X-Men: Days of Future Past

The world of the present sees a dark place for mutants. Robot Sentinels roam the planet rooting the holder of the mutant genes out and sending them to meet their maker. Any humans harboring them are dispatched too. This situation has brought Professor Xavier and Magneto together as they struggle to hold off the robot enemies. The solution that is forced upon them is to send Wolverine back in time to try and fix the root of the problem. Time travel is treated differently here as it is more like sending someones memory back in time. And it kind of makes sense. The past sees a very different Professor and Magneto with Beast in tow. Jeniffer Lawerence takes on the role of Mystique and kicks some ass. A fun watch in what arguably could be the best film of the X-Men series.

Rating: * * +

Godzilla

The iconic Japanese monster is back at its rampaging best in this American avatar of the king of monsters. It starts from the point of view of the actor who actually drew me to the film. Bryan "I am the danger" Cranston plays Dr. Joe Brody who is caught up in the terrifying destruction of the power plant that he oversees. Soon it flows to his son and family while the back story about the creature and its predators are filled in. Storyline is simple. Monsters converge on to San Francisco and destruction ensues as we watch in awe. The original allegory of Godzilla to nuclear weapons / US and rest of the world, give way to a correlation between arrogant humans and disregarded nature. That alone could have sustained this film, but the director had to pander to the masses and introduce a human angle. Blank that out and you are left with one of the better reincarnations of this franchise.

Rating: * * + 

Missing

Another film in the endless parade of South Korean thrillers, sees a supposed feeble old man in the outskirts of a sleepy South Korean town picking up young beautiful women as his pets. The only difference being that he treats his dogs and chickens with way more empathy. More torture horror than thriller, the film's production quality is on the lower side but the atmosphere created by the director does keep you taunt and guessing.

Rating: * * 

Big Fan

Paul Aufeiro is a full time parking garage attendant, but his real job is that of a hardcore New York Giants fan.  He goes the full distance for the team, tailgating at the stadium during games and calling into talkshows to defend his team. He does all this while living with his mother and jerking off in silence giving you the sense he is a loser with a misplaced unrequited love. This is brought to the forefront when he is assaulted in a club by his favorite player. It throws his life into a loop as he finds himself struggling to deal with his team's downturn thanks to the incident. A tragic comedy that makes you question and wonder about the mental health of rabid sport fans all around the world.

Rating: * * +

The Lunchbox

Saajan Fernandes (Irfan Khan) is gearing up for retirement from his sleepy accounting job from a firm that is stuck in the past. Mourning his dead wife, he starts wading into the mists of after work life. This is when he finds a new spice entering his life through the lunchbox delivered by the famous Mumbai dabbawala service. The service that prides itself for never making a delivery error, ends up giving Saajan the lovely cooking of Ila who is a struggling housewife  yearning for the love of her disinterested husband. 

Interwined in this story is Shaikh (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), Sajan's replacement at the firm, who starts off as an irritant to everyone but slowly makes his way to the viewer's heart. That sort of acting is hard to come by these days and Mr. Siddiqui's talent needs to be nurtured and given more exposure. Then there is Ila's invisible neighbor whose voice conveys so much more than what some actors convey with their faces. Throw in another appendage from the past; handwritten letters, and you have a romantic film that reminds one of Wong Kar Wai during his better days. 

Rating: * * * + 

Life of Pi

Yann Martel's worldwide bestseller is awoken by Ang Lee in this mega blockbuster. Pi Patel and his phantasmagoric struggle on a raft with a Bengal tiger are retold in great CGI glory. As in the book you are left with the decision to see if the story as told is true or was it Pi's way of coping with what he had to do to survive. 

Rating: * *

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Dr. Watson and Mr. Holmes are reunited in this film... oh wait that is not the case until further reincarnations of the characters. The Unexpected Journey of Bilbo Baggins continues in Peter Jackson's next installment of The Hobbit. If you were left wondering at the end of the first film how Mr. Jackson was going to drag this out into three films, the movie does provide you with the answer. Other than that and the introduction of Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, the film serve no other purpose as it acts as a boring bridge to the grand finale of the battle against the dragon. Throw in some unnecessary twists to the plot by the director, we are left with a rather staid, head scratcher of a film. But if one could suspend their knowledge of the Tolkien novel, you could force yourself to be slightly entertained by the movie.

