Cinderella (2015)

On By sandeepadnaniLeave a comment

An age old tale which was retold by director Kenneth Branagh with a few new twists and turns and some bold Disney moves. Please read bold as code for when the protagonist, Lily James, actually stands up for herself in the most polite and dignified way possible.

Richard Madden, possibly prettier than Cinderella herself plays the role of Prince Charming, with ease. Fairy Godmother Helena Bonham Carter had a blink and miss role, which she did with her usual histrionical flair.

It was Cate Blanchett who walked the tight rope as step mother, who had to show us a new way of being mean. She descends quietly from civility to monstrosity, slowly becoming caricature-like evil. She achieves a new high for couture and nastiness.

The highlights of the film are the magical transformations that Cinderella and her team go through, not to mention the crystal slippers by Swarovski. The film is high on art and aesthetic value with a few warm ‘U’ rated Disney theme messages.

It makes you believe, if only for the duration of the film, that there can be ‘a happily ever after’.

3/5

Dum laga ke haisha (2015)

On By sandeepadnaniLeave a comment

Rarely does a movie come along which is so complete and true to its craft, that you feel you have lived it with its characters. The newest offering by Yash Raj does just that, by recreating haridwar and hrishikesh in 1995 and introducing us to Prem, Sandhya and their families.

There is not much to be said when every detail screams authenticity and the characters are so well written and acted that stereotypes and prejudices parade in front of you with muted abandon. Issues of patriarchy, weight, gender, skin colour are all dealt with in ‘by the by’ manner. It was interesting to see the concept of and reasons for love, marriage and relationships in general.

Performances by the ensemble are top notch. Duration of 2 hours makes it quick and crisp. Direction by Sharat Katariya is brilliant.

Give it a go!

3.5/5

Item wrong number – hit and miss of the gyrating feminine

On By sandeepadnaniLeave a comment

Once the cherry on the cake, the item number has now become bait to a ‘fishy’ audience. As quality of music and choreography becomes increasingly questionable, the likes of songs you see in promos or cinema make you question ‘Is this supposed to be attractive? Sexy?’ No one has immunity from this curse, men have also become candy to be paraded, falling abysmally short of their female counterparts. There is some respite though when the occasional good number (or not so bad or tolerable) hits the screens. Everyone wants to be in the ‘Mohini/Sheila/Munni/Lovely’ club but Pinky/Razia are not allowed. Sometimes we are left cringing and offering sympathies to the best of performers.

Happy Ending (2014)

On By sandeepadnaniLeave a comment

Rom Com 101 with no new additions or twists and turns, it serves us the same dish we have been having with an edge on the humour and a jaded casanova Saif Ali Khan. His alter ego makes up for the Saif we have seen many times, whilst Kalki provides some laughs.

It’s great to see Preity back on screen and Govinda steals the show in his limited yet ‘expansive’ role. Kareena may not be Saif’s good luck mascot, it’s time he acknowledges that, though their chemistry is fiery and fun. Ileana and Ranvir are passable, the locations are great and the music is surprisingly good.

No points for guessing how it ends! Happy of course 😉

2/5

And so it goes (2014)

On By sandeepadnaniLeave a comment

When two stalwarts such as Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton team together, you are assured good performances. This film has a simple story of a grumpy realtor, Oren. He needs his neighbour Leah to bring a little nurturing on the table when he is faced with the task of taking care of his estranged 10 year old grand daughter.

You can guess what happens. It’s heart warming nonetheless. Being nice never goes out of style and good old fashioned love is always welcome, at any age! A lazy home or flight watch.

2.5/5

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

On By sandeepadnaniLeave a comment

A comedy with brilliant production values which create a picture perfect old world charm and complimentary Art Deco, we witness an illustrated story book come to life.

Director Wes Anderson presents a fictitious hotel so convincingly that we hope it’s real and want to visit it some day! His main characters couldn’t be more different from each other, but their unspoken chemistry is great. Concierge Ralph Fiennes and lobby boy Tony Revolori are heroes of a story with many villains. There is love, drama, murder and deceit, but it is all done in a cartoon-like fashion, with exaggerated looks and fashion, making every situation comical.

Multi award winning and rightfully so, the film entertains with every frame’s aesthetics and tickles with its many antics and funny writing.  An ensemble cast supports and surprises with its unexpected entry and exit.

An intelligent laugh!

3.5/5

NH10 (2015)

On By sandeepadnaniLeave a comment

A thriller that takes you by surprise and raises more questions than it answers, it describes a birthday no one should have. The violence that is perpetrated by women on women and how they stand and watch as it happens is shockingly real.

Issues of honour killing and treatment of women in our villages is brought to the fore by an adrenaline filled Anushka who reveals a new menacing actor inside her. What was meant to be survival turns out to be a complex web where caste, power and barbaric treatment call the shots.

A film that keeps you breathless and engrossed in a way which is rare for Hindi cinema, using sound ( a team of five have worked on it) to accentuate every aspect. Be it fear, action, emotion, motion, day dream or tension, we can feel every nuance. It is captured and presented brilliantly by director Navdeep Singh.

Actor Darshan Kumar who showed us his docile side in Mary Kom unleashes a monster inside him. Neil Bhoopalam gives adequate support and Deepti Naval gives us a short yet intense performance.

What do we do in such a situation? What instincts take over? Who will help us? And how do we help ourselves? People broke in applause as a way to release the tension built in the film, which would have worked even better without an interval.

Given the current climate the film will be and should be seen by ALL.

4/5

My Old Lady (2014)

On By sandeepadnaniLeave a comment

Director Israel Horovitz makes a slow paced film about an old (and super cool) lady who has a poetic task of explaining French rental and ownership laws to an American. Complications arise and the viewer is treated to a languid series of events.

Maggie Smith is a consistent delight. Kevin Kline plays the frustrated American very well. Kristin Scott Thomas’ character transforms the most.

A light drama, it is perfect for a flight watch.

2/5

Interstellar (2014)

On By sandeepadnaniLeave a comment

A ruined ecosystem forces humans to look for another planet. We become semi-physicists via the subtle yet detailed theories described in the film. From worm holes to black holes, time space singularity and gravitational time dilation, we get the whole deal and have enough time to process it at 169 minutes.

Director Christopher Nolan does what he does best, combining music, aesthetics and performances to provide a kick ass (pun intended) film. While we can guess what may happen, we cannot fathom how. The way that is explained is the beauty of his direction. It is not an easy or entertaining subject, but he achieves both.

Actors Mathew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain deserve special mention for their efforts, while a few other greats support them. Music by Hans Zimmer is heart moving and thrilling, while the special effects create varying landscapes and almost mythical geographies.

The result is a film which has to be enjoyed on the largest screen possible. A must see for Sci-fi lovers and those who enjoy the genre of space.

4/5

Fifty shades of Grey (2015)

On By sandeepadnaniLeave a comment

Not having read the book, I was amazed by the ‘odd arrangement’ between the couple and asked myself many times ‘why would a woman do this?’

Based on a book written by E.L.James, actors Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson play the extremes of dominance/power and innocence/vulnerability. Though it is not a conventional couple, you can see why it would or would not work, depending on which flavour of ice cream you prefer 😉

I fear the result is a film which will be better than the book, though it was a bestseller. Some scenes (non sexual) and lines leave a lasting impact in the otherwise confused, painful and twisted fairytale.

2/5