THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (2012)

If you ask me to describe the theme of this movie in one word, its optimism. As Sonny (Dev Patel) says in the movie 'In the end everything is all right, and if its not all right, its not the end', which is less of India and more of a Bollywood theme if you ask me, the movie is about people looking for a new future in a completely unfamiliar land. If we gather a bunch of old folks who feel unwanted in their own home and put them together in a hotel for retired in a far away land, would that turn out to be an interesting story? Well somewhat yes.

Seven British old people with stories of their own travel to India to stay in a hotel called "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel", run by Sonny, which is a popular attraction to old and retired people. These seven include Evelyn Greenslade (Judi Dench), a widow who is selling her house to pay off her husband's debts, Douglas and Jean Ainslie (Bill Nighly and Penelope Wilton), husband and wife who can't afford bungalows, Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith) and old racist wanting a hip surgery soon, Graham Dashwood (Tom Wilkinson), a high court judge and the only one among the seven who has lived in and known India and wants to make peace with his past, Norman Cousins (Ronald Pickup), much aged man but still wants to feel young again and Madge Hardcastle (Celie Imrie), a woman with many unsuccessful marriages. They all are surprised to see that hotel is not exactly what they had in mind.

                                                                 Sonny and Evelyn

The whole cast is veterans who are master at their craft. The story is interesting and not great but the good performances somewhat overpower the shortcomings of the story.

My verdict:
Completely performance driven, this is a good movie and i liked it.

Who should watch?
I would say watch it only if you like drama movies with performances that brilliantly reflect true human emotions. But if you do not want to see a bunch of old people crying over their past, present and future, i would say skip it.

Movie info.:
Genre - Drama, Comedy
Director -John Madden
Stars - Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighly, Penelope Wilton, Dev Patel, Tom Wilkinson, Ronald Pickup, Celie Imrie
Country - UK
Language - English, Hindi
Runtime - 124 minutes

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER (2012)

Its hard to describe what i exactly felt after watching this one. Its a mixed bag of laughter, heart break, friendship and affection. All of this combined with totally incredible performances its a brilliant story of a troubled boy without a social life and friends. I was blown away by Logan Lerman's performance as Charlie.

Charlie is an introvert and is anxious about making friends at his first day of high school. But soon he makes friends with two seniors Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller) and eventually blends into their vivacity. He is enthusiastic about being a writer and Sam suggests him to write about their friendship. Charlie begins to see the world from their eyes and we slowly come to know about these three friends as the story uncovers their life of present and past.

                                                                           The trio

My verdict:
I loved the three characters and the movie is nothing short of phenomenal. Watching the extraordinary performances was not surprising as most of these actors have already proved their worth in their respective previous movies (Emma Watson in "Harry Potter" series and Ezra Miller in "We Need to Talk About Kevin") and this movie is surely a feather in their cap. Logan Lerman's performance is probably one of the finest performance from this year in my opinion.


Who should watch?
Just watch it, no matter what kind of movies you like, this one will surely appeal you.

Movie info.:
Genre - Drama, Romance
Director - Stephen Chbosky
Stars - Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 102 minutes

SINISTER (2012)

This years another horror movie recycled from other movies. But luckily this one actually works. Its worth watching because of its believable performances, story and some good jump scares. The movie makes use of all the tricks and techniques to make you jump out of your seat and succeeds at most of them.

Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke), a true-crime writer moves to a new house with his wife and two children in order to write a story on the murders that took place there so as to revive the success of his one hit wonder novel. Some of his last novels were not a success and led to a bad financial condition. In the attic Ellison finds a box with snuff movies made by a killer who had been killing since the 1960s. Ellison starts watching these tapes and one of them is of the murder that took place in his house. He slowly realizes that these are not just any ordinary murders, they are related to something far more terrifying.

                                                  Ellison viewing the tapes of horror

My verdict:
I had a good time watching this one. Its not great, but its scary, just like Insidious.

Who should watch?
Its a decent horror flick for horror fans, but don't expect it to be like Paranormal Activity.

Movie info.:
Genre - Horror, Thriller
Director - Scott Derrickson
Stars - Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, James Ransome
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 110 minutes

PITCH PERFECT (2012)

This is an interesting teen comedy and musical. It stars Anna Kendrick and Skylar Astin in the lead roles and they are main reason why i loved it. Its completely fun and entertaining musical and all the girls and guys in the singing-groups were confident and hilarious.

