My Favorite Wife (1940)

This had been lying in my collection for sometime before I got round to watching it. & I knew I was watching it mainly bcoz of Cary Grant. I like the embroidered opening credits, & the movie doesn't lose much time in getting straight to the story. The characters were built up quite quick & easily believable.

It was a light film, some funny moments; but there never was any doubt in how it would end. After all, there were kids involved. The dialogues were crisp & the flow of the scenes was good. All the court-scenes brought a smile. The mother-children reunion was nicely done, so were the excuses Nick Arden gives to stay with his family. All in all, a nice feel good film with a Merry Christmas ending.

Favourite scenes include: 'How was my funeral; wish I could have been there.'; the scene with Ellen pretending to be Bianca; Adam/Burkett twist; 'Impulsive? He's full of carrots!';

Alternate Ending: nah.. leave it as is. but I do feel Steve Burkett got a raw deal.

First Viewed: Alone at home in Doha.

Rating-2.5*

The Three Investigators

The Three Investigators And The Secret Of Skeleton Island (2007)
The Three Investigators And The Secret Of Terror Castle (2008)

It's a kids movie; & there's no denying that. There's a good amount of adventure & thrills in here as we follow Jupe, Pete & Bob investigating a new case. Beautiful locales, excellently used. & thankfully it didn't drag on. The two movies tried to stay true to the literature & did bring to life the Jones' Salvage Yard beautifully. The second movie pimped up the look & gave it some finesse. But it brought the familiar RollsRoyce & chauffer Worthington & the Rocky Mountain landscapes into the scene. The Rolls numberplate reads JellyB & the Terror Castle was built perfectly. There wasn't much of a mystery in the first movie..but the second one was nicely shot. They changed the book a great deal to update the settings. All the automation in Terror Castle was a bit over-the-top but still enjoyable.


Favourite scenes include: Glider scene, Pete & Bob's funny bits; the clicking word/almost-kiss; Terror castle escape; Bob & the Sherriff confrontations; The Valentine-love-story.

Alternate Ending: The first movie is an original screenplay. I'll keep it as is, but want some more tying up of loose ends; like how did the forger manage to maintain multiple cons going at the same time. & they tied in an emotional story in the second movie, but thankfully didn't slow down the pace. & they created an arch-nemesis for the 3 Investigators !!

First Viewed: Alone at Harborne in Parramatta.

Rating-2.5*

Fast & Furious (2009)

The FF franchise has never been a 'Jedi vs. Sith' affair. It's always been about fast cars & skimpy skirts. It's full of booty-closeups & girls making-out with each other grooving to hiphop music. The movie starts off with Letty's death... Why bring Michelle back only to bump her off in the first scene!! The first car-race was neat, the next underground race (literally) was pathetically fake. There were plenty of dull moments, mainly self-referential, which slowed down the furiosity.

I was surprised Dom didn't kill Letty's killer the first chance he got; I'm surprised that almost half of the movie was shot at night; I'm surprised that the director opted for the tunnels again for the climax chase instead of the lovely Mexican desert. The movie did not have any interesting scenes or moments that stay on.

Favourite scenes include: None at all; but I did smile at the club scene & the family dinner grace.

Alternate Ending:

First Viewed: Alone at home in Doha.

Rating-2

U.S. Marshals (1998)

Pitched as a sequel to Harrison Ford's 'The Fugitive', Tommy Lee Jones reprises his role as Sam Gerard, the deputy marshal in pursuit of Wesley Snipes. To add to the mix, Robert Downey Jr plays a goodlooking FBI special agent Royce. Snipes' character has a lot of mystery tied in, which does provide the thrills. (& his gf is a Starbucks barista !?) The plane-crash was a good start. The swamps provided a very good backdrop for the initial chase. Snipes look ridiculous with a hair wig. Action all over the place; cars, plane, train & ship.

The twist... was really unexpected; I was expecting something totally different. But it works well. That's the only reason it scores slightly better.

Favourite scenes include: Joe Pantoliano's got some good funny lines, the train-jumping scene was cool.

Alternate Ending: It felt long; all in all makes a good action movie; so won't tamper with it; just cut it a bit short.

First Viewed: Alone at home in UK.

Rating-2.5*

Restraint (2008)

This movie is more of an engaging character-study than anything else. Put 3 complex characters in a room & anchor them down with invisible rocks. A seemingly timid agorophobe, a seductive partner-in-crime trying to escape her stripper-life & a wild trigger-happy maniac with nothing to lose. Plot-wise it's a one-pager, that seems to be spending too much time in raising questions that will never be answered. Hell, infact the plot was there in the poster tagline: Seclusion, Seduction, Survival.

