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Monday, November 25, 2013

A Hijacking (2012) Denmark

A realistic drama about most dangerous negotiation.



Drama | Thriller

Tagline:
Kapringen (Danish)


Review:
      One of the best movie from Denmark based on the real event. It tells about a commercial ship's hijack in the Indian ocean by the Somalian pirates. I have read many articles in newspapers from the past few years about these pirates and Indian navy who came to rescue the ship and the crew. I even thought a movie about it, so finally I am glad to see 'A Hijacking'.

      Well it was a pure and realistic drama, if you thought of the commercial movie presentation then you will be disappointed. Following the ship hijack the pirates send a message to the company that the ship belong to asking big ransom. Then the corporate reacts asking confirmation of the crew alive to proceed further with their demands. Due to the lack of proper communication the conversation ends in undeveloped and drags for months. As a viewer, sometime you will feel hollow for the idle in story telling. Which may bore some people to frequently pause and play kinda presentation. That is all to bring the real time feel of the situation that takes place over a 4 months from hijack to release of the ship.

      When they engage in negotiation, on the other side where the ship crews are held as hostage are begin affect in delusion for lack of good food and loneliness in their trapped room. There are few scenes in the movie that makes more nervous all the sudden. As the story nears to the end it concludes without much surprise. Like one of the movie characters ask, is that it? Probably not, then comes the real twist in tale on the perfect moment for a simple reason. And that's the powerful ending leaving a guilt feeling to a character even after he was released and free to meet his family.

      As another Danish movie 'The Hunt' is all set to enter into the short list for American Academy Awards this movie lost its place to participate in the big even. After seeing this movie, I kinda expecting better and different story in Tom Hanks 'Captain Phillips' that I yet to see. Coincidentally both the movies deals about the cargo ship hijack from the Somalian pirates.



Similar movies:
Captain Phillips, Kon-Tiki, Cast Away, All is Lost


Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent

A Hijacking (2012) on IMDb


  • Tween: From age between 7 to 12
  • Teen: From age between 13 to 19
  • Adult: From age above 20
  • Ignore: Not worth watching
  • Bad: Not good but watchable
  • Average: 50-50, choice is always yours
  • Good: great certainly not masterpiece
  • Excellent: A must see, Masterpiece

Sunday, November 24, 2013

The Second World (2013) India

A tale of blooming a first ever love in the land of magic.



Fantasy | Romance

Original title:
Irandam Ulagam (Tamil)


Tagline:
"How far will you travel for love?"


Review:
      'Irandam Ulagam' is one of the most expected Tamil movie of the year. The same visual fx team who worked for 'Avatar' is rendered some magical touch for this movie. India has never seen such a colourful grand visual movie till now. From the man of creativity, Selvaraghavan's yet another variety of splendid movie followed by the success of 'Aayirathil Oruvan'. The actors, especially both the lead Arya and Anushka gave theirs best shots to deliver director's imagination come reality. Even supports from the foreign characters were very impressive especially theirs lip synchronizations. They had no accent, according to the story they are from the different world so that's a clean cover up to shut the mouth of critic.

      It was quite like 'The Lovely Bones' where people from two different worlds were connected to each others in some way. In the land of human where love is thousands years old, a girl meets her perfect man. What about the boy, does he thinks same as she thought about him. Not like the 'love at first sight', for the time being it will become even. With all the hurdles the love grows stronger and they become inseparable. How careful the couples move their relationship from one to another level, no matter what, there will always be a negative force in nature to pull them apart. A man in such position 'How far he would travel for his love?' is what the director asked in the movie tagline. People with same face each in a different world and theirs romance tales were narrated in this movie. With an alternate world, the alternate culture, lifestyle and yet to blossom the first ever love in the innocent young hearts in the history of their kind is what we are going witness.

      I liked the movie because it was a refreshing concept, in a way it is totally new to the Indian audience. Like I said the performances were excellent. The locations were too beautiful, in fact most of them were computer generated images. The stories from two worlds were narrated frequently one after another till the intermission. Then there is no coming back to the actual world, from there everything is told in the world similar to the fairies. It will leave many people in confuse to see new in all the corners of the alternate world. Some will may lose concentration in transition. So it is clear that the movie is not for everyone especially the old generation will struggle to catch up with the movie.


      Okay, now lets talk about the negative side of the movie. As an experimental movie product of this part of the earth, it got acclaim from fans and critics but the movie had few minus points too. The tale should have been a little shorter for a theme like this. The biggest drawback was the songs which won't fit into the story. Giving a new dimensional thematic movie is a great idea but the director should not bore the audience by stretching its length. Yes the songs are good to watch in the television set in music channels but not in the movie. Selva should have disobeyed the protocol of making an Indian cinema by scrapping those songs. Then it would have been around 20 minutes shorter and will be perfect. I know he got great visuals in his mind to put those into making cinemas like the Hollywood giants Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. For that he has to think to make international standards by discarding usual Indian masalas. Because of those song tracks I felt the movie was little drag in the last quarter of the story. But the background score was very nice. The movie will test your patience in the near end portion by keeping it going for a little longer than you expect to roll up the end credit.