The movie revolves around Beca, a freshman in the Barden University. She wants to be a music producer and has no interest in college but joins on her fathers advice. There she joins an all-girl acappella  group called Bellas who had a pretty bad experience last year in the competition which included defeat from the boys group Treble Makers from the same college. The Bellas' leader Aubrey and Chloe have a rule that no girl can ever date a Treble Maker. The contemporary singing style of Beca clashes with Aubrey's customary style and song selection which produces some tension in the group. Beca also starts hanging out with Jesse, a Treble Maker, which leads to some serious trouble within the group.

                                                                    Jesse and Beca

Its a wonderful movie with toe tapping musical performances and likeable characters. The best performance in my opinion was definitely Anna Kendricks'. There are some extremely funny moments in the movie but not only that, movie also has a good storyline and an engaging cast which sets it apart from the regular teen comedies.

My verdict:
Its engaging, charming and fun-filled musical with energy and excitement. Its hilariously entertaining and everything that regular boring teen movies miss out.

Who should watch?
There is nothing in the movie to dislike. Its filled with charismatic and funny performances so i recommend this to everyone.

Movie info.:
Genre - Comedy, Music
Director - Jason Moore
Stars - Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Rebel Wilson
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 112 minutes

KILLER JOE (2012)

Right after this movie ended, the first thing i said was "What the hell did i just watch?". This movie is another surprise from William Friedkin (one of my favorite director). Last time he surprised me with "Bug" and now with this twisted tale of a killer. Its probably the most weird movie i saw this whole year.

Chris Smith (Emile Hirsch) who is under a big debt plans to kill his mother and receive her insurance money of fifty thousand dollars whose sole beneficiary is Chris's sister Dottie (Juno Temple). Chris, his father Ansel (Thomas Haden Church) and stepmother Sharla (Gina Gershon) together decide to hire Joe Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a police detective who has a side job of a contract killer. Joe asks for twenty five thousand dollars as his fee but since Chris could only pay after his mother was dead, he agrees with Joe to have him keep Dottie as "retainer" but things don't go as planned.

                                                       Chris, Sharla, Ansel and Dottie

                                                                        Killer Joe

McConaughey as a sadistic killer Joe was perfect and the dark humor and lurid moments are shocking yet entertaining.

My verdict:
This a sick and twisted movie but still it was hard to take my eyes off the screen because it was equally entertaining. Its not a great movie but its different, so you either love it or hate it. In my case i was somewhere near loving it.

Who should watch?
Its filled with gruesome violence, nudity and sexual perversion and its hard to recommend it to someone that easily. Its really about taking a chance, but if you think you can handle it all at once then you might end up liking it.

Movie info.:
Genre - Crime, Drama, Thriller
Director - William Friedkin
Stars - Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Gina Gershon, Thomas Haden Church
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 102 minutes

FRANKENWEENIE (2012)

Another wonderful stop-motion animated movie this year. Directed by Tim Burton in his familiar fashion, Frankenweenie pays homage to the very old horror classics. It is also a remake to the short film by Tim from 1984 of the same name. Entirely in black and white, the movie is about a boy and his love for the dog who dies accidentally. He decides to bring his dog back to life through science and his innocence and naivety obscures the fact that there is a thin line between the use of good and bad science.

Victor Frankenstein is a young scientist who lives in a town called New Holland. He spends most of his time away from other children of his age, secluded in his attic and working on his inventions. Sparky, his dog and only friend is the one who accompanies him in the attic and when in the backyard he likes to gaze at the pet poodle living in the neighbor's yard. His accidental death leaves Victor heartbroken but when he learns from his science teacher Mr. Rzykruski that dead can be brought back to life with the use of electricity, he sets out to bring back Sparky to life unaware of the consequences.

                                                        Mr. Rzykruski and his class.

My verdict:
This mesmerizing black and white movie has a colorful heart and visual appeal. I loved its manner of storytelling which is sensitive and captivating and its a sheer delight to watch how the story unfolds. Another wonderful animation gift this year.

Who should watch?
This movie has everything to make it a fascinating viewing and has a little surprise in it for everyone. If you have watched previous Tim Burton's stop-motion animation then you probably know what i am talking about. If you didn't like those, then perhaps this wont appeal you either.