Rating: * *

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Two years have passed since the events in The Avengers and Captain America finds himself adjusting to the 21st century as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Things are turned topsy turvy when Nick Fury is brutally attacked and Steve Rogers finds himself with no one he can trust. But the real action begins with a whisper from the past that comes attacking him in the form of the Soviet hitman called the Winter Soldier. Thankfully the cloying American propaganda that was a huge part of the first Captain America movie has taken a back seat and you are left with a good vs evil superhero flick. Marvel unleashes another sidekick and they have picked well in choosing the Falcon. Throw in some hot red headed action in the form of Natasha Romanov and you have yourself a fine escape from reality for a couple of hours.

Rating: * * +

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: * * *

Innocent Blood

James Park leads a quiet life as a forensic lecturer at a university far removed from his life of an undercover detective. The quietness is disturbed when his past comes screaming back and his son is  kidnapped by an apparent psycho. The usual detective - psycho cat and mouse game ensue but nothing in the film draws you in. The dialogues are almost funny even when trying to be bone chilling and when you hear laughter at the theater during a film like this, you know that the scriptwriter needs to find a new job. All the viewer can do is wait for freedom from the induced boredom. 

Rating: *

Great Gatsby

Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel, yet again makes it way to the screen. The old story is retold of young Nick Carraway's tryst with high society during a New York summer. The vehicle into this flamboyant party land is his mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is young, suave and sophisticated and Nick falls under his spell. But soon cracks appear as an obsession comes to light. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the lead role with a constant tinge of nervousness and hysteria that does quite match Gatsbys of the past. That takes a lot away from the film but if you are a connoisseur of the era like my partner is, the sets will not disappoint. According to her the film captures the spirit of the era very well. However sets can only take you so far.

Rating: * *

Pee Mak

Set in the mid 19th century when Thailand was constantly in conflict with its neighbors, Pee Mak is based on a popular Thai folk tale that some claim is based on true events. Mak is a soldier who is gravely wounded in a battle. Miraculously escaping with the help of his four close friends, the group takes him back to his village and reunites him with his wife and child. His wife, Nak (Davika Hoorne), is an uncommon beauty that has him under her spell. The friends soon start to notice that something is not quite right with her but are terrified to do anything about it. Director Banjong Pisanthanakun could have taken the route of making this a regular horror thriller. Instead, he updates the version of the legend and peppers it with slapstick humor to turn it in to Thailand's highest grossing film ever. It is worth a look just for the reason but cinematically it is only gets high marks for its production quality.

Rating: * * 

The Headless Woman

Vero (María Onetto) is an affluent dentist whose world turns dark when she hits something while driving. Not sure if the creature was a dog or a human, she finds herself plunging in to psychosis. The storyline is vague as the director shows you her life and resulting emotional detachment from it due to the accident. There is also an effort to show the disparity between the servant class and the rich but nothing sticks. All you are left with is a window in to a person's existence after a traumatic episode. This kind of structure in a film can work but it fails miserably here.

Rating: * +

Dallas Buyers Club

For a film that is far from being perfect, Dallas Buyers Club is an entertaining watch. Credit goes entirely to Mathew McConaughey who is brilliant as Ron Woodroof - who throws everything into his personal fight with AIDS, driven by the commercial opportunities of beating the system. The film however struggles to develop any kind of real chemistry between Woodroof and the supporting characters. Jennifer Garner is hopeless and drags everything around her down. Jared Leto plays a dreamy transgender woman, Rayon, but remains just that - dreamy in appearance with no real depth in character. A film that engages but leaves you wondering how different it could have been.

