ramchandar_gl Reviews

Shutter Island (2010)

Am I the only one who found it complex?

[7/10 · 20 February 2010]

Let me clarify who I am so you can choose to put this review in perspective..I became a huge fan of Leo Dicaprio (LDC) after watching Aviator. Then after watching Departed and Blood Diamond I strongly feel he's the best out there. I also admire Scorsese but mainly because of his LDC movies.

Honestly this film was nowhere near the league of their previous collaborations. I am not averse to complex scripts - loved Memento, Sixth Sense, Prestige. But it becomes too complex if the viewer has to retrace the scenes and differentiate the illusions from the reality. The movie is probably more suited for purists who can try hard to make sense of everything that unfolds towards the end.

On the plus side, LDC gives another standout performance. I read in some site that he was extremely stressed after this movie and its not difficult to see why. Its a very difficult role and LDC is one who literally transforms himself into the character he portrays.

Background score is good. The movie is shot very well and has apt locations.

Most importantly the movie keeps you glued till the end. So its definitely worth watching once for anyone who likes a mystery. Hit the halls!

Duplicity (2009)

Confusing at times, but mildly entertaining at large

[6/10 · 21 March 2009]

I was looking forward to this movie ever since I saw the trailers. After all, it was Julia Roberts returning to a lead role after like, what 5 years?? But I was a little disappointed with the movie in general. The screenplay seemed a little inspired by "Memento" with so many back and forth scenes. But while "Memento" was a great idea in 2000, there have been so many takes on that format since then.

Anyways, I didn't have a terrible time watching the movie mainly because of Julia. She can lift any movie on her own and thats what she did here. Clive was OK. Paul Giamati and Tom Wilkinson were great. I think the Director wasn't quite sure whether to focus on the lead pair or the story and so ended up with a compromised screenplay.

Finally if you haven't seen the movie yet, no need to rush to the theaters. You can wait and watch it on DVD or TV. But if you are forced to a theater, you won't have a bad time.

6/10

He's Just Not That Into You (2009)

Nice acting, well directed. An excellent time-pass

[7/10 · 12 February 2009]

After seeing the trailers you get a feel for what sort of a movie this is going to be. And the movie is exactly that - Nice romantic comedy.

I usually prefer to watch such movies only in TV or DVD but gave this a try simply for the star cast - Scarlett, Jennifer Anniston and Connelly, Drew Barrymore, Ben Affleck, Justin Long etc..But the person who stole the show was Ginnifer Goodwin. She had a bubbly enthusiasm about her character which made you root for her till the end. Connelly's role looked very similar to her role in "Little Children" Scarlet was OK. Barrymore's role was minuscule but her pun about technology was humorous. And Anniston is finally looking her age :-( The movie was just the right length. Mildly funny but mostly romantic. All in all an excellent pop corn movie.

Valkyrie (2008)

Engrossing political thriller

[8/10 · 10 January 2009]

It was heartening to know that this was based on a True Story. Good to know even under Hitler's rule, people had the courage to stand up for what was right. So thanks to Tom Cruise and Bryan Singer for letting the world know about such people and their efforts.

The movie was well made and had some great acting. As mentioned by the other IMDb reviewers, the supporting cast had done their job to perfection.

But on the flip side, there were just too many characters in the movie and all with some significance. So you had to stay alert at all times in the movie and not miss a single sequence. The other drawback I had was that the very essence of the movie (suspense) was lost even before it began. Since everyone knows its a failed assassination plot, what was I waiting for in the Climax? So while I empathized with them I couldn't root for the protagonists.

But all in all, it was a good drama and should find something in the Academy awards this year! 8/10

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Forrest Gump comes to India

[9/10 · 3 January 2009]

Slumdog chronicles the life of Jamal who is born in the slums of Bombay. His life journey takes him through some of the dark aspects of India during the 90's. Starting from the forced child begging to the '93 Hindu Muslim riots and the notorious Bombay underworld, the movie reveals everything that is nasty about the country.

So why should anyone watch this movie? Well, its because of the amazing screenplay which keeps the viewers interested till the very last moment - and the thrill is not about whether or not Jamal wins the 20 million. Its more about how he gets there.

In addition to the screenplay some of the other outstanding aspects of the movie include

1. music by A R Rahman is top notch.

2. casting (Loveleen) was amazing. Especially the 2 child actors who played Jamal. Their resemblance to Dev Patel (as grownup Jamal) was simply uncanny.

3. acting was apt. Nobody overdid their part and thats just what this movie needed.

As any other Indian watching this movie, I couldn't help wonder why the movie focuses only on Slums, underworld and other dark areas of India. Why are only such movies critically acclaimed in the West? Is it probably because that is our only USP at this point - which is sad considering 'Salaam Bombay' made 20 years ago offered the same. Don't we have anything else other than Slums and Gandhi?

9/10.