But as the story unfolds, its left to the audience to match whom with what tag. Did Ron paint himself into a corner with his crimes, is Andy trying to be his seductive best with his uber lifestyle, is Dale reinventing herself at each oppurtunity to ride out the storm. It's all about who's stories to believe. Whether to believe Ron's car-crash story to give credit to his never-understood-by-the-world attitude. whether to believe Andy's secrets or are they mere distractions to buy his life back. whether to empathize with Dale's choices as they always seem to be the-lesser-of-the-two-evils.

The internal struggle was never put into words. This leaves a lot of work for the audience. & There were several points which seemed to have dropped-off the script at the editing table. The bank-vault manager's memory, the cop's persistence, the antique-shop-owner's curiosity.

The actors did their parts wonderfully; I think the casting was appropriate. & I'm glad there wasn't any physical torture involved.

Favourite scenes include: The exhibitionistic stripper routine; Andy's sly 'keys-are-in-my-pocket' trick; the sexual provocation between Ron & Andy; the dancing scene after the celebration; The parrot-shooting; Andy restraining Dale's choice to become his fiance.

Alternate Ending: Showing Dale as a prisoner in Andy's mansion as he's dances merrily downstairs; goose-bumps. So in the end, you realises that the 3 tags apply to all 3 characters. It leaves the audience to interpret the title 'Restraint'. And I too would have left the heavy-lifting to be done by the imaginitive folk. Except I would have buried off the bodies to tie up any loose-ends.

First Viewed: Alone at Harborne in Parramatta.

Rating-3

Independence Day (1999)

I remember the last time I watched ID4. it was even more memorable becoz I watched it a night before my Uni final-year exams; to take the edge off after some stressful revision of Computer Networks. The premise is simple; E.T has gone bad & has come to take over our planet. The complex intersecting lives, each with it's own backstory builds up a good narrative. The pilot-president, the tech-geek, the fighter-pilot, the drunk-cropduster... all classic american heroes unite to save the world. I liked all the casting, it was perfect. Plenty of known faces for me to cheer.

Invisible force-fields, using satellites as countdown timers and telepathic-aliens shooting green goop at you. There's plenty of action right from the start. & I like the story-telling. using the Area 51 crash vehicle to sneak into the mother-ship, now that's foolhardy. To plant a virus (what language was this malware written in?)!! & a global simultaneous counter-attack !! Putting the grand battle timeline on July 4th gives the flick the classic 'America saves the day' touch.

The small details were highly entertaining for me . The alien-probed drunkard, the cigar-hexed pilot, air-sick techie, the exotic-dancer-gf, combat-driven president; I liked the connections being tried to establish.

Fav Dialogues: I'm not Jewish. Don't worry, nobody's perfect.; In the words of my generation, up yours; Elvis has left the building; Didn't I promise you fireworks.

Favourite scenes include: The WhiteHouse explosion, Will Smith KOing the alien with a punch, Will Smith waving at the aliens & shouting out "Peace" before pressing the button to explode them. The destoyed spaceships all around the world.

Alternate Ending: Why would I want to change such a triumpant ending? But I would have wanted some more global attempts of defense to be shown. & how about leaving something for a sequel ??

First Viewed: On TV at home in Mumbai with family.

Rating-3

The Silence of the lambs (1990)

I knew the premise of the movie; & had it on my list for a really long time before I actually got round to watching it one rainy Saturday evening. I was watching it for the first time 21 years after its release; & I had already seen 3 of its sequels/prequels several years ago. The pint of iced-coffee increased my chances of noticing all the tiny signs which the director used for his story-telling. There was so much on the screen that needed full attention at all times. I haven't seen many of Jodie Foster's movies but I do rank her high for the efforts. The lisp in her voice did distract me, but not as much as the blue in her eyes. & Mr Hopkins in that mask... & that voice of cold death, made me pause & refill my iced-coffee twice. I knew from the start that this wasn't Hannibal's story, he was just a medium, a guide. But never-the-less his cannibalistic charm was all over this slow-paced tale.

There are many loose-ends in this movie, Plenty of unanswered scenes. & did the lambs ever stop screaming ?

Favourite scenes include: the first interview, Hannibal Lector's escape.

Alternate Ending: Another taste of Lector's artistry would have made a good ending.

First Viewed: Alone at Harborne in Parramatta.

Rating-3

Hitch (2007)

It's a normal WillSmith romantic comedy. plenty of giggles & smiles. Charming Will does what he does best. Eva Mendes does her bit well too. The Albert-Allegra story is a wonderful side-plot which delivers. & the movie's a techbook on how to flirt. There are plenty of moments which make it a good date-movie.

Favourite scenes include: the meet-cute at the bar; the walkie-talkie proposal; the train-wreck with the Butcher relative-history; Albert's dance; the 90-10 kiss; the food allergy; the speed-date;

Alternate Ending: Hitch babbling at the door made a very realistic ending. They made it mushy by dragging it out onto the street. The free-style wedding dance at the end was indeed innovative. Leave it at that.