Rating: * * +

Philip Seymour Hoffman

 

Much has already been written over the past few days about the actor that he was. I think I saw him first in '25th Hour' and thought here was a discovery. Some one, with the right role, who would be the finest. Then as I watched more of him I realised he was the finest already. 

It all got personal some time in 2012, as I contemplated the arrival of junior, that I came across an interview of him where he talks about his experience as a father, parenting - past and present. The relevant bits starts after the 5th minute I reckon.

And now he is gone. As a friend put it, he was getting prepared to bat out a day with some 80 bags of heroin, but then fell in the first over. Sad. I want to understand more about the man - the genius that he was as an actor and a person who eventually succumbed to all kinds of internal strife.

In order to commemorate the man, I have decided I am going to hunt down every movie of his.

Rating: * * * *

Photo source: http://danbusta.tumblr.com/

 

I saw the Devil

How the South Korean cinema maintains this kind of consistency in the psycho thriller genre is a mystery to me. Yet again, here is a film that takes the age old genre and adds a slightly new twist to it. Kim Soo-hyeon is inconsolable as he finds his pregnant fiance brutally murdered. Unfortunately for the killer, Soon-hyeon is a top secret agent who takes matters in to his own hands. He tracks down Kyung-chul (Min-sik Choi), a human flesh crazy psychopath and starts to give him a taste of his own medicine. But like in the wild it does not take long for the hunter to become the prey. A film that is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Rating: * * *

Rachel getting married

This is one of the reasons why I liked this film. The quiet Sidney, who is getting married to Rachel and played by Tunde Adebimpe, singing Neil Young's 'Unknown legend', which I had not heard in many years. Quite similar in premise to Margot's wedding experience, Kym's (Rachel's sister) one is also about the family's emotional baggage. Which hit close to home - what do you do if you are entirely responsible for an accidental death of a family member? Bollocks really.

Anne Hathaway who normally is more irritating than skilful, gets it right as the troubled one. With the backdrop of a wedding 'Indian' style, much gets played out in front of everybody (including a random bunch of musicians) and credit to the director Jonathan Demme in getting all the many characters involved, including you the viewer.

PS: The writer Jenny Lumet is the daughter of Sidney Lumet. Which explains Adebimpe's character's name. Jonathan Demme subsequently directed a documentary called 'Neil Young journeys', which explains the song choice for Sidney.
 
Rating: * * *

Blue Jasmine

Woody Allen has been a bunch of hits and misses for me. More of the latter. This one, however, surges to the top of the list because of The Spectacular Cate Blanchett - who plays a neurotic ex-socialite struggling with the turn of events in her life. Heads to her sister's place in San Francisco, who is everything what big sister Jasmine isn't, to seek refuge. Things just get worse as she slowly and comically struggles to stay in the race with the Joneses. Louis C K makes a cameo as a cheating sound engineer and is perfect for a Woody Allen film - straight faced, dark, and makes more out of nothing. 'Blue Jasmine' does have a social angle to it - should be the campaign video for the President's latest brainwave on inequality.

Rating: * * * +

Inside Llewyn Davis

I have this weakness for films about music & musicians. That is why the latest from the Coen brothers gets the stars it does. Llewyn Davis is a folk musician trying to strike out on his own before Bob arrives on the Greenwich village scene and makes folk hip. Llewyn lives off other people's couches in & around Macdougal street and has nothing to show for his "principled" view of music. Has his priorities all wrong, which could be irritating to some, but I kind of get what he is about. However, 'Inside Llewyn Davis' doesn't get inside of anything and rambles Coen brothers style. Which still is pretty good.

Rating : * * +

Any Day Now

An attractive man quietly watches a drag show in a gay bar. The follow up is a hot and steamy hookup but never would you think that this would be lead up to a poignant battle for child custody. Rudy Donetallo (Alan Cumming), a drag queen, and Paul Fliger (Garret Dillahunt), who works at the district attorney's office, struggle to convince the courts to give them custody of Marco (Isaac Levya). Marco suffers from Down's Syndrome and has a junkie for a mother. An odd situation indeed and made odder given that the film is set in the 70s. Movies like these need to be made, but they are contrived to tug at the viewer's heart strings, and that is unacceptable in my book.

