Pink

Cast:  Amitabh Bachchan, Tapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Andrea Tariang, Piyush Mishra, Angad Bedi(Rajveer Singh), Vijay Varma(Ankit Malhotra),Raashul Tandon(Dumpy),Tushar Pandey(Vishvajyoti Ghose) and Dhritiman Chatterjee(Judge)
Director: Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury
Genre: Drama



A rather confused drama, not hitting any correct nerve of the society!



You may look forward to:


There is really nothing much to look forward to, its just safer to watch it with expectations low




What you can sleep over:

• After long, one such role played by Amitabh Bachchan which looks very mediocre. A disarranged personality who is not in his mental stability nor speech for 75% of the duration of the film, suddenly becomes a roaring lawyer in the last part of the film, that too after his wife's death, difficult to digest
• I expected a little more from Tapsee Pannu, she disappoints too. Nevertheless, she pulls the film more or less on her shoulders
• All the other actors did a fine job, no one really faltered in terms of acting

The dampeners you should be aware of: 


What can be termed as the biggest failure of this film, is that it badly missed its target to a social message. The screenplay and dialogue delivery was not hard hitting at all. All through the movie i kept waiting for aggression or the punch, but it just never came. On that the confusing plot in the first one hour of the film, trying to give it an angle of a thriller didnt quite pan out appropriately
The screenplay is in itself very weak, i am still in delusion what exactly did the maker try to highlight with this film, but i am guessing the maker tried to emphasize an intricate issue on how even as yet the Indian society cant accept that women can live the same lifestyle as men, and that rape alone is not always a conclusion! If that is so, the screenplay fails again....a plot which is so half baked where the women are shown if not equally wrong but is wrong in showing maturity for the age group described in the film and then create a weak case against the men. The half baked story is extremely delusional and doesn't clear any air on the subject of the film. There were genuine cases on women with all maturity doing what is right while living a modern lifestyle and going to pubs with colleagues and yet roofied and molested by the men most unanticipated. That is a strong case to debate upon and not stupid actions in an already unsafe city like Delhi
The screenplay doesn't even cover appropriate process of investigations, no phone records of harassment by the men to the ladies ever tracked, no proper evidence either in proving the lady officer back dated the complaint neither a confession, just a theory for all! And many other examples like that! Extremely poor case and even more poorer execution. In short very very bore!





My Rating: 2/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Rocky Handsome

Cast: John Abraham, Diya Chalwad(Naomi), Nishikant Kamat(Kevin), Sharad Kelkar(Cop), Nathalia Kaur(Anna), Teddy Maurya(Luke) and Shruti Haasan(Wife)
Director: Nishikant Kamat
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama



A dark experimental dart which missed its target! Not worth a watch for any audience. You may still take your chances for the lead actor!




You may look forward to:

• John Abraham looks in great shape. His tough and serious looks have always been preferred more over his comic attempts. Action more suited than dancing around heroines. He is every inch a rock solid John Abraham apt for this kind of role. The final action scenes were delivered amazingly well by him and that's about it
• Nathalia Kaur gives a raunchy dance number, entertaining enough, although not many scenes to deliver

What you can sleep over:

• Music of the movie were not bad to the ears but were very ill placed. They even tried to revive the old number from 'Bombay Rockers' - 'Rock the Party' with a fresh look, but that song turns out to be an irritation over entertainment specially cos of its choreography
• Drama around the child actress 'Naomi' played by Diya Chalwad is way too much. The look of the film is very dark and gory, where childish emotion are again a misfit
• Nishikant Kamat ran some experiments by playin the lead villain 'Kevin' all by himself, but did not really go too well
• Sharad Kelkar has a good personality and suits the role of a stringent cop, but Alas! he didn't have much meat to his role to perform. He is under utilized
• Shruti Haasan is wasted, just one promotional song, in which she does look good

The dampeners you should be aware of: 

• This movie fails because it does justice to no angle completely. Lot of sensational action poses but very few good action scenes. Very dark and gory outlook but hardly any thrilling scenes. To top it emotional drama around the small girl is a big dampener. Nishikant Kamat forgets that this film he made is not helping in pulling either side of the crowd. Not family neither hard core action lovers, nor fans of dark movies. The plot of the film feels so forced and incomplete that you hardly enjoy it. Thanks to John Abraham, that i could sit through the end of the film, but i yet wonder why would John Abraham produce for such films. He some times likes to play around equivalent to his 'No Smoking' days
• Teddy Maurya tried his best to look ferocious, but Alas! he looks more of a cartoon than a villain and pretty irritating at times

My Rating: 2.5/5 (Only for John Abraham)

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams(Lois), Jesse Eisenberg(Lex), Gal Gadot(Wonder Woman), Diane Lane(Martha), Laurence Fishburne(Perry White),Jeremy Irons(Alfred) and Holly Hunter(Senator)
Director: Zack Snyder
Genre: Action, Fantasy



Have the expectation at a minimal and you wont be disappointed!