Movie info.:
Genre - Animation, Horror
Director - Tim Burton
Stars - Charlie Tahan, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau (voices)
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 87 minutes

10 TIMER TIL PARADIS (TEDDY BEAR) (2012)

10 Timer Til Paradis ("10 hours to paradise") is a Danish drama film released by the name "Teddy Bear" in English speaking countries. It follows the story of a bodybuilder in his 30s who is in search of true love. But due to his timid nature he finds it hard to date girls. The movie is not only about search of love but also about growing up and finding a life.

Dennis (Kim Kold) is a 38 year old bodybuilder who lives with his mother. His modest and shy nature has made it hard for him to find a girlfriend and with his anxious mother who does not want to part from his son and always keeps reminding of him of his responsibilities towards her has made Dennis's life bound to his home and he is bereft of freedom of living his own life on his own terms. The time when he feels his freedom is when he works out along with a friend in the gym. When his uncle gets married to a Thai girl he met in Thailand, he recommends Dennis also to go to Thailand and search for a girl. When Dennis reaches Thailand he realizes his search for a girl is not easy but he soon finds someone he feels is right for him.

                                                                  Dennis and Toi

My verdict:
The movie is a heart touching story and role of Dennis played by Kim is wonderfully acted. It is very simple yet complex in terms of emotionality. This moving piece of drama shows that love knows no bounds and one can find love anywhere. I was really moved by this movie.

Who should watch?
If you like drama and art movies that like to explore many shades of emotions, watch this movie.

Movie info.:
Genre - Drama
Director - Mads Matthiesen
Stars - Kim Kold, Lamaiporn Hougaard
Country - Denmark
Language - Danish, Thai, English
Runtime - 92 minutes

PARANORMAN (2012)

Paranorman is the second stop motion 3D horror movie from Laika stop motion animation studio (first being Coraline). Coraline (2009) was a fantastic movie and consecutively Laika studio has produced another animated marvel. Paranorman makes use of pretty much the same basic animation technique of Coraline but the story is completely different with a boy named Norman as protagonist.

Norman is a young boy with the ability to see and talk with the dead ghosts and spirits. He is often misunderstood and ignored by his family, especially his father and is bullied at school, mostly by Alvin, a big school bully. While practicing for a school play based on their town's 300 old past about a witch's execution, Norman has a horrifying vision and soon he comes to know from his Uncle, who like Norman can also talk with the dead, that the town is going to be haunted by the witch's curse once again and the dead will rise from their graves. So Norman ventures out on an adventure to stop this along with his sister Courtney, friend Neil and his brother Mitch and the school bully Alvin.

                                                              The adventure troop.

The movie's solid script and humor had me surprised and laughing all the way. I loved each and every character, especially Alvin the bully. I will surely watch it again all over again!

My verdict:
This movie is remarkably voiced and beautifully animated. This years one of the best animated movie.

Who should watch?
This movie is for everyone who likes animation and humor and will entertain people of all ages. Sit back and enjoy the ride!

Movie info.:
Genre - Animation, Comedy, Horror, Adventure
Director - Chris Butler, Sam Fell
Stars - Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck (voices)
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 92 minutes

THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN (2012)

As the name suggests, this movie IS odd. I remember reading a review saying this movie is so sweet it will give you a tooth ache. Well this movie is definitely way too sentimental but it does not mean its miserable. When a child is a little different, either in perspective or appearance, the parents' fear of having their child isolated from the society forces them to push him into blending with the society. But that's not the case with Timothy Green's parents. They are more than proud of Timothy and instead of having him as perfect, they want his childhood to be perfect.

The movie is directed by Peter Hedges (Writer of What's Eating Gilbert Grape). It begins with a married couple, Cindy (Jennifer Garner) and Jim Green (Joel Edgerton), telling their story of how they found Timothy Green (CJ Adams), when they were going through a depression after knowing that they will never be able to become parents. Timothy is a normal young boy with a little difference, he has leaves growing from his ankles. Not only this, he is also very bright and spirited as compared to children of his age. Cindy and Jim take him into their house and start raising him as their own. They hide his leaves with socks but what they can't hide is his cheerful and lively nature which either impresses some or gets him in trouble.

                                                                  The Green family

There is so much wrong with this movie, but it all feels right because the main theme is about parents loving their children no matter what. And it does not matter that this movie deals it with magic and miracles, in fact it was nice to see a movie about parenting from a different outlook.

My verdict:
I liked this sentimental piece of drama and despite being too sweet, the good acting from the leads and the warm touch of the story makes it worth watching.

