Shahid ...a shaheed indeed!

The Real People:

Directed by Hansal Mehta

Written by Sameer Gautam Singh, Apurva Asrani & Hansal Mehta

Edited by Apurva Asrani

Music by Karan Kulkarni

Raj Kumar Yadav as Shahid Azmi

Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub as Arif Azmi

Prabhleen Sandhu as Mariam Azmi

KK Menon as War Saahab

At a Glance:

An important story told very well through some amazing and maybe surprising performances. It moves at a fast pace and yet captures the key milestones in the life of Shahid Azmi effectively. The story's pace is no doubt hampered, now and then, especially in the second half, but the talented Raj Kumar keeps you engaged throughout. The court scenes are riveting and very realistic, unlike what we are used to by indian movie and TV standards! 

The People of screen:

Many characters but one central character....similarly, many great performances but one phenomenal actor! 

Raj Kumar Yadav as Shahid Azmi. What an actor! After having proved his worth in the brilliant Kai Po Che earlier this year, Raj Kumar takes on the challenging role of the title character here. From the early days to the finale, Raj Kumar portraits the various changes and conflicts that Shahid went through. Facial expressions, body language, dialogue delivery, everything is perfect and brought out in front of the camera with full conviction.
Mohammed Zeeshan as Arif Azmi. Not sure if I have seen him in any Anurag Kashyap movie earlier, but he sure does not seem like a newcomer. Meatier role in the first half and a few scenes in the second, this actor surely knows how to express emotions through his acting. Great job done!

Prabhleen Sadhu as Maryam. Another actor who may not have done many or any movies in the past, but gives a very good performance. Not the conventional glamorous heroine, but in fact a very real and undoubtedly convincing Mrs. Azmi, Prabhleen gets into the skin of the character and gives only her best in every frame that she is in.

KK Menon as Waar Saahab. What can anyone say about the immense talent this guy possesses! It is a pleasure watching him deliver dialogues. A very short and indeed a special appearance, and yet...important enough to be mentioned as part of this review!

The Experience:

Perhaps not a movie that requires you to be in the movie theater to enjoy, but definitely a movie that you should want to see without any delay (and therefore going to the theater would be a good idea). The pace of the movie is brisk and the writers don't spend too much time on any specific incident. The movie is firmly carried and must be credited to Raj Kumar's brilliant performance and is very convincingly supported by the remaining cast. There are emotional moments beautifully captured and there are brutal incidents that make you feel sympathetic. While the movie does anger you towards the actions of the lawmakers (not only in India, but also the general stereotyping that happens across the world today), it solemnly tries to depict the dilemmas of the judicial system as well. In the end, the movie is a biopic of a man who was a hero for many and whose story required to be told to the world...and Hansal Mehta does an amazing job at doing just that! The opening and closing lines resonate in your mind long after the movie is over, "By giving me injustice, my God taught me to love Justice".

Been-O-pinion:

I rate it 4 out of 5. Despite its faltered pace at times and some gaps and questions that it leaves unanswered, this movie is very well made. It should reinstate our faith in bollywood filmmakers and in our society - There are still some people who insist on swimming against the tide...and end up in places where no one has before. 

Gravity - You gotta experience it...to appreciate it

The Real People:
Directed & Edited by Alfonso Cuaron
Written by Alfonso & Jonas Cuaron
Music by Steven Price
Sandra Bullock as Dr. Ryan Stone
George Clooney as Matt Kowalski
and thats it! :)

At a Glance:
Wow! If there were a more appropriate word to describe this movie, I would be more than happy to use it but for now...I think you get the message loud and clear!? No coms obstruction? No static? Houston do you copy? Wow....I'm still stuck in the movie.

The People on screen:
Two characters and billions and billions of stars...thats the real canvass of this movie! The third and most pronounced character is that of the guy who is sitting behind the camera and calling the shots. So here we go...

George Clooney as Matt Kowalski. The man who makes every girl go aaah...and ooh, gives a great performance all suited up and visible partially through the astronaut's helmet that he wears. His character is brief, yet convincing and breathes the soul into the movie. His presence is felt from the beginning till the end.