First Viewed: With friends at home in UK.

Rating-2.5*

11:14 (2007)

This is a fun-fest. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, coz it's clever, cheeky and doesn't treat its audience as dumb spectators. It slaps on mystery after mystery & then ticks-off all the boxes in gradual time; making the audience go 'That's explains that'. I liked the humanization of the characters; and how each behaved under duress. & a limited timeline being seen through 5 perspectives makes it an entertaining episode of 'twisted minds'.

Favourite scenes include: The graveyard scene; the store scene; how each perspective intersects with each other.

Alternate Ending: not an alternate ending.. but I would love to see what the vandals would do at the hospital; or whether the police would eventually catch them.

First Viewed: Alone at home in Doha.

Rating-2.5

Watching the detectives (2007)

I liked the initial meet-cute. Violet's a b**ch! & Neil's too good to be true. It's fun movie to watch; & it points out quite a lot of subtlety that makes up the phrase 'Opposites attract'. There was a dialogue where Neil says that 'without her, it's all too boring'; & that's what this movie is all about. Lucy Liu's character is a blast & she's a real delight to watch. Psychologists could spend days doing a character-study, but there's no denying the fact that she's certifiable.

There's nothing much to give away in this story; but the chemistry between the 2 leads is a pleasure to watch.

Favourite scenes include: The drunk-date; the slam-dunk; the detective bust; the picnic-basket thief; the musician boyfriends; the rockstar show; the breakup mourning;

Alternate Ending: She's a pain; but I can see why he loves the pain. It's a good thing that her past isn't under the spotlight;

First Viewed: Alone at home in UK.

Rating-2.5*

Shrink (2009)

I delayed viewing this one for a while, coz I sensed it to be one of those streched-out narratives about dealing with grief. So, I took my own sweet time getting round to it.

As suspected, the story was nothing but a series of unrelated events occuring in multiple lives. & each story dealt with an emotional perspective of surviving the human condition. An unashamed showcase of the addictions, the bereavements, the fears and all the aspects of an urban life. The unshaven Spacey was aptly described as a trucker's nutsack. & he really did look the role of spaced-out sleep-deprived guy in need of help. Poor guy never sleeps in his bed. Each character dealt with their insecurities in their way; & it worked for some & not for others.

Favourite scenes include: Burying August; how the different stories tied in into one another.

Alternate Ending: can't make any more cheerful than that.

First Viewed: Alone at Harborne in Parramatta.

Rating-2.5*

The Curious case of Benjamin Button (2008)

This is the story of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards. That was the pitch. & Mr Fincher takes that & churns out a fantastic movie. Benjamin takes his first steps at the age of 7; & I was worried that the story would be dragged out as well. But there was always something amusing happening on screen. The dialogues flowed & built up a good narrative. It was not about Brad Pitt in an old-man's suit; it's about the difference between age and growth. Who & what influence a mind. After a point I stopped expecting a point, and let the years go by. Pitt does make a good-looking old guy. The friendships he forges, the experiences he gathers, they aren't superficial. & thankfully He did lead an exciting life. I enjoyed the writing. I saw that there were too many similarities to the writer's own Forrest Gump, which I had enjoyed as well. All in all the movie's screenplay is proof that 'youth is wasted on the young'.

Favourite scenes include: Plenty of the scenes made me smile; When the tug-boat captain shows off his tatts, it made me recall FightClub; the night of firsts; the lightning guy; the midnight dance; Ben on the sailboat;

Alternate Ending: nothing much I could change in here, but may want to explain that hummingbird.

First Viewed: Alone at home in UK.

Rating-3.5

North by Nothwest (1959)

This was my first Hitchcock movie, although I have great respect for the guy even without having watched any of his movies. He's not known as the master of suspense for nothing. Classic tale of mistaken identity & undercover-spies. Plus a suave Cary Grant, & I'm really enjoying the show.

The thing that attracted me most, is the humour and debonair characters. I saw the colored version of this movie, a 50th anniversary special edition. But, I can easily imagine the effect of the movie and its character would have had in its time. The death-defying stunts, Roger Thornhill's pickup lines, the beautifully written conversations. I remember reading somewhere - Cary Grant is one of those actors that a filmgoer either falls in love with or deeply envies. & I deeply envy his handsomeness.

There were certain things that didn't make sense. Like why did Vandamm want Kaplan to be blamed for Townsend's murder? & Vandamm's sister address Roger as Roger, not Kaplan... which was confusing. I don't see any logic there.

Favourite scenes include: The entire Train ride, the auction scene, the cropdusting plane, mother-son scenes, the sarcastic dialogues throughout the movie. "the way some people use a flyswatter."

Alternate Ending: The Rushmore monument ending was a bit too exaggerated, it could have been trimmed down a bit. Also, I would like to clear up the Kaplan investigation a bit more.