Who should watch?
If you want to watch an emotional tear jerker with a few good laughs, this is for you. But if you get bored by sentimental movies where things happen easily and happily, better skip it.

Movie info.:
Genre - Drama, Comedy
Director - Peter Hedges
Stars - Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, CJ Adams.
Country -USA
Language - English
Runtime - 105 minutes

CHRONICLE (2012)

This little movie caught my attention after i heard some positive reviews about it and gave it a chance and Whoa! what a surprise it turned out to be. It is a hand held camera found footage type of movie about three guys who find telekinetic powers. They are just normal guys, not like superman, who understands his powers and can control them and knows limits. They are just regular guys with troubles and tribulations of their lives. But this sudden surge of power comes as a test which will determine who will make it and who will break it.

Directed by Josh Trank the movie is about three guys, Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHan), a troubled young college guy suffering from bullying, verbal and physical abuse of his father along with a cancer suffering mother, Matt Garetty (Alex Russell), Andrews cousin and Steve Montgomery (Michael B. Jordan), Matt's friend and a popular college guy. Fate brings them together at a right time and a right place where they acquire these super powers from an unknown thing and now its time to make their own place and identity in this world, and also to show off the powers! But its said that with power comes responsibility, but if we are neglectful, life takes a toll on itself. We see the whole movie through the eyes of Andrew's camera which he begins to use to record his distressed life life.

                                             The three superheroes, Andrew, Steve and Matt.

This movie is a surprise package. The kind of concept that this movie has could have easily been ruined by a bad direction but the wise choice of of the director for sticking to the original human side made this movie a fascinating adventure film. The performances are also admirable by the three leads especially Dane DeHan who plays the role of an angered and frustrated teenager with brilliance.

My verdict:
I had a great time watching this movie, it has some real original, exciting and nail biting story to offer. I especially loved how despite being a sci-fi, it stuck to reality so well. Its not a sci fi masterpiece but if you want to have a good time watching a nice movie, i say this movie gets the job done!

Who should watch?
I would recommend this movie to everyone!

Movie info.:
Genre - Sci-fi, Adventure, Thriller
Director - Josh Trank
Stars - Dane DeHan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 84 minutes

LIFE OF PI (2012)

 

Yann Martel's fantasy novel "Life of Pi", released in 2001, was called as "unfilmable", but Ang Lee has made impossible possible. As i sat in the movie theater wearing my 3D glasses, the movie began and within the very first five minute i had an intuitive feeling that i was going to watch something very profound. And i was not wrong. Life of Pi is based on an Indian boy named Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel (interesting name with an interesting story) who survived for 227 days in the sea after a shipwreck.

Directed by Ang Lee (won oscar for "Brokeback Mountain") the movie begins when Pi (Irrfan Khan) is around in his 40's living in Canada and is approached by a writer who wants to write a novel on his life and also wishes to "find God" from it. Pi narrates him his story beginning from his childhood when he lived in Pondicherry, India, which used to be under the French when the whole India was under British Raj. Pi was named Piscine Molitor by his father after a famous swimming pool in France, but was constantly made fun of due to his name similar to "pissing". He one day decides to change his name to Pi and from that day he becomes as irrational as the value of Pi. After his father's zoo goes broke, his family decides to move to Canada with all the zoo animals but their ship gets wrecked in the sea and the one that survives is Pi with a Bengal tiger in his lifeboat.

                                                    Irrfan Khan as Pi narrating his story.

                                                                Tabu as Pi's mother.

The 3D use in the movie is completely new unlike any movie i have seen before. The most important part in the movie is 3D itself which is not used in the movie to bring out its special effects, but to actually bring out the story which requires a deep visualization. A 16 year old boy lost in sea, on top of that he is in a boat with a tiger who can eat him any minute. There is a scene in the movie when Pi tells his father 'I saw soul in the tiger's eyes', to which his gets angered and shows him the tiger eat a deer mercilessly, proving his point that a tiger is an animal without a soul. Pi many times disagreed to his fathers morals but now, the only survival skills he has left were taught to him by his father. He never finds himself alone in the sea, he sees the tiger not as his enemy but as his "reason to survive", a reason which keeps him aware of himself. The 16 year old Pi is played by Suraj Sharma, a phenomenal actor whose performance had me astounded. The other fascinating thing was the amazing beauty of the sea that was captured on screen. The sea at night looked like a sheet of stars and in the morning like a velvet blue cloth, and the movie boasts of its astonishing camera work and jaw dropping special effects which made this movie one of a kind experience. I think this is one of the most innovative film of the past few years and sure to grab a whole lot of awards and nominations.