Sandra Bullock as Dr. Ryan Stone. When I went in, I knew the movie was mainly about two characters lost in space but for some reason had assumed that Clooney would steal the show. Coming out of the movie....whole different story! Sandra takes over completely and perhaps gives a performance as never before. With literally limited space and one constant stressful circumstance, she delivers a brilliant performance, through her body language, voice expressions and tense facial expressions.

And finally the last two characters....Alfonso Cuaron and Space. While the two protagonists give great performances, the movie is really about daft execution and attention to detail in creation of this masterpiece. This talented filmmaker exploits the premise of the story, i.e. space, perfectly and makes you almost believe that the earth has drifted away from under your feet during those amazing 90 minutes!

The Experience:
Gravity is not a movie...it is an experience. If Avatar was a movie which defined/redefined what 3D should be....this is the movie that defines/redefines what IMAX 3D should be! Engaging from the first amazing spacial view of our beautiful planet to the last scene....the movie is as much thriller as it is a human story of survival and as much an inspirational story about experiencing life. Hats off to the cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, for creating a visual treat of this magnitude and a round of standing ovation for Alfonso for fusing these amazing visuals into a beautiful experience, which is much much more than sheer special effects and colorful images of space. There are many aspects about our life here on earth that we take for granted, this movie makes us realize the importance of quite a few of those - friction, air, feeling of earth beneath our feet, etc.

Been-O-pinion:
I rate this movie 5 out of 5. A satisfying, thrilling, learning and value for money experience at the movie theater...a rare occurrence where all of these are experienced simultaneously. Eventhough I felt disoriented after I got out of the theater....I know for sure...that this one...is one hell of a ride...that you must not....let go! 

Rush...to the nearest theaters now!

The Real People:

Directed by Ron Howard

Produced by Ron Howard & Others

Background Score by Hans Zimmer

Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt

Daniel Bruhl as Niki Lauda

Olivia Wilde as Suzy Miller

Alexandra Lara as Marlene

At a Glance:

A cinematic achievement. Its like watching a real race but with a many more better angles and views and lot more background story on the racers. 122 minutes literally zoom by and movie never really pauses, makes pits stops or falters from start to finish!

The People on Screen:

Dominated by the two male leads....the pace at which the characters are developed and the impression they leave is applaudable.

James Hunt played by Chris Hemsworth. The perfect depiction of charisma and confidence of a champion and of a stereotyped pro racer. Chris makes it swift and simple for the audience to relate to his attitude towards life and passion for racing. His cheerful expressions compete with his performance in the more grim and serious parts of the movie making it hard to choose where you like him better as an actor. I guess throughout.

Niki Lauda played by Daniel Bruhl. His straight forward and confident attitude make you believe in him all through the movie. This brilliant performance by Daniel conveys the message loud and clear within the first 15 minutes of the movie...that Niki Lauda was out there on serious business. He ensures that you establish a love-hate relation with the actual Niki character, never knowing whether to love and respect the man that he was or get annoyed by his frankness! A class A performance that contributes in a big way to feeling satisfied after watching this movie.

Suzy and Marlene played by Olivia Wilde and Alexandra Lara, respectively. The girls play an effective role in this narrative that solely focuses on its male protagonists. Olivia looks stunning in the movie and Alexndra looks great too. 

The Experience:

A super fast paced movie that gives you no time to think or find any flaws in its narrative. It makes you just sit back and enjoy the ride! Although there are some very disturbing scenes, but their effect on you only goes to prove how amazingly this movie has been executed. There are few but very good dialogues, and the final conversation between Hunt and Lauda gives all the substance that a a typical racing movie would not have (unless you are watching a Disney movie which intends to give the kids some life learnings). The race sequences are guaranteed to take you to the edges of your seats and there are some well-timed special FX (which take you through the engine and pistons of the F1 car)added into the story that makes you one with the racers, their cars and the full-on pressure! 