Rating: * *

This Must Be the Place

Cheyenne (Sean Penn) is a retired glam rock star, boring the hell out of life in Dublin with his wife of many decades. This low key life is interrupted by his estranged father who is on his death bed in New York. In the hope of a late reconciliation, he travels to the US only to arrive too late. What he discovers is that his dad was a survivor of Auschwitz and was tortured by a former SS officer who is still at large. Cheyenne takes it upon himself to track down the office and bring him to justice. So ensues a surreal road trip across the US as Cheyenne unwittingly starts on a path of self discovery and awakening. A brilliant film that echoes with the touch of the Coen brothers and Penn playing a unique role like he has never done before.

Rating: * * *

Dark Water

A young divorced mother moves in to an apartment with her young daughter. A blissful start to their new life is cut short by a water stain on the ceiling. The water in the apartment complex has a malevolent spirit flowing through it and is really dark. The film struggles to put fear in your heart but fails to even slightly startle you out of your seat.

Rating: * +

Chaser

Joong-ho is an asshole of a pimp who used to be a police detective in another lifetime. He finds himself in deep shit when some of his prostitutes start running out on him. He suspects that someone is kidnapping them so he puts on his detective hat to get to the bottom of it. As he scratches the surface he finds someone way more sinister beneath. Unlike many psycho thrillers, this one is not a whodunnit. You are shown the identity of the killer right from the start. Rest of the film is about apprehending him. The way Joong-ho is portrayed is also very interesting. At one side he is ruthless and works his girls to the bone while at the same time he cares deeply for their well being. Director Hong-jin Na throws all this in front of you with zero melodrama and lets you be the judge. Another brilliant addition to the South Korean crime genre.

Rating: * * *

The Secret of the Grain

The film opens with the main protagonist, Silmane Beiji being forced out of his shipyard job. The camera then patiently follows him to reveal the many facets of his life; a divorced father with a mistress and a tired earning for something better. In spite of the tough economic conditions and fractious family life he forces himself to chase his dream of opening a couscous restaurant that he hopes will unify his families. The movie chronicles this journey of a dream being brought to life. 

Rating: * * +

Naked

In comparison, the lead character of Johnny is like facing a bouncer heading towards your throat at 150km/h. This time around however, David Thewlis the central actor, hooks it out of the ground. There is nothing nice about Johnny - runs away from Manchester to London after raping a woman and afraid of being beaten. He then moves across the capital from person to person - mostly random acquaintances from the streets - in pursuit of nothing. Or possibly something that we are not aware of. Cursing the world, contemplating 'future', devouring books and spewing vitriolic shit - like this for instance, to a woman who spurns his advances: "And I hope that all your fuckin' children are born blind, bow-legged, hare-lipped, homeless hunchbacks" Over 120 minutes long, Naked should be far from being considered as misogynist - but a fantastic film that focuses on the lunatics on the prowl. Much like this one. Welcome to my world, Michael Leigh.

Rating: * * * +

12 Years a Slave

When an actor confronts the character of 'Solomon Northup', I suppose it is like facing a juicy half-volley. With an Oscar waiting for you once you have cleared long-on. From being brutally kidnapped, the tragedy of not seeing your family for 12 years, repeatedly being tortured & humiliated, travelling alternatively between hope & despair and finally being free - its all there. But one could easily overthink and hit the ball down the ground to mid-on for no runs. That's what Chiwetel Ejifor manages to achieve - a very safe and unexciting performance. And surrenders the mission to capture the viewer's soul to Steve Mcqueen and the others (Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Lupita Nyong'o & Michael Fassbender). You never know, Chiwetel Ejifor might still get an Oscar for a well crafted film. 

Rating: * * +

Trance

I spoke about this film here. Felt cheated after spending couple of hours getting through it. Danny Boyle? Well..