My verdict:
This movie was an astounding experience with a brilliant performance, special effects and story. Close to perfection, this movie is probably the most memorable film of this year.

Who should watch?
The movie is a must watch for everyone in 3D. But you can't enjoy this movie if you don't have any patience. If you go and watch 3D movies expecting them to be like The Avengers, then this is probably not a movie for you.

Movie info.:
Genre - Adventure, Drama
Director - Ang Lee
Stars - Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Adil Hussain, Ayush Tandon, Gautam Belur, Rafe Spall
Country - USA
Language - English, Tamil, French
Runtime - 127 minutes

THE HUNGER GAMES (2012)

From the very first day i heard there was a movie coming called "The Hunger games", i was curious to know what the movie was about. I came to know its based on a young adult novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. The novel had received some criticism for being similar to "Battle Royale", a Japanese movie that i saw few years back. I was slightly let down to know that because the movie was almost similar to an already well known film. But my interest was again revived after i heard the young main cast was going to be Jennifer Lawrence (oscar nominated for Winter's Bone) in the role of the protagonist Katniss Everdeen and Josh Hutcherson (brilliant in Bridge to Terabithia) as Peeta Mellark.

The movie is directed by Gary Ross (oscar nominated for Seabiscuit). Set in the nation of Panem (a nation with a rich city Capitol and 12 poor districts) which saw an uprising from these 12 districts many years back, the movie follows the life of Katniss Everdeen and how she ended up in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are an annual event which are held by the Capitol as a punishment for the districts for the rebellion. 12 boys and 12 girls between the ages of 12 and 18 are selected from each district to represent their district in the Hunger Games as "tributes", which is a game of "fight to the death" with the last surviving person as the winner. From the District 12, Katniss and Peeta are selected in the process of selection called "The Reaping". The Hunger Games are not just any games, they are highly popular among the people of Capitol and it is viewed on television like a normal reality program.

                                                                   Katniss and Peeta

                                     Happy Hunger Games! May the odds be ever in your favor.

The movie is made on the first novel of the trilogy. The most remarkable thing about the movie is how it completely makes us believe in the unsettling and brutal side of humans. And i loved how the movie mocks the ever increasing inhumaneness of this world. The fictional world created is also fascinating which shows the ostentatious society of dolled up people of the Capitol. Though the movie is similar to the concept of "Battle Royale", its completely different in execution with more emphasize on the human side.

My verdict:
This a pretty cool and entertaining movie which keeps us guessing what will happen next even though we might know what is coming. I loved the performance by the two leads and also the amazing Woody Harrelson in the role of their mentor for the Games. Overall the movie is gripping and lived up to my expectations.

Who should watch?
If you are a sci-fi and fiction lover you are definitely going to like it but if you easily get distracted or impatient from the movies with unconventional ideas or themes this not for you.

Movie info.:
Genre - Fantasy, Adventure, Action
Director - Gary Ross
Stars - Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 142 minutes

BRAVE (2012)

Previous Pixar Animation Studio's animated feature Cars 2 was a disappointment for the crazy fans of animation like me and wondered if had Pixar lost its touch. And then came much anticipated Brave which wiped out all the doubts and made me realize Pixar can still do its thing.

The movie is set in a time in Scotland when kings and magic were in fashion. The king Fergus gifts her young daughter Princess Merida with a bow on her birthday. Afterwards the clan is terrorized by an out of control ferocious bear whom Fergus defeats but looses his one leg. Soon archery becomes Merida's passion and gives her sense of freedom as she grows up. But when her mother decides for her to get married Merida's hopes are shattered and she rudely rejects the offer. But nonetheless the three clans from all over Scotland come in order to win Merida's hand for their young princes. Furious Merida leaves the castle and goes to the nearby forest where she meets a wood carver who turns out to be a witch. Merida asks her for a potion that could change her mother's opinions and so begins a story of adventure, bravery, compassion and morals.

                                                       The Royal Dunbroch family.

The movie's animation is top notch, something that Pixar is master at and the story is also brilliant in many ways. The story has the right amount of humor and heart which makes this movie a definite watch.


My verdict:
The movie is not groundbreaking like previous Pixar movies but it still lives up to Pixar standards and is magnificent in its own. The good thing about the movie is it does not forces its morals on us but lets itself slowly prove the meaning and significance of moral values.