Been-O-pinion:

I rate it 4.5 out 5 for brilliance in execution, maintaining an absolutely engrossing pace and presenting such great performances on screen. If I am not mistaken, this is perhaps the best hollywood movie that I have seen this year, thus far. I have reserved 0.5 points just so that i may be able to give an opportunity to other movies coming up to win over this winner of the year so far!! This one MUST be watched in a theater...Today...rush rush Rush!

'

John Day good for a trailer only

Cast & Crew:
Directed & Written by Ashishor Solomon (Debutant)
Produced by  Anjum Rizvi & K. Asif
Background Score by Sandeep Chowta
Naseeruddin Shah as John Day
Randeep Hooda as ACP Gautam
Elena Kazan as Tabassum Habiba
Vipin Sharma as Shinde

Sharat Saxena as Khan

At a Glance:
Some movies appear to have been made only to make an attractive trailer. Some movies are successfully able to rope in talented actors no matter how poorly scripted they are. Some movies manage to ride on the fame of their producers' previous releases. John Day is "all of the above". A disappointing thriller...no wait...it isnt a thriller at all.

So whose in it?
A limited and talented cast plays convincing roles and give beyond average performances for this much
below average movie.
Naseeruddin as John Day. A talent beyond words and an actor who can pull off any role he likes effortlessly....Shah is amazing as he plays the title character. Bewilderment, despair, confusion and anger....all magically get expressed through his eyes and body language. Getting very few dialogues in the movie, he manages to prove his supreme skills and yet disappoints his fans with his choice of movie this time.

Randeep Hooda as Gautam. A character well written and executed by Hooda. His cold eyes and indifferent tone in voice perfectly depict the disturbed background he comes from. He gets some of the best dialogues and yet you wonder how his awesome performance is wasted.
Sharat Saxena and Vipin Sharma as Khan & Shinde respectively. Both give a sincere performance and are perfect for the characters they play. Saxena has some interesting dialogues (which is odd as to why Dons always are so philosophical, be it bolly or hollywood) and Shinde is the perfect representation of talent tarnished by corruption.
Elena Kazan as Tabassum. Pretty and perfect. Even though her hindi is pathetic, she plays the role of an addict nicely and proves that she isnt only about good looks. She is very convincing and gets decent airtime in the movie.

Sound of Music:
Sandeep Chowta...impresses greatly in the opening title track music but then fails to impress as the movie progresses. The background score, while appropriate, is not able to create the impact and play the role that it usually can in such a movie. But that is not necessarily the music directors fault.

In Conclusion...
So all the characters have been performed excellently in the movie, the dialogues are decent, trailer looks good, so is it a good movie? No. A rather rare occasion where all the ingredients are good or at least seem alright and yet the overall product is a mess. While Ashishor is able to extract good performances, he is unable to give a smooth-flowing narrative to his story. He may be ready to assist directors, but he not ready to execute a movie. The movie tries to be noir, mysterious and unique, but fails in being any of these.

In My Opinion:
I rate it 1.5 out of 5. The only saving grace of this movie are its actors without whom John Day would have been a pointless and boring tale. The first half you may sit through expecting that the second half will be able to clear up the confusion and justify the character build-ups and wow you....but all you end up with...is... "Wow...why did they make such a pointless and boring movie?!"

Satyagraha ...an important movie but flawed

Cast:

Directed by Prakash Jha

Produced by Prakash Jha & UTV

Music by Salim-Suleiman, Aadesh Srivastav, Indian Ocean, Meet Bros.

Lyrics by Prasoon Joshi

Amitabh Bachan, Ajay Devgan. Manoj Bajpai, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal & Amrita Rao

Overview:

The culmination of almost all the previous Prakash Jha movies. It is a bit of Gangajal, a bit of Raajneeti, some Aarakshan and overall a typical Jha product. It inherits the merits as well as the drawbacks and does not defy expectations in either space of being this socio-political film-maker's work. Extremely high quality performances, some good dialogues, powerful music and yet...flawed writing make the movie a perfect example of a movie that manages to be just good despite having the potential of being an excellent cinematic experience! 