Rating: *

Following

 

It looks a bit familiar: strangers getting involved in each other's lives, pursuing mysterious goals while the story plays out in a non-linear manner. Chris Nolan's dry run before blowing up the premise into a full length feature classic - Memento. All of 60 minutes, its fluid, shot in black & white and gripping. 

It also brought to mind the recent film by Danny Boyle - Trance - which I review next. Couldn't help but feel that Mr. Boyle has a big Nolan monkey on his back and fails miserably to shrug it off.

Rating: * * +

Ilo Ilo

One of the many characteristics of Singapore is the presence of live-in maids in the houses of the affluent. Being a constant presence in the family the maid becomes part of the family persona whether one likes it or not. This film set during the Asian financial crisis in the late 90s, takes a stab at exploring this inter-family relationship. Teresa, a young Filipina reaches Singapore as the maid for the Lim family of three. Her presence while being a help in the day to day household activities puts a strain on the family. However, slowly a deep bond forms between the young troublesome son, Jiale and Teresa. Throw in the onset of the financial crisis and you are left with a random graph of inter-familial tension that is captured quite well in the film. But yet there is something intangible that holds this film back from breaking through to the audience.

Rating: * *

American Hustle

Having watched David O. Russell, Christian Bale and Amy Adams combine with aplomb in The Fighter, there was much anticipation. But didn't bargain for the brilliant performances from all the rest - Amy Adams (firmly entrenched in the top spot in Hollywood), Jennifer Lawrence (supreme talent) and Bradley Cooper (solid as the funny guy). And Bale, of course, was perfectly measured.

American Hustle was like watching a novel - space for characters to develop sub-plots to gradually unravel, but at the risk of losing the fluidity that makes a film great. The approach to story telling reminded me of Donnie Brasco, but in the latter case I did watch a fantastic film. Here it was about great performances (count in Louis C.K and Jeremy Renner) and therefore stops at 3 stars.

Rating: * * *

Gravity

Thing about taking a hot woman out on a date and having an exciting night to boot, but God forbid you try to have an intelligent conversation with her. Watching Gravity is akin to that. You will be held to the edge of your seat as you watch astronauts Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) do calisthenics in space as a result of a satellite upgrade operation gone wrong. Just don't expect much of a story line beyond that.

PS: This might be one film that is actually worth watching in 3D, but prepare to feel a bit motion sick.

Rating: * *

Tampopo

A rough and tumble truck driver decides to give a failing ramen restaurant owner, Tampopo, a helping hand. An ode to the joys of food and cooking, the film gives the spaghetti "western" genre a new meaning literally, except that there are no ranches and gun fighters. Instead, we have noodle soup and an insane obsession to get it right. Throw in some kinky sex and hilarious random bit pieces, and we have a thoroughly enjoyable movie. Just remember to eat during or before the film as it bound to get you hungry.

Rating: * * +

Ju-on: The Grudge

The film opens with a gruesome scene that ensures you are awake and alert. The pace slows down as the attention shifts to a squalid house occupied by an old woman. The house is the location of the ju-on which in Japanese means a curse that takes a life of its own and seeks new victims. The third installment in the series by Takashi Shimizu is split in to inter-connected vignettes, following various individuals and their creepy encounters in the house. The film has a taunt and eerie atmosphere but after a too many shots of a kid painted white causes the initial creepiness to drift away from the viewer. 

Rating: * *

Session 9

A clean crew for hazardous material end up over extending themselves while cleaning up an abandoned mental hospital. A tight group that seems to have been working together for a long time, start to see their relationship fissuring as the pressure mounts. David Caruso seems to have taken a break from solving crimes and does a hand doing a character actor. The film moves along slowly allowing the atmosphere from the film to slowly seep out of the screen. The film is taunt and keeps you engaged, but it fails to deliver fully on its potential.

Rating: * *

A Late Quartet

The long partnership of the Fuge String quartet is coming to a close in their 25th anniversary with their cellist, Peter, being diagnosed with Parkinson's. Peter's imminent exit is almost like melting of the glue that held the group together. Old wounds resurface and egos over flow their cups. Through the unravelling you the viewer will be encaptured by this drama whether you like Western classical music or not. Such is the power of the screen play and acting of all the leads.