First Viewed: Alone at home in Doha.

Rating-3.5

From Paris with Love (2010)

It was there on my to-watch list ever since I read about the people associated with the movie. Travolta's new look; Action in Paris; Luc Besson's ideas.

But in terms of the story, I didn't expect anything from this movie. Coz most of Luc Besson's movies are based on flash-fiction, ideas people get while picking up oranges in a supermarket. Intended for people with short attention spans. But I was at least expecting a repeat of 'Taken'.

& that's not exactly what I get. Excessive plotless action, a string of clichés & a roller-coaster ride of nonsense. It was probably one of the lamest endings I've seen. & the entire movie shows a very racist potrayal of Parisian inhabitants. No compromise whatsoever with political correctness.

The only reason my movie rating is 5, is that I was entertained thoroughly by Travolta, & the action scenes were really nicely done. & I have to thank the Dolby System at my cinema for those thrills. it may not play out the same way on DVD.

Favourite scenes include: Charlie Wax's intro, The shootout at the chinese restaurant, Travolta's body-double jumping & running across rooftops, The clearing-out of the terrorist cell, the dinner shootout.

Alternate Ending: Why force an emotional ending to a fast-paced action movie? & what's with the blatantly open terrorist activities? & hamming can certainly be cut down.

First Viewed: with friends at a cinema theatre in Doha.

Rating-3

Memento (2000)

Consider the source. Memory is threachery.

Before I begin this post, let me tell you that I have NOT read the FAQ section on Memento. I've heard it's got one of the longest list of FAQs for any movie on IMDB. The reason why I never read the FAQs is that I like my own interpretation of this amazing movie. I like to revisit the flick once in a while & re-discover 'facts' & refresh 'memories'. This was the first Chris Nolan movie I'd seen & I became an instant fan. I have Kunal to thank for renting out the DVD.

You need to be open-minded, creative, and alert to definitely appreciate and get a kick out of this movie. A lot of people haven't noticed several things that I did, & I too noticed them after several viewings. There's so much sub-text in the movie, & I'm glad it wasn't turned into a tv mini-series; those twists would have kept me up at night waiting for the next episode. Take a simple story, keep the emotions tight, and rework the timeline. Viola, you can cook-up a suspense masterpiece. Many of my friends dismiss it as a revenge story; many find it too confusing & heavy-on-the-minds, so it remains under-appreciated.

The story & the screenplay are so very different. Somebody told me that one of the Limited Edition DVDs allowed you to see the movie in the correct chronological sequence. But why would I want to kill the thrill? By living the story backwards, you, like Leonard, have no knowledge of what came before. It allows you to live Lenny's condition. The end of movie was actually the middle of the movie. & the begining was the end. As Lenny says 'How am I supposed to heal if I can't feel time?' It made me realise how precious my memories are... & how manipulative they can be.

What is the purpose of revenge if someone cannot recollect or prosper from it? When life becomes incomprehensible (which tends to happens) humans tend to simplify things, revise memories, select facts that may or may not be representative of "the absolute truth". A story told several times tends to filter out the grains & make it digestable.

Natalie's brutalness, Teddy's casualness, Lenny's misery - that's all classic human reality.

I won't answer any of the FAQs about this movie. This is one of those lovely films you'd want to discuss with fellow-viewers right after viewing the movie.

The best part of the movie is how lucid and fragile the flow of life is. Lenny's words: "Memories can be distorted. They're just an interpretation, they're not a record, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts." & Teddy's words: "You sure?" after Lenny says his wife wasn't diabetic. That was the kick of the movie.

I did have a question: If Leonard cannot remember anything after the accident, then how in the world can he remember that he's got a memory condition?

Favourite scenes include: The bonfire of her stuff, the calm of Lenny's face each time he sees his tattoos, Teddy's confession, the entire Dodd episode, Never answer the phone, Lenny's surprise each time he wakes up. I could easily say I loved the entire movie... every bit of it.

Alternate Ending: I liked the open-ended ambiguity, many of my friends didn't. I wouldn't like to tamper it.

First Viewed: With Kunal on DVD in Brighton.

Rating-4*

Game Plan (2007)

Yes, this is exactly what it seems... I'm enunciating about the movies that I had beeen so meticulously avoiding to watch.

Can you smell what The Rock is cooking? A 3-movie deal with Disney is SOOOOOO torturous. & I watched this only to accompany Roger. I had to put away my prejudices for wrestler-turned-actors and sport-movies and flicks-intended-for-preteen-kids and several other opinions. I could read all of this movie from it 90-second trailer. & it's nothing beyond that. Only added bonus would be Dwayne Johnson doing professional ballet... and singing 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?'. If a yawn could yawn.

Favourite scenes include: the 'Mar..gar..ritta' blackmail, & the ballet-attempt wasn't half-bad.