You may look forward to:

• Ben Affleck is convincing enough as The Batman. The transition from Christian Bale to Ben Affleck didn't affect much. His appearance is taller, with a good built and a serious personality gives him that edge. His face off with Superman as well looks good
• This film is more about Superman than The Batman. Henry Cavill has his role written well and justified. His questionable appearance on earth and imminent threat covered sensibly by the script. The way he is framed to look more of a threat than a saviour is also written and presented well. I love the way Henry carries himself as The Superman. His charming and a no non sense attitude, makes him appear like a coveted and desirable personality onscreen
• Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne,Jeremy Irons and Holly Hunter have their fair share of supporting roles

What you can sleep over:

• Amy Adams is the new age woman with a super human character who just doesn't lay around as a lady love but as well attempts to add value to the story. However, she did not have much content to her credit in this film as compared to 'Man of Steel'
• Jesse Eisenberg doesn't look so threatening a villain as he should have been. He is just about fine. Most of the times he speaks gibberish, adding no value and other times his ulterior motive behind bringing about destruction to his own planet is never clearly understood
• Gal Gadot's appearance as the 'Wonder Woman' kills the very essence of a Batman movie in which the characters are more of this world than pure fantasy

The dampeners you should be aware of: 

What works adverse for the film is its not so strong story line. The build up of the film is actually good. What screws the quality of the film around the hype is the Bollywood style ending in which two powerful men at the peak of their combat, shake hands suddenly out of one common thread- Mother. From so much build up to a sudden fizz, it just didn't go well. On that the added masala of a 'Wonder Woman' and the weird monster creation and not so impactful villain, looked so cliche, must have killed the expectations of the audience. Second half of the film had a lot of potential, not utilized





My Rating: 3/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Eye in the Sky

Cast: Helen Mirren(Colonel Katherine), Aaron Paul(2nd Lieutenant Steve), Alan Rickman(Lieutenant General Frank),Barkhad Abdi(Kenyan undercover agent),Iain Glen(British Foreign Secretary James),Phoebe Fox(Carrie) and Aisha Takow(Alia)
Director: Gavin Hood
Genre: War, Thriller




One film which looks more of a real story than a drama. An immersive story, must watch!




You may look forward to:

• Helen Mirren is the major lead in the movie. She drives the film in and out and is the one responsible for the closure of this particular case. She does a very good job at it
• Gavin Hood does an incredible job in presenting the film. Foot in mouth scenario and serious issue handling in which the complexity of making critical decisions is shown with meticulous care. Driving a decision through various hierarchies or the inability of incumbent officials to make a reasonable call depicts the close to reality actual scenarios on how the world collaborates sitting in different locations and working in shifts to have one action get executed
• Aaron Paul and Alan Rickman have short but impactful roles. The limited dialogues they have, speaks in abundance for themselves and the positions they hold
• Barkhad Abdi and Aisha Takow are very strong and important roles by themselves. Their performances in the situations of the written script keeps you at the edge of your seat

What you can sleep over:

Iain Glen and Phoebe Fox, along with many other actors have very limited screen space. They do what they can do




The dampeners you should be aware of:

No apparent dampener. Its a very engaging piece of work!

My Rating: 4/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Kapoor & Sons

Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Rajat Kapoor,Ratna Pathak, Fawad Khan,Sidharth Malhotra,Alia Bhatt,Sukant Goel(Wasim), Anuradha Chandan(Anu) and Fahim Shaikh(Boobly)
Director: Shakun Batra
Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy




Its a light hearted family drama, and quite a relief from Bollywood when i almost lost hopes!




You may look forward to:

• Fawad Khan is the character who plays the most significant role in the film. Pretty much similar to his 'Khoobsurat' caricature, Fawad as 'Rahul' is a responsible, happy and charming personality. He is the one who steals away the maximum limelight in the entire film
• My next favorite role is that of Rishi Kapoor. This man can never fade away from Bollywood. Given the variety of roles that he can perform on, he is an entertainer till eternity! Love him every time he shows up on the screen! The most adorable character of this movie!
• Rajat Kapoor and Ratna Pathak's roles will remind you of many aspects of a regular family. They portray their roles beautifully
• Alia Bhatt displays her usual charm, being cute and apparently the only young female in the city of oldies, whom every guy wants to hit upon :D
• Sukant Goel, Anuradha Chandan and Fahim Shaikh are in good supporting roles. The best of them all being that of 'Boobly' :D
• The humor angle in the film is pretty entertaining which comprises most of the first half of the film. Shakun Batra does a commendable job in making this film enjoyable for the audience

What you can sleep over:

Sidharth Malhotra again fails to make a mark. You wont miss him if he is replaced by some other actor in this role. The one and only intense scene he has got in this film is while encountering his mom over stolen story of his novel, also was a completely screwed up one. His expressions just don't fit in right

The dampeners you should be aware of:

• Alia Bhatt doesn't have any meat in her role. She is just there! She had the potential to add much more spice into the film
• The second half of the film is drama over dose. Every family has certain secrets, but this was like family secret galore. The biggest sore of them all being that of the secret of Fawad Khan, just not done. He easily breaks many hearts among his female fans!