Who should watch?
A must watch for animation fans! But this is a kind of movie that is for everyone who likes a feel good movie with magic and adventure.

Movie info.:
Genre -Animation, Adventure
Director - Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
Stars -Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson (voice)
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 93 minutes

THE WOMAN IN BLACK (2012)

2012 was not pretty interesting year in terms of horror movies but there were a few of the horror movies that caught my attention. I had been waiting for a long time to see the much awaited The Woman in Black not much because of the reason it is horror but because it stars Daniel Radcliffe, the star of Harry Potter series. Its his latest release after the ending of the Potter series and quite a surprise as i didn't expect his next movie to be a horror one. But surprise is what made me so curious for it.

Movie is directed by British director James Watkins (also directed the fantastic "Eden Lake") and stars Daniel who plays the protagonist Arthur Kipps, a broke lawyer who lives in a British town in early 1900s and has been given a job by his boss to collect some paper work from a manor in a nearby town so that it can be sold. Being a widower and a father of a four year old boy, he is hesitant to leave but reluctantly accepts the job due to the risk of loosing his job. He receives a very cold reception in the town and is asked to leave the town but he somehow bribes a coachman and leaves for the manor where he realizes it is haunted.

                                                      Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps.

My verdict:
The movie has an overall eerie atmosphere which i enjoyed. The performance by the leads is top notch and the plot is intriguing and frightening. Movie is overall pretty scary but mostly jump scares which i believe somehow degrade the quality of movie but still the plot and performance kept me involved and the movie had a lot to offer till the very end. Especially the very early 1900s sets and the creepy manor make this a good spine tingling watch but still it somehow lacked the amount of horror element that i expected.

Who should watch?
The movie is one of the few interesting horror movie of the year so definitely worth a watch, especially horror fans, but the movie has enough suspense and drama that any movie fan will enjoy. Its worth a watch for a good scare at a lonely night.

Movie info.:
Genre - Horror, Drama, Thriller
Director - James Watkins
Stars - Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeers
Country - UK
Language - English
Runtime - 95 minutes

TED (2012)

Haven't we all longed for a cuddly talking toy when we were little? But what if that toy grew with us and we saw all the same changes taking in him as we saw in us as we matured? Say like drinking, smoking and getting laid. Did i just say getting laid? Well its a cute and cuddly toy, isn't it? How hard can it be for him to get women, eh? Well Ted is one of those fantasy movie which truly and hilariously makes our all these fantasies come alive on screen.

Directed and written by Seth MacFarlane (creator of awesome series Family Guy) Ted stars well known actors Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and voice by the director Seth himself. Movie is about how a small and lonely boy gets a talking teddy bear for Christmas (you gotta see it for yourself how) who soon becomes the hot topic of the world. Both of them grow as best buddies or as they like to call themselves "the thunder buddies". Ted (the teddy bear voices by Seth) and John (Mark) grow up to be lazy asses who spend a lot of time smoking weed and drinking and watching a crappy old sci-fi tv series. Things change when John's finds a girlfriend Lori (Mila) but not much. Lori finds it hard to find a place between them as an individual and couldn't accept John being 35 and still spending time with a teddy bear who most of the time likes to get boozed up and get high and get laid. Both of their lives change when Lori puts forward an offer to John which he never thought he would ever have to deal with.

                                                                John, Ted and Lori

                                                       Ted and his daily routine.

My verdict:
This is a hilarious American comedy with some really original slap-stick jokes and i cracked up laughing pretty hard! The concept itself is so full of curiosity and Ted lives up to its expectations. Ted is really well animated and amusing little character and as a whole i found movie very funny.

Who should watch?:
Though the movie is hilarious but most of its jokes are american so if you are not very well aware of them you might not find it as funny as it is but anyways you will still have a great time watching it. Though warned the movie is R rated comedy which means it has crude sexual humor and nudity.

Movie info.:
Genre - Comedy, Fantasy
Director - Seth MacFarlene
Stars - Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 106 minutes

PROMETHEUS (2012)

About 30 years ago Ridley Scott's movie called Alien came in 1979 which became one of the finest known movie in sci-fi genre to date. But who would have known Scott will produce another gold with the same material. Prometheus is basically a prequel to Alien but it differs in many ways from being similar to it. Firstly breathtaking special effects and secondly very different story line.

