The Grand Budapest Hotel

Wes Anderson is back with the symmetry of his frames, still camera and arrestingly strange characters. In his latest masterpiece, the story is centered around an old hotel that lingers on in the cloud of its prestigious past or I should say around that of its concierge. The movie starts off as a simple retelling of the legendary concierge's past that soon becomes part murder mystery, part prison break, part thriller and full on fun ride. Manifested with big name actors and actresses playing their bit and lead roles that they only would for Mr. Anderson, you are left marveling at this genius who makes complexity so simple. Or is it the other way around... 

Rating: * * *

Midnight in Paris

Circumstances and a dastardly Spaniard conspired against me, to make me do something that I swore to avoid… watch a bloody Woody Allen film. But with good faith and an open mind I tried my hand at it again.

Gil (Owen Wilson), a floundering author is wandering around Paris with his overbearing fiancé, Inez (Rachel McAdams). Her super rich parents are equally snooty and little needs to be said about her snobby friends. The situation leaves Gil to wander the streets and he stumbles in to mysterious avenues from the past. While the setup seems fine on paper, it translates on to the screen in typical Woody Allen fashion. Noisy dialogs that leaves the viewer with a buzzing in their ears and the lack of stillness that gives a feeling that Allen is rushing around with no end in sight. Never again will I put my self through this torture!

Rating: *

The Brothers Bloom

There are con men and then there are these brothers, Bloom (Adrien Brody) and Stephen (Mark Ruffalo). Honing their skill since early childhood, the two crooks have taken the art of the con to the next level. Add the silent Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi), mistress of all things boom, they are unstoppable. Bloom though has hit the end of his tether and wants some reality in his life. Like always there is that last con before retirement and they set their sites on an beautiful and eccentric millionairess (Rachel Weisz). By now I am sure you can guess what is to follow...

Rating: * *

Predators

Robert Rodriguez's involvement and the presence of Alice Braga lured me to the latest offering from the Predator franchise. Couple of soldiers, a mercenary, a serial killer, a cartel enforcer, a yakuza and a doctor find themselves free falling on to a mysterious planet. There they are predictably stalked by... surprise, surprise, Predators! To make things worse the film has stolen large chunks from original. Definitely something Mr. Rodriguez should distance himself from.

Rating: * +

The Jacket

An ex-marine from the Operation Desert Storm lands up home having died the first time. Miraculously he emerges, with no destination in mind - but unwittingly lands up as a part of a science experiment in a mental asylum. Through the experiment, Adrien Brody manages to crack the code and begins to get to the bottom of the problem. A fairly interesting plot, but does not manage to grip you the way it probably should have. Adrien Brody does a fair job, but Keira Knightley shows that being a pirate's pretty beau is what shes best at.

Rating: * *

Darjeeling Limited

Wes Anderson is at it again and he has made a come back from his lackluster (my opinion) Life Aquatic. A brilliant script backed by some fine acting by Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman. Owen Wilson bumbles along in his usual style. They play three brothers who meet up to make a spiritual journey across North India. The cameos by Irfan Khan, Bill Murray and Natalie Portman were a nice touch too. An orey funny movie in bits and pieces that make a decent whole.

Rating: * * *
PS: Part I of the film was the bit that really hooked me.

Love the hard way

Very much along the lines of this post. Adrien Brody is a low-level criminal who has bedded some 200 women, before a young scholar is infatuated by him. He cant seem to shake her off, and she takes after him. Pam Grier appears in a bit role as the cop who busts them both. A low-level film.

Rating: * +