      The movie had very fine special effects but 3d graphics were not quite convincible in parts. Especially those birds flying around far away in the sky and the lion hunting scenes were looked like some video game characters. Except those inaccuracies rest were indubitable. The way they showed the alternate world was really cool, very intelligent and a creative presentation. If you think you can handle the multiple layer movies like 'The Time Traveler's Wife' and 'Mr Nobody' then why can't this which had dual layer. In the end everything left to the audience, how far they go to understand what they see and hear. Like the movies 'Endhiran' and 'Aayirathil Oruvan' you would not need to be highly smart to get the movie, a human with common sense will do.



Similar movies:
The Lovely Bones, The Time Traveler's Wife, Maaveeran, The Butterfly Effects


Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent

Irandam Ulagam (2013) on IMDb


  • Tween: From age between 7 to 12
  • Teen: From age between 13 to 19
  • Adult: From age above 20
  • Ignore: Not worth watching
  • Bad: Not good but watchable
  • Average: 50-50, choice is always yours
  • Good: great certainly not masterpiece
  • Excellent: A must see, Masterpiece

Friday, November 22, 2013

The Third Half (2012) Macedonia

An opportunity to score goals on the long third half.



Drama | History | Romance | Sport | War

Original title:
Treto Poluvreme (Macedonian)


Review:
      The movie was inspired by the true story of a football team with the backdrop of second world war.  It is all about the football revolution in a small country in the south-eastern Europe. The movie kinda reminds me 'Montevideo' which is also tells about the country's dream to participate in the first edition of the football world cup. More or less both the stories sets in the same era with a decade or two difference.

      The opening was very similar to 'Madrasapattinam' where a woman in her 70s wants to go back to her native place in Europe. So she leave the States with her granddaughter and soon after arrived there she begins to re-encounters her flashbacks. She was the daughter of a wealthy man in the town who fall in love with a football player which is against her fathers will. But in the other side, the inexperience team is yet to register their first victory. So they hire a German coach to make the best club in the country. The team begins to show some positive sign but yet to face another difficulty when the country is occupied by the Nazi Germans. With all these troubles the team must rise from the ground.

      No offence but frankly to say I never heard Macedonia before. From this beautiful movie I came to know it and hope same that it would reach every corners of the world. When it come to the movie, it tells the tale from certain aspect especially from that old woman and what she witnessed. There's other cruel side too where Hitler's Administration kills many Jews which is not in the movie. The filmmakers avoided the cruelty portions of the story and portrayed only from young love and the team's perspective. Still there are couple killing scenes and a half nude in it.

      The end speech was very good. When I thought the end was very usual the powerful lines spoken by the lead female made movie further stronger to end. Yeah that one was indeed very good and it explains the meaning of title very well.



Similar movies:
Montevideo, Invictus, Lagaan, Remember the Titans, United, Victory


Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent

The Third Half (2012) on IMDb


  • Tween: From age between 7 to 12
  • Teen: From age between 13 to 19
  • Adult: From age above 20
  • Ignore: Not worth watching
  • Bad: Not good but watchable
  • Average: 50-50, choice is always yours
  • Good: great certainly not masterpiece
  • Excellent: A must see, Masterpiece

Call Girl (2012) Sweden

Semi adult-drama based on the real events.



Drama | Thriller

Tagline:
Youth is seductive. Power is corrupt.


Review:
      A Swedish semi adult-drama inspired by the real story of country's corruption and scandal during the time woman's liberation and the sexual revolution. It also went through controversy before hitting the screen. The story is set in the backdrop of the 1976 general election which centers around two troubled teenage girls Iris and Sonja. They are sent to live in a juvenile home, in the night time they begin to explore the city with other girls from the institution. Then they meet a woman called Dagmar who introduces them into the all new world. Like the German movie 'The Lives of Others' a young police officer named Sandberg is assigned to comb the taped phones call, only for the formality. As he goes deeper it becomes bigger, he cross-connects all which crack loose everything to hit him back.

      The movie might be about prostitution but it had less nude scenes which come occasionally. That mean you should not consider it is suitable for all age group. But good for the movie fans from different category who are willing to know the true incident than witnessing sexual side of the tale. It also indicates the struggle of underage girl's without proper guidance in the society. More like the country's security system was flawed. Especially the character Iris' run away at the end tells how safe it was for women in those times.

      The filmmakers brought the real atmosphere of 70s. I think it was the perfect cast and their performances. Overall it was a nice movie which throws some lights on the truth about illegal activities and underage prostitution and also dragging the powerful names. Yeah, you must see this movie to know all these in picture than expecting some erotic.



Similar movies: 
Graceland, Taken, Trade, Sleeping Beauty, NO, The Lives of Others


Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent

Call Girl (2012) on IMDb


  • Tween: From age between 7 to 12
  • Teen: From age between 13 to 19
  • Adult: From age above 20
  • Ignore: Not worth watching
  • Bad: Not good but watchable
  • Average: 50-50, choice is always yours
  • Good: great certainly not masterpiece
  • Excellent: A must see, Masterpiece

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013) Hong Kong

Yet another Yip Man story from the different angle.