Prometheus is directed by well known Hollywood director Ridley Scott and stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce and Logan Marshall-Green. Wow! With such a star studded film its hard not to let your hopes high. But Prometheus delivers, and with style. The movie is about the exploration of the genesis of human race. The concept is such that it will even shock Charles Darwin but nonetheless its intriguing. A bunch of archaeologists find a cave in which they find a map of constellations which matches to many maps and paintings found in ancient cultures and dynasties. The map points to the moon of a distant planet which might be similar to earth in many ways. So the CEO of Weyland corporation begins a mission funded by him to that moon. A special crew of scientists and archaeologists is selected and they leave for the planet in a spaceship called "Prometheus". About 4 years later they reach the planet and soon they discover something greater than they imagine and gradually the exploration turns into a havoc.

                                                                          The crew

                                                                 Spaceship Prometheus

 My verdict:
The movie was an exhilarating experience for me. After a long time i had watched such good alien movie. Though some parts in the movie may seem recycled but still the overall movie concept and amazing special effects and Scott's brilliant direction compensates for it. Definitely worth a watch!

Who should watch?:
This movie is definitely a treat for sci-fi fans, but anyone with a taste for action and thriller will also like this movie.

Movie info.:
Genre - Sci-fi, Adventure
Director - Ridley Scott
Stars - Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Logan Marshall-Green
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 124 minutes

New Trailer: OBLIVION (2013)

Check out this insanely cool trailer from Tom Cruise's upcoming sci-fi action movie OBLIVION releasing in April 2013!

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (2012)

There was a time on earth when there were cave-men and huge frightful beasts roamed the land and life of men was a life of risk and survival. Now thousands of years later those beasts might be gone but life is still a survival game. But a six year old knows about the concept of life and death pretty much the same as he knows about rocket science: nothing. But in Beasts of the Southern Wild i came to know the other side of it. The imagination and vision in a child runs way ahead than a grown up.

Beasts is a feature length directorial debut of Benh Zeitlin starring Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry in the lead roles. The movie is about a community who lives in an isolated area which is separated from the main city by a levee. They like to call this place Bathtub as it is pretty much surrounded by the sea and is constantly struck with windstorms. But nonetheless life for this community is no less than a party everyday. Here lives a 6 year old girl Hushpuppy with her obstinate father who lives by the rule "Brave people don't run away from their home". When a huge storm strikes the whole area is flooded killing many and ruining the livestock and food. People begin to migrate but not Hushpuppy and her daddy. They are not scared to face whatever comes next but they wont run away like cowards. They travel together in a boat altered from a truck, waiting till the water level goes down learning and teaching the ways of survival. They may not be educated or civilized but they possess the most important thing, love and dignity.

                                                        Hushpuppy and her daddy.

This movie is one of the finest movie I have seen this year and what makes it so special is the magnificent Quvenzhane Wallis who played the role of innocent Hushpuppy. I could not believe i was watching a 9 year old act like a pro. She was so believing in her role that for a moment i thought i was watching a documentary. She exudes so much confidence in each and every emotion, be it a heart shattering moment or a moment of laughter or tear, it was an utter joy to watch. Not only the acting in this movie is splendid but so is the beautiful landscapes captured on the camera. It gradually seeds the notion in our mind that this life is pretty and nasty at the same time but the brave is the one who sees it on the both extremes, one who doesn't run away but survives, because survive is what we must.

My verdict :
This is a brilliant movie with a heart and boasts of an unbelievably heart wrenching performance and script. I personally loved it!

Who should watch? :
This movie is for serious real life cinema lovers. But it doesn't mean if you are a horror or action fan you cant enjoy this. I would say go ahead and give it a shot and i am sure you will not be disappointed.

Movie info:
Genre - Drama
Director - Benh Zeitlin
Stars - Quvenzhane Wallis, Dwight Henry
Country - USA
Language - English
Runtime - 93 minutes

70th GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD nominations announced!

The prestigious Golden Globe Award nomination to honor the movies of 2012 have been announced! The winners will be announced on JANUARY 13TH! 

India's bet BARFI failed to get a nomination in the Best Foreign Language Category.

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA:

1. ARGO

 2. DJANGO UNCHAINED

 3. LIFE OF PI

 4. ZERO DARK THIRTY

 5. LINCOLN

BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL:

1. SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

 2. MOONRISE KINGDOM

3. LES MISERABLES

4. SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN

5. THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

For a complete list of all the nominees in all the categories click HERE.