My Rating: 3/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Race

Cast: Stephan James(Jesse Owens), Jason Sudeikis(Larry Snyder),Shanice Banton(Wife of Jesse), Jeremy Irons(Avery), Carice van Houten(Leni),Barnaby Metschurat(Goebbels-Minister) and David Kross(Luz)
Director: Stephen Hopkins
Genre: Biography, Sport, Drama




A historic piece of biography excavated from the sport genre. A quality watch!




You may look forward to:

• Stephan James show up very convincing as a runner. Although he doesn't match up to the looks for the real 'Jesse Owens' but he certainly justifies the actual hero behind this story. Commendable job done!
• Roles played by Jeremy Irons, Carice van Houten and David Kross were very significant in the making of  1936 Berlin Olympic Games. While 'Avery' was the key person behind the success of the event by giving other subjugated race a chance given the political atmosphere of that time, 'Leni' did her part in retaining the memories in the form of her film of the event. At the same time the true spirit of sportsmanship was highlighted by 'Luz'
• Barnaby Metschurat plays another key role from the Nazi ministry, while Shanice Banton provided a good supporting role to Stephan James
• The portions of the film where an American raises a voice against racial disparity in the Game of Olympics in 1936 to a German as well as American Jews supporting a Black American, to victory from their share of success- Stephen Hopkins does a delicate job in presenting the story so political as beautifully

What you can sleep over:

Jason Sudeikis did not really quite look like a coach. The charm that he carries from his earlier light genre movies suits him more compared to such roles. Nevertheless, he does just about fine as a support





The dampeners you should be aware of:

There are no dampeners so noticeable to strike





My Rating: 3.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Triple 9

Cast: Casey Affleck(Chris), Chiwetel Ejiofor(Michael), Woody Harrelson(Seargent), Kate Winslet(Irina), Anthony Mackie(Marcus),Aaron Paul(Gabe), Norman Reedus(Russell), Clifton Collins, Jr.(Franco), Luis Da Silva(Luis Pinto) and Gal Gadot(Elena)
Director: John Hillcoat
Genre: Crime, Action, Drama



Unusual but an impressive crime story. A good watch with right expectations!




You may look forward to:

• John Hillcoat is the man of the film. The story of the film is very meaty. The content is interesting and so is the presentation. The film feels a lot like coming out of the under dogs of the society with shady characters. It wont feel like a regular crime/action entertainer with a hero in the picture. The story feels very close to the real life scenarios in the low lying areas of the United States
• Casey Affleck is the only apparent positive role in the movie which makes him a hero like figure, but he is more or less a supporting role
• Chiwetel Ejiofor has always been my personal favorite. This is the first time that i am seeing him in a grey shade, and he never falls short in impressing you
• Kate Winslet is just ravishingly amazing. This lady has so much potential, untapped. I absolutely loved her in negative roles every time
• Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul are the known faces from all the big league flicks. They perform pretty well
• Clifton Collins, Jr., Luis Da Silva and Gal Gadot are the other supporting roles who have their significant bit in the story

The dampeners you should be aware of:

If you are expecting it to be an entertaining action film, then you are in for a disappointment. This film doesn't claim high on hard core action scenes. Although this may not be a dampener, but this makes the film less qualifying to greater audience




My Rating: 3/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding
            

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Cast: James Badge Dale(Rone), John Krasinski(Jack), Max Martini(Oz), Dominic Fumusa(Tig), Pablo Schreiber(Tanto),David Denman(Boon), Matt Letscher(Ambassador), David Giuntoli(Wickland), Demetrius Grosse(Dave) and David Costabile(Chief)
Director: Michael Bay
Genre: History, Crime, Action



A thrilling story from Libya. Gives a good insight on the lives of secret agents who are posted in war torn countries!




You may look forward to:

• Michael Bay does an amazing job in presenting this film giving a fair insight towards the less recognized soldiers of US who often end up losing their lives while being posted in the most dangerous of the countries away from their family. The direction of the movie showing the rage of the people and situations in countries without a government is very compelling
• James Badge Dale and John Krasinski are the most engaging roles in the film who lead the team during the distress call
• Max Martini, Dominic Fumusa, Pablo Schreiber,David Denman, David Giuntoli and Demetrius Grosse play significant supporting roles being a part of the team under attack
• David Costabile and Matt Letscher play very questionable roles. They project positions who are the not the soldiers but holding high ranks hardly useful to the people they are governing. Michael Bay again delicately present these roles very well!

