Les Miserables

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It isn’t a wonder that you are completely overwhelmed with ‘Les Miserables’ because everything about the film is bursting forth with emotion, talent, detail and pain. The pain from love, separation, injustice, fear, bring this classic novel and long running musical to life on screen.

Written in 1862 by Victor Hugo, it was adapted for stage in 1980 (France) 1985 (UK) and 1987 (USA)…. Set against the 19th century French political turmoil, the story spans 17 years, where some characters survive struggles and some do not. The fact that the vocals were recorded live make the performances even more astonishing, but that is just one part of the brilliance of this film.

The production quality, the cinematography, the casting of EACH AND EVERY ARTIST, is top notch. Not only have the principal cast of Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne and Sacha Baron Cohen shown terrific talent, but every character does their part supremely well. No wonder the Ensemble cast has been nominated 4 times and won twice!

How can you not be moved with what you see on the screen?They are wretched lives, which seem to have some or other redemption, but wretched nonetheless. While some get punished for stealing a loaf of bread, some are stripped of every shred of their dignity to survive. When we see how the rebellion started in France, it makes you think of all the people who fought for freedom of every nation, and how they drew strength from the small numbers who supported them.

The music, well, is legendary. Thankfully I was part of an audience who may not have appreciated it, but they didn’t let that hamper my experience.

The story challenges you in every way possible, there are plenty of twists and turns which keep the drama alive. You know that there might not be a happy ending, or a tragic one at that, but an end that the author saw fit. The story is 150 years old but is still relevant in times that have so drastically changed!

Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman stand apart from the brilliance and rightly so. Anne has won 8 awards, including the Golden Globe, she was nominated for 11 since this film got released and is on her way to win the BAFTA and Oscar, well deserved if she does.

This film may not be for everyone. It’s long at 2 hours 40 minutes, it’s an intense tragic/drama musical and the misery may not be for everyone to digest or appreciate. But it is a brilliant film and should be seen, heard, felt and experienced!

4/5

Jack Reacher

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It pays when you walk into a film not knowing anything about it! Tom Cruise was at his vintage best; restrained, mysterious, sharp, brooding, with excellent action and dry wit. Not rocket science writing, but good acting and decent direction make it an engaging watch, with a caricature of a villain and the damsel in distress, this time not only physically but morally and emotionally as well!

The final product? A story about a man, who appears from the fog, and disappears back into it, to prove a theory he doesn’t believe in… Interesting enough to lure you to cinema? Go for it!

3/5

Paranorman

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A ‘sixth sense’ for the animated world, this film walks the tight rope between the two films mentioned above (dark and feel good). Norman is blessed (or cursed) with an ability to see dead beings and animals. Wait, not only see, but have full blown conversations (and interactions) with them!

He is then faced with the town curse, a witch and her 7 culprits, who sentenced her to death hundreds of years ago. How will Norman help, is the question? Aptly answered with some funny animation, gory in a spoof kind of way, dealing with a very complex issue, but hey, kids nowadays are bombarded with so much info, why not this?

The end result, is a decent flick. I wouldn’t call it a must watch, but a can watch.

2.5/5

Rise of the Guardians

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A very different take on Jack Frost and the other heroes for children, this film has practically revived the idea of ‘belief’ in a vivid visual sense. Santa Claus, the Tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny have excellent characters, but its Jack Frost and his role as the guardian against the Boogie Man, which brings out the finer details of the story. It’s difficult to keep imparting the same values through new stories, but here it is done with gusto and finesse. Excellent animation and even more effective story telling, make this film a feel good family watch, perfectly timed to release during the festive season!

4/5

Frankenweenie

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A stop motion 3D animation, it has been described as a family film but I doubt it will be seen in that light. To start with it is presented in black and white, the story is grim where we have an aloof introvert child who is trying to bring back his dead dog to life via a science experiment. Cheery? No! What follows though is unexpected and very well animated. The beauty of the film is keeping the whole parental guidance intact even after delving in such a subject. Full points to Tim Burton for presenting something so bold and dark, so well! Truly pushing the boundaries for the animated realm, which is not only restricted to one genre any longer!

3/5

Table No. 21

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This flick is a well crafted, well directed film, but the story is not without its share of flaws. After a while we get to see a film based on a game, especially where the stakes are high. Thanks to all the games we see on Indian and International Television, in their various forms, at times the film appears as a theatre telecast of a TV show!

A happy couple win a trip and land up in Fiji for a holiday, where an eccentric man offers to give them a whopping prize amount for a seemingly simple game, with a not so clear-cut fundamental rule, ‘You Lie, You Die!’. What starts off as straightforward, quickly becomes complex, challenging and gripping, both for the audience, as well as the characters on screen. Regular flashbacks add to the mystery and everything ties together effectively in the end.

The message the film carries is quite important and via many of the scenes and situations, leaves a big impact on the viewers. The production values of the film are decent, it is the many questions unanswered that make you wonder, why, how, where, when? But those do not impact the film in a negative way, though if all was in place, this would be one of the best films in 2013.

The film is doing well thanks to word of mouth, the reviews are good and the film deserves its ‘A’ status for it is disturbing and eye-opening in many ways!

Play the game… this one’s a winner!

3.5/5

The Impossible

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Reading about a natural disaster and watching it on the news is totally different from watching a film about it, which brings it to life, changing your role from ‘the spectator’ to ‘the victim’. This switch in your state of mind and the way the movie is shot makes it traumatic to watch where you hope that you too, survive the ordeal that the characters are going through on screen. The fact that it’s based on a true story during a calamity which singlehandedly changed warning systems and catapulted Tsunamis into the top 3 most dangerous catastrophes, doesn’t make it any easier on the eyes.

What would you do in such a scenario? No one and nothing can prepare you for something like this, even though you do pick up some tips after watching this film. For all you can rely upon, in a time so brutal, is humanity. Everything else, as you will see in the film, is a series of events which you probably won’t even remember. This film tries very hard to replicate what happened that fateful day in 2004, and its biggest strength is that it captures details and nuances which you imagine would be experienced in such an event. Your senses would be heightened, your survival instincts would be at their best, the dangers that can hurt you are countless and your only hope is your will to make it through.

The events are told through the eyes of a family of five, (based on the real life story) that experience many of the horrors one can and would, during and after such a calamity. What actually happened to thousands of people is vividly presented and the value of one human life matters so much when it is your own family or friend. You will be in awe at the strength of nature, when its balance is disrupted and it crosses all barriers.

Watch the film to marvel at the flawless direction, how they shot and captured many scenes, applaud the acting by every cast member, especially Naomi Watts and above all be grateful for the family you have.

4/5

The Hobbit

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Carrying the weight of a world famous, award winning, extremely successful trilogy of films like Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson brings us The Hobbit. Based on a book (which isn’t particularly long at 310 pages considering this film is the first of a trilogy as well), it is the prequel to LOTR.

There is effective story telling and character building from the start, the audience is of course thr…illed to see Gandalf and other characters, don’t forget serious fans have been waiting to see their favourites since 2003.

What follows are a series of sticky situations, it is an unexpected journey after all 😉 Spectacular special effects, very detailed and well crafted, it is superior film making all the way.

What works against the film is its length, and also watching it in 3D with so many effects becomes too much for the eyes to handle, so when you rest them, you miss the proceedings. It finishes very aptly, preparing audiences for what to expect in the 2nd film.

For fans, its a must see. For people like me, it was a good watch.

3/5