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