What you can sleep over:

Too much detailing about the lives of the secret soldiers before the attack




The dampeners you should be aware of:

The film is way too long. It is stretched more than required. The story is pretty straight forward and not complicated which makes the film feel very stretched for 2.5 hours without much of any content





My Rating: 3.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Zootopia

Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin(Bunny Judy), Jason Bateman(Fox Nick), Idris Elba(Chief Bogo), J.K. Simmons(Lion Mayor), Jenny Slate(Sheep PA),Shakira (Giraffe Gazelle), Nate Torrence(Cheetah Clawhauser), Maurice LaMarche(Mr. Big) and Raymond S. Persi (Flash Sloth)
Director: Byron Howard and Rich Moore
Genre: Animation, Family, Adventure, Crime



A really cute animated film after a long time. Its a complete family watch, not really kiddish!




You may look forward to:

• The story of the film is the biggest pro of this movie. A fine blend of cute concepts with crime, which makes this film enjoyable by adult audience as much as young ones. Such animated films works as a cleanser to the adult minds and a little over the top for the young ones
• All the characters with the voice overs deserve due credit. The animation and voice overs looks pretty convincing :)
• Certainly the 'Bunny' and the 'Fox' steal the entire film, but my favorite characters in the film are that of the 'Sloth' and 'Mr. Big' :D

What you can sleep over:

What disappointed me to a little extent is that i expected some more finer details of the various senses and capacities of individual animal like characteristics, as they marketed in the trailer. The film had a city made by animals but they were only animal representations of human. The story could have been much more interesting if they accommodated some distinctive behavior and senses of individual animals apart from just sizes




The dampeners you should be aware of:

The second half of the film may not be fit for young kids. They wont understand the story at all which is more complicated and political. The second half of the story majorly caters to the adult audience





My Rating: 3.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

London Has Fallen

Cast: Gerard Butler(Mike Banning), Aaron Eckhart(President), Morgan Freeman(Vice President), Alon Moni Aboutboul(Barkawi), Angela Bassett(Lynn),Waleed Zuaiter(Kamran), Charlotte Riley(MI6 Agent), Bryan Larkin(SAS Lieutenant) and Radha Mitchell(Mike's wife)
Director: Babak Najafi
Genre: Crime, Action, Thriller



Better than 'Olympus has fallen' in terms of thrill and action sequences!




You may look forward to:

• Gerard Butler is the one to look out for :) He is in his best elements when its an action flick. He looks old now but never worn out. Its him  all over the movie as he leads all the action scenes in protection of US President, minus him the movie is practically nothing
• Alon Moni Aboutboul and Waleed Zuaiter are the key terrorists behind the whole activity, and they do a good job, they don't look like penny villains :)
• Charlotte Riley and Bryan Larkin have good but limited supporting roles
• Babak Najafi does a good job in engaging the audience, there is enough thrill through the film. Some gun fights were relentlessly engaging while the director makes the audience wonder where is the escape after all where every effort is going futile in saving the President in a country which is not his own!

What you can sleep over:

• Aaron Eckhart is omnipresent, for obvious reasons, although not much of meat in his role otherwise
• Morgan Freeman and Angela Bassett are in limited support
• Radha Mitchell hardly has any screen presence

The dampeners you should be aware of:

While the movie gives you adequate amount of action, the story of the film takes a hit. The content is practically nothing. It may give the audience a feel that its all very repetitive. Having the right expectation is the key to enjoy this flick. Go to enjoy a hard core action thriller-entertainer, nothing more and nothing less :)





My Rating: 3/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Gods of Egypt

Cast: Gerard Butler(Set), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau(Horus), Brenton Thwaites(Bek), Elodie Yung(Hathor), Courtney Eaton(Zaya), Chadwick Boseman(Thoth), Rufus Sewell(Urshu), Geoffrey Rush(Ra), Yaya Deng(Astarte) and Abbey Lee(Anat)
Director: Alex Proyas
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Action



Pass time weekend flick. If not for the CGI effect, this film wont last more than a week on the big screens!