Alternate Ending: They could have capitalised a lot more on the kid's cuteness and the dog-in-a-tutu. Plus gimme some more of Roselyn Sanchez's dancing moves. It is trully a wasted potential.

First Viewed: With Roger at home in Doha.

Rating- 1.5 *

Serenity (2005)

I'm a fan of the TV series. I like the space-cowboy concept, 500 years into the future & yet no aliens around to bother humanity. By now you'd have figured out that I like this movie too. It doesn't fail to deliver. There's plenty for everyone. Good writing, humour and action (though Firefly-viewing is a definite pre-requisite to appreciate this movie). & at the most, this movie seems like an extended episode of the mini-series with a slightly higher budget.

The relationships have been explored further. There's growth and acceptability within the characters. There were minuses with over-the-top hamming and stale plotline; (though it was in line with the series, it did seem a waste to lose some brilliant characters). The amazing thing about Joss Whedon is he's not afraid to cripple, maim, or kill off characters. Shepherd Book's mystery was left a mystery. & Washburn's death was a BIG shock.

All in all, this movie ranks high cause of the TV series, the vivid imagination, the generic goodness of human nature in infinite space. & a tight-slap across Fox network's face; cause you just 'Can't stop the signal'.

Favourite scenes include: all scences with the Mal-Inara tension, the Pulse beacon decoy, River's scene at the bar & with the reavers.

Alternate Ending: I felt that Mr Universe was being given too much respect with that burial. I would certainly want Book's mystery solved.

First Viewed: Alone at home in Nerul.

Rating- 3.5*

El secreto de sus ojos (2009)

I'm not familiar with Argentinian cinema, so this was my first acquaintance with director, writer and actors. The Academy Award nomination was the reason which attracted me to this movie. & it was a delight to watch. It was story-telling with it's own liberties of judgement, relationships and pace. I loved the portrayal of age...25 years of growth. & the dialogues were good. "Angel in mourning"; "4 bullets"; "Te Mo/ Te Amo". The movie did remind me of Irreversible; because of the themes... but I liked this one's ending more. It reiterates the same, Is vigilantism ever justified? The characters are complicated, interesting, believable, flawed, funny, tragic and deeply human. The plot is well executed, casting was excellent, the camera-work was superbly accurate to express the sadness, humour, fear and romance of different situations of characters. The drunkard friend steals the show several times. I knew that Morales (the husband) was lying about having killed Gómez. I could really see it in his eyes (as says the title).

Favourite scenes include: The photo album scene with the husband, the football stadium scene, the interogation, the elevator scene and the climax.

Alternate Ending: Nah, I wouldn't change it.

First Viewed: Alone at home in Doha.

Rating- 3.5*

Up in the air (2009)

I was unsure about what the hype was all about. The pre-Oscar buzz, the film-festival awards; all for a George Clooney movie? Yes, I did enjoy the trailer very much; so I had the movie on my to-watch list. There was plenty of honesty dripping from the start of the movie. I seem to enjoy bluntless & there were several of my favourite themes in this movie. The monologues, the grey-shaded central characters, the slick one-liner conversations, the facts & counterfacts; & a fine ball of yarn.... I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. & yes, Mr Clooney carries it off well. It's very tongue-in-cheek and modern. & it's got plenty of giggles. & I'm glad that the makers didn't try to sugar-coat the ending. Too bad the movie didn't win the Golden Globes except for the screenplay.

Favourite scenes include: Steve's firing, exchanging of flight schedules, each of the photo-shoots, Natalie's breakdown on being dumped, the ideal match discussion, 'Call me when you're lonely', the last monologue.

Alternate Ending: The buildup to the climax was cliched. Yes, I know the typical heartbreaking stuff is brilliant. & I am very satisfied with it. Thankfully they didn't pin Clooney as the mile-high playboy. But I would have put him at peace with his loneliness, not confused staring at the destination board.

First Viewed: With Roger at home in Doha.

Rating-3.5*

Did You Hear About the Morgans (2009)

I was watching a Hugh Grant movie after over 5 years... & I still smile at his performance in LoveActually. But I've grown to get annoyed of his unchanging mannerisms. & SJP... The ONLY thing I liked her was in a few episodes of SATC. Keeping aside all my prejudices, (& coerced by Roger) I sat down to watch DYHATM. & in 7 hours I had already forgotten most of the movie. All of the movie was revealed in its trailer & didn't have much imagination to encash on the out-of-towners pitch. The characters lacked chemistry and what could have been a 10 minute short-film seemed to be dragged on for 90 mins.

Favourite scenes include: The nurse/waitress/fire-assistant stupidity, the assistants, the log-cutting scene, the cow-milking scene.

Alternate Ending: The primary characters were so undimensional, that I was rooting for their assistants. I'd love a parallel story-line as I found them far more interesting. & also, a few more appearances by the bear would have been funny.