Characters:

An ensemble cast, but more importantly, this movie is a rich canvass of supreme talent with each performance being brighter and better than the other. 

Amitabh Bhachan as Dwarka Anand. Not sure if I wanted Amitabh Bachan to have a meatier role because it was a mismatch of my expectations or because each frame he is in is so amazing that you can't ever have enough! His eyes, his expressions, his body language...it would be wrong even if I try to describe the perfection of this legend's acting. Its a pleasure.

Kareena Kapoor as Yasmin Ahmed. Perfectly restrained and mature performance. Her character may be poorly written and might raise lots of questions in your mind about how can a star reporter have nothing better to do than this...but as far as the performance goes....there is no one who could have looked more appropriate or done a better job than Kareena. She looks gorgeous and yet never glamorous.

Arjun Rampal as Arjun. A confusing character - maybe a bit more of black in this gray, but nevertheless, Arjun Rampal does a good job at portraying the role expected of him. He has been much better in some of his more recent movies though. 

Amrita Rao as Sumitra. She makes it obvious that she is out of practice and is having difficulties acting. However she suits the part she plays, if only she wasn't asked to deliver any dialogues! 

and then there is....

Manoj Bajpai as Balram Singh. I went into the movie thinking, "....you know what..its enough now. I have seen Manoj in enough of such roles." But boy...does this man know how to act. Its extremely difficult for an actor to play a predictable baddie role and yet exceed the expectations of his audience! He is mean, he is bad and he is wicked....but he is amazing! Makes you believe in how selfish and evil the politicians are and single handedly represents all the corruption in the system! Kudos!

Ajay Devgan as Manav. Wow! I say, "Ajay please dont do any more Rohith Shetty movies. Every time you do that, you take away a wonderful opportunity from us of seeing you in a serious role like this one." Despite the whole ensemble cast, it is on Ajay Devgan's shoulder that the entire execution of this movie lies. He pulls it all together from start to finish and perfectly expresses his suppressed internal and, when required, external anger. Full marks to Ajay!

Music:

The scope of songs in a movie like Satyagraha obviously is limited. The track "Aiyo Balam" is a very nice fusion track and of course the title track which is an adaptation of Raghupati Raghav is extremely powerful! The background score is very inspiring and definitely plays an important factor in expressing the emotions of the situations. 

Experience:

The movie arouses the right emotions in your heart. It angers you and inspires you to get up and do something... Bohot Ho Chuka hai Vishraam, Raghu Pati Raghav Raja Ram! 

The plot attempts to get as real as it can and in the process over-indulges itself in incorporating every complication and every debate of what is right and wrong into the 150 minutes. The end result...we get a movie that entangles itself into all the right issues, but loses track due to this and never is able to disentangle itself from anything at all. It is a must watch, but be ready to come out of it with a feeling of wanting more! 

Been-O-pinion:

I rate it 3 out of 5. Brilliant performance, some very important and relevant issues, great dialogues and a script that is very realistic in places and too immature in some others...makes this movie good...but prevents it from being how great it could've been. A movie that cannot and must not be skipped, but maybe a little delay in watching might not hurt.

The Conjuring - An Investigation worth Watching

Cast:
Directed by James Wan
Written by Chad & Carey Hayes
Based of investigations of Ed & Lorraine Warren
Music by Joseph Bishara
Vera Farmiga as Lorraine Warren
Patrick Wilson as Ed Warren
Lili Taylor as Carolyn Perron
Ron Livingston as Roger Perron

Overview:
The skeptics and non-believers, brace yourselves...this is a horror movie that justifies millions of people's fear of ghosts/spirits/demons! A very gripping plot which is uniquely integrated with the paranormal investigation conducted by the Warrens. The movie takes you through the events as they occurred in the lives of the Perrons from the perspective of the investigators.