You may look forward to:

• This is my first with Gerard Butler in  a negative role. He is convincingly a bad demi god :D His built, his rage and his voice is best suited for roles like this
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in fact has an unexpected better role :) His built yet again suits caricatures of such kinds. Although he would be the one whom one can relate to a negative figure, he equally justifies the role of a good natured demi god :)
• Brenton Thwaites is the mortal hero of the film. He has the most meaty role in this movie, from the beginning to the end. 'Bek' is swift, trustworthy and a romantic hero :D
• Elodie Yung and Courtney Eaton are two leading women in the film. They enjoy good enough screen presence
• Chadwick Boseman and Geoffrey Rush, are the positive supporting roles.Chadwick Boseman adds some humor quotient here and there. While Rufus Sewell, Yaya Deng and Abbey Lee have decent role in the negative supports
• This flick certainly scores well in terms of terrific CGI and good 3D filming. Although the CGI is a lot more over the top, but this is the only selling point of the film

What you can sleep over:

Unlike most of the movies built around Egyptian myths and mythologies, this is completely a fantasy drama. You cant relate to any truth around it even remotely





The dampeners you should be aware of:

• I expected a lot more from a Gerard Butler film. Alas! ended in  a disappointment
• The story of this film is its major set back, movie feels way too stretched, and direction or dialogues do not create enough interest to hold the audience to the seats to enjoy it till the end

My Rating: 2.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

The Revenant

 

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio(Glass), Tom Hardy(Fitzgerald), Domhnall Gleeson(Captain), Will Poulter(Bridger), Duane Howard(Elk), Forrest Goodluck(Hawk), Arthur Redcloud(Hikuc), Grace Dove(Glass's wife) and Melaw Nakehk'o(Powaka)
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Genre: Drama, Adventure, Action




Now since it has won many Oscars, the curiosity for those who didn't watch it yet may be too high. Nonetheless, it is a good watch standalone without Oscar hype around it!





You may look forward to:

• Leonardo DiCaprio is the character on whom the film is titled aptly. Although this film won him an Oscar, i would still say his best performance till date was in 'Wolf of Wall Street'. But nevertheless, he is an outstanding actor who did deserve an Oscar over a lifetime in his career. 'Glass' portrays endurance which defies human conditions, his unrelenting quest for revenge takes 'Glass' through various adventures and a lot of hardship, and no one could have played it as good as Leo himself
• Tom Hardy is again  a very commendable character who is more selfish than human. Cannot say his deeds were out of ordinary, but yet he qualifies for a bad man
• Domhnall Gleeson is in a significant supporting role, onto which he delivers well
• Duane Howard, Arthur Redcloud and Melaw Nakehk'o play different clans of native Americans at their best
• Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck and Grace Dove are among the other supporting characters who had short but important roles
• This film is all about direction, the story is outright simple. Alejandro González Iñárritu is again a deserving win. His direction gets into your head, and to attain that he has paced the film aptly. Neither too slow nor too many incidents. He manages to maintain your attention throughout the film. To add to it if this film is actually based on a true story, there was no way it could possibly escape an Oscar :)

What you can sleep over:

The pace of the movie is slow, and its intentionally so. Having right expectations is the key





The dampeners you should be aware of:

• It is quite a bit gory, to the liking of a family audience. Indian screens may have edited quite a bit portion of it anyhow
• The entire film is a plain revenge drama, unfortunately there was not much of build up shown, be it in terms of flash back or present, on how deep was 'Glass's' affection towards 'Hawk'. He loved him as much as a father would, but to display this level of endurance and will to avenge his son's death, one needs more than just an ordinary fatherly love. Not very convincing

My Rating: 3.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Neerja

Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Shekhar Ravjiani(Jaideep), Yogendra Tiku(Father), Abrar Zahoor(Zayd), Jim Sarbh(Khalil), Ali Baldiwala(Mansoor) and Kavi Shastri(Naresh)
Director: Ram Madhvani
Genre: Biography, Thriller, Drama



Its slightly over hyped, nevertheless, a well deserved watch!




You may look forward to:

• Sonam Kapoor is picking the right kind of film for herself. This one will certainly catapult her career to greater heights. Although i cant say acting skills required for such movies are very high, but she looks to have paid a notable tribute to the bravery and courage of 'Neerja Bhanot' and successfully carried the entire film on her shoulders
• Shabana Azmi, Shekhar Ravjiani and Yogendra Tiku are in short supporting roles, but Shabana Azmi stands out
• Abrar Zahoor, Jim Sarbh and Ali Baldiwala, in fact did a stupendous job. They had a tougher job to relay varied and complex expressions, a concoction of fear, angst; failing to manage the situation and avenge themselves. A thin line between pity and vengeance is portrayed softly
• 'Neerja Bhanot' deserves a commendable applaud. Her presence of mind and tactful actions helped most of the passengers survive. She did not appear afraid most of the moments and gathered herself along every time, her best action being her first action to inform the pilots. She does deserve a salute! What she did is very unlikely of air hostesses! :D No offense!