Rating : * * * +

Poster from IMP Awards. Licensed under Fair use via Wikipedia.

The Whistleblower

Kathryn Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz), a Nebraska police officer, finds herself far from home working as a peacekeeper for DynCorp International in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina.  But her rose tinted glasses are shattered when an investigation into sex trafficking involving two young girls reveals a malice deep within the UN. A film that focuses on an issue that needs to be brought to the mainstream but fails to pack a punch as it panders to the hero worshipping syndrome that is so popular in the USA.

Rating: * *

A Royal Affair

A king, his queen and the royal physician form the central triangle of this film set in Denmark during the rule of the mentally ill King Christian VII. He is married to Princess Caroline of Great Britain who is a connoisseur of the fine arts and literature but finds many of it banned in the country. Her ensuing frustration with her marriage and the nation finds her in the arms of the royal physician. Dr. Johann Friedrich Struensee is a secret follower of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and uses his influence to bring about reforms in the country. The ensuing political struggle amidst the affair is the theme of the film which is only mildly engaging.  

Rating: * *

Mama

The 2008 financial crisis drives Jeffery, a banker over the edge. He kills his co-workers, ex-wife and drags his two young daughters to an abandoned cabin with the plan of killing them and committing suicide. The plans go awry as a mysterious entity rescues the girls. The girls are discovered five years later by a search part sponsored by Jeffery's twin brother, Lucas.  Lucas takes the girls back to his home which he shares with his partner Annabel. As the girls try to rehabilitate themselves to regular living, it is evident that they brought something back from the cabin with them. The atmosphere created by the directory shows the evident hand of Guillermo del Toro who is an executive produce of the film. Dark, slow and sudden are the adjectives you can attach to the film, which is one of the better horror films to come out in 2013.

Rating: * * +

Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino tackles the spaghetti western with his usual dark twist by putting a black man as the main protagonist in the wild west. Dr. Schultz (Christoph Waltz) is a German bounty hunter disguised as a dentist who buys a slave Django (Jamie Foxx) to help him identify three outlaws. In return he promises to teach him the trade and set him free. Django sweetens the pot by adding a request of freedom for his wife who suffers at the hands of an evil plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). With that premise, Tarantino unleashes a whole lot of slick violence and blood in his signature style. For nothing else, this film needs to be watched for Samuel L. Jackson in the role of a nasty Uncle Tom. 

Rating: * * + 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

In the events that launched the Lord of the Rings storyline, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) finds his calm existence shattered by the intrusion of a wizard and thirteen dwarves. Gandalf (Ian McKellen) wants Bilbo to join him and his merry dwarves in the quest of reclaiming the lost city of Erebor from Smaug, the dragon. Unwittingly following their lead, Bilbo finds himself dealing with goblins, elves, orcs, wargs and sorcerers. Featuring the hair raising ride through the goblin tunnels, you are never bored through this film. Then there is the encounter with Gollum (Andy Serkis) and the ring which is the heart of the film. Despite all of this you are left wondering if there is enough meat for The Hobbit to be stretched in to three films... 

Rating: * * +

Looper

It is the year 2044 and Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) works as a "looper" for a crime syndicate. His job is to kill and dispose individuals sent back in time by the syndicate. The film based on this interesting premise has endless possibilities, but the director picks a predictable one where Joe is tasked with killing his own self from the future. Things go wrong and young Joe ends up chasing old Joe (Bruce Willis) around.  In spite of the predictable plot, the film is strangely engaging  and you never once feel like switching off.

Rating: * *

Spirit

Raghunandan (Mohanlal) is a journalist and the host of a TV talk show called "Show the spirit". The spirit of his life though is alcohol. The film is a chronicle of his fatal addiction and the effect it has on his life and those around him. The first half of the movie is tightly scripted but as the film proceeds it tends to loosen. Coupled with the length of the film, you are left feeling a little drained at the end. But given the poor quality of Malayalam cinema this past decade, the movie does stand out with a fine performance from Mohanlal and the courage of Ranjith in attacking a tough topic.