Characters:
Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as the Warrens give an honest and sincere performance as the paranormal investigators or spooks. Vera who plays the clairvoyant, depicts the emotional involvement extremely well and also expresses fear and courage almost simultaneously in a unique way. Patrick gives the more restraint performance and shows how tough it would be to balance your personal interests against the interests of the family that entrusts its life on you.
Lili and Ron as the Perrons are fantastic and completely make the audience feel what turmoil the actual Perrons must have gone through.
The daughters are adorable and play their parts efficiently.

Music:
Joseph Bishara composes some unique background tracks and blends in the spookyness and the eerie feeling into them. Sometimes just deep bass and sometimes loud orchestra...Bishara sure knows how to make music work for the horror genre.

Experience:
A few extremely thrilling moments give you the satisfaction of watching a horror movie, but its the character development worked into the script that makes this movie a distinguishing one. This is one of those movies whose climax, while being very exhilarating, still is able to make an emotional connection between the audience and the Perrons - a rare occurrence in a movie of this type. The trailer definitely should be avoided for those who want a couple of extra surprises that would make you jump in your seat. While the pace does seem to slow down intermittently, there is more going on in this movie than you expect.

Been-O-pinion:
I rate it 3.5 out of 5 for being able to balance the horror thrills, emotions and investigative drama so nicely (although a few more scares would have been better). It is a movie you shouldn't miss...it is one of the best horror movies to come out in recent times anyway!

Madras Cafe Kudos to Bollywood

Cast:
Directed by Shoojit Sircar
Written by Somnath Dey, Shubendu Bhattacharya
Music & Background score by Shantanu Moitra
Lyrics by Ali Hayat and Others
John Abraham as Vikram Singh (R&AW agent)
Nargis Fakhri as Jaya (Journalist)
Rashi Khanna as Ruby (Vikram's Wife)
Siddharth Basu as Robin Dutt (RAW)

Overview:
Execution par excellence! Kudos to Shoojit Sircar...from Yahaan to Vicky Donor to this...what a journey and what variety! A political thriller and that too a very taut one...this movie is engaging from the word go and little over two hours in duration. Watch it for the engaging execution, or watch it to see John as a RAW agent for the first time or watch it to get a very slick overview of a very important chapter in the history of India.

Characters:
The story does not depend heavily upon characters but nevertheless, the lead characters play a very riveting part in the narration of this entire episode. The choice of actors chosen for the characters is also very interesting and I think greatly appropriate.
John as Vikram, proves that a spy/RAW agent need not be a super-hero but can be a common man with an exceptional job description! A different look to begin with and indeed a very different and performance, John takes on the responsibility of being Vikram with great ease.
Nargis as Jaya, plays a smart and focused war journalist. She looks pretty and super professional and shows no signs that she is the same actress from Rockstar.
Siddhart Basu as RD, plays his role very aptly. Usually such roles and actors playing them tend to start resembling or even mimicking hollywoodish CIA heads but RD is both written and enacted very elegantly and effectively.
Rashi Khanna as Ruby, plays almost a cameo but is still noticeable. She is cute, promising and perhaps has potential of an equally competent performance if given a meatier role in the future.

Music:
Shantanu Moitra...surprise surprise! While the songs themselves are very soothing what requires an exceptional mention is the background score. What a perfect score....the music constantly makes you realize the urgency in the tense situations as well as the emotions behind those thrilling moments! While the movie may or may not have scored full marks in any other departments, it sure does get a perfect score for its background score.

Experience:
A brand new one! Here is a movie like none other, in bollywood. It is a brave and an amazing creation which should be experienced and encouraged. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, earlier this year and now Madras Cafe, both prove that there are some exceptional stories in India that need to be told and also that there are some great storytellers in our industry now who are capable of narrating them. Shoojit Sircar, the writers and the producers deserve a pat on the back for this brilliant movie experience that they have brought to the audience. Although the movie maybe a little shallow on the emotions, it does full justice to the yet unexplored genre of political thrillers and keeps you engaged from start to finish.

Been-O-pinion:
I rate it 4.5 out of 5 for offering a truly novel experience and super slick and mature execution. Ending it with Vikram narrating Rabindranath Tagore acts as the perfect garnishing to this awesome movie served in
Madras Cafe!