Transporter 3 (2008)

Jason should be the next James Bond!!!

[6/10 · 6 December 2008]

In bollywood (Indian movies) it is a general belief that a few film makers call up the actor and tell him that their new movie will have 5 songs, 4 fights, 2 romantic scenes and 1 emotional scene. If the actor agrees, then the producers look for a script writer. If someone was ever searching for a similar style of movie making in Hollywood...we have our WINNER!!!

And nobody breaks any sweat over the story for Transporter 3. Since the audience like Jason Statham and the car, they decided to make them inseparable. "The hero cannot leave the car while transporting or else he will be blown away". And so he takes the car everywhere he goes - even when boarding a train or swimming in a river :-)))

And there is this pointless romantic angle which just looks like a filler between the action sequences.

Having read all this, if you are wondering why you should watch this movie. Its because Transporter 3 is one of those movies where you don't have to involve and trouble yourself with anything thats happening on screen. Its like sitting in a roller coaster and just enjoying the ride - if you can. The action scenes are very well done - probably because that's all they wanted to do. The car-cycle chase in Budapest is an example (although I wonder how the hero knows every road and building plan of that city). Jason Statham is as good as any other action hero out there and is certainly worthy of a role as 007. The rest of the supporting cast (barring the girlfriend) do their jobs given to them.

So what are the pain points? One certainly were the scenes were Jason was not fighting. There was no humour in the dialogues. And there is no proper buildup to the climax. Even Jason doesn't know for the most part why he is fighting and what he is transporting.

The other disappointment is the girlfriend. If ever there was a lead actress with no characterization at all, she will take the cake. She doesn't talk much when Jason asks about what happened to her and you feel for the hero because of this muted reaction from the girl. Ten minutes later you wish she never had a mouth!!! Its a complete U-turn for the character and she ends up annoying Jason more than the villain.

If you can somehow keep your spirits up during the romantic and emotional scenes of the movie, you might end up enjoying the Transporter ride!!!

6/10

The Dark Knight (2008)

LEDGEndary!!!!

[9/10 · 25 November 2008]

If the many thousand comments or the IMDb Top 3 rating don't convince you to watch this movie, at least watch it for the legendary performance of Heath Ledger. Its a once-in-a lifetime performance and one can only imagine what this boy could have achieved if he had another decade to live. If Christopher Nolan feels let down that Heath has got most of the attention for DARK KNIGHT, it was partly Nolan's mistake. Because he chose Heath Ledger for the Joker!!!

There's a lot that one can ramble about Heath's performance but to me he simply was the most terrifying on screen villain. The scene where he explains the scar in his face to Maggie Gyllenhall in the party was near horrific without the horror. And Nolan did a interesting job by portraying Heath's role as what it was - a Joker.He is not behind anyone or anything. His intention is just to create chaos and have fun doing it. The hospital scene with the 2-face Harvey had some stunning dialogues and makes a terrifying thought if there's a real Joker out there.

I had seen Heath's performance in 10 things, Patriot and Knight's tale. But just didn't see this performance coming!!!

Quantum of Solace (2008)

James Bond will lose out to the Bournes and Transporters

[6/10 · 17 November 2008]

I didn't have high expectations watching this movie since I already saw a few reviews before watching and I was not disappointed - by the the reviewers :-)

To start with the story itself was a bit of a let down. While 'Water' is indeed a big issue in the real world, somehow I couldn't feel the 'thirst' leading to the climax. The story seemed to waver in many directions before suddenly focusing Water and caring about the people of Bolivia.

The villain was the other let down. That actor just couldn't build up to someone that needs a Bond to bring him down. His personality too didn't suit a villain.

And lastly about Bond himself. To me Bond is about Charm, Girls and most importantly Gadgets. Somehow I don't think Daniel Craig could replicate a Pierce Brosnan with Charisma or Girls. Whatever happened to the Gadgets? Although watching Pierce Brosnan single handedly take down an entire army base of Russians didn't look realistic but it did look like Bond. Thats what I love about him. Its not to say that Daniel Craig doesn't make a Good 007. I think Casino Royale proved that he has it in him to make a great Bond. But I think its time we saw Bond do a more sophisticated and swashbuckling action. For the rest we have Bourne and Transporter!!

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)

Hilarious and involving

[9/10 · 11 November 2008]

I am not a big fan of cartoons but a friend forced me to watch this. I use IMDb as a true barometer to judge films and so was a little disappointed to see a below average rating for Madagascar 2. I will give it a 9/10.

It had everything that a cartoon movie could ask for - animals with crazy human-looking faces, hilarious dialogues, simple story and finally some extra ordinary animation. The story is simple enough for every age group to be involved. I was particularly impressed with the reasoning behind the water problem in the jungle.

Ben Stiller and David Schwimmer's voices deserve special mention.

I haven't seen Madagascar 1 but my friend told me that this is a worthy and better sequel. Go for it!!!