainer and so much so, that like most movies of this type, it has a pathetic climax too! I would not say it is a must watch...but I can tell you that if you do watch it, you will like it!

The People of Screen:
Bikram & Bala jr. 
The two kiddos play their part with extreme confidence and although very brief, they establish the characters very well right at the onset of the movie! The minute they both walk out after their first coal adventure, you know that you should expect a lot typical bollywood punch lines and slow motion walkings scenes and "yaari-dosti" cliches in this movie!


Bikram & Bala
Ranvir and Arjun are the terrific duo and they seem to be having a lot of fun doing this 80s style masala drama. They both are extremely likeable and even though their affection for each other reaches the dangerous heights of being qualified as "Dostana"they portray the old school filmy dosti very nicely! They both get powerful punches to deliver, literally and figuratively (rather verbally). The best part about their performance in my opinion is that even though they play the roles of the notorious "Gunday" very nicely, yet they perfectly depict the characters' innocence and the purity of hearts at the same time!


ACP Satyajeet Sarkar
As usual, you cant help but luv the way this guy acts! Irrfan...from the middle aged government officer in The Lunchbox to this cunning ACP who not only orchestrates all the twists and plot surprises but also narrates the story with some great dialogues in Gunday! My favorite pick of the lot..... "Jis tarah har aag ke saath paani hota hai, iss kahani ka Sailaab....Mai Hoon!"


Nandita

No surprises here, Priyanka plays the role of the troublemaking, love inducing, morality changing, woman! She looks great, is always decked up wearing the best of sarees and why she plays the role of a Cabaret dancer? Beats me completely! I meant she could have done "Asalam-u-Ishqum" anyway! Her acting however is strictly average and could have been done by anyone, even Katrina! ;)

The tunes:
Sohail Sen churns out, once again, some  good music! Jashn-e-Ishqa is the most crucial track here as it is almost the theme of the entire movies background score. Mankunto Maula is a great track as well with both, the classical and the contemporary tracks being used effectively in the movie. Jiya is a very "Saiyyara tu Saiyyara" type of composition, but nevertheless as impressive and with Arijit at th vocals, it sounds magical. Tune Maari Entriyaan but of course is a total chart buster.
The background score is loud, filmy and yet very apt and catchy! Good job Julius!

Been-O-pinion:
I rate the movie 3.5 out of 5.
The movie is completely flawed, has no feeling of it being set in the 1980s (except from Bala's and Bikram's weird sense of dressing), uses every cliche in the books of bollywood of friend-turning-foe-and-back-again-to-friend, and yet....the movie is paced in a way that you get no time to think, you get engrossed in the twists and punchlines only to realize 130 minutes later (about when the 20 minute climax starts) that "damn! This is such an old school thriller-drama and I am having a good time!". The climax should have been edited out completely however! Watch it if you have nothing else to do, watch it if you want to have a good time at the movies. You will not regret it!