What you can sleep over:

Kavi Shastri is the declared bad man of the film who is just a forced addition, he isn't really required in this part of the highlighted story. His part could be more justified if shown before the hostage situation





The dampeners you should be aware of:

The direction of the film slogged big time. Stories of such kinds do not have much to play around with the scripts or dialogues, but direction can make a huge difference. Unwanted scenes from Neerja's failed marriage was extremely misplaced and were distracting. Lone scenes of Neerja is made up, no one possibly could have known what she was thinking and feeling. Hence the tagline 'Fear gave her courage' is totally an assumption. The movie had a pace but yet it didn't hold up my attention throughout the film. I kept losing interest time and again





My Rating: 3/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

How to Be Single

Cast: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson(Robin), Anders Holm(Ken), Alison Brie(Lucy), Leslie Mann(Meg), Nicholas Braun(Josh), Jason Mantzoukas(George), Jake Lacy(Ken) and Damon Wayans,Jr(David)
Director: Christian Ditter
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama



Its a cute romantic feminine drama. A decent weekend watch!




You may look forward to:

• Dakota Johnson is the lead of the film. All other stories are centered around her. Its her story of self realizations after as many dumps, distinguish between love and want!  She does a pretty decent job at it!
• Rebel Wilson is the USP of the film. They practically marketed the entire film on her name. She is extremely chirpy and adorable character. She is one person who is care free every single day of her life, not letting her be bogged down by any means and always happy. The genre comedy in the film is totally justified due to her presence
• Anders Holm, Nicholas Braun and Damon Wayans,Jr are three prety important supporting roles in the film, who are running through their own journey in life, finding emotional stability
• Alison Brie and Leslie Mann, are the two other significant roles who have their own distinctive stories to tell, much of which caters to recent lifestyle adjoining short sighted future
• Jason Mantzoukas and Jake Lacy, are those supporting characters who may not have a lot of screen presence but holds the key roles in shaping up the lives of two ladies as the story unfolds

What you can sleep over:

Do not go by the trailer, you will be in a for a disappointment. This is not solely a Rebel Wilson led comedy film as otherwise promoted. Its more of a drama




The dampeners you should be aware of:

This film may not appeal to all the male audience that much, except for the portions where Rebel Wilson appear!




My Rating: 3/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Deadpool

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Ed Skrein, Morena Baccarin(Vanessa), T. J. Miller(Weasel), Gina Carano(Angel Dust), Brianna Hildebrand(Teenage Warhead),Stefan Kapicic(Colossus) and Leslie Uggams (Blind Woman)
Director: Tim Miller
Genre: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi



Every penny worth the entertainment! Complete package of Action, Comedy and Romance!




You may look forward to:

• Ryan Reynolds is extra ordinary as 'Deadpool' :D Robert Downey Jr has a competition now :) His dialogue delivery is funny and not lame, and man!!! does he talk or does he talk. Where the new 'Spiderman' loses, 'Deadpool' reaps the benefit with a humor induced superhero avatar, who is funny as well heroic! One minus of most of the super heroes is that they are hardly ever seen in their actual face, most of it is covered in masks. Nevertheless, as an introductory film, Ryan Reynolds shares good screen space
• Now who remembers Ed Skrein from 'Transporter: Refuelled'!!! The one doubt i had whether this new kid in the block of big cinemas will fare as a hero or a villain, is clarified with this film :) He qualifies as a bad man :D
• Morena Baccarin, T. J. Miller and Leslie Uggams, are supporting characters to 'Wade Wilson', they do a fine job at it!
• Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand and Stefan Kapicic are the other supporting mutants who help filling in more action, and more masala!
• The USP of the film is in its humor factor. I love the way Tim Miller presents his lead actor of the film. Entire film is comedy and action packed. The film doesn't drag for even a single moment. Marvel gives us a super hero completely out of its league!

What you can sleep over:

The film though released for all audiences, caters majorly to the American audience. There are innumerous references from an all American lifestyle, which may strike or may not strike to a lot of audience who haven't tasted the American way! Bottomline, your entertainment quotient is directly proportional to your know how of Americans!





The dampeners you should be aware of:

• There is practically no story in this film. Its a plain revengeful chase in the entire flick, where the humorous angle of 'Deadpool' doesn't give his anger that required edge and the heat which is needed to break even the story where it concludes
• Unlike other Marvel series, this is completely a humorous take on a super hero image, there is nothing serious about the lead character nor the story

My Rating: 3.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Fitoor

Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur, Katrina Kaif,Tabu, Aditi Rao Hydari, Rahul Bhat(Bilal), Mohammed Abrar(Young Noor), Tunisha Sharma(Young Firdaus), Akshay Oberoi(Mufti), Lara Dutta, Kunaal Khyaan(Aarif) and Ajay Devgan
Director: Abhishek Kapoor
Genre: Romance, Drama




Intense romantic drama! Watch it with right expectations!