First Viewed: With Roger at home in Doha.

Rating- 1.5*

Harry Potter and the Half-blood prince (2009)

I had finished the book in three days, so I knew there was a lot of pages to cover in 2.5 hours. & I knew this was the book that focussed on the budding romances. So, I was expecting a lot more in the young love section. The effects was the usual, nothing extra. The was so much more in the book that was seriously missed. This was a really poor screenplay of a good book. There were the funny moments, & they were liked. But there's nothing more I can take from this one. All the story-telling's left to next two of the series.

Favourite scenes include: The Library scene, the Xmas dinner, The cave fight.

Alternate Ending: There's so much stuff missing here that I can't list them all. I can't go against the book, but I certainly wanted a bit more chemistry between the young pairs. & ya, the half-Blood part not even explained in the movie !!

First Viewed: Alone at home in Doha.

Rating-2.5

Monsters (2010)

I came across this movie by sheer chance. There was some praise for it on the imdb circuit, & there was plenty of abuse too. I decided to give it a try without trying to find out anything about it. I still had 'District 9' in my mind when I had read the tagline on the movie-poster.

The movie starts off with a blurry middle-of-the-night attack captured on night-vision camera & I immediately hoped it wasn't a Cloverfield-ripoff. That's the problem with monster-movies these days... everything seems to have already been done & dusted. Original material is immensely difficult to come by. Ok, moving on.. the next scene explains the plot - our leading man had to escort his boss's daughter to safety from an alien-infested zone. Simple plot; & not much time wasted on getting the pitch on the road. Quickly the little gestures fed in the back-story; most of the story-telling was of the 'blink-n-you-miss-it' variety. The hints of a blooming romance amidst the dangers of a battlefield...

I gave this movie a slightly higher ranking, just because of the start & the end; & how they both are the same.

Favourite scenes include: the drunken flirting, the Incan pyramid detour, the beginning-is-the-end twist.

Alternate Ending: The question whether the aliens really attack the rescue-team remains unanswered. Or did the heroine die because of the air-bombings ?? It really was a clever way to show the end at the start of the movie, so that the audience leave with a happy thought at the end of the movie. This I think was fabulous; & wouldn't change it at all.

First Viewed: Alone at Harborne in Parramatta.

Rating-3

Couples Retreat (2009)

This could have been a very funny movie; & it did have the cast, the situations and the characters to make a very funny movie...but, it disappoints. I could count the times I smiled, on my thumbs. It was a forced attempt to string a few jokes together alongwith two-piece bikinis. A trully wasted oppurtunity. A first it seemed like an extension to 'the Break Up(2006)' (will talk about that later). Jean Reno was the only funny bit in that movie; & I found him amusing mainly because of his accent and ponytail.

The rating is just for the locales. Tahiti... yumm!

Favourite scenes include: The Yoga scene; The massage scene... THAT'S IT.

Alternate Ending: This one needs a lot of alteration... but if I had to alter the last 15 mins, I would spend all of it in Eden East !! Yumm!! This one falls in the sad_but_true category of life... so the Ultra-positive ending is a bit too nauseating.

First Viewed: With friends at home in Doha.

Rating-2

The Italian Job (2003)

A second viewing of the same movie left me dissatisfied. & I hadn't even seen the 1969 original in the meanwhile. Maybe I was in a much better mood during the first viewing. or maybe in a less jovial mood during the second. I couldn't digest several things; and I have a high measuring point for con-movies & heist flicks. But this one doesn't qualify for that elite category, does it?

Italy features in only first 20 mins of the movie. & the Mini Cooper could have been used a lot more effectively. There certainly are several reasons why I did enjoy the movie, Seth Green; the cool opening heist; the ultra cool Mini. The only reason I gave it a better rating was because of the chase sequences made without using any CGI. Ed Norton sleep-walked through most of the movie; but that was adequetely compensated by the fast-paced screenplay.

Favourite scenes include: The Venice chase scene; The Napster reference; 'Lost the element of surprise'

Alternate Ending: C'mon, could we see some more of Skinny Pete & the Ukrainians. & A lot more Charlize Theron in a mini, or a micro..

First Viewed: With Kunal on DVD in Brighton.

Rating-3

His Girl Friday (1940)

I had certain expectations from this movie. I had heard of Cary Grant's work in 'My favourite Wife' & was expecting similar humour and fun from this one. But calling this one a screwball comedy is over-optimistic. Agreed, the fast paced dialogue did get a lot of my attention; & so did the shrewdness of the lead characters. Tit for tat, a long game of ping & pong. I was rooting for a kiss so many times.

I knew how it was gonna end; I knew it before I pressed the play button. So I was trying hard to find a funny moment that would stick with me for a while.

Favourite scenes include: The lunch date; Pettibone's stupidity.

