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