You may look forward to:

• Aditya Roy Kapur gives out a great delivery in  a performance oriented film. He pull off the role of an obsessed lover quite well. Also additional points to his chisel cut body. A painter, a sculptor, a lover; he is a part of intense package of star cast in the film
• Katrina Kaif in pairing with Aditya Roy Kapur looks quite good. Her role in the film looks straight out of the novel, you can as if feel it even if you haven't read the novel for yourself. She looks no short of a damsel. Her role in the movie although not too strong, but her USP as per the script is her looks
• Tabu is the actual female lead in this film. Her power packed performances cannot be questioned. Although by now you start feeling its getting slightly repetitive after ' Haider', as yet she is one role to look out for in this film. In short she is the female avataar of 'Devdas' :D
• I liked this film more for its direction than star cast or story. Abhishek Kapoor does an outstanding job in presenting this film. When i say i could feel the writing of a novel even though i haven't read it, that in itself is a big compliment for a director directing a story of a novel. The biggest challenge for such films is to present one entire book written in detail to wrap up in a motion movie in a matter of 2 hours. Most of the detailing are eaten up in the process. First half of the movie is excessively romantic, thanks to Abhishek Kapoor for his direction, the description of 'Firdaus' and the obsession of 'Noor' beautifully described, like written in novels. The film is so aptly titled as 'Fitoor' meaning obsession. Unlike the films until last decade when films like 'Devdas' used to release in the name of a love story, this film doesn't claim this to be love, its clear and on your face simply obsession. Kudos to Abhishek Kapoor yet again
• Major supporting roles in the film are that of Aditi Rao Hydari and Rahul Bhat, they do a decent job given the stretch of the red carpet they had to perform
• Short appearances from Mohammed Abrar, Tunisha Sharma and Ajay Devgan are worth a mention. They did a fabulous job
• Amongst other supporting roles were Akshay Oberoi, Lara Dutta and Kunaal Khyaan. All of them commendable

What you can sleep over:

• The story of the film is practically nothing. Not many twists, nor way too much emotional drama. But yet i don't count this as negative, since this film feels like an experience, the story never felt as important
• Music of the film in the context of the story and as a background music sounds pretty nice. It has that unique Kashmiri touch in it somehow. Minus the film, you may or may not listen to the audio tracks

The dampeners you should be aware of:

• The pace of the film can put many people off. If not for a theater watch, you may not be able to complete the movie in one shot
• Tabu's role could have been enhanced. She had more pitch to perform. 'Begum Hazrat's' life abruptly wraps up in quick motion, so did the film

My Rating: 3.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

The Finest Hours

Cast: Chris Pine, Josh Stewart(Tchuda),Holliday Grainger(Miriam), Eric Bana(Station Commander) and Ben Foster(Richard)
Director: Craig Gillespie
Genre: History, Adventure



What makes this film a worthwhile watch is its last 1 hour




You may look forward to:

• Chris Pine does a remarkable job in this one. More than the adventure skills, the character sketch of 'Bernie' isn't an easy one to play. His toned down attitude, with an icing of bravery, 'Bernie' must have been one hell of a person to remember and Chris Pine does an amazing job in depicting him
• Josh Stewart playing the role of a parallel hero in this story- 'Tchuda'. He is a silent, low lying character, who saves as many lives on the broken ship for as many hours until rescued. He plays intense role in the story
• Holliday Grainger is a bold lady with an extra ordinary charm. She is not just another lady to lie low, her strong personality in the film defines her role
• Eric Bana and Ben Foster are in decent supports, though they don't enjoy a heavy screen presence
• The rescue operation as depicted in the film is nothing less than heroic. Trading with such high tides and rescuing 32 odd people without a compass, is one such act, which requires more than bravery. Watch this movie for its content which is a part of history in mankind

The dampeners you should be aware of:

The first half of the film is pretty slow, there is not much of content, and it can actually bore you





My Rating: 3/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Ghayal Once Again

Cast: Sunny Deol, Narendra Jha(Bansal), Abhilash Kumar(Kabir), Manoj Joshi(Minister), Tisca Chopra, Aanchal Munjal(Anushka), Shivam Patil(Rohan),Diana Khan(Zoya), Rishabh Arora(Varun), Soha Ali Khan, Om Puri, Sachin Khedekar(Rohan's father), Ramesh Deo(Anushka's grandfather) and Nadira Babbar(Dadi)
Director: Sunny Deol
Genre: Action, Thriller



Complete 2 hours of adrenaline rush, this film belongs to Sunny Deol




You may look forward to:

• Sunny Deol is start and he is the finish. He takes care of every single piece in this film and a grand come back. He doesn't leave a single moment of the film to breathe. He gives out umpteen action and loads of Sunny Deol trademark punches and roar :D He doesn't look old and certainly not retired, he comes back with a heavy load of action again
• The entire film is a run and chase without a breather. You will be sitting at the edge of the seat throughout the movie. Ghayal Once Again gives you paisa vasool action scenes, specially the ones with the henchman 'Troy'
• Narendra Jha from a filmy point of view is placed well and he performs to it. He comes out as a thrilling bad man from the business fraternity :D
• Aanchal Munjal, Shivam Patil,Diana Khan and Rishabh Arora get a good break. A lot of run and chase scenes are shot well with them in the picture. They do a good job
• Manoj Joshi, Tisca Chopra, Soha Ali Khan, Om Puri, Sachin Khedekar, Ramesh Deo and Nadira Babbar have limited supporting roles. They do their jobs well as scripted for them

What you can sleep over:

• The mimic of Ambani is actually a little funny. Shooting all the movie around 'Antilla', depicting a role model of Ambani and then throwing entire Mumbai in a tizzy, is crazy
• Abhilash Kumar not so cool after all, he looks more of a hot headed fool and nothing like a business tycoon's son

The dampeners you should be aware of:

• You are strictly recommended to leave your brains behind while focusing only on the action :D 4 kids are attacked inside a mall, and nobody does anything, media also doesn't pick it. Not just this, people are still seen casually strolling around. Roads are anyway always taken for granted in action films where run and chase take a whole new dimension, ironically hero tries to save one life and in return kills many while banging many other vehicles on the road and blowing them up. :P Big names from business world are drawn and leaving every political frame out of mind, the big brainers are drawn in chaos and are seen equally participating. Its best enjoyed when you don't apply your mind.

         Well, Sunny Deol doesn't leave any moment for you to think:P

• Connection of Ajay Mehra to one of the child on a personal level felt a little forced. The director tried his best to justify the title of the film 'Ghayal', since more than half the movie had nothing to do with 'Ajay Mehra' on a personal level and although he did all the running around to save the children, it wasn't doing much justice to the story inline with the prequel

My Rating: 3/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

The Boy

Cast: Lauren Cohan(Greta), Rupert Evans(Malcolm), Jim Norton(Mr. Heelshire), Diana Hardcastle(Mrs. Heelshire), Ben Robson(Cole) and James Russell(Adult Brahms)
Director: William Brent Bell
Genre: Horror, Thriller



A plot well developed,  turns into a disappointment as the film winds up! A pass time watch!




You may look forward to:

• Lauren Cohan is the main lead of the film and she does her part pretty well. Her actions and belief frames every scene of the movie
• William Brent Bell does a good job in building up the spooky substance in the film with his direction. The mansion and the location are creepy
• Rupert Evans and Ben Robson are good supports. While the former in positive frame and the later in a negative frame

What you can sleep over:

Rupert Evans and Jim Norton are the additional supporting roles whose screen presence is very less




The dampeners you should be aware of:

The script of the film is a spoiler. After so much build up, when you await the real spooky and thrilling content, they put forward a man alive: James Russell in the role of adult 'Brahms' and kills entire essence of the film which defines it in a horror genre





My Rating: 2/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding

Mastizaade

Cast: Sunny Leone, Tusshar Kapoor, Vir Das, Shaad Randhawa(Deshpremi), Asrani, Suresh Menon(Das), Sushmita Mukherjee(Seema Lele) and Ritesh Deshmukh
Director: Milap Zaveri
Genre: Sex Comedy



This is certainly watchable as compared to 'Kya Kool hai hum 3', which released around same time




You may look forward to:

• Sunny Leone is the highlight of this movie. She has appeared in multiple Bollwyood films so far, some of which i have seen and some that i didn't, this certainly is her film. Watch it out for her undoubtedly. As much as she sizzles as one sister, is no less charming for the other sis with glasses. As for her acting, you expect less and you wont be disappointed. She is in short a complete paisa vasool
• The comedy of this film is much better, you laugh at multiple instances, so do you giggle throughout the film
• Music of the film is unexpectedly entertaining, so are the lyrics :D
• Ritesh Deshmukh should be more than a cameo. Every time he appears in comedy films, he re-energizes the entire scene. When the second half of the movie starts losing traction, he helps resuscitates the plot
• Tusshar Kapoor and Vir Das do a job about fine. If it was a film entirely riding on just one of them, it couldn't stand chance. Both of them together save it
• Sushmita Mukherjee rather has a short but good supporting role :P

What you can sleep over:

The comedy is in some parts cliche, as you must already be aware of these jokes on forwards, but such cliche jokes were comparatively less




The dampeners you should be aware of:

• The first half of the film is very entertaining. However, the same old wedding drama spoils the second half. The comedy has no head or tail and the entertaining factor keeps losing its charm
• I personally did not like the roles of Shaad Randhawa, Asrani and Suresh Menon. So much of unnecessary addition which helps adding no fun. Specially given the role of Suresh Menon, i am quite tired of gay kind of jokes specially of such kinds

My Rating: 2.5/5

1- Poor  2-Average  3-Good  4-Very Good  5- Outstanding