Action | Biography | Drama

Original title:
Hip Man: Jung Gik Yat Jin (Cantonese)


Review:
     For the record, it is not a sequel to Donnie Yen's 'Ip Man' duology. This movie tells the story of grandmaster's last few years of life especially his personal life problems. Where he stayed alone in a rented rooftop house teaching martial arts to the young generation. Actually it won't tell anything about Bruce Lee-Ip Man's relationship other than they watch his appearance on the television. I kinda expected that and got disappointed. This story was mainly narrated by Ip Chun's perspective about his father. That he struggled his new livelihood in Hong Kong who was apart from his wife. As usual he's good in making friends who visited him often. After his wife's death his son joins him who witnesses a local singer who had affair with his father but that he resisted it. More likely a fine sentimental drama with the couple of fights now and then.

     This movie was not impressive like other movies based on this man did. Movie's like 'The Legend is Born' and 'Bruce Lee, My Brother' had some good portrait of Ip Man life and events which left nothing for this movie. Everyone likes Ip Man after Donnie Yen's movie so the other filmmaker making benefit of it and that's where 'The Final Fight' born. Although the movie was okay but the problem with it was the sentiments were not touching and also the lack of some fine stunt sequences.

     On the technical side of the movie it had no flaws. Camera works, the giant sets of 50s Hong Kong, musics, editing, costumes all were simply good, even the performances were appreciable. But the movie did not travel on the path as I expected. It may disappoint some people for its lack of some good actions and some people for not strong enough emotions. Still good to go for it only if your expectation are low, especially not to expect on the level of Donnie Yen's movie. Then only it will justify to your watch.



Similar movies:
Ip man, Bruce Lee My Brother, The Legend is Born, Shaolin


Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent

Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013) on IMDb


  • Tween: From age between 7 to 12
  • Teen: From age between 13 to 19
  • Adult: From age above 20
  • Ignore: Not worth watching
  • Bad: Not good but watchable
  • Average: 50-50, choice is always yours
  • Good: great certainly not masterpiece
  • Excellent: A must see, Masterpiece

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Standing Up (2013) Hollywood

Falling for the trick and standing strong in their own.



Adventure | Drama

Also known as:
"Goat Island"


Review:
      I was just stunned, totally speechless. How come this movie is not so popular is a million dollar question asked myself. This movie must reach everyone especially the family audience and the kids. A best children's movie I have seen after a long time, maybe after 'Bridge to Terabithia' and 'A Little Princess'. I mean I liked many others between these movies but this one gave me kinda rare experience to feel the depth of the problem that faced by the tween kids. Yeah the movie talks mainly about the physically weak kids who are easy targets to bully. From their perspective 'Standing Up' tells the victims self discovery.

      If there is an award for children's movies in OSCAR similar to animation movies and foreign movies, I would give to this one without thinking twice. This movie is not only a simple movie but a fine message deliverer like the rare movie like 'October Baby' etc. These kinda movies require more recognition, sadly fails to do as commercially. But if you get a chance to see don't miss it and recommend to others as well.

      'Standing Up' was based on the young adult novel called 'Goat Island'. It centers around two characters Howie and Grace who are the victims in their summer camp prank. These two are stripped naked and left alone in an island by their mates. Instead returning back to the camp in the morning they run away in order to avoid the humiliation. During their journey to nowhere they successfully achieve that what have to be done to survive. They find the strength in their unity and also the self discovery. The journey that changed their lives forever.

      Both the lead kids were supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. I felt they already gave their career best performances in their early age. Excellent direction from the director of 'Eagle Eye'. I don't know what others say but I consider it is his best movie so far from his filmography. The background score was very catchy and melodic, perfectly fitted with the presentation. The second half was emotionally appealed a lot and music was one of the reasons for that. There was a scene I liked the most in the movie where Grace phones her mother and her mother says something about Howie. On that particular scene she turns towards Howie, wow, that was the amazing one, emotionally touching. There are only a few movies in the world that makes us to have more and more and never want to end. Yeah this movie did that to me. 'Standing Up' is rare and must see movie, hope y'all won't miss after reading my review. An highly recommended by my side.


Similar movies:
Bridge to Terabithia, A Little Princess, Secret Garden, I Wish


Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent

Standing Up (2013) on IMDb


  • Tween: From age between 7 to 12
  • Teen: From age between 13 to 19
  • Adult: From age above 20
  • Ignore: Not worth watching
  • Bad: Not good but watchable
  • Average: 50-50, choice is always yours
  • Good: great certainly not masterpiece
  • Excellent: A must see, Masterpiece

Friday, November 15, 2013

Posters of the month (Volume 5)

These posters are not official posters but designed by me. Hope you all like it. 

          
                        John Carter (2012)                                         American Reunion (2012)                        

     
Life of Pi (2012)                                               Life of Pi (2012)

     
Everything Must Go (2010)                                        Moneyball (2011)     

     
       Boys (2003)                                               Minsara Kanavu (1997)