Alternate Ending: Is asking for a kiss too much? & I found Molly Malloy's suicide attempt to divert attention a bit too much. That could be done away with.

First Viewed: Alone at home in Doha.

Rating-2

Inglourius Basterds (2009)

QT. I applaud that guy. I'm a fan of his sadistic creations, because it's so much 'in-your-face' & yet 'detailed-slow-background'. Now there's a maniac who uses the sarcasm mark to perfection. The blood, the gore, antithesis of emotions, The pace and culmination of threads.

I wasn't sure of this movie at first. It was there on my list-of-movies-to-see for a long time, but I took my sweet time to get to it.

The ensemble cast; the revenge-story; the anti-hero; the suave back-stories (that's all classic QT); add to the mixture an alternate-history ending; and simmer in a slow-flame to get a pungent aroma. I had to multi-task for Two-Thirds of the movie; I had to distract myself to look at the subtitles alongwith the scenes unfolding on screen. I don't know if I liked or disliked that. Then there's a flood of homage pieces. So there was this additional thread running in my mind trying to appreciate all these references. & the cameos !! I don't know what to think of the cameos.

Highlights of the movie include Christoph Waltz (the Jew-Hunter), Melanie Laurent (Shosanna getting ready in the red dress in the begining of chapter 5) and The grin on Aldo Raine's face (poor opinion on Pitt's acting though). But that's it. It's a long dragged out movie, which had me peeping at my wristwatch several times. Plus, there were yawns.

Favourite scenes include: Frederick trying to chat up Emmanuelle/Shosanna; The Italian stuntmen/cameramen.

Alternate Ending: The all-out firing at Hitler could have been done away with; or a twist in the story about Hitler's body-double.

First Viewed: With friends at home in Doha.

Rating-3

Fight Club (1999)

Mischief.Mayhem.Soap.

A travelling insomniac who gets his kicks by attending multiple support groups meets a handsome soap-saleman & then moves in with him. Classic pitch for dramedy with gay overtones. But that's not how this movie begins... it begins with the narrator getting the taste of gun-metal in his mouth (wink wink) while he's being tortured by the twisted saleman. I am Jack's bewildered brain.

Tyler Durden is irresistable. He's straightforward, he is charming; he is the unfiltered consciousness that probes into the moral system. The mirror that shouts out the ugly truths. The guy who knows the solution. For whom the physical combat and pain was a vent. The narration builds up the scenes beautifully and the audience is virtually as lost as the insomniac. The in-your-face violence and edge-of-the-seat suspense brings to front a brutal but brilliant masterpiece. All 3 of the main characters are very believable and obscene.

The performances were career bests according to me. & I really liked the blunt coming-of-age approach for all the anger and desperation of this generation.

ooooh, the dialogues, really juicy quotes all throughout the movie; I love:
- This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time.
- On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.
- The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club.
- If I did have a tumor, I'd name it Marla.
- I am Jack's raging bile duct.
- The movie goes on... & nobody in the audience has any idea.

Favourite scenes include: the IKEA ad, the first fight, the stylish plans of Project Mayhem, the hotel-room scene of realisation, the awesome ending.

Alternate Ending: The bullethole in the cheek was way too much. That guy really had gone overboard. & the space-monkeys were too obedient. I'd like Blondie to do more. & Marla lost her seductive edge towards the end, I'd like to change that. The rebellion against consumerism was left unclimaxed, but then again, there really can never be a satisfactory answer.

First Viewed: with Kunal, on DVD in Brighton.

Rating-3.5*

(HINT: Tilt your screen back)

Donnie Darko (2001)

When I first watched Donnie Darko, at that time I didn't quite understand what was meant by 'Cult-cinema'. Was it cinema that preached to a section of movie-goers? Was it cinema targeted to Emo-folks and Goths? My first viewing of DD left me in the exact same way that it left most of cult-fans of this movie. My words had dried up, & I knew I was gonna think about the movie for several nights. Subsequent viewings of the movie made me fall in love with the characters and the muddled story-telling. I'm a sucker for multiple intwined story-lines. & here was a movie with a single story but with several diverse viewpoints.

The best viewpoint, I felt, was that of the science-teacher who gave Sparrow's book to Donnie. I could easily have an entire sequel/spin-off based on half-a-dozen of those brilliantly written characters.

For a moment I forget that this a science-fiction story to do with tangent universes and time-travel. The time-travel aspect is so subtle on the screen, that most audiences miss the point. Drama, Thriller, horror, existentialist, sci-fiction... this movie really spans all these genres. The retro look, the amazing musical score, the satire ... all add to a classic mindfcuk movie about how fate binds our actions. I'm not going to interpret the movie for you, view it yourself.