Rating: * * +

Wanted

Wes Gibson (James McAvoy) is deeply embedded in a dead end life, snacking on anti-panic medication and living with a cheating partner. All this changes when a mysterious woman, Fox (Angelina Jolie), arrives and tells him his father was an assassin and his murderer is out to get Wes now. Wes ends up joining the Fraternity, a secret society of assassins and Timur Bekmambetov then takes you on a rollercoaster ride that Mark Millar detailed in the graphic novel of the same name. Enjoy the fun and believe in bullets that curve.

Rating: * * *

PS: It should be noted that one Ms. Sophiya Haque makes a brief cameo in the film.

Argo

Most people know the outcome of this political thriller that is set during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. Maybe that was the reason the film fails to draw the viewer in, in spite of a good cast and fine script. Ben Affleck who in my book is a slightly underrated director continues to be crisp, but his choice of topic proves to be undoing. As Tony Mendez goes through the complicated setup to get the US diplomats out of Iran, you strain to get excited and become part of this caper only to be left only with the pain of straining.

Rating: * *

Ted

A falling star brings a teddy bear to life and young John (Mark Wahlberg) has a friend for life. Now as a young annoying adult, John continues to live with Ted much to the annoyance of his hot partner, Lori (Mila Kunis). Now most young men when presented a choice between a teddy bear and Ms. Kunis would not hesitate in shredding the toy to smithereens. But for the sake of comedy John secretly chooses Ted and we spend the rest of the movie trying to laugh in vain.

Rating: *

Insidious

The Lambert family moves in to a new home and is welcomed by their young son, Dalton, falling in to a coma. Months go by and the boy, now back home, continues to linger in the coma. This is when his younger siblings start to complain about him walking around at night and things take an "insidious" turn. The mother, Renai, is convinced that the house is haunted and forces her husband to move the family in to a new home. But the insidiousness continues leaving you with a horror flick that actually creeps you out for most parts.

Rating: * * +

Skyfall

The latest Bond film finds MI6 under attack and M all alone with her trusted 007 out in the cold. He is helped by a lone field agent Eve (Naomie Harris) as they pursue the mysterious Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem). For a change the film focuses a tad more on the characters, their flaws and tribulation instead of the usual stream of tech toys that 007 wields. Here he is more MacGuyver than his usual suave self which does come peeping out when he runs in to the stunning Bérénice Marlohe. But the actor who dominates is predictably Mr Bardem who adds a whole lot of color to the latest Bond villain. This definitely is one of the better Bond films in recent times.

Rating: * *

Disturbia

Kale (Shia LeBouf), a teenager is placed under house arrest after trying to assault a high school teacher. With an ankle monitor confining him to the premises, the boy starts to go stir crazy and cabin fever sets in. He starts spying on his neighbors and is convinced that one of them is a serial killer. Throw in a pretty blond and you have all the ingredients for a classic run of the mill American psycho thriller.

Rating: * +

Going by the Book

Sampo, a small South Korean town is assaulted by a spate of robberies. The new police chief decides to shake things up by performing a realistic drill of a bank robbery that will help train the police force in catching the real suspects. But he makes the mistake of picking Do-man, a straight laced cop, to play the role of the robber and hilarity ensues. Another classic comedy from the South Korean film industry.

Rating: * * *

Headhunters

A colleague strongly urged me to see the film mainly for Synnøve Macody Lund. She turned out to be hot in a Barby doll sort of way. The film however was a little lukewarm. Roger Brown is a headhunter by day and steals rare paintings by night. His partner Ove works for a security firm and deactivates the security system of prospective clients, allowing Roger to slip and make away with the goods. The appearance of Clas Grave (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his Rubens painting is when things start to get dark and bloody as Roger finds himself on the run. Based on a Jo Nesbø novel, it turns the meaning of a headhunter on its head to its more literal definition but fails to leave a lasting impression.

Rating: * *