I enjoyed the entire movie, from start to end; Fav scenes include:
- Donnie grinning at the rising sun.
- Gretchen choosing to sit next to Donnie.
- All the scenes with Donnie & his therapist Thurman.
- the first walk-home with Gretchen
- Donnie's promise to Cherita, that one day, everything's going to be better. That's nothing short of a superhero.

Fav dialogues:
28 days... 6 hours... 42 minutes... 12 seconds.
why are you wearing that stupid man suit?
Deus ex machina... our saviour.

I don't care DD gathered under $5million at the BoxOffice... its a far superior movie than most, with plenty of soul. No wonder it ranks high on maximum 'My Fav Movies' lists around the world.

Alternate Ending: This one is so open to interpretation, that it doesn't really end anywhere. Maybe the 'Dream' state could have been detailed.

First Viewed: with Yuvraj at a cinema theatre in Brighton.

Rating-4.5*

Hudson Hawk (1991)

I like a lot of Bruce Willis' movies. So when I found out that he had written the story for the Action-Adventure movie called Hudson Hawk, I had to watch it.

Plus I had already anticipated Willis to carry forward his persona as David Addison (Moonlighting) into this unrealistic slapstick of a movie.
Enter Eddie Hawk, a burgler exiting from prison & being blackmailed into commiting another heist; an attractive nun whom he unknowingly falls for... & a deviant psycho-couple who want ultimate world-domination. Mash into the story some clever tale about DaVinci turning lead into gold & some ultra-bad CIA crooks, & U get some hilarious scenarios.

Moments that I seriously enjoyed: the song & dance routine during the burglery, the desperate attempts to enjoy a cappuccino, the classic wise-cracks (Good Yogi!!), the Mona Lisa smile, The Mario bro with the needles in his face, riding the ambulance cart on the Brooklyn bridge (with exact change!!), Punks in the CIA (MTV-IA), The Villian's intro, the cushion after the ethyl Chloride cappuccino, the paralytic darts scene.... plenty of laughs throughout the movie.

Silly dialogues that I loved:
- No sweat Tommy, you made the biggest mistake of my life.
- (The Damsel in Distress): I got bored so I saved myself.
- I'll torture you so slowly, you'll think it's a career.
- Looks like you won't be attending that hat convention in July.

Alternate Ending: Maybe I would have left it more open-ended; with Sister Anna returning to her church; & Hawk falling head over heels over her bombshell twin. Keeping Tommy alive left a sour taste in my mouth... either kill him off or not have him take the limo-plunge at all. & yes, I too would have ended with a cup of cappuccino.

First Viewed: with Friends at home in Doha.

Did it deserve the Razzie Awards for Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Picture; maybe... but that certainly won't be wiping the goofy grin off The Hawk!!

Rating-3*

Avatar (2009)

I loved the honest fingerpointing. Depicting the Big-Brother status of USA in the brutally selfish RDA Corporation. Mining for precious Unobtanium without care for the well-being of locals! I had prepared myself for an uninterupted 2hr40min joy-ride; with caramel popcorn et al. Unfortunately I couldn't get me a 3D/IMAX version of the movie...but I consoled myself that an extra dimension is just a overrated gimmick. The back-story was very childish - Pandora (the moon for Planet Polyphemus!!) being mined 200 years in the future by Marines and Contract Engineers! a bio-neural network of trees; & the Avatar program !! remote controlled DNA hybrids; & yet, Jake Sully's leg operation is too expensive... is this where Sci-Fi heading towards?

The botonist-cum-socialworker teaching Na'vi natives English! (puhleeese!) Grace's role (Sigourney's looking real old) on Pandora remains undigested. Maybe the intent was not explained properly. & the main-story: A guys acceptance of a new culture, as he romances the beautiful princess, amidst a visually-stunning habitat - HAH.. double HAH! A very predictable plotline (except I had expected even the Sacred Trees to rise up & fight.. a la LOTR2); the roles of the pilot Trudy, the Colonel, the anthropologist friend and the Na'vi prince seem sleep-written, drowned in cliches. The dialogues didn't even amuse. 30mins into the movie I felt that the extra dimension surely would have made it a bit more palatable.

The saving grace; which earned all my stars for the movie: the unearthly imagination for the Pandoran flora & fauna. The colours, the imagery, the landscapes, the night-lights... awesome.

Moments that I seriously enjoyed: the intro to the floating Hallelujah mountain; the giant carnivore scene; the flying touch-me-nots.

Alternate Ending: I didn't like Trudy's death; I'd want her to be taking back the banished humans back to Earth. I'd also want GiovanniRibisi to get punched in the face by the Dr/Scientist. Yeah... there's not much that can be changed in this straight-forward naration.

First Viewed: with Friends & Colleagues at a cinema theatre in Doha.

Quoting RGV - "One can argue that one has seen better films than Avatar; but nobody can dispute that one has seen a film like Avatar."
Rating-3.